i hate being sick

partly because i'm not used to being sick. since yesterday, i've had a cold. it was manageable before i got to the office. unfortunately, it's not anymore. since 3 pm, i've used a roll of tissue to blow my nose & surprise, surprise! the roll is about to disappear from the face of this earth. i doubt that it will see another dawn. my cold is that bad.

did i mention that i have to breathe through my mouth most of the time?

argh.

in honor of the momentous event of badz discovering my blog...

i am posting the " ... (mahabang email)" that he sent to our thesis egroup at 12:12 am of march 13, 2005.

i absolutely love this email. reading it even after 9 months never fails to make me smile, & relive our fun times. in a way, it might seem weird that it was the only guy in our group who was able to capture into an email all the emotion-filled moments that we shared, but i'm quite glad that badz was able to do that.

the italics in parentheses are mine. read on, if you're patient enough. ;)

=========================

hello! :)

musta na? hehe... dapat nung monday pa ako mageemail nito, pagkakuha ng grades, pero hindi ko natapos itype... buti pala hindi ako nagemail nun, may idadagdag pa pala ako:

congrats! :) naks! bukod sa may latin honors kayong dalawa, may mini st. ignatius statue pa si grace (outstanding scholar!), hehe :p

anyway, bukod po dun, magpapasalamat din ako ng madami sa inyong dalawa :) A tayo sa thesis! yey! pangatlong A ko lang to sa buong college, pero ito din yung pinakamasarap kong A... i guess dahil ito rin kasi yung pinakamahirap :)

bukod sa thesis, salamat din noong:

expe psych - sa tingin ko madami tayong natutunan dito na nadala natin sa thesis... tsaka naalala ko pa noon na alanganin kayo sa subject na to, hehe... (alanganin kasi yung A namin ni candy. hehe!)

fr. dacanay - hindi ko makakalimutan yung pagcracram natin sa papers at pagmamadali magpaprint at magpunta sa jesuit residence, hehe... (all papers were due at 9 pm)

cog psych - medyo napabayaan nga natin ito kasi kasabay siya ng expe at theo 131, pero para sa kin ok pa din naman siya... kahit papano lesson na rin ito para sa atin - mas masarap ang tagumpay kung naranasan muna ang kabiguan :)

testing - hehe, medyo nakakapagod ito, pero gaya ng expe, marami rin tayong nadala sa thesis mula dito... marami akong kilalang juniors ngayon na nagrereklamo sa subject na ito, pero na-enjoy ko to, hehe...

i/o - yung tanging night class ko sa ateneo, hehe... hindi ko makalimutan yung hirit ni grace nung isang group meeting natin dito: "we don't need a devil's advocate because we already have the devil himself" (ok, hindi eksakto yan, basta parang ganun, hehe...)

hi 166 - medyo magulo yung group na ito, ang dami naman kasi e (plus ang dami ring kailangan gawin)... pero nalagpasan pa rin natin siya...

*special mention kay candy sa ab psych* - hehe, hula ko malaking dahilan kaya pumasa ako sa subject na to e dahil nagustuhan ni ma'am yung report natin :) salamat! :D (we had the same teacher, but i took the class after theirs)

*special mention ulit kay candy sa pol sci* - kung yung ab psych malaking dahilan yung report natin kaya ako pumasa, dito naman malaking dahilan yung report at paper natin kaya ako naexempt, hehe... nagfinals pa din ako (yinaya ako bigla ni berts nung pumunta ako sa testing room para magsoli ng philo notes kay kat), pero talagang mathematically impossible na maka-A pa ako dahil sabit lang ako sa pagka b+ ko, oh well... still, salamat! :) mababa lang ng konting-konti yung group work natin (1 point nga lang ata) hindi na ako maeexempt...

last but not the least (eto na)...

[wala na naman akong nakalimutan na iba di ba?]

thesis!

medyo mahaba-haba na tong email kaya iiksian ko na lang ng konti to...

una sa lahat, naaaliw ako na nag-enjoy tayo sa thesis... oo, sayang na hindi tayo nag best thesis pero ganun talaga ang buhay... naaalala ko nun nung isang meeting natin nung nag-iisip pa lang tayo ng topic nagtanong ako, "ano ba ang goal natin sa thesis? best thesis? o mag-enjoy tayo?"

alala niyo pa yung sagot niyo?

syempre, "pareho", hehe...

pero nung kailangan ng pumili ng isa, dun tayo sa 'masaya'... at dahil dun, ok na sakin na hindi best thesis... kasi mas gusto ko na yung masaya kesa naman best thesis tayo pero nagkaaway-away tayo, di ba?

sagot ko na din dun sa sinulat ni grace sa grad pic, yup, isa pa sa ikinatutuwa ko yung hindi tayo umabot sa point na nag-away away tayo... natupad natin yung pact natin... (one of our pacts when we began our thesis was to remain friends until at least april 2005)

[pero aaminin ko na naging mahirap siya... sobrang hirap... lalo na yung isa pang pact...] (our other pact was not to mention "the effect of color of paper on test performance", which was one of the topics badz wanted to do a test on, which i absolutely hated, to say the least)

alam ko na may mga oras na naiinis na kayo, tayo... sa kin, sa tin, o kung saan pang iba... pero at least hindi natin aalalahanin yung mga yun pag binalikan natin yung thesis (at least ako hindi)...

mas maaalala ko yung nag-e-enjoy tayo, lalo na yung hiritan...

gaya nung sinabi ni candy, nakakamiss yung mga hiritan... isa din sa pasasalamat ko sa group natin yung nagagawa nating maghiritan sa gitna ng mga matitinding pressure, hehe... wala lang, ilang group ba nakakagawa nun? (at makaka-A pa din sa thesis? hehe)...

gusto ko na ring humihingi ng paumanhin sa lahat ng pagkukulang at pagkakamali ko... kung madami (o sobrang dami) man sila, isipin niyo na lang... at least natapos na rin yung thesis at gagraduate na tayo :)

isa pa pala, tungkol dun sa thesis adviser natin... alam kong naging mahirap siyang hagilapin, lalo na kung kailangan natin magtanong, at nagiging malabo siyang kausap nung nakakapagtanong na tayo... minsan hindi nababalik agad yung mga papel, hindi nasasabi yung grade natin, at minsan nahihirapan tayo lalo...

pero pagkatapos nung lahat, na-appreciate ko din na kahit ganun, ok pa din tayo sa thesis... ma-i-improve pa sana natin, oo, pero di ba medyo ok din naman na nakaya pa din nating siyang gawin - naging resourceful tayo at nagtanong sa iba, hindi lang tayo umasa sa kanya... mas naging independent tayo at nag-isip para sa sarili natin...

hindi ko naman kayo pinipilit na sumang-ayon sakin, gusto ko lang sabihin na para sa kin, ok na din yung kinalabasan... kung nag-induce man ito ng dagdag na hirap, at least kinaya pa din natin yung hirap na yun... mas naging masarap yung matapos sa tayo thesis dahil dun... (at least para sa kin)

ok, wag kayong mag-alala, malapit na matapos to...

sa dinami-dami ng laman ng thesis natin, yung pinaka hindi ko makakalimutan e nasa first two pages...

sa page 2 (ii), lahat nung mga tumulong sa atin para matapos ito, mahirap nga naman gawin ang isang psych thesis ng wala kang ibang taong pasasalamatan, lalo na't kailangan natin ng ibang tao para matapos yung thesis natin... yun at yung dedication sa ilalim... ;) (badz wrote, "this study is for everyone who has loved, who is in love, & who will fall in love")

sa page 1 ( __ -> nakatakip nung white na square para hindi masama sa printing), yung title (malamang!) at yung pangalan nung mga nasa group...

oo, yun yung pinaka hindi ko makakalimutan...

bukod sa lahat nung napagdaanan natin, ilang thesismate ba yung makakaintindi sa priorities ko sa college? ;) hehehe... (his priorities were social life/basketball, orgs, & acads, in that order)

muli, salamat sa lahat-lahat... :)

ngayon, pupunta na tayo sa "next chapter" ika nga, life after college...

good luck sa ating lahat... :)

sa trabaho, kung sakaling mag-aaral ulit, sa love life, sa pamilya, sa mga kaibigan at sa lahat-lahat...

God bless!

wag niyo kalimutan tong egroups ha? email lang kayo "kamusta" lang o kahit kwento lang... :)

francis

ps.

congrats sa ting lahat, after 140 units in college (51 dun psych), tapos na tayo :)

"..."

Me, Badz & Candy after the mass & before the graduation rehearsal.

congo grille party mems

our 4th year high school class, embryology, had a Christmas party at congo grille, westgate alabang, last thursday. i almost did not go because i was already falling asleep on the bus, but louison told me: ano ka ba? minsan na nga lang tayo magkikita-kita e.

oo nga naman. minsan lang kami magkita-kita. the last time i saw most of them was after selene's (the first & currently only 'embryo' baby) baptism last october 2. so okay, i'll go.

louison:if ever mauna kayo sa kin, get a table for at least 15 seats.
me: get a table for at least 15 seats? seats ang kasama natin?
louison: haha! editor! table na, seats pa. bwehehe.
me: oo nga, e. i didn't know that you had a fetish for furniture.
louison: haha! alam mo naman ako, kinky! bwehehe.

cracked up over that text exchange. anyway, i got to westgate & started looking for congo grille. sabi ni loui, malapit lang daw sa fitness first. however, congo grille wasn't anywhere near fitness first! it was practically on the other side of westgate. the cold, cold wind almost froze me to death, as i was walking from one end of westgate to another.

well, found congo grille, mission accomplished at 7:55. no one from embryo was in sight, so i had a table set up for 15 people (not 15 seats :) ). i thought that i could occupy myself for a couple more minutes, but the length of the table for one person was overwhelming. kinukulit ko na tuloy si loui na pumunta na para may kasama na ko. sabi niya, parang hindi mo pa kilala ang mga yun. pag sinabing 8, it means 9, even 10 for embryo.

oo nga naman. oh, well. started making their phones ring, then. it's a message in a sense: where the hell are you people?! i'm here, waiting! harhar! good thing, je-ann, dianne & calai arrived soon after. calai brought selene with her.

Ricaflor, with Stephanie Selene Isabel Cabingan. Selene's not smiling here, but isn't she cute nevertheless? She'll be a year old on the 29th.

then the rest of them started coming in. my, it's ironic how we've all changed & stayed the same! i'm not sure if this is making any sense, but that's the way i feel about us. we've changed as we've grown older, & wiser through all of the experiences that we've been going through - going to college, getting a degree, working, starting relationships, ending relationships, losing loved ones, finding ourselves. but we've stayed the same to an extent, because we've remained friends. the bond is still there.

we talked about what's new - mostly about how our jobs are teaching us new things, or stressing us out infinitely. looney & i especially made time to talk - she heard something about me, that's why.

Embryo's Graces: Grace Roselle & Kristine Grace. May I just say, I hate this pic! My face looks round enough to roll around & never stop. I hate gaining weight. Argh.

ayun, coco, tin, deirdre, shai, calai & i went home at around 11, because many of us still had work tomorrow. grabe, ang traffic papuntang moonwalk! pero okay lang, we were able to talk a lot because of that. i remember one of us saying na sana, wedding na ang next na pupuntahin namin together. :)

so, the night ended for us. i heard though, that papu & john (i think) arrived at around 12. grabe papu, anong petsa na yun?! hehe...

i can't help but think, what will we be like in our next christmas party? which things would change, & which would remain the same? we will know in a year, i guess. ;)

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

the day has just begun, but i feel great. :)

it's a day for love & gift-giving, but i will not be giving out gifts yet. hehe! my gifts for my co-mt's are still in their respective plastic bags, yet to be wrapped. these are the fruit of my two nights' shopping spree in sm southmall (in which i was able to buy only two gifts on the first night!). the irony of today for me is that later, i will be wrapping gifts. but it feels heavenly to be giving out something that you bought with money you worked for, so it's all good. :)

by the way, it seems as if my parents have passed on to me their role as santa claus to my younger siblings. when i was in sm with bene yesterday, i bought a police station with cars for kiko, & a barbie for angel. ang mahal na ng mga barbie, grabe! but they're happy (kiko: salamat at binigay ni santa ang pangarap ko buong buhay ko), so i feel that the costs are negligible.

hope this day ends well. merry christmas again, friends. ;)

naisip ko lang...

kaya siguro sinasabing para sa mga bata ang pasko ay dahil kapag naghahanapbuhay ka na, posibleng may pasok ka hanggang ika-23 ng disyembre. wala kang panahon para mamili ng mga regalo. masyado ka nang pagod at puyat para magsimba. pag gising mo sa umaga, nagmamadali ka nang pumasok at halos hindi mo na nararamdaman ang malamig na simoy ng hangin na nagpapahiwatig ng nalalapit na kapaskuhan.

sa totoo lang, nakalulungkot isipin...

random thoughts (the second installment)

random thought # 1:
thank God the revalida is over! i was finally able to give my big blue binder a break. not to mention my arms, which have been plagued with the weight from thursday last week, to tuesday this week. the next & final revalida will probably be on the first week of feb, so we could give ourselves a break. whew.

random thought # 2:
i promised myself last week that if i'm satisfied with my revalida grade, i will buy the other books in the shopaholic series (i've read three out of the five, though i only have shopaholic takes manhattan). but when i was in national last tues, i settled for lipstick jungle instead, because it is #1 on the fiction best seller list. sana maganda talaga. :)

random thought # 3:
we were invited to the Christmas party of the office of the president last wednesday in manila yacht club. masaya, in fairness. my co-MT's kris & justin were the impromptu hosts. kris: they're going to make tusok-tusok the balloon. ika nga ng iba sa min, "nagsama ang dalawang coño." haha!

random thought # 4 :
nakakatuwa na kaming MT's ang nanalo ng karamihan sa prizes. read:

me - free overnight stay at a superior room in traders hotel
aisha - toaster & wireless kettle
connie - P200
roxy - thermos
crystal - optical mouse
sarah - gift certificate from magnolia ice cream
cecille - P500 gift certificate from shakey's
kris - microwave oven container

to think na fifteen lang kami...8 ang may raffle prizes! pero medyo nakakahiya rin, kasi saling-pusa lang naman kami sa party na yun...

random thought # 5:
paano ko kaya gagamitin yung free hotel accommodation? haha! sana okay lang sa traders kung marami kami, kasi gusto kong gamitin naming MT's yun after our final revalida. pasensya na lang, dalawa lang ang kama, kaya may dapat matulog sa sahig (o sa bath tub). haha!

random thought # 6:
i brought my chicken soup for the romantic soul (a gift from deirdre) to the office. mabenta, in fairness! binasa nina justin, jonah, at aisha, at pinag-agawan pa ni roxy at rina. may pila na, at meron pang nag-propose na kabitan ko na ng library card sa likod. haha! maganda naman kasi talaga. my favorite story is "the road to romantic ruin is paved with practical gifts". bagay na basahin ng guys before they buy gifts for girls. :)

random thought # 7:
inaantok na ko. to be continued tomorrow, if i get the chance. i have so much more to blog (the remedial party, & going back to school for starters), after all.

i won an overnight stay at a superior room in traders hotel!

that's all that i can say for now. i'm too tired from our Christmas party, but i'm happy nonetheless.

it's a happy day!

revalida officially over! we all passed! i am alive!

finally, my co-mt's & i are starting to feel the Christmas season. tonight, we had dinner at glorietta, & played at time zone. some of us even shopped for cowgirl/boy costumes for tomorrow's party at the manila yacht club, with the office of the president. i, on the other hand, went to national bookstore & bought myself a light read, & checked out the stalls at the activity center & bought a jar of strawberry jam. :)

such a heavenly feeling! no manuals/notes/hand-outs to read, no revalida with vp's & avp's to be worried about. just celebrations to look forward to, in the spirit of the season. :)

judgment day looms near...

it's on tuesday. 4 senior officers will be evaluating whether i learned enough about credit during the past three months. i hope that i'll be able to deliver.

sometimes i wonder, what is it about formal examinations that scare us so much, when we have grasped the material anyway? all i know is that i am often nervous before exams, whether written or oral ones. before orals, i often find myself unable to eat or drink, even though i'm supposed to be hungry already. when i enter the room where the exam will take place, it's as if a cold hand is on my throat; i'm scared, i walk mechanically to my seat, & i feel that i won't be able to utter even just a word.

the thing i could be grateful for is that i loosen up once i start anwering. plus, i could look calm even when inside, i'm trembling.

my revalida's on tuesday, either before or after lunch. last week, i was thinking about it already. now, i'm close to obsessing about it. but in a way, i'm comforted by all these emotions that are tumbling in me. as i told sarah last friday, i would rather be nervous than not. at least, i know that i'm taking this important thing seriously.

in the air :)

i've been reading a few blogs & i noticed one thing - love's in the air. people are finding each other & getting together. i'm not directly involved, but i get quite thrilled at the thought that my friends are happily attached. i hope this goes on & on & on. :)

two's a company, three's a crowd

i now have three arrovo bills. i should be happy, but i'm not. think: i now have 300 bucks that i can't spend, because these are supposedly collectors' items. but when i come close to going broke, i swear, i'm going to sell them.

sana noong college pa...

ako nag-blog. sayang. i envy the people who had blogs during college, because they were able to immortalize so many precious memories. it's just that i was so harrassed by everything then - acads, extra-curriculars - that i couldn't find time to blog. there was just so much to do, and senior year was especially fast. oh, well.

so pardon me if once in a while, i decide to go back 10 months or so, and write about a college moment. it will just be my way of making up for lost blog time. :)

and another...

arrovo bill! this time, it was part of the change i got from mister donut. i got lucky again. :)

ang aming mananahi, atbp.

nagpunta ako, si mommy at ang kapatid kong si pinky sa mananahi namin. imbis na tanungin ako kung kamusta ako, ito ang sinabi niya: "napabayaan ka sa kusina, no?"

alam ko namang tumaba na ko mula noong abril, ang buwang huli akong nagpatahi sa kanya. pero hindi naman siguro ako umabot sa puntong mukha na 'kong baboy, di ba? at hindi naman ako bata na kontrolado pa ng magulang ang pagkain, para sabihin niyang "napabayaan" ako sa kusina.

hindi pa rito nagtatapos ang kwento. nang isinukat ko ang blusang ipaaayos ko sa kanya, sinabi niyang: "ay naku, ang baba ng balikat nito. mukha tuloy lalong lumalaki ang braso mo."

sabay harap sa mommy ko: "hindi talaga pwede sa kanya ang RTW. dapat talaga, yung tama ang sukat."

at meron pa, mga kaibigan: "parang panlalake kasi ang katawan niya, e. malapad ang balikat." tama ba namang humirit pa? sa puntong ito, natatawa na ang kapatid ko. buti naman, nakuha pa niyang magpigil, kahit papaano.

pero in fairness, maayos siya magtahi. mura pa - 200 bawat pantalon. sa 750, may blazer, skirt at slacks ka na. kaya nga kahit natatagalan kapag marami siyang tanggap, sa kanya pa rin kami nagpapatahi. sa mga tulad ko nga lang na medyo alanganin ang katawan, kailangan ng konting pasensya.

========================

nag-aaral na nga pala ako para sa revalida namin. ayaw ko pa sanang simulan, kaso marami talagang dapat basahin, e.

========================

katatapos ko lang pala kumain ng dirty ice cream. sa totoo lang, kasabay kong kumain si nimbus, ang aming butihing aso. kilala na kasi niya ang tunog ng batingaw ng sorbetero, kaya lumalapit na siya sa gate kapag may dumaraan, o di kaya'y kumakandong sa daddy ko. grabe, naunahan pa niya 'kong maubos ang ice cream!

at least, nauubos niya ang binibili sa kanya. salamat din at hindi pa niya nakikilala ang musika ng selecta at magnolia. kapag nagkataon, mas malaking gastos yun. :)

my pony is blue :) atenista!

You are Opium!

You like to have fun and enjoy life. Reeeeeally enjoy life. If it isn't fast, loud, or extreme forget it. You value friendship and are loyal and will not hesiste to go off if someone crosses you.

What Naughty My Little Pony Are You?

must love dogs

"...are just so different. who we are, what we want. i never knew how important that would be. i thought you just had to find someone to love, & then the rest would fall into place."

- michael hurlihy in must love dogs
by claire cook

this tag thing

i'm weird.

i was not tagged by anyone, but i've seen this on several blogs already, so i'm answering it nevertheless. ;)

three names you go by:
1. grace
2. gracia - tawag ng mga nangungulit, may kasamang tan-tan-tan pa
3. baby - my actual nickname at home, though i'm the eldest of 4 kids

three screen names you have had: (ano raw?!)
1. glydel mercado
2. lucy liu
3. gracie lou freebush

three physical things you like about yourself:
1. the mole below my neck, which is right in the middle of my chest
2. my height - i've gotten used to being less than 5 feet tall (or short, as the case may be)
3. my light complexion - it makes finding suitable colors for clothes easier

three physical things you don't like about yourself:
1. my bilbil, which is slowly but firmly fighting for its right for entry into the world
2. my acne-prone skin!
3. my hair, which used to be quite nice & shiny way back in high school

three parts of your heritage: (other than filipino, which is obvious)
1. spanish - i'm 1/4 spanish by blood
2. ilonggo - from my mom
3. bikolano - from my dad

three things that scare you:
1. death of family members & friends
2. uncertainty - i have yet to develop "negative capability", which is basically the ability to tolerate the unknown & uncertain
3. failure

three of your everyday essentials:
1. rice
2. meat
3. sleep

three of your favorite musical artists:
1. the corrs
2. lea salonga
3. the carpenters

three of your favorite songs:
1. don't say you love me
2. dreaming of you
3. before i fall in love
(shocks, mushy lahat. kaasar, only songs of this sort come to mind at the moment.)

three things you want in a relationship:
1. passion
2. intimacy
3. commitment, which i believe isn't possible without love
(shocks, psych major talaga ako! straight from robert sternberg's triangle of love. :) )

three truths in no particular order:
1. one person can make a huge difference.
2. love is a choice, not a feeling.
3. everything happens for a reason.

three lies in no particular order:
1. life is fair.
2. you've got to play by the rules.
3. love conquers all.

three physical things of the opposite sex that appeal to you:
1. eyes
2. skin
3. (i can only think of two. i'm too myopic to be visual. haha.)

three of your favorite hobbies:
1. eating
2. sleeping
3. talking

three things you want to do really badly now:
1. forget about our revalida
2. read a nice book
3. write something good again

three careers you're considering/you've considered:
1. industrial psychologist/HR practitioner
2. clinical psychologist/counselor
3. public servant/NGO employee

three places you want to go on vacation:
1. puerto galera (dahil hindi ako nakapunta noong summer kasi nagkaroon ako. hassle!)
2. switzerland, because of the snow-capped mountain peaks
3. holland, because i want to be amidst so many live flowers

three names you like: (for my future kids!)
1. hannah
2. candace
3. crystal

three things you want to do before you die:
1. work for an NGO/support a cause i'm passionate about
2. learn to take care of plants (4 cacti have died under my "care")
3. learn to forgive AND forget

three ways that you're stereotypically a boy:
1. i'm quite aggressive at times
2. i offer to let people go before me
3. i used to watch basketball & wrestling a lot

three ways that you're stereotypically a girl:
1. i cook well. i have no specialty, but i can dish up practically anything, provided that i have a recipe & the ingredients.
2. i spend a long time in front of the mirror. (though this is only of late, since i have to apply make-up for work.)
3. i can spend five hours window shopping without getting tired & without wanting to stop. (making bene feel dizzy in the process)


tagging: everyone! :)

feeling lucky because of a BSP blooper

i have one of these!

i was lucky, that's all.

i mentioned this to bene while we were on the bus. he got the only 100-peso bill he had in his shirt pocket and showed it to me. voila - arrovo!

and yes, he gave it to me when i asked. i am lucky because i have one of a "small number" of bills that show a misspelled surname of a president, a first in Philippine history. but more importantly, i'm lucky to have someone who would give up something like this for me because he knows that it would make me happy (and it would stop my pouting). ;)

do not put off for tomorrow...

...what you can put off until the day after that is jessica wakefield's motto when it comes to her obligations. sometimes, i wish that i could live with this in mind, specially when i feel that the mini 'judgment days' of my life loom near.

i'm scared of our revalida. argh.

10 tips for marital bliss (from ma'am kristine's bridal shower)

1. never wear a daster. (or is it duster? whatever, you get the point.)

2. little things matter. take note of even the minute details.

3. the way to a man's heart is through his stomach.

4. make money matters clear. early on, decide who's going to budget, how expenses will be divided, & whether each one could have personal savings.

5. learn how to make the first move. (i'll let everyone speculate as to what this means... )

6. know how to please him. ;)

7. never criticize your husband when you're talking to his parents.

8. don't nag.

9. let your husband have the final say. in other words, submit to him. it's in the Bible, after all. (good Lord, what will domineering little me have to do?!?)

10. show your in-laws that you love your husband, & they will love you too.


i guess attending my very first bridal shower was quite productive. looking forward to going to more (& to having my own, in a few years' time of course). ;)

hp 4

i was never one to rush to the cinemas on the opening day of a movie. definitely NOT in the middle of a school or work week. but i did last night, for harry potter & the goblet of fire.

how can i resist? crystal offered to pay for half of the ticket's price & 6 of my co-MT's were going also (whenever we get together, there's usually only 3 or 4 of us, out of 15. 7 must be the most there was of us in a gimmick). so off we went to g4 - me, crystal, jamie, kris, cecille, jonah & sarah.

what happened when we were in line to buy tickets is something that jamie describes as "meant to be". we didn't make it in time for the 6:40 sched, as it was already 6:45. the 7:15 sched was supposedly sold-out, and the next sched was 7:40, which was already too late for many of us. nevertheless, crystal and cecille fell in line and asked the ticket seller to recheck the availability of seats for the 7:15 sched. believe it or not, some people did not claim their reserved tickets, and 7 seats were available! even more amazing was that all 7 seats were in one row, with only one seat cutting through the 7 seats. :)

needless to say, we were able to watch the film. "it was nice" is all that i can say, as i have read the book already & actually enjoyed the story more in print. (don't take my word for it though, as i really love to read.) but to be fair, the execution of the book was pretty good. last but not the least, it was great that we MT's were finally able to get together, even if it was only because of a movie.

hmmm, i wonder when hp 5 will be shown? ;)

still awake

and cramming into the wee hours of monday morning what i should have done during the weekend. well, relaxed last saturday, and went to star city with bene yesterday. happy times. :)

pseudo-weekend

it's the weekend, but i'm not really looking forward to it. why? one word: REVALIDA.

i think of it as the hell on earth that we trainees have to go through. as if info overload is not enough - at the end of our almost 4 months OJT in credit, we have an oral exam before a panel composed of AVP's & VP's (maybe with some SVP's too). needless to say, i'm not looking forward to it.

last august, we had our revalida on branch operations. it didn't turn out well for most of us. the questions were not really hard, but the panel must have expected a different sort of anwers from us.

our revalida on credit will be on december 5 & 6. even though that's 3 weeks away, we're all getting tense bit by bit. we've been through so many departments & units, so it's hard to remember everything that we've learned so far. the weeks left are hardly enough for us to study, but three weeks is really all we have left.

so this weekend, it's the start of reviewing for most of us, me included. *sigh* i wonder why the week had to end...

praying for a better day tomorrow :)

na-late ako today by five minutes. hassle! worst case scenario, 6th late ko na to in five months. not really that bad, but it's horrible for li'l OC me. oh well, it's not my fault that the shuttles to lawton were nowhere to be found.

because i was late, i had to run to the loan management center (LMC) where i'm assigned this week, sans makeup, & with a bladder that was threatening to burst. thank God, adjacent to the dept was a comfort room. thank God, indeed.

come lunch time, i went out to withdraw money, but wasn't able to do so at the branch where our payroll account is maintained so i had to go to harrison plaza. considering how my day started, i probably shouldn't have been surprised that the ATM terminal i chose refused to dispense cash, & actually debited from my account the amount that i wasn't able to receive. but i was surprised, & irritated. however, even that doesn't make me forget to be thankful that the branch personnel who assisted me were very patient in instructing me what to do, & explaining how my complaint will be addressed by the banks involved.

oh, by the way, i missed lunch. i arrived in the office at exactly one, with barely enough time to wash my oily, perspiring face. earlier, my officemates texted me that the lunch i ordered was delivered without utensils. another thing to be thankful for - they washed a pair of their utensils for me, so that i would have something to use.

to say that this day was not so good is probably an understatement. but as risk management people would probably say, there were "mitigating factors" anyway. thank you Lord, for the small things that make bad days a bit more bearable. :)

yum!

You Are Mexican Food

Spicy yet dependable. You pull punches, but people still love you.

What Kind of Food Are You?

from the outside...

Slow & Steady

Your friends see you as painstaking and fussy. They see you as very cautious, extremely careful, a slow and steady plodder. It'd really surprise them if you ever did something impulsively or on the spur of the moment. They expect you to examine everything carefully from every angle and then usually decide against it.

How Do People See You?

goes with the "OC" description people have often used for me. in fact, i'm the "OC Girl" in chi's links section. :)

"working" on a saturday

yup, i have to go to the office tomorrow because of a training session that we have to attend. as much as i hate waking up early on a weekend, tomorrow's an exception. the session we'll be having is counterfeit detection to conducted by someone from BSP, so it's bound to be really interesting. :)

we have free ride passes to star city, but i might just opt not to come with my co-trainees. gel, joyce and i might have dinner tomorrow. can't wait. :)

random thoughts

random thought # 1:
may pasok na ulit bukas ang mga katulad kong naghahanapbuhay na. hay...buti naman, nakapagbakasyon din ako ng apat na araw. i hope that i don't forget to prepare the clothes that i'm going to wear tomorrow. i'll be in credit implementation, and from what i've heard, it's really cold there. hello to my 3-piece suit.

random thought # 2:
nakakainggit si bene! he has the whole week off, for he scheduled leaves for nov. 2 & 3. he needs it anyway. he has been quite harrassed lately. it's good that he decided to take a breather before the busy season load gets the better of him. (he works in punongbayan & araullo, an auditing firm. busy season is from september all the way to april.)

random thought # 3:
hindi ko yata dapat binigyan ng "assignment" si bene para talagang makapagpahinga siya. hehe...

random thought # 4:
i wasn't really productive during the long weekend. the only thing i was able to accomplish so far is organizing all of my hand-outs from the different departments and units that i've been to. nevertheless, i don't think that i can underestimate the importance of having done this because of one thing - my bedsheet has become more visible! haha!

random thought # 5:
ang daya! nung estudyante pa ko, hindi ako nakatikim ng isang buwang sem break. ngayon, isang buwan ang sem break nila! nakakaasar!

random thought # 6:
correction: nung estudyante pa ko, hindi ako talaga nakatikim ng sem break dahil una, lagi akong nasa planning ng SF / execom / soa EB. pangalawa, registration assessor ako - isang araw ang inilalagi ko sa CTC para sa training, at apat hanggang limang araw naman para sa mismong reg. siguro, swerte nang naka-isang linggo akong sem break nun...

random thought # 7:
but i don't regret spending my "breaks" that way. at least, i was productive, & i was with my friends. not to mention that those planning sessions have made a significant difference in who i am now, and what i want for myself.

random thought # 8:
ka-YM ko si guiller ngayon. i miss him & all my other college friends! special mention sina gel, candy, badz, de-anne, trina, ivan, kfc & ginger.

random thought # 9:
nag-siesta ako kaya hindi pa ako inaantok.

random thought # 10:
pwede pa akong maging productive tonight! subukan kong basahin yung chapter 4 ng book namin on understanding financial statements. it's not exactly my kind of book, but i need to exert extra effort if i want to understand the audited financial statements of our clients.

random thought # 11:
hindi ko pa nababalot ang "something moving" ko for thursday. paano ba naman kasi, kakaiba ang shape! mahirap tuloy maghanap ng kahon...

random thought # 12:
may free lunch kami tomorrow courtesy of sir odie! yehey! - from the stingy part of me

random thought # 13:
kung estudyante pa ako, ano na kaya ang ginagawa ko? siguro pinag-aaralan ko na yung available class scheds at pumipili na ko ng teachers. o di kaya tumatambay na sa national bookstore sa katipunan para makapili ng magandang notebook.

random thought # 14:
i do not regret taking the classes of some of the "terror professors" like fr. adolfo dacanay & mr. eduardo calasanz (though my groupmates & i ended up neglecting a major cognitive psychology report because we were bent on finishing our reflection paper for dacanay, & my quality point index was pulled down significantly because of the grade i got from calasanz). i feel that i learned a lot of things from them that i would not have learned had i taken other professors. or maybe i would have learned those things anyway, but in a not-so-fun or insightful way.

random thought # 15:
enough of this randomness. understanding financial statements beckons...

iba talaga pag wala kang magawa...

o may kailangan kang gawin, pero ayaw mo pang gawin. kahit ano, papatulan mo. hehe... :)

You Are a Good Girl

You are 70% Good and 30% Bad Generally speaking, you're a very good girl. (But you don't have us totally fooled!)

Are You a Good Girl or a Bad Girl?

You Are a Good Student of Men

You're pretty good at knowing what men are thinking But you're not dead on 100% of the time Let your guy off the hook sometimes... because you may be reading him all wrong!

How Well Do You Understand Men?

You are a Great Girlfriend

When it comes to your guy, you're very thoughtful But you also haven't stopped thinking of yourself You're the perfect blend of independent and caring You're a total catch - make sure your guy knows it too!

Are You a Good Girlfriend?

Your Love Quote

Love is not a matter of counting the years --it's making the years count.

What Love Quote Suits You?

nice results! i could only wonder if bene would agree. hi dear. :)

tidbits of wisdom

We have no reason to harbor any mistrust against our world, for it is not against us. If it has terrors, they are our terrors; if it has abysses, these abysses belong to us; if there are dangers, we must try to love them. And only if we arrange our lives in accordance with the principle which tells us that we must always trust in the difficult, what now appears to us as the most alien will become our most intimate and trusted experience. How could we forget those ancient myths that stand at the beginning of all races, the myths about dragons that at the last moment are transformed into princesses? Perhaps all the dragons in our lives are princesses who are only waiting to see us act, just once, with beauty and courage.

- Rainer Maria Rilke -

long weekend, etc.

thank God! i finally have time to organize my files, my bed, my bag, basically my whole life.

at the moment, one of the things i dislike about working is that it takes up so much time, to the point that you barely have time to chill and just "be". i haven't actually written anything worthwhile in a long time. i haven't watched a movie recently, nor have i read a good book until friday (og mandino's "the spellbinder's gift").

on the upside, i'm learning a lot of things, and i feel that even in little ways, i was able to help out in the departments that i've been to. more importantly, i love my co-trainees. most of the time, we all seem to be on the same wavelength. we get along well, and we have fun together. we are able to talk about our concerns, and help each other out.

we are almost 5 months into our training. we've spent 4 weeks at the branches, and one week each at the different account origination units. currently, we are having our OJT at the different credit and credit administration units. at this point, i feel that i would eventually want to be assigned to HR, corporate affairs, or project management. we have yet to be rotated to the support groups though, so these preferences are still open to change. i only hope that come february, there will be vacancies in the departments that i'm interested in.

tsk, tsk. a day has passed. 1 vacation day less. i haven't accomplished anything (didn't really intend to, after all). i sure hope this lazy streak doesn't extend to the next four days...

love-related quizzes from blogthings...

must be the effect of post-4th anniversary mood...

You Are A Realistic Romantic

It's easy for you to get swept away by romance...
But you've done a pretty good job keeping perspective.
You're still taken in by love poems and sunsets
You just don't fall for every dreamy pick up line!

What Are The Keys To Your Heart?

The Keys to Your Heart

You are attracted to those who have a split personality - cold as ice on the outside but hot as fire in the heart. In love, you feel the most alive when your lover is creative and never lets you feel bored. You'd like to your lover to think you are loyal and faithful... that you'll never change. You would be forced to break up with someone who was insecure and in constant need of reassurance. Your ideal relationship is lasting. You want a relationship that looks to the future... one you can grow with. Your risk of cheating is zero. You care about society and morality. You would never break a commitment. You think of marriage as something that will confine you. You are afraid of marriage. In this moment, you think of love as commitment. Love only works when both people are totally devoted.

What Are The Keys To Your Heart?

How You Are In Love

You take a while to fall in love with someone. Trust takes time. You tend to give more than take in relationships. You tend to get very attached when you're with someone. You want to see your love all the time. You're secretly hoping your partner will change for you. You stay in love for a long time, even if you aren't loved back. When you fall, you fall hard.

How Are You In Love?

disclaimer! i am NOT attracted to those with split personalities. i am NOT afraid of marriage (my ideal age for marriage is 28, & i want two kids). & i am NOT secretly hoping that my partner will change for me. or maybe i am, but it's my secret so i won't tell. :)

...

wala akong magawa. hehe!

i was just helping deirdre out with her resume. i find it fun because i've been there, and i don't feel any pressure in that department anymore. moreover, i feel that i have gradually been settling in at work, despite the fact that we are being rotated from one department to another every week.

on a sentimental note, my dad, my brother kiko, and my sister angel were watching the dvd of my graduation. that was almost seven months ago, but i literally felt tears on my eyes when i saw my vertically-challenged self behind judith and in front of bok. memories filled my mind, and i was just so overwhelmed of everything that has happened. more so when i viewed our interactive cd a few hours later, and saw ateneo's buildings. ngayon ko lang ulit naisip na maganda pala talaga ang campus namin. =) as my mouse pointer hovered over the menu, the urge to look at our very first block pic got the better of me. click! there i was with our original block - Block C - chubby as always, but with much better hair. unfortunately, patay na ang buhok ko ngayon. *sigh*

seven months, yet the memories remain fresh. thankfully, they do. college was a roller coaster ride that found me closing my eyes and holding my breath at so many points, but it brought me to level ground tougher and braver. i know (and i pray) that the next chapters of my life will do the same, at the very least.

Me and my thesis mates Candy and Badz, in the Ateneo High grounds before the processional. Syempre, all smiles (smile na yan sa standards ni Badz) dahil tapos na ang thesis. Moreover, we managed to keep the pact we made in June, when we were still starting our thesis: to remain friends at least until April 2005. Salamat sa Diyos, at friends pa rin kaming lahat.

Prayer for Finals

I wish that I knew about this prayer when I was still a student.  It
might have helped me during my scheduled procrastination nights. =)

==================================

The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not flunk
He keepeth me from lying down when I should be studying
He leadeth me beside the water cooler for a study break
He restores my faith in study guides
He leads me to better study habits
For my grades' sake.

Yea, though I walk through the valley of borderline grades
I will not have a nervous breakdown
For thou art with me
My prayers and my friends, they comfort me
Thou givest me the answer in moments of blankness
Thou anointest my head with understanding
My test paper runneth over with questions I recognize.

Surely passing grades and flying colours shall follow me
All the days of my examinations
And I shall not have to dwell in this exam hall forever.

i am an "everything pizza"!

Diverse and adaptable You enjoy the full buffet of life It's hard to you play favorites with friends... or flavors There's very little that you dislike!

What's Your Pizza Personality?

missing soa...

SOA is an acronym for socially-oriented organizations of the ateneo. currently under it are 12 organizations. last year, i was the executive officer (EO) of the SOA Executive Board (EB).

last night, i got an email from bel (current SOA EO), asking how i dealt with non-performing EB members. while answering his question, a lot of things came rushing back, mostly about my 7 co-officers. how all of us were actually performers most of the time. how passionate we all were about what we were doing. how hard we tried to fulfill our responsibilities and help each other out, despite our heavy academic load (7 of us were seniors). how much fun we had, and how they serve as an inspiration to me, even now.

we haven't seen each other for some time now. i think the last time we saw each other was during may, as we helped the new EB in their formation seminar. that's why i miss all of them so much. i sometimes wonder if during our one year stint as SOA EB, i was able to let them know how much they meant to me, not just as workmates, but as friends too. sometimes, i don't think so. but they do mean a lot to me, and they do serve as an inspiration to me now. worthy of special mention are de-anne, mana, trina & ginger.

why? because i feel that they are truly living out the SOA and the ateneo vision. they are being persons for others in what they are doing now. both de-anne & mana are working in malacanang. ginger is a jesuit volunteer in samar, while trina is working for philippine business for social progress, an NGO. i often find myself wishing that i am with them too, or if not, i'm in the line of work that they are.

this is not to demean myself, nina and fred, because we are in the corporate world. nina is in glaxosmithkline, while fred is in sony life. i honestly believe that we can live out the SOA vision anywhere, even in the corporate world. in a way, it's actually more of a challenge for us to continue being SOA, as we are in institutions where the bottom line is profit. still, despite the happiness i feel right now, i can sense that something is missing.

i never imagined that a year of being part of the SOA EB could make such an impact on my life. in just a year, i met people whose passion in what they were doing made me feel ashamed of myself, and made me realize that contrary to my previous beliefs, i've got so much more to give. in just a year, a lot of the plans that i have made for myself are being replaced by plans that i'm weaving right now - plans that go beyond me, my family, and my future family in scope, but i believe are attainable nevertheless.

i miss SOA. in my mind and heart, i have resolved that i will never forget where i came from. i really pray that whatever happens, i would never doubt that i can do something to change the world.

The SOA EB after last year's SOA Awareness Day, with Sir Redg Plopinio of the Office of Student Activities. Clockwise from top right: Trina Yabut (Finance Officer), Sir Redg, Ginger Ramirez (President), Mana Domingo (Secretary-General), me, Fred Yang (External Affairs Pillar Coordinator), De-Anne Palapal (Community Building Pillar Coordinator), Janina Millan (Education Formation Pillar Coordinator), and Nats Llorente (former Organization Development Pillar Coordinator, current SOA President).

blogger once more!

yup, i have decided to blog again (that is if my first attempt which resulted into two posts counts). i sure hope that i can actually maintain this blog, considering that i am working already. busy, busy, busy!

well, it's been three months since i started working as a management trainee for a commercial bank. thankfully, i think and feel that i have made the right decision in choosing where to work. the people are very nice. most of them go out of their way to teach us the ropes of the profession. they explain to us the concepts, give us exercises (some of their work, actually), and take us with them to client calls whenever possible. hence, i have already learned a lot. nevertheless, i have a long way to go. i have yet to learn many of the basics, not to mention prove to my officemates that i deserve to be an officer after eight months. easier said than done, but that's the challenge for me, and for my fellow MT's.

on the lighter side of things, it's nice to earn money! it feels good to have something that you know you worked for. being frugal by nature, i'm setting aside most of my salary for savings. my mom has been on my case lately, as i don't contribute to our household budget. BUT i did buy a new refrigerator last july, and i'm buying a waffle maker for my sister later. :)