Videoke Night Surprise

I have always been amazed at how obsessed filipinos are with videoke and singing. No filipino party is ever complete without a videoke. When we were cruising the rapids of Pagsanjan, we even heard a videoke machine blaring in the midst of those greens and water. I won't be surprised if there are areas of this country without proper waste disposal but with a TV and a Magic Sing.

Well, my boyfriend and my friends are not spared by this madness. Personally, I'm not a singer. I can dance all night but my voice will make the infant next door cry till the wee hours of the morning.

One Tuesday night, after a dinner at our newly discovered Thai restaurant, Thai Pad, we decided to go back to my place to check out movie schedules. It might be laziness to walk back to the car but for some reason, Ed just pulled out the microphone and inserted his DVD Videoke in the machine. And that's where all the fun began!

Me, not being a singer, enjoyed taking photos of each of them just enjoying every note of the song. I sang a couple of songs but I finished them before the guards of my condo building start calling me to say I'm disturbing the peace. :-)

Needless to say, I think, we as a resourceful nation, has found a non-expensive way to bond, laugh, belt out and release the stress of the whole day's work.

This year, 2007--- Paris, Vienna, Prague

This year's destination, EUROPE!!! :-)

Since 2004, my friends (I think this started in 2002 but I only joined them in 2004) and I have been travelling to different parts of the world. Yes, God has blessed me with this chance of visiting different countries with my friends!

In 2004, we went to Cambodia and Thailand. In 2005, we ventured into the colorful and artistic world of India and Singapore. Last year, we toured Qatar for a day and visited the exotic country of Morocco. This year, 2007, we are going to the fashion capital of the world, France and the country with one of the best architectural wonders, Prague - Czech Republic.

As of today, we have booked and paid for our tickets with Singapore Airlines. Meine, one of my closest friends and travel buddy found the "Double the Miles" promo of Singapore Airlines. Now, we have a free trip to anywhere in South East Asia which we can avail upon our return. We've already decided that we are going to Yangon, Myanmar next year for a weekend. That's going to be another exciting trip! :-)

Unlike our other trips, we are not joining any tour groups. We'll be touring on our own. This is going to be exciting but we have to do a lot of research before we leave so we can go to the best places too. I'm in charge of researching on Prague so I better start! :-)

For accomodations, we are renting an apartment in Paris and we might also do the same for Prague. I'm just checking if we can do the same for Vienna. These would make our accomodations cost about 40% cheaper than staying in a regular hotel.

Preparing for our trips give all of us our natural high. We prepare for this the whole year and now that its only a couple of months away, it's getting more and more exciting!

Filipinos unite against Malu Fernandez

After reading the whole article, I felt like my blood was at its boiling point. I've always known the capacity of a human being to diss his fellow humans but I could not believe that this was published by Stargate Media.... in People Asia Magazine.

The person that I am, I wanted to find out what action has been done by Manila Standard Today and People Asia regarding this matter. So I called Manila Standard and asked if Malu Fernandez has been fired. According to the person I spoke with, Malu Fernandez is not an employee of Manila Standard Today. She is just a contributing writer for the paper (who has a column once or twice a month) so they cannot fire her. In addition, they said that the article did not come out in Manila Standard but in People Asia. The two are not connected in any way, he says.

So, the next question I asked is, "Will you still let her write in your newspaper?". The answer to me was "It would depend on the editors of the paper.". I guess the question that we are posting to the editors of Manila Standard Today is, Will you still let her write in your newspaper knowing the kind of person and writer she is?

Now, another question we post for People Asia, did you even read the article before publishing it? I hope that the editors of the magazine are not losing a sensitivity chip in their system and will make a statement not only the OFWs but to all the Filipinos who have been hurt by this article.

I think People Asia is the publication that we need to boycott for publishing this article (page1 and page2) and to boycott Manila Standard Today if they ever publish any articles by Malu Fernandez again.

If there's anyone who can give the number of Stargate Media, publishers of People Asia, that would be good so we can all give them a call and voice out our opinions and make a stand against this woman.

Walking under "Egay"

It might not be obvious from the photo I posted but the rains last Friday night in Makati was incredibly strong. Egay is to blame. Egay is the latest typhoon that visited the metro and it was so erratic. It would be raining so hard one minute and then drizzle the next.

Afraid that there will again be a flood at the back street of my condo, we decided to take the car to my office basement parking at 1:00 am. YES! We took the car to my office in the middle of the storm and walked back to my condo!

Needless to say, it was a really fun experience walking under one umbrella and enjoying the craziness of it all! hahaha! We were just laughing while the rain was pounding hard on our huge umbrella and getting us wet. Yes, we looked really funny in the photo but that 5 minute walk that we did that night was one of those unexpected dates that I'm so thankful I documented! :-)

Healthy Living Update # 2

I'm on my 3rd week of this new lifestyle and I'm doing pretty good. I find the weekend to be the hardest for me, mainly because of eating out and not a lot of good salad choices. I'm sure that there are good restaurants out there with good salads, I just need to find them. :-) I will let you know when I find them. If you know of any (other than Friday's grilled chicken ceasar and Cyma's Rota Salata [ugh! this salad is to die for!]) please let me know!

Here are the eating places I tried this weekend and my personal rating:

a. Indulgence (location: along Perea St. Legaspi Village, Makati)
-- My friends and I love this cozy restaurant. The owner is Ms. Ressa, who's is a super sweet lady. She (or her husband) is also very aristic and is into wonderfully created pottery. You can also buy the different pieces you see in the resto.

When we started hanging out there, the biggest come on is the tasty tinola and the super yummy desert. Those are really must tries. Last Friday, I just had a serving of their fish curry with rotti bread. It's filling but I'm not really a fan of tuna so this one is just so so for me. Their green salad with fish shreds was not available that night. For dessert, I tried their Brownie cheese cake. Very creamy but not sweet! I loved it! You must have it with a friend though coz its too rich to be eaten alone.

Not a lot of salad choices but they still have a few choices for non-meat dishes.

Rating: ***

b. Cafe Meditteranean (location: Power plant mall, Rockwell)
-- I think Ed and I indulged ourselves too much in this resto! :-) We ordered the fish kebab pizza (good for 2 people) which is really tasty! It took about 20 minutes to prepare but its so worth the wait. Ed also ordered the vegetable soup (I forgot the name of the soup!) which he really enjoyed since he's also in the vegetable and seafood diet.

We also ordered my favorite chicken kebab! It's grilled so there's no oil! Always super yummy! Eating this with the garlic sauce and extra tabouleh is the bomb! :-) Try eating it with the whole wheat pita bread! Yummy and still healthy.

Rating: ****

c. Legaspi Village Orangic Market (location: Behind the Corinthian Plaza Bldg near GB1)
-- My family got very curious about my stories of going to the Salcedo Saturday Market that they decided to go around the Legaspi Village Market and decided to have lunch there. This one is not as big as the Salcedo Market but it also has its share of interesting greens and food. If you are used to the Salcedo Market as a big grocey, this one will look like a small sari-sari store for you. :-)

One thing I like here is the fresh chinese lumpia that they are selling and the japche noodles. :-) Also, you can get the greens and bring it home for an organic lunch! :-)

Rating: ***

d. Di Marks (location: Greenbelt 3, Makati)

- Big disappoint this weekend is the meal in Di Mark's in Greenbelt. I tried their tossed salad... WWAAAHHH!!! I wanted to cry. It was full of really sour and unpalatable italian dressing. The Mushroom Pasta in Tomato sauce was not something you would want to order. To top it all, the Roasted Garlic and shrimp pizza had 5 or 6 slices (note: not pieces but very small sliced shrimps!) per slice! Never again will I go back to that restaurant!!! It might have been really good in the past but they have not been able to keep up with the restos in their same market.

Rating: 0

e. Heaven 'n Eggs (location: Glorietta 4, Makati)
-- This is my Dad's new favorite restaurant! He loves the Fish Taco which he made me try. Not bad! Not much dressing which gives more flavor to the fish and enough vegetables to fill you for a snack.

Next time, I'll try their Baja fish dish and their salads. I was too full from the lunch to eat more than the fish taco. I'll also try their salads. They sounded interesting from the menu.

Rating: ***

f. NYPD (location: Greenbelt 3, cinema area)
-- Ok! Ok! I know that this is not a restaurant but after the meal in Di Mark's, I needed something else to eat. This place actually surprised me. They have 3 to 4 choices of salad, from Steaks and Greens to Ceasar Salad! Not bad for stall in a mall. They also serve pasta which is only around P100 to P200.00/ serving.

I will definitely try their salad soon.

I have only tried their mushroom soup which was good enough to get me through the night after the unappetizing Di Mark's experience!

Rating: soon...

Since it's a holiday today, I decided to cook lunch and prepare the stuff I would need for my meals this week. I just got the August edition of Yummy magazine and I tried a couple of there recipes. What I enjoy about this magazine now is that they have a good portion for non-meat eaters and healthy eaters that I can try!

The first recipe I tried is the Pasta with Mushroom. I also used whole wheat spaghettini. (That's my find for the week!) I thought it would be grainy and very different from the regular semolina flour spaghetti but it was surprisingly GOOD! They also have penne and a couple of others on sale in SM Makati Supermarket. Check out this page to find the recipe for Pasta with Mushroom.

Lunch today had Mixed Greens with a choice of Herbed cheese dressing or Orange Zesty dressing.

I've also been able to maintain my work-outs almost daily, 3x a week minimum. Doing pretty well and excited to get to my third week!

Find for the week:
1. Wholesome Moisson "whole wheat" Spaghettini - Found it on sale in SM Makati Supermarket. P49.95 per pack.

Healthy Living Update # 1

It's been a week since I really put myself into this new lifestyle and I'm enjoying it. :-) I realized that I can make it exciting for me too. Finding new substitutes for my old unhealthy food is fun! It's not as bad as I thought it would be.

The only downside of it, food is not as cheap as the normal unhealthy food. A usual rice and viand can cost around P40.00 to P70.00 from Mc Donalds or the jolly jeep. Salads from KFC, Mc Donalds and Wendy's range from P70 to P100.

Variety is also the key for me so I can continue to enjoy my new lifestyle. Different kinds of salad dressings excite me now. I've tried the Honey Mustard Dressing of Gourmet and its pretty good but I'm sure there are so much more bottled dressings out there that's equally good.

Last night I made a Creamy Garlic French Dressing which is pretty good. I've also started to prepare the salad toppings so I will have a variety of things on my salad so I won't get bored! From feta cheese to hard boiled eggs to marinating chicken... the fun never stops! :-)

The organic market in Salcedo Village, Makati every Sunday can also provide you with a lot of salad dressing choices. I noticed that they have different varieties of dressings from Gourmet that they don't sell in grocery stores. I also tried the Strawberry and Orange dressings of (Oh no! I forgot the name!), that's when I realized I'm not very fond of fruity dressings. Maybe not at the moment. I'm looking forward to Saturday so I can get the Herbed Cheese Dressing and Garlic Dressing of Gourmet!

I want to share with you my new product findings in the market that you may also find yummy, affordable and healthy!

a. Fruit Juice Yogurt -- my favorite is the Strawberry flavored one! Super yummy and gives me energy when I'm hungry in the middle of the day. This only costs P10.00.

b. Nestle Fruit Yogurt 0% Fat free -- I like the strawberry and the mango. I have yet to try the Berries flavor. This is also one of my energy food. This only costs about P32.00 each. They have different flavors too that I'm sure are as yummy as my strawberry.

c. Nestle Fitness and Fruit Cereals - I don't want to sound like a Nestle fan but it seems like Nestle's products are very helpful for people like me who are shifting to a healthier lifestyle.
This cereal is made of whole wheat grain and its really tasty and crunchy. It also has dried fruits that makes it tastier. I normally eat this in the morning with Skim Milk and chocolate syrup. Perfect way to start my day! This costs P149.50 per box.

d. Alaska Skim Milk - Yes, it's 98% fat free but its still tasty and you can still taste the creaminess of the milk without the over powering fat content. This costs around P58.00 per box.

e. Hershey's 50% Lite chocolate syrup - Yes... I still indulge on this or I won't be able to eat cereals with just milk alone! :-) One bottle is about P140.00.

f. Village Gourmet Whole Wheat Pandesal - A perfect substitute for white bread. I bring a couple of these with me to work everyday so I can snack on them. I tried it with Saranggani Bangus in Olive Oil! YUMMY!!! A pack of of 8 or 10 is about P68.75.

Partnered with yoga, pilates or lite cardio work out daily, I'm enjoying the benefits of this new lifestyle. I've also quit smoking so I can breathe better and my body feels lighter. It's a big plus that I look good in my clothes too! :-)

I still indulge in pizza, pasta and rice once in a while but I don't overwhelm myself with them now. If there's a better choice, I would opt for the healthier option. :-)

More updates later...

A Healthy Living Lifestyle

Funny thing about a medical scare is that it presents different ideas for you to change your whole perspective on how to have a healthier life.

A week ago, during an unscheduled doctor's visit, my doctor felt a lump on my right breast. After a few more tests, i have decided to have it taken out by August 25. They said that its a minor procedure but this is my first operation ever so I'm nervous about it, but... it is all in God's hands. I claim that with God's grace, my lump is benign and God has a wonderful future in store for me.

Well, this early detection can be a great blessing in disguise for me. First, I've always wanted to have a healthier lifestyle but have always put it off for one reason or another but I think its about time for me to be serious about it.

All my family and friends know me as the most unhealthy eater in the group. I don't eat vegetables and I love fatty foods! A stick of cigarette and a cup of coffee kicks off my day. I love carbs, ok, ok... I love rice. I can eat two cups of rice with fried pork and a lot of fat anytime of the day. HAHAHA! Ok... so I'm pinoy. What can I say?

The change all started when I had to go through an emotional stage in my life. You know those sad, depression stages that leaves you with no appetite! OH!!! I love the effect of not eating. It made my tummy smaller and I lost weight drastically! People noticed that I became skinny which, in my eyes, is perfect!

Well, the problem with losing weight that way is that its easy to gain it back. If you don't watch what you eat, you can easily gain the pounds back. So, like what they said, eating healthier is the best thing to do.

In addition to staying fit, I'm using my medical condition to start having a healthier lifestyle. Hahaha! It really has to take one major beating for me to really decide on this. Hopefully I can keep it up.

I resolve to:
a. Excercise at least 3 times a week
b. Have salad at least twice a day
c. Enrich myself with protein together with my salad
d. Lesser rice and more of whole grain bread and pasta
e. Lesser junk food
f. Lesser soda
g. Quit smoking
h. Healthier snacks like yogurt and fruits

This is not going to be easy but if I look at it as difficult from the beginning, I know that it will be something that I will always think of as a challenge. I should think of it as a decision and a choice that I made. To live a healthier and happier life.

Ok... I will post more updates as the days go by!

100 Things that make me happy

1. Seeing the ocean
2. Sitting on a beach
3. Sunsets
4. Catchiing an episode of my favorite tv series on cable. One that I haven’t seen before
5. The first sip of a really good cup of coffee in the morning
6. A hand holing mine
7. Hearing a song on the radio that I haven’t heard in a long time
8. Anticipation of a trip
9. taking a nice photograph
10. Mornings that you just wake up with a smile… with no apparent reason
11. Driving without much traffic
12. A comforting hug
13. A genuine smile
14. A phone call from an old friend
15. Non-stop laughter
16. Soft bed sheets
17. A real good doughnut
18. Finding a lost item
19. A good sweat after a work out
20. A sip of water after a long work out
21. Really tasty adobo
22. Getting a surprise bouquet of flowers
More later….

See more progress on: identify 100 things that make me happy (besides money)

Weekend Smiles

I end my Sunday with a huge smile. Just got a message from Ed that he's home after spending the whole weekend with me.

Friday night dinner was more special this time. I think we've been holed up in my condo for weeks that since my Thursday night boxing, I feel much different. I realize that I do feel clucky when I'm just at home and doing nothing... hmmm... should I say not spending. :-) It does not have to cost much but I really need to do something different once in a while or my blood does not circulate well.

Anyway, after a good dinner in Market Market, we walked around Serendra to enjoy the summer night and our Krispy Kreme donuts. Shortly after midnight, we headed home. The next day will be packed so we wanted to sleep early.

Saturday started with a big smile and getting ready to go to Avilon Zoo in Montalban, Rizal. It was a different and fun experience that I'm glad I shared with my friends and with Ed. From snakes, to birds to lions and leopard... all of it is part of a wonderful and exciting experience of this warm and fun Saturday.

After resting for a couple of hours, we headed out to dinner at the Salcedo Nights Jazz Dinner. Mon David with the UP Jazz Ensemble was playing. Its not our normal Saturday night gimmick since we normally have dinner and coffee at different restaurants. On this particularly warm Saturday nigh, we had dinner at the Salcedo Park listening and watching a good jazz concert with our friends Bing, Meine, Lindsay, Kat, Bel and Berwin. The night was capped with a drink at the place where Ed and I met a year ago, Capones.

After a whole day's activities, I was feeling sick and my body was not really being nice to me so we decided to just rest for the night. Smile!

Smile! Sunday breakfast of yummy scrambled eggs and hotdogs was prepared by my honey. He's way fantastic! After having lunch with my family in Kikufuji and hanging out in my condo for a couple of hours, we rested for a bit (Smile!) and headed out to have snacks in the mall. After an enchilada and taco meal at Mexicali, we went around to look for shoes and a top for myself. Ed is the ever loving patient boyfriend just waiting for me as I finish doing my stuff. He said that he's trying his best to be the patient boyfriend. :-)

Once the purchase of a top, a Fruit Magic Buko Pandan and waffle was out of the way, we headed back home. Stopping by the other mall to get The Holiday DVD. The weekend ended with a fun and cute movie The Holiday! :-)

It's one fantastic weekend!

Weekend Review

Another weekend has passed and once again, I wonder, did I do anything good this weekend?

Since I have considered myself as the type to always to do something new, I am more critical now of the way I spend my free time. I guess its mostly because of the fear of being boring now that I have a boyfriend. True, my boyfriend is not the adventurous, let's-go-to-the-mountains type of guy but he can be invited to go to out-of-the-ordinary activities too. I also attribute it largely to comparing myself to a friend of mine who has changed much after being in a relationship.

It bothers me, really, that I am not contented with how I am living my life. I've always told myself that I will live my life in a big way. Nothing boring... always on the move and affecting myself and possibly the people around me. I can't be plain and simple.

Last Saturday, Ed and I went all the way to Los Banos, Laguna to visit a friend of mine from way back, Fr. Dennis Paez. It's very refreshing to see him again. I miss the days when he would feed us with Burger Machine while we work on the different activities of the youth in our parish. Those were my formative years. A time in my life when I started to realize that I could do something for other people and enrich myself int he process.

As the years passed, I have focused more on myself than in helping others. Thus, my travels and self-improvement phase kicked in. That's when I realized that I can be so much better in so many ways. Fr. Dennis instilled that in us, individuality, learning to know yourself amidst the craziness of the world.

Now, I feel a certain void in my life. I know its not something about my relationship or about my job. I'm happy in both aspects of my life. It's more of wanting to do something better with my life. Help other people make their lives better and enriching myself in the process. Now, the trips that I plan and take still excites me but there has to be more to life than just that.

I feel restless again... I'm not sure if its a gift or a curse that I have to be doing something new and exciting all the time. I guess exciting and new is not really the term I should use... It should be something that means to me and will nourish me as an individual.

Last weekend, sitting in the gazebo in Tabor House, enjoying the breeze and talking once again with Fr. Dennis, nourished me. I'm really looking forward to the next time we see him again. Hopefully, very soon.

Hanging out with my old friends, Cecille and Jenny also nourished me as an individual. It made me realize that I don't need to be tough all the time. That I can be an adult and still gush while I talk about my boyfriend... that its ok to share the mushy side of me and still keep my dignity. Hahahaha! It's liberating to actually hear me talk about Ed and my relationship and realize what a lucky woman I am to be with him. Reigniting friendships... That's nourishing...

Yesterday, I spent the whole day with my family. Watching the Federer and Gonzales match is not normally my favorite thing to do... but when you see the two great men in your life enjoying the same thing, you want to be there to witness and relve in it. My Dad and Ed watched the match from start to finish... both of them were just so into the game. Its nice to see them bond even while watching tv. I felt really good... its nourishing...

I miss Elaine though. I still feel that there's something missing but I cannot really force the issue of being with her. There are people who come into your life for a reason, a season, a lifetime. Only time can tell why we met each other and why we don't see eye to eye right now. Maybe one day we will understand and accept each other again completely... hopefully.

Looking back at the weekend, I think it was a pretty good one. Reigniting friendships and being with family... I missed Elaine but only time can tell what is in store for both of us.

'Til the next weekend! :-)

30 Things to do before 35

Before my 30th birthday, was looking for articles with the list of things I should do before I hit 35. My list of things to do before hitting 30 looked pretty accomplished so I thought, why not have another list. Well, with the lack of good lists out there, I decided to make my own.

1. Go to Europe. France, Italy, Spain are the firsts on the list.
2. Go to 5 exotic countries
3. Scuba Dive in 3 major dive destinations in the world
4. Buy a house
5. Give my parents a free trip outside the country
6. Learn how to pole dance or take strip aerobics
7. Sky dive
8. Invest money in mutual funds or stocks
9. Buy a painting from a budding artist
10. Complete another course or an MBA
11. Have sufficient emergency fund
12. Identify a worthwhile cause that is close to your heart and help out
13. Write an article and have it published in a magazine or a newspaper
14. Learn to take good pictures. Take photography classes.
15. Host a dinner party (COOK! don't order from a resto)
16. Find your purpose in life and live life to fulfill that purpose
17. Stay at 110 lbs. at the maximum
18. Be a part of a big theater production
19. Mentor another person
20. Have a grand trip with the family
21. Learn another language (Spanish!)
22. Take a couple of months off and stay in an island
23. Be really good in baking one fancy dessert
24. Take a cruise or a trip with my boyfriend or a husband (if I get married before 35).
25. Stay happy all the time. The best way to beat the signs of aging.
26. Drive a Harley Davidson!
27. Naked sun bathing (while I still have the body for it!)
28. Meet Oprah Winfrey, Nelson Mandela, Mother Theresa, Pope John Paul II or Gandhi. (Ok! I guess just Oprah Winfrey or Nelson Mandela will do. :-) )
29. Go on a National Geographic Expedition
30. Enjoy everyday of pregnancy and make it the best experience ever. (IF... I get married before 35!!!!).

Chillin' at Christmas

It's been years since I spent Christmas with a boyfriend. Not a big change but definitely brings a big smile on my face. Christmas is the same and yet different. I'm telling you... Ed brings balance into my life!

The crazines of buying presents, the Christmas rush is the same but the relaxing moments of being home and just watching tv with Ed is also a wonderful way to celebrate Christmas season. We listen (and occassionally watch) the fireworks of Glorietta every night... a perfect mark of the happy season.

I still hear the dawn mass in Don Bosco Church and feel the cold breeze of a December morning. These are the beautiful part of Christmas that I love.

Since I got my stove and oven fixed, I've been experimenting in the kitchen a lot. I made Garlic and Rosemary Chicken last Friday with potatoes and steamed vegetables on the side.

Last night was a bit of a disaster... hahaha! I'm sure my friend Elaine would laugh at my disastrous experiment. The tuna pasta salad I made was not exactly specatacular but Ed being his loving self said its still tastes ok. Hahaha! No wonder I love him tons.

The super hyper active me is thinking, why am I not going gaga this Christmas season. Yet, another part of me agrees with enjoying this time of year without the need to stress. Enjoy the company of Ed, family and friends... have fun buying gifts. Traffic and the hordes of people in the mall will still be there but there is a side of Christmas that can be easily forgotten. God is in the peace and calm. You'll hear him better that way.

There are so many things I'd like to do next year and its good to start the season right by having a calm and peaceful holidays and then starting 2007 with a bang. :-)

From the Stillness of the Soul

When the sun is setting, it's light reflects on the surface of the water. The sky turns into a subdued orange with the clouds adding texture to an already magnificent canopy. I feel a serenity in my soul. It calms me. It brings balance into my life.

Balance. It's been a long time since that word struck a cord in me. Since I celebrated my 30th birthday, this word has sprung up every now and then.

As I read the word in an article on the day of my birthay, what entered my mind is that I need to start having a balanced diet and hit the gym. I felt a need to take care of my health and part of a more balance diet and excercise regimen, I lessened my smoking to the barest minimum. Thus, I am now on a healthier diet and excercises more than sitting in a coffee shop. I thought, ok... I now have a balanced life.

Little did I know that it's just the beginning. Moving out of my parents' house and living on my own, I have lesser time spent with my family than I had before. Suddenly, I found myself going back home on weekends and terribly missing the times I would sit on the breakfast table and have everyone yakking about what happened to them the night before. Time and again, I have said how important family is to me and yet I spend more time with my friends. I look forward to quality family time with my parents and my siblings now. I'm excited to see them and hear their stories. I try to spend weekends in my parents house just so I can have breakfast with them and hear the annoying high pitched and loud voices every now and then. :-)

I often equated who I am with my career accomplishments. I have worked my ass off since I started working that I am proud of what I have made of my self. Nothing wrong with that as long as it is in moderation. I have noticed though that I put a lot of my self worth with what I have achieved. To the point that I feel worthless when things are not doing well at work. I thought that how people perceive my work is how I should see myself too. I guess at a certain point, I have to accept that things go wrong even if I do my darned best. I will love myself not because of how high up in my career i have reached but because of the kind of person I have become.

From trips to my hobbies to the partying... I'm not one to settle for the mediocre. It has to be grand or extremely different for me to see the joy in it. As I see it, as long as people are amazed at it, then it makes me happy and shows what kind of person I am. Not that I have completely missed the simple things in life. I still enjoy them, but there should be something different all the time to keep it more interesting. It always has to be something new. I get shaken to the core when there are no new things happening in my life. It feels like I live a very uneventful life. Up til these past few days, I have been jolted by the fact that there are times when things can't be grand, when I have to see the beauty in the simple things, extract the beauty out of the routine, enjoy the ordinary. I will still want my grandeur and newness in things but I also need to see the happiness in simplicity without being boring.

Balanced life. As I watch the sunset and the sky becomes dark, I welcome the night time. Finding the excitement in the stillness and peace of the dark. Armed with the realization that I have a wonderful life, blessed by God, there's peace in my life as I listen to the stillness of my soul.

Destination: Morocco

It took us a lllloooonnnnggg time to decide on where to go this year. When we got there though, we knew that we made a really good decision of visiting this mystical place.

Morocco is a place not often visited by Filipino travellers. First of all, it's not advertised much in our country and second, it's so far! :-) The flying time to go there is a total of 18 hours --- 10 hours from Manila to Doha, Qatar and 8 hours from Doha to Casablanca. Not included in those times are the stopovers or the time in the airport. But even though the trip there is painstakingly long, the place is just so worth it!

We landed in Casablanca... the land of Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman. We were greeted though by a chaos in the luggage area of the airport. People were just fighting and throwing punches all over the place. It was crazy! We really couldn't understand much about what was happening around though coz they were all speaking in Arabic. :-)

On the way to the hotel, we rode the slowest cab ever! You'll be surprised though, they have Mercedes Benz cars as cabs in this country. :-)

Being with Meine and Jacky is always a treat. From non-stop "lambing" bickering to the giggles before we go to bed, to the "you're not trying hard enough to sleep" line... it was just hilarious! We even have code names for people on our tour! Hahaha!!!

The trip highlights for me are the trip to Volubilis and the Sahara Desert Experience.

Volubilis was a surprise. Its not part of the itinerary nor do we have an idea where it was but when there were people in our group who wanted to go to that place, we signed up for it just to check it out. I'm so glad we did. Volubilis is the remains of a Roman settlement from 3 BC. It's really breath taking and its so quiet that you can relax while going through each area.

The other highlight is sitting on the sand dunes and just enjoying the breeze. When I think of how lucky I am being in the Sahara Desert, I really want to cry. Not everyone can get the chance to experience it so I was savoring every moment and ingraining them in my memory!

Being in the middle of the Marrakech square at night time is also a fantastic experience! The place is bustling with activities and you will not be able to choose easily what to look at or where to go! The energy of the place vibrates unto your soul.

Driving on the atlas mountain ranges is also one amazing high! When they said that every turn is dramatic and new, they weren't kidding! It really was breathtaking. The weather in unbelievably cold though being high on the mountains. You can see the clouds so near where you are!

When our trip ended, we felt like there's more to explore and we know that this is one place we can go back to. This time, we'll be ready to order more than just juz de orange... we'll have some french words tucked into our backpacks!

Big 3 0 !!!!

I don't really expect much on my birthdays. A simple quiet time in a beautiful place usually makes my birthday complete.

This year, my initiation to the big 30, I thought of throwing a big party to celebrate my birthday. But then, I realized, at the end of the day, I really just want to spend it with people who have made my first 30 years memorable, fulfilling, loving and full of wonderful life adventures!

I believe my birthday celebration started in Morocco. In our last few days in the tour of the country, I knew that this trip is the biggest birthday gift I can give myself. Not only because of the cost (hahaha!) but also because I am in a foreign place with people I truly enjoy the company of, Meine and Jacky. The places we saw, the unforgettable experiences, the people we've met, all of these made my first birthday celebration one of the most memorable ones. For more stories about our trip to Morocco, click here.

When Meine and I were sitting on top of the sand dunes of the Sahara Desert, I felt so thankful for all the wonderful blessings of the past 30 years... Really, there's no reason for me to complain or whine about anything. God gave me a beautiful life and all these wonderful, wonderful blessings. I can't thank him enough! What a way to step into my 30's!

My birthday weekend was fantastic care of Ed and God. That Saturday, Ed and I tried a restaurant in Greenhills called Persiana. We love trying different restaurants and reviewing them afterwards. They serve mediterranean food. It was ok. For more food reviews, click here.

Sunday, after watching the craziness of the Pacquiao-Morales fight, we headed to Luneta (Yes! yes! We went to Luneta! Super interesting to go there coz there's just so many fun things to see and do!) to watch the sunset! I'm telling you... God gives the best gifts. The sun, while it was setting that day, was a round ball of fire! It was unbelievably amazing! The best part of it all is experiencing God's gift to me with Ed. He is also God's beautiful gift to me for my birthday!

After the sun set, Ed and I headed to Dampa in Macapagal to have dinner with my family. Ed and I went around the market to buy fish and shrimps and everything that will be served on the table. It was a totally different experience for us since I never go to the market and we went there and bargained with the people together.

It's also my first birthday that I gave gifts to my family rather than receiving gifts from them. Our family has never been the gift-giving kind. We let birthdays and special occasions pass without giving anyone gifts. I think its a trait we got from our parents. Anyhow, on my birthday, I made sure that each one of them has a gift from me. Either a "pasalubong" from Morocco or something I just bought for them to enjoy. Another something different I did on my birthday. :-) My family is instrumental in forming my 30 years. I love them dearly!

On Monday, the day of my birthday, I woke up smiling. I knew it will be a fun day for me. It really is an extra-special day when its your birthday. It feels like the birds are chirping more and the sun is shining brighter for some reason. :-) I received sweet birthday greetings from friends and family. It feels good to be remembered and loved. It makes your being complete.

My friends organized a dinner for me... but of course, I was clueless and I didn't remember nor realize that they're planning something for me. Ed and I planned something for that night. My friends are just so loveable. They know how to show me that they love me. I don't have to ask for it nor to demand it from them. I just love them tons! Anyhow, I think our dinner is pushing through next week... or else... they'll kill me. That's how much they love me! hahaha!

The night of my birthday, I am amazed at how everything is just wonderful. God and I had a date! :-) I heard mass in Don Bosco Church while Ed was resting because of a headache. It was a blessing in disguise since I got to spend a good half hour one-on-one time with Him. And with my need to have my personal time once in a while, I went to the grocery and started my "lifestyle change" (more on that later!). After my "alone time", I was so looking forward to spending time with my honey! We had dinner at Chateau 1771. The food was great and we enjoyed listening to the guitar man playing sweet, soothing music. In the middle of dessert, it was time to open my gift! YAHOO!!!

There were three small pouches in the box that he handed me. When I opened all three of them, my eyes were tearing up so bad and my throat was so full I can't say a word. The non-stop talker Lyshiel was suddenly out of words! I felt so loved and so special. Ed is a super wonderful man not only because of the gifts he gave me but he always makes me happy. It's in his simple gestures of love that makes me realize that I'm such a lucky woman to have him in my life. His complete commitment to me without any entanglements or drama... his constant touch.. his full support in everything I do... his way of making me laugh... his confident self that he lets me be who I am and wanting me to try new things and learn new things all the time... those things and so much more makes me love him more and more everyday.

After dinner, I was looking at his gift on me on the rearview mirror and I saw another gift! hahaha! I saw the bouquet of flowers on the back seat of the car. Now, I really feel fantastic!!!

I have three more pending birthday celebrations! All because my friends are the coolest! :-)

I wouldn't have celebrated my birthday any other way. They said that 30's is the new 20's! I believe that! We are the more improved 20's. More stable and more sure of who we are... not exactly older... just more fabuous!

My Honey's birthday treat!

Can feelings and thoughts be somehow disconnected? Or are they one and the same but we just need to stop denying and start accepting?
It took me sometime to accept that I am in a relationship and longer for me to completely admit to myself that I am truly in love!

The realization hit me when I was preparing for his birthday. I made it into a week long celebration of surprises and fun! :-) Everyday for the whole birthday week, he gets one birthday surprise. On the day of his birthday, he picked numbers from a bowl and each number corresponds to an event that transpired on the year of his birth. One portion of the trivia is a list of the Grammy winners and chart toppers on his birth year, with a CD of the songs. :-) There was also the card that was on his bed telling him to look underneath for another gift the dawn after his birthday. And then finally, I kidnapped him for a Corregidor trip last weekend.

The whole time I was preparing for these birthday surprises, I didn't get stressed nor tired. I was so excited and happy to get all these ready for him. That's when I realized that I really have fallen for this guy. Whether I like it or not! :-)

I may keep on denying it to myself but when I was watching him standing in front of the trees and enjoying every moment, I realized that I love making this man happy. His simple smile makes my heart melt. That's enough for me to say, I love him.

God's Wonderful Surprise

When God works wonders in your life, you can't help but just step back and laugh.

When a wonderful surprise knocks at the door of your heart, and he's the package that you've been waiting for all your life, you can't help but open your heart.

I read my previous postings and its amazing how God really prepared me for this relationship. Who knew a good looking, mild mannered, affectionate, unbelievably caring man will find me. :-)

Where ever this leads, Lord, I just say, "Let thy will be done".

Unexpected friendships

My trips to Boracay has given me a lot of beautiful memories. Last new year's trip, however, brought me something truly unexpected.

I met Brian and Jim and Boracay. Tanja, I met through Jimmy. The 4 of us have been the crazy bunch ever since. Partying like crazy til the wee hours of the morning. Unbelievable dancing and drinking. In the midst of all that chaos, the friendship emerged. We are four individuals who genuinely care about each other. We look out for each other every single time.

I'm so glad I met them. This is the kind of friendship to be cherished and to be enjoyed every minute of our lives.

Brian, Jimmy, Tanja, to the output while we Bitch, bitch, bitch! :-)

I love you, guys!

Adventure in Summer

Summer is definitely here. Walking on Paseo de Roxas at 12 noon is like doing sit up routines in the sauna. Available rooms in the resorts all over the country are the ones farthest from the beach. Flights are booked from morning til night. Bikini clad mannequins are all over the malls. Women's skirts gets are getting shorter and shorter, to the joy of my male friends. :-)

I'm not complaining though. I love summer! I can smell the fun and adventure in the air. Everything seems to have so much energy and brightness. Every weekend is a time to go out of town to enjoy the sun and the sand.

When I was younger, summer was the time to get ready for volleyball games. Volleyball trainings from morning til night, summer leagues consume most of April and May. Since salary at that age is unheard of, volleyball games and summer leagues within the village were a perfect reason to go out of the house. No major expenses necessary except for team uniforms and money to buy fishballs and manggang hilaw with.

Summers then were also the perfect time to find a new crush. Someone who gives you the kilig and the inspiration to play volleyball like impressing him was the most important thing on earth. He's the guy who you watch playing in the summer league all the time. Someone who catches your attention and your gaze just follows them where ever they go. Oh... the beauty of young love and summer crush!

Those were the days when sitting in the middle of the basketball court the whole day and laughing with your friends is the perfect way to spend summer. Playing with the Tazies and cheering for the Marzupials!

Looking back, summer's then were very simple and yet they were all character builder for me. I learned so many things from my young summers. Through my volleyball trainings I learned discipline, perseverance, strength, courage and team work. All traits are relevant to my life now as an adult. Through the summer leagues I learned how to deal with different kinds of people, I learned that I cannot get everything I want, to respect authority. This is when I understood the saying, it's not whether you win or lose, it's how you play the game.

Now, with the lack of time to train and play volleyball, my summers have shifted from spending the whole day in the volleyball court to spending the weekdays in the office. Now that salary is ingraned in my consciousness, the weekends are not only spent spiking balls and watching men shoot hoops. Weekends are now spent out of town chilling on the beach or diving and exploring different parts of the country. Now, volleyball is not just the only sport on my mind, diving, wall climbing, windsurfing and white water rafting are now part of the list.

A lot has changed since I first hit the volleyball. A lot has been learned since I joined my first summer league. One thing never changes though, summer always brings the promise of something exciting, fun and a brand new learning and experience.

Keep My Vision Clear

Lord God, I know that you have given me a task for more exciting and challenging than I thought. You have entrusted to me a company and the careers of 15 individuals. With these, I am extremely grateful. As much as I have fear in my heart, I accept this with all my heart. All I ask is that you enlighten me and guide me in every move I make and the You may continue to keep the vision of the company and my vision clear to me always.

The company's vision - to have everyone get a winning attitude and always wanting to be the best in everything they do. To be the "Porsche" in our field of expertise.

My vision - to be a well-rounded person trying different experiences by being an affirming and inspiring individual, grounded by the love I have for You, my family and the poeple around me.

"Everything is possible to one who has faith." Mark 9
"The kind can only come out through prayer" Mark 9:29
"And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peacefor those who cultivate peace." John3:18