My Ideas That Have Not (Yet) Seen Print

Since my last post, I had wanted to write about:

1. The Cory magic, and how I observed the week of mourning for her. I have some shots from the queue outside Manila Cathedral. Never found the time to write that piece.
2. The beauty of the City of Manila and how I want to clean it up. (I even have a blog title: My Giant Feather-Duster).
3. The presidentiables and the state of Philippine politics.
4. The worsening traffic problem and the undisciplined drivers of Metro Manila.
5. The things we learned in school that have yet to be applied in real life.
6. The moves to change the name of my alma mater, Manila Science High School, to Cory Aquino Science High School (CASHS?). We love Cory, but we love our name too. I'm looking for a way to talk to Mayor Lim. If you have suggestions and connections, do let me know. Thanks.

My thoughts are too scattered at the moment. I wrote this list down so I won't forget my ideas. If I don't get to write them, ask me and I'll share my thoughts with you when we see each other. Over coffee. Preferably at some beautiful place like Cafe by the Ruins in Baguio, or Bag o' Beans in Tagaytay.

July List

Wish and To Do List (for the days in-between):

1. Retreat
2. Spa - gift certificate: check!
3. Facial
4. Travel - Singapore: check!
5. Shopping money (notice the lack of check)
6. Finish course outline
7. Update myself on the course
8. Organize my songs on iTunes
9. Play music
10. Sleep
11. Organize old photos into albums
12. Update wardrobe for the Court
13. Submit all requirements
14. Take up gardening
15. Finally, buy that camera and that iPhone.

What I Didn't Write About

I'm so delinquent in posting to this blog.  No wonder I'm not getting paid for it. :-)

I have so many topics waiting to be blogged about:

1. The worsening traffic situation in Metro Manila, and how stupid (yes, I'm using the S word here) I think the authorities are for allowing consecutive repairs, road works, and the like, during rush hour, along the route taken by most motorists going to the central business districts.  FRUSTRATING!  I think there are certain people who are not using their brains but are merely focused on how to get famous enough to be elected to public office.  
2. My rekindled desire to find an affordable, safe, and convenient studio in Pasig so I don't have to waste time stuck in traffic.  I seriously need to look around for a place to stay.
3. "When Harry Met Sally", which I have seen for the thousandth time last night.  But I turned off the TV on the last few minutes.  I could recite the lines by heart anyway.  I just could not watch them anymore.
4. "He's Just Not That Into You", which I went to see this afternoon.  I have revived my crush on Ben Affleck (it disappeared when he dated J. Lo).  His character in the film made the audience go "Awwww".
5. "Doubt", but I wrote about it already in "my other blog".

I have punched two people in the last two weeks.  Both of them had referred to my being single and in my 30s, on separate occasions.  I felt better after punching them.

I took an executive checkup courtesy of my office HMO last Friday, and found out something that should make me focus on my health and impress in me the need for a major lifestyle change.  But should I worry?  Only the good die young, and after all that ranting and punching, I don't think I've been too good recently.  Just the same, if you know me, kindly say a prayer for me.  I will get all the results by the end of the week.

I will try to be a more consistent blogger here.  I've been busy working on the ratio decidendi of life, that the obiter dicta took a back seat.  Will hopefully be back to regular programming after my weekend in Bohol (woohoo!  I just had to put that in).

More on that later.  I have to catch up on my beauty sleep as well.

What's With This Year?

1. It's CD Asia's 15th Anniversary. Expect great deals on your Lex Libris, my friends. And Ella to try hard to organize her schedule properly without going crazy.
   
2. It's Lingkod's 25th Anniversary. People have been talking about this for two years now. I do hope it turns out to be a special celebration of God's goodness to us.
3. It's the 10th Year since I graduated from UP Law. So A-'99 Blockmates, let's drink to this! Perhaps even attend UP Law Alumni Homecoming for once in our lives?!
   

Come to think of it, I need that 8-day Retreat during Lent. I will fit it into my calendar. Otherwise I won't survive all these happenings.

Things to Look Forward to in 2009

1. Arrival of all of my siblings for a two-week reunion, from Singapore, US, and Australia
   
2. Piano Recital (which reminds me to practice),
3. Trips to Cebu and Davao, will make sure to pass by Bohol this time,
4. Hong Kong Disneyland either with officemates or friends,
5. Singapore with parents (or they could go without me, and I will look forward to having time alone :P),
6. Applying all that I have learned during my first year in CD Asia and getting things done well this time,
7. Maximizing my gym membership that expires in May,
8. Getting a new phone each from Globe and Smart,
9. An upgrade to iPod from Nano (thank you Apple),
10. A dream retreat in Baguio (8-day silent, I hope to make it),
11. Arrival of an old friend for a month's stay in Manila,
12. Game Nights and winning in Taboo or conquering Cranium,
13. More 'gigs' with Tiguls/ ex Lingkod QC Music Min, whether at weddings or videoke sessions,
14. Spending time with real friends and I don't mean on Facebook, and
15. Turning 35.

This is going to be a great year, I can tell. ;)

Cute Blogger Award

I would like to thank Iris of The Search for Wellness   for this award.  Sorry it took me so long to accept it. ;)

 Here are the rules of this award: 

1. Each blogger must post these rules.
2. Each blogger starts with ten random facts/habits about themselves.
3. Blogger that are tagged, need to write ten facts about themselves. You need to choose ten people to tag and list their names.

Here are the 10 Random Facts/ Habits About Me:

1. I am a toiletries and makeup aficionado.  I scrimp on clothes and shoes but cannot resist lotions, shampoos, and everything on Watsons, Essenses, and Beauty Bar.  (I have tried to be good this year and avoided those shops.)
   
2. I am bad at wrapping gifts.  I would rather pay someone to do it.  My mom always ends up helping me.  This year my sis-in-law Mommy P and nephew Miko pitched in after they saw my pile of gifts to be wrapped.  Maybe I should take lessons.
3. I love to cook and bake but only when I'm in the mood (does that make sense?), and I make a mean baked macaroni.  My chicken cacciatore is not bad either.
4. I have been trying to learn to play the guitar for the past two decades, probably.  I own two guitars.
5. Patience is not one of my virtues.  This explains no. 4.
6. I am perceived to be funny and loud, but I really prefer "alone time" at least one day a week.  I long for silence and savor it whenever I can.
7. I am suffering from Volunteer Burnout.  It does not flatter me when people ask me to do things just because I'm supposed to be good at them.  I have been like this for the past, I don't know, two years. (Sungit Mode)
8. My Love Language is "Words of Affirmation".  I need to hear it.  (The other love languages are "giving and receiving gifts", "quality time", "touch", and "acts of service".)
9. I have memorized the following films' lines:  "As Good as It Gets", "The Sound of Music", "An Affair to Remember", "Little Mermaid", "Beauty and the Beast", "Pretty Woman", "My Best Friend's Wedding", and "Bakit Labis Kitang Mahal".  There is more where that list came from.
10. I still daydream.

Now, the 10 poor victims I will tag, I mean, bestow this award to, are:

1. Alessandra
   
2. Skyjak a.k.a. BJ
3. Abi Franco
4. Karreen
5. Elmer
6. Dia
7. Adam
8. Jobelle
9. Dred
10. Sheila

Take your time, after all, it took me almost 2 weeks before "accepting" this award. ;)

Things to Do This Weekend

Since they are so short and I want to pack so many activities into them, I have realized that I should plan my weekends better. Before, my goal was just to do my laundry, go to the gym, spend time with family, and serve at the parish, but this weekend will be different. I am excited and just a teeny bit anxious.

I will start with an extra-long prayer time to get me through the weekend with joy and gratitude. And then...

1. Practice, practice, practice piano. Recital is tomorrow. Even if it's just for family and friends, they still deserve my best. After listening to my exhausted playing last night, I have realized that I need to exert more effort if I want my first recital in over a decade to be memorable in a good way.

2. Prepare the house for the small dinner and recital. Check the little details like hand soap and hand towels.

3. Coordinate with siblings based in Germany, Australia, Singapore, and the US so that they could watch live our mother's first piano recital in 40+ years.

4. Go to the supermarket to buy drinks and table napkins. I won't do any cooking tomorrow - too much stress - but I have to choose the right kind of beer for my Aussie friends.

5. Prepare my script. There should be some story to go with the pieces and to introduce the pianists. I have one in my head but it needs to be written down on index cards or PowerPoint, whichever I will have time for tonight.

6. Enjoy the night with loved ones. Will not drink until after my number. After that, the wine is mine. Say my goodbye with a smile to one of God's gifts to me.

7. Cook Sunday breakfast. Have not done this in a while.

8. Go to mass and serve afterwards. Thank God for a wonderful recital (I claim it).

9. Clean my room and prepare the stuff for Ella's Movable Ukay-Ukay (as requested by officemates who have been begging me to let go of old bags, shoes, wallets, etc. so they could buy them at reasonable prices). This is my personal fundraiser so that I could have a better budget for my growing Christmas list!

10. Brisk walk around UP Oval with old friends. I hope it doesn't rain. Otherwise, great excuse for a Sunday afternoon nap.

11. Get a copy of Sense and Sensibility just in time for Book Club first meeting next Saturday! One week to read the assignment. Great start, Ella.

12. Don't forget to do my laundry and press my uniform to prepare for another work week.

I love listing down things. It really gets me going. Now if only I could tick off each item as I accomplish them.

34 Random Facts About Me

While being treated to dinner by my grade school barkada, they asked me to name 34 milestones in life, a tradition started by KBJ when he turned 40 last week.  I said I needed time to think of what to say, as I had had my share of highs and lows in life.  So I'm posting my answer to one of their 34 questions.

This is stream-of-consciousness, unedited, raw facts about me, probably of interest only to those who asked me to write this, but go ahead and read if you have nothing better to do.

1.  I've never learned to ride a bike.

2.  I was the batch Model Girl during my freshman year at Manila Science High School.

3.  I wanted to be a laundrywoman, a newscaster, a pianist, a dancer, a writer, and a lawyer while I was growing up.  It's not too late to be all of them.

4.  I had perfect pitch in college - I could give the middle C without a pitch pipe.  I haven't tried locating the note in my head in a long while.

5.  I majored in Business Economics in college.  I was encouraged by my piano teacher to minor in Piano but I was too lazy to practice.  I have regretted this decision for a long time.

6.  I was baptized in the Spirit and gave my life to the Lord in October of 1993.  I still remember the moment I was prayed over and my happiest moment to date was then, when the light of God's love enveloped me.  I received the gift of tongues immediately.

7.  I failed the bar the first time I took it.

8.  I passed the bar a year after my batchmates did.

9.  I won in a typing contest in a class in BA.

10.  I lost the Presidency three times in life - Grade School, High School, and Law School.  I didn't lose in Undergrad because I ran and won as Vice President of the School of Economics Student Council.

11.  I am an ambidextrous texter and I think I could win a texting contest if I ever join one.

12.  I took up drama class at CCP during my teen years to get over a broken heart.  I broke it again that summer.

13.  My father named me after a beauty queen from COLOMBIA who competed in the Miss Universe pageant in Manila in 1974 (Thanks to Juan's Proud Poppa for pointing out my error.  Miss Spain won that year. )

14.  My favorite saints are St Francis, St Joseph, St Clare, St Therese, and St Teresa.

15.  There had never been a point in my life when I was not in the middle of a book.

16.  I could play the piano without reading notes at the age of three just by listening to my mother's piano students.

17.  I am the most unathletic person I have ever met.

18.  All five of us kids went to the University of the Philippines.

19.  I have never kept a pet for more than a month in my life.  I do not like pets.

20.  I cannot cut straight, whether using scissors or a cutter.  

21.  My lowest grades in school were in P.E. and Art.

22.  My highest grades were in music and English.

23.  I got my highest grades, joined the most number of orgs, won a leadership award with cash prize, wrote for the schoolpaper, finished my thesis using Econometrics, after I broke up with my first boyfriend.  If I had done that earlier, I would probably have done better in school. Haha.

24.  I was the one who introduced texting and blogging to several of my friends.

25.  I thought I was going to be a corporate lawyer for the rest of my life.

26.  I thought I was going to be a missionary for the rest of my life.

27.  I danced "Awit ng Kabataan" at the Araneta Coliseum with Lingkod QT's and shouted, "I'll be back, Araneta!"  I haven't been back on that stage since then.

28.  I had a brief stint as a travel writer and toured Bohol, Manila, Shanghai, and Beijing as fees.

29.  I worked in the government for 3.5 years.

30.  I served in Lingkod for seven years.

31.  I want to visit Europe and Israel before I die.

32.  I am happier to be on retreat than to be in a rock concert.

33.  My trip to Disneyland and California Adventure was the highlight of my first US visit. It was not the Grand Canyon.

34.  I am often mistaken as a twentysomething.  Hurrah!

Thank you for all your birthday greetings.  I thank God for all the blessings He has given me, and pray that the rest of the journey will be spent with Him and with people I can share love with.  

Cheers!

Guilt No Longer Becomes Her

I think I'm reaching a point when I can say without guilt or frustration that there are things that I could neither be nor do in life, even if they come naturally for other people.

1. I could never wear just one perfume day in and day out.
2. I get bored wearing the same accessories successively.
3. I could never arrive in the office at the exact same time for many consecutive days.
4. I do not play badminton. No one can make me; even if People in Authority.
5. I hate wasting time.
6. I do not like being rushed, especially in the morning.
7. I am not rich.
8. I try to be different and to be good at the same time, which sometimes confuses people, including myself.
9. I never run out of things to be insecure about. All I can manage to do is to tone them down.

And the Number Ten Thing I've Come to Accept About Myself is...

10. Not all my dreams came true. Life must go on.

Acceptance. I just might be on the Fifth Stage of Grief. There was definitely a lot of Denial, Anger, Barganing, and Depression, which some of you may have witnessed.

I am not sure exactly what I was grieving for, but I went through all stages. Sometimes you just wake up to see beauty, and grace, and hope in your life. They were there all along, but you were just too busy to notice.