Abbie unReal

VOTE FOR @SMARTCARES

2009-10-16T12:42:00.005+08:00

SMART Communications Customer Care created a cool Twitter account for efficient customer service handling on-line! It's a great service for Tweeple and on-line mavens.

So, please...nominate the account for Mashable's Best Twitter Brand Use! :)

Hope I can count on YOU!
You may vote using your Facebook or Twitter account.

LONG LIVE CORY!

2009-08-02T15:28:00.004+08:00

The whole nation is mourning for the death of our most beloved Philippine President, Cory Aquino. Tita Cory, as she is fondly called, joined her Creator after battling with Colon Cancer for more than a year at 3:18 am, Saturday, August 1, 2009.

The Philippines was very blessed to be gifted with a very amazing and brave woman. She's always been a symbol of hope, bravery and inspiration to all of us. She showed us how to be vigilant and fight for our liberty no matter what it takes. Her heroic gift of democracy is the reason why we are enjoying our freedom today.

Tie a yellow ribbon for our nation's mother. She will be truly missed.

"I would rather die a meaningful death than to live a meaningless life."
- President Corazon C. Aquino

Photo Credit: PCIJ

WASTELAND WONDERLAND

2009-05-30T09:06:00.016+08:00

I love bang-for-your-buck shopping. I fulfilled my two budget shopping wishes last night and I am so happy about it! Wasteland Wonderland, indeed!

UNIVERSAL RECORDS CD SALE
Our operations in Quezon City are just floors away from the Universal Records HQ. I noticed a few months ago some Big CD Weekend Sale announcement of Universal. I got curious because it says that they sell Buy One, Take Ones and some CDs are even 90% off. What a steal!

Fortunately, I had a meeting yesterday with some of our Call Center leads and it coincided with one these famous CD Sales. I made sure that all my meetings and commitments are done by 6:30pm so I can browse and buy to my heart's desire. The sale usually starts at 9:00 am and ends at 7:00 pm.

I was able to buy two Jazz compilations, one Hale album, and an OPM love song compilation (Yeah, I am all for cheesiness) for only P200! That's basically P50 per CD. The cheapest they have there are the P2 casette tapes and the P40 Country Music CDs. They also have P100 or P200 Buy One, Take One CDs. It's really a joy to go there if you're a music lover or collector.

Universal Records
Universal Towers, Quezon Ave., Quezon City
(Just above Smart Wireless Center)
Remaining Sale Dates: May 31, June 5, 6 & 7

~*oOo*~

SAIZEN (DAISO) JAPANESE STORE
I've been hearing and reading about the Saizen Store at Robinson's Galleria in the last couple of months. Saizen is a Japanese Discount Shop brought by the original Daiso All For 100 Yen Shop of Japan. It's a dry goods shop where you can buy everything for P85! The one you see all over the malls - Japan Home Depot or something - is a fake one. THIS is the real deal.

My Loot! Not much but I'll be back again!

I am a sucker for stores like this. I love the thrill of buying seemingly unnecessary things at a budget price. The stuff in the store are all made in Japan (obviously) and are usually specially made for the Daiso/Saizen stores. They have everything from Housewares, Cosmetics to Office Supplies.

I love the row of plastic containers and the Japanese bowls and plates are just perfect for my brother & sis-in-law who loves Japanses cooking. I initially bought them a rolling container to perfect their maki-making.

My favorite sections: Office Supplies & Notebooks! I was able to buy two File Folders (I love filing!) and will come back for the Colored Staple Wires and the Cushion Notepads.

They also have all kinds of CD/DVD racks and cases; and there was also a row for all types of laptop sleeves. I was able to buy a small blue one for our HP Mini Note.

I love the Saizen shop and I can't wait to go back. This is going to be an ideal Christmas Shopping store. There's truly something for everyone!

Saizen / Daiso Japanese Store
East Wing, Robinson's Galleria
Ortigas, Pasig

IT'S BORACAY NOT BORA!

2009-05-24T00:01:00.001+08:00

I was fortunate to be in Boracay last Labor Day weekend for the Smart Buddy Hot Summer Samahan event. I was not really expecting the work trip and I only learned that I was going less than 24 hours before my actual departure. I went to the island to oversee one of the activities of Smart's premiere summer event.

It was only my third trip to the island and it was fun to learn and experience new things and visit different places which I haven't been. It's also nice to discover a different Boracay apart from the watersports and beaching that we all love. Read on!

1. I was "almost" and "mostly" solo on the trip and it was both good and bad. Good because I can do all the things I want and bad because I don't have anybody to share it with.

2. Labor Day weekend was the second busiest period of summer! I was early at the airport but I was still bumped off because PAL Express overbooked my flight due to four canceled Caticlan flights that day.

3. PAL Express transferred us to Seair and it was my first time to ride a 20-seater plane (I counted)! The plane was bare and I can't sleep. I was finally able to sleep 30 minutes after take-off but the repeated turbulence woke me up.

4. The upside of Seair? We were only 9,000 ft. high so I was able to take some overhead shots; and land and sea travel to Boracay were also free!

5. There were so many people in Boracay that weekend! It was so crowded! You have to line-up for almost everything. It was also raining on and off but the people were dedma about it.

6. I met and worked with colleagues from Boracay, Iloilo and Makati who helped me with agents stuff, booth supervision and reaching the target. :)

7. First lunch meal was at The Big Mouth in D'Mall with colleagues. I ordered a small bowl of Pesto Pasta and a glass of Coke. Damage? Php 200! Welcome to Boradise of Expensive Everything!

8. I was supposed to stay at Patio Pacific (it was overbooked) or at the Fairways (it was so far) but I ended up at this simple, beachfront hotel at Station 1 called Casa Fiesta. It was right in front of our event venue and it was just less than a hundred feet from our Wireless Center. Perfect!

9. The lady who owns Casa Fiesta was very kind and accommodating. She did not ask for even a deposit or a down payment for my 4-day stay. She just asked me to fill-out some forms. The room was spacious and the bathroom was clean. It has a double bed, a TV, a ref, a/c and a veranda overlooking the beach.

10. Work on my first day was very stressful. The target was high and it was really stressful working in the beach. Unbelievable but true.

11. I took a break and a stroll along Station 1 mid-afternoon to check out the scenery. I was hoping for a Jonah's shake but it was jam-packed as usual.

12. I'll be fit as a fiddle if I live in Boracay with all the walking and strolling. I loved all the solitary walks I had.

13. I love great hotels so I took note of all the resorts and boutique hotels I want to stay in. Here are some of them: Zuzuni, Las Brisas, Residencia Boracay, Two Seasons, Bluewaves Beach House, Seawind (always been on my list since 2001), Boracay Regency and, of course, DS.

14. Since it was a work trip, we obviously had meetings! I had two on my first day.

15. I love the I-don't-care Boracay attitude that gave me the convenience of wearing anything I want. Shorts? Check! Floral overload? Check! Non-black stuff? Check! It was also the first time I wore white in years!

16. Our first day dinner was buffet at Seawind where I was able to taste one of the best pastas I've ever had = Oil & Garlic With Mushrooms and Hams. I am now hunting for a recipe!

17. There was also something in the Boracay air that makes one thirsty! So I ordered a glass of Bailey's on one of the beach bars near my hotel. I had the shock of my life when the bartender gave me two glasses. I apparently ordered one their "buy one, take one" drinks. Geez!

18. I was up bright and early on my 2nd day for our actual Summer Samahan event. I was happy and excited. I was up until 2:00 am devising a strategy that would "sell". It DID sell and we had a favorable outcome. Yey, me!

19. I was busy the entire day working non-stop. I only stopped for a well-deserved lunch at Tribraz along Station 2. Tribraz is a french bistro near Cafe Del Mar. I had Potato & Meat Casserole and Rice Pilaf. Yummy!

20. I had an EX moment across the miles. I can't believe it! *shakes head, roll eyes*

21. Speaking of #21, I learned that all my pasts and possible future are all Smart subscribers. Galeng!

22. The Summer Samahan event was so great! Bosses will be happy. I realized that I can also be an excellent frontliner and on-ground person. Chat will be proud!

23. I would like to thank Aqtiv 100 Plus Energy Drink (Hi, Jomar! Hello, Mark!) and Colgate for the support and sponsorship. Until next time!

24. I was so exhausted the whole day but it did not hinder me to peek at my Social Networking Sites and tweet.

25. Second night's dinner was another buffet at Le Soleil De Boracay at Station 2 with colleagues. It was just so so. Nothing spectacular.

26. I strolled along Station 2 and 3 after dinner. I discovered new restaurants, saw the new Mandarin Spa and took note of all the places I can take my family on our trip in June.

27. Looks like the best chill-out places in the island are (and still are) Guilly's, Bamboo Lounge and the new Obama's Grill at Statiton 1; and Bombom's, SummerPlace and Hey Jude at Station 2.

The new Obama Grill at Station 1

28. Spongecola is the best! 'Nuff said, love 'em. The Summer Samahan Event culminated with a concert of Spongecola, Rocksteddy and Bamboo. Rock on!

29. I caught a fever because of the on/off rain and the high temp of my room's AC. I spent the night on-line with my favorite fattening snack bought from D'Mall: Lays & Coke.

30. I am the biggest loser in Boracay because I spent the day in bed resting and nursing my colds on my 3rd day. I was awoken by cheers before lunch as a result of Pacman's greatest boxing battle against Hatton. I wasn't able to watch the match live but I learned from Twitter how the bloodshed happened.

31. I spent my final afternoon doing usual Boracay stuff like eating Chori Burger, strolling along Station 1 and sipping Jonah's Fruitshake. I tried the plain Mocha flavor and it was delicious.

32. There was, of course, the Sunset! It was not a magnificent summer sunset and it was very cloudy but it was great nonetheless.

33. I love the All Flip Flops By The Beach store at Station 1. Nice lighting, too!

34. My favorite Boracay activity is Massage By The Beach so I obviously did not leave the island without it. It was relaxing and refreshing as usual.

35. I had my first-ever Henna Tattoo! I was so happy about it so I had two. One on my right ankle and the other one on my right leg.

36. One of my best ever meal was at Aria. I had the Aglio, Olio, e Peperoncino pasta for my last lunch at the island. It was so delicious. All the raves about Aria are indeed true!

37. The flight back home was breeze. I took a PAL Express flight and I must say that it's the best ride I've ever had from Caticlan to Manila. It's not as "uncontrolled" like Cebu Pacific and Seair.

38. I arrived around 4:00 PM on a Monday and was both happy and sad about it. Sad because I just came back from one of best places in the world and happy because I am back in my beloved city with my family and friends on it.

I'll be going back to Boracay in June but this time with the family. We will be celebrating my brother's 27th birthday there. Hopefully, I'll be able to swim and do beach stuff and watersports by then.

THE AMERICAN IDOL "SAVE"

2009-04-16T19:16:00.003+08:00

American Idol's Judges' Save was finally used this week...and I am NOT thrilled about it!

The favorite person to go home this week was Lil Rounds. I've never been fond of Lil and I've been waiting for her boot since last week. But there's a long-lived tradition in the American Idol World about "The Diva That Lives Forever" (case in point: Syesha Mercado) so it's not really a surprise that she is still there. Her vocals are great but she's been sucking with wrong song choices week after week thus the whole world is asking WHAT is she still doing at Idol. Her elimination became more evident last night when she persistently talked back to Simon after he gave her another bad critique for her Bette Midler cover.

And THAT, Ladies and Gentlemen, was one of the reasons why Matt Giraud was SAVED tonight from elimination!

Confused? It's actually very simple.

They said that the "save" was reserved and created for the "Three Anointed Ones" - Adam, Danny and Lil. Since the judges can only use the save once before the Top Five - and there's no doubt that Adam and Danny will be on the Top 5 - then the save looks like it will be put into use for Lil. Unfortunately, Lil proved last night that she's not worthy of the Top Five (more so the Finale).

With two weeks to go before the expiration of the "Judges' Save" they have no choice but give it to Matt who's probably the "next better" after Lil Rounds. They surely don't want to give it to Anoop - who will most likely get the cut next week together with Lil (or even Matt - depends if America is mad about the save tonight).

Kris and Allison are also shoo-ins for the Top Five EXCEPT if they will under-perform next week so the save is not really an option for them.

P.S.
I am not really pissed because Matt was saved (even if I don't like him) but I am pissed about the whole new ruling of the Judges' Save!

VIVA LA VIDA

2009-04-09T21:32:00.001+08:00

Viva La Vida. Live The Life.

This came from my blip.fm player.
And "Anna Vida" is my full name - in case you don't know.

I survived February & March! These past weeks were definitely some of the most hectic ones I had in the last few years thus the non-post.

Work was a blast with all our new responsibilities and stuff to do BUT it also came with a lot of pressure and stress. Days were jampacked with meetings, overtime at the office, e-mails, work at home, number crunching and business trips. Though I am loving every bit of what I am doing, I am also missing some of the ME time that I had to give up to cover more work stuff. My group's functions and targets (even our KRAs) dramatically changed this year thus we also picked the pace and worked as if there's no tomorrow.

Everything is quite cool at the moment and we seem to be more in control of things now so I hope that April will not be as busy.

Thank God for the Lenten break. Catch you all later! Updates soon!

100 TRUTHS

2009-04-05T23:52:00.001+08:00

Here's a meme entry just to let everyone know that I am still alive and kicking. I'm re-posting this from my Facebook as an answer tag to Rica.

Rules: Answer the 100 questions and tag people to do the same.

PERSONAL INFO:
1. What's your name → Anna Vida Theresa
2. Nicknames → Abbie, Abs
3. Relationship Status → Single But Happy
4. Zodiac sign → Leo
5. Male or female → Female
6. Elementary → Mary Help of Christian School
7. High School → Canossa School
8. College → Assumption College
9. Hair color → Black with natural brown mix
10. Long or short → Layered and NOT so long anymore
11. Height → 5'2"
12. Do you have a crush on someone? → Now? Not sure.
13. What do you like about yourself? → My bubbly personality
14. Piercings → Ears
15. Tattoos → None
16. Righty or lefty → Righty

LAST
17. Last beverage → Coke Regular
18. Last phone call → My mom asked me to join her at my aunt's place.
19. Last text message → Chika with Libay
20. Last song you listened to → "I'm Yours" by Jason Mraz
21. Last time you cried → Can't remember. I'm not keeping tabs anymore. :)

FIRSTS:
22. First surgery → One of my right fingers had grafting.
23. First piercing → Ears
24. First sport you joined/played → Kick Ball in elementary
25. First pet → Dog named Giorgio
26. First vacation → Baguio
27. First concert → Eraserheads
28. First crush → Someone from Third Grade! He's on my FB friend list so I am not telling who.

HAVE YOU EVER:
29. Dated someone twice → Not just twice but thrice! It was a vicious cycle.
30. Been cheated on? → Yes
31. Kissed someone & regretted it? → Yes
32. Lost someone special? → Yes
33. Been depressed? → Yes
34. Been drunk and threw up? → Yes but only twice in my whole life! Both happened in San Fernando in two different occasions.

LIST FOUR FAVORITE COLORS:
35. Blue, Plum/Violet, Black, Red

HAVE YOU:
36. Made new friends → Yes
37. Fallen out of love → Yes
38. Laughed until you cried → Oh yeah!
39. Met someone who changed you → Yes
40. Found out who your true friends were → Yes! Yes! Yes!
41. Found out someone was talking about you → Yes and I "heard it" literally. How's that?
42. Kissed anyone on your FB friend list → Ummm...yes.
43. How many people on your FB friend list do you know in real life → Almost everyone.
44. How many kids do you want to have → Two or four
45. Do you have any pets → We have lots of cats but they are definitely not mine.
46. Do you want to change your name → Nope
47. What did you do for your last birthday → I went to Boracay with my friends. Yey!
48. What time did you wake up today → 1:30 PM! So tired from yesterday's SMART EK Day.
49. What were you doing at midnight last night? → Internet
50. Name something you CANNOT wait for → Planned travels
51. Last time you saw your father → 30 seconds ago
52. What is one thing you wish you could change about your life → What else?
53. What are you listening to right now → "Lucky" by Jason Mraz feat. Colbie Caillat
54. Have you ever talked to a person named Tom → Yep. Met a random Tom before.
55. What's getting on your nerves right now? → A couple of "Batirol" incidents last week. Heh!
56. Most visited web page → Twitter, Facebook, abbieunreal.blogspot.com, Multiply

RIGHT NOW:
57. Eating → I had Jollibee Chicken Joy an hour ago
58. Drinking → Coke
59. I'm about to → Resize and upload photos
60. Listening to → Jason Mraz's "We Sing, We Dance, We Steal Things" album
61. Waiting for → .............................

YOUR FUTURE:
62. Want kids? – Yes
63. Want to get married? → Yes
64. Careers in mind? → I am fairly satisfied with what I am doing now.

WHICH IS BETTER WITH THE OPPOSITE SEX?
65. Lips or eyes → Eyes
66. Hugs or kisses → Hugs
67. Older or Younger – Older
68. Nice stomach or nice arms → Nice arms
69. Sensitive or loud → A little of both
70. Hook-up or relationship → Relationship, of course!
71. Trouble maker or hesitant → Hesitant

HAVE YOU EVER:
72. Kissed a stranger → No
73. Drank hard liquor → Only once or twice in my life
74. Lost glasses/contacts → I lost my first and only pair of prescription glasses! Then I learned from my 2nd Opto that I don't need them after all. :)
75. Sex on first date → No
76. Broken someone's heart → I think so. Once, twice or thrice.
77. Had your own heart broken → Yes
78. Been arrested → No
79. Turned someone down → Yes
80. Cried when someone died → I was the loudest "wailer" at my lola's funeral 11 years ago.
81. Liked a friend that is a girl? → No

DO YOU BELIEVE IN:
82. Yourself → Yes
83. Miracles → Yes, I do!
84. Love at first sight → Love? No. Like? Maybe.
85. Heaven → Yes
86. Santa Claus → I wish!
87. Kiss on the first date → No. Cheeks? Not even. Conservative? Yes.
88. Angels → Yes
89. Love → Yes
90. Sex after marriage → Ideal

ANSWER TRUTHFULLY:
91. Is there one person you want to be with right now? → I'm not so sure. I am still thinking and contemplating. Please give me time. :)
92. Had more than one boyfriend at one time? → No. Loyalty & faithfulness are my strongest traits.
93. Are you in love right now? → Nope.
94. Longest you got over an ex? → Two freakin' years!
95. Are you happy? → People may not believe it...but I am actually very happy & contented.
96. Posting this as 100 Truths? → Yes

*There were only 96 questions so I guess that the favorite color part equals to four.

FINAL THIRTEEN

2009-03-09T23:45:00.011+08:00

If you haven’t been watching American Idol in the past two months then it’s now time to tune in. The finals of American Idol begins on Tuesday with a Michael Jackson theme which will hopefully give great performances from the 13 people that were voted and selected. With some new twist in the semi-finals we ended with thirteen finalists instead of the usual twelve. The new format with the wild card round also gave us a gender imbalance that sent 8 boys and 5 girls in the finals.

A lot of my early favorites like Stevie, Ann Marie and Felicia did make it even on the Wild Card round. But a handful of my other favorites made it straight to the Top 13 like Danny, Michael, Adam and Jorge. The hard part of assessing and choosing bets with the new format was we only heard and seen most of them with one song and performance. But, anyway, here's my attempt in giving light to these new entertainers who will grace Primetime TV starting next week until May.

Megan Joy Corkrey
Megan will probably be my Carly Smithson of this batch. Megan has always been one of Simon's favorites ever since her first audition in Utah. I like her and her unique vocals. It’s very different from the usual diva voices of the competition. I don't know if America is ready for out-of-the-box voices like Megan's but I hope that she will go a long way in the competition. I even love her weird quirky “Corkrey” dance!

Allison Iraheta
Allison, 17 years old (as Randy kept on repeating), is someone we should all watch out for. Her vocals are unbelievable! So many past Idols sang Heart’s Alone and hers was one of the best I’ve heard. The judges were right when they said that she’s not even putting effort to her singing (altogether now: “raw natural talent”). I just hope that she will not turn into another Amanda Overmayer who became predictable and boring in the long run. Allison’s advantage? Celebrity support like Miley’s.

Alexis Grace
Alexis is a cute little thing who “dirtied” and styled herself just for the competition (Thanks to DioGuardi’s suggestion). Her voice is refreshing just like Allison’s. She got spunk and I am sure that a lot of people will love her and her great personality. I am just worried that she and Allison will use the same styles and sing the same stuff. Unfortunately for Alexis - Allison is the better singer by at least two notches.

Lil Rounds
Lil’s one of the most pimped contestants this year since the early auditions. She seemed nice but I am not buying her whole big voice stuff. It’s very usual, mainstream and it’s dime a dozen. She will surely go a long way (as high as Top 3 maybe) but I am truly not a fan. Her sob story rivals the one of Gokey's so it's fun to see who will get more emo air time between the two pimped finalists.

Jasmine Murray
Jasmine is definitely my Kristy Lee "what are you still doing here?" Cook for this year. I still can’t forgive her for bombing Sarah Barailles' "Love Song" and for wearing wrong eye make-up week after week that makes her look alien-y. Hope she gets the first boot! Her spot should have been Ricky Braddy's or Jesse Langseth's (or even Ju'not's. Felicia's or Mishavonna's). Case in point: there are way better singers than her in the Top 36.

Anoop Desai
Anoop’s journey to the Top 13 was special, suspense-laden and dramatic that made everyone asked "Gokey, who?". It was such a sweet victory for this "Dogg" and I cannot help but be happy for him. He may not be the best singer of the group but he's definitely one of the most likable. He may not give us the best performance each week but he will surely give us entertainment. I can't wait to see more of Anoop! Remember: American Idol is not just a talent show...it's foremost a TV show!

Adam Lambert
I heart Adam and his gayness! His YouTube vids are certified VoteForTheWorst material; but I'm hoping against hope that he will be careful and just stick to what he got now. He’s also capable of pulling a Tatiana so let's watch out for lapses like that. Adam’s vocals are just to die for. He’s really talented and I will not be surprised if he is the next American Idol. He got the chops! He’s also fierce and doesn’t give a crap on what people think. Proof? He’s still googling himself! He doesn't give an F on those leaked kissing pictures.

Danny Gokey
I have this thing for unique voices this year so one of my obvious picks is Danny (and not because of his sob story). This Robert Downey, Jr. Jr. dude can really go places with his ala David Cook last-big-note voice. Definitely one of the people to watch out for – dead wife or not, over-pimped or not, front-runner or not. Another thing to look forward to? Danny's American Idol glam-up make-over! Can't wait!

Jorge Nunez
Jorge is the male Latino version of Brooke White. I noticed him as early as his audition in Puerto Rico. I really love this guy and his voice (accent or no accent). The cry-fest at the end of his semi-final song made a lot of moms swoon (but I think he’s gay). Puerto Rico is so proud and leading the pack of supporters are J Lo and Marc Anthony who even SMSd Jorge their encouragement through Ryan. He’s definitely their saving face for all the drama that Tatiana created.

Kris Allen
Kris is the underdog of the Top 13. He himself was surprised that he was able to sneak in from favored contenders like Matt & Megan in Round 2. He have to really wow America to keep him from being voted early on. But he's cute and is dubbed as this year's heartthrob so he might go places. Do we see another Castro in the making? Seriously, his version of "Man In The Mirror" is way better than Giraud's "Viva La Vida". I wonder why people were so surprised he is in the Top 13.

Michael Sarver
Oil rigger Michael actually has a great voice but it was overshadowed by his genuinely nice personality. He suffered an Internet backlash just recently from Anoop’s 20,000 vote difference in round 2. I will not be surprised if he will not be included in the 10-man Idol Tour this summer (read: Top 11/12 at the most). There are definitely better performers in the Top 13 than Michael. With Anoop now holding the "best personality" card, I wonder where that will leave Mr. Sarver.

Matt Giraud
The gazillion fans and DioGuardi are the two main reasons why Matt was given another chance even after tanking the Grammy award winning song of Coldplay. I am not too solved on him and I prefer Ricky Braddy who got an almost identical style (but a lousier persona) over him. He will definitely give us soul, blues and pianos week after week but he also ~~threatened~~ mentioned that he might try pop. He’s also a bit smug (but so is David Cook so I rest my case).

Scott MacIntyre
He’s out of tune most of the time but Scott deserves the spot to compensate for all the shitty things that happened to him. I also understand the power of the sympathy vote. Need I say more? Mr. Inspiration is definitely the hardest person to boot out from this competition. Let's see how this will be played out.

My Favorites: Adam, Anoop, Jorge, Danny, Megan, Allison
My "I Don't Want To See You": Jasmine
My "should have been" in the Top 13: Ricky, Jesse, Ju'not, Felicia
Who will go home this week: Jasmine / Michael
Who MIGHT be the next American Idol: Adam

Credits to American Idol for the photos.

THANK YOU FOR THE MUSIC!

2009-03-07T14:33:00.003+08:00

Like most people in my generation, we grew up listening and singing to the great music and raps of The Man From Manila, Francis Magalona. March 6, Friday, was indeed a lonely day for Filipinos when we all learned the demise of this great musician, rapper, and songwriter after battling with leukemia for 7 months.

I found a great line he wrote on one of his blogs that I would like to share with all of you. It's a testament of how he loved his craft and how he wanted to be remembered through his musical legacy.

"I still hear the voices of Elvis Presley, John Lennon, Tupac Shakur, Kurt Cobain, The Notorious B.I.G. and Frank Sinatra to name a few. And their voices rise from their graves.

I am lucky to have been a recording artist and one day when I leave this world, just like the names I mentioned, my voice will be heard. Always. At a touch of a button or switch, I am "alive" again."

- Francis M., Happybattle.net, November 15, 2008

You will be missed, Kiko! Thank you for the music!

AMERICAN IDOL WILD CARD PICKS

2009-03-05T11:42:00.003+08:00

Just a quick post while I take a break in between pow-wows. American Idol announced the judges' picks for the Wild Card Round tomorrow! Each of the judges were allowed to choose two semi-finalists to advance for the last three spots in the Top 12.

Most of the Wild Cards came from the first and second groups. It was only Von Smith who was from the third group. The top three vote getters for this round were Lil Rounds, Scott MacIntyre and Jorge Nunez. No surprises here! They automatically got the 7th, 8th and 9th spot in the Top 12.

Here are the Wild Cards:

Von Smith (Randy's Pick)
Jasmine Murray (Kara's Pick)
Ricky Braddy (Paula's Pick)
Megan Corkrey (Simon's Pick)
Tatiana Del Torro (Randy's Pick)
Matt Giraud (Kara's Pick)
Jesse Langseth (Paula's Pick)
Anoop Desai (Simon's Pick)

Looks like THIS was decided even before they sang their tunes last week. Looks like it was pretty much decided who will advance whether they bombed their semi-final rounds or not (Come on! Jasmine Murray? Von Smith?). At least Tatiana sang well! YEAH, TATIANA IS COMING BACK! She is definitely Fox's pick for the drama of it all! The more drama, the higher the ratings. Go, girl!

I am happy that Ricky, Megan, Jesse and Anoop got in! I am wondering what happened to my other favorites like Ann Marie and Felicia. They were pretty strong with their performances.

Most likely to land in the Top 12? Anoop, Megan & Matt (or Ricky might sneak in!). They have always been judges' favorites since their early auditions. No voting will be allowed tomorrow so it will be entirely up to ~~Randy, Kara, Paula and~~ Simon who goes in!

CEBU & DAVAO DELIGHTS!

2009-03-01T05:19:00.014+08:00

I went to Cebu a week ago and to Davao last Thursday. Both are quick trips where I attended two important regional meetings. Both were good trips and I feel confident that the huddles we had will yield positive results in the next months (Go, Team!).

I requested too late for my trip to Cebu so I was very unfortunate to be booked on a Cebu Pacific flight outbound. It was terrible! The ground staff were so impolite and they ask embarrassing questions to passengers out loud! I will really try my best NOT to take any Cebu Pacific flights in the future - cheap rates or not! There's absolutely no excuse for bad customer service. They were very different from the personnel from PAL who even gave me a seat upgrade on my flight to Manila from Davao.

Cebu was a delight as usual! I stayed for less than a day but it was still a joy nonetheless. I arrived 8ish and immediately checked-in to my hotel. I was upgraded to one of their suite rooms but I soon realized that it was freaky to spend a night alone in a very huge room (but the plasma TV was great). I had a late dinner at Bigby's at my now-favorite Ayala Terraces, browse a few books at Fully Booked, took some night shots, and had a very relaxing well-deserved massage at The Spa at Cebu.

The new Ayala Terraces

Grilled Rodeo Chops

I've wanted to try The Spa at Cebu since last year but I never had the chance until last week. The facility is okay and they truly made the effort to make the place relaxing and zen-ish. They adapted some styles and elements from the original The Spa here in Manila (but I think they are not related) and it turned out great. It was by far the best spa massage I had in Cebu. Try it on your next visit.

The Spa at Cebu

Davao did not fail to excite me as always. I was unbelievably stressed and anxious on the trip because I left a ton of work at the office and I unknowingly lost my ATM card on my way out. I only realized that it WAS gone when I was about to withdraw money at the airport. Good thing I have SMART Money so a colleague was able to lend me some moolah through our mobile phones and I was able to withdraw it instantly. The joys of SMART Money! Clearly one of our best innovations ever! It's really handy on "ooppps" moments like these.

The highlight of my Davao trip was probably our dinner at Pard's. Davao is known for its hole-in-the-wall restaurants which serve delicious seafood and grilled delights. We had prawns, fish, crabs and one of the best tasting tuna sashimi I've ever had! It was fresh, thinly sliced, and it doesn't have the funky taste that sashimis usually have. Too bad I wasn't able to bring home some because of an early morning flight the following day.

Durian - the most misjudged fruit in the Philippines

I ordered Chocolate Mousse from Room Service. Yummy.

Early morning at Davao International Airport.
Travel SMART, of course!

One of the most memorable moments I had on this trip was my first taste of Durian (the most misjudged fruit in the whole Philippines). I've had durian candies and shakes before but I've never tasted the actual fruit. The smell was so weird that even if it was good it was still weird for me. I took just a bite and gave up on it entirely. Sorry! :)

BRIDAL FASHION AT THE OSCAR'S

2009-02-23T19:30:00.013+08:00

Slumdog Millionaire may be the slammin' winner of this year's 81st Oscar's; and Kate Winslet may be the most deserving winner of the night (it's about time after her numerous nominations beginning with Sense & Sensibility and Titanic), but it was the wedding-inspired gowns of several celebrities that almost stole the spotlight.

Whether it's ballgown, vintage or minimalist, these celebrities channeled their inner brides with fabulous made-for-altar outfits. Two were stunning stand-outs but there were also a couple of disastrous ones. This year's favorite Oscar's fashion proved that you don't have to be a bride to wear white (or off-white or beige or ecru). Bring it on!

Who's your favorite bridezilla?

Best Supporting Actress Penelope Cruz in vintage Pierre Balmain

Sarah Jessica Parker in Dior
(Carrie Bradshaw will be proud of this gown! Except for the overly
exposed bosom of SJP that's not so obvious on this photo. Try this one.)

Marisa Tomei in Versace

Jennifer Aniston in Valentino
(This is a late addition to my entry. Can't find a photo of her earlier.
Love her simple outfit! Love her! Jolie-Pitts, who?)

Melissa George in Dolce & Gabbana
(Hello, Sadie! You are missed at Grey's Anatomy!)

Taraji P. Henson in Roberto Cavalli

Anne Hathaway in Armani Prive

Miley Cyrus in Zuhair Murad

Here are some more favorites in different colors and styles:

Angelina Jolie and Evan Rachel Wood both in Ellie Saab

Alicia Keys in Armani and Best Actress Kate Winslet in Yves Saint Laurent by Stefano Pilati

I have mixed feelings about Kate's gown with all that black lace in the lower portion. But the mix of blue and black colors made the outfit dramatic and it compensated for the weird laces.

Photo Credit: Yahoo! Movies

DEAR BLOG,

2009-02-15T00:25:00.007+08:00

Thanks for being my soundboard for the last five years. I can't believe that we've been together since 2004 (longer than any of my past romantic relationships). Thanks for sticking and witnessing the last five years of my life - which ironically were also the most important ones.

You're such a great buddy. You've always been there for me even if I neglected you in the past. I know that you still haven't forgiven me for almost ditching you when I was stressed and overworked at Goodyear three years back. But I also know that I more than made up for that when I won you the Pond's Age Miracle Blog Writing Contest last year. People were so happy about you that I've been asked twice to join other blog writing contests by a couple of PR firms since winning in July. I unfortunately have to turn it down because I don't have the energy and time to devote on it. I was also asked just recently to test some blogging platform but you and I both know that I cannot do it because of obvious conflicts. :)

People are always asking me why I keep you. My reasons varied in the last five years - from keeping an on-line memory repository to keeping my sanity intact by having a "venting machine". But I know now why you are here. I just learned recently your purpose. Writing and publishing something about me is for my future generations. I know for sure that no one will be interested to write my story ala "Diary of Anne Frank" so I figured that I should just do it myself through you. It would be great for my future kids to read how I lived and loved. It will hopefully teach them what to avoid in the future (eg. men with commitment issues, mean colleagues and bosses who doesn't give a sh!t about you, etc.). If in case I will not be married or have kids, I am sure that my niece Gabbie will have a riot reading you and learning about my friends, our adventures, my crazy antics, food loving, and fun travels.

You are definitely one of my most precious possessions. I often read your archive especially when something is bugging me. I often search it for insights whenever I need to decide on something or if I am confused. My memories are kept alive because of you and for that I am grateful.

I vow to keep you as long as I can. Thanks for all that has been and for all that will be! Happy Blog Birthday!

Love,
Abbie

P.S.
Isn't it weird that you share the same birthday with one of my ex-beloveds? I started you six months before he came into my life. Now I wouldn't be able to forget his birthday because of YOU. Sheesh.

TWENTY FIVE

2009-02-07T23:39:00.005+08:00

Facebook is the new battleground for memes, surveys and quizzes. A certain meme is making the rounds among friends and I was tagged to do it by no less than 17 people. I finally succumbed to it tonight and answered it.

Rules: Once you've been tagged, you are supposed to write a note with 25 random things, facts, habits, or goals about you. At the end, choose 25 people to be tagged.

1. I have a very long name, Anna Vida Theresa, and I love it. I hate it when people do shortcuts on it or omit one of the names in documents. I want it long and complete.

2. My mom told me recently (like a month ago) that I almost died when I was 7 months old. She said that I had non-stop diarrhea and they even had my IV on my infant head!

3. I am generally a nice person. I am also very optimistic. I am the epitome of sunshine!

4. My mother is the most important person in my life. Period.

5. I have a very weird personality. I am very extrovert, loud, and can talk non-stop for hours BUT I also enjoy being alone and just staying at home. I often prefer eating or watching movie alone. I definitely want to shop alone.

6. I am literally a "dreamer". I always have vivid dreams when sleeping.

7. I chose the right course in college. I know what's my calling even then.

8. I have gazillion friends and acquaintances but I learned in the last few years that quality is better than quantity. I am still friends with a lot of people but I hang-out with just a few.

9. My favorite time of the day is early evening. Creative thoughts and ideas usually kick in at 7:00 at night and it can last until 4:00 am. I am usually mentally "dead" in the morning!

10. My first love is reading. I read everything from carton boxes to hard-bound novels. One of my resolutions this year is to read more. Six months into the new year and I already finished The American Wife (Curtis Sittenfeld), Sisters (Danielle Steel) and I am currently reading Living History (HRC's autobiography).

11. I've been blogging since mid-2003. It was Aileen who influenced me and I plunged into it because I need an outlet for my then 'quarter-life crisis'. My entries evolved since then and gone now are the drama and love dilemma posts of my 20s. My posts now are happier but less personal.

12. I won in Pond's Age Miracle's 7-Days of Beauty blog writing contest last year. My prize? A 3G iPhone.

13. What to know what I'm up to at this very moment? Try Twitter.

14. I religiously download the following shows every Friday night for my weekend watch: Grey's Anatomy, Brothers & Sisters, Gossip Girl, Privileged, 90210 and American Idol. I am also watching old West Wing episodes via DVD.

15. I am very OC when using punctuation marks and small/upper cases/capital letters in writing. i hate seeing small letters in beginning letters in sentences like THIS sentence. I also hate seeing "I" in small letters.

16. Two of my ex-boyfriends got the same name. How weird is that?

17. I enjoy driving! After years of procrastination I finally learned how to drive in May 2005. My fastest driving speed is 140kph at The Skyway on my way to Makati; and my longest drive was 5 hours straight to Quezon then back to Laguna again for another 5 hours of drive (with only 3 hours of rest interval).

18. I've been wearing my hair long and straight (with the occasional layers) since 2001. I am not going back to short hair...ever!

19. I got myself a new toy last Christmas: a Canon DSLR. I'm fascinated with food photography and it's something I want to delve into. I am going to enroll myself in a Basic Photography class but I can't find time to do it at the moment.

20. My word of the year is "collaboration". Last year's was "project" and 2007's was "celebration".

21. I am a closet politics fan. I don't express my views and opinions often but I am fascinated to hear what others think. Politics is fun!

22. I am an information junkie and a history buff. I usually spend at least an hour a week reading Wikipedia or other information sites on random topics, policies, views, opinions, scorecards, statistics and articles. Last week's topic was the evolution and history of Roe v. Wade.

23. The last three weeks at work were super busy ones. A new job function that was given to me is making me anxious but excited. I am literally tired from working BUT I am not complaining and is actually grateful about it. I love my job! :)

24. The opposite of love is not hate but indifference. Too bad I'm indifferent about love at the moment. Heh!

25. I am such a great believer of love and all the neat things it can do to people. I was fortunate that love found me in the least expected moment in my life. Unexpectedly love also went away and broke me into pieces. I've longed moved on from the pain and hurt and is cool about it. Despite everything I am still a big believer of love...I am just too damn scared to fall again.

Some of the items above were actually taken from the former memes I had before. I recycled some because thinking 25 random things about you in one go is a bit narcissistic for me. :)

Now it's YOUR turn! Tag, tag, tag to anyone who wants to do this!

DINNER AT MADISON

2009-02-01T02:58:00.016+08:00

I closed another busy week with a fabulous dinner last Friday with friends. I was all fired-up and inspired last week to work despite having to stay late at the office for several days. Everything is actually quite cool despite the new work, targets, and responsibilities that were given to me and my group last week. But work is not what this post is all about. I digress.

I met up with Olen and Dansel, my super girlfriends from Honda, for some bonding and heart-to-heart at Greenbelt last Friday. It's been quite a while since I last saw them. I wasn't able to attend our yearly Christmas/New Year gathering so I also brought with me my gifts for their daughters, Nicole and Bela, who are both my Godchildren.

I love these two women to bits. They were with me in some of my "development years" post-college. Olen and I used to share a condo before in Salcedo Village when I was still with Honda. She's one of those unfortunate people in the planet who knows me very well. Dansel was the late addition in our little group. Some common experiences and feelings in the past brought her to us to form a lifelong friendship. It was really nice seeing them both last Friday.

Now on to the food! We initially planned to dine at A Veneto, a favorite of Olen's, but it was so full that night thus we decided to look for another restaurant. It was good that we skipped A Veneto since I just dined there the previous Thursday with my geek boylets. We ended up at Teriyaki Boy in Glorietta for some appetizers and dinner at Greenbelt.

Teriyaki Boy used to be one of my favorite el cheapo Japanese places. My friend Tin and I dined there a few months back and I hated it since. There was something new, raw and weird on the dishes they served that night. I haven't been to TB since then until last Friday where we had California Maki and Ika Fry for appetizers which were fortunately not so bad that night.

California Maki

Ika Fry

Dans wanted to eat somewhere nice and quiet so we decided to check out the new restaurants in Greenbelt. We also wanted some salad, pasta and pizza so we eventually ended at Madison in Greenbelt 5. They had the usual Friday crowd so we dined al fresco.

Madison specializes on steaks and ribs but they also have pasta, salads and pizza. There was an enticing Wagyu Rib Eye on the menu but we decided to stick with greens and noodles. We shared a Crab Caesar Salad, Grilled Seafood Linguine and Meatball & Herbed Roasted Tomatoes. I love the seafood linguine but I admit that it's not too different from the other seafood pastas I've had before.

Crab Caesar Salad, Baby Romaine Hearts, Bacon & Boiled Egg

Grilled Seafood Linguine, Tomato Vodka Sauce

Artisan Pizza
Meatball and Herbed Roasted Tomatoes

I've been experimenting with a lot of restaurants and food lately (check out my previous posts) and it was mainly because of my new camera. My shots are improving but I will definitely try to schedule my photography class this February to have more post-worthy shots on this blog.

I wonder where we will eat next Friday. Any suggestions? :)

AMERICAN IDOL TOP 36 SPOILERS & STEVIE WRIGHT

2009-01-31T16:22:00.008+08:00

It's American Idol season once again!

One of my favorite shows on TV will have a Top 36 and a wild card round this year instead of the usual Top 24 semis. Joe's Place Blog and MJ's Big Blog, a couple of Idol authorities, already posted a spoiler of a presumably leaked list of those who got in through Vote For The Worst. We will be seeing if they are right at the live performances and semi-finals on the 3rd week of February after a week or two of Hollywood Week broadcast.

I already have a bet if the list is correct. I am very fascinated by the great voice and bubbly personality of 16 year old Stevie Wright. She auditioned in Glendale, Arizona and sang "At Last" by Etta James. All judges were impressed and Kara and Paula even said that she's exceptional.

Check out her audition video:

Stevie at last
Uploaded by mjsbigblogvideos

Can't wait to see her again! Hope she will reach the Top 12!

Here's the full list of the Top 36:

Adam Lambert, Alexander Wagner-Trugman, Alexis Grace, Allison Iraheta, Ann Marie Boskovich, Anoop Desai, Arianna Ayesha Afsar, Brent Keith, Casey Carlson, Danny Gokey, Jackie Tohn, Jasmine Murray, Jeanie Vailes, Jessica Langseth, Joanna Pacitti, Jorge Nunez, Junoy Joyner, Kai Kalama, Kendall Beard, Kristen McNamara, Kris Allen, Lil Rounds, Matt Breitzke, Matt Giraud, Megan Courkrey, Michael Sarver, Mishavonna Henson, Nate McGee, Nick ~~Western~~ Mitchell (aka Normound Gentle), Ricky Braddy, Scott MacIntyre, Stephen Fowler, Stevie Wright, Taylor Vaifanua, Tatiana Del Toro, Von Smith

Notable ones from the list are Casey Carlson, dubbed as one of the prettiest AI contestant ever with a bikini calendar to boot; washed-out recording artist Joanna Pacitti; and Steve MacIntyre, the almost-blind singer from Arizona.

I also like Adam Lambert of California. He's a a theatrical singer from Hollywood and he is kinda cute. I just don't know what is his preference. Click this link for his audition video and tell me what you think.

JANUARY 23!

2009-01-25T01:17:00.015+08:00

I've waited for January 23 for four days - that's from January 19 to 22. Aside from the fact that it's payday, I've longed for the day simply because it's TGIF! Work was demanding and whirlwind in the last week and it was such a joy to finally reach Friday. January is always a loaded month because of all the proposals and plans we have to turn in for the new year. We've already submitted two proposals in the last week and negotiated a lot of "deals" so I think we are on the right track. I'm pretty inspired and excited for the new things and projects that we are doing and I cannot wait to launch and implement them all.

Nothing beats celebrating a Friday after a long and hardworking week. So here are some tales on how I celebrated last Friday with my colleagues; and the upcoming Chinese New Year with my friends.

FRIDAY IS ALWAYS PICTURE DAY
My officemates love posing for pictures. So here are some samples on how we usually spend Fridays: in front of the camera.

KUNG HEI FAT CHOI!
My friends and I are not Chinese but our dinner pick for Friday was at Superbowl in Glorietta 4 to somehow celebrate the Lunar New Year. We ordered a LOT since we were used to having dinners for five people. Unfortunately, Charo and Jako were not able to join us so it was only me, Tin, and Aileen who consumed all the fattening Chinese munch you can see below.

Chinese Food Fest Face-off! Hehe!

Starters: All The Free Kropek You Can Eat

Dimsum Combination Platter
(Siopao, Hakao, Pork Siomai, Deep-fried Wanton, Vegetarian Spring Roll)

Yang Chow Fried Rice

Hunan Tofu

Lechon Macau

Crispy Mandarin Chicken

We watched Kate Hudson and Anne Hathaway's Bride Wars after our hearty meal. It was such a fun movie about weddings and friendship. The ending was a bit unexpected but not really surprising. I've always been a fan of Kate and Anne (more of Kate) but this movie definitely belongs to Anne. It's a lovely chick flick that helped us de-stress after a long work week.

TGIF! Until January 30!

INAUGURATION 2009

2009-01-20T19:09:00.004+08:00

It’s a good feeling to be an American today.

I’m a true-blue nationalistic Filipino (who would never dare to be "un-proud" of it) but this is one of those moments when being an American is actually cool. Aside from the pomp and pageantry, today’s inauguration of President Barrack Obama symbolizes a new hope and optimism for all - not only for the people of the land where he will lead but for the whole world as well.

Long live, Barry! Goodluck and God Bless! Knock 'em dead!

Cartoon Credit: Jeff Koterba, Omaha World Herald and Daryl Cagle's Cartoon Index.

POST-HOLIDAY BLUES

2009-01-05T23:19:00.003+08:00

Today, January 5, 2009, is probably the most unpopular day of the year so far. Everyone was too hung-over to work or too tired from vacation to even pretend to work. The last holiday vacation was probably the longest I can remember since I started working. I took a leave on the 24th of December so I had 12 days of non-work including those holidays declared by the government. It's common for me to have January blues so I usually extend my vacation until the 3rd working day of the year. But the vacation was too long already so it's too much to even consider on extending for that long.

The first four days of the year were uneventful ones for me. I spent most of the day sleeping, surfing random blogs and websites, resizing pictures, reading The American Wife, and watching old episodes of Project Runway and Lipstick Jungle. I was too tired from all the holiday celebrations and was preparing for the work stress thus I spent 10 to 14 hours a day just sleeping after the New Year celebrations.

Now that we covered the mundane things I did during the long vacation, let’s now take a look at the few exciting events and get-togethers I’ve been in the last weeks of 2008.

YEARLY CLAN REUNION
We spent Christmas Eve at home with the usual Noche Buena and opening of gifts. My niece, Gabbie, had the biggest loot as expected. Christmas day was spent at home resting and lounging in preparation for our annual clan reunion with my mom's sisters and their families in the evening.

One of the gifts I received! This is truly a favorite.

My nieces Nica, Gabbie, Casey and Jana on our Christmas party.

My niece Icee counting her Christmas cash

BAGUIO ONCE MORE
My good friend Tin asked us to join her in celebrating her 30th birthday at the City of Pines. It was my second time in Baguio for the year but I still had fun. We went around Session, Burnham & Wright, had Strawberry Taho, coffee at John Hay, dinner at Volante and celebration drinks at Northgate.

Tin and her birthday cake of 12 years ago

At the El Cielito lobby

Ylette at Burnham. One of my favorite shots.

POST-CHRISTMAS DINNER WITH FRIENDS
My forces girlfriends Tin, Aileen, Charo & Jako had our holiday dinner at Italianni's before the end of the year. We haven't seen each other for a while so we spent the night catching up on things and exchanging gifts.

Me, Tin, Charu, Aileen

What's with the knife?

The Mac Keeper

WELCOMING THE NEW YEAR
We spent New Year's eve at home quietly despite the loud bangs outside. We gave thanks to the Lord for all the blessings He gave us for the year. We also prayed for good health, prosperity and joys for the coming year.

Gabbie and her three trumpets

Fireworks on a school zone? How weird is our neighborhood?

More holiday photos at my Multiply photo site.

THE YEAR I TURNED THIRTY

2009-01-01T23:19:00.013+08:00

It's more than twenty three hours since the New Year and I am still stuck on 2008 (but not because I want to). It's just that I was too tired in the last few days to make a serious and emotional "looking back post" and it's only now that I become inspired to actually write one.

I usually describe my years according to the major milestones I felt or experienced in that year. Like 2004 was The Year I Fell In Love, alternately 2005 and 2006 were the The Year I Messed Up and The Year My Heart Got Broken In So Many Ways (I still can't decide which is which) and 2007 was The Year I Became Smart - literally and figuratively.

2008 was a year of great blessings for me. Yeah, I still have the occasional trials and hardships in various aspects of my life but it was nothing compared to the tumultuous years I had in the past (Hello, 2005 & 2006!). 2008 was very generous to me even if I don't deserve all the things that were given to me.

The Year I Turned Thirty was probably the best description I can give to 2008. Turning thirty years old (and single at that) can be a dread. I used to fear it when I was still on my twenties. But being on this year actually opened doors for me. Come with the age is the respect and a certain reverence. I am still funny, clumsy and carefree but I already sense a certain maturity within me which I've been hoping to achieve for years. My views and convictions are now on the serious path compared to the ideals I had a few years back. Oh, and thirty is "happiness". I'm now happier and more contented with my life compared before.

The most-asked-and-I-often-despise question of the year was of course the boyfriend question. "Do you have one?" "When are you going to have one?" "Mag-diet ka kaya so you can have one?" I am tired of answering these questions so I often answer in jest or sarcastically. My usual answers were "I am not interested!" or "I've long given up on love!". Then there will be another batch of questions and opinions ranging from "But why? You're still young! Don't give up!" to "Why? Are you now interested in women?". Oh well! The truth is I feel so indifferent about it. Yeah, there are guys out there who asks; and friends keep on fixing me up with people BUT I just don't feel it. The past, though very painful and a bit traumatic, is no longer an issue for me. I have longed forgiven myself and moved on from it. I just want to be happy all by myself for the meantime. I want to be single and discover things for the meantime. I want peace and serenity for now. I'll be ready when I'll be ready. :)

It was a less emotional year for me except for the fact that one of my good friends unexpectedly died last February. Binchy definitely struck a cord in all of us but we believe that he's now in a happier and better place. Aside from that, everything was smooth-sailing and drama-free. My relationship with my family and friends became stronger than ever and I was also given a chance to bond more with my bestest friends through several trips, vacations and travels last year.

Work is great and I learned a lot last year. There was the usual pressure and competition but it helped us more than it broke us. Heading a team was really a challenge especially if you were out to prove something. There were a lot of guts, second guessing and prayers involved as we launch one project after another. I am definitely happier and more contented with my current career compared to all the other past jobs I held. It allowed me to have independent ideas, kick-ass diskartes, and most importantly it gave me the opportunity to have a work and personal life balance. The pay-out at the end of the year were just icings on the cake.

I sailed through in 2008. It's a neutral year for me (boring at times actually) and I will definitely miss it. I am sure that 2009 will be a bit different since I know it will involve a lot of challenges and risk - not only for me but for everyone (Hello, Economy!). I also know that I will be fighting a lot of internal battles this year with the choices I will make...so help me God. Stay tuned!

Let's rock 2009! Happy New Year!

TOP IN 2008

2008-12-31T17:06:00.016+08:00

I was really fascinated by Time Magazine's Top 10 of Everything for 2008 and I think that it would be cool to do one for myself as a year-ender. "Ten of everything" would be too much for me so I am just limiting my list to my ultimate "tops" and favorite things.

TOP PEOPLE

Family
In sickness and in health, for richer or poorer, until death do us part. Enough said.

Forces Girlfriends + Jako
We've been through a lot this year - travels, dinners, quarrels, success, misunderstandings, profound e-mails, unions, engagements, singleness, happiness and broken hearts. Despite everything we've gone through we realized that we all love each other at the end of the day! :)

My CLRD Angels
The year will not be as sweet if not for my dear Marj and Kathy. We worked very hard and delivered a lot of projects that helped build subscribers' loyalty. I'll miss you, girls! Thanks for all that has been and for all that will be!

Gabsters
Our fondness and support for GDM was the one that introduced us to each other; but we discovered along the way that we have loads in common other than our PBB obsessions. Our BBQ Boy dinners were always riot events!

Ros + John + Eric
A common tragic event early this year made us closer to each other. It was not a "good year" for us but we all believe that it's already time to move on (Binchy would want it that way).

TOP TRAVELS

Boracay Birthday
This is my most traveled year! I'm out each month except in January. The one that stood out is my 30th birthday celebration in Boracay. My friends Tin, Aileen, Charo and Jako went with me last 888 (August 8, 2008) and had the time of our lives. The highlight of the trip? The Paraw Sunset Sailing!

Viva Vigan
My friends and I had a memorable roadtrip to Vigan last May. Aside from the cobblestones, the picturesque Spanish houses, and the yummy delicacies (I'm still craving for Martha's Bibingka until now), the trip was one for the books because we were were stranded in La Union for hours because of Typhoon Cosme. Our trip back home was 17 hours long. Whew!

Beautiful Bohol
Our Team Celebration Program in Bohol last September was great because there were only four (4) of us on the trip and it was my first time in Bohol! I can't wait to go back for more! Bohol is truly a relaxation haven!

Travel To Meet Subs
A huge chunk of my work-related travel this year was because of one of our loyalty programs. I was able to meet various subscribers all over the nation through this activity. They were all fun and enriching events and it gave me also the opportunity to visit Cabanatuan, Nueva Ecija and Balanga, Bataan for the first time. I also visited Cebu (twice), Davao (thrice), Baguio and Cagayan de Oro this year.

TOP EVENTS
(These are my non-travel events this year that are memorable. "Memorable" can either be happy or sad and a couple of entries here were unfortunately sad ones.)

My Pond's Beauty Blog
One of my non-work achievements of the year is winning the Pond's 7-day Beauty Blog. The "essay" (as my dad puts it) won me a new iPhone 3G and gift certificates.

Binchy's Passing
My good friend's unexpected death usually trumps the happy events of the year. We are still grieving but we know in our hearts that he's now in a happier place.

NatCon 2008
Customer Care's National Conference 2008 became a memorable one for me because of some unexpected twist of events. It still haunt me at times but I already learned from the experience. Things that doesn't kill you truly makes you stronger! :)

Vince & Eliza's Wedding
Ate finally tied the knot last November! The event was a joyous one and it gave me the opportunity to be reunited with my Real relatives whom some I haven't seen in years.

TOP GADGETS

Canon 1000D
Santa came this year and got me this! Eyeloveit! Definitely the gift of the year (or even the decade).

Nokia E71
Nokia did everything right with this phone. It's perfect (or perfect for me at least!). The slim design allows you to text using one hand, it has WiFi, cool interface, huge LCD screen and its HSDPA! Definitely one of the best Nokias in the market today.

iPhone 3G
Dubbed by most as The Gadget of the Year, it is not on top of my list because it's not the best - for me anyway. It has its greatness, ganda points, Internet anywhere and everywhere, and it's the best iPod ever...but it's far from perfect (jailbroken or otherwise). But I still love it to bits because it's "my trophy".

TOP TV SHOWS

Grey's Anatomy
The plot with Denny coming back to life is beyond absurd and George may be resigning but I still love this show! Nothing can keep me away from it despite the cheesiness of Mer and Der. My only wish? End the dead guy story and let Izzie fall in love with Alex.

Gossip Girl
One of my Twitter buddies thought I was on my early twenties because of my great love for these Upper East Siders. Season 2 made me fall in like with Blair Waldorf and Chuck Bass together with the teens and tweens of the world. I still love Serena and Lily but I just can't stand the Humphreys especially Dan, the over-analyzer.

The West Wing
It might have ended a couple of years ago but I am still on Season 3 of this great political drama. I am so fascinated with life at the White House and my week is not complete without hearing the "CJ! CJ! CJ!" of the reporters at the make-believe press room.

Brothers & Sisters
Who doesn't want to be part of the Walker family and their famous dinners? I've decided this season that Kevin is my favorite Walker (aside from Nora of course). Who's your favorite?

TOP MOVIES

Sex and The City Movie
Seeing Carrie, Samantha, Miranda and Charlotte once again is beyond words! Watching it at Powerplant with great friends after Pepper Lunch was also great.

Twilight
Seeing Bela and The Cullens come to life is more than enough to land this movie on the list despite its crapiness. Sorry, Twitter movie fans.

TOP BOOKS

Twilight Series
It was the much-hyped launch of Breaking Dawn in August which prompted me to read the series. It somehow filled the void that Harry Potter left me. Stephanie's writing was so bad (grammar and punctuation errors, over-plot, under-plot) but her great storytelling skills compensated for it. My favorites are Breaking Dawn, Eclipse and Alice Cullen.

American Wife
Time Magazine agrees with me that this is one of the best reads of 2008. It's a story of a librarian turned First Lady of the United States of America (sounds familiar?).

Remember Me
Another chick-lit of Sophie Kinsella which was patterned after the humor and sweetness of tUndomestic Goddess and Can You Keep A Secret?.

TOP RESTAURANTS
(Funny that everything on this list is a destination restaurant.)

Bigby's
I fell in love with their Grilled Rodeo Chops and Iced Tea! I had it four times this year: Bigby's Davao, Bigby's LimKetKai, Bigby's SM Cebu and Bigby's Ayala Center Terraces. They will open a branch in Manila soon! Yey!

Cyma
This was my "supposed" 30th birthday dinner. The Cyma feast we had in Boracay was one of the best dinners that my friends and I had of late. Greek food is truly love! Best Moussaka I've ever had!

Breakfast at Antonio's
I came back this year to this beloved restaurant that hold so many wonderful memories of yesteryears. Their steak is still tender and I still love it! Yum!

TOP ON-LINE SITES

Twitter
I tried Plurk for a couple of months but I came back to Twitter. If I can't blog then I usually express myself via Twitter's 140 characters. According to TweetStat, my average tweet per day is 7.3 and I usually send them 8:00 pm onwards. My most replied twitter friends are taetin (Tin), rivengodwind (Rodge) and lilacstardust (Aileen), siaz (Mitzi) and charuzee (Charo). No surprises here since they are also my real-life best buds! Twitter is our cheesmux extension.

Facebook
I joined Facebook in mid-2007 but I only realized its full potential early this year. Everyone who's anyone is on Facebook; and it's the best Social Networking Site ever!

Multiply
This has always been my favorite repository site for photos, videos, blog entries and music. Add me up!

iGoogle
A customizable one-stop shop for everything Google (and some more). It's always a joy to see my e-mail, google search tabs, Remember The Milk tasks, Google Reader feeds and various news all in one place. Thanks to Marj for the tip!

Thanks to 2008 for being such a wonderful year!

Credits to Bordoy Viterbo, Charo, Aileen and Marj for the photos.

HAPPY CHRISTMAS!

2008-12-25T02:22:00.006+08:00

"I have always thought of Christmas time, when it has come round,
as a good time; a kind, forgiving, charitable time; the only time
I know of, in the long calendar of the year, when men and women seem
by one consent to open their shut-up hearts freely, and to think of people
as if they really were fellow passengers to the grave, and not another
race of creatures bound on other journeys."

~Charles Dickens

I'M MAKING MY LIST & CHECKING IT TWICE

2008-12-07T22:51:00.008+08:00

The most wonderful time of the year is already here! The first week of December already gave me some Christmas joys and I cannot help but be merry and cheery about it. Our Christmas Package was already given (with the four hams), I already got some early gifts, I was able to watch Vince & Reese's Four Christmases with Tin, and the December breeze is here! Christmas is definitely just around the corner.

I've been nice this year so I prepared a Christmas Wish List. I've been wanting some of these for the longest time and I hope to get them before the year ends (though some I must say are bonus-dependent). So, benefactors, friends, and bosses who will decide the pay-out, please take pity on me and put the following under my tree. :)

1. Canon 1000D
My current point & shoot camera is giving me blah, blah, blah pictures in the last couple of months so I decided to look for a new one. I was actually set on buying the new Canon G10 but I learned that the Canon 1000D is just a couple of thousands more than the G10, so DSLR it is!

2. A Trip To Ilocos Norte
My good friend Tin wants us to celebrate her 30th either in Shanghai, Singapore or Puerto Princesa in Palawan. But due to the recession, busy Holiday schedule, overseas travel next year and the super peak season, we just decided to have another roadtrip to Ilocos. We've always wanted to go to Pagudpod and check out the Bangui Windmills so we hope that the trip will push through.

3. Linksys Wireless Router
This is more of a necessity than a luxury. We have to get this one ASAP to avoid further family squabbles over broadband connections.

4. A Flickr Pro Account
Flickr is the BEST photo repository site in the World Wide Web. Period. I really need a pro account for all the neat pictures I will have from item #1.

5. L'Oreal True Match Minerals
I've been dying to have this since the glowing reviews I read some months ago. I'm just consuming some of my other stuff before buying a bottle. It promises a good, fine, matte finish. Definitely a must-try-must-buy!

6. The Tales of Beedle The Bard
A true Potter fan knows what's The Tales of Beedle The Bard is all about. It is supposed to be one of the "what's the fuss about?" books of 2008 (but no thanks to Breaking Dawn with Reneesme on it for beating it a hundredfold). Since this is not a truly legitimate Harry Potter book and it cost P650.00, I decided to be a cheapskate about it and will just wait for someone to gift me with it.

7. Belle de Jour 2009 Power Planner
This is my planner choice for 2009. The Starbucks Planners are good and nice but everyone has one.

8. World Peace
Or in my world at least. :)

Credits to Tonie S. for the Pagudpod Beach photo above.

MY COUSIN'S WEDDING

2008-11-30T23:20:00.008+08:00

My cousin Eliza, the daughter of my dad's brother, had the wedding of her dreams to Vince last Friday at the charming Madre De Dios Midlands Chapel in Tagaytay Highlands. The Real family (or what's left of it here in the Philippines) came in full attendance to celebrate the joyous occasion.

Madre de Dios Midlands Chapel
Tagaytay Highlands

View of Taal from Madre De Dios

Ate Meliza looked extra-fabulous and extra-beautiful on her wedding. She looked like a gorgeous Goddess who came down from the heavens! I almost cried when I saw her walking down the aisle to meet Vince. She's surely one of the best-looking brides I've seen and I'm not saying this because she's related to me.

The beautiful bride walking down the aisle

The nice altar at Madre de Dios

Ate with her immediate family

I love this photo! Everyone is looking at different directions

I love everything about the wedding! From the elegant styling to the on-site video with U2's "All I Want Is You" as music. I also love the way all things were in sync with the navy blue theme with the silver snowflake-like pattern. The ceremony and rites were also solemn and intimate. My other cousin, Jaymee, and I even had a small part on it.

Ate Meliza

The Real Women
Eliza, Margo, Abbie, Jaymee, Chay

The cocktails, reception and after-party were held at the Highlands Country Club and it was both an elegant and fun affair. My cousins and I truly enjoyed the food and the never-ending booze. Ate made sure that we were all tipsy or drunk by the end of the night.

White roses, glasses and candles

Norwegian Smoked Salmon + Cream of Broccoli + Fillet Mignon + Choco Toblerone Cake

I drank all of these at the after-party!

Congratulations and Best Wishes, Vince & Ate Eliza! Keep the love burning! :)

More pictures at my Multiply site.

TOUCH & GO

2008-11-23T05:05:00.005+08:00

November 21 was probably one of the longest and most tiring days of my life. Here's a detailed account of what happened:

3:30 AM My alarm went off and I punched the snooze button. I still had 30 more minutes of sleep time.

5:00 AM I left the house for the airport. My Philippine Airlines flight to Cagayan de Oro was at 7:10 AM. It was very early in the morning so I figured that it will be a quick trip from Laguna to Paranaque.

5:45 AM I was wrong! I spent more than 30 minutes on standstill near the Sta. Rosa interchange. The morning shift people going to nearby TechnoPark created a huge traffic jam.

6:25 AM I arrived at the NAIA Terminal 2 just in time! I quickly checked-in, got my boarding pass and paid for my terminal fee. Good thing I only had my big handbag and laptop thus no check-in luggage.

6:40 AM My flight was called and I was one of the last who boarded because I had "breakfast" of Red Ribbon Special Mamon and Coke at the waiting lounge.

7:12 AM I put on my sunglasses and pashmina shawl and was fast asleep even before take-off. Manila was dull and cold when I left.

7:30 AM I was awoken by the crew who were chatting noisily at the back of the plane. I also observed that PAL's already cutting cost since they are no longer offering juice inflight.

8:35 AM I arrived in sunny Cagayan De Oro and was pissed at the taxi people who wanted to overcharge for a 2KM trip.

8:50 AM I learned when I arrived at the Clubhouse of Xavier Estates that my presentation for the Mindanao Regional Meeting was moved to 1:00 PM instead of the original 9:00 AM schedule.

9:10 AM I took some some snaps from the beautiful place before hailing another cab to downtown CDO to kill time and explore the place before my presentation.

9:35 AM I arrived in Limketkai and was surprised to see how "sleepy" CDO is. I checked the Body & Sole Spa and Bigby's and both opens at 11:00 am. Despite that I observed that CDO is now more urban and progressive compared to my last visit in 2003.

9:40 AM I ordered a Chocolate Chip Froccino from Bo's Coffee, one of the few establishments open, while reading a tourist info flyer on CDO. I obviously looked for stuff I can do for the next two hours.

9:55 AM I went inside Limketkai Mall and saw this queue near the entrance of SMART Wireless Center. Wow..they can't wait to go inside?

10:20 AM I went to Vanity Works, a local spa place, and asked for a one-hour massage. The receptionist told me that their therapists were not yet in. I got tired of waiting for them so I left and just went on-line to check my work e-mail.

11:30 AM I went to Bigby's and ordered my favorite Grilled Rodeo Chops and Iced Tea. I love their Iced Tea, one of the best I had!

12:30 AM I got back at Xavier Estates for my presentation. The Wireless Center Managers were still eating when I arrived so I reviewed my presentation and watched 90210 on my laptop while waiting.

1:30 AM I presented updates and results for three of our projects this fourth quarter. There were some questions and suggestions. They were also excited when I announced the SMART & Nokia Davao launch of the N96 at Urban Bar on November 28 (everyone is invited!).

2:45 PM Our office van took me back to Cagayan De Oro airport for my flight back to Manila at 3:50 PM.

3:00 PM I checked-in and was told that all the good seats were already taken so I have to settle for a middle seat. I've always been an aisle girl so I was not happy about it. The kind airport personnel even checked if he can upgrade me for free to business class but it was a full flight.

3:10 PM I bought boxes of delicious Pastel (bread with yema filling) and Pastillas for my girls from the office and my family. I also watched 90210 from my iPhone while waiting for my flight.

4:00 PM Turned-off my phone and slept to oblivion as the plane raced through the runway. I woke up a couple of minutes just before landing. I was so tired!

6:19 PM I answered SMS and calls that I missed on my way to SM Mall of Asia for a customer event.

6:30 PM I arrived at Pink Pepper at SM Mall of Asia and was glad to see some very happy subscribers. The food - Pesto Pasta, Steak, Paella, Creme Brulee - were so delicious!

6:45 AM I got a call from Eugene from our Consumer Sales and he told me that I can already get my new handset from my SMART postpaid retention on Monday. Yey!

7:40 PM Marj, Kathy and I left the event after congratulating the South Metro Manila Wireless Operations for their successful and enjoyable "Wine, Dine & iMax to the Max SUKI Celebration".

8:00 PM I was supposed to go home right away but I decided to get a well-deserved Swedish Massage at Body Tune. My usual is Shiatsu but I decided to go for a more relaxing Swedish after the day I just had. It was great!

9:40 PM I went to Fully Booked to look for some interesting reads. I was supposed to get two biographies of the Clintons but I decided against it when I saw the international bestseller bio of Princess Masako. I also bought a copy of Newsweek which has President-elect Obama as cover.

11:15 PM I finally arrived home! I immediately went to bed, read a couple of chapter of the book I bought and finished the last few episodes of West Wing Season 1.

Whew! What a day! :) How's yours?

Pardon for the photos. I forgot to charge my digicam so the above are all iPhone photos.