cham-pagne supernova

i am officially a groupie.

2011-05-08T21:53:00.003+08:00

call me a fangirl, a groupie, or whatever you want. i personally prefer ''drummer's girl" though. :)

check out the band's latest video here <3

10 in 2010

2011-01-02T00:30:00.011+08:00

after months and months of leaving this blog untouched, i finally have the time - and the motivation - to write again. probably because 2010 just ended and i definitely could not let it pass by undocumented. 2010 has been a huge year for me. it was all about, in a word, CHANGE. and here are, in no particular order, the major changes that have occurred for me this year:

1. the change in CAREER.

2010 was the year i finally, FINALLY took the plunge and left the fun but crazy stressful world of media to start over as an international civil servant.

2. the change in WORK HOURS.

subsequent to the change in career, my work hours also changed drastically. after almost 5 years in an industry where working til at least 7pm was the norm and overnight stays at the office happened every now and then, i am now able to have occasional days of leaving my desk at 5:30pm on the dot, as long as i'm in ortigas by 8:30am (i tend to stay til 7pm though. force of habit i guess).

3. the change in WORK LOCATION.

the new job also came with a change in work location. having worked in makati ever since graduation, the move to ortigas was also challenging in the sense that it was farther and harder to commute to and from. but it was an adjustment that wasn't too hard to make because the new office is right in the middle of three malls and right beside the MRT. much more convenient than working in salcedo village.

4. the change in CAR.

i've been eyeing the 2010 honda city since it came out in 2009 but never really thought of actually buying it until our car started acting up in january. luckily, things fell into place and my mom and i were able to get the new city the week before i started my new job... and it definitely erased my concerns about having to commute to ortigas.

5. the change in PHYSICAL ACTIVITIES.

this april, i joined the yoga club at the office and committed to attending yoga classes around 1-2x a week. i was able to sustain it until the end of november.

and after years of not playing basketball on a court (timezone basketball does not really count), i started playing again around september. monday became my regular basketball day, and i got to appreciate having another form of exercise aside from the regular body combat classes that i attended on saturdays.

6. the change in FAMILY AFFAIRS.

after 6 years in the US, my dad came back home last june. it's great to have him back, although i feel like i've kinda lost all the independence i've had when both my parents were in the US. but still, it's nice to be an almost-complete family again.

7. the change in DIET.

one of my new year's resolutions for 2010 was to not eat rice on weekdays. was pretty much able to sustain it, except during the past week (christmas season!) and on days when i didn't have much of a choice. i was also able to sustain my 2009 resolution of not drinking softdrinks, unless they come with rum or vodka. :p unfortunately, i've upped my coffee intake to 3-4x a day (from 2-3x a day previously).

8. the change in FREQUENCY OF BONDING WITH FRIENDS.

early in 2010 i started thinking that i should meet up more with my friends, even those i haven't seen in a long time. i'm glad that i was still able to be in touch and hang out with friends from both the first and second media agencies, plus high school and college friends (visited haze in singapore last august too Ü), while trying to adjust to the new job and the new location.

my 2010 planner was highly maximized with all the lunches, dinners, drinks, coffee dates, and even thursday breakfasts scheduled. it was somewhat time-consuming, but i'd say it was definitely time that was well-spent. :)

9. the change in RELATIONSHIP STATUS.

probably one of the bigger changes this year, if not the biggest. after 3 years and 7 months with mark... i'm back to being single. i won't be going into the details, but at least we're friends. at least i hope that's what we are.

10. the change in ATTITUDE.

the last quarter of 2010 had me really thinking about a lot of things. twice this year i've gone away on a retreat -- once in november, and another in december, just 2 weeks apart.

the november "retreat" was self-imposed. i went to tagaytay by myself for a weekend of me-time, spent in absolute silence. i've never done this before, and it was actually nice to spend some time with just a book, my planner/journal, and my thoughts. this getaway was actually able to help me realize some stuff that i needed to do... stuff that i've been thinking about for weeks on end. and it also made me realize that sometimes, you really just have to spend time alone.

the december retreat lasted for 3 days. the last retreat i've been on was in high school (10 years ago), and it wasn't the kind of retreat that i remember -- with group sharing and crying and palanca letters and all that. it was a silent kind of retreat, spent in prayer and meditation. so even though i had a friend (who just happened to be recently single herself) to share the experience with, i had a lot of time to think and pray, and pray some more. probably more than i've ever had in my life. after the retreat, i felt renewed and at peace with myself.

with all the changes from 2010, i hope and pray that these will lead to a better, brighter future. so 2011, i'm ready for you. bring it on!

yo, yoga

2010-04-22T22:45:00.003+08:00

today marks 2 months since i started at my 3rd job. though i'm much busier during the day, i do get to go home earlier than i used to when i was in media. scratch that -- i do get to leave the office earlier... i can't really go home early because ortigas is farther from my house than makati, plus the traffic during rush hour is way too terrible. so i usually just wait until traffic winds down -- by meeting up with mark, going bowling (once a week), staying at the office (chaka)... and my latest attempt at 'exercise' -- doing yoga :)

i've only tried it 3 times so far, but i think i've started to become a bit more flexible already. and amazingly, i can contort my body pala even though the instructor had to adjust my poses a few times. the most difficult pose i've done so far is this one:

it was pretty tough, so right now my muscles are aching and my back is sore. but i'm looking forward to a stronger core, better posture, and hopefully a healthier self :)

*can i just say, april is the deadline of my 6-month goal (placing in a bowling tournament) -- and that goal is bust. boo me. guess i really should just keep playing for fun.*

a month to be grateful for

2010-03-13T01:12:00.008+08:00

it's been quite a while since i last had the chance to blog... simply because A LOT of stuff went on in the past month. it's been a crazy, crazy period -- with the following highlights:

feb 7. watched rent with my dugong family from media.

feb 12-14. zamboanga trip with mark. 3rd vday weekend out of town =)

got to see PINK SAND!

feb 16. got bailey. =)

but thank you, black city, for 7 wonderful years of service. i miss you.

feb 19. last day in media.

feb 22. first day as an international civil servant.

march 3. mark and i got new toy -- which i'm using now to write this blog entry =)

march 10. met my brother's girlfriend of more than a year for the 1st time

...without my brother around to introduce her to me.

interspersed with one-on-one lunches and talks over coffee (with friends i haven't talked to in a while), crazy conversations over wine and cheese, margaritas, and more wine and cheese (with the media friends who i miss so much), as well as lounging by the pool/ in the hot tub while eating to our hearts' content (with my extended family) -- it's also been a month of bonding with friends and family.

the past month has been far from perfect, but the good stuff definitely outweighed the bad. for every trial i encountered, there was something wonderful in return. God has just been so good. thank You so, so much. =)

media memories, part 2

2010-02-09T17:40:00.007+08:00

the brands/accounts i've handled over the course of five years... and two of my favorite projects. :)

media memories, part 1

2010-01-28T18:18:00.009+08:00

just some of the craziest things i had to do that weren't really part of my job, but i did them anyway (whisper and mcdo were never my accounts, and i never expected that i'd have to represent my company in a singing competition. crazy.)

my media swan song

2010-01-22T11:40:00.004+08:00

click here for a chance to win the new nokia 5230. =) thanks mo!

tim yap also has a similar promo; follow him here =)

the mother of all despedidas

2010-01-15T23:42:00.017+08:00

(or rather, the despedida for mother)

today, i went back to the office that i left 2 1/2 years ago to witness an amazing despedida... and to show my support for MOTHER/LGM, the managing director of the company. as i wrote on the blog made especially for her, i have always been thankful for having experienced 3 years under her leadership and guidance. the word i will always associate with her is passion, as it's something that she instilled in us. it's really been an honor and a blessing for me to have worked for such an icon in the industry. and even though i'm not with the company anymore, it still saddened me to see her say goodbye.

anyway, i just had to blog about this because the send-off for her was really touching. complete with print ads, radio exposure, videos, OOH, WOM, digital (click here for a preview). but really, i think she deserved nothing short of the grand production that she was given, especially since she's queen of a media agency. THE media agency that's known for being super career, not just with work but even with birthday parties, send-offs, etc. (and suddenly i remembered the despedida they gave me in 2007).

mother -- you may not be able to read this ever, and i didn't write this in the blog made for you -- but i just wanted to say that you make me smile every single time you tell me to go back (despite the fact that i tend to give you non-committal answers)... because it shows that you believe in me even after all these years. and for that, i will always be grateful.

9 in 2009

2010-01-03T13:57:00.013+08:00

been answering a 40-question year-end survey for 3 years (2005, 2006, 2007), stopped in 2008 because i wasn't blogging then, and now too lazy to complete it for 2009. instead, i just made my "9 in 2009," a short list of 9 of my past year's highlights (which are more of firsts, actually).

in no particular order, here's my 9 in 2009:

1. wore a platinum blonde wig for hours, had safety pins stuck to my one of my cheeks, sang onstage in front of a few hundred people from the media industry... and got criticized by celebrity judges for it

2. spent new year's eve with my significant other, and brought him to our annual clan reunion as well

3. got to do volunteer work for the victims of typhoon ondoy and actively participated in an outreach project that was personally organized by a friend

4. lost a friend to death =(

5. went to subic for the ad congress... but only went to the parties

6. realized that a much higher compensation package is not the only reason why i should take job offers

7. witnessed how much the philippines loved former president cory aquino. even went to manila memorial just to see her funeral cortege pass.

8. joined and placed in bowling tournaments (1 doubles, 1 team tourney)

9. tried kneeboarding, ziplining, and vinotherapy for the first time

in general, 2009 was not one of my best years so far. but still, i'm thankful because i've had some good memories with good friends that made the past year a lot more bearable:

having looked back at 2009, i'm now looking forward to a much better 2010. cheers to a brand new year! =)

of gifts for christmas and boxes of chocolate from the past

2010-01-03T00:01:00.001+08:00

this christmas season, i didn't open a single gift i received (except for the christmas baskets) until christmas day itself. high EQ FTW! =)

spent half a day trying to declutter my room and saw how useful my old boxes of ferrero rocher have been. back in my teenage years/ early twenties (ugh, saying that made me feel old), this was my fave brand of chocolate. i used to get a lot of it -- mostly the packs of 3s and 5s, but i managed to keep some of the boxes and eventually used them for storing stuff. i think the best use of the boxes was for my earrings =)

for albert

2009-12-22T14:27:00.001+08:00

june 9, 1983 - december 19, 2009. having passed away at the age of 26, albert's life was such a short-lived one... and i still can't believe that he's gone. i guess what they say about the Lord taking away the good people first is true in his case, as he was one of the nicest guys i've ever known. it's the first time i've lost a friend to death, and i find it kind of hard to absorb because it's not very common for people to die this young. as our friend miko put it, at our age, we should be attending weddings and baptisms (not funerals)... and already albert will be missing out on those.

it upsets me that someone whom i've always known to be so cheerful and full of life has succumbed to death after less than a year of being sick. but i guess it's God's will to end his suffering already. ironically, the day he died was also the day we were planning to throw him a party to cheer him up after all the therapy sessions he's been having. and it's just quite depressing that this had to happen a few days before christmas.

dear albert, i thank you for the friendship. i will miss your corny jokes. the way you call me "sexy" when i call you "pogi." your optimism, your cheerfulness, and the fact that you're mr. all-around nice guy. it's sad to know that tonight will be the last time i can see you, but i hope and pray that you are at peace now. i may have lost a friend, but i just might have gained an angel.

christmas is for sharing =)

2009-12-15T18:33:00.006+08:00

my philanthropic friend tin te recently organized an outreach activity for the orphans of sister spinelli in tagaytay. it was an experience that was too overwhelming to summarize (as is usually the case for me when i go to outreach activities), but the pictures could probably do it for me.

with my favorite baby boy simon =)

as tin put it in her thank you card, we made their christmas just by sharing our time, treasure, and talent. it was really amazing how we could already make these 30 kids happy by giving them their first big christmas party ever. =) and, by some kind of karmic retribution, the happiness definitely bounced back onto us. =)

how to spot an advertising creative

2009-12-11T14:46:00.003+08:00

(from adobo/ rogue magazine)

i'm not an advertising creative but hey, we just move in practically the same circles. and a lot of these descriptions also fit media people like me.

key similarities:
* fluent in english, filipino, and bading
* indelible dark circles and heavy eyebags from too many late nights of overtime and drinking
* has mastered the ability to stay awake and function for at least 36 hours straight (i think i've already been in the office that long a few years back)
* rarely without a laptop
* frequently sighted at starbucks (or some other coffee shop)
* no time to go to the gym because of work =|

a sweet dream or a beautiful nightmare?

2009-12-03T20:02:00.006+08:00

none of the above. i'm so glad i don't go through this anymore... or at least the one on the right =p

repost from chris.

adidas year end sale on nov 27-30!

2009-11-26T15:52:00.003+08:00

up to 70% off on all items! message me if you want invites for nov 27-28. the sale will be open to the public on nov 29-30. the sale is at the adidas sport performance concept store at the podium. =)

goodbye starbucks, hello belle de jour

2009-11-23T10:27:00.011+08:00

for the past five years, i've been a victim of starbucks' marketing ploy to drive sales during the christmas season by encouraging consumers to collect stickers for their planners. on the right is a shot of my collection of planners from 2005-2009. for every planner, i had to spend more than P1500 on coffee (it should be around 2k, but i asked for help from friends). i had no problem getting the 2005-2006 planners coz i bought from starbucks almost everyday (the baristas at the enterprise even knew me by name). the 2008 planner was a gift from mark though, coz i spent christmas '07 in the states. and i got the 2009 planner only because i didn't want to 'break the tradition.'

this year, i've decided to screw tradition and not get a starbucks planner anymore because i really don't use the planner a lot. and i also don't buy gourmet coffee as much as i used to... plus now i prefer cbtl. :) for 2010, i already got the belle de jour power planner. it's much more girl-friendly (heck, it was made for women), plus it comes with a lot more coupons compared to starbucks back in the day -- and the coupons are not just for discounts on food and drinks (including cbtl, white hat) but also on on shopping and even spas. and it only cost me less than P600. i think i'm gonna be able to use this more often. :)

merry ch-wii-stmas! :)

2009-11-16T11:10:00.010+08:00

my siblings and i had our first encounter with the nintendo wii at my ninang's place two years ago, while we were still in L.A. we planned on buying one for christmas but sadly, it was out of stock at every store that we went to. in hindsight, i guess it was a blessing in disguise because then i wouldn't have been able to bring it with me when i went back home to manila.

anyway, after two years, i was finally able to get this as an early christmas present for my sisters

(and myself. sorry brother dear, you're not here eh). wiiiiiiii!!! :)

ice ice baby

2009-11-11T16:28:00.003+08:00

i've been bowling for around 8 years now, but it's really more of a hobby than a real sport for me. i've joined tournaments before but always as part of a team or with a partner. i haven't joined a singles tournament once because i've never been that confident about my bowling skills (or lack thereof) despite all those years of playing.

it was last year when i started really getting into it, having weekly bowling sessions with friends. i bought my own bowling shoes (just the basic cheapo shoes though) and a black 11-lb ball (an ebonite concentrator, which isn't very reactive and just right for a straight bowler like me). my average improved slightly, but i wasn't really satisfied with it.

then last august, mark gave me a shiny blue ball -- an ebonite ice, which weighs 12.4 lbs and is more reactive than any ball i've used so far. bowlero.com recommends it for bowlers with slower speeds (ahem). when i tried using it the first few times, i sucked. most of the time i got scores way below my current average. i couldn't get the hang of it. so i, with mark's prodding, ended up challenging myself:

by april 2010 (within 6 months), i should be able to place in a singles tournament. to do this, i would need my ice, a coach (a.k.a. mark), and weekly practices. i am committing to these weekly practices with or without my bowling buddies. and a lot of discipline is definitely needed... plus possibly a wrist band and knee pads. i have to work on my form (among other things) because it's definitely going to be different from what i've been used to.

just so it's in writing, my monthly goals are:
* nov'09 -- get my scores back up to average (let x = average)
* dec'09 -- get an average of x + 10
* jan'10 -- x + 20
* feb'10 -- x + 30 and join a singles tourney
* mar'10 -- x + 40 and join a singles tourney
* apr'10 -- x + 50 and place in the singles tourney

i'm not sure if this is doable within 6 months but it's still worth a try, and i would be more forced to follow through with it because it's a goal that i wrote down. i super hope i can achieve this =D

OM3!

2009-11-06T10:49:00.002+08:00

gossip girl's promo for next week's episode. who's gonna be part of the three?

temptation island: absolut-ly hilarious.

2009-11-02T23:17:00.015+08:00

instead of watching horror flicks for halloween, some of my closest friends from the office and i watched the 1980s filipino flick "temptation island" last friday night. i've heard about this film before, but i only got to watch it that night at jampackedbear's place. and we ended up watching it twice! although the second time around, it was more of rewinding and fast-forwarding to the funniest parts.

my favorite quotes, among others:
* "walang tubig, walang pagkain, di magsayaw na lang tayo"
* "rub-a-dub-dub, two bitches in a tub"
* "what are bitches for but to mess around with other bitches"
* "20/20? i thought it was your bust size"
* "i'm a krook, and a dam good krook"

it was also pretty interesting to see how manila looked like before i was born. key locations shown were the makati cbd (which was pretty bare, although there were a few familiar buildings), de la salle university (sans the lrt along taft ave.), and the araneta coliseum (with rattan chairs as seats). so much has changed in 29 years.

"temptation island" is a classic film best watched with friends, and it's even more hilarious when watched while intoxicated. my poison for the night: my recent favorite absolut apeach, and the even more recently re-discovered absolut kurant. with sprite, of course. =)

(600) days of comms. planning

2009-10-30T00:38:00.005+08:00

today is my 600th day (yes, i counted!) as a senior communications planner servicing one of the largest manufacturers of consumer goods in the country... and it's also my last. it has been quite an experience which i learned a lot from. plus there are people i've worked with who i will definitely miss, and things i've had to do that i just might end up missing as well.

to the planning team, who i've spent days, nights, and even some fun weekends with -- those 600 days have been happier and much more manageable because of you =) looking forward to tonight's session. ;-)

the frozen yogurt frenzy

2009-10-26T14:23:00.004+08:00

frozen yogurt has been in the philippines for quite sometime now (think BTIC), but i think it's only been this year when the fro-yo craze actually hit. frozen yogurt has become my usual dinner or dessert staple over the past few months, and here's my take on the brands that i've tried so far. sorry for the lack of visual aids, but i tend to dig into my yogurt once i get it =D

1. white hat (my personal fave)
super yummy & creamy italian frozen yogurt, and it's 98% fat free. tangy and sweet at the same time. i also love that they have cashews for toppings (which is not very common), and their mangoes (one of my staple toppings) are consistently sweet. my bf mark likes that they also have cheesecake, but white hat is just #2 for him. they have a buy-9-get-1-free promo for their loyalty card, and i'm on my 2nd card already. my week won't be complete if i don't get to have at least one cup =)

stores i've visited: sm mall of asia, robinson's place, rustan's supermarket makati.

2. red mango (a close 2nd, and my favorite when it comes to green tea yogurt.)
the plain yogurt's a little less creamy than white hat, but still yummy. the 1st time i tried red mango, i only got a small bowl of green tea since i didn't think i could finish a medium-sized one... but i loved it so much that i got another small bowl. now i usually get a medium-sized bowl of green tea or a green tea swirl (mixed with the original yogurt) when i go there. mochi, mangoes, and almonds are my fave red mango toppings. for their loyalty card, you have to get 16 bowls of yogurt to get their limited edition red mango bowl (comes in three designs), plus free yogurt. i already have 1 bowl and am on my 2nd loyalty card as well.

stores i've visited: greenbelt 3, sm megamall. tried going to their eastwood branch once but the line was so long, i decided to forego my fro-yo craving then.

3. yoh-gurt froz
also smooth and creamy, the best thing about yoh-gurt froz is that they seem to have the widest selection of toppings. aside from the usual fruits, cereals, and nuts, they also have apple cinnamon and leche flan (2 of mark's faves, which is why this brand is the best for him). i think they also have around 3 or more kinds of mochi, whereas other stores only have 2 or less. what i don't like about it though is that you can't really sit down and enjoy your yogurt inside the store, especially in the smaller hobbes stores.

stores i've visited: greenhills (hobbes & landes), greenbelt 5 (hobbes & landes). there's also a stand near the food court at MOA, but i'm kinda iffy if it's the same yoh-gurt froz so i've never tried it.

other brands i've tried:
* i love berries
it's more sweet than tangy, and its consistency is not comparable to that of my top 3. it may seem to be a cheaper alternative brand, but only if you want plain yogurt and in a smaller size. i think their selection of toppings is quite limited, but it's good enough to try.

store i've visited: sm mall of asia.

* california berry
my least favorite of the bunch. what's different about california berry is that aside from the original and the green tea flavors, it also has coffee-flavored yogurt. i only go there because it's the only frozen yogurt that's within walking distance from my office, and it's quite a long walk at that. their small cup is so small, it's hard to eat without being conscious that the toppings might spill out. at the paseo center branch, there's usually only one person serving so the lines tend to get long at lunchtime and it takes a while before you get your order. plus i'm not sure if they've ever had the coffee flavor there. most memorable experience with this brand so far was at their robinson's galleria branch. i was happy because i was finally able to get the coffee flavor, plus the guys working at the counter were very friendly and accommodating. unfortunately, i felt this stinging sensation on my tongue after eating my yogurt. i thought it was just me, but mark also felt it after he had the original yogurt. i haven't had california berry yogurt since then (though that was only 2 weeks ago... but then i eat yogurt almost every other day).

stores i've visited: paseo center, robinson's galleria.

* lulubelle
its pretty pink-and-white interiors will entice you to at least check out their store, especially if you're a girly-girl. i've only tried their strawberry yogurt so far (since it's the only store i've encountered which has strawberry-flavored yogurt). it was nothing really special for me though. and the prices of their toppings turned me off. if you're looking for value for your money, this is definitely not the place to go. i heard however that their smoothies are good, so i might end up trying one of those sometime.

store i've visited: rockwell power plant

* also worth trying is the frozen yogurt at sm makati (in the area where they sell fruits outside the supermarket). this was recommended by my officemate luanne, whose bf is a dizon (of dizon farms fame). their yogurt is a cheaper alternative and comes with one free topping, plus P10 for every additional topping -- choices of which are mostly fruits. it would've been much better if they had nuts =) but the fruits are guaranteed fresh.

brands i've yet to try:
* cold spoon in pampanga. road trip, anyone?
* green mango. though from what i've heard/read about it so far, maybe i should just stick to red mango.

on fame, fortune, and the future

2009-10-18T01:21:00.007+08:00

i've never seen the original movie from the '80s, but this version of 'fame' is yet another one of those movies that remind me that i'm just another frustrated performing artist. i've sung, danced, acted, and even played the piano onstage at some point in my life... but i've never, ever been that good and half as talented as the people in this movie are made out to be. sometimes i really wish i had that one special talent that i could just hone, capitalize on, and make a fortune out of. then i could go and 'live forever and learn how to fly high.'

unfortunately, i do NOT have that one special talent. i want to do so many things, so it's hard to focus on just one thing. and this realization does not only apply to performing arts... it can also apply to career choices. i'm not sure if my current job is something i want to do for the rest of my life (my bosses know this). within the past few weeks, i've turned down some job offers in the same industry because of this. but i'm still not sure what i really want to do. that's what i don't like about wanting to do different things -- you can end up not knowing which ones to choose, so you stick to the same thing that you've been doing before. i honestly envy those who know what they want right from the start, who work towards a future. meanwhile my own future is just too... out there.

the uaap: admu vs. ue, game 3

2009-10-07T20:37:00.007+08:00

while reading through an article posted on one of the basketball sites that i follow (inboundpass.com), i came across this comment. dunno how true this is, but i found it veeeeerrrry interesting:

freaky huh.

i am, however, rooting for the blue eagles because my ex-officemate danna (a die-hard fan of the eagles) will feed us if they win. :D and UP was the only team to have beaten them in the elimination round. haha. seriously though, ateneo has been the stronger team throughout season 72. just have to hope that ateneo's championship experience will overpower UE's thirst for the crown that has eluded them since 1985.

on another note, if UP enters the final four next year, i will definitely celebrate. :) then again... i say this every single year. :|

post-ondoy post

2009-10-05T13:27:00.007+08:00

it's been more than a week since typhoon ondoy hit, and i still can't get over how much it has affected the philippines -- metro manila and its surrounding provinces in particular. in the face of this tragedy, it's amazing how filipinos all over the world have come together to help the victims of ondoy -- with much thanks to the netizens who tirelessly kept the web updated with calls for help, images and videos of what happened, and lists of relief centers (which i was able to make use of, yay).

i'm thankful that my family and our home were kept safe -- the flood in our village rose up to chest level in the lower part of the street, but didn't reach our house. we also didn't have electricity. but that was it. sept. 26, 2009 was one of those days when i was glad to be living in the south. however, there were a lot of other people who were not as lucky, including some of my friends. :(

and since i was pretty lucky to have escaped ondoy's wrath, i wanted to help those who were affected in my own way (prayers included). monday last week, some officemates and i collected funds and shopped for donations -- which we dropped off at the ateneo grad school in rockwell and at lsgh (after which i saw my uaap crush). :D wednesday, my sister and i went to the megatent for some volunteer work (during which i saw my kapuso crush). and yesterday, my family helped out at the gawad kalinga relief operations in mandaluyong (after which i saw my... boyfriend. haha).

it was great to see the spirit of bayanihan come alive in these relief operations, as donations and volunteers alike kept pouring in. it's really during times like these when it feels great to be part of a worthy cause, even in small ways. :)