maria cynthia

plus and minus

2023-06-16T23:38:00.002+08:00

there's this swimsuit that's been in my zalora cart for quite a while. price is P3,495.

yesterday, was i surprised to see that the price jumped to P6,990! 😲

guess what, today i see that you can get it with up to 35% voucher discount. yup, it can go 'down' to P4,543.50 🙄

oh, 'sale' 🤦‍♀️

hard questions

2023-05-19T23:57:00.003+08:00

i asked ChatGPT,

"what is the hardest question anyone has ever asked you?"

after the standard,
"As an AI language model, I don't have personal experiences or emotions..."

it went on to say,
"... I've encountered various complex and thought-provoking questions throughout my interactions...

Some examples of challenging questions include:

1. "What is the meaning of life?"

2. "Is it ever justified to break the law for a greater good?"

3. "If a self-driving car is about to crash, should it prioritize the safety of its passengers or pedestrians?"

4. "Can machines like you ever truly understand human emotions?"

5. "What is the nature of consciousness?""

i was underwhelmed by the reply.
that's it???
i guess i was expecting something that has a stun factor.
but yeah, those questions are not easy to answer.

i wonder what my answer would be to my own question and to those thrown at ChatGPT 🤔

all for the best

2023-04-13T22:15:00.000+08:00

last february, i ordered a ring light online but received instead a pastry brush (!). (the seller has since refunded my payment.)

easter sunday, someone sent me a ring light -> with a tripod to boot 😮

you don't get something good
because you're going to receive something better.

i'm so happy 😊
i'm so thankful 🙏

HAPPY easter 🐰

failed break-in attempt

2022-07-31T23:59:00.003+08:00

someone tried to break into my place on july 19, 2022. well, there are security cameras here.

10:05 p.m., he arrived on motorcycle. and yes, he was wearing a helmet.

he parked his motorcycle at the end of the street, in front / near the corner of our house.

10:09 p.m., he entered our side gate.

(during the interval, he checked out the neighbors' houses.)

when he was already at the 3rd floor (reached through the outdoor stairs), he did not have a helmet anymore. he also was not wearing a mask.

10:16 p.m. i saw his hand and arm poking through the front window of my living room. it looked like he was trying to reach the door stopper.

so it was him i've been hearing from my bed earlier!
i just ignored the sounds!
i'm so used to all sorts of noises in the neighborhood and a lot of times they seem so near.

i asked, "ano 'yan?!"
-> 'what's that?!'

he immediately pulled out his hand.

still10:16 p.m. he rushed out the side gate which all along he left open. he was not wearing his helmet but his head was covered.

he put on his helmet while he was hurriedly walking to his motorcycle.

10:17 p.m. he drove off.

his attempt failed.

and his face was clearly captured on cam.

i informed the neighbors (through facebook messenger) on the same night.

his actions were reported to the authorities the following day.

needs improvement

2022-07-13T22:54:00.000+08:00

july 9, i ordered spicy pepperoni pizza from pizza hut - xavierville and when it was delivered, the pepperoni was burnt, as in the edges were black!

i took pics and emailed them to pizza hut's customer service center with the note, "next time please check the quality of the pizza before delivery."

they asked for my number saying the Manager on Duty will call me.

july 12, i gave them my number.

an hour and a half later, someone from the xavierville branch called me and was i taken aback by his tack! the guy kept on saying maybe i was just used to their [non-spicy] pepperoni lovers pizza so i thought their spicy pepperoni was burnt. he said that really is how their spicy pepperoni is. we were on the phone for 12 minutes and no matter what i said, that was his repeated and aggressive stand!

(for the record, i'm over half a century old and i've probably ordered pizza hut's pepperoni lovers pizza only twice in my entire life. i am not used to it at all. my favorite is bacon cheeseburger and that is almost always what i order from their store.

i say the pepperoni is burnt not in comparison to anything else. the edges of the pepperoni are black, that's it!)

i told the guy if that really is his stand then put it in writing, email it to me.

what the guy emails me instead is a request for my address saying they would give me complimentary pizza.

i don't send feedback to get complimentary items. i have given a lot of feedback and i have turned down numerous offers of replacement.

i send feedback so the store could improve and other customers would have a better experience.

in this case, i hope pizza hut would look not just into the way their spicy pepperoni is cooked but also into the way their managers interact with dissatisfied customers. the goal is to reduce dissatisfaction, not aggravate it.

coming to light

2022-06-04T22:06:00.003+08:00

i was checking out branches of my mom's tree overhanging cables in front of her house. i wanted to saw them off lest they damage the cables when they get bigger.

me to sister: 'what sort of cable is that? is that an electric cable?'

dangerous if electric.

ooops...

me again to sister: 'btw, if i die and you see something still being posted in my accounts, i'm not haunting anyone, ok. you can schedule video publication in youtube. that's simply late scheduling, not my ghost.'

of course, if you've been spewing lies, you should still be scared.

nothing is hidden that will not be exposed.

the truth is out there.

do you

2022-05-10T21:37:00.002+08:00

in a lot of decision-making processes, the majority, or even just the plurality, prevails.

but you don't necessarily change your views,
your beliefs,
your principles
just because you turned out to be in the minority.
you may have a change of mind,
a change of heart,
because of additional information or whatever
but you do not change simply because you are outnumbered.

"stand for what is right even if you stand alone."

not everyone has the same thought processes.
not everyone is on the same wavelength.

bees seek out flowers.
flies are attracted to filth.
both are free to roam the face of the earth.

honor is not in numbers.
follow your beacon
not the crowd.

edible joy

2022-05-01T21:34:00.000+08:00

yesterday, my mom sent me champorado (chocolate porridge).

this morning, i had chocolate oatmeal.

late morn, i received a dozen (!) boxes of my fave chocs! 🍫😋

it's a sweet life 😊
and i am thankful 🙏

be good to yourself

2022-04-29T23:58:00.001+08:00

morning message from a friend asking whether i'm free [for a viber call].

me: '2 minutes. i'll just gargle 🤣🤣🤣'

friend: 'hahaha. i won't be able to sniff that through the internet. don't bother getting up.'

hahaha... whether he smells it or not, i'd know what's with me. i wanna do right by myself 😊

land and air

2022-04-27T22:59:00.002+08:00

i saw a swarm friend's check-in at camarines norte. i asked what she did there.

she said she just passed on her way to tabaco.

me: 'oh, is that along the way? i've been to legazpi. i don't remember passing through camarines norte.'

then i remembered -> we took a plane. it went direct to legazpi.

🤭

lost in transcription

2022-04-26T23:27:00.002+08:00

on whatsapp with someone who was driving... he was using voice to text...

SanDisk
became
"Sand disc"

false signals
became
"fall signals"

radar detector
became, ta-daaannn!
"read our detector"

🤣

free seeds and seedlings

2022-04-22T22:55:00.000+08:00

i got ten thai basil seedlings under the free seeds and seedlings project of the Bureau of Plant Industry - Crop Research and Production Support Division.

1. i called them asking whether they have italian basil and parsley.

2. they said they don't have parsley but they have thai basil, lemongrass, oregano and serpentina.

3. april 18, i e-mailed a request for basil seedlings to crpsd@buplant.da.gov.ph.

4. this morning (april 22), they called to tell me the seedlings were already available for pickup.

5. afternoon, i had the seedlings picked up by Grab at the Bureau of Plant Industry office in Malate.

i requested for basil in my email. i did not mention any quantity. they gave me ten!

they actually wanted to give me different seedlings. i said i only want basil.

thank you BPI / CRPSD 🌱😊

fruitful #EarthDay everyone 🌏

no rush

2022-04-21T22:19:00.001+08:00

there's this branch that's been scraping a wall at my laundry area. i've been sawing it off little by little for a week now. uhm, just 3 to 5 minutes per day, hahaha.

the branch is not big at all. it's just about the size of my wrist. but i don't exhaust myself. i feel tired, i stop.

i choose my battles. 😊

in a galaxy far, far away

2022-04-19T21:42:00.001+08:00

@KimMaida on twitter:

"I dare you to demonstrate how old you are in "developer years" in one sentence without stating any actual years"

me:
COBOL on mainframe pre-Y2K

🦖🤭

it's a miracle

2022-04-18T22:13:00.004+08:00

my mom offered me minukmok.

i asked whether it has been refrigerated.

she said no.

i therefore said yes.

then she asked whether i'd like salted egg, too.

oh! a couple of months ago i actually texted someone who sells pateros salted eggs because i was craving salted egg and i thought it would be nice if it's THE pateros salted egg i'd have.
i therefore again said yes to my mom.

when i got home, i was thinking whether i should go to the grocery today to buy tomatoes so i could already eat the salted egg. i checked the bag to see how many she gave me. ta-daaannn!!! she gave me minukmok and peanuts! egg? zilch! wahaha 😂

there was water turned into wine.
this one's egg 'turned into' peanuts 🥚🥜🤣

happy easter 🐰

cancel out

2022-04-13T21:22:00.000+08:00

niece made me try the sardines she cooked...

me: 'it's salty...'

niece: 'that's why i put water... then added fish sauce 🤭'

😶

acronym

2022-04-12T22:01:00.000+08:00

i was surprised BPI is a pick-up point for the Free Seeds and Seedlings project. i was wondering what on earth the bank's security officer was thinking to agree to such an arrangement.

it turns out BPI does not refer to the Bank of the Philippine Islands💰 but to the Bureau of Plant Industry 🌱

oh! of course!
why on earth did i not think of that?! 😳

my bad... sorry 🙇‍♀️

suddenly

2022-04-11T23:10:00.000+08:00

last week, i was on queue for a car check and decided to air my tires while waiting.

as i was about to hunker down, a gasoline attendant approached my car and did it himself.

i did not have any small bills so i was not able to give him a tip.

today on my way to the supermarket, i dropped by the gasoline station and approached an attendant who looked to me the same height as the one who assisted me last week.

me: 'were you the one who aired my tires last week?'

attendant looks me over and goes, 'oh, no... i was not yet here last week...'

me: 'is there anyone here the same height as you?'

attendant: 'are you looking for someone fair?'

me: 'i don't remember whether he was fair-skinned but i remember he was short.'

attendant: 'why are you looking for him, ma'am?'

me: 'he aired my tires last week and i was not able to give him a tip.'

attendant: 'oh... that was me!'

😯🤔😄

presentation

2022-04-07T23:48:00.002+08:00

i ordered two 304 stainless steel bowls from shopee: a double-walled rice bowl and a single layer ramen / cold noodle bowl.

height of the rice bowl is 6.6 cm. diameter of the rim is 12.5 cm; base, 8.1 cm.

the ramen bowl, height is 5 cm. diameter of the rim is 16 cm; base, 3.5 cm.

there were pictures of the items and i did notice that the base of the ramen bowl seemed too small. i wondered whether it won't tilt over. still, i went ahead and bought. i wasn't really after a ramen bowl. i just wanted something not double-walled i can use as a mold.

well, the bowls have been delivered. the double-walled rice bowl i used to store my butter. the ramen bowl today i used as a rice bowl. i ate with a tray right on my bed and the ramen bowl does easily tilt over.

i was thinking there must be a reason the bowl is shaped that way. i googled.

i learned the bowl is called ohgigatadon.

"Because of its steep-angled body, the contents you can put in is much less than bowls of other shapes.

...

[It is] most commonly used in high-end restaurants that focus on quality of the noodles rather than quantity."

oh... just a little but show a lot i ordered two 304 stainless steel bowls from shopee: a double-walled rice bowl and a single layer ramen / cold noodle bowl.

height of the rice bowl is 6.6 cm. diameter of the rim is 12.5 cm; base, 8.1 cm.

the ramen bowl, height is 5 cm. diameter of the rim is 16 cm; base, 3.5 cm.

there were pictures of the items and i did notice that the base of the ramen bowl seemed too small. i wondered whether it won't tilt over. still, i went ahead and bought. i wasn't really after a ramen bowl. i just wanted something not double-walled i can use as a mold.

well, the bowls have been delivered. the double-walled rice bowl i used to store my butter. the ramen bowl today i used as a rice bowl. i ate with a tray right on my bed and the ramen bowl does easily tilt over.

i was thinking there must be a reason the bowl is shaped that way. i googled.

i learned the bowl is called ohgigatadon.

"Because of its steep-angled body, the contents you can put in is much less than bowls of other shapes.

...

[It is] most commonly used in high-end restaurants that focus on quality of the noodles rather than quantity."

oh... just a little but show a lot 🙃

order

2022-04-06T22:33:00.001+08:00

i was a bit early at the bank today and there was a row of chairs on each side of the closed door when i arrived. there were two customers seated on the left side; one on the right.

i asked the guard where i should sit.

he said up to me.

i chose the right.

then someone arrived and sat behind me.

soon after, the guard opened the door.

i waited for those earlier than me to go inside.

the woman behind me sprang to her feet and overtook me to the door.

the guard stopped her and motioned for me to enter ahead.

life is fair sometimes 😊

thanks, mr. guard 🫡

pet

2022-04-01T00:00:00.002+08:00

friend tells me he has a new cat. he now has two dogs and two cats.

uhm, my only pet remains to be a turtle -> a ceramic one smaller than my thumb. i change its water everyday 🤭

priority

2022-03-30T23:43:00.000+08:00

me: 'take a pic of the carbonara once you cook it... i wanna see...'

friend: 'i'll try the pesto first.'

me: 'you said you have eggs. you don't have basil yet. try the carbonara first.'

friend: 'of course i'll cook first what i like.'

hahaha... ok...

go for what you love, not for what's available 😍

try harder

2022-03-29T22:30:00.001+08:00

talking to a friend... suddenly he stuttered...

friend: 'it's an o... o... o... off... offshoot of my being goodlooking...'

me: 'hahaha... it couldn't come out of your mouth!'

🤣

good luck

2022-03-26T23:57:00.007+08:00

we say hereabouts, when you drop a utensil, a guest will arrive.

if it's a fork, male.
if it's a spoon, female.
a teaspoon, girl.
a salad fork, boy.

well, today my small spoon fell to the floor.

first, i didn't know what my spoon was called. i just googled what a spoon smaller than a teaspoon is and learned it's a coffee spoon. haha... i don't drink coffee but i do use these spoons for all sorts of things, even for eating.

second, does that mean a dwarf visited me today? 🧝

🤔😊🤗

let it pass

2022-03-25T23:32:00.002+08:00

friend: 'did you receive my message earlier?'

me: 'yes.'

<silence.>

friend: 'an angel passed.'

(we say that hereabouts when there's a sudden lull in a conversation.)

me: 'i thought you were gonna chide me for not replying.'

friend: 'i thought you were going to explain why you did not respond.'

haha... no need -> for either. 😉