Book Crazy

About Music

2012-01-29T00:28:00.000+08:00

My taste in music has evolved over the years.

I grew up listening to Peter, Paul, and Mary, the Beach Boys, Steely Dan, and Elton John. My Dad and my Mom loved music and would often play records on our turntable and I learned to love the music from generations past.

photo credit: patricksoon.com

Music like this:

If I had a Hammer by Peter, Paul, and Mary

Barbara Ann by the Beach Boys

Field of Gold by Sting

Then later on, I started to appreciate pop and RandB:

You Got it Bad by Usher

I Know Where It's At by All Saints

Say My Name by Destiny's Child

Now, I'm beginning to appreciate country and folk music. I don't know what it is about this kind of music that just touches my heart.

Bless the Broken Road by Rascal Flatts

The House that Built Me by Miranda Lambert

Ho Hey by The Lumineers

But when you get music and words together, that can be a very powerful thing. - Brian Ferry

My NBI Experience

2012-01-26T23:47:00.001+08:00

I mentioned in an earlier post that I’m going to be working for a new company soon. You know what that means–pre-employment requirements! And here in the Philippines, it can be quite a hassle. Hassle, of course, is spelled N-B-I.

I don’t understand why it has to be so difficult to prove that you’re not a criminal. For friends outside the Philippines, every time you have a new employer, you need to submit something called an “NBI Clearance.” NBI stands for National Bureau of Investigation. What you do is spend hours lining up, filling up a form, have someone verify in their computers that you are not a wanted criminal, and have your picture taken. Consider yourself blessed if you are issued a piece of paper on the same day. For some people (myself included), you have to come back after two weeks because you have a “hit.” You can have a “hit” if you are a criminal or you have the same name as a criminal and now, the guy from NBI tells me, when you are or were a government scholar. I fall under the last category.
Now, this has always been a painstaking process. In the past, I would have to wait in line for about three to four hours to get my clearance. And just when I thought it could not be worse, it does get worse!

Here is my experience.

Now for those of you who have not tried getting an NBI clearance recently, the news is that NBI now uses a biometric system. What does that mean? Wikipedia defines biometric this way: In computer science, in particular, biometrics is used as a form of identity access management and access control. Simply put, and this is according to me, it means two things — the good news is that you don’t have to get your fingers dirty with stamp ink and the bad news is because there is a new system, the wait is now longer and you have to be there earlier. No more walking in at 4:00pm and finding no line because everyone else lined up in the morning.

Thanks to this blog entry and tips from co-workers who recently suffered the ordeal of getting an NBI Clearance, I knew I had to be at the NBI Satellite office really early. A coworker said he was there at 4:00am and was #39 in line, which is very good because you get to finish early. I wanted the same experience so I was at Robinsons Galleria EDSA-side entrance at quarter to 4:00am. And what did I see? A LOT OF PEOPLE!

the line at around 6:00am

I guessed that there were at least a hundred people already there. I found the end of the line and claimed my spot. In less than 10 minutes, the line got a little out of control because there wasn’t any more space (when I got there, the end of the line was near the parking entrance and near the shrine) so the guards of Galleria intervened and tried to create some order. That meant I got to move nearer the entrance.

I was prepared. I had reading material, a fully-charged iPod touch, tuna sandwich and a small bottle of water. I thought I would keep myself occupied by playing games on my iPod. However, the guard in Galleria yelled “Ingatan niyo po ang gamit niyo dahil baka snatcher ang katabi niyo!” (in english, “Take care of your things because you just might be sitting next to a thief!” So I kept my bag attached to my body and definitely did not take out my iPod. I made good use of my time praying silently instead. At 7:00am, the start to give out numbers and let maybe the first 200 into the mall.
Remember I got there at 4:00am? At 7:00, I found out that I was Number…

Apparently, the first group in line got there at 2:00am. Can you believe that?

Inside the mall, we are again made to wait. But this time, it’s a little more comfortable because at least it’s a little cool because the basement’s aircon is on. The line also moves quite fast (relative to the three hour wait in the heat). From the basement stairs (near Netopia), you get to enter the room beside the NBI Satellite office. It ain’t pretty but at least you get to sit on chairs instead of the floor or the stairs. The security guard then calls people by batches of 10 to line up at the cashier. By around 9:00am, I am called to that line.

When you get there, then you will understand why the wait is so long. There is only one person in the cashier and one (sometimes two) person/s who encode your data from the form you filled out into their computers. There’s a screen that’s facing you so that you can ensure they don’t misspell your name or incorrectly encode your details. After this step, you go to the one person taking care of getting your fingerprints into the system via Biometric Machine. This person also takes care of taking your picture.

The part from the cashier to the taking of the picture takes around an hour and a half. But by then you’re so excited you actually see the process, instead of just staring into space, that you won’t mind too much the more-than-an-hour wait. I eventually finish at 10:30am but because my receipt gets stamped “HIT,” I will need to come back in two weeks to get my clearance (hopefully).
If you are going for your NBI Clearance soon, here are my tips:

1. Get there before 4:00am. I wouldn’t advice you to get there at 2:00am. Although you’ll be first in line, I don’t think it’s safe to be there that early especially if you are alone. You are bound to feel sleepy if you did not get some shut-eye the night before. So best to sleep early and wake up early enough to be there maybe 3:30. You’re bound to be part of the first 100.

2. Bring food and water but do not go overboard on the eating and drinking. Remember, you are in line for hours. If you eat or drink too much, you will probably need to go to the restroom and that means you need to leave our place in the line. I didn’t want to risk losing my place or have people cut the line so I did not go to the rest room for 6 1/2 hours. And I think it was a good decision because there would be times when the guards would change where the lines were formed.

3. Now, my third tip is make friends. Know who is in front of you and behind you. At least try to make conversation so that when you do need to go to the restroom, someone will save your place. It’s also such a bore not having anyone to talk to for that long, so be nice and smile.

4. Fill out the form properly. There were people who were asked to step out of the line to fill out their forms again. AND the NBI employees can get pretty mean. My heart broke whenever the cashier lady would loudly berate people who didn’t get to fill out their forms properly. Anyway, here’s a sample for you and some tips, too.

5. Bring a newspaper or anything wide enough to sit on. You will need to sit on the floor a lot. Also, be in comfortable clothes because you will sit and stand and sit again A LOT.

6. Bring TWO valid IDs. The ones that they will accept are Driver’s License, valid Passport, Voter’s ID, SSS ID, company ID, original birth certificate. There are some more IDs that are acceptable but these are what I remember. No need to bring your old personal copy of your last NBI Clearance. Because it’s a new system and a new supplier for their system, everyone is treated as a first time applicant.

7. BE PATIENT!

For a full list of where you can apply for NBI Clearance, please go to the NBI official website.

That’s about it. If you have questions, leave a comment and I’ll try my best to answer.

Sale Season

2012-01-24T23:50:00.000+08:00

Don’t you just love SALES? I certainly do! That's why I love January! So many post-Christmas sales!

Was walking around SM Mall of Asia when I saw this sign outside the window of VNC, one of my favorite shoe stores.

I walked straight in and came out with two new pairs of shoes!

Got this pair of navy sandals for only P300+ (around $7)

And this pair of beige pumps for only P700+ or $16

Also got some dresses on sale from Dorothy Perkins. As much as 70% off! Who can resist that?!

Restaurant Review: Ang Mo Kio

2012-01-23T23:53:00.000+08:00

Last week, my coworker Leslie invited us to try this new restaurant at Podium that served Singaporean food. The resto is called Ang Mo Kio, which according to Wikipedia is a town in North Central Singapore. The locality’s name is believed by some to derive from the Hokkien phrase Ang Mo Kio, meaning “Red Tomato.”

I love the art on the walls of Ang Mo Kio. Leslie was one of the artists responsible for the fab walls.

Even during the soft opening last week, the place had a good lunchtime crowd.

The service was great. Although Leslie already knew what to order for us, the waitress helped explain what made each dish or drink special. That was great because I don’t know a lot about Singaporean food. When I was in Singapore early this year, we mostly had Chinese food.

These are what we ordered:

Their Teh Tarik was good. Teh Tarik literally means pulled tea.

I had the Hainanese Chicken Rice. I opted for my chicken to be roasted. It can also be taken steamed. Ang Mo Kio’s Hainanese Chicken was juicy and flavorful.

My favorite dish that day was called BakuTeh. It’s a pork bone tea soup. Very similar to Nilaga or bulalo but instead of beef, the soup had pork ribs. The soup was really tasty. I would definitely go back to Ang Mo Kio for their Bakuteh.

Anj also had their Chicken Wings. They look yummy, don’t they?

For dessert, we had this yummy chilled tapioca pearls with sweet coconut milk and melon. I do not recall what this dish was called but it was a perfect way to end our meal.

Thank you, Leslie, for the wonderful lunch!

Leslie, EJ, and Anj

me, Philipp, and Roge

Ang Mo Kio is located at the 3rd floor of Podium, right next to Shi Lin.

New Year, New Job!

2012-01-23T22:56:00.000+08:00

I am excited to share that I will be starting a new job come end of January! I am thrilled to be part of this new company and industry! It will require me though to put aside my jeans and casual tops and start wearing clothes more appropriate for a corporate setting.

There are endless possibilities in fashion, especially when you have a tiny body, but the fact is, even at my slimmest, I was a UK Size 12, which is a large here in the Philippines. This limits my choices a little bit.

We don’t have a lot of stores in Manila that cater to plus-sized women. There are a few local plus-size clothing brands but I find most of their clothes to be dated and for the most part un-stylish. So my usual go-to store is the UK clothing store Dorothy Perkins. I’ve been shopping at Dorothy Perkins since the store opened here in the Philippines.

Here are some dresses that I like from DP:

Dorothy Perkins Spot Drape Side Dress
Photo Courtesy: www.dorothyperkins.com

Dorothy Perkins Leopard Print Drape Dress
Photo Courtesy: www.dorothyperkins.com

Dorothy Perkins Mini Dogstooth Belted Dress
Photo Courtesy: www.dorothyperkins.com

Dorothy Perkins Animal Yoke Wrap Dress
Photo Courtesy: www.dorothyperkins.com

Dorothy Perkins Black 2-in-1 Cowl Dress
Photo Courtesy: www.dorothyperkins.com

And some I just recently bought:

Dorothy Perkins Leopard Print Dress
Photo Courtesy: look.co.uk

Dorothy Perkins Cobalt Pencil Dress
Photo Courtesy: www.dorothyperkins.com

Dorothy Perkins Multi Spot Jersey WrapDress
Photo Courtesy: www.dorothyperkins.com

I have to tell you, though, this corporate-dressing thing is quite an adjustment because I am more comfortable wearing more casual clothes to work. But I’m excited for the change. And I’m excited for the new experiences, new people, and new challenges in store for me this year.

My Birthday Wishlist

2011-11-04T00:01:00.000+08:00

I’ll be turning 33 in a week’s time. Very excited about it just because I like new years (new year of life, the actual new year) because I feel like new years are a good time to start over, set new goals for myself. The presents don’t hurt, either.

Speaking of presents, I don’t really get a lot of them anymore, but the few I do get, I treasure with all my heart. Some friends of mine ask me what I like for my birthday and while I always prefer to get surprised, I also understand that some friends want to give me something they are sure I will enjoy. For their benefit and maybe as a guide for what I will probably end up getting for myself, let me jot down my wish list for my birthday.

11 inch MacBook Air
Photo Credit: eeepc.net

Dandelion File Tote
Photo Credit: promo-wholesale.com
Status: To be given by my best friend

Starbucks Water Bottle
Photo Credit: waterbottle2011.com

Neutral-colored Towels
Photo Credit: wellcultivated.co.uk

Mattress Topper
Photo Credit: home-decor.hsn.com

Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson
Photo Credit: cbsnews.com

Status: Bought myself a copy!

Moleskin Weekly Planner (soft cover)
Photo Credit: moleskinerie.com

Sanuk I’m Game Sidewalk Surfers
Photo Credit: sanuk.com

Blazer that fits me well
Photo Credit: http://www.plus-size-clothing-magazine.com

Forever 21 Slippers
Photo Credit: shopstyle.com

Book Crazy and the Fully Booked Sale

2010-07-29T22:27:00.011+08:00

Yes, I admit, I am book crazy. Bought those four books from Powerbooks Megamall yesterday then today, I went to Fully Booked at Bonifacio High Street and got myself 10 new books. And guess how much I spent? Less than P1,500 (or around $ 32.60)! Today was the last day of the special sale for followers of Fully Booked on Facebook and Twitter.

Let me show you what I got:

Fiction:

Theology / Christian Non-Fiction:

Self-Help:

Full Booked Sale is open to all starting tomorrow so be there bright and early and head to the 80% off bin near the fiction section!

Happy reading! :)

Book Crazy strikes again

2010-07-28T23:25:00.006+08:00

Let me tell you: if there's one thing I can't resist, it's a book sale.

And there are two going on right now!

Powerbooks is on sale from July 15 - August 15. I visited their Megamall branch yesterday and came out four books richer. Here are what I got:

Tomorrow, I'm off to the Fully Booked Sale (sale is for Facebook and Twitter followers of Fully Booked, sale will be open to all starting Friday, July 30). I hope I don't buy too much books. But maybe it wouldn't be so bad if I did. *heehee*

This is the Book Crazy Blogger signing off.

Book Crazy is back!

2010-07-28T23:14:00.002+08:00

After going through a bit of a blog crisis (switching blog platforms, experimenting with different blog names), I'm finally back! The Book Crazy Blogger is back!

This time, I resolve to post more frequently and blog about things that not only interest me, but things I think you'd be interested in as well. I'm also going to be giving away some stuff through this blog so do come by now and then to check on what's going on with Book Crazy.

I am still blogging book reviews at bookcrazyblog.wordpress.com so do visit me there, too, if you'd like to see how I like the books I've been reading.

Thanks for dropping by and I hope to see you again soon! *wave*

2009-07-15T23:08:00.002+08:00

I have got to learn how to keep my mouth shut.

Talk is never harmless when you talk about something or someone you don't have any business talking about. I'm thirty years old but I still often have a difficult time being discreet. It bothers me in a major way that I'm this way.

Got to really practice taming my tongue. *Sigh* Someday, someday. Today, today.

These last two months...

2009-06-09T01:01:00.012+08:00

I'm a terrible blogger, I know.

But I've been a busy, terrible blogger so please, please find it in your hearts to forgive me and continue to read my blog, yes? :-)

So here are some updates about what has been happening in my life these last two months:

1. Went on a trip to Boracay for work in early April. We launched Summit's newest title - Women's Health. Got my requisite summer tan and my beach fix.

The lovely white sands of Boracay

Our feet on Boracay's powdery white sand (feet belong to Hilary, Ingrid, and me)

Women's Health workouts along the shores of Boracay

Sun-scorched: me and Ingrid

2. Went to Hong Kong with family. Saw HK Disneyland. Still prefer Disney in Anaheim of course. But had fun nevertheless. Good thing we only stayed a week because the very next week after we had left, Hong Kong reported its first case of Swine Flu. The hotel where the guy was billeted was quarantined. Imagine that.

all aboard the HK Disney train (with my sister Gabbi)

hanging out with Johnny Depp at the Wax Museum

3. Went to Tacloban, a province in the Visayas, to be a LIFE coach for youth enrolled in the city government's Work Appreciation Program. It was my first time to farm, to climb a mountain, to sleep in a makeshift tent on top of a mountain. Unforgettable trip. I learned a great deal getting to know the young people of Tacloban. Hoping and praying that I will be given more opportunities to work with more young people in the future.

the LIFE coaches after a tiring day of farming and carrying those bamboo poles

Hanging out with LIFE coaches and WAP participants

Now, it's almost back to normal, back to the daily grind. I still miss Tacloban, though, and sometimes still wonder about these young people we got the chance to meet.

2009-04-14T02:12:00.005+08:00

The Holy Week break is over and it's back to work for me. The books I brought home to read over the break remain untouched because I chose the unproductive options of going on a DVD/TV show marathon and staying online almost the whole break.

One good (?) thing that came out of that is that I learned about this cool Facebook game called Restaurant City, which I am completely fascinated with. Don't try it if you don't want to get hooked.

The other good thing I got from being unproductive over the break is this movie.

I am so glad I watched it last Saturday. It was good preparation coming into Easter because the film reminded me of the love God has for us. This movie, which I thought would be an action movie ala Ladder 49 does not revolve around fighting actual fires as the poster may suggest. It is about a troubled married couple about to get a divorce and how the man takes the advice of his wise old pop to wait 40 days before he proceeds with divorce. The husband (who happened to be a fire fighter) is given by his father a handwritten notebook which contained a 40-day Love Dare challenge. The movie is about how in the quest of winning back his wife's heart, the man was also given a new heart. It's a story about how God uses our greatest struggles as a precursor to great miracles.

If you're married or would like to get married someday, please, please do watch it. The VCD/DVD is available in House of Praise stores.

What I'm loving now

2009-04-11T02:24:00.003+08:00

There's this website called polyvore.com that I am losing sleep over. It doesn't matter whether it's fashion, art, or poetry that you want to do. If you love to create beautiful things, you will love this site. I learned about it through my Plurk pal Carla (thank you, Carla!) and I have been making project after project since.

Check out my first few attempts:

black is beautiful by romanalo featuring Jimmy Choo shoulder bags

black and blue by romanalo featuring Lanvin shoulder bags

casual fridays by romanalo on Polyvore.com

Six things that make me happy

2009-04-10T18:10:00.005+08:00

I was tagged by my friend, Frances, a couple of weeks ago to blog about six things that make me happy. Here are the rules:

Mention the person who tagged you
List 6 unimportant things that make you happy
Tag 6 blogs, state the rules and notify them with a teeny comment on their blog

Here are my six things:

1. Books - Okay, so I'm cheating on #1 because books are so not unimportant to me. But they make me soooo happy. When I'm bored, when I'm sad, you can leave me in a bookstore or in a room with a good book and I'll be skippy-happy.

2. A massage - it doesn't matter if it's done in a spa or by someone who's generous enough to give me a backrub. My shoulders are usually very tense and a back rub/massage just makes my day.

3. A yummy treat like the oreo caramel sundae from McDonald's. If you like Twix, you will love this sweet treat.

4. Plurk - I never really got the hang of micro-blogging before I started plurking. I love everything about Plurk--how it connects you to people, how you're never pressured to make sense, how people get to respond to whatever you have to say, how when you keep plurking, you increase your karma and get more cool emoticons. If you're not on it yet, try it! :)

5. Juice - I am so glad my mom loves buying all of these juice boxes. I never really liked juice growing up. I found the usual powder juice drinks too sweet. But that was before I tasted this brand of juice called Ceres. They have the tastiest juice. It has no added sugar, no preservatives, no colorants. My favorite flavor is Secrets of the Valley, a mix of different berries.

6. Grey's Anatomy, How I Met Your Mother, The Ghost Whisperer, CSI, Privileged - these TV shows give me something new to look forward to every week.

I'm tagging: Ingrid, Mica, Fran, Sarah, Ana, and Hilary.

Bora-bound

2009-03-23T00:51:00.003+08:00

Two weekends from now, I will be in Boracay again. The beautiful, blissful Boracay… The place I don’t think I will ever tire of going to. Yes, it may be highly commercialized now, it may get a little dirty at times. But it is still beautiful to me.

I’m so excited. This is just the thing I need right now. Can’t wait!

I am grateful.

2009-03-04T00:50:00.000+08:00

I had the most wonderful day today. No, I am not engaged. Hehe. No, I did not inherit a fortune or win the lotto. But I might as well have. That’s how wonderful I feel.

God has really been teaching me a lot of things these past few weeks. I’ve been making mistakes recently that have caused me to feel like a failure, to feel dejected, to feel immature even. But as I took every issue and every concern out of my heart (a difficult and painful process) and laid each one down for God to take, I began to see that God allowed for these mistakes to happen to expose things about me that He wants to change. I realize more and more how much I need to rely on His grace every single day. Every single day, I need to allow Him to do His work in my life. Of course I still make plans; of course, I still need to be faithful and prepare. But I need to make room for what He’s doing. If He really is Lord, then anything He says and does goes. Sometimes all I see is the mess–the plans that don’t push through, the unexpected delays, the efforts that fall short, the disheartening disappointments, but when I take the time to be quiet before Him and really let go of my stubbornness, God allows me to get a glimpse of what He’s doing and He shows me a perspective I never saw before because I was too busy forcing my own way. And even though I don’t see the whole picture, I am assured that the God who made the universe so grand yet so detailed, so complex yet so ordered, so unpredictable and yet so mind-blowingly beautiful, can surely be trusted to fulfill His promise that He will make things beautiful in His time (Ecclesiastes 3:11).

There are just so many things I am grateful to God for. This day alone brought wonderful surprises from Him. Here are some of them:

1. Favor with people we met with today.

You have to understand that I am not much of a salesperson. And so I have always dreaded meetings where I have to convince people to do something I’m not sure they would be keen on doing. But today, everything was almost too easy. Approval from ASC for our TVC - check.
Radio deals - two approved, no questions asked; two pending but response was favorable so we just have to follow up
TV deals - two signed almost immediately

2. Favor with the boss.

Totally unexpected, I tell you. Our boss emailed me to congratulate us for exceeding our 08 targets and says she is proud of me and my team. Kulang na lang tumambling ako. The response was so unexpected because we were so far from hitting the media mileage target for one title we’ve always had trouble generating publicity for. I was expecting she would focus on that and not recognize that we hit our targets for the rest of the other titles.

3. A PR dream team.

We may be undermanned now but I can’t complain because my team is STELLAR. I have THE BEST writer and THE most organized, hard-working, and intelligent PR officer ever. I also have THE BEST publicity pitch-er and THE most flexible, hard-working, and intelligent PR associate ever. What more can I ask for?

4. The potential addition to our dream team.

I am currently interviewing applicants for another associate position in our team and although I saw only one candidate who could be the right fit among the five I’ve already interviewed, I am happy that we’re on the right track because we know exactly what we’re looking for. I am confident we will find the right one before this month is over.

5. One Life to Live at the Fort

I am so psyched that I decided to attend the One Life to Live talk at the Fort today. I actually only went to keep an officemate of mine who has been attending the talk these last three weeks company. I ended up being so blessed by the lesson, which was taught by one of my favorite preachers (Pastor/Doc Jun Aguilar who also used to be my immediate superior when I was still working for Victory Fort) and the discussion among the people seated at the table I ended up facilitating. It’s really, really awesome to witness how God works in the lives of the most unexpected people. Grabe.

6. Dinner with one of my closest friends.

Ended the wonderful day spending wonderful time with a wonderful friend. God has changed both me and Marge so much from the way we used to be that we just have to laugh now when we look back at all those times we used to cry or get upset over the littlest things (na syempre dati napaka big deal for us). Haay, only by the grace of God, indeed.

What is up with my skin?!

2009-03-02T23:50:00.000+08:00

Okay, this is so not funny anymore. I am 30 years old and I am breaking out. And it’s not one zit at a time breakout. It’s many humongous and painful bumps on my chin, the sides of my nose, and my forehead.

I just went to the dermatologist last week, for goodness’ sake! How can I be breaking out so soon?!

It can’t be my mineral makeup (I hope) because I’ve been using it for a month and a half and it seemed fine until the last few weeks when my skin started acting up again. It can’t be because I’m working out again, can it?

Anyway, I’ve decided that I am tired of this and so I will demand oral medication from my dermatologist tomorrow. It apparently gets worse before it gets better with this medication and the side effects are drying of skin, nosebleeds, and headaches. It’s true what they say, I guess. No pain, no gain.

Some updates

2009-02-21T23:48:00.000+08:00

I am exhausted.

The past few weeks have been unbelievably busy with work and ministry.

Here are some updates:

Been pretty busy at work preparing for publicity for the March issues of our magazines. March is usually a busy month for the company that I work for. It doesn’t help that we’re now a team of 4 people. Hard, but that’s that and we just have to take the challenge and make the most of what we have.
Been very busy also with the Singles’ Ministry at church. We’re preparing for a Singles’ Getaway, which we’ve decided will happen on the last weekend of March. It’s fun working with a group of very diverse personalities. Tiring at times, because we usually work on the ministry after eight or more hours of our own respective work. But it’s all worth it — fulfilling and fun at the same time.
I’m back in Gold’s Gym. Finally got to avail of the corporate package after a month of waiting. It feels great to be working out again. I went running for 40 minutes yesterday. Really great to get back on the groove.
I am really happy about the growth of the small groups of women that I lead. I know it’s not a numbers thing. But every single week, new women come and attend the small group meetings. I had to start a new sked on Thursdays so there’s more room for women to attend my Sunday sked. But now both groups have at least 12 people. I am so grateful to God for entrusting these women to me. I don’t know why it’s happening now but I am just overwhelmed.
One of the women who came last Thursday is one of the writers of this You Changed My Life, which is set to hit the moviehouses on Wednesday. I am SO excited. SO excited! Haha, I just had to say it twice.

What I'm Loving Now

2009-02-02T01:41:00.001+08:00

Okay, I am absolutely going bonkers over this song. I first heard a snippet of it when American Idol contestant Anne Marie Boskovich sang two lines from a song she’d heard Kara Dioguardi sing in a concert in Nashville.

The song is called Strangers and Angels, written by Kara Dioguardi, Jess Cates, and Chris Tompkins.

Strangers and Angels
(as performed by Kara Dioguardi)

Why is that man taking up my time?
Bringing me down
‘cause he’s begging for a dime
Why don’t he get a job?

Why is that girl
Holding up the line
Don’t she know
I got somewhere to be
Got a busy life
Why don’t she hurry up

Sometimes it feels like
They’re all against me
Standing in my way

But what if these strangers
Are telling me something
Oh I gotta slow up
I’m always in a rush

What if these strangers
Are really my lessons
And the little I have
is gonna be enough

Maybe I should be thankful
Stop being so ungrateful
For all of these strangers

Coz what if they’re angels
What if they’re angels from above

So what if those kids
crossing the road
are keeping me
from somewhere
I’m not yet supposed to go
And they’re teaching me patience
Patience

We’re all living
Like we’re made of steel
Like the clock ain’t tickin’ away

But what if these strangers
Are telling me something
Oh I gotta slow up
I’m always in a rush

What if these strangers
Are really my lessons
And the little I have
is gonna be enough

Maybe I should be thankful
Stop being so ungrateful
For all of these strangers

Coz what if they’re angels
What if they’re angels from above

So what if that man
Who was taking up my time
Was about to say something
That was gonna change my life
I think I’ve figured it out

All of these strangers
Are telling me something
Oh I gotta slow up
I’m always in a rush

All of these strangers
Are really my lessons
And the little I have
is gonna be enough

Maybe I should be thankful
Stop being so ungrateful
For all of these strangers

Coz what if they’re angels
What if they’re angels from above

The AI fever is on!

2009-02-01T04:34:00.000+08:00

I’ve been a fan of American Idol since season 3, when the show first aired in the Philippines through Star World.

Year after year, I would head on home early (or into our storage area at the office where we had a TV with cable) to watch every single episode.

American Idol has seen me through good times and bad. I remember watching Season 3 with my former significant other before we parted ways five years ago. Season 4 marked the beginning of the end. By the time the Top 12 of Season 4 had been decided, we had broken up and AI became my refuge. The following seasons were not as tumultuous but were exciting nevertheless.

Season 8 started a few weeks ago and I’ve already got some favorites:

Matt Breitzke - who auditioned in Kansas and sang “Ain’t No Sunshine.” I like underdogs. I liked Scott Savol, Taylor Hicks, and Elliott Yamin, who from their auditions didn’t seem like they would get far in the competition. He’s not young, current, or gorgeous. He’s your average American man with a blue collar job. But when you hear his voice, WOW! The man’s certainly got it.

Danny Gokey - who auditioned in Kansas and sang “I Heard It Through The Grapevine.” His wife had passed away and he wasn’t even sure if he was going to audition because he was overcome with grief. Well, I’m sure glad he went ahead and auditioned because the guy’s got soul! He’s pretty cute, too.

Anoop Desai - who auditioned in Kansas and sang “Grateful.” I didn’t expect that voice to come out of Anoop. But who auditions wearing slippers? Haha! He looks like a pretty funny guy. I think he might make it far in the competition.

Joanna Pacitti - who auditioned in Louisville and sang “We Belong.” She was already signed by a recording company but didn’t make it far. She looks like she’s gone through a lot and I’m glad she’s getting this break. Pretty girl, powerful vocals.

Alexis Grace - who auditioned in Louisville and sang “Dr. Feel Good.” Her name alone is ready for stardom. She’s cute and has a big voice.

Leneshe Young - who auditioned in Louisville and sang something she composed herself. Cool girl! Cool song! Very young, very fresh, wonderful voice.

Can’t wait for Hollwood week!

2009-01-22T01:10:00.000+08:00

“Yet he has not left himself without testimony: He has shown kindness by giving you rain from heaven and crops in their seasons; he provides you with plenty of food and fills your hearts with joy.
Acts 14:17

As if it’s not enough that He provides for all that we need and even more, always at the right time, God goes as far as involving Himself even in the little exciting details of our lives. He finds ways to make us smile. He prepares delightful surprises for us.

Like cold weather on a sunny day.

Finding the book you’ve been looking for forever in a second-hand bookshop, almost in mint condition.

A compliment from someone who never says anything nice to anyone.

Finding an old friend on Facebook.

Discovering that the top you’ve been eyeing is now being sold for half the price.

Someone coming into your life when you least expect it.

My New Year's Resolutions

2009-01-19T23:34:00.000+08:00

Every year, before we start our church’s annual 7-day Prayer & Fasting, I make sure to complete my faith goals for the new year. Faith goals are NOT New Year’s resolutions. They’re things I’m believing God for, things I know I can’t make happen on my own. That’s why they’re called faith goals, because they require you to believe that even though you can’t pull it off for yourself, certainly God can.

I love making faith goals. But I also love making the other kind of list. The one most of us usually make at the start of the year, a list composed of the things I resolve to do for the year.

I’m not posting my faith goals here but I think I need to make my resolutions public so I can be held accountable. Feel free to ask me how these things are going, to keep me on my toes.

1. I resolve to read more this year, to spend at least an hour everyday to read.

2. I resolve to get back in shape by working out regularly. At least four times a week, I need to do some kind of physical activity that will get my heart rate up. The goal is to lose at least 30 lbs. (OMG) I’ve done it before. No reason why it can’t be done now.

3. I resolve to smile more this year. Someone remarked just last night how much better I look when I smile. Being a grouch never helped anyone.

4. I resolve to sleep earlier and wake up earlier everyday. I’m failing this already.

5. I resolve to blog more and write on my journal more.

6. I resolve to plan more get-togethers, to really learn how to throw a party. I am super bad at thinking of themes, games, and other party stuff.

7. I resolve to get to know more people this year. Not just meet them but really take the time to know them. To remember names. To make people feel special by paying attention to them. Sometimes that’s all it takes to make a difference in someone’s life.

8. I resolve to spend less and save more, to know how much I have and never spend more than I can really afford. This is even harder than sleeping and waking up early.

9. I resolve to be more productive and organized not just at work but even in other areas of my life.

10. I resolve to be more open. To allow others to know me. To put myself out there, even if it means risking getting hurt.

What about you? Do you have any New Year’s resolutions for 2009?

Loving this now

2009-01-19T14:11:00.000+08:00

I am totally loving the new mineral foundation I bought. It’s by Smashbox. And it’s called Halo Hydrating Perfecting Powder.

My problem with makeup, foundation to be specific, is that I don’t like to look lighter than I really am. I actually prefer that I look tanner than fairer.

I’ve been using the L’Oreal mineral foundation for quite some time because it’s got good coverage for my not-perfect skin but I find the shade to be too light and too ashy for my complexion. So I always have to pile on another layer of darker mineral makeup (from Revlon).

My co-worker Marie Calica, who happens to be the beauty editor of Marie Claire Philippines, suggested Smashbox as far back as summer last year when I told her about my problem. But of course, being the cheapskate that I am (I’m not likely to spend more than a thousand for any makeup product), I delayed trying it until another co-worker, Haze, raved about it before the Christmas break.

So when my L’Oreal mineral foundation ran out last Thursday, I decide to go for it. I had to shell out P2,950 for it (gasp!) but I love it! I love the shade, I love the packaging, I love that it has 21 grams of mineral powder (the L’Oreal one only has 10g), I love that it has a cute kabuki brush, I love that it’s matipid to use. Hopefully, it will last me three months or more. If it does, wow, then it’s definitely a keeper.

I am also interested to buy Smashbox’s O-Gloss. My Mom bought the O-Glow blush, but I don’t see too much of a difference from other cheek tints. I think it might be better suited for lighter skin tones. O-Gloss has won both Allure’s and Sephora’s beauty awards and was also one of last year’s winners of the Cosmo Beauty Awards so I’m confident O-Gloss is another must-buy.

2009-01-18T14:10:00.000+08:00

Humor me by reading on as I try to process some things today.

Have you ever started a friendship with someone and spend meaningful times with that person then have that season end? Why do some friendships grow and why do some fizzle after a time? How can connecting with somebody be so easy then all of sudden have things become stunted, unnatural, difficult?

What I learned these last seven days

2009-01-16T14:08:00.000+08:00

As I’ve mentioned in my last post, we just concluded our 7-day Prayer and Fasting today. The last seven days were powerful and exciting. Hearing the testimonies of breakthroughs today (like our church mate, soprano Alexis Edralin being healed of leukemia) was awesome. You can’t help but be amazed at how our God works.

Anyway, I thought it would be interesting to document some of the things I learned in the last 7 days. So here goes.

1. Be open. This seems to be the operative phrase for my life in 2009. If I am to walk in faith this year, I need to be open. I don’t have to know exactly where I’m going for as long as I trust Who is leading. Step by step. Day by day. I don’t know what the future holds but I am certainly open to anything.

2. The walls I thought were there were walls I made up. I don’t want to make excuses anymore. There are a lot of things I have not been able to do in my life because I was too scared to do them. I was too intimidated, too insecure. There was always an excuse why I couldn’t, why it wasn’t going to happen, why it was not possible. I failed to remember that even if I couldn’t, it says in the bible that “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”(Philippians 4:13) Even when things seem impossible, it says in the Bible that “with man it is impossible, but with God all things are possible”(Matthew 9:26) and “everything is possible for him who believes” (Mark 9:23) I’m tired of making excuses. This is the year to walk on water.

3. God opens doors but it’s still up to us to do the walking. I can’t tell you how many times God has opened doors for me just this week . They were clearly wide open doors but although walking would have been a no-brainer, I still had to muster up the courage to go for it. It is no wonder God had to tell Joshua FOUR times in Joshua 1 alone to “be strong and courageous.” The fear will always creep in. But if we have faith and believe that God “will be with you(us); … will never leave you(us) nor forsake you(us)” (Joshua 1:5), it becomes easier to take the first step.

4. Prayer calms me. I have to admit I wasn’t praying as much as I should have been the first few days of fasting. I was too busy not eating, it seemed. By Monday, I could feel that something was terribly wrong. I was jittery and not at peace at all. I talk to God all the time. When I wake up, while I’m in the shower, as I get out of the house, when I ride a cab, while I drive, when I get to work, when I get on the bus to go home, when I ride a cab from the mall, when I’m about to sleep. But pockets of prayer, for me, are not enough. I need TIME to pray, to just go into a room, be alone and pray.

I also need to pray for others. I have had many people, especially those who are new in church, tell me that they wished they knew how to pray like I did. Well, believe it or not, I could not pray for anyone out loud to save my life back in 2004, when I first started attending Victory. So, in January of 2005, the first year I joined Prayer and Fasting, one of my faith goals was to receive the gift of intercession. I have no idea when I actually learned but I found myself praying for more and more people and I was even quoting scripture I didn’t even know I knew at the time. So last Monday, I told God I will not let this day end without praying for someone. So I prayed for someone. The next day, I was very tired and very down because of something that happened at work. When I got to the prayer meeting, I was listless. Something was going on inside of me. I knew right then I had to pray. So I did, not for myself but for two people God led me to pray for that night. I left the Victory Center with joy in my heart and energy that kept me up until 2:00 A.M.

5. This is going to sound funny but when it gets cold, wear socks and double up on blankets. I have never felt so cold in my life. I remember going to the south of France when I was 11 and experiencing snow for the first time. Yes, it was cold, but I knew I was going to be cold so I was ready with warmers under my jeans, layers and layers of clothing, gloves, very thick socks and snow boots. Who would have thought we’d need to wear cold weather clothes in Manila! My blanket in the condo where I stay is flimsy. I don’t have airconditioning there and that’s why I never thought to bring thicker blankets. So I was freezing for a good 7 days. Until I realized I could wear socks to sleep. Then another realization hit me: I could buy a cheap, thick blanket. I didn’t even know they sold blankets in the grocery! Good, thick ones for only P199! That night, I slept comfortably with double blankets and thick socks keeping my feet warm.

My point? There are times in our lives when unexpected things happen. It gets cold in Manila. Go figure. But these things happen and most of the time, we are not ready for them. So we settle for suffering. We suffer through cold nights thinking “gosh, this is just my lot in life.” You forget your socks are in your closet, just a few steps away from where you’re shivering. You forget the malls sell blankets of all kinds and the mall is just right next where you work.

We always have a choice. It says in John 10:10 that “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I (Jesus) have (has) come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” Life to the full. Sounds good, right? Granted, it may not always be comfortable, may be downright cold, even painful sometimes. But many times we forget that God is always there. And we have a choice. Do we go on suffering through life or do we choose God who “is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.” “Though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging,” God promises to be with us. Cold, sleepless, fearful nights or safe, warm, and secure knowing that God who created the universe is surely bigger than all your problems and issues combined. Hmmm… Tough choice, huh?

Sometimes all we have to do is ask.

“In my anguish I cried to the LORD, and he answered by setting me free. The LORD is with me; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me” -Psalm 118:5-6