scribbles...

Ex With Benefits (A Realization..)

2018-03-03T23:57:00.000+08:00

Photo Credits - The loving gaze of Adam's eyes while watching Arkisha sleep..

OMG! The hopeless romantic in me strikes again!!! Hopeless, that is!!!

While I was randomly browsing through youtube videos a while ago, I came across with Ex With Benefits movie. I got curious as I remember my officemate talking about it few years ago but I could not recall exactly what she was saying. I thought it was just another boring movie, so I kept hitting the forward button not until I realized that Adam (played by Derek Ramsay) must have been so much in love with Arkisha (portrayed by Coleen Garcia) after all those lost years. That got me! As you may be all aware of, men like Adam, who are unconsciously faithful, are hard to find in this material world. Perhaps they are already on the brink of extinction?!?!

This movie reminds me of my two favorite movies - "An Affair to Remember" and "The Notebook". At least in a world of make-believe, Adam, Nikkie, and Noah do exist... :(

I have a Youtube Channel!!!

2018-01-01T22:31:00.000+08:00

This is a long overdue post, but nonetheless, read on:

I may be a nobody but it doesn't mean I do not have the right to own a Youtube channel. It's free, isn't it?!

Well, I would not have bothered to create one had it not that my 1 terabyte portable drive finally gave up on me! Modesty aside, year 2017 gave me so much out-of-country travel opportunities (the most ever since! 9 countries and 24 cities!) to document for. And on those travels, I opted to take more videos over still photographs. My phone's and camera's respective memory cards complained, hence, I was forced to transfer the data to my portable drive. But then, my portable drive was already loaded with e-copy of movies and tv series (which, by the way, remained unwatched, to date). So, I thought of the Youtube videos.. why not?!

As much as I would have wanted my videos to be at least presentable to the prying eyes of the viewers, I could not do so. You see, my uploaded videos are RAW, meaning, enhancements were limited only to adding background music and some subtitles. But even that, I could barely compel myself to do so due to time and effort constraints. Hence, I should prepare myself for the vulnerability of my channel to the harsh words of the self-proclaimed-but-not-practicing perfectionists a.k.a bashers. But no, I'm too busy to spend time preparing on and dealing with nonsense issues.

In other words, I don't give a damn! Oops! Happy new year! ;)

OMG!!! I'm In! Again!!!

2017-10-10T18:35:00.000+08:00

I just got this screenshot message from my email:

I can't contain my excitement!!! That's just more than a month away from now! OMG!!!

This will be my 3rd time to attend the Blogapalooza. This time, on November 18, 2017, it will be in City of Dreams Manila. The 1st one was in SM Aura about four years ago. The 2nd one was in One Esplanade about two years ago. And now! OMG!!!

Somebody Just Impersonated Me!!!!!#@%$&*!!!!!

2017-10-05T17:39:00.000+08:00

Who are you?!?!?!?!?!!!

I tried to google my name and there I found a Google+ profile bearing my name but not my photograph! I consider my name as peculiar and unique that it would be almost impossible that somebody would have exactly the same first and family name as mine! I hope I am wrong but what infuriates me are the obscene photos that are so disgusting that I could not even bear to post it here in my blog! If she and her name are real, I beg her not to shame me if she wants to shame herself with all those posted photographs! And I beg her also to use her or her mother's maiden name to distinguish her identity from mine.

I wonder who she is. The profile was created in January 2015. I tried to contact her by becoming her 4th follower but I could not find the link. Hence, I just reported her to Google hoping they would be able to shed light on the matter... :(

Window Shopping at the World's Oldest Shopping Mall!!!!!

2017-10-04T19:01:00.000+08:00

It was my first day after the conclusion of my audit engagement in Rome and I felt like celebrating! 😤I didn't think of lavishing myself with signature bags and shoes in Galleria Vittorio de Emanuelle in Milan, Italy. Enjoying the sights was already a priceless treat! I didn't care less that I was carrying then two bags (a backpack and a shoulder bag) while dragging my carry-on bag (which is contrary to my previous post's statement that I had only a total of two bags. I just realized and remembered this while reviewing the videos I took inside the mall).

I didn't know also that I went to the oldest shopping mall in the world. I only came to know about it when, for the purposes of this post, I recently googled on the name of the establishment near Duomo di Milano. Hihihi! 😜

Nonetheless, as I didn't even check the items that were displayed at the shops' windows (lest I might be tempted to experience some pampering), this post should have been entitled, "Hallway Shopping...".

Don't you think? 😉

Milan! Here I Come!

2017-10-01T12:14:00.002+08:00

Photo credit: https://i.ytimg.com/vi/LN42M5RJYGo/maxresdefault.jpg

Few days before we ended our audit engagement in Rome, I was still undecided whether I would push through with my side trip to Milan. I had been to Italy for a few times already, twice in Venice, but I had never been to Milan. When I found out that plane tickets from Rome to Manchester had increased to at least 100 euros, I thought, maybe that was the sign. That is, I could still go to Milan and from there, I could go somewhere else before reaching Manchester. In other words, I'll spend approximately around 100 euros or more but I'll be able to visit one or two places on my way to Manchester! And that's what I did!

Since I didn't have the luxury of time to look for cheaper plane tickets to Manchester, I asked my sister's help and lucky for me, she found a 9+ euros Ryanair ticket but I needed to go to Belgium for that! Good thing, there was a direct flight from Milan to Belgium. Hence, I immediately booked my Italo train ticket, which cost me 35.90 euros (or P2,074.67, per my HSBC credit card statement) for my trip to Milan on June 20, 2017. I chose the 5:45pm time for a 2.5-hour travel and left Roma Termini as scheduled but I still arrived 30 minutes late due to some delays along the road.

Fast forward, the following morning, June 21, I took a metro ride and went straight to Duomo di Milano, which was about two stops away from where I stayed. I sat infront the structure after I got tired of walking as I was armed with my two bags (carry-on trolley bag and handbag). Check out one of my random videos below (while quoting Claudine's hugot line in Milan movie: "Mahal mo ba ako dahil kailangan mo ako, o kailangan mo ako kaya mahal mo ako?) ;)

My Version of Black Pasta

2017-09-30T23:14:00.000+08:00

the finished product

Just this afternoon, I finally decided to cook black pasta for snacks. Since it was already nighttime then, it became my dinner. ;)

bought in Rome for 8 euros

I admit it wasn't as yummy as the one I tasted in Rome but I'm sure next time I'll be able to cook it close to perfection. Here are the ingredients that I used:

olive oil
pasta nero
garlic
onion
squid
chili
squid ink

I wasn't quite impressed with the squid ink. It was not that tasty. The original squid ink is still the best. Next time, I'll put in more squid and add original squid ink and.. what else? Help me, please!

I Almost Got Rained On In Paris

2017-09-29T14:57:00.000+08:00

June 29, 2017 - 43rd wedding anniversary of my parents and where else would I best celebrate it? Of course, it must be in the city of love - Paris!

One of my random videos while I was in Paris. I was so tired already when I went to Louvre, my supposed-to-be last stop. The weather was not cooperating. The sky was a bit gloomy. I was afraid it would rain as it was on-and-off drizzling then. I just roamed around a little bit before deciding to go back to the hotel. Despite the exhaustion, the almost-did-not-happen visit was extremely worth it! Another gigantic check in my bucket list! :)

A Taste of Sky-High Luxury

2017-09-28T19:25:00.000+08:00

my view onboard

Unfortunately, I had unpleasant experiences right before I boarded the Emirates plane in Manchester, United Kingdom, and after I landed in Manila, Philippines. That, I will talk about in another post.. but in the meantime, allow me to reminisce my recent business class experience aboard the Emirates airline.
It started when I was about to board the plane in Dubai. Few hours before, I was already frantic that I might miss my connecting flight from Dubai to Manila as my flight in Manchester was already delayed by about an hour. FYI, I had a very short layover in Dubai (about 2 hours, I guess) that any delay will surely have repercussion. And I was supposed to make my last-minute shopping in Dubai airport - that drone that I had been eyeing on. (Sigh!)

Since I was assured by the stewardess that I would still be able to make it to my connecting flight, I did not bother to move fast on my way to the boarding gate. True enough, I saw my co-passengers still waiting in line for their turn. I heard that my zone was called and I walked passed them and found myself next in line. I was nervous when I saw the assigned crew checked on the weight of every carry-on bag. I tried to tell the crew that I had an overweight bag but she just dismissed me in haste. (Another sigh!)

When I presented my boarding pass to the 2nd crew-in-charge, she immediately exchanged it with another one and to my surprise, it was labeled as business class! Whoa!

my appetizing appetizer

As much as I would like to document every detail of my luck, I could not do so as my cellphone battery was already draining out. I was able to take a few pictures only in-between my movie marathon and naps. I didn't even bother to stand up and check out their cocktail bar for some sips as I was too comfortable either watching a movie or snoozing halfway through the flight.

Too bad, the 9-hour flight was too short for me to savor the so-called luxurious journey. :(

my deserting dessert

Sagada Buwis Buhay Experience

2017-09-18T14:51:00.000+08:00

The adventurous spirit in me strikes again!

We were in Sagada few days ago to have our team-building activities. One of the two most memorable experiences I had happened one Saturday morning after we watched the sunrise at Kiltep Peak. We were inside the jeepney and were waiting for our colleagues when I realized that I had to do the unconventional thing, that is, sit on top of the jeepney on our way back to the guest house. I know in a few years' time, I won't have anymore the will and the strength to do it, thus, in my mind, this is the right time!

There were two other courageous colleagues that already went up ahead of us and they seemed enjoying. I asked a younger but conservative colleague to go up with me, good thing that she surprisingly agreed, otherwise I would have hesitated. I admit it was so scary at first. That feeling when you think the roof of the jeepney will have a mind of its own and divorce itself from the body, and all that you can do is leave it up all to TADHANA! Delightfully terrifying!

And the rest is, history! Sad thing though is the short video recording. Nonetheless, the captured moment will always remind me that, once upon a time, I was brave enough to do it and, I did it! ;)

I Wanna Try This!

2017-09-14T17:05:00.000+08:00

While I was plowing through the shelves of every grocery store we've been to in Rome for that nero pasta, I came across with Paella alla valenciana, which would qualify as an instant dish. I could not exactly remember how much it costs (but probably would not reach 10 euros or P608.80 at 1euro=P60.88). If you know me well, I am a self-confessed seafood addict and being that, I immediately put the thing in my basket and proceeded to the checkout counter.

Fast forward, I am now looking forward to that day when I will have enough time to cook (or say, heat) and savor the dish. Weekends are my rest days, which are, at times, my excuses for being lazy even in the kitchen. :)

First thing I should go through, though, is to study the fine print at the back of the product package. ;)

Wish I could just scan the Italian instructions and easily decode its English translation! Wish me luck! :)

P.S. I hope I will be able to remember to take a picture of the end-result of my heating, err, cooking skill and share it to this blog. Again, wish me luck! ;)

Cravin' for Nero Pasta

2017-09-07T00:17:00.000+08:00

I've been to Italy for a few times already. And I thought that my sole favorite Italian dish is Frutti de Mare. That changed when, during our most recent deployment, we dined in a restaurant, which was literally just a few steps away from the place where we used to stay. It was my first time in that restaurant and my first time to taste nero pasta. By the way, "nero", in Italian, means black. It was so yummy that I did not mind being told by a Director that the squid ink painted my lips black. I thought that she was joking when she further said that I was wearing a Gothic lipstick!

Nonetheless, knowing that I enjoyed my pasta so well, my seatmate gave me a quick cooking lesson on nero pasta dish. Thanks to her simple recipe, at that moment, I couldn't wait to buy and take home as much nero pasta as I can. Sad to say, not all grocery stores in Rome have nero pasta on their shelves. In my recollection, there were only three grocery stores that sell nero pasta, one of which is Conad City (but not all branches!). And take note, nero pasta is so expensive compared to other pasta noodles!

By the way, frutti de mare and nero pasta are both served with seafoods - shellfish and squid, respectively. My love for seafoods explains why the aforesaid dishes are my favorites!

I haven't tried cooking nero pasta yet. It's been almost a month since I received the box containing, among others, my priced nero pasta. Just looking at the packed noodles brings back memories of how tasty the dish was. Perhaps this weekend, I will have the privilege to challenge my culinary skills (or incompetence) and hopefully savor what I am craving for right now. Perhaps this weekend.. ;)

My Harvest!

2017-05-20T11:36:00.001+08:00

That feeling when you wake up one morning and see another beautiful flower in full bloom in your own humble little terrace, almost a thousand feet above the ground.. Priceless!!!

Reminiscin..

2017-03-12T20:15:00.001+08:00

Urghhh! Work-related stress is too much these days. That's what I said to somebody just few days ago. Wish I were back in time when what I was all worried about was not to fall from riding the snow sled. It was such a great feeling then when, thereafter, I stood up beaming with a triumphant smile on my face and vowed to ride again. Hayyy..... :(

I wanna go to Easy Street!!!

2016-12-10T16:17:00.001+08:00

It's been a long while since I watched a musical. The last one that I distinctly remember was, "The Sound of Music", which was shown in my alma mater in Cebu. It was an enjoyable, eye-opener experience and I even had a crush on the Captain then, played by a young priest, who is now married :(

Last November 18, 2016, my colleagues and I went to Newport Performing Arts Theater at the center of Resorts World Manila to watch the musical, "Annie". I admit I was not able to watch the original (1982) version of the movie from start to end so I was not really much familiar with the story. I even learned only recently that there were two other movie revivals (1999 and 2014)..

Nonetheless, I was so impressed with the dance performance of the actors when they sang the song, "Easy Street". It was so cool! Thereafter I searched for that video in YouTube and voila! I like the performance in 1999 version better. I played it countless times even up to this day. I guess that is my favorite video for now. :)

While waiting for the show to start..
Credits to the owner of the photo (jojo) and the YouTube video above

Smart No More...

2016-08-24T15:45:00.003+08:00

That's it! I'm done with it! It's over! Twice is too much!

Two years ago, I tried to access the net through my Smart mobile data, armed with a P300+ load. Few minutes after I finished surfing and turned off the mobile data button, I checked my balance, was stripped off less than a 50 bucks, and was okay with it. Later, I was surprised when I failed to register for a P150 international call promo. When I checked my balance, lo and behold! I didn't have sufficient load for that promo! Thus, I called up Smart and was advised to turn off my phone and take out the sim card. Thereafter, I checked my balance from a non-internet capable phone and.. surprise to my surprise! My load balance had been continuously declining!

I called up Smart again and I was told that, according to their system, I was using my mobile data! But they could not explain how on earth was I able to fully consume my load even when the sim card was already taken out from the mobile phone!

And now, it's happening again! This time, I lost P1000+! Smart customer representative said that, according to their system, I used my mobile data few minutes before 6 o'clock in the morning of a Monday. How could that be? I usually get up early every Monday morning to hastily prepare for work! Also, I have a sky broadband at home! Why the hell would I shift to mobile data when I didn't have problems with my wifi connection, particularly for that questioned period?!

Smart, you are so smart...

Free Uber Ride

2016-07-27T18:57:00.002+08:00

My first uber car ride was free. It was about a year ago. I should say I was impressed! To find out why, click this link: https://www.uber.com/invite/2kgzf3urue or use the promo code: 2kgzf3urue when booking a ride.

Happy riding! :)

I knew you were there..

2016-07-17T20:25:00.002+08:00

(Video credits to the owner)

For the past few months I had been grieving for the loss of my mama (and still am..) while dealing with a mryiad of workload. And now that I am halfway done, I've been spending my weekends taking a break including watching movies in the comforts of my home sweet home. Then I came across with an article posted in Facebook that had something to do about 10 best romantic movies. When I checked, the movie entitled, "An Affair to Remember" was not even there! Albeit my other favorite romantic film, "The Notebook" was listed in the article but it just didn't seem right that the movie of one of my most adored actresses, Annette Bening, wasn't! (By the way, we have the same birthday!)

I'm sure I have a copy of the original version of the movie but I don't like it as much as I do with the 1994 version. Since I was too lazy to check my external drive and watch again the entire film, I just settled for 3-5-minute unforgettable scenes in You Tube (why don't they just post the full movie so I can watch it?!). And mind you, I've been watching the final scene for countless times already while writing this post!

Click the video link above to see why I'm so into it right now.. ;)

Mama and me..

2016-03-26T12:47:00.001+08:00

Picture was taken when I was still in nursery school..

I So Terribly Miss Mama..

2016-02-22T18:54:00.001+08:00

Wish Mama was still here.. Was browsing through my blog and bumped into the following posts which I wrote about her. May you rest in peace, Mama..

As I had repeatedly told you before I bid my final goodbye, I love you very much, mama..

http://guiamadelo.blogspot.com/2010/05/tribute-to-my.html

http://guiamadelo.blogspot.com/2010/03/oh-my-mama.html

http://guiamadelo.blogspot.com/2010/08/papa-visited-mama-and-zhea.html

Starry-eyed over Starmobile phone..

2015-12-27T15:52:00.003+08:00

Photo Credit

Now that my three alternative phones are already resting in peace, I have decided to go ahead with my plan of buying another, but better one. I could have tried to revive my old phones, e.g., replacement of battery and/or charger but then, for now (read: temporarily), I just seem to grow tired of saving a few hundred/thousands bucks at the expense of my inconvenience.

In the spirit of Christmas (read: another excuse), I deserve a little bit of splurging, don't I? Well, I'm still trying to control my spending and I hope, this time, I will succeed. I've been goggling for the best tv phone and just recently, I came across with Starmobile's Up Max, which specs are as follows:

Screen Size: 5-inch IPS Multi touch

Scratch Resistant DragonTrail Glass

Sim: Dual SIM (Regular + Micro)

WiFi: Wi-Fi and Wi-Fi Hotspot

Internal Memory: 16GB Internal Storage

RAM: 1GB RAM

Card Slot: Expandable Up to 64GB via MicroSD

Camera: 13.0 Megapixel Autofocus Main Camera with Sony IMX 135 Sensor and LED Flash

Front Camera: 5.0 Megapixel Autofocus Front Camera

OS: Android 5 Lollipop OS

Processor: 1.3GHz Quad Core ARM Cortex-A7

GPU: Mali-400 MP2 GPU

Chipset: MediaTek MT6582 Chipset

ISDB-T Digital TV Tuner

Radio: FM Radio

Battery: 5000mAh Li-Po Battery

I like that the phone has a digital tv tuner, fm radio, and a 5000mAh battery, which is almost twice the life of my primary phone's battery. And per their website, it costs P6,490 only, which exceeded my targeted expense of P5,000 by P1,490. Nonetheless, the price is still cheap compared to the better but pricier Knight Spectra's P14,990. The downside, however, of Up Max is that its connectivity is only 2G GSM: 850/900/1800/1900 / 3G UMTS/SCDMA: 850/1200 / HSPA+ compared to Spectra's 2G / 3G / HSPA+ / Download upto 21.1Mbps / 4G LTE. In other words, there might be connectivity issues that is expected to be dealt with concerning the use of Up Max.

Urggh! I am so into internet!!!

But I am not willing to shell off P14,990 just for that. No!!! I must remind myself that I am buying an alternative phone, and that means, going for the second best.. :(

Eyeing for another mobile phone...

2015-12-03T20:11:00.000+08:00

Photo Credit

It was only about more than two years ago when I blogged about my plan to buy a new mobile phone. And now, I'm planning again. :(

Don't get me wrong. My smartphone is still in excellent condition. It is just that, the phone I was using while I was in HongKong (especially!) and is using still is about to bid adieu. And I'm having a separation anxiety already, for sentimental reasons.. :(

Nevertheless, I would want my next mobile phone to have a digital tv feature (fyi, it's more than a year since I've been TV-less). And because I'm almost always mobile, I would want the inexpensive type, probably P5,000 or less. But P10,000? Hmm, I'm thinking.. Is it practical? I'm not even sure if I'm going to maximize my use of the phone (fyi again, I have been using my old phone mainly as my alarm clock). And I'm not also sure if TV signal would still be good when I'm at my condo unit, which is about several floors up from the ground.

Please help me decide... :(

Never Again!

2015-10-31T16:04:00.001+08:00

Today is the last day of voters' registration, unless COMELEC would decide to extend the deadline for a few more days. That is, if they would consider the recent influx of prospective voters at the registration centers such as what I saw in SM MOA yesterday.

I almost got myself unregistered because of that. If not for the declaration of half day work yesterday, my chances of going to SM MOA for that purpose would have been nil. And mind you, I felt like a ping-pong ball being tossed by the guards when I asked for directions to the satellite registration center. I was already worried then as it was almost 5pm and I knew the registration center would be open only up to 6pm that day. Alas, when I found the place, the door was already closed as they only accommodated a maximum number of 800 registrants. I was advised to come back early the following day. I asked how early, and the lady guard answered that there was already a queue as early as 4am. What?! And to make matters worse, the giving out of priority numbers starts at 830am, while the processing commences at 9am. Que horror!

No, I'm not going to make a sacrifice just like that. Never again! I would have registered long time ago and not waited for a few days before the deadline, if not for the hectic schedule. I didn't had the chance to register when a registration activity was scheduled right within the convenience of our condominium as I was just leaving for Rome then. Nor was the time when the same was also previously scheduled in SM MOA. Blame it to my confusion with the date. And when I learned from the local COMELEC office that they will have another schedule in SM MOA on the last week of October, I just waited for that. And the half day work yesterday would have been the perfect time for me..

While I was staring at the signages, a man approached me and asked if I would want to register. When I said yes, he then gave me a piece of paper, which says "357". I realized it was a priority number! He then advised me to immediately go inside the center and do my thing. So, I flashed the paper at the guard and he then let me in. Inside, the line was looooong! I wanted to back out as I remember the traumatic experience I went through when I registered in Taguig six (6) years ago. I just held on knowing that this would be my only chance..

VICTORIA COURT #VPARTYSERIES MIDNIGHT MYSTERIES: CAN YOU SURVIVE?

2015-10-29T17:58:00.001+08:00

Manila, October 29, 2015— Mark your calendars for November 7, 2015 and get ready for the ultimate Halloween event of the year! FOX International Channels and Victoria Court are partnering up with Breakout Philippines, the country’s premiere escape room game, to bring you an immersive horror experience like no other!

Ever since 2014, Breakout has been providing a unique experience to thousands of players by trapping them in different themed rooms for 45 minutes. They are given an interactive game where players have to team up to find clues and solve logic puzzles based on various storylines. Participants are encouraged to PLAN as a team, SOLVE puzzles collaboratively in order to ESCAPE before time expires.

This Halloween season, the game is about to change as it is no longer enough to BREAKOUT… you must now also SURVIVE! You and your friends will be trapped in a room and will have 45 minutes to try and survive the horror set before you.

There will be scare actors that will enter and exit the room as they please. Some will be nice and try to help you by giving you clues, while some… are not. Be prepared as they invade your personal space, tell you bone chilling stories, separate you from your friends and sometimes, even leave you alone in the dark. Be ready to be pushed out of your comfort zone.

This is still a BREAKOUT event so there is still puzzle solving involved. You will still choose among the 5 Super-thematic Rooms of Victoria Court Malate, which will determine the style of the overall puzzle you will have to solve:

1. The Asgard Room

2. The Casino Royale Room

3. The Bat Cave Room

4. The Candy Land Room

5. The Marakkesh (Sex in the City) Room

If the scares get too extreme for you, there is a safe word… screaming “I want my mommy” will signal our actors to back off and bring you back to your friends. Though be warned, doing so will forfeit the clue you may receive by surviving the scare. Missing out on 1 clue won’t make it impossible to solve the puzzle, but it will make it very difficult. So wear your brown pants and as much as you can, brave up!

To add up to the scare, there will be a free fear flicks marathon happening at the Victoria Court grounds from 6PM until 12PM.

The breakout rooms have limited slots, so be sure to register now through www.breakout.com.ph.

You can also visit Victoria Court’s facebook page (facebook.com/VictoriaCourtPH) or follow their Twitter & Instagram (@victoriacourtVC)) for more updates about this event.

Prepare yourselves for a scare that you won’t forget. See you there!

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas!

2015-10-26T18:38:00.001+08:00

From where I'm standing right now, I could see the cars plying along Elliptical Road, Quezon City. And I'm no longer surprised to find out that, for a few minutes, they were not moving at all. Right now, they have been moving at a baby snail's pace. ;)

And my officemates, who went downstairs, informed me that they just saw several people were already hiking. Probably they were stranded?

Indeed, christmas is in the air! :)