Travelling

I am bitten by the wanderlust bug. I would LOVE to just get out right now and head off to some place i haven't been in a long time (beach, anyone?) Unfortunately, funds have made my dream somewhat unreachable for now... So, to assuage my lust for the road, i have taken to looking over my pics of recent trips, remembering the fun times. :-)

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BANAUE INFO

For the folks who inquired about the Banaue trip, you can get your tickets (direct to Banaue) at Autobus, in Sampaloc, Manila (near UST). Trip to Banaue leaves at 10pm. Best to get the tickets 5 hours before (they don't do reservations). You can contact our tour guide/driver, West, through 0919.448.89.36. Best to plan the trip with him once you meet up, to make use of your afternoon before you head out somewhere (it's also good to get his opinion on where to go, and which inns to stay at). When in Batad, check out Rita's Inn for their great food.The Hillside Inn was a great place to stay inn, cos they offer a better view for P100 --- get the basement rooms!

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My friend, Junie, is here for a week with her mom who's visiting. Yehey! I finally get to see her again! :-) It's been so long and i have not been able to see her every time i am at the province (she works and studies Nursing in her free time). *sigh* I miss her a lot! :-) I can't wait to hang out with her!

thankful

Pessimism is toxic.

After getting so darned frustrated over things, i have decided to just work with what's workable, and just be happy (even if it kills me).

Last night, for example. I was jarred into reality without any warning, and i had to really take the time to digest the fact that, yes, it is already March... so many things are changing, and everything is going by so fast that i can't help but feel sad. That realization made my eyes blurry and as i took that in, i tried so hard not not feel bad, bottling up what i was feeling inside me.

Not only that, on our way to dinner we had the worst encounter with taxi drivers. It's amazing how much of an asshole a driver can be without meaning to (or perhaps they did mean to be such --- it is rush hour). I mean, negotiating with a driver is bad enough (how far is greenhills from ortigas center, really!?) but to drive away without saying anything while you're talking to him is just too much. ARGH! These people complain a lot about unfairness and all that crap they get from the gov't., the people, etc., but they can't even extend the smallest courtesy of properly negotiating (like that is even proper --duh)

Anyway, after that, my frustration just grew and grew until i was talking trash and stomping around. Meanwhile, Jason was patiently watching and going along with me, squeezing my hand until he finally stopped me as i was ranting and hugged me. Hard. He smelled my hair and kissed me and said, "it'll be ok, baby".

I looked at him and realized that yeah, it will be. For some reason, seeing him there just stopped me. It made me think of the mess i got myself in, getting myself all worked up for some stupid reason. So i let it go. I looked into his eyes and just thought of how great it felt to be with him, just be with him. The thought of having him beside me there, made my frustrations melt away. I immediately felt better.

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So i have decided to try to just be thankful nowadays. No matter how many small things irk me, i will try to not let to get to me. After all, everything's changing, moving so fast that i can't let any time get wasted by getting all pissed off. (I just hope i can sustain this positive energy).

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5 things i am happy about:
+ my sweetie getting in to Northwestern!
+ my mom graduating from her MAs this April!
+ my brother's success in his latest project at work! :-)
+ having great friends!
+ an upcoming trip!

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Watching

Recently watched The Woodsman, this drama featuring Kevin Bacon and Kyra Sedgwick --- pretty good and heart-wrenching. It's a story about a newly-released sex offender (read: Child sex offender) re-adjusting to society and battling his inner demons (read: not molest some kid again).

Pretty serious and "real" in every sense of the word, as the movie doesn't go all the way biased about the issue, rather gives the character depth by giving all sides and reactions of people around him. It's a quick one too (an hour and a half), filled with interesting camera shots and well, some interesting editing. :-)

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On a lighter (though a bit morose tone) note, i also got to watch Finding Neverland. It's about James Barrie's relationship with his muses for Peter Pan --- a family of boys and a widow (played by Kate Winslet). With them, he gets to play pirates and indians, walk the plank and dance with fairies.

Sadly, i never got to see the ending since the disc was scratched (aww!) but it did make me wanna bawl my eyes out in some parts --- that Johnny Depp is one amazing actor (not to mention darn sexy --- at 40 at that! Raawrr!)

Note to self: MUST finish the movie!

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I am not much into doing anything these days. The weather is so hot (yup, i surrender to the heat) i can barely manage to get out of the office (ironic, since i feel like i wanna kill myself sometimes when i'm inside --- it sucks looking at progress bars). *sigh* I am constantly thirsty, tired from all the mental activity from work and strangely lethargic from the heat. Argh.

Like today. After doing chores and going about much needed household work, i took a break and took a "nap" --- which was about 4 hours. Blame it on the heat, hormones, the afternoon, whatever. I was just soo tired! *sigh* I was all ready to do a lot of things, like go to the gym, have dinner somewhere, watch a movie with Jason --- but poof! all that was done and over with when i closed my eyes.

I feel like i am watching my life slip away before my very eyes.

*sigh*

....yeah, sana

Press to stop
Originally uploaded by Helephant.

Let me stop whatever this is taht is making my head feel like it's about to explode.
Mahirap pahintuin ang gulo ng utak mo, lalo na ang pag-iisip ng mga bagay na nakakadulot lang ng sakit ng ulo!

Unfortunately...

A Series of Unfortunate Events was, for me, a bit disappointing.

The aura of this movie was quite romantic, making you feel like you were in another world, another time, and the wasy the characters were dolled up made it all the more too real. Alas, with modern quips and somewhat bizaare anecdotes, i can't help but feel miffed --- why was it so? Even the jarring breaks between narrations brought about by the typewriter's inability to function well was part of the book (interesting, but jarring nonetheless). It was nice that they were true to the book even to that extent, but i wish that their dialogue would have been more true to the characters.

It's not that Jim Carrey wasn't amusing. He was, after all, THE Count Olaf. He looked the part, he spoke the part, he breathed the part. Alas, his over-the-top performance was quite a little too much Carrey that i didn't quite buy it. Plus, the contemporary jokes and references he made were quite disconcerting. I guess that for me was the flaw of the movie.

Considering it was a compression of three books, i'd say they had a good story there, although there were some scenes i wish they didn't have to elaborate with so much. I did however, enjoy how they weaved together bits and pieces of the three books, altogether making a comedic deluge of zany characters, interesting"misfortunes" and fun sets. Yup, the elaborate sets, costumes and yes, lovable Baudelaire kids (love Violet's gowns and coat!) made my watching a lot more fun.

I only read the first book but i managed to read some pages from his succeeding ones -- all depressingly sad. But that's the thing that drew me to watching the movie. Can a book so depressing, so morose and so negative in its theme, be transitioned into film ? The somewhat positive note the ending comes to makes me think twice about the movie -- after all, isn't the essence of Lemony Snicket's book about negativity and a not-so-happy ending? In the end of every book, there is an "ending" but not a "happy" one, always a start of the next misfortunte. I wish that this adaptation could have ended in a similar fashion, a bit uneasy and unresolved,leaving everybody wondering if there will be a sequel (more fun, don't you think?)

Now that would have been cool. :-)

kudos to the new month!

Some interesting news, newfound rants and happy tidings found me this weekend!

First off, i just found out my mom passed both her compre exams for her Masters in both Public Admin and Accounting (yey, mom!) I am sooo happy and so very proud that despite all her workload at home and at work, she finished top of her class!

A very good friend of mine just informed me that she and her significant other will be finally tying the knot --- that is fabulous news! :-) everybody loves a wedding, especially a wedding between two people obviously in love ... tee-hee!

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People can sometimes be so darn annoying! >:-P

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I am looking forward to change... very soon!

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I love my sweetie for being such a sweetheart --- thanks for the salad, baby! :-) i love you...

pre-EDSA

I keep wondering about tomorrow's celeb at the EDSA shrine --- since the bombings last V-day, i am apprehensive on what can happen during the said celebration. I just hope that this will be a peaceful and organized event, and not something which will start off a new riot, or worse, dictatorship.

Been feeling the political vibe these days. I can't help but get pissed off by the fact that most people will resort to rallying, degrading the system by which we live in and not even offer solutions. They yammer about how bad it is, how the president and other officials should be taken down from theri positions, etc., but that's it. They never offer any solutions.

It's the innate quality that we Filipinos seem to have. We always criticize negatively, never constructively. I'd like to hear some disgruntled citizen or rallyist say something bad about the government and offer a more feasible means than ddemanding the president to step down. Step down and then what? Who will you replace her with? What will you do if you were in the President's place? What other alternatives can you come up with?

In every government, there is some form of corruption. But we cannot get it out completely. There will always be people who can be bought or use power for their own benefit, no matter who we put into power. So my question is, if this goverment is so corrupt, what then can we do to change it? Mind you, I have my own qualms against the current government, but i'd rather think of solutions than just talk and complain. I want concrete answers, from both the government and those who oppose it --- violence will not change anything; rather it will cripple the economy and the country even more.

*sigh* I get tired and weary trying to understand this country and its people. I love being a Filipina. It's our unique ability to be compassionate yet determined, to be able to smile amidst problems that makes me proud to be one. But for people who want change, we sure take a long time to bitch about things before actually doing anything.

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Banaue!!

couple's pic!
Originally uploaded by bunnie_lette.

Yup, this is why i wasn't able to blog this weekend.
Had some QT trekking, checking out some fab terraces and yep, just chillin'. This was on-the-fly weekend trippin' and let me assure you, i was really paranoid on what would happen to us before the weekend was up. Turns out, it was a most invigorating experience as we toured the famous 8th wonder, as well as got to learn mor eabout The Philippines and yes, interact with fellow trekkers.

For those who wanna go, a weekend getaway to Banaue is a mere (?) 8-hour ride from Manila (Autobus goes there direct, 10pm on the dot everyday of the week, but be sure to get tickets at least 5 hours before). Once you're there, it'll be good to have a guide or a ready driver.

Best way is to bargain and plan with your guide/driver the spots you wanna got o and then set a price for everything. We befriended a nice driver/guide who gave us some choice spots to visit, not to mention a pretty good price -- he was even ready with a cellfone number so we can get in touch with him if we get lost, or need some info!

We decided to check out the viewpoints then spend most of the day trekking to this quaint village of Batad, roughly 3 hours away from Banaue's town proper. It was an hour's trike ride then off to about 2 more hours' worth of trekking over a couple of mountains. I was NOT at all prepared for the hiking (extreme at that!) but wonder of wonders, we managed to arrive there safe and sound (and kinda out of breath). Of course, the amazing view and serene atmosphere more than made up for it.

We stayed in this cozy inn whose rooms opened to the breathtaking view of the ampitheatre-like terraces of Batad. Like us, many tourists (foreigners mostly) loved the view and trekked all over the place.

We had great food at Rita's this nearby inn which served great omelettes and chappati, as well as filling dinners.

It's great to leisurely lounge around the area (too bad we only had a weekend) so if you're spending more time there, be sure to check out the waterfalls (45 mins trek through the rice fields) as well as make like an Ifugao and interact in the village.

Since going back to the town proper was quite a feat (the jeepneys only go there on certain times) you can definitely plan the return ride back with your guide/driver. we were able to set a time when West (our driver) was to pick us up at the junction, so we were able to walk down from the saddle more slowly this time.

The bus ride's a bitch, since the ride back to Manila is at 5pm (better reserve for seats when you arrive at the terminal -- it gets full really quickly) and the stops aren't that nice. But what really gets to you is the amazement of the entire trip --- the sights, the food, the people --- it's really worth the biyahe!

my "drama" moment

my "drama" moment
Originally uploaded by bunnie_lette.

early in the a.m. in Batad, Banaue. Apparently i am cold and susceptible to Jason's art directions. hehe.

smile!

smile!
Originally uploaded by bunnie_lette.

o di ba cute? :-)

Sideways

Watched Sideways last night, this wry comedy about wine, friendship and relationships. The verdict? Slightly happier than About Schmidt, though a lot of the story had to do with things and places i've never been to (California, wine-tasting and yup, more american jokes).

I'm a fan of Election and About Schmidt, but i guess this movie takes some getting used to. I guess the more general theme of friendships, loneliness and change is more subtle in this movie since a lot of jokes, references and even places aren't as widely-known as i hoped. Still, it was enjoyable movie, with a very interesting cast (Virginia Madsen and Paul Giamatti are really great!) and a great subject (wines, wines, and more wines!) Makes a "novice" drinker like me want to learn more about Pinot wines... :-D

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Wat's next? Constantine is also showing so we may schedule that pretty soon... granted, Keanu Reeves is not exactly my ideal actor for the main character, but i guess (i hope) the special effects will more than make up for it :-P

All's in the Fair...

(*i'm taking a break from my super-hectic sked of work!!!)

Ok, last night was my first night at the 2005 UP Fair. It's a week-long annual smorgasboard of music,bands,food and what-have-yous sponsored by different orgs/groups every night, lasting till the wee hours of the day, or till the people get sick of it and leave (whichever comes first).

As expected, there was the fair, and there was THE Fair --- what do i mean? The fair has a fee to get in, leaving those who are decidely cheap or non-intersted to do anything except listen to the music to just mill about the area around the fair and just set up camp. Not that it's not interesting: for a couple of years, my then-bf was too cheap (or just too corny) to go in and experience the fair, so we'd end up listening to the music by the rim of the sunken garden. The place is packed with the stereoypical jologs, cheapie food stalls (i think they have better isaw and squid balls) and interesting folks.

THE fair (once you get in) is a slightly more expensive array of food, people and rides, plus you can hear AND see the performer of the night. (i'm a closet groupie, so i much rather see the band than listen to them, hehe) Jason and i proceeded to the area around 10ish, hoping to catch the prime bands of the night: P.O.T and Rivermaya.

So, for this night, we opted to do the whole shebang: tickets at the door (we missed the free iced tea), stamps on our arms and did a quick run-around of what the fair had to offer. Jason wished he didn't eat dinner, there was a LOT of food!! We decided to go on a mission to find the best barbeque in the area.

A little bit of games (darts and duck shooting, anyone?), some time on the rickety thing they called a ride (it was exhilarating, though a bit sketchy) with the IC peeps and listening to Rico Blanco belt out some old classics (shyet, i feel so old!) made the night quite fun and memorable. We even got prizes for our shooting efforts! (yehey! lollipop!)

So do we dare go back? maybe on thursday or Friday... :-) As for now i'm opting for some movie watching... :-D

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music miser and the fantastic dinner

So, here i am, bored to death at work and yes, trying to procrastinate as usual. (hehe) Between projects and taking insanely shitty phone calls from people i don't know (yet who have the guts to tell me what to do), i have dedcided to take a 5-minute hiatus and answer a couple of questions i got from Starshuffler's post.

1. What is the total amount of music files on your computer?
* uhh... i think right now it adds up to 5GB (more or less, including mp3s in my i-pod mini)

2. The CD you last bought is?
* P.O.T. remastered. Sige na people, let's get on down!

3. What is the song you last listened to before reading this message?
* The Decemberists' Apology Song.

4. Write down 5 songs you often listen to or that mean a lot to you.
* Before you proceed reading this, please bear in mind it's the month of hearts and... i am such a sappy person. :-P
Miss Misery - Elliot Smith
The Luckiest - Ben Folds Five
To The End - Blur (i love their video!)
Angel won't you call me? - The Decemberists
* any Eraserheads song, circa 1st -3rd album

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Chataeu 1213 rocks! :-D *feelin' giddy* Thank you for making my V-day so memorable...

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Anti-Valentine's gone bad

I've heard of people being vehement during Valentine's Day, but this is just bullshit.

related stories here

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Can somebody PLEASE explain to me why this has to happen? Should violence be the friggin' answer to everything? What happens now? For all thos e responsible, you shoudl be ashamed of yourselves! You try to envision a world of peace and yet you go about things the way others do --- with violence, with killing , with injuries. Putting people in jeopardy is, let me put it mildly, PURE CRAP. PUTANGINA!

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On lighter news, i heard that Psychicpants had his own win a date promo in UP... wonder how that went? Hmmm...

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V-day raves and rants

Pre-Hearts' rant:

A complete stranger criticized my outfit yesterday.

I was standing on line in a convenience store, wearing, mind you, a very standard and not at all vulgar outfit: a long skirt (which covered me up to me toes), a gray shirt and a blue sweater over it. Granted, it's not the best outfit i have, but hell, it's Sunday! Anyway, this woman with a kid in tow goes up to me and says, ever so politely with a smile:

"Ang sagwa naman! takpan mo nga yan!" (How vulgar! Cover yourself up!)

WTF!?! I blankly stared at her as she moved along, all the time looking back at me and tsk-tsking like crazy, repeating what she said almost inaudibly. I looked at myself, seeing if i was showing a boob, a bare leg, or what. Nothing. I was really shocked. What THE Fuck!?!

I got really pissed. First of all, i wasn't wearing anything indecent. For another, Who the friggin' hell was she to say something like that to a complete stranger!? I left the convenience store with growing resentment to her, a complete stranger. I fumed inside and told my sweetie after we met. He was completely baffled as i was.

We tried to analyze what happened --- maybe she was an inner fashion critic, who was starting out (therefore preying on strangers, like me); maybe she was having issues with her husband (she must have lost him to a younger girl); maybe she wanted the sweater (or skirt, or shirt) for herself and the only way she could console herself was to look for people who have it and criticize them like crazy; maybe she's just plain crazy.

Sheesh.

Yup, ladies and gents, there ARE people who can be bitches and assholes for no apparent reason.

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Anyway...


Happy Hearts' Day!!!

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Things that make my V-day:

* getting flowers from the most wonderful guy :-)
* having morning breakfast with someone you love (and actually getting to work on time, too! heheh)
* listening to sickeningly sweet mushy love songs over the radio (it's tolerable since it's V-day)
* texting and receiving messages from family and friends

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what i learned over the weekend...

... i learned that commuting to Malabon takes ingenuity, a very good map and a couple of phone calls to friends who catually live there.

... i learned that my boss has no idea what a weekend is.

... i learned that planning and doing saturday night activities can be as different as night and day.

... i learned that no matter how much i say things are different, they alway end up the same way as before.

... i learned that a lot of margaritas, a mini-"lap dance" and four girls are a great recipe for a girls night out.

... i learned that friendship pushes through despite busy schedules, hectic lifestyles and prior engagements when it really comes down to the nitty-gritty.

... i learned that loving somebody is the world's most effective remedy to the wounds of everyday crap.

... i learned that people can be quite annoying, no matter how much you try to not let them get to you.

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alin, alin, alin ang naiba?

tabasco shots
Originally uploaded by coolmel.

coolmel's cameraphone rocks! :-) thsi reminds me of Batibot.... heheheh

Friday i'm in Love... (yiheee!)

It's the weekend!!! Yehey! Time to just hang... yun lang pow.

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My friend Tanya's baby is a girl! kewl!! congrats, mama mia!

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Kudos to my friend Pao whose book Jolography earned the 2005 UP CHancellor's Award for Outsatnding Literary Work. Asteeg!!!

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Finally got to meet Mitzy's Dave last night --- after the exhibit (fabulous! I am sooo happy that i was able to catch it --- Please see side bar for exhbit details) and dinner at Teriyaki Boy, we headed off to the Airport. Twas pretty kewl to meet him, and hear about his trip to Japan and Vancouver. Mitzy looks really happy to see him again (awww! heheh)

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Pre-Valentine raves/rants:

- i love the fact that flowers are everywhere (and i mean EVERYWHERE)
- mushy love songs are the rage (and there's nothing you can do about it!)
- the couples are harassed into buying stuff for their significant other

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I wish i can live in Japan in the early part of the year. My friend Hirosh tells me of their interesting tradition for Valentines: On Feb. 14, the girls give the the guys a gift, be it chocoaltes or flowers. Then, on March 14, the guys will give the girl a gift that is THREE TIMES THE VALUE of what they gave to the guys. Hehehe. Talk about investing! You can totally take advantage of it by sending out gifts to say, 10 guys on Feb 14. and getting back 3x your investment in ten ways. hehhhe.

To be a book...

Oscar Wilde: The Portrait of Dorian Gray. You are a
horror novel from the world of dandies, rich
pretty boys, art and aesthetics, and
intellectual debates between ethical people and
decadent pleasure-seekers. You value beauty and
pleasure but realize their dangers, as well.


Which literature classic are you?
brought to you by Quizilla


* I have yet to read this book. Hmmm... an addition to my reading list! :-)

rainy days and thursdays always get me down

ok, so it's my version of the Carpenters' classic. Today was more of a drizzly day, since the rains i expected did not happen (thank God!) > But nonetheless, everybody seems to be in a sad mood.

YM-ed with Anton, my friend from college who has musings of life, love and the depressing state of relationships very similar to mine (yup, everybody's going away, dude!!!) I feel bad for him...his girlfriend is leaving for another country to study and will be away for two years. We talked about how much has changed for the both of us (before we were each other's proxy dates) and somehow manage to be in the same circumstances. :-P Even from his words i can sense a deep emotion of depression, one that echoes my repressed feelings (of having someone in your life leaving you sooner than you think).

I have my moments of complete and utter desolation, mind you; perhaps today was his.

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Another friend shared her state of emotional turmoil over YM while another poured her heart over the telephone line. I wish i can do something to alleviate my friends' states, but i am also troubled myself. Hidden underneath this smiling face is a girl who knows she will experience the anguish of broken hearts very soon and is scared shitless of what to do next. *sigh* Some Valentine's this is gonna be.

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Ok, ok. Enough negativity! I promised myself before to not think of the negative, only allow positive energy to radiate and engulf my being. I am thankful for many reasons, and happy that despite all the worries that i have :

- i am healthy, and working ( my family and friends are, too).
- i am spending time with a wonderful guy who is smart, sweet and very understanding
(i love you sweetie!)
- there are people in the world who are still hopeful, and are making a difference in many ways.
- i have fabulous friends, who inspite of everything that makes each one very busy, manage to meet up,
hang out and be there in time of need!

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Listening to Ben Folds Five's "The Luckiest" makes me realize that amidst all these worries, i have something to smile about.

midweek happee

Happy Chinese New Year!

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Lest we forget, it's Ash Wednesday today. I've been meaning to go to Church (gasp! is that me!?) but unfortunately, work beckoned. *sigh*.

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Happy joy-joy! Took a breezy 15-minute cab ride to work today through the new Katipunan-Santolan route, now beautifully traffic-free due to the renovations (after what seemed like 10 years..) Yey! I can finally go to Eastwood/Makati/South and not worry about the routes going there. *dances around*

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I am thrilled and somewhat rejuvenated by the workshop i got to attend yesterday at the Lopez Museum. Granted, it was short, but the actiivity was quite a jolt into my system. I was joined by my sweetie and Haydee for this afternoon of sketches,visual imagery and creative feeding --- our artist/guide toured us around, poring over the sketches and studies of known masters Hidalgo, Manansala and Luna while feeding us extensive musings, critques and intersting anecdotes. After that, we got to do our own sketches in an hour and a half. Jason got to draw his first hand --- i was quite impressed, and very proud! (syempre!) We got to do portraits (i did terribly) and landscapes, which was fun. Haydee also did quite beautifully, and i was really glad to spend some time with her again (i miss you girl!)

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Gnocchi fever has hit us and Jason is pursuing his dream of making gnocchi at home. hehhe.

Reading List

Got sidetracked from reading Ha Jin's The Crazed for the past couple of days. It's not that his book isn't a great read (it is), it's my lack of schedule, time management and yes, other reading material that keeps me from finishing the book.

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In fact, i just finished reading A girl's guide to hunting and fishing, this wacky, poignant and very funny read from Melissa Banks. My friend Manila gave me this to swap with my Candace Bushnell book last Sunday and after two days, i'm done. (It's that good) Call it Bridget Jones' without too much hype, or self-depreciation. The gal, Jane, is spunky, idealistic and very much experiencing what every woman may have experience at one time or another in her life. I love Banks' easy language, her characters' zany personality and the intimate (and not-so-intimate) relationships she has with her family, friends, and the men in her life.

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I'm overdue for a side project. Inside the office, i feel my brain is drained of its juice, and i am having the worst creative block in a long time. Argh. *ssheesh*.

In my quest for some knowledge and creative push, i've been going back and forth the aisles of the bookstores, poring over a dozen magazines just to get my brain to work.
I've signed up for a guided tour/creative activity this afternoon at the Lopez Museum ,hoping against hope that this will be the kick i've been looking for.

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I think i want to sedate myself from thinking waaaay too much about things.

I'll Be There for You....

You Know You're Addicted to Friends When...

You named your cats Chandler and Phoebe You have had dreams where you're the seventh Friend. You *seriously* consider naming your future daughter Emma. You can tell within 10 seconds of the beginning of the episodes exactly which one it is - and you can instantly remember what will happen. You can't go one day without a Friends reference. You are forever writing scripts for a Friends movie and sending them in (even if you have received several thousand rejection letters) Your favourite words are - Doi, Yuh-hu and Nu-uh You only ever buy magazines because they have something to do with FRIENDS in them You get your hair cut like Jennifer Aniston's (even if it looks terrible on you) You are able to perfectly re-enact every episode line-by-line You are always refering to real life incidents as 'The One With......' You have made a soundtrack out of all of Phoebe's songs and you listen to it all day long You've taped every episode of FRIENDS since the very first one, and watch the tapes continually You refuse to drink any beverage (especially coffee/tea) if it isn't served in one of the cups like the ones they have at Central Perk You actually get these jokes and pass them on to other friends who are addicted to Friends.

Get Your Own Addicted Meme Here



More cool things for your blog at
Blogthings

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For the past couple of nights we've been revisiting the 10 year strecth of Friends, courtesy of my friend's dvd collection. I must say, numbers #3, #4, #9 and #10 apply to me. (Ack! must have a better social life!!!) hehhehe.

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Weekend what-have-yous

The weekend has been one long feast.

Friday saw us having dinner at our now-favourite resto Bellini's (again!) with the Fullbright peeps as well as the IC crew, where we had a taste of the best italian food in the metro (Bellini's is located at The Markina Shoe Expo in Cubao, Q.C.) Topped the dinner off with some of their fabulous gelato (tiramisu rocks!) then headed out to Big Sky Mind to listen to some excellent Pinoy music courtesy of Itchyworms, Pedicab and some more bands (i forgot, but there was around 4 bands that night). Got to hang with the jap boys (Hirosh and Ryu) as well as have some QT with my sweetie :-D

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Attended my first INC wedding last Sat with my sweetie. Ok, i'm really not that familiar with the ceremony since it is my first time, but i was impressed by their choir and proceedings. The ceremony was short, but it was pretty strict. Guys on the left, girls on the right, regardless which friend are you (bride's or groom's) I kinda felt bad we weren't able to sit together since he didn't know anybody there. The reception was pretty cool though. Held at the Filipinas Heritage Library, it was both romantic and at the same time groovy! :-D The grrom's band from Baguio played, giving us reggae renditions of Sinatra, 311 and some other groovy sounds. Of course, the bride was radiant in her fab hair, lovely gown and yes, tear-filled yes. :-) Congrats Em! :-D

+ + +

Sunday got us into the "workout" mode, where we hung out at the gym for a pre-brunch exercise. I miss the gym. After having that bout of sickeness the past week, i finally got to muster enough strength to go there! Hahaha. Then again, i must have procrastinated long enough... we ate at ---where else?--- Bellini's for lunch (the head waiter already know us!) and had the sunday semi-ritual of grocery shopping at Shopwise afterwards.

Dinner at Dre's with Manila and the crew --- started late, but we managed to consume enough food to feed a small village. Andre made pasta, Jason and I brought potato salad and Manila and Anton provided fruit salad for dessert. Jordan and Jo supplied us some lovely fruit cake (made by their mom) and some ice cream --- a lovely combination! :-) I will never eat fruit cake the same way again! :-D

It was great to just chill and hang out with friends -- a lovely way to top off a hectic week! :-)

instantnews

My sweetie's gonna rule the world, one inn at a time!

+ + +

this site is cool!

+ + +

this blog's composition is really beautiful.

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creepy.

+ + +

cutie!

+ + +

The weekend's here and i'm stumped on a design i shoulld have finished days ago. *sigh* I hate designer's block. This sucks big time. Can i allow myself some solitude with some books??? WAAAAH!!! I miss losing myself in a room full of books, all those pages ready to be read and ideas ready to be released! (ok, i'm stopping now. sheesh.)

I am waaay past my deadline for this. Ugh.

I am spamming the world with this!

I want to thank all of you who have taken the time and trouble to send me your darn chain letters over the
past year. Thank you for making me feel safe, secure, blessed, and wealthy.

Because of your concern...

I no longer can drink Coca Cola because it can remove toilet stains.

I no longer drink Pepsi or Dr Pepper since the people who make these products are atheists who refuse to put "Under God" on their cans.

I no longer drink anything out of a can because I will get sick from the rat feces and urine.

I no longer use Saran wrap in the microwave because it causes cancer.

I no longer check the coin return on pay phones because I could be pricked with a needle infected with AIDS.

I no longer use cancer-causing deodorants even though I smell like a water buffalo on a hot day.

I no longer go to shopping malls because someone will drug me with a perfume sample and rob me.

I no longer receive packages from UPS or FedEx since they are actually Al Qaeda in disguise.

I no longer shop at Target since they are French and don't support our American troops.

I no longer answer the phone because someone will ask me to dial a stupid number for which I will get the phone bill from hell with calls to Jamaica , Uganda, Singapore , and Uzbekistan .

I no longer eat pre-packaged foods because the estrogens they contain will turn me gay.

I no longer eat KFC because their chickens are actually horrible mutant freaks with no eyes or feathers.

I no longer date the opposite sex because they will take my kidneys and leave me taking a nap in a bathtub full of ice.

I no longer have any sneakers -- but that will change once I receive my free replacement pair from Nike.

I no longer buy expensive cookies from Neiman Marcus since I now have their recipe.

I no longer worry about my soul because I have 363,214 angels looking out for me and St Theresa's novena has
granted my every wish.

Thanks to you, I have learned that God only answers my prayers if I forward an email to seven of my friends
and make a wish within five minutes. (Jeeze, the BIBLE did not mention it works that way!)

I no longer have any savings because I gave it to a sick girl who is about to die in the hospital (for the
1,387,258th time).

I no longer have any money at all, but that will change once I receive the $15,000 that Microsoft and
AOL are sending me for participating in their special e-mail program.

Yes, I want to thank all of you soooooooo much for looking out for me!

I will now return the favor. If you don't send this e-mail to at least 1200 people in the next 60 seconds,
a large bird with diarrhea will crap on your head at 5:00 pm this afternoon and the fleas of a thousand
camels will infest your armpits.

I know this will occur because it actually happened to a friend of a friend of a friend's neighbor's cousin
twice removed.

daily grind

Things are definitely looking up.

Had a cuppa joe before heading to work with my sweetie -- a semi-ritual we try to do before doing the daily routine of work -- and got to hang and hold hands with him a bit (haha, mushy!!! PDA! eeeooow!)

Today i felt a little better -- i'm still having those coughs and colds, but i'm fine! Why? It's Thursday!!! Yehey! My workload looks a little bit lighter (though it's still early) and i'm scheduled for a jean shopping experience later with my sweetie at -- where else? -- Sta. Lucia Mall!

Yup, we have become avid LRT2 fans since we took our first ride there, and yes, Sta. Lucia is a destination he has come to love because A) It's near Uratex, the foam factory we love (the famed bed --- read a few blogs back), and B) Fitness First has opened its branch there (easier to go to than ABS or GH from Katipunan). Actually, he just needs to return the jeans he bought yesterday 'cos it's too baggy. hehehe. No matter. We will go jean shopping later! Yey!

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Yesterday we had our "mushy" dinner nights in Cubao. I took him to Bellini's, this somewhat quaint italian resto in the heart of Marikina Shoe Expo, Cubao. Going there, you would really think twice about heading on to the resto since the place is so--- let's just say retro 70's. Ever since the insurgence of makati-esque architecture in Cubao, the areas of the MSE has been well, kinda creepy to go to because of its dim lights and somewhat ill-reputed scenario. But hey, this is Bellini's we're talking about! I have fallen in love with its spectacular food and very ambiance-fille area since i steped into the place and tonight was no exception.

He loved it. No question about it. The food -- thin crust pizza with tuna, artichokes, olives and arugula, and risotto with mixed seafoods -- was unquestionably amazing. (Yes, i am a food lover! i can go on and on and on...heheh) We vowed to go back here very soon! Best italian he ever had since coming here, he mentioned. :-) Yey!

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To top off our dinner, we headed out to Big Sky Mind for some drinks and music. Sadly, we arrived to silence (bands were playing on a friday, much to our dismay) and an exhibit from some artists. I'm no critic, but i didn't really feel what they exhibited much. *sigh* Sadly, it reminded us of a high school art project gone awry. Oh well. We did however, got to hang and chill out to some fab 90's music which took us down memory lane (i canNOT believe most of this is now part of MTV Classics!!!). heheh. After a while, we just headed back home to check out 711 and watch vcds.

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Today is the 60th Anniversary of the Battle of Manila! Happy Liberation day! (Kinda makes the whole Corregidor trip timely, huh?) :-)

gigs and more blahs....

Death Cab Cutie has generously linked me up these gigs, among which are on my prio list:

Feb.10- Brave New Waves @ Saguijo Cafe, Guijo St., Makati, 9pm
Orange n Lemons
Popular Days
Sleepyheads
The Pin-Up Girls

Feb.26- 9th Annual Benefit Concert for Dumagat of Dupinga Watershed @ 70's Bistro, Anonas, QC, 7pm
Joey Ayala
Bayang Barrios
Carol Bello of Pinikpikan
Cambio
Imago
Jeepney Joyride
Ciudad
Orange and Lemons
Narda
Romeo Lee and the Brown Briefs
Sunflower Day Camp
Shuffle Union
Reefer
Steadymovinbeat
(Entrance at P150 with free drink )

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Link-hopping has led me to check out some pretty awesome sites for Filipino indie music and the like--- worthy of your surfing time and listening ears --- like this and has gotten me semi-transfixed reading film slob's blog. Hmmm. music and film? awwwryt! :-)

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tourists

tourists
Originally uploaded by bunnie_lette.

can we be any more cheesy? :-P

lette_at_corregidor

lette_at_corregidor
Originally uploaded by bunnie_lette.

Taken in Battery Way, this photo creepily reminds me of long-forgotten war shrines. The place used to be an ammo room.

dreams

I was, for some reason, at Jollibee, ordering fries. The girl at the counter wouldn't give me any, and wouldn't budge from her counter no matter how many times i asked her. Then i told her i had the last stone of whatever charm it was for fairies. She then had a shocked, almost scared look in her eyes and ran away from me.

I had no idea how this transition came about. So there i was, with that charm from the previous dream, and some guy tells me that it was supposed to be a special stone, and everytime i go out of and into my house. i should stamp my foot twice. He said i should check the bottom of my door to see if there are "people" outside or inside waiting for me.That of course, scared me shitless and for the rest of the dream i was freaked out (kinda). My room mates wouldn't leave the house for fear of stranger creatures taking them away.

transition three: i was walking into the woods with the charm on my neck (now a necklace!) and all of a sudden i was surrounded by fairies demanding i give it back to them. Of course, i wouldn't it was so pretty. They slashed my wrist. Amazingly it didn't hurt, but the blood flowed like a river, dripping hideously unto the ground. I just watched in awe. It didn't hurt. My ex (WTF!!?!) came rushing out of the forest, as did my current and started wiping the blood, to no avail. It soaked the cloth and bandages they were trying to sop it with. All i could do was watch.

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dahil sa progress bar...

You Are a Hunter Soul

You are driven and ambitious - totally self motiviated to succeed Actively working to acheive what you want, you are skillful in many areas. You are a natural predator with strong instincts ... and more than a little demanding. You are creative, energetic, and an extremely powerful force. An outdoors person, you like animals and relate to them better than people. You tend to have an explosive personality, but also a good sense of humor. People sometimes see you as arrogant or a know it all. You tend to be a bit of a loner, though you hate to be alone. Souls you are most compatible with: Seeker Soul and Peacemaker Soul

What Kind of Soul Are You?

monday blahs and sniffs

Just for the record, may sakit pa rin ako.

I am at work after, well, staying in to rest during last week's pre-weekend days. *Sigh* I am hoping that the flu will go away but alas, its sticky claws are still enveloping my throat. Sheesh.

But since my workload has been piling up, i had to come down the office. *sigh* times like these i wish i was portable too.

+ + +

I am grateful for the weekend though. It gave me time to rest, recuperate and spend some QT with my sweetie :-)

+ + +

Inscribed in chalk, Jolography is vivdly remembered.

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In one of our recent trips, we launched a "day trip to Corregidor". That meant waking up at the ungodly hour of 5am and waiting for the boat in CCP at 8am (we didn't have reservations for the boat ride). I had low expectations since i haven't had any notion on what to expect. What i thought to be a boring trip was actually, quite fun.

The idea of Corregidor that stuck in my brain since Grade school was that it was one of the islands where US and Japanese troops battled for Manila. Little did i know that this small tadpole of an island was one of the key locations in getting hold of not only Manila, but the US force in the Pacific. I found out about the wars fought by brave and fearless Filipinos who shed blood for the country. Going around the island, i can only imagine those days of endless smoke and cries of anguish as they endured the days and nights of battle.

I cannot say if i will go to the island again. But the history that was shown to me was quite a revelation, and made me well, proud to be in a country that was so rich in history and has overcome so many battle scars. :-)

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still sick part deux : plugging na lang muna

TOURS! TOURS! TOURS!
January - February Walking Tour Schedule!
Happy New Year! Kung Hei Fat Choy! and Happy Valentines!

CARLOS RECOMMENDS!
Philippine Islands, Images of a People 1860-1920
Vintage Photos from the John Silva Collection
WHERE: Silver Lens Gallery, 33C, South Tower, Pacific Plaza, Fort
Bonifacio,
Tel:
WHEN: Opening Party, January 13, Thu, 5:00pm to 8:00pm
Runs till February 25

Paolo Alcarazen, Lecture
"Streets of Manila and Urban Sprawl"
Lopez Memorial Museum
Benpres Building, Meralco Avenue, Ortigas Center
Saturday, 22 January, from 2-4 PM
(Admission P100).

Note: No CCP Tours in February

WALKABOUT - SPECIAL TOURS:
ALL THE WAY DOWN TO CHINATOWN!
Historical Tour of Binondo and San Nicolas
Rediscover Chinatown! Let's take a Saturday afternoon stroll and
together
we'll rediscover the charms of San Nicolas and Binondo. We'll ride a
horse
drawn coach and check out Plaza Calderon, Binondo Church, Jaboneros
Street,
Madrid Street, Zaragoza Street, Sevilla Street, Lavezares Street,
Ongpin
Street, and the Seng Guan Buddhist Shrine among others as we wander in
and
out of the buildings and alleyways of one of Manila's oldest districts.
Trip ends with visit to Far East Moon Cake Store and Salazar Bakery on
Ongpin Street. Meet at the portico in front of Binondo Church at
2:30PM.
Prepare Php200.00 each for the coach driver.
Pay-what-you-want. Tour is free. Donate an amount at your discretion.
Date:
January 16 - Sunday
February 20 - Sunday

THE REGULAR TOURS:
MARTIAL ARTS!
Walking Tour of the Historic Cultural Center of the Philippines
Complex.
Take note of new starting time!
Its a tour all about the Philippines in the 1970?s and the tumultous
era of
Martial Law, 18 inch bell-bottoms, and Miss Universe. Its a little bit
disco, a little bit New Society, and completely Imeldific. So come take
a
trippy trip through National Artist for Architecture Leandro Locsins
finest
buildings as we analyze one of the most exciting periods in Philippine
history.
Meet at the at the Figaro Coffee Shop beside the CCP at 1:00PM.
Please prepare entrance fee to the PICC and Coconut Palace.
Php30.00 - PICC
Php100.00 - Coconut Palace
Dates:
January 15 - Saturday

IF THESE WALLS COULD TALK!
Walking Tour of Historic Intramuros
Almost four years running now, its the most popular tour in the
selection
and a definite must for beginners in Philippine History. Take a
leisurely
afternoon walk along the 400 year old walls and take in a humorous
analysis
of Philippine art, culture, and society from the Pre-Hispanic and
Hispanic
periods. Ironically irreverent yet informative. Meet in front of Manila
Cathedral at 2:30PM
Please prepare entrance fees to the Casa Manila Museum.
Php 40.00 for adults
Php 15.00 for students.
Dates:
January 23 - Sunday
February 6 - Sunday

THE NORTH BANK
A Shopping Tour of Downtown Manila
Rizal Avenue and the Escolta was Manila's premier shopping district
until
the 1970's when the rise of Makati Commercial Center and the
construction of
the LRT somewhat diminished this distinction. Now part of Manila Mayor
Atienza's Urban Renewal Program, the area has been cleaned up and
rehabilitated as a pedestrian promenade. Most of its mid-20th century
historic charm remains and its still the cheapest place in Manila to
buy
shoes, hardware, appliances, clothes, sex gadgets, jewelery, pearls,
beauty
queen tiaras, voodoo potions, flowers, handicrafts, videos, and
electronics.
This tour of Manila's more fascinating shops will also be coupled with
a
side tour of Quiapo Church, the Bahay Nakpil Bautista, the Handicraft
Center
under the Quezon Bridge, and the Quiapo Mosque. Its a walking tour
heavy on
the walking part. Dress lightly and wear practical shoes. Meet in front
of
the Calvo Building (Wah Yuen Restaurant) on Escolta at 2:30PM
Dates:
January 22 - Saturday
February 5 - Saturday

REGULAR TOUR RATE:
Tour fees:
Php400.00 for adults
Php150.00 for students
Public school students and government employees go free.
Please call to reserve. The free slots are limited per tour.

PRIVATE TOUR RATES:
For a group of 5 pax or less (Php600.00 each person) - full fare of
Php3000.00 for less than 5.
6 to 10 pax (Php550.00 each person)
11 - 15 pax (Php500.00 each person)
16 - 20 pax (Php450.00 each person)
21 - 25 pax (Php400.00 each person)
26 - above (Php350.00 each person)
PRIVATE STUDENT TOUR RATE:
Php150.00 (Minimum group of 25 pax)

Its best to call and check if there are private tours already scheduled
for
the week. Sometimes you may join those tours and its cheaper than
booking a
private tour just for yourself.

For all reservations, directions, or inquiries:
Email: celdrantours@hotmail.com
Text: 0 926 2597506 to reserve
Phone: 671-7726

still sick

Pare, wasted nako.

I am still sick. Managed to do a couple of chores, get some rest (40 minute nap?) and yep, was even able to fix a printing problem through the phone sometime today.

I cannot fathom why there would still be some people who would bother you when you are sick. After all, the main objective of staying home would be to rest (a.k.a, not work). Oh well. *sigh* It's partly my fault. I cannot bear the thought of turning off my phone, since it will cut me off not just from work, but from everybody else as well. I tried doing that yesterday but ended up having more than 30 delayed messages and about 10 missed calls (3 from family, the rest from work). I tell ya, it's harder to keep on erasing those messages than it is just receiving them on time and erasing them as they come in.

I hope i can muster enough strength to go back to work tomorrow --- as far as the workload goes, it'll be a pile of papers when i get back. Sheesh.

+ + +
(a short plug for those in the area and are bitten by the art bug!)

Artist-Guided Tour with Brenda Fajardo
February 8, Tuesday, 2-4 pm
Fee: P100

Wouldn’t you like to hear things straight from the
horse’s mouth? While Luna, Hidalgo and the rest of the
artists featured in “A Rough Sketch: Initial Musings”
would be unable to personally speak, their works will
do so in their stead. Dr. Brenda Fajardo on February
9 will give a guided tour of the exhibition to help
these works speak to viewers. A painter, stage
designer, and teacher, Dr Fajardo will enable the
viewers to understand and appreciate the studies and
sketches of the featured artists. Fee is P100 (Limited
slots). Participants are asked to bring either
charcoal pencil and white pencil or black and white
contè crayon, and a brush for the activity. Dr Brenda
Fajardo received her MA in arts education at the
University of Wisonsin. She is founding member of the
Philippine Art Educators Association and the
KASIBULAN. She is a 1992 Thirteen Artist awardee of
the Cultural Center of the Philippines.

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random thoughts when you're sick

I am living for moments.
I cherish every moment that i still have with you.
I look forward to the moments that i will share with you.

+ + +

I am sick. Flu hasn't been kind to me --watery eyes, clogged nose, the pale face --- but when you're sick and someone tells you that you are beautiful, you know the someone is special. :-) I am happy even though my body aches and my joints cry out in pain.

+ + +

I wish i can bottle up moments and drink them like an elixir whenever i feel blue. I want to remember every though, every word, every action and absorb them like water.

+ + +

7/11 Munchies at night and eggs for breakfast --- nothing beats a combination of food, cooking and watching Sopranos with you!

+ + +

I will never watch Sopranos (or the Family Guy) the same way again.

+ + +

girls are pretty, some more news and yes, other interesting reads for the day

this blog kicks ass!

+ + +

limpbwizit's solo movie adventure is pretty weird. (i'm thinking twice of watching at Podium tuloy)

+ + +

Watching the Sopranos, i never imagined that the stress of a crooked life can catch up with you. I was wrong. Not only that, actual circumstances depict such psychological pressure. Some news today kinda spooked me out.

+ + +

no scrubs

i am sick.kinda.

My sweetie's fever broke sometime last night, something i am really thankful for. He's been having the 24 (or should i say 48?) hour bug, and i think remnants of that has been transferred to me. My nose is clogged and my eyes have been watering. *sigh* Oh well. It's not a bad thing, actually. I guess i'm used to the fact that i have these every so often from stress and all the weather changes happening.

+ + +

Things have been quite hectic at work lately that after office i just head back home and try to get some rest. It's been fun, just hangin' around the house, watching Sopranos with him and eating dinner. It's funny, a couple of months back i would have rather killed myself than stay at home but these days i have a better time hangin at home than elsewhere. Hmmm... is this old age catching up with me? Yeah, right...hehhehe.

I love chillin' with my sweetie so much that i actually worry sometimes that we've been spending waaay too much time together we might feel some fading lovin'. So far, that hasn't happened (i'm glad) and i hope it never will. He's such a great guy to hang out it (insert mushy stuff here) and he's so smart (one of the many things i find sooo hot in a guy) and funny. (ok, i'll stop now)

+ + +

I don't want no scrubs, scrubs is a guy who won't get no love from me.... AARRGH!! Must..stop.. LSS.... *fumes* (thank God my sweetie ain't a scrub)

+ + +

tres marias

tres marias
Originally uploaded by bunnie_lette.

A much-delayed uploading of xmas pics! This was a pic taken by Mark, an officemate--- you can tell that we've been drinking. hahha!

Weekend what-have-yous

Saturday was spent at a kid's party in Pampanga --- Jason's officemate's baby girl celebrated her first b-day complete with lotsa food, balloons and well, everything else you can think of in a kid's party. We met up with Jason's pother officemates in SM Annex, who turned out to be pretty fun to hang with --- Iris, Helen, Lita and the rest were pretty great, and i had a blast hangin with Helen's niece and nephew (the kid promised he'd visit me that night donning his Batman costume, heheh). On the way back we had a short detour through Caloocan because we apparently took the wrong van (it was heading to the LRT1 terminal,not the LRT2 as we thought). Still twas good since we got to top off the afternoon with shakes from Cafe Bola and a vcd-fest of Sopranos. hehhee
+ + +

Had coffee and conversation with gal pals yesterday --- it was great to chat with them again! My friend Haydz, Herb and Char met up with me for several reasons: one, Char and I are currently working on a side project (translation thing), Haydz and I haven't seen each other for a looong time, and herb and i wanted to finally give each other our xmas gifts. hehhehe ...

+ + +

Kudos to my sweetie who got in one of his priority Universities! :-) I am so darn proud of him! (insert mushy compliments here) I love you! :-*

+ + +

and then some

So far, the beginning of this year has been proving that "good matras make good karmas".

I've been very skeptical last December on how my year will turn out. Keeping this new and well-somewhat uncharacteristic manner of being positive has, so far, proven to be beneficial and delightfully rewarding. Relationship-wise, things are going well, and the somewhat jittery experience of meeting the 'rents was fun. :-) Career-wise, things seem to be going smoothly, and extra perks have been going my way (yey!) I even got some side projects that are surprisingly right in my alley, so itr's pretty exciting to work on them. *big smiles!*

Sometimes i surprise myself with this bout of positive energy.

Of course, my inherent negativity tells me that things may take a turn for the worse later on, but right now i'm just happy that things are doin' fine.

+ + +

My friend Paolo is seriously scaring me with his articles in Psychicpants these days. Then again, i love scaring myself silly (call it self-inflicted pain). Hehehe.

+ + +

Feminists of the world, unite! The controversial speech by the Harvard University President drew some pretty strong reaction from the rest of the world --- i feel bad for him (he said he meant to be "provocative", not discriminating) but i still don't understand why he didn't consider the repercussions of his actions. :-P

my 15 seconds of online fame

Got an interesting review of my recent collaborative work my with my cousin. Hehehe, reading it, i can't help but think about Mitzy's interesting story. hahaha, they make me sound more than what i am :-P

JOLTS by Aurelio Lopez III (seen on sidebar) can be bought online through Samsdotpublishing.com

four purses and a mangosteen

A flurry of activity, we spent the last day of Jason's family trip in Manila hopping from one place to another. The girls (moi, Jenny,her mom, Mitzy and Melissa) shopped till we dropped, checking out Greenbelt and Greenhills while Jason and his dad spent QT playing golf in Intramuros.

We bought some bags (4 bags for Jason's mom) some shoes, jewelry and fruit (bought pomelos for Jason, while Jenny got her dad a mangosteen to try), all the while excitedly checking out the goods and gushing over our fantastic buys. Even Mitzy, who was sleepy earlier, got into excited mode when we went down Greenhills and shopped around. There's nothing like shopping, checking out fashion and hangin' out to bond 5 women in 50 minutes!

+ + +

Got some free lessons on spotting a fake designer bag from an original as well as what to take note of when buying imitation anything: check the stitching, see the fabric (or leather quality), and always, always have a catalogue (or get to know the real thing)!

+ + +

We regrouped in Cafea, the coffee shop next to Starbucks and made a quick tour around Intramuros, checking out the Manila Cathedral as well as the very interesting compound/museum/antique shop of San Luis. Hmm... the museum reminds me so much of my lola's house in Balasan. They even have an arinola hehehe. I am glad that some of the information i read from our reports on Intramuros still retained in my head --- some of the questions Jason's folks had weren't answered by the information materials that they had (hooray for Art History!) :-)

+ + +

Jason, his dad and i decided to take the lrt-mrt route going back to the hotel while the girls took a cab. It was fun to walk around, take a side trip to Luneta and get into the hub of the metro through commuting. It was quite hot taking the lrt (then again, this was the old one, and not properly maintained); thankfully, the mrt train was working properly so we didn't get to experience the inconvenience of the first ride. Jason's dad didn't seem to mind though, (i hope he enjoyed himself) which was pretty cool.

After a short intermission at the hotel, we ate dinner at North Park and had a nightcap of coffee and dessert at The Bean, exchanging stories and laughs. Mitzy told us about a really funny article they wrote of her in her hometown which was totally misconstrued and made-up (check it out here), while Jason and Melissa shared more of their fullbright stories.

+ + +

It was really great meeting and spending time with them. There are so many things and places i wish they would have seen and experienced, but i hope their three-day stay was fun and worthwhile. I am pretty happy to have finally met his parents and his sister (she's pretty cool, i must say!). Like i said, he's pretty lucky :-)

p.s. hope i can get to visit soon!

catching up

So far, things at work have been mellow (and i mean that in a good way!) so i decided to check out the net and revisit some of the sites/links i have been trying to maintain all these years.

My site, of course, has been poorly maintained (haven't touched it in years!) which is why seeing it again makes me cringe. (you be the judge, check it out) I have promised myself a million times that i will re-do it before the year ends but look-- another year starts and it's still the same look. hahahha. This year i really hope to make it through this time around.

Of course, there's my other page link in deviantart. After about 13 weeks, i finally updated something new to my gallery. Whoo-hoo!

That done, i blog and update my current blog (heheh). Hmm... all i need to do now is check my friendster and myspace accounts, then i'm all set! hahaha.

+ + +

Last night was a series of activities, all of which i enjoyed. Met up with several college friends for a small get-together for our friend River, who was going to the States on Firday. It was great to see familiar faces and well, catch up with the who and whats of the past few months.

River lives with her family outside the metro, so it was a rare occasion that we get to see her. She's really sweet, very nice and we share common interests, like bags, shoes and yes, even crushes. It was great to catch up with what she was doin' and hang out like we did in college (we were in the same org).

Had dinner and drinks with Jason and his family after that. They're really great, it's so easy to see now why Jason is such a great guy. His sister (very pretty and smart) is so fun to hang out with, and after only a couple of minutes of meeting them, i felt at ease, which was both surprising and overwhelming at the same time. We had dinner at Kitchen, and they tried out Coffee Bean after that. I was pleasantly surprised how well they adjusted to the whole Manila experience, considering the traffic, slight delay in their schedules and well, the new environment. Jason is really lucky :-)

+ + +

aumer & starbucks

aumer & starbucks
Originally uploaded by bunnie_lette.

Never mind that i work for their competitor. My cousin has been slaving ---make that sipping--- her way to get this thing. hheheh. I'm glad all that caffeine buzz is paying off. Maybe now she can go back to supporting the company i work for.

jitters

I'm meeting his parents today.

I don't really understand why it's such a big deal for me, but somehow it is. I mean, they're just his parents; then again, they're his parents. I really don't know if i can be chirpy and happy for the entire evening without freezing up, or as he says, "be coy".

Quite simply, i was never good at the "meet the parents" game.

My first ex and i never had to deal with it much, though i was always at their house, because we were friends first before anything developed into something more. Back then, i was not really that bothered about it, because well, it was just that. I like them and they (i'd like to think) also liked me, and we managed to get along fine.

My second ex's folks and i met only two times: one was a function which i sat with them at their table exchanging a few words for an hour or two (there was a show so we didn't really chat much) and two was the day before my ex left for the States. The day was spent having dinner (which was very informal and they pretty much were nice and quiet) and them leaving us to ourselves as we hung out with friends at his house.

The thing about this one is, they're i guess a little bit different. The culture/upbringing thing is quite an adjustment for me (and for them too, i'm sure), so i'm not really sure what to expect. Are they looking for an ex clone? Are they skeptical about our relationship? Do they think i'm nuts!? All questions, frustrating and unnerving pondering are making me into thins freakish mass of nerves. Sheesh. I'm getting all self-conscious. What if i make a complete ass of myself in front of them? *Sigh*

I know, i know. To wallow in this puddle of self-absorption is truly shallow and stupid. After all, it's just his parents. then again...

blah blah blah, you say. Yup.

I just hope that i won't screw things up.

+ + +

1.16.2005

Sunday na naman. Ilang beses nako nagpaplano ng weekend ko, pero lagi na lang paglinggo na parang nauubusan nako ng oras. Parang walang ako nagawa...*sigh*

+ + +

Watched the soft launch of CAQTU & Vanillafish last night. As usual, it started late (these are FA people, so it's no surprise) and well, the actual event went by so fast. Went there with Jason, Mitzy and Mary around 830, and we actually came in early. (the thing was supposed to start at 8) Oh well. Met the peeps (Kabbie, KItty, LA, Michael, Roo, Pika and the rest) and we basically hung out and check the clothing. Interesting... :-)

Hmmm. Too bad i didn't bring a cam. But then again, everybody else had one, so maybe i can ask someone to just send me a copy via email. hahha.

+ + +

I think Dads are officially overrated. My dad officially sucks. (a bit of a rant there)

+ + +

new year's

mel_n_me
Originally uploaded by bunnie_lette.

melissa and I hung out at this glitzy (albeit kinda ho-hum) party for new year's eve. We got tipsy over scandalously priced drinks, but we did get to enjoy dressing up, watching some amazing fireworks display, a musical trip dowen memory lane and yes, watching kids dance their ass off in the dance floor while their folks look on. hehehe.

mom_n_me

mom_n_me
Originally uploaded by bunnie_lette.

Blame it on my scanning, but the weird and wacky edge of this shot actually pleased me. Here's me and my momma smilin' pretty. People say we look exactly the same ( tama ba?)

This is one of the rare photos i have with my mom, since i don't get to see as much.

Lomo fever

aumer_n_me
Originally uploaded by bunnie_lette.

I never thought i would be back to being a shutterbug. But with my lomo, all i can think of is taking pictures, no matter how weird, wacky or normal the subject may be. Here are some pics of moi wth family and friends during the xmas break. ( bwahahaha!)

Apparently this is me and my cousin Aumer hammin' it up (note the ever-so-happy smiles -- we just had a laughfest with fellow cousins about christmas back in the day --hehe)

yahdi-yahdi-yadahs

it's funny how things get so complicated almost immediately.

Friendships are tricky things. One word or act and somehow things get blurry, words get more bitchy, then some drama sets in. Apologies seem to be unecessary, and at best, silent treatments are the best defense. *sigh* I am wondering how and when this will end. I hope that there will be an end to it. The funny thing is, you don't really know that you're already in the drama until you finally settle down and think, why the hell am i thinking about this soo much!!?!! And why the hell am i giving such a damn about it?!

+ + +

I am getting into a weird comfort zone that i am actually uneasy about it. Everything's fine...everything's ok... that's it. It's like the eye of a storm --- everything is quiet but outside there is chaos... i'm talking about the feeling you get when you realize that everything's ---argh--- normal and you aren't used to it. You know that somehow, something's gonna go wrong, but you have no idea when and how because everything's breezy.

Call me paranoid, but yeah, i do feel strangely funny about having a comfort zone. For the longest time my paranoia was (maybe it still is) my solace, my reality check on things going haywire in life that not feeling it these days gives me a feeling that i am A) dreaming, B) sleepwalking or C) just really really paranoid. Hahaha. I wish i can be more comfortable with myself in this state. Maybe i can pretend this is all a dream...

+ + +

I have a fondness for blogs, especially my friends'. It's my way of living vicariously (since i have very little time to go anywhere these days). Reading pao's adventures in Pasiklab makes me want to go there too.

I sympathize with fellow FruitLover's angst on everyday things which bother the heck out of you. Nicely said!

+ + +

Today i have vowed to malke a list of things i want to do/experience for this year. So here is my tentative list so far:

* surf again sometime soon
* earn and save money (10% of paycheck please!)
* travel
* get my visa
* learn a new sport/skill
* buy a new computer


(Btw, I'm selling my desktop computer --- interested parties, please contact me for details and specs).

+ + +

soft launch of CAQTU and Vanillafish

INVITE_ soft launch
Originally uploaded by bunnie_lette.

My friends are gonna launch their line of clothing tomorrow, 8pm at their place (JDV apartments, Tandang Sora, QC). If you have the time, check it out :-)

hangin'

Ok, i've been a happy bunnie these days. :-)

Can't complain, since spending time with my sweetie has been well, quite idyllic. I enjoy our moments of just hangin out, goofing around, be it as simple as a kiss on the shoulder while reading alongside each other, or exploring Marikina for a night (yup, we do that sort of thing).

One of our many adventures was to purchase a Uratex foam bed to replace his cot of a bed in the apartment. After getting it and arranging it in the room, he was all smiles, muttering to himself , "i should have done this months ago". Awwww. I can't help but feel goofy listening to him. hehehe.

Now we've checked out possible adventures out of town, to make most of his stay here (the impending doom still looms). His folks will be here in less than a week (both a thill and a wave of unease for me--- i'm not good at meeting the 'rents) and we've been making some skeletal plan on where to bring them, et al. Also, he plans to go to the famed Sagada, a 10-hour trip to the north (i have no idea if the trip will be worth that effort though) just so he can check out more of the countryside. As for moi, it may very well be a good time to finally go there, after much prodding from friends.

This is, after all, a year for new things.

+ + +

Speaking of new things and possible adventures, i hope that my personal adventure will soon come true. Here's to good vibes, best of luck and yes, possible futures outside my safety net!!! :-D

a break in the ice

i feel a weight has been lifted. I am the worst of the confrontation queens --- i have the worst timing, and when i am finally confronted, i forget what to say. I am glad though that we were able to clear out some things. Please do not think i do not love you --- after all, i feel like such a heel for being this selfish --- but i do want to know the whys and hows of this relationship. I am glad that we were able to talk aboutit, and me get it out of my head. Thank you for listening, and for understanding. I know that we are both adjusting, especially to this somewhat frail structure of a relationship. I am glad that for what it is, we are both happy. NO regrets!!!

I love you Sweetie

+ + +

blasts from the past

is it wrong to compare the past with the present? nowadays i can't help but think twice about what's happening with my life. This weekend has left me happy yet also brooding with questions i can't find answers for. Perhaps it's the fact that what i have right now isn't for a long-term thing. I can't help but regret that, more so that there is no guarantee whatsoever that this could have a possibility of having one.

Maybe i was just spoiled too much by my previous relationship. Rest assured, i love my sweetie. I guess I am saddened by the fact that unlike before, i am assured if not with time, with the actions that one shows me that i am loved, cared for and yes, appreciated. I don't mean to nitpick, after all, i have seen and felt my share of that these past months. Yet, somehow, i feel a certain negligence that i can't shake off, that this is all waning, even before it has to.

I miss the touchy-feely lambing, the sweetness that comes naturally from someone who enjoys your company, even when you're doing nothing. I miss the cute little notes, the baduy corny nonsensical things that comes from a guy who likes you a lot. The small things that are corny, the little acts of romanticism that somehow has become a thing of the past.

Am i merely paranoid? I can't shake it off... i wish i can just be like a guy and forget about it. I envy those who can easily change their emotions, or subdue them toa point that they feel nothing. I want that.

i find myself missing my ex again. *sigh*

+ + +

surfin' happy

My entire body is red, sore and aching.

Was out for the weekend for a beach trip with my sweetie and some friends. The weekend was a blast, to say the least. On an early saturday we piled up on a bus going to Zambales, which was about 4-5 hours (we had to move to another bus in Olongapo since the express already left). It was quite an experience for most of the people i was with (it was their first time to go to Zambales) but everybody was "coboy" enough to do it.

Memorable moments included the beachin' and tanning experience (complete with boisterous kids passing by and staring at our motley crew), "age of innocence" traditions (hunting, gathering and yes, fire-making), lazy day hangin', 'smores-making, star gazing and yes, first time surfing lessons!

We pretty much made use of the beach, tanning under the hot hot sun, reading, swimming and getting pounded by the waves, even making friends with local surfers. Hirosh and Jason gave us gals a free surfing lesson, which was quite fun. I managed to get on board and stay up a couple of times (yey!) despite the constant crashing, wipeouts and yes, occasional bump in the head by the boards (hahah) It was quitye invigorating to be able to finally "ride the waves".

vestiges of insecurity

Why is it that in the beginning of a new thing you are full of confidence that you swill in it, and once you are in what you perceive to be a comfort zone you suddenly are engulfed in a mass of insecurity you can't breathe?

I have always thought myself to be comfortable with everything, and being able to adapt easily to change. Unfortunately, nowadays i see myself a quivering mass of nerves, tagged along with the green-eyed monsters and some shadow of insecurity i can't seem to shake off. *sigh*

Why, do you ask? Again, i do not know. Perhaps it's the odd sensation of adjusting to life in the new year. Perhaps it's the fact that i can't seem to get myself together these days because i'm too worried about my future. Perhaps it's the fact that i am scared shitless of change, especially in my life.

I know that in the next couple of months, my life will drastically change because of certain decisions i will make on my career, my future. Where this will lead, i don't know. The fact that i don't know scares the shit out of me, and it doesn't help that try aas i might to make plans, i am not confident enough to handle it, let alone plan it.

+ + +

Yesterday was the exhibit of my roomie's dad at Megamall. We decided to check it out. It was a pretty amazing event, with Yuma's dad being so gracious by explaining to us the concept behind it and all. The Paradox of the box, which was pretty much the idea, was an idea which hit pretty close to home for me.

Everything is on a flat plane and it's up to you to make use of it, and/or get out of it. Sadly, when you get out of one, you get into another, one more box that is perceived by someone else.

I feel i am currently trying to get out of my own box and inadvertedly getting into another. By trying to "liberate" myself from my own box of limitations (set by myself), i get into another, set by either my folks, or people who know me.I feel like i'm in a tight schedule for decision making nowadays, planning my future before my expiration date of two months. I want to take my time, but i feel compelled to decide as soon as possible, lest i become useless... I feel so darn awkward now.

+ + +

Last night i was having dinner with some friends and they were talking about life like it was nothing. I can't help but feel envious on how easy it is for them to just take things like so. I recall thinking that way when i was a student, when i was just studying and making big dreams on what to do, where to go and not really caring about where my money will come from, or how i can survive. Working in the real world makes you jaded they say, and i guess i'm a living proof of that. Perhaps being "independent" makes you that way too. I feel so awkward that i am sitting amidst these idealistic people who know what to do with their lives and are so easy going about it while i am racked with the fear that my life may be dwindling away. I try to be more upbeat about it, but somehow i can't.

+ + +

With this massive indecision in me i feel small. I guess i'm writing this down to purge this emotion out from me, that hopefully once i read this i waill realize just how stupid i'm getting over something so... incoherent. :-(

+ + +

*sigh* I shouldn't complain. There are a lot more people who suffer from things worse than what i'm experiencing. I know that. Then why do i feel like crying now? :-(

faith renewed

Last night Jason's cellphone nearly got lost. We were on our way back to the apartment from dinner at Likha Diwa, and when we got there he started fumbling for his cellphone. We decided to retrace our steps, going back all the way to the restaurant and checking if we left it, and finally asked around the tricycle terminal hoping that the drivers found it somehow.

I have lost around 2 cellfones in my lifetime to become jaded and cynical about people. It was quite a feat for me to ask around for help, knowing in the back of my mind that people i ask help from would probably not give a damn. But the people i thought would be uncooperative in getting our cellfone back were the very ones who rallied around us, helping us out by giving us information on who the driver was, even offering to bring us to him for free. when i decided to call the cellfone, it was ringing but then it got turned off. Then, somebody answered. It was the driver of the tryke we got into. He was so nice and came back to the terminal as soon as he finished eating to return the cellfone back to us.

It was both a good surprise and a slap to my face when we finally got the phone back. Stupid me for judging and for jumping immediately to thinking that all people were bad. There is STILL some good in this world. My faith was renewed somehow, that things today aren't so bad, that people can still make a difference.

Perhaps last night was my sign from God that things are gonna be all right.

*To kuya Horly and the green tyke drivers of KnL, salamat!

Uratex and the search for the missing red ribbon

This is a pitstop from my adventure --- actually, this is lunch ,breakfast and merienda combined. Today i decided to go source out some ribbons and materials for a project for one of the restos we handle. Thinking it would be a breezse, i actuallt texted the opffice that i would be able to get back before lunch.

Ha. Fat chance. I actually thought i was back home, where everything can be done in less than an hour. Commuting from here to there in manila is like getting from say, manila to zambales. The traffic is so damn slow you can actually sleep and wake up after thirty minutes and see yourself a few meters away from where you were.:-P

Ok, if that wasn't enough, almost all the places i go to for ribbons ran out or are out of the darn ribbon i was looking for. How hard is it to find a 2 1/5" red ribbon?!?! Seriously!?! Well, i've gone to Kamuning, even as fas as Sta. Lucia and MArikina, but no ribbon. *sigh* My ever so nice sweetie was being dragged along for the ride, and since we were in the Marikina area, he decided to stop by Uratex to check out some foam. Yup, foam.

We've been trying to change the foam of the bed eversince he came back because he'd been complaining about how crappy his bed was. Anyhoo, this being an opportunity to check out new foam, we decided to go to the factory outlet of Uratex, where we were confronted with more than what we bargained for. All kinds of foam, from duratex tro permahard to those fancy schmancy foams, and all sorts of plastics too! Wow, this place is one of those places my mom would just love being in the entire day... all that foam and sponges were a little too much to take :-P

That done, i was back to my looking for the ribbon mode which still proving to be futile. Next stop? cubao. Hope i would get mugged while i'm there...

havin' some fun.... or not

Today is a day with mixed reviews.

I have recently sunk to my lowest depths so far since the new year started, and the most irritating thing about it is, i don't exactly know why. I have become nitpicky about my life, especially what comes after my so-called decisions for the new year. Yes, ladies and gents, i am going crazy.

To eradicate this self-imposed pain, i tried to sort out what i can do for the year (and do it i must, godammit!). I realize i want to:

-Travel
-either work or study abroad
-earn money to do the first two things mentioned
-be happy!!!

Ok, i am a pessimistic person. I have been and perhaps always will be. It is terrible of me to be this way especially since i have just started the year, and i am trying my damnest to get myself out of this rut. *sigh*.

First steps first: get my passport ok-ed. So far, no good news on that one (my schedule is tomorrow for processing since i lost the darn thing last year). Hopefully by the end of this month i'll have a new one yey! Secondly, make a plan of action for the rest of the year. I've taken my first steps in checking out possible areas where i can go to, and possibly study. There are a LOT of places and schools i can go to, and i was quite overwhelmed by the enornity of what i was about to tackle. Apparently, it's not as easy as i thout. Here i am, downloading forms and whathaveyous so i can see the possibilities in hard copy.

The third priority is my biggest challenge for now: where to get the dough for this adventure. My parents of course, cannot shoulder it since they have their own lives (and i, being a supposed employed person and responsible daughter, is supposed to be well-off enough to support myself on this) and i feel really weird asking for money from them. I am considering loans and perhaps grants, though for now i am not exactly sure where i can get these. I have also taken into consideration selling some of the items i own.... hmmm... not enough though....

Still, the action of doing so gave me a bit of a lift in my mood and for that i am glad, at least. :-P

+ + +

My sweetie's 'rents are coming to visit sometime this month. Oh, the excitement! Quite frankly, i am scared. I was never the gal to handle meeting the 'rents with cool and panache, so this piece of news sank in slowly. I hope they're ok. I hope i'm gonna be ok. *sigh*

+ + +

Speaking of 'rents, my folks will be here next week too, for some legal and personal issues. It'll be fun (?) to see them again, although i am wary too (the xmas break was well, interesting) of what will be in store. I miss the idea of parents. Nah, i jjst miss my parents, i think.

manic monday

It depresses me when i have a feeling of impending doom on certain things happening in my life --- you know the feeling, it's the emotion you can't shake of that something bad is bound to happen and you can't do anything to stop it. In this case, that unshakable dread has been haunting me since yesterday. Try as i can to not think about it, i do, and i hate it.

I hate feeling this way. This year is supposed to be a great year, and i feel horrible that i'm starting it with a dreadful outlook. I MUST think otherwise, else i go mad from all this. Yargh. If only there is a perma-happy pill that can make me forget the bad things and just focus on the good, a pill that can make me eternally happy no matter how much heartache i feel.

+ + +

i am hoping that this year will give me some answers, answers to questions which have been left out for some time now. I am hoping that this year will not end in heartache but continued love and happiness, of which brings life into my overcast existence. i am hoping that sooner or later i may find clarity in what i truly want, what i truly enjoy, what i truly love in this world. Perhaps then i can really decide on what to do...

+ + +

How can i make a difference when i am left an empty shell of disillusion? How can i aspire to change things when i have very little hope in me? I cannot see the joy that is around me, for i am consumed by doubt and depression which continues to mock me in my dreams. I cannot fathom the idea of love when i see doubt in my source of love. I cannot muster enough happiness to conceal and repel the sadness i have within me...

+ + +

Happy New Year!

with Lette
Originally uploaded by psychicpants.

Got this photo from psychicpants' pao, when we met by accident at Seattle's a few minutes into 2005.

New Year's eve was not much of an event for me, though i did get to see some amazing fireworks, drink a lotta booze and yep, smoke my lungs out with a gal pal. :-) Oh yeah. that, and top it off with some coffee, chips and Connie and Carla.hehhee.