We're Going on a Cruise!

Our team's going onboard SuperStar Virgo! From the Singapore hub on Sunday, we sail overnight to Penang, MY, stay there for 8 hours, leave for Phuket, TH, have fun in the sun for 10 hours, then go back to Singapore. Super excited as this is my first time to go on a cruise! Woohoo!

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cheers! finally being able to watch American Idol Season 6 :o)
it's ok... if you were made to take on more work this year to "further develop your skills"... right, right?
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me wild hair

my hairdresser texted me today for 3 reasons:
1. asking how i'm doing --- specifically, how my hair is doing.
2. thanking me because 3 of my friends went to her to have their haircut (i wonder who?!)
3. asking me ever so subtley when i'm coming over for my long due cut

i have 2 things on my mind after this text:
1. wow, people actually listen to me when i recommend someone or someplace or something!
2. i seriously need a haircut!

my schedule's been as wild as my hair these days and i never seem to find time to squeeze in some quality time with my hairdresser. the fact that the salon closes at 7pm doesn't help much as i'm never done with work before 6pm.

that's why it's great to go to the beach sometimes. the wind, the sand, and the salty water are a bunch of great excuses for having such wild, bad hair hehehe!

speaking of the beach, 5 of my IBM-friends and I went to Puerto Galera over the weekend. in a desperate craving for lounging in the sun, snorkelling underwater and drinky under the stars, we decided to head of for a weekend there before we head off to Bora in April.

needless to say, we didn't do much but lounge in the sun, snorkel underwater, and go drinky under the stars :o) perfect weekend.

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cheers! for great weekends with great company
it's ok... not having the perfect beach body... yet! and that's a hard-core promise!!
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On Sleep

Funny that my first post for the year (my first post in over a month!) is about sleep. I guess that stems from my missing my bed so much the past weeks. Friends have been bugging me about my last post (it WAS getting old) but I just couldn't bring myself to write. Year-end at work was pretty light for me---thank God--except for the planning, budgeting and occasional last-minute to-dos. However, December, being the stressful month that it always has been, left me craving for more time to do everything that needs to be finished. It goes without saying that I dedicated a 100% of my free time with my bud when he came home for Christmas. And since I finished up my leaves when I visited him last May, I had to squeeze in gift-shopping, dinners and countless errands between my waking hours at work.

And so... the past weeks, I found myself almost bone-tired from the reunions, Christmas parties, brunches, 1-rounds and out-of-town trips. So tired that I barely had time to check personal emails, much less go blogging!

Well, actually, I never realized I was that tired until I had my first full 8 hours of sleep last Saturday. And I have been catching up on my zzzzz since then... :o)

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cheers! having the talk with my bud that pacified a lot of my fears
it's ok... to slack off sometimes in order to fuel up for another stream of busy, busy days!
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Bills, bills, bills!

Spent last weekend doing very adult stuff--- accounting expenses, paying bills and balancing my accounts! The OC in me tries hard to account for every peso is spent, but it's really challenging to do that sometimes... A glaring sign that I should start my monthly accounting is when my wallet has more receipts than cash :-P

This is what my desk looks like every month = utter chaos!


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cheers! getting closer and closer to touchdown!
it's ok... if you get home almost past midnight doing overtime.
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It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas!

The air is cooler in the evenings, the Christmas lights on trees are all aglow... and carols are played everywhere you go!

I love Christmas... and I particularly cannot wait to spend this one! :o)

Here's a pic of the breathtaking Christmas tree at the Waterfront Lahug.

And here I am molesting one of the drummer boy-slash-nutcracker-guarding-the-Christmas tree-kuno.
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cheers! for the 1st of the many fireworks display you will watch every weekend at the ATC after Sunday's Holy Mass!
it's ok... if you didn't catch up on your email today. Spending the weekend sleeping off the week's alcohol & head-splitting hangover is something you deserve!
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Back in the South

Back in Cebu! Only now I'm staying at the Waterfront in Lahug. Unluckily, I got one of those rooms that haven't been renovated yet... and all I can say is... I miss Marriott!!! My only consolation right now is the huge, gorgeous Christmas tree with the awesome decor at the lobby. Will take a pic of that and post it tomorrow :o)

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cheers! getting a text from a Business Partner appreciating the help you are extending to them
its' ok... if your hotel room surprisingly has no bathtub. The hot shower with the perfect temperature literally melted your stress away anyway.
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To Be Inspired

I watched my first inspirational concert by Gary V last Friday. Marje invited me to it watch with her and her friends from CCF. I then invited my friend-slash-officemate, Aleta. Somehow, I also found myself nearly dragging Kris and his SO, Arvin, to go too. I totally forgot to include my sister, who's the biggest Gary V fan of all, to get that one extra ticket -- then it turned out she was busy that night after all (whew! bye-bye, thoughtless-big-sister-guilt!).

For 3 hours, we were touched, inspired and taken with each of Gary V's songs. His introductions to each song were equally moving. I find the way he shared the 'Word' to every one of the 5,000 people watching him to be refreshing and far from being preachy and self-righteous. He invites rather than forces you to have a better your relationship with Him (lest you miss salvation and perish in Hell for all eternity!)

His humility, his sincerity and his quiet but strong belief of God's love for him is evident in his songs and even his relationships with the rest of the members of his family. He would frequently mention his wife, his dad and even his in-laws in his intro-sharings.

Paolo, his eldest son, is the lead singer of this rock band, Salamin. While father and son do not share the same taste in music, they do reflect the same messages in their songs (yes, Paolo would sing about praises, healing and moving mountains in his too-noisy-for-the-oldies rock songs!). And to prove that they both respect each other's music, they shared the stage at one point to sing, "Open the Eyes of My Heart". Very pop-rock. Very wholesome.

And who could forget Gabriel, the second son who can dance up a storm, just like Gary? He was called on stage to dance with his dad more than a couple of times, to the delight of screaming female teenagers -- myself included. Be still my heart!

We left St. Francis Square with hungry, growling stomachs but with hearts full of inspiration and joy. (Cheesy, but true!)

Save Room

I love this song by John Legend. It's amazing, sexy and I never get tired of listening to it :o)

Random Echoes

"A good leader is a guy who can step on your toes without messing up your shine."

-- John C. Maxwell, Leadership 101

In IBM, being a people manager is taken very seriously. Not everyone who leads a team is considered one. They tell us we have to be a good leader first and foremost. And each of us, with or without the title is expected to be one-- whether in leading a project team, an ad hoc team, or just simply chairing an important meeting with attendees from different Business Units.

A leader is like the wind that blows the ship towards the right direction or the waves that carry the vessel to shore. Good leaders, I'm beginning to fully understand, can never create waves big enough to make a difference if they are worried about pleasing everyone. At the same time, the wind they blow must not be too strong that they trouble the ship and cause it instead to sink.

Now It Can Be Told

My claim to fame: being featured in People at Speed in last month's issue of the Speed Magazine. Uuuy... kunwari credible!

The only problem was that the biggest picture in that spread was a picture taken during one of IBM's press cons 2 years ago. All sweaty after a karting race, I was also some 10 pounds heavier & a couple of inches wider. It wasn't all that flattering and needless to say, I didn't hear the end of it from my colleagues at work. (Yes, complete with photocopies of the spread posted in cubicles and everything!) Nyahaha!

At least Manny picked a better pic to post on the website... so he's been forgiven :o)

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cheers! for being the closest thing to becoming a celebrity
it's ok... to once in a while be overly concerned about your vanity!
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Highway Driving

I drove alone from my house to Canyon Woods, Tagaytay Thursday morning for a Business Partner event. Canyon Woods is so far up that it already sits at the border of Nasugbu, Batangas. It's a good thing I relish the pleasure (or the pain?!) of my own company that I actually didn't mind the long drive. It was just me, the radio (my car, Stitch, doesn't even have a CD-player installed, hehe), the occassional phone calls and the crazy, random thoughts swirling in and out of my head.

I love long drives--- be it with my bud, my family or a group of crazy friends. There's a different kind of bonding that happens when you all get stuck in a car for hours on end. You talk about things from the deep to the inane, make up hilarious games, take trips down the memory lane and sing to your hearts' content.

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One of the long drives I want to do in the future is Big Sur Drive. The US Highway 1 drive boasts of one of the most scenic routes in the world. I hear the landscapes, the sunrises and the dramatic coastlines are simply breathtaking.

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I took one of those blog things again the other day. Do You Drive Like A Guy or a Girl? Friends are not surprised, for sure, hahaha.

I miss Speedzone!

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cheers! finally announcing an exciting new program you've been working on for a month now.
it's ok... if you smoked your first yosi since high school.
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Kodak Happy

As if we've been camera-deprived the past years, our little once-every-6-years-decent-looking group were taking countless pictures before, during and after Giselle & Jin's wedding!
Ok, so Liz wasn't THAT decent-looking in this pic. Let's try again:

I'm not sure where Hester Bester is planning to go in this pic, but it's a nice one, just the same ;-)

They had a butterfly release when the bridge and groom walked into the reception ballroom. My butterfly didn't take off, allowing me to take a picture of this beautiful creature.

Changing Lives

The best love is the kind that awakens the soul and makes us reach for more, that plants a fire in our hearts and brings peace to our minds. And that’s what you’ve given me. That’s what I’d hoped to give to you forever. --- Noah, The Notebook

Wow.

Ok, forgive me for getting all mushy and corny. I just finished watching The Notebook (yet again!) a week after my good friend, Giselle, got married to her very own chinky-eyed teddy bear. There’s nothing like seeing two people clearly in love & happy with each other.

It always gets me teary-eyed whenever I witness the Great Handover. You know, that moment when the parents of the bride turn over their daughter to the man she will marry. It says so many things, don't you think? Those last few steps towards the altar with parents of the bride on either side of her... that last hug they give their daughter before she turns her back and takes that first step towards a life of her own... that look they give their "new son" that says everything (here is our baby, we are giving her to you, take care of her)... and then... that instant when the bride and the groom's eyes finally meet as if for the very first time.

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Everyone got all dressed for this special occassion. I was part of the entourage, so I had clearly no choice! But gosh, most of the boys looked half-decent in their barongs (Vyke, ever stylish in black!) and the girls with their pretty dresses and stylish hair & make up. Even Liz-- oh horrors-- was in a dress, pearls and had make-up on! Whoohoo! (photo taken from Liz's cam)

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Funny how things are changing… friends moving out of the country, moving up corporate ladders, pursuing life-long dreams, getting engaged, getting married, having kids… Oh, how we sometimes catch ourselves pretending that we know what’s coming when most of the time, we actually… just wing it.

Someone wise once said that when you get better, the game only gets bigger. It’s in human nature to push ourselves everyday to seek new challenges. It will always be about looking forward and taking “the next step”. We know we will be less spoiled when we leave Manila for “a better life” in another country. We know the risks involved when you leave everything behind to pursue THAT dream. We know having more influence and responsibility at work means bigger headaches and longer hours. We know having kids will be expensive. We know the hardships and nerve-wracking challenges of married life.

But we dive in anyway. Why do we do that? Are we just being masochistic? Are we in denial? Or simply because --- we go back to the premise of these questions --- we are human. You dare not let yourself live without welcoming these challenges, risks, heartaches, and pains. Because without these hardships, there is no fulfillment, no bigger dream, no joy, no love, no life.

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cheers! seeing the Maras today, having a noisy lunch and a restful afternoon
it's ok... if things are not smooth-sailing. It's just a bump and it will pass.
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I was a complete slacker today. I was looking forward to this no-work holiday to catch up on my emails and clean up my desktop. I was even looking forward to listing down my expenses, doing my bills & balancing my accounts. I planned for a long craved-for massage in the afternoon. And what did I do? Surfed the internet, went blog-hopping, stuffed myself with junk food and watched 12 episodes of Grey's Anatomy.

As I said, not a single to-do checked today. Oh my.

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cheers! at least you were able to change your bedsheets!
it's ok... to give in to the temptation of a no-brains-required-day
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Catching Up

Whoa, it's been more than a week since I last posted something in here. So many things have happened the past days.. but for some weird reason, I found myself with with too many thoughts and things to express that I simply... just. got. stuck.

Hmm.. where do I begin? Ahhh... seeing that my last post was about Davao, it would just be right for me to talk a little bit more about my trip to the land of ---here I go swooning again--- the divine durian!

Liz and I spent 4 full days just stuffing ourselves with MSG-rich junk, fresh seafood, durian, pomelo, salads, a little bit of good 'ol American junk food and more seafood! We spent the rest of the stay going to this wonderful gym called Holiday Spa & Fitness Centre (PhP150 for a day, unlimited use!). It boasts of a badminton court, a swimming pool, a jogging track, first-class gym equipment, a boxing ring and an impressive dance studio. Not bad for PhP 150 a day, unlimited use... Not bad at all! We were in heaven for 2 afternoons trying desperately to burn off the calories from our countless gorging.

Lovin' Mistakes & Technology

Thanks to PLDT WeRoam, I'm able to connect my ThinkPad to the Internet and amuse-slash-entertain myself while waiting for Liz to arrive. The Go fare promo terms dictate that we are supposed to be checked-in 45 mins before the flight, otherwise, we run the risk of giving up our seat for someone on the waitlist. Well... it's 3:30 now and Liz is nowhere in sight. The good thing is, because we are holding identical e-tickets, I failed to mention during check-in that mine is not first name on the list. So the counter girl mistook me for Liz and checked her in before she realized her mistake. So now, I'm in the boarding area with the right pass and Liz's pass is waiting for her at the check-in counter. At the very least, Liz is assured that #1, her seat will not be given to someone on the waitlist and #2, she won't be left behind by the plane. At the very least, I won't find myself alone in Davao at 6:30 on a Thursday morning. Haha.

Yipee for mistakes we are more than happy to accomodate.

Dreaming of Durian

It's 12:14am and I've just finished packing for yet another trip to Davao. This time around though, I'm going there on vacation! I can finally visit the Philippine Eagle Center, the much talked about Eden Nature Park, go back for a day-trip to Pearl Farm Beach Resort and take a much-deserved (at least, in my selfish opinion) R&R.

Thanks to Cebu Pacific's Go Promos, travellers can now frequent Wow Philippines! *cheers*

I'm trying to just stay awake since my good friend Liz booked us for the 4:30am flight (excited ba?!). It will be pretty useless to go to sleep now if I have to get up a couple of hours from now anyway. I wrote about my favourite things about Davao in August (Wow Davao!), and all I can say is that even if this will be my third time this year to visit the place, I still cannot wait!

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cheers! finishing a comprehensive proposal for a Year Ender Program and getting the support of people who matter-- in opinion and financial backing!
it's ok... if you will not be able to go diving on this Davao trip since your diving buddy will not be making the trip. There will definitely be a next time.
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I Feel Like Dancing!

I love to dance. There's something so liberating about moving your body to music, no matter what genre. If you see a crazy woman driving a blue Civic and dancing behind the wheel, that's probably me (yeah yeah, I take that ol' 'dance like no one's watching' to heart!)

Genot and I were chatting about how guys who can move are sooo sexy. Give me a guy who grooves and I'd choose him over someone who can sing any day! No offense to those singers out there, but there is something undeniably attractive about someone who can really OWN the dancefloor.

I finally got to watch Step Up yesterday with my BFFs, Rica and Kris (more about them later). The story line left much to be desired but the dancing (oh, the dancing!) did not disappoint. Who cares if the girl, Nora (Jenna Dawan) wasn't all that pretty & interesting. To be partnered with someone as delicious as Tyler (Channing Tatum) was enough to make us wish we were her.

The movie started off with brilliantly choreographed segments contrasting ballet and hiphop. How interesting to see 2 very different styles merging and moving to the same beat and the same rhythm! It then shifted to a scene showing a hiphop party with Tyler himself dancing up a storm with some other guy's chick. YUMMY! Needless to say, he almost got himself killed when the boyfriend, in his jealous rage, pointed a gun to his face. Tyler, who, along with his 2 sidekicks, was obviously in need of some more excitement that night, that he decided to trash the Maryland School of the Arts. He got caught and got himself 200 hours of community service.

There in school, he meets Nora... and the rest... is an hour and a half of scene after scene of predictable & cliche-d conversations desperately wanting to be deep, but still lacking in impact. The wonderful and engaging dance routines, supported by a groovy soundtrack, save the movie. And we forgive Anne Flecher. She is, after all, a renowned choreographer more than a celebrated director.

I digress. So I'm going back to my original point, which is: Channing is gorgeous. And not because he has a cute mouth and a to-die-for body. But because the man CAN dance. Panty-peeler alert!

Okay. That's enough gushing.

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cheers! going back to my fitness routine by playing badminton and going to the gym *claps*
it's ok... if you are so tired that find yourself drifting off to sleep before you finish one blog entry (that it takes 2 nights to get a post up, haha!)
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photos taken from rottentomatoes.com

Cotton Candy Skies

On my way to Cebu, I woke up from my short nap and saw this wonderful sight outside my window...

It makes you want to dive into its soft folds and eat those cotton candy-like goodness!

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cheers! airport transfer drivers who are so passionate about their faith that they share their experiences with you on the drive to the airport.
it's ok... to be alone and harassed at times
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Of Tragedies & Hidden Blessings

I'm sitting in the living room of our Tita's house as I write this. I'm charging my cell phone, my PDA, my laptop and my camera all at the same time. And this is because, yes, my friends, more than 48 hours after the strongest typhoon to hit Manila in 11 years, we still do not have electricity. We came here to take our baths and get reacquainted with appliances that run on electrical power-- the TV, aircon, radio... and the REF! I'm getting ahead of myself. There were actually worst things that happened to us in the middle of Milenyo's rage. Everyone will have their story to tell and here's mine...

I wake up late Thursday morning in a panic. I remember there is a meeting set at 10:30am in the office, an hour’s drive away from our house. I glance at my phone and see a number of messages unread. One from Carlo asking if I’m going to work, another from an event manager advising that an IBM event is postponed, and then a series from IBM Security advising all IBMP employees to stay indoors and work from home due to the worsening weather. I say a quick prayer of thanks and go back to sleep.

At 9am, I stand up to answer a call from Lissa and hastily call Mon to make sure he goes home soon as the weather clears up. I roll my eyes realizing there is no electricity: so much for working at home.

I eat breakfast and take my time to go thru the paper. After all, there is not much to do, is there? At around this time, the wind is starting to give me the creeps. I hear a crash coming from the 2nd floor and see in dismay a framed painting I did back in high school lying on the hard bathroom floor, its glass broken. Darn, I say, additional expense!

I get a text from Carlo that Fay's X-Trail just got hit by a concrete block. It will be hours after I text her that I will receive a reply telling me she was actually in the vehicle when it happened. God was gracious as she is not hurt.

After breakfast, I chat with mom and lounge around. A few minutes later, I hear a loud roar – much like the sound of revving car engines. I wander towards the middle of our stairs and look up towards our huge glass window. The sound seems to be coming from there. Above me, the chandelier is swinging a little more than usual. I hope it doesn’t get broken by the wind, I pray. The wind is really angry for some reason!

My mom suddenly calls me downstairs to the AV room to show me something. I hesitate for a second, then walk towards the room. Less than 10 seconds later: we hear a deafening crash, shattering glass and the howling wind getting even louder. I quickly look out of the room and see our househelp, Marie, running towards the room with blood trickling down the side of her face and her hands. It turns out the whole frame of the cathedral window, all 15’x9’ of it (yes, it’s more than twice my height), surrendered to the strong winds and went crashing down on the stairs, hitting the banisters and breaking all its glass panels. The blow is so strong that the pressure shatters the wall window by the dining room --- more than 10 feet away from the bottom of the stairs.

The rain quickly enters our house, drenching our tiles and wooden, antique furniture.

We wait for some 15 agonizing minutes for the rain and the wind to quiet down. As we hit the eye of the storm, we quickly survey the damage and start cleaning up the incredible mess that this unfortunate incident brought. There is broken glass everywhere, from huge, plate-size ones to the miniscule, almost invisible, pieces. We collect almost 3 sacks-full of debris. The chandelier is broken and the window frame is grotesquely sitting across the banister, deadly, broken panes jutting out from its sides.

We incurred some PhP200K (roughly $3.8K) worth of damages as a result. I guess thinking about it, it would have been a small price to pay compared to what it would be had I stayed a few seconds longer on those stairs. People keep telling me my Guardian Angel was working overtime last Thursday. There is no doubt in my mind, and the thought overwhelms me every time I think about it.

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After a series of amateur pusoy games by candlelight, my sister, Paula, my brother, Ivan and I (my other sister, Kaye got herself stranded in her friend's house in Quezon City) went up to our roof deck that evening. We marveled at the incredible blackness of the night. Everywhere we looked there was complete darkness, save for some flickering candles in some neighbors' open windows.

It is true that after every storm the stars seem brighter and the skies clearer-- a cliché, but very true.

I woke up to a beautiful & breathtaking dawn the next morning.

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cheers! the sun after every storm!
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