a mail that could launch a thousand smiles

it's 2 am now, i know... but I just have to write this entry.

after and hour or so of packing, i decided to send krysse a picture from mimi's bday party.... and voila!!! right in front of me, finally, an email from someone so dear. i've been telling a couple of friends how i haven't heard from him in months and he never even sent a greeting on my bday. well, well, well.... he read my mind.

i am sooooo happy. i'm smiling even while writing this and i know i will continue to smile till my lips are tired.

to you, thanks. hell, u sure made my day!

will and grace..... wag wag wag

i am so thrilled!!! i rediscovered one of my all time fave tv series, Will and Grace! it is wickedly H-I-L-A-R-I-O-U-S. Will, Grace, Jack and Karen bombard their audiences with just nothing but top grade wit and sense of humor. This is my most favourite scene.

****
Jack and Karen's famous credit card scene...

Jack: acts like swiping the credit between Karen's boobs
Karen: 'Denied'
Jack: acts like swiping the credit between Karen's boobs (2nd time)
Karen: 'Denied'
Jack: acts like swiping the credit card 'in' Karen's butt
Karen: 'Approve!'
****

I recommend it to all of you. It's the perfect fill to an otherwise lousy evening or boring sunday.

i wanna be a dutch milkmaid

my colleagues and i were off to hunt for the best national costumes we could wear to our department's dinner to be held next week. i was actually thinking of donning a dutch milkmaid's costume. it wasn't a spur of the moment choice. for some time now i had always pictured myself in a milkmaid's dress: the detailed colourful top (preferably with something floral), apron, skirt, head scarf and wooden shoes! haha. i was prolly one in my past life. just imagine me in a dutch countryside, with of course a windmill in the background, milking cows. wait, how exactly could these women milk cows in these dresses? that's another story.

there were a gazillion of options: thai, filipino, spanish, mexican, egyptian, korean, japanese, chinese, and a whole lot more. mitch found herself this shiny goldish egyptian costume a.k.a cleopatra. marlon chose for himself the celtic look, the bagpipe is still missing though. odette, like me, is still looking for that perfect costume.

we were all astonished at how much rental for these clothes cost but heck we seldom get to dress up like this. this rare occurence justifies the amount.

i couldn't quite put my finger on the right costume. no eureka moment, special connection whatsoever. i want something bright and jolly! something that screams funky! blimey, the hunt is definitely not over yet. i still have exactly a week to pick out that fabulous costume! wish me luck!

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a pleasant surprise i found in the myriad of clothes and accessories was uncle sam's hat. yeap, that classic hat! ain't it cute? hmmm.....maybe an all american printed bikini and uncle sam's hat would make a perfect costume, watya reckon? =)

mah' men!

friends, lovers and countrymen..... let me introduce you to mah' men.



yummy happy meal! oooh-la-la!

and here is my IDEAL man...



i am utterly speechless!

*wink* *drool* *faint* *die*

after a long day's work...

...i wish i could be pampered with an aromatherapy massage
...i wish i could devour one pint of extremely good ice cream
...i wish i could down a 1L mug of Paulaner Weisbier
...i wish i could jet off to Maldives & spend the night there
...i wish i could empty my mind of the day's events
...i wish i could fly and feel so carefree
...i wish i could have a late night date with Brad Pitt
...i wish i could disapparate into Harry's or Alice's world
...i wish i could 'cuddle, cuddle' with someone special
...i wish someone would tickle my feet until i fall asleep
...i wish someone would give me a long soft wet kiss

stop...enough of this! i'm wondering off to neverland again.

but who wouldn't object to these after a gruelling day at work?

absolutely nobody.

vertigo: taking me to new heights

i've been on medical leave for two days now. vertigo attack again. this time the doctor has strongly advised me to take some R-E-S-T and drink my medication diligently. quoting him verbatim, 'i'm giving you everything, do your part: rest and fluids.' actually, i was very hesitant to take time off work coz i had a gazillion things to do. my doctor made me feel guilty by going on and on about how we should take care of our body and the repercussions if we don't. the last time i went to see a doctor about the same sickness, she didn't quite explain why i had it in the first place. she just prescribed meds that i ought to take. my newfound doctor explained the root cause of the sickness, i had a lot of fluid in my ears and my tonsils are swollen. i never even noticed these symptoms. anyways, i hope i feel better with all the meds he's prescribed me. i certainly hate waking up feeling like the room is swirling.

**********

last wednesday, i had dinner with uni peeps. we ate at Marche. twas my first time there. just loved the theme! we then headed to brotzeit afterwards. Drew had his 1L mug of german weisbier. the mug was just adorable. you see, i have this thing for beer glasses or mugs & mats. i started collecting them when i lived in poland. i have all kinds of sizes and shapes but..... i don't have any 1L mug yet! now i'm hell bent on adding that to my collection. brotzeit, beware a mug thief is on her way!!!! hehe.

**********

since i was 'resting' today, i decided to cook tuna pasta for lunch. it's been a loooong time since i last cooked pasta (the last was when I still lived in taman jurong). i did my laundry soon after and had a nice long relaxing shower! i really can't shake off the housewifey side of me. since i still had so much time on my hands, i asked my roomies if they wanted to stroll and picnic at east coast. it's literally just across the road from our condo complex. much to my surprise, our landlord had already taken the key for the private gate just right behind our block (we've asked him for months now). without the key, we had to go around the whole stretch of lagoon view and laguna park. this time it was only a 10-min stroll. thanks to clarence for making our east coast park visits so much easier. armed with books, shawls and gadgets we enjoyed the late afternoon picnic-ing by the beach, observing hundreds of NS men marching in the area (while also picking out, in Ruby's vocab, cute "kublai khan" descendents. in layman's term, cute chinese guys) , swapping stories and admiring the beautiful sunset.

**************

despite the vertigo problem... what a beautiful day it has been. i felt rejuvenated.

c'est la vie!

of little things that amuse oneself

it's getting late and i'm obviously still stuck in the office. HP, HP, HP.... it's about the only thing that's occupying my spacious brain right now. i'm extremely exhausted, but as the singaporeans would say, 'what to do lah? must work wat.' so here i am, typing away... the only temporary escape i have from the mundaneness of everyday worklife are these two brightly colored cartoon toys which i rightly placed under my monitor. power puff girl (i dunno which one of them exactly) and didi (from dexter's lab) never fail to amuse me in times of stress. mapet got them from McDonald's happy meal. since they look so adorable i couldn't resist to bring them as the artsy fartsy deco for my office desk. everytime i set my eyes on them, i am reminded that there is so much more outside work like taking delight in life's simple pleasures! i admit that i am a child at heart! it's not something to be embarassed about. it is one way of keeping my age at bay.

oh well, let me just get back to staring at my two li'l toys. i need my temporary stress relievers =)

true blooded pink sisters

only friends since birth can get away with these things...

well, just a background...i've been friends with these bratinellas since 'electric youth' was the in thing. it's inevitable to bond over pink uniforms and boys. and this year we are celebrating our 10th year anniversary since secondary school graduation! who would've thought that it's been 10 long years since we graced the four corners of lourdes' classrooms. from cdo to singapore and to wherever we will be 10 years from now.. =)



- laugh at you when you trip or fall, then help you out.
- curse right on your face
- make fun of you at your worst state
- reminisce about the same old stories with the same enthusiasm as it was first told
- remember all your grammatical mistakes & publish/ announce it as the next SOA (state of the nation address) or worse yet... immortalize it on a tombstone
- declare that your boy toy looks like a monkey or a tambay
- relives all your bloopers to the point of embarassment (and you can't even defend yourself)
- and of course, stick it out with you through thick and thin, near or far, happy or sad, famine or abundance. lol.

i guess this should be the motto when with them: no pretentions, you are your shitty self.

a tigidig weekend

i never knew horseback riding could be soooo much fun until i tried it last weekend. i discovered that i had a bit of an 'equestrienne' in me. needless to say, despite almost falling off the horse & getting sunburn, i managed to have heaps of fun! the countryside/ ranch setting, super yummy western meals and a wacky bunch of friends were the perfect icing on the top.

here's a peek at my tigidig weekend... maybe another one soon?!?

thank you.

5-4-3-2-1! i'll be celebrating my 26th birthday when the clock strikes 12. i can't say i'm overjoyed for this occasion, but, so much THANKFUL nonetheless. so here goes my long list:

Thank you..

.. for my family despite the difficulties we're experiencing right now.
.. for my friends who have always been there through life's ups and downs.
.. for my jobs and the things i'm continuing to learn from them.
.. for the experiences, crazy or mundane, coz they have made me become a better person.
.. for the heartaches that made me realize i'm capable of loving.
.. for the opportunities that life always offers me.
.. for the things that i have and the places i've visited.
.. for the food that i eat, the air that i breathe, and the water that i drink.
.. for the people who have touched my life in one way or another.
.. for nature and all its bounty.
.. and for LIFE; ces't la vie!

to the Almighty G, muchos gracias, for the countless blessings you've showered upon me.

*********************************************************

since i'm growing older, it is also an opportunity to achieve more and improve on several aspects of my life...

.. be more patient
.. be more thankful for life's simple pleasures
.. to always strive to be happy wherever i'm at or in whatever i'm doing (happiness is a state of mind after all)
.. be more human
.. be more free spirited
.. be more loving
.. be more wise and open minded
.. be sexier, haha! (it is also a state of mind, aye!)
.. be healthier in my choice of food and lifestyle (includes quitting ill habits)
.. be more positive
.. be more thoughtful
.. be financially stable

******************************************************

I am who I am, take it or leave it! =)

I also want to take this time to say 'I LOVE YOU' to the people who matter most. I may not be the perfect daughter, sister or friend but I'll always strive to be one.

******************************************************

Again, THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart! =)

what my girlfriends are like

oona: give away smiles and motherly
mapet: brilliant jokes and smart alecks
krysse: mood swings and unconditional love
bea: maarte facade and wife material
mimi: childlike fervor and events planner
claire: kind hearted and all time companion
weaw: crazy and bold
sauky: level headed and practical
sam: blunt and generous
bing: oriental fascination and fellow mangkay club member
lina: conservative and distinct laugh
rona: globe trotter and a walking wikipedia
janice: prim and proper
deux: party animal and determined
jane: hippie at heart and musically inclined
drea: devoted mother and fun loving
maya: innocent and family oriented


needless to say, im so blessed to be surrounded by my lovely friends. i wouldn't mind being single at all. you girls will just have to expect me at your doorstep once in a while.

that elusive thing called love

i was busy buzzing at the alfresco area of starbucks when i overheard this conversation from two lady customers. just to make it clear, i didn't mean to eavesdrop it's just that my radar immediately picked it up coz its relevant to me.

lady A: Hay, ano na kaya future natin? (What is our future?) -- I am assuming she's referring to their future in the realm of love.

lady X: Sa edad na'to dapat nasa isang stable relationship na tayo. (At this age, we should already be in a stable relationship.) -- Of course, referring to a stable romantic relationship.

**********

i have to admit that when one goes beyond the age of 25, being in a relationship & probably engaged, suddenly becomes the only existential state available to women as dictated by societal norms. what happens to the rest of us who don't fall under that category? i guess all of you, 25 & beyond single women, know the answer. i mean, its not about the getting married part but rather finding who to marry. if it were that simple, all of us would have been married by now. at this age when the most eligible guy you meet on the street is either gay or attached, the hope of finding mr. right becomes more & more excruciating. however, this is no reason to become a cynic at love.... love happens when it ought to be.

what if..

..i could stop time
..i could finish one whole pack of MARS chocolate
..i can just sleep at 10pm pronto
..i had the perfect abs
..i had a superman
..i have more money
..i could just disappear anytime (ala Jumper style)
..i could just slap people i hate
..i wouldn't have to worry about exorbitant phone bills
..all my closest friends live next door

i wouldn't be surprised if i came up with something like this in the future. these are only my what ifs for the day.

mumbles, frumbles and whatever-bles

i've always adhered to this thing that whatever happens on a monday sets your mood for the rest of the week. i got off to a pretty bad start this week. monday was an EMO day (i dont wanna elaborate on this) plus i started to take over my new job description. my JD spells P-R-E-S-S-U-R-E! i had to immediately plan my strategy and come up with measurable goals after an hour. the next day, i was 30 mins late for work. kudos to my ignorance, the city has started to implement all road blockages, detours and re-routes in preparation for the weekend's F1 race. it was the first time i got stuck in really bad traffic; reminded me so much of manila. so i had to hastily find the nearest mrt stop, switch to another mode of transport and sprint to my office in 5 mins or less. it sure brought out my best brisk walking skills! i made a conscious effort to beat the odds on wednesday so i decided to avoid all F1 hooha and just take the mrt all the way from bedok (my normal route to work is via a 50-minute bus ride; door-to-door delivery). but alas! luck was still not on my side. when i got out of the station, it was raining like mad. no umbrella at hand & determined not to arrive late at work, I braved the strong rain, sprinted and reached the office completely drenched. it suddenly felt like winter in the office. by some twist of fate, i managed to arrive at work 15 mins early on thursday. i even had time to grab breakfast at burger king (been craving for it since last week). Friday saw some heavy rainshowers; like an armed soldier, i was equipped with an umbrella. this time around, only my shoes got a rain bath. =)

*************
--written on the 1st of October--

see, i can't even finish my entry earlier. it's almost irrelevant. im just gonna post it anyways. THIS week is extremely hectic for me, gotta switch back to my **Superwoman** mode. Oh yeah, i need a name and a tag line, most superheroes have it...so must i. =) Suggestions are very much welcome.

*************

accchhhhhh..!!! i cant un-italize this 'Friday saw some heavy rainshowers but like an armed soldier i was already equipped with an umbrella.' ---

a few hours after... i was able to work my magic. patience is the key.

*************

i'm blabbering shit, obviously. i better get some much needed SLEEP.

Na razie.

random thoughts for the day

why am i always speechless when i'm around a guy i like? i need to grow up.

maxi dresses are for sleeping.

friends come and go, but the good ones stick around no matter what.

panic leads you nowhere.

blood is thicker than water.

i am not perfect.

good friend + good food + trivial conversations = perfect combination.

the world is nasty, you gotta learn to be tough.

let go of bad vibes. positive begets positive.

you'll never get tired of listening to the same old shit from gs & hs.

home is where the heart is. where's my heart then?

lunch is best topped with endless teasing.

'inspirations' make life sunnier at work.

it's hard to get over someone who was never yours in the first place.

trulily = as in.

friday faux pas

something is definitely wrong when one is stuck at home on a fruh-day. i'm sitting here in front of my lappy top trying to decide which series to watch. it ain't an easy choice, after all, i've practically ravaged tvshack.net or movie.nabolister.com for all sorts of movies & series. i don't do much with the internet. call me boring but the only sites i surf are people, cnn, or networking sites. i'm not a huge fan of google or wiki either. on such a boring friday night, i can't help but walk down memory lane. well, let's just say during my hay days, i'd definitely be out there either discovering a new place, partying, watching a movie, getting drunk or just hanging out somewhere with friends. as one grows older, this will be reduced to either a tête–à–tête over coffee, transforming into a couch potato, or blind dialling any available number in the phone list. i still refuse to call myself an oldie (argh, im turning 26 next month!). i'd just regard this phase as my hibernation period. one of these days, i'll get back on the horse.... a little less crazy & wild though. ;) --- oh, i forgot to mention the fact that i'm broke to the nth level. i can't wait for payday to come! --- well, that's prolly the reason why i'm stuck at home! lol.

rona's pandora box

oona bonana, as i fondly call her, is the epitome of a drama queen. gazillions of her famous lines have been engraved in our memories.. -- i might like him *** or i need you ***** to mention a few. right now, we call her the 'give away' girl. mapet is even saying she will be the give away souvenir on her wedding day. why 'give away'? well, she just can't hide that perfect kilig smile when she sees her fruit platter; basically giving the full head lights that yeah, 'i like u bunny!' she might as well tell him, 'take all of me.' at bedtime, we get a dose of her kilig moments and.... tinee winee bits of her pandora box. oona's pandora box contains *****. mapet and i have decided to just shoot each other (with matching hand gestures and sound effects) everytime she blurts something about the box. by everytime i mean every hour or so. we ain't left with any choice but listen. --love you Ons!-- to you girl! do what you want. follow your heart =) if everything else fails, there is still that fruit platter of your eyes. and we'll always be here to listen to stories of your pandora box! just forgive our actions...

What's in a Name?

Tagged by Mimi.. Here are my answers..

Rule: List all the names you were called by and the people who call you that. Tag at least 10 members of your contacts and give a comment on their site for them to know they've been tagged.

1. Karen - colleagues, acquaintances, friends
2. Karenina - Bea
3. Kar - closest friends
4. Kurds/Kurdaps - Mimi
5. Ren - childhood friends
6. Ding - family and cousins
7. Karedad - Ate Godiva
8. Kularb - Thai friends in Phang-nga & Phuket
9. Kalen - Thai students
10. Kataszyna - Polish friends

Tagging: Anyone.. :)

airports and memories

several of my friends & colleagues are flying back home this week. i can't help but reminisce about my own travels; airports to be specific. for some reason, i've always had this strange connection with airports.... goodbyes, hellos, adventures and what not. setting foot on any airport never fails to bring back waves of memories. you see, just everytime i go for a trip something almost always comes up. be it missing a flight (macau episode), immigration hoohas, excess luggage, electronic tickets, exit pass, arrival forms....any misfortune you could ever imagine has happened to me. but these experiences have never discouraged my viajera spirit. every time, i just expect something to happen... though i still try to cover the loopholes in my next travels.

there won't be any travel adventures for me anytime soon (like, till the end of the year). i think i've had enough of my travel fill in April (SG-BKK-Laos-BKK-Manila-Shanghai-Manila-CDO). no more random trips just coz promos abound. this time, i will be a more responsible vagabond (is there such a thing?) and i'm sooo over the backpacker lifestyle. hello 5-star hotels, kontiki tours and the sort. hehe. just kidding, something less gungho will do.

i'm excited to scratch that travel itch again, at the right time though.

my Starbucks escapade

I'm finally living out my B-A-R-I-S-T-A dream. Last July, I joined Starbucks - One Fullerton as a part time barista. Whew! It was one tough start. Well, I've never had any odd job experience and we're talking about the F&B industry here. Nonetheless, I am learning a lot of things (and enjoying it).... from mopping the floor, cleaning tables, manning the cash register, to of course making coffee! I also had my share of mishaps and bloopers: I sprinkled whipped cream all over the kitchen and myself, forgot to take the mats in after the night's closing, called out drinks wrongly, forgot orders, and other stupid blunders. Despite these and the fact that I'm measly paid, I still LOVE the job (well, at least for now). At the end of the day, I get that satisfaction I get nowhere else. And thats what matters.

To my amigos and amigas, keep on visiting. =) Come visit my 'third place.'