Cebu it!

first time to visit cebu ever... here are some things i will remember about cebu:

1. taxi cabs give you your change even if it's only 1.50 pesos! sows! dito parang kulang pa yung bayad mo nun! and, some cabs have their meters on the rearview mirror which takes me a while to look for it.. hehe

2. the enourmous pile of danguit and pusit and "tabuan" ba yun? that strong odor that sticks to me from head to toe, inside-out!

3. the magnificent borloloys! super cheap! variety is enless and prices are the best! borloloy attack. super cheap stuff are found in mactan shrine ba yun? um, robinson's mall (which by the way they call robi heehee), and a palenke at the back of cebu city hall. here are the stuff i bought from robai.. mga 1/3 ito ng lahat ng accessories na nabili ko for pasalu and moi...

4. TOP(S) - counterpart of antipolo in cebu. nice view! first time visitors get to ring the bell and make a wish. though it was a bit foggy that night, the view was still nice. .

5. the yummy food of chika-an, golden cowrie, dessert factory, cafe laguna, joe's chicken inato and parklane hotel buffet!

6.doni~ a local who has a shop in the prklane hotel lobby. she sells swim and lounge wear from the u.s. Designer at panalo ang mga material! you can bargain for the price if she's there and she'll give you a beany baby of your choice! i got a purple turtle! this is me looking over some good selections! (photo from pauline)

7. the nice places we visited..

8. and best of all, the people i've spent my trip with(ma'am sue, pauline, sir nick, and iris).. go team cebu!

dont judge me, i'm not a book....

looking at the book cover and title makes me a bit nervous. it's so dark and scarry.. not a good impression that good will win over evil. worse, there is a possiblity that this book can prove me wrong... i have always defended harry potter books... that it doesnt promote the devil and stuff since harry and "the order of the phoenix" always wins.. however after reading book 6 where dumbledor dies, parang hindi ata tama yun.. so i guess i have yet to determine that...

picture credits: www.mybetterending.com/.../harry-potter-book-7/

another divi trip

Of all the Divisoria trips i had, this must be the most difficult. iris and i had to go around almost all the areas to look for stuff to use in one of our events... bayani ito.. nevertheless, i still enjoyed going around and haggling for the best prices. went to areas i didnt usually go to and it was so hot, sticky and humid and the crowd was thick that day.

take a look at this street! my gulay! we also had this really nasty L300 pick us up na sobrang init ever!

i thought beads were only sold in quiapo coz that's where the girls i know get their stuff to sell as accessories. we saw a store full of wooden and plastic beads.. these were hanging really high!

tabora street had lots of native decors bags, hanging ornaments, and even raw materials like a yantok and these braided abaca thingamajig.. you can find almost anything here...couldnt get good pictures of all the stuff though.. baka ma-snatch ang akin phone.. wag naman..

my latest finds:

a goofy cel chain.. it's cute! his face on a yellow tsinelas. i like!

my bratz lunch box.. only for 100 pesos. they have strawberry shortcake, spongebob, etc.. i like this too!

the rest of the stuff we got were placed in the sako-bags... comes in different sizes. this one is about 30 by 20 inches for 40 pesoses

it'll be a while before i could go to divi again... which is a good thing. at least less shopping for me!

Kids Camp

last friday and saturday, Christ's Church in BF Homes sponsored a kids camp. since i had to work Fridays, i took a leave last sat to be one of the staff. aaaaaannddd.. i am the GAME MASTER!!! hehe.. during fun time, we played lots of games: sack race, bring me, trip to jerusalem, wacky worm, mathematical boat is sinking, relays, newspaper dance, etc. the games were pretty simple and traditional but the kids had so much fun! they didnt get tired at all kahit mejo yung mga teachers ay todo pawis na!

the camp was held inside the worship hall so kids didnt really go out under the sun. they had skits, arts and crafts, lectures on establishing their quiet time, Bible reading, and prayer. you'd be surprised how fast they learn.. then they were also taught how to look up verses in the Bible.. wish i got to go to camps like this.. i started joining church camps when i was already 14. oh well.. nways, here are some shots i took..

they were having breakfast when i arrived at 8am

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the tents they set up inside.. hehe..

an intermission they insisted doing: "one way! Jesus! You're the only one that i could live for!"

Market It!

aside from going to work late and leaving early, one of the things i look forward to during saturdays is going to the salcedo market. during weekdays, it's a parking lot. but on saturdays, they turn it into a market (corner tordesillas and leviste streets, i think).

there are lots of stuff to find here... number one is food of course.. then you can find plants, bags, and other trinkets.. the food here is wonderful! you can buy them fresh or ready to eat. there's italian, japanese, pinoy, indian, etc. there's a pizza stand where they cook it over what seems like a wok.. really yummy! they have letson baka there too! take a look!

i think these are um... meat? hehehe.. a bit like ham i think.. geez! i forgot!

this is the super yummy pasta stand... one serving of baked mac costs 150 but it's good for 2.. then they also cook home made dishesmy recent find: a crepe stand.. i tried the cheapest of all: mozarela (spell check) crepe for 90.. winner!..eat it with shake (shake stand is near the entrance) and it's perfect! i like banana mango shake!this is the only "market" i saw na may rustan's shopping cart! hehe.. funny...

Community Service

i have a really soft spot for lolos... as in when i see them alone, sick, or sad, or begging, etc.. i cry! literally!

so when we needed to visit Golden Acres Home for the aged in QC for our company's community service, i knew i was going to have one of those moments again. during our occular, i tried so hard not to cry when i saw the lolos sitting down in the chapel.. and before we started the activity.. i had to compose myself since i felt tears welling up already and iris and i were in charge of the program.

seeing the elderly sing, dance, and participate in games was really heart warming. especially when they thank you and ask you to come back.. =(.. the lolos and lolas of this institution btw are abandoned.. so no family really visits them except for the volunteers. i pray that when my parents grow old, i will be able to give them a happy and comfortable life..

photo from: pauline

Biglaang date

For me, it's always nice to have those "spur of the moment" get togethers.. be it with my family, friends, relatives, and noel.. i always enjoy them.. last thursday, i got a text message that 2 of my cuzins were at the mall and they asked me if i wanted to meet up with them then we could all take the shuttle together going home. havnt really been out with them for a while (although we see each other every week). i think the last dinner we had together was more than a year ago? i think we were still having our cell group last time. anyways, when i got there, they told me they were waiting for another cuzin of ours.. so when my kuya and his wifey got there, they decided to treat us for dinner.. hehe.. we ate at tokyo2x then left right away coz the hubbies of my cuzins were looking for them.. they were at the mall since 1030am (easy lang???!!! hehe) it was a really quick and simple get-together but i had a fun..

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ate sarah's arm, ate beck, kuya lance, net (lance's wifey) and me (with a tooth missing)

Ang Init!!!

Ang INIT!!!! sobrang init ngayon, promise. kahit hating gabi na, iba yung singaw/hangin! maski yung hangin na lumalabas sa electric fan mo, ang init! things that make the summer heat worse:

1. siksikan sa public tranpo
2. aircon na sobrang hindi kaya ang room/sasakyan
3. monthly period ( i am really dreading this)
4. jabar

however, i managed to find other things that can help me cool down:

1. have lots of cold drinks! frapps are a bit expensive so settle for oj, nescafe freeze (26 lang itich)
2. stay inside the office as much as possible!!!
3. always have ur pamaypay with you
4. for girls, try wearing skirts more often.. sobrang relieving compared to slacks and jeans

sana talga makapag beach naman ako this year.. kasi last year wala akong beach getaway =(.. this is my second year na po na hindi nagbeach.. huhu..

ganun pa man, mas gusto ko parin na mapawisan kaysa mabasa ng ulan. i really dont like it when it rains.

picture credit: cse.ssl.berkeley.edu/.../lessons/startemp/l1.htm

Happy Easter

during our sunrise service last Sunday, this song had an impact on moi:

"Jesus, I believe in You, and i would go to the ends of the earth.. to the ends of the earth.. for You alone are The Son of God and all the world will see You are God.. You are God"

i know it has no direct relation to His resurrection but then this is what i reflected on last easter..

hope you guys had a meaningful weekend. God bless!

my weekend

had a good but tiring weekend:

FRIDAY: had dinner with my HS friends at POLU KAI in serendra~saw my super close friend nung freshman high-THEA..last time i saw her was 10 years ago!~had a good talk with my girlfriends about our lives and how we all turned out to be~had good food at polu kai~ but i think should have eaten at TRIO in the fort instead since they had yummy pizza.. kaya lang sobrang busog nako~had iced cappuccino instead kahit sobrang sakit na ng throat ko~and! TIN told us her story of getting engaged! (kilig!!!)

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dyan, tin and me at polu kai. jacky and ashley arrived after a few minutes..

that's tin's ring.. she and SHERWIN are finally engaged! congratulations!

SATURDAY: woke up late~arrived at work 11am~ left at 330pm~went around glorieta~saw a nice polka dot skirt on sale~went home to pack for splash island the next day

SUNDAY: woke up at 4am~attended the 630am worship service~met up with noel's cousins at splash island~stayed in the wave pool for 10mins~went on the slide with salbabida twice~ went around the river eckeck twice~went home and slept~ had super runny nose and bad cough while we were out~would have enjoyed more if we werent sick

noel and dessagirl = super sick after swimming

MONDAY: sick leave.. hehe..

I forgot...

last Monday, i finally decided to have my haircut since my hair was up to my waist already.. (feeling hair talent ba) magastos sa shampoo and conditioner..was supposed to have it trimmed last sat but since i didnt have an appointment, the next available stylist was at 7pm pa.. plus i had my 9 year old niece with me who would probably get bored waiting for me. when i called the salon for an appointment last monday, all 4 stylists i asked for were either on training, left already, and cant stay till 730pm... since that was the only time ok for me, i went on and tried a new stylist. i had a really stressful day so when i got a free massage from the shampoo dude.. sobrang na relax ako..

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was really happy with my new haircut! my new stylist was really nice too.. while my hair was being blow dried i was thinking of eating rice right after since i was so hungry.... so when i was done, went to the cashier to pay... guess what? NALIMUTAN KO LANG NAMAN ANG WALLET KO.. my gulay! i realized that i kept it locked inside my drawer.. and ang dala ko lang ay ang coin purse ko! waaaa!!! with wide eyes and super shocked face, i told the cashier i dont have money! ehehe.. i called my officemate to look for my spare key and bring my wallet to me.. (sobrang pakapalan na talga ito) but then my other friend went home na and brought my spare with her! panick level 10 itich..

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buti nlang an officem8 of mine was on her way to landmark already so she volunteered to bring the money i borrowed.. kundi nakakahiya talga dun sa nasa office pa na nagtatrabaho pa ng 830 ng gabi! the humiliation of waiting in the parlor with the whole staff ready to go home (as in nagwalis na silang lahat, patay na yung ilaw, etc.) was so bearable. ang masakit nun talga is i WAS SO HUNGRY while waiting for my friend to come! as in sa sobrang hilo ko sa gutom, i threw up when i got home after eating regular fries!

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this is the first time i lost my wallet. dont let it happen esp. when going to a parlor.. haay..

my counter

where the heck did my counter go?!!!!

just realized that i lost my counter =(...

=(...

just noticed that it's been a month since i last updated my blog...

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(watson, ito na yung update na hinihingi mo: ang pagpuna ko sa kawalan ng time magpost!)

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been having problems lately.. both personal and at work. so there.. maybe my mind isnt just working hard enough on the blogging part of my life.

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but i believe it will pass. whatever it is, i can get thru it through Christ who strengthens me. having FAITH during these times helps BIGTIME. i hate having negative vibes.. being down is something i was never comfortable about.. then again, its rare to see someone comfortable with problems.

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someone told me, you should be alarmed when everything in your life is going great.. hehe.. kasi you might be missing out on the things that really matter, which is why you sometimes get a wake up call. i personally believe in: "what cant kill you will make you stronger". as long as you give it to the Lord, there will always be that thought at the back of your head (behind all the hurts and worries) that you will be ok.. it takes FAITH.

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so for now, i look forward to the day where i will laugh at what i'm going thru right now and would feel so mature and stronger.. for now, i will have to get it together and keep on hoping for the good. again, having that relationship with the Lord makes all the difference..

Happy Balentimes!

I think feb 14 is quite big here in the philppines. i'm not sure if people from other countries feel the same about valentine's day.. pero feeling ko mas exag dito. maraming nageexpect at gumagawa talga ng effort para memorabilia and 14. heehee.

heniway, here's what i did during that day. (of course this still includes eating yummy foodie).

had lunch with my girlfriends: iris, gen, and shirley over at ALEXA'S DELI. it's this resto near our office along H.V. Dela Costa. My boss was the one who introduced me to this resto. since then, i take my college and high school friends there whenever they visit me at the office. we love their salmon sandwich (the salmon literally falls off the bread sa sobrang kapal), salmon pasta, and kilbasa pasta. (kilbasa is my peborit sowsage) see our pictures:

nag-eemote ang mga lola kasama ko (shirley, gen-shuta, and iris)

dessa girl with her shuta-gen and her kilbasa pasta!

then i also sold lots of chocolate roses! our church (Christ's Church in BF Homes) purchased a lot last year in bf parañaque which measures 6,667 sqm!!! so we really need funds to build the new chapel. the lot is paid off already (thank You, Lord!) the youth and worship team made these and i volunteered to sell them here in the office.. sobrang mura kaya naubos lahat! these were my samples:

then had a really pleasant surprise when i got home: candle-lit dinner in our small terrace! my boo set up the whole place with everthing planned! my favorite steak fr fridays, flowers, cd playing all our songs, the works! ang effort nakakahimatay!.. especially after emoting the whole day nung 14 kasi i tot he was in bicol. mwehehehe.. happy girl!

job fair plus food

watson and i went to a job fair a couple of weeks ago at U.P.. that campus is huge! the job fair itself was in the Bahay ng Alumni building. nice.. if i studied in u.p., i'd have to take the dorm there.. ang layo! you'd have to take a jeep to go to other buildings.. so come lunch, as usual, tinamad ako lumayo. we decided to eat over at CHOCOLATE KISS. it's a cafe in the same building. iris warned us that it'll be expensive to eat there.. what the heck, nakakatamad and i think it was drizzling outside so we had no choice..

watson and i spent over 500 pesos. the place was full.. i guess lots of people shared the same sentiment of being too lazy to look for another canteen. i wasnt that happy with what i ordered. the spag wasnt that good. the chocolate cake's icing was way too sweet (to think ako na ito ha).. but i think watson enjoyed his chicken tinola. it had a different name in the menu (cant remember) though we both agreed that it was tinolang manok. nakahiwalay lang yung chicken sa sabaw. by the way, that day, applicants were not that friendly.. ganun ba talga? it's my first time to man a booth during a job fair. it was a bit slow and we had to keep ourselves busy. good thing sir nick brought his mac and went out to buy us some chichirya. nainggit kasi kami dun sa katabi naming table. marami silang junk food... hehe...lemi share some pics during the job fair:

a top view of the u.p. job fair

watson enjoying his chicken tinola

my spaghetti

the farthest end of the CHOCOLATE KISS

Guava

last dec, noel's mom invited us to dinner at d fort. the resto we tried is pretty small with about 6 tables inside and 3 outside.. surprisingly, lots of people were in line for a seat.. nways, their specialty is.. GUAVA.. obvious? i mean dishes served with guava..they serve modern pinoy food, which is good and not too pricy. around 200 for each viand. i am not a fan of sinigang with guava.. it was good though, but then i really prefer my sinigang to be really sour and a bit spicy.. yum! our appetizer was real good though.. i think it's a variety of rolls... yun nalang ginawa kong ulam plus a little sabaw

rolls with bopis? i think...her is our sinigang and my serving fo rice!

visist GUAVA at the serendra commercial complex. there are a lot of nice and new restos there too.. pati brazil-brazil meron dun! yummy!

80's girl

We had an 80's christmas party last 22nd of December. waton had several posts about it already! it was really fun!

my friend, iris and i hosted the party. aside from the fact that we were running around for raffles, announcing winners, and intoducing the different presentations, we really had a great time! as for me, i won lots of rustan's g.c. that i used up in a couple of hours last 26 (first day of their year end sale was crazy)!! wuhu! bought them things na i wouldnt dream of buying with hard-earned cash like havianas, 500 peso jell cushion for your foot, etc. the rest i bought jeans na 999 nalang from 3K! and.. hmm.. what else.. black pumps! i gotta have shoes.. PLUS i still have 2k worth of g.c. to spend, thanks to boo's mom!!! woopy! more serious shopping.. i'm hoping to buy a nice black bag kahit tapos na yung sale nila.

mandark, my boss - sue, iris, watson, folen, dessagirl

my outfit won 80's icon of the night for MALE category.. harharhhar! and then my giant ghostbusters coloring book won 1st place for the 80's memorabilia contest. watson couldnt join coz he was organizing this one. hehehe! bet he had loads of entries. he's an 80's guru, you know. i also wanted to enter my 18-inch alf stuffed toy. if you press his belly button, he says all sorts of stuff.. i settled for the coloring book..

i cant wait for next year's party. what would make a nice theme next year? excited ba daw..