For the past 3 days, I've been reading a book entitled No Place for A Man by Judy Astley. I wasn't enjoying it on the first day and caught myself drifting away every five minutes. I told myself that I would give this book a chance. Three days later, I'm still drifting away. I don't know. Maybe it was the way the story was printed on the pages. Each page looked like it was one gigantic paragraph because the fonts were big and the spaces between the fonts were big. Everything was descriptive and there was hardly any dialogue so it was easy for me to get lost. I never realized that even how the words are printed in the book mattered. Needless to say, I gave up on the book. I placed high up and far at the back of the shelf.

I pulled down a copy of Erich Segal's Only Love. Hopefully, this one will capture me.

High school is never high school without the popular girls. Without the jocks. Without the nerds. Without the outcasts. High school is never high school without the admiration and terror the A- circle brings. High school is never high school without the jocks bullying the nerds, the outcasts, and those who are not even sure of their sexuality.

My sister, Cami, has a gay best friend. She totally adores him and loves the way he acts and talks (lucky her, I've always wanted a gay bestfriend who isn't after my boyfriend!). She told me that on the first day of school, her gay bestfriend, who we shall call K, acted very manly. He talked and walked like a man... or boy.

A few days later, he would talk to the guys and upon leaving, he'd brush his hand against their asses or their arms. When the guys were getting stuff out of their locker, he'd put his palm against their napes. The guys, now knowing that he's gay, would get creeped out and would even stay away from him. In fact, whenever he approaches them, they'd walk away.

I found this funny because the tides have turned. No longer does the majority terrorize the minority, it was the minority scaring the shit out of the majority. How often do you see a group of boys getting scared of a homosexual in a high school setting? None. It is the perfect revenge of the "nerds."

Last night, as I waved goodbye to one of my uncles, my dad's youngest brother, who was hanging out at the bar, my uncle ran after me. I was walking down the steps when I heard him shouting my name. I turned around and saw a woman running after him. My uncle stepped aside so I could get a clearer view of the woman. I squinted my eyes trying to recognize her. And then, I knew. Tita Cherryl.

Tita Cherryl is actually just 10 years older than me. She was my dad's only sister's best friend. While growing up, Tita Cherryl was always there hanging out at my grandmother's house. I always admired her beauty and her style. She was very nice and sweet. Back then, she was with her boyfriend of 8 years.

One day, she left for Paris. Whether it was for school or a long vacation, I do not know. All I know is she was gone for quite sometime. Imagine my shock, and everybody else's, when we found out that she was engaged to be married in Paris to a Japanese guy. The most shocked and hurt, of course, was her boyfriend of 8 years.

I remember sitting in my grandma's kitchen table talking to our cook and housegirl about the news and they told me that Tita Cherryl confided in them. She was sad because her ex wouldn't even want to talk to her. She felt she owed him an explanation but he wasn't giving her a chance. Of course he was hurt because they've been together for so long and they, too, were thisclose to getting married. Everyone expected them to marry each other. I never knew if they were able to talk but I do know that he is still mad at her. After Tita Cherryl got married, he followed shortly. He married one of Manila's fashion magazine's editor in chief. I see him sometimes in Greenbelt or in Church but it looks like he has changed. He is no longer the friendly person I knew him to be. In fact, he seems so cool and aloof. Hardened by the experience, even.

This is one of the saddest love stories I know of people that I know. It just shows that just because you were together for a long time does not mean that you are meant to be forever.

Countdown till the weekend: 1 Day.
 
Since I've got work the whole day and night on Saturday, Friday is all I really have. Here's what I wanna do: 

• Have dinner with A
• Buy the Ayala Discount Card (My friend, Jeane, has been raving about it!)
• Watch Catwoman
• Go to the sale in Powerbooks and buy an armload of... uhh... books
• Hang Out at Max Brenner and enjoy a Strawberry Yogurt Milkshake (Damnit! I can't remember what it's called. It's always out of stock whenever I go there. So obviously, it's good!)

With it being a payday weekend, everyone will surely be out. I'll be lucky if I even get to find parking, or step in Greenbelt 3, no less.

Yesterday, my sister, Cami, and I were chatting via SMS. Anyway, here's how it went:
 
Me: What?!? He (my sister's crush) is courting you??! Eeek! Kilig! Laglag panty!
Cami: Eeww! Laglag panty? What's that?
(I realized that my sister is still naive so I gave her a more.. uhh.. conservative definition)
Me: You're so kilig that your panty falls out because the garter is loose. (Nice save!)
Cami: Hahaha! Well, my bra strap kept falling during class.
Me: At least, it's your bra strap and not your bra. Walang kakapitan! (It's got nothing to hold it up!)
Cami: Well, you're the one who's flat chested. And it's in our genes. Besides, I'm flat chested because I'm 14 lang noh?!
Me: Why do you think I'm getting implants???
Cami: Eewww! Don't get implants! Implants are EVIL!!! Your boobs are fine!
Me: Hahaha! I was just kidding you. I wanted to see how you would react. I'll just have to resort to tissue and padded bras.
Cami: Socks na lang! (Oooh, looks like someone tried!) Joke! Hahaha! Tissue na lang. It's softer. Just make sure it doesn't pop out. It happened to me once. During our batch night, mom wanted me to put tissue in my bra! God, talk about humiliation! Then I got a nose bleed and I used the tissue in my bra! Pretty handy if you ask me! Hehe!
 
Ladies and Gentlemen, for the first time, a tissue- stuffed bra has its perks!
 

I have come to accept that my laptop is sick and I have to take her to  the hospital and be without her for the next week or so. I've gone through this before and I tell you, it's so hard especially all my work is stored (though I backed up a month or so ago) and if I don't have much work, I surf my favorite blogs (that includes yours, dear reader), Friendster, check my mail, etc. While filling up the forms, I sadly, told the receptionist who checked in my laptop, "Alam mo, parati kong kasama yan . Araw- araw. Boyfriend ko nga ilang araw lang sa isang linggo. (You know, we're always together. Everyday. (I see) my boyfriend only a few days a week)." When it was time for me to go, I resisted the urge to run my fingertips across the top and say goodbye.
 
I can be so dramatic sometimes. It's gross.

I went to work early this morning because the leading local women's magazine is shooting at our bar. As I made sure everything was okay, I went down to my office and set up my laptop. Upon pressing the power button, 3 loud, ugly beeps sounded and my monitor remained black. My heart started to race. OH NO! Please don't tell me my laptop crashed!!! I pray to all the saints in heaven that my laptop didn't crash... or my motherboard is damaged... or my laptop's memory!!!
 
Why me?!?!

A and I had a very different Saturday, one that wasn't planned at all but ended up being jampacked with activities. I woke up a little past noon (to make a long story short, because of the traffic in Katipunan, we went home at 3AM). I brought home some work with me, knowing that I'd wake up late and I'd be too lazy to go to work. A was going to Ateneo to play basketball with his college buddies. He invited me to watch but I started enjoying the book I was reading and couldn't put it down. Besides, what would I do there? I was by myself.
 
A few minutes later, I texted the Elaine, the girlfriend of Bri, our kabarkada. She told me that she was going and I thought it was reason enough for me to go since there was another girl there. It turns out we were the only supportive girlfriend. We barely watched the game. She doesn't understand basketball where as I was too caught up in our conversation to actually watch. After the game, the boys decided to go play counterstrike. I find it funny how some of the guys had to call their girlfriends to ask if they could play. Sky actually jumped with joy and pumped his fist in the air when his girlfriend, Jin, said yes, at the same time, trying to keep his voice nonchalant while talking to her. With the way he reacted, you'd think he proposed to her. I texted Jin and told her that his boyfriend looked so funny, jumping for joy. She replied, "Nakawala ba? :) (Did he get lose (out of his cage)?)"
 
The Internet shop was packed and since I wasn't feeling all too well, I decided to go home and rest and just pick up A after. At 6:30PM, I picked up A. We convoyed with Bri, Elaine and Chino all the way to Ortigas, where we'd meet up with Sky and Jin for dinner at Bacolod Express. Elaine was craving for Chicken Inasal. It was a good dinner. Pretty cheap too! After dinner, we went to Sky's condo because the guys needed to take a bath. While waiting for the others to shower, we all watched 8 MILE on HBO's Saturday Night Movie. Sky brought out the only thing he had in his refrigerator- his stock of Strong Ice, a beer that seems mild but actually has high alcohol content (A can down one San Mig Light to another but with 3 bottles of Strong Ice, he's a goner). The party has finally begun.
 
After the movie, Sky played some music. The girls transferred to his bedroom because it was cooler and engaged in girl talk- from hair styles to periods, from ex's to current relationships, from the past to the present, from gossips to our own dramas in life. An hour or so has passed when the boys started getting rowdy. They were talking in heated discussion- and in straight English, proper grammar and pronounciation and all. I wondered if it was really them talking or the beer. Apparently, they weren't completely wasted because of all things to debate about, they were debating about RELIGION!!! Obviously, it wasn't usapang laseng. What made it even funnier was that in their seriousness, they were using phrases such as "the bottom line is...", "... is supplementary to that..." (when I heard this, the girls and I had to pause to think what they meant), "the cat is out of the bag..." It was a 2 against 1 debate, with Chino being neutral. At the end, Bri kept saying that he needs to say the last statement but everybody countered that his last statement was the opening statement, the debatable statement. Eventually, they started patting each other's back and said, "Good debate. Nothing against" like it was an actual school forum. Only after their debate, did they realize and notice that the discussion was just so good, they drank so much and smoked even more!
 
It turned even funnier after that. To the music, Bri started dancing sexily, like a stripper. Elaine was so embarassed that she was covering her face though she was laughing at the same time. The guys realized that it was like a bridal shower because the 3 girlfriends were seated on the couch while the guys were standing in front of us, sorta like watching them perform. We eventually mellowed down by telling ghost stories. Except that Bri was telling most of them and because he was so drunk, he kept repeating certain facts, such as his parents were outside drinking coffee and his brother was asleep, as if he was story telling to a bunch of idiots. Soon, we had to go as it was already 2:30 AM and my dad called 30 minutes earlier (though I didn't answer the phone). That was my warning that I was out too late.
 
The Next Day
 
We met up with Bri and Elaine at Power Plant to watch I, Robot. After which, we went to Seattle's Best for some smokes (for them) and a Strawberry Milkshake (for me). We talked about the night before and laughed at ourselves. It was such a complete, activity- filled day. A total guy's day/ night out. Bri said that next time, we'll have a girl's night out, including the boyfriends. We'd go shopping, the spa, parlor, watch girly movies and at the end, have girly, emotional conversations.
 
A: Bull sessions, you mean?
Bri: Yeah, bull sessions!!!
We all laughed.
Bri: (mimicking Elaine) Ikaw kasi, Bri, you're always late. You're always sleeping.
Me: Yeah, but isn't it every time we all get into fights, it's a bull session?!
Everybody agreed.
 
We talked about how fun and great the debate was that he'll come up with a list of topics to debate on AND everybody had to research and site sources in the next debate. He's kidding, of course. I asked Bri if he remembered most of the things he did and he said no, which made it funnier. I asked him if he realized it took him so long to tell one ghost story because he kept repeating things and he said, "Really? I thought I was making sense." A replied, "Yeah, I thought he told the story just fine." Elaine and I laughed harder because A was just as wasted as he was. We called it a night at 10:30 PM.

And that was my unique and definitely fun weekend. 

I was blogsurfing just awhile ago and landed on his blog. According to him, Powerbooks is having a sale on August PLUS a pre- sale on July 30 and 31.
 
Uh- oh. I sense major damage to my wallet and huge dents on my ATM cards, right on Pay Day Weekend too! Watch out next weekend for a list of the 'damages' and its worth.

Last night, I was talking to my other sister, Ara, and asked her if she went to see an eye doctor already. In an attempt to correct me with the proper term:
 
Cami:  (in her best duh- you're- so- stoopid- know- it- all voice): Optimist!!!
I laughed at her mistake.
Ara: (jokingly) And I'm a pessimist.
Me: (jokingly pretends to be an optimistic eye doctor) Congratulations, Ara! I'm happy to say that you're going blind!
Cami: (Realizes her mistake) No, wait! Optometrist!!!
Me: No! It's ophthalmologist! (Obviously not knowing any better, either)
Cami: An optimist is a positive thinker. So what's an optometrist?
Me: I dunno. (I didn't bother answering cuz I was reading my book).
Cami: (Talking to self) What's an optometrist? What's an optometrist?
 
Ara, the smartest among the 3 of us, never bothered to answer the question or define. She went ahead to read her new book, Eleven Minutes by Paulo Coelho.
 
According to my new online dictionary friend:
 
An optometrist is a person who is professionally trained and licensed to examine the eyes for visual defects, diagnose problems or impairments, and prescribe corrective lenses or provide other types of treatment.
 
An ophthalmologist is a person who deals with the anatomy, functions, pathology, and treatment of the eye.
 
Same banana. If it were left to me, I'd say eye doctor. Easier to remember and spell.

My sister, Cami, is, by far, the most kikay among us sisters. Every night, before going to sleep, she takes a bath, waits for her hair to dry and fixes her wavy, semi- curly, brown locks to perfection-- she either curls it, irons her bangs, puts it up in a ponytail or a ballerina bun and pins all stray hairs down. All these before going to bed. The logic behind this is so that she doesn't have to waste precious time in the morning just to fix her hair. Lord knows how difficult it is to wake her up and more often than not, the only time she has left is enough to get dressed (oh, and I tell you, when she wakes up, her hair is exactly the same as before she went to sleep! She just needs to readjust some pins to make it perfect again).
 
Last night, before going to sleep, she was searching for the socks she always wears to bed. And then, a thought occurred to her: You know, I think I should just wear my school socks to bed. That way, I save time. Every morning, I'm late because I have to look for socks and put them on.
 
I swear, she's so funny sometimes, she doesn't even know it.

I'd like to say thank you to all those who left comments in my previous post.
 
Kat- I wish I could go to the library but all the libraries here carry scholarly books and old newspapers. I'd buy in book sales and second hand bookstores but all they carry are trashy romance novels where covers are laden with blonde heroines, wearing too loose dresses that they're falling off and semi- naked, steroid induced, Fabios, helping them hold up the dress by clutching the hem all the way up to their thighs.  No chick lits for me here.
 
Bunny and Jillsabs- Who, I'm sure, would line up with me should Powerbooks raffle off a "Shop Till You Drop" or "Buy All You Can in 10 Minutes (What?!? 10 minutes lang?!? Hindi, 10 minutes per aisle! Ah!!! Asa pa!!!)" promo. I tend to splurge on books more than clothes, to be honest.
 
Toni and Anonymous- I have never read any of Marian Keyes's books. But because of you and your endorsements, I am convinced all the more that I should try her out. Unfortunately, I think Powerbooks doesn't have all her books yet while Fully Booked in Power Plant has ALL (of her books). Because I'm trying to collect stamps for my Powerbooks track card, I'm having a difficult time deciding whether to buy the rest of the books in Fully Booked or just wait for Powerbooks to replenish its stock.
 
Speaking of the track card, did you know you had to collect 75 stamps or spend P15,000 worth of books to be able get their discount card?! As of December 7, 2003, I've collected 35 stamps, which means I spent P7,000 worth of books only. Waaaah!!!

It's been 40 days since my self- imposed hiatus from buying books. 40 days. Jesus Christ walked in the dessert without food for 40 days. Josh Hartnett's character abstained from sex in the movie 40 Days, 40 Nights. I put a stop to my addiction in buying books for 40 days.
 
Sometimes, A and I would meet up in the mall. He'd tell me to meet him in front of Powerbooks. I'd chuckle to myself. Didn't he know it was impossible for me to wait for him outside the bookstore... or any bookstore for that matter? I simply have to go inside and browse through the shelves. Often, I'd make a mental list of the books I want to buy. Yet I stopped myself from reaching one and tucking it into my arms,  even though I knew that in a few days, the books will belong to someone else and it would take a while before the bookstore replenishes its stock.
 
Now my hands are itching to buy more chick lits. Here are the list of authors whose books I wanna read/ complete collecting:
 
Madeleine Wickham (aka Sophie Kinsella)
Meg Cabot/ Meggin Cabot (except for the Princess Diaries series, of course)
Lisa Jewell
Marian Keyes
Louise Bagshawe
 
I'm pretty sure this list is going to grow longer.

I borrowed this from Toni's blog:
 
10 Years Ago, I...
1. Had no idea my parents would separate in 4 months.
2. Was placed in the Foreigner's Section of my batch.
3. Was trying to tame my big wavy hair.
 
5 Years Ago, I...
1. Just entered college 
2. Got sent out of class for the first time for talking too much (and I was damn proud!)
3. Failed a subject for the first time in my life-- it was the subject I got sent out from the class room.
 
3 Years Ago, I...
1. Was struggling to wake up at 530 am just to avoid the traffic going to school, even if my class was at 10am
2. Got into the best- and most difficult to get into- course my college had, Integrated Marketing Communications
3. Thought I'd never get a boyfriend-- and met the guy who would be my first boyfriend 
 
A Year Ago, I...
1. Got absorbed into the mother company I worked for, which was like a promotion
2. Was head over heels in love with A, my second boyfriend (and still am)
3. Started saving up for the future
 
This Year, I...
1. Learned how to drive
2. Learned how to organize events on my own and hold events out of Manila
3. Started using Blogspot and learned a teeny bit about HTML
 
Yesterday, I...
1. Attended the manager's meeting
2. Stayed up till 4:30 AM reading Meg Cabot's Boy Meets Girl
3. Satisfied my craving for Mangga't Bagoong
 
Today, I...
1. Finished working on 3 memos, signed a contract, 1 quotation 
2. Made another Friendster account as my old one has reached 500 friends (I didn't have the heart to delete anyone of them, to make space for new ones)
3. Will go to the grocery to stock up on my toiletries and junkfood.
 
Tomorrow I will...
1. Transfer my desk, shelves, events calendar, files to the other room in the office
2. Send out memos to all the managers of the branches
3. Go out with A and relax

For Chick Lit fans out there, I just finished reading Meg Cabot's Boy Meets Girl. It's a so- so book. I finished it within two days and slept at 4:30 AM last night trying to finish it.
 
It has a different way of story- telling, far from your typical "Once upon a time, in a land far, far away..." The story unfolds through email, instant messaging conversations, journals, notepads (From the Desk of...), and answering machine messages. Since the heroine is a human resources personnel, incident reports, transcripts of interviews, secret notes within minutes of the meeting, memorandums are also included in the unravelling of the story. To add to the uniqueness of the storytelling, whenever the heroine is thinking silently, for instance, while reading the menu (though she's pretending to read when actually she's just thinking of the cute guy sitting across from her-- you know we girls do this?), her thoughts are interspersed with the menu- as if you are also reading the menu and you could read her thoughts as well. Or for instance, the heroine had to leave a note to a friend but all she could find is a receipt to write in, in the book, an exact copy of the receipt is printed with her message written between the items she bought. It's such a unique way of story telling.
 
If anything, I enjoyed reading the book because of it's unique story telling and the wit and cleverness of the author.

Hmm, I just noticed last night.
 
My toiletries need replenishment. I'm running out of uhh.. beauty and hygiene essentials.
 
My stash of goodies need replenishment. I'm running out of Planters Cheese Curls, Piknik Ketchup Fries (nourishment while reading books) and Mr. Chips (plus sour cream) and Oishi Barbecue Flavored Ridges (ultimate munchies while watching DVDs). I'm also out of Arizona Green Tea with Honey and Ginseng Juice-- by far, the only healthy thing I consume, obviously.
 
My loot for bribery also need replenishment. I'm running out of junkfood to bribe my brothers ("Okay, whoever finishes eating first gets a prize!", "Whoever falls asleep first gets a prize!"- Luckily, they don't notice that whether they win or lose, they get a prize. If I give only the winner a prize, the rest will get jealous and fight with the winner.)
 
Thus, doubling my expenses for the week. My wallet and ATM accounts need replenishment too.
 
Sigh.

My boss and I often converse in Yahoo Messenger. During the day, he works from his house and whenever I need something, he is just a click away. Today, he was too lazy to go to work that he asked our chief accountant, our human resources department head and our vice president for operations to download yahoo messenger because it was harder to reply to them through SMS.
 
Pretty soon, we'll probably hold our weekly manager's meeting online via video conference! I hope not! We look forward to our weekly meetings because of the food!

A and I went to the wedding of our barkada. It was the second wedding that we attended this year. I was already in the Bench Fix by 11:15 AM, having my hair set and styled and my nails done. By 12NN, I woke up A and told him to get ready for the wedding.
 
I was home by 1:30. I had ample time to put on my make up, slowly lather some lotion and carefully maneuver my dress around my hairdo. I called up A's mobile at 2:20 PM to check where he was but he wasn't answering. I decided to call his house and hoped against hope that he left already. His mother answered and tells me that A was still in the shower! All hell broke loose and I calmly told his mom that the wedding was at 3PM in Quezon City. Tita calls him a crazy guy!
 
I hated being late and I appreciated it that if someone was going to be late, to let me know via a phone call or SMS. But A didn't let me know asap and so yes, we engaged in a screaming match, with me being hysterical and frustrated. (Yes, that's how much I hated being late). Since he was late, I decided to go to the church and meet him there instead. After all, the church was just outside my village and we could easily drop off his car at my place before heading to the reception.
 
Allan arrived right before Communion. I left the pew and walked towards him at the back of the Church. As I went nearer, he whispered, "You look beautiful...". We smiled and hugged and said sorry to each other. My friends complimented my dress. The gown by Sari- sari was a floor length burgundy dress with slits that reached a few inches above the knee, on both sides. It had no design, beadwork or embroidery whatsoever and actually looked conservative because of it's high neckline. But the moment I turn around, you'd be surprised because it was actually backless. I accentuated my back with a lauriat necklace dangling behind me. Dress and necklace made me feel beautiful and sexy. 

 
 
I'm posting also a close up picture of my necklace so you could see the details. 



The reception was at Gazebo Royale, the food catered by Hizon's. Her dress by Njork (in case you wanted to know). It was a spaghetti strapped, V-necked gown that hugged her figure and trailed behind her. She had a huge ribbon with its tails twirling behind her. It was just so beautiful. The reception went by so fast. The entire time, I was hanging out with all the other girlfriends, comparing our boyfriends and our attitudes in our respective relationships. Our barkada stayed until all the guests left. But since it was only 10:30 PM, the guys decided to go to Katipunan and play Counterstrike, just like the good old college days. Whereas we, girlfriends, decided to go on a girl's night out (though out of 5 girls, only 3 of us went). It was so funny because all the guys had to ask their girlfriends first if they could go play. I was not strict with A so I allowed him to play. Sky bargained with his girlfriend, Jin, that he'd take her to a spa the next day, while Bri was allowed to go because Elaine knew how to play counterstrike so she wasn't really in a position to be left out.
 
Girl's Night Out
We headed home for awhile. I changed into a skirt and halter top, which was more appropriate for going out. I picked up Elaine and Jin at the Internet Cafe and we headed to Eastwood. On the way there, Elaine realized that she left all her cash with her boyfriend. Jin said she had 500 bucks with her and that she could lend her some. I realized I only had P200 in my wallet and had to withdraw from an ATM. Unfortunately, I left my ATM card in my other bag and didn't notice it when I was changing purses earlier. My other ATM card wouldn't work with my bank so I was stuck with just 200.
 
When we got to Eastwood, there was hardly any parking. We first went to the 2 floored outdoor parking lot. Because it was raining, we didn't want to park upstairs. After going around in circles at the first floor, we decided to just transfer at the covered parking lot near the mall. We got to the booth by the exit and surrendered our ticket, telling them we haven't parked at all. Luckily, the supervisor was there. He tried convincing us to park upstairs to which I replied, "But it's raining." (We laughed about this later on cuz I didn't realize that I said it with a completely whiny voice. I thought I said "Umuulan eh.") At that moment, a car near the exit booth left it's parking space. The supervisor triumphantly exclaimed that a space was now available for us. I told him it was impossible for us to reach the spot because I can't just back up since there were cars lined up behind me. He said that we could hold on to our ticket, turn around and show our ticket at the entrance so they'll let us in again. Jin said, "I- reserve mo na lang sa amin. (Reserve it for us.)" When he said yes, I told him "Sabi mo yan ha! (That's what you said, ok?)" As we drove away, Elaine teased that we used our charm to get our way. This is when we laughed about my "it's raining" statement.

We decided to go to Ipanema. Upon reaching the entrance, we were greeted by a sign that said "Php 150 Entrance Fee." We started laughing cuz we only had that much money with us. We decided to go to Jack's Loft instead. Over a platter of Chicken Fingers and Chocolate Mousse Cheesecake and our Coca- Colas, we bonded. We talked more about relationships and relationships past. By 1:30 AM, our boyfriends started looking for us (actually A didn't even SMS me!). We headed back.

Jin and Sky left the moment we arrived. Elaine took Sky's place while I watched A play for a good 45 minutes. I decided it was time to go home at 2:30, though I told A he didn't have to leave yet. He could have stayed and played some more. I really didn't mind.

He hung out at my place till 4AM. He helped me take out the pins in my hair and brush the stucked strands of spray netted hair. 

And that was my Saturday.

  

As I was driving home from the parlor last Saturday, I called up my house to ask the maid to open the gate for me.
 
Maid: Hello?
Me: Hello? Sino to? (Who's this?)
Maid: Ako po, 'te! (Me, older sis!)
Me: Alam ko ikaw yan. Sino si 'ikaw?' (I know it's you. Who are 'you?')
 

Everyday, the only jewelry I put on are my pearl earrings from Boracay. Months ago, I lost one pearl earring. It just rolled off from the shelf in the closet, where I keep it, and disappeared right under my nose, gone without a trace. I heard it land on the floor but it was nowhere to be found. I was so upset. I wanted to buy another pair but I wanted to buy them in Boracay, so I had to wait for a few months. In the meantime, I decided to keep the other earring. Who knows? It might show up. Maybe one day, while cleaning, I'll find it. For now, I was a girl with a pearl earring (yes, in reference to the Cinemanila movie, The Girl with a Pearl Earring).

To fill in the gap, I wore the diamond earrings my only godmother gave me. The one that coincidentally matched the heirloom diamond necklace my dad passed on to me. But somehow, there were just days that the diamond earrings wouldn't match my outfit. It just wasn't right. Not like my pearl earrings, which matched all my outfits.

When I went to Boracay last summer, I finally bought my next pair of pearl earrings. Upon returning to Manila, I kept my diamond earrings back in it's case and haven't worn them since.

Just this morning, I was rummaging through the communal drawer looking for a purse to take to the wedding. I was pulling out bag after bag. And then there it was. Lying at the bottom of the drawer was the missing pearl earring. I sighed with relief. And then a thought suddenly entered my head, "What am I gonna do with two pairs of pearl earrings???"

Who cares. At least I've got back ups in case one pearl earring decides to run.. or roll away from me again. I'm no longer a girl with a pearl earring.

The reason why I have been busy the entire week is because I have 2 events this week. One of them was the first anniversary of one of our branches, which we celebrated yesterday, while the other was a corporate event that was taking place in another branch, at the other end of the metropolis, this weekend, on the day that A and I are attending a wedding.

Yesterday, I woke up at the usual time. I got up, prepared the possible outfits I'll wear for the event, made a million work- related phone calls (ok, fine- several phone calls), had lunch. I was right on schedule. I had to be at the bar by 1PM to set up the stage, the streamers, prepare the payments for the expenses of the event. Until I looked at the clock on my cellphone. It read 12:45. Holy crap! Five minutes ago, it was just 12 noon! I looked up at the clock in my room. I found the culprit of my delayness. The clock just had to run out of batteries today, of all days. It slowed down by 40 minutes. Goodness!

Apparently, my efforts to rush were wasted. Because of the sudden downpour of strong rain, the traffic was everywhere. It didn't help also that the roads I had to pass had road works and excavations. I arrived work at 2:30 PM. In between all my work, I was cheering whenever the sky cleared up a little.

5 hours later, I was wearing a top I bought online, a black and red floral tube top with sash, jeans, my black plastic hoop earrings, my slutty shoes, experimented eye make-up and a smile. While waiting for the editor and writer for The Foreign Post, a small local paper that distributes its publication to hotels and airports, who is coming to interview me about (duh!) the bar, I made my rounds. I guess the one downfall of having a multi- tiered place is that during a busy night, you have to go up and down and all around. By the end of the night, my feet were killing me. But no! I still walked with the grace and poise of a runway model. I confided to one of my regular performers/ friend, Ryan, that my feet were killing me because of the endless stair climbing and of course, my 5 inch stilettos. He told me that I should have worn flats (don't you think that after 2 years working in the same bar, I'd know that?!). But I told him, "And what?! Ruin the outfit??? Of course not! I may be dying from the pain but at least I die looking good!" We both had a good laugh.

The entire night, I stayed close to stage to make sure that the performers say the right announcements and what have yous. Sort of being the 'director.' My uncle and our vice president for food and beverage, who is also his bestfriend, were in charge of doing the PR. They were busy entertaining our suppliers while getting drunk. It was a perfectly fine arrangement with me. I don't think I can engage in small talk with people I hardly know. Then again, they've known each other from waaay before.

A followed to the party after work. He looked so cute wearing his new jeans and red shirt. The entire time, while watching the band, he had his arm around my waist and he was holding me close. I found it so sweet. Perhaps he was doing this to ward off other guys. I was perfectly fine with it though. He was just too cute.

Oh yeah, and may I just tell you about these two girls who dressed way provocatively?! The first girl was wearing a spaghetti strap topped and a white micro mini. So micro that the hem ended right at the bottom of her ass. So while she was hanging out at the landing in between the stairs, people below could see her thong (they were white!) The other girl, who is actually a regular and is rumored to work in one of those lowly clubs, has humongous breasts. So humongous that I, myself, am overwhelmed by their size (a D- cup, I was told) especially a girl of her size (thin and just a few inches shorter than me). While in Boracay, she was wearing a string bikini and the triangles were only enough to cover her nipples! Last night, she was wearing a tiny black spaghetti strap top. It was so tiny..and so stretched.. that she was practically exposed to her stomach. Her breasts (and cleavage) already looked like an ass! And get this, they were all natural. She still wants to have silicone implants! Goodness, these people!

A and I went home at around 1PM. That's one event down for this week. One more event to oversee while I'm at the wedding.

How am I gonna do that? I won't. I left a two page memo to the manager of the branch, describing every minute detail of the event. I just need my mobile close to me during the wedding in case shit hits the fan (though I hope not).

My uncle, who is also my boss, went to an auction the other day to buy things for our chain of restaurants and bars. For his office at home, he bought an antique typewriter, antique telephone (the black one with the round dial where you have to insert your finger through the hole and spin the dial-- and it actually works!) and an antique desk top fan.

He had a picture taken with the items arranged on his desk and him seated behind him wearing a white shirt and his reading glasses (which we call 'Lolo' glasses because the lens are three quarters wide and rectangular in shape). Mind you, my uncle is only 39 years old and is a party-er.

He showed me the picture:

Uncle: Look at my office at home! Puro mga antique yung mga gamit ko (All my things are antique).
Me: Wow! Kahit ikaw, mukhang antique! (Even you look antique!)

As a tribute to A on his special day, I'm posting my friendster testimonial to him, just so the world knows why I love him and so much more. So if you're anti- mush, love sick, or a sworn enemy of lurve, no need to proceed further... or go on at your own risk. You have been warned.

His kisses leave me breathless and make it seem like the world is spinning.
His cologne makes me weak in the knees.
His voice sends shivers up my spine.
His touch makes my skin tingle.
His hugs are my comfort after a long, stressful day.
His handsome face and dimpled smile can make me stare at him with stars in my eyes.
His arms around me are my security.
His shoulders are my resting place.
His smile makes me warm.
His sweetness makes me melt.
His laughter makes my heart sing.
His wit and sense of humor are my sources of laughter.
His mind leaves me in awe.
His creativity makes me burst with pride.
His views of life and love are my words of wisdom.
His immeasurable patience with me, especially in trying times, makes me realize that he is for keeps and there is no letting go.
His ability to make me feel better when I’m feeling down makes me realize how lucky I am to have him in my life.
His support in my endeavors and faith in me gives me confidence.
His loyalty and devotion makes me feel like I’m the only woman in the world.
His ability to calm me down when I’m panicking or getting hysterical on a stressful day keeps me sane.
His plans for us and our future together all the more prove that he is the one for me. His character makes him perfect for me.
His ability to love me so deeply and passionately makes me feel like I’m placed on a
pedestal.
His ability to love and accept me as I am makes me want to strive to be a better person.
His happiness is my ambition.
His sorrows are my pain.
His dreams are my motivation.
His gift is his love.
His love is my strength.

Finally! I have time to blog! I've been working non- stop from 12:30 PM to 10:00 PM and only took time to eat lunch at 5:00PM. It was definitely a long day at work.

So here's what happened on A's birthday:

A and I have this tradition that whoever's birthday it is, the other has to make it extra special and spend for all the expenses.

On Saturday night, I went to bed at 3:00 AM, after A left my house. I couldn't sleep because I was worrying too much about not being able to wake up at 8AM, in time for my scheduled plans for A's big day. And so, I set the alarm on my phone for 8AM.

True enough, I woke up late and slept through my alarm. I was behind by 45 minutes. Ah! Fuck it!

By 10am, I was out the door, wearing my denim mini skirt, white boat neck blouse, white plastic 80's earrings and thong sandals. I chose this outfit, as opposed to my 14 year old sister, Cami's, denim pleated skirt and my beige racerback top, because it was more conservative and appropriate in case I see his parents. But, I brought along the other outfit to change into later on. So, at 10 in the morning, by far, the earliest I've ever been out of the house on a Sunday morning since college, I drove to Rustan's to buy a bouquet of flowers for his parents. I scribbled a note on the attached card:

Thank you for giving birth to the best man I could ever love...

Aawww.. I know. :p Then 3 minutes later, I was found at Red Ribbon, buying a chocolate cake, which was supposed to be from A to his family. At 10:30 AM, I was cruising down Edsa (it was also my first time to travel a great distance via Edsa during the day). When I got to A's house, his parents weren't there. So we left the cake on the table and my flowers in their sitting room, where they could see it upon entering the door. We headed to Santuario de San Antonio to hear the 12NN mass. (I just love it when we go to church together. I feel that it brings us closer. I also love it when he puts his arm around my waist when we're standing.)

After mass, we headed to Glorietta. A decided to eat at our favorite Japanese fast food restaurant, Teriyaki Boy (good food, affordable and fast!). We pigged out. We had our staple Teriyaki Boy food: Chawan Mushi (tofu with shitake mushroom on top and a piece of shrimp at the bottom of the bowl), Tofu steak (deep fried tofu with ground beef and sweet sauce), California Maki (the best and most inexpensive California Maki I've ever had), Maguro Sashimi, 8 piece Ebi Tempura (split between us, of course), Yakisoba noodles (for his long life) and a cup of Japanese rice each for us. Thank God, I had the sense not to order chicken teriyaki! It was all too much! We even had to take home some of the yakisoba noodles. Okay, gross alert, but at around 8PM, I was still burping out my lunch! Goodness!

In the middle of lunch, I received an SMS from A's mom:

We appreciate very much your thoughtfulness. Hope and pray that our loving son remains lovable in your eyes. We're lucky that you crossed each other's path. Thanks again and take care.

A had to shake his head in amusement upon reading the line "remains lovable in your eyes." Apparently, his parents are asking him if I'm ONE and that they're more worried about him being suitable enough for me than I him. They once asked him, "Does she know your room is a mess?" and all these things that are supposedly "skeletons in his closet." Hahaha! And yes, I do know his skeletons and love him still.

Well, what happened after lunch is between A and me. Allow me to do an Asphaire here. Let's just say we went shopping and we went to a spa. (Oh, and I got to change into the pleated denim skirt and racer back tee after-- I loved the skirt! It did all the flirting for me! :p) Hehehe!

We headed home at around 8. It was kind of "weird" but not exactly weird. People took his birthday as an opportunity to ask when we're planning to get hitched. I'd always jokingly answer back "Well, there's no ring yet. Tell him I want a white gold ring!" Well, actually I do want a ring. :p When we reached his house, we went into his cousin's house first. His favorite cousin, Ate Cheche, said that his mom was wondering if I asked A to elope with me already because A) I brought the flowers, B) with cake and C) I didn't reply to her SMS. Ooops!

We invited his cousins to go out with us to the nearest mall for pizza. His cousins were so funny and fun to hang out with.

I went home by 11PM, both my wallet and I exhausted. But it was definitely fun. I'm glad (and relieved) that he's happy and he will remember this day. :)

I'm waiting for A, for what seems like hours. I'm so hungry! I'm craving for Jack's Country Fried Steak. We'll probably hang out at my house and watch DVDs. But just in case, the mood to party strikes, I hung an outfit at the backseat of my car, all ready to be worn. My high school kabarkada is celebrating his birthday tonight but we don't really feel like going.

It's A's birthday tomorrow. I'm picking him up tomorrow before noon so we could go to church together. We'll probably have a Japanese lunch (but it all depends on him, really) and I've got a special Sunday afternoon planned for him. Honestly, my gift for him isn't ready yet. It's one of those D-I-Y gifts and frankly, I haven't even started it! Hehehe! I'm always delayed with my presents anyway.

So what are you doing this weekend?

Just to show you how ditsy my sister, Cami, can be, here's a sample of a conversation we had last night:

Me: (Being hyper)So, what's the 4-1-1 on you and your crush?
Cami: (gives a secretive yet kilig smile)
Me: Is it 1-4-3-4-4 for you?
Cami: What's 1-4-3-4-4???
Me: Oh my god! You don't know what 1-4-3-4-4 means???
Cami: Yes, I do!!!
Me: (Looks at her questioningly)
Cami: (After a short pause) I love you much much!

A couple or so years ago, my grandparents separated. Because of the trauma, my grandmother decided to pack up and sell the house and land, where all of children, and their children's children grew up. She relocated to a place we call, The Island.

A little background:

The Island is a hectare big that she and my grandfather bought in the 70s. It was called such because the land extended from the main land of Binangonan and is 95% surrounded by Laguna de Bay's water. It's only structure was a 3 bedroom log cabin, a pavillion with no walls, a basketball court and a massive tree house atop centuries old Acacia tree. Over the years, my grandparents, with the help of one son and their only daughter, developed it into a business resort. They added cottages, a kitchen, a playground, conference rooms but without destroying or tearing down any tree. When my grandmother took over management (after separation), it became a business resort/ retreat house. In her pasttime, she would do gardening and assemble water fountains. The Island is just so beautiful that sometimes on a Sunday afternoon, while walking along the cemented pathway, I would catch myself thinking, "This is what heaven must be like." I imagine that, someday, the reception of my wedding will be here, under the shade of two gigantic Acacia trees.

Over the years, the townsfolk wondered what was behind the tall wooden gates. All they knew was that people who lived there were mayayaman (rich). There were whispers that the place was enchanted, even haunted. Local fishermen swore that sometimes at night, they would see a lady in white with black flowing hair standing on the balcony looking out to the water. It surely wasn't my grandmother as she has short hair. Brave men who climbed over the high gates, in attempt to maybe rob us or satisfy their curiosity, were possessed by engkantos or spirits. Visitors who are gifted with a sixth sense swear that they see little white men running and playing around, one even hushed to our guest "Wag mo akong isusumbong ha? (Don't tattletale on me, okay?)" because they were playing hide and seek. Thankfully, they haven't seen the black giant smoking a tobacco. Yes, all of these spirits live in our Island and they protect us and our land. Nobody dared to trespass ever again.

After half a year past the separation, my grandfather slowly creeped back into my grandmother's life. He would court her in his own little way. Although they don't live together anymore, my grandfather would go to the Island on the dawn of Sunday morning to have breakfast with her, before their children and their families arrive. Eventually, he would arrive late on Saturday nights to sleep over but my grandmother would always have the extra room prepared for him. The rest of the family would giggle at this. Grandpa thinks he can easily be forgiven. Two Christmases ago, my grandfather bought her an automatic car as a gift. My grandmother wasn't amused. What did she need a new car for? I guess my grandfather was the typical man. He thought he could buy his way into my grandmother's heart. Last Christmas, my grandfather bought her a jacuzzi tub because he knew how much my grandmother loved having saunas and home serviced massages every week. While all of us "oohed" and "aahed", the question at the back of our heads was, "Where the heck will lola place this tub in her house?!" It's just so funny and so cute how my Lolo tries to make "pa- simple." Sometimes, we couldn't help teasing Lola.

Three Sundays ago, we visited Lola. I was surprised that her little house, which was extended a year ago over the water was being extended again. Apparently, she was making a sauna and jacuzzi room for her new tub.

Me: Lola, para saan yung kino-construct niyo sa house? (Lola, what is the construction in your house for?)
Lola: For the jacuzzi. (Then lowering her voice and jokingly says) Baka sabihin ng lolo mo, di ko na a-appreciate. (Your grandfather might say that I don't appreciate it).
Me: Once that's up, nobody will stay here (the table) after lunch. Everybody will be too busy bonding at the new jacuzzi.
Lola: (Laughs) Pang- isang tao lang yun! (It can only fit one person!)
Aunt Karoll: Dapat sinabi mo kay lolo na sana nilakihan niya para kami ang mag- a- appreciate! (You should have told lolo that he should have gotten the bigger one, we would appreciate it!)
My grandmother laughs.

I don't really know if my grandparents will eventually get together. I think that my grandmother doesn't want because she makes jokes about finding another boyfriend. Once, I noticed she had stitches at the edge of her eyes. Apparently, she had her eyebags removed. I asked why and she said, "para magka- boyfriend! (so that i'll get a boyfriend!) She always says that whenever I compliment her.

Anyway, what is the point of this entry? Why was I inspired to blog it? When I arrived in the office, I noticed my grandmother's car parked in the driveway. My lola's driver, who has been with the family for more than 20 years, went down and walked to my window.

Me: Saan si Lola? (Where's lola?)
Driver: Wala. Ako lang mag- isa. (She's not here. I'm by myself.)
Me: Bakit?
Driver: May hinihintay akong ticket para sa lola mo. (I'm waiting for a ticket for your lola.)
Me: (Confused) Ticket??? Bakit? Aalis ba siya ulit? (Ticket? Why? Is she leaving again?)
Driver: Oo. (Yes.)
Me: (Even more confused) Kelan? (When?)
Driver: Bukas. (Tomorrow.)
Me: (Getting even more confused)Saan siya pupunta? (Where is she going?)
Driver: Hongkong.
Me: (Surprised) HONGKONG?!? Sino kasama niya? (Who is she going with?)
Driver: (Gives me a wide smile and giggles) Kasama yata lolo mo eh. (I think she's going with your lolo.)
Me: (Smiling and gets kilig) Date sila!

Sosyal naman!

Ako rin, gusto ko ng date to Hongkong! (Me too, I want a date in Hongkong!)

I just came back from shopping in S&R Price Mart on a quest for tampons. While walking down the aisles with my empty trolley, I was ticking off items I would buy if A and I lived together in our plush, minimalist condominium. All those imported cookies, junkfoods, ready- to- cook meals (yes, we'd be too busy... or lazy... to cook our own food). It made me wish (once more) that A and I lived together already in our dream condo.

So far, I came home with a carton of Arizona Green Tea with Honey and Ginseng juice and a box of Quaker Granola Bars for my on- the- go breakfast. No signs of tampons. Had to go all the way to Rustan's to finally get them.

A and I are saving up for the future. Both of us have individual bank accounts which we promised not to touch. His is the bank account provided by his previous employer, which, unfortunately, has a ATM/ Debit Card. Thus, allowing him to use the card on emergency cases.

Last Saturday, A decided he needed new rubber shoes. After all, he was part of his company's basketball team and his old rubber shoes were really in a sad state. It was time, indeed, to get new ones. This counted as an emergency.

We went to Nike in Eastwood. Luckily, they were having a sale. A chose his pair but he was somewhat hesitating on purchasing them. He kept asking me for approval, though I'd keep telling him that the decision is still his. While he was about to pay for the shoes with his card, I pretended to make him feel guilty.

Me: (nonchalantly) I guess it's okay if Little Sapphire or Little X (our future kids) will be home- schooled for awhile.
A: (laughs, kisses me on the cheek and gives me a hug)

By this time, A recognizes someone he knows and as I continue on, I noticed that he wasn't paying attention to what I was saying as he is trying to recall where he met the guy.

Me: But it's really okay, actually... as long as you teach math.
A: (keeps nodding his head, obviously not listening cuz he did not object)

A gives the guy a nod and they engage in small talk. When the guy left, A was about to sign the customer's copy and merchant's copy of the debit card.

Me: So, you'll teach math, okay? It's agreed upon.
A: Huh?
Me: You'll teach math.
A: (Looking more confused)
Me: You know? For Little Sapphire and Little X? Home school?
A: No!
Me: But you agreed! I was telling you awhile ago and you were nodding your head!
A: No, I didn't!
Me: Yes, you did. You weren't listening kasi eh.

Preview of our future marital bouts.

After watching the movie last night, A and I walked from Glorietta 4 to Hotel Intercon to use the restrooms. We cut across the park. It was so breezy and cool. Almost like walking in New York City at night without being mugged. Except that I don't remember what it was like walking in New York City at night because the last time I was there was 10 years ago.

It was a nice change after walking under the hot, scorching sun compounded with the heat, humidity and pollution of the city for months on end. If only it could always be like this.

I called up Cami last night to tell her that I was watching Spiderman 2 and that I know the title of Book 6 of the Harry Potter series. She answered her mobile with a sleepy voice. I was surprised that at 9:45, she was already in bed.

Me: Hey, guess what? I'm watching Spiderman 2 tonight!
Cami: Fuck you!
Me: (Shocked) What!? Did you just say "fuck you"???
Cami: (Laughing) No, I said, "Lucky you!"
Me: Oh.

When I was around 10 years old, I began loving Archie comics. And so every night, before going to bed, at around 10:00 PM, I'd get one comic book, sit on the dining table and munch on chips until I was full. It was a weird urge that turned into a daily ritual which I call 'my midnight snack.'

When I was in my mid- teens, I'd daydream, while lying in bed, about some party I'm going to and the glamorous, sexy outfit I'd be wearing. And so, at 11:30 at night, I'd get up from the bed and dress up in different outfits, just to see which one was perfect for the party. Weird urge. I don't do this anymore because I don't have time to. In fact, sometimes, it's an hour before the party and I still don't know what to wear and I empty out my closet to find the perfect (recyclable) outfit.

Last night, after coming home from Spiderman 2, I was lying in bed when the sudden urge to change my bedsheet and pillowcases hit me. And so, at 2:30 in the morning, I did just that. Weird urge. I hope it doesn't happen again.