Musical Merry Go Round
Friday, February 25, 2005
I've been tagged by Asphaire! This survey has been going around among the bloggers and I've been asked to join the band wagon. I'm quite pressured too, since Asphaire declared in her blog that "she's (meaning, I) got good taste!"
Random 10 (That's not enough! So I added 5 more)
1) Sway by Bic Runga
2) She Will Be Loved by Maroon 5
3) Dreaming Of You by Selena
4) Don't Speak by No Doubt
5) 214 by Rivermaya
6) The First Time I Loved Forever by Lisa Angelle
7) When I'm Thinking About You by The Sundays
8) As Long As It Matters by Gin Blossoms
9) Glory Box by Portishead
10) All I Want Is You by U2
11) Everytime by Britney Spears
12) Shiny Disco Balls by The Who's
13) Let's Get Retarded by Black Eyed Peas
14) California by Phantom Planet
15) Pangako by Regine Velasquez
What is the total amount of music on your PC? Yikes, compared to others out there, I've got 800 plus MB only. I don't really listen to music when I use my laptop. It's either I'm working (and I find it a hassle to always lower the volume whenever I answer the phone and then forgetting to turn up the volume after the call) or I'm surfing the net late at night while my sisters are asleep). I usually listen to the radio while driving. Thus, explaining my very mainstream music preference. I've got 19.5 GB of TV shows though, most of which aren't shown here in the Philippines yet!
The last CD you bought? Uhm, a blank CD? I've never bought a CD in my life. I just burn the songs I like. I was recently given a burned CD of a female singer singing oldies in a very soothing tone. It's the type of voice that would help you relax. Before that, I was given by K-Lite their 9th year anniversary CD.
The last song you listened to before this message? Hmmm, I can't remember but I do know I was driving. It was a song I was somewhat familiar with but don't know the title. I do remember the first song I heard when I opened the radio. My Boo by Usher, Alicia Keys and Beyonce.
5 songs you listen to a lot and mean a lot to you.
1) Passenger Seat by Stephen Speaks- A introduced me to this song when we were still hanging out as friends. We already liked each other back then. When I first heard this song with him, I was seated in the passenger seat.
2) The Reason by Hoobastank- A sang this to me. This song became one of my ultimate favorites because at that time, we were always fighting and having this song sung to you just makes your heart melt.
3) Running by No Doubt- I made a slideshow presentation using this song as background music as a gift to A for his 23rd birthday. If you listen to the lyrics, it would describe precisely what I feel towards my relationship with A.
4) Destiny by Zero 7- A burned this song into the mixed CD he gave me on my 22nd birthday. This song began my liking for a new genre, chill out music.
5) Love Song by 311- One night, I was brushing my hair in front of a mirror. The Tonight Show with Jay Leno was playing in the background. They had 311 as their guest performer and they played this song. A came up behind me, hugged me and sang the lyrics softly in my ear and we both swayed to the music.
(Hmm, all of them have something to do with A).
Who are the 3 people you are going to pass this stick on?
1) A- If he had a blog. He's got a broad taste in music. (So he doesn't count!)
2) Cami- my sister who's perpetually listening to music, whether she's on the computer, in the shower, curling her hair or sleeping.
3) Ara- my other sister. Because I don't really know her taste in music.
4) Cat- We have so many things in common, aside from our name. What are the chances that our taste in music is the same?
5) Bunny- Because I don't think she has answered a survey like this. Plus, she's in love right now so I wanna know if her CD player/ PC/ laptop are loaded with love songs.
6) Denise - Because in her Friendster profile, she described herself as 'music slutty.'
I really can't follow the rules, huh?
Random 10 (That's not enough! So I added 5 more)
1) Sway by Bic Runga
2) She Will Be Loved by Maroon 5
3) Dreaming Of You by Selena
4) Don't Speak by No Doubt
5) 214 by Rivermaya
6) The First Time I Loved Forever by Lisa Angelle
7) When I'm Thinking About You by The Sundays
8) As Long As It Matters by Gin Blossoms
9) Glory Box by Portishead
10) All I Want Is You by U2
11) Everytime by Britney Spears
12) Shiny Disco Balls by The Who's
13) Let's Get Retarded by Black Eyed Peas
14) California by Phantom Planet
15) Pangako by Regine Velasquez
What is the total amount of music on your PC? Yikes, compared to others out there, I've got 800 plus MB only. I don't really listen to music when I use my laptop. It's either I'm working (and I find it a hassle to always lower the volume whenever I answer the phone and then forgetting to turn up the volume after the call) or I'm surfing the net late at night while my sisters are asleep). I usually listen to the radio while driving. Thus, explaining my very mainstream music preference. I've got 19.5 GB of TV shows though, most of which aren't shown here in the Philippines yet!
The last CD you bought? Uhm, a blank CD? I've never bought a CD in my life. I just burn the songs I like. I was recently given a burned CD of a female singer singing oldies in a very soothing tone. It's the type of voice that would help you relax. Before that, I was given by K-Lite their 9th year anniversary CD.
The last song you listened to before this message? Hmmm, I can't remember but I do know I was driving. It was a song I was somewhat familiar with but don't know the title. I do remember the first song I heard when I opened the radio. My Boo by Usher, Alicia Keys and Beyonce.
5 songs you listen to a lot and mean a lot to you.
1) Passenger Seat by Stephen Speaks- A introduced me to this song when we were still hanging out as friends. We already liked each other back then. When I first heard this song with him, I was seated in the passenger seat.
2) The Reason by Hoobastank- A sang this to me. This song became one of my ultimate favorites because at that time, we were always fighting and having this song sung to you just makes your heart melt.
3) Running by No Doubt- I made a slideshow presentation using this song as background music as a gift to A for his 23rd birthday. If you listen to the lyrics, it would describe precisely what I feel towards my relationship with A.
4) Destiny by Zero 7- A burned this song into the mixed CD he gave me on my 22nd birthday. This song began my liking for a new genre, chill out music.
5) Love Song by 311- One night, I was brushing my hair in front of a mirror. The Tonight Show with Jay Leno was playing in the background. They had 311 as their guest performer and they played this song. A came up behind me, hugged me and sang the lyrics softly in my ear and we both swayed to the music.
(Hmm, all of them have something to do with A).
Who are the 3 people you are going to pass this stick on?
1) A- If he had a blog. He's got a broad taste in music. (So he doesn't count!)
2) Cami- my sister who's perpetually listening to music, whether she's on the computer, in the shower, curling her hair or sleeping.
3) Ara- my other sister. Because I don't really know her taste in music.
4) Cat- We have so many things in common, aside from our name. What are the chances that our taste in music is the same?
5) Bunny- Because I don't think she has answered a survey like this. Plus, she's in love right now so I wanna know if her CD player/ PC/ laptop are loaded with love songs.
6) Denise - Because in her Friendster profile, she described herself as 'music slutty.'
I really can't follow the rules, huh?
Valentines 2005
Monday, February 21, 2005
I've mentioned before that A and I don't really celebrate Valentine's Day on the day itself. We usually celebrate a few days before or after, whichever is more convenient to both of us. Three Valentines ago, A and I THINK we celebrated at a restaurant a few days before the 14th (This is so bad that we don't remember! I wasn't keeping a blog then). Last year's Valentines celebration found us at Bellarmine Field in Ateneo, having a dessert picnic underneath the star- filled sky. We bought a box of the then popular Gonuts Donuts and a Starbucks coffee each and laid on a mat as we watched the stars. This year, Valentine's Day was simple yet special.
Saturday Before Valentines
It was my real mom's birthday and we had dinner at her house. A was working on a Saturday and was only to catch up after the dinner. We went home early, around 11pm, but detoured to a night market near my office. When we dropped off my siblings, we went to Tia Maria's to buy him dinner and returned home where we popped Spanglish into the DVD player. We munched on Plain Ruffles dipped in salsa.
Sunday Before Valentines
Right after going to mass in the afternoon, I headed straight to the salon to get a hair spa, trim, manicure, pedicure and foot spa. A followed and got a last minute hair cut. We had dinner at World Topps in Katipunan. Somewhere in the middle of dinner, A asked,
A: So what are we doing for Valentine's?
Me: This is it! This is our Valentine's celebration! We haven't argued and fought in awhile and that's already enough for me.
A and I entered the year trying to overcome obstacles in our relationship and tackling issues about ourselves. For a while, we were at the bottom of a rollercoaster ride and boy, was it bumpy! But recently, we haven't had any arguments, much less, any fights and so a simple dinner was enough to make a Valentine's celebration special.
******
Sidenotes:
- A said that I was a cheap date. I teased him that since he hasn't been fighting me, I was already happy. He joked that he should fight with me all year long and just be nice to me on the week of Valentine's Day.
- After dinner, A andI headed at my house and hung out in my car. He needed to work a bit and brainstorm. We could have stayed in my house but my little brothers were all playing in the living room and so the noise would break his concentration. The car offered the perfect sanctuary for the moment.
- At around 10, we went in to watch The Aviator. He headed home at 1am.
- 20 minutes later, I received a message from A saying that he was standing outside my doorstep because he left something! I went out, somewhat suspicious, only to validate my suspicions! When I opened the door to find him holding a boquet of baby's breath with 3 red roses! I laughed and told him that I had a feeling he bought roses, but I laughed even more because the boquet had more baby's breath than roses. It's been a week and the roses are alive. Wilting but still alive.
- As for Valentine's Day, thanks to the Buy One, Take One Starbucks Gift Certificate from my real mom, we spent Valentine's Day at Starbucks with about a third of the metropolis!
Saturday Before Valentines
It was my real mom's birthday and we had dinner at her house. A was working on a Saturday and was only to catch up after the dinner. We went home early, around 11pm, but detoured to a night market near my office. When we dropped off my siblings, we went to Tia Maria's to buy him dinner and returned home where we popped Spanglish into the DVD player. We munched on Plain Ruffles dipped in salsa.
Sunday Before Valentines
Right after going to mass in the afternoon, I headed straight to the salon to get a hair spa, trim, manicure, pedicure and foot spa. A followed and got a last minute hair cut. We had dinner at World Topps in Katipunan. Somewhere in the middle of dinner, A asked,
A: So what are we doing for Valentine's?
Me: This is it! This is our Valentine's celebration! We haven't argued and fought in awhile and that's already enough for me.
A and I entered the year trying to overcome obstacles in our relationship and tackling issues about ourselves. For a while, we were at the bottom of a rollercoaster ride and boy, was it bumpy! But recently, we haven't had any arguments, much less, any fights and so a simple dinner was enough to make a Valentine's celebration special.
******
Sidenotes:
- A said that I was a cheap date. I teased him that since he hasn't been fighting me, I was already happy. He joked that he should fight with me all year long and just be nice to me on the week of Valentine's Day.
- After dinner, A andI headed at my house and hung out in my car. He needed to work a bit and brainstorm. We could have stayed in my house but my little brothers were all playing in the living room and so the noise would break his concentration. The car offered the perfect sanctuary for the moment.
- At around 10, we went in to watch The Aviator. He headed home at 1am.
- 20 minutes later, I received a message from A saying that he was standing outside my doorstep because he left something! I went out, somewhat suspicious, only to validate my suspicions! When I opened the door to find him holding a boquet of baby's breath with 3 red roses! I laughed and told him that I had a feeling he bought roses, but I laughed even more because the boquet had more baby's breath than roses. It's been a week and the roses are alive. Wilting but still alive.
- As for Valentine's Day, thanks to the Buy One, Take One Starbucks Gift Certificate from my real mom, we spent Valentine's Day at Starbucks with about a third of the metropolis!
The Best Night of My Life
Tuesday, February 15, 2005
In the spirit of Valentine's Day, let me tell you one of my favorite stories. The most romantic date. The best thought of gift anyone has given me.
It was Christmas 2002. A and I got together exactly a month before. We were both very happy and much in love as I was his first girlfriend and he was everything my ex, who I broke up with 3 months earlier, wasn't.
Two weeks before Christmas, A told me that his family is having a Christmas reunion in Mandarin Oriental Hotel so it's a pretty formal event. It would be my first time to meet his family and since I wanted to make a good impression, I prepared for it.
On the day of the event, I borrowed a black spaghetti strapped dress that fell just below my knees from my stepmom and wore my strappy sandals that never failed to make me feel sexy. I went to the salon and had my hair curled. I felt so beautiful, even better than my prom night! What was slightly ticking me off was that he was late. It was already 830 PM. So much for coming on time for a dinner affair and making a good impression in front of his entire clan!
When he got to my house, we took a few photos and his sister called him on his mobile. She asked him if he could pass by her apartment in Katipunan, QC to pick up the gifts for their relatives, which she forgot! I lived in Valle Verde at that time and a last minute trip to Katipunan would delay us even more! We'd never get to dinner. Then again, I knew I had no choice. When we got to the apartment, my boyfriend left me in the car to get the gifts. It was taking him quite a long time gathering them. I was surprised when he came down empty- handed. He told me he needed help carrying this one gift because it was huge and heavy. I was secretly annoyed because I had to climb three flights of stairs, lugging a huge, heavy box in my dress and high heels. I knew I just had to do it if I wanted to make it to the dinner.
Upon reaching his sister's apartment, he paused in front of the door and turned to me. He said, "I love you..." and I whispered the same words back to him and we kissed. Then he whispered, "But I think I love you more..." And then he pushed the door open and I gasped at the sight in front of me.
From the ceiling hung silver stars. On the floor were rose petals. On every corner were tea candles to light my path. In the background playing was the mixed CD he made of my favorite songs. By the window, the words "Merry Christmas, Cat" were strung and beneath that, a candlelit dinner for two were set. Yup, he cooked dinner with the help of his sister (actually, his sister cooked. He stirred the beef a little.) We barely touched our food. He was too nervous. I was too happy, too busy smiling from ear to ear to actually put something in my mouth and chew. He decided to bring in dessert and his gift for me. For dessert, he bought my all time favorite yet hard to find chocolates, Guylian's Belgian Pralines.
He brought out a red cardboard box and I was amazed because the lid was a picture of me. On the underside of the box was another picture and words and phrases that had meaning to both of us. And on the sides of the box were lines from a poem he wrote. It read:
(As you can see, the title of my blog, chocolate stars, came from this poem. I asked him one night when did he compose this poem and he said that it dawned on him one time, as he was walking towards me and I was standing there waiting for him with a smile on my face.)
I opened the box to find more of the Belgian pralines amongst star shaped candies. In the center of it was a heart shaped jewelry box. Inside lay a silver anklet and a bracelet made of silver stars linked together.
It was the most romantic Christmas, the most romantic date, and the best gift, I ever had.
As for the dinner affair and family reunion in Mandarin Hotel? There was none. He made it all up. :)
It was Christmas 2002. A and I got together exactly a month before. We were both very happy and much in love as I was his first girlfriend and he was everything my ex, who I broke up with 3 months earlier, wasn't.
Two weeks before Christmas, A told me that his family is having a Christmas reunion in Mandarin Oriental Hotel so it's a pretty formal event. It would be my first time to meet his family and since I wanted to make a good impression, I prepared for it.
On the day of the event, I borrowed a black spaghetti strapped dress that fell just below my knees from my stepmom and wore my strappy sandals that never failed to make me feel sexy. I went to the salon and had my hair curled. I felt so beautiful, even better than my prom night! What was slightly ticking me off was that he was late. It was already 830 PM. So much for coming on time for a dinner affair and making a good impression in front of his entire clan!
When he got to my house, we took a few photos and his sister called him on his mobile. She asked him if he could pass by her apartment in Katipunan, QC to pick up the gifts for their relatives, which she forgot! I lived in Valle Verde at that time and a last minute trip to Katipunan would delay us even more! We'd never get to dinner. Then again, I knew I had no choice. When we got to the apartment, my boyfriend left me in the car to get the gifts. It was taking him quite a long time gathering them. I was surprised when he came down empty- handed. He told me he needed help carrying this one gift because it was huge and heavy. I was secretly annoyed because I had to climb three flights of stairs, lugging a huge, heavy box in my dress and high heels. I knew I just had to do it if I wanted to make it to the dinner.
Upon reaching his sister's apartment, he paused in front of the door and turned to me. He said, "I love you..." and I whispered the same words back to him and we kissed. Then he whispered, "But I think I love you more..." And then he pushed the door open and I gasped at the sight in front of me.
From the ceiling hung silver stars. On the floor were rose petals. On every corner were tea candles to light my path. In the background playing was the mixed CD he made of my favorite songs. By the window, the words "Merry Christmas, Cat" were strung and beneath that, a candlelit dinner for two were set. Yup, he cooked dinner with the help of his sister (actually, his sister cooked. He stirred the beef a little.) We barely touched our food. He was too nervous. I was too happy, too busy smiling from ear to ear to actually put something in my mouth and chew. He decided to bring in dessert and his gift for me. For dessert, he bought my all time favorite yet hard to find chocolates, Guylian's Belgian Pralines.
He brought out a red cardboard box and I was amazed because the lid was a picture of me. On the underside of the box was another picture and words and phrases that had meaning to both of us. And on the sides of the box were lines from a poem he wrote. It read:
A shade of soft silence draws upon my lip
Closer, nearer, inch by inch, and tip by tip
You are there.
These are the nights stars become chocolates
That glimmer in your honeyed gaze
Or be it a star that takes your shape
In the brilliance of your countenance
And the radiance of your face.
You are.
And in this moment I pause,
Slowly, every time, every night, ever so simply,
Just to delight in the presence of such sweet divinity.
You.
(As you can see, the title of my blog, chocolate stars, came from this poem. I asked him one night when did he compose this poem and he said that it dawned on him one time, as he was walking towards me and I was standing there waiting for him with a smile on my face.)
I opened the box to find more of the Belgian pralines amongst star shaped candies. In the center of it was a heart shaped jewelry box. Inside lay a silver anklet and a bracelet made of silver stars linked together.
We were both so happy that we ended up slowdancing into the night. (Okay, that was cheesy!)
It was the most romantic Christmas, the most romantic date, and the best gift, I ever had.
As for the dinner affair and family reunion in Mandarin Hotel? There was none. He made it all up. :)
I Am The Marketing Manager!!! Not The...
Sunday, February 13, 2005
Perhaps one of my pet peeves in life right now is the fact that people think that just because my father/ uncle owns the bar I work in, I can get away with things.
Yes, ladies and gentlemen, it's out there in the open. The bar where I work is owned by my uncle and my father. In fact, my direct boss, the VP of Marketing is my father! (But I do the dirty work. He barely lifts a finger and even brags it to other people that I run the show now). I never experienced going from street to street, building to building, floor to floor, door to door, passing resumes and going through the hardships of finding a job, competing against thousands of newly graduates who are more qualified than I am simply because I was offered a temporary job to work in the marketing department of the bar for six months. In the beginning, the job was offered so that I have something to put in my resume. After all, you have an advantage if you have more experience. Two years and seven months later, I'm still here and I know that I'm still here, not because I'm the niece or the daughter of the owner, but because I'm doing one heck of a good job.
It annoys me that people introduce me as "pamangkin (niece) of _______" or "anak (child) of _______" because in the bar where I work, I know I'm much more than that. Some people add (when I'm being introduced) that I "handle marketing" and to me, it makes it seem that I was hired in that position in the first place because I am the niece or daughter of the owner. Whenever people say, "Oh, so you own ________ pala!" I always say, "My uncle and father does. I don't." Some people even say, "That's the same thing!" I always answer, "No, it's not. They shelled out money to put up the place. I didn't." Yet, because of this connotation, I am pushed to work harder to prove that I am not the marketing manager because I am the niece or daughter of the owner, but because I know what I am doing and I'm good at my job!
As I said earlier, many people think that just because I'm the niece/ daughter of the owner, I can get away with things, particularly rules and protocols. For example,
(1) We have a "no reservations" policy every Friday, which we absolutely, strictly enforce. It's so strict that even our stockholders aren't allowed to have reservations. Once, our ceo/ president, my uncle, even called to ask if he could reserve a table for a VIP that he couldn't say no to. We told him, "Have you forgotten you own the place?" Anyway, a former classmate from college called me up, trying to get a reservation on a Friday. I told her that I couldn't do that and explained to her the policy. She says, "Pare naman! Para naman di ka may ari n'yan? (Dude! As if you don't own the place?!)" And that just got my blood boiling. And so in a nice way, I told her that more than anything, I also work there and we have rules and protocols to follow. Had I said yes to her request, many of our guests would complain and be angry.
(2) We have dress codes too. One of which is no short pants for males allowed inside. A friend called me up at 2am, while I was about to sleep, asking me to bend the rules for her friend. I explained that I couldn't do that because some of our guests would get mad, especially if we had to turn them away before. She kept begging and pleading but I kept my ground.
(3) A friend called me earlier saying that they were in one of our branches waiting in line to get in. They have been waiting for 30 minutes now to get a table. He was hoping that I can call someone to let them in. While I could do that, I also didn't want to "abuse that power." If they were waiting that long, it simply means that we were fully booked and they had to wait till a table is free. And if I let them cut through the wait list, the other people in line who waited more than they have would get pissed off and I don't want that.
I guess the bottomline is, the reason why I don't like to be known as the niece/ daughter of the owner of the bar is, aside from people wanting me to break rules and protocol, I feel caught in between being an employee who has to follow the rules and being a friend. I'm worried that if I don't give in to them, they will think that I am being ungrateful or I don't have "utang na loob", especially if they ever did favors for me before. It's hard enough just saying "no" to them.
I realized that some of the reasons why the Philippines is having a hard time developing lie in the people itself. First of all, Filipinos have a hard time saying 'no.' Many times, it has become our downfall. If not saying no means they'd get in trouble, they would. If they have to break rules and protocol, they would. Just to make someone happy. Second, while it is good to develop your contacts and connections, people use it at the expense of others (see examples 1 and 3). Lastly, Filipinos have a deep sense of gratitude or "utang na loob." In general, this is a good trait. Having a deep sense of gratitude doesn't just lie in being grateful or appreciative. It goes as far as returning the favor done upon you, not necessarily in the same sense, but possibly in another way that could benefit the other. I know some Filipinos whose business ended up bankrupt because they gave enormous discounts left and right to friends because of "utang na loob."
I was talking to Josh, the owner of Zong, about this and we share the same experiences and sentiments. We know that in other countries, "no" means "no" and "a rule is a rule" and things are done in a systemized way and no one is exempted by doing a short cut. (Does anyone follow what I mean?) And that's why, I guess, in the business spectrum of it, they're far more better than we are.
(Hmmm, funny how I was just ranting here about something concerning myself and then it broadens to the Filipinos' personality and culture).
Yes, ladies and gentlemen, it's out there in the open. The bar where I work is owned by my uncle and my father. In fact, my direct boss, the VP of Marketing is my father! (But I do the dirty work. He barely lifts a finger and even brags it to other people that I run the show now). I never experienced going from street to street, building to building, floor to floor, door to door, passing resumes and going through the hardships of finding a job, competing against thousands of newly graduates who are more qualified than I am simply because I was offered a temporary job to work in the marketing department of the bar for six months. In the beginning, the job was offered so that I have something to put in my resume. After all, you have an advantage if you have more experience. Two years and seven months later, I'm still here and I know that I'm still here, not because I'm the niece or the daughter of the owner, but because I'm doing one heck of a good job.
It annoys me that people introduce me as "pamangkin (niece) of _______" or "anak (child) of _______" because in the bar where I work, I know I'm much more than that. Some people add (when I'm being introduced) that I "handle marketing" and to me, it makes it seem that I was hired in that position in the first place because I am the niece or daughter of the owner. Whenever people say, "Oh, so you own ________ pala!" I always say, "My uncle and father does. I don't." Some people even say, "That's the same thing!" I always answer, "No, it's not. They shelled out money to put up the place. I didn't." Yet, because of this connotation, I am pushed to work harder to prove that I am not the marketing manager because I am the niece or daughter of the owner, but because I know what I am doing and I'm good at my job!
As I said earlier, many people think that just because I'm the niece/ daughter of the owner, I can get away with things, particularly rules and protocols. For example,
(1) We have a "no reservations" policy every Friday, which we absolutely, strictly enforce. It's so strict that even our stockholders aren't allowed to have reservations. Once, our ceo/ president, my uncle, even called to ask if he could reserve a table for a VIP that he couldn't say no to. We told him, "Have you forgotten you own the place?" Anyway, a former classmate from college called me up, trying to get a reservation on a Friday. I told her that I couldn't do that and explained to her the policy. She says, "Pare naman! Para naman di ka may ari n'yan? (Dude! As if you don't own the place?!)" And that just got my blood boiling. And so in a nice way, I told her that more than anything, I also work there and we have rules and protocols to follow. Had I said yes to her request, many of our guests would complain and be angry.
(2) We have dress codes too. One of which is no short pants for males allowed inside. A friend called me up at 2am, while I was about to sleep, asking me to bend the rules for her friend. I explained that I couldn't do that because some of our guests would get mad, especially if we had to turn them away before. She kept begging and pleading but I kept my ground.
(3) A friend called me earlier saying that they were in one of our branches waiting in line to get in. They have been waiting for 30 minutes now to get a table. He was hoping that I can call someone to let them in. While I could do that, I also didn't want to "abuse that power." If they were waiting that long, it simply means that we were fully booked and they had to wait till a table is free. And if I let them cut through the wait list, the other people in line who waited more than they have would get pissed off and I don't want that.
I guess the bottomline is, the reason why I don't like to be known as the niece/ daughter of the owner of the bar is, aside from people wanting me to break rules and protocol, I feel caught in between being an employee who has to follow the rules and being a friend. I'm worried that if I don't give in to them, they will think that I am being ungrateful or I don't have "utang na loob", especially if they ever did favors for me before. It's hard enough just saying "no" to them.
I realized that some of the reasons why the Philippines is having a hard time developing lie in the people itself. First of all, Filipinos have a hard time saying 'no.' Many times, it has become our downfall. If not saying no means they'd get in trouble, they would. If they have to break rules and protocol, they would. Just to make someone happy. Second, while it is good to develop your contacts and connections, people use it at the expense of others (see examples 1 and 3). Lastly, Filipinos have a deep sense of gratitude or "utang na loob." In general, this is a good trait. Having a deep sense of gratitude doesn't just lie in being grateful or appreciative. It goes as far as returning the favor done upon you, not necessarily in the same sense, but possibly in another way that could benefit the other. I know some Filipinos whose business ended up bankrupt because they gave enormous discounts left and right to friends because of "utang na loob."
I was talking to Josh, the owner of Zong, about this and we share the same experiences and sentiments. We know that in other countries, "no" means "no" and "a rule is a rule" and things are done in a systemized way and no one is exempted by doing a short cut. (Does anyone follow what I mean?) And that's why, I guess, in the business spectrum of it, they're far more better than we are.
(Hmmm, funny how I was just ranting here about something concerning myself and then it broadens to the Filipinos' personality and culture).
Weekend Recap
Tuesday, February 08, 2005
Friday
- First stop was National Bookstore. A fortnight ago (that's 2 weeks to you), I went there and found a buy 2, take 1 special of Mike Gayle books. They were selling Mr. Commitment, My Legendary Girlfriend and Turning Thirty! I couldn't get these titles from ever reliable Powerbooks so I decided to buy them before the stock ran out. When I got there, the books weren't on the display shelves where I last saw them and I was bummed that they ran out of stock. It turned out that they moved the books to another area, barely visible to the eye. I quickly purchased it, jumped into my car and drove for an hour and a half for a normally 30 minute trip. Traffic was THAT congested. Why did the government decide to do roadworks at all major thoroughfares all at the same time?
- Got to work by 3:30PM and worked till 7PM only. Cel arrived at my office by 7. Since A was in Indonesia, I decided to go out with Cel and make the most of my temporary "single" hood.
- Despite knowing that traffic was congested in Ayala Ave., I decided to brave the streets. You just gotta do that if you want to get a decent parking slot. Unfortunately, by the time we got to Greenbelt, they wouldn't let us enter my usual parking area! I even tried to charm the security guard but to no avail! We ended up parking somewhere else, naturally!
- We bought tickets for the latest J.Lo flick, Shall We Dance, and I was surprised that at 8PM, the 9:45pm show wasn't sold out yet!
- We had dinner at Haiku and engaged in girl talk.
- Went to the movie and came out after 2 hours.
- Headed to Absinthe but changed our mind upon seeing the young crowd (and when I say young, I meant college kids).
- Decided to go to good, old reliable Temple instead and was surprised that it wasn't full yet. We got our drinks, grabbed a cocktail table by the side and danced.
- One guy attempted to "pick us up" but gave up when I refused to make eye contact. Another guy, from the table beside us, struck a conversation with us. I bet he wondered why both of us were named "Cel." (I don't usually give my real name). He seemed especially interested at Cel cuz he kept talking to her. Cel wasn't interested because the guy behind her kept distracting her. He looked like Dennis Miranda of the FEU Tamaraws Basketball Team of which she is a fan. Eventually, she struck a conversation with him, leaving the other poor guy alone and so the guy decided to talk more to me instead! Hahahaha!!! His pick up line? "You're wearing a skirt pala. I like girls wearing skirts. I find them gorgeous!" Really? I should have told them that not all girls wearing skirts fall for that line. He asked for my phone number. I said no. He asked if he could visit me at the bar where I work. I asked what for? He said dinner date. I said I have a boyfriend. He said that's okay. I was surprised and said "That's okay?! That's not okay for me!" He gave up, left and blended into the crowd. Minutes later, he returns to ask me where my boyfriend was. I said he was out with the boys. When 2am rolled around, Cel and I decided to leave so we said goodbye to Dennis Miranda, who I found gentlemanly, and his crew. The other guy who was standing beside us the whole time was waiting for us to say goodbye to him. We didn't.
- But, we didn't head home yet. Instead, I treated Cel to a night cap at Max Brenner where we both ordered Strawberry Yoghurt White Chocolate Shake.
- In the middle of our drinks, chaos suddenly erupted as security guards started running. Apparently, a mini gang fight between Pinoy hiphoppers and American teenagers ensued. Cel immediately stood up and moved aside in panic, which I found hilarious, considering that being a crisis leader in her company, she should stay calm.
- We headed home at around 230-ish. I got home at around 33o-ish and was surprised that my dad didn't even look for or call me!
Saturday
- I woke up really late. Let's say I planned to be at our main office at 2pm but I got there at 4pm. When I got there, I haven't eaten lunch so I decided to treat everybody out for some McDo delivery.
- Since we were working on our giveaways for Valentine's day, we needed a big working space. I brought my banig along and laid it near the entrance where my graphic artist and I sat and went to work while eating our Mickey D sandwiches. It was so much fun! We kept joking, teasing and laughing. Some of our accountants, the inventory clerk and the janitor helped us out before going home. I thought we couldn't finish them in time but we managed to package 300 pieces!
- Somewhere around 6pm, I received a call from A. I was surprised that he was home already! Time went by so fast that I didn't even notice that his plane was scheduled to land already. Since I wasn't done with work yet, I told him to get some rest first and we'll just meet up later. Unfortunately, he was soooo tired that I never got to see him.
- So at 9:45PM, I went to my other office and processed the checks that were left on my table. At 1030 PM, I went to our branch in Ortigas to drop off some stuff and hang out for awhile.
- I headed home at around 12mn but passed by Tia Maria's Cantina for some take out quesadillas and watched Will and Grace dvds.
Sunday
- After a 4 hour sleep, I woke up because A and I decided to join our friends on a trip out of town- to Antipolo to be exact. It was Bri and Smaq's birthday celebration. Smaq and Sha, who migrated to Australia, came home for vacation as they also had to attend weddings of relatives.
- After the somewhat short drive to Antipolo, we had lunch and Sha talked about life in Australia.
- Soon after, we went swimming but the water was so cold that we took a dip for like 5 minutes. We hung out by the pool with our chips, beer/ softdrinks, and their ciggies.
- When it started drizzling, we all went inside. Pretty soon, we were engaging in a competitive game of Taboo. Boys vs. Girls. That was soooo much fun!
- We left at 10pm and headed to our friend Rose's house and hung out till 1am.
- Before heading home, we decided to get some coffee at Starbucks and took the chance to finally talk and catch up about how we spent our days and nights while A was in Indonesia. A finally went home at 2am.
It was truly eventful weekend for me. I felt I did so many things! How did your weekend go?
- First stop was National Bookstore. A fortnight ago (that's 2 weeks to you), I went there and found a buy 2, take 1 special of Mike Gayle books. They were selling Mr. Commitment, My Legendary Girlfriend and Turning Thirty! I couldn't get these titles from ever reliable Powerbooks so I decided to buy them before the stock ran out. When I got there, the books weren't on the display shelves where I last saw them and I was bummed that they ran out of stock. It turned out that they moved the books to another area, barely visible to the eye. I quickly purchased it, jumped into my car and drove for an hour and a half for a normally 30 minute trip. Traffic was THAT congested. Why did the government decide to do roadworks at all major thoroughfares all at the same time?
- Got to work by 3:30PM and worked till 7PM only. Cel arrived at my office by 7. Since A was in Indonesia, I decided to go out with Cel and make the most of my temporary "single" hood.
- Despite knowing that traffic was congested in Ayala Ave., I decided to brave the streets. You just gotta do that if you want to get a decent parking slot. Unfortunately, by the time we got to Greenbelt, they wouldn't let us enter my usual parking area! I even tried to charm the security guard but to no avail! We ended up parking somewhere else, naturally!
- We bought tickets for the latest J.Lo flick, Shall We Dance, and I was surprised that at 8PM, the 9:45pm show wasn't sold out yet!
- We had dinner at Haiku and engaged in girl talk.
- Went to the movie and came out after 2 hours.
- Headed to Absinthe but changed our mind upon seeing the young crowd (and when I say young, I meant college kids).
- Decided to go to good, old reliable Temple instead and was surprised that it wasn't full yet. We got our drinks, grabbed a cocktail table by the side and danced.
- One guy attempted to "pick us up" but gave up when I refused to make eye contact. Another guy, from the table beside us, struck a conversation with us. I bet he wondered why both of us were named "Cel." (I don't usually give my real name). He seemed especially interested at Cel cuz he kept talking to her. Cel wasn't interested because the guy behind her kept distracting her. He looked like Dennis Miranda of the FEU Tamaraws Basketball Team of which she is a fan. Eventually, she struck a conversation with him, leaving the other poor guy alone and so the guy decided to talk more to me instead! Hahahaha!!! His pick up line? "You're wearing a skirt pala. I like girls wearing skirts. I find them gorgeous!" Really? I should have told them that not all girls wearing skirts fall for that line. He asked for my phone number. I said no. He asked if he could visit me at the bar where I work. I asked what for? He said dinner date. I said I have a boyfriend. He said that's okay. I was surprised and said "That's okay?! That's not okay for me!" He gave up, left and blended into the crowd. Minutes later, he returns to ask me where my boyfriend was. I said he was out with the boys. When 2am rolled around, Cel and I decided to leave so we said goodbye to Dennis Miranda, who I found gentlemanly, and his crew. The other guy who was standing beside us the whole time was waiting for us to say goodbye to him. We didn't.
- But, we didn't head home yet. Instead, I treated Cel to a night cap at Max Brenner where we both ordered Strawberry Yoghurt White Chocolate Shake.
- In the middle of our drinks, chaos suddenly erupted as security guards started running. Apparently, a mini gang fight between Pinoy hiphoppers and American teenagers ensued. Cel immediately stood up and moved aside in panic, which I found hilarious, considering that being a crisis leader in her company, she should stay calm.
- We headed home at around 230-ish. I got home at around 33o-ish and was surprised that my dad didn't even look for or call me!
Saturday
- I woke up really late. Let's say I planned to be at our main office at 2pm but I got there at 4pm. When I got there, I haven't eaten lunch so I decided to treat everybody out for some McDo delivery.
- Since we were working on our giveaways for Valentine's day, we needed a big working space. I brought my banig along and laid it near the entrance where my graphic artist and I sat and went to work while eating our Mickey D sandwiches. It was so much fun! We kept joking, teasing and laughing. Some of our accountants, the inventory clerk and the janitor helped us out before going home. I thought we couldn't finish them in time but we managed to package 300 pieces!
- Somewhere around 6pm, I received a call from A. I was surprised that he was home already! Time went by so fast that I didn't even notice that his plane was scheduled to land already. Since I wasn't done with work yet, I told him to get some rest first and we'll just meet up later. Unfortunately, he was soooo tired that I never got to see him.
- So at 9:45PM, I went to my other office and processed the checks that were left on my table. At 1030 PM, I went to our branch in Ortigas to drop off some stuff and hang out for awhile.
- I headed home at around 12mn but passed by Tia Maria's Cantina for some take out quesadillas and watched Will and Grace dvds.
Sunday
- After a 4 hour sleep, I woke up because A and I decided to join our friends on a trip out of town- to Antipolo to be exact. It was Bri and Smaq's birthday celebration. Smaq and Sha, who migrated to Australia, came home for vacation as they also had to attend weddings of relatives.
- After the somewhat short drive to Antipolo, we had lunch and Sha talked about life in Australia.
- Soon after, we went swimming but the water was so cold that we took a dip for like 5 minutes. We hung out by the pool with our chips, beer/ softdrinks, and their ciggies.
- When it started drizzling, we all went inside. Pretty soon, we were engaging in a competitive game of Taboo. Boys vs. Girls. That was soooo much fun!
- We left at 10pm and headed to our friend Rose's house and hung out till 1am.
- Before heading home, we decided to get some coffee at Starbucks and took the chance to finally talk and catch up about how we spent our days and nights while A was in Indonesia. A finally went home at 2am.
It was truly eventful weekend for me. I felt I did so many things! How did your weekend go?
Valentine Gifts: Things That SHE Would Like
Monday, February 07, 2005
Yes, the dreadful occassion is just around the corner. St. Valentine's Day. Now how can a day celebrating love between two persons be dreadful? For those who are blessed with singlehood, it can be a reminder of what they don't have. But for those blissfully (or not so blissfully) shackled to another person, it can be dreadful in terms of 5 letters: M-O-N-E-Y... OR G-I-F-T-S, specifically, what to give.
This post is for De Villa, who inspired me to write this post because he needed gift suggestions for his signifacant other. De Villa, each woman is special. They have different tastes and preferences so I can't really say what SHE would like so I'd like to leave with you instead some tips that might help you find the perfect gift. Hope this helps!
1) Avoid roses, chocolates, stuffed toys and Valentine's cards. This is so cliche! (Unless, she loves chocolates like I do. An ex- boyfriend once gave me a humongous bag filled with chocolates which lasted me a month, even if I shared them daily with my classmates). On the note of flowers, let me share an anecdote. There was this special occassion that required my dad to give my stepmom a gift. He completely forgot about it and on his way home, he swung by the mall as the shops were about to close. He went inside a flower shop and grabbed a dozen peach roses and asked the saleslady to ring up the purchase. He was surprised that the roses came out inexpensive. He figured he must have gotten a discount since the flowers were not exactly fresh (like how breads are sold at a discounted price at the end of the day). Upon giving the flowers to my mom with a huge smile on his face, my mom smiles because she is delighted. She brings the boquet to her nose to smell them and then a puzzled look crosses her face. She says, "These are artificial roses!!!" My dad was surprised! No wonder the roses were inexpensive! So he saves the day by saying, "They're like my love for you. They will last forever!!!" My mom still saw him through it.''
2) Pay attention to what she says. She may be saying something that she wants and likes and you just don't realize it.
3) Jewelry and perfume may be good but expensive.
4) Most of the time, it's not what you give her... It's what you do. It's the effort you put into that gift, or the day to make it extra special. Do something different to make the day more memorable. Try not to eat out in restaurants. Everybody else is doing that and you'll just spend half of the night waiting for a table to be available. Here are examples you can use. These are based on personal experiences:
- If you can cook, make her dinner and dessert (Note: don't make her YOUR dinner and dessert. Well, you can if you want to, after you cooked her a decent meal). Set up a candlelit dinner for two. Or, even better, a candlelit dinner under the stars. (A did this to me on our first Christmas together but that's another blog entry).
- If you can't cook, you can get take out from your favorite restaurant, take a blanket with you and find a nice, open field where you can picnic, under the shade of a tree or underneath the stars. Just remember to clean up after and throw your trash in the garbage can. (This is what A and I did last Valentine's.)
- If you're a musician, compose a song about her. (An exboyfriend wrote a song about me once when we were still dating. Sadly, it didn't make the hit charts. Hahaha!)
- If you're a poet, write a poem about her. (Hmmm, I did this once to a crush- no, more of an obsession- I had in high school)
- If you're into comic books and you can draw, make a comic book about the first time you met. Twist the story a little bit and make yourself a superhero. (This was sort of taken from the show, The OC)
- Mix a CD with songs that have significance to both of you: the song you first danced to, the song you heard when you first met, the song you kissed to, the song both of you always sang along to, the song you listened to on the way to her house on your first date. (A gave me a mixed CD for my birthday two years ago. It served as our background music during the romantic candlelit Christmas dinner, which I mentioned 5 examples above.)
- Make a scrapbook. Put pictures of you together, movie tickets, concert tickets, souvenirs from places you had dates. (When A and I were just friends, I decided to make a journal of the things we did since we hung out so much and give it to him for Christmas. Somewhere along the way, we fell in love and so even the day we got together was included in the journal. Among the things I have given him, this is the one he treasures the most. It was my first gift to him.)
- Compile a journal of the the things you did together from a February 1 to February 14 and entitle it, "(Insert name of significant other)'s 14 Days of Valentines." Make sure that on each day, you make her smile by doing something special. Another version is that you give something small yet significant each day and on the last day, February 14, you give her the biggest gift or the most significant gift, whichever is better.
- Take her to a place she's been wanting to go. Surprise her to a trip out of town.
- Treat her to a relaxing spa treatment... or hair and nail treatments at the salon... or both!
-Make a list of 100 reasons why you love her. Thinking of 20 reasons is easy but 100? I tell you, you gotta rack your brains and turn it inside out to find 100 reasons! Sometimes, it takes days to find more reasons because each day you discover something new that you love about her. (I did this to A and was able to think of 255 reasons! Yep, I racked my brains and a half, turned it inside out and upside down for those 255 reasons).
- If you've got lots of pictures together on your laptop/ desktop, make a video with your favorite song as a background. I've used Microsoft Powerpoint to make a "video" because I can program the pictures to change according to the beat and rhythm of the song.
- Make a crossword puzzle where the clues and answers are significant to both of you. If she answers everything correctly, give her a special prize.
- If you got time, arrange for a treasure hunt where clues are hidden in places significant to both of you, like where you went on your first date, where you had your first kiss, where you first held hands, where you had your first dance, etc. Of course, each clue should lead to the next clue until you find the treasure. Of course, the treasure has to be a gift from you.
Valentine's Day isn't about giving gifts. We've got birthdays and Christmas for that. Valentine's Day is about spending the special day together and celebrating your love. Whenever Valentine's Day comes around, A always says, "Why do couples show their love to one another on Valentine's Day? Everyday should be Valentine's Day." I agree. Since I work in a restaurant, Valentine's Day is one of our busiest nights in the year. It amazes yet puzzles me why couples choose to go on dates on Valentine's Day. Is it because it's Valentine's Day and you just have to? Don't get me wrong. A and I celebrate Valentine's Day too. We just choose not to celebrate it on the day itself with everyone else. With everybody out of their house, it's just too much of a hassle. Anyway, I'm digressing.
There are so many other things you can do, ways to make your better (or bitter) half feel extra special on Happy Hearts Day. You just have to be creative. If any of my dear blog friends and readers have any more suggestions, please feel free to leave a comment. Meanwhile, if I remember anything, I'll update this entry. Hope this entry helped the guy readers out there!
This post is for De Villa, who inspired me to write this post because he needed gift suggestions for his signifacant other. De Villa, each woman is special. They have different tastes and preferences so I can't really say what SHE would like so I'd like to leave with you instead some tips that might help you find the perfect gift. Hope this helps!
1) Avoid roses, chocolates, stuffed toys and Valentine's cards. This is so cliche! (Unless, she loves chocolates like I do. An ex- boyfriend once gave me a humongous bag filled with chocolates which lasted me a month, even if I shared them daily with my classmates). On the note of flowers, let me share an anecdote. There was this special occassion that required my dad to give my stepmom a gift. He completely forgot about it and on his way home, he swung by the mall as the shops were about to close. He went inside a flower shop and grabbed a dozen peach roses and asked the saleslady to ring up the purchase. He was surprised that the roses came out inexpensive. He figured he must have gotten a discount since the flowers were not exactly fresh (like how breads are sold at a discounted price at the end of the day). Upon giving the flowers to my mom with a huge smile on his face, my mom smiles because she is delighted. She brings the boquet to her nose to smell them and then a puzzled look crosses her face. She says, "These are artificial roses!!!" My dad was surprised! No wonder the roses were inexpensive! So he saves the day by saying, "They're like my love for you. They will last forever!!!" My mom still saw him through it.''
2) Pay attention to what she says. She may be saying something that she wants and likes and you just don't realize it.
3) Jewelry and perfume may be good but expensive.
4) Most of the time, it's not what you give her... It's what you do. It's the effort you put into that gift, or the day to make it extra special. Do something different to make the day more memorable. Try not to eat out in restaurants. Everybody else is doing that and you'll just spend half of the night waiting for a table to be available. Here are examples you can use. These are based on personal experiences:
- If you can cook, make her dinner and dessert (Note: don't make her YOUR dinner and dessert. Well, you can if you want to, after you cooked her a decent meal). Set up a candlelit dinner for two. Or, even better, a candlelit dinner under the stars. (A did this to me on our first Christmas together but that's another blog entry).
- If you can't cook, you can get take out from your favorite restaurant, take a blanket with you and find a nice, open field where you can picnic, under the shade of a tree or underneath the stars. Just remember to clean up after and throw your trash in the garbage can. (This is what A and I did last Valentine's.)
- If you're a musician, compose a song about her. (An exboyfriend wrote a song about me once when we were still dating. Sadly, it didn't make the hit charts. Hahaha!)
- If you're a poet, write a poem about her. (Hmmm, I did this once to a crush- no, more of an obsession- I had in high school)
- If you're into comic books and you can draw, make a comic book about the first time you met. Twist the story a little bit and make yourself a superhero. (This was sort of taken from the show, The OC)
- Mix a CD with songs that have significance to both of you: the song you first danced to, the song you heard when you first met, the song you kissed to, the song both of you always sang along to, the song you listened to on the way to her house on your first date. (A gave me a mixed CD for my birthday two years ago. It served as our background music during the romantic candlelit Christmas dinner, which I mentioned 5 examples above.)
- Make a scrapbook. Put pictures of you together, movie tickets, concert tickets, souvenirs from places you had dates. (When A and I were just friends, I decided to make a journal of the things we did since we hung out so much and give it to him for Christmas. Somewhere along the way, we fell in love and so even the day we got together was included in the journal. Among the things I have given him, this is the one he treasures the most. It was my first gift to him.)
- Compile a journal of the the things you did together from a February 1 to February 14 and entitle it, "(Insert name of significant other)'s 14 Days of Valentines." Make sure that on each day, you make her smile by doing something special. Another version is that you give something small yet significant each day and on the last day, February 14, you give her the biggest gift or the most significant gift, whichever is better.
- Take her to a place she's been wanting to go. Surprise her to a trip out of town.
- Treat her to a relaxing spa treatment... or hair and nail treatments at the salon... or both!
-Make a list of 100 reasons why you love her. Thinking of 20 reasons is easy but 100? I tell you, you gotta rack your brains and turn it inside out to find 100 reasons! Sometimes, it takes days to find more reasons because each day you discover something new that you love about her. (I did this to A and was able to think of 255 reasons! Yep, I racked my brains and a half, turned it inside out and upside down for those 255 reasons).
- If you've got lots of pictures together on your laptop/ desktop, make a video with your favorite song as a background. I've used Microsoft Powerpoint to make a "video" because I can program the pictures to change according to the beat and rhythm of the song.
- Make a crossword puzzle where the clues and answers are significant to both of you. If she answers everything correctly, give her a special prize.
- If you got time, arrange for a treasure hunt where clues are hidden in places significant to both of you, like where you went on your first date, where you had your first kiss, where you first held hands, where you had your first dance, etc. Of course, each clue should lead to the next clue until you find the treasure. Of course, the treasure has to be a gift from you.
Valentine's Day isn't about giving gifts. We've got birthdays and Christmas for that. Valentine's Day is about spending the special day together and celebrating your love. Whenever Valentine's Day comes around, A always says, "Why do couples show their love to one another on Valentine's Day? Everyday should be Valentine's Day." I agree. Since I work in a restaurant, Valentine's Day is one of our busiest nights in the year. It amazes yet puzzles me why couples choose to go on dates on Valentine's Day. Is it because it's Valentine's Day and you just have to? Don't get me wrong. A and I celebrate Valentine's Day too. We just choose not to celebrate it on the day itself with everyone else. With everybody out of their house, it's just too much of a hassle. Anyway, I'm digressing.
There are so many other things you can do, ways to make your better (or bitter) half feel extra special on Happy Hearts Day. You just have to be creative. If any of my dear blog friends and readers have any more suggestions, please feel free to leave a comment. Meanwhile, if I remember anything, I'll update this entry. Hope this entry helped the guy readers out there!
Tiny Talks: Part 6
I've always talked about my little brothers. This time, let me talk about my adorable cousins, all boys, who are about the same age as my brothers.
Rafa on Saving Up:
I received an email from my aunt, Rafa's mother. It said:
Rafa is trying to raise funds.
He says he wants to be able to go to New York and Japan.
He believes a lemonade stand is the answer.
To support him, we are also helping him set up a "yard sale."
That's his term for a garage sale. We are planning to do it in the Island on Sunday.
Can you guys RSVP for attendance? Kawawa naman if nobody comes to buy his lemonade.
I reply:
Dear Auntie, please tell Rafa I'll buy a franchise of his lemonade stand so he can get to New York and Japan sooner.
Nicolas on The Most Beautiful Mommy:
At a birthday party, the children were playing the "Bring Me" game. The host says, "Bring me... the most beautiful mommy!!!"
Nicolas's face lights up in excitement and runs to his mommy who was seated very near the stage. Upon reaching his mom, he grabs her excitedly, his smile so wide. And then, he pauses. His face suddenly falls. He lets go of his mom as if to say, "Never mind!"
Nicolas on Jesus Christ:
Upon seeing the picture of Jim Caviezel (as Jesus Christ in the movie, The Passion of Christ) on the cover of Newsweek, he turns to his dad and says, "Dad, what is this caveman doing here (on the cover)?"
Nicolas on Calling His Unattentive Mommy:
Nicolas: Mom???
His mom doesn't hear him.
Nicolas: (slightly louder): MOM???
His mom still doesn't hear him.
Nicolas: (louder) MOM!!!
His mom is too busy doing something to hear him.
Nicolas: (even louder) Tanya????!!!! (Calling her by her first name, as his father does)
His mom still doesn't pay attention.
Nicolas: (almost shouting) Tanya!!!
Still, isn't working. He tried one last time.
Nicolas: (Shouting) HONEY!!!!!!!!
Rafa on Saving Up:
I received an email from my aunt, Rafa's mother. It said:
Rafa is trying to raise funds.
He says he wants to be able to go to New York and Japan.
He believes a lemonade stand is the answer.
To support him, we are also helping him set up a "yard sale."
That's his term for a garage sale. We are planning to do it in the Island on Sunday.
Can you guys RSVP for attendance? Kawawa naman if nobody comes to buy his lemonade.
I reply:
Dear Auntie, please tell Rafa I'll buy a franchise of his lemonade stand so he can get to New York and Japan sooner.
Nicolas on The Most Beautiful Mommy:
At a birthday party, the children were playing the "Bring Me" game. The host says, "Bring me... the most beautiful mommy!!!"
Nicolas's face lights up in excitement and runs to his mommy who was seated very near the stage. Upon reaching his mom, he grabs her excitedly, his smile so wide. And then, he pauses. His face suddenly falls. He lets go of his mom as if to say, "Never mind!"
Nicolas on Jesus Christ:
Upon seeing the picture of Jim Caviezel (as Jesus Christ in the movie, The Passion of Christ) on the cover of Newsweek, he turns to his dad and says, "Dad, what is this caveman doing here (on the cover)?"
Nicolas on Calling His Unattentive Mommy:
Nicolas: Mom???
His mom doesn't hear him.
Nicolas: (slightly louder): MOM???
His mom still doesn't hear him.
Nicolas: (louder) MOM!!!
His mom is too busy doing something to hear him.
Nicolas: (even louder) Tanya????!!!! (Calling her by her first name, as his father does)
His mom still doesn't pay attention.
Nicolas: (almost shouting) Tanya!!!
Still, isn't working. He tried one last time.
Nicolas: (Shouting) HONEY!!!!!!!!
A Glimpse of January
Tuesday, February 01, 2005
A new month, a new blog life. (Well, not really... just sort of reviving it)
January 2005 just whizzed by, I hardly felt it. And so, for the posterity, I'm going to recount recent events that happened the past month. After all, my "Replay of 2005" in 11 months time would look horrible if my January slot was empty!
So, this month, I...
... Had to organize our company's Christmas Party, along with our HRD Head and VP of Operations.
... Emcee-d part of our company's Christmas Party, drove to the party at 10PM (as the party started at 12mn, after Sunday operations) and went home at 6am the following day, fell asleep at 8am and didn't bother to go to work anymore.
... Came out in a Japanese cable channel, which is shown here in the Philippines and Japan. Being the marketing manager of our chain of bar and restaurants, I am tasked to be the spokesperson in interviews on paper and on camera.
... Had a shoot for a technology magazine for their movers and shakers feature story. Since the bar I worked for offered free Wi-fi, we were considered a 'mover and shaker' in the industry. It helped also that the associate editor was a good friend of mine. I thought that the shoot was just an ordinary shoot so I came to the shoot wearing makeup already. Apparently, they had a makeup artist/ hair stylist! I totally enjoyed the shoot and missed being in front of the camera. I was shy and felt awkward at first. But eventually, the 'model' in me came out and the photographer was pleased that he had so much fun taking my pictures! (Uhm, yes, I know a little about modelling but not enough to be actually called one. Can you imagine if I pushed through with modelling? There would be two of us and agencies and photographers would get confused because we have the same name! I'd probably have to change my name to avoid confusion!)
... Had to make a comparative report between two event proposals from competing brands. I submitted the 7 page report the next day! I was challenged and motivated! After all, it's not everyday that my boss asks me to submit a report! Time to show him what I learned in IMC and remind him why I was worth hiring in the first place! (Thanks, dezphaire, for refreshing my memory on the contents of a comparative report!)
... Had to book artists/ acoustic groups at the last minute as my boss decided to put acoustic groups on weekdays in all our outlets. It couldn't wait another week. It had to be ASAP. So most of my time was spent negotiating, fixing the schedules and informing the sound system, the managers, the artists of the schedule. Trust me, it's not as easy as it sounds.
... Had to brainstorm for ideas for giveaways for Valentine's Day. One idea was sooo good and somewhat original but unfortunately, cost us to break copyright laws and so that wasn't a good one. So I had to go back to the drawing board.
... Organize the mechanics and materials of a promo we're relaunching which gives the winner a free trip to Boracay with 3 of his friends. Just buy a bucket of beer, fill the stub completely and cross your fingers that your ticket gets chosen during the grand draw!
... Went on a dinner with my college friends. It's a good thing that we set every second Thursday of the month as our night out and we took turns to organize the dinner.
... Said goodbye to a good friend and co- worker. She was an asset to our company. She helped us improved our system. Unfortunately, she became the subject of a scandal that cost her her job, and the trust of the employees on the management team and so, instead of being terminated, she decided to resign. She definitely left big shoes to fill.
... Had constant fights with A. Yes, we've come to the point in the relationship where all we seem to do is fight and argue over the pettiest and in- depth of things. Sometimes, we feel that we've reached the edge but deep inside, we both know that we are not really on the edge. Most of the time, it's just the emotions talking and at the end of it all, we both know that we're still the right one for each other. No matter how much we drive each other crazy. I'm happy right now because for the past few days, A and I are back to normal. Let's just hope that by posting this, I'm not jinxing it. I'm somewhat superstitious.
... Became hugely addicted to The OC, causing me to sleep at 5am. And because I'm so addicted, I started downloading Season 2 episodes on Limewire. I'm starting to run out of shows to download. So far, I'm updated with The OC, Desperate Housewives and Joey. Anymore recommendations?
... Finally went to Market Market to scout for potential Valentine's Day giveaways. I found 3 items that 'could do' and are extremely inexpensive. I was so excited about them that I went to the branch where my boss was hanging out just to show it to him and ask for his opinion, only to have him ask me which I liked best.
So what's in store for me in the upcoming months?
... Well, first off, A is going on a 4 days/ 3 nights business trip to Indonesia. He's leaving on Wednesday and coming back on Saturday evening. I'm trying to keep my weeknights packed with dinner dates with girlfriends.
... More work as Holy Week draws closer.
... A trip to Boracay with my college friends and our significant others during Holy Week! (Please allow me to bask in my happiness that I never shelled out a single centavo for the trip as I'm there on business as well so my airfare and accomodations were shouldered by the company!)
... A shoot for an early morning tv show in one of the country's leading channels, featuring our bar.
January 2005 just whizzed by, I hardly felt it. And so, for the posterity, I'm going to recount recent events that happened the past month. After all, my "Replay of 2005" in 11 months time would look horrible if my January slot was empty!
So, this month, I...
... Had to organize our company's Christmas Party, along with our HRD Head and VP of Operations.
... Emcee-d part of our company's Christmas Party, drove to the party at 10PM (as the party started at 12mn, after Sunday operations) and went home at 6am the following day, fell asleep at 8am and didn't bother to go to work anymore.
... Came out in a Japanese cable channel, which is shown here in the Philippines and Japan. Being the marketing manager of our chain of bar and restaurants, I am tasked to be the spokesperson in interviews on paper and on camera.
... Had a shoot for a technology magazine for their movers and shakers feature story. Since the bar I worked for offered free Wi-fi, we were considered a 'mover and shaker' in the industry. It helped also that the associate editor was a good friend of mine. I thought that the shoot was just an ordinary shoot so I came to the shoot wearing makeup already. Apparently, they had a makeup artist/ hair stylist! I totally enjoyed the shoot and missed being in front of the camera. I was shy and felt awkward at first. But eventually, the 'model' in me came out and the photographer was pleased that he had so much fun taking my pictures! (Uhm, yes, I know a little about modelling but not enough to be actually called one. Can you imagine if I pushed through with modelling? There would be two of us and agencies and photographers would get confused because we have the same name! I'd probably have to change my name to avoid confusion!)
... Had to make a comparative report between two event proposals from competing brands. I submitted the 7 page report the next day! I was challenged and motivated! After all, it's not everyday that my boss asks me to submit a report! Time to show him what I learned in IMC and remind him why I was worth hiring in the first place! (Thanks, dezphaire, for refreshing my memory on the contents of a comparative report!)
... Had to book artists/ acoustic groups at the last minute as my boss decided to put acoustic groups on weekdays in all our outlets. It couldn't wait another week. It had to be ASAP. So most of my time was spent negotiating, fixing the schedules and informing the sound system, the managers, the artists of the schedule. Trust me, it's not as easy as it sounds.
... Had to brainstorm for ideas for giveaways for Valentine's Day. One idea was sooo good and somewhat original but unfortunately, cost us to break copyright laws and so that wasn't a good one. So I had to go back to the drawing board.
... Organize the mechanics and materials of a promo we're relaunching which gives the winner a free trip to Boracay with 3 of his friends. Just buy a bucket of beer, fill the stub completely and cross your fingers that your ticket gets chosen during the grand draw!
... Went on a dinner with my college friends. It's a good thing that we set every second Thursday of the month as our night out and we took turns to organize the dinner.
... Said goodbye to a good friend and co- worker. She was an asset to our company. She helped us improved our system. Unfortunately, she became the subject of a scandal that cost her her job, and the trust of the employees on the management team and so, instead of being terminated, she decided to resign. She definitely left big shoes to fill.
... Had constant fights with A. Yes, we've come to the point in the relationship where all we seem to do is fight and argue over the pettiest and in- depth of things. Sometimes, we feel that we've reached the edge but deep inside, we both know that we are not really on the edge. Most of the time, it's just the emotions talking and at the end of it all, we both know that we're still the right one for each other. No matter how much we drive each other crazy. I'm happy right now because for the past few days, A and I are back to normal. Let's just hope that by posting this, I'm not jinxing it. I'm somewhat superstitious.
... Became hugely addicted to The OC, causing me to sleep at 5am. And because I'm so addicted, I started downloading Season 2 episodes on Limewire. I'm starting to run out of shows to download. So far, I'm updated with The OC, Desperate Housewives and Joey. Anymore recommendations?
... Finally went to Market Market to scout for potential Valentine's Day giveaways. I found 3 items that 'could do' and are extremely inexpensive. I was so excited about them that I went to the branch where my boss was hanging out just to show it to him and ask for his opinion, only to have him ask me which I liked best.
So what's in store for me in the upcoming months?
... Well, first off, A is going on a 4 days/ 3 nights business trip to Indonesia. He's leaving on Wednesday and coming back on Saturday evening. I'm trying to keep my weeknights packed with dinner dates with girlfriends.
... More work as Holy Week draws closer.
... A trip to Boracay with my college friends and our significant others during Holy Week! (Please allow me to bask in my happiness that I never shelled out a single centavo for the trip as I'm there on business as well so my airfare and accomodations were shouldered by the company!)
... A shoot for an early morning tv show in one of the country's leading channels, featuring our bar.
