Christmas Eve

The mass was to start at 10 pm and we were at the Naga Metropolitan Cathedral by 9:30 but apparently, we weren't early enough. We were lucky to get just 2 seats, directly behind the choir. Their singing was magnificent, by the way. I heard they'd bagged championship trophies in two international chorale competitions. I forgot to get their group's name, though, pity.

Kim slept for 3 quarters of the mass so by the time it ended, I had stiff neck and aching limbs as he was sitting--nay, make that sprawled up in my arms and lap. It didn't help that it was extremely warm inside the church and that Archbisop Legazpi's homily was 5 pages long (kiddin', am not entirely sure how many pages there were of it).

Some pictures after the mass:


Christmas is for children-- even the grown ones.
;p

The Kim and I.

Obviously, Kim liked Mommy-La's gift.

This is a stolen shot. Jackie, becoming increasingly camera-shy, escaped from the general hubbub where Uncle Otom was taking a video of the goings-on and went to a corner to open her gifts.

Daddy-Lo and Kim (who is in no way camera-shy).

Happy New Year, all!
;p

The woods are lovely, dark, and deep,
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.

-Robert Frost, "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening"-

My dad and I were talking about Robert Frost's poems the other day. "The Road Less Traveled" and "Stopping by Woods..." both inevitably came up. The stanza above is immensely sad but beautiful.

Where does time go? How much of it do we really have before it all ends?

Such glum thoughts on Christmas day.

Kids these days

...are all about gadgets.

When I was small, gifts of books usually sufficed to make me deliriously happy.

This Christmas, Jackie and Kim knew exactly what they wanted. Apparently, their Game Boys (is that how you pluralize it?) have long since become outdated and the PS2 is simply not enough.

So they had to have these:


During the Christmas break in Naga, this was a normal sight:

(my other brother not in photo--was over at the desktop playing online games during this shoot).

Thank goodness I'm with the "in" crowd:

lol

On a side note, let me plug about the best pan de sal ever in the entire world:
these yummy ones from Naga's Atlantic Bakery:

My mom made sure to buy lots. She knew I was hankering for it.
;p

Happy Christmas to all!

I refuse to let this day pass without wishing the world a merry Christmas.

For 8 days now, I have been silently (at times, loudly) berating myself for being stupid enough to forget my cam and phone cables. I've taken loads and loads of pictures, each set with a corresponding blog entry in mind. And then I'd be cursing (myself) under my breath each time I log in and realize, oh yeah, I. can't. upload. the. pictures.

Anyway. I will upload them. I will, I will, I will, soon, soon, soon.

But that is obviously something that will not take the "merry" away from my Christmas. Each holiday season I spend with my family will always be a gift that I'll be opening everyday for the rest of the year, the memories enough to see me through til the next one. Thank God for Family, thank God for the love they bring.

I will leave Naga with a suitcase full of happiness.

I'll be unpacking everyday and know that I won't run out of something to keep me strong, reasons to look forward to tomorrow and the next day, and so on.

I pray that your holidays be filled with love and smiles.

From this little corner of the earth, merry Christmas to the rest of the world.

Mental Age

Snagged from Marco Harder.

Place an X beside the item that applies to you, and add them up. The sum will be your supposed mental age. (statements in italics mine--just couldn't resist!)


[x] I know how to make a pot of coffee.
[x] I keep track of dates using a calendar. duh?!
[] own more than one credit card. If I owned even just one, I'd be up to the neck in debt so no plastic for me!
[] I know how to change the oil in my car.
[x] I can do my own laundry.
[] I vote every election.
[x] I can cook for myself.
[] I think politics are exciting. bull!
[] I balance my checkbook. are you kidding?

[x] I show up for school/college/work every day early.
[] I always carry a pen in my pocket/purse. used to, but not anymore
[x] I've never gotten a detention. thankfully
[] I have never smoked a cigarette.
[x] I have never gotten completely trashed. thank you
[] I have forgotten my own birthday at least once. never!
[] I like to take walks by myself. used to, but not anymore
[x] I watch talk shows. love 'em!
[x] I know what "credibility" means without looking it up. am fortunate
[x] I drink coffee at least once a week. coffee = sanity

[x] I know how to do the dishes.
[x] I can count to 10 in another language. en Francais
[x] When I say I'm going to do something I do it. it's just a question of when ;p
[] I can mow the lawn.
[x] I can make adults laugh without being stupid. I'd like to think so
[x] I remember to water the plants.
[x] I study only when I have to.
[x] I pay attention at work. no choice
[x] I remember to feed my pets/child.

[x] I can spell "experience" without looking it up. what the...?
[] I work out on a regular basis. i wish i had the time and discipline, but, no, I don't.
[x] I clean up my own mess. and tell other people to clean theirs, too, haha! this one I've acquired when I became a mom.
[x] The people at Starbucks know me by name. if they had better memory, I believe they would.
[] My favorite kind of food is take out.
[x] I have gained weight since high school. and I've gained a lot!
[] The first thing I do when I wake up is get caffeine. no naman
[] I can go to the store without getting something I don't need. guilty!
[x] I understand political jokes the first time they are said. lately, yeah, thanks to Jay and Conan
[x] I can type quickly. I've learned

[] I have realized that the weather forecast changes every hour.
[] My only friends are from my place of employment. no naman
[] I have been to a tupperware party. maybe when I reach my forties?
[] I have realized that no one will take you seriously unless you are over the age of 25 and have a job.
[] I have more bills than I can pay.
[] Almost all my friends are older than I am.
[x] I can say no to staying out all night. a big yes to this one
[x] I use the internet every day. addict!
[] My wardrobe hasn't changed in a while. mine changes more quickly than I intend for it to!
[x] i can read a book and actually finish it. hell, yeah.

My mental age is 27 (unless I counted wrong).
I wonder if that's a good thing?

Try it, it's fun.
;p

clip art from this site.

I'm so lovin' this look:

It's gorgeous. Minimalist and understated, but very chic and classy.

Could probably use a neck piece with a fab pendant and a bling-y ring, though.

Black dress by Lanvin; from topstobottoms.com

To complete my Christmas list:

I've been into statement/over-sized rings lately and have been fortunate to have co-workers and friends who've been indulging me in this whim by giving me rings this Christmas.

Khyco gave me this fab, very bling-y over-sized ring whose stones absolutely arrest people's eyes; Rowell gave me one with a ruby-red butterfly which looks super pretty on my complexion; Migs gave me a gorgeous and very vintage-y one with a deep red, oval stone in a delicately pronged brass setting (a replacement for the Vintage cameo ring which was my favorite and which I lost, hu-hu).

On a side note, I'd like to thank Val and EJ for the very pretty bracelets; and thank you, Rent, for giving me that funky Aldo neck piece. See, my friends know what makes me tick!

From the start, though, I had always really, really wanted to get an over-sized torquoise ring, something like any of these:




images from nextag.com.

All, together now, let's sing the last lines of Eartha Kitt's "Santa Baby":

Santa baby, forgot to mention one little thing, a ring.
I don't mean on the phone,
Santa baby, so hurry down the chimney tonight

Happy Birthday, Daddy!

"One father is more than a hundred schoolmasters."
- George Herbert

Happy birthday to the man who's never, in my entire life, ever let me down.

I wish you good health and happiness always!

Something from my Yahoo Inbox:

"Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass...it's about learning to dance in the rain!"



*clip art from this site.

Fwd: Husband store

lol
lol
lol

*cartoon from Glasbergen's site .

***

My Ninang sent this delightful e-mail. Thought I'd post it here, just for laughs (and a dose of reality). Read below:

Subject: FW: Husband Store
A store that sells new husbands has opened in New York City , where a woman may go to choose a husband. Among the instructions at the entrance is a description of how the store operates:

You may visit this store ONLY ONCE! There are six floors and the value of the products increase as the shopper ascends the flights. The shopper may choose any item from a particular floor, or may choose to go up to the next floor, but you cannot go back down except to exit the building!

So, a woman goes to the Husband Store to find a husband. On the first floor the sign on the door reads:

Floor 1 - These men Have Jobs.

She is intrigued, but continues to the second floor, where the sign reads:

Floor 2 - These men Have Jobs and Love Kids.

'That's nice,' she thinks, 'but I want more.'

So she continues upward. The third floor sign reads:

Floor 3 - These men Have Jobs, Love Kids, and are Extremely Good Looking.

'Wow,' she thinks, but feels compelled to keep going.

She goes to the fourth floor and the sign reads:

Floor 4 - These men Have Jobs, Love Kids, are Drop-dead Good Looking and Help With Housework.

'Oh, mercy me!' she exclaims, 'I can hardly stand it!'

Still, she goes to the fifth floor and the sign reads:

Floor 5 - These men Have Jobs, Love Kids, are Drop-dead Gorgeous, Help with Housework, and Have a Strong Romantic Streak.

She is so tempted to stay, but she goes to the sixth floor, where the sign reads:

Floor 6 - You are visitor 31,456,012 to this floor. There are no men on this floor. This floor exists solely as proof that women are impossible to please. Thank you for shopping at the Husband Store.

PLEASE NOTE:
To avoid gender bias charges, the store's owner opened a New Wives store just across the street.

The first floor has wives that love sex.

The second floor has wives that love sex and have money and like beer.

The third, fourth, fifth and sixth floors have never been visited.

By the way

I know it's a little late to be writing about the recently concluded Survivor Gabon but I just really, really wanna say that Bob Crowley absolutely deserved to win!



There. Thanks!
;p

Home for Christmas

This is my second night here in Naga. It's wonderful to be home, there's such a warm, fuzzy feeling to it. Everything else seems far, far away and once in a while, we do need to be far away from things, to be safe from the anxieties that stalk us, to be out of sight when reality rears its ugly head much more often than we would like it to.



Home should be a haven and that is exactly what my parents' house is, for me.



I feel like a lady going out to lunch with girlfriends. One way, they say, that women can keep their sanity.

Yellow, Shopping, Nintendo DS

Friday: dinner at Gerry's; Christmas gift-shopping
Saturday: you'd think it'd be over, but still did some last-minute gift-shopping--my list had suddenly grown so long! ;p

And, yeah, guess who's hooked on Nintendo DS?
I could hardly believe it myself but I found that I so enjoyed playing with the DS I bought for Jackie. It's my Christmas gift to her but I won't be giving it 'til after we arrive in Bicol, so meanwhile, Mommy will play! And the cover is a very yummy marshmallow pink!

I'm so lovin' Wordjong, Cake Mania, Cooking Mama and The Tamagotchi Connection.

This toy is so cool! Kim's PSP doesn't have that much appeal to me. Guess the DS is the one for the girls.

Happy Birthday, Jacqueline Louise!

Today being her birthday, Jackie took my hand and led me to the mall's toy section so she could choose which doll to buy.

Which to choose?

It proved to be a difficult task.

But she soon (or not so soon) found one, and was happy. She and I then went to the shoes section to shop for sandals. She said she wanted ones with heels. I obliged, bought her a pink pair and, eating the words I wrote on a previous blog entry, bought my daughter gold gladiator sandals.

All the while, Kim was having the time of his life tackling Countersrike at Netopia. Hence, the huge grin.

It's been a wonderful day.
Though I still can't believe my daughter is now nine years old.

Pupil's "Disconnection Notice"

Saw the video on MTV and I just wanna say: Asteeg!

Sign of the times: Christmas Tree

"I like to look for things no one else catches." -Amelie Poulain, AMELIE-

My brother as hero

A couple of weeks ago, a flash flood, on the heels of a typhoon, hit Camarines Norte. My brother, Earl, rushed to the scene and spearheaded a rescue operation for the victims. He is DSWD Camarines Norte's Project Development Officer II and I am mighty proud of him for having done such a good job.

Earl is the one wearing the tangerine hooded thingie.

Good looks and compassion rolled into one. lol

Dontcha worry, there's more, dear.

Yes, I'm a Snob (and aren't we all, to a certain extent?)

1. I only watched "Friends" after it finished airing on TV.
2. I took no interest in The Da Vinci Code--except, perhaps, at scorning it--and I have no plans of reading it. Same goes for Paulo Coelho, et al. And no thanks, Sophie Kinsella. There are a million other far, far better books waiting to be read.
3. Seems like every other girl's into gladiator sandals these days. Ergo, I will not buy nor wear gladiator sandals.
4. Au revoir for life, Friendster!
5. Haven't watched a single episode of "Sex and the City."
6. What's the fuss over this Twilight thing? So far, most of the reviews I've read (Rotten Tomatoes, anyone?) point to one thing: that it sucks, big time!

I did watch (and loved) The Lord of the Rings trilogy, though,and read the entire set (including The Hobbit), to boot!

I find Harry Potter some notches above "moderately interesting" (am waiting for the next one!) but I'm a sucker for Spiderman.

I don't care one bit for Six Cycle blah and I absolutely abhor MYMP and the fact that they refuse to write songs of their own and instead insist on re-hashing those of other artists. Wait, the last line doesn't sound right. It's like saying they themselves are artists. Let me rephrase: they resort to singing, recording and making money out of other people's songs. There. Better.

I hate it when I'm grouchy. I become too honest. lol

No offense meant, folks. This is just me. I believe in democracy, freedom of speech and the freedom to choose.

Peace, y'all!

cartoon from this site.

Jay's booboo

Christiane Amanpour was on The Tonight Show last night.

It was amusing to watch a man who's supposedly at home on the stage and at making fun of the world being overshadowed and made to look rather a little foolish by CNN's brilliant chief international correspondent.

Don't get me wrong. I love Jay Leno to bits. Still, it felt a little uncomfortable watching my favorite late night talk show host struggling a little with the questions. At one point during the interview, he was supposed to segue into asking Amanpour about the current relations between the US and Iran, wherein he asked "you were born in Iraq, right?" and Amanpour corrected him, "Iran. I was born in Iran." He appeared a little thrown off and it made this viewer wonder which country it was which he had really meant to ask Amanpour about. It must have been Iran, but still.

Perhaps he should have stuck to interviewing Heather Locklear, then he could have let Christiane Amanpour take the host's seat. Then she'd have been the one asking him questions and that would have made for far more interesting TV fare.

Sign of the Times: Fruit Cake

Cartoon from this site.

Not much sense here

It's the end of my work-week. Finally, I can get some much-needed shut-eye. Been sleep-deprived again, but hey, what's new. Things are really fast-paced at work and I've been at my heels with so many to-dos. Plus the holidays seem to have put some kind of frenzied energy on everyone and over everything. The resulting excitement-loaded atmosphere can become pretty draining. It's not a bad thing, though. Yeah, I know, I'm not making much sense. And I don't think that's a bad thing, either.

Carpe diem, people!

Live, laugh, love.

Monday bonding

Right now, Jackie, Kim and I are inside Netopia, sitting in a row, side by side. We are all facing the PC and we are all logged in. Jackie is playing Skyline Dress-Up (the little lady is showing some penchant for style this early!), Kim is tackling Brothers in Arms and I, of course, am blogging.

An hour ago, we were having lunch; 3 hours earlier, we were shopping (Friday night, I was at the Greenhills night market, shopping for Kim, so it was mostly stuff for Jackie that I bought earlier). Two hours before that, I was rushing to get out of the office, politely brushing off any more invitations for post-shift chit-chat, fighting off sleep because I had promised the kids I'd be taking them to the mall today, it being a holiday and school being out.

And so, here we are.

There's nothing like the company of one's babies to soothe away the exhaustion on one's mind and limbs.

Have a great week, ya'll.
;p

I love: Italianni's Seafood Florentine

It won't be complete, of course without the bread they serve for appetizer, best eaten with a dip of olive oil and balsamic vinegar on the side. One serving won't be enough... you'll be asking for more.

Their Seafood Florentine is fantastic: spaghetti marinara served with clams, shrimps, anchovies and baked oysters, topped with a heap of savory melted cheese. Try it, try it!

I love Italianni's!

Planet Groove

HSBC GSC Manila's 2009 kick-off party was held last Thursday, November 27th, at the PICC Forum. The theme was "Planet Groove."


South Border in the house

The stage

With Bambi

With VP John and MO Channa

With colleague Myra and our MO, Mother Lily.

Coffee--after the party

Marjune