Big Eyed Gal

Growing Old

2011-03-20T09:29:00.007+08:00

It's been ages since I've posted anything here. There's really just two reasons for that. One, I'm too busy and too lazy to post anything new. This really doesn't sound good because that would mean, I've been too busy or worse, too lazy for almost half a year. LOL. Another reason would be because sometimes I have so many things that I want to blog that when I'm in front of my laptop, I get so confused that I end up not blogging anymore. LOL again.

Tonight though is different. I had to write this down because most of the things that I wanted to blog is about this topic. It's about growing old. I am now at an age where most of my friends are married and have kids, most have a very good and successful career and unfortunately, some have family members who are either sick, recovering from an illness or have passed away.

Before, things were easy. In college, it would be what dress to wear at a friend's debut party. Then it came to choosing what wedding gift or baby shower gift (whichever came first ... lol). But now, it's down to what words of comfort to say to a friend whose mom or dad, brother or sister, aunt or uncle, granmom or granddad is sick, or getting tested for a heart disease or even the big C. And not only that, I myself am getting scared as my parents now are getting older and are now more fragile.

It's really hard being away from family. I know we can't always be physically there everyday, but you just can't help but wonder how they are feeling. Are they ok? Are they taking their vitamins? Do they have any feelings of discomfort? Are they telling me that they have any of these? These sort of things... In the end, praying is the best that I could offer.

I always pray that they stay healthy, safe and is living a comfortable life. I thank God for always hearing my prayers and hope that He would continue to grant my requests.

So to all my friends and to all the readers of this blog, I do wish that your family be always safe and healthy.

* Photo taken from Google images

'Cause I'm Leaving on a Jetplane

2010-07-29T11:14:00.008+08:00

Tomorrow will mark our second week here in the land of snow, polar bears, Tim Hortons and President's Choice. Although we've kept ourselves busy from the time that we arrived, I still get homesick whenever I think of my family and friends that I have left behind in Manila. I will never forget that day in the airport.

Despite the fact that A and I had only 30 minutes of sleep, my body was wide awake as if I've been injected with five Red Bulls as we left our house in LP. I'm also guessing that because a couple of our friends insisted that they have breakfast with us before going to the airport also added to the adrenaline rush.

As we were done with breakfast, we headed to the airport. A and I got separated when we were on our way to the airport as we had a lot of things so there were three cars used. The third was our friend's. So anyway, I rode with my dad going to the airport. The minute we reached the flyover leading to the departure area of the airport, I literally wanted to throw up. There were like fireworks in my belly. A similar feeling when I was about to take the Nursing local board exam but this was worse. My hands were all clammy and my head was spinning. No, this is not connected to the lack of sleep that we had but from the thought of leaving... leaving my home.

We found a spot and as my dad, A and my friends were busy unloading our bags, I was already psyching myself not to cry when the time comes to say our goodbyes. At that instant, my tummy was back to normal and my head was not spinning anymore. I was ok surprisingly like a reset button was turned on inside my head to command it to be normal again. I felt pleased and relaxed. But the next thing that happened, made all the normalcy in me disappear.

I was saying goodbye to friends. One by one they hugged and wished me good luck. I then approached my dad and said "goodbye". He gave me a hug and I hugged him back. I was still ok... no tears. I let go of him but he was still hugging me tighter and tighter. It was at that time that I caved. My eyes suddenly was filled with tears. My dad then let go of me and patted my arm and said "sige na, ingat kayo" (Go now and take care). (I then went to my mom, I probably looked hideous as I was already crying) I gave her a hug and my heart just stopped when I also saw tears in her eyes. Funny how she asked me why I was crying when clearly she was holding back her own tears. I couldn't speak anymore and I just gave in. It was probably because that was the only time that I realized that we are "really leaving" them behind. This isn't just a short trip or a vacation... Stupid as it may sound but it was only then that my very sleep-deprived brain comprehended that it would be a long time before I see my parents and friends again.

As mixed emotions were drowning my mind, I said my final goodbye to my family and friends then left and headed towards the entrance of the departure area.

*Image taken from Google images.

"Sir/Maam"

2010-01-06T19:18:00.003+08:00

Food delivery scene:

CSR: Thank you for caling McDonald's delivery, can I get your phone number?

Me: #######

CSR: Ok, Ms. Bigeyedgal, do you still have the same address "SIR"?

Me: Yes.

CSR: Ok "SIR". Can I get your order?

Me: 1 blah blah blah, 1 large blah blah blah and 1 blah blah blah.

CSR: Ok "SIR". That would be Php 185. Do we need to bring change?

Me: Please bring change for Php 500.

CSR: Ok "SIR". Expected time of delivery is 30-45 minutes. Thank you.

END.

After checking my contact number and delivery address, the CSR still kept on calling me as "sir" instead of "maam". Guess that's how bad my voice sounded. Hahahaha!

Inday Badiday.. is that me??? LOL.

Under the Christmas Tree

2010-01-05T20:20:00.006+08:00

This may be a bit late to post but I just wanted to share what I got for Christmas from A... hihi!

Gift # 1:

It has been a very long time since I wanted to have a tin lunchbox similar to what I had in the 80's. So when I saw this in Rustan's, I just flipped! And I just did a double back-flip when I opened A's gift and saw this. Inside the lunchbox was my second gift.

Gift # 2:

Lastly, gift # 3:

Let's do the dance of joy

09 to 10

2010-01-02T16:22:00.004+08:00

It has been exactly six months since I've last posted an entry in this blog. A lot has happened and my new job and other "extra-curricular" activities have kept me busy and have prevented me from blogging. To make things simple, let me just make a list of what has happened for the past six months before I go talking about my plans for this new year.

1. I am now part of the workforce again. I am now working for an international organisation which I believe plays a great part in making the future of their clients a lot brighter, to say the least. :) I am quite enjoying myself in this new job even if it is totally different from my previous one. The people are great! I met new friends, a few them remind me of the friends I made in my previous job. Weird huh?! :) LOL.

2. A couple of days after working again, A and I were super duper uber to the nth level happy when we found out that we passed the June 2009 Nursing Licensure Exam. No words could explain the excitement and joy when we saw our names on the website of the Phil. Daily Inquirer. It was so funny because we were holding hands when we were scrolling down the page to check our names. I literally screamed at the top of my lungs (I never thought I would be able to produce such sound, a shriek only a hungry infant or a bruised toddler can make) and then the pipe works started working. I only realized that I was crying already when I tasted something salty while I was speaking with my mom-in-law. I also didn't feel that I cut myself (I have no idea where) on the side of my right thumb from all the excitement. LOL. After calling my parents, we went out to meet our other classmates and celebrated. Thank you Lord. :)

3. One of the letters that A and I are waiting for the longest time finally arrived.
This too also made me cry. Unfortunately, I cannot explain more on this as I don't want to jinx it. To my close friends, you know what this is... so thanks for your prayers.

4. I've watched two live concerts from two foreign artists. Something I haven't done in a long time. The first one is actually "A's concert" as he is a fan of the artist, Nine Inch Nails. And the second one was "my concert"... it was Katy Perry's!!!

5. Lastly, A and I celebrated our first wedding anniversary last month. We went to Tagaytay and stayed there for three days. We were able to spend quality time together and at the same time was able to eat at most of the excellent restaurants the city has to offer. I'll post another entry to show the photos of the food we ate. Yes, we had more photos of the food and the restaurants than us. LOL. Foodies indeed.

I may have forgotten other events that have happened over the past six months, I'll probably post them once I remember them. But for now, these five are at the top of my list.

Now that it is the new year... another clean slate presents itself. Another opportunity to renew ourselves (for the better I hope). I hope that for our sake, the people around us and the world we live in, let us always try to be considerate of one another. I hope and would definitely try to be optimistic. Will always look at things as being "half full" rather than "half empty". No new year's resolution as always only dreams becoming realities.

Happy 2010 everyone!

From Books, TV and Get Togethers

2009-07-02T11:15:00.007+08:00

I thought I was back on track with my blogging but I was wrong. TOINK! Some "things" came up. I was busy catching up with my reading as I had to stop because I need to focus more on my school books rather than on my "R&R" books. Before the start of my review I just finished reading New Moon so after the exams last month, I continued reading Eclipse and Breaking Dawn. I won't be making a review of the book because for sure most of you have finished all four books already. Hee hee!

Then, I finished watching Boys Over Flowers. LOL! For those who have no idea what Boys Over Flowers is, it's the Korean version of the hit Taiwan series, Meteor Garden. The moment I saw the commercial in ABS, I really got curious. The resemblance of one of the actors in the Korean F4 with Meteor Garden's Jerry Yan was super close. They would pass as brothers but I think the Korean actor is taller.

So anyway, I finished the whole season in youtube. Pinagtyagaan ko sa youtube despite the subtitles because I can't wait for another day just to see the next episode. LOL! Low EQ remember?

Another reason for my absence here is that I've been meeting up with college friends, previous officemates for parties and out-of-town trips. A and I missed a lot of the latter when we were still reviewing for the exams.

So there, after catching up on my reading, finished watching a Koreanovela (haha!) and almost done with the planning of our so-called college reunion, I think I can blog again. :)

Song of the Week # 6/2009

2009-06-15T11:24:00.006+08:00

It's a Monday and I am back to posting the Song of the Week. This week, I chose a song from a band called Juan Pablo Dream. It's a local band and I just love them. The title of the song is A Nice Place. A very fitting title for where I want to go after a very stressful month.

Enjoy your Monday everyone!

Back to Normal Programming...

2009-06-15T09:55:00.004+08:00

This has got to be the longest time that I have not blogged. I was shocked to see the date of my last post. It was last April! Sheeesh! My apologies to my avid readers (LOL! feeling!) and friends for not updating my blogs as I have been busy. Last month and a week back have been one of the most stressful days of my life. There were times when both A and I would be snapping at each other (well, it's more of me snapping at him...hehe!) but at the end we'd realize that it was just the stress and would apologize to each other. And of course when there's stress, there's always the possibility of breakouts. True enough, I have blemishes all over my face for the past few weeks. So I am off to the mall again in search of a top acne treatment. Sigh.. I wish it would not leave any dark spots.

Anyhoo, I just want to say that I'm back... for good! And hope to be able to blog hop ASAP.

Bulilit Commercial

2009-04-27T23:06:00.004+08:00

The first time I saw this commercial, I was already humming the tune for days. Plus, the kid is soooo adorable. I'm glad someone posted this on youtube. Weee!

Ok, now ... Everybody sing... One...two...three.... Bulilit, bulilit ang liit-liit... Lol! Enjoy! :)

P.S. I'm not endorsing this real estate company. The kid reminds me of myself having that same haircut at that age. Haha!

PRC Filing

2009-04-24T09:00:00.000+08:00

Last Tuesday was a very stressful day for me. My classmates and I went to PRC for the filing. This was my first time to set foot in PRC. Getting there was already stressful as the traffic was terrible. Jeepneys move like snakes as they slither their way in those side streets. Not to mention the pedicabs that just pop out of nowhere! Haay...

So we got there around 2:30 p.m. and as we successfully parked our car (somewhere safe..hehe!), we proceeded to walk to PRC. As we got there. We still needed to have our forms and other documents notarized as part of the requirements. We had to pay 150 pesos for the notarized school documents and application forms. This I find weird because all the documents that we will be submitting are all certified by the school. Hmm... Anyway, after having all our documents ready, we proceeded inside the building. I have three words to describe what I saw: Divisoria in December. There were a lot of people and this was just outside the building. When we went in to find a shorter queue, there were more upstairs. I was beginning to think if the building could bear the weight of all the people in it. As we searched and searched for the shortest queue to have our papers processed, we found this room at the second floor where they can process everything. This was good news for us because for some, they would have to go to different queues just to get their metered stamp, the blue and white forms and the one for the payment. In that office at the second floor, they accept payment, they have the metered stamp and give out the blue and white forms. In short, combo meal slash package deal. Kulang na lang eh foot spa. Lol! We were even saying that we got the best queue and we might even end up getting the "license" too. Hahaha! How I wish!

So there at around 4:45 p.m., we were done. It was good that there were eight of us because we would each fall in line in a different queues and would switch places once done. Hehe! It was also good that we were told to go there after lunch because there were "less" students that time. Sa lagay nung pumasok kami eh less pa pala yun! Kaloka! What more if we went there in the morning. I heard from some of our classmates, that they were already there at 4:30 a.m. and was able to finish around 2:00 p.m. Yikes! I would've gone crazy if that was me!

What only made things bearable was the staff in PRC. They were all very helpful and courteous when approached. The only real thing that I disliked was the lack of organization and signs inside the building. You wouldn't know where to go first. We were even joking around saying that PRC made it that way so that the students would make sure that they pass the board so that they wouldn't have to go through with that again. Hahahaha!

All in all, it was an adventure again. I'm beginning to think that every time I go to any government office, it would be an "adventure". LOL!

Visita Iglesia on Holy Thursday

2009-04-10T18:21:00.003+08:00

My husband and I had our Visita Iglesia last Thursday night. This was my first time to do this outside the comforts of our village in LP. Hehe! I was used to doing Visita Iglesia just by going to the three nearby churches in LP. I know, some sacrifice right? But that's what we've been doing for the past... ummm... 10 years I think.

* The above photo was the shoes we wore that night. After reading this, you'll understand why I posted it. *

Last Thursday was different. This was our route:

1st and 2nd Station: UST Church
3rd and 4th Station: San Sebastian Church
5th and 6th Station: Shrine of the Holy Face of Jesus
7th and 8th Station: Quiapo Church
9th and 10th Station: San Beda Chapel
11th and 12th Station: San Miguel Church
and finally, the 13th and 14th Station: St. Jude Archdiocesan Church

It was a very humbling and eye-opening experience for me.

I felt ashamed (of the fact that when we haven't even started with our Visita Iglesia, I already kept asking A if we're going to walk far from the churches that we will be going to) when I saw something for the first time and made me realize how silly I sounded.

What I saw was probably something a lot of you who frequent the churches of Manila during this time have seen before. I am talking about those people who walk barefoot while doing their Visita Iglesia. At first, (when A pointed them out while we were inside Quiapo church)I thought they just remove their shoes while inside the church but they were also walking barefoot on the streets. I was quite shocked and a bit afraid for their sake (the nurse in me was panicking and I was already thinking of all the possible medical emergencies they could be in). There were even girls who were doing the same thing. Imagine walking the dirty streets of Manila without any shoes. The thought made me cringe and shudder at the same time. But it also made me realize that these people couldn't care less if they step on gum, poop or even something sharp. What's important to them is that it was something they "gave up". Something we should all consider doing to live a more content life.

It was so simple yet for me, it was very real. Compared to what I had in mind (a long list of what I plan to give up this holy week), not wearing any shoes beats the likes of "not eating any pork", "not smoking or drinking for the rest of the holy week", etc, etc...

I wish I could do that. But I don't think I can. That is why I admire those people.
I hope I (and the rest of the people) would realize that it doesn't have to be really complicated to make a sacrifice. It's as simple as removing ones shoes.

I hope everyone was safe this holy week. Happy Easter!

We did it!

2009-04-08T13:40:00.012+08:00

Yes, I am back! After another long break from blogging, I am here.

Last week, April 1 to be exact, April Fool's Day, was our graduation day. A and I are now BSN graduates. Woohoo! I cannot believe that it's been two years already. I remember telling A that two years is a long time to wait but I didn't even notice that it's been that long already. All the adjusting to being a student again (after eight years) has finally paid off.

So anyway, the commencement exercises was held in PICC. We were 800 BSN graduates. Imagine, 800?! Whew! That was a long list!

The guest speaker was a priest and he gave a Homily-like speech but it was ok. There were funny parts but as students, we got bored and wanted to get on with the giving of the diplomas. So while the guest speaker was ending his speech, this is what we were doing...

And once we got our diplomas, we didn't go back to our original seats. Instead, we looked for our other friends and decided to sit together. Lol. Mga pasaway! And this is what transpired while waiting for our other friends to get their diplomas.

And being the second-coursers that we are, one by one we sneaked out of the auditorium so we can start with our photo op. Lol! And here's a peak of some of the pictures....

Moi and A... "We did it!"

Ladies in Black

"Alin...alin... alin ang naiba?"

Group pic!!!

With my parents and A's mom

Now we got one more hurdle to overcome and then we're set.

I thank God for everything, my parents for being supportive in this path that I've chosen, for A who was always so patient and understanding, for the friends that I've made in this new chapter of my life (they made exams, hospital duties and our case presentation bearable!) and lastly, I would like to thank my hairstylist for this event and the 33 hairpins (yes, I counted them!) that held up my gorgeous bun. Too bad, I forgot to take a photo of it. :)

To all the graduates of 2009, congratulations!!! Woohoo!!!! *Tumbling tumbling*

Thank You

2009-03-26T10:15:00.005+08:00

In relation to my previous post, my family and I would like to thank everyone who sympathized and gave their love and support when my grandmother passed away last week. I was so deeply touched to receive text messages from people extending their condolences to our family despite the fact that they haven't met my grandmother. Also to those who came to the wake especially to those who came after office hours (I know you're all tired and that LP is a bit far from where most of you live), our heartfelt thank you.

Ina

2009-03-25T22:20:00.003+08:00

It was always told in Religion class that death is a stage in our life that should not be feared as it is at this time that we come to live with our creator in paradise. This belief is what I have been holding on to since I have learned the concept of death. It is what kept me from being "at peace" and not questioning the reasons why people have to die. However, it is different when a loved one has moved on to paradise.

My grandmother passed away last Sunday.

It wasn't something that happened suddenly. We all knew that her health was slowly deteriorating. We were hoping for the best but was preparing for the worst. As her health slowly deteriorated, I felt helpless. I wished that I could take away the pain that she felt. But there was nothing that I could do but to kiss her on the forehead and asked her to try to eat more. In short, I wanted her to fight to stay with us. The look on her face and the frailty of her body sent a piercing pain on my heart. Unfortunately, our worst fear happened. Ina, my grandmother was gone.

No matter how hard I try to convince myself that she is now in a better place, a big part of me still wishes that she's still here. I know it is selfish but right now this is how I feel. A lot of 'what ifs' have crossed my mind, and I wish that I could resolve them. One of these is to be able to repay the time and effort she has given to care for us when my brother and I were still young and our parents were out working. She has become our second mother. And because of the kind of lifestyle that we have right now, the busy schedules, the deadlines that have to be met and the responsibilities that need to be done, only a minute fraction of her care and love for us were reciprocated.

I'm sorry Ina for not doing more.

I love you.

I cannot stress how this message has made an impact on me. I hope you would all take the time to watch this.

Song of the Week 5/2009

2009-03-25T21:33:00.004+08:00

This week's Song of the Week was performed by Josh Groban and Charlotte Church entitled The Prayer. A lot of artists have done renditions of this song but this is what I like best.

I chose this song because it is what got me through last weekend.

Song of the Week #4/2009

2009-03-19T08:25:00.004+08:00

This week's Song of the Week (though delayed) is my favorite song at the moment. At first, I was annoyed when I heard it but it kinda grew on me. Now I'm singing and dancing at the same time whenever I hear it on the radio. Plus, I just love her face's bone structure. Heehee! I'm talking about Lady Gaga and her song, Poker Face.

Enjoy the song. Happy Thursday everyone! Isang tulog na lang weekend na! :)

No more teachers...No more books...

2009-03-16T15:27:00.004+08:00

The crossing of the fingers and the constant prayers have paid off. A and I have (surprisingly) passed the Final exams AKA Preboards that we had last Sunday and Monday. The results were released today and our classmate, M texted us our scores. It wasn't a high score but it was a passing mark. Honestly, I wasn't really expecting this but I was hoping I'd pass.

We were really worried because we were told that if we fail in the exams, we would have to retake it. Waaaa! That would be really stressful. So I am sooo happy that A and I and also my other friends have passed the exams! Wee! Graduation here we come!!!

Sunday Stealing - "The High School Meme"

2009-03-16T14:11:00.005+08:00

I've missed a lot of Sunday Stealing because of school and I know it's Monday already here but in the U.S., I'm only two hours late from posting this. Heehee! So here goes...

This week's Sunday Stealing was from a blogger named Diana Pharaoh Francis from the blog Mad Libs. It's all about High School.

1. Did you date someone from your school? Nope. I was in an exclusive school for girls.

2. Did you marry someone from your high school? That would be a "no" again.

3. Did you car pool to school? Nope. My dad would always drive me to school after dropping off my mom at her office.

4. What kind of car did you have? Let's see, that time, we had a Toyota Corolla and a Honda Civic (that we still have till now).

5. What kind of car do you have now? A Honda Civic too. Heehee!

6. Its Friday night...where are you now? Hmm... It's actually a Monday afternoon here...Lol. But hypothetically, I'd probably be out with my husband while he plays with his band or resting for the next day's review class. Ugh!

7. It is Friday night...where were you then? Probably at home, watching TV or a movie.

8. What kind of job did you have in high school? I didn't have one but I've always wanted to try to work in this clothing store.

9. What kind of job do you do now? I'm not working at the moment as I am finishing my second degree. Weee!!!

10. Were you a party animal? Not really. I was a bit of a late bloomer.

11. Were you considered a flirt? Hahaha! That would be the last thing my schoolmates would think of me.

12. Were you in a band, orchestra, or choir? As much as I wanted to, I'm pretty sure they'd be fine without me.

13. Were you a nerd? Nope!

14. Did you get suspended from school? Almost. One of the teachers thought that two of my classmates and I were cutting class when in fact, we were looking for her. Good thing, we got cleared of that.

15. Can you sing the fight song? Hmmm.... I don't know which one is the fight song. Lol.

16. Who was/were your favorite teacher? That would be our Grammar and English Lit. teacher in our freshmen year. I learned a lot from them about school stuff and most importantly about life. :)

17. Where did you sit during lunch? It varies every year. But in our senior year, we ate lunch outside Troika Hall.

18. What was your school's full name? St. Scholastica's College, Manila

19. Where did you party the most? I already said I wasn't a party animal back then. But we usually hang out and go crazy whenever we're at my friends' house.

20. What was your school mascot? Hmmm... I don't think we have one.

21. Would you do it again? High School? Definitely. Especially our Sophomore year. Plus, I was really skinny then. Lol.

22. Did you have fun at Prom? Uh-huh. My date was my crush and a real gentleman. Plus, a bonus, he was funny and charming too.

23. Do you still talk to the person you went to Prom with? That would be a 'no'. We lost contact after high school.

24. Are you planning on going to your next reunion? If there was one, sure! But we've celebrated our 10th anniversary already and we didn't have a reunion so I'm guessing after the 20th then? Lol.

25. Do you still talk to people from school? You mean the teachers? Well, yes then but not that often.

26. What are/were your school's colors? Navy blue and white.

Better late than never... you can still post your entry and join in the fun. Yahoo Sunday Stealing!

Passport Renewal

2009-03-13T22:57:00.005+08:00

This afternoon, A and I went to DFA to have our passports renewed. Well, actually I went ahead since A still has to work till 1:30 pm.

So I got there around 12:30 pm. I was early for our 1:00 pm appointment because I wanted to be first on the queue. Well, that's what I thought.

I was lucky that at the last minute, A told me to just take a cab going there because I might have a hard time finding a parking space. But honestly, the parking space would be the least of my problems after what happened this afternoon.

Okay, back to DFA. So I got off the cab and went straight to the guard standing at the entrance. Before I could reach him, there were three or four men wearing big IDs hanging on their necks and asking me the purpose of my visit. So I obliged by saying that I had an appointment at 1:00 pm for our passport renewal. They were asking if I had the application forms and pictures. I'm thinking (and if I'm just a nasty person would say this aloud), 'of course I have them with me. Who on earth would go there without any kind of document with them', right? But then they checked my pictures. They said those wouldn't be accepted because I had "bangs". Sheesh! What do they want, I'd cut them just so I can renew my passport? And to think I wasn't really pleased with the pictures that I have because they said I shouldn't smile. Well, I'm not used to that. Now, I have to get another set of pictures, this time with a worn out black blazer which thankfully I didn't have to wear. The 'photographer' just draped the stinky thing on my shoulders and proceeded to take my picture. My gosh! I looked horrible!! My face looked swollen and I looked paler than a ghost. Talk about overexposure! Then I had to pay Php 120.00 for that ghastly photo of me. 120 pesos for 6 passport-sized photographs! That's not all, since they removed the old picture that was glued on my application form, they charged me 12 pesos for the glue, the ink I used to put my thumb marks and a copy of the application form which they insisted that would be collected once I apply. Pero syempre hindi kinuha diba?

At that point, I was really irritated. Had I known that I need to affix already my thumb marks without the DFA personnel witnessing it, then I would've done it at home. And I should've brought glue so I won't get charged for it. You might say that's it's only 12 pesos and for sure I wouldn't miss it in my wallet. That may be true, but the amount of money that I need to shell out is not the issue. The issue is that these people would ask for money for everything! I mean, the 120 pesos is enough already to cover the pictures, the piece of paper used to photocopy my application form and the 3 dabs of glue used to stick my photo on the form!

But that's just half the story. The moment I got out of that kiosk and ready to go in. Another group of big ID'd men came rushing again and this time pointing me to the farther side of the street for the next procedure. Luckily, I was walking with this guy who is also there for his passport renewal and that he mentioned that he needs to get an appointment. I stopped and told him that I already have one so he told me that I should have already entered and proceeded to Gate 2 for my application. Grrrrrrr!! I was really pissed. I was already a few blocks away already and walking under the scorching heat of the sun without an umbrella. I was so annoyed when I got back at the entrance where the same men who instructed me to go to the oppossite direction of the building asked me if I had completed the forms. I wanted to scream and slap them silly but instead I totally ignored them (even the guards) and went in.

You're thinking, finally I got in and everything would be ok now, right? Wrong! As I found Gate 2, I immediately approached one of the four guards standing near the gate. (Do they really need four guards for that?) I asked him if I could go in since I have an appointment at 1:00 pm and it's already 1:15 pm. He said that I should wait and that they'll make an announcement if we could go in. So I was waiting at the gate still under heat of the sun for almost 10 minutes when one of the other four guards was speaking into a bullhorn and said that if there's anyone else left outside that has an appointment should go in now. So I approached him and asked if he was referring to those who were in the 1:00 pm slot. He then said that the 1:00 pm batch were already in and that I should go. Grrrr again! At that time, I couldn't help it and told on one of the guards.

I know two heads are better than one but having five or more is a disaster! The information being provided is already inaccurate. Ang dami-dami nila di naman sila nakakatulong! I hope anyone from DFA would be able to read this. Get a grip on those "fixers" wearing IDs who prey on the clueless and confused. And please, please try to inform your guards to have consistency on the information that they give to your applicants.

The only thing I like about this whole experience was that the whole procedure took only about 15 minutes. Mas matagal pa yung nilakad ko sa kawalan at pagkuha ng picture. Haay.... My gas abelgas!

So if you're planning to have your passports renewed, I suggest you get everything ok and do it soon because from what I've heard, by next year, everyone should have the machine-readable passport already if they want to travel. So good luck people! I hope you wouldn't go through what I've been through this afternoon. Nakakaloka! Kumulot ata hair ko sa kanila! Lol.

Dreaming of the Beach

2009-03-13T21:11:00.003+08:00

The sun is really blazing in the afternoon and the temperature has really made itself clear that it's summer already. A lot of people have probably scheduled their summer activities already. *sigh

I so wish that I could go to the beach at least once for this summer. But I know that would be impossible. I'm so busy and my mind is so preoccupied that I can't even day dream of being in one of those Carribean cruises.

I so envy my friends who are on their way to Pangasinan and another group of friends headed to Batangas. Waaa! I want to go but I can't. My social life is on hold right now because of my studies so I guess the beach would have to wait. I'll see you next year pure white sands and sky blue sea.

Finals Week

2009-03-13T20:07:00.009+08:00

My head is still recuperating from all the cramming I've done for our Final exams last week. And FYI, that was last Sunday and Monday. Yes, you read that right, the first day of our Final exams was on a Sunday. Given that my mind is on autopilot in the morning (and especially on weekends), it was harder because I was on two opposing planes that day. One was my usual "lethargic" self while the other one was the "high on caffeine overload" self. Let us not forget that my tummy's butterflies had butterflies in them as well. So anyway, that day was a long one. The format of the exams were like the board exam. Three exams with 100 items each for Sunday and the remaining two exams also with 100 items each was for Monday. Imagine the pain I had on my neck from looking down on the test paper for 5 1/2 hours for all three tests. But it didn't stop there, I had to take the final exam that I missed during our Intensive lecture for Psych Nursing. So that's four exams all in all. On the latter exam, my mind wasn't functioning properly anymore (as if it were on the first three tests). The questions in the exam weren't helping either because most of them were very long statements since it's a Psych exam. At the end of Day 1, both my mind and body were drained.

When we got home at around 3:30 pm, I went straight to bed and woke up at 6:00 pm. Now this is the funny part, I got up in one of those irritating ways when I just bolted up from the bed and went to get my towel. You see, I thought it was the next day already and I was going to take a bath. Good thing I saw A sleeping on the couch and mom-in-law preparing dinner. If not, I would've gone straight to the bathroom and would come out feeling really stupid and annoyed. Lol.

Day 2 was a bit different. I was more calm now because after the discussions we've had with my other classmates, we've realized that the previous day's exams were really difficult. Well, let us not blame everything on the exams but partly to blame was myself who didn't really study hard. Who was I kidding thinking of jamming everything in my sluggish brain all that was taught in just a week and a half. Haha! Good luck with that!

Going back, as I have let go of my feelings of denial and accepted the fact that it was partly me to blame, I felt a bit of regret from not watching the second Eraserheads concert. I could have watched it and would still feel this awful after the exams. Hahaha! Oh well, at least I got to watch the first one.

So there, that was how my week was. It's a Friday and yet I can't get to say "TGIF" because I have review classes on weekends. Waaa! Kuracha, ang babaeng walang pahinga!

Francis Magalona has Passed Away

2009-03-06T13:16:00.004+08:00

"Mga Kababayan Ko", it is unfortunate that the country's Master Rapper, Francis Magalona passed away today at 12:00 PM. My condolences to his family. We have truly lost one of the best talents of our country.

Fire Scare

2009-02-26T19:03:00.005+08:00

I was on my way home from school this afternoon. It's a 10-minute drive from our house. So I was driving when I saw in the sky really big and dark clouds of smoke. It was hard to tell where it was coming from but as soon as the tall houses cleared, panic hit me when I realized that the smoke was somewhat coming from the direction of our house. I was driving fast now and wasn't really minding the humps. Images of me packing our clothes and other things I can salvage in shipping boxes came flashing. Then, a sigh of relief came out of my mouth when I was already a few streets away from ours. Thank goodness it wasn't our house. I mean, I feel bad because it was someone's house or condo or building that was burning but I was very thankful that it wasn't ours.

So folks, let's be careful. It's summer already so the risk of a fire is higher in this time of the year. Let's unplug our gadgets and other appliances that are not in use especially when we're leaving the house. Unsupervised lit candles are a big no-no. I know I'm sounding like the spokesperson of Meralco but I just want everyone to be safe and not feel what I felt this afternoon.

Blogosphere Vacation #1

2009-02-23T16:01:00.008+08:00

Though there were a few bouts of rain last week, the temperature is getting higher and higher. Summer is making its way for sure! And since my husband and I would be busy this whole summer (goodbye social life!), I wouldn't count on visiting any nearby beach or some cold spots like Baguio or Tagaytay. We're off to our books and review materials. So anyway, since a vacation is out of the question, I might as well "dream" of having one here in the blogosphere. And since I'm the type of person that wants to try something new every time I go on a vacation, I've done some research on a couple of these places.

My pick for this post is to take the Machu Picchu travel. The name itself makes me want to get my walking sandals. Machu Picchu is in Peru and from what I've seen, one of the structures there look like our very own Rice Terraces in Banaue.

Machu Picchu Terraces of Peru

Banaue Rice Terraces of the Philippines

And after visiting Machu Picchu, a little surfing in one of Peru's beaches would be great. I've always wanted to try surfing. This would be hitting two birds with one stone. :)

Till my next vacation!

Song of the Week #3/2009

2009-02-23T13:37:00.004+08:00

I have removed the mushy gushy playlist for heart's day and have put back the Song of the Week. For this week, I chose the song from the soundtrack of the movie, The Devil Wears Prada. It's by KT Tunstall entitled Suddenly I See. I don't know but somehow I kept singing this song in my head for three days already. I'm guessing it's because of this commercial that used this for the melody of their jingle. LOL!

Anyway, hope you would listen to it. Happy Monday everyone!

My Turn

2009-02-23T12:12:00.007+08:00

My husband and I were reviewing last heart's day weekend. We normally don't celebrate it on the day itself because a lot of people would be crowding the malls and other "vday-friendly" establishments. So last Monday, two days past heart's day, I decided to surprise A. He did the surprising last year so I wanted to surprise him this time.

Since I can't cook (yet!) I decided to order some takeout from Cyma. He was craving for their pork chops for two weeks already so I thought that would be the perfect choice. So I went to Trinoma and ordered our dinner to-go.

For our appetizer, I went for the Kalamarakia or the Crispy Baby Squid then for the salad it was a clear choice to order our favorite, Roka Salata. The candied walnuts tastes well with the greens and the vinaigrette. And lastly, A's favorite, the Hirine Brizola or the Grilled Pork Chops. I ordered a side of roasted potatoes with it. And for dessert, the sinful, Skolatina or the chocolate molten chocolate cake. Yummy!

And as I was waiting for the kitchen to prepare everything, I went to Powerbooks to buy him a book as a present. I was looking for the book Repeat While Fading book but at that time, the title escaped me so I couldn't ask the girl in the Customer Service booth. Instead, I bought him the small cook book that he's been eyeing everytime we were in a bookstore.

So as I got the book, I went back to Cyma to pickup the food and went straight home. I was in a rush because I just got a text from A that he's only a couple of minutes away. Grabe! Pinalipad ko yung kotse at mega setup ako ng table. Actually, I didn't have time to put everything on a plate so I just had to settle with opening the plastic containers so that the scent would fill the room. I was sweating like a pig after everything was set. I even setup the camera on timer so I can get a picture of us once he sees the surprise. Unfortunately, when the doorbell rang, I got so excited that I accidentally tipped the camera so it was pointing at the blank wall. So when the timer went off, it took a beautiful picture of the wall. LOL!

Here's a photo of the food that I ordered.

All in all, he was really surprised and happy. He kept apologizing for not being able to buy me flowers. I didn't mind. Actually, seeing the look on his face when he saw the food, was better than a bouquet of flowers. :) Actually, he's always the one giving me surprises, and everytime I tried surprising him, he'd find out about it. But this time I was successful. :)

Today is....

2009-02-14T06:44:00.002+08:00

I have an 8:00 a.m. class today so I'm just gonna make this super quick. . .

Happy Heart's day everyone!!! I hope all is well.

xxooxxoo

Heart's Day Playlist

2009-02-10T23:16:00.003+08:00

I've greeted everyone an advanced happy heart's day already but I noticed that I haven't posted a new Song of the Week.

So I decided to make a playlist that's similar to the one I made last Christmas. It includes some of my favorite love songs. Duh, of course! However, I didn't include the extremely mushy songs coz some of you might just gag. LOL.

Happy listening and keep the love burning! Wee!!! :)

Sunday Stealing - "The Get To Know Your Friends Meme"

2009-02-08T13:44:00.003+08:00

Whoa! It's been a long time since I've played. I'm glad I did because I enjoyed answering this meme.

Here they are:

1. What is your occupation right now?
I'm not working right now. I'm a full-time student and a part-time blogger. Heehee!

2. What color are your socks right now?
I'm not wearing any socks. It's too hot to wear socks today.

3. What are you listening to right now?
I'm listening to the screaming people on the TV. My husband's watching a movie.

4. Last person you spoke to on the phone.
My classmate Jan.

5. How old are you today?
I'm still 30. And would like to remain that way, oh I don't know, maybe for another 5 years or so... LOL.

6. What is your favorite sport to watch on TV?
I haven't been really into sports these days but if we can consider cooking a sport, then it would be Top Chef. Hahaha!

7. What is your favorite drink?
Bubble tea.

8. Have you ever dyed your hair?
Yup, a lot of times but it's been a while now.

9. Favorite food?
Of course Filipino but I also love Indian, Vietnamese, Thai, Japanese, Chinese and American.

10. What is the last movie you watched?
My husband and I watched Next and The Bank Job on DVD last night.

11. Favorite day of the year?
Christmas day. :)

12. How do you vent anger?
I rant and rant and rant...

13. What was your favorite toy as a child?
My favorite toy would be a red teddy bear wearing a jumper. I carry it all over the house wherever I go even though it's bigger than me. LOL.

14. Living arrangements?
There are days when my husband and I stay at his family's house in QC and there are days when we stay at our house in LP.

15. What was the last thing that you cried about?
The last time I cried was when I was watching World Trade Center on HBO.

16. Who is the friend you have had the longest?
That would be my friend, K. We've been friends since we were six years old.

17. What did you do last night?
Like I said in #10, we watched two movies on DVD.

18. What are you most afraid of?
I guess it would be dying alone.

19. In how many areas of your country have you lived?
Just two. Oh wait, now that I'm married, it's now 3. Heehee!

20. What is your favorite flower?
That would be the gerberas and the gumamela or hibiscus flower.

Now it's your turn to play. Visit Sunday Stealing here.

Advance Happy Heart's Day!

2009-02-07T14:20:00.001+08:00

Ok, so you all know what day it is a week from now. Yup, it's the day that a lot of people love to hate or hate to love. Valentine's Day. Heart's Day. Couple's Day. It's the day (or week) when red and hearts decor threw up all over town. Don't get me wrong, I'm not against V-day but I am against the crazy traffic that will surely result from this one-day event. Plus, not only is it always in time for payday because it's the 14th but this year it would be worse because it lands on a Saturday -- a weekend! Need I say more?!

So for those (and I mean for the ladies) who would like to celebrate heart's day and would love to make it a hassle-free, stress-free and crazy-free day, then I suggest that you celebrate it at home.

Preparing a romantic dinner (or in my case just dinner) would for sure be much appreciated by your significant other but another great thing to do at home on this day would be a movie marathon. Snuggling and eating popcorn (or in my case again, chips and ice cream) while watching a romantic (comedy) movie would be a nice way to finish off your heart's day date. So for those who are in a relationship (married or exclusively dating), here's a list of some really good movies that's perfect for this day:

1. Love Affair starring Annette Bening and Warren Beatty. This is a newer version (or so I'm told) of the movie An Affair to Remember but the latest movie having that kind of rendezvous theme is Sleepless in Seattle (which is also included in this list).

2. A Walk in the Clouds starring Keanu Reeves and Aitana Sánchez-Gijón. Quick trivia, Debra Messing of Will and Grace and The Starter Wife portrayed a small role here as Keanu's lover before he met up with Aitana.

3. Serendipity starring Kate Beckinsale and John Cusack. For all those who believe in signs and "fortunate accidents" as what the movie would describe it, then this will be a great movie choice. FYI, this is one of my favorite romantic movies ever. There are some scenes that are a bit cheesy but my husband and I can so relate to this movie. :)

4. While You Were Sleeping starring Sandra Bullock and Bill Pullman. This is one of those movies that I can't help but watch over and over again. It's one of those feel good movies for me.

5. One Fine Day starring Michelle Pfeiffer and George Clooney. I know the storyline is a bit plain and it all happened in one day but the love-hate relationship that Michelle Pfeiffer and George Clooney have in this movie is so fun to watch. Plus the kids here are so adorable.

6. Fools Rush In starring Salma Hayek and Matthew Perry. This is another movie about signs. But what I like about this is that these things do happen when you're in love (for me at least). I also get to see Matthew Perry playing a new role other than Chandler Bing(!). And everytime I watch this movie, I have this inkling to eat hotdogs because of the scene with the Gray's Papaya. LOL.

7. You've Got Mail starring Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks. A comeback of the two after Sleepless in Seattle. Like While You Were Sleeping, I also consider this a feel good movie. And I'm sure that some of you could even relate to this movie. *wink wink*

8. A Lot Like Love starring Amanda Peet and Ashton Kutcher. I love this movie period. :)

9. The Notebook starring Rachel McAdams and Ryan Gosling. Who would've thought that the girl from Mean Girls and the guy from Murder by Numbers would make this Nicholas Sparks' novel a great date movie. I always cry buckets when I watch this movie.

10. P.S. I Love You starring Hilary Swank and Gerard Butler. Just like The Notebook, I can't stop myself from crying when I saw this movie. It's a bit "heavy" for a date movie but for couples, you can learn a thing or two from this one. And since I've already given 10 movies, might I just add that the movie If Only starring Jennifer Love Hewitt and Paul Nicholls is a movie that can jolt up and somehow salvage a troubled relationship.

Other movies that I can suggest are: 50 First Dates, City of Angels, The Lake House, Jerry Maguire and My Bestfriend's Wedding. I'm sure after making him dinner, he wouldn't dare object to watching these movies. LOL.

Now for all the single ladies (all the single ladies, now put your hands up..LOL), gather all your single girl friends and set up a slumber party and a movie marathon too. Super chick flicks and light romantic comedies would do the trick. Here are my suggestions:

1. The Sweetest Thing starring Cameron Diaz, Cristina Applegate and Selma Blair
2. Mad Love starring Drew Barrymore and Chris O'Donnell
3. 40 Days and 40 Nights starring Josh Hartnett
4. Never Been Kissed starring Drew Barrymore and Michael Vartan
5. Crazy Beautiful starring Kirsten Dunst and Jay Hernandez
6. Romantic comedies of the 80's like: Some Kind of Wonderful, Pretty in Pink and 16 Candles

There you have it! Movie suggestions for those who would not brave the long queues in restaurants and cinemas.

Advance happy valentine's day everyone! Oh and happy weekend at that... :)

Absence and Confusion

2009-02-04T22:32:00.004+08:00

I'd like to think and I want to convince myself that I am having writer's block (if you would call me a writer) that's why I haven't posted anything here since last week. But actually, it must be the cold weather again that's been keeping me glued on our bed for the past couple of days. Well, that and the 5-day silent movie that I've been starring in last week. Yes, 5 long days of not talking. My throat hurts and no voice is coming out of my mouth. Hence, the silent movie. I had to do my own version of sign language whenever I'm talking to my husband. Answering the phone was a challenge. The most that I can do were short grunts. I sounded like a cave man.

So anyway, as I was keeping tabs on what I was eating for the past week, I still got disappointed because I saw little change on my weight. I then started contemplating. I can picture a big scale in my head. It had exercise on one side and the best weight loss pills on the other. At my age, and since summer is fast approaching, the side with the pills weighs more than exercise. Oh what am I to do? Should I sweat it out or take a shortcut? Hmmm...

Song of the Week # 2/2009

2009-01-28T12:35:00.002+08:00

This week, since it's my blog's first birthday, I've decided to play again the first ever song that I put up as the Song of the Week.

It is one of my favorite feel good songs. I first heard it in 50 First Dates and another movie where the title escapes me. It's by Israel Kamakawiwo'ole. I have no idea how to say his last name though. Toink!

Hope you enjoy listening! :)

Big Eyed Gal Turns One!

2009-01-28T11:49:00.003+08:00

Happy first birthday Big Eyed Gal!!!

I cannot believe that it's only been a year. After all the posts and layout makeovers this blog has been through, it feels like it's been more than a year.

Dramatic as it may sound, my life has changed a bit ever since I seriously started blogging. I have met a lot of interesting people and have read their interesting, funny, witty blogs. I learned a lot in the blogosphere. One of these is learning a bit of html code when changing the layout of my blogs. Haha!

Anyway, I would like to thank my friends and family and the people that I have met in the blogosphere who still frequent this blog. Thank you very much. I know I haven't been doing a lot of updates but I still try my best to inform you all of what's happening. It's just that I'm at the busiest year of my schooling. So please do bear with me.

So there... happy birthday Big Eyed Gal!!!

My Blog is Fabulous!

2009-01-26T14:22:00.009+08:00

Got tagged by Gracie. :-) It's been a while since I've done one of these. LOL. Thanks Gracie!

the rule:

You need to list 5 addictions that you have and pass this tag/award to 5 more fabulous blogs.

MY ADDICTIONS:

1. JUNK FOOD

My friends now how bad my addiction is when it comes to junk food. This is one of the reasons why I gained weight. Combos like chips and chocolate is my favorite of them all. I guess I never outgrew this phase. Hehe!

2. SHOPPING

It's a form of exercise actually. LOL. Seriously though, there's nothing like having this great feeling at the end of a shopping day when I know that I've gotten great finds and good deals. Who needs drugs when you've got shopping high?

3. TRAVELLING WITH MY HUSBAND

Don't get me wrong, I also love to travel with my friends and other family members but it's different with my husband. It's sharing an adventure with him and then we get to tell our future grandkids about it is what makes it more special.

4. INDIAN FOOD

Junk food is not my only addiction, I am also addicted to Indian food. Hmmm... This is not good, I've put two kinds of food in this addiction list. Haha! Now you know where the extra pounds came from. LOL! Seriously though, my husband and I are both addicted to Indian food. Since we're both fans of spicy food, Indian food is heaven!

Lastly...

5. MOVIES

I am addicted to watching movies. If I can do one thing for the whole day, this would be it. I can sit or rather slouch or possible lie down in bed while having a movie marathon.

Now, I'm tagging: Em, Andrea, Joy and the sisters, Abie and Vien.

Song of the Week # 1/2009

2009-01-09T15:32:00.003+08:00

Christmas has passed (quite fast actually) and so I had to remove the playlist I put up with my favorite Christmas songs. Instead, I have brought back the Song of the Week. Yes, it's back! It was up last Monday I think but didn't really got the chance to blog about it. Unfortunately, I can't put it in auto play mode because the people from entrecard does not allow sites that have entrecards to have auto play music. I want the music to be in auto play mode so that whenever some visits my blog, they would be "forced" to hear it. Hehe! Oh well... I do hope you listen to it.

The Song of the Week is from the movie Honey starring Jessica Alba. I remembered this song because when I was clearing up one of my micro sd cards, I saw this song and totally forgot how I really loved this song especially when it was played in the movie. The song's title is I Believe by Yolanda Adams. It's one of those lift up your spirit songs.

I chose this song because I wanted to start the year by being the most optimistic of the optimists. Hehe! Exaggerated as it may sound but I would like to think that things would be brighter for me and my husband this year. This is a new chapter in our life and it's only fitting that I have a new and better outlook in life.

So there, hope you would enjoy listening to the song as much as I did. Here's the lyrics so you can sing along. Happy weekend everyone!

Yolanda Adams Lyrics
I believe Lyrics

Everything is Online Now

2009-01-08T22:37:00.001+08:00

I cannot stress enough how technology particularly the internet has changed the lives of people. From shopping to paying your bills to watching a movie or ordering food online. I'm telling you the world is probably very very grateful for having the internet. Well, it may have some drawbacks, but for me, I think there are more pro's than con's.

Take for example, having online education programs. Sites like elearners.com provide a lot of opportunity for distance learning. Imagine having to go to class without really going. I mean, it's bad enough that you get all the pressures of school work but it's worse when you still have to go through the time and energy of actually going to the campus. With this kind of website, you can go and search for the type of course you want to take and you will be provided of the name of the schools that offer these courses online. There's really no worry if the quality of the education is high because all of these are accredited by organizations that are recognized by the Department of Education.

Online education would be perfect for me because I'm always in front of the computer and surfing on the internet. Research would be a click away. Plus I read a lot faster and I don't fall asleep when I'm reading from my computer rather than from a real book. I have no idea why but that's just how I am.

Now if only schools here offer online schooling.

Our First Christmas

2009-01-07T07:30:00.002+08:00

I was looking for some insurance online for me and my husband when I realized something. How forgetful can I be when I've already blogged about my New Year when I haven't even posted the one for Christmas. Haha! So here it is...

Last December, it was our first Christmas as a married couple and so I decided that we should celebrate Noche Buena this year. Normally, my family don't celebrate Noche Buena in our house instead we celebrate Media Noche. I know it's weird and I don't know how it started but we're used to it.

So as our first Noche Buena, A and I cooked one of my favorite pasta -- Shrimps in olive oil and garlic. We also cooked chicken wings with Rosemary. Both dishes tasted great.

It was a quiet and intimate Noche Buena for us and my parents. After we ate and talked for like an hour or so, my parents headed to their room while A and I went to the Christmas tree so we can exchange gifts.

I bought him the Quicksilver backpack that he wanted when we frequented Surf World. He has a thing for backpacks. Anyway,I was really hoping I got the color right because they had one with the white print. Thankfully he did wanted the red one! Whew!

This was me opening my "surprise gift". I've asked A to wrap it again so I have something to open on Christmas eve. Hehehe!

If you've read my post about the wedding proposal that I got, my husband A has already shown me his Christmas gift. Hehe! For those who didn't get the chance to read it, he gave me the mini laptop that I wanted. It was the MSI wind that is in pink. Wee! Now I think my collection of pink gadgets is complete.

I Quit!

2009-01-06T07:52:00.003+08:00

I have put off this entry for a very long time (almost a year actually). It's about me quitting smoking. Yes, I was a chimney before and fortunately I was able to kick the very very bad habit. However, after I think eight months, I've fallen off the wagon a couple of times by lighting up a stick once in a while whenever I was in a party. I would joke about it and say that it's called "occasional" smoking. LOL.

I've been smoking for quite a long time already and believe me I've tried a couple of times to quit ... but failed. I was close to giving up and wanted to get a smoker life insurance. Haha! But I know that when the time is right and when I really want to do it, I will be able to quit smoking. Last year was that time. Jan 26 was the last time I lit one.

I've come a long way and despite of the lapses that I had, I am still proud of myself for really doing this. Quitting smoking is physically and psychologically difficult for me. But with the support of friends and my husband, I was able to pull it off.

New Year

2009-01-05T15:41:00.004+08:00

First off, Happy new year everyone!!! I've just finished copying the pictures in my flash drive and I am getting ready to save them in my laptop. I better get started on these or else it would pile up again. So many pictures, so many memories of the past year.

I just love the new year. No matter how many times we've gone through it, it still (and don't deny it) gives us renewed hope about certain things in life. Even if it is just the coming of a new year, somehow, we would like to think (yes, me included) that we can start anew. It's like having a clean slate and we could totally redo or try to makeup for whatever shortcomings we've had from the previous year.

But before I go yapping about the new year, I would like to say that last year was probably one of the most memorable years of my 30 year existence. This is because and from what I have mentioned, yes, the big 3-0 happened last year. I celebrated my 30th birthday though in the beginning it was with much anguish and hesitation, I have come to ACCEPT this kind of "passing". I've realized that turning 30 isn't that bad. I may be checking a different box in the age section when filling out application forms but it's just numbers.

Second, my parents left the country to be immigrants in the US. This was one of those things that have kept me awake and sleepless weeks before they left. There were times when I was crying myself to sleep just by thinking of the idea that my parents won't be here for a very long time. The longest time that I've been separated from them was for a month when they went for a vacation in the US. That was it! This time, I know they'd be staying there for a longer period so I was really really really sad. It did however, taught me to be more INDEPENDENT and self-sufficient. This really made me realize that it's time to grow up and take charge.

Third, a few months after my parents left, my maternal grandmother who was living next door got really sick. She was in remission from colon cancer and is now fighting leukemia. My aunt and I got confused and disoriented at first. Doctors were telling us that my grandmother was really weak and showed signs of having a failing heart. This is the reason why my parents went back to check on my grandmother. I had mixed emotions at that time because I was both happy and sad when my parents went back here. Every so often when my parents left, I've always wished that they'd go back. And when they did, it was under terrible circumstances. I hope and pray that she'd fight the leukemia. I believe in the power of the prayer. And I believe in MIRACLES.

Fourth, I started blogging early last year. With some help from my friends E and A, I started blogging like crazy. There was a time when I got so hooked that I lost sleep because of blogging and doing blog hops. And because of blogging, I've met different kinds of interesting people from around the world. I've learned a lot from them and hope to LEARN more.

Lastly and probably the most reason why 2008 was memorable for me is because I got married late last year. I am now a Mrs., a wife and someday a mother to our future kids. There are so many good words to use on how I felt on that day. But to sum it all up, it is HAPPY (quite an understatement might I add). I could not ask for a more loving, caring, responsible and super drop-dead gorgeous husband. *wink wink*

So for 2009, I hope to not only ACCEPT things as they come or to be more INDEPENDENT or to never stop believing in MIRACLES or to never hesitate to LEARN new things or to be HAPPY with my life no matter how crappy it can be at times but to be able to do all of this and more with my new life with my husband.

Cheers everyone! Here's to a great year ahead of us!

ABS-CBN denies plans on doing a Pinoy version of Twilight

2008-12-31T20:08:00.007+08:00

To all those who have prayed and even sacrificed a few goats and calves, it is my greatest pleasure to inform you that ABS-CBN has already addressed the news that has been plaguing the blogosphere about their network's plan of making a Pinoy version of the hit movie/novel, Twilight.

Ok now, sabay-sabay tayong lahat.... "YES!!!"

I read it in Ricky Lo's article in the Philippine Star and found this posted at the ABS-CBN website.

Just in case ABS-CBN decides to remove this article in their website, I've decided to copy and post it here. Here it is:

On December 24, abs-cbnNEWS.com uploaded a story, "ABS-CBN bags rights for local 'Twilight' remake". The source of the story was a report by entertainment writer Edgar Cruz posted on yehey.com.

The duty editor who uploaded the story failed to check with ABS-CBN Broadcasting Corp. whether the story was correct and accurate.

ABS-CBN Corp. Communications head Bong Osorio has since denied that the company will do a local remake of the movie, Twilight.

abs-cbnNEWS.com thus decided to remove the article from our website.

Our apologies. -- Eds.

as of 12/30/2008 7:54 PM

Now to all the Twilight fans, we can all have a very happy new year!!! Weee!!!

** Above photo courtesy of Jan Merginio. :)

Holiday Fat

2008-12-31T08:41:00.003+08:00

It is inevitable (for me that is) that whenever it's Christmas time, it is impossible for me to stick to my diet. Struggling is an understatement when it comes to resisting those yummy baked goodies given by friends. Christmas parties is another story. It is most certainly difficult to just stick with soup (if they serve it) the whole evening while the rest are munching away with crab cakes, roasted chicken, baby back ribs to name some. Sigh.

That is why I have given in and have stopped myself from depriving myself during this time of the year. I have however devised a plan that could somehow help me curb my appetite whenever I would attend a party. Well, it's really not something that was researched. I just plan on drinking a glass or two of room temperature water a couple of minutes before the meal. That way, I would have the feeling of fullness so I wouldn't go crazy at the buffet table. Haha! Plus, water is healthy.

If this doesn't work then I'm off to the pharmacy to buy some diet pills. Haha! But I do hope I could stick to the plan so as not to take the pills. Crossing my fingers here. Plus, it's the end of December already so I'm guessing there won't be a lot of parties to attend to anymore.

Belated Happy Birthday Sundae!

2008-12-29T23:35:00.004+08:00

My husband was not the only one that celebrated his birthday this month. My dog, Sundae also celebrated her 1st birthday last December 16.

I can still remember like it was yesterday when my old dog, Butter passed away last Valentine's day. I was so heartbroken. I cried buckets when my mom called to tell me that she's gone to doggie heaven. My dad wanted to get a replacement right away so we went to find the same breed, a Japanese Spitz to take the place of Butter.

After a week or so, we bought Sundae from a breeder. She was just a tiny ball of fur that was so shy and jumpy when we got her. Now that she's a year old, she looks like this....

... from this...

I haven't bought her anything yet for her birthday as I was cramming to buy Christmas presents for my family and friends. I plan on buying her one of those soft pet beds. She could use this whenever she's inside the house. Yeah, I think I'll get her that instead of the ballet outfit which she would only chew on. LOL.

So, to my lovable and super hyper pet, Sundae, belated happy birthday sweetie!

Last Minute Christmas Shopping

2008-12-28T12:06:00.004+08:00

Ok enough about the Pinoy version of Twilight. I guess I've already ruined enough of your Christmas holiday. Believe me I have no intentions of doing the same thing to your New Year's celebration.

Let me stick to what this holiday is about. My husband and I have been so busy making our Christmas list and doing our Christmas shopping that I've been late posting this entry.

Talk about last minute shopping. A and I went to Greenhilust a couple of hours there and go to Trinoma afterwards to look for other gift ideas. Unfortunately, we spent the whole day and evening in Greenhills but only managed to buy a couple of gifts. It's not that we're too picky in buying presents that's why it took us the whole day to shop. It was because of the crowd that was also doing there last minute shopping. It was too hard to walk on the narrow aisles of the stores. Well, if you frequent Greenhills during this holiday season then you know what I mean.

So anyway, A and I were so tired by the time we got home. However, despite my sore feet, aching legs and arms, I still feel happy for having been able to buy my friends and family their Christmas presents.

Here's a shot of what we bought plus a couple of mini liquor for our other friends. :)

NO to Takipsilim!

2008-12-25T20:12:00.007+08:00

I have read all the comments left on my previous post. Was quite shocked at the number even though most of them are anonymous. I was both laughing, irritated and agreeing to some of these comments.

To those who have shared their disgust and outrage, I would have to agree with you. I know imitation is a form of flattery but will they be able to pull this one off? Can they "flatter" Stephenie Meyer and the rest of the Twilight fans by doing a Pinoy version?

It's not that I am a pessimist but can you blame me for thinking this way? There's this local version of Gossip Girl in another network which I haven't really seen but heard from friends that it's b-a-d.

ABS was probably thinking they could do this because they did it before with Tabing Ilog, the local version of the then hit TV series, Dawson's Creek. But was Tabing Ilog a hit because I really didn't watch the show back then.

You know what would be better, our local and original movies/TV series would have a Hollywood re-make. Now that would be priceless. Take for example the movie Sigaw. They're making a Hollywood version of this entitled The Echo and even Iza Calzado is part of the cast. Galing diba? Here's a movie trailer of it that I found in youtube.

I really really really do hope that ABS would think a million times before they continue with this project. *Crossing my fingers*

And if you want to be heard (and hopes that ABS gets the queue), you might want to sign up in this petition here.

Twilight: Pinoy version AKA Takipsilim

2008-12-23T09:27:00.006+08:00

CAUTION! This entry contains information that is not suitable for severely addicted Twilight fans.

I haven't even started my post on the movie Twilight and this is what slapped me on the face this morning.

You see, my husband was checking his e-mail when he was more than disgusted rather than annoyed at one of the mails he received. It was the making of a Pinoy version of the hit novel slash movie Twilight. The said title of the show would be Takipsilim (ack!).

Do you still want me to continue? Ready for your little brown bag? Ok! Don't tell me I didn't warn you...

So ABS-CBN paid a whopping five million big ones for the copyright of this upcoming TV series. It is said that the crew will start filming early next year and will be shooting in cities like Baguio, Tagaytay, Bukidnon and some outside the country (as if it'll make things better).

Have you heard enough??? Can you still hold it in? Ok! If this doesn't do the "trick" then may I congratulate you for having a strong stomach.

Here's the tentative cast of the upcoming TV series. Drum roll please....

Rayver Cruz as Edward Cullen
Shaina Magdayao as Isabella Swan
Valeen Montenegro as Alice Cullen
Gabby Concepcion as Dr. Carlisle Cullen
Luis Manzano as Emmett Cullen
Al Tantay as Charlie Swan
Yayo Aguila as Renee Dwyer
Fred Payawan as Jacob Black
Carlos Agassi as James
Chin Chin Gutierrez as Esme Cullen
Karylle as Rosalie Hale
Joross Gamboa as Jasper Hale
Jessy Mendiola as Jessica Stanley
Empress Schuck as Angela Weber
Brad Murdoch as Laurent
Nikki Bacolod as Victoria
Aaron Villaflor as Mike Newton

I really don't know where to begin with this lineup. "Like gag me with a spoon why don't ya!"

One word: Aaaaaaa!!!!!!

It's bad enough that they're making a Pinoy version of this but I don't think they were really that serious when they did the casting. I have nothing against these actors. I'm sure they're all talented but somehow in this bizarre world of making every Pinoy version that the networks see, I see no connection from the characters of the Twilight to the actors listed above. Maybe the only person that I can "accept" is Chin-chin Gutierrez as Esme. That's about it. I love her eccentric self and it kind of fits Esme's dark and weird vampire mommy character.

As for the rest, I am reserving my harsh opinions to close friends that are Twilight fanatics because it's Christmas time and I don't want to be in the "bad list" of Santa Claus. LOL.

Comments? Suggestions? Violent reactions? Please contact ABS-CBN. I'm hoping it's not too late. Or better, maybe this is just a hoax. Hehe!

The Big Day

2008-12-17T23:30:00.000+08:00

There are certain things in my life that I would like to keep mum in the blogosphere and just share it with close friends. However, since this is my personal blog, I could possibly just share this info. Exactly two weeks ago, my status has changed from "in a relationship" to "married". Teehee!

Yes, I got civilly married two weeks ago to my now husband, A. It was a short ceremony that was held in our city hall. The judge was surprisingly comedic despite his serious appearance. The photo op inside the court room was longer than the whole ceremony. I know, cam whores. Haha! It was our first time to be in a court room (that is for most of us) so we grabbed the opportunity to take pictures. (Sorry I can't post any of them yet because I can't seem to rotate some of the pics..grr!).

There's 12 of us, yes I know it's a small group but it was what we wanted. A and I just had one witness each. Mine was my bestfriend since prep and A's was his best bud in college. The rest were our immediate family members.

All 12 of us went to Spiral in Sofitel for the "reception". We had a great lunch. Everyone was so full. Oh and we saw Senator Lacson having lunch there. We wanted to approach him and have our picture taken but I got scared when I saw him staring at me. Parang galit sya. Hehe!

After resting from the big meal that we had, A and I asked our "guests" to proceed to the back of the hotel so we can have another photo op. Unfortunately, A's father had to go so he wasn't included in the photos. Luckily, the tide was still high so it didn't smell like rotten seaweeds when we were outside. My witness and bestfriend, K, wanted to take prenup-like photos. Haha! Baliktad ata..nauna ang wedding sa prenup shoot. LOL. And since we forgot her tripod inside the car and was too full and lazy to get it, we asked the lifeguard to take our pics at the pool area.

Everything went smoothly. Maybe the only trouble that we had on that day was picking food from the buffet. Haha! But I didn't have any problem with the dessert. I went straight to the chocolate truffle cake. Yummy! :)

So that was it. After the photo op, it was time to leave. I had to go back with A to QC because I had a hospital duty the following day. When we got home, we decided to get a massage and watch a movie as it was still early. We went to our favorite place near Banawe QC and then watched Four Christmases at The Block.

To all those who have extended their best wishes and congratulations, thank you very much. Hopefully we get to see you guys when we celebrate our church wedding. When, you might ask? That I cannot answer for now. So many obligations and duties to fulfill. It'll happen soon. :)

A Very Short Engagement

2008-12-17T22:49:00.004+08:00

Two and a half weeks ago, Bigeyedgal and her boyfriend slash fiance went out for dinner and a movie (Twilight -- will make another post for this one).

Bigeyedgal: Ano ba kasi gusto mo for Christmas? Asan na wishlist mo? (What do you want for Christmas? Where's your wishlist?)
A: Ako may gift na sayo for Christmas. Di ko alam gusto ko eh. Kahit ano naman kasi ok lang. :) (I got you one already. I don't know what I want. It really doesn't matter.)
Bigeyedgal: Di pwede yun. Daya! May gift ka na?! Ako wala pa! Waa!(No. You have a gift for me already? I don't have one yet. Waa!)
A: Ok nga lang. Gusto mo bigay ko na sayo? (It's ok. You want your gift already?)
Bigeyedgal (knowing that A was only bluffing): Sige nga, asan? (Ok, show me.)

A then gets in his backpack something and hands me the mini laptop that I wanted to buy for myself this Christmas.

Bigeyedgal (blushing while gawking): Hala! Bakit mo binigay Christmas gift ko? Wala na akong bubuksan sa Christmas. Daya! (Oh no! Why did you give me your present? I won't have any presents to open on Christmas.)
A: Dali buksan mo na. (Go ahead. Open it.)

Bigeyedgal then opened the laptop sleeve and saw the pink MSI Wind. She opened it and saw a post it on the screen... It says: "I hope you won't change your mind." Bigeyedgal then closed the laptop and jokingly said to A..

Bigeyedgal: Ayoko na, itigil ang kasal! (Stop the wedding!)

Apparently, A didn't get the joke and thought that I didn't see the post it note inside. He then said...

A: O, di mo naman pa ata binubuksan eh...tignan mo. (You still haven't opened it.)

So Bigeyedgal did. This time she opened the laptop all the way and read the note aloud. By the time Bigeyedgal had closed the laptop, A was already holding a diamond ring and grinning like a little boy. Bigeyedgal was shocked because she wasn't expecting to receive an engagement ring (plus the fact that she insisted that she didn't need one). He then slid the ring to Bigeyedgal's finger.

Bigeyedgal (almost in tears): Oh my! Hala! Hala ka! Bakit ka pa nagbibigay? Ok lang naman kahit di na promise. (Oh my! Why did you get me one? It's really if you didn't promise.)
A: Ano ka ba, di ka pa nagre-react sa nakalagay sa post it note ko.
Bigeyedgal: Of course not!

A then walked up to Bigeyedgal's side of the table and gave her a kiss. After dinner, they went to see Twilight. The whole time, A kept staring at Bigeyedgal's ring finger.

Five days after... they got married.

Christmas Shopping

2008-12-05T14:43:00.005+08:00

It's Friday... thank God. I am really hoping I could start with my Christmas shopping tomorrow. I know, I know, it's a bit late already but as I've said, things have been pretty crazy around here. So anyway, since everyone is affected with the "financial situation" of the greater nations, I would also have to be more practical when it comes to buying gifts. The sale sign plastered in store windows draws me like a moth to a flame. I don't care what they sell there. As long as the word sale is on their display, then I'm hooked. Haha!

I really wish that I'd be able to get good deals and great finds tomorrow. How about you? Are you done with your Christmas shopping or are you cramming just like me?

I'm back...well, technically speaking that is...

2008-11-27T09:07:00.004+08:00

I have been out of the cyberworld for quite a long time now. Things have been pretty busy these past few days or rather weeks. There's school, errands to do plus I got sick... twice! I want a refund on my flu shot!

So anyway, I would like to apologize to those who still visited my blog despite my absence in theirs. Sorry and thank you too for always dropping by. I don't want to make any promises to bloghop soon because for sure I'd be busier in the coming months as I need to review for the pre-board exams in school and for the board exam itself. I will be trying my very, very best to update my blogs. I owe this much to my very handful number of readers (LOL). Plus, I have a lot of catching up in terms of blogging tasks. I've lost a few and I really feel guilty about it. Waa!

For now, I leave you with this music video of Beyonce. I am really digging her dance steps. Actually, I'm trying to memorize them. Hahaha! Good luck with that! Enjoy! All the single ladies!!!

Dona Nobis Pacem

2008-11-06T11:01:00.004+08:00

Today is the day when bloggers from all over the world unite and blog for a single cause.

Sandra Bullock's character in Miss Congeniality made this line very popular and we often laughed and used this as a joke. "World Peace" as what most of the contestants uttered made us all roaring with laughter. It was funny at that time, I have to admit, but as I became more aware of the thousands or maybe millions of families that have been affected by these warfare, it wasn't funny anymore.

I, Big Eyed Gal, like all the other bloggers who have joined in Mimi's BlogBlast for Peace, have I think one common goal. And that is to be heard. We all want the killings to stop. We have been fighting for centuries now. Haven't you had enough?!?!

I hope this reaches our world leaders and maybe just maybe they would stop and think and then REALIZE that enough is enough.

And for the rest of the bloggers, it is not too late. Go and visit Mimi's blog to get your own peace globe. Do it now! And join the BlogBlast for Peace.

Peace to you all! Kapayapaan sa inyong lahat!

Here's a song from Louis Armstrong. Something we could truly say when there is PEACE -- What a wonderful world.

What Wonderful World - Louis Armstrong

Saturday 9: The Best of What's Around

2008-10-25T10:42:00.004+08:00

Here's what I think is "best" for me. So I shouldn't be hearing any snickering or giggling back there. Yes, I'm watching you. Hahahaha!

On with the show... :)

1. What's the best new website you've found? Right now, it's http://www.lovemyshoes.com. I saw other great brands here plus they accept paypal. Teehee!

2. What's the best movie you've seen? I haven't been out movie watching for the longest time because I'm busy with school. So I'm going to choose by genre: Drama/Love Story: Serendipity because it reminds me of "my" love story (yes, cheesy with a capital"C" LOL) and The Notebook just because Ryan Gosling is so dreamy; Action and Adventure: Transporter and Transformers (I'm an 80's kid...go figure!); Comedy: Don't Mess with the Zohan (I am an Adam Sandler fan); Horror: The Happening (I still get jumpy every time I hear the leaves of the trees rustling); and Mystery: The Life of David Gale.

3. What's the best quote you know? After a storm, there is always a rainbow. :)

4. What's the best book you've read? So far it's Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom. Learned a lot from it.

5. What's the best thing someone's done for you? That would be accepting my multi-personality, panic-stricken, O.C., stubborn and hyper side of me.

6. What's the best thing about your job? I resigned a year ago, but if I was still working there, I'd have to say the friendships I've made with "some" of the people there.

7. What’s the best CD you own? Oh this is a tough one, I think it's between my No Doubt CDs or my Eraserheads (local band) CDs.

8. What’s the best new TV show you watch? Right now, my boyfriend and I are watching Pushing Daisies and we like it. It's got a dark Tim Burton-ish feel to it.

9. What’s the best car you’ve owned? I really didn't own it but I love our '96 Honda Civic. :)

Catch more answers --> here.

Jennifer Hudson's Mom found Dead

2008-10-25T10:20:00.006+08:00

I was going through my usual routine of checking my e-mail when one of the headlines in Yahoo! caught my attention. I immediately clicked on the little icon and read the whole story.

Apparently, it wasn't just Jennifer Hudson's mother but also her brother named Jason Hudson was also shot dead in their home in Chicago. To make matters worse, Jennifer's seven-year old nephew was said to be abducted and is now missing.

A certain William Balfour is said to be the lead suspect to the crime and is suspected to have the seven-year old boy. Police are on the lookout for a 1994 white Suburban with the license plate X58485.

I really feel bad for Jennifer. After having her big break in Hollywood and in the music industry, then this? Life truly isn't fair. I just hope they bring justice to the death of her mother and brother and that little boy be found unharmed.

More of the story here and here.

Just a Dream

2008-10-20T23:37:00.008+08:00

It was two weeks after the day she turned eighteen
All dressed in white
Going to the church that night
She had his box of letters in the passenger seat
Sixpence in her shoe, something barrowed, something blue
And when the church doors opened up wide
She put her veil down
Trying to hide the tears
Oh she just couldn't believe it
She heard trumpets from the military band
And the flowers fell out of her hand

Baby why'd you leave me
Why'd you have to go?
I was counting on forever, now I'll never know
I can't even breathe
It's like I'm looking from a distance
Standing in the background
Everybody's saying, he's not coming home now
This can't be happening to me
This is just a dream

The preacher man said let us bow our heads and pray
Lord please lift his soul, and heal this hurt
Then the congregation all stood up and sang the saddest song that she ever heard
Then they handed her a folded up flag
And she held on to all she had left of him
Oh, and what could have been
And then the gun's rang one last shot
And it felt like a bullet in her heart

Baby why'd you leave me
Why'd you have to go?
I was counting on forever, now I'll never know
I can't even breathe
It's like I'm looking from a distance
Standing in the background
Everybody's saying, he's not coming home now
This can't be happening to me
This is just a dream

Oh,
Baby why'd you leave me
Why'd you have to go?
I was counting on forever, now I'll never know
Oh, now I'll never know
It's like I'm looking from a distance
Standing in the background
Everybody's saying, he's not coming home now
This can't be happening to me
This is just a dream

Oh, this is just a dream
Just a dream
Yeah, Yeah

My friend, R, told me to listen to this song by Carrie Underwood. I was able to read the lyrics first before the video finished loading. At first I thought it was a love song but as I saw the different pictures shown on the video, it made me realize what it was about. It literally made my heart ache. I was sobbing and crying like a baby.

As I cried, I began to think why these people had to lose their father/mother, husband/wife, son/daughter, brother/sister...

One word came up and it was all that I can think of -- Power. The power to show the world that one has conquered the other. I know it may not be that simple but isn't this where it all boils down to? The never ending quest to show the world who is the greatest and the most powerful.

But who is? We are not gods. We are not all powerful, omnipotent and all-knowing. We are just human. Humans with (supposedly) the Right to Live. But do we honor this Right? Life as we know it, has become dispensable.

As the quote on my peace globe say, war is still considered murder. This is where we draw the line and say that the end DOES NOT justify the means. We can choose other things to sacrifice to be able to achieve order and peace. Let us remove the life of our brothers and sisters in this list.

I really hope all these conflicts would be settled in a different way. This may sound idealistic but it is all that I can hope for. As the song goes, I do wish that "this" is just a dream.

So on the 6th, I hope all of you reading this would join the BlogBlast for Peace. Visit Mimi's site here for details. We can make a difference.

Saturday 9: You Wear it Well

2008-10-18T23:51:00.006+08:00

It's been a while since I played and I am super glad that this is our topic for today because I am currently in the process of updating my wardrobe. LOL. :)

Here goes...

1. What are your favorite shoes? Right now, I love wearing my Chuck Taylor sneakers because it's always raining. Keeps my feet dry. :)

2. What does your favorite shirt or blouse look like? At the moment, my favorite shirt is this black puff-sleeved shirt I bought a couple of weeks ago.

3. What does your favorite tee shirt say on it? It just has a white print of a collar and tie.

4. Do you think you look better in casual or business attire? Hmmm...both! :)

5. What do you sleep in? boy shorts and my raggedy old shirts. They're so comfy!

6. Do you wear expensive sneakers? Hmm... I don't think my Converse sneaks are expensive. So... no. But I'd love to have one of those Harajuku Lovers sneakers. They're so cute!

7. What is your favorite hat? Sorry I don't have one.

8. Your preference for men: Boxers or briefs? Briefs are ok but boxers, I think have more variety.

9. Your preference for women: Suits or dresses? Dresses are okay but suits gives the idea/impression that we are in the same level as men. :) It shows that we are (somewhat) free from the gender stereotypes.

Join in the fun here.

I want it in Black

2008-10-16T15:10:00.006+08:00

I do love to drive especially long drives to the beach or somewhere where there is no traffic and the air is less polluted. There's something relaxing about driving with just your foot on the gas pedal, the windows are open and you just let the wind blow your hair away from your face. This would even be more enjoyable when you're with good company. It is unfortunate however that since I am not nor will I ever be familiar with the concept of light packing during trips, our car would be full of our stuff (mostly they're mine) and so there's no room for people at the back of the car. That's why once the moolah starts coming, I plan on buying one of these babies - Lincoln Navigator.

I was able to ride one of these and going on long drives with this kind of vehicle is super comfortable. You could fit six people (including the driver) plus your bags in this car. Hmmm.. I wonder if this comes with a cheap auto insurance when I buy it. If ever, I'm getting the black one too!

I want to watch Charice Live!

2008-10-16T14:48:00.002+08:00

I was only able to view an amateur video of Charice Pempengco's duet with Celine Dion in her concert in Las Vegas. The audio was off and I think the person who recorded the performance was seated so far from the stage that the video camera was really focused on the big screen so it was a bit blurry. Anyway, Charice's performance was amazing. I had goosebumps all over my arm the whole time she was singing. I really wish I could watch her live. I'm looking for really good las vegas hotel reservations and I'm hoping and wishing that when I go to Vegas, Charice will have a show there.

Cookie Cravings

2008-10-14T21:03:00.003+08:00

I was just mentioning in a previous post of mine how frustrating it is to get little results when in fact I've been dieting for the past months. Then as I was channel surfing, I stopped at the cooking channel.

This girl was making one of the most yummiest looking Christmas cookies I've ever seen. My mouth was literally drooling when I saw it. Despite the cheesy frosting decor on the cookie, that didn't stop me from going out of the house to buy myself a pack of lemon cookies. Ssshh... Don't tell anyone. It'll be our little secret. I promise I won't buy anymore cookies once I finish this one.

Storm

2008-10-14T20:37:00.003+08:00

Outdoor weddings is one of the most difficult events to organize. There are certain factors specifically the weather that would greatly affect the venue of the ceremony. I was able to attend a few garden weddings and I could tell that the wedding coordinators were a bit stressed especially when the ceremony was held during the rainy season.

But that's not the only thing to consider. There was this one wedding that I've attended to that had moth traps discreetly placed at the whole perimeter of the ceremony. I think it was a great idea because the couple thought of keeping away their uninvited guests. Now if only the wedding planners could be like Storm of the X-Men where they could do something about the weather too. LOL.

Diet and Exercise

2008-10-14T19:43:00.003+08:00

I know at my age, dieting is not the only answer to lose weight. Exercise is also important. It isn't the same five years ago when all I do is limit my carbs intake and I would be able to see the results in a week's time. A couple of pounds would be shed off after this short regimen. Now, I've been dieting for more than a month now and I still see little results. I am so tempted to take diet pills just to hasten my weight loss but I am afraid that the rebound would be bigger. Sigh.

Twilight

2008-10-14T13:40:00.004+08:00

I was told by my friend, K to start reading the books by Stephenie Meyer. Well, she was more of nagging me rather than asking me to read it. I decided to look for free audio books online because I think it would be more convenient for me to bring my mp3 player rather than the whole book when I'm out killing time. Plus, no matter how good the book is, I tend to get sleepy after an hour or so reading. I thought may be I was just lying down that's why I was falling asleep so I tried sitting down while reading. That didn't work either! So I guess an audio book is the way to go for me. Now I'm almost done with the first book and I hope I can find an audio book for the next one.

Start of Review

2008-10-06T22:37:00.003+08:00

It's now October and I promised myself that I'll start reading slash reviewing for the local board exam next year. I started reading one of our textbooks but can't quite remember the things I've read when I try to make a summary. My gosh, is it really like this when you're getting old? I feel like my hard drive is already full and needs to be upgraded. It's like when I'm reading the book I understand everything but once I put down the book and try to recall the concepts discussed, my mind is a complete blank. I do hope that this will change in time. Otherwise, I'd have to try taking those memory enhancers. Sigh.

Playlist till December

2008-10-06T21:38:00.004+08:00

We have less than a hundred days before Christmas. This prompted me to make a playlist of my favorite Christmas songs. The playlist isn't complete yet but I'll be adding a couple more (if the songs are available). This would then take the place of the Song of the Week till December.

I know it's a bit early but I just want to prolong the spirit of Christmas this year. So I hope you'd enjoy listening to these songs.

Ho Ho Ho! :)

Over the Edge

2008-10-03T23:47:00.004+08:00

These past few days have been a bit stressful for me. A couple of issues and problems came sprouting and it just made me frustrated and at the brink of a nervous breakdown (LOL). I kept saying to myself, I wish I can just go somewhere alone without any worries. Yes, despite the fact that I am not working and is back in school, I still feel the need to go on a vacation. Yes, even if we have summer and semestral breaks, for me it is not enough. There are times that I just want to go and get a hold of those St. Barts villa rentals or maybe go to Fiji so I can have time for myself to really relax. How I wish I can go to these places . If only time and my budget would allow.

Song of the Week # 28

2008-10-02T13:08:00.003+08:00

This week would be different. I'm choosing two songs for the song of the week. It's a bit late to post it because it's already Thursday but I might extend this till next week.

I chose these two songs because they both uplift my spirits and puts me on a good mood when I listen to these songs. The first one is from the movie Honey starring Jessica Alba. The song's title is I Believe by Yolanda Adams. While the second song is from the movie Fighting Temptations starring Beyonce Knowles and Cuba Gooding Jr. The song's title is He Still Loves Me by Beyonce and Walter Williams Sr.

Both are inspirational songs. The kind that I listen to these past few days. Things haven't been going well for my family. A family member is sick and is in need of your prayers. We are all praying hard and hopefully by the end of this week or next week, things would be better. I have no control over these things and so I am feeling frustrated. Saying a prayer is all I can do now and hope for the best.

So for those who may be in this kind of situation (hopefully not), I hope you would listen to these two songs and in a way would make you feel hopeful and better.

Like what I always say: There is always a rainbow after every storm.

Song of the Week # 27

2008-09-22T13:15:00.002+08:00

This week, I'm playing one of the classics. It's by The Beatles entitled Hey Jude.

I chose this song because of the lyrics. Plus I'm a Beatles fan. I am happier this week as there have been certain issues in my life right now that have been settled. This song reminds me to always look at the brighter side of things. Sh*t happens (more regularly for me though) but at the end of the day, it's how things got handled. Did I take the "grace under pressure" route or was I in the "self destruct" mode? I don't know if I'm making sense to all of you but it makes sense to me. :)

Happy Monday everyone!

Eraserheads' New Vocalist

2008-09-18T11:21:00.017+08:00

Out of nothing better to do last night, A and I decided to watch again the opening of the Eraserheads reunion concert. Then I asked A if he could find the video when they performed "Wag Kang Matakot". It was then that we saw this video. Actually, A knows this person in youtube (not personally) but failed to mention about his videos. So for those who have known about these videos, "oo na, huli na ako sa balita" but for those who have no clue as to what I'm talking about, "yipee! first seen in Big Eyed Gal.".

Ladies and gents, I present to you the Ely Buendia of New Jersey, Cris!

Now if only I knew about this video, I would've posted it last week since this was last week's Song of the Week. Teehee!

"Wag kang matakowt..." :)

Lost

2008-09-18T11:21:00.011+08:00

Life was a bit boring yet manageable before I started blogging. Before, I just used the internet to surf, check my e-mails (most of which are just useless spam!) and read my friend's and other people's blogs.

Then, it happened. I finally gave in and decided to create my own blog. My first blog, which is this one, isn't actually my first blog. I've had a couple more but discontinued it for lack of time and things to write.

Now that I'm blogging and have four blogs at that, I can't seem to catch up on other things. I have errands to do and there is still my studies. Multi-tasking is key. However, there is another thing that added to my busy schedule. It's called Plurk. I asked myself why my friends kept telling me that it's addicting. Now, that I'm plurking, that question has been answered.

But seriously, I have to create some order in my life. I can't keep this up. I feel like I'm lost without a Garmin GPS at hand. Our semestral break is almost over and I haven't even read a single textbook. Plus, I haven't finished reading the two pocketbooks that I'm supposed to read. I'm way off my schedule and I need to act fast. I thought blogging was the only one that would take up my time...until plurk came along.

What year is it?!

2008-09-18T11:21:00.008+08:00

Since I'm in the topic of senior citizens, a funny thing happened to me yesterday.

I was transferring my money and cards to my other wallet when I saw my driver's license. I was staring at my picture and telling myself that I looked cross-eyed (I'm not kidding!). So as I was staring at it, I decided to check the expiry. It says June * 2008. I made a sigh of relief, told myself that it's expiring next year and proceeded with arranging my cards.

Then it hit me, *toink!!!*, it's September 17, 2008! Sheesh! Is this really the effect of old age? LOL. Nagulat pa talaga ako! I mean, I can understand if I can't remember the date today but forgetting what year it is, is a different story. Could this be early signs of Alzheimer's or Dementia? Waa! Hopefully not!

So this means, I've been driving for three months now with an expired license. Hahaha! I'm gonna have it renewed tomorrow and hopefully since I'll be driving to go to LTO, I won't get pulled over by the MMDA people. If this happens (knock on wood!), then this will be my second Friday the 13th-ish day. Just like what I said in my last week's post.

Wish me luck tomorrow! And hopefully, this time, I wouldn't be cross-eyed in the picture. Baka banlag naman bukas. Hahaha!

Just a thought: Senior Citizens

2008-09-16T14:33:00.003+08:00

Despite the constant warnings of friends about the first movie of KC Concepcion, A's mom and I headed to the cinemas yesterday to watch it. I was being a good daughter-in-law to be and accompanied her to watch the movie.

It was a Monday and for those whose parents, uncles, aunts are senior citizens, this means they get to watch any movie for free on this day. That is Monday and Tuesday for QC residents. Not quite sure if it's the same for other cities.

I am not going to make a review about the movie. Although I have to say, the movie was so overrated. The only part I enjoyed in the film was the beautiful scenery in Greece. So back to my point.

There were only a few people who watched the movie. Probably because it was already on its second week or so plus it was a Monday. If my estimation skills are correct, there were probably about 30 of us in the cinema. Most of which are senior citizens. They all looked so fragile seeing them with their canes and their jackets. Then, it hit me! Was this all our government can offer to our senior citizens? A couple of deductions when eating out and doing their groceries and other services? And of course the piece de resistance, watching movies for free on the beginning of the week.

For those of the upper class, some may not even be using their SC (senior citizen) cards when doing their purchases or what-not. I don't blame them, why bother getting hassled with all the waiting and signing when the discount (excluding the VAT) is just a small amount. You might say, that the small deduction shouldn't be underestimated because it's still money for transpo, food etc. But I ask you, do you think the lower class would be eating in these establishments or would be going to these supermarkets to do their shopping? Correct me if I'm wrong, but can they use their SC card when they purchase a pack of instant noodles or a bar of laundry soap in a nearby sari-sari store? Or can they present their SC card to ask for a discount when they eat in a carinderia?

I don't think so.

It just makes me sad that our senior citizens aren't getting enough. They have toiled their way into providing for their families, serving the government or by just being a fellow countryman. It is at these times that I just cannot bring my head up and say that: "It is great to be a Filipino!".

So to our future presidents and government officials, I just wish that you would do more to give a better quality of life to the population that helped form this nation. Though this may be futile (yes, I can hear you saying while rolling your eyes) I just had to try to speak up.

Song of the Week #26

2008-09-15T23:35:00.005+08:00

The song of the week is dedicated to all my plurk buddies. The title speaks for itself. It is by Lisa Loeb and it's entitled, Do You Sleep.

If you are a plurker, you know what I am talking about. It is addicting. It makes time fly by soooo fast. Errands, blogs and hunger doesn't seem to exist when you're plurking. So I hope, if you love to plurk, the answer to the song's title is: "yes".

Happy Monday everyone!

Sunday Stealing: The Meme About Blogging

2008-09-14T23:19:00.004+08:00

This meme is called Sunday Stealing. I got an invitation to join in my other blog but was unable to join that week. This time, I made sure I'd join and decided to post it here in my first (I have four) and original blog.

Originally, this meme was "stolen" from Momma of Momma Blogs A lot.

Sunday Stealing: The Meme About Blogging

1. How long have you been blogging?
I started blogging last December but I stopped. Then I became active again last February.

2. Any advice to beginners?
I always say write to express and not to impress.

3. What are the good things blogging has brought to your life?
Well first off, I was able to meet a lot of interesting people. I haven't had the chance to meet them in person but I don't mind. Next, it helps me to be more expressive. I'm really not a good writer but blogging helped express more what I cannot say in real life. Yes, my alter egos were formed.

4. What would you consider the pitfalls?
I guess the only pitfalls that I see is that no matter how I try to be open and expressive to my readers, there are just some things that I just need to keep to myself. Other than that, careful with the Google page rank. LOL!

5. Tell us about your blog name. Ever think of changing it? If so, to what? Why?
It took me a day or two to come up with my blog name. I am talking about this one, my first and original blog, Big Eyed Gal. I wanted something that describes me. And since I was a kid, I've been constantly teased for having big eyes. I've been called an owl or Ms. Flashlight (kids can be really mean! LOL) because of my big eyes and this is what prompted me to use this name for my blog. I don't think I'll be changing it. Heck, I even bought a domain for that name. Hee!

6. Knowing what you know now, was starting a blog a good thing for you? Why or why not?
Knowing that blogging is addicting, I'd still think it's a good thing for me. My family and friends get updates from my blogs even though it gets in the way of my studies. Haha!

7. How do you think blogging, bloggers, or the blogosphere has changed since you started?
I've only been "seriously" blogging since February of this year so this is kind of hard to answer. But so far, I would have to say that a lot of people are now doing paidblogging.

8. Ultimately, what would you like your blog to accomplish for you or others?
I want my blog to be able to inspire and give useful insights about the things I blabber about. Plus, I want my readers to be entertained. As for myself, I want my blog to be able to continue helping me to vent out with whatever it is I am thinking or feeling.

More of Sunday Stealing here.

Good Samaritan (?)

2008-09-13T23:39:00.004+08:00

Funny thing happened last night. My boyfriend and I came from an early dinner at Dampa Macapagal. We were headed home and was cruising along Buendia when I heard a weird clanking sound. We were having problems with the car's a/c but that definitely didn't sound like it was coming from there. Ok, so I'm not a car expert if that's what you're thinking but I know what I heard and it was really more of a metal on gravel rubbing together kind of sound. Fortunately there was a nearby gas station (Petron) so we went there to check what was wrong. Automatically, I suspected it was a flat tire. True enough, it was a flat on the left front wheel. It was then that I knew it would be one of those nights.

We were assisted by the gas boy to take out the flat tire and put in the spare. It was when the spare was in place and he was lowering the car when we all realized that even the spare was flat too. Sheesh! All those hard work for nothing. Good thing the gas boy said that there's a nearby vulcanizing shop where we could bring the tires to have it checked out. The easiest way to go there was to ride the pedicab. So Aris went to get one while I stayed behind with the car. As the gas boy was taking out the flat spare tire, a guy who stopped over to use the gas station's restroom offered to help. This is what he said: "Miss, kelangan mo ng tulong (while carrying his toolbox or whatever that was)?" I was so tempted to tell him: "Sure, kaya mo bang hipan yung dalawang gulong? Flat kasi pareho eh." Instead, I told him: "Ay ok lang, wala ka ding magagawa kasi flat pati yung spare." Call me b*tchy but I was a bit annoyed at the man. He made me feel like a helpless dumb girl who doesn't know how to change a flat. Well, I do know how to do it. Plus, didn't he see the gas boy helping me out and the jack and other stuff were there. It was obvious that he was hitting on me. Not to blow my own horn here but I did notice him staring at me while he was on his way to the restroom. Ugh! So instead of me feeling grateful for his offer, I was annoyed. And to prove that I was right, when Aris came back with the pedicab, he "hurriedly" went to his car and drove off. Tsk tsk tsk...

Moral of the story: If you want to help someone, do it because you want to not because you have something else in mind.

I am not Paranoid

2008-09-11T10:43:00.004+08:00

I saw in the news the other day that there are two females in their late 20's who apply as housemaids in certain houses in Manila. Once hired, they would poison the people in the house. Well, they really didn't kill the families whom they work for but instead they add like laxatives or emetics in the food. So since the family are all sick and needs to be rushed to the hospital, this is when these ladies do their thing. They would steal jewelry, money and other small valuable items. Scary right?!

We've had our share of unpleasant help when I was still young. That's why the moment I turned 12, my dad opted not to hire a maid anymore. I mean, my older brother and I could groom ourselves, food preparation can be done by my mom and we have someone to do our laundry and ironing. These days, employment screening shouldn't only be done by big shot companies but also in our homes. Remember these people would be taking care of your children (if any), they would be preparing your food and looking after your house. In short, you are vulnerable to these people. You should not be complacent even if they were referred by people you know. I am not being paranoid. I am only stating the reality.

Happy

2008-09-11T07:48:00.005+08:00

Good Rainy Thursday morning to you all! Pardon my extra cheerfulness but despite the bad weather outside, my four-hour sleep and runny nose, I seem to be in a happy disposition today. Normally under these circumstances, a smile would even be hard to muster. Today is different though. No particular reason really. I just feel happy. Deal with it. LOL!

Shake well before drinking

2008-09-08T22:17:00.004+08:00

Ok so I may have been online practically the whole day today. My brain may have been fried already from the radiation or whatever waves that the monitor gives off. Fingers that was once limber and supple this morning now looked stiff as if they've been washing bed sheets the whole day. My eyes are now kind of drooping and feels a bit dry already from all the surfing. In short, I wasn't really looking good after my online session. This could probably be the reason why I intentionally shook the soda bottle that I was about to drink. Imagine my shock when I opened the can. Soda spritz came flying. There was soda remnants on the fridge till the bar faucets.

Laugh all you want but I have a perfectly good explanation for this. Besides the "condition" that I was in, I've been drinking Gatorade for the past three weeks ever since I got sick and almost got dehydrated. And it says on the Gatorade bottle to "shake well before drinking". Today was supposedly week 4 of Gatorade drinking but I ran out. Hence, I drank soda instead.

I rest my case.

Song of the Week # 25

2008-09-08T20:01:00.002+08:00

I am a bit late again in posting this entry but it's still Monday right? LOL. The reason why I'm late is because of the third widget on my left sidebar. Yes, I've joined Puh-lurk! I've been online for almost 12 hours now because of Plurk. Sheesh! Talk about addicting.

So anyway, here's the song of the week. It's still from the band that performed two Saturdays ago. I'm talking about the "Beatles of the Philippines", the Eraserheads. This song of theirs (one of our new theme songs by the way) is entitled Wag Kang Matakot. I remember singing this song with Aris while the band was performing it on stage. *kilig*

Hope you guys like it. Happy Monday! Ely this is for you. Hope you feel better soon.

Friday Fill-Ins (#1)

2008-09-05T13:49:00.004+08:00

Hmmm.... I have no idea as to what the next line is for these song lyrics. So it's a good thing I could fill it in with anything. Let's get started, shall we?!

1. If I was to walk into your life, wouldn't you wish I came sooner?

2. Catch a bright star and place it on my finger.

3. And you can send me to boot camp but I will never change.

4. I forgive you but I'm dealing with a memory that never forgets.

5. I'm the innocent bystander / Somehow I got stuck and almost peed in my panties.

6. What's keeping us apart isn't selfishness, it's pride and it's eating you alive.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I’m looking forward to relaxing while watching DVDs with my boyfriend, tomorrow my plans include cleaning the apartment the whole day and probably watch a movie in the evening and Sunday, I want to sleep till 10 am and go to the mall for brunch and some "window" shopping!

More of these fill-ers here.

Perfect Blend of Friendship

2008-09-04T13:49:00.003+08:00

It's been a while since I've received another award. Thanks to Em and Vannie for this. I know it's been eons since you've sent me this award, so my apologies. But I do appreciate it. *mwah!*

Mai | Yen | Eds | Farah | Farah's Pit Stop | Mind Bubbles | Big Eyed Gal | your blog where you posted this

I'm guessing this award has gone around already. Still, I'd like to pass this to Marie, Andrea and Gracie (A Reality Bite). :-)

Obstacle Course

2008-09-04T13:13:00.004+08:00

I am at a lost in this new store near our neighborhood. It took me almost an hour just to buy a few things for dinner and a couple of pet supplies for my dog, Sundae. I understand that it's a new store and that they just opened but it would have been better if they didn't open this early when their store was still, in my words, in chaos. Think obstacle course. There were still boxes on the floor and the way they've arranged the place was a bit confusing. I wanted to volunteer so I could arrange their stock in a shopper-friendly way. My OC-ness is kicking in again. Sorry but I just can't help it! I hope they do something about it. If not, they might lose their clients.

Party Invites

2008-09-04T12:35:00.004+08:00

My friends and I have decided to give our friend, V, a bridal shower. It was supposed to be a surprise but she found out last night what we were up to. So anyway, I was assigned to do the decors for the venue and to come up with a design for the party invitations. My mind is a total blank these days from all the excitement when we watched the Eraserheads concert last Saturday plus the exams I took last weekend. And in addition, this is the first time that I'll be making invitations for a bridal shower. I do hope the internet won't fail me. Okay, I better get to this. Type in: bridal shower invitations. Wish me luck guys!

Weight Loss Update

2008-09-03T18:45:00.003+08:00

Ok, I made this long post about my plans (and Em's) on losing weight but I haven't really made any updates about it.

Well, so far, after a week since I started my weight loss program (I started on the 28th of July), I lost 2 lbs. Then the week following that, I got sick and lost another 2 lbs. Unfortunately, I had to eat "well" so I can regain my strength because I was so weak after having gastroenteritis. I may have lost a couple of pounds because of this but I never want to experience that again! I prefer to eat veggies and oatmeal rather than go through that again. So anyway, now that I'm back to eating normal, I could follow my usual diet. I just need to look for healthy recipes for tuna, eggs and fish.

I know I said that I should have reached my target weight last Monday (01 Sep) but for obvious reasons, I would have to extend my deadline before October just in time for my friends' wedding on the 4th and 25th.

Wish me luck!

Heads or Tails #54

2008-09-02T10:28:00.008+08:00

My first time to join this meme. And can I just say that having to write about three things from any category made my head spin. But it was a blast!

This weeks theme is - TAILS - List three things from any category

For my entry, I am listing three TV series that I wish would never stop airing. These are:

1. Friends
I don't think I can ever get tired of the witty humor of these six characters. There was even a time when I was in high school that I wished I've had friends exactly like Phoebe, Monica, Joey, Chandler and Ross. I would be Rachel. LOL!

2. Sex and the City
I just can't get enough of those really sexy and stylish clothes that the girls are wearing. Plus, I love Carrie.

3. Ally McBeal
The moment this starts airing, I was in sophomore year in college. It made me think of becoming a lawyer. Their eccentric and funny ways kept me glued on the tube. Plus, I love the songs played in some of the episodes. I even remember crying like a baby when Billy (played by Gil Belows) died.

What were your favorite TV series?

Read more entries of Heads or Tails participants here.

Unwanted Visitors

2008-09-02T10:03:00.004+08:00

I'm guessing after all the exams last week, the much awaited concert that we've watched and the constant caffeine boost I've been taking after dinner really made my sleep hours go from 6-7 hours a day to 3-5 hours. The stress that accompanies the events that have transpired last week led me to visit my medicine cabinet again to use my trusty acne treatment cream. Grrr! I have two huge zits on my face. One is at my chin and while the other rests peacefully on my nose. Arrgh!

I'm just glad that next week will be a less stressful week for me. I can concentrate more on my blogging and can catch up on my reading. I just hope by next week that these two unwanted visitors on my face would be gone.

Song of the Week # 24

2008-09-02T07:30:00.003+08:00

This is one of those delayed posts. I was supposed to put this up yesterday but after our trip to Clark, I was so tired and sleepy that I just didn't have the energy to do it.

So anyway, without further adieu, I give you this week's Song of the Week. Since, I am still not over the Eraserheads concert that we've watched last Saturday. I am still having goosebumps when I try to recall how the four of them started playing. It was surreal really. If you are a fan of the Eraserheads and you were there last Saturday. You would know what I am talking about. And what I am proud to say is that despite the concert was cut short, I didn't hear anyone "boo!" or made a commotion from it. We were all affected by the sad news but we are a bit relieved knowing that his condition is now stable after his third angioplasty.

So to our beloved Eraserheads, this is for you. Sabi ko nga nung concert: "I love you Ely!!!"

Here's a video of the first song in the concert that I saw in youtube.

Eraserheads ROCKS!!!

Eraserheads Concert Part 2

2008-08-31T15:45:00.016+08:00

Alas, hungry and excited, we walked in the entrance gates of the concert venue. It was already past six when we got in. There were a couple of food stands at the entrance so we decided to buy our dinner there instead of going out again. We then met up with our friends Mia and Getty. The VIP section's distance from the stage wasn't that far except we weren't able to stay at the front part of the section.

At around 7:30, our area was full of people already. And the SVIP (Super VIP) that was empty an hour ago was now slowly filling up. At this time, I was really beginning to get restless (low EQ kasi. LOL!). We then got distracted when we saw a couple of photographers and TV crew approaching some of the people in the crowd. Grabe sa pagka-camwhore ng crowd. But there was this one particular bouncer in our area that kept pushing his way through the crowd (particularly in our spot) whenever he'd see a photographer or TV crew interviewing someone. Gusto ata ma-discover ni manong bouncer. LOL!

Then, a timer set at 10 minutes was on the big screen. People started screaming, hooting and clapping their hands. "Ayan na, 10 minutes na lang!!!" It was funny because people started counting down even if there was still time left. LOL! Feeling ko mag New Year's day na! Hahaha! But when the timer reached the one minute mark, the crowd got louder and louder.

As the timer got to zero, people started screaming their brains out and then music flooded the air. Then, there they were, all four of them on the same stage. It was surreal, I had goosebumps all over my body and my eyes started to fill with tears. Grabe! Seeing them together and playing their songs one more time made me feel special for having the chance to see it. The two exams we have for this day didn't matter to me last night. All it mattered was seeing Eraserheads, listening to their music and being with Aris in this "historical event". My throat hurt from all the screaming I've done. My legs hurt from all the jumping and dancing and my arms hurt from holding my camera up above the heads of people in front of me. But all of these didn't bother me. For the first time since I was a kid, I didn't care if I was sweating like a kargador or I was screaming like a deranged person or when I was dancing like an epileptic chicken.

After the last song of the first set, the timer was up again and this time it was for 20 minutes. It was a bladder break for some while other people headed to the food stands. As for Aris and moi, we decided to rest our legs as we were tired from all the standing and jumping we've done for the past two hours.

After 15 minutes or so, the timer was no longer in the big screen and three of the bandmates except for Ely got out of the stage with a couple of other guys. Then, the bad news...

Raimund, Buddy and Marcus accompanied Ely's sister, Lally to announce that the concert would be cut short because Ely was rushed to the hospital due to health reasons. I think almost everybody was in shock. I on the other hand was waiting for the punchline. Obviously, I was in denial. The people were then asked to pause in silence for a minute to pray for the recovery of Ely. I felt sad and was again almost in tears. To think when Ely sat onstage at the end of their last song, we thought he was only acting. Unfortunately, he wasn't. More of this sad news here.

After the announcement, the three remaing band members, went down the stage to apologize to the people. I was fortunate enough to shake the hand of Raimund (*swoon). You could see the worry and sadness in their eyes when they walked in the aisle. *sigh

Anyway, even though the concert was cut short, the 15-song set was really worth it! I hope and pray for the recovery of Ely. To the rest of the Eraserheads, "KUDOS!"

For those who watched, "Astig diba?!" And for those who missed it, "Sayang..."

Eraserheads Concert Part 1

2008-08-31T14:51:00.007+08:00

I've mentioned in this post that I wanted to watch the Eraserheads reunion concert. True enough, we did watch it last night. I didn't post any updates on it so as not to jinx our chances of watching it for free. Thanks to Aris' officemate, J, she was able to have us reserved in the VIP section.

I was thrilled to know where we would be watching. We were informed that it would only be a few meters away from the stage. Wee! I was like super excited last Friday when Aris told me that our names were already listed in the VIP list. Woohoo!

Yesterday afternoon, I was already getting giddy from excitement. While I was in class, I can't help but not listen to our clinical instructor and instead think of what to wear in the concert. We got home after lunch and just as soon as we finished eating, I went upstairs to try out different tops for my jeans. I was super glad that I didn't choose my black sleeveless top because for sure I would feel super hot.

Before leaving QC, it started raining. And I am not talking about raining like the normal precipitation during the rainy season but it was raining like there was a typhoon. I had to cross all my fingers (and if I can I'd cross my toes too!) just to make the rain stop. It would've suck big time if it rained on the venue of the concert since it was in the open field of Fort Bonifacio. Luckily when we got there, it wasn't raining at all. A good sign from heaven indeed. We go there at around 5:00 p.m. and it looked like the parking slots are almost full. We had to wait in line for 20 minutes just to get in one of the parking areas near the venue.

As soon as we got off the car, my stomach had butterflies. I was nervous and super excited about the concert. I didn't know what to expect. Plus the fact that the last concert I've watched was a year ago. So I was pretty pumped up and ready to scream at the top of my lungs: "I love you Ely!". LOL!

My friends who were already inside told us to register our names so that we can get our entrance tags. Suddenly my stomach flipped. I felt nervous while we were waiting in line to get our entrance tags because I overhead a couple of girls walking and they said that their names were not on the list. My praning instincts started kicking in. The whole time we were there on the queue, there's a voice in my head asking me: "What if your names were not there?" Aaarrgghh!! Nakakabaliw ang concert na to! Haha! Fortunately it was there, we got our tags and we got in.

Security wasn't that tight. I was surprised that they didn't thoroughly check my bag because I brought my digital cam with me. It was discreetly placed between two sanitary pads in the inside pocket of my bag. LOL! Para di halata! Once we got in, I felt so proud of myself because my plan worked. They didn't see my camera. I was then laughing at myself because a lot of people were taking picture of themselves inside. Sus! Pwede pala talaga magdala ng camera. Haha!

Seeing the big stage with all the lights and big screens made me realize: "this is it!". Now it's time to wait... We've waited for a long time for this, a couple of minutes waiting won't hurt right?

Friday 5 (#1): Sticky

2008-08-29T20:40:00.002+08:00

This is my first time to join Friday 5. And I might say I like this sticky idea. :-)
So here are my sticky answers. LOL!

1. What was the last song that stuck in your brain and wouldn’t go away? It's Alicia Keys' Teenage Love Affair. It was playing on the radio before I got out of the car.

2. What’s something that sticks around long after you wish it would leave? Holiday fat! It has been three Christmases and the weight that I've gained from all the feasting is still here! Sheesh! Talk about slow metabolism. LOL

3. To what use did you put your last sticky note? It was a reminder for myself to bring my black shoes tomorrow.

4. When did you last have Pixy Stix? We don't call it Pixy Stix here but I think the last time I had one was when I was still in grade school. Hehe!

5. What is something you are a stickler for? I had to Google the meaning of this word. Hehe! Based on the definition that I got (one who insists on something), I am a stickler when it comes to not being late. I hate being rushed and being late for something is synonymous to that. I guess this is part of my OC-ness.

More Friday 5 participants here.

3x Thursday (#1) : Alone Time

2008-08-28T16:49:00.005+08:00

This is my first time to join here and the theme for this week quite suits my mood these past couple of days. Blame it on the weather. LOL!

Anyway, here are the three questions for this week:

1. Do you ever get a 'break' from people (Say your S.O. goes on a personal vacation or something)? If you do, do you like the time alone? Why/why not? Yes, but it's not that often. I love having these moments. Whenever I do get these "breaks", I make sure I do whatever I want. Usually, it's going out with my girl friends, pampering myself, shopping/window shopping or simply relaxing and reading a book or BLOGGING. LOL!

2. Do you think being alone is a bad thing? Why/why not? I don't think being alone is a bad thing. It's okay to be alone but it's not okay to be lonely.

3. Everyone gets lonely sometimes. How do you cope with being lonely? What do you do to make that feeling go away? I guess most of us get lonely at times. What I do is well, I go to different phases. Well, they're actually not phases because I don't always follow the same order. In any case, I usually go out with my friends. It doesn't have to be a long night out. A simple chat over coffee (or booze) is fine. I also resort to listening to music. It's either pure rock or heavy metal for me because if I play sappy love songs then I'll be more down and lonely. And lastly, I take a drive to wherever while playing music in the car. This helps me relax while I scream at lousy drivers. LOL!

Check out more 3x Thursday entries here.

Having a bad day?

2008-08-28T15:50:00.004+08:00

Kung ikaw ay masaya tumawa ka! Ha Ha!

Pero kung ikaw ay malungkot... dito, pumunta ka! Ha Ha Ha Ha!

We often here people tell us: "It's not nice to laugh "at" them. Instead, we should laugh "with" them. This time I'll make an exception. It's okay to laugh at me. Just click the link above to see why.

What's my Sexy Name?

2008-08-25T15:04:00.004+08:00

I saw this at Em's detour blog and I couldn't resist checking out my Sexy Name. I was LOL at the results. I checked mine first then Aris'. Hahaha! Here are the results:

Get Your Sexy Name

Ooohh! Adonis. Hahahahaha! :-D

Song of the Week #23

2008-08-25T14:33:00.005+08:00

I was talking to my friend, Jeng this morning while she was reading my meme entry from my Wapsicle Popsicle blog. She told me that she also loved the soundtrack from the movie Reality Bites. A kid growing up in the 80's and 90's would love this movie and its music. So for the Song of the Week, I am playing Big Mountain's Baby I Love Your Way. Actually, I wanted to play here, Tempted by Squeeze but they don't have it in imeem. This is my second favorite song from the soundtrack and luckily they have it in imeem. Wee!

I hope you guys like it. Happy Monday everyone!

Freebies

2008-08-21T21:04:00.002+08:00

It's pretty easy to distinguish inside the classroom those who are working as doctors or medical representatives. They are the ones who are using promotional items from pharmaceutical companies. They have everything from umbrellas, bags down to pens and clocks. All have the name of a particular drug on it. I saw this particular tote from one of my classmates. It looks so stylish and to my surprise it's one of those freebies given to them. I wonder if they give out the latest video games. I don't mind if it has a certain drug name plastered all over it.

Bato, bato sa Langit...

2008-08-21T18:35:00.005+08:00

Besides having to witness a a nine-year old boy scold their yaya and physically hurt her (read here), me, Aris and his mom also witnessed a similar incident when we were having lunch in Trinoma one weekend. The culprit this time is not a little boy but the parents.

It started when two girls my age, an older woman and man, three kids (probably aged 3 years old) and 2 yayas went in the restaurant where we were eating lunch. We didn't mind them at first but the screaming from the little kids made us look their way. All three of us were surprised when the two yayas were not made to sit nor eat lunch. I know I should mind my own business and not make any assumptions but my initial reaction to what I saw was not good. The yayas may have eaten lunch already or they may have their packed lunch (uso ba yun?! la kasi akong yaya ever eh) but the least they could do is let them sit. I mean, judging from the "hyperness" of the three kids, I'm sure they're really tired.

It's really sad how other people treat their househelp, yayas, drivers, etc. Some treat them like their personal slaves. True that they pay for their services but that doesn't mean they could do whatever they want with them. Have a little respect people! Without them, you wouldn't have anyone to care for your kids so you can work. Without them there would be no one to help you with the chores. I'm not saying to spoil your maids, I just want them to be treated with respect (especially if they're doing a great job!).

Big Eyed Gal's Facelift

2008-08-21T18:12:00.005+08:00

"Paru-parong bukid... Bukid paru-paro..." Hahaha! My gosh, I just realized I don't know the lyrics to this song. Nyarks! So anyway, this is the main theme for my blog's layout. I love butterflies and this is pre-Mariah Carey and Regine Velasquez. LOL! I was having a hard time looking for a layout that have butterflies in it that's why when I saw this one, I knew it would be perfect. There was another one that Em helped me set up but the sidebars were too small so my widgets didn't fit. Sayang talaga! But I'm happy with this one. Though it is a bit dark (tulad ng aking budhi...hahaha! joke!) I lavet! I've always loved dark layouts but they said it's better and looks more clean (duh!) if the background is white. For me though, as long as you can read the text, then it's all good, right?!

So presenting my new layout... hope you like it too!

Everything's gone Wireless

2008-08-19T14:37:00.003+08:00

I can't help but feel that as each year passes there is something in the market that would make us more lazy. It started with remote controls for the television. Though I must admit it is one of the greatest inventions ever because if you could just imagine channel surfing and there's no remote. It would be like doing a light workout while going in front of the TV from the couch or bed when switching channels. Another is having a Linksys router. Having everything wireless makes it super easy. Now instead of getting up and sitting in front of the computer table to go online, all I have to do now is get my laptop at my side table and I can surf while I'm still in bed. I wonder what other things would become wireless in the near future?

Copycat

2008-08-19T14:11:00.007+08:00

I can't help but feel sad and angry at the same time at what I saw in the mall the other weekend. This is what happened...

I wasn't feeling well when Aris and his mom decided to make a short stop at the supermarket before we head home. I decided to sit at this area with all the chairs where some customers (specifically those with kids) would rest while waiting for their companions in the supermarket. So I was sitting there minding my own business when two boys (ages roughly 9 and 5) with their yaya sat at the two chairs beside mine. The yaya was trying to put a small towel at the back of the youngest kid because it was what their mom asked her to do. The kid kept on fidgeting and the older boy was showing his little brother how to kick their yaya. Being a complete copycat at that age, the little boy kicked the yaya on her shin. I almost felt the pain. The yaya then reprimanded the older boy and told him not to teach his little brother those things because he only copies him. The older boy then answered: "Eh syempre yaya gagayahin niya ako, kasi kapatid nya ako!!!" The yaya then patiently replied: "Kaya nga, wag mo yan pakita kasi masama yang ginagawa mo." The next reply of the older boy left my mouth hanging. He said: "Wag mo nga ako pinapagsabihan. Katulong ka lang namin! Wala kang karapatan!" As I was looking at the kid, he looked so mean. Parang sa pelikula ko lang naririnig or nakikita ang ganyang asal sa bata. Grabe!! After that, the older wasn't contented with what he said and he punched the yaya on her belly. Todo na ito! He was so mean to the yaya. I can see the yaya in tears.

And then it all became clear to me when I saw the parents come out of the supermarket. Once they saw the yaya, they dumped their shopping bags at her and expected her to carry everything plus the stuff for their kids. The mom then approached the older boy and asked what he wanted. The older boy then switched to 'baby talk' and said that he wanted ice cream. I was even shocked when the boy told his mom that he's willing to give up the disney world tickets that they promised him if they would just buy him an Xbox 360 and a Nintendo Wii. Talk about being spoiled.

I don't want to make any assumptions nor pass judgment. But based on what I saw, it is clear that what the parents do, the kids will imitate. They treat the yaya like some slave so that's how the kids treat her. I feel awful for the poor girl. I think she's even underaged. Tsk tsk tsk... I was fuming mad at the kid that whenever he'd look at me, pinandidilatan ko sya ng mata ko! LOL!

Cleaning and Letting Go

2008-08-16T17:27:00.003+08:00

I never thought doing a general cleaning of our house could be that difficult. I started out early hoping I could get things done before dinner time. I was so wrong. I should have given myself at least a day or two to finish everything. There were a lot of things to throw away like old lamps, shipping boxes and old magazines and newspapers that are just collecting dust in our storage room.

This is where my problem begins. I am one of those that have a hard time throwing away things. I always feel that the object that I am going to throw away will have use for me someday. That is why I seldom throw things. But this time, I have to be firm and should learn to let go. If not, our house would never be free from clutter.

Three in One

2008-08-16T16:47:00.004+08:00

I know I've been "out of touch" for a week. I miss my blogging days wherein I was able to blog and bloghop everyday. *sigh*

There are three reasons why I was unable to update this blog:

First, I was busy with school. Before, there were only 2-4 classes in a week but now that we are in the intensive stage of our semester, we sometimes have classes the whole week. We have exams left and right so obviously I have to study for them (naks!).

Second, I am busy updating my other blogs, not to mention my 4th. Yes, I now have FOUR blogs on my hands. I haven't revealed anything here because it was still in the works. I guess now you guys can visit it too and hope you would frequent it like you do in this blog. My 4th blog's name is Wapsicle Popsicle (http://www.wapsicle.com). I wish you would add this to your blogroll as well.

Lastly, my third reason is that I got sick last weekend and was hospitalized for a day. It started last Saturday when I had the fever until the following day. I was rushed to the ER last Sunday night to have my blood checked for Dengue. I was cleared. Whew!!! Come Monday morning, I was awakened by my grumbling stomach. And this is when diarrhea started. After feeling weak from all the "stuff" I "EVACuated" from my body, Aris's mom and I decided to go back to the ER to have another checkup. At that time, I was unable to give a stool sample as I drank Imodium before going to the hospital for fear of doing #2 in the streets of QC during transit. Haha! I was discharged after they gave me something for the pain and was asked to rehydrate myself with a hydrite solution. The evening came and I was having severe abdominal pain and diarrhea plus my fever was a high 39 +. I was so weak and was really feeling dehydrated and dizzy. For the third time, I was rushed back to the ER and was immediately given an IV for rehydration. I was under observation and a stool sample was really needed to check what is causing my condition. My gas abelgas! It was so hard to do #2 with an IV hooked to my left hand and get a sample of my stool. Eeew! It's a good thing I requested for gloves from the nurse. Hehehe!

So anyway, my lab results checked out normal and was diagnosed with Acute Gastroenteritis. Sheesh! I've had this before and it really wasn't pleasant. Every time I had to go to the bathroom I was wishing that I had dengue instead. Hahaha!

There you have it. I hope I am excused from my absences. Hehe!

Se7en

2008-08-16T16:30:00.000+08:00

Gracie tagged me with this lucky seven post. I sure hope it brings me luck... :-)

the rules:
a. list these rules on your blog.
b. share 7 facts about yourself on your blog.
c. tag 7 people at the end of your post by leaving their names as well as links to their blogs. you’ll have to read on for my 7 facts and see who i tagged.

I may have done similar tags like this so I might be repeating some of the info... hehe!

1. I am a Nursing Student. I'll be graduating (hopefully!) next year and I hope to pass the local board exam and NCLEX in one take. I plan on becoming a DR nurse someday. Naks!

2. I am O.C. at times. I cannot study when my room is a mess. When I tie my hair, it takes me 10-15 minutes just to make it perfect. I don't want any strands sticking out kasi! LOL!

3. My first ever favorite chocolate bar was Nestle Crunch. I then became addicted to Snickers (until now), KitKat and Hershey's with almonds. I am not a chocoholic! :-)

4. I am a frustrated singer, musician and painter.

5. Like Gracie, I am a crazy driver. I am a different person when I am behind the wheel. The horn is my bestfriend. Hehehe!

6. I do what I want and say what I want and not think of what others would say. As long as I am not hurting anyone, then... go!

7. You don't want to see me angry. I don't want to see 'me' angry. Scared din ako sa sarili ko pag galit. LOL!

I'm not sure if you guys haven't done this (it's worth a try!): Jan, Enday, Gracie (Blog District) and Tony.

Song of the Week # 22

2008-08-13T15:22:00.003+08:00

Oh yes, I am still alive, barely that is (will post why). And though this may be a delayed post, there is still a need to change the Song of the Week.

This week, the song is entitled Give it to Me from the queen of pop's new Album, Hard Candy.

Despite my previous post a month or two ago, I still have no news if Madonna would still push through with her concert here in Manila. I don't want to sound too much of a pessimist here but I guess it's not gonna happen because for sure if it's already planned, then rumors of it would be widespread already. Still, I'm hoping even if it's moved for next year. I don't mind as long as she performs here in Manila.

So anyway, this song I would like to dedicate (naks parang radio lang! LOL) to my friends Jas, Hes and Mother. :-D