i am prettyraccoony.

2006-06-19T16:22:00.000-07:00

Yes, I am alive.

My summer has been stressful, busy, and fattening. So much for no carbs.

My summer love: television

I'm glad my work for the Russians is over.

Yesterday I came up with the most amazing feasib topic. Think Ghostbusters meets Dating Network meets Julius's green burial. First Julius has to fill his green cemetery with crazy dead people as in murderers and psychopaths. After a while, the spirits will be everywhere causing havoc, pain, and death (think episodes of supernatural), and people and single girls will have no one to turn to but our ghosthunting service whose agents look strangely similar to the likes of Jared Padalecki, Jensen Ackles, and maybe even Chris Pine. With pretty boy (or girl) ghostbusters we could easily attract single girls with the unfortunate third eye who want to pop ghosts in their area and score a date. Hahaha.

No, I'm not serious. But I somehow have found myself addicted to Supernatural. Even if it raises way too many questions, not the "are we alone?" type of questions but the "why do they still manage to remain pretty when there are a million bees biting them?" and "Is one can of bug spray really suffice as a weapon against a swarm of bugs?" type. Hahaha. The joys of being pretty in Hollywood.

Superman's showing next week, Yay!

2006-04-21T11:29:00.000-07:00

Drugs, glorious drugs!

Working has screwed up my body clock... big time. Mondays til' Wednesdays are like the worst ever jetlag days, because I can't sleep in, and when I do wake up, hey whaddaya know, I'm still in the same country. Then I adjust by Friday, and it just resets all over come Saturday.

Then here comes Benadryl. Rhett's brilliant idea. It works.

Benadryl is my new best friend.

Things are looking up, I was even able to jog today.

2006-04-16T07:47:00.000-07:00

Enough with the drama. Really. I'd love to be able to write something more coherent, but right now my brain is too fried to think. Instead, something totally random...

Zion's roster reads more like a Wanted poster in an early 1900's Western rather than an MSN TS training team:

Ernest a.k.a. "The Queen"
Barbie & Patrick a.k.a. "Barbie+Patrick"
Rhett a.k.a. "Papabear" a.k.a. "The Doc"
Ryan, Paul, & ? a.k.a. "The Three stooges"B
erns a.k.a. "God"
Shin a.k.a. "The Artist"
Elaine a.k.a. "Maria clara"
Vic a.k.a. "Pyro"
Jet a.k.a. "Billy C."
Nina a.k.a. "Baby"
Carl a.k.a. "The Man" (but not really, hahaha)
Kris a.k.a. "Kris with a K--Krisk"
Chris a.k.a. "Kris with a Ch--Krisch"
Mike a.k.a. "The Weapon"
Renie a.k.a. "Rewire!"
Jerome a.k.a. "Fred"
Ted a.k.a. "Pebbles"
Jordan a.k.a. "Vice"
Rommel a.k.a. "Ernie"

The TEKS win. And Monday is pizza day!

Things I'm looking forward to: one day at the beach with grad friends, climbing with high school friends, watching frisbee (at least once) and early morning breakfast at North Park, like we used to.

2006-03-27T16:56:00.000-08:00

There is something much worse than not graduating and being left behind to tend to children. And that's not having the guts to admit it to your parents. Maybe because doing that is the sole equivalent of the one great disappointment. To my parents, a college education is the passport for life (quite true) and they have been waiting for that day since forever.

Talking to Camille the other day, two delayed errant children who have not delayed living, we sometimes wonder if we had too much fun (not) or if we prioritized the wrong things (true). But then again, I don't think I can ever regret what we've been through. Late nights, truths over beer, and the elation of achievement, albeit, not academic.

Will my parents understand? Probably. Though, there is one part of me that wants them to rant and rave... it's easier that way... then I won't have to feel so bad going through another year as a dependent. Why is it easier to be angry than to have guilt? Easy. Guilt eats at your insides. Anger leaves you. Is

2006-03-13T18:19:00.000-08:00

The name of the game is STRESS. STRESS is the name of the game.

I have no words to say for the sheer amount of workload I have been dealing with. A bunch of things have happened over the past two weeks but my brain is too fried right now to elaborate. Maybe next time. Quite possibly with pictures.

The good news is that Tosca, Maben, and I need not report for Maben's 151 project. Yet I will be there early tomorrow morning to support Kate, na nananahi ngayon.

Summer is here, and I still feel like a beached whale. My plans so far: swimming with whales (that's literal whales, not fat people), wall-climbing, mountaineering (Sana naman, Wengot matuloy to'), and hopefully at least two more road trips and more parties.

Mond and I ate at Yellow Cab today. Dapat nag dalawang pizza nalang kami instead of one pizza and the Charlie Chan Pasta. Happy Birthday Mond! Bukas pa-libre ng ice cream! O kaya donut hehehe.

Happy birthday Pbear!

How do they get these things right??? Weng buzzed me with this today.

Does your name begin with: K?
You are secretive, self-contained, and shy. You are very sexy, sensual, and passionate, but you do not let on to this. Only in intimate privacy will this part of your nature reveal itself. When it gets down to the nitty-gritty, you are an expert. You know all the little trick s of the trade, can play any role or any game, and take your love life very seriously. You don't fool around. You have the patience to wait for the right person to come along. You are very generous & giving, often selfless. You are kind-natured & sweet, which is found to be attractive by many. You are a good friend.

2006-03-02T22:05:00.000-08:00

I so despise Quizilla. It always gives me the crappiest results. I could have sworn I'd end up in Ravenclaw or Gryffindor. Oh well, at least not Hufflepuff (haha, like this is a matter of consequence), as Hufflepuff is the loser house. So does this mean world domination, in the tradition of Tom Marvolo Riddle? (Annoying beeping in the background indicates doofus alert...)

Which Hogwarts' House Do You Belong?
You belong in Slytherin......Your house colors are green and silver, and it is lead by Professor Snape, and only the purest of blood are let in. Members include Draco Malfoy, Crabbe, Goyle, and Pansy Parkinson. The House, founded by Salazar Slytherin, is full of the darkest witches and wizards.....in close contact with the Dark Lord. Remember, every dark witch or wizard has been produced by the house of Slytherin, and no other......

What weather represents you?

Sun is the closest weather to your feelings! Your life is great and the sun always boosts your energy. You are very happy, and you feel like nothing can get you down. YOur freinds think you're bubbly and funny.

2006-03-02T20:27:00.000-08:00

I finally found a blog template with at least a bit more space on the table for posts. I loved the Chuck-ed design but the blog space was way too small and I am not in the mood to try to figure it out. This one isn't great, though the theme is sundown (and evenings being my favorite part of the day, even during summers), but for the meantime, I can live with it.

Kate chugging down half a liter of cold water brought about the question, "cold water or true love?". Without hesitation, I say true love. And Kate replies, "Kim, cold water to ha? Fresh from the fridge." I still say true love. Marami namang ibang pwede inomin na malamig. Iced tea. Diet Coke. Lemonade.

I took an online quiz that had something to do with which part rules me. It couldn't have been anymore right. I am stable, dependable, intelligent, and creative. With one downside: my heart rules me completely. So true. It basically said that my life could be perfect, if only I don't get myself into complex situations because my heart skipped a beat.

Returning to Kate's hypotheticals, if it were honest to goodness true love, I'd take true love over anything. But since we can never be sure...

cold water or true love? true love
meat or true love? I'm tempted to say true love, since may sushi naman. But I can't really be sure.
friendship or true love? how about friendship with my true love? hahaha.

I am considering buying this adorable shih-tzu. If ever, I'd probably name him Dragon. Whatcha think?

*I usually try to be apolitical in my posts, and I have been mostly a staunch defender of GMA's policy. But declaring 1017?(tama ba yung number) on a day when people are celebrating their freedoms could not have been more ill timed. Hay, and lady, your PR sucks! Fire the man.

2006-02-28T18:18:00.000-08:00

I'm waiting for the coding window to open and have amused myself by reading over Jen's, Taty's and Arnold's blogs.

Jen's blog sounds exactly like her. Kulang na lang picture of her with a moving mouth. Anyway, she's named her discs. Ingat Jen, don't get too attached to things that can easily get lost.

Errr... nope. Actually the coding window is already open and I'm contemplating whether or not I should hit the gym as originally planned. Ayoko!

I must be putting off the gym that badly because I was able to read at least 5 entries of Jen's. I actually laughed out loud when I read the part about Mond asking to play with Damien. Haha, I've been missing a lot I think. Is it time to give frisbee another chance? (Eto nanaman, more plans, when nothing has happened to rowing with Rose, golf with Bern, Rose, and ArnArn, or climbing with Taty. That doesn't include mountaineering with Weng and surfing with Ictus friends. Nyar!)

*At this point, my laptop blacked out. Just as well, the frustration actually made me go to the gym.

2006-02-28T08:38:00.000-08:00

Last Saturday was a day for firsts.

Dad's first 50th birthday party at home. (I'm so happy for my dad! Thank you Kuya Jess!)
The first time Mond refused an offer of free flowing alcohol. May game daw sila the morrow.
Meeting the Castaneda cousins (they have such a lovely name).
My first time to see the inside of a Victoria Court suite--I drove Aina to VC Pasig. She's been doing production for her friend's thesis and they're using the suite as a set for a studio type apartment. I was surprised to see that it looked very much like a hotel room at a beach resort, except for what seemed like an overwhelming amount of porn on tv.

I have one major weakness. I can rarely say no to a friend. Though on occasion, resentment would leak out. I told Geebs (who has so appropriately termed my

culotes suit as "Safari Barbie") that I wasn't going to be able to do the makeup on cheerers for Elevate. And yet, because I happened to be at the tambayan she asked me again. For which, I blurted out an embittered "Sabi ko na na hindi ko gagawin!". God, I am such a retard. Of course, I felt guilty anyway and made an effort to put make up on Gibee (and only Gibee) anyway.

Haha. Eto na. I am an artist. The face is my canvass. Today was not such a good day (I am not in a good mood!) and Geebs' smoky eyes ended up looking more like something in between a bruise and dirt. I am sticking that in my blue period. Sorry Geebs! Luv ya!

Jencarps has been scolding me. I haven't been updating my blog despite the fact I have been spending so much time online. It could be because I've been retreating to some form of melancholia lately. Particularly in the afternoons.

Forgetting ___,

is sleeping in the dark,

eyes open, it's pitch black.

Light still enters,

my vision, automata.

See what I mean?! Too emo. What is going on?!

2006-02-24T20:52:00.000-08:00

Classes were suspended in lieu of EDSA anniv, I suppose the government is on red alert for anything fishy. I honestly was not aware it was People Power Day today, but I'm just grateful it is for classes were suspended. I needed this day because I woke up on the wrong side of the bed, something to do with the livid dreams I've been having constantly as of late.

I thought the deadline for the project submission was still today so I thought I had to print pa our paper and because Mamma wanted us to take one car for all our errands, I ended up accompanying the parents to shop for groceries at Price Smart and Unimart. No hassle. I love to do the groceries, or any kind of shopping. There is something about the sight of rows and rows of merchandise that is strangely comforting.

Surprise, surprise! Price Smart has become a vast emptiness. No inventory (Where are the boxes and boxes of chocolate?)! Prepostrous! And at Unimart, I saw a rat (albeit an itty-bitty one, but a rat still,) burrowing in one of the snack baskets. So much for being comforted by the sight of food. Thank God at least for Santis, had a bit of Queso Manchego, my all time favorite cheese.

Now I have one more thing to add to my list of irrational fears, along with being bitten by snakes, getting AIDS from a needle, getting hit by a car, or breaking my right arm the day before all majors exams (I'm right-handed). It's being trashed by a mob, ala Tom Cruise in War of the Worlds. We made the mistake of taking the U-turn on the Edsa-Ortigas intersection on the way home, where protesters (or demonstrators, for a more politically correct term) where gathered. The PNP and the military started arriving by the truckloads and we were not moving, AT ALL. I freaked out. I made dad lock the doors, ate my cheese, and I just prayed for nothing bad to happen. I do this, I scare myself into thinking the worst and most unlikely thing will happen, and because I have such poor luck, it usually does.

I have been on radio silent (no phone credits) the whole week. It's not a priority, and I'm trying to see how long I'll last without it. So far, a total of 6 days. That's the most ever I think since I've gone prepaid.

It's friday, I'm bored and stuck at home. There's a bottle of cheap Tequila in the pantry, and I'm still thinking if drinking alone means I'm an alcoholic so therefore it's not an option, or as option two: drinking with brokenhearted/in-love-with-her-ex cousin, although I don't really want to be depressed right now.

I've been running more often than usual, my RunBaby playlist keeps on playing in my head...

Mood: Err, obviously...
Music: My RunBaby Playlist. And Jack Johnson, kaya lang depressing talaga siya mej.

"Soul Searching" - UrbanDub

say a prayer for me

i need a new life

i'm not blind cuz i see the truth and the lies.

heed my words, listen to advice

you don't need to run away and take your life

no you can't live this way.

saw you go for miles and miles

and miles and miles and miles

destination nowhere, no means or how

so you go for miles and miles

soul searching, soul searchingfor how...

just take a look around

at the faces that you meet

cuz everybody's got their own pains

like you and menever fall away.

whatever you do choose life

the thoughts on your mind choose life

wherever you go choose life choose life.

saw you go for miles and miles...

destination nowhere, no means or how

so you go for miles and miles

soul searching, soul searching for how.

To pass the time: Reading Anton Chekov's complete short novels. He is a sad, sad, man.

2006-02-18T11:59:00.000-08:00

I've just arrived from Rockwell where I missed the Intima Fashion Show. I cannot believe it actually started on time!!! But I was at least able to preview this summer's line of bikinis. Ang ganda! I have to have one of those Brazil inspired Speedos. I have been motivated by that and a 20% discount coupon to prepare myself for summer. Go March 15!

Today is daddy's big five-Oh. We went to mass at Antipolo Church where the children were after me incessantly to buy religious charms. "Sige na Ate, bukas babalik din sayo yan tsaka makapag wish ka." (How did they know this? Is there some hotline to heaven I don;t know about?!?) Afterwards lunch at Hossein's where the tandori masala chicken and roti were too good to pass up. I saw this absolutely adorable blue M&Ms shirt at the nearby Quick Change--I have to come back for it when I have something to celebrate about (or more to be sad about, for that matter).

We celebrated Malory's birthday last friday New Year's Eve style, over shots of GM and sticks of barbecued chicken parts at Chickenboy early thursday evening and then waiting for the clock to strike 12 before singing happy birthday to a mashed Malor. I ran my daily 5k, then did yoga from a CD (agh, flexibility-ZERO), and weights before I found myself at Chickenboy. DO NOT RUN 5k, DO YOGA, AND WEIGHTS BEFORE GOING TO CHICKENBOY. DO NOT EVER. I found myself drunk before midnight, completely missing any stop signs along the way. Thanks to that episode, I may not be consuming any alcohol for a while.

Now that I see the pics, this should have been an indicator I was on my way (droopy eyes).

Kate's parents:p

Branders party at Eastwood went better than expected. The presentation lasted a mere twenty minutes, with Jemai and Tim being the eager beavers (I shall ask questions and endear myself to my hosts!), and then open tab on beer and iced tea. Jona was crazy on the dance floor, Joy was dwunkety-dwunk-dwunk, Rg was doing his head dance (I think he lives in constant fear of doing the headbutt with flailing arms dance and so was restraining himself) and we finally figured out how to work my camera in the dark. No party where alcohol is free is complete without Mond bugging Starbucks baristas. He was lamenting over the removal of Rhumba Frappucino from the drinks menu (It's the most delicious drink, dammit!) and went so far as to get behind the counter and take orders.

This from when we were still figuring out the darn camera. Andrei's a ghost flocked by 4 chicks.

Joy's own Kate.

I had a very late dinner at Next Door Makati with Mark "I-am-still-the-prettiest-bear" and Kate "Prom Queen" Oliva post-Branders party. Had the Chicken and 3Mushroom Congee, which made me realize how much I misssed being able to eat rice. Kate had lechon, her favorite (na for a brief moment in time, pinagpalit niya for ___.) and Mark had Yee Mien, fried noodles in a soup (weird!). (Thankfully no service charge.) Pbear always manages to make me laugh, and everything just seems funny after we talk, like it's all going to work out no matter what (Come to think of it, that used to be my motto in high school.). *Thanks pbear, hugs.* (Ayan ha, I am not making fun of something you just said.)

Pbear's thought bubble: I don't want to hear anymore! Booo! Pbear actually said he had better hair than me. Not true kaya!

*Hay, hindi nanaman makatulog si Taty. Tsk, tsk. Bad for the game my friend!

*Oh, and I lose the Best Hair Makeover Award to Edgar, hands down! Sniff...

*I have yet to upload the pics to Multiply. Be patient!

2006-02-15T23:52:00.000-08:00

Was it the implementation of VAT? (++12% on dinners and wuvwuvwuv commodities) Exams? Pending elections? Whatever it was, yesterday (that's V-day for the uninformed) BOMBED. It was only the arrival of a fresh-from-Japan-where-the-boys-look-like-girls-Bern and Kate winning the best bouquet award that saved it from being completely somber day. I had a 183 exam 7am of the following day, which completely eliminated the possibility of partying to the wee hours of the morning. Kate and I scheduled a study date at San Fran where we were dismayed to discover the 'buy one take one' promo had ended. Before dealing with queuing models, we had a good dinner at Omakase, where we had teeny shots of sake, and then Jack's Loft for a plateful of lard (better known as whipped cream on an eclair). I was sleepy by 1030 (yes, I know, the sake may not have been a good idea!), and we called it a night and headed home.

God is fair. It is today that actually feels like Valentine's Day. All I have to do is scrap the whole morning (EE+183+waking-up-5am=GRUMPY RACCOON). I had a great lunch (yes, it had carbs) and saw Brokeback Mountain with Aina. Slept til' about 9 and had to deal with a crisis that thankfully, ended without much injury to the concerned. This crisis led to an impromptu date with an already fully booked Andrei Guarin (who already had Malor and Mae on his plate, nadagdag pa kami ni Frau) at Cravings. Ahhh... cake, the ultimate comfort food with covers of Etta James and a whole bunch of laughs. Call me mababaw, but it made my day.

2006-02-11T23:59:00.000-08:00

I have been looking forward (and somewhat dreading) today. It’s a day for birthdays (Cat’s and Lola’s, and Rach and I celebrated ours today too). I had already planned out the day—spa party til’ 9pm, hie off to Lola’s birthday dinner, then to Cat’s for what surely will be death by alcohol.)

Early in the afternoon, Rg and I went to Azta for his first ever non-barber haircut. For fear that he might suffer from shock, we went with a shorter, layered version of his current do.(Though now I’m thinking if we should have just gone for bald.) I now realize that what Kate calls Rg’s “Jao Mapa in the early 90s” hair is the result of something beyond the control of any skilled hair stylist: genetics. We tried styling it with both extra-hold gel and wax. DENIED. It just kept doing its own thing. Resilient and stubborn, just like the person on whose head it grows. :p

Rach and I celebrated our birthday at my bad day haven—Nail Treats—eye coolers, manicures, pedicures, massages, iced tea, and chips all around.

Ding*ding. Happy me! And that's Bianx completely ignoring us.

Can anything be girlier than this? Weng, at the far end, was dismayed everyone else's form of relaxation still included blahblahblabbing away.

I insisted that Rach and I blow candles on oh-so-topped-with-icing cupcakes because I missed that feeling of being able to make wishes. We had to do three takes on the candle blowing (for the sake of pictures), I made the same wish every time. Does that count as three customers in the wish granting queue? And is my prioritization low because it's technically no longer my birthday? Haha.

*more pics on my multiply

I had a bite of dimsum with my spa party friends plus a very quiet Fiel at Causeway (the beancurd roll was surprisingly good) and then went to Lola’s birthday dinner (na I cooked by the way, or at least prepared before I went through the day’s activities). I had been preparing myself for Cat’s no-one-leaves-this-house-sober birthday party, but when your mom tells you that you shouldn’t go in a tone that sounds more like “Do NOT go” you know it’s time to sit your ass while everyone takes their turn on the Magic Sing singing high-pitched versions of Karen Carpenter.

Bern (who’s coming home on Monday, yay!), has gotten us all hooked onto this online, high tech Johari’s Window. I find it funny that most people think I’m spontaneous, when I’ve never thought of myself that way. It must be because of my leaky thought bubbles. I have lost the ability to think before I act.

I discovered my favorite bookstore during what may have been one of the strangest dates I’ve been on. Fully Booked at the Promenade, Greenhills is a three story structure that looks more like it belongs in an architectural museum instead of a mall. Jemai introduced it to me last Saturday before we went to get tickets for “Cheaper by the Dozen” and enjoy a two hour dinner with dessert at Burgoo and Bizu. I didn’t find the evening unpleasant at all—the onion soup at Burgoo could have used a bit more cheese but it soothed my bum tummy, and the lemon tart at Bizu was aaaahhhh…(I love dessert!)—but I guess I didn’t see this ever coming. Sometimes, life gives you strange turns and you end up falling into friendship with the people you least expect.

*Hats off to Vens and the Ictus Ad Hoc for pulling off Full Blast! I dropped by the Ictus event last Saturday after movies with Jemai and hanging out at Blu Fin for Balby’s gig (I support him by virtue of transitivity as his girlfriend is among my best friends) with Ry, Weng, and Lisa. Luckily Ry felt like eating a bit of McDonald’s, so I ended up at Eastwood anyway, I was at least able to give hi’s and kisses to people I’ve missed.

*IE Party at Blue Onion, Eastwood Libis, this Friday. 9pm. Free food and beer. Just make sure you bring your resumes. For more info about our sponsor, visit Branders.com. Spread the word!

These Are The Days

2006-02-04T18:05:00.000-08:00

I finally was able to get our 151 data. Now all I have to do is study for trese. These ES subjects, they're going to be the death of me, I swear.

Taty, Pia, Sarah, Kate, and I had our Girls' Night Out last evening. My alcohol tolerance is at its all time low, though not low enough for Taty, Sarah, and Kate to coerce me into dancing. I think some boys tried to join in on their fun on the dance floor, but were denied. Hahahaha. Pia and I stuck to our principles... our chairs.

Pics from last week. Obviously, nothing much has been happening.

12 of us ate at Chocolate Kiss last Tuesday. Tuesdays and Fridays are good-lunch days. Or iwan-Mond days. And yet, he's in this picture.

This pic looked so much better as a thumbnail. Kate, had goldilocks-style curls that day. She has too much time on her hands.

From this week's family dinner. And that's just from one side of the family.

Guess whose puppies are these???

I've been out so often, Bubbles thinks she's earned the right to be tampo. She just crawled under one of the sofas and refused to look into the camera.

Today's music: Jamie Cullum and some random jazz artists Jemai stuck into my Ipod. Jamie's songs sound like a day at the beach, with a giant glass of mango rum shake, a really comfortable lounge chair, and the warm sun.

Today's mood: melancholy maybe? and nostalgic?

Stream of Consciousness

2006-02-03T18:10:00.000-08:00

This first, pics later.

Today. HAGGARD is the word. A very close second is tambok. Later, maybe hubog (drunk in Ilonggo).

It's day one of the South Beach/Scarsdale Diet... again. (Kim, STOP EATING!)
Yesterday, Mond, Joy, and I mooched a free dinner on Branders.com (Ayan kasi Rg, you wouldn't come!). I, shamefully, had more than Mond, which is saying something. I finished all of my chicken and eggs, though I left half of the mashed potatoes. The pancakes were a bit disappointing--they were tough, and not fluffy--but I thought the meals were a pretty good deal for the price, even if we weren't the ones paying. And talk about impatsu, I even ate with Aina at Old Spaghetti House after, and then had coffee afterwards.

I have been itching to try a new sport. Right now, I'm thinking touch-rugby, or sport climbing. I just feel bored with what I'm doing right now, although I have technically been a bit busy lately.

Hit the spa with Kate again. We had a big laugh because there were two guy guys there who were obviously buds getting a hot-oil, hairdry, and pedicure done together. Male bonding in a girly activity, hmm, very...normal.

I wrote this last Wednesday, but never got around to posting it:

Just got home from another horrendous exam. You just know there's something wrong when the smartest kids in the class pass papers with question marks in boxes instead of actual answers. If I manage to survive (Go for 40!), I'll have only my handy dandy calculator to thank and nothing else.

There's a small dinner party at our house today for our visiting relatives. My tita and mom just thought of it at the last minute (like, late last evening). The food was great, like always (we come from a foodie family, there would be hell to pay if the food was disappointing).Tita made a Filipino Jap-chae, Mom made shrimp sisig, baked prawns, and sinigang. There were the usual salads and at the end of the meal Dad told me to "make coffee", his term for show-our-relatives-my-conversation-piece-percolator. Jemai, my guest of honor/everyone's official photographer, was at least lucky enough to be kapampangan, hence, did not have to go through the discomfort of thinking my relatives were fighting amongst themselves--our dialect is fast and loud--we like to say things at the same time. How we ever get to understand each other is beyond me. We're a boisterous bunch, we know it, and love it.

In other news, the diet is dying. And I am broke--thanks to great meals with friends, no alcohol involved even--and carless. So far, I've survived that second part through the kindness of friends--ArnArn, because he wants practice, Andrei and Cris, just because they're sweeties, and Jon because, because, he's Jon?! I hate having to be dependent, but beyond 8pm, walking home, I just fear for dear life. (That's not far-fetched from a girl who thinks she'll end up with AIDS from a blood transfusion.)

As a question related to the meaning of life, what exactly is "pinepenguin"?

It seems, I've fallen from an apple tree... Apple Tree(Love) -- quiet and shy at times, lots of charm, appeal, attraction, pleasant attitude, flirtatious smile, adventurous, sensitive, loyal in love, wants to love and be loved, faithful and tender, very generous, many talents, loves children, needs affectionate partner.

*Watch Taffy Trip gigs>>> Feb5(sunday) @ Capones, Feb7(tuesday) @ Kublai's, and Feb14 at the UP Fair.

*Acoustictus/Full Blast (tama ba?!)>>Top and Table, Eastwood, this Saturday.

Shite!

2006-01-30T19:59:00.001-08:00

I'm a flat-liner. I don't usually lose my cool. But last Saturday, I discovered the three things other than stupidity that raise my bp:

1. Ugly Americans (as evident from my Die Pamie.com! entry)
2. When people insist my one true love is my gay guy bud.
3. When people think they know me better than I know myself. (pertaining to number 2. I do not fall for gay men!)

Finally satisfied my craving for pumpkin soup. Cat and I had lunch at Pazzo Eastwood (where 11 to 3pm parking is free for a minimum purchase, yay). I sometimes find myself amazed at how mature we can sometimes be, and proud of it. At least some form of proof we actually change over time. Love you Catcatbaby!

Die Pamie.Com!

2006-01-29T01:58:00.000-08:00

Jemai showed me this absolutely horrendous blog.

What planet is she on? What species of moron is she. Purple=grape? Grape is not the only purple fruit in the world! The author is the epitome of an UGLY, IGNORANT, AMERICAN, of which there are many in this world.

God! May you drown in vatfulls of your spinach quiche! It's made of eggs. And cheese. Cheese. French cheese. Not freaking American Jack Cheddar. And that thing that looks like catfood in Japanese restaurants. It's usually tuna. And it's fish. It's topped with wasabi. That's horseradish, it's green... believe you me, it's radish. Even if it's not white. If you ever end up in Singapore one day, and make fun of their Sate (yes, it's also made with peanuts), I hope you misbehave so badly, they'll be compelled to whip you. That'll teach you to respect other people's cultures.

Staying In

2006-01-28T21:25:00.000-08:00

It's the saturday after midterms. I promised Cat I'd save tonight for her but she hasn't been responding to any of my messages. (She could be drunkety-drunk drunk already.) Some friends are at Drew's and on a normal day, I'd be there watching them down shots of whatswrongisanythingthematter? and enjoying their company. But somehow it just feels like the perfect night to stay in, listen to Andrei's Coastal Chill Mix, and Hed Kandi, dream of the beach, and take personality quizzes on the net.

I believe in ghosts. I was taking a powernap this afternoon and I swear, something or someone blew in my face. And the windows and doors were closed. Whatever. I'm not freaked out, just wondering. (And here is where Lee would probably start laughing and looking at me like I were crazy.)

Pero may ghosts nga talaga!

Just Pics

2006-01-28T17:10:00.000-08:00

From Lisa's birthday, at Cheesecake etc. Libis. (We were way too full from all the seafood at the Dampa, but we couldn't resist dessert.)

Haggard Raccoon. (And frizzy hair... But please say I don't look like a mom. Please. PLEASE!)

Gran at Lola Badi's birthday, and before the party poppers.

Spa and "diet" bud, Kate, at Nail Treats. (Isn't she pretty?!)

I'm so excited for our wine, cheese, and cigar plan.

More Pics

2006-01-28T10:35:00.000-08:00

525,600 minutes. How do you measure a year? Lovelovelove.

Daddy and Tito Boyet, in Technicolor.

Tita Doris and her New Year's Eve, ahem, boyfriend. (I had to admit, he was prettier in person than I expected.)

From the Mouths of Babes and Life Patterns

2006-01-28T10:04:00.000-08:00

I took the first of two 181 exam last evening, and my carelessness has gotten the better of me as usual. I must have missed those explicit instructions when I noticed Sir Norman has been gaining some muscle mass. Dammit! I get distracted by the silliest things.

We celebrated Lola Badi's 90th birthday last Thursday, the 26th, with a party at the Edsa Shang with all the families and family friends. (That's her somewhere there being swamped by people and flowers.) I have to hand it to Tita Lenny and Tita Ana Marie. The party was great, a bit emotional, and downright fun. There were a couple of dance numbers by my nieces and Gallegos cousins (always the performers), and Ate Peaches wowed everyone with her CCP voice (still intact obviously, even after years of being out of the country). We set off these gimongous party poppers, I thought it was funny because it showered the presidential table which included the grandparents (they were seated in one section to make the mano process easier), their food and drinks. Hahaha.

More who said what?!? I arrived fashionably late for Lola's party (so sue me, I had school!) and sat with my nieces Ouie and Alex.

Ouie & Alex: Tita Kim! *hugs*kisses* Look at our shoes! (yes they are the biba-est kids I know...)
PRac: Hello sweeties! *kisses*
Ouie: Where did you come from?!
PRac: School!
Alex: You're a teacher?! (This should already have been an indication this conversation wasn't going well.)
PRac: Nope. I'm a student.
Alex: Where are your kids?!
PRac: Huwaat?! (I am not a mommy!)
So I explained briefly, "I am not a mother! Of anyone or anything!"
Ouie: So where is your boyfriend?! (Another one of those questions we wish to remove from normal conversation.)

Yesterday I noticed an underlying pattern in my life... Me+Jemai+Kate=GOODBYE Diet! We ended up having lunch at Causeway Libis where we totally pigged out. How embarassing. Kate and I had more per person than Jemai, and he's the supposed guy.

Kate: Sharksfin!
PRac: You want to share?!
Kate: I can finish that.
Kate: Spareribs!
PRac: Wanna share?!
Kate: Err. No. Hehe.
Kate: Siao Long Pao!
PRac: Share tayo!
Kate: Eer. I can finish that!
Jemai: Chicken Asado Roll

So I ended up ordering a whole bunch of dimsum for myself. And dessert.

I went to Tribu last night to say hi to a very drunk Cat, and have some rumcoke. Ang kulit! Although she has the my-boyfriend-and-I-are-no-longer-together card. When it became evident that there was no way we could have a decent conversation, I left her in Tomas care (they were sent home), and JV and I went off in search of kebabs (still addicted). I had to pass by Seattle's to say hi to the kids (due to my inability to say no to anything) and I actually hoped to tap some hidden energy to allow me to drop by MDC at the Fort to say hi to a very-bratty-over-text Mond and other Jogadores. No such luck. Two weeks of midterms has zapped my ability to sleep after midnight.

*Thanks batch!
**Hang in there baby. Mwah. Hugs.

2006-01-25T18:31:00.000-08:00

Status: STATE of BAD KARMA. Two days of utter harshness and bashing has led to a sore eye. And on the day before Lola Badi's 90th birthday celebration. My one swollen, teary eye is sure to be preserved for posterity. Two generations down my cousin's grandchildren will be wondering if one of their great grand-aunts suffered from some cruel disorder. Bah!

Music: UrbanDub's Soul Searching and Dear Catastrophe Waitress. And on occasion, bits of that lovely Gwen chola song.

Whatimupto: Reading "The Kennedy Curse". Jackie O's lifetime biographer is reaping more millions of dollars by analyzing the Kennedy life patterns. It's pretty interesting. But I am seriously turned off by my once future husband, John Jr.'s obvious personality disorders and the presence of thrill seeking gene (DDR something). And his psychotic relatives. All because of the serious deprivation of potatoes in 18th century Ireland.

Interesting bit of trivia, Carolyn Bessette, once hailed the new Jackie O., was a cokehead.

Today'sfrustration: Trying to keep dad on his diet. Two days in and he's ready to throw in the towel. Nye! And he keeps on insisting that we buy his reward treats na--chocolate, cookies, ice cream--so that when the two carb-less weeks are over he'll just walk over to the fridge and eateat. Right.

Yay!for: Cable's back on. Sky had the audacity to misbill us. My mom is insisting on one free day of cable. I'm not losing sleep over it.

*I'm excited to see "Once on This Island". If the plans ever materialize.

**Stop calling me Ms. Kim! (Yes, you know who you are!) I shall continue feeding you laugh-your-ass off links but please you need not name me as you would your secretary (or pre-school teacher, kahit na that profession happens to be one of my secret dreams). :p

More Who Said What?!?

2006-01-24T21:05:00.000-08:00

So I switched back to my regular shampoo today...
Jemai: Did you switch back to your regular shampoo?
PRac: Yeeeessss...
Jemai: Oh, kasi your hair is back to it's usual glamour. (I can't believe he noticed that, but at least now I know I have glamorous hair.)

When my cousins and I were leaving for HK:
Tita: Don't worry. You won't have a hard time finding a good place to eat. Just go to restaurants where there are Chinese people eating. (Ah. Ehrm, HK's population is Chinese?)

Bernee is coming home Feb. 13th! Just in time for Valentine's! Yay!

Who Said What???

2006-01-24T19:41:00.000-08:00

___: Hindi kami sasabay. (On being asked if friend and new boylet would like to hitch a ride. Aba, honest. Gusto mag-solo.:))

Jemai: Have you switched to a new shampoo?
PRac: Yep. Why?
Jemai: Your hair seems frizzier than usual. (Ah. Grrr... Thanks a lot!)

___: Hindi ako close sa kanya! Wag niya ako isama dun ha.

Jemai: Your smoky eyes today are better than yesterday's. (I did not intend for yesterday to become smoky eyes! State yun' of haggardness!)

Lisa: I can't tell you what to do. But think of it this way, if you were Weng, Rach, or Kim, you'd go. But if you were Bianx, me, Pia, or Lei, di ka papayag.

___: Shelps pace (Shelf space?!)

Pbear: What are you doing? I have a backpack exactly like that! Is that my backpack. (Uh, yep. Kasi, Adidas only makes one of each kind, it must be yours...)

Aghh. Kate and I broke the diet again! Had lunch at Chocolate Kiss with Tosca, Rg, Maben, Jencarps, Abby DLC, Jemai, and Ana, where ang sungit nung waiter! Ang sarap kumain!

Uh, I think I've been a bit harsh lately (not my usual self) and a bit of a basher (when you get into it, it's so much fun). It can't be good for karma. Oh well, I can always try to do better tomorrow. For better relationsheeps.

Catastrophe Waitress

2006-01-24T19:32:00.000-08:00

Dear Catastrophe Waitress
I’m sorry that you seem to have the weight of the world over you
I cherish your smile
There’s a word of peace on you lips
Say it, and with tenderness I’ll cherish you
Dear Catastrophe Girlfriend
Dear Catastrophe Girlfriend
I’m sorry if he hit you with a full can of Coke
It’s no joke
Your face is bleeding
You’ll soon be leaving this town to the clowns who worship
No one but themselves
No one but themselves

Dear Catastrophe Waitress
Dear Catastrophe Waitress
I’m sorry if the kids hold you in cool disregard
I know it’s hard
Stick to what you know
You’ll blow them all to the wall
When they realise what you’ve been working for
You’ve been working for
You’ve been working for

*Jemai let me hear this song from Belle and Sebastian, called Dear Catastrophe Waitress. I like it! There's a 60's feel to the sound.

**When in a catastrophe, just walk away. If you get into a car accident and you live. Walk away. If you step on shit, look around, wipe it off. Walk away. Then stick those events in a small box in your head that's labelled "Not to be opened in case of anything. Ever."

Happy!

2006-01-22T13:42:00.000-08:00

Pacquiao over Morales in the tenth.

Life still has a few surprises.

Things are looking up.

Bah!

2006-01-22T08:00:00.000-08:00

Cannot believe it's Sunday. Sweet dreamless sleep

I had been looking forward to seeing movies the whole week. I must have been dead tired I don't even recall if I was able to talk to Ry that "I can't!" between naps last night. Were Weng and the girls at Blu Fin? I have to check my phone. And Luigi was at Starbucks wanting to hangout. Ewan ko nalang sa Jogadores, Jencarps, natuloy ba your secret plan? If yes, tampo ako! You didn't buzz me! Not that I would have woken up.

Kate (the Nicole Richie to my Paris Hilton--she's the fun one!) and I are going South again after breaking the diet completely the entire week (transient states, probabilities greater than 0 but less than one).

On Mond

2006-01-21T19:22:00.000-08:00

Egad. Why do UP Engineering teachers have the compulsion to schedule their exams around the same date? I'm pooped. I even slept through the last exam. Waah.

Last night, while the Jogadores (the usual suspects--Malor, Rg, Iusy, Mnd, etc.) drowned themselves in the week's dose of alcohol I was at San Fran studying my heart out. Alone, and almost lonely for a brief few minutes. It would have been worse if Mark didn't have dinner with me. The maids are rebelling once again and have stopped cooking dinners.

I moved to Starbucks after San Fran closed. Would have been mainly productive but Mond, Pia, B, Jona, and Frau popped in. Mond was in the last few scenes of the Mond Show. Nakakatawa. He actually started crying about not being able to go to Palawan and phases of scorned lover bitterness was all over the place. Ang kulit, he kept on asking whether we wanted free cappucinos, and after the first set of sentences he'd simply start over.

Si Mond, lacks an anger gene. No amount of prodding we've done has elicited him to anger, and I once mentioned to Mark that baka one day he's just going to snap and shoot all of us. Like those supermarket counter people you hear about in the US. Kaya ako I stay quietly under his radar just in case. So kahit na it's sometimes incredibly silly, exasperating, and sometimes embarassing (he was going to turn off the lights at Starbs because I dared him to), okay na yan. At least he has some form of release.

*
Sitting at SanFran, I was about to go into dramatics, but it passed by the time I reached Starbucks. I'm not that harsh. And I care too much. And I am pretty darned strong. There. Another of my superpowers Iz.

2006-01-21T13:30:00.000-08:00

Leche! Ang tagal ng Pacquiao v. Morales! According to perfectly good sources, it's already the third round on pay per view.

Utter boredom is the mode today. YM is god's boon to mankind. Chatted it up with Frauey this morning. What is the big deal if "ikaw yung nanliligaw?!". It's the 21st century, not the middle ages. Women already wear their underwear (we like to call it bikinis, but really now...) in public why not that? Our society has made men carry the burden of rejection. We, on the other hand can do whatever the hell we want.

I am still in the process of concocting my plan to steal these two puppies:

They are too cute.

New Year's Pic

2006-01-20T22:30:00.000-08:00

New year's family pic. Not bad. Finally one where dad is not scowling at the camera. It must be all that Henessy. He'd never admit this to anyone who wasn't there, but he even danced with mom and joined the conga line after the fireworks (so did I). Haha. Fab time.

Playing Games

2006-01-19T06:13:00.000-08:00

Thanks a lot Aina and Rach, remnants of phases of ampalaya bitterness just leaked in my last entry...

We play games when we know that we at least have a chance at winning. You don't see scrawny wrestlers challenge Batista or second rate runners vie for the Olympics. When a David goes up against Goliath, he usually loses. Period.

I am an idiot, because I'm hoping when the odds aren't in may favor at all. It doesn't make sense to me, and I pray this doesn't end with another trip to Tagaytay with my girlfriends. I may cry later. But I want my chance too.

Yum Yum

2006-01-15T23:30:00.000-08:00

I had been wanting to try Hossein's for a while now, but have never gotten around to because my family is not a fan of spicy foods with screaming colors, and I haven't found anyone willing to risk the expense of 500 bucks to try out something which they may regret later.

I was able to coerce Ry to agree to Hossein's last Sunday instead of our usual safe Japanese or Chinese, citing that because I was in Phase 1 of the SOuth Beach Diet (something I totally broke this week thanks to free pastries from CAPES), kebabs would be perfect. And it would be really funny if we tried out something new and ended up abhorring it completely.

We were expecting the interiors to be Moroccan--pillows and rugs--but to our disappointment it looked like the typical restaurant, red tablecovers, water goblets, and all. They seemed to be a bit out of place in a room lined with erotic persian carpets. Surreal.

We asked our bibo waiter how big the servings were. Oh how I love waiters with opinions! "Sir, it's single serving for an Arab, but for Filipinos I think it's enough for two." I don't know if it was just me, but there was something very racist about that comment. Of course we still ordered two dishes--shish kebab and chicken tandoori w/ tikka masala.

The food was great. I loved the shish kebab and the hummus. The chicken tandoori was moist and best of all it was all chicken breast. The food didn't leave that lingering sensation of spice, unlike Jaipur curry. And Ry treated (he's rolling in cash ata thanks to HSBC), nothing's better than a great meal except a free one.

Aina's Quotable Quote

2006-01-14T19:00:00.000-08:00

"I don't want to look back and wonder what could have happened between us but I can't wait around for you indefinitely. I want you in my life but I need you to want me in yours, too."

I can relate Aina.

Which Peanuts Character Am I???

2006-01-14T01:56:00.000-08:00

You are Peppermint Patty! Peppermint Patty is a pro
on the baseball diamond, but in the classroom
she's a D-minus all the way. Bold, brash and
tomboyish, what she lacks in common sense she
makes up for in sincerity. She's the only one
who calls Charlie Brown "Chuck."
Oblivious to much that goes on around her, for
a long time she seemed unaware that "the
funny-looking kid who plays shortstop" was
a beagle. She has trouble staying awake in
class; most of her waking hours in the
schoolroom are spent analyzing the probability
patterns of true-false tests.

*Grrr. I don't want to be Peppermint Patty!

Which of the Peanuts Characters Are You?
brought to you by Quizilla

Neat Pic

2006-01-13T19:53:00.000-08:00

This black and white photo is classic.

I curse Fujitsu

2006-01-13T18:30:00.000-08:00

I curse Fujitsu! Never in my five years of event marketing have I ever dealt with a more difficult sponsor. Argggghh!

Goosefraba.
Goosefraba.
Goosefraba.

There is a psychotic mother on Lifestyle Network who has put her 10 year old daughter on a low carb diet. And she’s not exactly skinny this mom. This mother told the kid that there are secret spies in the school lunchroom, who’ll tell if the kid touched anything with carbs in it. What is the world coming to?! Kawawa. My eyes welled up.

Sigh

2006-01-13T17:45:00.000-08:00

I've been dreaming of days like this.

F----ing Convent Reunion

2006-01-12T21:27:00.000-08:00

That F word has a total of five letters, not four!

Had dinner (Teriyaki Boy) with high school roommates—Ada, Aina, Rach, and Ais—and I cheated on my eleventh day of Phase 1 (Absolutely no carbs!) by eating up the Honey Cake at Sugarhouse after. It was well worth it. These girls are practically my sisters. We’ve lived through bad prom dates, ex-boyfriends, and the stench of Ada’s shabu-shabu Sundays together. Happy!

Ada surprised me last Monday by saying she wanted to meet up. She was my roommate for three and a half years in high school (the half being me spending so much time in their room instead of mine during my freshman year) and she also happens to be one of my best buds. In our college years up to today, I’ve seen her a total of five times—not even once a year!—big change from living with her and spending only Saturdays apart.

Ever have that feeling when you’re about to see someone you haven’t been with in a while, that feeling of dread that she’s changed or she’s different… and you almost dread that you won’t get along as well as you used to?

I was wrong to feel that way. Ada may be two months away from an MD and Aina is now a budding director under the tutelage of Lino Cayetano, but the three of us along with Ais, Rach, and Bianx, we will always be those silly girls who debated over etiquette for mistresses, planned a future in a convent (F----ing Convent Nga!), borrowed each other’s clothes, and order ridiculous amounts of food at Friday’s just because the waiters happened to be cute. I miss those days!

We missed you Bianx! We had fun, but it would have been so much better if you were there. Mwah. Hugs.

Best Ever Presents Part1

2006-01-09T22:14:00.000-08:00

Filipinos have a compulsive need to inaugurate and celebrate new holidays. I may never understand what Three Kings is for, but as long as there are good dinners, I won’t complain. Still, Three Kings is the last of the Christmas holidays, dapat deadline for all follow up and belated Christmas presents… My gifts are still in various luggage and paper bags. Most are still in the form of raw material. Good luck to me.

I like to give gifts as much as I like to receive them. And sometimes it’s incredibly frustrating when you already have an idea of the perfect gift for someone only to find out or realize it doesn’t exist. Here are the perfect presents:

WENG (and all my girly friends)—Life vests. At least we’d have our own floaters. J

AISA—A magic wand that can shrink any shoe into a size 3.

MALOR—A clock that holds the world still.

BIANX—A Good Earth Roasts in Pampanga

JENCARPS—An Olympic sport that combines two of her favorite pastimes, Frisbee and eating together. FrisbEAT-ing!

GEORGIE, JB, JAMIE, KUYA GINO—Incredible powerbars.

AIZA—Tracking device for the best deals and hidden steals at bazaars.

JAYVEE—Our badminton sched.

CATBABY—For Shanghai to just be next door.

ANGEL—To be able to be in love and declare it to the world.

MAMMA KATE—Boylet Itoo!

PIA—More guys in the world named after Jesus’s disciples (may isang name in particular), who play Frisbee, have Pantene-worthy hair, Derek’s bod, and worthy wit and intelligence.

ARNARN—More manok. :p

LISA—Increased percentage… or veggies that taste like meat… or meat that provides veggie nutrients.

HANS—A coffee table book on Filipino puns and massacred grammar. Stuff like “Goods for sale at WHOLESOME prices!” (He seems to be into those things!)

KRIS—A knife collection.

KEV—For Hollywood to realize what kind of talent they’ve passed up by overlooking Asian production.

RG—Discernment.

IUS—Hair in the poknut.

RACHEL—Kisses!

JULIE—A bag of chocolate, na hindi ever nauubos.

TISH—A onetime role in a Broadway play.

Rules

2006-01-09T17:44:00.000-08:00

When you make a mistake, learn from it. A few things I’ve learned:

1. Don’t ever ever name things you don’t own. Or better yet, don’t name anything at all.
2. If you don’t say anything in the beginning, you have no right to complain when things get shitty later.
3. Delete text messages, even those you feel are special ones. It doesn’t make sense to get attached to things that don’t even have a physical existence. You’re just going to have a bad day when your phone decides to die on you.
4. Stop eating! You have control over all of your functions! (Even your pee, to a certain point, so quit it!)
5. If you want something, ask for it.

Ouie!

2006-01-08T01:25:00.000-08:00

Hung out with my pamangkin Ouie, the most precocious 8-year old I know. Dapat hindi ipakilala to kay JenCarps, she's soooo biba. I lent her my camera and she just started taking pictures of herself. Bianca Araneta watch out!

It was a Saturday night out with cousins (Jess, Ais, Georgie, Jb, Jamie, etc.)--dinner at Teriyaki Boy and then Exodus--Kris and Kev really pushed for the movie selection. I fell asleep! But it had its moments, some scenes were reminiscent of Shaolin Soccer and Chinese epics. And a whole 5 minutes of JR bathing in mud, then him in a gold diaper. It was pretty darned funny. Only I don't think it was supposed to be.

Welcome Home Gramps!

2006-01-03T17:36:00.000-08:00

Gramps is home.

After 11 years, Grampa is finally home. My family went through the whole load of paperwork
and my cousin Kris carried Lolo on his person on the flight back, just to bring him home. We placed him in the Sanctuario Columbarium today. And then had a nice lunch with the rest of the family at Le Souffle. Tita Cynth came up with the idea that everyone present should share a happy or funny memory of Lolo. We were all crying. And there were so many things about Lolo we never knew about, and finding out about it just now just makes me miss him more.

Lolo. My other dad, I love you with kisses and hugs.

New Year's Resolution

2006-01-01T07:58:00.000-08:00

My old blog just had a bit too much anxst, and I'm not Alanis so that can't possibly do me good. Kaya ayan, new year, new blog, new resolutions. It almost feels like a clean slate.

This 2006, I didn't want to be among the masses who help gym program sales peak in the first quarter of the year (No, I haven't given up my dream of having JLo's body...), but I just wanted to go basic and set more realistic goals.

My resolutions for 2006:

Take more pictures.
Seafoam (Right Mamma Kate?!)
Run 4.4k at least four times a week. (That's exactly two rounds of the acad oval.)
Remember dates. (I can't even remember my mom's birthday. That's just a bit too flaky.)

2005 was supposed to my bad year. But it's been among the best ones so far. Thankies, Kuya Jess!