Road trip

Around February, usually after Valentine's and before final exams, the end of the school term, and holy week, I feel something in the air - as if something is ending and something is about to begin.

During this time, the cold air blows more subtly than a hint and the heat sets in. For a few days, when the weather cannot decide whether it would be cool or hot, it feels just perfect. Mango trees start to bear fruit. Streets get dustier, leaves dry up and fall to the ground like moths seduced to death by the heat of light bulbs. The air resonates with the promise of a summer fling, or of true and everlasting love (if there is such a thing), or merely a glimpse of the boy who only bothers to go within a hundred meters of the church to join holy week processions.

Makeshift halo-halo stands sprout every block or so. Children, whose only achievement so far is to reach their ear with the arm on the opposite side over their head, set their eyes to a new goal: to ride the bicycle without the kiddie wheels on.

Friends and parents die and children are born. Chapters of a book are sealed with finality and fresh lines are written on new pages with the tentativeness of a child trying to walk for the first time. Old friendships are rekindled with the flame of shared memories from an almost-forgotten past. Promises of forever are made and promises of forever are marred by a child who finds it difficult to sleep at an appointed time. Love is given and love is taken. Old wounds heal, and new wounds are inflicted.

The wheels turn,and old houses fly past. Time goes on and does not stop, no matter how hard one wills it to.

I look at my friends and I smile.

Life continues.###

Walking the City: [Museum Cafe]

[Third of 3 Parts]
Then I went on to look for the famed Museum Café. This Café was called such because it lies beneath Ayala Museum. I was surprised to know that it was from the same group which brings us Momo and Chelsea. I like eating at Momo in Eastwood, their food is good.

The interior was virtually empty, and I thought it must be because it was a Sunday, but it would mean faster and more focused service for me. I asked for a pen and pencil because I was dying to write about my walking adventure and the attendant was quick to give them to me.

M Café’s offers modern Asian cuisine. Most of the items in the menu were good to share, but since I was dining alone, I chose from their selection of noodles. I thought Pad Thai was a safe bet for my main course, and selected their crème brulee trio for dessert.

My noodles were served on a very beautiful square plate, and the presentation was wonderful. (Sorry ha, can’t think of better adjectives to describe these. Hehe.) I’m very sorry, too, that I did not bring my camera, the food looked really nice, garnished as it was by herbs and two shrimps which were intertwined. I was really famished, and I readily took in a mouthful. My happiness ended there. The noodles were too salty. Although the base of the sauce for Pad Thai noodles was fish sauce, it was not supposed to taste solely of fish sauce. I haven’t tasted fish sauce in a really long but this course made up for all the time I avoided it. I had to drink water after every mouthful. I had half of the noodles wrapped so my housemates can taste it too. (My housemate, who like things salty and spicy, couldn’t get over her first bite. She said she didn’t know that salty things can make you feel giddy.)

For dessert, I had crème brulee trio which had unique flavors. It was my first time to hear of holy basil, chocolate ginger and orange-pandan as varieties of crème brulee. The holy basil tasted really nice – I finished the whole thing, mainly because I want my tongue to forget its encounter with the patis-flavored noodles. I only tasted the chocolate ginger and it was good, too. The orange-pandan tasted a bit sour, well obviously because it was orange flavored.

The dessert more than made up for the main course and I am suspending judgment until I try the other food in their menu, as well as their Jazz Sunday Brunch buffet. Til then.(3/3) ###

Happy new year!

Indulgence is the motif of my 2010.

I started the year by giving in to my every whim and caprice. I have gotten crazy thin the last quarter of 2009, and I even had a procedure done to rule out the big C – scary! So this year, I’m doing all my favorite things.

1. Sleep. I have been prescribed new medication which causes me to oversleep. I sleep an average of 12 hours a day and I love it. Sleeping helped me gain back some of the weight I lost for mysterious causes that leave even the doctors baffled.

2. Dessert. Metrobank Card has this holiday promo which entitles cardholders to avail of free Junior Red Ribbon cake for every P10,000.00 worth of purchases. I must have gotten at least seven cakes. Life in plastic is fantastic!

3. Breadtalk’s Flosss. I have this annual affair with Flosss. For a brief period, I crave for, and indulge in this yummy treat from Breadtalk. I would go to the mall just to buy Flosss, then go home and eat them. I buy bread for my housemates, but because they do not eat them at once, I end up eating their share. This would go on for about a week, then it would end, to the point that I cannot bear to even smell it.

4. Bread. I would eat bread in the morning, then after lunch, then before sleepy time. I would eat bread with butter, with cheese, or on its own.

5. Shoes. I have a thing for shoes. When I feel down, I would think of shoes. When I’m in the office and I need inspiration, I look up shoes in the net. Because end-of -season sales are usual during the first months of the year, I usually buy three or four pairs, only to give some of them away after wearing them once.

6. Shop. I have rediscovered thrift-shopping or ukay. I would go out of my way to visit thrift shops everyday and go home with my treasures. It feels like treasure-hunting, actually, or falling in love. When something is for you, you will find it. Or when you do not find it the first time around, then, look again. :D

7.Eat. Actually, eat out. It is but the second of the year pa lang and I have already tried at least nine new restaurants, and counting.

8. Talk. Literally and figuratively. I just talked and talked and talked some more. I joked and made people laugh and char char char char char char.

9. Write. I spent a good part of 2009 reading, just taking in what other people have written and this year, I am writing again – which is a really good thing. Because that means I have the energy to do things again.

10. Spend. Or make-kaskas the credit card, whichever is applicable. I am surprised at the huge amounts I spend for coffee and food and clothes and shoes, and what have you. Indulgence nga.

I know I have to take things seriously after the elections, including work, the possibility of going back to school, or of getting a new place or a car, but for now, indulge. Life is short. ###

Walking the city: [Good buy!]

[Second of Three Parts]
And since I am already in Makati, I decided to walk again. I went out the door of Rustan’s and walked the periphery of Rustan’s, to Landmark, and finally to Greenbelt. I wanted to try the famed Museum Café for dinner; I have been reading raves about the food.

But first, Adora. I have been to Greenbelt 5 a few times but I have not been inside Adora because I am a bit intimidated by the store. However, the word “Sale” lured me inside.

It took sometime for my eyes to adjust to the design of the interior. Adora is not your typical department store. There are mirrors and plush seats and black and white curtains covering the dressing rooms. (Where are the sale items? I asked myself.) The second floor houses the lines for women. I was on the lookout for the word “sale” again because I already had a feeling that I would not be able to afford the regular-priced items. Shoes were on top of boxes set on the floor, and there are mirrors again everywhere. Some shoes are marked down at P900++ a pair, not bad!

I got Tyler bags which were on “buy one take one” basis. I got a medium sized tote in purple and a small faux snakeskin bag in brown. My housemate liked the tote and I sold it to her for half the price. Isn't this neat? (2/3)###

Walking the city: [A multi-tasking concealer]

[First of Three Parts]
…was the theme of my weekend.

I usually dislike walking because I am lazy and I am born with a slightly defective heart which makes heat, flights of stairs and long distances my worst enemies. I avoid walking at all cost, except, of course, in the name of shopping.

So this weekend, I decided to walk the city. I met a friend for coffee at Gateway but he had to leave early because his eyes got irritated by his new contacts. I decided to visit the thrift shop near National Bookstore Cubao and found nothing worthy of note. I knew that thrift shops abound the Cubao area and since I have nothing to do, I entered the shops across Farmer’s Plaza, along EDSA. I did not know that the block contains ukay after ukay store. I thoroughly enjoyed scanning the racks for skirts and dresses. In one store, there was one buyer who looked like a model and she bought P2500.00 worth of pre-loved clothes.

I walked further on and saw rows of pre-loved shoes, bags, clothes, even underwear! I had to stop myself from going further because I was feeling seriously dizzy from the smell of the goods and from lack of oxygen.

(It is funny how I can be so maarte and weak sometimes but act as if I don’t have any cardio-respiratory problem when shopping.)

And because I can’t seem to have gotten enough of shopping, I decided to push myself to the limit. The next day, after my visit to the dentist in faraway Las Piñas, I dropped by Ayala to buy concealer in Rustan’s Essences because their branch in Gateway has run out of stock of the er, and I had to go to their branch in Ayala Center to get one.


Murad Acne Concealer was named best cover-up for acne by Preview Magazine in its November 2009 issue. Since I have a perennial pimple problem, I gave this concealer a try. The salesperson at Essences suggested I try it in Medium, and it worked really well with my skin. Not only does it hide the angry red marks on my face, it helps soothe the inflammation too. This concealer it is packed with Salicylic Acid and Tea Tree Oil to combat Acne. It blends well with the skin, and is best used after toning, and before putting on foundation.(1/3)###

Small packages

I am more into shoes than into bags. When it comes to office bags, I usually buy on a per-need basis. I buy one and use it forever, or until I get tired of it.

I have been meaning to buy a small bag that I can bring to the office everyday – one that is big enough to hold my netbook.

And sometimes, when you wish for something sincerely enough, the universe grants your wish. I say, this is a wish granted. :D ###

Leadership Training Kuning-kuning

Last month, Mrs. G. invited me to speak in front of class officers on the subject of leadership. She said that I can speak about anything about the subject.

I was more than hesitant at first to give the lecture because I do not consider myself qualified. This invitation also came after me quitting school unceremoniously and taking an extended sick leave from work for almost two months.

But I took on the invitation as a challenge. I haven’t spoken before a crowd since that fateful day in July (or was it August?). I thought that hey, maybe I can do this.

Ando so I prepared my presentation. I did extensive research care of Google and Wikipedia, hehehe, brushed up on leadership, recalled some of the concepts from Stephen Covey, reviewed the Johari window, recalled my humbling experience in the SSC Elections when I was in my fourth year, and slept at two in the morning the day before. The seminar was at 8 in the morning the next day, so good luck with that.

I took half a pill, fearing that I would not be able to get up early, as I will be coming from our house in Quezon City. I woke up at 6:30 in the morning (I set my alarm clock at 5:15 in the morning), and I arrived at my alma mater at a little past 8. I was late!

After the very generous introduction, I started speaking about leadership. Initially, I apologized for three things: that I was late because I came from Manila, that I am a writer by profession and I am not really trained at public speaking, and that I had no time to shave my legs. They laughed at that.

So I proceeded with the presentation. Morning session, okay. Group workshop, okay. Lunch break super okay. Ice-breaker, okay. Then we continued with the module for the afternoon. It must have been the time - it was siesta time, and I must be really boooooring as a speaker, but I saw one girl with her eyes closed. I thought that she must be really digging what I am talking about and closing her eyes in utter concentration, or she is simply sleeping. I don't know, I just snapped.

And when I am mad, even English words seem to flow out naturally from me. Before I can stop myself, I gave them a sermon. It rained run-on sentences that day. I told them that I am tired, that had I been in Manila, I would have been still sleeping at that time, and that if they want I can just go home, and all that crap. I told them that being leaders, they are to serve as examples for their classmates, and in that seminar, they have the option to a) listen, or b) not to listen, and they have the choice to a) learn, or b) not to learn. Dressing down nang bonggang-bongga.

I started with the best intentions, promise! I told them that it is enough for me if, out of the 126 students who attended the seminar, at least one or two who be able to learn something. I said it would be alright if my words can affect at least one or two lives.

But I expected better from them. They were supposedly the leaders of their class, the models to be emulated, and to borrow the words of the one who introduced me – the pride of my school. And I was disappointed. Big time!

I had no background as a teacher, but I had a fairly good idea how boisterous, noisy, indifferent and apathetic high school students can be. Back in my younger days, I wasn’t exactly your typical high school honor student, I had my share of visits to the principal’s office for unbecoming behavior and tardiness.

Good thing, the teachers who were assisting me called for a snack break because I was ready to go home just about then. But I realized (and my friend also told me), that I should inspire them, and I should act as a model. And I reflected about what I did. There I was, talking about leadership, and about persuasion, and having a vision, and humility, and with the smallest trigger, I was losing my temper already.

When the afternoon session resumed, I apologized to the group for losing my temper. And since I shared to them earlier my mission/vision for this year - to travel more, eat out more, take more pictures, write more - I told them that I have learned from the seminar as well. Speaking in front of them inspired me to amend my mantra. This year, I said, I will try to do three things: 1) to be more patient; 2) to be more patient; 3) to be more patient.

And when they delivered their output for the last group workshop, and I started hearing phrases like,
"No one has reached the bridge of success without ever crossing the streets of failure.",
"A leader must know when to stop, when to pause...",
"I will shove a bucketful of confidence to show the world that I can help anyone, anytime, anywhere.",
"...make the most of every little opportunity ahead and make a difference",
"There is always a better future waiting ahead of us",
"The vision of enhancing our thoughts, words and acts will lead and take us to our peaks.",
"...significance of cooperation, teamwork and trust",
"we are never too young to make a change",
"Dream lofty dreams, for when you dream, you shall become."

I was touched. Their words moved me. And so before I left, I thank them for the wonderful experience and hoped that this training would not be my last. Just as I wish that they learn something from me, I surely learned a lot from them. ###

Get Over It

I bought Sugarfree"s Mornings and Airports about a month ago, and I realized just now that the album is a lot about goodbyes. I love Ebe's voice, which soothes my soul. Here's one track.

Get Over It

Sleeping in her clothes
Won’t get her back, Erase the past
I tell you this one’s real
The world is not a dream
It bites you
By whim it steals the best of you

Chorus:
Get over it
The bags are packed
Flying far from here
I know how you’re feeling
Get it over
She said she loved you
But it’s only true
For you and no one else

II:
Please understand it’s hard to do
So just let go
Oh, just let it go
The world’s not how it seems it bites you
by whim it’s steals the best of you

Chorus 2:
Get over it
The phone’s not ringing
Do you feel the cold?
There’s no turning back
Is it worth it?
Why give your heart
When you’ll never get, Never get it back

Bridge:
She crossed you out from her book
Start drying your eyes now
She's got herself a new love
There’s nothing left to fear
You have to see these things through
It’s not about you all the time
Rise above it all
And see things differently.

Get over it
The bags are packed
Flying far from here
I know how you’re feeling
Get it over
She said she loved you
But it’s only true
For you and no one else

Get over it
The phone’s not ringing
Do you feel the cold?
There’s no turning back
Is it worth it?
Why give your heart
When you’ll never get, Never get it back

You'll never get it back, you'll never get it back
You'll never get it back.


I love how the lyrics of some songs capture perfectly what you would want to say yourself.###

Love, love, love

Yesterday, I was filled with so much love.

I spent Valentine’s Day with the family. We went to Ark Avilon so that E would see animals (Two by two. Two by two into the Ark). While we were in the car, we were reciting the Story of Noah. (“Hurrah!” Shouted Noah. At last it was finished.) E was laughing at us. She must be thinking that we had gone crazy. :D We sometimes wonder what she is thinking when we talk to her in baby-speak, or when we do funny stuff just to make her laugh. (Namnam is crazy, she must think.)



I felt so blessed that they have adopted me as part of their family. I am so thankful to be filled with so much love from family and friends. I miss my mom. She would have loved E. ###

N.B:
Speaking of love, a very generous soul, Nina, is giving away a ring. Click here for details. Enjoy!

Love has a smell

I am amazed at people who can wear a signature perfume day in and day out despite everything that particular scent has “witnessed.” For the sense of smell is a powerful memory trigger.

It is weird, how certain smells remind me of love. I was cleaning the bathroom last night and I poured Pantene shampoo for glossy hair on the scouring pad, mixed with bleach and Apricot hand wash, and I was filled with nostalgia. I scanned my memory for associations and realized that it smells like, um, love.



Love smells like summer and unripe mangoes in February, and of fabric softener on a friend’s shirt and of the pages of a new book, and of clean sheets. It smells of first rains in May or June, and of Chantilly on your mother’s neck when you kissed her after she died, and of freshly-ironed shirts, and of Easter morning, and of the hint of oil on a tricycle. Love smells like the beach, and the sun, like chlorine on the pool, and pork sinigang, like grilled pork chop, and dust on boxes when you’re moving from one house to another, like the scent wafting when you pass by hamburger stands in the corner, and tears in your eyes. Love smells like new shoes waiting to be worn, like the interior of luxury buses, like vanilla-flavored formula, and of photocopied readings. It smells of thrift shops, and of libraries, and of baby bath, of funeral wreaths, of kisses before hopping on the door of a bus, and of hot rice porridge. It smells, too, of hot-off-the-oven pan-de-sal, of new CDs, and balikbayan boxes.

Love can smell like anything. And when you feel that familiar tug in your heart when you smell something, you’ll know it is love. ###