Sweet LIES.

Blue Christmas

2011-12-02T01:14:00.002+08:00

It's December 1 -- the holiday season has officially started and I am feeling a bit gloomy today. The past couple of weeks has been a roller coaster ride for me and went through a series of ups and downs. I try not to be all negative since everyone is feeling festive nowadays but what can I do, my life can be a bit messy sometimes and the timing couldn't be more perfect.

Anyway, I just want to share with you my all-time favorite Christmas song by Mariah Carey: All I Want For Christmas Is You. I am not really a big Justin Bieber fan but I actually enjoyed this refreshing new version with Mariah. It suddenly made me feel festive for the first time this year.

And because I am feeling lonely once again, I would love it if you would share to me anything that you think can make me smile even for a little while.

Happy Holidays everyone. :)

My Top 10 Holiday Wishlist 2011

2011-11-24T07:34:00.001+08:00

Time to go materialistic! Sure, I wish for peace, love and happiness too, but c'mon -- nothing wrong to want the things money CAN buy, right? :) Admittedly, I cannot afford some of the items listed here (kaya nga it's a wish eh, hehe) so I am sharing it to my loved ones (and strangers alike) for them to know what I've been really dying to have this Christmas. :)

So without further ado, I present to you my Top 10 Semi-Official Wish List:

1.) Blackberry Bold 9900

2.) My own .com domain

3.) Forever 21 gift card

4.) Samsung Galaxy S II

5.) Chanel Jumbo Flap White

6.) Hed Kandi Headphones

7.) Canon Powershot G12

8.) Technomarine Cruise Pink

9.) iMac

10.) Portable RF Machine

I am pretty sure my friends would laugh at my last wish! Hahaha!

So, will you be my fairy godmother or Santa Claus this year? Hit the comments below and tell me what you think! ;)

What's In My Bag? v.2

2011-11-05T08:37:00.000+08:00

Because of extreme boredom, I decided to do another "What's In My Bag" post similar to what I've posted a year ago. Basically I just poured the contents of my current bag and share with you all my daily essentials. So sorry about the bad quality pics, I just used my phone to take them, hahaha. Anyway, here goes.

Presenting:
MY-I-WILL-DIE-WITHOUT-THEM-STUFF

Current bag: Tory Burch Nylon Tote Bag

My current favorite because it's very roomy. :) My netbook + all my basic essentials can fit in here. Oh and it's water-proof too! :)

Current scent: Jacque's M. Aurora perfume

Was persuaded by a salesman at ATC to buy this. My usual scent is the forever D&G Light Blue (since college!), and this one smells sooooo close to that! I don't like fruity/flowery scents, and this one is perfect bec it has a sporty/cool kind of scent. Not to mention it costs P1,000 less than Light Blue!

Absolute must-haves.

Don't ask me why I have three scrunchies, I don't know as well -- haha! I always always forget to bring one most of the time and I hate it when I can't tie my hair into a ponytail during bad hair days. So maybe for the past week I kept getting every scrunchie I found around my room and stuffed it in my bag. :) Alcohol -- for sanitation purposes, and comb obviously.

Basics.

Yep, I don't use a wallet. I used to have one but I am THAT lazy to put money in it that I always end up putting lose change in my bag pocket, my jeans or wherever. Took me a while to realize that my wallet just takes up space in my bag w/o any purpose in my daily rituals. So as you can see, my money is just stuffed inside my mirror pouch, lol. That gold little mirror is from my bestfriend, I think it's a freebie from a perfume she bought in France. And mints, because I work graveyard and I NEED it.

Work ID.

I am so lucky to be part of this company because I work in a very laidback environment. My colleagues are superb too! Have you ever worked in a company where you instantly felt that you fit right in? :) Anyway, I changed the lanyard to a Blackberry one my ex-boyfriend gave me. Go Team Blackberry! :)

Make-up.

As you can see, I am not really into cosmetics. Just the basics: foundation and lipstick are all I need when I go to work. My gimik bag is way different though. :) Anyway, for foundation I have Chanel Luminous Creme Foundation in Wheat. I love that it evens out my tan and it's practically an all-day wear! Same goes with my MAC Lipstick in Captive, the color deposit is so generous that it lasts for a good 4-6 hours! So these two are a perfect combo for someone like me who isn't a fan of constant retouching. :) I also have Maybelline Lip Balm in Cherry which I rarely use (bec the MAC doesn't make my lips dry even though it's close to matte). I like Carmex lip balm better actually but I went on a night out recently and I left it in my other bag. Little trivia: I am allergic to lipsticks except for MAC, Maybelline and Avon.

Not-so must-haves.

I keep a second pair of glasses in my bag because in the event that I left/lost the one I have on, I am at least assured that I wouldn't go partial blind when I am out somewhere. I started wearing glasses when I was 13, and my eye grade is now at 200/200. I have never gotten used to wearing contacts because they are so difficult to remove (or at least for me)! Haha. I only wear contacts when I go out on gimiks, bec who wants to look like some geek in a bar, right? I also have with me random cards (debit cards, school ID, SSS ID etc.), house keys and a phone bill (which reminds me, I've got to settle my bills asap! lol).

Mobile phone: Blackberry Bold 9700

Solid Blackberry user since early 2009. I started from Pearl Flip 8220, then Bold 9000 and now this. I already blogged about my love for Blackberry phones so I won't go into detail again, but I think the best thing about this phone is its amazing keypad and of course, BBM. :)

For my entertainment needs.

And finally, my ever reliable iPod Touch and Beats Solo HD headphones. I need to stay entertained all the time especially at work so I have to have these. There aren't much games on my iPod anymore (unlike before) because it's filled with educational apps for Baby Kiann (alphabet song, shapes, flash cards, etc). He is so addicted to using iPod that his old one broke already that's why whenever I am home this is technically his all-in-one toy.

So there you go! What about you, what's in your bag? :)

X.O.,
Kat :)

Come One, Come All!

2011-11-03T06:21:00.000+08:00

I was invited by a new-found blogger friend Tom to join this year's Second Annual Community Network Meme 2011 and I am inviting you all to join too! I have heard of memes in the past but I always thought that they are for "professional bloggers" only. Anyway, I am so excited to join this year because it is the perfect chance for me to meet and get to know other bloggers!

The idea of a meme is to post a set of questions that many bloggers will answer and post it on their blog on the same day and time. After which, everyone will visit other bloggers, read their answers and comment on their responses. Here's how it works: (repost from Tom's site)

1. If you want to participate, send a message to Tom using his contact page and in turn he will email you a copy of the meme questions.

2. You will compose your answers in a post along with the Meme graphic (grab from above) and schedule the post for December 11th at 12.01 am based on your time zone. Last year everyone posted at 12.01 but with 24 time zones we spent a lot of time waiting for some blogs to get posted. This year all posts will be simultaneous (data to be posted at a later date) based on time zones and not clocks.

3. A master list of everyone participating will be generated and posted along with your answers in December so you will be able to pick whose blogs you would like to visit.

Community Network Rules of Participation:

- You must agree not to post your answers until everyone else does.
- You must agree that you will visit at least five blog links that you have never visited before and leave a comment on their responses.
- You must answer each of the twenty questions and do so with more than a simple yes or no response.
- You must post the entire Master Meme Blog List of blogs participating, regardless of how long the list may grow to be, below your answered questions.
- You must title your post the same as everyone else, “Community Network Meme 2011″.
- You must direct all interested parties to Morning Erection’s Contact Page to get the questions. You may not give them a copy of yours. Remember, we are trying to avoid Sunday Stealing from stealing and posting before December 11th.
- You must promote the Community Network Meme at least once on Facebook or some other form of social media, even if it is just your own blog to get more bloggers to participate. Provide the link back to your original post so they can post this in its entirety on their blogs, just like we did.
- If you would like to participate and write the post in your language and not English, feel free to translate it or you could post both translations.
- Make sure to either vote for or like the post appropriately if on the WordPress platform.

This is gonna be fun! See you! :)

The Pursuit of Internet Fame

2011-10-31T11:57:00.001+08:00

Nowadays, there are only two reasons as to why people are into blogging business: FAME or MONEY. For money, it is kind of a long shot because to be able to attract sponsors for your blog, you have to have a decent number of unique hits. And if your content pretty much sucks and doesn't interest a majority of netizens, then you can kiss Internet fortune goodbye.

You can agree or disagree with me, but I really think that most bloggers blog in hopes of getting noticed. And at some point I think that that is okay. I mean why else are we on the Internet, seriously? What I don't like though are those who blog not because they have something to say or something to share, but because they want to be famous or because they want free shit.

I have to admit that I have attention-seeking tendencies. I think most bloggers do. Hell, I think most people do. But I can say with all honesty that I didn't start blogging to be famous, like so many people seem to be doing now. I have been blogging (privately) since 2005 and my love for writing led me to this. I started to blog back in college because I wanted to practice my writing skills and learn how to express my thoughts through written words (I used to not be very good at that). Later on, I continued to write because I realized that it is very fulfilling for me to see a documented journey of my life. It's fun to look back at older posts and see how much I've grown over time. Minsan natatawa nalang ako at how shallow my topics were way back 5 years ago!

Anyway, recently I have seen a spike in my blog hits with the post "On Loneliness" being the most viewed. I received personal emails from random people full of words of encouragement, telling me to not feel bad, that they feel the same way, or that things will get better. To be honest, it feels so good to know that these strangers take the extra time to write me a letter (effort!) w/o really expecting anything in return. I know that this might be very common for famous bloggers out there, but this is a first for me -- so I feel pressured because I felt like my blog has suddenly went public. I mean yeah, technically it is an open blog, but I always assume that only a handful of people read it. I never, never imagined that time will come that lots of people would actually be interested in it!

I think this level of pressure is harder for people who blog the way I blog, because I don’t have a skill or talent. I don’t post travel experiences, artwork, or photography; I don’t really do book and film reviews too. I just dump myself out there in word form, so I have nothing to hide behind. Anything goes. The hard part of this is when people start to notice you, they are not judging your work, they’re judging you. Thankfully I haven't encountered negative comments yet (considering my controversial RH Bill post), but I could only imagine myself when that time comes. Will I be affected? Will I just shrug it off? Depende siguro, hehe.

I guess for now I might have to be extra cautious about what I write. It is still gonna be me, but prolly less rants about how much my life sucks, lol (gotta save that for Twitter, eh?). And to those who just landed on my blog and don't know me personally, please be informed that my blog doesn't define who I am. I am much much more than this. :)

Good Enough to Stay or Bad Enough to Leave?

2011-10-29T18:59:00.001+08:00

One of the most nerve-wracking stages in a relationship is knowing when to stay or when to cut ties and end things. For most of us, it is very confusing since every relationship goes through its ups and downs. I can't speak for everyone, but there are just some things that are sort of a deal-breaker for me. It's like, "you do this and we're done." I am not saying that I am a perfect partner, I am not. In fact, I am way imperfect that I sometimes feel I'm not even "datable." But the thing is, I am a very logic-oriented person, and I tend to mentally tally the pros and cons of my relationships, whether romantically or in friendships.

Most relationship experts agree that this not a very good approach in making a sound decision because there will always be pros and cons and determining which is "more heavier" is nearly impossible. A much better way is to look at the relationship through more realistic measures and decide from there. The problem with this approach though is how will you know which ones to measure? Might work for some, but not for me.

As this blog has constantly proven everybody, I have been in a series of failed relationships and I know I am not the perfect person to even discuss things like this. But even so, I do know that at some point in a relationship, sometimes the initial chemical infatuation you once felt will fade and resurface often. You're not going to have butterflies in your stomach every time your partner kisses you and sweet text messages will not be as kilig at all times.

The lines begin to blur when the relationship isn't awful, but not the way we want either. As Basha once said "What if we're not growing together anymore? What if nagttiyaga tayo sa ganito, sa safe, sa ok lang?" I am sure majority of us can relate right? So I ask you, what makes you hold on? What will make you leave?

I have listed down mine, but I think this is pretty universal. These are only some of the things I can think of now, so I can say that this is still incomplete (will try to update if I do remember more, lol). Bear in mind though that even if I think that this may apply to all, this is just my personal list and as I have said-- I can't speak for everyone. Read on:

I am staying if...

I am happy majority of the time and always look forward to being with him. (Ummm, obviously)

I will give it a chance if...

Something happened that made our relationship rocky, and compromise has been set. (Open communication is the key)
Simple jealousy from either side and both are willing to talk it over.
I or he is unhappy for several weeks due to boredom or dullness of the relationship. (Try to come up w/ something to make the relationship exciting)

I will seriously consider leaving if...

Being with him just doesn't excite me anymore for more than a month already.
I feel unloved or taken for granted and have addressed the issue but with no effort from him to make me feel better.
Petty fights pretty much describes the 70% of the time I'm with him.

I will leave IMMEDIATELY if..:

He physically or verbally abuses me. (No way in hell!)
He cheats on me. (I will never tolerate infidelity)
He threatens to commit suicide if I leave him.
He's into drugs and is not doing anything to resolve it.
He disrespects any of my family members and friends.
My family/friends disapprove of him greatly and can list legitimate reasons why.
Either of us cannot look past the mistakes for a reasonable amount of time. (Sumbatan all the time is a no-no.)
He attempts to control my personal or religious beliefs.

How about you, what made you end your previous relationships? Have you ever been in an "okay lang" relationship? What is your limit on staying with someone and what is considered a non-negotiable boundary for you? Ang dami kong tanong, haha! Anyway, you get the idea. I am curious.

Thoughts?

On Gaining Weight

2011-10-24T23:10:00.001+08:00

I have always been insecure of how I look. Maybe this is partly because I hang out a lot with friends who are models and stylists and I sometimes feel a little awkward when the topic is all about fashion and beauty. Because I was never that kind of girl. I always dress for comfort and rarely put makeup on, heck I even hate shopping -- it was just not my thing.

Anyway, over the past couple of months I have gotten used to people coming up to me and tell me how fat I've become. At first I really don't mind, because it is true. I really did gain a LOT of weight since 2009 and most people who knew me back in grade school and high school were surprised to see me because I used to be buto't balat before.

This is me back in 2006.

This is me now. August 2011.

However, gaining weight and telling me that I am close to obesity is a different story. Being insecure that I am, you can then imagine my reaction when someone commented on my Facebook photos and said that I am overly fat and that my older pics are better than the recent ones. I was never really that sensitive on things like that (because like I said, I really DID gain weight), but I guess it's a little sickening to hear it every now and then and I find it rude to sort of slap it to my face every chance they get.

I am "too fat?" Seriously?? I may not be skinny, yes, but I'm not fat either. The media may bombard us with Kim Chiu-thin bodies but I am not falling for that kind of craze. I have curves. And it is irritating to think that there are people out there who consider my fuller figure to be "too fat." I love to eat, and maybe if I lose the rice -- my waistline will go down to 26 instead of the current 29, but I am not OBSESSED to achieve that goal. Bottomline is, I am not in perfect shape, but I am not at my worst.

And as much as I wish I could rock today's fashion like a size 2 or size 3 model, I don't actually want to be skinny. I mean, do I look the way I want to look? No, I don't. But given this or my figure five years ago, I'd gladly refuse to turn back time. I may not have the ideal body that everyone drools over, but I am OKAY with it. So I don't get it why some people seem to have a problem with it.

That’s enough for me. I’ve spent too much of my life putting myself down. I’m not going to do it anymore.

To the Man of My Future

2011-10-12T19:59:00.001+08:00

Here's my own version of "Letter to the Man I Will Love Someday."

Dear You,

When I think of you, I always get this mixed emotions. First, I feel really stupid for imagining someone that only exists inside my head. Then, it excites me because I know that someday my long-time search will eventually be finished and we can finally start living "the dream." But in the end, just like the rest of the girls who writes letters to "the man they will love someday," I also can't help but wonder if you really exist.

You see, I am not the easiest girl to date. I am way too far from being your ideal girl either. So unlike other girls who are confident enough that they will find someone, I fear that someone like you who will be attracted to someone like me don't exist. But then again, if a poor man can suddenly be a millionaire overnight by winning the lottery--it doesn't hurt to believe that someday I will hit the jackpot and be someone's princess too.

There are things you will not know about me in the beginning. Just like you, I will show you my best sides first and will be in my best behavior. But as early as now, I want to be honest and tell you that I did some things in the past that I am not proud of. There are secrets in my life and you may not like some of them. What I am hoping is that you, the man of my future, will still see me as a treasure despite all the junk that comes with the package.

Future man, I have met a lot of toads in the past so forgive me if I may be skeptical about you at first. There are things you will have to accept about me and the life I live and I would rather find out in the beginning if you are capable of trying. I ask that you will tell me early on before my heart gets too involved. Because to tell you frankly, I am not sure if I can afford another heartbreak. I know it seems a lot to ask but don't worry, I will give the same to you.

I ask too--that you do not expect me to change the traits that make me who I am. I am not perfect, nobody is. There will be times that I will be stubborn, lazy, or impatient. When that happens, I ask for your patience. One thing I can assure you though is that I will not ask you of anything more than you can give.

I am proud to tell you that I make a great friend, and I look forward to our long talks, may it be funny or meaningful ones. It may sound silly but I used to dream of us sitting outside Starbucks having coffee, while checking out awesome cars, pretty girls or cute guys that pass by. I imagine us hanging out in the living room eating popcorn, with you trying to steal the remote from me and changing the channel to ESPN. Or me trying to cook up a simple dinner for us on Valentines Day while you pretend to like it and tell me that it's delicious.

You will be the man of my future. That is the only thing I am sure of. I may know you already or have yet to meet you someday, either way I am just as thrilled. But even though I am excited to start my forever with you, you must know that I am not in a hurry to meet you. I don't want to rush things because I don't want us to be just like any other couples who easily give up when trials come their way. I want to know you at the time when we're both ready for each other. No matter how long it takes.

Please promise though, that you will never give up looking for me. Because even though I sometimes doubt your existence, I will never stop searching for you.

With hopes that I will be yours for always,
Kat

Remembering Steve Jobs, 1955-2011

2011-10-06T16:21:00.000+08:00

Much has already been said upon the death of Apple co-founder Steve Jobs and until now I still feel sad about the passing of the greatest tech leader of our generation. Some may think I am stupid for being so busted up at the death of someone I never met, but I guess I look up to him so much that I feel sad because I wouldn't get to hear his amazing words of wisdom anymore.

I know that most people regard him as the man behind great products such as iPhone, iPad and all other Apple products, but Jobs is actually credited with a LOT of things in the world of computing. If not for him, personal computers might still be running in DOS-mode. Can you imagine a computer without a mouse and a graphical user interface? Jobs invented or co-invented a wide range of technologies, from actual computer and portable devices to keyboards, power adapters, staircases and speakers. His total patented technologies are over 300. Freakin' genious.

If I were to ask you, how will you remember Steve Jobs? By his revolutionary products such as iPhone and Mac? His trademark black turtleneck longsleeves and jeans attire? Through the movie "Pirates of Silicon Valley?" There are sooooo many things that remind us of him, but among all that are his memorable quotes that tell us that Steve Jobs is one heck of a legend. Here are some of my favorite quotes by this creative genious:

"We made the buttons on the screen look so good you'll want to lick them." -- on Mac OS X's Aqua user interface (Fortune, Jan. 24, 2000)

"It's rare that you see an artist in his 30s or 40s able to really contribute something amazing."
-- At age 29, as quoted in Playboy (February 1985)

"Do you want to spend the rest of your life selling sugared water or do you want a chance to change the world?"
-- A comment he made in persuading John Sculley to become Apple's CEO.

"You can't just ask customers what they want and then try to give that to them. By the time you get it built, they'll want something new."
-- Interview with Inc. Magazine for its "The Entrepreneur of the Decade Award" (April 1989)

"Being the richest man in the cemetery doesn't matter to me ... Going to bed at night saying we've done something wonderful... that's what matters to me."
-- On the success of Bill Gates and Microsoft, The Wall Street Journal (Summer 1993)

"Apple has some tremendous assets, but I believe without some attention, the company could, could, could — I’m searching for the right word — could, could die."
-– TIME, 1997

"I was worth about over a million dollars when I was twenty-three and over ten million dollars when I was twenty-four, and over a hundred million dollars when I was twenty-five and it wasn't that important because I never did it for the money."
-- PBS documentary "Triumph of the Nerds: The Rise of Accidental Empires" (1996)

"Nobody has tried to swallow us since I've been here. I think they are afraid how we would taste."
-- At the annual Apple shareholder meeting (22 April 1998)

"We used to dream about this stuff. Now we get to build it. It's pretty great."
-- Keynote address at the Apple Worldwide Developers Conference (June 2004)

"Every once in a while a revolutionary product comes along that changes everything. It's very fortunate if you can work on just one of these in your career."
-- Announcing the introduction of the iPhone (9 January 2007)

"It’s not about pop culture, and it’s not about fooling people, and it’s not about convincing people that they want something they don’t. We figure out what we want. And I think we’re pretty good at having the right discipline to think through whether a lot of other people are going to want it, too. That’s what we get paid to do."
-- On Apple's connection with the consumer (Fortune, March 2008)

"I make 50 cents for showing up... and the other 50 cents is based on my performance."
-- On his famous $1 annual salary, at the annual Apple shareholder meeting in 2007

"Almost everything–all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure–these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important. Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart."
-– Stanford University, 2005 Commencement Address

"Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma – which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of other’s opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary."
-- Stanford University, 2005 Commencement Address

Whether you love or hate Apple, you gotta admit -- Steve Jobs indeed changed the world.

Thank you, Sir Steve.

Five Pinoy Films That Blew Me Away

2011-10-05T02:15:00.000+08:00

I admit, I rarely watch local movies not because I'm too "Americanized" for my own good, but mainly because most of them share the same predictable plot line, generic characters and corny sense of humor. A romantic-comedy with the usual boy-meets-girl style, a horror that scares you using haunted houses and nightmares, and a drama with a storyline that is very unlikely to happen in real life.

However, we cannot deny that every once in a while, Philippine cinema produces a top-notch movie w/o the generic storyline we are all sick of. Here are my top 5 Pinoy films that are truly worth watching:

Got 2 Believe [2002]

Plot: Wedding coordinator Toni (Claudine Barretto), is a girl who believes in true love. At 25, she is considered to be an "old maid" by her married sisters, aunts, and friends. Always the bride's maid, never the bride, Toni has yet to find Mr. Right. On the other hand is Lorenz (Rico Yan), a wedding photographer who doesn't believe in happy endings. He always catches Toni unaware with her distinctly expressive yet embarrassing moments. To make matters worse, these photos were published, making Toni the renowned "perennial bridesmaid." Lorenzo's problems become worse when his cousin offers a boost in his career, so long as he makes a pictoral article on Toni. Toni, who protests against this idea at first finally agrees in exchange for Lorenzo finding her someone worth marrying. Lorenzo and Toni gradually being to fall in love in the process. Source: Wikipedia

What makes it good: I really like this movie because it's very colorful with a very light-but-not-corny storyline. Granted, it is the usual boy-meets-girl type, but this one stood out for me because Claudine and Rico's acting were exceptional. I am no expert in directing and filmmaking but I feel like this movie was creatively conceptualized, from the characters down to the props. One of the very few films na kinilig talaga ko. Very fun, youth-oriented, no cheesy lines. This is the only local movie na pinanood ko more than 5 times I think!

Watch/Download the movie here.

Feng Shui [2004]

Plot: Joy (Kris Aquino) found a bagua on a bus when its owner left it. Ever since she got the bagua, she became very lucky and prosperous. Joy becomes worried because ever since she found the bagua, mysterious deaths began happening around her. It is later found that whoever looks into the mirror of the bagua will die and the subsequent death will result from an animal in the Chinese calendar depending on what year the victim was born. Source: Wikipilipinas

What makes it good: I am not a fan of horror films, matatakutin kasi ako eh hehehe, but if I am to name the top two horror films that I wouldn't dare watch for the second time, it's gotta be SHUTTER and FENG SHUI. I mean sure, The Grudge, Paranormal Activity, and Shake, Rattle and Roll are scary, but I can watch them w/o giving me nightmares. Feng Shui blew me away because its mode of "pananakot" is very unique--the bagua in our front door still give me the creeps because of this movie! I dare you to watch this alone. :)

One More Chance [2007]

Plot: Popoy (John Lloyd Cruz) and Basha (Bea Alonzo) have been together all their lives. Both of their families approved of each other, they were part of the same cliques, and eventually worked in the same company. Time came when Basha felt the need to let go and live on her own without Popoy. Popoy was devastated upon learning of Basha's decision but soon learned to let go and managed to find a new love in the person of Trisha (Maja Salvador). Basha, on the other hand, managed to live her life alone, happy with her new career and environment. However, when Basha meets Popoy again after several months and realizes he is happy, she starts wondering if she really made the right move of leaving Popoy behind. This time again, Basha and Popoy go through another emotional rollercoaster ride that will end in either holding on or letting go. Source: Wikipilipinas

What makes it good: Well, who DOESN'T like it?! 90% of people I know in my generation have seen this movie and is a favorite of even the most conyo guys out there, with good reason. Why? For one, it's like a breath of fresh air for having characters that are neither abnormally whacky nor depressingly serious. They represent normal people who encounter conflicts that could happen to everyone. And do I even have to mention its quotable lines that each of us have used at some point in our love lives? Popoy and Basha are such iconic characters, they represent every person on the planet who has ever loved and lost.

Kimmy Dora: Kambal Sa Kiyeme [2009]

Plot: Kimmy and Dora (both Eugene Domingo) are identical twins with different personalities. Kimmy is the smart, dictatorial type while Dora is the slow, dumb-wit sister. Kimmy has always been jealous of her sister as Johnson (Dingdong Dantes), the man she really likes, only has eyes for Dora. All hell breaks loose when their father gets a heart attack and makes Dora the majority owner of their family conglomerate if in case he dies. Kimmy thinks this is unfair and gets the help of their lawyer Harry to take care of business. A misunderstanding brings forth a plan to kill Dora but they kidnap Kimmy instead. Now Kimmy must find a way to escape her captors while Dora must act as her tough sister and control their corporation in order to hide the truth from their sick father. Source: Wikipedia

What makes it good: Kimmy Dora is the best local comedy I have ever watched in my life. How many times have you seen a comedy film (local or foreign) that made you laugh HARD? I have never laughed so much in a movie before this! Who cares if the story is too shallow when you are having so much fun?? Eugene Domingo is one of a kind, she's such a natural in comedy. Super galing! :)

No Other Woman [2011]

Plot: The film is a tale of a man's journey towards building a career and a family that he can competently provide for, but along the way, his ambition and reputation are tarnished by a single adulterous act. Source: Wikipedia

What makes it good: This is the most recent local film I have watched and I am so happy that I was able to. Just like One More Chance, No Other Woman's storyline is something that happens in real life--a reason why this movie is such a huge hit. I won't go into details, but a good plot, realistic lines, every-guys-dream Anne Curtis and Cristine Reyes, every-girls-dream Derek Ramsay, plus steaming love scenes--all these are enough to make it to this list.

How about you, what are your top 5 Pinoy movies and why? :)

If I Could Talk To A 20-Year Old Me

2011-09-29T17:02:00.001+08:00

Because I worked in the call center industry for 4 years before moving to IT, I am already used to friends and acquaintances randomly come up to me for suggestions on working/surviving in a call center. Two months ago, a friend's younger brother approached me asking for advice on which BPO company offers the best work environment and career growth.

He told me that he wants to start a career soon but doesn't know where to start. "I want to be a trainer in the long run, but I'm not sure which company to go."

He began asking one question after the next:

"What do you do in your job right now?"
"How did you jump from call center to IT?"
"Why did you do this? Why didn't you do that?"
"Are you happy with where you are now?"

We started talking pretty frequent and this question-and-answer portion went on on a regular basis. I answered his questions as best as I could, and tried to give decent advice based on what I have gone through in my career and life in general.

After a bit of thinking though, I realized that those conversations were actually quite nostalgic for me. He reminded me of myself five years ago. So I started thinking about his questions again, and I began imagining how someone would've told me the answers to those questions when I was starting out.

If only I could turn back time, here are the 11 things I wish someone taught me five years ago:

1. Find work you love doing. If I could offer my younger self some real career advice, I'd tell myself not to choose a course based on someone else's recommendations, or because it's popular or is said to make more money. I would tell myself that the right career choice is based on a single factor: Find work you love doing. It may sound such a cliche, but finding success through passion is realistic and attainable. Don't wait for 20 or 30 years waking up and regretting being in a career you don't enjoy doing. As Steve Jobs says: "Find the work that you love, and you will never have to work at all."

2. Take risks. Everyone is allowed to make mistakes. Mistakes teach us a lesson. I used to be afraid of taking risks in fear of making a mistake, and I still partly am until now. But I have come to accept that in life, it is not about getting a chance, but about taking a chance. I would advise the younger me that yes, doing something will not guarantee that it will work 100%, but you can be 100% sure that doing nothing won't work.

3. Accept that change is constant. What you have or do right now, no matter how good or bad it is, it will change. It's the reality of life, and I wish someone had told me that sooner. It took me a while to accept that changes happen for a reason, and it won't always come easy. But in the end, it will always be worth it.

4. Don't worry too much about what people think about you. For the most part, what other people think shouldn't matter. When I was 20, I was paranoid of what other people think of me. It even affected some of the major decisions I made in life. Sure, you have to behave in a certain way that is acceptable to the eyes of people you care about. But not to the point that it will compromise your ideas and goals. I used to be that person who let the opinion of others make or break me. Later on in life I realized that this is a foolish way to live. What other people say is not important, what matters is how you feel about it.

5. Decide fast, and act upon it. It is true, opportunities knock only once (or maybe twice if you are lucky), so seize them while it's there and take action. Nothing will happen if you sit and do nothing while everyone else is out to receive their grace. Bear in mind that there is a huge difference between knowing how to do something and actually doing it. Don't rave about that knowledge that you have because it is basically useless unless you use them.

6. Speak out. People are not mind readers. If you don't feel good about something, don't hesitate to speak up because people will never know how you feel unless you tell them. Your boss? Yeah he doesn't know that you want to move up the ladder because you never told him so. That pretty girl you like but too shy to ask? Well, you guessed it right, she will never go out with you because there is no question to answer "Yes" to. In work or in life, you have to work on your vocal cords if you want things to happen. Simple.

7. Talk to lots of people as early as now. Friends of friends. Professors. Colleagues. Bosses. A medical student friend. Old classmates. Practically everyone in your Facebook! Why? Professional networking. While it's still early, having so many people in your network is a huge advantage. Lucky for me I was able to build mine early on, and I was offered several career opportunities as a result of this. Always remember that when employers look for people to fill positions, the first they do is ask recommendations from people they trust. Overtime, your current network and the associated opportunities will be a snowball for the duration of your career.

8. Live with integrity. For a career-driven person, reputation matters. And to get the respect and trust of the people around you, you have to maintain a good reputation by living with integrity. Be honest to yourself because being honest creates peace of mind. And trust me, having peace of mind is oh-so priceless!

9. Respect other people and make them feel good. As they say, respect begets respect. Elders, minors, strangers, -- everyone deserve to be respected. One of life's greatest rewards is the ability to touch other people's lives in simple ways. It is such a humbling experience to make someone's day just because you did a small thing for them. Trust me, it will come back sooner than you think.

10. Excel at what you do. There's no point in doing something if you aren't gonna do it right. As soon as you found out who you were born to be, develop a reputation for excellence. Don't waste your life doing mediocre things, always challenge yourself to up the ante and be a better person, whether professionally or personally.

11. Stay hungry, stay foolish. I got to watch Steve Jobs' 2005 Stanford Commencement Address early last year and it was the most eye-opening grad speeches I have heard in my life. His last line got stuck to me ever since: Stay hungry, stay foolish. And it made perfect sense. One of the greatest adventures in life is our ability to ask questions to people who've been there. I hope that everyone realize that everything that we want to know all boils down to asking the right questions, to the right people.

I have to admit, I have done a LOT of mistakes in the past, and there are some things I wish I hadn't done. If only someone had told me these things earlier, I would've lived a more meaningful life. But hey, who says it's too late already? :)

Life is too short. Grudges are a waste of perfect happiness. Laugh when you can, apologize when you should, and let go of what you can't change. Love deeply and forgive quickly. Take chances. Give everything and have no regrets. Life is too short to be unhappy. You have to take the good with the bad, smile when you should, love what you got and always remember what you had. Always forgive but never forget. Learn from your mistakes but never regret. People change and things go wrong. But always remember, life goes on. -Unknown

X.O.,
Kat :)

Social Media Etiquette

2011-08-31T16:57:00.001+08:00

Social media interaction is in many ways a part of everyone's daily lives. And since it is a communication medium with every single person in your life, it is important that each one of us understand the proper ways to behave online.

Would you do the following in a face-to-face interaction?

* Acting all close and spilling your secrets to someone you barely know?
* Be self-absorbed and consistently talk about yourself w/o regard to everyone else around you?
* Randomly approach a friend and ask for favors -- repeatedly?
* Constantly announce to the world what you are doing (even the littlest things: I am walking, I am eating..etc)

If you answered yes to any of these questions, then you may want to visit a refresher course on social media etiquette specifically Facebook and Twitter. Just because you are behind a monitor in your room doesn't mean that you can do and say as you please -- no holds barred.

Facebook
1. Randomly add people just because you have more than 2 mutual friends.

Many users like to keep their Facebook to their circle of friends and family or at least to people they have acquainted to in the past. If you are looking to make friends, properly introduce yourself when adding them. Don't always assume they know you -- especially when they, well, don't.

2. Tagging individuals in items that you sell.

I am severely annoyed by this ever since online sellers started invading Facebook. I like online shopping A LOT but I really hate it when people tag me on pictures that are totally unrelated to me. If you are selling something, send a message with the link to your album rather than annoy your friends and flood their walls with weight loss products.

3. Publicizing private conversation on a wall post.

There is such a thing as too much information. Even though you know everyone on your Facebook, have a little sense of privacy and use the messages feature to discuss private matters.

4. Harassing people to "like" your post.

Facebook contests are used as a marketing strategy of some businesses to make their product known. In effect, "contestants" request their friends to "like" their entry for them to win the contest. This is really fine with me, but harassing your friends and constantly sending them messages for you to win is just plain rude. One simple request is enough, but please..for crying out loud, huwag pilitin ang ayaw!

5. Abusing application invites.

Some people are just not that into games. Personally this is really fine with me bec I do enjoy some Facebook games, but I have encountered some people who really force you to click the application invite just to increase their "neighbors." Again, stop harassing people for your own advantage.

6. Spamming.

Facebook spam and scams are consistently increasing mainly because some are too naive to understand that not all that they see on their friends' feeds are true. For the last time, there is no application that will allow you to know who viewed your profile, you will not win an iPad by clicking the damn smiley pic, and you will never see Justin Bieber nude. Get over it!

Twitter
1. Mundane tweeting.

Tweets such as "I'm sleepy!" "Eating breakfast.." "About to sleep, good night!" may be interesting to some, but 90% of your followers could care less about the fact that you are eating or that you want to sleep. As much as possible, kill non-sense tweeting and tweet with purpose. Maybe you would want to revise your tweets with: "Breakfast at Banapple. This Banoffee pie is amazing. A must-try!" Always consider what's in it for your followers -- give them a chance to react to your posts. After all, there's really nothing much to reply to "I'm sleepy," right? :)

2. Using Twitter feed as chatroom.

I used to do this actually, but ever since some famous people started following me, I am now conscious with what I tweet and I tell my friends to just BBM me. Generally, conversations that are exclusive in nature should be kept private using chat platforms. Twitter is a broadcast medium, and although it empowers you to use the @ symbol to directly talk to individuals, it doesn't mean that you and your friend can flood your mutual followers' Twitter feeds. Using @mentions to talk to someone is absolutely fine, but everything should be kept in moderation.

3. Constantly asking your followers to follow your friend.

"Guys, follow my friend @Twitternewbie! Thank you! Pls RT" -- I mean seriously, why should we? Unless your friend is someone famous or is tweeting VERY interesting stuff, then please save yourself some time and effort because no one will follow your friend back. Revise your tweets with: "To my UP Diliman MMA classmates, follow Prof @Twitternewbie!" or "My friend @Twitternewbie tweets the funniest stuff about cheesy pick-up lines, follow him he's hilarious!"

4. Avoid Internet drama.

Broadcasting your how stupid your boss is, how your ex cheated on you, or how your colleague is having an affair with someone from work is a risky risky business. Not only will it make you look pathetic, it will also make you look unprofessional.

5. Tweet nothing but RANTS.

Expressing disappointment or frustration over something is fine every once in a while. But as I have said, everything should be kept in moderation. I recently unfollowed someone because I got really annoyed of her constant negative tweeting. Who would want to constantly read stuff like "F*ck you! You ruined my day!" "You really think you are pretty?! Ew!" "Lecheng buhay to!" "I am a bitch and I have a right to because I am hot." Irritating right?? And seriously, BEING A BITCH IS NOTHING TO BE PROUD OF.

Personally for me , it all boils down to three basic rules:
1. Respect the community.
2. Listen to others.
3. Be accountable for your actions.

Always remember that social media communities are real relationships with real conversations among real people. As such, social media interaction should be treated with respect as your personality reflects on it. Is it really that much to ask for people to be a NICE person, whether face-to-face or virtually?

Pottermore: The Quest to Find the Magical Quill

2011-08-04T15:08:00.000+08:00

I first heard about Pottermore last week but I haven't got the chance to join because I was too busy with school midterms until I totally forgot about it. Anyway, last night I finally got the chance to join and I am one of the lucky Muggles who are able to register early! Yey!

My username: NimbusPixie57

It's too bad that users cannot design their own usernames and can only choose from the five randomly selected names. I was so prepared pa naman to use "FiendfyreKat" hehehe. But still, being able to find the Magical Quill is so fulfilling that I am beyond happy for being one of the chosen few!

Potter-what?

To those who may have heard this just now, Pottermore is a website that offers the die-hard Harry Potter fan the opportunity to access the wizarding world digitally. Fans are divided if PotterMORE stands for a Multiplayer Online Roleplaying Experience or a Massive Online Reference Encyclopedia. Because I am a gamer, I prefer the first one -- but until I get my "welcome pack," I have yet to tell which is more appropriate (the Welcome email will not arrive until the Magical Quill challenge is over). The site will be open to the public in October but if you are a die-hard fan, I am sure you would want to get an early admission. :) The site was launched on the date of Harry's birthday, July 31 -- and will allow a rumored total of 1 million fans to get early access to the site by finding the magical quill on the site for seven days (until August 6).

According to J.K. Rowling, the site contains new material exploring and detailing the wizarding world. Rowling once said that her fans wanted way more backstory and details of her world than she could provide within the story. Interested in the finer rules of Quidditch? Require more wisdom when it comes to wands? Well, this apparently, is where answers may be found. Enough to get a fan excited right?! :)

Day 4 just ended last night so there are 3 days more to try to register to the site. Seven days is equivalent to seven books so the Day 5 clue will be about Harry Potter & the Order of the Phoenix, and so forth.

Here are the previous clues that were taken from Books 1-4:

Day 1: How many breeds of owls were offered on the Eeylops Owl Emporium sign, then multiply this number by 49.

Day 2: What is the number of the chapter in which Professor McGonagall cancels the Quidditch match between Gryffindor and Hufflepuff? Multiply this number by 42.

Day 3: In the Gryffindor versus Slytherin Quidditch Match, in Harry’s third year, how many points is Gryffindor leading by before Harry catches the Golden Snitch? Multiply this number by 35.

Day 4: How many students take part in the Triwizard Tournament during Harry’s fourth year? Multiply this number by 28.

Days 1-3 are harder than Days 4-7, but it is still best to have the appropriate book in handy when answering the clue. Once you solve the clue, add the answer at the end of the site: http://quill.pottermore.com/(answer) and you will be redirected to a page where the Magical Quill is hidden. Click the quill, and voila! The registration page will pop-up for you to enter your details. :)

Watch this video as J.K. Rowling announces Pottermore:

For help in finding the Magical Quill, click here.

Three more days to go! Goodluck!! :)

UPDATE:
Click here for additional info on validation emails and timings for the last two clues!

The Google+ Craze

2011-07-11T18:48:00.000+08:00

At this point, most of you must already heard of The Google+ Project and probably landed on my blog in hopes of getting an invite. But for some who are living under a rock, Google+ is the newest social networking platform that is believed to kill Facebook. As of this time of writing, it is currently under limited field trial and you can only get in if someone invites you to join their network via email.

Since its launching two weeks ago, Google+ has generated SO MUCH demand, with Google's social head Vic Gundotra even calling it "insane." People's interest spread like wildfire, forcing the company to close it's doors for new users periodically.

I gotta be honest, I also wanted to get an invite since day 1 so bad that I keep checking out technology blogs and trying to check if someone can score me one. It wasn't until last week when I finally got one from my previous boss and my smile was from ear to ear for hours! Haha. When I tweeted about it, boy I was bombarded with invite requests! Everyone wanted to join in on the bandwagon, some even told me "What's Google+? Add mo nga ko kung anuman yan." It made me laugh because why would someone want to be a part of something they don't even have an idea on what's it about.

I guess I just find it amusing that people normally aren't interested on being part of something new until they find out that not everybody can get in. It's like being in an elite group of people, the feeling of being special and having something that everybody is dying to have. I know this because when Google Wave was launched two years ago, it was immediately open to the public and nobody I personally know even signed up for it. A year after, it flopped.

Is this human nature? I honestly have no idea. I am a social media enthusiast for years now so I know that me wanting to be Google's beta tester is a given -- I just don't know about the others. But what I do know is that this marketing strategy made by the search engine giant is a very wise move indeed, well done Larry Page.

Okay fine, I know you are here for the invite. Please share this to your Facebook/Twitter then hit the comments below and leave your gmail address + your Facebook/Twitter profile link. Just don't forget to return the favor and add me to your circle okay? :)

Click here to add me on Google+.

Do You Think You're Pretty?

2011-07-08T08:24:00.000+08:00

There is an unspoken rule that most girls abide by which I think was taught to us by jealous insecure bitches. It's known as the "Pretend You Don't Know You Are Pretty" rule and if you think otherwise then expect everyone to consider you conceited or "feelingera." So what's a girl to do who doesn't want to seem conceited while also not coming across as insecure?

CONFIDENCE. Everyone knows they should have it, but for some reason -- boys have it and most girls don't. If you are one of the many who don't have it, then let me inform you that most people who carry this trait have more friends than you, have better social life and have higher paying jobs.

Why is it that men were taught to carry this trait and should maintain a high opinion of themselves (sometimes a little too much--hello cocky guys!) whereas girls grew up knowing that they should never acknowledge their beauty out loud or else they are considered self-absorbed and egotistical? Think of the movie "Mean Girls" when the popular bitch Regina George makes Cady think that she is wrong for thinking that she is actually a pretty girl.

Personally, it annoys me whenever I compliment someone and they say things like "hindi kaya!" or "you think so?" and then goes on to complain about any unflattering thing that they have on their face or body. Same goes with people who are razor thin and sexy and then keeps telling everyone how FAT they are. Can you please just save that to the really -- I mean REALLY fat ones?

Most guys date you because they find you pretty and confident. But when they gave you a compliment stating that you are beautiful or gorgeous or really pretty you just shrug it off instead of saying thank you. There is nothing wrong with believing that you are a beautiful woman -- self-confidence and cockiness are two VERY different things. So the next time someone compliments you, smile and take it because there is nothing more unflattering than a girl who doesn't know her own worth.

So you agree? You think you're really pretty? Or do you shrug off a compliment in fear of being considered conceited?

Taking Personal Drama to the Internet

2011-06-27T21:54:00.000+08:00

What is Internet Drama?

Internet drama, in my personal definition, refers to the irrational broadcasting of personal issues on the Interweb. Since the Internet has completely changed our modern life, our dependency with the web has impacted our ways to deal with personal issues. It doesn't matter if it's work, family or relationship problems -- as soon private grievances start to go public via Facebook or Twitter, things can automatically turn ugly in a snap.

Case in point: During a recent breakup, a distraught ex can do or say things on their Facebook walls that they'd never do face-to-face. They use harsh words, throw accusations out of misery, try to illicit jealousy, or seek revenge in a multitude of other ways. Mutual friends are abruptly excommunicated, and pictures are suddenly untagged from each other's albums. You might immediately change your relationship status to single and wait till your wall is bombarded with questions about the breakup -- aggravating the virtual salt that continue to rub into very real wounds.

While some people just can't help it, I think it's safe to say that most of us wants to avoid Internet drama and not stoop to online lows. If you are one of us, here are a few tips that may help whenever you're in the brink of announcing to the world that your ex is a pathetic psychopath:

1. Use the reverse psychology. If your ex just can't help it but publicize every little thing you guys went through, remember that there's no better comeback than a silent treatment. Let him talk, while you maintain your silence and continue to tweet positive things. Soon, your mutual friends will realize who is the biggest loser.

2. Take advantage of Facebook's security settings. It is there for a reason. Sick of someone who constantly complain about her misery? Hide their feeds so you won't see them anymore. Fighting with someone? Hide your wall or just completely block him/her. Do whatever it takes until you get that peace of mind you surely deserve.

3. Stop online stalking. This normally happens after a breakup, you track your ex's whereabouts, newly added friends, constant Twitter buddy, etc. You have to understand that stalking is a compulsive, unsatisfying behavior and will only leave you feeling emptier especially if your ex has clearly moved on before you. Instead of stalking, why not use your energy to reconnect with friends or find new hobbies and interests?

4. Resist publicizing EVERYTHING! Your closest friends already know who you're dating, your family is already aware of your financial issues, and your colleagues are very much aware how much your work sucks -- therefore, there's no need to trumpet them every chance you get. Just because you can share everything on Facebook and Twitter doesn't mean you should.

5. Have common sense. Facebook is a social networking tool, not an online diary. Therefore, being an open book to everyone and announcing to the world how much your ex-boyfriend hurt you is not gonna benefit anyone. Simple, vague comments are okay, but don't let the technology shadow your emotional intelligence. Online battles are for 3rd graders, and if your ex won't stop posting negative comments about you, simply unfriend him and pray that his sanity be restored soon.

Sharing too much information on the Internet can be messy and humiliating. No matter how bad the situation is, or no matter how much you want the other person to be humiliated, always remember that this public drama reflects poorly on you. Avoiding many of the soap operas that flare up on Facebook or Twitter does not only give you peace of mind, but will also project a sense of self-confidence and maturity that most Internet users lack.

Find What You Love

2011-06-18T12:13:00.001+08:00

"Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven't found it yet, keep looking. Don't settle. As with all matters of the heart, you'll know when you find it. And, like any great relationship, it just gets better & better as the years roll on."
- Steve Jobs, CEO of Apple Inc. and of Pixar Animation Studios

When I was a little girl, I wanted to be a store cashier. I would turn our living room into a supermarket, put price tags on all our furniture, and my playmate (now my best friend) Kathy would be the pretend-customer. During grade school, I then shifted my interest into being a teacher. My younger brother and sister would be my students and I would "discuss" to them a literary text my teacher actually read to us in class.

As I grow older, I began to enjoy reading novels (from Sweet Valley in 6th grade to Harry Potter in high school) -- and so for the 3rd time I had a change of heart and wanted to become a writer/journalist. But, even though I enjoy writing so much, I did not believe that I should make a career out of it and so in college I took a managerial course instead. After college, I went on to become a technical professional for a large computer company, became a supervisor at 22 y/o, got bored and eventually left.

If I am gonna sum up my career goal into one word, it'll be CONFUSING. I mean, I knew that I want a career in IT and all things geek, I just can't point out what exactly it is. For several years I have this frustration of trying to place myself where I exactly fit in.

I know I am not the only one who had (or is having) this dilemma. Many college students graduating have NO idea what they want to do for living. They just went to college because, well it was the next logical thing to do after high school. Now that they graduated, the real world has shocked them. Their degree is no longer as valuable as they thought it was.

We've all heard it a million times in a million different ways.

"Discover what you love to do."

"Pursue your passion."

"Find work you enjoy doing."

And as cliche as all these sounds, it makes perfect sense. As Steve Jobs said, work makes up a majority of your life so it only makes sense to do the work you like doing and to get paid for doing it as well. One of the keys to happiness — is finding work that you’re passionate about. Work you want to do, instead of just have to do. Because if you really want to do it, it barely seems like work at all.

Thankfully, I’ve finally found that work. I don’t drag my feet to go to work anymore, instead I can’t wait to get up early and start working. I just wish I'd done it sooner, maybe at age 21 instead of 25.

I’m just one of many who’ve done that — there are people all over the world pursuing their dreams, working with passion, losing themselves in their work. Are you one of them? Do you want to be?

Seek what you love to do and be the best you can be at it. Don't settle.

BBM: It's Everything I Love

2011-06-03T19:43:00.000+08:00

I don't care if I am already paulit-ulit, but I will say this again: I am a proud Blackberry user. And while I love everything about this ~~phone~~ all-in-one-tool, there is one thing that makes it *hands-down* the best mobile device there is. Two words: Blackberry Messenger (BBM).

According to Wikipedia, BBM is a proprietary instant messaging application specifically made for Blackberry devices. For me though, BBM is simply "my daily essential." Now I am not gonna go all technical and tell you about the awesomeness of RIM's push technology (which, by the way IS revolutionary) -- but like what the video suggests, BBM is more than just an instant messaging tool.

Imagine you are in Web conference for a potential client: You are in Manila and your potential clients are in Sydney. Your main presenter is in Los Angeles and while listening to his presentation, you realize that he forgot to mention a very important keypoint. You pull out your Blackberry, go to BBM and remind the presenter of the forgotten keypoint. He responds quickly: "Got it." Message sent and received without the investors' knowledge, and the conference moves on to your company's advantage.

Or imagine running an errand for your mom at the mall. She asks you to get her a nice dinnerware set that she'll give as a wedding gift for a family friend. You get to the mall and there are dozens of designs to choose from. You snap a picture of some of the designs, send it to your mom via BBM, and let her decide which one you'll get.

BBM's functionality is for people from all walks of life: it doesn't matter if you are a student, a mother , or a businessman -- having BBM at your fingertips is definitely an asset. Even me, being the half-crazy girl that I am, have my own reasons for loving everything about BBM:

1. It's practical. With almost everyone in my social circle on BB, I rarely use SMS anymore. Also, I can keep typing and hitting send without worrying about being charged per message. Free real-time messaging to loved ones all over the world is now possible, thanks to BBM.

2. You gain friends. Over a year ago I created a Twitter account dedicated to helping people on their Blackberry dilemmas: @BlackberryPhils. With over 900 followers, I became close to a lot of people who share the same passion for Blackberry. So far, BlackberryPhils has 3 BBM groups who are composed of amazing people who help each other out whenever one of us is in BB trouble. :)

3. Reliable on emergencies. Happens to me all the time. I am stuck in the middle of nowhere, some friend or colleague of mine is waiting for me, and the unthinkable happens: Zero balance. Well with BBM, you can say that I don't fret about not being able to contact anyone anymore.

[caption id="attachment_479" align="aligncenter" width="336" caption="Meeting is delayed bec of me, great!"][/caption]

4. It bridges the gap. My boyfriend and I only see each other once a week and BBM is our one and only tool in communicating everyday. And with that "sent" and "read" notification, I feel like I am talking to him face to face. Who says instant messaging have to be impersonal? :)

[caption id="attachment_477" align="aligncenter" width="346" caption="Yeah, my boyfriend's awesome like that. ;)"][/caption]

5. Finally & most importantly, everything is instant. Of all the instant messengers I have tried over the years, BBM is the ONLY thing that lives up to the word instant. We all live in a fast-paced environment (Hello Manila!) and being always on-the-go, BBM is a must for me (and everyone else) who needs to chat, send photos, audio files or documents instantly! I used to procrastinate all the time but BBM practically pushed me to become time-conscious.

[caption id="attachment_344" align="aligncenter" width="640" caption="Getting busy BBM-ing people. From L-R: Bold 9700; Bold 9000 & Pearl Flip 8220."][/caption]

My list can go on and on but I prefer you guys to go get one and see it for yourselves. Be part of Team Blackberry and discover how BBM can turn your mobile phone into a fail-proof communication device.

BBM: Communicating just got social & natural.

BBM -- you know I love you, xoxo. ;)

Like the official Blackberry Pilipinas Facebook page.
Follow Unbox.ph for your daily fix on gadgets, technology & everything awesome!

On Loneliness

2011-06-02T00:43:00.001+08:00

Of all the negative emotions, people seem most reluctant to admit to loneliness. It is often viewed by oneself as a character weakness and with a sense of shame. But then again, each one of us go through it at one point or another as it is a part of living in an imperfect world.

Now I honestly don't know if I am only imagining it, but I have always felt a little out of place with everyone. It doesn't matter who I'm with: friends, colleagues, or even with family. It's as if I don't fit in no matter where I am. I feel like Jenny Humphrey living in the Upper East Side. An outsider. Maybe because I am anti-social and a snob at times. Maybe because I am not the type who would take the initiative to introduce myself and make friends with new people. Because of this, I have grown to believe that people seemed uninterested to get to know me -- and that I am not worth being friends with.

It's not that I don't have any friends. I do. I also have the most supporting family anyone could ever ask for. But still, I am brave enough to admit that I grew up lonely. I did. And a lot of times, I still feel that way. Sometimes I feel that people around me are just forced to be nice to me -- and that my folks put up with my oddness because well, I'm their daughter.

Some may think that I am overreacting. Maybe I am. Maybe this is just something I made up in my head. Maybe I have always lowered my expectations on being socially accepted so as not to be disappointed. Or maybe I am simply not satisfied with who I've become. I wouldn't know. Or maybe, I refuse to know.

Whatever it is though, I feel lonely. I have a feeling that I probably always will. And while this realization saddens me, a part of me know that I am used to it. Maybe that's why I blog all the time, lock myself in my room on my free days and resort to all these social networking sites to see the world.

There's no point to this, really. It's just one of those days wherein I feel a little lonely and sad and decided to use my blog to let it out. I know I am a little crazy for sharing something this personal to everyone, but hey. Maybe you feel the same way. And if you do, well -- don't feel so bad. I feel it too.

Moved to a better place.

2011-05-31T14:41:00.002+08:00

Hello guys!

I just noticed that a lot of people are still checking out this old blog of mine so I decided to post here to let all of you know that I moved to a better blogsite a few months ago.

Please visit me at: http://katantonio.wordpress.com

Thank you!!! :)

The Effects of the RH Bill, Bigotry Style

2011-05-23T05:30:00.000+08:00

I recently came across a poster on Tumblr.com with a tagline that says: “When Reproductive Health Bill becomes a law, it can result in what we call D.E.A.T.H.S.” It then went on and on that legalizing the bill will result to divorce, euthanasia, abortion, two-child policy, homosexuality and same-sex marriage (thus the aforementioned acronym). At the very end it said, “If we care, we should think.”

First of all, I am neither a medical student nor a law student. I am a writer, and admittedly, while I mostly understand the RH Bill, there are parts of it that go over my head. And even though I know that the bill has its flaws and there are parts of it that I do not agree with, I am still in favor of it. Why?

“If we care, we should think?” Clearly someone is not thinking. Divorce and euthanasia were not mentioned in the bill. As for abortion, it is clearly stated in Section 3m that abortion is still a criminal, punishable act. It also says that the RH Bill seeks to prevent abortion in Section 4g #1 in the definition of the term “Reproductive Health Care.” And while it lists two children as the ideal family size in Section 16, it also states that “attaining the ideal family size is neither mandatory nor compulsory. No punitive action shall be imposed on having more than two children.” The bill intends to increase awareness on contraceptives, but it is not enforcing the two-child policy at all. Overpopulation in the country is very real, but still, you can have a dozen of kids and procreate all you want, and the government will not question you.

And while we are on the topic of contraceptives, many anti-RH Bill people say that contraceptives promote more sex, and that more sex equals decreased morality. Contraceptives and casual sex have been around forever. Morality has been compromised time and time again. It doesn’t automatically follow that contraceptives will lead to casual sex and decreased morality. I’ve known about contraceptives since I was in sixth grade, and I don’t engage in casual sex. I also know friends who won’t even kiss a guy because they are saving it on their wedding day. It only goes to show that the existence of contraceptives does not affect someone’s principles.

It baffles me that homosexuality is even included in that poster. Can someone enlighten me on what is wrong with homosexuality? Is it because a passage in the Old Testament says so? Well, the Bible also says that you can’t wear clothes made of mixed fibers (Leviticus 19:19) so you better check the tags before you buy anything at Forever 21. You can’t touch a woman who has her period or else you will be considered unclean (Leviticus 15:19-20) so don’t hug your mommy or your sister or your girlfriend when she has her period. See? We don’t follow those.

I have a lot of gay friends and they are some of the most talented, kindest, most loyal people I know. They are good people. If there is anything we should learn from the Bible, it is not to judge people who are different from us just because they are different from us. Christianity calls us to be Christ-like. Tell me honestly, what do you think Christ would do?

And lastly, it stated in the poster that if a priest refuses to marry a homosexual couple, the couple will have a power to demand the priest to court and file a case. Now, the debate on same-sex marriage is very broad and may constitute an even longer debacle than the RH Bill, but I hope that the maker of the poster would realize that nobody would expect a priest to marry a homosexual couple – let alone penalize him. Homosexual marriage is clearly against the teachings of the Catholic Church, and believe it or not, the state respects religion. Does civil marriage ring a bell?

I used to be a debater and I love rebuttals from people who don’t agree with where I stand on. Believe me, I respect differences in opinions a lot more than ordinary people do but the poster just screamed bigotry. Whoever made that clearly isn’t well-informed of what he is arguing about. Can somebody send him a copy of the bill please?

Read the full text of the controversial RH Bill here.

Disclaimer: This is an article I submitted to my prof last semester regarding the controversial bill. I know several friends who are against the bill and I respect everyone's opinions -- I just saw this document while cleaning up my drive and I decided to share this. :)

Pictures Brought to Life

2011-05-07T01:17:00.000+08:00

Something that is more than a photo but is less than a video. This is the concept behind CINEMAGRAPHS, still photos with elements of movement developed by NYC photographers Jamie Beck and Kevin Burg. I am not into photography (not even close) but the moment I saw samples of their work, I was blown away! It was so beautifully created and kinda reminded me of the Wizarding World photos (read: Muggles), hehe.

As you can see in the sample photos below, Jamie and Kevin combined both still and moving images in a fantastically unusual way -- taking beautiful photographs and turning them into something that rests comfortably between photography and video.

If you will notice, they retain all of the exquisite composure of still photographs but add a surprising bit of motion that is absolutely mesmerizing.
To be honest, at first it creeped me out -- who would expect that a what-appeared to be a still photo would actually move! But then, once you get used to it -- you will be left in awe and be amazed by this genious work of art.

Photos are presented through highbrow GIFs, a file format that used to annoy us with all those little animated videos (MySpace glitter unicorns anyone??) na paulit-ulit!! Now, we will never look at .GIF the same way again thanks to these amazing photographers! :)

A step-by-step guide for photographers is available online for those who wants to try their hands on cinemagraphy. I would, but I can barely even edit a picture on Photoshop, so wag nalang -- hehe.

So, what do you guys think? "High-brow" or cheap trick? :)

Source: http://weburbanist.com/

What A Girl Wants

2011-05-06T08:08:00.000+08:00

Well, I have no idea! Girls have several turn-ons on men and they vary depending on someone's personality. But what I do know is what we definitely DON'T WANT, and these are guys who are:

- A KNOW IT ALL. A guy who acts all geeky but failing miserably is the last thing we would want to date. I used to go out with someone who would constantly rebut my ideas just to prove to me that he has brains. Well, guess what honey, it's not cute.

- A LOSER. If you are a guy who still asks for allowance from your mom, does not have a stable job without any clear career path, smokes pot every weekend, sleeps all day and treats drinking as a hobby, then you're probably a loser.

- A SUCK-UP. A guy who's daily schedule is based on his girlfriend, obsessed with being with her ALL the time and puts his life on hold for her. At first it is kilig, but trust me, in the long run we definitely do not want to be with someone who revolves his entire life on us. The line "Ikaw ang buhay ko," seem a little pathetic don't you think?

- A FLAKE. Don't be unreliable. Your flakiness makes all your promises seem non-sense as time goes by. Sooner or later we'll realize that it is a waste of time to be with you because you rarely mean what you say.

- A CHEAP-ASS. There is a difference between a guy that is broke and a guy who is plain cheap. I am definitely not a gold-digger but I'm sure girls will agree with me when I say that we do appreciate men who step-up and pamper us every once in a while. TLC got it right when they sang "No Scrubs" back in '99.

- A TOTAL-JERK. Well, this is pretty self-explanatory. Who would want to be with a person who is bastos or walang modo? I always appreciate men who let women take their seats in MRT or assist an old woman carry their grocery bags in a supermarket. It shows that they have manners.

This list can go on and on.. I know that it's rare to find the perfect guy nowadays but bottom line is, women look for guys who have the same morals as them.

At least I know I do.

Scams, Spam & Other Annoyances on Facebook

2011-05-05T17:48:00.000+08:00

With over 600 million users, Facebook is undoubtedly the most viewed website worldwide. Because of this, it's no surprise that it has constantly been under heavy attack on spams and scams. I can't remember how many times I complained about some people who flood my walls and message box convincing me to "Click on this link to (insert an impossible idea here)."

What is a spam? Basically, a spam is the act of flooding the Internet with many copies of the same message, in an attempt to force the message on people who would not otherwise choose to receive that message. To apply in Facebook, a spam is an application that is designed specifically for spreading a message -- using events in the news to grab your attention and spread malicious links. In short, they exist to ANNOY people.

I personally feel that there are two main reasons for the spread of Facebook spams:
1. Users trust almost anything that they see on their news feeds.
2. Facebook's security measures are not tight.

Here are the most common Facebook spams & scams I have encountered so far:

"Click to See Who Viewed Your Profile." - I don't get why some people still get fooled by this. FYI: There are no applications out there that exist solely to alter the settings of Facebook. If you want the capability to know who views your profile, switch back to Friendster.

"Free Facebook Credits!" -Shortened URL's especially those offering freebies are 95% SCAM. If it sounds too good to be true, then it probably is.

"Mafia Wars Freebies" - I used to play this game and I know you can get freebies by asking your friends to send you some. Again, do not fall the bait on freebies using shortened URL's -- unless you want a malware.

"Free iPad!" - Omg, I am super annoyed at this one because I have been bombarded by these links on my wall prompting me to restrict my wall to some people. I know we all love winning gadgets especially as good as an iPad, but come on guys -- the way the "promo" was presented is so informal and so dubious.

"See A Picture of Bin Laden Dead." - This is the latest spam going around and it quickly spread all over Facebooklandia mainly because this is a current event and the curiosity in us wants to see Bin Laden's pic. After it was reported how gruesome it looks, most people (myself included) of course wants to see it too! But don't you think that if there is a real picture out there, it will be posted as an actual pic and not as a malicious link?

While my pal Mark Zuckerberg (wag makelam, lol) is doing the best he could in keeping our favorite social networking site secure, I think it is also our responsibility to our Facebook friends to be extra careful on what we're posting as we are in a one big online community. Here are a few things to keep in mind about these spam/scam attacks:

1. Be aware of the applications that you authorize to post on your wall. Wait, you know where to find that right? :)
2. Do not trust shortened URL's. If the link is really worth checking out, best to ask the person who sent you that link first to verify if it's really a trusted site.
3. Lastly, if it came from a person who don't normally post links on your wall, and the message is sort of generic -- Eh alam na! Okay?

A good rule of thumb when using apps is to investigate the settings. If an app seems to require an inordinate amount of access to your profile and the brand or app maker isn’t well known, then the best practice is simply to avoid using the app.

I hope a good number of my Facebook friends get to read this, because all the examples I posted above are actual wall posts I found on my friends' profiles. I hope I didn't offend anybody, but if I do -- I'm sorry, this blog is intended to educate and not to bash people. :)

Happy Facebooking!

When Friendship Ends.

2010-09-27T16:11:00.001+08:00

People come and go in our lives. Some leave a lasting imprint on our hearts while others leave a bitter taste in our mouth. In my 24 years of existence, I must have acquainted with more than a thousand of people in my life. I must admit, very few of them stayed. And they are who you call FRIENDS.

Recently, I gave a shout out to my dearest friends who stood by me through my worst (READ) and I am very grateful that I have a wonderful set of people with me. However, I can’t deny the fact that there are certain people who have hurt me in the past, friends who betrayed me, walked away from me, and used me. Anyone who experienced this must know that it was the worst feeling in the world to lose a friend, especially if you gave your trust 100%.

Few days ago, someone cried to me asking me to forgive someone who betrayed me. Now, I am not the type of person who keeps grudges for so long. But a betrayal from someone you consider your best friend is indescribable. I guess what made it more painful at that time is that the friendship was torn apart for the most shameful reason ever. From then on, I became very picky with the people I trust. That’s why even though I have lots of good friends, I usually keep most of my problems to myself. Until now I find it hard to forgive that person, but I know time heals all wounds. A simple sorry from her can be a start though.

Then there’s another one who promised to not let go of me, but he did. I guess the reason for the fall-out is that the words thrown upon me were too painful to take. How would you feel when you care for someone so deeply and the person did nothing but literally take you for granted? I knew I had to walk away because I have to keep what’s left of my self-respect. I guess I just pressed the exhausted button. I still feel sad until now, but what can I do? As they say: People change and so do feelings. Accept that.

It’s never easy to heal a wound triggered by a friend. But it’s part of life and we all go through it. What is important is we take time to nurture those who never left us, find ways to mend broken friendships, and find acceptance for the those who chose to leave us forever.

TTYL!

“I Need to Find Myself. K’bye!”

2010-09-19T17:32:00.001+08:00

“Hey listen, things went too fast between us. I am not ready yet, I just need to find myself.”

Oh, I see. We can’t date right now because the timing is off for you. Okay, I’ll take the bait on this one, chief.

Send me a postcard from, you know.. wherever you’re going.

Wait, you’re not going anywhere??

I had a long talk with a friend who is going through with this hell-we-are-all-familiar-with dilemma. It has always wondered me why some men tend to be uber-dramatic and tend to give reasons no one really have a decent answer to. It then got me thinking, what actually happens when you “find yourself?”

Is there place where a box is hidden that contains your entire personality and the secret to unveiling true happiness?

No? No box?

Then you must be waiting for some sort of confirmation email. Something like “Congratulations! You have finally found yourself. Feel free to end your selfishness and start considering others feelings again.”

Hmmm… Still no?

Then by any chance you’d want to tell me what’s going on around here? Because you and I both know that you’re BS-ing me.

Oh, what’s that? You’re seeing someone else?

That’s what I thought.

“I just need to find myself.”

Talk about broadness and non-specificity. I myself have heard that one too many times so I know that that’s the most cliché line there is. People use it despite the fact that we all know that we never truly know who we really are on a permanent level. Isn’t it that human beings were thought to spend their entire lives searching for their self-purpose and worth? So why would a lifelong search keep us from committing with someone?

Though I get it that not all the time cheating happens, it’s pretty straightforward that something else is going on that is driving them away – prompting them to give the lamest excuse known to mankind. People who use this are cowards and a-holes who can’t think of a legit reason to walk away on someone. What a shame.

Finding yourself you say? Well, I hope you never do. K’bye!

Text Fights: 5 Reasons Why They Suck.

2010-09-15T16:50:00.002+08:00

Texts start off fine: “Hi babe! I just woke up. Love you!”

You start exchanging chitchats for a bit, and then for whatever reason, something someone says triggers the fight.. “You went WHERE last night??”

…and then it begins.

Since the era of text messaging began, I have been in one too many text fights – either with my then-boyfriend, my mom, my brother, my best friend, the list is endless. One good thing about text fights is that you can stop and think about what you are about to say to the other person without having the pressure of them impatiently waiting for you to answer back. But, even though I sometimes engage myself into one, I do understand how they’re wrong and not helpful for the fight:

1. It’s more hurtful than intended. There are just some people who are bad in putting their words together on paper (or text). When we email, text or write to someone, we tend to exaggerate things – as compared when we were talking in person wherein we try to be nice as we watch the other person’s reaction. But since in texting we don’t see them, we might not realize how much our statement hurt them.

2. Too much hassle. Since we bring our phone with us ALL the time, text fights can be a real pain in the ass. I remember having to work and get all distracted because I keep glancing at my phone for new messages. That’s why I seriously support companies who forbid their cellphones at work. Replying during a text fight just consumes 5 minutes of your productivity each and every time.

3. Miscommunication. Let’s face it. Sometimes someone says something and we can’t figure out what the hell they meant by that. Is he angry? Was that sarcasm? Without hearing the tone of voice and seeing their body language, it’s so much easier to misconstrue what the other person is trying to say.

4. No take-backs. When fighting, we sometimes get caught up in the moment and say things we don’t mean. When you are fighting in person, those harsh words are sometimes forgotten in the frenzy of all that’s said. But in text fights, you or the other person can go back to the previous messages on the phone and be reminded of all the messed up things you guys said to one another. And you may end up fighting all over again.

5. It’s plain & blunt useless. After a long exchange of harsh words to each other, one usually just ends up calling the other person or going to the person to fight face to face. What happened to working out our issues in person?? Have we really become that impersonal to hide behind our phones in cases of conflict? It’s just too emotionless.

I hate it, and yet I still do it. Ugh.

Friends Are the Family We Choose.

2010-09-13T15:06:00.002+08:00

With every trial that each one of us is going through, having trusted friends around is the greatest blessing one could ever think of. This entry is my way of appreciation to the best people around me who stuck with me through thick and thin. I have lots of friends SOBRA, some have disappointed and hurt me, but these people stand out among the rest because I have done the worst in the land and they still embrace me with so much respect. They are the people I know will never turn their backs on me the moment I tap them. I am so so proud and grateful for them. :)

Here we go!

Marie Katherine Anne Navarro – Kathy is my very first friend in the land. We’ve known each since I was four and she was three. As a kid I’m a really shy person and she’s the outgoing one. I can’t imagine my childhood without her! We went through a lot of hard times together, partly because we are somehow related (her brother and my cousin are married) and she’s practically a sister to me. She used to be immature (she admits that), but now we’ve taken our friendship to the next level and I just know that she’s that one person who’ll stand by me no matter what.

Dunn Hill Malait – I met Dhan back in eTelecare more than 3 1/2 years ago. I admit I’m a snob when I joined our team back then but Dhan was the one who made me feel welcome along with Roselle, our kikay friend. Since then we’ve become inseparable; he’s one of those friends you would totally love to have because he never fails to make you laugh every single day you’re with him! We rarely see each other now because both of us have different careers already but it never stopped us from communicating every once in a while to check how each one is doing. Our friendship is really EPIC. I love him to the bone.

Ann Borbolla – She’s the epitome of what you call a TRUSTED FRIEND. She is never plastic, tells you right as it is, and a really really bubbly person too. I love talking to her all the time because she always makes me feel good about myself even though I have done something awful. Ann knows most of the trials that have come my way this year and she never gets tired listening to my woes. She’s the one I miss the most when I left eTelecare, because our working relationship plus the friendship is really great and is something that I will not trade for anything else in the world.

Marvin Legayo – We got close more than two years ago when we found out that we shared the same birthday, and we were inseparable ever since. Marv went through a lot of trials during the first few months of us being close, and I served as his Safeguard conscience to put it simply. Hehe. We might not talk that much this year, but I know he will always be my “kakampi.” To be honest I sometimes don’t like talking to him because he always makes me feel guilty about myself – he can see right through me and it can get freaky sometimes. Still, I trust him and he’s the best berdey ever.

Jevriel Baes – This is Jev, and I’m so grateful that we are close. He’s the type of friend who has complete balance over his friends. Some people might get stressed that their friends are not okay with each other, but Jev is not. He respects every one as a person and does not makes things worse by spilling each one’s secrets. Trusting someone is by gut-feel, and with Jev, I know I made the right choice. His simple “Hi friend, how are you?” at least twice or thrice a week means a lot to me, because I feel that I am never alone. He has this weird vibe going on wherein he always knows that I’m not okay and then suddenly texts me with feel-good quotes. If I have to grant total nirvana to one friend for a lifetime, it’s gonna be him.

Alain Guinmapang – He’s everybody’s friend. And I’m not exaggerating. I guess he’s the most liked person I know because he’s sincere with everything he say or do. I will never forget our one on one drinking session before and I just poured everything to him – and he listened like an older brother. What I like about him is how everyone thinks that he’s a role model, but he just laughs and tells me his flaws – making me feel that it’s alright to make mistakes. I idolize him as person – Alain has a good heart.

Jann Benedict Ty – Meet my most complicated best friend in the world. Jibay (or Bene) is one of the oldest friends I have, knowing him since fourth grade. We just got close few years ago and we share a lot of kabaliwan together. He must have known the MOST STUPID and UNACCEPTABLE things I did and he always just laughs at me like it was the most normal thing in the world. He goofs around a lot, but when he’s serious, he has the most sensible advice to give each and every time. I admire his maturity in life (even though people think otherwise) and his ability to treat the girl he loves like a princess. His happiness is addicting.

Marie France Castillo – Neng and I have a looong history together as friends. What I love about her is that she’s probably the most thoughtful friend I have. When she moved to France back in 6th grade, she would snail mail letters to all her friends and tell us how sad she were being away with us. She’s the type who’d rather listen to you than talk about herself. Our friendship has moved up a notch especially that she’s now carrying my godson. Through my best times and worst times, Neng never left the picture – and I know she never will.

Mhia Malang – Mhia is a loyal friend. When she say that she’s your friend, trust me – she will stay true to that. The word friendship really means a lot to her, and she is never plastic. She’s really makulit and can get irritating at times LOL, but I’d rather have a makulit but honest friend rather than miss tahimik but talks trash behind your back. One single text to her that I am depressed and she’s on my way to my house to bring me my happy food. It sucks though that her good intention over the people she care about sometimes get misinterpreted. I’m lucky that I am one of the very few people who saw the best in her.

Kristian Joyce Antonio-Jaraplasan – And lastly, here’s Nene. She’s my sister, my confidante, my personal shopper, my best friend. We used to fight like crazy but I guess our maturity knew better than that now. I can’t imagine my life without her – she knows me to the bone. I am grateful to God that she is my sister, but more so, I am grateful that she is the mother of my most beloved godson Kiann. She looks out for me because she knows that I have the most unfortunate love life in the world, LOL. Every friend of mine can vanish BUT her.

Having these guys around is enough reason for me to feel truly blessed. Do you have friends whom you’re confident that will never turn your back on you too? Feels so good right? :)

TTYL!

Back to Memory Lane in #SentiSabado.

2010-09-07T12:09:00.001+08:00

Last Saturday, Sept. 4, Pinoy tweeps recalled their childhood yesteryears over Twitter via hashtag #sentisabado (Sentimental Saturday). Pinoys all over the world enjoyed reminiscing their grade school days so much that #sentisabado even become a trending topic that day.

I don’t have Internet the entire Saturday and I am mostly asleep in the afternoon until midnight since I went out for a drink early morning so I wasn’t able to participate; but backtracking the tweets of the people that I follow made me smile since I can relate so well! This sort of trip down to memory lane was first made by Bob Ong in his book “ABNKKBSNPLAKo?!” – and now, it looks like it’s gonna be a trend every Saturdays for Pinoys in Twitterverse.

Let’s take a look at some of the posts by celebs that I follow on Twitter:

Don’t you just love Twitter? It’s my one and only source of NEWS, CHISMIS, QUOTES, and now…CHILDHOOD MEMORY REMINDER. I guess what made this event such a hit is because it all made us smile on how simple life were ten to fifteen years ago. I’ll do a detailed trip to memory lane next week on my next post once I join in the fun this Saturday.

Till next Saturday’s episode of #SentiSabado!!

TTYL!

The Curious Case of the Jocks Addicted.

2010-09-03T11:23:00.001+08:00

It’s a modern day anti-romance: Boy meets girl, boy hooks up with girl, girl falls for the boy, boy leaves and moves on to other girls, girl cries and becomes obsessed with the boy. Pretty classic right? On scenarios like this, who hasn’t heard of the ~~saying~~ excuse “Don’t hate the player, hate the game?” It made me think, “why the hell not??”

Truth be told, when a guy is unattainable or uninterested, girls go gaga and makes us want him even more. Taken or uninterested men appeal desirable to us more than they actually are simply because are brains are wired to want things that are hard to get. As they say, IT’S THE THRILL OF THE CHASE, baby!

Case in point: Ever wanted a sold-out handbag? Say, a limited edition LV Takashi Murakami Neverfull? You buy tickets to the only event that will sell that right? I believe it’s what they call “frustration-attraction.” The fact that the guy is an insensitive jock and the belief that he can change all because of your undying love just amplifies your lust. Well, guess what honey – he can, but he won’t.

But of course, persistent the lil critter that you are – despite the sudden silent treatment, you still text, call & email. After a couple of ignored texts, you still give reasoning for their failure to respond: “No load?” “Maybe he’s sleeping..” “He’s prolly at work.” ..and this goes on and on until you get tired and finally admit it to yourself: you’re expired my dear – GAME OVER. It hits you with the realization that if you are important to him, he will make the time (READ). But he didn’t. Ouch. It’s like the end of a wrestling match: Total smack down.

Why do we keep on thinking about the one who isn’t thinking about us? Have we noticed that we may be losing our self-esteem and in the long run, our self-respect too? Is it really that important to be validated and liked by the person who didn’t appreciate us the first time around? “Maybe he misses me and will change na coz he doesn’t wanna lose me..” Will we ever stop trying to figure out why he’s suddenly hot-and-cold (aside from the obvious reason that he’s a slut)?

Instead of blaming the game, yes – blame him. Tell yourself that it’s his loss, not the other way around. And instead of envying the “flavor of the night,” feel bad for her because people don’t change overnight. Insensitive jocks and players have a loooooooong history to go (READ). Why? Because they are the masters of their own game – and you are just a “saling pusa.”

Never forget that women are made to be confident and intelligent. Confident enough to believe that you deserve better; and intelligent enough not to repeat the same mistake twice.

GO GIRL POWER!

TTYL!

Parang Kayo, Pero Hindi.

2010-08-28T12:19:00.001+08:00

PSEUDO-RELATIONSHIP: Others call it MU or mutual understanding, flings, harmless flirting, or even FUBU (if there are sexual encounters involved). A stage wherein the people involved are obviously more than friends, but not quite lovers. No courtship, you just let the gestures do the talking for you. You don’t even consider it as exclusively dating. You go out, text sweet nothings every single day, hold hands, make out, even have sex. Pero bawal magselos, bawal magdemand. In short, parang kayo -- pero hindi.

Recently, someone emailed me an article on pseudo-relationships (which gave me an idea for this blog entry) and it enlightened me because finally – I found just the exact right term for what I know is existing and yet very confusing for most. So now we know what’s it called -- why do people settle in this kind of setup? Well, based from my observation from people I know (and yeah, personal experiences as well), pseudo-relationships happen for several reasons.

First obvious reason is the refusal to commit. Either one or both of them. They want to play around and “enjoy” being single. Both are single, but usually one or both don’t wanna go through the drama of being in-love and change their relationship status on facebook. This normally happens when one of them just got out of a pretty messy relationship and wants to have fun. Classic.

Second, when one is committed to someone else and the other is the “alternate.” In short, third party. This is kinda hard core (in my opinion), especially since may mga naaargabyadong tao: the legit one and the third party. Most of the time, it’s the boys (I refuse to call them “men”) who usually enter in this kind of ~~cheating~~ setup but I’ve heard stories on girls too. Either way, having a “part-time partner” is a little too pathetic. How sad.

Third, the feeling of being accepted and loved. You refuse to be alone. For some, being single for quite some time equates to not being loved. “Buti na yun, kesa wala..” Meaning, you settle for a playtime while waiting for the real thing. You want to experience the kilig feeling again, excluding the tremendous responsibility of commitment. Who doesn’t want to feel being important? It is fun – until you get to question yourself if you wanna be just a stop-over or eventually be his/her destination.

Pseudo-relationships are indeed fun – in the beginning. It feels good to have someone asking you how your day was, constant movie-buddy, ka-call and text till wee hours of the night. But eventually, reality hits you when you start falling for that person and he or she is, well..not feeling the same thing. What if you already invested all your emotions and refuse to entertain other people – pero siya, out there and flirting with other people too? Ouch diba? You can’t demand nor even ask, kasi – reality check: HINDI NGA KAYO EH.

Buti sana kung pseudo-pain din lang ang mararanasan mo. Kaso hindi eh. The relationship is false, but the pain is real. And somehow, you hope that everything will go back to the way it was. You begin to rethink what went wrong, blame yourself and act all miserable. You try to win back that person, only to find out that that person is already in another pseudo-relationship with someone else.

As cliché as it may sound, but time really heals all wounds. It’s all about mind-setting. It will come to a point that you will have to choose how you want to live your life. Do you want to be happy and live for the moment even if it’s just a game? Or do you want to stop settling for pseudo-boyfriends/girlfriends and wait for the real thing?

For those who are into pseudo-relationships, brace yourselves as you are about to break one’s heart – either your partner or yourself. You know why? Kasi ang “parang kayo, pero hindi” stage ay bihirang nagiging totoo. Usually, hanggang dun lang siya – almost, but not quite.

TTYL!

How Do You Stop Yourself From Crying?

2010-08-23T16:58:00.001+08:00

Each of one of us go through some tough times every once in a while and sometimes, all we wanna do is just cry. Bato ang taong hindi pa umiiyak sa buong buhay niya. I admit I am such a cry baby, I cry over the simplest things. Sabi nga ng bestfriend ko, parang sirang gripo daw yung mata ko. Crying allows us to express our sadness, or in my case, even happiness (as in kahit simpleng tawa naluluha nako). But what do you do when you felt the sudden urge to cry at the most inappropriate places? Say for instance, you are in the middle of work, or surrounded by people you hardly know? How do you hold it in?

A simple Google search will lead you to a Wiki-How article on a step-by-step guide if you need to prevent yourself from crying. Some of the items listed worked for me – like inhaling through your nose and exhaling through your mouth, and swallowing saliva; some doesn’t work – smiling, laughing, rolling your eyes; and some I haven’t tried yet – like fixing math problems.

There are several items listed on the article, you just gotta choose which one works for you. Though of course, that only works on that specific moment. Eventually, it is still best if you let it out. Iyakin lang naman ako when it comes to matters of the heart, and my mom constantly knocking on my room made me practice impulse crying prevention. And after a few heartbreaks, I know how to prevent myself from crying when the need calls for it.

1. Loud RnB songs on iTunes. Make sure your songs are properly grouped as you don't wanna stumble upon a "Stolen" or an "I Love You Goodbye" song after the entire Lady Gaga album.
2. Sheldon Cooper of "The Big Bang Theory." He's a no-fail upper, only he reminded me of the very reason why I felt the need to cry.
3. Gossip about someone else's love life and act all joe-the-mango and give your unsolicited two cents.
4. Call a trusted friend and tell him/her: "Humor me, now." I did it and I eventually stopped sobbing, I'm lucky I have a friend who just knows what to do to make me stop crying w/o even asking why.
5. BLOG BLOG BLOG. And this is precisely why I am typing and typing and typing and typing.

We all have our own ways of coping – though let’s admit, some of us kind of “enjoy” lingering through the pain – causing us to cry and cry even more. In my case though, I prefer to go through it and cry my heart out. But I set a deadline. A friend also told me: “It’s all about mind-setting.” It’s like, “Sige I’m gonna cry all I want – pero 7 days from now I should not turn back anymore. Dapat I’m busy doing something else na.” The length of time depends on the gravity of one’s pain, and only you can tell when you’re ready to stop dehydrating yourself and do something useful.

I still have 5 days.

What's In My Bag?

2010-08-13T06:14:00.002+08:00

Hey guys, time to play "What's In My Bag." This is inspired by Cosmo's Style & Beauty segment of the same name. Now, just like other girls -- the contents of my bag changes every so often, and the one I will be showing you is my usual "work-mode bag."

My Trusty Handbag:

My favorite bag ever. It's a Ralph Lauren Houndstooth Handbag I bought about a year and a half ago. I love this bag bec it's very roomy and formal enough for work but decent enough to bring in spontaneous night-outs.

Girbaud Wallet - I don't really like using wallets bec I like to just stuff in money in my pocket and my bag pocket. But I had to bring cards with me recently so I had to use a wallet. This is the only wallet that I have which I bought more than two years ago I think.

Cigarettes - Yes I do smoke but really, this pack has been with me for more than 5 days now bec I only smoke when I felt the need to -- which is not so often. This one goes to the trash after this blog.

Avon Refined White Foundation - I don't shop for make-up and this was just given to me by my mom. I like how it can be used just as a plain face powder and a lasting foundation in one.

Hairbrush - Who in the world doesn't have a hairbrush? I'd die without it.

Alcohol - I just had to had to one.

Eyeglasses - 200/200 eye grade ain't a joke honey. Sucks.

Avon Ultra Moisture Rich Lipstick in Knockout Pink & Heaven - I am allergic to almost ALL lipsticks except for three brands (based from what I have tried so far): Avon, Maybelline & MAC. I am afraid to try something new bec my lips really gets chapped at first then it would swell until it gets cuts just like I ate blade. It's that serious. Up to now I don't know what ingredient in most lipsticks I am allergic to that is not present in Avon, Maybelline and MAC. Last Christmas I got a Makeup For Ever lipstick from a friend and I just looooove the color -- but since I am allergic to it I had to give it to my sister. Haaay.

Work ID - Yes, I work at Ingram Micro as a tech slave. Kidding. I love the laid-back environment here. :)

iPod Classic 120gb & Western Digital's My Passport 320gb Hard Drive - I had to debate with myself before whether I should buy an iTouch or a Classic. At that time I was so addicted to watching a lot of tv series (GG, One Tree Hill, HIMYM) that I settled for a Classic since I want those tv series with me during those bored moments. It functions as a backup drive for my pictures too. The USB hard drive was given by my kuya from Guam, I carry it with me most of the time because I love downloading and installing and copying stuff online.

Blackberry Bold 9000 - I just LOVE my Blackberry. I have been a BB user for a year and a half now and I couldn't imagine having any other phone aside from this. It's true when they say: Once you got a BB, you will NEVER turn your back on it. It's a must-have gadget for getting things done. Seriously.

Samsung U900 Soul - I sold my initial BB phone (which is a Pearl 8220 Flip) and got this a few months back as a spare phone for my Sun SIM. You won't see this in the main pic above bec this is what I used to take a picture of it. I love the 5 megapix and the flash, main reason why I don't bring my digicam anymore bec this can do the work already. This image then was taken using my BB.

So there you go! Now if you'll excuse me..I have to throw away my old cigs to the trash.

TTYL,

Like, OMG Baby–DJ Earworm

2010-08-01T13:24:00.001+08:00

I super love this mashup! My friend showed this to me and I keep playing it on and on. I suddenly miss partying!! Gotta hit the clubs soon. :D

DJ Earworm– “Tiktok,” “OMG,” “Baby” mashup. :)

The Dream Is Real. ~ Inception

2010-07-18T11:47:00.002+08:00

WARNING: May contain spoilers!

I am the type of movie-goer who doesn’t like action films, and before watching anything I’m not familiar with, I usually watch the trailer first online so I have a good idea of the storyline. Anyway, a good friend of mine was raving about Inception since last week and asked me to watch it with him. So I googled it and watched the trailer. I also read a few notes on the movie, and a lot of times it mentioned that “You really gotta pay attention to get a full grasp of it.” Pretty intrigued on why reviews said that “it can be confusing for the weak-minded,” I was suddenly pretty hyped to watch it!

The film, directed by Christopher Nolan of “The Dark Knight,” is massively original (I would never thought of that kind of story ever!), engrossing, complex, and wildly entertaining. Headlining the movie is none other than Leonardo DiCaprio who plays the role of Dom Cobb, an extractor who specializes in reading people’s minds by lurking in their dreams. In the world of Inception, technology has been developed that allows dream-sharing or extraction – a technique through which several people can inhabit one’s dream world. This ability of Cobb made him the most wanted man in the world of corporate espionage. However, things took a turn when businessman Saito (played by Ken Watanabe) offered him to do the reverse of extraction: Inception – which plants a completely foreign idea into someone’s dream that could change the target’s personality forever. The real heart of the film is its emotional core (with all the sci-fi elements that came with it), as the protagonist is both a professional thief as well as a heartbroken man on the inside. I think the only reason the audience care about the conclusion is because we empathize with Cobb.

Several reviews compared Inception to Matrix, and I can understand why mainly bec of the killer fight scenes – the zero-gravity action is like nothing I have ever seen before!

Inception works on so many levels – although on most times you will find yourself asking what is real and what is imaginary. The line between those two is blurred, causing not only the characters in the movie, but the audience themselves to question such (“OMG dream lang pala ulit yun!”). The story goes as deep as 4 levels (a dream within a dream, within a dream, within a dream) and could at first render you confused (I did! Hehe). As the movie concludes though, this intricate setup pays off as each layer is unpeeled perfectly. So you really gotta pay attention!

Admittedly, Inception is not the easiest film to watch but Nolan did an AMAZING job in making it as understandable as possible. I think a psych major would best appreciate it as it deals with mind-reading and dreams. I am an IT by profession so pardon me if I had to watch it twice (hurriedly watched it again as soon as I got home) to fully understand some of the events. And when you do get a full grasp of the movie, trust me it’s truly worth it! The entire story is so perfectly written that each and every piece fits perfectly together to provide for a very satisfying tale. This will surely bag several Oscar’s – best movie of the year!!

Pro: Truly amazing storyline, fight scenes are a must-see!
Con: Can be confusing and may prompt you to watch it several times to fully understand each and every piece.

TTYL!

The BRO Code–Decoded!

2010-07-12T09:14:00.001+08:00

I recently finished reading the book "The Bro Code," by Barney Stinson (How I Met Your Mother) and I find it generally amusing. The bond between men (or BRO's) has always been an interest to me, and this book laid out point by point the unwritten rules (now obviously written, lol) which each BRO need to honor as a tribute to their "brotherhood." I found most of these rules funny, and some I've already heard of. So here.. I handpicked a few never-before-written-rules from the book which had me re-think if Barney is indeed straight or not. LOL

Article 5: Whether he cares about sports or not, a Bro cares about sports.
* Come to think of it, I have never met a STRAIGHT guy who isn't interested in ANY sport. Or at least pretends to be interested, in the case of a closet guy.

Article 14: If a chick inquires about another Bro's sexual history, a Bro shall honor the 'Brode of silence' and play dumb. Better to have women think all men are stupid than tell the truth.
* Hear hear, trust us guys..we chicks (yes, I consider myself a chick, got a problem w/ that?) could tell whenever your exaggerating. Most of the guys I know (those I never dated, at least) are really bad liars.

Article 16: A Bro should be able, at any time, to recite the following reigning champions: Super Bowl, World Series, and Playmate of the Year.
* Hahaha! Well in our case here in the Philippines, NBA champ, UAAP champ and FHM's #1 Sexiest Woman of the Year.

Article 19: A Bro shall not sleep with another Bro's sister. However, a Bro shall not get angry if another Bro says, "Dude, your sisters hot!"
* This is one of the classics. Somehow, your Bro's family up to the second degree is part of the group called "The Untouchables." Not unless you're willing to get ousted in the brotherhood. lol

Article 22: There is no law that prohibits a woman from being a Bro.
* Thank you Barney for realizing that! We make excellent Bros. Why? Because we can translate and decode the confusing and contradictory rules that comprise "The Chick Code." So admit it guys, you freakin' need girl friends.

Article 27: A Bro never removes his shirt in front of other Bros, unless at a resort pool or the beach.
* (In slow motion, guy on the bench takes off his shirt -- while a bro on the pool side drooling over the chiseled body right in front of him) Hahahaha!

Article 34: Bros cannot make eye-contact during a Devil's Three-way.
* Oh my, that could turn ugly. LOL

Article 35: A Bro never rents a chick flick.
* That's because everything now can be downloaded via torrent; and the risk of being caught red-handed of a chick flick DVD is a social suicide.

Article 41: A Bro never cries (Exceptions- Watching Field of Dreams, ET or a sports legend right (only first time he retires)).
* And I'm sure we all disagree to this. But ET?? Crying over ET?? I am really starting to doubt your sexuality Barney... LOL

Article 44: A Bro never applies sunscreen to another Bro.
* Hahaha! 'Nuff said.

Article 45: A Bro never wears jeans to a strip club.
* Okay, this seriously puzzled me -- so what do guys wear on a strip club? Can a Bro reader enlighten me on this please?

Article 47: A Bro never wears pink. Not even in Europe.
* I have a close friend who likes pink gadgets, not pink shirts..so he's still in compliance w/ this article. LOL

Article 48: A Bro never publicly reveals how many chicks he's banged.
* Anyone who does that is not a Bro but a freakin’ ELF.

Article 60: A Bro shall honor they father and mother, for they were once Bro and chick. However, a Bro never thinks of them in that capacity.
* Totally agree. Just imagining that my parents were once a bro and a chick is just wrrrooooooong on so many levels.

Article 66: If a Bro suffers pain due to the permanent dissolution of a relationship with a lady friend, a Bro shall offer nothing more than a 'that sucks, man' and copious quantities of beer. A Bro will also refrain from pejorative commentary – desired or not - regarding said lady friend for a period of three months, when the requisite BACKSLIDE WINDOW has closed.
* This is also known as: (Read) The Three-Month Rule.

Article 75: A Bro automatically enhances another Bro's job description when introducing him to a chick.
* A Technical Support Agent = IT Consultant; Service Crew = Marketing Assistant; BUM = "Taking a Break." (Give us a break, if a chick is really into your Bro, she wouldn't care.)

Article 76: If a Bro is on the phone with a chick while in front of his Bros and, for whatever reason, desires to say "I love you" he shall first excuse himself from the room or employ a subsonic barry white-esque tone.
* Apparently, for some reason, saying "I love you" on the phone in front of other bros is humiliating. Whatever.

Article 77: Bros don't cuddle.
* Sure you do!

Article 83: A Bro shall, at all costs, honor the Platinum Rule: Never, ever, ever, ever "love" thy neighbor. In particular, a Bro shall never mix it up romantically with a co-worker.
* Ha! As they say.. The workplace is a place for well..work! If you wanna play, do it in a place at least 500 kilometers away from your office. If your professional image is important to you that is.

Article 86: When a Bro meets a chick he shall endeavor to find out where she fits on the Hot/Crazy Scale before pursuing her.
* I knew it! Guys have a mentally-programmed numbering scale whenever they meet chicks. E.g. "Hey man I met this chick named Kat and she's a 9/10! 9 for being hot and 10 for being crazy." LOL

Article 88: If a Bro, for whatever reason must drive another Bro's car, he shall not adjust the preprogrammed radio stations, the mirrors, or the seat position, even if this last requirement results in the Bro trying to drive the vehicle as a giant praying mantis would.
* From my experience, about 70% of guys are obsessed with their cars. And I understand them because they treat it as an extension of their bedroom -- everything should remain untouched no matter what.

Article 89: A Bro shall always say yes in support of a Bro.
* In short: Walang laglagan!

Article 92: A Bro keeps his booty calls at a safe distance.
* To be safe, especially if one is committed, a guy should not exploit his sexcapades and spare his bro the responsibility to answer phone calls from another bro's girlfriends in wee hours of the night.

Article 99: A Bro never asks for directions when lost.
* Especially if you had to ask from a chick. Afraid of hurting your ego sweetie? As Rico Yan once said from the movie "Got to Believe" -- You can suggest but never direct! (Fine!)

Exception: A Bro may ask for directions for a hot chick who seems to know the area.
Exception: A Bro may ask for directions from a hot chick even if she also appears lost.
Exception: A Bro may ask for directions from a hot chick even if he is not lost at all.
-- Ayan diyan kayo magaling!! Tsk tsk!

Article 101: If a Bro asks another Bro to keep a secret, he shall take that secret to his grave. This is what makes them Bros, not chicks.
* I agree with this. That is why I have more bros than chick friends.

Article 113: A Bro abides by the accepted age-difference formula when pursuing a young chick:
Acceptable age difference formula
Chick's age = Guy's age divided by 2, + 7
(Shall add chart shortly)
* Interesting, isn't it?

Article 120: A Bro always calls another Bro by his last name.
* This has always been the norm especially in high school and I find it cute. Too bad though if your last name is too common like, Delos Reyes, or Antonio, or Dela Cruz.

Article 133: A Bro only claims a fart after first accusing at least one other Bro.
* Revelation: Chicks do it too. LOL

Article 136: When interrogated by a girlfriend about a bachelor party, a Bro shall offer nothing more than an uninterested "It was okay."
* Sounding bored just doesn't work anymore folks. Try a different approach like "Twas one hell of a night! I should've taken a video so I could have showed it to you."

Article 150: No sex with your Bro's ex.
* AHHHHH… THE RULE OF ALL RULES. We've seen a lot of failed brotherhood because of non-compliance to this article. And why is this considered the Golden Rule? Well, for some brotherhood (which I have no comment on) it's like uummm...tasting your bro too. And if you're really a bro not in a million years would you ever consider that.

--------

So there! I have an e-book of this so if any of you are interested in getting a copy, please post a comment so I can send it to you via email. If you are a chick, you may find some of the entries a little boring because it’s not something that we can relate to; but if you’re a bro – then this is a must-read! Keep in mind that, this set of rules is supposed to be UNWRITTEN so better have a good sense of humor before you start reading it.

TTYL!

Kat Antonio is in a relationship with NO ONE.

2010-07-06T10:40:00.001+08:00

I joined Facebook more than three years ago, and back then the features are still pretty basic – the “relationship status” is already there just like in Friendster but I don’t edit it since my then-boyfriend doesn’t have an account yet and I only have less than 20 friends who doesn’t even care what I publish on my wall. This social networking site boomed in the Philippines just middle of last year and me and my then-boyfriend have long broken up for me to put an “In A Relationship” status in my profile.

The first time I set it to “In A Relationship” was back in late October and alas – less than a minute after and I think I got about 6-8 comments. And after an hour? I got 36 freakin comments and likes! Wow. Same thing happens to my other friends, who – whenever they change their relationship status, will get tons of reactions from people, some they’re not even close to.

That got me thinking: Why is it important to label our relationships and using sites like Facebook to tell the world whether you’re “In A Relationship” or “It’s Complicated?” What happened to JUST LIVING? Sure, we are proud of being in-love and shouting to every person we care about that we are happily taken is normal; but what about for failed relationships? Do you really want everyone to know that you’re going through a rough road? Are you willing to explain to every single commenter about what went wrong?

..Why do we feel more secured when things are labeled, is it plainly for everyone to know what your relationship status is, or is it because this is our way of knowing that we are both on the SAME PAGE with the other person?

Guess I’ll have to change mine to “Widowed.”

TTYL!

Good Riddance and Bye-Bye!! (Easier said than done)

2010-06-27T07:29:00.001+08:00

After a break-up (or in my case, a fall-out), I like to do two things – 1. go the salon for a haircut and get my nails done; 2. flush the sucker out of my system and my life. The first one is easy. A single trip to Tony & Jackey is all I need and I come out feeling really pretty and ready to party. The second thing, however, is FAR from being easy. Especially with Facebook, Twitter, Yahoo Messenger, BBM, etc.

I remember back in highschool when I could just rip off a few pictures and delete a phone number, and my ex would be BYE-BYE-BYE faster than Britney Spears’ marriage. But now, with all these social networking sites and instant messengers, I actually have to debate with myself whether or not I should go through ALL of my pictures and DE-TAG his face next to mine. And with the number of albums that I have plus tagged pics? That could seriously take hours. Hours that I’m not sure I’m willing to spend on him, at least not anymore.

Now, it might get you confused when I say that I haven’t been in a relationship in a while, say a year and a half. (ALL TOGETHER NOW: “Then why the hell are you talking about ex’es?!”) HOWEVER, I have been in-love in that span of time, twice. And yeah, both are epic fails (lol). But even though it didn’t work, I’m not the type who hold grudges – at least not for so long. It didn’t work out for a reason so leave it at that. I mean, yeah there was a point in time when I absolutely hated someone for lying. But you can only hate someone for so long that it gets tiring.

So now, yeah I’m kinda tired hating people – especially if that someone used to be really important to me and the reasons for not staying is reeeeaallly ~~mothafucking~~ plausible. I got no choice right? But still, it leaves me a big question on how do I get rid of him from my life when reminders of that person are everywhere and on SOOOO MANY FREAKIN’ MEDIUMS? Do I delete all of our past YM msgs and old emails?? Do I de-friend his family and bestfriends on Facebook?

How far should I go to remove someone from my life? Do I really have to dig into ALL of my web sites, IM’s and emails and delete his ~~SOAB~~ face out of my web page just to get closure?

Mid-year syndrome.

2010-06-25T00:50:00.001+08:00

Okay, it’s the middle of the year and i haven’t accomplished anything yet. This blog has been empty for months now mainly because, well, there’s nothing worth writing. To be honest I am a bit disconnected with my friends for the first quarter of this year due to insanity (again) that I am still trying to cope up with. Very very few of my bestfriends knew what I have been up to and now that it’s done and over with, I am trying to go back to my old ways of emotional detachment and bringing back the social life that I’ve lost for quite some time.

I am thinking of taking a turn on the kind of blog entries to put here. Now that many people have taken an interest in reading this little rant page of mine, I think it would not be appropriate to document my emotions anymore especially if it will satisfy the craving of my beloved haters (pun intended). And since I am into tech stuff and school is coming up, I “might” use this as a portal of my thoughts on various subjects excluding my not-so-perfect lovelife (lol).

Welcome to the emotionless side of me. Ü

PS. Writing via Windows Live Writer, and I so love it!! Made my life so much easier!! Ü

school hunt!

2010-03-04T03:36:00.002+08:00

most of my spare time recently is being spent online searching for reputable schools in the south. i have been planning to study this semester and looking for schools alone can be such a drag. here the following points i am considering:

- distance education or traditional?
- budget?
- full degree or a diploma IT course?
- nearest Cisco learning center?

for several months i have seriously considered enrolling in UPOU (www.upou.edu.ph) but never got the chance to inquire due to my very busy work schedule back in my previous company, until it was too late and the registration ended. i like the idea of self-studying since i only need a diploma for me to broaden my career options -- as being an undergrad is the only thing that hinders me from getting this job i have been wanting all along.

TTYL,

most screwed valentines day ever

2010-02-15T02:41:00.002+08:00

been ranting to my Twitter account (http://twitter.com/katantonio) on what had just happened. been messing up a lot recently and my friends joined in on my stress too on vday.

in the past 48 hours i have learned that: my love instincts are unparalleled. never been wrong once. and in this case, yes i am deeply disappointed. friendship, when mixed with love complications -- can really make or break a group. and it sucks that your stress relievers suddenly became the cause of stress that you don't wanna be a part of them "in the mean time."

i guess i need to cool things up first.

TTYL,

till we meet again, maki.

2010-01-22T09:28:00.004+08:00

i remember the first time i met my good friend maki when he transferred to our team in etel, he was this super perky guy that i was really annoyed at first. i used to say "ano ba to feeling close naman to," until his perkiness dragged me into being a happy person too. we talk a lot, chat a lot and text a lot -- i enjoy his company because despite being constantly sick -- you will never hear any negativity in him. he is hands down one of the most jolly person i have ever met.

he's a regular in hospitals ever since, and it would amaze me how was he able to chat with me and send me his dextrose pics while he's confined. he used to tell us, "sakit ng mayaman to no!" and then we would laugh and the guys in our team would tell him to shut up.

i will never forget this one time when i had problems of the heart. he sat beside my workstation and started to chat about this new girl he's seeing. it took him one look at me to know that i am not okay and won't stop asking me to spill what's wrong. after telling him briefly what happened, he just hugged me and joked -- "sige para sayo magbbrowse ako sa adult friend finder at ihahanap kita ng the best guy in town! kaw kasi ayaw mo sakin e!" then i laughed and felt better afterwards.

i cannot remember any incident wherein he did not hug me whenever he sees me in the hallway or along northgate. he's line is always "katsu!!!" then he would open his arms really wide until i go the other way to avoid his hug. when he left etel, it hadn't stopped him from staying in touch with me. he's one of my daily quote senders and would always text me when he's around northgate so we could meet up.

we went home together twice last november, he's already in hsbc and he would text me telling me that he's along the waiting shed waiting for me. i told him my plans of leaving the company and he was bragging to me the cool discount card from Victoria Court that he got from his friend. i laughed at him and told him "eh wala ka naman paggagamitan nyan e!" and then he said, "display lang baket!"

he would force me to go on early break just so i could go down and smoke with him during his break time at hsbc. and during ondoy days he was at the office and waited for me so he could share my umbrella, "masisira getup ko!" -- when all he's wearing is his familiar blue jacket.

my last memory of him was last month, it was my last day at etel and i was walking around northgate -- he's at his usual spot smoking. he called me and asked me if i can wait for him so we can go home again together. i was pretty tired then and i wanted to go home asap so i said i couldn't wait for him. few steps forward, he called me again and walked toward me and whispered, "ayusin mo shirt mo sa likod nakikitaan ka na, ikaw talaga." .. and i never even remembered to say thank you. then a month after, he's gone.

i could go on and on about all the happy and sad moments i had with him, but i know our friendship remains in my heart. i didn't know it was this painful losing someone, he is not just a colleague -- he is one hell of a good friend.

thanks for being a part of my life maki, i love you my friend -- i will miss you forever.

TTYL,

year-end assessment

2009-12-22T22:47:00.003+08:00

another year is about to end and here i am reminiscing the highlights of my life this year. it was sure of a rollercoaster ride, the year wherein i learned the most and experienced extreme emotions.

in the beginning of this year, one of my bestfriends' mom was killed for reasons still unknown. it was a huge blow for her and for me too bec it was my first time to actually know someone who was killed on purpose. it was my first encounter on human cruelty -- little did i know i'd meet more later this year.

good things came my way come feb, as i was promoted to team lead -- handling 16 agents. i became more focused with work and really learned a lot during the process. leadership was not easy, and my previous mentor was right -- most of it i had to learn through experience. i had to overcome several threats, and it did not take me long enough to figure out that sometimes you have to play along to understand the rules of the game.

someone whom i treated as my mentor told me the most shocking thing in the world last april. i knew at that time that it was just a game, a game i am not in the mood to play. work is all i can think of, and although i earned the position -- i felt that i needed to prove my worth to everyone. we did not talk for weeks, until he told me that he was over it -- and we went back to our usual closeness.

i went out on a couple of dates, but none of them became exclusive -- maybe because i really wasn't looking for commitment as i am enjoying my bachelorette life so much. countless inuman sessions, night outs here and there. i was having fun (thank god for my ultimate girl friends!), but i must admit i knew something is missing and a part of me feels lonely at the end of the day.

stress on work became frequent come mid of this year. i am a workaholic person, majority of my tenure at the company would have me being really perked up for work. that's why when it came to a point that i am literally dragging myself to work, i knew i had to think that maybe a career move is necessary for me. but i enjoy leading my team so much, that i set it aside and try to focus on what needs to be done.

just when i thought i was about to end the year straight up, i became close to a guy come september. his reputation is horrible and i was told countless times to stay away. it has always been a part of me to see the best in people, and that's what i did. his vulnerability got me to believe his sincerity and eventually, i fell. part of me knew that it wouldn't last, so i just made the most of it and dropped him.

and then he told me those three words that shook me. and weirdly enough, i believed him even though all the clues are telling me otherwise. it did not take long before he told me the truth, and i had no trouble accepting it. accepted yes, but painful -- hell yes. i guess the reason for the pain is not the fact that he's not for me, but the fact that i kept on clouding myself for months that i was just another girl who was stupid enough to believe that we might actually have a happy ending. i closed my doors to anyone for two weeks, though i still receive a lot of revelations pointing to the harsh reality that he was not whom i thought he was. i used it to my advantage to get better, and i was proud of myself that i am now able to smile in less than a month after the storm.

just like last year, i also lost a friend this december. he was very important to me and treated him as my all-in-one friend. i'd like to think that he did not want to drop me, and that it was a decision he had to make. losing him made me realize that people do really change, and some of them -- even overnight. i learned to take care of my friends more, and make sure not to do anything that may damage it even for a tiniest bit.

december is also a month of fun, as my good friend came from abroad once again. it was a different setup this time though. we are going out on a different set of friends as compared to last year. i love being with them because knowing them for 14 years made us feel comfortable around each other -- talking about anything without pretentions and hesitations.

i decided to leave my beloved company of almost three years too. i felt that 2010 was the perfect time to start anew on a different company with an entirely different crowd. it was a very difficult decision to make, around 60% of the reason being my attachment to my team. but i promised them that this wouldn't end there, and that i'll be keeping in touch.

upon leaving the company, i was surprised to know of people who wanted to pursue me months ago but was pushed back for some reason. i turned them down, not because i don't like them -- but because i am really not ready to open myself to anyone for the next couple of months. i want to give back to myself what i had lost -- and i know that it would only happen if i take total control of myself and be happy on my own.

so just like last year, i'm facing 2010 alone. i'm sure it's going to be one hell of a ride again, this time applying all the lessons i learned this year. i am still me, only wiser and stronger. :-)

TTYL,

on finding a useful distraction.

2009-11-21T16:40:00.002+08:00

okay, so here i am again. finding myself in the exact same situation i was one year ago. i promised myself i will not write anything about my feelings here in my public blog, but what the hell.. at this point who cares about anything anymore?

falling for someone with a horrible reputation is definitely a risky process. but knowing me, stubborn that i am, took the risk and believed all the sweet talks wishing that what he has for me is something different and real. of course, i found out i was dead wrong shortly. i knew the exact reason for the fall out, and it sucks that up to the last minute i was denied of the truth. i am not mad, i am just disappointed that he was not man enough to tell it to my face. as what my blog states, the painful truth is always better than some fabricated sweet lie.

so here i was, informed that my time is up and that i was expired. o-kay. to top it up, things at work is not doing any good either. i was having the worst week of my life.

i'd like to think that what i am going through is bad karma, and at some point i'd like to dwell on the pain so guilt will not forever live within me. but i guess i'm only human, and needs a really good dose of distraction to keep me sane. what have i done so far?

1. deactivated my facebook account.

2. bought a couple of good mags and books to read to keep me from going online.

3. shop shop shop.

4. meet up with old friends.

i still have a lot to work on, especially on what to do when lapses strike me. i treat myself right now as an ongoing project, and when i am done i'm sure i will be as good as i was nearly 3 months ago. =)

TTYL,

the excuse that i hate the most.

2009-11-11T12:33:00.002+08:00

"I don't have time!"

it's frustrating whenever i hear people say that excuse. time, of course, is a finite resource and it's conceivable that you could have run out of it. but what is most irritating is that the people that most use this excuse are the lazy procrastinating types who would rather make excuses than actually do the task requested.

whenever someone tells me that, i always feel like telling that person "i don't have the time to listen to you say 'you don't have the time' because that is bullshit!"

i mean, come on. who are we fooling here? if it is important to you, you'll make the time. if it is important to you, you'll find the time. if it is important to you, you'll set aside other tasks to attend to it. but let's face it, what you're really saying is that "i have things to attend to, which in my perspective, is a more important task than what you are asking for." worse, it could be "i don't care about finishing that task at all" or in a more personal perspective, "i don't care about you!" which in my opinion is a more acceptable reason than telling me that you don't have the freakin' time.

okay, i'm a hypocrite if i tell you i've never used that excuse in my life. i did. although you will rarely hear me say that line, still, i spend most of my day at home locked up in my room instead of spend time with my family whom i dearly love. i guess self-improvement only comes when we recognize that the flaws that we see in others reflected in ourselves and we make the choice to acknowledge those flaws and strive to improve as a person.

just my two cents.

(i'd probably give more than two, but i just don't have the time!)

TTYL,

there's no such thing as 'meant to be.'

2009-11-02T10:00:00.003+08:00

two days ago i went to watch "(500) Days of Summer" @ glorietta. i was informed not to see the film with someone whom i just started dating since it will just draw out every doubt in my mind with the person sitting next to me. however, if i am pretty confident with the guy, then by all means watch the film with him.

i watched the movie with him. now, i'm not sure what's running through his head while watching it but i can't help myself glancing at him everytime the lines hit me. there are two things that stuck to my head while watching it: 1.) the build up. 2.) fate.

1.) the build up

Tom is the type of guy who believes in true love, so much that he blinded himself to the way Summer treated him and the lack of appreciation she had for him by focusing only on the good times they shared and disregarding the poor way she treated him. in life, we are all guilty of the same attitude that Tom displayed. we build the person up in our minds to the point that we believe that the person is made for us. the movie teaches us that sometimes we have to look beyond the fairy tale we think we live in and get feedback from friends about the person we put on a pedestal. it hit me with the reality that it's nearly impossible to make an accurate assessment of a person when such strong emotions are involved.

2.) fate

Summer mentioned how she could have been anywhere else in the world, but that coffeehouse. she could have arrived just a couple minutes later and she would have never met "the one," but it was because of “fate” that she ended up where she did when she did. she also mentioned about being engaged so quickly because she woke up one morning and just knew what she was never sure of during the many months she was with Tom. i remember saying "ouch..." when Summer said those lines. and i just nodded slowly, knowing how true was that in real life. i have encountered a lot of couples who got married in just months of being together, and some of them used to be in a relationship for 6-7 years and yet the idea of marriage never crossed their minds.

there's no such thing as soulmates. if you close your mind to that belief then you have to be prepared for the biggest heartbreak of your life. being real and keeping your eyes open is a big factor in finding your true love. he/she have to appreciate all your flaws and love you even without a tiara or a wand. fairy tales don't come true, and there will be times that both of you will not live happily ever after.

on our way out of the cinema, we are both smiling. it's a chick flick so i don't know if he was able to comprehend the lessons of the movie. then he looked at me in the eye and told me he missed me and that he wants to be with me.

and there i was, blinded once again.

TTYL,

sweet dream or a beautiful nightmare.

2009-10-16T18:59:00.003+08:00

you've got to hand it to beyonce for telling me that my guilty pleasure ain't going nowhere. oh well, it's not normal anyways to be where i am right now. i admit, i'm addicted. and as time goes by, it only makes me crave for more. however, i am worried about how this will take me. and until now, the only possible answer that i could get was: this will take me nowhere.

as beyonce sings:

♫ You can be a sweet dream or a beautiful nightmare

Either way I don't wanna wake up from you ♫

i have already gone through the extremities of most things, so i figured i should gamble. all-in. and this time what i am most afraid of is expecting the unexpected. i may have a straight flush, but what if the other has the royal flush? i am so screwed. and it's only a matter of time before all cards are laid down. tick-tock!

i have invested quite much already, i am hoping to get my return of investment pretty soon. =)

TTYL,

i'm walking away.

2009-10-05T11:56:00.002+08:00

time to part-ay! =)

it's nearing december and i can't wait to be back to my old ways. i guess that's what i needed right now, constant party and booze to make me love singlehood once again. i needed a change in atmosphere, to be anywhere but here. i want to be positive that things will fall back into place for me, maybe not now but i'm looking forward to it. maybe God is preparing me for something much much better, not necessarily love but things that can finally put a permanent smile to my face.

i miss the perky me.

i am going to miss everything that i am about to turn my back on. it's not my wish to do it, but i have to, to keep my sanity intact. it's about time to look for my own happiness. most of the people i care for have found theirs, and it just sucks that i am not part of it. i may not be visible to them but they will always be a part of me and continue to cheer them on from afar.

maybe goodbyes wasn't so bad after all. maybe it was coined for something that has to end so that something better can enter the scene and make me feel contented with who i am.

TTYL,

ten random.

2009-10-03T13:57:00.022+08:00

i decided to sit back and write something positive. =)

10 RANDOM FACTS ABOUT KAT

1. cyberworld is where i can be completely me.

i spend more than 80% of my time at home online.

i consider the Internet as an entirely different world where i can spit my worthless thoughts and nobody will care. my brain never fails to cram for new ideas and safekeeps them for future use.

2. i'm addicted to BAGS. BAGS. BAGS.

ralph lauren. fendi. liz claiborne. nine west. dooney & bourke. lv.

my eyes never fail to lock themselves on a store window whenever i pass by a bag store. whenever i open ebay i always feel the urge to get that shopper's bag, or that bowler's bag. i'm far from being rich and it came to a point that i want to save for a neverfull lv bag. oh my. i have bags more than anything else i have. and i'm going gaga over that classy hermes birkin bag i saw at the mall recently. yum.

3. i get tired easily.

literally and figuratively.

...i've been wanting to go the gym for regular workouts but somehow i always fail to do it. i also have very low pain tolerance and i can't be left alone for anything that requires needles.

ironically speaking,

dump me once and i'm over you.

i'd give you my world but if you continue to reject me, i will not push myself to the limit.

i have always been monogamous,

but unreciprocated love can be tiring.

4. EATING is considered a hobby for me.

top food choices:

aveneto, conti's, friday's & pancake house.

i guess that's the reason why i reject going to the gym.

because eating is sooo much better. =)

5. guy best buds are the best!

i have always been close to my guy friends bec they make me laugh and they make me realize that i am being stupid when in-love. i guess what i love about them is they always say things matter-of-factly, unlike gal pals who sugar-coat everything and sometimes tell their boyfriends whatever you tell them. with us girls, it has always been a given that if i promised that i won't tell anyone, that means i won't tell anyone OTHER than my boyfriend. =)

6. i have admitted to liking someone only once in my life.

... and i feel completely idiotic for doing that.

my time table for getting over the humiliation is around 1 month.

maybe less.

go kat go!

7. i have been tagged as a PLAYER at some point.

that's literally LMAO.

to be honest i felt flattered when i heard that, i mean wow.

i have always had this notion that if you're not hot and gorgeous, you have no right to play.

oh well, they proved me wrong.

i'm a player? hell yeah!

8. i am insomniac.

i'm the type of person who feels that time is gold and should be spent awake as much as possible. weird i know. maybe it started when i became super busy and my tiny free times were spent going online and going out on gimiks instead of sleeping. my ideal free night would be on my bed, a laptop in front of me and a coffee right beside it.

9. my room is a mess.

when you enter my small room you will wonder if a girl really sleeps in here.

i try to keep it clean, but at the end of the day.. it's back to being messy again.

shame on me.

10. what kat wants, kat doesn't always gets.

unfortunately, i am not a spoiled brat.

i have come to accept that certain things can't just be mine.

like this, that and you.

TTYL,

toilet flush.

2009-09-30T01:39:00.003+08:00

here i am, still awake thinking of you.

i know exactly where you are right now and i know that i am the last person that will ever cross your mind. i get it, and the only the chance of me being with you is when hell freezes over. what i just don't get is how much you have an impact on me. yes, i like you. I DAMN, FREAKIN LIKE YOU. if only i can send that message down to your clueless brain. of course you will never know that.

why am i always drawn to insensitive jocks? why do i reject honest, decent guys who approach me? my friends just shake their heads on me whenever i go for bad ass guys who are so obsessed with themselves that they could just marry their egos. and yet i complain that nobody cares for me. my friend corrected me by saying: "no dude, no insensitive asshole cares for you -- and trust me, nobody of their 'kind' will." another one added: "and until you change your preference on men, you will forever be a bridesmaid but never the bride."

talk about friends who smack you on your face.

don't start asking me. cos trust me i have no idea too. i have maybe's, but i can't pinpoint why. maybe jocks appear more masculine for me (i'm dreaming of the idea of having a knight in shining armor who will protect me from harm. lol). maybe decent guys are just too ummm... decent for me? or maybe i want to get serious while i'm on the playing field. and that, i know, is mission impossible.

and even if i'm liberated, i don't compromise my values for anyone. no matter how much i like the guy, i may slip on letting him feel it but there's no way i'll tell it directly. i have ground rules: no sleeping until we're formally together, no 'meet the parents' until we are at least a month old, no PDA's, and.. either we are exclusive or your flesh is for the rest of sluts to share. call me selfish, but open relationships will never be an option for me. especially when i'm in love. i'd cry buckets in my room of you not being with me rather than look like an idiot in front of everyone else while you make fun of me.

this guy and my values totally clash. as in 360 degrees -- impossible. i guess i will just have to wait either for him to like me too and accept my ground rules or for me to shift my attention to a more deserving son of a bitch. however, if there's one thing i'm really good at: that's being stubborn.

oh, and i'm good at throwing tantrums too.

TTYL,

i kissed an alien and i hate it!

2009-09-29T06:51:00.002+08:00

it's official. i declare my absolute HATE on you.

you never fail to make me squirm every single day. you make me jump for joy when you don't talk to me. how could you be so insensitive? what you're doing to me and to everyone else is very inhumane. sometimes i doubt if you're really human, maybe you're a really intelligent alien who vowed to make everyone's lives as hell as possible. i can't even believe that someone fell in-love with you, or maybe you're both an alien? well, i sure hope you leave our planet real soon because we don't want you here.

i've never really hated anyone this much in my entire life, until now. i normally see the best in people, sometimes over trusting them and me being hurt in the process. but you are different. you don't listen, you are selfish, you don't trust people & you love it when the people around you are not happy. which really made me doubt if you are human because it is very evident that you don't have a heart.

you make me sick.

TTYL,

i'm a genious.

2009-09-25T04:08:00.005+08:00

i need someone to give me a really good 'i-told-you-so' slap in the face.

there's only one person in the world who knows what i'm going through right now and i can't believe that history is repeating itself.

wow, and i'm crying. nice.

i guess now i understand why god wanted me to be alone for quite some time, bec he knew something like this would happen. he knew that i'm not that strong for this and that i don't learn my lesson. if the rest of the world knew what i'm going through, i would get a million laughs, maybe a few raised eyebrows, and a couple of "ang tanga tanga mo!" and "are you serious?!" comments.

god katz you're 23 years old and you're acting like a freakin twelve-year-old. this is insane. i can't move, i was even shaking hours ago. and the fact that i need to let it out without actually talking to someone means that i'm going to explode.

this is the last time that i will write about my stupidity, until this is in public.

TTYL,

just another pathetic-ness moment.

2009-09-21T20:27:00.004+08:00

i am probably the only blogger in the world who is not comfortable or is not that happy when people i know read my posts. this blog used to be in private for several months until i decided to set it for public viewing late last year to get random thoughts from others. since then, friends from everywhere just come up to me and tell me that they read my blog, most of the time teasing me and quoting quotes from one of my entries. writing has always been my means to express my thoughts and emotions, and being cautious of what i say in my blog just because people read it just defeits its purpose.

to be honest i always want to talk about fun stuff when blogging. it's just that, those sad, pathetic moments always creep into my mind and i always end up talking about it! my close friends know that i am not very good at expressing my feelings and i normally express them through letters, that's why putting me on the spot and grilling me with the contents of my blog is just plain irritating for me.

i am seriously considering of setting my blog back in private mode so i can freely express whatever i wanna say again. like, my disappointment.. my hope.. my plan.. my excitement!, my irritation, and my dream. and as long as people keep bugging me about how i feel right now, i will never even try write anything close to it!

but on second thought :)

...yes, i miss you like hell.

...no, i'm not that into you.

...give me more reasons and i'm out of here.

...get over it, everyone is laughing already.

...you are what you do.

...i f**king hate your stinking guts.

...countless gimiks here i come again!

...i'm still waiting for you.

TTYL,

womanizers go to hell.

2009-09-17T17:41:00.005+08:00

Noun 1. womanizer - a man who likes many women and has short sexual relationships with them.

there's just too much of your kind in the world. karma will come find all of you and cut your balls so you can't use them.

it makes me sad to think that some men think they're so cool to fool multiple girls at the same time. and what's worse? they tend to get both the goody good girls and the hot ones. let's see... who are they? what do they do? and how do you deal with them?

"A womanizer is a man who repeatedly gets emotionally and sexually involved with other women while being in a primary relationship. He indulges in flirtatious behaviors, attracting women with his charm and wooing conduct. Womanizing males are often very charming, appealing, and may even seem vulnerable, which many women find most endearing. Along with the playful seduction come flattering words, gifts, entertainment and fun activities bestowed upon his momentary love interest.

Lying is a necessary companion of all illegal and immoral conduct. The womanizer spins a web of intricate lies, cover-up stories and false alibis to sustain his double life.

Sex is not necessarily what he seeks, but it is the ultimate form of female acceptance. Some people term womanizers as sex-addicts, I prefer to view them as validation-addicts. Not that this distinction alters any of the behaviors, or condones them.

It simply emphasizes that these males are deeply insecure about their worth and personal appeal. They desperately need the repeated reassurances of many women to validate their desirability. Since this is a quest of external validation, which is not matched by their internal esteem, it is unquenchable. No one woman ever suffices. A womanizer is a tragic person. He keeps creating greater and greater messes in his life and is never secure for more than a moment. He exerts immense energy, at great cost, for short-lived rewards." (source: www.relationshipmatters.com)

flattering words. charming. deeply insecure. a tragic person. whatever. they still need to burn in hell as they are desperate people who lives just to hurt women.

TTYL,

* disclaimer: i'm sorry im just in a really pissed off mood today. :)

guy dilemma.

2009-09-09T15:57:00.002+08:00

i absolutely hate complications. i can't believe that being 'just' friends with someone can be as complicated as hell. and i'm not even sure if it is worth it.

i beg to disagree that only women are confusing. men too. you don't know if he likes you, just wants to be friends, just being nice, or is just plain flirting. you try to decipher his messages if you'd take it seriously, laugh it off, or pretend you never got it at all. there are times he'd text you from sunrise till way past midnight, but there will be moments wherein he won't text at all. is this a sign that he is bad news?

i have had awful guy dilemmas before and sadly, i haven't mastered the art of emotional detachment yet. i still tend to think a lot and try to make sense what is all this and where will it take me. it was fun yeah, but i have no idea if this is nothing to him as it is everything to me. i guess i should just keep it real and open my options so as not to be smacked in the face when reality hits me.

TTYL,

to those who must not be named v.2

2009-09-08T15:27:00.004+08:00

it's time again for letters to undisclosed recipients.

________,

we've been friends since god knows when and most of the time when we're together we just goof around, drink a lot and laugh like crazy. i know this may sound corny to you but thanks for the friendship, for the honest -- sometimes slap-in-the-face (unsolicited) advice you're giving me all the time. i love that we're not all girly girly when we hang out and our conversations are always downright true. you being a bitch* means that you always know the people i should avoid and tell me stuff i should look out for. if i'm serena van der woodsen then you are my blair waldorf (dream on! yeah!). i love you bitch.

~0~

________,

i can't imagine my professional life without you around. i hate that i'm being selfish to you. i know you're trying to move on and you are having a hard time if i kept being close to you. i want you to be happy but i just can't avoid you as you are my friend, my mentor, my confidante. thank you for always being there for me, sometimes without me even asking. thanks for being cool with everything and even have the guts to just laugh it off. i will always stand by you no matter what. i am not here if not because of you.

~0~

________,

funny how much time we spend together just a few months ago and now when i see you i feel like i don't know you anymore. i still think of you from time to time, and i know that you're happy as always. take care always my dear, i miss you.

~0~

________,

no matter how much you try to hide it, it shows how affected you are with all the gossip. i'll stand by to what i said that i'll stay right behind you as long as you want me to. i'm loyal to people who are true to me, which i know you are. do me a simple favor though, i have been through a lot before and it almost wrecked me. please be sincere in everything that you say or do when i'm around. if you are unsure, please leave it alone. as i've said, i am not threatened after everything i learned...as long as you don't do that to me. and also, can you please learn how to smile and chill? you look better when you do.

~0~

________,

i was warned not to be friends with you. but i can't read you, my radar is not working!

TTYL,

too hannah montana.

2009-09-02T10:57:00.006+08:00

i totally like hannah montana. surprise. surprise. would you believe i watched the movie three times?? lol (and yeah, my background music right now is the hannah montana OST) hehe.

anyway, hear me out first before you start thinking that i'm acting all twelve-year old...

contrary to what i've been showing elsewhere, i've been having several bad days now and whenever i lock myself in my room, all i want to do is to watch feel-good movies and tv shows. feel-good; meaning anything that can make me smile or laugh and hannah montana definitely brings that to me. and although what i have right now is the worst of both worlds (rather than hannah's best), i can't help but be in a good mood after having a good laugh.

other than cheesy movies, here are the things that uplifts my mood big time:

1. watching RUSSELL PETERS

2. baby kiann making lambing

3. seeing my team's CE score at at least 80%

4. reading OK! magazine

5. getting a makeover

6. hitting the bed after a long day at work

7. compliments

8. social drinking or coffee with close friends on a weekend night

9. SHOPPING!

serious mood killers:

1. phone ringing with the caller: etel frontdesk (callout alert!)

2. CE below 70%

3. text message with a first line that says: "TL, I won't be able to..."

4. waiting!

5. hearing someone say to me: "all eyes are on you." (makes me feel like a convict)

i dunno, call me coward -- but i don't fancy dealing with all the negativities as of now. i need all the mood lifters that i could get or i'll give everyone a hoedown throwdown. lol

TTYL,

this and that.

2009-08-18T15:36:00.005+08:00

it's been almost a month since my last post. a lot of stuff has been going on with my day to day which made me too preoccupied to write here. as much as possible i don't want to air out overly personal stuff, bec even though i like to talk about anything publicly, i still want to keep my privacy intact. and who wants to read about frustrations and down moments??

questions to myself that i have yet to answer:
- where do you get motivation if the person who should be motivating you can be a pain in the ass?
- how come i feel worried in a place that is supposed to be the safest place i ought to be?
- how much is too much? when can i say that i have done everything that i could?
- despite everyone around me, why do i sometimes feel that i'm on my own?
- do i always have to prove something to make me worthy of what i am now?
- how do you turn down a friend and not lose the friendship in the process? how do i choose my words?
- when will the tension & stress all go away? is it bec of her? him? or everyone else?

i know i sounded really cheesy, but those are the questions that keeps me occupied right now. i don't even have the time to think about my slowly inflating body, can you believe that? anyway, i don't really wanna delve into it that much. just had to let it out. walang magrereklamo blog ko to! lol

on a lighter note, i have found several interesting stuff on the net today:
1. WeFi is an interesting site on knowing people who are wirelessly connected near you.
2. there's this chatroom called Camfrog, wherein people chat and talk while viewing each other through webcam. i found it interesting at first, then weird bec people are discussing certain topics everytime. according to my friend it's a source of online sex as well. i just removed it off my computer (it was installed by my seller).
3. my netbook MSI Wind U100 has several raving reviews and has been tagged as one of the best netbooks in town. after using it for a couple days, i can't disagree with them. we have three netbooks here at home (a Neo 1193 and an Archos 10) and i'm so happy that i snagged a great deal on this laptop (320GB HDD and 1.5GB RAM for 16k?). i love love love this small lappy. almost perfect!!!

i'm really a cyberspace addict and it's my one effective way of dealing with stress and boredom. and with everything that's happening to me now, i'd be dead without my computer. lol.

TTYL,

post note: i just moved to my new room today and i'm loving my privacy and own space! more on it on my next post! till then. :)

discovering camotes island.

2009-07-22T14:13:00.003+08:00

i have now discovered the wonders traveling brings into someone's life. going to camotes (about 100 kilometers away from cebu city) with a few of my colleagues is one of the things i would never trade for anything else ever!

camotes is a small island with white sand that is very very comparable to boracay minus the tons of people and bars. it is somewhat still underdeveloped which makes it a more interesting place because most of the sceneries that you will see are 100% untouched.

to reach camotes, take a cab or a minivan in cebu city and tell the driver to take you to danao port. ferry boat to camotes costs 200php and takes almost two hours. once you're there, you will be greeted by the locales who are hands down one of the nicest people you will ever meet. vans/cars of several resorts are already lined up so make sure to do your homework on where to stay before traveling. i strongly recommend you not to stay in your hotel throughout your stay and ask your hotel frontdesk on the island's ideal spots. to go around the place, the common transpo is known as "habal-habal" which is kind of a motorcycle taxi. you can even ask the driver to pick you up at your desired time for no more than 50 bucks.

food is of course delectable and cheap. we are 6 very hungry tigers and our one full day meal consumption cost us 3,000php! our bfast, lunch and dinner includes crispy pata, really big fish (fish costs 100php and is good for two), pork belly, chopsuey, lots of sisig, 2 cases of beer, more than 10 liters of sprite, about 10 platters of rice, pizza, cheesesticks, etc.

i went home gaining more than 5lbs. i think. =)

overall it was a remarkable place and a nice means to get away with stress from work!

a must-visit for travelers. =)

TTYL,

notes from the past.

2009-07-06T13:22:00.010+08:00

and so i found my old xanga blog that i used to keep in college and i can't help but laugh, cringe and snort?? on some of my old entries. overall it made me smile on how simple my problems were 5 years ago. =)

allow me to share some of my entries i wrote back in 2004:

Tuesday, June 08, 2004

I CANNOT BELIEVE I WROTE IN HERE WITHOUT MENTIONING HARRY POTTER 3! i watched it twice already, nung friday june 04, and sunday june 06. parehong c panget kasama ko, the second time we watched it with mom and sibs. i can't actually say its great, but its pretty decent and well plotted. changes in the setting include: hagrid's hut, the common room, the fat lady, even their uniforms have changed. NEVILLE LONGBOTTOM is suddenly skinny, and SEAMUS FINNIGAN actually looked cute! haha. the new headmaster did okay, though mas ok parin ung voice nung dating DUMBLEDORE. & what's up w/ that ponytail in his beard?! it destructs me during the entire film!

some flaws i noticed: PROFESSOR LUPIN is supposed to be rugged, and in the movie he's not. the FIREBOLT is given to HARRY at the middle of the term, not at the end when SIRIUS has already escaped. & harry overheard MR. & MRS.WEASLEY that sirius is after him, not mr. weasley telling him.

sayang they edited out some of the funny scenes in the book. sobrang hahaba na kasi. but if i was to ask i wouldn't mind watching harry potter for four hours! can't wait for the fourth sequel next year!

i'm such a huge harry potter fan that not even twilight could replace. true i'm totally gaga over robert pattinson but storyline-wise, hands down harry potter still. i'm a bookworm and until now i have never read a book series that kept me hooked like harry potter. i'm open for suggestions. =)

Wednesday, June 23, 2004

ragnarok here i come! my boyfriend just taught me how to play this admittedly adictive game. his reasons are obviously evil: so i wouldn't bug him every now and then to stop playing and do something worthwhile -- like shopping! after months of resisting and telling to myself that i would never play online games, i finally gave in and gave this game a chance. ok yeah, maganda nga and really addicting. although i can't help but smile on my boyfriend's efforts to teach me so i would really enjoy it! he just spent 3 hours trying to assist me and helping me get a job (which he casually picked for me by the way) and constantly telling me that i won't regret it. boys tend to be soooooo annoying, but i love him still. oh well, looking forward to countless quality time with him in a computer cafe. SWEET.

this is where my addiction to online gaming began. never stopped playing ragnarok until the end of my 2nd year. then started playing again in mid-2006 i think with the new game RAN. stopped again after being regularized at etel and focused on work work work. then played CABAL just mid last year until late last year. most recently was ROHAN, although i stopped because my friend who introduced me to that game suddenly went busy and rarely went online. and it was installed in my desktop pc which suddenly doesn't power on. now i rarely play online games as i'm addicted to watching series such as one tree hill, america's best dance crew and the hills. on rare ocassions i play facebook's mafia wars and farmtown, although most of the time i'm out at night with friends. =)

postnote: a friend texted me offering me libresse sanitary napkins 5pcs for 20php. seriously???

TTYL,

i'm giving up

2009-07-06T01:32:00.003+08:00

okay. i gave up and have finally resorted to XML version of blogspot. for months i've been trying to have my layout set on classic template which uses HTML but i'ts just too difficult for me to add the things that i want to add, like followers and comments page. i loooooove my older layouts but there are lots of limitations and it takes me hours to edit the layout. i'm not really good at HTML so i finally resorted to XML since this is very easy to manage. i just hope i find nice layouts that uses XML.

anyway, i'm supposed to be out tonight but my guy friend suddenly bailed on me so here i am: pinag-initan ko nalang ulit yung blog ko. hehe.

things to look forward to:

- company outing @ club manila east

- our first ever team GA (block sked yey!)

- cebu trip / boyz ii men concert! (i'm still torn between the two)

- harry potter 6 the movie

- alvin & the chipmunks sequel!

TTYL,

blog revamped again.

2009-07-05T01:11:00.003+08:00

and so i decided to revamp my blog again. this is the first time in four weeks that i am actually home on a saturday night.

anyway, my eyes are tired and i'm off to bed. let me know what you think!

TTYL,

second-best.

2009-06-28T21:46:00.005+08:00

i never forgot what my guy friend told me about his ex: that she still teases him about me and that she does that as if SHE IS WAY BETTER THAN ME. i was shocked. i've always wanted to be friends with her and i know that she has a mean bone sometimes, but treating herself as if she was better than anyone? that was beyond i expected. first of all, i will never date my friend. secondly, she's an ex already why does she keep on insulting the girls he's with! i want my guy friend to be truly happy and i told him that i'm here to support him now that his mind suddenly went on hiatus with all the decision-making.

the girl's remark got me thinking on what it takes to be the best for someone. what's the basis of anyone commenting that they are better than someone? looks? financial status? car model? level of kindness? generosity? job description? ...i admit i do that sometimes as well, telling to myself that i am better than my ex's new girl, or that i am better than our class valedictorian, etc. etc. and i'd be a hyprocrite if i say that i don't base it on looks and grades. however, i've only done it on those scenarios. for everything else, i can never say that i am better than anyone. not because i am a nice person, but because i can't really think of anything i am good at.

my then-boyfriend asked me once: "what's your talent?" and i paused thinking. i love to read, i am anal in proof-reading articles, i blog, used to join academic debates, i like dancing, billiards and poetry. the list can go on and on but neither of them can pass as a talent. a talent is an activity that you are exceptionally good at, and i am not a poetry genious nor a professional blogger. back in my school days i am very active in extra curricular activities, but most of them are academic contests. don't get me wrong, i am an above average student but definitely not a science or math whiz. i don't play any musical instrument and not engaged in any sport. i am good at several things, but my skills are NOT exceptional.

having said that, should i come to the conclusion that i may only be second-best to everything?

is that the reason why i still haven't met my prince? is it because i look for the best when i myself isn't even good enough for others?

---nag-iinarte mode, pardon my blog entry tonight. lol

new found-friend

2009-06-22T22:26:00.004+08:00

today i made a good friend. he lost his pet bubba, plays soccer, works @ subway, and uber nice. i am online most of the time when i'm at home, and i never ever talk to strangers. i don't know what's gotten into me today that i decided to respond to a pm from a stranger. he turned out to be more than okay, and finding myself laughing and smiling for like 4 hours.

i used to laugh at people when they chat with people they don't know, but now i ended up doing it myself. well, maybe i'm just lucky that the guy isn't a psycho and he really wants to be just friends unlike most guys out there. i understand that the web is such a very dangerous place to be with, but my instincts never failed me yet and i'm not in cyberspace to fill in the missing pieces of my real world.

hey mike, thanks for the time buddy. i really really hope that you're not a psycho. kidding. :)

talk to you soon.

things i learned today.

2009-06-15T00:11:00.003+08:00

i spent my entire day today online. i do leave from time to time to eat, play with kiann and laugh with my sibs, but when i am home i usually spend my time in front of my pc.

i've got a number of interesting findings today after spending more than 18 hours of going online:

1. obamamania

- you are not going to believe a lot of barack obama's merchandise being sold on the net today! there's obama toilet paper, obama bottled water, obama barrettes, and... catch this: obama dildo. the "Head of State" dildo is available in two colors: democratic blue and presidential gold. how's that for a "Change?" =)

2. cosmic latte

- beige is the color of the universe, according to a team of astronomers from john hopkins university. the heximal RGB value for cosmic latte is #FFF8E7.

3. angel lust

- you can still have an erection once dead. a death erection is a post-mortem erection which occurs when a male individual dies vertically or face-down with the cadaver remaining in this position. during life, the pumping of blood by the heart ensures a relatively even distribution around the blood vessels of the human body. Once this mechanism has ended, only the force of gravity acts upon the blood. as with any mass, the blood settles at the lowest point of the body and causes edema or swelling to occur; the discoloration caused by this is called lividity.

4. pricey charice

- and so i was browsing ticketnet website bec i've been contemplating since last week on how will i manage to be in cebu and watch boyz ii men at the same time. i was kinda surprised to find out that tickets for charice pempengco's concert is actually more expensive than that of boyz ii men! that girl's voice is indeed powerful and i actually liked her, but sure not more than boyz ii men. maybe it has something to do with the group's sponsor or something??

5. sex in the middle ages

- anything other than the common “missionary position,” was considered unnatural and a sin, according to the Church. the woman on top position, or entering her from the rear (sex a tergo) were not favored because they interfered with the natural order of male-female roles. anal and oral sex were sins because they could only be practiced for pleasure, not procreation, which for the purists was the only purpose of sex.

- lesbianism is a sin according to the book of gommorah. sodomy was punishable by death, which could involve mutilation, burning at the stake, hanging, and, in the case of priests caught in the act, being hung in a suspended cage until they starved to death.

- the Church actually approved of prostitution. ironically, the practice was regarded as a way of preventing adultery and homosexuality on a larger scale, so it was viewed a necessary evil.

6. brittany flickinger is paris' bff no more

- i thought that when paris hilton launched a new season of the reality show, she's still good friends with brit and that calling brit a 'hungry tiger' is just part of the intro. but after reading brit's blogs, paris apparently dumped her and the next day a casting for "paris hilton's my new bff" season 2 began. i liked brit so much bec she's funny and pretty and sings really well. but i am surprised to know that she actually thought that she'd be bestfriends for long with paris. that blondie has no brains and is so fake for heavens sake. brit: you deserve so much better than that. just be thankful to paris for letting you win the show, but other than that? you have so much more to offer than be paris' personal assistant. hmp!

7. hot guys and nice guys are two different people

- they can never be one and the same. 'nuff said.

lost.

2009-06-07T15:36:00.002+08:00

okay, i've been busy doing too much stuff lately, mostly for work, but at the end of the day why do i feel like i haven't done anything at all?

i never understood people who leave because they want to "find themselves." anyone who really knows me is aware that it's CHANGES that i hate most in the world. i hate people leaving, changing environment, awkward moments with people you just met. but now, i suprisingly do. you know the feeling of having empty laughs with people surrounding you? and that everytime you accomplish something it seems that it's not enough? like you're not sure if it's someone that you're looking for or just plain something else. i've been a lot like that lately and i'm not sure if it's driven by the heavy workload i have at the office or the fact that i refuse to go out with friends and socialize. and it doesn't help either that the people i'm always with are saying the same thing...that they're not happy anymore and desperately wants change. okay, i'm not that desperate, but i definitely want change. i want to meet new people, do different things, go in a different environment. i want to go out of my comfort zone and try my luck elsewhere.

i know that i want to get out of this daily routine but i have no idea where to go from here. i don't know what i want, who i wanna be with, where to go...but i just know i have to figure it out now.

to those who must not be named.

2009-05-28T02:16:00.003+08:00

FILL IN THE BLANKS.

_______,

i know you don't mean it, but you keep on disappointing me. and i know it's 100% my fault because yes, i do expect things that never happen. i miss those times when we don't end the day without communicating somehow, but now it seems that both of us are too busy to even say hi or hello. even though, i hope you know that there's not a day when i haven't thought of you and i always wish you well. you are one of the very few people whose friendship i cherish a lot.

~0~

_______,

i'm glad that you've finally got into your senses and stopped sweet talking me. we are friends and to be honest i don't appreciate you telling me stuff that aren't really true. i am sad that we don't talk as often as we used to, but i am happy for everything that is going on with you now and i don't want to mess up with it. remember: don't be afraid to try again, especially if its worth it. you've got tons of friends to back you up if things don't go the way you wanted.

~0~

_______,

thank you for being that one friend in the world that i sure won't trade for anything else ever. you're like my family, one thing that remains constant to me. i'm truly sorry for everything i've done in the past, God knows how lucky i am to have you. thank you for loving my family and for treating them your own. just do me a favor? my closet is a mess already stop making it worse by ransacking it!

~0~

_______, _______, & _______,

alak pa!!!Ü

.

2009-05-25T00:28:00.002+08:00

my life is getting dull. i'm so desperate to meet new people.

Sign up and help me win a laptop!

2009-05-19T15:08:00.000+08:00

the FISH philosophy.

2009-05-10T21:25:00.003+08:00

my boss recently gave me a very interesting book as an early birthday gift: "Fish!: A Remarkable Way to Boost Morale and Improve Results," by Stephen C. Lundin. the book is actually a parable about how a manager transformed a team that sucks into a very effective one by applying the four principles of work ethic:

1. choose your attitude

2. play!

3. make their day

4. be present

choose your attitude. the first on the list in the fish philosophy. why? because without it, they say that the other three are a waste. i remember the days when i go to work and i'm such in a henious mood that i don't crack a joke at anyone. do my members feel my non-presence? do they want a leader like that? would it really make a difference if i go to work with so much energy in me and pass it on to them? if yes, how do i do that? i'm the most introvert person in the world and coming up to people has become very difficult for me. luckily, the book also provided a bit of motivational management techniques that may help me become a better leader. my company put me here, so i know i am worthy. now all i need to do is to sustain it, by choosing who i am in front of my colleagues. my everyday routine totally sucks, but what do i do? wallow in pity and be ugly? or step up and brighten the day of others? ---and that wasn't even an option.

rude awakening.

2009-04-28T09:51:00.005+08:00

i am awake. wide awake. Ü

i don't accept the person i'm becoming and i have now decided to take a U-turn.

to be honest, i've lost count on how many times i told somebody this line: "hey, i don't do this everyday trust me." it's as if i've been doing a lot of new (and daring) stuff lately that i feel i am going to regret if i make it a habit. this has happened before, and it totally destroyed me. i won't let history repeat itself and i am saving myself from eternal damnation. (okay, that was way overboard, but that's how i feel!)

no single person in this world who sees the entire picture of what was going on with me right now, but several people know bits and pieces of it and everyone is saying the same thing: diss it and start with a clean slate. i admit i am not ready to diss the "people involved" but i am so ready to diss who i am this past few months. and if they get in the way, then maybe it's really time to say bye-bye for them.

what the hell, i am young and should even be partying not moping around for some stupid problems i shouldn't have!

dilemma.

2009-04-14T20:37:00.003+08:00

if you happen to come across my blog and reading this entry and you hate EMO-stuff, then you can close this page now.

okay, don't say you haven't been warned.

my dilemma is back. the bliss i've been feeling this last few days have been sucked out of me. big time. i know it's totally wrong and inappropriate, but i keep doing it. why? because it makes me happy. even if i get slapped by the reality every now and then, i dismiss it. because i'm a brat. i insist on doing what i want and stopping at nothing to have it all mine. i tried to avoid it, but the happiness is addicting. should i go to the extremes and play along until it hurts so bad?

how could you avoid something that can put you to nirvana but hell as shit at the same time? for the longest time i've been trying not to feel the pain, but that stupid emotion manages to slide itself into my system one way or another. i'm ashamed to admit that i've never wanted anything so badly until now.

i wish i could say more.

i guess this is proof that what kat wants...

kat doesn't always gets.

status check: katz wants to travel.

2009-04-10T00:20:00.003+08:00

i am officially in travel mode. i booked a flight to cebu in july with a few friends, plus a beach getaway on my birthday. i've never been a traveler and now i'm dropping a few out of town trips here and there. bakit kaya? diko rin alam eh. :)

sadly my vacation leave at work won't cover my desire to travel on a monthly basis. i'm definitely looking forward to going away for my birthday, i actually intended to just stay home but someone (?!? a dear friend of mine--i know you're reading this. hehe) offered to get away from the city for a while and who am i to refuse? :) and cebu pacific's round-trip flight to cebu in july costs P490! as soon as we found out, my friends at work immediately booked ourselves online! we don't even have an idea what are we going to do once we're there! bahala na si batman. hehe.

to be honest there's so much that i want to do this year. i want to travel, go to the gym, study again, keep my self busy until i pass out. so much to do, very limited time. domestic problems can be such a drag that's why i need to distract myself to keep my sanity intact.

i'd do anything to take me out of this country for even at least a week.

back to online gaming.

2009-04-08T23:56:00.005+08:00

okay. its been more than 6 months when i gave up playing cabal. i felt sick of the game due to personal issues and i got rid of the game. i actually still have a premium account plus cash at that time but i didn't care. so, what prompted me to start playing again?

few days ago, my brother-in-law installed a new mmorpg game called 'destiny online' (www.destiny.enjoymmo.com) in my desktop pc and i tried signing in just to see how it looks like. it's pretty neat, but more for kids than adults. i tried searching around and came across 'fiesta online' (www.fiesta.outspark.com) which is actually very nice, but only the game client is international so you have all sorts of players from all over the world. i prefer online games with philippine client servers so as not to see weird languages in the chatbox and the characters can't understand each other due to language barriers.

on our way home, my good friend migs then casually recommended me to try this new game from level up games: ROHAN ONLINE. now this guy is not a fan of online games at all, not until now. hehe. he's ranting in his car how nice and interesting the game is and he's surprisingly addicted to it. coming from him, it intruiged me so i'm currently downloading the client now and hopefully have the chance to give it a try by tomorrow.

should i go back to my old online gaming habits? am i ready to give up my week-end night outs? depends if this game is worth it. :)

(okay, the game is taking forever to download! migs will just give me an installer dvd tomorrow, yey!) -- will keep you posted.

x.o.x.o.

nakikiuso. =)

2009-03-23T12:40:00.004+08:00

a few weeks ago, this list called "25 random things about me" started to spread on the internet. basically, you are supposed to write just that, 25 random things, facts, trivia about you, so that people will get to know more about you. i actually enjoyed doing this.Ü

1. i had huge crush on gary v. when i was a kid.

2. i don't eat veggies. my kiddie line: "mommy meat lang!"

3. i was one of the smallest kid in class all throughout my grade school days.

4. i never went to any prom.

5. i've never tried any kind of drug and i never intend to.

6. my first kiss was on my mom's birthday.

7. i wanted to be a store cashier when i was in kindergarten.

8. i cut my eyelashes when i was four, thinking it was a pair of scissors that my cousin uses in her eyes rather than eyelash curler.

9. i was afraid of mascots specifically Jollibee's Chikie.

10. there's one teacher in grade school (5th grade) and high school (3rd year) who dissed me in front of the class and i cried for hours.

11. i have watched Kirsten Dunst's "Bring It On" more than 50 times. i could write the movie's entire script with eyes closed.

12. i have a drawer full of OK! magazines and a shelf full of my favorite books.

13. i am allergic to ALL brands of lipsticks except those from Avon and Maybelline.

14. i never liked watching cartoons.

15. i have gone out at night more in the last six months than i have my whole life.

16. i love being a south girl and i don't think i will ever want to live in the north.

17. i forced myself to write using my right hand when i was in 2nd grade.

18. i got confined in the hospital only once in my life and that was last year.

19. i aced an accounting test in college, while intoxicated!

20. i feel naked without a wristwatch.

21. it was my cousin neysa who came up with my nickname KATZ back in 4th grade.

22. i don't call my elder sister "ate" and she's cool about it. makes her feel young. lol

23. my sister and i both got hired and resigned on the same date in my previous work. then a year later she followed me at eTel, with hiring date exactly one year after my hiring date.

24. i only know one person on earth who has the same birthday as i have.

25. my facebook will come out first on the list when you Google my full name. Ü

grade school moments =)

2009-03-17T13:04:00.004+08:00

it's been a while since my last post and i don't feel like telling my not-so-good days. i decided to just post some fun pics. these are from my grade school classmates and really good friends eveth and bene. one day they just decided to humiliate the rest of us by posting our grade school class pictures from facebook. heheh. =P

ST. JAMES COLLEGE OF PARAÑAQUE

VI - Yakal

SY: 1998-1999

V - BONIFACIO

SY: 1997-1998

IV - LAUAN

SY: 1996-1997

vday allergy.

2009-02-09T14:40:00.007+08:00

february 9th. 5 days before vday.

seems like the people around me are all the rage come valentines. what's up with that?

okay. i'm not bitter because i'm single. its just that, i've been in long term relationships and vday was really never a big deal for me and my then-partner. and with the way things are going with my life now, who needs a boyfriend?

#1. i party.

...rarely do i stay at home every rest day. i'm not exactly going out on gimiks, but i do hang out with a few friends and i make sure to be constantly surrounded by fun people. i'm getting good at drinking now, yey! hint: you can easily spot me at bf homes. Ü

#2. work can be very toxic.

...i got appointed as team officer-in-charge a month ago and i'll be handling my team next week. the roster has 90% of agents more tenured than i am and i'm panicking like a headless chicken now. part of me wants to revoke my rights and another part wants me to sing "i will survive." nobody told me that wearing a red lanyard comes with responsibilities bigger than pamela anderson's boobs. unbelievable.

#3. singlehood is for me.

...mushiness is the least that i want now. i hate the awkwardness of first dates. and besides, my mom and sibs have noticed that all the blessings happen to me when i'm single. a promotion to TSR 4 & an appointment to TOIC in less than three months of being single. not bad.

#4. vday is not just for lovers!

...and who says i'm not going out on valentines? i'm definitely not going at lova palooza to smooch some guy but i'm not staying home either. Ü

CHEERS TO BEING SINGLE!

justice will be served soon.

2009-01-19T11:48:00.003+08:00

January 17th of 2009. 9:00AM. Parañaque Medical Center.

my dear friend's mom was dead on arrival, due to a knife that pierced her heart. she was stabbed in a crowded place early in the morning, and the whole family is in shock.

how could creatures that walk on two legs, with beating hearts and empty brains could do such an inhumane act? how could they steal someone else's life, as if money isn't enough? how could they still be just around the corner, and their souls not yet rotting in hell? it makes me shiver that they could be anyone. and they are out there, ready to kill anyone anywhere.

up until now it seems unimaginable to me. when i saw her lying in the casket, i closed my eyes and the night i last saw her flashed into my mind. it was tuesday night, slept over at their house as i frequently do ever since they came back from france, and she knocked at the door just checking on us. i remember smiling because i found it sweet of her to check on her daughter.

i know my friend is strong, and i'm sure she knows that her mom is in a better place now. no words can explain how worried i am for her, but i am positive that she'll soon see the light and heal in time. i still believe that there is justice in this country, and the truth will come out soon.