ANOTHER LONG WEEKEND – PART II
We stayed in The Linden Suites in Ortigas last Wednesday night. I loved watching the lights from the sky and the city below before going to sleep. Lovely sight. But I’m getting ahead of myself. Earlier, we had dinner in Grill 56. I ordered their special called “budbod”, or toppings. The rice was kind of sticky, exactly the kind I like, mixed with tomato and sprinkled with scrambled egg. I chose the beef tapa topping since they were out of calamares (I just love seafood), which I heard is the bestseller. Sumptuous. The resto gave a new touch to the regular tapsilog, another fave. After dinner we walked to Pearl Drive Plaza, just missing the mini-tiangge by a few minutes. We capped the night away at Starbucks. We finally got back to the hotel around midnight. I managed to get a few hours of sleep. Got up early to go to work (in Cavite). Good thing it was already Thurs., the last work day this week, because I was feeling lousy, and was suffering from pain and discomfort due to you-know-what. Anyway, a dose of Advil took care of that later on.

It was an officemate’s birthday yesterday, and he invited me to join him and his high school friends in Eastwood City Walk in Libis last night. It was the first time I went there, and I’m impressed. There really is ample parking space, a great relief, because the other hangouts in Libis are usually jam-packed and finding space is just stressful (though valet parking is an available option). It’s a well-lighted version of The Fort, and the crowd is quite varied, it’s easy to fit in. You won’t be horrified at the thought that only you and your group is not making beso with the rest of the crowd. The resto choices vary from McDonald's to Fazoli’s. We went to a sports bar called Bargo (they have billiards at the 2nd floor, ~PHP200 an hour). The drinks were reasonably priced, too. So now you know why I woke up with a hangover this morning ;-). The only thing is, if you stay outdoors, don’t expect to have decent conversation, as it is just too noisy as you can hear music from the nearby clubs. The club called Onion something seemed pretty packed, too. And for coffee lovers like me, there’s an SBC (Seattle’s Best Coffee) as well. The night went well except that after spending a couple of hours with my officemate’s friends, I realized I didn’t even remember any of their names. Oh well.

Ok. I’m supposed to go shopping today because I haven’t begun my Christmas shopping yet. And it’s only 25 days away! Which reminds me, we had to scrap the idea of joining the Rockwell tiangge thingy because Karmina took so long in making the inquiries and we just didn’t have sufficient time to make preparations. Anyway, it’s going to start tom. So I guess we will just shop instead of sell. And yeah, today is the last day of the Nike sale in Rufino Tower. I dunno if I’m going or not. The thought of making siksik with other people is just so unappealing. Sleep sounds so much better. Besides I have to rest because I’m going out again tonight :)

Link:
RuPaul - Ru looks very different when he's not in drag. Very male! He writes good stuff, too.

ANOTHER LONG WEEKEND
Wow! I can’t remember this much vacation time here in the Phils. Or maybe it’s because I’m mostly away from home since I’ve been working so I have no idea! So anyway, today is Bonifacio day. Sad, but all it means to me right now is that I’ll be out of office (OOO) today. I guess I have become the apathetic b*****d I’ve always loathed during my tibak (activist) days back in school. Perhaps, it all started when I signed up to work in a multinational company, one that is steering the economic fate of the rest of the world at that, our wonderful but third world country included.

I guess by now you’ve noticed how much I long for time off from work. Am I stressed? Burnt out? Bored? I’m probably only about half as busy compared to the last two quarters. The maximum number of calls I get during weekends is five, versus every hour before. My team and I used to be the center of most operations and game plan meetings. Now, I only hear my name whenever the capacity and planning folks needs me to pull off a miracle so we can support more volume. Which is very rare, as they know I’ve simply run out of tricks. My product has almost reached EOL (end of life). And we’ve about squeezed every bit of juice out of it.

It must be the uncertainty due to upcoming change and transition. Not that I don’t have options. It’s just that every time I go through all this, I always go back to square one, and I always end up asking, “What do I really want to do with my life?” And most of the time, I just don’t have answers.

I’ve once told Fudz that I got to where I am mostly by accident. Though I did not exactly map out my career before I stepped out into the real world, I had other things in mind back then. I have always wanted to write. Perform. Interface with people. Hmm. I guess I still got what I wanted. I write over 40 emails a day. Half of them nasty ones telling people to do their jobs, meet indicators or commitments (only kidding about being “nasty” ;-)), a fourth of them sending meeting minutes, reports or updates and updating calendars, and the last fourth divided among responses to my bosses (sometimes with a simple “ack” as a sign of courtesy), personal emails, answering company surveys. I still perform. Not on stage. But my duties and responsibilities as so defined AND others that are yet to be determined. And I certainly am getting my share of interfacing with people. I envisioned project teams, cast members. But yelling during meetings still counts as interfacing, right? And since computers have brains, too, I guess they can take the place of people sometimes.

So here I am, still lacking sleep (with a hangover to boot) from last night’s partying, already ranting away. I should just go back to sleep. (I had to get up to email some updates I missed sending out yesterday since I was in a hurry to get back to Makati from Cavite, because somehow Manufacturing always find reasons to hold you up every Friday or last day of the week if they catch you still in the office beyond 4PM.)

I will blog about the happy side to my long weekend in a while.. Zzzzzzzzzzzzzz……..

I NEED A NEW JOB
Hi Fudz ! Pls. add these to your TOP TWENTY SIGNS THAT YOU NEED A NEW JOB IN THE NEW YEAR: -- You’re blogging away while the powers that be in your office are engaged in a vehement debate in the year-end revenue maximization meeting; You get “sick” every other week or have 3-day vacations 2x a month, in the last three months. Anyway, had another career discussion with my manager today, and well, nothing new came out of it. The bottomline is, I have to choose. And I’m just so confused these days. I dunno…

Anyway, I’ve been visiting some sites (I guess this is another indication that I really need a new job) lately, so why don’t you folks go ahead and check them out:

dazed in hk
gary cruz

btw, congratulations to femalenetwork for winning the 2001 PWA People's Choice Awards in the Home and Living category.

THOUGHTS ON A TUESDAY
Can't believe it's only Tuesday! Only a couple of days at work, and I'm drained already. I definitely need a serious career rehashing with my boss. I'm just slowly wilting away.

Anyway, just wanted to say hi to some friends:

Mond - Happy Birthday! Hope you have a good one...
My friend in Seattle - You can rant and rave all you want. I'll be listening (or reading) :-)
Sieggy - You've updated your site... I should take your cue... ;) About getting real... I think I'm sounding way too happy in my blogs.

post script:
to all you game addicts out there, better explore the world of Xbox. all i can say is, it's what's inside that counts! :) that's coming from a proud product owner.. hehe...

MAGIC MOMENTS
The last two days have been filled with magic. No, I have not met my soul mate. Not yet anyway. Hehe… I’m talking about wizards and witches!
Last Sunday night I finally watched Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. I had borrowed the book from Fudz around two months ago na yata, maybe even longer. Imagine, I even brought that with me during my last vacation in Cebu! Just never had the time to open, much more, read the book. But I finally did, last Sunday morning, and i was glued to it until Harry defeated You-Know-Who. It was like reading Nancy Drew or Hardy Boys all over again. Only better. As a young girl, I loved those books. Who didn’t, I guess? Just like Harry Potter is so big with kids these days. But back then, I didn’t know any adult who read Nancy Drew. That should mean Harry Potter is definitely another category in itself. It is merely an enchanting read. And the movie wasn’t a disappointment either! Wow! I liked the Quidditch match scene the best. Reminded me of my soccer-playing days. But really, after watching that, I wanted to get my own Nimbus 2000 too. :P Well, the movie and the book, of course, got me hooked. I now declare myself a certified Harry Potter fan. :)
Still fresh from the magical moments in the life of Harry and his adventures in Hogwarts, tonight I was “Charmed” . I have been waiting for season 4 to be shown here (the season premiered in the U.S. last October). And Studio 23 finally did! Ok, folks, let me be muna ha. I had to get contented with browsing the web to get updates and downloading Paige, Phoebe and Piper wallpapers while waiting. And good things do come to those who wait. ;-)

Funny:
Fudz stumbled into my Latino station (106.7)! Hah, think I got her hooked to Latin music already… Well, you can always borrow my salsa, merengue, cumbia CDs :)

Nice:
Cristina and I went to the parking lot together after class earlier tonight. She drove away first, and when it was my turn to pay the parking fee, I was surprised when the attendant told me Cristina already paid for my ticket as well.. So sweet! Thanks.

NOSTALGIC
It must be the Christmas air. Or maybe it’s just a hangover from my parents’ visit, or because November has always been eventful for me throughout the years. Whatever it is, I’ve been feeling nostalgic these past few days. Memories have been flooding back. But somehow, my mind is also filtering them, because I’m only remembering the good ones. :-)
I was not feeling well today, so I stayed at home (but I telecommuted). When we were kids, my folks would always buy ice cream for us whenever any one of us gets sick. They usually used it as bait for us to down our spoonful of medicine. The family favorite was “Rocky Road”. Everyone (including my dad!) would always dig for the marshmallows… I guess that was part of why we loved that flavor. Digging for marshmallows was like digging for hidden treasure and it was always fun! Anyway, I was craving for a Hotshots Crispy Burger, so my brother and I went to Pearl Drive tonight (of course, there's a branch nearby in Jupiter but it's kinda crowded there). After our dinner, my brother wanted to eat ice cream, so off to Select we went to get a half gallon. Our fave was not available so we got the next best thing. It’s an adventure flavor from Magnolia which is a combination of chocolate and strawberry with marshmallows and nuts. And it has Mickey Mouse on it's cover to boot! I guess I can sleep in peace now. Hehe..

Let me know your thoughts!

KILIG
A simple hello or an unexpected text can really make your day! I've been "high" the whole day. Hhmm... Kind of distracted me, though, and somehow I've only been productive for about 20% total today... My manager better not be reading this blog. :)

p.s.
gosh, Harry Potter is showing already and still haven't read that darn book... Some of you might ask why I'm so hell-bent on doing so, but I've always believed that books are always far better than the movie adaptations...

HAPPY THANKSGIVING
There’s definitely a lot to be thankful for. Thank you to my family who despite my moods and eccentricities have always loved me, no matter what. Special mention to my brother, for super-extending his visit here in Manila to keep me company and to drive me to office everyday, thereby, lessening my daily stress. To my mom and dad, of course, I wouldn’t be here without them, and yes, I have long decided that I’m thankful for the life I have now, no matter what I have gone through and will go through. Thank you to my best friends, it really is wonderful to know that I can always run to you whenever my strength fails me. Thank you to all I have crossed paths with. Thank you for whatever lessons I’ve learned from each of you. I have read this article before and it accurately expresses my message. Here are some excerpts:

“Sometimes people come into your life and you know right away that they were meant to be there...to serve some sort of purpose, teach you a lesson or help figure out who you are or who you want to become. You never know who these people may be but when you look eyes with them, you know that every moment that you are with them, they will affect your life in some profound way. (and vice versa)

If someone loves you, love them back unconditionally, not only because they love you, but also because they are teaching you to love and open your heart and eyes to little things.”

Thank you, God, for everything really. I know you are there to guide me every step of the way.

>>> to all my friends and relatives in the U.S. --- Madz, Mond, Johnnie, Mayz, Red, Anthony, and everyone else out there, happy thanksgiving!

Post script:
I did something terrible last night. I forwarded a text message which contained the “news” that one of our colleagues, who has been in critical condition for about a week now, passed away. I did not stop for a moment to verify the news. I mean, I would understand hoaxes about politicians and celebrities, but not about a colleague. Anyway, it turned out someone misinterpreted the family’s statement that she is now clinically dead. And that single word spelled a huge difference. I apologize for causing unnecessary pain to all who received my text, and most specially to Cris and his family, for my contribution in spreading the unpleasant news. I urge everyone reading my blog today to help pray for her recovery. Miracles can happen with our prayers.

Post a message in my board. Pleassssssse…

SERENDIPITY
A "serendipity" is a pleasant surprise or an unlooked for pleasure. Webster describes it as “the faculty or phenomenon of finding valuable or agreeable things not sought for”. Who doesn’t want wonderful surprises, right? Watched the movie last night and aside from making me “kilig”, it made me think about a few “serendipities” in my life. There’s a lot, definitely, but the most recent one is falling in love with someone totally unexpected. We’ve been working together for more than a couple of years already, but I never looked past that professional relationship.Well, not until that fateful weekend morning last spring (last year). :) Anyway, although ours did not quite have a fairy tale ending like the movie, I’m still thankful for the experience. Falling in love makes you feel young, carefree, passionate… It helps you go through your most difficult times and makes your best of times even more memorable. Falling in love teaches you a lot about life, love and friendship. Most of all, it makes you believe in magic. I mean, out of millions of people in the world, how can two people just suddenly connect with each other? Well, I’m still trying to decide whether I should believe in destiny and soul mates, but I’m sure I’d want to fall in love again. :) So folks, now you’ve discovered another secret. Beneath this tough exterior is a terrible romantic! :-)

Do you believe in destiny? :-)

A FAMILY AFFAIR
Whew! What a week! My folks flew in from Cebu, each with respective business purposes. I definitely welcomed their visit to my humble condo unit. Of course, I was no longer used to having more than three people move around in the one-bedroom unit, but I loved having them over. For the first time in years, I had a family to come home to after a tiring day at work. My mom would prepare dinner for us. (I’ve had to come by without eating at night most of the time since I’d be too tired to prepare anything decent to eat or even get food to go). And even better, every single night last week, my mom would massage me to ease my aches away. She successfully dispersed all the stress from work, and from driving from Cavite to Makati mostly everyday. And like the miracles he was always able to pull off while growing up, my dad was able to dislodge the key that has been stuck to my doorknob for 3 months now. And it’s not as if no one tried to remove that key. ;) Most of all, it just felt warm and comfortable to have my folks nearby. Happy memories from childhood flashed by. As young children, my sisters, brother and I would jump into my parents’ bedroom every night just before going to sleep, and wrestle with my dad. He has a beer belly, so the four of us would take turns making “paburot” his belly. :) Paburot is a Cebuano term for blowing into something, like blowing up a balloon, to make it even bigger. And while we (My two ates, their kids, my bro and myself) gathered together in my parents’ hotel room during their last night here in Manila, we were horsing around, but this time, the grandchildren were the ones taking turns making “paburot”. I have a total of 6 nephews/nieces now, 2 each from all my married siblings (three boys and three girls!)… The eldest is already 14 yrs old, and it seemed just like yesterday when I would tag along this curly-haired tot to school, and he would be mistaken for my child (since I had a wavy-haired boyfriend, then) :) And now he is way taller than I am, and his feet two times longer than mine! How time flies indeed!
My parents’ visit was also timely since they celebrated their 39th wedding anniversary last Nov. 11 (WOW!), and one of my nephews celebrated his 12th birthday last November 15. So we had a weeklong celebration - family dinners, coffee time, karaoke, trivia games (a la Weakest Link), tong-its sessions, and swimming. Only Ann and Eyen were not around, since Ann is now based in Taiwan (she lives with her husband and two lovely children, her youngest daughter AJ is also the youngest apo) and Eyen was not able to take time off work in Cebu. Dong, our youngest and only brother, has been staying with me for the last month or so, since I just really miss having company at home…
Although I admit, the week was quite stressful since I have been so used to being on my own for more than five years now. Di na ako sanay being fussed about. Definitely, I’m not used to asking permission anymore just to go out, or having to check in every now and then if I’m still out. Di rin ako sanay to have so many people in my home at a single time. I felt claustrophobic in the beginning, but now that they have gone back home, I miss my mom or my dad asking me whether I have eaten or not, or whether I wanted hotdog or longganiza. The past week also made me appreciate my family even more, and that even if I claim to be independent and able to make it on my own, having loved ones around and being filled with each other’s love is what makes life worth living. Thank u Papski, Mamsi, Ate Channie, Ate Ais, Ann, Eyen, Dong, my brothers-in-law: Kuya Seng, Milan and Tom, my nephews: Tonton, Chinchin, TJ and nieces: Cheche, Mia and AJ. All of you mean so much to me, and without your love, living alone will definitely be lonely. But the knowledge of your love not only gives me strength but inspiration as well. :)

post script:
Aside from the natural high of spending quality time with my loves ones, another "high" that made my week even happier is a "kilig" development, and the details of which I'm not yet ready to divulge, lest I jinx anything. :-)

btw, Fudz, your Harry Potter blog reminded me that I need to read your book before the movie gets to the theatres. I just feel so out of place, but if anything, I realize that it’s definitely worth checking out. Even if you’re not a professional movie critic, I definitely trust your judgment (after claiming, of course, that great minds think alike, haha)!

Wanna share your natural highs? :-)

BACKBLOG - RAMBLINGS FROM A GAME SHOW COUCH CONTESTANT
Sometimes I write my blogs offline, and forget to post it. I was thinking about what to blog this lazy Sunday, and I came across this. Medyo little outdated na. I mean, "The Weakest Link" is already a certified hit. At least among my workmates, haha... It has even found its way to the text messages already. And Game K N B? has since changed its format to a more participant-friendly one. On top of that, another primetime game show joined the bandwagon. "Korek na Korek Ka Diyan" must be the most "pang-masa" one. The questions in this game are the easiest, and the contestants are given a preview of what the next question is going to be before they decide to move on to the next round (with bigger prize money, of course). Suddenly, the TV war is all about game shows now! Anyway, here's my backblog:

________________________________
“Walled City!”, I shouted, like the TV contestant could hear me. Christopher de Leon, host to the Philippine version of “Who Wants To Be A Millionaire” asked what Intramuros meant. Any Pinoy should know that, right? But the contestant was beseeched by uncertainty after Christopher’s intimidating “Sure? Final Answer?”, so he asked to use his lifeline. I quickly switched the channel and watched Kris Aquino shriek “And you are ---- correct!” to the studio contestant. I dunno, despite being overly irritated by her shrill voice, I find myself still watching GAME K N B?. It’s refreshing to see celebrities displaying some sense of intelligence and a little bit of heart as well. The questions are simple enough that any couch contestant could potentially sweep the face-off round. Anybody who was growing up in the 80’s would know that He-Man’s magician sidekick was called Orco, right? And that Demi Moore was Esmeralda’s voice in “The Hunchback of Notre Dame”. (Who doesn’t say, “Duh!” every time the contestant gets it wrong? Who doesn’t feel he/she should be the one on TV instead to win the coveted 1M peso prize if not for the money, for the one moment of gloating on air as if to say “Boy, I’m smart!” Aminin! :P )

Yes, I confess, I am one of the probable thousands of couch contestants during game show nights. I blame it on my insomnia. For lack of better things to do, I’d rather shriek my answers as I while my night away. Or it may be my high school frustration of never making it to the finals of “The Most Well-Informed Student”. Or is it just a way of affirming that yes, I do know stuff other than yield losses and product health indicator degradation. Whatever it is, it’s also fun as you discuss with your friends and officemates how contestants made a fool of themselves using a lifeline to a question that’s very kindergarten. Outlet ng kayabangan ba… :D

Anyway, I’ve discovered this new game show called the “Weakest Link”, also another American show piloted in Phil. TV, hosted by Edu Manzano. And that’s the one I enjoy best. The format is by far the most unique, very “un-Filipino” daw, accdg to one newspaper columnist (who, btw, predicted that this show wouldn’t catch on). Walang showcases for charity or a less-privileged loved one. Walang iyakan on TV or Christopher de Leon handing you a check to give you a chance to win some good money if you are in great doubt. No waiting for you to make up your mind, using lifelines or changing answers. This time you compete with 7 other contestants using not only wit but street-mart (wais) tactics, almost cunningly evil. But, heck! This is exactly what we love to see on television. This is exactly what glued us to our seats watching Erap’s trials, or Rosebud’s testimonies while our politicians bicker with each other, fighting the survival of the fittest game. Ironically, the contestants in the last episode I watched were local politicians like Dennis Padilla, Kim Atienza and the like. But they were more politically correct than the showbiz contestants na talagang nag-iipitan. I see that everyday in the operations meetings at work. Everyone in the room is out to save their own a**es. Hay naku, hangga’t wala pa akong nakikitang tunay na pagbabago sa mga Pilipino, I wouldn’t buy this un-Filipino argument, kasi, di ko man gusting aminin, eh ganyan na tayo ngayon. Magbago muna tayo bago natin sabihin yan, di ba?

Grabe, I just lost my train of thought here. I guess I just got carried away. Don’t get me wrong, I still have not lost faith in the Filipino. I’m still proud to be Pinoy! And I will always be. So that would mean I should endorse Game K N B. Not only is this an original Filipino conceptualization, it has all the elements of the “Dating Pinoy” na gusto na nating gawing “Bagong Pinoy: Makatao, Makabayan, Maka-Diyos”.

Ang tanong ko na lang, Game K N B? Eh kung hindi, then you are the weakest link. Goodbye! ;-)

Leave ur thoughts. :-)

COSMO GIRL
Just earned a new nick at work. Fudz somehow convinced me to get featured in the career close-up. I was kind of wary at first, I mean, though I like what I’m doing most of the time, I didn’t think a lot of people would find what I do very interesting. Besides, I’m really not very comfy about blasting too much personal info about myself to the public-at-large, specially to my workmates (I just didn’t know how they would react to that as geeks are very low profile, right?). But in the end, I saw no real harm in doing it, so there it was in the October edition, my fourth of a page, 30 seconds of fame! :) I just told my family and close friends about it, and just one from work (Carlo, who just turned 30, btw. Happy birthday and bon voyage! Don’t forget my ref magnet..). I dunno, I guess being read about is not part of my “things I want to do before I turn 30” list. I certainly didn’t expect people at work to actually read Cosmo, you know, geeks and Cosmo just don’t jive! But apparently, this notion is not real then. Hah, really surprising revelation. The nice thing about it was that I suddenly heard from people I haven’t heard from in ages! Right, Luis? And people who didn’t normally say hi to me in the hallways suddenly took some time to actually have a conversation with me (haha, they were all just curious how I landed in Cosmo!). But there’s this one weird encounter in our office restroom that kind of amused me, but also set off my paranoia. This girl I have not worked with or met, suddenly called my attention while I was brushing my hair. “Trixy?”, she said and I nodded to that, giving her this do-I-know-u look. “I saw you in Cosmo. I was wondering how you got featured there. Did you write to the editor to get yourself printed there?” Gosh, like I’m some kind of publicity-hungry girl! Anyway, I just smiled at her, and politely said, no, I was actually asked, then left, but not without getting paranoid. As I was walking back to my cube I was asking myself if people were actually thinking that I’m, well, KSP. After a while, I regained my composure and went about with my usual don’t-care attitude and just decided to enjoy the attention while it lasted. After all, it’s not everyday that a geek finds herself in the same magazine as Reese Witherspoon, and well, Kama Sutra. Haha.
Leave ur thoughts. :-)

post script: The cable guys finally came. Yipey!

D-BACKS WON!
Echoing Sieg's post in my board. I missed the game, but I read that they kicked butt! Ey, Madz, we deserve a round of tequila! :)
Are u a D-backs fan? Leave a note. :-)

LAZY, LONG WEEKEND

Day 1 – Oct. 31, Halloween
As soon as our dept. meeting finished at about 11:30AM, I bumped into our factory manager who was making rounds in the offices, wishing everyone a good weekend. And so he asked me “Where’s the party tonight, Trixy?” Feigning innocence, I vehemently denied having any plans to go out, telling him that I was taking a good rest, just having recovered from my weeklong colds. I was not about to admit to this party girl image that my manager’s manager has of me, lest it’ll give him the impression that I’m not working hard enough. :-)
So anyway, I treated my engineers to lunch afterwards. One of my team members is leaving and it’s my way of saying thanks for the good contributions and accomplishments. I have been obsessing about this situation for weeks, feeling somehow bad that I could not convince him to stay. With my long 1:1’s with him, I got quite a few doses of reality. Although we have a good and stable company, and relatively a great place to work at that, higher monetary compensation is just too good an offer to pass up so one can support a growing family with only one breadwinner. :-(
That night, I had dinner with my family (brother, sisters and brothers-in-law) at Congo Grill. It was really hard giving my order to the waiter donning a hunchback costume ‘coz he looked so darn real. It was harder even to eat with the ghost of Balete drive watching nearby. I felt like I was eating inside a haunted house, instead of in a resto! Talk about a clever way to implement your diet. Whatever happened to fairy, little mermaid and M&M costumes, anyway?
Later that night, I partied with friends I met through the internet (I’ll save the explanation in another blog) ‘til dawn at Strumm’s, then, after packing my stuff and my travel Piglet pillow, my bro and I headed to Subic at 3AM.

Day 2 – Nov. 1, All Saints’ Day
Never travel right after gmik, spec. if you’re drunk, even when you’re not driving. My head was spinning and aching and I could not go to sleep ‘coz I was so scared that my bro would, and I wouldn’t be awake to wake him up. I sound like I’m still drunk. Anyway, we got to Subic about 5:30AM, so you get an idea how fast utol was driving!
We shopped the whole day, and I ended up buying stuff I didn’t need again. Grabe, must have been the heat. We were supposed to go karting, but the sun was just stinging us way too bad! Anyway, we went back that night, only to find they closed at 10PM, so did the cosmic bowling. So we headed off to play pool. I have never taken up this sport in college, so I suck in this game, but after a couple of hours playing, I actually had so much fun, we extended another hour. As we went home, I felt like I was Black Widow already (I wish!) :)

Day 3 – Nov. 2, All Souls’ Day
I just discovered that Filipinos traditionally visit their dead on All Saints’ Day instead of All Souls’ Day. I was wondering about this when I noticed a lot of shops were closed on Nov. 1 but Nov. 2 was just like any regular gimik Friday! Could it be because we are all secretly hoping our dead will end up in heaven, no matter what? Anyway, our plan to go to the beach got dropped after I complained that it was way too sunny! Okay, folks, I think I had enough sun exposure back in high school to last me a lifetime so I’m not exactly the type who’d get excited to get a tan these days. I was more than tan back then! So we ended up watching a movie and going bowling. That night, we went to the night tiangge because I wanted to get ideas on what to sell in our tiangge endeavor later in December. Oh, and we went to play pool again!

Day 4 – Nov. 3 – like any regular Saturday
Definitely, ‘coz I woke up to the sound of my cellphone ringing. Yup, it was from work. I had a series of other phone calls the whole morning. To de-stress myself, I went to the salon in the afternoon and had my nails done and hair washed and treated. Went to visit the dentist for my quarterly oral prophylaxis. Felt great and recharged. Spent the late afternoon watching go-kart race. Then went home to watch the race to the 13th by the Black Widow and Bata Reyes. Darn, tough luck for women! But ok, still happy since Bata is Filipino, and we should be proud of our countrymen, right?

Day 5 – Nov. 4 – transition to reality Sunday
Woke up early to watch game 6 of the World Series (Madz – a friend from Seattle, got me hooked to baseball when the Mariners made it to the championships last year). What a great game by Arizona Diamondbacks! 15-2, with 8 runs scored in one inning! I’m a Yankee fan (I’m talking Pettitte, Rivera, Williams and Jeter here), but I’m rooting for the underdog in this year’s finals mainly because I have always considered Arizona my preferred home in the U.S. But of course, I can’t help but feel sorry for Andy with his dazed look after what has been his shortest postseason outing. So happy for the D-Backs, though, hope they win the World Series! (Have work tom., can’t watch the game. Sad.)
Headed back to Manila in the mid-afternoon. Traffic was not (bad) as expected. After a pit stop at Café Breton, we arrived in my Makati apt. only to be greeted by a brown out, no less! Shucks, who can live without electricity and technology these days?! Can’t eat ‘coz can’t microwave food, and can’t heat water to even eat instant lugaw! Also lost water supply, so can’t wash dirty mugs. Logged in internet (no battery-operated radio, as if that's still existent!) to try to search news 'bout what’s going on, only to drain battery after about 15mins., before finding the answers (ok, so I took a “detour” and read my emails first). So, I frantically text’d all my family and friends, to find out what happened, and discovered that there was a Luzon-wide black out (so that was why the MRT was suspiciously at a stop in Cubao, even if there was no station nearby) and the whole Luzon was one with me in my dilemma, trying to survive the very humid, electricity-less night. True to their commitment, though, lights went back after four hours of complete darkness, and yipey, just in time for me to watch “Will and Grace”. Still have not eaten dinner. Was too lazy to drive to Powerplant (about a km. away from home).Too late to eat now, though. Hah, another ingenious way of sticking to diet.

Would luv to know about ur long weekend, too. :-)