So I'd be strawberry if I were a fruit.

CHRISTMAS BLOG
“When you’re worried and can’t sleep, just count your blessings instead of sheep
And you’ll fall asleep, counting your blessings
When you’re bankroll is getting small, just think of when you had none at all
And you’ll fall asleep, counting your blessings

I thank the Lord for good health, for the gift of love he sends
But most of all He’s blessed me with my family and friends”

This is probably one of the happiest Christmases I’ve had in recent years. First, because I spent it with my family (last year was spent with some officemates and a friend in the U.S. and it didn’t help that there were circumstances that led to a semi-traumatic experience best left in the past). Second, because Ann, my younger sis now based in Taiwan, went home for Christmas with one of her angels – TJ, and this is the 1st time I’ve seen her in almost three years now! I do not mean to put the real reason behind all this celebration in the backseat. That is already a given, and without Him, I know that I will never experience all this joy. But Christmas has also always been a tradition for our family. It is a time for getting together and just spending time with each other.

Highlights:

* Since I got based in Manila almost five years ago, I was alternately spending Christmas in Cebu with my parents and siblings or in the U.S. somewhere while on assignment. This year, I’m happy to have spent it with family again :)
* We surprised Ma and Pa with Ann and TJ’s unannounced Christmas visit. Mama was crying profusely when she saw Ann in the van. We, meaning Ann, Eyen, Dong and myself had put so much effort in keeping that secret, and we’re so glad we pulled it off! Even Ate Chan and Ate Ais were surprised :)
* TJ, Ann’s 2-year old son gave me my happiest moments this Christmas. Mind you, he was quite a handful, but he never tired me out, and I never lost patience for all the times that he’d have tantrums (probably because he still adjusting to the new environment and people and he was sick). I’ll never forget the way he’d say “car” without quite pronouncing the letter r as he points to our car in the garage, or when he’d mimic “wow” every time I say it whenever he’d do something good or follow what Tita Trix says. I’ll never forget the way he’d immediately run the moment you put him down after carrying him, like a little energizer bunny or the way he loved to take off his sandals and run around our house barefooted. I love the way he chases after the bubbles I blow, laughing heartily while doing so and happily skipping in joy. How a child’s innocence really touches your heart! His main language is Mandarin, and from time to time he’d mumble a few words and I look at him so cluelessly, then he gives this very heartwarming smile and I just nod as if I understand. :) TJ, I will really miss you, ‘langga. Maybe I’ll visit you in Taiwan, ha?
* Another thing I love about going back to Cebu are the times spent with my siblings. My younger siblings are the closest to me since we grew up together, being just a few years apart. I love playing the role of “ate” whenever we’re together, but the truth is, I was the most childish among them. Now, we treat each other like barkada, often going out together on gimik or practically everywhere we go. Eyen, who’s next to Ann, is my tour guide in Cebu as she knows all the latest watering holes. Dong is of course our bodyguard and driver. Ann, who is just a year younger than I, practically took the same path as I when she moved out of our home right after college. In fact, she moved out of the country. So we hardly spent time together in our early adult years, but our bond has remained strong over the years, and I’m just so proud of how much she was matured and grown independent, coming out on her own. I will miss you, too, Ann, and I wish you more blessings in the coming years. Thank you for bringing TJ. I know it’s not easy to have a toddler with you in a long travel, but we are so happy we got to know TJ more and spent all those time with him. We hope to see little AJ soon as well.
* My Ate Channie holds annual Christmas parties. This is participated in by family members in Manila, a few of her kids’ friends, and her katulongs. We hold parlor games, singing contests, exchange gifts and gift giving.
* My visit to the Chosen Children Village was an eye-opener. The kids (who are either physically or mentally disabled) reminded me how blessed and loved I am, and that there are a lot out there that needs our love and support.
* One of the more memorable parties I went to was Cristina’s (one of my good friends from MBA). The highlight of the evening was a serenade from a choral group. The members come from a rehabilitation center called SELF, and it was inspiring to see how much the folks really desired to change. One of the songs they sang was “Count your Blessings Instead of Sheep” the lyrics of which I wrote above.

Lowlights:

* I have always heard horrible stories of holiday traffic in Manila and this is the first year I have experienced this. All I can say is, I’m glad the holidays are over.
* Mall parking space was also hard to come by. And of course, the malls were really crowded. I guess the lesson of the year is really to start Christmas shopping early.
* Traveling during the holidays is also not one of the best things to do. The domestic airport was packed, the lines were really long and the seats in the waiting lounge could not accommodate all the passengers. But the good thing is, our flight wasn’t delayed.
* I noticed a lot of traffic cops suddenly filled the streets and highways. One of them extorted money out of me. I was on my way to NAIA to fetch Ann and passed thru Villamor Airbase. I was just following the cars ahead of me, and I did not know they had suddenly put a no entry sign to the usual route. And since I was in a hurry, I heeded his “parinig” to pay him na lang so that there will be no hassles.
* Since Tequila Joe’s just opened in Cebu, my friends and I decided to try it out. Food was very pricey but the turn off was really their service. Very poor! It took them more than 15 minutes to bring each of our orders in. And we mostly ordered beer! We ended up dissing the place and we swore never to go back.

Greetings:
* I’m delinquent in sending out email responses and I know you guys understand ;). To Madz, Enteng, Jov, John, Lily, Raymond and all my friends who are far away, I hope you did have a merry Christmas and I wish you a blessed and peaceful year ahead!
* Happy birthday, Jude and I wish you would remain happy for as long as you wish for. Just remember to enjoy every moment and don’t overanalyze!
* Of course, I’d like to greet everyone a HAPPY AND PEACEFUL NEW YEAR!!!!

SDA
I am probably one of those afflicted with SDA – the Senseless Desire to Acquire. Every time I go to the mall to buy gifts for loved ones, I always end up buying something for myself as well. This article perfectly explains it.

For the first time in years, I started thinking about my finances. I have always been a wanton spender. Fortunately, I never got myself into debt. My credit card bills still get paid on time, and I still have some savings I can bank on come rainy days. And yet, I had started to withdraw from my savings account already. And if I didn’t stop myself, I would have spent all of it on stuff I either do not need, or rarely use. I have four closets full of clothes and stuff (not to mention the one I still keep back home), I have over 30 pairs of shoes, and gazillions of trinkets and knick-knacks still stacked in my drawers since I don’t have space in my tiny condo unit to put them. And yet, there are thousands of others out there who have so much less. Way less.

So yesterday I started cleaning up my closet. My goal is to reduce my belongings to half by end of the year. No. 1, that means I won’t have to buy another closet; no. 2, I can finally take clothes out of my suitcase; and no. 3, I will be helping a lot of other people who will put my stuff into very good use. Not to mention I can now move freely in my condo. :)

I usually don’t make resolutions because I rarely keep them. But I have one for next year. I will be a smart buyer next time around, and I will always ask these questions before I grab an item and head to the registers. Is it necessary? Can I afford it? What is this new thing really costing me? Can my money be used for better purposes?

Desaturate is what he calls it. Best idea I’ve come across with in months.

IT STARTS WITH ONE
“The clock ticks life away/It's so unreal/Didn't look out below/Watch the time go right out the window
Trying to hold on, but didn't even know /Wasted it all just to watch you go
I kept everything inside and even though I tried, it all fell apart” – In the End, Linkin Park

Speaking of time, I was late again this morning. I know I’m not a good role model when it comes to punctuality. But I’m trying hard to change my sleeping habits. Unfortunately, insomnia is not that easy to get rid off. Today was one of those days when my manager decided to drop by my cube at 730AM in the morning. I was still cruising the SS Hi-way then, thankful none of those traffic guys saw my plate (yep, car ban!) and decided to milk Christmas money out of me. Got here a little before 9. Now, more than six hours later, I am still groggy and dying to get some sleep when I get home. But when I do get home, I know I’ll just miraculously recover from this sleepiness that I feel now. Hah. Isn’t that ironic?

Oh, I’m a huge fan of Linkin Park, btw, and I have their Hybrid Theory CD in my changer! They really rock! Now don’t get too surprised if you happen to see me head banging in my car. :P

SMUG MARRIED DINNER PARTY
“I’m not married because I’m a Singleton, you smug, prematurely ageing, narrow-minded morons, and because there’s more than one bloody way to live: one in four households are single, most of the royal family are single, the nation’s young men have been proved by surveys to be completely unmarriageable, and as a result there’s a whole generation of single girls like me with their own incomes and homes who have lots of fun and don’t need to wash anyone else’s socks. We’d be as happy as sandboys if people like you didn’t conspire to make us feel stupid just because you’re jealous.” – Bridget Jones’s Diary

The month of December is probably the busiest time of the year. Everyone is out buying gifts for loved ones, and of course, there are parties almost every other day! Last week we had our department party. Our RCGs organized the event, and the games were really racy. Er, can’t say I’m proud of it, but I won the musical chair contest (grab the banana version). Well, if your manager is urging you on in the sideline to be “aggressive” and “go for it”, I guess, being pressured to win is an understatement. Had another company party last Friday, this time with the other managers in our factory. And it was a semi-harrowing experience. It was like that scene out of Bridget Jones’s diary where she went to the smug married dinner party. I was the only <30yrs old and single person among them. And worse, I was the only one who didn’t tag along an SO, because the invitation was also extended to them. And everyone was asking me the same damn question. Why don’t you have a boyfriend/husband? It was really weird for two reasons. One, these folks are not really the crowd I hang out with at work, so I’m disturbed by the thought that now they must be forming some opinion about me with their new “discovery”. Two, it doesn’t help that not only am I the youngest, but just one of the ~five female managers in our factory. I felt like all the wives were looking at me suspiciously the moment they found out I was unattached. Or maybe I’m just paranoid.

Our school party was super fun, though. Live band, ok food, open bar. It was drizzling, though, so the band stopped playing for a while, and when things finally got started again, we partied till dawn. My BusCom classmates were enjoy kasama. Our group didn’t stop dancing the whole night. Afterwards, we had merienda at Whistlestop (their calamares is tasty!).

This week, there will be another string of dinners and parties. Haay, I’m really exhausted na. Somehow, sleeping the whole afternoon yesterday just couldn’t make bawi all the sleep I lost. Of course, it just gave me a headache when I woke up, instead of making me feel better.

All these parties are making me dizzy na. That’s why when my team asked if we were going to have a party, I said, we better think of something else to do. Why pig out and get wasted again, when there are a lot of other folks out there who can hardly even eat a single meal each day? So, this Friday, we will be visiting the Chosen Children Village. Their parents, because of their physical and mental disabilities, abandoned the kids here. I am really looking forward to this activity because I think the last time I ever participated in an outreach program was back in elementary, when I was still studying in a Catholic school. So long time ago.

I’M OK
“ It's all right, I'm O.K. , I think God can explain
I'm relieved, I'm relaxed , I'll get over it yet “ - I Think God Can Explain, Performed by Splender, Dawson’s Creek Vol II Soundtrack

I’m back. From my very long vacation. Been very busy catching up on work undone during the last week while I was out of office. I have a few more stories to tell. But I don’t feel too happy right now. My apartment seems so empty. My little brother is going back to Cebu tom. He has been my sparring partner in the last two months. When I’m too tamad to drive, he’d drive me all the way to Cavite from Makati, at 530AM! He hooked up a lot of my gadgets still packed in boxes since I moved in to my apartment last July. He took care of my car. He cooks us breakfast sometimes. He was beginning to spoil me. And I was getting used to having him around. But I guess he is needed back home. And I’m used to being on my own, anyway.

Thanks, utol.

TESTS
Had dinner with my family at M! Vida earlier. Food – nothing special, very pricey. Background - Latin music, actually almost made up for that lackluster dinner, but not quite. Now, Bigby’s is another story. This resto is also located in the Ayala Entertainment Center. Had a beer there while Doc Risa was eating her dinner. It’s sort of like Outback/TGI Friday’s in terms of menu and serving but priced much cheaper. No wonder a lot of people were dining there. After we brought Doc Arl home (she’s on 24-hr duty today, yet again), Risa, Joy, Eyen and myself proceeded to Yo Latino in The Village where we met with Sio. They had musicians playing Latin sound, and everything went pretty ok until they played “Dancing Queen” with a Latin beat. Really didn’t jive. Anyway, it’s a good place to hang out at. Nice music. Food is ok. Anyway, you can always buy “balls”, as in fish/squid balls and tempura in the “Killage” – short for Kilid sa Village or Near the Village (not the exact translation, "kilid" is Cebuano for side), located in the parking lot next to the place. :D

Sio is also barkada from high school. He is an artist. And we’re talking stereotype. Basta, you just look at him, and you’ll know. Anyway, since I took the Art Test earlier, I’ve been quite disturbed about the outcome. I mean, who would want to be a painting called “The Scream”? I just had to ask Sio about this Edvard guy. Apparently, when he made this painting, it was a time when expressing emotions through your art was unheard of. It was almost an act of rebellion. At that time, this guy was apparently full of angst and confused. Ok. I think I’ve gotten over my period of angst a long time ago. I guess I’m confused. But who isn’t these days? Maybe, I’m still kinda rebellious. Whatever. Better quit analyzing these darn test results. Speaking of tests, I took the bitch test at Spark and guess what? Apparently, I’m 46% bitch, which is higher than the worldwide average of 38%. Only 2% are as bitchy as I am, while 26% are bitchier than I am (thank goodness!) but 72% are less bitchy than me. :D I better stop taking these tests. They’re just crap, right? But Spark did guess I am a woman, with 80% confidence level. Goodie! :)

If I were a work of art, I would be Edvard Munch's The Scream. I express the subconscious troubles and anxieties of the world. I hold my head and let loose the primal terror of my innermost fears, surrounded by a lurid landscape which reflects my feeble grasp on reality. Which work of art would you be? The Art Test

postscript:
found this link in kantogirl's blog. courtesy of mark.

i dunno, though, that painting looks pretty scary to me... and i have a feeble grasp on reality. that couldn't be good, right? oh well. :-)

Random Thoughts
What would you answer if your ex asked you if you’ve got a new bf already? I was tempted to say, “How can I? Am still trying to get over you…” Or something pathetic like that… But of course, I didn’t. I have more dignity than that even if the truth is I still sleep with the purple beanie (whom I named Twinky) he gave me last December. Ew! I can’t believe I’m even blogging this. Kaka-wala poise… Hehe…

Don’t you just get pissed off with people who ask when you’re getting married? I mean, hello, can u please think of another conversation opener?! Besides, these are people whom you barely spoke to in your lifetime, so what do they even care? Hey folks, I am trying to see the humor in all this. I can’t really berate those people, so write ko na lang in my blog. Outlet lang po. :)

“Five-hundred twenty-five thousand six hundred minutes, how do you measure a year in the life?” – Seasons of Love, RENT (which is one of my favorite musicals, btw).

Gawd, one year has almost passed. What difference have I made this year? I did not even make progress with my “Things to do before I turn thirty list” (below, written Sept 2000):

1. How to drive a stick-shift/manual car -> I’m helpless whenever my A/T car is in the shop or something, can’t even borrow my family’s or friends’ car…
2. How to swim -> I think I'm the only >25yr-old Cebuano who can't swim. :)
3. How to cook non-TV dinners/canned goods or meals without using instant mixes, in other words, learn how to cook decent meals.
4. Diving -> Cebu has lots of great dive spots, and I can't even enjoy it...yet ;-)
5. CPR/first aid -> one never knows when this might come in handy!

One thing I am proud of this year is that this is the first time in my adult life that I am truly independent. No SO (significant other) to co-depend on. No SO to call whenever I’m in trouble or something. I brought my car to shops whenever it needs repair. It was scary at first, but it truly is liberating. And dating has its charm, too. I did not really date much in my youth. I just sort of jumped from one relationship to the next. So I’m learning a lot of things now. Like, all the nice ones are either taken or gay. Hahaha…

Do u have lots of money to spare this Christmas? How about giving your hunny an Xbox? This is a video platform that boasts more computing horsepower than an average PC could muster a few years ago (quoted verbatim from an internal news article). Xbox is Intel Inside (733MHz processor), with 64MB RAM and has support for DVD disks. It has been dubbed a Trojan horse. Hey, it’s just the same price as that other top seller game console ($299), but one other thing that sets this product apart is that it was designed by gamers themselves. What could go wrong with that?:)

If you have more to spare, then you can check out the latest from the Pentium-line of processors. Learn more about Pentium 4 in the Intel Holiday 2001 event at the Glorietta Activity Center, and tom. is the last day, so hurry up! Discover for yourself how the latest digital technology will change your world.

Don’t really know if I’d make a good advertiser, but hey, you can’t blame me for trying :) Happy weekend, everyone!

PART IV – THE JUDE B EXPERIENCE ATBP
Dec 1 - Saturday
I dunno if I have mentioned it in prior blogs, but my manager sent me to Cebu to interview RCGs (Recent College Graduates) for 2002 hiring. Apparently, after failing to meet our attrition %, we are now in need of 21 new engineers. And that is for our department alone. I guess that’s economy right there for you. At it’s volatile best. So, just a few hours after my business communications class, I flew to Cebu.

Timing is indeed everything. You see, my high school batch didn’t just give me my bestest friends in the world, but it also yielded a bunch of different personalities and talents. One of them happens to be Jude. By day, she is an ecological consultant (I’m not sure if that is her actual title). In a nutshell, she is one of the folks who survey the environment before industrialists start raping what’s left of our natural resources. They ensure that no species are harmed or something like that. By night, she is a wedding coordinator-cum-entertainer. And after months of trying to catch one of her shows, I finally did, without even trying. She does stand-up comedy, but last Saturday, she had an acoustic concert in Dish (not connected to the one in Powerplant), along with a few of our local bands. My, she is really good. Her repertoire ranged from EBTG, to Cyndi Lauper, to Alanis Morisette. Her rendition of “Not a Doctor” by the latter, is really amazing! She can really pull off some vocal acrobatics. And I could almost hear everyone sigh after she sang “Pls. don’t ask me… why I’m so in love with you…”. Judie, we are so proud of you, and I think it’s not an exaggeration to say you are now one of Cebu’s rising stars! And I’m not just saying that because of the free beer. :-)

Dec 2 – Sunday
After partying for three nights in a row, I finally gave in to sleep… The day just sort of whizzed by, and all my waking moments were spent trying to finish reading Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, eating, and texting. I even missed my favorite reminiscing-my-youth show – Tabing-ilog (and I haven’t missed any in the last three months or so!).

Dec 3-4 – RCG Interviews
Now for the official business. Monday I interviewed EIGHT applicants in one day. I spent about 45-55 minutes with each interviewee, asking technical and behavioral questions. I had to be really thorough because these kids I will hire will definitely have huge roles to play in pressing forward the future of our company. Tuesday I had a couple of interviewees.

Monday night was spent with my family and (later) watching the second episode of Charmed Season 4. After the interviews were completed today, I went to do a bit of my Christmas shopping in Ayala Center which was also a bonding activity with none other than my dad! Much later, I watched Monsters Inc. with my younger sis, Eyen (na BI ko na mag-undertime sa office, after all, we hardly spent time together) . Yep, this is definitely one of the funniest movies I have seen. Sully is very endearing. Now I wish I had befriended my closet monster, too! And yes, in the end, laughter is not only the best medicine, it’s potency and power sustains life and energy as well!

After another round of shopping (yes, I am now a proud owner of a new purple dress, among other things) I had dinner at Persian Palate with my two other best friends Risa and Arlene, and Joy, another friend from high school and Eyen. The food was not bad. I guess it reminds me of my brief sojourn in Penang three or four years ago. I had chosen to be more adventurous this time, as I had already satisfied my craving for Cebu’s lechon, barbeque and Chinese dimsum in previous days. After dinner, we went to Ayala Entertainment Center to make tambay a bit. After The Village and Crossroads, this is now the latest hangout of Cebu’s yuppies. For dining, you can choose between Sol Y Luna (Spanish/Filipino cuisine) or Don Henrico’s. If you wanna party, you can go to Brix Sports bar, Me Vida (known for it’s bar counter top dancing beauties) and Ratsky’s (while Tequila Joe's will open before Christmas). Or for a nightcap, you can go to Bo’s Coffee Club, Cebu’s answer to Starbucks or SBC. Anyway, since we just had dinner, we went to Bo’s. You definitely have to try their Mango Float dessert. Sarap. Their blueberry cheescake is also good. After a few minutes of hanging out, we bumped into some other high school friends, and each one’s elementary friends. I guess this is one of the things I miss about Cebu. Since it’s really just a small town, you are bound to bump into old friends wherever you go. After about a day of hanging out in Ayala, I met three ex-suitors, one ex-crush, about ten or so old schoolmates. (Eyen, on the other hand, have been, by then, asked for her phone number by two young men. Well, Arl, talk about drawing power. ;) Laos na talaga tayo. Or worse ulay na talaga.). For my non-Cebuano readers, ulay (I just came across this term now lang also), is Cebuano for old maid. Ouch.

Must be all that ulay talk, but at the last minute, the five of us decided to go out and drink. We went to this place called Backstreet, no relation to the boy band, but so-called because of it’s location. It’s an inconspicuous billiards place/internet café but very apt for the occasion (or the absence of one). We had a few games and a couple of rounds of Red Horse (sarap mag-beer! ;D). Since Doc Arl is on duty Wednesday (not to mention I have a flight to catch), we had to go by midnight.

Postscript:
Storm signal #2 was hoisted over Cebu and other nearby provinces. "Quedan” brought not only incessant rain and strong winds but a bit of flood in some areas here. So I learned even Cebu gets flooded now. No, my flight back to Manila was not cancelled, but I decided to extend my vacation till the weekend. Brrrr.... it's really cold here tonight.

PART III
November 30, 2001 will be a date I will remember. No, it was not the dinner at Gerry’s in Libis even if the food was fine as expected, and the ambiance is characteristically distinct. It was not the gimik afterwards at Streetlife in Makati. The fact that it now has a new bar (huge one) in front of the main entrance or that it is newly renovated and looks more modern, has nothing to do with it. Yes, I did have fun last night. I discovered this drink called “Blue Oasis” which is rum mixed with pineapple juice (or is it pineapple flavored rum?). Yummy. But after having four of those, I began to wonder if it really was an alcoholic drink so I had to switch to good ol’ reliable San Mig Light. :-) It definitely wasn’t the so-so band whose name I didn’t even bother to ask. Not the food inside, either (I noticed that there seems to be fewer restos now, though you can still sample Angelino’s delicious pizza). It was the reason behind the celebration. The real reason.
Well, I don’t wanna mention names yet, but one of my best friends got engaged and last night was the official announcement! It was so surreal. I guess I couldn’t really imagine anyone among the four of us gals will ever get married, with all this career women, millennium women business. But, I am so happy for you, dearie!!! This is definitely a big milestone. CONGRATULATIONS! I can’t wait till your wedding. :) So excited.

Postscript:
There is also another reason why I’m happy (and so are the two other girls). See, years ago, the four of us had an agreement that whoever gets married first should ensure everyone is present during the wedding. The bride will take care/incur the necessary expenses such as airline tickets, lodging and other logistics to make that happen. And so the three of us are now spared from what could be a really expensive deal. I mean, who knows where I’ll be in December next year. In the U.S., maybe? :P