PLUG
Ey, any of u dear friends interested in watching a basketball game? There's some kind of a tournament between professional schools (I'm actually not sure, but one of my classmates is playing, so it must be... hehe..). It's Ateneo vs. La Salle at Meralco, 2PM, this coming Sunday.. Take your pick on which school to root for... Of course, I'll choose mine :P

BTW, we're planning a girls' night out tom. to celebrate the holiday on Sat. (Constitution Day? Gawd, kill me, but I really do not know... I just received a million txt messages asking me where we should gimik tom. night since we have no class Sat! hehehe...).. Hope it will not be that censored to blog about... LOL!

BEFORE I FORGET
**and yeah, i just feel like posting the lyrics of this song, too** :D

At The Beginning
by: Richard Marx & Donna Lewis
* song from the movie Anastasia

We were strangers
Starting out on a journey
Never dreaming what we'd have to go through
Now here we are
And I'm suddenly standing
At the beginning with you

No one told me I was going to find you
Unexpected, what you did to my heart
When I lost hope
You were there to remind me
This is the start

We were strangers
On a crazy adventure
Never dreaming how our dreams could come true
Now here we stand
Unafraid of the future
At the beginning with you

I knew there was somebody somewhere
Like me alone in the dark
Now I know my dream will live on
I've been waiting so long
Nothing's going to tear us apart

And life is a road and I want to keep going
Love is a river I want to keep flowing
Life is a road, now and forever
Wonderful journey
I'll be there when the world stops turning
I'll be there when the storm is through
In the end I want to be standing at the beginning
With you

LONG DAY
And it's not over yet... After I post this blog, I'm going back to work... Arrgghh...

Had a very long meeting. Actually, been in meetings for the past two days. Draining... Until 7PM... I have a very bad headache... And to think I gave my Advil tabs away already... Darn..

Anyway, I'm totally out of it today. I just wanted to post the link to the Bloggies so you folks can check it out. Yes, there's a big world of bloggers out there.

Oh, I suddenly remembered this text message I sent to Jude a few weeks ago... "If I say I care about you, don't believe me. Because I feel more than that. But if I say I love you, you might run away. So I'd rather keep that to myself because I want to keep you..."

Bestfriend-isms: "I don't f_cking care how my friends construct their sentences... I'm pretty much concerned on how they build relationships..." But even after he said that, I still want him out of my site. Just because. :P

BUMMER
We aren't going to the Lea thingy afterall. The nuns decided to chaperone the kids. :( Oh well, we all had problems asking permission to get a day-off anyways, though everyone did manage to squeeze in some "free" time... But, after all that, we're all just gonna go back and go about our regular lives as corporate slaves... :)

Anyway, there is still another outreach opportunity soon. I'm still bringing the same friends. There is no eye candy there, but these folks have hearts of angels and I know I can count on them...

I have asked bestfriend NOT to read my blogs. First of all, he edited my homework to one of our classes, and damn, he is good! After years of hiding behind the engineer's desk, I somehow lost touch of grammar, sentence structures, and the like. I write what I want, and sometimes I don't even bother to edit. But hey, I'm not responsible for those double words in my previous post. It's coming out ok in the blogger but somehow, something goes wrong during publishing. I am not about to start debugging why so if someone out there can help me, pls. do post me back:).

Second, he knows much about me already without even trying. Not that I mind that. But he gives me the feeling that he knows me better than I know me. Scary...

Sometimes I wonder why there are some people you connect to so easily as if you've known each other your whole lives... I already have one such friend (hi madz!) and now I have another. I guess they are probably angels who are here to tell me that no matter how many jerks I've known in my lifetime, life is still not that bad. Or in the words of bestfriend... "For the record, I hope you keep the faith that amidst the bullshit in life, there are still many orgasms..." :P

Anyway, I know he is true to his word and he will never betray me by not keeping his promise... But if you (glare, glare...) are reading this, I know you'll spend the rest of your life without a wink of sleep :D

TXT
I was texting (sending SMS) with a guy friend, who fondly (?) calls me "bestfriend", and who i call "lolo" (hehe... gay-speak for "friend" but NO, he is not gay), last night, and these are few of the messages he sent me.. I'm not going to elaborate what we text'd about, but it's easy to read between the lines... And I'm not going to post my responses, either, because they're pretty lame. I was almost speechless when he text'd me the last one below, but of course, true to my stubborn nature, I managed to answer back pa rin...

"Our experiences mold us to what we become. But at the end of the day, what we truly are will never go away. It usually resurfaces when we let go of the hurt and pain..."

"Being true to yourself, no matter how many times you fall, is always better than avoiding pain by being someone you're not. There might come a time you won't remember who you are anymore..."

"Bad experiences are supposed to make us a better version of ourselves not turn us into someone we're not. To be more careful, to be wiser. But to live in doubt and fear is not living at all..."

"The pain may feel the same, but it never is. You think it's the same trap but it's not. Look back again and tell me you learned the exact same things. When you start to live a lie, that is the real trap..."

Oh, in case you're wondering where this guy came from, he's a Philo grad from one of the top universities here in Manila. He is smart, very funny, and very perceptive, it freaks me out, sometimes... :P

TELEBABAD
Haven't made telebabad like this in a long while. I'm talking about a decent, interesting, refreshing and feel-good conversation with a person who's turning out to be a very wonderful friend. :)

Finally watched American Adobo last night but I'll blog about it later. Need to make my monthly report first!

P.S.
Yey! We're volunteering next week for an orphanage. We're going to chaperone kids to watch Lea Salonga's broadway concert. No. 1, I've really come to love helping the needy (in fact, I want to make this a regular thing na, like be a regular volunteer for some foundation) and no. 2, Lea is my fave like since she was singing "I love milk, and I love KLIM, so rich and so creamy...." :). My MBA friends are volunteering as well and we're gonna be hitting two birds with one stone. Cool! Special thanks to Petite for working this out. Mwah! :-)

BLACK HAWK DOWN et al
The Luzon-wide blackout yesterday was very costly. The impact to our operations is one that I cannot blog about openly, but the impact to the rest of Luzon, I can surely talk about! Among the biggest, I guess, was that the Napocor head lost his job (this was not the first time. Who could forget about the jellyfish?). Traffic was unusually bad at 4PM in EDSA. I consumed all my laptop battery power, so I couldn't even modify my school assignment anymore. But thank goodness I didn’t get stuck in any elevator. Our school only had the generator supplying the power, so they shut it down temporarily.

I took the afternoon off this PM to watch a movie with my MBA friend, Daisy. We watched Black Hawk Down, from among the other movies playing (Behind Enemy Lines, LOTR, American Adobo à the last two was ruled out bec. I’m sked to watch with other friends ;)). No, I am not at all a war movie fan. In fact, I totally hate gore! But, who could resist watching Josh Hartnett on the big screen? Such a hunk! :P I know, it’s a very mababaw reason to watch a movie, and mind you, I had to cover my eyes a lot of times during the gory scenes involving cut fingers, exposed intestines, etc.. I admit, I didn’t know much about this movie before I watched it. It's actually based on a true story of the Battle of Mogadishu, the longest sustained ground battle involving American soldiers since the Vietnam War. Their purpose was to abduct two of Somalian warlord Mohamed Farrah Aidid's lieutenants. Before the raid, the soldiers hardly prepared any night gears, as they expected it to last for only one hour. They were even making fun of one of the soldiers who was pulled out from his desk job (character played by Ewan McGregor) for being too paranoid and precautious. Instead, their operation lasted for 15 hours, resulting in the deaths of 18 Americans, 73 wounded, and about a thousand Somalians dead. Two UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters were also shot down. This is apparently one of America’s biggest military blunders. War movies really leave me feeling sad and depressed. It makes me angry that battles like this are fought. One of the Somalian militia leader said, for them, killing is negotiation. And I quote the rest of the paragraph from the online book version. Every battle is a drama played out apart from broader political issues. Soldiers cannot concern themselves with the decisions that bring them to a fight. They trust their leaders not to risk their lives for too little. Once the battle is joined, they fight to survive, to kill before they are killed. The story of a battle is timeless. It is about the same things whether in Troy or Gettysburg, Normandy or the Ia Drang. It is about soldiers, most of them young, trapped in a fight to the death. The extreme and terrible nature of war touches something essential about being human, and soldiers do not always like what they learn. For those who survive, the battle lives on in their memories and nightmares and in the dull ache of old wounds long after the reasons for it have been forgotten. :-(

Anyway, after I brought Daisy home, I encountered a car accident. One of those gago tricycle drivers overtook my car while I was turning left and hit me! My rim got hideously scratched (just recently replaced… huhuhu…) and my bumper also got it’s share of scratches and slightly dislodged! Darn. Panget na ang kotse ko. :) The worst part was not over. After overcoming my shock, I stopped in the corner to check the damages (of course the driver sped away) and expected the traffic aide who witnessed the accident to come to help me. But no, she went about directing traffic like it was normal to have accidents like that every darn day! I started calling my friends, and thankfully, Daisy went back to help me. Fortunately, the traffic aide has some use after all, as she was able to take note of the body number. But darn, I bet that freakin’ driver will just get away with this! We went to the police station to report the accident. We asked the police who was standing behind the desk marked “information” where we can report an accident. And he said, in a very sarcastic manner “Here. Can’t you see I’m writing a report now? Wait!” (that, in Tagalog, sounds even more worse. Believe me!). And after like waiting for 15 mins. It turned out there was a different person in charge for car accidents! Damn! So we went there and this guy was really not the most helpful of the lot, either. Since I was not from around the area, I had no idea what the streets were called and so I asked him and he retorted, “Why don’t you know?”… Anyway, good thing Daisy was there. Such an angel! Without her, I would just have collapsed there in frustration! And get this, I can’t even get the report until Thursday pa! Why, why, why??? Anyway, I apologize for being so hysterical. Still not quite over the stress of the whole experience yet. But one thing I’m glad about is to know I have such dependable friends! :)

TEEN SHOW
Petite told me my blog sounds like a teleserye these days. I’m beginning to agree with her :P In fact, I feel like my MBA friends and I are acting like those kids in Dawson’s Creek or Tabing-ilog (ok, I admit I block off my Sunday afternoons to watch this show, but that can’t be the reason, right? :-)). Anyway, wru’s blogtime just expired. I have accepted his apology but after what happened he suddenly seems less “crushworthy” :(

So anyway, yesterday started like any ordinary school day. My classmates and I planned our gimik during class, and we ended up going to the movies, having dinner, hanging out in Eastwood, and having coffee and conversation in San Francisco Coffee. The guys waited for me at the mall while I met up with some friends from Femalenetwork to plan for an outreach program this Feb. We are planning to visit an orphanage and throw a party for them. I’m already excited because my visit to Chosen Children Village last December really reinforced my resolve to help the needy, in whatever little way I can from then on. Consistently, all year through and not just during Christmas. I’ve started with carrying around candy and biscuits in my car to give to the street children. :) So anyway, I went back to meet back with my MBA friends and we watched Zoolander. It was so hilariously stupid! Or stupidly hilarious… Whatever… Ben Stiller is one of the best comedians talaga. Funny. The movie’s plot focused on the stereotype stupidity (I know there’s a politically correct term for this, but after my all-night gmik, I’m still brain dead - written this morning pa) of models, and so now, every time someone does something without thinking, we ask “So, are you a male model?” :) We had dinner at Nipa Hut in Pasig afterwards. It was my first time there, and I wasn’t disappointed. Nice view, cheap beer and delicious food. Cool (as in literally) place to hang out in. We went to Eastwood much later and the place was so packed! I spent around 20 mins circling the parking lot to look for a spot. But that wasn’t even the worst part. All the bars were overflowing with people and we ended up sharing a table with our acquaintances (wru’s friends) from one class at Amoeba. Kaso, we had just sat there for about 15mins, wru suddenly called me to his side and said he was leaving. Not only that, he was bringing along one of the guys with him pa. No explanations just that he needed to go. Of course, I was not in a position to stop them from leaving and so I let them. But, they left without telling the rest of the group, and everyone was astounded (actually, pissed!) because they didn’t know what was going on! Anyway, it was a Dawson’s Creek episode in the making after that. One of my girlfriends followed them to the parking lot and called them in the phone asking them to come back. Finally, guilt-ridden, the other guy did come back. I lashed at him for coming back (I wasn't very forgiving). Our other friends were now wide-eyed in anger back at the table, and everyone just wanted to leave and go home. Stories started coming out, and it wasn’t pretty. Finally, we decided to talk about it over coffee across the street. There we finally made peace with the guy caught in the midst of the “tampuhan” (because he paid for our coffee, hehe.. no, he was sincere with his apology and he’s been a consistent nice friend). We went home around 4AM, and I was still pissed at wru for ditching us. But he called this AM, and gave him the benefit of the doubt. If he cared enough to explain his side, then that should count for something, right? But like I said, his blogtime expired. Haha.. I’m not being mean, but the kilig died a natural death. On to the next episode, please :)

Oops …
Almost had a blooper last night. Do you automatically wave and say hi to a face you recognize in a crowd? I usually do that and make beso pa nga. And I almost did that yesterday. But the face I recognized wasn’t that of a friend, but of Paolo Contis (teen actor, for those who don’t know him, and yes, he’s a cast member of Tabing-Ilog). Oops, gyud kaayo! :D

I think all my friends are raving about LOTR and I still haven't watched it. I feel out of sync with the rest of mankind all of a sudden. I was supposed to watch it last weekend but wru told me not to. We only have a "crush" relationship and already I am influenced by his opinions.. Bad, very bad :P But really, I should be believing my fellow geeks, er, my good friends.. And yes, I will catch it and support their move to dislodge Titanic out of the movie blockbuster of recent times or whatever title it holds.

I really need to use a phone with a larger memory. Can't store all of wru's messages any longer. I miss my 6210... But darn, that phone's just way too big and exec-type for my trendy lifestyle.. hehe... I'll just commit all of them to memory na lang... And wait till my dream phone is introduced here in Asia.

It just really brings your faith back in humanity if a stranger does a nice deed. I was having my car washed last Sunday night, and this gentleman struck a 5-minute converstation with me about traffic and stuff. Then before he left, he paid for my bill. No, he didn't get my name or phone number or any personal information like that. He just plain did it! :)

Diet got married last week! Wow! Congratulations...

My recent love of my life and I are really becoming better friends now. Of course, he's no longer the love of my life, but what we have is so much better now. Very pure and honest!

Things are going ok for my domestic life as well. Found a drinking water station nearby and the best thing is, they have delivery! Just 45 bucks for 5 gallons. And yes, they bring it up to my unit in the 4th floor :) I have found a laundry shop nearby, as well, so I don't have to go all the way to Q.C. to have them washed and folded. But, still have not learned to cook for myself. I did get a copy of Good Housekeeping yesterday and hopefully, that's a start.

BTW, pls. send your prayers for Jude, who will be undergoing surgery today for slip disc complications. Judeah, God bless you, dearie! Mwah!

Funny how a simple "Wru?" can brighten up my day. Jude, I can so relate to you. Grabe. :P Oh, since he likes to ask me this every now and then, I shall call him "wru" in my succeeding posts (sorry, folks, I'm pretty sure I will blog about him pa in the future).

I can't believe it's already been a year since EDSA Dos. I was in the U.S. when everything happened, watching the news through streaming media, and all I could wish was for me to be here, back home, and be able to make a stand. What has changed since then? Nothing much really. There are still a lot of apathetic Filipinos who don't have anything better to do than point their fingers to our government officials, instead of TAKING ACTION. Sana, we will do our share na. This country has lots of potential. This country is beautiful. And it's up to ALL OF US FILIPINOS to make this country a better place to live in.

Having said that, I'm going to have to admit that it did cross my mind to try my luck in the land of milk and honey, specifically in the Silicon Valley. But, I am happy where I am now. I can afford the luxuries of an average yuppie, and still got some left to give my younger sis and bro gmik money whenever I can, and best of all, my parents are just an hour plane ride away. Been thinking about pursuing my MBA degree in a top school there, though. More like a career move, rather than a desperate act to get out of my country. Nothing's final yet. But I'm crossing my fingers. I'd want to explore the world out there while I still have the guts to do so.

Trivia:
I played soccer (football) back in high school and was a forward in our varsity team. Since there were only a handful of women's teams in Cebu, then, I didn't get to play in an actual game with other teams till I was in college. My ex-teammates contacted me and my best friend Laryang one summer and we played against these women who were bigger than us and looked so male. btw, if you're also a soccer freak like me, you better check out his blog.

I WILL SURVIVE
American Adobo is using “I Will Survive” as it’s theme song. As I’ve mentioned before, this movie has elicited my interest. Though I’m not a permanent U.S. resident, my work has brought me to that country on temporary assignments in the last five years. Living in a foreign country, away from your comfort zone, your regular support group, your loved ones is tough as tough gets. Now, about the song, I suddenly found that I liked it since it’s very timely and echoing what I’ve been feeling after that “letting go” episode. I can finally truly say I’m officially out of the woods, and yes, I know I will survive! I’m posting excerpts of the song…

Once I was afraid, I was petrified
Kept thinkin I could never live without you by my side
Then I spent so many nights thinking how you did me wrong
Then I grew strong, and I learned how to get along

Word to the one who tried to hurt me with a lie
You think I'd crumble, you think I'd lay down and die?
Oh no, not I, I will survive
For as long as I know how to love I know I'm still alive
I've got all my life to live, I've got all my love to give
And I'll survive, I will survive

I used all the strength I have not to fall apart
Kept trying hard to mend the pieces of my broken heart
And I spent, oh, so many nights feeling sorry for myself
I used to cry, but now I hold my head up high
Yeah, you see me, somebody new
I'm not that gentle little girl that's still in love with you

Speaking of songs, our BusCom class had a get-together tonight. Had dinner at Grilla over in Kalayaan, then afterwards to IO in Jupiter where we sang our hearts out. I guess videoke will never get outdated here in Pinas. Not only do Noypi’s love to sing, we definitely sing well! :P

I guess one of the perks of MBA are the friendships formed along the way. The camaraderie in our classes not only fosters a relaxed atmosphere but it alleviates the difficulties in working and studying at the same time.

Quickies (short, quick notes :D)
* A friend was texting me regarding his Christmas gift. “It’s just cheap lang, but you’ll appreciate it after you use it! :)” and I go “Oh, you’re giving a condom! ;)” LOL!
* Was listening to the radio the other day and the DJ's were asking the listeners what were the weird things they kept in their wallets. One of them actually kept a note written by an ex-GF who wanted to get back together. Just a note, eh! But she wrote it on a pantyliner (a clean one, I hope)! Anyway, I went through my wallet and guess what I found? A three year-old tissue paper where an ex-BF wrote his phone number. And the weird part is, he actually gave this to my then boyfriend (who happened to be his basketball teammate back in grade school) when they bumped into each other in an airport, after like 10 years since they last saw each other.
* Still on the weird category, my crush (ok, kill me for being so juvenile!) gave me a receipt with his signature as a memento, and now I’m keeping it in my wallet also! :D
* Had dinner with an old friend the other night and then I realized that majority (maybe 80%) of the significant/important men (past and present) in my life have 1st names/2nd names/nicknames/last names starting with the letter J! The list includes my best male friends, ex-boyfriends, special friends, crushes, and the guy who’s been making me laugh and smile lately… For example, Jerome: one was my longtime high school crush, the second was my best soccer buddy who almost became my boyfriend during high school if not for an unfortunate circumstance and the third was my long-term college boyfriend. John: two good male office friends.
* I thought it was cute that “he” drove me to IO last night because he wanted to keep me company and just had his driver follow us to our destination. Kilig… :)

COLD
The nights have been very cold lately. And I mean that literally :) Apparently, Baguio hit the coldest temp at 8C yesterday between 6-8AM in 10 years! Brrrr… I kind of missed this weather, too. Hey, after living in Oregon for 9 months, I was beginning to think the sun was just a myth. :P

SAPPY
Allow me to be sappy once again. Hey, I’m human after all. :) Read this from a forwarded email. Unfortunately, no author was mentioned, and whoever you are, I apologize for reprinting without your consent. But I wouldn’t be posting it in full if you hadn’t done a good job in expressing what I would have wanted to myself.

When you think of your past love, you may view it as a failure. But when you find a new love, you view the past as a teacher.

In the game of love, it doesn't really matter who won or who lost. What is important is you know when to hold on and when to let go!

You know you really love someone when you want him or her to be happy, even if his or her happiness means that you’re not part of it. Everything happens for the best. If the person you love doesn't love you back don't be afraid to love someone again, for you'll never know unless you give it a try. You’ll never love a person you love unless you risk for love. Love strives in hurting. If you don't get hurt, you don't learn how to love. Love doesn’t hurt at all the time, though the hurting is still there to test you, to help you grow.

Don’t find love, let love find you. That's why it’s called falling in love because you don't force yourself to fall. You just fall. You cannot finish a book without closing its chapters. If you want to go on, then you have to leave the past as you turn the pages.

Love is not destroyed by a single failure or won by a single caress. It is a lifetime venture in which we are always learning, discovering and growing. The greatest irony of love is letting go when you need to hold on and holding on when you need to let go.

We lose someone we love only when we are destined to find someone else who can love us even more than we know ourselves. On falling out of love, take sometime to heal and then get back on the horse. But don't ever make the same one that threw you the first time.

To love is to risk rejections; to live is to risk dying, to hope is to risk failure. But risk must be taken because the greatest hazard in life is to risk nothing! To reach for another is to risk involvement, to expose true self; to love is to risk not to be loved in return.

How to define love: fall but do not stumble, be constant but not too persistent, share and never be unfair, understand and try not to demand, hurt but never keep the pain. Love is like a knife. It can stab the heart or it can carve wonderful images into the soul that always last for a lifetime. Love is supposed to be the most wonderful feeling. It should inspire you and give you joy and strength. But sometimes the things that give you joy can also hurt you in the end.

Loving people means giving them the freedom that they choose to be and where they choose to be. For all the heartaches and the tears, for gloomy days and fruitful years, you should give thanks, for you know that these were the things, which helped you grow. Loving someone means giving him the freedom to find his way, whether it leads towards you or away from you.

Love is a painful risk to take but the risk must be taken no matter how scary or painful, for only then you'll experience the fullness of humanity and that is love. Only love can hurt your heart, fill you with desire and tear you apart. Only love can make you cry and only love knows why. If you’re not ready to cry, if you're not ready to take the risk, if you're not ready to feel the pain, then you're not ready to fall in love.

There was a time in our lives when we became afraid to fall in love because every time we do, we get hurt, then I figured that's why its called falling in love.

When you decide to love, allow it to grow. When you promise to love, refuse to let it die!

DRAMA QUEEN
“When the day is long and the night is yours alone, when you're sure you've had enough of this life, well hang on. Don't let yourself go, everybody cries and everybody hurts sometimes. “. – Everybody Hurts, The Corrs

Love is also about letting go, even if it means feeling the pain of a failed relationship all over again. Only this time, the pain seems to have multiplied a thousand times more, it’s almost physical. I finally had the courage to bid goodbye to that ghost which was lingering during most of the past year. Yeah, call me a drama queen, but yesterday, tears for the love I lost came streaming down once more, sealing the finality of my resolve. And while I was busy emoting, that song played over the radio. It suddenly felt like a scene out of Dawson’s Creek, complete with background music. I started laughing. Life is really stranger than fiction. At least, even in misery, I didn’t lose my sense of humor. :)

So long:
To Diet, one of my dear friends, godspeed! Hope Australia welcomes you warmly. I will miss you gravely.

FILIPINO MOVIES
This blog is a tad too late for reviewing the 2001 Metro Manila Filmfest, but I’m going ahead with it just the same. Some, if not all of the movies are on extended run anyways so you guys still have time to catch them. I know there’s a lot of creative talent in the Philippine movie industry, but somehow, quality films are still quite rare. Blame it on commercialism. Through the years, I can only name a few movies part of my fave list: Isang Araw Walang Diyos (I watched this several times!); Oro, Plata, Mata (of course, one of the classics); Anak, Tanging Yaman… I know there are some wonderfully crafted films in the past that I unfortunately did not get a chance to watch yet. Out of the 7 films in the MMFF, I only watched 2, so I really cannot make an informed opinion on which films are the best. I watched Bagong Buwan mainly because the storyline is not only timely but interesting. Shameful as it is to admit, I know little about the struggles of our Muslim kababayans in Mindanao. After watching the movie, I realized there is a lot to learn about my country and its diverse cultures. If not for its technical merits, I’d encourage you folks to watch it for its educational substance. The other film I watched was Hubog. I admit, I watched it because I was intrigued. I never watched any of Asunta’s films and I wanted to find out if she really deserved to win the Best Actress trophy. She wasn’t exceptional, but she is definitely a better actress than most young stars of today. The backdrop of the movie was the political turmoil in late 2000 to the 1st half of 2001. There were some good cinematic moments, but the central story of the poor, young woman from the slums was really more of an eye candy, specially the, err, sizzling scenes.

Speaking of Filipino movies, I am waiting for this new film directed by Laurice Guillen called “American Adobo” . Given Guillen’s prowess, I think this will be a good one, not to mention the theme is close to my heart as well. The movie stars Paolo Montalban, the Fil-Am who starred as Prince Charming opposite to Brandy’s Cinderella in the 1997 TV version, Dina Bonnevie, Ricky Davao, among others. And good news to Filipinos in the U.S., this movie will also be shown in New York, L.A. and San Francisco.

NET READS
Intel will be introducing new processors running at 2GHz and 2.2GHz on Monday! These are the latest versions of Pentium 4 codenamed Northwood. There are great expectations performance-wise on these new products. Do check them out, folks!

I personally think Google is one of the best net inventions. It has been a great help for me in my MBA researches and because of it, I never needed to go to the library! Here are 2001’s top searches via the Year-End Google Zeitgeist . Just wanted to make note that Windows XP and Xbox are part of the top 20 gaining queries and top 10 new products. Among the top 10 women is Shakira, she is a Columbian singer I discovered while on assignment in Costa Rica back in '99. Glad to know she’s mainstream now. Nokia is the top in the brands category, no surprise, given the worldwide-craze over cellphones. Speaking of cellphones, I’m already saving up for this brand new phone I plan on upgrading to this year – the Nokia 7650 and it’s supposedly coming out Q2’02. Can’t w8! :-)

WELCOME, 2002!
“Though no one can go back and make a brand new start, everyone can start from now and make a brand new ending. “ – Carl Bard

It was raining here in Cebu on the 1st day of the year, a stark contrast to the generally sunny last few days of 2001. Elsewhere, a 5.6 earthquake hit some cities in Mindanao. Such was the welcome from the heavens. Rain, they say, brings blessings while the earthquake was probably nature’s own version of firecrackers. In the tradition of new year’s wishes, I wish that this year will indeed be more blessed than the previous, that somehow, even if we will not be spared from the difficulties and trials, we will come out better persons than we were.

After all the revelry died down, slightly intoxicated, I retreated into my childhood room on new year’s day, and I cried. I cried for all the pain and hardships in 2001. I cried to wash away the heartaches, broken relationships, lost opportunities. They say a good cry is cathartic. And indeed I feel “cleansed” as I welcome 2002. I am ready to face whatever it brings.

Making new year’s resolutions have never been a personal habit. Instead, I did a post mortem of the past year to highlight the most important lessons that I’ve learned.

LOVE & RELATIONSHIPS
* If you have made the decision to love, then stand by it. Love freely, unconditionally. Have faith. Trust.
* Paranoia has no place in a relationship. It will slowly eat away all the goodness and love.
* If you can’t trust a person you’re with, then get out of the relationship as fast as you can.
* People come into our lives for a reason. To teach us a lesson, to pave the way to another direction. Sometimes they stay, sometimes they don’t. But it’s the legacy that they leave behind that’s important. So don’t be afraid to love and accept a person in your lives. The bittersweet memories are far better than regrets.
* A child’s innocence can touch the most jaded among us.
* A family member’s love and compassion does not fade away with distance or time. There is no end to a parent’s or sibling’s love.

MONEY
* Money is easier spent than earned.
* I am part of the global economy and thus I am not spared. It is high time to be wise, financially.
* Multiple credit cards are not advisable for impulsive/emotional shoppers like me. I have trimmed down my credit cards to two.
* Make “cost-cutting” a mindset instead of just a temporary action in this hard time. Be on the constant lookout for potential savings, both for your company and personally.

CAREER
* There are a lot of good opportunities and there are no wrong choices. Once you’ve made your choice, it’s up to you to make the most out of it.
* Do what feels closest to the desires of your heart.
* If you are happy with what you’re doing, going forward is not a problem.
* Taking up MBA takes a lot of dedication and commitment. It is not easy juggling work, school and personal life. But it can be done.

ETC.
* No matter what state you’re in, there always a good and bad side to it. What matters is you focus on the good and seek to understand the lessons of the bad.
* Being single is not so bad, after all. And yes, there is life after a relationship.
* Life is beautiful! :-)

Post script:
Just got back from Cebu. When I left earlier, it was rather chilly and very windy. It has been like that since start of the year. And I loved the weather. But I decided to go back to Manila earlier than planned because I was enjoying my vacation too much, and have not started any work or my take home midterm exams. Oh well, such is my reality and even if I don’t want to face it yet, I have to. *Sigh*