I don’t know what it is exactly that turned me off about Valentines Day.
Every year, I always write in one way or another about how I think of Valentines as an unnecessary holiday. “Every day should be Valentines day, why wait for Feb 14 to come just to show affection to the people you love? Every girl deserves flowers,” I’ll say. And that still holds true until now. You shouldn’t wait for that one day of the year to tell the people you love that you love them. There are 365 freakin days (in this case, 366 even) in a year. Diba?!
I remember my friend telling me last year that maybe I am just being all cynical to cover up the fact that I’ve never really had a particularly memorable Valentines day. I’ve experienced being single and in a relationship on this day multiple times, and I admit, nothing particularly stand out. But believe me, it’s nothing like that. I guess I just don’t fancy the idea of reassuring your partner that they are loved through a made-up holiday. When you are showered with love and affection on a daily basis, you don’t need a special holiday to make a special statement. I should know.
Anyway, it is not entirely useless though. I remember back in high school I told my guy best friend that I’ve never received flowers my entire life. He remembered that and on Vday, a bouquet of flowers was sent to our classroom. A note said: “You’re a wonderful person and you deserve this.” I can’t help but smile the entire day! Not that I care about getting flowers, but the fact that a friend (he’s just a platonic friend, really) remembered small things like that suddenly made me feel special. From then on, I make it a point to send little notecards to my classmates on Vday just to make them feel special. Bottomline is: It feels good to make someone special. Even just for a day.
I guess there are few occasions that allow us to be open with our affection, even for those of us who are already generous with it. So if you’re celebrating today, I hope you make someone happy. If you’re working up the courage to tell that special someone that they are, in fact, a special someone, best of luck!
If you are single though, remember that Valentines day can be summed up to three words: NO BIG DEAL. Being alone on this day doesn’t mean you will be lonely for the rest of your life. It only means that the one isn’t here yet and that this is one less day you will have to go through without them.
I don’t think we say “I love you” nearly enough. So any day that encourages it is actually quite fine by me.
Just don’t forget to say it again on each of the remaining 320 days of the year.
Disclaimer: I’m probably the one-millionth person to touch on this topic, but still..allow me my two cents.
Life is indeed full of simple pleasures. You know, things that don’t cost a penny but can bring an abundance of joy to us. And in my stressful and chaotic days, there are some things that pleasantly surprise me and can turn my normal day into a brightened one. Here are the simple joys of life that I will always cherish:
1. Finding money I never knew I had. Don’t you just love finding a crisp 100 peso bill or some lose change in your newly washed jeans? I may not be rich, but I sure am richer now than a few seconds ago.
2. That first sip of ice cold water when you’re thirsty. You know, after a few hours of jogging/walking, or being out at 12 noon to run some errands is enough for me to appreciate that first sip of any cold beverage. Refreshing!
3. The smell of a new magazine or book. I like the smell of new books and magazines. There are few things more gratifying to me than opening a new book and breathing that new-book scent in. It’s just magical.
4. Staying in bed on a cold rainy day. I am sure we all had that moment when getting out of bed to prepare for work or school during a rainy day is just the hardest thing ever! Suddenly, being in bed feels like nirvana and you would rather be with your pillows than get up and live your life.
5. Getting a massage. Don’t you just wish massages never end? Sunday nights are a time for me to relax and get a home-service massage. That’s me gearing up for the dreaded Monday.
6. Looking at old pictures and letters. My sister recently cleaned up her closet and she was sharing with us some old letters given to her in high school. She showed me some letters given to her by my boyfriend (they go way back) and we all laughed hysterically! I love the nostalgic feeling of reading old letters from friends and family, I’m sure most people too.
7. Soft pajamas and fresh, clean bed sheets. I love the smell of clean sheets! Cold nights while you’re in your soft pajamas tucked in a comforter = heaven.
8. Inside joke among friends. My bestfriend Bene and I had a ton of these and I love how a single word can make me laugh or smile (or snort) while the people around us don’t have a clue what’s going on. Alamonayan…
9. A wink from my crush. What would you do if the man of your dreams a.k.a your ultimate crush randomly winks at you? Well, YOU DIE. Hehe.
10. Hearing the right song at the right moment. It doesn’t matter where I am: office, bar, or even in the streets, hearing that right song in such perfect timing is definitely a mood-lifter. It’s like the meaning of life suddenly made sense..
11. The announcement of “no classes” due to bad weather. I may be an office girl now but I remember the feeling of getting up early on a stormy weekday and anxiously waiting for class suspension on TV or radio. “Wala pong pasok ang elementary at high school sa buong Metro Manila!” – 10 years ago this line is just music to my ears!
12. Random compliments from strangers. Have you ever experienced a total stranger brightening up your day? Security guards, fast food service crew, or even an anonymous netizen. As a blogger, one of the biggest compliments anyone can ever give me is by telling me that they enjoy reading my blog. You have no idea the joy it gives me whenever a stranger sends me an email just to tell me how much he/she appreciates my writing.
13. Finishing what I’ve started. I am not proud of it, but I procrastinate a lot. That is why whenever I get to accomplish something, I feel really good because I made myself useful for that day.
14. Getting freebies! Need I say more?
15. Unexpected package or snail mail. There was a point in time when I was so addicted to online shopping because of one thing: I love receiving packages! Yes, even if it’s something I bought online. There’s this sheer of excitement of tearing the box open, or reading an actual mail from an actual person and not some financial statement from some bank.
16. Baby Kiann randomly telling me “I love you Ninang Kat.”Aaaahh…wala ng mas sasarap pa!!! Oh my gosh this kid never fails to surprise me with sweet nothings. He’s the only one who can put me in such great mood in a snap!
I was thinking of upgrading my Blackberry for months now but I’m still undecided on what to get until now. For those who don’t know me, there are only two things I am VERY much OC about: my book collection and my mobile phone. My Blackberry is everything to me. All my friends know that I am addicted to social media (I am more reachable via Twitter than text) that is why I really take my time before I choose my next phone.
Anyway, I just thought it would be fun to blog about all the mainstream phones I had in my entire life. Mainstream — meaning not the secondary phones I had on the side (come on, we all have that! haha). Just a little trip down to memory lane, shall we? (Warning: Teenagers may not be able to relate, hahaha. Gosh I suddenly felt old.)
1) Sony Ericsson A1018 – It was May 2, 2000 (It was that momentous that I even remember the exact date, hahaha) when my dad sent me this phone from Saudi. He used to work as a Quality Control Supervisor at Sony Ericsson in Riyadh and he sent me this as a reward for being an honor student. I probably spent more prepaid load using this phone than the one I have now! Grabe, my 500 load? Gone in 3-5 days! (Amen to Sun Cellular for introducing call and text unlimited!) I also had my first boyfriend through this phone. You see, I went to high school in Tagaytay — far away from where I went in grade school. I was attached to my grade school friends so much and text is the only way to communicate with them. A couple of call cards later, I got reunited with my 5th grade ka-love team and started our long-distance relationship. Hahaha. Anyway, the rest is history.
2) Nokia 3210 - Every person in my generation must’ve had this phone at some point in their lives. I had this in my junior year, a hand me down from my sister who just got a 3310 at that time. The era of colored backlights, holograms and housings! One of the prettiest phones ever made, don’t you think?
3) Nokia 3310 - Snake II (the one with no walls and with different mazes), Pairs II, Space Impact (It’s like Galaga to those familiar with family computer, haha), and Bantumi (sungka, anyone?). So apart from texting, everyone in my senior year was busy playing games with this phone. Beat the high score! I love this phone because it’s one of the sturdiest phones ever.
4) Nokia 3650 - And the era of camwhoring began.. I bet you about 60-80% of everyone’s pictures of the now-defunct reinvented Friendster were taken using a VGA camera phone like this one (circa 2005, lol). MMS and sending images via bluetooth were all the rage at that time, not to mention unlimited contacts! Oh, and the call and SMS phone logs (na source ng away ng mag-jowa pag na-delete!).
5) Nokia 3250 - Isn’t she so pretty? I love this phone so much that I regret selling it on eBay. This was the time when music phones (with better cameras) are in. This is also the very first gadget that I bought with my hard-earned money. I wish Nokia resurrects this model with social media capabilities, hehehe.
6) Nokia 6300 - I got this for free when I applied for a Globe postpaid plan. I liked the small characters in SMS so I ditched my 3250 for this. Very sleek and thin, far from the bulky phones I used to have. It doesn’t do much that’s why I easily got bored with it.
7) Blackberry Pearl Flip 8220 - My love affair with Blackberry began in April 2009. Never turned my back from it since. This was an early birthday gift from my then-bestfriend. I’ve already blogged about this, so just check it out there.
8) Blackberry Bold 9000 - I don’t really wanna give up my Pearl but it’s super laspag na that I had no choice but to buy a new one. People have been asking me why not iPhone instead? The reason why I chose Blackberry over iPhone is actually not because of BBM, but because of its keypad. You can argue with me, but I think that Blackberry phones have hands down the best set of keypads ever to grace a mobile device. I am not a fan of touch screen phones, not now, not ever. QWERTY keypads is the way to go for me.
9) Blackberry Bold 9700 - My current phone. I’ve had it for more than a year already so naturally, my fingers screams for an upgrade now. For a social media addict like me, can you imagine having a phone that can only do call and text and nothing else? I rarely load up these days because most of my friends are already on BBM, Twitter or Whatsapp so SMS actually has no use for me anymore.
That’s it! I don’t know what my next phone is gonna be, I may try an iPhone or an Android (the Galaxy S2 is just WOW) but rest assured, I will remain a Blackberry-user. (Hello two phones ulit, why not? Hehe)
What about you, do you still remember ALL the mobile phones you had since day 1?
I had hoped you’d see my face and that you’d be reminded that for me it isn’t over..
I am not broken-hearted nor sad but Bamboo‘s rendition of Someone Like You suddenly made me feel lonely. He is that good. His soulful voice will make you feel the emotions of the song no matter what your mood is. This has been playing on my pc on loop for 3 hours now. Never gets old.
Now I am not sure if it’s the song or the fact that I just enjoy solitude. Maybe both.
I was talking to my friend Maria about how Pinoys in general tend to be more sensitive than European guys. She grew up traveling to every part of the world (her dad is a diplomat) that is why she is very much exposed to different types of people. I pointed out to her that Pinoys are sensitive by nature and that most of us are careful not to hurt other people’s feelings, even though we ourselves are offended or hurt. That is why when we are pissed about something, most of us tend to resort to non-confrontational means just to avoid arguments (i.e. avoidance of the person, crying silently, pakiramdaman, parinig, scowling, etc.).
I admit that I am also like that on some level. I remember I was so annoyed at someone recently but I don’t wanna talk to her about it because I was worried that “she might get offended and think that I was bullying her.” So I kept it to myself and just kept on complaining every single day. I don’t know how it started, but I grew up having a hard time dealing with difficult things. I’m the type of person who is not very fond of confrontations; and if I know that something I feel has the potential to cause friction, I’d rather shut it down and keep it to myself.
Aside from that, I also have the tendency to express my frustration in other ways that are totally unrelated to what I’m pissed about. If I feel like I cannot express my anger, I end up expressing it in other ways — by being difficult, by being mean, by being moody, etc. I know it’s unfair. And I know that being difficult only makes things worse instead of discussing it to the person concerned. I can’t help it. It’s a habit for me to deny that something is wrong and continue to wish that it will just resolve on its own. Until the time comes when I realize that it’s never going away.
Is it just me, or is it inherently a Filipino trait not to want to rock the boat? Like Maria, friends who lived abroad always tell me how blunt everyone is elsewhere — particularly in the west. Is it really a part of our culture to be overtly polite? Have we developed this insane sensitivity to even the slightest things, that we’ve totally dismissed frankness out of us?
I already told myself that I’d skip again the annual review because my year has really been full of mixed emotions. But then, this past few weeks I read tons of year-ender posts that I felt inggit for not having my own. So I thought, maybe I can make one and highlight the good things that happened to me instead. It’s not much, but it’s still nice to look back on the year that was. I find it nostalgically surprising on how much has changed 12 months ago. Anyway, here it is. Albeit late, my very own 2011 Annual Review: Captured in Polaroids.
Jan – Started the year with the christening of my new godson, Zaias. His existence into this world brought so much change to the life of my bestfriend. Our usual drinking sessions now turned into heart-to-heart talks about motherhood, lovelife, career, or life in general. It felt so weird, but in a good way of course.
Feb – Celebrated my mom’s birthday with a little gambling spree with the boyfriend, sister and kuya. One of the most simple but fun family bonding we had. Hoping for a repeat this year!
March – Ended my fruitful first semester at UPOU. It was tough having to juggle school and full-time work but my classmates/friends made it easier and fun for me.
April – I hang out with my friend Ann almost all the time but I rarely get to be with the guys so this little get together is so special for me. I miss my Stream teammates!
May – Ended my job in Ingram Micro. The SWAP team of IM Tech Support has got to be the funniest and noisiest team I have ever been in. I’m proud I was able to work with these people. They are smart, funny and wholesome. If y’know what I mean.
June – My Hubwoo family is one of the best things that happened to me this year. Laidback environment, the best boss, the best teammates, what more can you ask for? I really feel that my relationship with this company will last.
July – My Hubwoo girl ‘mates really helped me a lot in coping with my heartbreak that month so I am very thankful to them. To my girls, especially to Maria and Mheann — thank you!! <3
Aug – Highlight of that month was my friend Robb’s birthday. It’s been a while since I partied (it’s always laidback drinking sessions with random people) so I really enjoyed going out once again.
Sept – After four years, I finally got the chance to see my ABX team once again! Xenia is leaving for Canada that is why I cannot miss reuniting with them. One of the best get-togethers I had in 2011.
Oct – Finally had my virgin hair dyed for the very first time! This is the most drastic change I’ve done to my hair so far. I love being redhead, it made me feel so liberated and confident!
Nov – Reunited with Patrick after several months of being apart. We are still working out our issues but so far I am very much happy and in-love.
Dec – My dad got sick this year but I am thankful to God that he is feeling better now. I hope 2012 will be a lot better for him healthwise.
So, there! Again, it’s not much as compared to several people who had a more fruitful year than mine. But looking back, I still feel blessed that I made it to 2012 alive. Annual reviews are something that I try to do habitually because I believe that self-awareness is one of the fundamental things a person needs to have in order to remain driven and motivated in life. It serves as a barometer for me if I am doing well in my life journey. 2011 was kind of a tough year for me, but I intend to make my 2012 awesome no matter what! Are you with me?
Had so much fun answering this year’s questions. I felt like I was being interviewed for a magazine. Hehe. Anyway, here you go:
1. As a blogger, where do you draw inspirations for your posts? Most of the time, I write based on what I saw/read online that I think deserves a far longer commentary than a simple status on Facebook. Or I may have encountered a fascinating/irritating scenario during the day and used my blog to rave or rant. As I’ve said, I just basically throw myself out there in word form depending on whatever mood I am.
2. If you could swap blogs with another blogger for a post, who would you switch with and why? Dawn Meehan. I am not a mom so I couldn’t relate to her posts sometimes, but oh my goodness she is just so freakin’ hilarious! I landed on her blog years ago when I got this forwarded email regarding an eBay item and I can’t get enough of her ever since! I wish I have even just half of her wit and humor.
3. If your blog had a theme song, what would it be? Why? Fergie’s “Big Girls Don’t Cry.” Haha! A good amount of my older posts were written when I was heartbroken, pissed about something/someone, or sad over something totally irrelevant. I am such a cry baby growing up and had a series of misfortunes so I ended up using my blog to rant and be emotional. Now, even though my posts are still related to my personal experiences – I make it a point to write in an objective manner (or at least I try to) so that my family and friends who regularly read my blog don’t grill me with my “emotional” posts.
4. What is your writing process for a post? Oh my, I don’t have a process, system or whatsoever! I just practically blurt out anything on my mind and then rearrange the words so all my jumbled thoughts make sense. I’m a lousy blogger I know.
5. Your blog requires a cute, new, mascot – what would it be?
Does it have to be a mascot? Because I think Xmen’s Mystique best represents me and my blog. I like her silent, badass chick personality. And my blog really is full of complains about everything I can think of, not some of kind of “Let’s save the planet” or some sort of humanitarian thing that pushes every reader to do good deeds. So my blog kinda leans more to the villain side rather than the superhero.
6. Do you feel you express your “true self” on your blog? I would like to say yes, but the thing is, public blogging sort of forced me to maintain a façade of sorts. I mean, I was always honest, but I was dishonest in a sense that I felt compelled to tuck parts of myself away, parts that I don’t necessarily think I should have been ashamed of. It’s like a part of me wanted to show everybody who I really am, but another part of me feels embarrassed for being too out in the open to strangers.
7. What is your biggest online pet-peeve? CAPTCHA! Seriously, it sucks big time. I mean I know it is necessary to filter spams and bots, but you’ve got to admit that most of the jumbled letters are unreadable most of the time! Making you type words that are too difficult to figure out just to prove that you are a real breathing human being is a tad insulting most of the time. I mean c’mon, we are in an era where flying cars are a reality, can’t they think of a more reasonable way to validate that you’re alive?
8. If you could live in a fictional universe, where would you live? Why?
Wizarding World, definitely. I maybe a Muggle-born but I am definitely a fuckin’ witch. The Sorting Hat placed me in Ravenclaw by the way (for my intelligence, creativity and wit!).
9. You’re having a bad day, you’re upset, you’re angry, or you’re sad – what is your go-to comfort?
That would have to be the TV series FRIENDS. I am not really fond of watching old movies or tv series but this one is an absolute exception. Hands down the BEST series of all time! I don’t know why but I still laugh my ass off even though I must’ve watched it a million times already.
10. What is your favorite inspirational quote?
“Because the ones who are crazy enough to think that they can change the world, are the ones who do.”
I saw Apple’s “Think Different” brand campaign a couple of months ago and it made an impact on me. Every person on the planet wants to be successful in what they do, and when that happens to me I hope one day a stranger looks at me and say: “Who is this person and what did she do that was so different?”
11. If they were to make a movie based on your life, who would play you, your leading lady/man, your best friend, and your rival? As my fab self: Saab Magalona (local) / Shay Mitchell (foreign) My leading man: Xian Lim (local) / Ian Somerhalder (foreign) Rival: Assunta de Rossi (local) / Katie Cassidy (foreign)
Saab and Shay, because I love their looks and personality, either of them will do a good impression of myself; Xian and Ian obviously because they’re hot; and Assunta and Katie, because of their fierce-I’m-a-badass-attitude. As for the title, well…sponsor my movie and then we’ll talk. Haha!
12. Do you think the world is going to end in 2012? Oooohhh the Doomsday Prophecy on 12.12.2012! Well, the quick answer is NO, but I wanna talk about it further. When I was a teenager I was fascinated with prophecies and theories so I did a little research (and by that I meant Google) on this in highschool. From what I understood, this prophecy is based on the Mayan calendar that is basically designed to keep track of events back in ancient times and is only capable of counting up to over 5,000 years since it was created. This prediction strongly reminded me of the Y2K bug in year 2000 that is said to crash every computers causing a major worldwide disruption. But it didn’t happen, did it?
As Karl Kruszelnicki states: “…when a calendar comes to the end of a cycle, it just rolls over into the next cycle. In our Western society, every year 31 December is followed, not by the End of the World, but by 1 January. So 13.0.0.0.0 in the Mayan calendar will be followed by 0.0.0.0.1 – or good-ol’ 22 December 2012, with only a few shopping days left to Christmas.”
13. If you could change anything about yourself, what would it be? My procrastinating tendencies. I wish to be like other people who don’t waste their time and pursue what they want. I tend to give all sorts of alibis and reasons as to why I am so lazy to finish some of my stuff.
Oh, and I’d be happier if I lose 20 pounds too! Haha
14. What is your favorite season and why? We only have three seasons here in the Philippines: Summer (March to May), Rainy Season (June to Nov) and Cold Season (Dec to Feb). While most Filipinos (especially students) prefer Summer because of beach getaways, I actually like the Cold Season more. I love staying in bed cuddling with my pillow, wearing sweater, the fog, hot coffee in a cold morning, everything!
15. You’ve been bitten by a vampire. Would you fight it with all your undead being or would you embrace it for all it is worth?
Depends who bites me, haha! If it is Damon Salvatore, then by all means! I’m sorry, but who can resist a vampire as hot as him? I’ve always been a bit of a vampire junkie so I really wouldn’t mind being turned into one. As long as they don’t sparkle!!!
16. Have you personally met any of your blogger friends? Unfortunately, I haven’t. To be honest I don’t really have friends that I met through blogging (though I have friends who blog, but that’s different) and I am hoping that joining this meme would be a chance to meet some.
17. What does your favorite pair of underwear look like? Omg! Hahaha. Errrmmm.. I am about to skip this question but then I remembered that part of the rules is to answer everything. So fine, lol. My favorite pair of undies is black and plain. No lace. I like it because I feel sexy everytime I wear it.
18. Have you ever drank something right from the container in the refrigerator knowing other people will have to drink out of the same container later? I seriously don’t remember but prolly yes. At least once. I know, I’m disgusting, lol. Don’t tell my mom though, she still thinks that I am a sophisticated sweet lady. Hehe.
19. What is your favorite word and explain why? My favorite word is thing, or stuff. That’s because you can use it to name anything that exists. “You know, that sort of thing..” Prolly one of the most overused words in America. Right?
20. 2011 is soon coming to a close, is there anything you’d like to do different on your blog in the year 2012? Next year, I intend to write more often. Between my graveyard work and school during the day, my schedule is pretty hectic. But above all things I regularly do, I love blogging the most so I will try my best to share my thoughts more frequently.
That’s was fun! Now here’s the list of participating bloggers in this year’s MeMe, feel free to check out their answers on the same set of questions.
5) Nokia 3250 - Isn’t she so pretty? I love this phone so much that I regret selling it on eBay. This was the time when music phones (with better cameras) are in. This is also the very first gadget that I bought with my hard-earned money. I wish Nokia resurrects this model with social media capabilities, hehehe.
Had so much fun answering this year’s questions. I felt like I was being interviewed for a magazine. Hehe. Anyway, here you go:
Does it have to be a mascot? Because I think Xmen’s 
Depends who bites me, haha! If it is Damon Salvatore, then by all means! I’m sorry, but who can resist a vampire as hot as him? 
On Being Passive-Aggressive
I was talking to my friend Maria about how Pinoys in general tend to be more sensitive than European guys. She grew up traveling to every part of the world (her dad is a diplomat) that is why she is very much exposed to different types of people. I pointed out to her that Pinoys are sensitive by nature and that most of us are careful not to hurt other people’s feelings, even though we ourselves are offended or hurt. That is why when we are pissed about something, most of us tend to resort to non-confrontational means just to avoid arguments (i.e. avoidance of the person, crying silently, pakiramdaman, parinig, scowling, etc.).
I admit that I am also like that on some level. I remember I was so annoyed at someone recently but I don’t wanna talk to her about it because I was worried that “she might get offended and think that I was bullying her.” So I kept it to myself and just kept on complaining every single day. I don’t know how it started, but I grew up having a hard time dealing with difficult things. I’m the type of person who is not very fond of confrontations; and if I know that something I feel has the potential to cause friction, I’d rather shut it down and keep it to myself.
Aside from that, I also have the tendency to express my frustration in other ways that are totally unrelated to what I’m pissed about. If I feel like I cannot express my anger, I end up expressing it in other ways — by being difficult, by being mean, by being moody, etc. I know it’s unfair. And I know that being difficult only makes things worse instead of discussing it to the person concerned. I can’t help it. It’s a habit for me to deny that something is wrong and continue to wish that it will just resolve on its own. Until the time comes when I realize that it’s never going away.
Is it just me, or is it inherently a Filipino trait not to want to rock the boat? Like Maria, friends who lived abroad always tell me how blunt everyone is elsewhere — particularly in the west. Is it really a part of our culture to be overtly polite? Have we developed this insane sensitivity to even the slightest things, that we’ve totally dismissed frankness out of us?
Just a thought.