on his way...

Irvin is now on his way to the US. He left Manila last night at 1220am eastern standard time via Asiana Airlines and is expected to arrive 730pm tonight.

what if?

All you had were uncertainties and speculations from the very start. All you know is you didn’t have… not even a slight good impression on the person. Most things seem to have changed… the unusual became the usual. You also felt bad as you’ve never received that attention and that kind of treatment and yet this person got everything in an instant. You keep on finding faults in the person just so you could justify. But even then, all you hear are good criticisms about the person. More so, you’re the only one who feels that way. The people you’re concerned of…the people you’re trying to protect…sad to say, seem to be fine with it. And whatever it is that’s happening, they think that there is nothing wrong about it and so, they accept it as it is.

You’ve been very anxious. It was slowly eating you and even the things that you do have been affected so much. It was a really hard decision on your part to have let go of those assumptions and convinced yourself to just go with the flow.

Days became weeks… weeks turned into months until… some unexpected news broke out one sunny day. You were told about a short but powerful message that could prove your presumptions. Your body felt numb. You can’t talk for a moment. You didn’t know what to say. You can’t even cry. You can hear someone talking to you but couldn’t really understand what he is saying. You were thinking of something else. You were in a different world for some time. You were confused. You can’t think of what you need to do…for the people you care for. Until… you burst into tears and the only emotion you entertained was anger.

Now what? Can you think of a way to fix this mess? Maybe! But… how?

It's my cousin Gail's birthday today! I miss her...a soft spoken, chubby and sweet girl. And pretty too!

HaPpY bIrThDaY, Gail!!! Hope you had fun (Phils. is 13 hours advanced)! All the best always! Mwah! :)

Caleruega

I’ve been to many retreats during my school days and for all those, it was only the St. Paul Retreat House in Laguna that I've liked so far…very peaceful and at its nature’s best. Until…I’ve heard of Caleruega from Weddings At Work. I have always wanted to visit this place the moment I saw it in the pictures. I'm sure it'll also be a great place for retreats. There can’t be any more beautiful and serene than nature. And Caleruega is just perfect for that beauty that is so captivating.



Special credit to this site for the pictures…

The official website of Caleruega…

How about an interesting article?

It can also be great for weddings too. Aggie & Edil from w@w were one of the many couples who got married in Caleruega. I haven't asked their permission to link their wedding pictures here so just visit their wedsite.

And as for me... I will make sure I'm going to see this place when I go home again for a vacation in the Philippines!!!

hApPy VaLeNtInE’s DaY!!!

What is so special about this day? How does every culture celebrate Valentine’s Day? Should this only be for lovers? Read more here…

Blizzard

We’ve had a too good to be true weather these past few weeks…really great that it felt like Spring in February. But it seemed like there was a sudden turn-around when we had the blizzard of 2006. Most cities in the Northeast had a foot and a half of snow. Some even had more than 2 feet…27 inches being the highest reported. Vehicles definitely had a hard time on the road. Visibility was bad. Good thing it happened on a weekend! We had to shovel twice yesterday just so it won’t pile up that much. Well I hope these will melt faster since temperatures within the week are above normal…meaning they won’t turn to ice since it won’t be that cold.

acne

I didn’t have any problems with my skin before…when I was still in the Philippines to be exact. Of course there pimples, blackheads and whiteheads once in a while but to me, they were never bothersome. No offense to my siblings but I was very glad then that I didn’t have those acnes they’ve had in their faces and backs. Worst is… those scarred. Anyway…

What is acne? What are pimples? What causes them? How do we get rid of them? Click here for more information.

According to many, people who’ve been abroad for a while have great skin…well not to compare with the people back home but it’s the cold weather that makes the skin nicer. Never mind the fact that the heater or hot water in the shower makes your skin dry. There are a lot of moisturizers for that.

Having said that, it’s not the case for me… I have had acnes, pimples and blackheads/whiteheads on my face, back and chest. I was very worried before I got married. I went to a dermatologist a year and a half before the wedding. Dr. Applebaum tried to help solve my problem. I tried on different things… Tri Luma… Brevoxyl creamy wash… and even pills like Adoxa which caused serious heartburns that I had to stop taking it. Some of those creams were not even covered by my insurance so I had to pay them from my pocket. I also felt that it worsened the marks containing a strong ingredient maybe. Even my gown design choice was affected. I originally planned on wearing a semi-haltered one which obviously had a high neckline. It was like a month before my scheduled trip to the Philippines that I let go. But I would say the marks on my back lightened a little bit given that long time of treatment. My friends were surprised when they saw me. They even kidded saying I’m not for America. And then to my amazement, my skin cleared out in a week’s time. Veluz (my designer) instantly changed the gown design when she saw me. How do you think was I able to wear this. I even had the nerve to wear this which I never did in my whole life. I mean it’s not as great as you expect but it’s far better than my skin before I started the treatment. I am a Filipina who got used to a hot weather and maybe my skin can’t really adjust to the cold weather.

I thought that was it…my skin back to normal. But I was wrong. It was fall season when I got back here in the states. And as it got colder, all the more that these acnes are coming out. I’m under treatment again. I wonder when this is going to end. I’m just very tired and impatient…

'mga bilin'

Irvin will be arriving in 3 weeks. Have I thought of the things that I want him to bring? Well here are what I have in mind… so far:

- Cigarettes (for my landlady’s sons and 2 co-workers... A pack of cigarettes costs $6 here at an average!)
- Quickmelt Ensaymada (yummy!)
- Goldilock’s Pastillas de Leche
- Piattos
- Boy Bawang (Haha! The ever tasting kornik!)
- Knorr cubes (chicken, beef, pork & shrimp)
- Sinigang mix
- Kare-Kare mix (for Manong Nel)
- Suman kanin & suman cassava
- Empanada Royale
- Reno liver spread (The Reno spread here tastes different…)
- Henna wax

Most of the above are available in Filipino stores except for the pastries but they’re cheaper in the Philippines of course! 'Dami ko pa gusto pero di pwede dalhin eh baka maharang pa sa immigration.' What else do you think?!

Tagged by Cynchie!

4 jobs I've had in my life
1. Credit Control Officer for Castrol Phils.
2. Accountant for KMC Exim Corp., New York
*Sorry this is only my 2nd job so far…

4 movies I could watch over and over
1. Pretty Woman
2. Gladiator
3. My Best Friend’s Wedding
4. The Shawshank Redemption

4 Places I've Lived
1. Cabanatuan City
2. San Andres Bukid
3. Marikina City
4. New York

4 tv shows I love to watch
1. Dancing with the Stars
2. C.S.I. Las Vegas
3. Without a Trace
4. 7th Heaven

4 Places I've Been on Vacation
1. Baguio
2. Laguna
3. Laur, N.E. (does this even count?!)
4. Puerto Galera

4 websites I visit daily
1. Yahoo!
2. Blogsssssss
3. Pinoycentral
4. Hotmail

4 of my favorite foods
1. Barbeque
2. Purefoods Hotdog
3. Chocolates
4. Caldereta

4 places I'd rather be right now
1. working in one of the big buildings in Manhattan (New York City)
2. touring in Europe
3. vacationing in a cozy beach resort
4. or just being in the Philippines with my family and friends

4 bloggers I'm tagging
1. Alynn
2. Marj
3. Pao
4. Nette