Sunday Video: Head Over Feet

Happy Sunday to all!



Wishes do come true after all =)

Just a plug. Check out our activities for October in my work blog.

365 Days of An Apple a Day

It's been a year since I set-up this blog in Mountain View, California last year (that's why my dates are messed up a bit). I remember being so very dazed (due to jetlag) when someone gave us a talk about Blogger and all I could remember then was that we should sign-up for an account. I signed-up after and copy-pasted one of my favorite posts from my Friendster blog. I never took blogging seriously then (well it's still a pasttime for me until now) and just did posts sparingly until Janette urged me to blog more and gave me tips and directed me to try out other stuff like Technorati, Digg etc.

I would've started blogging more by December 2006 but I got stuck for a while in Jakarta and then the earthquake hit, accessing the internet over there was next to impossible. So it was only in January that I really started blogging a lot, then I attended the Blog Parteeh and then the rest is what you could say is history.

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The past year has definitely been a journey for me. As Sorsi keeps telling me lately, "Makulay masyado ang buhay mo mare." Not that I want it to be that way (LOL), but I'd say that it's been a really exciting year for me. I'm sure if you've been following An Apple a Day in the past year you'd know that my life's been riddled with ups and downs, triumphs and failures, but hey isn't that the way one is supposed to live life? I'd say, just do it, be happy, but don't forget about the important stuff such as values and responsibilities.

Gawd, I write too much and I still wanna make another post on my work blog before I turn in to sleep. Anyway, here are some posts which may be significant to me, made favorite by others or just whatever -

I am Filipino and Proud to be One

Travel: Bohol and Cebu

Bloggers Raid Puerto Galera

Meme: Funniest Childhood Memory

I am M.E. Miguel Escueta

Cebu Love Thoughts: How Will I Know if He is the One?

Meme: The Ideal Guy

Single vs. Married? Which is Better?

On Philippine IT News

I Won a Car from the Top 10 Emerging Influential Blogs Party

Taste Asia Blogger Food Fest: A Smashing Success

Blogger Lingo 101

I have a smattering of serious posts as well, but I noticed people like reading more about relationships and stuff about being Filipino. It's really funny how a lot of my search engine traffic come from the following keywords: my name, relationship keywords, childhood memories and other really silly stuff. Does this mean I'm silly? Yes. I mean, no, I mean yes. I mean, I guess I'm just not one to brood much. I like having lots sunshine in my life as much as possible.

Blogging I guess is my past time. I stopped writing for 8 years and I guess this is my way of forcing myself to write again (and hopefully start writing stories again) and besides I'm a very sociable person and since I don't have colleagues in the next cubicle or room to bug, blogging keeps me sane (at least my Mom doesn't catch me talking to myself anymore haha, kidding). It has also allowed me to meet many new people and gain many new friends and experience many new things. On the serious side, well, I'm going to make that post in my other blog.

You're probably bored by now... go... blog hop... to my other blogs wehehehe:

Stitching
Lakwatsera Ako
Twisted Wedding Planner
Homegrown
See all my blogs in my Google Page (get a page like this, just sign-up for Google Apps for Your Domain, it's free!)

And this day is a very significant day for me as well and I would just like to say THANK YOU SWEETIE, you made me really, really happy.

Now, I'm off to dreamland. Very bad jetlag indeed.

Emilio's First Cross Country Run

Mio, my 15-year old nephew joined the cross country team coz he wanted to try out something different. Anyway, I was just in time for his first run and I volunteered to be his paparazzi for the day (much to his embarrassment I think – his mom AND aunt watching him and we even arrived really early so we just hung-out with parents who arrived later).

My sister didn’t have any idea either on what goes on in the runs so we stuck it out and waited for more than 2 hours before Mio actually ran. My nieces, Celina and Maita, were in the swim team and they’ve got lots of medals and trophies from past winnings. Anyway, going back to the run, the kids basically would run 3 laps, totalling 5 miles (ugh!) and that doesn’t include the warm-up runs they did (I would probably pass out on the first hundred yards LOL).

It was actually fun to watch and we moved around a bit to follow the game and take photos.

Ready, get-set, GO! (video of the start-up)



Mio’s steady, winning form.


Mio almost at the finish line.


How I wish I had a dSLR and that I actually know how to take photographs. I think I might take up a bit of running when I’m home.

Bodies

One thing I love about Washington and spending time with my sister is going to museums/exhibits. The last time I visited her (a loooong time ago) I managed to visit a number of museums including the Museum of Natural History (I loooove the dinosaurs), Air & Space Museum (I’m a fan of the Apollo 11, I wonder why…), and a couple of other cool tourist spots such as the catacombs of a church, the Washington and Lincoln Monument. I have a lot of photos of those but I’m too lazy to scan them and I really don’t wanna show how I looked when I was a kid with bangs, braces and short hair.

I had a very short, but fun-filled visit with my sister. We packed everything in just 3 days. And considering that I haven’t seen her for about 5 years, it’s really great that we didn’t drive each other crazy (and I didn’t drive my brother-in-law crazy too). Anyway, I digress. So, off we went on an adventure by going to the Bodies exhibit. I had to be the navigator (it’s much easier to navigate in Washington than California believe me).


So what was in the Bodies exhibit? BODIES. Literally. It basically showed human bodies, processed and preserved to show it’s full form inside and out. The photo doesn’t do justice to what you would actually see in the exhibit.


What was remarkable was seeing a full-body skeleton holding onto the fingertips of a full-body muscled being. The guide said it was actually the same person – his skeleton and his muscles. Then there was what we thought to be leather, but was actually skin laid bare on a metal bed (thank God there was glass covering it). Then slices and cross sections of bones, lungs, the heart, the digestive system, arteries and veins which looked a lot like roots/corals, fetuses, bones of a fetus, etc. The muscles looked a lot like meat and beef jerky. Diseased lungs looked definitely gross, all-blackened up and way smaller than a healthy pair of lungs.

Weird? Creepy? It was definitely freaky, but fascinatingly so and educational. I didn’t feel quite comfortable knowing that the display were actually people. Well, the guide said the bodies were either donated or unclaimed ones. (Gives me the shivers thinking about how they must’ve lived before ending up in an exhibit). Unfortunately we weren’t allowed to take photos inside the gallery, but I could say that the exhibit met it’s objectives with me by reminding me that I should exercise!


The Bodies exhibit will be open until October 14 in Washington, D.C. Go check out their website, it’s supposed to be going around all over the world.

I'm Green

I'm about to turn in for the night and thought I should go and check-out some blogs and saw Sexymom's post about "What Color is Your Personality?" and thought, yeah, why not do something really mundane? So here's my supposedly personality color -

What color is your personality? Your personality is green! You are a curious, and inquisitive person. You have keen observational skills, and enjoy thinking about words. You are shy sometimes, and enjoy your solitude to reflect on nature. Click Here to Take This Quiz

Quizzes and Personality Tests

Green! Yes, I could be curious and I'd ask questions no matter how stupid they may seem - I learn a lot of weird stuff this way. Inquisitive? Hmmm, it really depends, I guess coz I remember enjoying sifting through loads of research data and I was fascinated by it. Keen observational skills, true, I'm a data sponge. Yes, I am shy (no? you don't agree? I'm really shy!) and I certainly enjoy just sitting by the seashore doing nothing.

I never thought of being identified with the color green - well except as a proud alumni of THE De La Salle University and it's grad school. The color green for me elicits images of nature, mountains, hills, flying down to Iloilo on a sunny day (without getting stranded!) and I'd say a green person is someone who is calm, stable, consistent, dependable... okay, okay I'm sure you get the picture and I'd say I'm definitely not a green person if that definition was followed. Green minded? Naaah.

Zzzzzz... really sleepy now. Good night world.

What I Miss Most About the Philippines

I'm feeling homesick. I'm about to go home soon, but I just wanted to rant about the stuff I miss about the Philippines.


1. My Family, especially Miguel. I miss all the hugs sweetie. I miss my Mom and Dad a lot too (yes, even the sermons I get every so often).

2. My Friends, especially my best friends - Darwin, Anne, Tappy and Jay. And, of course, my online and offline friends.

3. My Parish. Yes, I always feel sad whenever I hear mass in another church. Oh, and it's supposed to be our Parish fiesta soon. Too bad, I won't be around again. Sheesh.

4. Pinoy Food. My Pinoy breakfasts! Tosilog, longsilog, tapsilog... my Ate made up for it though. I remember going crazy Wednesday last week coz I was craving for rice badly.

5. The beach. I saw a bit of the beach in San Francisco and imagined how cold it would've been to take a dip. Nahhhh, I like my beach warm and calm.

6. Knowing where to go. I'm a very independent person and I don't really like relying on someone to get me from one point to another. But being in that situation made me realize that it's nice to have someone taking care of you.

7. OPM! I looooove Pinoy music and I even got my friends the Edu Manzano dance hits CD. Too bad I forgot to bring it to the party last Friday. I was certainly delighted that my best friend launched the Titikpilipino podcast last week.

8. My bed. I must have spent a lot of time this year sleeping in hotels and I just simply miss snuggling in my own bed.

9. Working at home. I mean, my study room. I miss the Greenwich tinted walls, my desk, getting a lot of SMS, hordes of email (I'm still getting those though) and doing all those crazy stuff I do everyday.

10. My hamsters. I hope Miguel's been taking care of them!

I'll be home soon!

*Photo taken at the Observation Tower of the Smithsonian Air & Space Museum (yes, the other one located near Duller Airport) and that's my sister =)

I Left My Heart in San Francisco

From 20,000 miles up in the air
Transiting to Washington, D.C.

I couldn’t believe how time flew so fast. The week was long but made short with a flurry of activities from morning till the evening. I must’ve barely slept and that made my jetlag much more worse, but I could say I learnt a lot both for work and for myself. It’s just a little sad that sometimes even though you work hard for something, it just really wouldn’t push through if it’s not meant to be. At least I could say that I tried and I took the risk. I may hyperventilate a lot, but I am no coward. The secret though is to know when to ship out.

Anyways, off to happier thoughts. I had a grand time the whole week. I attended a barbecue party right off the plane. It was a pleasant surprise that guys from this side of the world can and would do the cooking and the after-party cleanup (how come those are rare in Manila?). Sebastian and Jay could give our local barbecue restos a run for their money. Plus Juan Carlos can probably start a hamburger chain on his own. And let’s not talk about how these guys can guzzle down hoards and hoards of drinks (right Franklin?). Man, these guys could party. (And I couldn’t express how much gratitude I have for these guys for making my stay easy and fun! Thanks, hugs from me!).

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I thought it was really sweet of the guys to bring me to the Flea Market. We went around and around and around. It was so much like being in an open-air tiangge back home. I didn’t buy anything since everything’s available back home. Sunday night was spent clubbing in Poleng Lounge, San Francisco for Christine’s birthday bash. What was interesting about that night was meeting a filmmaker – Benito Bautista – who shared that he’s going to make a film about the Barong with versatile actor, Raymond Bagatsing as part of the cast. Don’t forget I volunteered to be an extra! LOL.

The whole week was spent on work. Meetings, meetings and more meetings. I spent a lot of time as well with Pinoys. You rock guys! It was a pleasure to share with them bits and pieces about home and I’m looking forward to their visits. Meeting people from different nationalities is also something I look forward to whenever I come for a visit (free lodging in any country!). I love learning about how it is in other countries, what makes them tick, what makes them laugh, how kulit they could be. I was, of course, the behaved Pinay (shy kunwari LOL) – but then they all discovered my blog. So there goes my cover. Hahaha. Keep in touch guys!

I was more than a starstruck fan when I met some rockstars. I was awed, literally drooling. Hey, I never dreamt of having this great opportunity. Come visit me when I’m home so you’ll see my new décor. Meeting them though was a great reminder to me about my mission and what I have to do and what I have to do better. Uyyy, serious.

I almost missed my flight from Salt Lake City to Washington, D.C. coz the ride from SFO was delayed. I felt a bit embarrassed that the flight was delayed coz they had to wait for me. But it wasn’t my fault anyway, and thank God they waited for me. I just hope my luggage is here in the flight as well. I’m spending some time with my Ate (yes I have one!) and I haven’t seen her for 4 years already. I hope though we don’t drive each other crazy! LOL.

System re-booting. A fresh new beginning.

Gimmick Amerika

I really want to blog in Filipino right now, but then my friends here in the US wouldn't be able to appreciate what I'm writing about. I've been here long enough to adjust a bit to the new time zone (gimme a break, it's a 15-hour time difference and someone just told me it takes a day to adjust to an hour!).

Anyway, I had a whole lot of fun - in and out of work (save for a few mishaps as usual). It's a really different world out here and here are just some differences, silly and otherwise:

1. I'm short here! Take a look at the photos. I remember last year I was so scared of getting run over or stomped on by people.

2. Culture. The Pinoys here, of course, grew up differently, but they are still very hospitable and maalaga. I've also been exposed to culture from other nations and it's really fun to experience that, plus free lodging in any part of the world. Yey!

3. Food. I miss my favorite Pinoy food, especially the breakfasts! I tried going on without rice for a couple of days, but I just really couldn't live without it. I've regained all the weight I lost already. Fat. Fat. Fat. That's me!

4. Gimmick. Well, of course, hanging out here is totally different from hanging out back home. No tsismis! But it's very much masaya.

Oh well, I've to run to a meeting now... so here are just some photos:

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Get your own

Bocce

Bocce is one of the oldest games still being played until now. Its origins come from Palestine and Asia Minor circa 5200 B.C. It’s a ball game played on finely crushed oyster shells (so that's what it was!). Basically there's this small metal ball which you roll down first and it should go past the two yellow lines in the middle of the court. The object of the game is to get your ball really close to the small metal ball. It's like bowling, but if your ball reaches the end it's going to be a dead ball.

Here's a video:



Anyway, I thought I was going to get bored out of my skull. My team lost in the first game 12-1! After that though we picked up, strategized (got our opponents a bit tipsy and we basically bumped off their balls that were near the small metal ball LOL) and they lost to us 0-12 and 3-12 (don't remember the score for last game exactly). Mind you, it isn't as easy as it looks and it's a whole lot of fun actually. We also had yummy Italian appetizers during the game and it definitely made me full even before dinner (but I ate again anyways...).

I'll be so fat before I get home. LOL.

Check out Campo di Bocce of Los Gatos they've got better videos of the game.

How to Get Over Jetlag

Personally it really takes me time to get over jetlag. And it's much more difficult for me whenever I go home - I normally end up sleeping for 3 straight days. No kidding.

These are some of the things I've been trying to do and some stuff my colleagues have been forcing me to do:

1. Force yourself to sleep at night. (But I normally end up waking up in the wee hours of the morning and I could never go back to sleep!).

2. Drink coffee. Lots of it. (But I can't, I can just have 1 glass per day coz I normally end up getting a tummy ache).

3. Stay under the sun. My friends brought me to the flea market the other day and forced me to walk around under the sun. They said that it helps you get acclimated. Uh... still didn't work for me.

4. Another colleague said I shouldn't sleep any time within the day. Just wait for the evening. (I get a lot cranky when I'm really sleepy and couldn't sleep, so I was really cranky yesterday).

5. Load up on food. (But I don't want to get fat! But I'm too late! I'm too late!).

Oh well, I'm really baaaaaadddd with this and I guess I'll just be in and out of wakefulness the whole week. I can just imagine myself when I cross the timezone again.

Zzzzzzzzz...

Blogger Play

I know, I know it's 4 a.m. already and I'm still awake. I was, uh, cramming. Anyway, I was about to log-off when I got the heads up for the newest in Blogger.

Blogger Play basically shows you a glimpse of all the photos being upload in Blogger in real time. According to Eric, the feature started off as a photo-scroller that was displayed all over the Google offices. Believe me, I'd usually stand in front of these monitors transfixed and my colleagues would usually have to drag me away from it. Now I can look at them right at my desktop!

Well, I love looking at photos and when I checked Blogger Play right now I thought it was really cool seeing all the photos people are uploading - it's like zipping from one country to another, not as a tourist, but as a local.

Well, as Disney says, "It's a small world after all!"

Check it out!

Oh... if you're a Blogger user I highly recommend joining the Filipino Blogger Help Group and get tips about blogging in Blogger.

My Brain's Frying

That's a term my former colleague coined for me when I reported for work with a fever. He said, "Hala ka, umuwi ka na, your brain is frying." I'm nowhere close to being a medical expert so I don't really know if it's true if your brain's temperature goes up as well when you have a fever. My former colleague was probably pulling my leg. (Any doctors out there? Please explain.).

Anyway, so I've been sitting in front of my PC since early this morning, puttering around, working but not as productive as usual. I can never just lie down and rest coz I feel I'll just get more sick.

Well, since I couldn't work properly, neither could I blog properly, eat, sleep, chat, write in my diary, basically I really can't do much except... watch Youtube videos! Here's one from my best friend, it's short and funny, it's Jon Santos impersonating Armida Siguon Reyna -



Okay, so I'm being scolded already to get some rest. I'm going to bed... with my laptop. Mwehehehehe!

Makulay ang Buhay sa Sinabawang Gulay

Okay, I'm not really referring to that video. It's cute and funny, but a bit annoying, I'm sure the kids would've picked it up as well just like the LUK4 jingle (LOL). Anyway, my friend's have been teasing me about having a colorful life. Nah! I really couldn't understand why I always get myself in scrapes and whatever. But things always work out one way or the other and the best thing to do a lot of times is keep mum about it (le unbloggable hehe).

Well, on the brighter side of things, there's loads to do and a lot of stuff to look forward too (but I definitely do not want to get stranded again!). Yeah, I'm just rambling on...

Oh, my poll on "What to do when you are brokenhearted?" just closed and here are the results -

Get wasted again and again - 41%
Shop till you drop - 11%
Bury yourself in work - 58%
Find a replacement for the lost love - 17%
Cry and cry until the tears run dry - 35%

Well, it was just one of those silly things, it felt just really strange when I saw a lot of my traffic come from "love and relationship" keyword searches as well. Duh! Hahaha.

Well, here's HappySlip and her "Speechless" video, a follow-up to the "Boypren" video she did a few months back.



Uh, I'm speechless about a lot of things right now and my lips are sealed... a lot of times (hihihi). What about you?

Sunday Video: The SEO Song

Here's a hilarious video from the SEO World Champion Benj Arriola.



For all those interested to learn more about search engine optimization/marketing. Attend the 1st SEMCON on October 9 to 10 at the Grand Ballroom, Hotel Intercontinnental.

For more details, click on the ad below:

Filipina Since Birth

I've been trying to write this post for the past few weeks. I've been so utterly distracted, busy (that's usual), got stranded, and well had mini-birthday celebrations here and there, so that's why I haven't had the time to sit down and compose this post.

I have time and time again wrote about how proud I am to be a Filipino and have been very emphatic why I want to stay home. That's me being Pinoy, but it's a different story when you talk about being "Filipina".

I was talking with a colleague of mine and told him that there's an ongoing online campaign to change the "image of the Filipina". Why? Coz when you search for it all types of websites that brandish our image come up. I'm not even going to mention those anymore.

Now let me share with you what I think a Filipina is based on the feedback I've gotten from my friends in other countries.

1. Pinays are maalaga (Filipinas are good care-givers) - and I don't mean that as a "job". "Pinays are big trouble," my friend said, "I just cannot help it, I want to marry a Filipina because Pinays are the best." Yes, masarap magmahal ang Pinay and we stick it out through thick or thin.

2. Family first - there are a lot of successful Filipinas worldwide. Some known for their accomplishments and there are those who are making waves but haven't reached the news, but at the end of the day, Pinays know that family comes first.

3. We're funny - not funny-silly, but funny humorous. Well that's what my friends tell me. What more can I say? We're always happy.

4. Matiyaga and Resilient - we are not one to break down easily because we are supportive of each other. In the US (my friends tell me), neighbors don't come rushing about to help you when you are sick, but here you can easily get help from your neighbors. Haven't you noticed that psychiatrists aren't big here? Coz we all have our girl-friends.

5. Beautiful - my friends tell me that they want to stay in the Philippines forever because there are so many beautiful women here. The Filipina smile is known worldwide. I remember the flag carrier even used this as one of their advertising themes.

Filipina Since Birth. That's me and that's not going to change ever. I am happy where I am even though my life's been a roller coaster ride. I know I am meant to be where I am now and I think one important unique trait of Filipinas is the fact that we have faith in God and trust Him to know what is best for us. He is pillar behind our resilience, our humor, our beauty, courage and our huge heart.

The traits are wrote above are just a handful of beautiful things we can say about being a Filipina. What about you? What do you think are the best Filipina traits?

Thanks to Dhon Jason for the photo and Francis M Clothing Co. for the shirt (they've got more styles and also take orders for those in neighboring countries).

Stranded!

Here's a photo essay on what you can do while stranded in an airport terminal -

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Get your own

A number of you might have read my crazy "Dear Charo" Twitter posts during the day. It went like this -

11:03 AM me: dear charo, ako'y sumusulat mula dito sa paliparan ng iloilo, gumising ako ng alas kwatro ng umaga upang di mahuli sa aking flightngunit datapwa't nang kami'y palipad na biglang umapak ang pilot sa brakes at kami ay paulit ulit na nag headbang

11:04 AM makakatulog na sana ako nun charo. sabi ng aking katabi pataas na kami nung biglang pilit ihinto ng piloto ang eroplano

natakot ako charo, isker! isker na isker!... to be continued... back to work muna.

2:34 PM me: dear charo, i'm still here in iloilo and trying to figure out the reason behind why i got stuck here for 10 hours now

2:35 PM naisantabi ko na ang takot ko sa nangyari kanina at handa na ako sumakay ulit ng eroplano, para lang makauwi!

me: ito nga po sa tingin ko tataba ako sa kakakain... kain kain to the max... sige kain muna ako ulit... brb

To make a long story short (yeah this is the translation), I got up at around 4:30 in the morning to be at the new Iloilo International Airport by 5:30 a.m. so I could catch the 6:45 a.m. flight. My flight was originally slated at 10:10 a.m., but I had to move it earlier because of some appointments. Yeah, yeah I always keep a crazy stream of activities every single day.

The plane was taking off already (I was almost in lala land by then) when the pilot hit on the brakes (thus the headbanging). It took a while before he mumbled something about "error in the cockpit" and then later on said, "erroneous reading". By then, I was wide awake and freaking out with my now new found friend Chat. Who wouldn't?

Anyway, the pilot said that it seemed that it was just an erroneous reading and announced that we just had to wait for the brakes to cool off so we could try taking off again. Ummm... erroneous reading??? So we tried taking off again, this time the plane glided along the runway slowly, but hit the brakes immediately at some point. Something was terribly wrong and the baby crying just pronounced that reality even more.

So, we had to get off the plane and wait at the terminal for more than an hour before any announcement was made. "We'll update in an hour." Another hour passed and then another hour and another... let's just say we finally managed to get back on the plane at 3:30 in the afternoon.

8 hours of delay equals three very important canceled meetings for me, lack of sleep, waiting for my nose to fall off because of the cold (they should've offered blankets or something!), and let's just say a lot of things got ruined as well within the day. But! At least:

(1) Nobody was hurt and the trouble came up before we managed to get up on the air;
(2) The airline fed us well;
(3) I managed to be productive (thanks to Globe Visibility); and
(4) I have a new found friend!

My Dad told me to ride another airline next time coz they have better maintenance. I was truly terrified on the ride back to Manila coz there was obviously still something really wrong with the aircraft (it was flying really low and slow!) and it didn't help that the stewards looked terrified themselves. I heard some really scary incidents about this airline (yes, crashes), but since it's very convenient to book online with them I've been using them more often than not in my trips. Hmmm, but then again lately they're becoming quite notorious in delayed flights as well. I don't even want to think about what could've happened if the "error" showed up mid-air. Pffft!

Thank God I got back in one piece.

Note to self: Do not watch "Air Crash Investigations" the night before taking a plane trip.

My Type of Guy

In the past few days I've been told, "I dunno your type." Type of guy. Hmmm, the comment came from a few guys and I thought it was kinda weird of them to ask so I just said go read my blog post about "my ideal guy" and my thoughts about finding the one.

And then I happened to read Noemi's meme about "My Type of Guy" and I thought maybe I should go through it coz I never really thought about the type of guy I like.

1. Suplado = nah, if you don't approach me first and make kulit me I'll probably end up ignoring you.

2. Mr. Shades = nope, no shades please.

3. Masculado = uhh... let's cross the bridge when we get there. I like `em cuddly, but nice arms aren't bad.

4. Guys who give flowers = I was telling the best friend earlier mababaw lang ako and I'd even place a bunch gumamela in a vase (sounds familiar Anne?). And I think this is a really nice and sweet gesture.

5. Smiling face = not more than I smile please.

6. Hiphop = hmmm, someone who's cool and can get me to dance.

7. Guys who ask permission before courting = I think this is quite important coz I could get really dense. You'd have to tell me several times before it sinks in.

8. Has earring/s = no earrings please. I personally don't like it and you'll probably scare off my Mom.

9. Used to chew bubblegum = like Noemi said, definitely a turn-off.

10. Long-hair = I like `em short.

11. Bald = I have no problem with this.

12. Antipatiko = Asa ka pa.

13. Torpe = Won't work on me dear, read #7.

14. Computer-games addict = just enough of it so he can relate to my son.

15. Basketball player = my Dad's a known basketball player in his alma mater. Yeah, someone sporty who can drag me around to exercise would be nice.

16. Mr. Count-my-ex’s-till-you-drop = No way!

17. Mestizo = doesn't really matter.

18. Guys who sing well = basta kaya mag-videoke!

19. Quiet/tame = Tame? Read #7.

20. Cum laude = has to be smart or I'll get bored.

21. Formal = Not so. I guess I want someone who's very flexible.

22. Friendly = "Friendly but not flirty" as Noemi said. Amen to that. And well my work makes me meet a lot of people, you'll have to help me out one way or the other.

23. Mr. I have an opinion about anything & everything = Nah, that's why I didn't pursue law studies. I just want to be silly a lot of times.

24. Motorcycle guy = not much.

26. Rocker = hmmm, not much.

27. Skate boarder = I think I'm too old for skaters.

28. Alaskador (prankster) = just the right amount.

29. Flirt = You may only flirt to me and me alone!

30. Mr. Campus Crush = Nah, I don't want the headache.

31. Bigotilyo = isn't that ticklish?

32. Painter = why not?

33. Galante = Yes, but not overly so... I get overwhelmed easily.

34. Mr. Love Letter = I have this collection of my Dad's love letters to my Mom and it's sooooo sweet! It doesn't have to be a love letter, little notes will do.

35. Maporma = Nah!

36. Talks Too Much = Nah! Sometimes it's just nice to be quiet.

37. Soccer Hottie = Sporty!

38. Anti-Christ = Definitely NOT!

39. Mama’s Boy = No thanks!

40. Hangs Out With His Friends A Lot = Not too much of this, I know it's important but he should be able to balance things.

41. Mysterious Guy = nope.

42. Cute Idiot = Definitely not.

43. Guitarist = Icing on the cake.

44. Wide Vocabulary Guy = that or he reads a lot.

45. Loves you = A MUST.

46. Tennis guy = Sporty! I haven't played tennis for more than a decade!

47. Dark skin = Not so dark.

48. Tall = At least 4 inches taller than me. I wear high heels sometimes hehe.

49. Chubby = Not too much.

50. Hairy = umm... umm... I dunno. Let's cross the bridge when we get there.

And definitely NOT SELOSO. You will have to trust me when I say there's only you.

Well, your turn!

Photo by the stylish Sasha Manuel of Style Manila.

Papaya!

Some of my friends who are connected to me via Gtalk have been asking me the past few days what "Papaya" is - it's been on my status message. Well, "Papaya" (which I sometimes eat) is a featured song on the "Edu Manzano World Greatest Dance Steps" CD. Uh, Edu Manzano? Don't worry, he doesn't actually sing in the album except for some bits where he just says, "Papaya!".

Okay, okay, so mababaw lang talaga ako and it doesn't take much to make me laugh. It was what my best friend used to make me laugh the whole week last week and since some of my friends are needing a bit of cheering up I thought I'd share this bit -



Oh, I do suggest getting the CD, it helps lighten the mood and I think it'd be great to use at some dinner parties at home. I'm getting one as pasalubong for my friends in the US. You can get it through the Titikpilipino e-store as well if you're abroad.

Maybe

Note: I am writing this for two sets of friends :)

I am so utterly distracted by so many things going through my mind and I just had to get this off so I can focus on the stuff I need to prioritize.

So this is going to be one of my ten minute posts.

Maybe? It's always a question between guy and gal friendships. I think I must've lived long enough to experience quite a number of friendships that may or may not have ended in a romantic relationship.

What do I mean?

Remember Joey and Dawson (of Dawson's Creek)? They were friends since they were kids and eventually explored the romantic side of their friendship. Naging sila, but after so many seasons of going on and off they eventually accepted the fact that they weren't meant to be together. So Joey ended up with Pacey.

So is it really possible to have a guy best friend? I think so. I remember having this conversation with a friend while we were traversing EDSA. He asked me that question and I said that I think it is quite normal for opposite sex friendships to go through a time of "questioning". It's where you basically start thinking whether you'd end up together or something.

Yeah, it's a very sticky situation when one or both of you start thinking about it. I hate to admit it but it's usually girls who start thinking about it first. And, unfortunately for us girls it's the attention that gets to us. Give us extra special attention and we start mincing every single detail, SMS and gesture. We can't help it. It's our nature. Don't crucify us for it, help us out of it if you want us to be your buddy.

That's why I always tell my guy friends who get in such sticky situations to always, ALWAYS, be clear from the beginning. And I tell my girl friends never, NEVER to assume anything. (I guess that's why I am soooo dense). Never let that "Maybe" hang in the air coz eventually you'll start being awkward with each other blah blah blah. It's really fun though to have a guy best friend coz they always manage to give you real "guy perspectives" and they always cheer you up when you're sad. Do they ever make selos when there's a boyfriend? Nah, I don't think so, it's usually the boyfriend who ends up getting jealous. LOL.

Oh well, my ten minutes are up.

So, I ask you, is it really possible for a boy and a girl to just be friends? Without the "maybe"?

You can Fly! I can Fly! Let's Fly!

Miguel and I have been spending the past hour traversing the universe through the new "Sky" feature in Google Earth and a friend buzzed in this video about the "Google Earth Flight Simulator".



Well... I'm leaving the controls to Miguel coz I'm sure we're going to crash down if I do the controlling.

Happy flying!

Gmail, the Final Cut Video

Gmail launched this project a few weeks ago and here's the final cut of the video -



I just absolutely love Gmail. Learn more about it here.

Things to Do to Keep You Sane

"Keep busy."

That's what I always hear my friends say when I'm going through a tough, challenging or stressful time. I'm always doing something and I never really stop. I stopped watching TV when Maging Sino Ka Man ended coz I couldn't sit around long enough to finish an episode without doing something else. I just really couldn't sit still with or without challenges facing me. ADHD ba ito? LOL.

So, anyway, what do I do to keep sane?

1. Pig-out!

Guess where I had my birthday dinner? And I only spent PhP640! At Taste Asia!

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Get your own

Saturday night dinner was at Good Earth Tea Room at the Mall of Asia. Fabulous food Tito Henry!

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Get your own

2. Eat yummy, yummy cookies!

I love cookies! I love `em so much I bake them! And I just couldn't resist Mrs. Fields! I definitely had to go to their launch last August 21 at the Mrs. Fields cafe located at the Manila Pavilion.

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Get your own

3. Go to a videoke place and belt out your frustrations. Best done with a buddy! Thanks Franklin for keeping me company on my birthday (and for reminding me again and again that it's my birthday!).

Read more about how I celebrated my birthday.

4. Attend a wedding and go crazy with your friends.

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Get your own

Read more about the wedding.

5. Check out organizations that have deeply-rooted social advocacies like the International Rice and Research Institute (IRRI) who's making sure that we'll all survive if our rice resources all disappear due to war or famine. Can you imagine not eating rice at all? I can't! And did you know that rice yield has been declining rapidly?

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Get your own

Or check out Wikipilipinas! Talking with its founder, Mr. Gus Vibal, made me realize that there are but a handful of people who are interested to preserve our heritage. Do you know who the mentor of Juan and Antonio Luna was? How do you think they learned to paint? Well, find out at Wikipilipinas! We need more Filipinos like Gus! Too bad I missed the party last Friday night. Congratulations Gus, Chard and the whole Wikipilipinas team!

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Get your own

It's been a really, really interesting roller-coaster ride birthday week. And I was really happy that my dear friend, Jajah, celebrated my birthday in Singapore when the residence hotel she's staying in sent up a birthday cake for me. I've always had her around on my birthdays since she lives just a house away from me. Well, true to form, she sent in her greetings -



I'd also like to thank Timbuk2 for sending a Becky's Kitchen thank you cake (through Geiser Maclang). And to Sassa for the yoga attire (I'm really, really so shy to wear it!)... I just might take up the offer to try out that yoga class "for overly stressed individuals" LOL.

And for this afternoon, after a really, really crazy week, I'm just going to go offline and take a well-deserved looooong nap.

What about you? What keeps you sane?

How to Un-Plan Your Birthday

I've wanted to blog about this since the other day, but I've just been extremely busy, I couldn't even Twitter! Arggghhh!

I never planned anything for my birthday. I guess I'm just bored with celebrating it year-in, year-out. I've been quite exhausted lately and thought I'd just hang-out at home and spend time with my family. I know my friends are disappointed that I didn't plan anything for my birthday. So sorry! But, I still have no plans to celebrate. Maybe I am really getting old... Nah!

All I could say though is that so many wonderful and unexpected things happened on my birthday and it made me giddily happy even thought I've been feeling sad lately. I also kept forgetting it was my birthday and I guess that made me really mababaw (more so) that day.

#1 First off was the salubong celebration through an IM conference with quite a number of bloggers! Thanks guys! I really, really appreciate it. Big hugs for all the virtual gifts/food/drinks you brought and all the well wishes! I will never forget how the birthday greetings popped one after the other like fireworks! (I did save the conference somewhere in my PC).

#2 Waking up to birthday greetings. Thanks so much! So sorry if it took me a while to answer back, I was utterly distracted with IMs from all over the world.

#3 Gifts sent through Facebook. Cool eh! (You guys can always give me the real thing soon!).

#4 The unexpected birthday bash at Manila Pen with the Philippine Internet Commerce Society. Nah, it wasn't a party, I just attended the induction ceremonies for the new officers. Thanks Mike for the invitation and the bunch of flowers, I thought it was really sweet. The funniest thing though happened and you just really got to watch this and find out what it is.

#5 I had a series of unfortunate events before the function and to make a long story short I wasn't able to borrow my Dad's driver which was supposed to be my excuse to go home early. Anyway, a colleague who has been vacationing here made me feel really, really guilty that I didn't have the time to spend any time with him and so he insisted on going out to celebrate my birthday. I had so much fun though and I was bowled over by the TGIFriday's crew for doing their birthday spiel on me. I never expected to blow a candle that night. (Thanks Dude! I'll see ya in 2 weeks!).

I think I must've gained all the weight I worked hard to lose the whole month in just a couple of days! Oh well, it is after all my birthday week and all I could say that it worked out well especially since I really didn't expect anything to happen. But guess what, it was filled to the brim the whole week!

What about you? Was there something unexpected that happened that made you really happy?

Happy-happy, joy-joy!