Living and Loving the Bum Life!

My previous post is a pain to read. I've read it earlier today and kind of winced a little bit. My thoughts were tangential and truth be told, even I can't tell what the post was trying to say. Well, so much for wanting to be a writer. A writer has to be purposeful and coherent, two things that I am obviously not! 

Anyway, it has been a while since my last day at work. The paperwork for my big move to London is proving to be quite a tedious process and a long wait. Not that I am complaining because to be honest, I really am enjoying my short stint as a bum right now. It's quite amazing how alive and happy I feel these days with the pressures of work taken off my shoulders. I feel like I'm in this frenzy (the good kind) all the time! I want to do so many things! I wonder if I can accomplish everything I want to do, though. The internet is such a major semi-welcome distraction. It beckons to me in the morning with a tweet here or a message there and I am left at its mercy all day long. But I digress.

I've been out and about, catching up with friends, going out with my family, eating to my heart's delight, shopping for travel essentials, and watching films and productions. I never expected bum life to be this expensive! The wallet damages have been severe, but well, I am as happy as I can be. Besides, my last few months in the Philippines must be spent well. Saving up for the future will follow soon, I promise!

Here's a photo collage showing the highlights of my bum life:

Movie night (The Vow, Hunger Games) with friends. Fuerza Bruta (great show!), The Legends and the Classics (1 stage, 2 shows, 3 icons and 4 standing ovations. Can I say, wow?! Best money I ever spent!), Les Miserables school play, and lots of eating out and catching up (Almon Marina, Bizu, Papa John's, National Sports Grill, Yakimix, Mercato Centrale, ChaTime, Gong Cha, and Singapore Food Republic, to name a few).

Life is sweetest with a great family and an awesome set of friends! If I could just stretch this short bum stint some more without the threat of poverty looming overhead, I most definitely would!

Blessed, happy and grateful.

See you soon, London! Be good to hopeful, not-so-little me!

For Posterity's Sake

I know this is already way too late, but I want to write about how my December went just for posterity's sake.  After all, my last Christmas in the Philippines should be as well-documented as possible. 

Whew. When I typed the line "my last Christmas in the Philippines," my heart kinda stopped beating for a second. It has always been my dream to go to Europe, but now that I'm going there to work for good,  it feels oh so bittersweet. But I digress. 

December, as I've said in my post last year, is a month of celebrations. To begin with, there's Christmas, and then, there's also the boyfriend's birthday and our anniversary. But because he's already residing in Canada, we had to make do with Skype dates, choppy conversations, bad videos and all. Instead of feeling sad and deprived though, I concentrated on shopping for gifts!  Admittedly, that was really bad for my bank account, but hey, it was good for the heart! Heart wins over bank account anytime of the day, right?

UNO's Annual Christmas Dinner at Chili's Tomas Morato

My closest friends to date are those who I met from UP. Being healthcare professionals, it has always been quite a challenge to set a date. Different shifts, different hospitals and different days off... total chaos, I tell you! Surprisingly, we had perfect attendance for our annual UNO Christmas Dinner at Chili's Tomas Morato.

Look at us looking foolish with those eye masks and microfiber hair cloths around our heads! Childish, I know, but fun, fun, fun!  Looking at these photos makes me feel strangely sentimental. Some of us will be leaving the Philippines in the next few months, so it will be harder and harder each year to gather everyone around just to eat and be merry. 

Christmas Party with Workmates At Discovery Suites

I love seeing my colleagues looking all dolled up and fabulous! Clad in our boring scrubs day in and day out, it's refreshing to see them so classy and carefree, dancing to the tunes of Teach Me How to Dougie and Party Rock Anthem!  Oh, how we laughed and ate and danced that night!

If I might add, I also love our unit's Christmas parties because I always, always win the raffle. Yup, three years in a row, no cheating. I'm such a lucky, lucky girl!

Enjoying My Last Christmas in the Philippines with the People I Love the Most

I had a very unforgiving schedule last December. The first two weeks of the month, I had 12-hour shifts everyday due to staffing problems. In those two weeks alone, I filed for 48 hours of overtime work. Come the last two weeks of the month, I was on duty on the 24th, 25th, 30th and 31st. Yup, while everyone was enjoying the holidays, I was working like a donkey! I didn't let my lousy schedule ruin the season for me though! All my time off was spent dining out and gallivanting around the city with my family. Obviously, this was not good for both my bank account and my heart, but well, I really can't deny myself my sanity!

Skype Dates with Menard


I just have to say thank you to the brilliant people behind Skype for giving long distance relationships a fighting chance! His birthday, our anniversary, Christmas and the New Year were all celebrated via Skype --  not ideally my cup of tea, but well, still a blessing nevertheless! After all, there was a time when couples only had snail mail and telegrams as their means of communication. I really have no right to complain at all.

My December was pretty simple, but it was filled with little cupcakes of blessings here and there. I hope 2012 brings me not only cupcakes of blessings, but layers upon layers of sweet, moist and delectable blessing-filled cakes!

Happy 2012 everyone!:)

Our House in Canada

... is not really ours yet, but we are hoping and keeping our fingers crossed that it soon will be! The boyfriend and I were chatting a while ago, and he showed me a photo of the house that he is planning to buy for us once he saves up enough money.

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Gorgeous, isn't it? It has a spacious front room punctuated with a cathedral ceiling, three bedrooms, walk-in closets and a basement, which we can use as a library. A library!

Soooooo excited! I wish I can get to Canada sooner so that I can help save up for our lovely home!

My 24th Birthday Part 2

The day after my birthday, I met with some of my closest friends from college and heard the most fantabulous news ever! My friend, Rex is planning to propose to his girlfriend, Jacqui on their 4th anniversary! (Of course I had to wait for the proposal to happen before I post this, so they are already engaged as I write!)

The lovely couple. Jacqui is glowing! 

Rex found the perfect opportunity to tell us all about his plan when Jacqui left for the loo. When she came back to join us, she asked me why I had a weird smile on my face. Well, I was just so giddy and happy! Sorry if I scared you, Rex! I really suck at hiding my feelings!

Now, these two are like brother and sister to me. And yes, they are the first to get engaged among my set of friends. So please pardon the exclamation points! I'm quite understandably excited!

The ring!

My, my, I feel kinda old! A year from now, I will be in my mid-twenties. A couple of years from now, well, I might be even sporting a ring myself! Considering how time flies, that isn't really too far off. That is another story for another day, though.

Now, back to my birthday! Here are some photos of my birthday food from Recipes Modern Asian Bistro (Sorry for the low quality photos. In exciting times like this, even food has to take a backseat!):

Spicy Squid

For starters, we had Spicy Squid, which was basically just fried squid drizzled with a mildy spicy and sweet sauce. The batter was moderately crispy, while the squid meat was delightfully tender.

General's Tofu

One of my favorites at Recipes is the General's Tofu, which is tofu drenched in sweet-tasting sauce. The tofu was melt-in-your-mouth tender and the sauce had a very characteristic Chinese flavor to it. Growing up in  a household where Chinese food is served on a regular basis, my taste buds felt at home with this dish. 

Gising-Gising

I'm mostly a carnivore, so vegetables do not really appeal to me unless we are talking about a crisp salad with some very fattening dressing. This dish, however, proved to be surprisingly good! Bathed in coconut milk, the chopped beans were a bit crispy and moderately spicy. With hints of meat here and there, you really can't go wrong with this dish.

Crispy Tilapia

The Crispy Tilapia, as the name implies, is basically just fried fish served with some dipping sauce made of soy sauce, vinegar, garlic, pepper and onions. This was really nothing special, something that you can easily prepare at home.

Well, I got the food and the planned propsal covered. Now, let's move on to presents! Jacqui was also sweet enough to gift me books. I love books! I believe that I have spent quite a fortune on them already. So if ever anyone of you decides to give me a present, please do get me some good books (or plane tickets because I love traveling too!).

So, that was how PART II of my birthday went! 

Good news, good friends and good food! I had a blast turning 24!

Ten Things I Love

One of my favorite bloggers, Tisha Angluben tagged all of her followers to write about the 10 things they love. I have been meaning to write about a crapload of things, but I figured that I want to do this post more than all the others because writing about the things I love is a foolproof way to make me happy! Without further ado, here goes my love list for good vibes:

1. Traveling. Traveling will always be my one true love. Nothing excites me more than the prospect of visiting another place,  getting lost in a foreign city, immersing myself in a different culture and trying out all sorts of specialties from different countries and localities.

I guess my favorite memory would be the time I visited the Grand Canyon in Arizona way back in 2004. I remember standing before what seemed to be a huge canvas and staring in awe at the interplay of colors come sunset. Oh, I will never forget that glorious moment! 

2. Good Food. Now, this is the reason why I am super overweight (well, aside from my hormonal problems and my sedentary lifestyle)! I don't really spend much on clothes or shoes or bags or whatever people from my generation spend on these days. I deprive myself of a long list of things, but I don't think twice about spending a lot of money on food. I guess that's something I learned from my good old dad who once said that he works very hard not to buy us new things, but to put good food on the table. He used to say that he can buy us all the food we want, but not all the toys we want! 

3. Books. My love affair with books started way back in second grade, when I learned about the wonderful world of Sweet Valley  tucked in the shelves of our modest library in Colegio San Agustin - Makati (yup, this girl isn't ashamed to admit that she once read Sweet Valley in all it's cheesy glory). From then on, my relationship with books blossomed and waned depending on the amount of free time I have. I remember when I was in 5th or 6th grade, I read about 4-5 paperbacks a week and my mom would constantly complain about my reading habits. She said that if I continue to devour books at such an alarming rate, I would send my family to the desolate lands of poverty in no time. Ha!

4. Writing. I must admit, my relationship with writing is way, way different from that of my relationship with books. There are times when I am absolutely smitten with writing and the giddy feeling I get after finishing a piece, but there also times when I feel like it's a long lost love I'm hesitant to meet again. Given the chance though, I would leave my current profession to pursue a career in writing. 

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5. Patronuses. For all non-Potter fans out there, Patronuses are animal protectors that drive dementors away. These dementors are absolutely horrible creatures that suck hope, peace, happiness and good memories out of people. I have a long list of dementors in my life (financial issues, horrible people, violence, cancer, etc.), so I am very grateful to God that I have not only one, but three Patronuses that give me strength, hope and love all the time. As Frances Sales said, our Patronuses are the magic in our lives!

6. Lazy days. I absolutely adore lazy days at home spent with my family in my parents' bedroom watching movies, exchanging stories, reminiscing memories and having room service (yep, we have meals in our parents' bedroom sometimes!). Although my family is quirky beyond description, time with them is always something I truly treasure. 

7. Theatre. I was never a graceful performer, but I am very appreciative of musicals and plays. When I go to New York, the first thing I'm going to do is to watch a Broadway Production!

8. Cold weather. I was never a fan of the beach because I hate extreme heat. Uncomfortably warm weather makes me ridiculously and unreasonably cranky. I love cloudy days and drizzles because they allow me to curl up comfortably in bed with a good book and a cup of hot choco. I'd like to live a particular scene in the movies - snuggling in front of a fireplace. How romantic! 

9. Spas. Nothing relaxes me more than a day at the spa. Pampering myself with a massage or a body scrub every now and then keeps me sane. 

10. Photography. I cannot paint to save my life, but with one click of a finger, I can capture scenes and moments through photography. When I grow up (not bigger horizontally, but well, older and richer!), I'm gonna buy a good camera and do travel photography. You'll see!

Wow, writing about the things you love sure is fun! I'm tagging everyone!:)

The Tocarre Spa Experience

Last February, I bought a voucher for Tocarre Spa at CashCashPinoy. For 1,650 Php (approximately $38), I got a Valentine's Day couples package for two valid until April 30, 2011. The package consists of a welcome foot ritual, massage and dinner for two.

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Since my schedule is bat-shit crazy most of the time, the supposedly Valentine's Day spa date was moved and moved and moved until.... April! We waited so long to use the voucher and after two months, we finally have!

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Our appointment was at 3:00 PM, but we were there as early as 2:20 PM. The receptionist greeted us with a smile and proceeded to confirm our appointment. She asked us to select our preferred scent for the treatment room and massage oil. We opted for lavender and green tea.

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After confirming our appointment, the receptionist gave us our own locker keys and had someone usher us to the wet area, where the showers, steam bath, sauna and jacuzzi are situated. We were also given complimentary refreshments, bath towels, robes and the works as we waited for our foot therapy to commence. 

The Welcome Foot Ritual was a relaxing way to start the experience and I thoroughly enjoyed having my abused feet massaged and soaked in warm water. I liked my therapist, but I wish she didn't talk to other therapists as she worked.  It was mildly distracting and a bit unprofessional, but since it only lasted for a very short while, it's something I'm willing to forget about.

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When I bought the voucher, I assumed that we will be massaged in a couple's room because it was supposed to be a Valentine's Day promo of some sort, but as it turned out, that wasn't the case.We had to pay an additional Php 500 (a little over $10) to have our room upgraded to a couple's room. The room was well worth my money, though, as I felt instantly relaxed the minute I stepped into it. Add my very attentive masseuse and an invigorating massage to the mix and boy, I was so sold! I'm definitely coming back!

After that rejuvenating session, we were quite reluctant to leave the spa just yet, so we hung out in their cozy lounge for some time before getting dressed and having dinner. 

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Dinner was grilled pork belly with java rice for me and parmesan crusted fish with penne in marinara sauce for the boyfriend. The food was surprisingly good and it came with soup and a glass of iced tea. The boyfriend said he didn't want to eat Filipino food because he felt so sosyal after an afternoon at Tocarre Spa.

Hours after the experience, I am already longing to go back. Don't you just love group buying sites? Good deals, good times!

Tocarre Spa is located at the 4th level of Antel Spa Suites, 7829 Makati Avenue, Makati City.

Fandom!

Watching my brother perform in a Broadway production at school left me feeling quite nostalgic. I wasn't born a star and I have no talent in the performing arts whatsoever, but school wouldn't be school if it didn't force you to dance, sing or recite an awful poem on stage.

I felt proud while hearing my brother sing the way he did. He was easily the best singer among the lot. I swear, I'm not being biased just because he is my brother. He really, really was awesome up there!

As Javert in Les Miserables

As Raoul in The Phantom of the Opera

As President Roosevelt in Annie

I shall upload a video of his performance in YouTube one of these days, when I have reliable and fast internet access. I swear PLDT's myDSL has gone bonkers where I live.

I hope my brother gets a big break. One of my dreams is to watch a Broadway production in New York and I want my brother to be the star when that happens. For now, I'm content watching locally produced shows, which are actually quite a joy to watch. I'm not an artsy fartsy person, but I do love theater. All the elaborate gestures, creative stage designs and awesome singing voices thrill me like no other. If I were as rich as Bill Gates or Lucio Tan, I would probably eat out every day, watch plays and productions every Friday night, travel at least once a month and build myself an extensive library! Oh, joy, joy, joy!

Fun, Frivolous, Fabulous, Shallow and Short for 2011!

Ahoy! I'm back from a blogging hiatus! I wanted to start the year right with fun posts, but alas, my procrastinating tendencies got the best of me. I have such a long list of food establishments and spas to write about already and I'll be doing my best to catch up after I achieve a specific objective that I have set for this month.

So 2011 isn't quite like the bed of roses that I imagined it to be. Socio-political issues left and right, health troubles in the family, and well, a colony of personal problems that multiply faster than bacteria (geeky, I know). Things are not yet looking up for me, but I think I need a place where I can freely have fun, so I decided to keep this small part of my world light, frivolous and shallow!

From this time on, I would only be posting happy stuff that make life a fairy tale. I don't care if I appear naive and shallow anymore. After all, life is beautiful, just like these hot satchels I'm currently lemming for, but can't afford just yet:

You can have them personalized too! Source

I wish I can get my hands on one before our Singapore adventure come March, but gah, they are just so pricey! Now, I'm hoping there's a Summer Santa out there who can give me one for free! I still can't decide on the color though. Red is stunning, yellow is fun and brown is smart. I want them all!

To the very few who actually read this blog, watch out for more fun, frivolous, fabulous and SHORT (yes, I will TRY to make shorter posts that people might actually read) posts in the days to come! 

Now, say goodbye to the dark, boring, serious and twisted me! Let's keep it light this Rabbit Year, everyone!