Hubby: The Jinx Master

Last night conversation with hubby:

hubby: Bakit nagdadownload ka na naman ng The Corrs? Di ba andami ng ganyan sa phone mo? (Why are you downloading songs of The Corrs again? So many of their songs are already on your phone, right?)

yummybite: ***no answer***

hubby: Sabi ko bakit yan na naman dinadownload mo? (I said, why are you still downloading them?)

yummybite: Eh di ba nasira last year yung phone ko kaya nabura lahat? (My phone crashed last year so the songs were deleted.)

hubby: Wag ka na lang kasi magdownload. Magkakavirus pa yung laptop eh. (Don't download anymore. Our laptop might caught some virus.)

yummybite: Namiss ko na sila eh. Basta! (Yiih! I miss them so much!)

hubby: Sa My Music natin meron namang The Corrs eh. (In the My Music folder, we have some of their songs.)

yummybite: Tatlo lang na kanta yata. (There are only three songs, I think.)

hubby: Pwede na yon. Mavavirus tayo nyan. Careless ka pa naman. (That's enough already. The virus will get into our computer with your carelessness.)

yummybite: Heh! Ang kulit mo naman eh. Di nga mavavirus. Kuleeettt!!!! (Stop pestering me! There will be no virus!)


then a pop-up window from the anti-virus software came up flashing infront of me with that disturbing "police-like" sound, saying:

"Malware Alert! Recommended Action: Repair blah blah blah...."


hubby: O ano? Kulit mo kasi eh.

yummybite: Oo nah. Quiet na ko. Jinx ka talaga.

----------------

***currently listening to The Corrs' Only When I Sleep (which is one of my favoritest favorites!)

all-day sickness and more

Since that day I came to know that I’m “expecting”, I’ve been very neglectful of my blogging and plurking activities.

I’ve been missing a lot lately.

I have known from other pregnant women how difficult pregnancies could become. But I never ever really thought that it is THIS difficult. It surely needs a lot of sweating and crying and flushing.

In the onset of my 6^th week, I started feeling very uneasy in my stomach and some cold sweating EVERY morning. Medically, it is called “morning sickness”. On my part, it’s an all-day 24/7 sickness that can be triggered anytime, anywhere.

What causes my “all-day sickness” and vomiting spells:

1. Waking up in the morning or while taking a shower in the morning

2. After travelling or while travelling

3. The smell of anything being cooked

4. When feeling so tired

With the first one, it’s a real hardwork that every time, the task leaves me so weak to my bones, and tired (first thing in the morning!). I’ve tried sitting up first and eat some crackers before I leave the bed. I got this advice from a lot of pregnancy sites. Result: I don’t feel nauseated anymore but I still throw up the moment I go for the shower. And even if I my stomach is uber empty, I can’t help running to the nearest sink.

With regards to travelling, I thought that eating before or while travelling could help. I’ve also tried eating citrus fruits just to ease the queasy feeling. Result: It’s a hopeless case. The moment I reached my destination, I would run for the nearest toilet again or take out a plastic bag I always carry with me. Even at work, walang patawad (“no mercy”).

The third one is of course the most common among pregnant women. Like other moms-to-be, the smell of garlic cooking is very offensive. When I’m at home, since anything being cooked in the kitchen brings a pungent flavor around the house, I just usually stay in our room, lie down and cover my nose. Just to make sure I don’t smell anything. For me, anything being cooked is offensive on my ultra-sensitive nose. I don’t think there’s a cure on that but just to avoid it. This why I also don't cook lately. It's hubby's major responsibility now. Hehehe.

With the last one, I never knew it would be possible until last Saturday when me and hubby went to Sharjah City Centre. We arrived at the mall at 6.15pm and headed to Carrefour, the supermarket, for some stuffs. By 7pm, we were having our dinner at Pizza Hut, just because I was craving for pizza the other day. There is a mall-wide sale of up to 70% discount so we started strolling around the shops at past 8 o’clock, bought a pair of Nike for hubby and a blouse for me at Sun & Sands then started our way to the ground floor. We went to Splash for some super discounted clothes and goodies. I have found a dress, a pair of leggings and a nice comfy blouse. But when I saw the super looonnggg queue, I instantly felt tired and uneasy again. I was so sure I won’t be able to wait for my turn even if hubby could do it for me. From that very moment, I just wanted to go home and forego the opportunity of buying very nice and very cheap goodies. I was right anyway coz when we got home, the moment I changed my outfit to something more comfortable, I caught myself running to the nearest sink. Dinner wasted. It was very draining and “Eeewwww!”

-----------------

Pregnancy surely gives anyone a new experience. I am right now on my 8^th week (yippee!!!) and I just wanted to share some of my aversions and cravings.

Cravings? This is something very inconsistent to me. Today I like to eat mangoes, as in the Pinoy small green mangoes, with bagoong! Tomorrow might be a different craving. Some days I like balut or tukneneng or pancit palabok or malunggay with kalabasa leaves & flowers or KFC fries and chicken strips (Filipino version please). Or maybe I am just craving to be back home in the Philippines and enjoy more of Pinoy foodies. I miss home!

Aversions? I used to like porkchop A LOT! And now, I don’t even like the smell or the sight of it. Weird? But this one is the “weirdest” as my friend P calls it. I’m having an aversion to our laptop. I’m okay with my office PC or other people’s laptop. But when it comes to our own laptop, my blood boils. When I’m at home, I don’t like to turn it on or even see it lying on the table. When hubby uses it, I tell him to position it where I won’t be able to see the screen. And when hubby listens to songs, I ask him to shut it down or use the headphones instead.

It’s still normal right? LOL

---------------------

Nevertheless, me and hubby are always excited about our little baby. Most nights, hubby would have some baby talks with my tummy. I do that too! Even if I am not feeling okay most of the time, the joy and happiness brought by "him/her" is just exhilarating. I once told my friend P in an email that I so wanted to just scream out of joy.

bloggin vacay!

Dear Blog,

I am sorry for neglecting my blogging duties lately.

EXCUSE #1:

Husband had been sick last week and who else would take care of him but me? As soon as I get home, our kitchen is already waiting for my cooking acts. There was a time that I was sooo tired from work that I just ordered a take-out dinner for the two of us. Maybe that one will count as laziness for hubby but I just didn’t have enough patience and enough energy, even if I try to. Anyhows, hubby was able to eat his fried chicken, chicken shawarma and potato wedges without further complaints because I shut him up as soon as he attempt to. He’s just being stubborn that he wanted to sleep more than he wanted to eat.

Haler! He’s been sleeping the whole day already! What a sleepyhead!

His fever is already a bye-bye by Friday but his coughing remained up to now. Good thing I was kept unharmed by the virus!

EXCUSE #2:

It all started when I had BitTorrent installed in our lappy. I just can’t stop downloading movie torrents so I also can’t stop having movie marathons.

Sssshhhhh! I had around 8-10 successful movie downloads already in just one week!

Thursday night – The Pursuit of Happyness

Friday – I Love You Man, Marley & Me, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Saturday – You Changed My Life, Tropic Thunder

Sunday night – I Am Sam

It was the cheapest way (it’s free, right?) to watch flicks instead of grabbing cinema tickets for two. Of course we wanted to cinematic effect of watching a movie in the wide screen and with lights out. But lately (again), I just had to consider EXCUSE #1 aside from I AM TOO LAZY TO GO OUT!

This kind of internet habit is also the dirtiest (it’s illegal, I know, sorry) and most risky because you wouldn’t know if you’re downloading something un-safe to your PC. I just hope that the regular runs of my anti-virus software won’t fail me, or at least, warn me of signs. Also, you wouldn’t know how poor the quality of your downloads are. Of course, it would still be great having it on a wide screen. Maybe when I’m no longer too lazy.

By the way, tonight will be Gran Torino!

EXCUSE #3:

After reading my excuses in #1 and #2, it’s now very evident that my #3 excuse is so much like the reason of #2.

I AM JUST TOO LAZY!

Or maybe not….

…because I just enjoyed wrapping my arms around hubby when he gets cold.

…because I just enjoyed my time being with hubby for the whole weekend.

…because we had our time to relax while eating, laughing, watching movies and joking around.

It was sort of catching up even if we almost always do it everyday.

------------------

Okay, I am being a bit mushy and cheesy here.

Bear with me.

I’m a bit demented at the moment.

Yours truly,

yummybite

p.s. i hope edu and his anti-piracy team won't hunt me down, just in case "my new-found curiosity" was found out and is considered piracy (tell me how ignorant i am here, lol).

Kitchen Experiment #2: Grilled Stuffed Squid

Hubby and I miss eating seafood so much. It was like months ago since the last time we bought fish or shrimp or crabs. So last Sunday, I headed to Kraz Supermarket after work to buy some fresh goodness prawns, squid, 1 big lapu-lapu and 3 big tilapias.

That night I have prepared Tempura shrimp for dinner. It was also a kitchen experiment but I chose not to post about it coz I wasn’t able to take pictures of the output. Besides, it was a bit of a disaster for me. I should have opted for buttered shrimps instead.

I have sworn to myself that next time, I should be more prepared with the recipe on my mind.

So yesterday, I was trying to remember that grilled stuffed squid we ate in a company party in Mimosa. All I could remember is that there is bell pepper and cheese in the stuffing. I’ve asked a former colleague about the recipe but she did not reply. Then I searched the recipe online but I can’t find the same stuffing that I like.

In the end, I just decided to stick with what I can remember.

What it’s made of:

10 pieces squid, 4-5 inches long

1 big tomato (depends on your liking)***

1 medium size yellow bell pepper***

1 medium size green bell pepper***

1 onion***

Cheddar cheese in small cubes

Soy sauce

Lemon or calamansi

Salt and pepper

Chillies

Toothpicks

Aluminum foil

***Note: tomatoes, onions and bell peppers here in the Middle East are bigger than the usual sizes in the Philippines. It’s up to you if you want to add the amount of veggies or other fillings you prefer.

How it is made:

1. Clean the squid first, remove innards if you like. It was actually my first time to clean a squid so I wasn’t sure what to remove or not. Hehehe.

2. In a big bowl, marinate the squid in soy sauce and lemon/calamansi juice for 30 minutes to 1 hour.

3. Mince the tomatoes, bell peppers and onions. Put them on a separate bowl and mix. Put salt and pepper.

4. Get one marinated squid and start putting the mixture inside. In my case, cheese first, then veggies, then cheese, then veggies. So as to spread the cheesiness while grilling.

5. Seal the stuffed squid with a toothpick in the opening.

6. Put the stuffed squid over a sheet of aluminum foil. Before covering it, put some of the veggie mixtures on the sides and pour a tablespoon of the marinade sauce. Cover squid and veggies in aluminum foil. Make sure that you have also cut out the pointed parts of the toothpicks so it won’t make holes in the foil.

7. Then grill it on a live coal (or a stove, just like me!) for 4-5 minutes on each side. Don’t overcook so the squid won’t have the rubberized feel.

8. For the sauce, put in a small bowl the soy sauce, lemon/calamansi juice and chillies.

We don't have live coals so i used the stove! 4-5 minutes for each side please!



Cooked already, this is how it looked like when I opened the foil.

My finish product: Grilled Squid Stuff plus some garnishing effects!


Serve it hot and creamy with this!

I grilled another batch for our lunch pack today!

yummylicious!

My Mom will be proud of her undomesticated daughter.

it's the same crisis

Here’s another Quarter-Life Crisis article e-mailed to me by a friend last year.

Beware: Long read!

Quarter-life crisis
By Gena Valerie Chua

I first heard it three months after graduation, over lunch with college blockmates.

Blockmate 1 (earns twice as much as any of us): I'm depressed. Work sucks. Is there any job that sucks more than mine?

Blockmate 2 (recently quit his job): Mine did. I was bored every day. I'm applying abroad. Do you know how much you can earn there?

Blockmate 3 (confessed bum): Money isn't worth your unhappiness. You should be dating more, I'll set you up with a friend.

Blockmate 1 says: But how can I be happy without money? Great dramatic sigh, I'm having a quarter- life crisis. Who are you setting me up with?


And there it was, the mystifying term that single-handedly captured our 22-year-old chaos. At first it sounded funny, but when the thought sank in, we were all quiet for an uncomfortably long period of time. Did we have it too?

Since then, I've heard the phrase thrown around a lot. After graduation get-togethers have been surprisingly frequent. It could be a withdrawal symptom, you're all desperate to hold on to the certainty you had in school. Now that everything has become so unstructured, we cling on dearly to the people whom we shared such carefree, and sometimes
careless days with. We reminisce about how our lives used to be, and how they are now. Many of us are in our third or fourth jobs. More and more are leaving the country to "find greener pastures," joining that ever-growing diaspora like spores drawn to more fertile ground.

There is a shared sense of "lostness," not because we have nowhere to be. No, we are all lucky enough to be somewhere, but most want to be somewhere else. Everyone tells us we are meant to be great, or at least achieve a slice of greatness. We are of that generation, the generation that has it all. The generation that never had to work for anything because it's all instant and automated. The natural expectation to surpass those before us poses an unnerving problem: What happens if we don't?

Maybe the pressure has been there for centuries, but never like this. The world used to be enormous, a planet of rocks we only see in science books. But now the world is shrinking.

Everything, everyone is within reach. The overwhelming proximity of it all has turned us claustrophobic. Wherever we find ourselves becomes too small a place. We are always looking for that something, the thing that will supposedly match our destined greatness.

Upon writing this article I decided to Google the term. Lo and behold, the omniscient Wikipedia had some interesting answers. Quarter-life crisis is a medical term for the phase following adolescence, usually for ages 21-30.

Some "symptoms" include:
(1) feeling not good enough about one's job
(2) frustration with relationships
(3) insecurity about life goals
(4) nostalgia for school
(5) a sense that everyone is doing better than you.

Furthermore, the stage occurs shortly after young, educated professionals enter the "real world", when they realize that it is tougher, more competitive and less forgiving than they imagined.

So it's not a 21st century thing after all. Ah, but Wikipedia doesn't stop there. It goes on to say that today, "the era when having a professional career meant a life of occupational security has come to an end." Indeed, it is no longer enough to get a well-paying job and do it for the rest of your life.

The lines used to be clearly drawn: you were a dentist, a doctor, an engineer, a businessman. Today, things are not as black and white. Our "real world" is now literally the entire world. We take our internships in multi-national corporations, study abroad on exchange programs, and attend art seminars in New York . We find worldwide options exceeding the imagination of those before us: techie jobs in Silicon Valley, trading in the Hong Kong stock market, even advertising for Google in hidden GoogleLand. I had a classmate who took up forensics in Maryland, while another one graduated from a famous fashion school in London . We are constantly considering so many options, debating which ones we can qualify for and which ones will ultimately help us define ourselves.

Older folks say this is generation me, me, me. We want it all now, now, now — even when we really have no idea what we want. So we end up wanting it all. They (my parents, friends of my parents, parents of my friends) shake their heads in disapproval at our inability to stay in one job.

They say we can't stand any ounce of discomfort, any morsel of unhappiness. It's true. We are impatient, always fleeing from one place to another — because that is what we grew up doing. Change has always been inevitable, but if there was ever a time when each year sees changes that used to span a century, this would have to be it.

As adolescents, none of our music icons had the longevity of The Beatles — every three weeks it was a new genre of sound. One minute we were shrieking fans of the Backstreet Boys, and the next we were cult followers of Matchbox 20. We have no memory of dinosaur computers; to us everything runs at 5Mbps. Our shelves of Britannica have gathered dust; we only have to go to YouTube and streams of video would unravel. We had the networking craze Friendster, but even that didn't last.

Soon we were creating separate accounts for Multiply, Facebook and self-blogs. We shop on sites of local strangers and order via cellphone banking. Oh yes, don't even get me started on cellphones. They have rendered everything else useless: watches, cameras, music players, calculators, dictionaries, even mirrors.

Every time the world changes a part of itself, we've had to change along with it. I'm not saying we should go back to the era of i'll-be-waiting-two-weeks-for-your-snail-mail. I cannot leave the house without my phone. Maybe we've become little brats of technology, the spawn of an age always trying to outdo itself. If patience is a virtue, then the remarkable deficiency of it has become our unconscious vice. Our adult lives are an extension of our adolescent years, when coolness was attained by downloading mp3s of a newbie rock band before everyone else did. We are always on the move.

We are fickle-minded, discontent and extremely volatile — which according to Wikipedia, are natural to those in their 20's. But to be in your 20s at a time when clients at work are Australians you will never see past email correspondence, then it becomes a world that gives you only two choices: move, or get left behind.

We are expected to march out into the world with iPod in backpocket, one earphone pounding against an eardrum. With our bountiful gifts from mother technology and our cross-cultural media grub, we're supposed to find a way to make ourselves great. Now more than ever, we have to prove ourselves worthy of the time we were born into. So who can blame us, for wanting to run all the time? The pressure is immense. So much is running
after us and worse, there is so much we are trying to keep up with. Like the reluctant monster Incredible Hulk, we are always growing out of proportion, our clothes tearing as we expand. And so we run, gasping for air, looking for a place that can contain us.

I'm grateful for being born in an era that constantly pushes itself forward. But we were raised in a period long past mere survival, where the worst blunder you can commit is not so much failure but mediocrity. And so we make this plea: don't be so hard on us. It may now be less challenging to defy boundaries, but the world out there is still as tough as ever. Let us have our little crisis; spare us the time that we never seem to have enough of. Give us the chance to find our own corner, where we can dig and shovel and bury ourselves in.

Because when the clouds clear up — when we can finally stop twiddling our thumbs and wringing our hands in restlessness — you will see what we have built out of our chaos, and you will be damn proud.

A Friend in Quarter-Life Crisis

One of my guy friends recently came here in Dubai, barely three months ago. Before and after P came here, for several times he had asked me and nagged me about his career life going “what-ifs”, his decisions being uncertain and his happiness nowhere at sight. I have jumpily concluded that he is actually having the “quarter-life crisis”.

He knows it!

He was the one who actually sent an e-mail to me 2 years ago. It’s the same e-mail that witsandnuts received and posted on her site.

And just minutes ago, my girl friend G messaged me about going to Spain or just going to any place where she could take a rest. That she feels so old and bored and needed to take a break. That if only she’s got the bucks, she would travel all around Europe and tag us along.

Hey, we’re just 25!

Same with my guy friend (who is a common friend), I told her that she’s having the same crisis. Then she was like “I’ve never heard quarter-life crisis. Is there such one?”

Yup G! E-mail sent to you just now!

screwed up

while i usually enjoy a short relaxing nap on the bus, last night was different. one of my bus-mates forgot his shot of depressant that he got so hyper he won't let anyone in the bus to sleep. he kept bugging all of us with his jokes, non-sense blabberings [since he speaks Hindi most of the time] and loud singing.

the bus was also on a happy state last night on our way home but we got caught up in a heavy traffic after some 15 minutes on the road. what more could get worst on my excited weekend happiness. the usual one hour ride home took us two hours! it has dampen my spirits in the end.

------------------

still on the bus.

an hour after we left the office, that hyper guy started a heated discussion with the other bus-mates on South Indian movies that for him are exaggerated and funny in a bad way. all of them are talking all at the same time. Mrs. S and I were wondering if they ever understood each other's opinion on the subject matter. it was like chaos. Mrs. S thought that we were on a fish market. I thought it was funny and irritating at the same time.

thirty minutes later, i was the one on the hot seat. Mr. S asked me to translate "sexy" to Tagalog/Filipino. I said it's also "seksi", just a different spelling. he wondered why it has to be the same. and i told him i don't know.

few weeks ago, this same guy asked me several words to translate in our Philippine mother tongue but i would refuse to do so on some words that are "bad".

anyways, this guy just keeps on challenging me so he came up with a phrase instead of words.

mr. s: so how do you say "life is screwed up" in your language?
me: what? ahmm, wait....
mr. s: "life is screwed up". you don't know?
me: [looooonnngggg silence]................[gawd! i'm struggling with words i can't find]
mr. s: are you sure you're a Filipino? [laughing]
me: yes i am but i don't know how to translate such a metaphor in our language. hmmm...can i have it as an assignment?
mr. s: oh my goodness, she's not a Filipino...hahahaha!
me: hehehe,,,bye bye! have a nice weekend [bidding goodbye to my busmates as i stepped out of the bus]

outside the bus...
me: whoooooooooooooooh! [long sigh]

--------------------

this afternoon, i sent text messages to my friends about my "assignment".

friend 1's translation: "palpak ang buhay"

friend of friend 1's translation: "magulo ang buhay"

friend 2's translation: "ang buhay ay turnilyo"

---------------------

how about you? can you help me please?

"life is screwed up"

it's just rubbish me

i am so extra happy right now.

:)

:) :) :)

:D

:D :D :D

and i don't know why.

feeling hyper for the coming weekend?

---------

currently listening to Bleeding Love by Leona Lewis

ooppps!!!

it has ended already.

it's Sway by Bic Runga now playing.

a feel of india

this morning, Mrs. S hopped-in on our company bus wearing a nice striped yellow traditional dress for Indian women called Salwar kameez. and upon seeing her jewelries and bangles? Wow! all matching with the yellow golden color of her dress. including the bindi.


she asked me if i want to try putting a bindi on my forehead and i was a bit apprehensive about it since i don't want curious eyes to question me in our workplace. but anyhows, Mrs. S managed to pull out one long golden bindi from her purse and put it on my forehead. Mr. Sj approved of it as he thinks it's cute and pretty in me. but the other indian guy, Mr. B, argued that it's better if i have the round one with black color because the gold one won't be visible in a distance of 5 meters. anyhows, they still liked it and even took pictures of me to show it off with our officemates.


*shame*

i looked at myself in the mirror and i have admitted to myself that it really looks nice. but since the golden color complements my skin, it's almost unnoticeable.

some of my officemates actually took second glances when they noticed i was wearing bindi.

i took it off after lunch and decorated my puncher with it. :)

-------------------

bindi is a decoration applied on the center of women's two eyebrows. they have varying colors which you can match with your colorful Salwar kameez. they also have varying sizes and designs. you can have the bead-like, the plain ones or the studs. anyone can pretty much use the bindi as a fashion statement, unlike before when it's only meant to symbolize a woman being married or sometimes, as part of a religious affiliation or ceremony. [Source][picture]

Salwar Kameez [Source]

------------------------

Update: according to my Hindu officemate, the red round bindi symbolizes that your husband is still alive. if you're a widow, you only wear the black round bindi. she also said that there's a nerve in between the two eyebrows and so the bindi serves a protection from anything harmful. in addition to the bindi, Hindu married women also put red powder on their forehead where the hair parts. that red powder is called kumkum.

Joy to the World

my officemate Ms. C forwarded me this e-mail about the seven ways on how to discover joy [and happiness].

1. Make a Celebratory Visit
This is a special visit that celebrates what someone else means to you and what they have given to you. It is a joyous form of gratitude, which has been proven in studies to boost mood and health. First, sit down and write a thank-you letter to someone for whom you feel deep love and gratitude. Describe their qualities, such as courage, loyalty, kindness, wit, persistence. Then visit that person, and read your heartfelt description. Celebrate with them the miracle of their life and their presence in yours.

2. Look at the Big Picture
Remember that you are an essential part of a very alive universe--no matter how tough your day or week or year might be. You are part of the greater whole, the weave of life and all of humanity. You can remind yourself of that feeling by looking up at the night sky, or going to a religious service where everybody joins hands and sings, or even volunteering at an animal shelter. Your life has ups and downs but embrace the large scale of all of life in its great diversity with a huge hug.

3. Be a Keeper of Meaning
Knowing that your life has meaning brings a deep-down satisfaction that offers lasting happiness. One wonderful way to experience more meaning is to bring meaning to the lives of others by teaching them a special skill of yours--whether it's a new language, a new recipe, how to sail, or simply how to listen and be a caring person. You have something unique to share.

4. Forgive Yourself
Okay, you've made mistakes. We all have. Going over (and over) your missteps keeps you feeling disconnected and unloved. Here's how to forgive yourself: Bring to mind an incident for which you were forgiven. Remember the good feelings and bask in them. If you believe in God or a higher power, ask for forgiveness. While doing this, try to see yourself from the perspective of someone who loves you unconditionally. Would they judge you as harshly as you judge yourself?

5. Tune in to Those Around You
For one day, decide to be courteous to everybody in your path--even buoyantly so. Your neighbor, your mailman, a stranger at the coffee shop, a cashier, colleagues, and of course, friends. Greet them, ask how they are, hold a door, give a smile and a compliment. At the end of the day you'll feel much happier, relaxed, and more connected.

6. Be a Good Friend
A good friend wants the best for you and is happy when something great happens in your life. Be that friend. Repair rifts in your friendships when possible. Rekindle old friendships--look up friends from childhood or college, or those who have moved away, and reach out to them. Reshape your friendship networks to be sure your friends provide a supportive mirror for your own values in life.

7. Nurture Your Creativity
Creativity brings joy, and the personality trait most linked to creativity is being open to experience--trying new things, being open to fantasy, discovering new connections. Foster your creativity by listening to music, reading literature, and viewing art. Try a different approach to a familiar routine, such as planting only purple flowers in your garden, or garnishing a salad with unusual delicacies, or mixing and matching your clothes in a new way. Or join a scrapbooking club or pottery class--anything that will get you in touch with your creative side and with others in the process

------------------

it's high time we should take a deep breath and linger on events/people/things/values that we find more meaning in their simplest form. no need to squander a hefty sum for a luxury treat or for that gadget you've been eyeing at the gadgetry displays [*guilty*].

here's my own ways to joy/happiness:

NATURE TRIPPING: seek out for the rain to feel the droplets on your face or for that glorious sunshine that makes the flowers bring their colors. rain here is very rare. so when it comes, it makes me smile and remember pinas days.

UNITED NATIONS: find new friends and discover new cultures. being in a country flooded with expats, i'm blessed to have known some of their cultures. and it's fun that when they trust you and share to you their own culture, food, stories, etc.

BORN TO BE WILD: be adventurous and paint every journey a color of life. i admit, i am lacking in this field. so for this year, i'll be trying out some fun tours on places i've never been, which is quite A LOT! anyhows, i'll first try nearby emirates like Abu Dhabi, Fujairah and Umm Al Qawain. then i can try Greece (!), Egypt or Hongkong. that would be for this year.

THE POWER OF TELECOMMUNICATIONS: remember your friends and loved ones. give them a ring or text them. on my part, a missed call is enough for me to think that i am being remembered or thought of.

CLOSET QUEEN: take off your wardrobe the clothes you no longer think of wearing. give them out to your little sisters, brothers, nieces, nephews, friends or neighbors. these clothes are better off given to other human beings than just let them smell like roaches hidden on your closets. i've done this charismatically (hehe) to my little sisters and mom before heading here in Dubai, since it's not really possible to take with me all my clothes in my already large luggage.

HEARING AID: listen to your friends, your husband, your kids, your parents, your grandparents, or even to a stranger [just make sure he/she is harmless]. you just don't know how meaningful that experience is to them. and maybe, that person just needed to unload something that bothers him/her and you were there at the right time.

REFLECTION: communicate with God and recall the experiences you had for the week or for the month or for whatever. remember that you don't have to keep the "bad" deeds from Him for He knows you inside-out. it may not be comfortable at first and crying may be inevitable. but the best experience here is to accept our own selves and being able to surrender it all to Him. that kind of joy is way better than the rest.

[Source]


HAPPY EASTER EVERYONE!!!

home e-bug

there's a bug in our home.

our internet line is going crazy.

4 days ago (Friday)
internet is fine and i still can do the usual bloghopping. can't log in to Yahoo Messenger, which is so important for me and hubby as this is one of the most practical ways to connect to your loved ones and friends here and in pinas

3 days ago (Saturday)
aside from i can't log in to YM, now even Gmail is inaccessible, which also means no access to my Blogger dashboard! we've been trying the YM for the whole day. our flatmate even tried to uninstall YM then reinstall it again. no hopes. i think it's the Etisalat [internet provider] connection that is bugged and has nothing to do with our hardware.

2 days ago (Sunday)
our flatmate X thinks she's going to die without the internet connection! she's been crazy in love and religiously watching the current [pinas] episodes of "Ang Babaeng Hinugot sa Aking Tadyang" at chismisan.com. i told her not to worry. it's just Sunday in pinas and there is in no way could she watch the Monday episode online!

we haven't called customer service yet. the landlord pays for the internet connection and he was out of reach at the moment.

however, hubby is glad that his nightly viewing of NBA standings is unaffected by this crisis. Boston Celtics' ranking as of today is no. 2 in the Eastern Conference with 58-19 win-loss ratings. the playoffs will start on the 18th this month and i hope they will play better and grab the championships once again!

me, on the other hand, is getting frustrated. i can't blog!

last night (Monday)
as i went home last night, Kuya J approached me for something really important. well, he just told me that there is completely NO internet connection since morning. okay, there's nothing i can do about it.

anyways, X was complaining again as expected. it's Monday and she won't be able to view her Marian-Dingdong tandem. good for me and hubby's ears. no screaming-and-kilig-moments tonight.

today (Tuesday)
i'm sneaking this post at the office while the "workload" is still on its way to my table [or Outlook]. hoping that the traffic is heavy. lol.

whatever happened to our internet connection [Oh! i sang "whatever happened to Amelia Earhart" on my mind...hehe], we're hoping it's something that can be resolved the soonest possible time, like today!

maybe the landlord forgot to pay the bill. "Arbab naman eh."

a boon or a bane?

while searching for nice lappy (a.k.a. laptop) reviews at CNET UK, i got curious with their Crave tab. it says it's "the gadget blog from CNET UK", which features the latest cravings-slash-happenings-slash-gadgets in the techie-world.

lots of interesting things in here.

anyhows, this caught my attention after browsing a few pages: the Google Street View.

Crave [CNET UK] intro excerpt:

"Clear the streets: Google Street View is here! Yes, from today, if you live in one of 25 cities, including London, Belfast, Cardiff and Edinburgh, you'll be able to navigate 360 degrees through photographs of your town from the comfort of your browser.

"To use Street View, zoom into the closest magnification in Google Maps or Google Earth and click on the Street View link. You can then use the arrows to scoot up and down streets, click and swipe your mouse to look around, or drag the little flying orange dude -- Pegman, he's called -- to new locations. Endless fun.

-----------------

i had it a try.

just go to Google Maps UK, then click "Street View in UK"

you can have different views of the street you have selected and will also provide you an approximate address. this is the west side of the address given [12 Knockbreda Gardens, Belfast, Northern Ireland].

this is the frontal view of the same address

----------------

i had fun doing this. it can be a great help for those lost in the streets of UK or for those looking for an available parking space.

the creepy part is that you can't hide anything from the world now. anyone can have a look at your home/street (in UK).

whatever happened to privacy?

------------------

if this ever becomes available in the Philippines, how will Google Maps manage to provide an "approximate address" to the slum areas of Metro Manila? and how about the thousands of islands scattered in our archipelago?

*just a thought*

*lol*

i'm on leave

ooopps! i've been out of the blog-loop for two weeks already and i so missed my rubbish ramblings. well it was not because i was busy with work (i wish), or was on vacation (i wish more), but i was so unfortunate to be locked-in for torture in the hospital.

it all started on mid-february when i began to feel some on-and-off pain all around my abdomen. i often feel gassy and constipated, too! but the thing that got me more worried is the pain on my lower right abdomen that comes and goes. my first guess was appendicitis but since the pain is just the simple "kirot", i tried to brush it off my mind for two weeks.

on march 6 (friday), hubby accompanied me to new medical center for a consultation coz i got him worried already. the pain still comes and goes. i had my urine sample tested as i told the indian doctor of my history in urinary tract infection. after waiting for another 30minutes, the result says that i only have slight infection and it's very unlikely that it causes the pain. so she said that it might only be gastrointestinal disorder then gave me a prescription my constipation and flatulence.

on march 7 (saturday), i was all okay as me and hubby went at deira city centre to meet cousin tony. we had a delicious lunch at 3pm, bought a book (Princess by Jean Sasson), then watched Watchmen at 5pm. Watchmen was ridiculously hyped by movie magazines here when it hardly satisfied me and hubby.

march 8 (sunday) is a non-working holiday for the public sector, but since most of our entities in the middle east are also on holiday, our company opted to have its offices closed for today too! hubby went for work while i stayed at home sneezing (achhuuu!) and reading Princess the whole day. by midnight, i was already having a temperature.

the next day, march 9 (monday), even if i was having fever, i still went to work to meet some reporting deadlines. before lunchtime, i was already feeling very chilly and shivering uncontrollably. can't even hold the mouse steadily. my colleagues suggested that i should just leave work if i'm not feeling well. so after eating my lunch, i left the office and hailed a cab going back home to sharjah.

when hubby got home at 6pm, we decided to go to another doctor for consultation. so we went at prime medical center and had my urine and blood tested again. my temperature says 39.5 degrees Celsius. the indian doctor here is more convincing than the previous doctor as he had made more physical exam on my abdomen. my CBC result came and the doctor said i have blood infection which may be due to an inflamed appendix. also the reason why some parts of my abdomen feels rigid etc. he insisted that i should be admitted in the nearest hospital right after the consultation. i can't remember how the news really felt in me. i was too weak to react that much.

as we are not familiar with the best hospitals here in sharjah, the doctor referred to us the central private hospital. good thing that i have medical insurance as being hospitalized here in the UAE is like a fortune. even if i'd like to go back to philippines to have my treatment there, an inflamed appendix is like an urgent case that a rupture would come any moment. some friends came over that monday night, as i was admitted in the hospital. they took some x-ray test and more urine and blood test. i was beginning to feel scared everytime i see needles pricked on me. at 11pm, my dextrose started. that also started my "fasting". as in no water, no food!

the next morning at 10am, i had my full abdomen ultrasound. the result of the scan did not came to us immediately from the doctors but from the gossip made by the nurses. it was like i was suddenly the talk of the town in that hospital. they were saying that i have an inflamed appendix and that they saw a mass in my right ovary, by which the doctor is suggesting ectopic pregnancy! i got really tensed about it but i still prayed that it's really not ectopic pregnancy.

night time came, at around 9.30pm, i had my laparoscopic surgery for the removal of my appendix and ovarian cyst (as they saw through the camera inserted on my button belly during the surgery). at least it was not ectopic pregnancy. i was not aware of the whole procedure as i was sleeping the whole time. my hubby said the operation took about 1 and half hours and that he saw the appendix and the cyst. the cyst was about the size of the old one peso coin in whitish color. the doctor said the biopsy result will be out after two weeks.

some facts:

1. i stayed in the hospital for a total of 7 loonngg days!

2. i had two blood transfusion because my hemoglobin level after the operation was just 6.5 (normal is 8-12)

taken on 13 march, groge pa ko jan

3. since admission, i was fasting for 5 days!

4. since my operation, the nurses would take blood on me for blood test at least twice a day.

5. during my stay in the hospital, i have had 21 needle pricks on my two arms and three on my butt.

6. my IV fluid set was changed three times (twice on my left and once on my right) because my hand would swell so much that my fingers have become human sausages!

my third set of IV fluid

7. i have cough while i was in the hospital, which made my wounds hurt more.

8. i have three small cuts in my laparoscopic surgery (two on my left and one below my belly button)

9. got discharged on monday night, march 16.

10. hospital bill for my appendectomy is 19,356 dirhams!!!! (fortunately it was covered by the insurance) while the ovarian cyst cost us 6,000 dirhams!!!! i don't want to think of converting it to peso.


and now i'm at home already for 3 days nows. it's much better being at home as i feel much stronger. and more movement. the doctor said i still need another 2 weeks to rest before i become fit to work again. good thing that my company is very supportive.


thanks to my families, friends and officemates who were checking on my status everyday. and also thanks to the very kind nurses in the hospital amidst my irritability and crying moments with the needles.

and most importantly, i thank God for all the blessings and the strength He has given me while being tortured with pain.

plus/minus

most people on this planet gets very desperate finding ways to lose weight and burn down those calories piling up on the belly sides. the real world will never get tired coming up with solutions whether using high technology or the natural way. even the world wide web won't run out of resources for those too eager to dispose the "extras".

"weight loss" would return 117,000,000 results from google and typing
"diet" would return 162,000,000 results.

yahoo has a much wider resource for the same terms, you would get 531,000,000 and 870,000,000 results respectively.

as you see, there were too many helpful sites about losing weight and diet thingies that the net is overly crowded with advertisements (mostly).

for the most (or whole?) part of my life, i've never been interested with losing weight. i'm on the other side of the fence.

slim, petite, underweight, malnourished, buto-buto (all bones and no muscle), kite (as in saranggola ni pepe), yatot, payatot, poste, anorexic, bulimic

these were my categories ever since, and forever and ever na yata ito.


i'm the one at the center

i am neither anorexic nor bulemic. i eat a lot actually. and i get hungry all the time. and i love chocolates and ice cream and pasta!

just today i've tried searching the net for "gain weight" and yahoo has returned 185,000,000 results only compared to diet and weight loss. but but but...it's still in the milliones side so it's still okay. i won't be able to look on to all of the searches anyway. i'm pretty sure that only a handful would be truly helpful and genuine.

the net is flooded with advertisements and promises. the worst is that some of these ads are really harmful and would cause side-effects that would only put you in danger. e.g. steroids

i had my own experience back in college with this chinese herbal medicine called "ling zhi" (not the complete name) that promised to boost my appetite. it did worked on me putting up some 10 more pounds within 2 weeks of use (sorry i don't have pics of me) but it didn't feel right at the same time. the first week i've taken it, i had palpitations, and i can't stop eating. even when i'm already on my bed at 11pm and really really sleepy, my tummy would release a growl that will surely frighten the person next to me (like my sister who would sharply turn her on my side). i would have 5 heavy meals as in with a plateful of rice everytime. i even remember having my stomach so full that i had a difficulty breathing.

that of course alarmed me. and my hubby too (then boyfie). he told me that although he loves hugging the new "tabachingching" me, it doesn't look right on me. parang nagmamanas daw coz my upper body remains the same (except for the face where the manas is evident).

tsk tsk tsk!

so i stopped it eventually even if i'm so tempted to go on with it. good thing i did not gave in to temptations. too risky.

i once searched the net about the herbal medicine and it turned out it contains high level of
parang candies...heehee...

that routine lasted until 6th grade coz in high school, i started the caplets of Centrum naman.

hmmm...up til now, me and my siblings are still wondering where did the vitamins went.

i have tried so many things useless and thoughtless. my cousin told me i should eat more fast-food so i would grab a burger or fries or pizza any chance i got. nothing happened. just feeling bloated with the trans-fat that came with it. my other friend asked me to eat more chocolates coz it worked for her and she thinks that it would work for me. i think she lied to me *silly me*

it is so difficult pa naman for me to gain weight. if i have this routine of eating 4 heavy meals for 6 consecutive days gaining 1 pound per day, just missing the routine on the 7th day would burn down the 6 pounds i've earned. back to zero again!


tipping the scale is like suspense to me everytime

i know, i know. that most people (girls) would envy the slim-ness of me. i'm a size "0" or size "8" (UK). but then, i don't get to see much of my sizes on the clothes rack. i also get frustrated with the limited range of "extra smalls" on shops that i so love. especially with jeans! i love skinny jeans but most pairs i adore are either too long for my petite-ness or just too roomy for my skinny legs. how can i even call them "my skinny jeans" if there's still a room for one more leg!

dang! [thinking about the most coveted dress that i can't wear unless repaired, which is not so fabbity]

this is me. just being whiny and unpredictably ungrateful.

was this just purely hereditary or simply high-speed metabolism?

or both?

express lane

everybody in the office are surprised that people from sharjah came early.

office timings start at 9am.

we came at 8am!!!

i was half-asleep already when we took the al wahda road (sharjah) at 7.45am. then before taking the ittihad road, the bus should be taking a right turn going to al khan area. the bus never took the right turn. it went straight up to ittihad road and has never slowed down a bit. my eyes flew open the moment i realized this and at first i can't believe that we were taking the road that is usually heavily congested with vehicles bound to dubai. road-blocks gone, the road was clear and it was like a friday (weekend here)!

The RTA's project that began in 2006, completion is targeted on June 2009.

i think the RTA deserves the thumbs up today for a job well done. their al ittihad road project, even if it's not yet 100% complete, is already working well. from the usual 1 and a half hour trip/traffic, it was down to 15 minutes only!

the downside for me today? i did not have my usual 1-hour sleep time in the bus. even my colleague clara is sleepy already.

quest for the ID

update from yesterday:

i reached sharjah city center at 4pm and got my atm card at emirates bank. then took a cab going to al taawun center.

i was at al taawun mall at 4.30pm and i got lost for finding the EIDA center for about 15 minutes. at the information counter, i was given the token (number slip) and was asked to sit outside waiting for my number to be called out.

it was a long wait. good thing i brought Eclipse to keep me company. after several chapters (and hours), my number (754) flashed into the screen along the counter number (4).

finally! at 6.30pm i was entering counter number 4 and after some typing, i paid 320 dirhams (300 for processing and 20 for empost). the local lady ushered me to an adjoining room where pictures and finger (or rather, palm) scanning is done. it took us 20 minutes before the scanning was completed because my hands have very fine prints and the scanner was having a difficulty tracing them.

i thought there would be another procedure after that but the local lady told me i'm done already and i can go home.

*sigh*

after almost 2 hours of waiting, the whole process just took me 30 minutes.

my colds got worst when i got home. good thing that hubby was kind enough to cook the dinner for me. sinigang na baboy!!! *yummy*

i was not able to take pictures because i was really feeling tired and weak.

appointment for the day

it's my appointment today for the emirates ID so i'm leaving work early. it would be an hour (at least!) of commute from our office in sheikh zayed (dubai) to al taawun mall (sharjah). i hope that there will be a bus coming as soon as i leave the office. i don't want to waste time just waiting for the RTA buses.

arggh!!!

i am going alone and i hope i can handle it well (the procedures) coz really i am not used to talking with the locals here. it's either i don't understand them or vice versa. and i still do have the jitters when i speak to them. i thought i'm no longer scared of them. well, i guess talking to them is way different than just seeing them.

i really don't have anything against the locals here. i just get intimidated by them. i hope i won't be as scared as i think now.

and i hope that this ID registration will be over soon.

it's already 2.48pm. i'm leaving at 3pm. my appointment will be at 7.50pm.

noticed the time difference between leaving the office and my appointment? you see, traffic in dubai-sharjah road is like chaos and soo unbearable (even on saturdays!). lots of allowance time for traffic.

and by the way, i also need to pick up my atm card at emirates bank at sharjah city centre. i have to do this before i go for the ID. i hope i won't be late.

If only...

1. i am at home, i might be enjoying right now an afternoon siesta with the soft pillows (very inviting!)

2. i have tickets for Dubai Tennis Championships, i can watch Roger Federer playing live!

3. i am size 10, i can have a wide range of clothes to wear *sigh*

4. pinas and dubai is just like pinas and singapore, flying back and forth at home won't be that costly (going home pinas every month won't be a bad idea)

5. money is not a problem, i'll go shopping till i hate shopping *toinks*

6. there is more time available to relax, i would love to enjoy a spa

7. i am a good wife, i will never hate household cleaning (tamad talaga eh, although i cook naman.)

8. hubby is reading this, he'll surely talk to me tonight about number 7 (hehehe) *peace tayo hubby*

9. hubby is lazy, maybe i would love household cleaning (that is yet to be seen)

10. there are 5 days of rest in a week, i will surely gain some weight! (desperately lazy)

11. it's 6pm already, i'd be happy to go home and sit infront of the telly

12. all of the above were true, i won't be writing all these "if onlys"!

--just a wishful thinking here...

why i haven't blogged for 11 months (Part 2)

July 2008
busy with job-hunting in this very strange world. sending our CVs through e-mail and company websites. busy browsing the classifieds and making phone calls to headhunters. and braving the almost 40 degrees hot and humid dubai for walk-ins and scheduled interviews. almost every night before going to bed, hubby and i were doubting our sanity for coming here without secured jobs. then we'll end up either missing pinas or ranting about the bad smell all over the place (outside the flat).

mid-July 2008
got my job as an accountant in a trading company, which actually pays well. i thought i was on my happiest coz i need not worry anymore for jobhunting. but lo and behold, it's like my worst nightmare coming to life for the next 3 months of my dubai adventure! i realized this on my very first day. but i just kept telling myself that i am brave enough to face anything and everything in that company. hubby got the bad vibes, too! and asked me to back out. but then i was too proud to back out. it's one thing i both regret and not (see November 2008).

August 2008
my job was very demanding. actually, the boss is, who is a lebanese but would brag about being americanized just because he studied in the US for college! for everyday, i would need a good enough reason to convince myself that i love my job. i actually love the job but not the boss and the very heightened working environment my boss is imposing around the company. he yells at you, slams the door, throws a pen or a heap of papers, curses you, degrades the filipino people, tells you you're stupid, tells the whole staff that filipinos are stupid but 90% of his staff are filipinos and would not hire any other nationality! duh!!!

on the first week of the month, an indian accountant got fired for a very simple reason: the indian took home the warehouse keys because the office was already closed when he got back from the warehouse. and the one they replaced for him, liza, also a pinay, got fired on the last week of the month just because the poor girl can't take the yelling and the cursing. she was a nervous "cry baby" (as i quote my boss) everytime she sees him. it was pure hell everyday but i could proudly say that i had stormed it. not a single drop of tear.

on a happy note, hubby got a job, too!

September 2008
ramadan it is. happiness it should be because we had shortened work periods. instead of the usual 8.30 to 6.30, we were having 8.30-4.30. yes, i could have been happier but no. it was my worst nightmare! i would be asked by the boss to go to the office by 7am (and i live at sharjah that time!) for morning finance meetings, re: month-end FS, supplier updates, project contracts, bank guarantees, import LCs, forex rates, forward rates, collections, payments, etc. meetings are very time-and-energy-consuming. i'm almost out of my wits everytime. meetings would usually start before lunchtime (around 10 or 11) and would end after 4-5 looonnnggg hours of blabbers and yellings (from the boss, as expected). then he'll be out of the office for some time. and just before the clock strikes at 4.30, the phone will be ringing asking me to stay until he arrives in the office. the moment he comes, he'd make me do this and do that task after task. he would not even bother to ask you if it's okay to stay until the wee hours of the evening! that was at the same time as trying to be as numb as i can be for his really bad temper. even if there's really nothing wrong, you'll get yelled out at your face. the worst time i had was having lunch at 5pm (that was me without breakfast)! i remember calling my friend grace crying over the phone for the cruel boss i have. i pitied myself so much that i couldn't finish my pack lunch. i just cried while grace would try to give me encouraging words that God would not give me something that i can't handle. that kept me up just for that night because the following days were still very vivid to me that just narrating it here makes me go back to my nervous and traumatic days.

mid-September 2008
it was the 15th of the month and supposedly, i should be celebrating my 2nd month in the company. that morning, my boss was having a fit at all the staff. he was mad angry about anything and everything he sees. and even if there's nothing virtually wrong, he would find something to be angry about. he was really mad! an hour before lunch, my boss called for me and wanted me to report about the company's finance thingy. impromptu. i had my confidence though because i know what i'm working on. but then he began asking me about customer orders and supplier orders that the ones got fired were previously handling. i had no idea what he was talking about and he was expecting so much of me. i was not superhuman. and he doesn't care. he damn doesn't care. that stirred my physically, mentally and emotionally tired self. i was on the verge of crying and my voice would crack everytime i answer him back. no one had ever shouted at me like that in my entire life. i still remember him saying "i don't care about your feelings! i only care about my money and my business! in my company, i am god!"

it was too much to bear that those exclamation points are not enough to demonstrate how he almost tear my eardrums.

i was literally trembling and relieved at the same time when he dismissed me. my phone then rang and i was trying very hard to calm myself. the number's not registered on my phone but thought it was my friend's work phone. it was like desperate of me to talk to someone that time. i know my voice croaked at my first "hello". the girl at the other end is not my friend. she's a recruitment assistant in a company i'm not familiar with (i would later find it's a network of advertising companies). she saw my cv at bayt.com and asks me if i'm still interested for an accounting job. i haven't sent an application to them, i was sure. but i was glad of the opportunity that came knocking at me. she thought i was hesitant to take the job (she's also kabayan) so she just kept convincing me that i should try it out coz the position offered is really nice and that the company would take care of my transfer. in one week i got interviewed by the recruitment manager and by the cfo, then being offered the job with a nice package, and the promise that they would do anything to ease out my transfer to them. thank you Lord!

last week of September 2008
i filed my resignation. my boss was unbelievably calm that night and he was all too kind to humble himself and convince me not to resign. eventually he agreed that i leave the company but only after 5 weeks. too kind words. and too good to be true.

the next days were mad hell again! i don't want to narrate it anymore except for the fact that he held my salary for september!

October 2008
my boss was pressuring me too much that i barely have time to take notice that my period have lapsed. i was delayed for 20 days! i have my weight checked and i just lost 8 pounds from the 88 pounds that i barely have when i first arrived in dubai. i even thought i was pregnant (which made me and hubby so ecstatic!). when my period finally came, i got depressed the more because i knew that the delay was all because of stress! it was the first time i missed my period for more than 10 days!

my work has become a health issue! and that was serious for me.

then even on my last day at work, my boss gave me enough problems to torture me for the rest of 2008!

my visa got cancelled without my last pay (two-months salary!) and i had a 6-month labor ban. that means i cannot take another job within uae unless a freezone company or a government sector would offer me a job!

November 2008
i exited to kish, iran and got my company visit visa the other day. sponsored by the new company that hired me.

on my first day at work, the HR executive toured me around the company and i was warmly welcomed.

in two weeks time, i got my residence visa! up till now, i am really thankful to my company's HR people. they handled my job ban through one of the companies' free zone entities. i just got lucky, i guess. our PRO was right, i just have to relax.

amidst too much cruelty from the past months, God was all along planning a better life for me!

aside from that, i also got bitten by Edward Cullen! i watched Twilight with flatmate Ate Rhoda! we were both in love!

December 2008
i had terrible bed bug bites! they're still haunting me from time to time. and the marks haven't vanished completely. anyone knows a good cream/lotion to lather on???

good news here: i gained back my 88 pounds and more! i'm now 91 pounds! =P i know i'm still on the petite-slim side of the fence but i'm working on it. every one pound i gain is like happiness to me already.

holiday season here, we celebrated with bountiful of pinoy food and sweets and some videoke with our flatmates. it was bittersweet. trying to enjoy the food and the singing while missing our "pinoy pasko".

--------------
okay that's it. too much catching up here. it was a very boring story indeed. but for me, it's a part of my "moving on" for 2009.

my previous year had been a mixture of emotions, failures, struggles and luck. i am very thankful that God has opened up opportunities for me, not only to be happy, but also to be strong enough to survive what "has been".