Hope for the Filipino Migrant Workers

Last Sunday, on Pauline’s invitation, I attended the graduation rights of the Filipino Workers' Resource Center - Skills Training Program (FWRC-STP) in Kuala Lumpur. This is a program that helps assist Filipino migrant workers learn new skills in the hopes that they will not be “cheap labor” forever. There are classes on everything from entrepreneurship, business communication, accountancy, nursing, even dressmaking, reflexology and cosmetology. The Filipino workers (mostly domestic helpers) spend 5-6 days a week hard at work, and one day (Sunday) for their further education. The teachers, like Pauline, are all volunteers.

I was supposed to help out onstage, and though I felt I was there the whole day and did not get to help much, it was worth it to feel that indelible Filipino spirit in the air, see the happy faces of the graduates and the volunteers, and listen to a compelling valedictory address written and delivered by one of our domestic helpers. I hope you can take the time to read it below. It’s worth your time.

VALEDICTORY ADDRESS
by: Ophelia A. Belo

Excellencies, Ambassadors Lecaros and Brillantes, Mrs. Lecaros, Labatt JBJ and Mrs. Jimenez, Faculty Advisers, Embassy Officials, Filcom Leaders, Malaysian Nationals, Princess Becky, Datu Lim Sun Hoe and Datu Sunny Lim, Honorees, Guests, Fellow Students and Graduates, Friends Countrymen and Visitors, Good Afternoon,

I thank God for this honor and I express gratitude to my country and government for this opportunity. I accept this distinction with both joy and sadness. There is joy in my heart right now because once again I have proven that there is a reward for hardwork, dedication, and excellence. But I am sad right at these moment, I am sad for our country and for our people. I am sad for you fellow graduates. And I am sad for myself.

I am sad that the Philippines, the homeland of brilliant, highly skilled and very articulate people, is now becoming the number one supplier of cheap labor including domestic helper into the booming world of global markets. We can kid ourselves by saying there’s nothing wrong in being a domestic helper. Oh come on……… I am a domestic helper myself and I’m not ashamed to be so. But then, what?

I am looking at the big picture and I am looking at our country and I am disappointed that there is not much hope if we remain there. I am regretful that every single day, no less than 3,200 Filipinos are leaving the Philippines, many of them for good, in the hope of finding jobs that can send our children to school, buy medicines for our sick, repair our dilapidated shanties or pay for all our indebtedness.

What happened to the Philippines?
Our country is supposed to be the Pearl of the Orient Seas. In 1961, many Malaysians used to envy the Filipinos. They dreamt to study in UP, La Salle or Ateneo. Today, Malaysians are the employers of Filipino domestic helpers. They have sent an astronaut into space, while the Filipinos are still quarrelling about government contracts and alleged rigging of elections.

We, the OFWs’ must begin the process of the renewal for our country. The FWRC is our center of excellence to be able to compete globally and turn around our country.

The global labor markets are unforgiving. The avalanche of rising demands for quality comes rushing every single moment and the standards of excellence keep on rising without pause. Only those who never stop learning will survive in this crazy and mind-boggling competition for skills.

Filipino engineers and technicians in IT who surf the cyberspaces for emerging opportunities find themselves competing with highly competent Indian computer wizards. Indians are also emerging as our OFWs’ top competitors in the global labor markets.

Our oil and gas engineers are still preferred by Malaysian employers because the local chemical and mechanical engineers prefer to work in UK and in the Middle East. This is the result of globalization of human capital.

Our domestic helpers from the Philippines are still the preferred ones by Malaysian royalty, high government officials and top businessmen. But the Filipino domestics represent only a miniscule 2% of the entire DH market in Malaysia, Indonesia commands more than 90% of the 500,000 household service providers in this country. But the Philippine government is aiming for QUALITY employment. We frown upon QUANTITY or high volume of 5D’s: the jobs that are DIRTY, DIFFICULT, DANGEROUS, DEMEANING and DECEPTIVE.

Even the Filipina DH’s are only few, they enjoy superior benefits. They enjoy Sunday day-offs every week or at least every another week with the two Sundays paid for when they are not allowed to go. They have much higher pay and better terms and conditions of employment. They are allowed to study in the FWRC Skills Training Program.

The Filipino household service workers, along with other OFW’s do study in FWRC. They learn word processing, spreadsheet, internet, illustrator, photoshop, autocad and multiple computer applications. They study Commercial Baking, Advanced Cake Decorating, Western Food Cooking, Basic Nursing, Reflexology and Arts and Crafts. They even learn the Art of Communication, Composition and Correspondences, Business and Social Correspondences, Financial Management, Business Development and Entrepreneurship.

The Labor Attache and top Embassy Officials teach BLAWSFIL (Basic Labor Laws for Filipino, a subject created by Labat JBJ as a means for empowerment, to arm the OFWs with fundamental knowledge of the labor and family laws, immigration and even contract laws and criminal statutes. The migrant workers from the Philippines are aware of their rights as well as obligations to employers and host government. They have less chances of being arrested and detained and they are more confident when confronted with legal issues.

OFWs from Malaysia who are now venturing to UK like Lyn dela Rama and Gene Sarmiento, both outstanding FWRC alumnae, have better chances of survival and even excellence in more challenging work environments. Former FWRC resource persons like Dang Penarubia who migrated to Canada have better probability of success than others who went withoug FWRC KASH (Knowledge, Attitude, Skills and Habits)

Today, the 21st of October, here in the Grand Ballroom of Crown Princess Hotel in Kuala Lumpur, few shall graduate those among the 490 who enrolled in January, survived the grueling holistic training in FWRC. Today, the word GRADUATION should be understood as a process, not an end, a process of enhancing elevating, improving and developing the KASH positions of the OFW who made the correct decision to study in FWRC.

Today, also is a COMMENCEMENT, a starting point, a beginning, a point of embarkation to a higher level of consciousness, to a better perspective in life, a much improved point of view and a stronger, higher quality of qualification, a better state of readiness, an empowered new beginning of the rest of our lifetime journey.

The quest for excellence, the drive to win the global labor markets, the hunger for bigger challenges, the thirst for learning – an insatiable yearning to learn more – these are the hallmarks of men and women who are geared and programmed for success in life.

The next motto of FWRC is “ON TO THE MARCH FOR EXCELLENCE” Excellence, both in skills and in Character. Both committed and competent. Thus, today is indeed a day for celebration. But after the celebration, we need to do something for our country.

And so today, ladies and gentlemen, what are we going to do to create a meaningful difference in the future of our country? Evil triumphs because good men do nothing. Let us all do something, no matter how small.

FIRST, let us not remit everything that we earn here. Let us save at least 50% through the Samahang Impok Bayan and keep it until we go home for good.

SECOND, let us all take courses in the FWRC that will help us in our reintegration like Business Management, Entrepreneurship Accounting, Basic Laws and other relevant courses. Indeed it is only bring EXCELLENCE THAT WE CAN TO THE GLOBAL WORLD.

THIRD, let us all write to our congressmen, let us write to our newspaper, let us e-mail jour opinions and let us be active in denouncing the abuses of our political leaders.

FOURTH, let us rally behind honest and hardworking officials and staff in government but let us denounce and expose and charge all those who violate their oaths as public servants.

FIFTH, let us help in the FWRC. Whatever honor we receive today should provide us an inspiration to share our knowledge to other OFW’s.

SIXTH, let us discipline our families at home. They should learn to value our remittances and not squander them in luxuries. Let us let them learn that we worked hard for the money and we should not tolerate extravagances.

SEVENTH, let us all be aware of all the economic, social and political developments in our country. Let us monitor what are the trends and programs of our country’s future. And let us share our thoughts with those who spend our remittances.

AND lastly number EIGHT, let us all be aware that all that were, all that are and all that will be in the Philippines are driven by economic realities, high population growth, labor excess economy, cheap labor, globalization without safety nets, insufficient social services. All these are exacerbating the pains and sufferings of our people.

These are the reasons why the joy of my success today is eclipsed by the sadness in our situation as a nation and as a people.

We’ve got to feel the pain so that we will do something about it. We can not continue deluding ourselves. We have to face realities and bite the bullet.

According to a great social scientist: THE FUTURE BELONGS TO THE DISCONTENTED. The Filipinos should start to be discontented with our situation and tell our leaders of our discontentment.

According to a Chinese Philosopher: IT IS CRAZY TO EXPECT DIFFERENT RESULTS IF WE CONTINUE TO REPEAT THE SAME MISTAKES. The Filipinos should accept that there are for too many mistakes and we have to correct them.

And according to Dr. Jose Rizal in his NOLI ME TANGERE, recorded in the history of human sufferings is a cancer of so malignant a character that the least touch irritates it.

Since the time of Rizal until now more than a century after, the cancer is still here – a SOCIAL CANCER, AN ECONOMIC MALADY.

The only difference is that we can do something about it. Yes we can. And we should. No matter how strait the gate and how charged with punishment the scroll, we are the masters of our fate. We are the captain of our souls, to borrow from Invictus.

Kaya mga kababayan, dapat umpisahan na ang pagbabago, umpisahan sa ating sarili. Kung hindi ngayon, kaylan pa? Kung hindi tayo and mag umpisa, sino pa? Bahala tayo sa ating kinabukasan at bahala tayo sa kinabukasan ng ating bansa Pakaisipin ninyo ito. Huwag kayong masyadong magsaya. Dapat magkaroon din kayo ng lungkot, upang magsikap kayong magbago. Dahil ang mga problema ay hindi nakakatuwa.

Marami pong salamat.

Always an Honor

This December I’ll be headed back home for Christmas (a truly OFW experience) and also to attend my younger sister’s wedding in Tagaytay as her Maid of Horror, er, Honor. It’s only the second time I’ve been a Maid of Honor, the first at my best friend’s wedding in New York. The “honor” part is so apt...I feel truly privileged to be asked to perform this role while the most important women in my life pledge their own lives to another. I cried when I gave my best friend the reception toast. And I was especially touched when my sister asked me. I said, “Sigurado ka? Eh ang tanda ko na!” and her reply? “Sino pa ba?”

Of course I’m also excited about the wedding and reception which is conceptualized by a truly creative couple, and of course, my Maid of Honor dress which is so unique and usable! None of that flower and ruffle crap. My sister blogged about it in her wedding site, and I’m reposting it here.

(Unrelated to the topic, the dress I’m wearing in the photo she used is the Shanghai Tang one I bought in Wondermomo for only US$34, and I visited the Shanghai Tang shop in Bangkok and saw the current collections retail for triple that. Someone keep me away from the store whilst I’m in money-saving mode!)

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All hail the Maid of Honor

and for my zexy zeester, something that totally does not look like any of the other entourage gowns!

the lady:
and her dress:

Am I Noisy?

Situation #1 - I live alone in a 2-bedroom condo and when I arrived from my Bangkok trip 2 weeks ago, I got a note from my neighbor directly below me claiming that I keep him awake watching TV in my bedroom. He cites an instance where I watched TV until 2:30am and it interfered with him "performing (my) regular duties" in his hectic 12-14 hour workday. Having been traveling mostly over the past 3 weeks, I could only remember one night where I stayed up watching Die Hard 4. This neighbor then requested that I cease watching TV in my bedroom since the walls were so thin that he could even hear me "walking about, taking a bath, and flushing the toilet".

Situation #2 - A week ago I had 4 friends come over to hang out til midnight, and since I don't have a cool sound system I was just playing my iTunes at half-volume over my IBM Thinkpad speakers (which everyone knows are quite crappy). The next day the guard stopped me at the gate to say that the same neighbor complained of me playing loud music...and he could hear the scraping of the chairs on the floor.

Now I've tried to listen to my neighbors to check how much I can hear but all I can make out is the hum of the airconditioning, and sometimes the sound of light switches being turned off/on so I figure the walls must not be that thin! I just bought Altec Lansing speakers for my iPod which I feel I can't play and now I can't even watch my pirated DVDs til I fall asleep. So am I noisy or is the neighbor just a freak?

Panjabi MC Night

I found this pic while browsing through the Heineken community site called Party Out. I was posing like mad at the official photographer during the Panjabi MC gig last August in Kuala at Bar Savanh, Asian Heritage Row, Kuala Lumpur. Glad to see the photo made the light of day!

I had only heard 1 track of UK DJ Panjabi MC "Mundian To Bach Ke" before I went to this gig and was rewarded by a whole night of mixed hiphop Western and Punjabi music which just kept us early nighters dancing up til 2am, and 2 people in our group up til 4am! I was also happily surprised to see the biggest gathering of good looking Indians I'd ever seen in my life. Now I'm never going to turn down a chance to party Bangra style!

Bangkok Sightseeing Shortcuts

If you have only one day to go around Bangkok, you might want to take my quickie itinerary. These 2 places I visited on my only free day in Bangkok (it was a Sunday) fulfilled both my bargain-shopping and my photo-opp-ing needs.

Chatuchak Weekend Market. (MRT-Kamphaeng Phet) This should be your first stop in the morning, before the hot noontime sun hits the stalls and there are less people. This weekend-only open air market (reminiscent of the old Divisoria) is quite accessible as the Kamphaeng Phet station is smack dab in the middle of the market. I’ve heard so many people call this bargain-hunters paradise overwhelming which why I was afraid to go at first, but then I remembered I’ve shopped at the Greenhills tiangge during Christmas time so I shouldn’t be daunted by anything.

Chatuchak has everything from Thai silk goods, Chinese décor items, glassware, steelware, wall hangings, tons of trendy clothes, shoes, bags, accessories, leather goods, artwork…I could go on and on! I was only there for a few hours but ended up with 4 photo frames (US$2 each), a short silver grey bubble dress (US$5.40), set of 4 candle holders (US$10.60), a hand-painted wood hanging (US$10), a bright printed summer dress (US$16), 3 chunky necklaces (US$2 each), a chiffon skirt ($10) and 2 Thai silk pillow cases ($6 each), and silver dangly earrings ($12), ceramic ashtray and vase (US$0.30 each). I was eyeing some woven bags, more tops and skirts but thank God I had to force myself to leave for my next stop. What’s great about shopping in Chatuchak is that, perhaps because of the language barrier, don’t pressure you into buying anything. Negotiating is common, but I’m always embarrassed to do so which I know is quite un-Pinoy. I tried the “walking away” technique but no one came after me, so I usually settle for a 10% discount, and felt elated when I went all the way up to 30% off for some purchases.

Before I left I got lunch at the Toh-Plue restaurant which wasn’t all that fabulous, and I wished I could have tried more of the street food they were hawking at the market.

Chaopraya River. (BTS- Mo Chit) The second part of your day can be devoted to a trip down Chaopraya River by the Express Boat accessible from the Central pier. Since I had limited time, I chose to stop over at the Tha Thien pier where the Wat Pho (Reclining Buddha) and Grand Palace. On the way there, you can ogle the beautiful riverside hotels like The Oriental, Shangri-la and The Hilton. Across the Tha Tien pier you can also visit the Wat Arun (Temple of the Dawn). The river cruise is perfect in the afternoon because on the way back you can see the Wat Arun basked by the sunset. Of course I missed my stop which is why my time got even more limited--- but its ok I also got to witness a fish feeding frenzy which one of their weird tourist activities there. Actually it was easy to get back on track, the ferry “conductors” are very helpful in pointing you to where you should get off, just as long as you tell them where you are going. Taking the express boat is a lot like taking a Philippine bus, they have conductors on-board collecting fare and they issue those small, thin paper tickets.

In touring the Wat Pho which has the biggest Buddha statue in Thailand (you cant fit it in one photo), you will be asked to wear head-covering and take off your shoes. The Wat Pho is also the site of a traditional Thai massage school conducted by the monks, and if I had arrived early enough I could have tried a head or foot massage for the price of a donation. Outside the Wat Pho, tons of tuktuk drivers offered a riding tour for only 20 Baht (when I wouldn’t accept the tour they tried to flatter me into it) but I seriously thought I could’ve walked to all the sights they were suggesting. However, it was getting dark and I was channeling Sarah Jessica Parker by taking the river ride in a Vietnamese silk printed sundress, I decided it wasn’t appropriate to stay late while being alone.

After this long day, I took myself to a nice dinner booked myself a massage of course!

Lavana Spa, Bangkok

I'm a massage junkie. Which is why I was happy to find myself in the land of Thai massages. And even happier to find a fabulous, affordable, exotic massage called "Oil Massage with Herbal Balls" at the Lavana Spa, Bangkok. It was a relief too, to recover my faith in Thai massages. After all, 2 days before my fabulous Lavana massage, I spent 200 Baht (US$6) at a creepy Thai massage place called Kreuw Beauty along Sukhumvit Road for a lousy 1-hour massage. I've had better Thai massages in Cebu! Kr-eeew smelled musty, had itchy pajamas and a half-hearted masseuse. Just a tad bit louder than the Thai radio station in the background was the flirting antics of the male customer and female masseuse in the next cubicle. I learned that not all Thai massages in Thailand are good. I will remember that when I go for a Balinese massage in Bali.

For 1,400 Baht (US$40), Lavana Spa will provide you a relaxing 2-hour oil massage in a private room with its own shower. The music is aptly instrumental, with ocean sounds and birds chirping. They serve hot tea in their spacious reception area before leading you up glass steps lit by candles to your room. The masseuse applied the right pressure, because they bother to ask you what kind of pressure you like, as well as which areas you would like them to concentrate on, even before you leave the reception area. The Herball Ball treatment came the last 30 minutes of the massage. Thai herbs (or it could be tea leaves for all I know) are wrapped in a hot towel-ball and pressed against your entire body. A good way to soak up the oil from the massage, and the hot compress is very comforting. The massage ends with a full head treatment, which is exactly what I needed after a full day shopping at Chatuchak and sightseeing at Chaopraya River.

Lavana Spa is located at No.4 Soi Sukhumvit (Suck-om-vit) 12, conveniently near the Sheraton Grande where I stayed and right beside the popular Thai restaurant called Cabbages & Condoms where I had dinner.

Thai Clothing Brands

I really love checking out locally made clothes in the places I visit. Bangkok, Thailand is definitely a fashion hotspot. Just walking through the busy streets and taking the MRT provides you with an unexpected fashion show. The locals look so fashionable, from their hair, to the accessories, their clothes and shoes. And you can tell what's this season's trend: every other girl is wearing a short tent or bubble dress which I used to think looked baggy and shapeless but this trip changed my mind.

Its a chicken and egg situation. Did the funky fashions come from the cool local stores which available at most Thai malls? Or are the avant-garde, high-quality local designers a response to the Thai youth's innate fashion sense?

Whatever the case may be, no self-respecting woman should skip a trip to Siam Central, Siam Square and Siam Discovery which are shopping havens right next to each other and conveniently located at the MRT/BTS train interchange. Check out the following stores:

• Jaspal - a mini-Zara with a men's section, ladies section which wasn't particularly impressive to me unless you're a "basic" dresser, but I was so bowled over by the shoes that I immediatly snapped up a pair. This month Jaspal has a 70% off sale! Maybe the new collections will be much better, I may have caught the dregs of last season when it came to clothing.
• Greyhound - I positively fainted from wanting to buy something from sleek clothing label Greyhound, but it could possibly be also from the price tag. They have avant-garde but classy tops, pants, jackets and dresses, as well as a casual clothing line called Playhound. A friend of mine told me that Greyhound has already made its London Fashion week debut although I wish they'd make an online debut because I cant seem to find a website.
• Jim Thompson - He's the entrepreneur who made Thai silk globally famous, then disappeared while trekking in the Cameron Highlands of Malaysia. His legacy is top quality (slightly premium priced) Thai silk goods like scarves, pashminas, bags, dresses, wallets, ties. The designs are classic and delicate, I bought framed notecards of his famous prints just so I could take some Jim Thompson home.

I also zipped through the Greenhills-like Siam Square and saw a lot of moderately priced clothes, bags and shoes but its more of a "trendy" than a quality buy in this area. But the real "trend" and low-cost shopping mecca is the Chatuchak Weekend Market which I set myself to visit another day.

Stephen King reviews the Harry Potter series

One of the greatest horror fictionists of this era reviews the series by one the greatest childrens novelists of all time. He has some very insightful things to say:

"The clearest sign of how adult the books had become by the conclusion arrives — and splendidly — in Deathly Hallows, when Mrs. Weasley sees the odious Bellatrix Lestrange trying to finish off Ginny with a Killing Curse. ''NOT MY DAUGHTER, YOU BITCH!'' she cries. It's the most shocking bitch in recent fiction; since there's virtually no cursing (of the linguistic kind, anyway) in the Potter books, this one hits home with almost fatal force. It is totally correct in its context — perfect, really — but it is also a quintessentially adult response to a child's peril."

"Jo Rowling set out a sumptuous seven-course meal, carefully prepared, beautifully cooked, and lovingly served out. The kids and adults who fell in love with the series (I among them) savored every mouthful, from the appetizer (Sorcerer's Stone) to the dessert (the gorgeous epilogue of Deathly Hallows). Most reviewers, on the other hand, bolted everything down, then obligingly puked it back up half-digested on the book pages of their respective newspapers."

"If all those creative spells — produced at the right moment like the stuff from Crusoe's ship — were a sign of creative exhaustion, it's the only one I saw, and that's pretty amazing. Mostly Rowling is just having fun, knocking herself out, and when a good writer is having fun, the audience is almost always having fun too. You can take that one to the bank (and, Reader, she did)."

You can check out the rest of the article here.

Coming Soon

Trips to Penang, Port Dickson, Bangkok, Hongkong and Singapore. Yahoooooo! Now I really wish I had that cool digital SLR camera.

Shopping High

ing Its one of the best feelings in the world to splurge on something and the hours later after your actions have sunk in, to still be happy with what you've bought. That "shopping high" is what I'm feeling today after a visit to a small shop called Wondermomo in Plaza Mont Kiara, which sells designer wear at a fraction of the retail price. I don't even know how they do it and I didn't want to ask how they're able to give good prices for their stocks. (To be fair, they're probably bargain hunters in the US). The selections are few but quite varied, from Diane von Furstenberg to Chloe to Calvin Klein. They also have shoes, bags and belts. I was able to score Citizens of Humanity jeans for RM200 (US$57) and a Shanghai Tang dress for RM116 (US$33). They might not be from the current season, but who cares? I felt so vindicated when I surfed online and found that COH jeans typically cost US120 ++ and Shanghai Tang dresses fall in the whopping $400 - $500 range. Whoopee!

In other news I also bought 2 new pillows and 2 sets of Cotonsoft bedding sets, one of which is already in place on my bed, and the other in reserve for my guest bedroom. For an amazing RM246 (US$71), each bedding set comes with a fluffy reversible comforter, a fitted sheet and 2 matching pillowcases. I'm definitely going to have a good night's sleep with the aircon running full blast.

I'm a Child of the 90s

When I drive to work every morning, there are only 3 English stations I can listen to, Hitz-FM, Fly-FM and Mix-FM. All of them do their own brand of morning show complete with DJs banter, little skits and interacting with callers. The one I most enjoy listening to is Mix-FM when they play Almost 90s at 9, which is 5 tracks in a row and you're supposed to guess which one is not from the 90s. (Note: I shouldn't even be in the car at 9am, listening to 5 tracks. I should be sitting at my desk. But somethings are hard to change!).

The other day's 90s selections were "I'll be There For You" by The Rembrandts, "Say What You Want" by Texas, "Never Ever" by All Saints and "Can't Help Falling in Love" by UB40. Can you remember what you were like, and what you were doing when you first heard these songs? I totally can! It was so much fun, with every track, to remember how different I was back then. I remember college and sitting in the Rizal Foyer, friends and the show "Friends", walking in Greenbelt Park, the first time I saw En Vogue perform at the Grammys, how I tried to scream and shout just to sing like All Saints when they did "All Cried Out", how we used to drive around Paranaque singing songs from Usher's first album. Back then, I couldn't ever imagine where I would be in 10 years. I was optmistic and idealistic and imagined so many possibilities. Listening to 90s music reminds me that its great to feel that way.

The Other Boracay

Boracay in July, which is the island's off-peak season, is a different experience altogether. In my 2nd trip there this year (which I made with even more effort since I had to fly in from KL), I was pleasantly surprised not to spend my time lolling around on the beach for 3 days, with the requisite kayak ride so that I get at least some exercise and don't feel guilty about staying up all night drinking in Club Paraw, Pier 1, Hey Jude or Juice.

There are fewer people on the beach and it doesn't seem like Greenbelt magically transported to Aklan. The prices are much much lower. We got a beachfront "penthouse" room with a veranda courtesy of Casa Fiesta in Station 1 for only P430/night/person. I finally got to: island-hop (with snorkeling and a visit to Crystal Cove and Puka Beach) for about P400, banana-boat for P150, parasail for P900, and take a beautiful sunset glide over the water in Boracay's famous paraw.

Gigi was totally right also when she said that Boracay is different depending on who you're with. I'd like to thank my off peak Bora squad consisting of her, Marj, Mai, and James for a shared sense of adventure, love for good food, ability to help me stick to a budget, and total cam-whoreness. I'd love to book another P1.00 Cebu Pacific trip with these guys soon.

Life is an Action Flick

Yes folks its another driving story...

I'm roaring down the Penchala Link at 100km/hour at around 1am on my way home from a Smirnoff launch party when from out of nowhere a motorbike bursts into my lane. I get freaked and swerve right to avoid him...coming too close to the highway divider so I swerve left. As my car fishtails on the highway I hear my rear bumper hit the divider. Finally I'm able to come to a full stop in the middle of the highway facing the opposite direction, almost a full 180 degree spin. I quickly drive to the shoulder lest other speeding cars come down the highway. Thankfully there are no other cars immediately following me. A kindly motorist stops to check how I am. And I was just so happy to tell him I was ok!

Tha damage to my car is a cracked tail light and a scraped bumper and just now I filed a report at the police station in town for the insurance claim, which was another adventure in itself. I'm hardly in the city so I drove aimlessly for about 40 mins until I spotted a motorbike-mounted cop pull ahead in front of me. I started chasing him down, honking my horn and blinking my lights, wondering at the irony of a civilian chasing a policeman through the streets of KL. Finally he notices me chasing him (I think I scared him a bit), and after he pulled over, I got him to escort me to the police station (may hagad ako!).

At the police station, a "friendly" hustler helped me park and tried to suggest that I not file a report since I would get fined RM 300 for my carelessness, but rather I should just have the damage repaired by his shop for RM 500. I almost said yes because it sounded so deliciously anti-establishment when my brains kicked in and I realized that the repair would cost me RM 200 more than the fine. Duh.

The reporting system is pretty efficient, you type in your report in the "Car Accident Reporting System" or CARS for short (smart name, aint it?) instead of handwriting it and handing it to a policeman for typing which is the typical Philippine practice. Of course I didnt get fined at all, I was just asked to come back another day for the report accompanied by the digitally taken photo.

Just when I think its over, I try to find my way back home, squinting at signs along the way and of course I totally miss seeing an island on the road. I hear a "BAM!" when my car takes to the air and lands on top of the island. Its easy enough to get off.

If the planets are in retrograde, may they get back on track soon! Sometimes too much action isnt a good thing.

Smarts vs Luck

I almost committed a classic Sheila travel booboo! Many minor mishaps have littered my path, but the last major one was 2 years ago en route to Singapore. I stood in line at the PAL check-in counter at NAIA, excited to be going on my first Singapore trip to give a lecture on the Philippine Online Gaming scene at the Asian Gaming Conference. They had my photo and credentials on their website and everything.

About 5 people away from the head of the line I take out my passport and flip to the first page. Its expired by a month. Crap.

I call my travel agency to talk to the owner and find out if there's a way around it. I try to convince her that I can usually talk my way into anything, and most certainly past Manila immigration. She counters with the threat that they will probably deport me from Singapore. I quit while I'm ahead.

I'm flying to Manila tomorrow en route to Boracay and I booked this trip months ago. In my mind, I clearly remember booking a 1:20pm flight. Finally I printed out my e-ticket awhile ago and stapled the pages together. Before I left the office I folded the ticket to put in my bag. Some weird force urged me to glance at the flight details again which is on the 2nd page. The flight doesnt leave at 13:20 or 18 hours away. It leaves at 1:20am which is 6 hours away from now. I almost missed my flight!

Thank God i bothered to check the ticket again! So am I smarter or luckier these days? I think I'd rather be smarter. :-P

Clouds over Langkawi

Its a good thing I decided to arrive a day ahead of my travel buddies as I was able to catch the last rays of sun over Langkawi on Saturday morning before clouds descended over the place after lunch and for the rest of the weekend. I can't complain though because I witnessed an amazing display of nature when the clouds came rushing in full force as we were at the peak of the Langkawi's Mount Mat Chinchang which is reached by the highest cable car ride in the world. We watched the sun get obliterated quickly by clouds which blew over us first, bringing in fog and rain before descending to the rest of the island. You could harldy see a few meters in front of you, which is an even more exciting experience in a cable car! Finally the weather cleared up enough for us to travel down to the curved suspension bridge which seems to have no other purpose but to look pretty.

The rest of the weekend was a food, alcoholic beverage and food trip because the vice products are half-price from KL's atrocious rates because they're tax free. I stayed the first night at Mutiara Burau Bay which seemed to be the quiet hotel near Pantai Kok, and the second night at the Langkawi Lanai Hotel on the busier Pantai Tengah beach. Finally my weekend was topped off by the "Spirit of Alun-Alun", a 2-hour massage-and-scrub treatment at the Alun-Alun spa. Definitely a refreshing weekend despite the absence of the sun.

I'll be late for Harry

Yesterday I booked my copy of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows at the Times bookstore near my building. This is the cover I chose. Like kids of all ages across the planet, I'm soooo excited for Book 7. I remember last year I also booked HP 6 in advance from the Fully Booked in Glorietta, and I actually went on the first day the book went on sale to pick it up. No one could talk to me the rest of the weekend as I holed myself up in my room to read it.

This year though, on the day the book goes on sale, I'll be traveling. I'll be in Boracay but my nerdy little heart will wish I were in line at the bookstore. Or better yet that I already had the copy and would be able to read it on the beach while getting the tan I've already lost by living in KL. I wish I could ask Harry to wait for me but obviously he can't. No one better dare tell me what the book is like! I'll be starting it 2 days later than the rest of the world.

Little Night of Music

Click on the photo to link to the line-up of Malaysian indie bands who will be peforming at Laundy, The Curve in Mutiara Damansara this coming Thursday night (July 12). I'm looking forward to my first taste of the local music scene here in KL.

Daily Wisdom

I've already admitted repeatedly that I'm a fortune-telling junkie, so of course I also subscribe to my daily horoscope from Astrology.com. Here's last Friday's gem of wisdom:

Dear Sheila,
Here is your horoscopefor Friday, July 6:

Are you getting what you need from life, from your romance, from work? If not, it might be time to ask yourself why. To fulfill your dreams, you have to identify them. Next, you have to believe that you're worth it.

Ok, not that brilliant right? But the thing I like about getting these daily fortunes is it reminds me about the most practical thing in the most impractical way. One of the things I wanted to learn by coming to live here in KL is my own value.

Funny enough though, I was just chatting with a friend awhile ago on msn and I told him that coming here was also supposed to be a profound journey of self-discovery in which I thought I would learn undiscovered things about myself. Its been almost a month and what have I learned so far? I like the same things here as I like back home: reading, watching TV, keeping fit, getting massages, alcoholic beverages, chocolates, fortunetelling, massages and the beach. The undiscovered part? I learned that I like myself. Its a great lesson.

Kuching

Kuching, Sarawak was an even shorter stop than Kota Kinabalu, which was a shame because they put us up in the fancy Hilton Kuching with the soccer field size bedroom, the Crabtree & Evelyn bathroom toiletries (which i saved to bring home) and a view overlooking the Kuching River. I stayed in the room exactly 9 hours, in between clubbing on Saturday night and a focus group discussion the next day.

Though I was tired because of the past 2 days in KK, I couldn't miss the experience of clubbing in Sarawak. There seems to be only one strip to go to with 2 clubs: Grappas (with the gay and straight community mixing uninhibitedly), right next to the very full but less interesting Soho (with aggressive black guys who shove themselves in your face--- "yeah lets dance babeh!! oh yeah!"). As with most Malaysian clubs I've been to, the music is predominantly hiphop which Goes to show you music is universal, even in East Malaysia where you are required to fill out an immigration card as if it were a separate country.

Before we left on Sunday, I was able to taste the famous Sarawak Laksa in Khatulistiwa along the Kuching Waterfront, which is open 24-hours. It was so good that I had to try it again in Alexis Bistro in Bangsar just a few days later. Just for that, and the gorgeous river view, I think it might be worthwhile to pass by that area again.

Kota Kinabalu

The sunset over Kota Kinabalu is world-class, especially when viewed over the rooftop terrace of the Promenade Hotel. I didn't spend much time in KK, as the Malaysians call it, but what I saw of it was reminiscent of one of our urbanized cities in the province such as Bacolod or Davao.

During our one night in KK, we had a fabulous seafood dinner at Salut with my boss and people from the research agency in we working with. Then I stepped into party mode. We tried Bed along the waterfront, but the crowd was made up of young, lousy dancers and the entertainment was a really bad (I'm sorry for this) Filipino cover band. Our last stop was Shenanigan's, an Irish pub/club at the Hyatt and that's where we found more fun partyers and a really good R&B group. We also met a cool Malaysian restaurateur and photographer, Suchen, who invited us to his newly opened wine bar & restaurant, XO Grill, in Jalan Gaya. We made it there the next day after lunch at this superbly exotic restaurant called Ocean's Seafood right beside the Promenade Hotel. Lobster, tiger prawns, crabs and mantis prawns...no wonder I broke out in an allergy right after lunch! It was worth it though. At XO, we had a glass of wine (that was a tad warm) while Suchen told us about his trip to 18 countries in 3 years, saving money working in a bar in London to make the trips, the collection of photos he had amassed at the time which he would be publishing as a coffee table book. Such an interesting life.

Then we ran off to our next stop, Kuching.

Growing Up

I've been living alone for exactly 13 days doing grown up stuff like cleaning the house, throwing out my own trash, remembering to switch off all the lights and outlets before I leave the house, and cooking gourmet delights for myself such as tortang talong, tuna casserole, and beef steak with rice. Its so different having to remember things because no one else will pick up after you or do things for you. But all that didn't make me feel as grown up as my recent decision regarding a guy I was seeing before I left Manila.

I finally made up my mind about what I wanted while I was here. When I found out something extremely disappointing he did, I confronted him about it. And when he told me he wasn't ready but offered to still continue our friendship, I decided to let go for my peace of mind.

The old me would have kept quiet, kept on slugging it out until I got beaten down by my own false expectations. But it seems like this new me would like to get what I deserve, all or nothing. One of the toughest decisions I've ever made, certainly a sad one, but definitely I'm proud of myself for making it. It also helped that this guy was a good friend and I could be totally honest with him (and he was willing to listen), but that teaches me a lesson too, about becoming friends with someone I'm seeing instead of putting them on some sort of pedestal where you only show your best side.

I travel to and from work every day for a total of 90 minutes and this song always plays on the radio...definitely cheesy but pretty apt:

Big Girls Don't Cry
Fergie

The smell of your skin lingers on me now
You're probably on your flight back to your home town
I need some shelter of my own protection baby
Be with myself in center, clarity
Peace, serenity

The path that I'm walkin, I must go alone
I must take the baby steps 'til I'm full grown, full grown
Fairy tales don't always have a happy ending do they?
And I forsee the dark ahead if I stay

Like a little school mate in a school yard,
We'll play jacks and Uno cards
I'll be your best friend
And you'll be my Valentine
Yes you can hold my hand if you want to
Cause I wanna hold yours too
We'll be playmates and lovers and share our secret world
But it's time for me to go home
It's getting late dark outside
I need to be with myself in center,
Clarity, peace, serenity

I hope you knowI hope you know
That this has nothing to do with you
It's personal
Myself and I
We got some straigtening out to do
And I'm gonna miss you like a child misses their blanket
But I've got to get a move on with my life
It's time to be a big girl now
Big girls don't cry
Don't cry, don't cry, don't cry

Spot the Difference (My 1st week in KL)

There are so many similarities between Kuala Lumpur and Manila sometimes I forget that I’m not just in another part of town (Caloocan?). The people look similar, when I go to the mall or the grocery the same superbrands are available, and the weather is pretty much the same. So I go about my day thinking that I can probably easily get the hang of things but then I start spotting the differences, some big (like right hand driving on the left side of the road) some small (groceries come in bulk, not in single packs). In my first week I’ve learned so much I’ve gotten quite excited (and sometimes afraid) of what’s coming next in the life of a girl who’s never lived away from home.

Lesson # 1 Pirated DVD shopping
I thought it would be like going to my favorite ”suki” vendor in the nearby tiangge and selecting the DVDs. Here the vendor actually has a shop in Bangsar Village where he pretends to sell original VCDs and DVDs but the shop is half empty so its obvious there are more wares in the back office. I flip through the title selections, get disappointed they don’t have Ugly Betty (yup I got hooked on that cheesy series before I left Manila) then fork over some cash for Nip/Tuck, House and Lost. Suddenly within a few minutes they close up shop, roll down the steel grille and get our numbers so they can pass us the pirated goods later on when the police aren’t watching. After 15 mins (in heavy rains) we meet at street corner and shop manager (wearing a cool bluetooth headset) directs us to his cohort in a running car who hands us the DVDs through the window while urgently instructing us to keep it in our bags. It’s like dealing drugs!

Lesson # 2 Shipping cargo
I brought over a balikbayan box with more clothes, bags, shoes and books than could fit in my 20kg baggage limit on the plane and I thought the smartest and cheapest way to bring it over would be through the unaccompanied luggage methodology (airport to airport) wherein my box would be picked up from my house, loaded onto a Malaysian Airlines flight and then be ready for pick up at the KL International Airport a day after I arrived. I envisioned going to KLIA (which is an hour away from my condo), picking the box up from a conveyor belt and merrily going home. This isn’t what happened.

Thankfully accompanied by a local driver, we head off to the KL Cargo Terminal (not KLIA as I expected), get fill out 2 forms to get 2 passes to enter the compound (which is roughly the size of the UP Campus), go to a far building to get them to issue us a guide to go to Customs (in another building) for some clearances and payment, and then another building to pay some local charges, then still another building to finally get my box which seemed less important as time went by. Finally you get it checked by Customs in a different station, then go back to the Customs building for final clearances before surrendering your pass at the exit. Time elapsed: 2 hours (excluding 2 hours of travel time). I’m never doing this again!

Lesson # 3 Language
Yes they speak English everyhere but its of the British variety. I’ve found myself stumbling several times:
Example:
Me to Guard: Excuse me, where can I throw my trash?
Guard: Huh?
Me: Trash…you know…garbage? Where is the garbage can?
Guard: Huh?
Me: Umm…dirty stuff container?
Guard: Oh…you mean rubbish bin!

I don’t know why it took us that long to understand each other.

Vive l'difference!

Driving in the Wrong Lane

Omigod I just drove to and from work by myself today! Picture this: right-hand driving in the left side of the road on a major highway (the North Klang Valley Expressway) at an average speed of 100km/hour and it still takes 40 minutes from my condo in Bangsar to my office in Cyberjaya. My heart was in my throat most of the way but that was the easy part.

What should have been another 40 minute trip back home turned into a congested tour of KL outskirts, exotic places like Subang, Sunway, and god knows how many other wrong turns into the strangest places (imagine a long dirt road under a flyover that leads into a dead end). The end result: 2.5 hours wasted and a long scratch on my passenger side. *sniff*

In other news, I’ve found Max’s long lost brother! I named my Manila car Max Sterling in honor of the ace pilot and Skull Squadron leader from the Robotech saga (a throwback to my geeky anime past), and because of course the car’s color is sterling silver. I tearfully left my car in the care of my mom and sis back home (oh god), but the car they gave me here is his exact replica! Well almost…it’s a slightly more powerful engine with automatic everything. And all the controls are on the right side. For that alone, my first loyalty will always be to Max.

Going, going, gone...

Its official. We've finally told everyone that I'm leaving just last week. Time flies by so fast that its actually my last day in the company that's been my home for 4 1/2 years. It was so hard to make the decision to move on because I've been so happy in Level Up. I've accomplished so many personal goals here. I helped pioneer an industry, turned the Filipino youth into the "Ragnarok Generation" (as Sandy Prieto was quoted as saying in the Inquirer), produced an album, a TV show, a book, a massive event (the biggest ever World Trade Center has ever seen), and launched the Philippines' biggest videogame titles. This company now is a far cry from the organization I entered back in 2003 when all it had was a small staff, an office, and a unique concept that didnt exist in the country and I am so proud of that fact. More than that, I've created friendships here that are meant to last a lifetime. I thought I was ready to move on because I feel like I've done so much, but to this day I suddenly realized that there is still so much left for me to do. But then, there are other personal goals left for me to accomplish, one of them to live independently and in a different country. So a little less than a month from now, I'm taking the plunge and moving to Kuala Lumpur to start a new career in the telecoms industry. I know it will never be the same as what I've found here, but its time to explore how it could be different.

I've told a small circle of friends about this some time ago, and despite it being a big change, the reaction from them has been so heartwarming. They have been sad, supportive, and very hopeful for what I'm about to do. Some of them have even had the most unusual reactions which I will probably get to talk about one of these days. So although I will definitely miss my home and my family, I'm looking forward to the adventure I'm about to have. Wish me luck!

Singapore Eating-lah!

There is no eating and drinking in moderation when faced with stingray, fried rice, beef, chicken and prawn sate from Lao Pa Sat, Black Pepper Crab, Cereal Prawns, Oyster Omelette from Jumbo and Raspberry Beer from Brewerkz both at Boat Quay, Hainanese Chicken Rice at Wee Name Kee near Novena Square, (so good even the Malaysian PM and Erap are reported to have stocked up on it), grilled prawns, Kai Lan veggies at Newton Hawker Center, siomai and Yang Chow Fried Rice at the Chinatown Food Street, Chocolate Mud Pie and Chocolate Mint Truffle tea at the Fullerton Hotel lobby and finally Jim Beam Cola at all the local 7-11s. Singapore is just a gastronomic delight!

Special thanks to my gluttons in crime Marj, Rommel, Bong, Fadzly, Anton, Helen and Phoebe for joining me on this food “sojourn”.

Singapore Shopping-lah!

Singapore skyline taken with my new Fujifilm Finepix.

What I Was Supposed to Buy in Singapore:

1. Nothing

What I Actually Bought:

1. 6 pairs of Reef flipflops on sale from 20 to 50% off at all Ripcurl shops. Sale naman eh! And I unselfishly bought 2 pairs as pasalubong for my mom.
2. 3 sets of Indian bracelets at the Little India Arcade. 1 for pasalubong.
3. 3 pairs of shoes from U.R.S. & Inc. Almost had a narrow miss at Charles & Keith but thankfully I had already fulfilled my necessary color palette at the other store.
4. 3 bikinis from various sources. One can never have too many. I just met someone on the trip who wears a different bikini to swim and changes under a towel on the beach to another one just for porma purposes. Wow!
5. A Phantom of the Opera brooch. So I’ll always remember the Phantom…
6. An external hard drive, a flash drive and a memory card. One always needs more storage.
7. A 5.1 MP Fujifilm digital camera because mine crashed the day I got there. Of course I bought it to take lovely photos of Pulau Redang in Malaysia where I would be spending a few days only to find out when I get to the beach resort that I forgot the camera charger at my friend’s house in Sing. Waaah.

The End Result:
4.3 kilos in excess baggage

I can’t wait for what it would actually be like during a Great Singapore Sale!

Good Friday

Me and a gorgeous flower at Caleruega chapel, Tagaytay. More photos here.

As I look back at the last few posts it seems that my life has been fodder for melancholy and sentimental drivel but honestly for the last few weeks life has just been zooming by at breackneck speed I have't had the time to shift gears on my blog. Even if I heard very recently that the jerk I dated has been telling people that the reason things didn't work out between us is because I was expecting more from him then was on the table (obviously dreaming up this fantasy while conveniently forgetting all his misleading actions and the fact that he still owed me money), I can't really get fazed. They said happiness is your own choice and I didn't realize how true it was until everything started happening to me at the same time and I seemed to be blowing the major wind under my sails. Spending time reflecting on the situation last Holy week where I miraculously spent time at home however helped me realize how lucky I am to have the support of my friends, my family, and of course the Guy Upstairs.

Last Good Friday I took a trip with friends up to Tagaytay and down to Taal Lake, another good day in a series of great more than sucky days that I've been having for the past few weeks. I am so thankful to be living this life. I'll write about the exciting things to come for me very soon when everything is straightened out but all I can say is that its going to be amazing! And scary....

Things to do before I turn...27!

I'd like to thank Ate Gigi for fulfilling my vain fantasy of taking a turn down the catwalk at the ForMe go-see last week for Philippine Fashion Week. Its something I wanted to try before I turned 30...now its 31. I headed over to the Rockwell tent one afternoon last week with artificially wavy hair, without lunch (as if skipping one meal would help) and mentally practicing my new birthday ("Me? I was born in 1981!") because a 30-year old trying this kind of thing seemed way too old.

There were close to a hundred girls of different variants of skinny. Happily I wasn't the shortest one and I didn't look like the oldest one, though I had to look away several times lest I caught the eye of some of the models who I'd already hired as talents before. ("Ma'am Sheila?? Wag ka na kasi maki-agaw ng projects namin!") By 5pm I was dying of hunger and afraid of tripping flat on my face, but I figured what the hey, I just had to try it once.

Gigi recently sent me the video she took with her phone of my "audition" and I might have the guts to post it someday, but so far I've only shown it to some close friends. She also accompanied it with a nice note that best summarizes what happened, and also shows you how wonderfully lucky I am to have such supportive friends:

"Sheila was so beautiful that afternoon! There were almost 80 models in Rockwell Tent in that ForMe go-see. For perspective, the brand is all about body shapes. The task was to choose only 6 models per body type (e.g., hourglass, rectangle, triangle & inverted triangle). Sheila belongs to the athletic rectangular shape. She was not chosen coz the brand mostly got the veterans na. However, my officemate Alex was raving about your lola’s byutiful fes at ang sabi nya mataas daw ang standards nya. There were other go-see for the imported brands ulit the next day but syempre Sheila only wanted to experience how it is to do the catwalk in super high heels. She did it! (Though next time, I told her she can smile & walk a little more slowly hehe!)."

Cheers to small adventures that take us out of the usual daily routine. :-)

Time for Happy Songs Now

Unwritten
Natasha Bedingfield

So close you can almost taste it
Release your inhibitions
Feel the rain on your skin
No one else can feel it for you
Only you can let it in
No one else, no one else
Can speak the words on your lips
Drench yourself in words unspoken
Live your life with arms wide open
Today is where your book begins
The rest is still unwritten
Oh, oh, ohI break tradition, sometimes my tries, are outside the lines
We've been conditioned to not make mistakes, but I can't live that way

Staring at the blank page before you
Open up the dirty window
Let the sun illuminate the words that you could not find
Reaching for something in the distance
So close you can almost taste it
Release your inhibitions
Feel the rain on your skin
No one else can feel it for you
Only you can let it in
No one else, no one else
Can speak the words on your lips
Drench yourself in words unspoken
Live your life with arms wide open
Today is where your book begins
The rest is still unwritten


Pink Life
Gyskard

Searching for a day, a simple life
Among the clouds, the sky is blue
Water, stars falling around at night
My dream, your dream
Dreams come true,
Trying hard

Always follow what’s in your heart
Always listen to what’s inside
Always fly high & don’t come down
And don’t come (down)

Don't push yourself far over the limit
Push your mind ahead with your spirit
Push it to where you never thought you could go right
And never come down

You run away from a very stressing life
And take some time to think of you
Try to change the color of your life
My dream, your dream
Dreams come true
Trying hard

Always follow what’s in your heart
Always listen to what’s inside
Always fly high & don’t come down
And don’t come (down)
Don't push yourself far over the limit
Push your mind ahead with your spirit
Push it to where you never thought you could go right
And never come down

Update

Well I've been feeling so introspective this weekend that I've decided to dust off the old blog and start writing cryptic things again about my life again. To the very few people who read my posts, sorry to have disappeared for quite some time.

Last week I had one of the best few days of my life and now I'm feeling the impact of knowing it was all temporary. Of course the best recourse to feeling better is to take a look at what's working in your life and be happy for that.

Thanks to Gigi, Toni and Deepa for providing the template. Here's a look back at my previous year:

What did you do in 2006 that you'd never done before?

Partied in New York.
Attended game conventions – E3 in LA and G-star in Seoul.
Became a maid of honor.
Bought a surfboard.
Tried capoeira.
Shopped in Ho Chi Minh.
Lost 10 pounds.
Relaxed my hair.
Turned down an overseas job offer.

Did you keep your new years' resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I didn’t make any and I don’t think I will…I’d rather take life as it comes one day at a time.

Did anyone close to you give birth?
Hmm…maybe the closest person would be my officemate Meng. And Mylinda got pregnant and gave birth to baby Catherine last month.

Did anyone close to you die?
No, and I am thankful for that!

What countries did you visit?
USA, Korea, Vietnam.

What would you like to have in 2007 that you lacked in 2006?
Less of a credit card debt, a small property and true love.

What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Getting promoted, going on a fabulous US vacation, getting back in shape, growing my hair long, and buying a living room set.

What was your biggest failure?
Spending too much, giving in to (male!) temptation.

Did you suffer illness or injury?
The usual gastric attacks but this time so severe that I have to take a trip to the ER so they can pump the medicine in via IV.

What date from 2006 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
June 9, 2006…spending my birthday with all my friends reminded me how lucky I am.

What was the best thing you bought?
My pink luggage set. At least I look chic while traveling!
Whose behavior merited celebration?
My bosses. My friends. My family.

What did you get really, really, really excited about?
My US trip!

Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
2 guys I went out with last year. I wonder why men can’t just be honest.

Where did most of your money go?
Shopping everywhere!

What song will always remind you of 2006?
Late 2006….Irreplaceable by Beyonce.
Oct 2006…Doing too much by Paula Deanda.

Compared to this time last year, are you:
i. happier or sadder? At this very moment…sadder.
ii. thinner or fatter? Thinner!
iii. richer or poorer? Just the same.

What do you wish you'd done more of?
Think of consequences.

What do you wish you'd done less of?
Be impulsive.

Did you fall in love in 2006? No. But I may have fallen, somewhat, last week.

How many one-night stands? None.

What was your favorite TV program? Lost. House. Prisonbreak.

Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year? No.

What was the best book you read? Read too many to pick a favorite. Maybe Harry Potter’s Order of the Phoenix--- ain’t I just shallow?

What was your greatest musical discovery?
East Village Opera Company.

What did you want and got? A raise. A new phone.

What was your favorite film of this year?
I can’t even remember any movies from last year!

What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I made the big 3-0 last year. I think I bought cake, pancit and ice cream for the family on the day itself. The day after, Super F generously lent me his pad to throw a party for about 20 of my friends.

What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Finding someone to share my successes with. My year was already satisfying, make no mistake, but it would’ve been icing on the cake.

How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2006?
More colorful. More feminine.

What kept you sane?
My car. Work. Friends. The ocean.

Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
Piolo forever!

Who did you miss?
When I thought about leaving the country…I realize I would miss my family the most.

Who was the best new person you met?
Hmm…maybe Alan. Imagine we still keep in touch!

Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2006:
Love yourself. I always tell myself this but never truly believe it. Last year I thought I got it but there were still times that other people and situations would get me down. I hope to truly learn this someday.

Quote a song lyric that sums up your year:
I think about you only twice a day…morning and evening.

The most touching experience you've had this year
My toast to Mylinda and her new husband at their wedding. I will miss having my best friend around.

What did you like most about yourself this year?
My continuing optimism which I hope to never lose.

What did you hate most about yourself in 2006?
My insecurities.

Was 2006 a good year for you?
Not the greatest yet, but it was a good year.