Something happened and now my allergies are acting up.

All day today, it's been one giant sneeze after another.

I think I'll go home early today.

I decided to do a salt water flush today and I'm thisclose to giving up.

I've tried chugging, sipping and pinching my nose will drinking the warm salt water but it's disgusting. I've also tried squeezing in some orange juice into the mixture to try and improve the taste (hence the floating seeds) but it was still a no go :(

My gag reflex is working overtime!

My insides better be squeaky clean after this torture!!

P.S.

Excuse the messy thumbnail. A pen exploded in my hand a few days ago and the ink stain hasn't washed off regardless of my numerous scrubbings.

I have decided to christen my new credit card "Suzie".

As in Suzie the Supplementary card.



So far, Suzie has paid the room deposit for the upcoming Macau trip with the Blockies.

Ain't Suzie grand?!

Watch out for the other fantastic things that Suzie will soon do.

G and I had a very busy Saturday.

First off, we stopped at ATC to check out Neva's product launch at SanFo Treats.



I ended up ordering a bottle of the "Clean Cotton" from Neva's scent library. I could have added more scents to the mixture, to personalize it, but I wanted to retain the clean scent. Hopefully, it really will smell like Clean.

SanFo Treats was such a great discovery! They have a very cozy store and their _____ Fizz at 45p is a welcome change from the overpriced drinks in Starbucks and other coffee shops. Can't say I'm excited over the deep fried candy bar though. It's just so wrong on many levels.




Then we went to Cubao Expo for Ella's despedida at Bellini's (I try not to think of the gas and toll expenses and instead told myself that this will be the last time I'll be seeing Ella in the Philippines for quite a while). Photo with Mr. Bellini himself.



And then with the ladies (minus Bobbie)



Finally met Claudia (a.k.a Peanut)!



Claudia the Rockstar (according to her dad)

I don't normally plug Kikay Exchange on Multiply because it just feels too weird:p

But we're having our very first liveblogging this Friday (June 20, 2008) with Neva Kares Talladen of Leyende Organics and it would be some kind of groovy if you could all drop by :)

The liveblogging with Neva will happen from 10:00am to 10:45am and then from 8:00pm to 8:45pm.

More details here.

And while I still have your attention, please try to drop by SanFo Treats at Alabang Town Center this Saturday (June 21, 2008) because Leyende will be launching its latest scent.

Yun lang.

Back to normal programming.

*cross-posted from my Multiply account

Happy First Birthday Joey Baguyguy!!!!!!!!!!



Guess who slept throughout the entire party because of jet lag?



Opening her presents.

I've always been interested in history, so when a lucky break came for us to join one of Carlos Celdran's tours, it was too good of an opportunity to let go.

Even if it meant being at the CCP (the soul of Philippine culture) on a Saturday at 9:30am. Yikes!

We over-estimated our travel time so we ended up waiting for about 30 minutes at Mocha Blends in front of CCP where I saw Dionne! The ex-Ms. Sanchez was with her dragonboat posse.



More time wasting tactics: Picture taking in front of Manila Bay.

The worst thing about the tour was that it began even before the CCP turned on its AC (the tour started at 9:30am and the AC system was cranked open by 10:30am pa). With about 25 people in the tour, which according to Carlos is the largest Imelda tour he's ever held to date, there were times when it got too hot and muggy in the small corridors. For a while there, I thought Carlos was going to faint when we were around the CCP scale model.

Oh, and there's the walk from the CCP to PICC under the sun, that was very challenging too. So bring your umbrella, have a bottle of water handy, slap on your sunblock and please dump your prissy "must have a rosy white complexion" attitude for everyone's sake.

With the ever groovy Carlos Celdran

But even with the heat, the tour was amazing. Primarily because of Carlos. Who knew that tours could be performance art? And I must say that it was an excellent performance. I have a feeling that stage actors would be great as tour guides because it takes a certain kind of theatrical air to pull off entertaining and keeping a whole group of people riveted for 3 hours straight. So note to self: Bug Randy about a possible career change.

So what did I learn about Imelda in the tour?

1. Aside from shoes, she also hoarded Lady's Choice mayonnaise because she will never, ever eat pandesal without palaman ever again (as she was forced to do when she was still a poor Romualdez from Tacloban)


2. The Coconut Palace was built so that the poor people of the Philippines will no longer have any excuse to live in squalor and ugliness ("You say you are poor so you can only make a simple house. I have made a palace made entirely of coconuts, a simple material. So you have no excuse now not to have beautiful houses.")


3. The Miss Universe pageant had social, political and economic ramifications (and here I thought it was just a stepping stone towards showbusiness or a career in broadcasting)


4. Ferdie and Imelda really believed in the Bagong Lipunan, it was just that they believed in it so much that anyone who believed otherwise had to disappear (hello human rights violations!)


5. History as we know it is probably greatly influenced by those who wrote it (in this case, those who kicked out Imelda et al), so it does not do well to just accept everything we hear as the unadulterated truth. Seek out the other side and do not rely on the abridged and sanitized versions which conveniently paint people as either good and bad, with no in betweens.

All in all, it was a great way to spend Saturday morning and definitely a better alternative to another day at the mall.

The "eventologist" in me is also excited because I'm always on the lookout for new places to go to for visiting relatives. It looks like we may have to shelve Sonya's Garden for a while from our usual pasyalan itinerary :)

At the PICC Plenary Hall steps with Carlos and Bambi from Baklitaan



With Gary and Migs

Thanks Carlos!

Sometimes I think there's one big conspiracy against me.

I was more or less decided to go the emo route these past few days, moping and donning my "woe is me hat".

Then yesterday I found out that my nephew will be arriving this Monday.

Then today I read about Pathways in PDI and got all teary-eyed.

Then tomorrow we will be joining Carlos Celdran's Imelda Tour at the CCP.

I guess it's kinda difficult to stay mopey when you're easily pleased like I am.

Another botched plan at channeling angst and emo-ness.

Damn you Universe!

Promise, last na to about the high school reunion:p

Check out this video by Yano Escueta.

It's all about the kuchay pie baby!



*Photo from Pat Martires

Pics from Pat's Photobooth!

Astig talaga ng professional photographer sa HS reunion, kulang na lang props at parang nasa studio na talaga kayo:P

First question: Why is a Cathay Pacific Manila-NY roundtrip ticket (Departure March 1, 2009 and Return: April 1, 2009) priced at a whopping Php106,825.00?!

While Northwest's RT ticket fare for the same place at the same dates is only Php56,536.90?

Second question: Why is there no Manila-NY flight with Philippine Airlines? PAL only has Manila-San Francisco, Manila-Los Angeles and Manila-Las Vegas.

Third question: Why am I looking at plane fares when I still don't have my passport and neither do I have a US visa.

Why do I hurt myself?

Hello wanderlust!

I really, really, really (raise to the infinity) want to watch this on Broadway!

Listen up Universe!

Super saya ng reunion!

It was so fun that I don't even mind if my hair still smells like smoke three days after:p

Congratulations to the organizers (Mahal, Aia, Alia, Pat, Yano, Pam and Paolo) for a great job!

The give-away. Of course, inside the bag is a beer mug.

Bati na kami ni Mr. Elloso! No more "mental" memories :p

Mga alalay ni Aissa.

Pao and Pam doing the asking this time around with Mr. Elloso

*****

I have a new laptop!





It's a Sony Vaio (insert random letters and numbers).

I bought it on installment from my brother, so note to self: Must remain employed for the next 10 months.

It's white, purty and I've already chosen a lavender background with flowers.

It runs on Vista though, so that's a potential problem there.

Everyone, meet Dagny. Dagny, meet everyone.

(chat log with Ella)

Me: I have to friend her. She has a refrigerator filled with chocolates!

Ella: She pours godiva on her body when she has sex with her doctor boytoy daw.

Me: Godiva?!?! Bakit naman?!

Ella: For him to lick off!

Me: He's going to lick off skin whitening lotion?!?!

Ella: Anukaba! Chocolate!!

Me: Hahahahaha! Akala ko yung Godiva with licorice skin whitening lotion!!!

Ella: You're so vanilla. PG-13.

Me: Or I've been getting too many press releases for skin whitening products :p

Vanilla represent!!

Happy long weekend everyone!

Although for some, it's going to be a long-er weekend :)

Signing off. Going back to sleep now.

P.S.

I learned something important about work yesterday.

Rather than silently bitching and moaning about doing all the work while others slack off (3 hour lunch breaks anyone?), I should just be upfront with a slacker co-worker.

Me: Ok, I've done Parts A-F, you can do G-H now.

X: Ikaw na lang, nasimulan mo na rin naman (then laughs as if what she said was the funniest thing on earth).

Me: So wala kang contribution?

X: (silence) Sige, insert ko ang mga annexes sa draft mo.

Me: Hanapin mo na rin ang mga documents na ilalagay mo as annexes.

X: Um.... o sige.

(Note: In fairness, she did eventually end up finishing Parts G-H.)

I should have done this earlier.

This is why I usually like working alone, because more often than not, I still end up doing the bulk of the work even with a partner. Might as well just do it myself then, at least that way there's no undeserved credit.

But no more Ms. Pushover. Team work will be just that. I will do my share and you damn well do yours too.

Oh yes, the Bitch is back.

Warning!

Walang kwenta ang BEST BUY STICK-ON!!!!

It's a cheaper alternative to Post-its but it sticks for approximately 1 minute before falling off, rendering it useless and inutile.

Pay the extra pesos and get Post-its instead.

I love our new camera!



Check out all the nifty things it can do.

Thanks mom!

****

Killer's pensive look

The diva-ice cream monster is back.

Happiness :)

****

I need to buy office supplies. I wonder if the back to school shoppers have already had their fill of National Bookstore?

No way am I going to line up for 30 minutes in a jampacked bookstore for 3 long folders and some long bond paper.