[Music From the Baul] We Could Be Together

Pesem and I were looking through shirts in David and Goliath when I heard a familiar song. Debbie Gibson's "We Could Be Together". Oh my!! A flood of memories! Grade school. Dance numbers galore!! Debbie Gibson was I think the Britney Spears of my generation. She was such a hit back in the late eighties. I recall seeing her in concert with my parents before! I think I went gaga when she sang "Electric Youth". Haha! But in retrospect, I think my all-time favorite song is "We Could Be Together". Hehe. I downloaded this song in Lime Wire a few minutes ago. Hehe!

We Could Be Together
By Debbie Gibson

If I were an only child
I would be a lonely child
but baby we've got nothing to lose
I'm standing tall in my own shoes
I'll take this chance
I'll make this choice
I'll right this wrong
I'll raise my voice
if it means
We'll be together
for a while

I have never had a doubt
But for you I'll take time out
I'll push his love far away from me
and then I'll be completely free
I'll give up my security
for just the possibility
that we could be together
for a while

Chorus:
If you said "Jump!" I'd say "How high?"
If you said "Run!" I'd run and fly
Just for the chance
Just for the moment
Should the moment pass up by
and if you ask once I'll tell you twice
I'll ignore the world's advice
if we could be together
for a while

I am taken by your strength
I've thought about it at great length
I thought that I was happy now
but there are things that I found out
Happiness means greater things
I'll sit here 'til that telephone rings
then we could be together
for a whlie

(Repeat Chorus)

Wait'll I tell my guy
Wait'll I tell my other friends
They'll all think I'm crazy-
and ya know what?
That depends...
'cause I'm crazy in love
with you
and everyone's best won't do
They'll say my hopes
will not come true
But I'm taking the chance
Because you only live once-
(Only live once, only live once)
And...

(Repeat Chorus)

There are no guarantees
but if it means
there's even a possibility
then I'll give up whatever it takes
I know I've made some mistakes before
It may be just another closed door
But we could be together
for a while

(Repeat Chorus twice)

Friday Spending Spree

Early Saturday morning. 2:15 am, according to the wall clock. Just came back from my usual Friday night out. This time though, I spent it with Pesem. All the delirium started late this afternoon when Mitchie texted me that Zara was on ZALE. Music to my ears... yet I can distinctly hear my wallet/credit card groaning.

Keysi wasn't feeling well (she was all basketball-ed out). Pesem had actually called me to tell me about the sale, and I ended up convincing him to go to Cybergate! We went to Rockwell. There was a mall-wide sale at the Powerplant mall! Coolness! Although I tried (not very hard) to restrain myself, I eventually purchased two pairs of super comfy curdoroy capri pants, a spaghetti strapped striped top, and a pair of super cute gold sandals (from the children's section of course). We had dinner at Pazzo and I was happy that Pesem liked our dinner!


The best carbonara in Manila! We ordered the bambino Carbonara. Creamy with crispy bacon bits. A little piece of heaven!


Blue Ragu! Just a hint of Bleu Cheese. Sausage. Red creamy sauce. I miss the Saganaki. That was good, too. But this one's yummy as well.


Pizza Pazzo Calzone. Fresh from the oven.


Stuffed. Empty Plates. Nuff said!

Being the coffee addicts we are, we then went to Serendra. We hung out at Fully Booked for about thirty minutes and then went to Krispy Kreme for some Iced coffee. I'm now at the end of our lakwatsa. My feet are semi-tired, but my mind's still racing because of the caffeine.

I'm just happy it's the weekend! Tomorrow, Keysi and I will be seeing the Transformers. Been hearing a couple of comments from people who've seen it. Generally positive feedback. Suzie's yahoo status though, reads "Michael Bay sucks." So I'm going to see for myself tomorrow.

Random Thoughts and Tidbits...

** While at Fully Booked, I saw this interesting book. It's by Alexandra Potter, Here's a brief plot: "U.K. author Potter makes her U.S. debut with Emily Albright, 29, a New York bookstore manager, who half-seriously blames Jane Austen's Fitzwilliam Darcy for her abysmal dating life: Darcy sets the bar too high. As Christmas approaches, Emily, to avoid a holiday with co-worker Stella, signs up for a tour of Darcy territory, lighting out, amusingly, with a gaggle of gray-haired Darcy maniacs. As the tour group weaves in and out of Darcy locales, Emily butts heads with Spike Hargreaves, a handsome young journalist interviewing the group. Soon, the jet-lagged, drink-laden Emily finds herself—presto!—time traveling and meeting Mr. Darcy himself, complete with frock coat. As her acquaintance with Darcy deepens, Emily, to her great surprise, finds herself thinking about Spike. Despite the plot's predictability, Potter's chick lit take on Darcy has a refreshing not-trying-to-equal-the-master feel

I've been trying to revive the dormant avid reader in Schmenten. The last books I bought (a couple of Paulo Coelho novels and this Oprah Book Club thingie), are stacked up somewhere in the house. I hope this interesting book will be something I'll finish reading. I like the introduction. The author quotes Jane Austen: "To you I shall say, as I have often said before, Do not be in a hurry, the right man will come at last." Haha. Tears in my eyes! It's as though the book was screaming, "Buy me, you single person you!"

** I just finished taking a shower. I bought a bottle of Strawberry shower gel from the Body Shop and I'm listening to "Warning Sign". Hehe. It's nice how a familiar scent and a song bring back soooo many memories and feelings. It's been almost a year, and sometimes it feels like it was just a dream. Oh well.

** I really enjoyed our super filling dinner at Pazzo. Keyce and I have been Pazzo fans since our 6750 days. Pesem and I had gelato for dessert. Yummeeeee.

** Work was pretty hectic today. I came in late and was in and out of phone calls all day. We did get a couple of things done. Shed some light on that blasted Siebel Exception Error. Mark J., our Aussie counterpart, is nothing short of amazing. He is a Focus server! I asked him why he knew so much about so many things. Overall, it was rather quiet today. No majors (which is good). Tammy's last day in the project. I will miss talking to her about work and silly crushes from the past.

** Week two of V.A. wrapped up today! I think it's working pretty well! I've slipped a couple of times, but nothing major. I'm thinking of extending this till end of July. Haha. Let's see how I hold up.

** Tita Marison and I started planning for Nanay's 85th beeday bash this August. Deng. We need to get the ball rolling on this one. From what we've come up so far, we need to start preparing for it. My concept for the program... Music, Entertainment, and fun!

** I saw Monina and Kuya Lan yesterday and we chatted about the wedding. Monina shared that her guests from Olongapo enjoyed the wedding! Never a dull moment daw! Naaaks. It's nice to hear comments like that. Makes effort worthwhile. Makes me wonder at times too, why I'm not doing it full time. Hehe.

** Yesterday, while I was driving home, I put my iPod on Shuffle mode. Then I realized, there are certain times when I feel my life's a movie and there's music playing in the background. Like a soundtrack! Haha! Oasis' Champagne Supernova played and I just thought of it to be a perfect song of the future one year from now. Hehe. Bagay.

Shopping with Marief

It is a mystery why no one has ever thought of coining this name for my dearest best friend, Irene. She's known in Indonesia as "Marie" and her boyfriend's name is Arief. Hehe!

I left the office early today (at around 4pm, record time, I must say!) to go to Greenhills with Irene. She was looking for a webcam, a microphone, an mp3 player, and probably a portable external hard disk. I don't even consider myself a techno geek, nor a techie person for that matter. We had a fun time going around the Virra Mall electronics stalls. Irene is super makulit and we were just throwing jokes at each other back and forth. This girl is just amazing. When she puts her mind on something, she does it. She's achieved so much. I've been asking her to push me to do something extraordinary. Hehe.

After going around, I became hungry. So the logical thing to do, of course, is to visit Le Ching Too for some rockin' spare ribs rice. No trip to Greenhills is complete without this. Tsalap. Perfect with a cold glass of Royal.

After the mall, we went to Irene's house to set up her web cam, her sole purchase of the day. We made it work!

It's been quite a long day. But fun! Always a blast hanging out wih Irene. As I was driving home though, I could feel that my body was starting to react to all my late night activities as of late. Tired :(

Random Thoughts for the day...

** On our way to Katipunan and on my way home on Edsa, we/I got stuck in a 40 minute traffic jam. The lanes were barely moving. In Katipunan, we discovered that there was vehicular accident. By the looks of the wreckage, it seems both cars were going really fast. They even broke the fence. On Edsa, a jeepney had a flat tire and the MMDA was helping change the tire. On both instances, I just had to sigh in frustration. Haaay. Hassle talaga traffic. Makes me miss having a driver behind the wheel and me dozing off in the backseat. Hehe.

** I realized something about myself yesterday. I'm the type who knows, black and white, if I like someone. I've never been confused if I like someone or not. I just know when I do (and when I don't). It's probably also the loyal Scorpio in me... When I like someone, I don't like anyone else. Some guys I start out thinking maybe I like them, but almost immediately (after several conversations), I know for sure.

** Here's a first today. First time I ever managed to change my top and into a pair of jeans inside the car! Haha! Lotsa manuevering. It's a good thing Papa's Xtrail's pretty high.

** While walking through the tiangge earlier today, Irene touched my hand and noticed how warm it was. I suddenly remembered how I felt about Papa's hands. They were always warm! When I was little, used to ask him why that was so and he would reply, "That's because of all the energy." Naks. Hehe. Got me thinking about energy. Two or three people have incredulously asked me, "Where do you get the energy to do the things that you do?" I dunno. Hehe. I just like spending time with friends actually.

Choosday at Chelsea

Today, Tuesday, my ex-Ex-ccenture friend, Keysi and I went to Chelsea in Serendra. She had a late dinner (I had eaten at Cheesecake Etc. earlier), and I had the best fruit smoothie ever. Haha! I really like the loook and feel of this resto. Very reminiscent of those deli places in New York. The items of the menu remind of that great resto in North Sydney where we used to have lunch a lot. Anyway, Chelsea and M Cafe have the same owners. The waiters are really courteous.



Their smoothies were to die for! Keysi had the Watermelon and green mango (so it was sweet and tangy at the same time). I had the cantaloupe and buko! It was G double O D good!




They served us complimentary foccacia bread with a whole baked garlic which was super soft! You could spread the garlic easily on the bread!



Keysi ordered the Risotto balls with the jalapeno cream cheese dip. It was pretty filling.



Keyce and I were a few tables away from Mikee Cojuangco. Deng! She is still super pretty!

I'm thinking of bringing the family here. Perhaps we can try the cheese cabinet and we can get a bottle of wine.

Chikas with Las Chicas

Last night, I had a chat fest with several of my friends, three of them are in Manila and the rest are abroad. During the first half of my massage, I was still chatting. Haha. But then I dozed off. And that was the end of all chatting.

Anyway... a couple of random thoughts, from my chat sessions yesterday, from my musings while driving home with a tooth ache last night, and from my drifting mind this morning while on my way to work.

** I was chatting with an Ex-ccenture friend last night and she was telling me about her boylet. How nice he was, smart, and cute (I've seen him! He is very cute). However, he has certain beliefs she was not quite agreeable to. Everything else was peachy, but when they start talking about religion, she couldn't handle it. So she figures, it will be a wasted effort, taking it to the next level. Like I've said before, every relationship will have its quirks. I think this quirk, I'm going to have to say "pass." It's hard, because there is no right and wrong. The definitions of right and wrong could be different for both sides. It's part of who you are. Most of us are born into it. Here's where love becomes a decision. Ask yourself if you are willing to work through the arguments. Actually, if you're willing to make it work. Period.

** Another Ex-ccenture friend (fab girl) was telling me about her new boylet. How he's sending her "kilig" text messages. She was asking me if his message meant something. It was pretty "kilig" nga. She's known him for I think over a month. They've been out a couple of times. He's nice, he dresses well (Haha. Kailangang punahin ito). He's not that talkative, but he shares. I was telling her to enjoy the moment. These "kilig" episodes where you're not sure, where it's a possibility, where you're discovering each other. It's pretty fun. As long as you keep the expectations low. Haha. Which is why she was sharing the kwentos with as very few people as possible. Sound very familiar...

** I'm on my second week of VA. Haha. Keyce and Suzie would know about this. It's working. Pramis.

** Got to thinking about things worth saving and making sacrifices for. Some things you know for sure definitely are. But others... I ponder about the possibility. Because it is just that. A possibility. Who knows for sure if it will be worth it? Unless it's pursed. But then pursuing it means investing time. And a lot of yourself. Haaay. So in the end, it's all about taking risks. Because who knows for sure if it can be something meaningful?

Monday Moods

Maybe it's because I overslept and overate during the weekend. I am not feeling too good. Hehe. Nothing to me alarmed about, medically speaking. I'm just not feeling like myself. It could also have something to do with my "inis" over Wendy, beyotch from Pinoy Big Brother. Haha. I do not handle negative feelings very well, I think.

Silver lining on today's nimbus clouds...

** Caramel drizzle on my Iced Caramel Macchiato. Trust this Starbucks treat to make me smile.

What My Name Means

From http://www.paulsadowski.com/Numbers.asp

*****
You entered: marie christine tanquilut geocaniga
There are 32 letters in your name.
Those 32 letters total to 159
There are 15 vowels and 17 consonants in your name.

What your first name means:
Hebrew Female Variant of Mary: Wished-for child; rebellion; bitter.
French Female Variant of Latin Mary: bitter.
English Female Variant of Latin Mary: bitter.

Your number is: 6

The characteristics of #6 are: Responsibility, protection, nurturing, community, balance, sympathy.

The expression or destiny for #6:
The number 6 Expression provides you a truly outstanding sense of responsibility, love, and balance. The 6 is helpful and ever conscientious, making you quite capable of rectifying and balancing any sort of inharmonious situation. You are a person very much inclined to give help and comfort to those in need. You have a natural penchant for working with the old, the young, the sick, or the underprivileged. Although you may have considerable creative and artistic talents, the chances are that you will devote yourself to an occupation that shows concern for the betterment of the community.

The positive side of the number 6 suggests that you are very loving, friendly, and appreciative of others. You have a depth of understanding that produces much sympathetic, kindness, and generosity. The qualities of the 6 make the finest and most concerned parent and one often deeply involved in domestic activities. Openness and honesty is apparent in your approach to all relationships.

If there is an excess of the number 6 in your makeup, you may exhibit some of the negative traits associated with this number. There may be a tendency for you to be too exacting and demanding of yourself. In this regard, you may at times sacrifice yourself (or your loved ones) for the welfare of others. In some cases, the over zealous 6 has difficulty distinguishing helping from interfering. You may have difficulty expressing your own individuality, because of involvement with responsibilities and causes. Like all with the Expression of the number 6, it's quite likely that you worry much too much.

Your Soul Urge number is: 4

A Soul Urge number of 4 means:
With the Soul Urge or Motivation number of 4 you are likely to strive for a stable life. You tend to follow a rather orderly pattern and systematic approach in your endeavors. You have an inner desire to serve others in a methodical and diligent manner. You want to be in solid, conventional, and well-regulated activities, and you are somewhat disturbed by innovation and erratic or sudden changes. Excellent at organizing, systematizing, and managing, you have a way of establishing order and maintaining it. You are responsible, reliable and in the final analysis, practical. Highly analytical, you can see your way through all sorts of situations and generally have a clear understanding of the issues. You are a very honest, sincere, and conscientious individual.

The negative side of the 4 is rigid, stubborn and somewhat narrow-minded. There is a tendency to hide feelings, or to really not be aware of real feelings. Avoid being too rigid and stubborn in your thinking, and try to always see the big picture rather than becoming to involved with the detail. Don't be afraid to take a chance once in awhile.

Your Inner Dream number is: 11

An Inner Dream number of 11 means:
You dream of casting the light of illumination; of being the true idealist. You secretly believe there is more to life than we can know or prove, and you would like to be provider of the 'word' from on high.

Friday... "Donut", Work, and Morconitos

Because of my Segundo Piso dinner Thursday evening, I woke up late Friday morning and was in the office at 9am. I had to go through several emails, coordinate a couple of work efforts, and force myself to stay awake. At around 1130, Mike and I snuck out of the office to go to the Microwarehouse sale at Bgy. Capitolyo. We took a tricycle, and we were lucky that the driver knew where the place was.

On sale at Microwarehouse were a couple of iPods, accessories, PDAs, and laptops. I called Keysi, asking if she wanted me to get the Macbook for her. Just for Friday, it was P5,000 off. After very little coaxing, she finally agreed. Haha. And so I casually told the sales person, "Ah... isa ngang Macbook", as though I was buying donuts. Hehe! So the unexpected purchase meant we couldn't take a tricycle back to the office. Hehe.

We had lunch at this quaint cafe across Microwarehouse. Mike had tried it before and the food was pretty good! I enjoyed the garlic porkchops and the butterscotch iced coffee. Yummy.

Most of the Friday afternoon was spent working, chasing up people, and laughing at double meaning statements which I really did not mean. Haha. Keysi went to the office to get her new laptop and we hung out for a while. I'd do the same if I were in her shoes. I heart my MacMac. :-) I'm sure Keysi will enjoy hers. Welcome to the club!

It was pretty cool in the office and I had my "table runner" from BKK to keep me warm.



I left the office a little before 9 pm. I stopped by Shopwise to get some ice cream. I went to Ate Love's house for dinner. I saw Ate Cel, Ate Love's older sister. She made dinner and it was superb! Sukiyaki (which I've had for the first time), Morconitos, and Chicken ala King Crepe. Ina has a new do! Kikay girl has ba-bangs! And little sister Iris ... still the same short hair. Hehe!



Later, I went to Tita Marison's for Chris and Tito Ben's despidida. It was past eleven p.m. then. Most of the guests already left, but there were still people who feasted on the ice cream I brought. Thank you Select Alabang Zapote Road for your ok selection of Nestle ice cream. I did however, do a "dengit!" when I saw that there was a small store, on the way to Tita Marison's, who sold Magnolia ice cream (my preferred ice cream brand as of late).

Segundo Piso

The first time I visited Segundo Piso, I was with the family of Mrs. Tamayo and my parents. Her son-in-law brought us there and we thoroughly enjoyed the ambience. Today, I took Keysi to the same resto. I knew it was along Pasong Tamo Extension! We found it and later found ourselves feasting (as usual). Segundo Piso is the restaurant just above Terry's Deli.



We got a bottle of wine (which is actually more cost efficient than ordering a glass). It was quite difficult to choose, given their selection. So, what's wine without the pica pica? Haha. Then came our European Deli Platter, a merry mix of cold cuts and cheese! Haha! Very good with the wine!



Keyce ordered Lamb and I had Lengua (One of the best I've had. Of course THE best remains to be Ate Henny's lengua!). for dessert, we had the churros con chocolate. Their churros is slightly different from the usual churros. The hot chocolate was good! Not to sweet and just the right consistency. Yummy!




Overall, it was quite a good dinner. Keyce and I talked about work a lot and some new happenings about her friend who recently broke up with her bf. Haha. Random thoughts train later.

Sarap kumain!!

[Music From the Baul] Love for Granted

French. And phenomenal! I heart Phoenix. First heard "If I ever feel Better" on Miguel's mixed CD. I then heard "Consolation Prizes" on Rocky's mixed CD for Mau's 18th birthday. And I downloaded a couple of tunes from there. Then I bought their two first albums at Amazon and I think I'm slowly becoming a big fan! I like this song. I've been listening to it a couple of times these past few days.

Love for Granted

These days are gone
Loud enough to hold on
I think about the time we wasted
I think about the years to come
It's getting late and I can't call
It's getting late to face it all
I think about the time we wasted
My loneliness has slowly grown
I told you not to cross the line
& leave me with your love for granted
The letters from your broken heart
I think I might have lost them somewhere

Don't tell me 'bout your lies
Don't tell me 'bout your secrets

My love is easy
You are everything I need
Now your love is gone
I want it safe & guaranteed
Life is such a fine line
Looking at the bright line
I think about the time we wasted
For someday I'll be coming too
Tonight is dying on its own
& now I got your love for granted
It doesn't matter right or wrong
As long as you are hiding somewhere

Don't tell me 'bout your lies
Don't tell me 'bout your secrets

Even though we've said it all
I would never let us fall with you
Hang on to a little chance, you bet I'm in
If it is for better
I would never miss the call, it's true
Hang on to a little chance, you bet I'm in

******

Their website's pretty nice too! www.wearephoenix.com.
Ironically, the band was in Sydney for a concert last April. Ugh. Why are all the great acts in Sydney... When I'm not effing there?!

[Music from the Baul] Turn! Turn! Turn!

Turn! Turn! Turn!
By The Byrds

To everything, turn, turn, turn.
There is a season, turn, turn, turn.
And a time to every purpose under heaven.
A time to be born, a time to die.
A time to plant, a time to reap.
A time to kill, a time to heal.
A time to laugh, a time to weep.

To everything, turn, turn, turn.
There is a season, turn, turn, turn.
And a time to every purpose under heaven.
A time to build up, a time to break down.
A time to dance, a time to mourn.
A time to cast away stones.
A time to gather stones together.

To everything, turn, turn, turn.
There is a season, turn, turn, turn.
And a time to every purpose under heaven.
A time of love, a time of hate.
A time of war, a time of peace.
A time you may embrace.
A time to refrain from embracing.

To everything, turn, turn, turn.
There is a season, turn, turn, turn.
And a time to every purpose under heaven.
A time to gain, a time to lose.
A time to rend, a time to sow.
A time for love, a time for hate.
A time for peace, I swear it's not too late

My Visual DNA

Read my VisualDNA™ Get your own VisualDNA™

**Thanks to Pao for his working HTML code! Haha!

Makukulit na Letters from the Past

I spoke with Irene over the phone today. It was just before 7pm, and I was still in the office, forcing myself to complete the A.O.s I owed my testing peeps a month before. She wrote Sam and I an email earlier today: Here's an excerpt from that email (which I've sanitized of course):


i read a whole box of letters you wrote me during
college. most of it as trivial as asking me to eat
after a class or you girls wrote to me while you're
bored in class. tenten, long pad pa ang gamit mo! and
there's this letter na pati si khalid, lery & mikey
sumulat. pati si mico! you always fantasize about our
crushes. funny thing was there was a letter na
allegedly galing kay Mr. Hotdog (this was written way
before we got together)! it went something like, "dear
irene, i'm glad your not chinese too. i will make a
way so that i can leave Ms. China Town & we can be together."
sobrang patawa ka talaga. but no, 8 years or so
after, we're still fantasizing. remember our jakarta
convo na 10 years from now, 5'7" na ako!

In our conversation tonight, Irene also reminded me how we once were neighbors at the blessed (?!) Horseshoe Village. Mwahaha. How the years have passed.

Irene said that among the three of us, Sam, her, and me, I balance out their serious, more madramang thoughts. I've always been a happy person, she said. I recall the times when the two were in their Felicity angst-ing mode in our email exchanges. And I, on the other hand, amidst their philosophizing, just wanted to share na may butas yung medyas na suot ko that day. Teeeheee.

I would like to revisit my baul of letters to see what comes out. Haha. Oh what great fun that would be.

More Random Thoughts for today...

** Nothing is constant but change. Just today, I got confirmation that one of the leads here in our project is resigning. Keysikip's days at The Firm are also numbered ( 8 days to be exact). Two of my good friends are officially engaged and will be moving out of the country by the end of the year. My best friend Irene will be moving to London for a year to study. AND! Our family just let go of our long-time driver Kuya Jerry. Haaay... So many changes. All of them further proving how naturally resistant to change I am. I guess I like routines. Knowing that there are certain things which I can count on happening. It's nice to have some predictability in your life. But then again, we can never be too comfortable. So there's a voice inside of me (which is probably Irene's), saying, "You can't just let life pass you by. Take risks. Make mistakes!"

** The song in my head, because of these changes is "Turn! Turn! Turn!" by The Byrds, I believe. "To everything, Turn. Turn. Turn." Hmmm... Will create a separate entry for this na lang. Music from the Baul (baul talaga to literal!)

Tuesday Proposal

Highlight of my day! Of my week, actually!! My very good friends officially became engaged today. And I was there when it officially happened! It was so sweet. He started the conversation with a seemingly innocent question, "How much is an engagement ring?" After some exchange about the price range, karats, which finger to put it on, white golds, etc. He turned to my friend, his girlfriend, and said, "Would you wear it if it's yellow gold?" My friend said, "Of course!" And then he brought out this diamond studded band and put it on her finger. Us girls were more incredulous at first. And it was a series of "Awwwwww"s and "Are you serious?!" It was super sweet. Tis a first for me! To see a proposal (or an engagement finally becoming official). I guess what makes it doubly special is this guy and this girl... I've been a personal witness to their relationship. From the time when they were still "friends", when they waded in the pool of "Pede, we can probably be more than friends",and then when they became a couple. Nakaaliw lang.

Looking back, I think of all my friends, Maan, Karina, and this friend of mine, I've been at the beginning of all their stories. It's nice... seeing how it starts, how it progresses, how it moves to a different zone. The uncertainties. And finally the certainties.

I dunno if I can divulge their identities (You guys read my blog anyway, so let me know if it's ok! Haha!). I just had to share! Angelo was teasing me that I looked like I was drunk when I stepped into our project area. Happy thoughts I guess. :-)

And the long lunch break was something which I didn't realize I miss! It's been over two months maybe since I had a nice lunch out. Free from the worries of work (partially) and just enjoying pleasant conversations with friends.

Weekend Random Thoughts...

Always have some random thoughts up my sleeves during the weekend...

** I had the best time sleeping last night. Haha. Thank you red wine buzz. I didn't know they made good wine from South Africa. It was pretty good. Tita Guste didn't realize she was a little on the drunk side until she laid down. I was asleep not five minutes after my head touched the pillow. Sarap. I didn't realize how tired I've been these past few days.

** Jen and I have been talking and comparing our experiences in our current project with that of our other projects. I shared with her that we feel more tired now because we coordinate with people (personally and electronically) a lot more than we used to. Man.... talking to people, explaining things, making them do things... It's pretty draining. It takes a lot more out of me than working on one task in front of the the computer for hours end.

** "Dengit" is not a person. Hahaha! Ang cute cute mo talaga. :-)

** Verbal abstinence my ass. Was broken by the vino last Friday. Haha.

** The smell of red wine brings back so many memories. Good memories mostly.

** I saw "Fever Pitch" for the second time earlier today. Drew Barrymore is a doll, and Jimmy Fallon was so adorable. More random thoughts about this later.

Saturday Night...All By Myself Wine and Cheese Party

I have to admit... As i am typing this blog entry, I have a Robert's Rock Cabernet Sauvingnon/Merlot red wine buzz.

Yesterday, Friday night, I endured an hour and a half of traffic (Pioneer-EDSA-Makati Avenue build ups and congestions) before having dinner at Hossein's with Keysi. Our meal was pricey and worth every penny! Haha!! We had papad with mango chutney, Persian Chicken Curry, Beef Shish Kebab, and plain rice with saffron. Sarap! I thought we could finish a bottle of red wine, but it was pretty strong! Haha! I ended up stuffing the half full bottle inside my purse all evening. Haha!

Today, the family went to Balayan Batangas for Lola Cion's 90th birthday. Food was aplenty and I might've committed gluttony till mid afternoon. Haha. Sitting in the rear end of the Urvan is not a picnic. It was super hot, i was tired, and was super uncomfortable. Thank God for fun conversation with Tito Mar and Tita Guste.

When we arrived at home from Batanagas, I immediately took a bath. I went online and chatted with Ate Gret, pretty girl extraordinare. I then remembered my half-full red wine bottle. So I took Mac Mac II down, got some party cubes cheese from the Fridge, and finished about three small glasses of red wine. Tita Guste and I finished what was left from yesterday, while chatting with Augmoc.

So, on this Saturday evening, tired and beat from the 6 hour car ride (in total), I rewarded myself with a wine and cheese party... with myself. Haha. Is that sad??

Will post weekend random thoughts tomorrow. For now, I just feel like brushing my teeth again and sleeping. Thank you red wine buzz actually.

Surbey on a Friday

Hmm... I think it's been a couple of weeks since I last answered a survey. So on this Friday evening (Saturday early morning actually), I shall heed the call of the survey... while I still have my Iced Cafe Mocha buzz...

*****

1. What do you say most when you're trying not to curse?
- changina!

2. Do You Own An Ipod?
- Oh yeah. Didn't really think I would become as attached to my iPod as I am now. I used to be a CD girl.

3. What Person On Your Top 8 on Myspace Do You Talk To The Most?
- Hmm... I wonder what ever happened to my MySpace account

4. What Time Is Your Alarm Clock Set To?
- 5:45 a.m. (snoozed at least three times)

5. Do You Want To Fall In Love?
- Who doesn't? :-)

6. Do You Wear Flip-Flops When It's Cold?
- Hehe. Yeah I do. Flip Flops during winter! Sa Taronga Zoo pa!

7. Would You Rather Take The Picture Or Be In The Picture?
- Be in the picture syempre! With my signature smile. Haha.

8. What Was The Last Movie You Watched?
- "Paano Kita Iibigin", on the big screen, and Alfonso Cuaron's "A Little Princess" on video.

9. Do Any Of Your Friends Have Children?
- Oh yeah! Dami na ngang pamilyado eh!

10. Has Anyone Ever Called You Lazy?
- Hehe. Yes yes. Si Schmenten.

11. Do You Ever Take Medication To Help You Fall Asleep?
- Once. Around September 2005.

12. Do You Prefer Regular Or Chocolate Milk?
- Choco milk. don't really like plain milk straight up. I used to, just before I had my appendectomy.

13. Has Anyone Told You A Secret This Week?
- Haha. Yup! Si Irene.

14. When Was The Last Time You Had Starbucks?
- About... three hours ago. Serendra, with Keyce. Grande Iced Cafe Mocha.

15. Can You Whistle?
- Nope.

16. Do You Have A Trampoline In Your Back Yard?
- Nope.

17. Do You Think People Talk About You Behind Your Back?
- Yep. But they call me a slave driver to my face! Haha.

19. Did You Watch Cartoons As A Child?
- All the time!

20. What Movie Do You Know Every Line To?
- "Some Kind of Wonderful", John Hughes classic.

23. Do You Own Any Band T-Shirts?
- Hmmm... Nope. I do have a shirt with the Beatles and Jimi Hendrix. Classic Rockers.

24. What Is Your Favorite Salad Dressing?
- Blue Cheese!

25. Is anyone in love with you?
- Wala ata!

26. Do You Do Your Own Dishes?
- If I need do... Pero lately hindi.

27. Ever Cry In Public?
- Haha. Yes.

30. Do you think you could ever be in love?
- Oo naman. :-)

31. Would You Ever Date Anyone Covered In Tattoos?
- Bakit sya covered in tattoos?!

32. What Did You Do Before This?
- Checked Friendster.

33. When Was The Last Time You Slept On The Floor?
- Holy Week. Last April. San Isidro, Gua Gua Pampanga. Our ancestral home.

34. How Many Hours Of Sleep Do You Need To Function?
- 6 hours

35. Do you eat breakfast daily?
- Yeye! My favorite meal of the day!

36. Are Your Days Full And Fast Paced?
- Lately yes. Working lunches. :(

37. What are you doing right now?
- Chatting with Sid on the side about work and waiting for my brothers to arrive from their respective gimiks.

38. Do you use sarcasm?
- Yes. Sadly, a lot of times.

39. Have You Ever Been In A Fight?
- Yeye. Had my first ever experience with International Budget airline. Spaghetti in ziplock bags. Ewww.

40. Are You Picky About Spelling And Grammar?
- Haha. Mejo! Best in English ata to!

41. Have You Ever Been To Six Flags?
- Yes! But a million years ago. Magic Mountain pa ang tawag.

41. Have you ever got beaten up?
- Nope. Nice kaya ako! :D

42. Do you like Rain or Sun?
- Hmm... Rain siguro. Something sad and beautiful about it. Plus, Coldplay suits rainy days best.

43. Do You Get Along Better With The Same Sex Or The Opposite?
- I think both naman (BOT! haha!)

44. Do you like mustard?
- Yeah! I used to hate it, but growing up, I've acquired a liking to it!

45. Do You Sleep On Your Side, Stomach, Or Back?
- Hahahaha! Karina and Maan are witnesses to this. With my arms behind my head, and naka-dekwatro. Parang asa business meeting. Haha!

46. Do You Watch The news?
- Not intentionally. Kapag nadadaanan lang, or when my dad/brothers have it on.

47. How Did You Get One Of Your Scars?
- Hmm... running recklessly in the Chincuanco Florida Blanca home.

48. Who Was The Last Person To Make You Mad?
- Si "I would've appreciated it if you..." guy. Ang galing ko nang magmodulate ng voice!

49. Do you like anyone?
- :)

50. What Is The Last Thing You
Purchased?
- This chocolate brown dress for a wedding this July. Sa Backstage, Stan's sore. I'm having it altered though to change the neckline. Need to show a little more skin. Haha. But it fits nicely. I'm thinking of getting broze peep toe shoes to go along with it.... And torquoise accessories (ayan na... there goes my monthly savings!).

[From the Music Baul] Just For Now

Imogen Heap/FrouFrou has climbed my chart of favorites (now alongside Coldplay, The Killers, and Sting). She's great. Such a unique sound and her songs rock. I think I have two other entries with songs from this 6-foot tall singer.

This song kinda reminds me of excrutiating family holidays... which are alien to me because most of our family holidays are fun. But the feeling in the song... Could be applied to other similar situations where you guys want to "get (me)out of here".

Just For Now
By Imogen Heap

(Just for now) (x6)

It's that time of year,
Leave all our hopelessnesses aside (if just for a little while)
Tears stop right here,
I know we've all had a bumpy ride (I’m secretly on your side)

How did you know?
It's what I always wanted,
You can never have had too many of these
Will ya quit kicking me under the table?
I'm trying, will somebody make her shut up about it?
Can we settle down please?

It's that time of year,
Leave all our hopelessnesses aside (if just for a little while)
Tears stop right here,
I know we've all had a bumpy ride (I’m secretly on your side)

Bite tongue
Deep breaths
Count to ten
Nod your head
(sniff sniff)

I think something is burning,
Now you've ruined the whole thing
Muffle the smoke alarm
Whoever put on this music
Had better quick, sharp, remove it
Pour me another
Oh, don't wag your finger at me

It's that time of year,
Leave all our hopelessnesses aside (if just for a little while)
Tears stop right here,
I know we've all had a bumpy ride (I’m secretly on your side)

Get me outta here (x13)
Just for now
Just for now

Interesting Conversations

I met up with birthday girl Irene today. She just flew in from Jakarta yesterday. She wanted to eat at a place with no international franchise. So we went to Gram's Diner, inside the ABS-CBN loop. After that, we went to Katipunan and I had coffee at Bo's Cafe ('course we wanted a more Ateneo-feel so we transfered to Katipunan).




Irene gave me sort of a pep talk. Hehe. She reminded me of seizing opportunities. The excitement of pursuing new things. She asked if I could live with not knowing. And I answered, "Actually yes. I'd rather not know and have that sense of 'at least I didn't do anything about it' pampalubag-loob " Is that so weird? She's the opposite. She couldn't live with that thought that she didn't do everything she could.

A few things I've recently discovered about myself. I'm kind of resistant to change. Haha. Just like my good friend, Rni. I'm a friendly gal and I like exploring new things (food, music, etc). When it comes to stepping outside my comfort zone for life altering decisions, I think I'm quite the scardy cat. But as Irene so eloquently said earlier today, "So kelan ka pa magstestep out of your comfort zone?! When you're 45?!" Haha. Deng. The things you have to do when you're 28.

I was telling Irene that I really enjoy our conversations. She has a different take on things and it's nice just discussing stuff with her. Plus the fact that she has a killer sense of humor. I'm praying she gets good news about the London school she applied for a few months back. Good luck, Bau!

Random Thoughts for today...

** The power of prayer. It's been a while since I last prayed the rosary with my parents. I think I've been quite the delinquent Catholic lately. Just before turning MacMac II on some thirty minutes ago, I joined in and it was nice to have some contemplative time. I still have a lot of thoughts swimming in my head (from Irene's pep talk among other things). I need to reconnect. I've been so busy with work and my other activities on the side that I've forgotten to set aside some alone time.

** Win-win situations. I need to constantly remind myself of this, instead of having that one-tracked mindset I had last year. I should've recorded Irene's pep talk. I know them to be true, but I guess I just need someone else to tell me. Sam said I should consider myself lucky.

** Ahhhh.... Relief over finally getting the receipt from Redrum Music. Hoorah! Now I send it over to Rissa for her reimbursement. Busy and tamad are a bad combination.

Lopez-Santiago Nuptials

Wedding in the pipeline!

I met up with my grade school friend, Rosan and her fiance Darlo today at Mocha Blends BF (yes, this is the first time I went to Mocha Blends after that fateful incident when MacMac I and I parted ways). Anyway, the two met more than five years ago. Darlo is actually three years younger than Rosan. Rosan's my age, and I've known her for... more than half my life! Since kindergarten maybe... or first grade?? Anyway, I was super happy when I heard the news that they were getting married. Rosan asked for a wedding consultation meeting (naks, kala mo naman kung sinong expert?!), and so they treated me to dinner and we just got to chatting! From 730pm till about 10!

I was pretty touched at Darlo when at one part of our conversation, I was walking them through what the bridal processional at the church will be like. I was describing the moment, when Rosan walks down the aisle, her parents waiting for her midway. His eyes started to get watery! Aww... It was awfully sweet. Darlo's the more emotional one between the two of them. Darlo had a lot of pretty funny questions which earned him the "Are you serious?!" incredulous look from me. Hehe. Like, "Could the ring bearer wear a superman costume?" and "Can the groom wear Crocs?" Haha!

Watching the two of them together makes me smile. In Schmenten's world of couples, their dynamics is close to Mike Pangs and Pia's. They were both awfully makulit. Same outgoing personalities. But I'm sure they have differences which may not be apparent in the surface. I have a feeling this will be one of the more memorable weddings I'll be coordinating. As I said before, a lot of it has something to do with the couple. These two, being the king and queen of Central BBQ Boy Grill, and their togetherness have the makings of a great, fun, and tears-in-my-eye wedding. I'm pretty excited!

Random thoughts for today...

** Work was sort of a drag today. Spent most of my time talking to my "I would've appreciated it" officemate. Haaay. Working with all kinds of people is the spice of work life I guess. Feeling a little uninspired to finish my 2 AOFs. Ugh.

** Sleepy today despite the venti White Chocolate Mocha from Starbucks this morning. I bet it's all the sugar in that drink that's making me sleepy rather than perky.

** Spoke to Irene today. She's back in the metro! How long she's going to be in Manila is still TBD. She tells me that she did have a rockin' great birthday weekend.

** Keysi has started blogging again! Haha! I shall add her blog addy to my list.

Family Weekend

Thank God for the long weekend!

I was on leave last Friday for Kuya Lan's wedding. I think i had about 45 minutes of sleep Friday early morning. Cram to nth degree. i was finishing up the AVP, making the handouts for my production assistants, and just trying to make sense of things. Haha. I am pretty fortunate that (A) confirmed guests were less than 200, 160 to be exact (B) Carol and Lencx were in my team (C) Chris was there to help me with the technical aspect of the AVP (D) Despite some minor glithces, everything went as planned.




After the wedding, Mitchie and I got to talking... and nabitin kami sa chika time. So we decided we were old enough not be be self-conscious about hanging out at Starbucks Alabang in our orange gowns. Hehe. And that we did. We talked about so many things. Family stuff. Relationships. Life. Just like we do every year (Holy Week). This time around though, we didn't have any candles, nor were we on a two hour walk. Haha. Mitchie's my oldest friend and it's interesting how the stuff she says really makes me think. She and I share a passion for our MacBooks. Haha. Hers, she says, is "libagin" now. Hehe!



When I got home from the wedding Friday evening, I was knocked out. And awake at past ten a.m. Saturday. Gosh. Half of Saturday I was just asleep, recuperating from the exhausting Friday. Tonton took the reigns in planning for the gimik with Chris and Edward. I was in and out of slumber, up and about finally at 9 p.m. We went to Gweilo's MOA and then to Music 21 in Jupiter.



Gosh, these guys are such a crazy bunch. Thanks again to my oldest god son, Gelo, for all the witty hirits. It was Lance and Yssa's debut in the gimik scene. We got home at 4 a.m, stopping by FIC for some ice cream on our way home.

Sunday, I slept until 11 AM. I had a movie date with the girls at Casa Marias at 2. I swung by Conti's for some garlic bread. I brought about 12 movies! Haha. Ina wanted to see "Jaws", surprisingly, because she's sort of a scardy cat for suspenseful movies. It was my first time seeing this Speilberg classic. And wow! what talent. He was super young back then. Anyway, we saw two other movies after "Jaws". "Legally Blond" and Alfonso Cuaron's "A Little Princess". Highlight of my Sunday though... Ate Love's Baked Spaghetti. I've been dreaming about this pasta dish for year now. And it was well worth the wait. Paired with a tall glass of iced Coca-Cola. Wow.

I think I may have gained 5 pounds this weekend. All the eating and sleeping. I hope the exhausting Friday bought me some allowance.

It's been such a family-oriented weekend. And it's been good. I was telling Ate Love that seeing her girls grow up and our closeness really make leaving so difficult. How will I stand not seeing them for years?? :( Poo... We both agreed though that living in the Philippines is irreplaceable. I love the laid back lifestyle here. And all the peeps who make weekends and special occasions truly special.

Random thoughts train... I've been sharing with Mitchie, Ate Love, and Ate Gret, that studying and staying both have their pros and cons. Both with great opportunities. As of now, I think it's a really close tie. I do have a couple of things in mind which may make leaving or staying the more obvious choice. Hehe. But that has not revealed itself to me. I'm in no hurry to find out either (although there are times that I feel anxious). For now, steady sailing on Mikey's "Steady Lamig". It might be a a toss between not being ready, or the more obvious nothing there at all. Oh well.

I feel fortunate to have such supportive and loving relatives. We're always there for each other, and they're always rooting for me. It's easy to share musings and stories with them because of they have a sense of history. I don't need to explain some things to them. They just understand. Our family's pretty special, and i've always been proud to be part of it. I think a large part of who I am is because of my family.

Naks. Dramatic, thoughtful moment back there. Haha.

We have Lola's birthday party to start planning for. It's this August and we have yet to finalize a theme. We're going to make sure that one is a blast.

*****

Okie... So Monday today. Holiday! Coincidentally, both in Aussie and in Manila. I spoke with Ceasar last night and he shared the horrors of the 7.1 implementation. My heart went out to all of them who slaved away this weekend. Deng. Ceasar's stories explain Mike's " =( " reply to my text message, "How's the implementation going?" Wawa. Haaay. I wonder when our project's going to catch a break. It's been non-stop booboos. Everybody's working hard, spreading themselves thinly, and sacrificing so much of their personal time. Haaaay.

So what to do today?? I would like a massage. A visit to the parlor. Some room organizing activity. And maybe another nappie? Hehe.

Wedding Bell Blues

The Gutierrez-Simbol wedding yesterday went well! I had about 45 minutes of nappie time. The kids were adorable as always... More random musings about busy day Friday later!




Thanks to Bebet for the pictures!

No Sleep

Quick blog . I've been wedding preparing for the past 12 hours! Finished with the AVP (but I think I may need to redo some of the other parts). I'm just printing out all the stuff we need.

Haaaay... I don't know tho wedding's going to go! I hope it goes well... And I hope I stay awake!

Disagreeable Tummy

Must be too much coffee for today. But I am feeling nauseated. It can't be the dried fruits from yesterday (after I declared my body to be generally accepting of all kinds of food). Breakfast today? Dinner last night?? Haaay... I just feel like lying down and taking a nappie.

So many things going on this week. Wedding Preps, AVP editing, taking Chris around, and Build work. Had a really interesting one hour discussion with my officemate regarding estimates. Several times when I pulled a, "I would've appreciated it if you could..." tone. Haha. My self-control's improving a little. Haha.

Good news yesterday. I found out I passed my Software Testing certification! Can you believe it?! Crammed the day before, but attended most of the review classes. Hehe. My hands were trembling when I opened the big envelope with the results. Whopee. My short term memory has done me well, once again.

Bad news yesterday, too. I got my orange gown/dress for this Friday's wedding and it was sort of... disastrous. Haha. I couldn't close the top and I could see my gaping flesh (which is in no way sexy or cute). Tsk, tsk, tsk. Hassle lang because I need to return it to the seamstress to have it repaired. Her shop's right across the Las Pinas Nature church. Ugh. Same lady made the groom's disastrous barong (3/4 na sleeves!). Kaloka.

I am sleepy... But another cup of coffee might mean more rumblng...

Weekend Musings

This weekend was pretty fun. Busy!!

Saturday's Random Musings...
** Road trip to Balayan... Twas a good thing Kuya Jerry drove us to Batangas to pick Chris up. I saw Ninong Domeng and Ninang Benny's son, JB! Awww... It was so nice to finally see them with a child. They've been without one ever since. And Ninong Domeng is truly one of my favorite ninongs of all time. He's Papa's best friend, and they've been friends since they were reviewing for the CPA Board Exams. Anyway, Ninong Domeng and Ninang Benny have been praying for a baby for the longest time. And when they had given up (and weren't prepared), Ninong gets a call from a priest about Baby JB. Aww. Life is good. Just like "Under the Tuscan Sun", ask and ye shall receive. Most of the time though, when you do get it, it's in a way and during a time you least expect it.



** Tagaytay's so pretty. So many great sceneries, and lately, a bigger selection of restaurants and places to go to. I remember my Tagaytay fantasies back in freshman year college. Haha. Now gone are the days when Schmenten finds such elaborate gestures romantic. Haha. Maybe I've turned into a cynic... Who's also an optmist (go figure).




Sunday's Train of Thoughts...
** Family had lunch at Triple V in ATC with guest of honor, Chris. We later went to MCS where he bought Noel's Korean/Jap DVDs. I met up with Karina after and we saw the Regine-Piolo movie (which I will blog about tomorrow). Karina and I killed time and talked right in front of the fountain across the Zara entrance. Haaaaay... every relationship will have its quirks noh? Every couple will have relationship dilemmas.

** Was telling Karina that I'm a little scared of getting into the same intense mindset and feeling, as I did last year. Can't it just be easy? Not complex, clear, and on a silver platter?

I heart my MacMac II

Oh yeah. I finally was able to install the scanner on Mac Mac II! Thank you HP for your site where I downloaded the driver and the scanning software! HP PSC 1310 is super smart! It's able to scan each of the pictures I put on the flat bed individually! Gone are the days when I had to cut or crop each of the pictures. The goal I set today was to complete all the scanning for Kuya Lan and Monina's AVP. Check!! Hoorah! I did it in 2 hours, while chatting with Ate Gret! I started to tinker with iMovie HD. I am feeling optimistic that I'll be able to finish the video before Wednesday (deadline I've set for myself).

iMovie HD is super fun! There are themes I can use for the video which look pretty professional. I hope it works out well.

Chris also showed us this fantastic new website where you can view movies and tv shows! It's http://www.tv-links.co.uk. It's like Youchoob. Only this site is organized for tv and movie addicts. Haaaay... the wonders of technology nga naman oo.

Mac Mac II has been quite the companion these past few weeks. I've been skype-ing, Yahoo IM-ing, blogging, and now making a movie. There were a couple of times though when it just shuts down on its own. He must be tired. Or maybe in need of a health check.

WiFi is heaven sent! Just an hour ago, I noticed the room grew warm. We had three laptops and a scanner on, all together at the same time. Hehe. Go figure.

D Gang Reunited

Thanks to the Elmers glue which binds us together, Jan Sy, for organizing the first of D Gang get together this 2007! Dinner and coffee with Jan, Tom, Marian, Lea, Boom, Winston, and Mike Pangs, was a nice way to wrap up the busy friday. I was late, as usual! Wins lost a lot of weight and Jan's cute bow was a huge hit. Hehe.









We had dinner at Mr. Rockefeller then coffee at Segafredo. The batteries of Papa's digicam died just before Marian could take my picture with the boys. Deng. Jan shared her Sydney adventures! It was nice to reminisce about Oporto, Circular Quay, and Hunter Valley. She and I agree that Australians are pretty cool! Quite laid back. Mike Pangs also shared some inside info about his wedding (which I simply raved about). Gosh... more weddings in the pipeline! Wins is getting hitched this July 8, and Lea on March 8. We started planning a long weekend vacay in Davao for Lea's wedding!

The stars were just aligned because I saw Bibay and Erik at Segafredo! We did a little hanging out ourselves after I said good bye to D Gang.

Another Friday highlight... Makati-wide simultaneous fireworks display! The guys pulled all the shades up in my corner cubicle (which I will soon bid adieu to). The display lasted for a good twenty minutes! Of course, I was just smiling to myself while watching the spectacle in the dark evening sky. Haha. Fireworks have a special place in Schmenten's heart. Couldn't help but recall the July 4, 2001 Fireworks display in Illinois. Haha. The best! I must say, one of the most romantic moments ever. Haha. Thank you, Miguel Tres.

Still have that Cafe Americano buzz. I'm happy I found a way to scan the pics for Kuya Lan and Monina's AVP without having to install the HP scanning software. Proof of concept tomorrow. Haha. While on the subject of wedding prep, I'm super happy I finally got to talk to Edgar the make-up artist! After three days of harrassing the Jesi Mendez receptionist. I've booked him! Champion. I just need to iron out the package.

Tomorrow, we'll be picking Chris, my balikbayan cousin, up in Balayan, Batangas. We don't have any specific plans for him yet. But I'd like to take him around the metro and show him what Manila has to offer.

Okie... Nuff blogging for today.