EARLY SPRING CLEANING

I know it's still winter and it's still several months before spring arrives, but as I anticipate a new life and a new beginning next year (late spring), I decided to do an early spring cleaning. And boy! Do I have a lot of stuff to throw away.

I'm a pack rat. In my 8 years of living in this house, I've accumulated tons and tons of junk. And being that I'm a sentimental person, whenever I get tempted to throw stuff away (to make room for more stuff I'm about to accumulate), I get all weepy and nostalgic. Every little thing I do have in my room has events and memories associated with them. So I end up not throwing anything away.

But that has got to change. On my birthday, I cleaned out half my closet. And now, before the year ends, I am determined to clean out as much of my room as possible. And one of the things I found was my Catechism book. I used to teach Religion to 4th graders. I found the book I used, the little craft projects we do in class, the researches I did on certain topics. And I have to say, although it was difficult to keep your students' attention on a Saturday morning, I miss it. I taught for 5 years, and because my new community meets on Saturday mornings, I had to give it up. And now, I'm being nostalgic again.

I suppose it's really time to move on. To try new things. To set foot on new adventures. Can't wait! =)

PERFECTLY SUITED

I received the perfect Christmas gifts on December 20th and 21st. (yep, I got them on two different days) And they are my interview invitations at University of California San Francisco and University of California San Diego. They're spaced two days apart - Feb. 8 (SF) and Feb. 10 (SD). So, the plan is, interview in SF on the 8th, fly to SD on the 9th, and interview in SD on the 10th and enjoy SD til the 11th. =)

Anyway, because this is an interview, I needed to buy me a suit. I never had my own suit. I used to borrow Krys' suit for the 3 job interviews I had (including the one I had for my current job) and for my UCSF Med School interview. This time, I wanted my own suit, so I decided to go to Macy's after Christmas (26th) to take advantage of the sales they would have.

I went to Macy's in Roseville. Am not familiar with that Macy's since we only go there once in, say, 3 months. And I couldn't find their suits. They were all scattered everywhere, unlike in Macy's Serramonte (Daly City), they are all in one section, named, "Perfectly Suited." So, I was getting frustrated. Not only they were so difficult to find, they were too expensive for my taste. After all, I would only use it twice this year. The jacket alone costs $179.00. Add the skirt, and I would have to shell out an additional $79.00. And I only found one suit. I didn't like the style of the jacket nor of the skirt, so I said that I'll check out Macy's in Daly City.

I went out of Macy's and saw, in the mall, New York and Company. The signs boasted of sales up to 60% off, and I had with me a coupon that takes $30 off of a $75 purchase. So, I checked the sales out. Lo and behold I found me suit! =) I found the skirt I wanted, the jacket I wanted, and the blouse I wanted. Tried them on and I felt I was "perfectly suited." So, I ended up buying them. Guess how much it all cost? $48.00 (after use of coupon). I was so happy with my purchase. =)

So, now I'm ready to face my interviewers with my perfectly suited suit. =P

Wish me luck!

"
www.123glitter.com

UMBRELLA UPGRADE

My lab went out for a Christmas lunch earlier today (I actually just got back). It was raining, so we all had our umbrellas with us. I have a dingy old umbrella with me. It's small, and it's ugly, but it works (it keeps me from getting wet) so I can't really complain.

When we got to the restaurant, they had this basket where people put in their umbrellas. I didn't want to put mine in there because I was afraid that someone would take it. I mean, it's old and ugly, but I would still want an umbrella to keep me from getting drenched, right? I had no choice 'coz it's the restaurant's policy that everyone keep their umbrella in that basket. So, I put mine in.

When it was time to leave, I picked up my umbrella. No other umbrella in the basket looked like it and everything else was a different color. When I opened it outside, I noticed that it was bigger. I also noticed that the handle was different. I realized that someone else mistook my umbrella for theirs and ended up going out of the restaurant with it. So, I ended up having an umbrella upgrade. =) I have a cooler and better umbrella now! And to think I didn't want to leave my umbrella there in the first place. =P

YIPEE!

So, my new beginnings start not on January 1, but technically on April 8. Why April 8, you ask? Well, let me just say that it's a date that bears a huge significance in my relationship with God. And besides, next year, April 8 is Easter Sunday - which signifies new life, new beginning. O di ba? Read the post below for more info on this new beginning ek, ek. =P

Anyway ... just want to tell you guys that I'm DONE WITH FINALS! YIPEE! And I received my invitation for interview for UCSF School of Pharmacy! You have no idea how happy I am right now. =) My interview's scheduled on February 8, two months before April 8.

What's interesting is this -

God asked me something on August 8
and another one on October 8
and yet another one on December 8
now we skip January and it brings us to February 8 (interview date)
after that, we skip March and we go to April 8 (Easter Sunday)
acceptance letters will be mailed April 1
so technically I'll know by April 8.

La lang! =P

NEW BEGINNINGS

This is a post from my religious blog which is no longer viewable by public. There's a reason I'm putting this up. And you'll need to read the post above to understand why.

Exactly two years ago, my friend and I got lost through some mountain. I was not at all familiar with the area. Not knowing how to get back to the City, I ended up following this van, in front of me, believing and trusting that the driver of that van will take me to my destination. That van disappeared, after the turn. I have no idea where it went, so I just followed the single path before me. After 10 minutes of driving, I started panicking. I had no idea where that path will lead me, how far away from my destination will it take me, and how to get back to my destination, on time. After more than 20 minutes of driving, through the dark mountain area (no other cars were in sight), my friend and I found our way back. Traumatized from the incident, I cried my fears away. And God said, "I was just taking you for a stroll. I was going to lead you back into the same path. You need not have worried."

Several years ago, God derailed me from the path I was carefully and meticuously following. And, naturally, I cried bucket of tears. I had a goal in mind. I had a time table set in place. And God was not cooperating. He destroyed the dreams I had for myself. And I was lost. Or so I thought.

It turns out, God was just taking me for a stroll. A nice, beautiful stroll in the park, wherein He showed me who He is. Through this stroll, I got to know Him more (and that includes His Mystical Body). Through this stroll, I was transformed through His grace. Through this stroll, He allowed me to be pushed beyond my limits that I may grow stronger and more determined. Through this stroll, He allowed me to appreciate all the blessings He has been showering me with. I can go on and on with all that God did with me and to me, through this stroll in the park I had with Him. But I won't do that.

Instead, I'll talk about how God allowed me to go through a series of deja vus. This year, 2006, was weird. Not only did I experience a lot of deja vus, a song and a movie entitled "Deja Vu" were released this year. Much of the first half of the year I spent trying to figure out why I had to live parts of my life over. I had a lot of possible explanations, but now I know exactly why.

My stroll through the park with God is coming to an end. And though God will still be with me in the next adventure ahead, we won't be strolling. I have no idea how wild the next adventure will be, but my assurance is that God will always be with me.

But before this wonderful experience ends, God, in His greatness and power, decided to remind me of the highlights of my stroll in the park with Him, not by making me read the chronicles I've written about the events, but rather, by making me re-live them. This year is my year of recollection, the year where I remember all the good things God allowed me to have and go through. This is also the year wherein I relish and cherish the lessons I learned in my walk with Him, that I may bring them with me in the adventures about to come. He is already preparing me for next year.

In the next year, my stroll in the park with Him ends. It will be a year of NEW BEGINNINGS for Him and me. I can't wait!

HECTIC, HECTIC, HECTIC

Since this weekend is the last weekend before Christmas eve, everyone's throwing a Christmas party. And I found myself in the middle of this chaotic and confusing schedule of Christmas events. As a result, I've only been getting 5 hours of sleep a night. Sigh.

I was supposed to help organize two Christmas parties - one for SFC, one for BCBP. But because BCBP has fewer members, they needed more help. So, I ended up focusing on that one. And here's what happened to my week so far.

Monday: I had dinner with co-worker at The Cheesecake Factory. They sat us outside, and then it started raining, and we had to run inside, wait for them to find us a table. When they brought us our food, that was reheated, I lost my appetite for eating. I can't believe they don't have umbrellas outside. I wouldn't have minded the rain if there was an umbrella over my head, but no - The Cheesecake Factory in San Francisco could not afford to buy umbrellas. But though I lost appetite for dinner, I still had Caramel Pecan Turtle Cheesecake for dessert. Yum!

Tuesday: Last day of class before finals. Hay. So much to study. So little time.

Wednesday: I was supposed to go to class. But because I got rained on on Monday night, I was feeling off. So, I ditched class, rested for a bit, then helped my mom compute her students' grades. After that, I started working on the BCBP music video, a presentation for the Christmas party. I ended up staying up til 1 am, and I still wasn't done with it.

Thursday: Went to Target early in the morning, to get stuff for the Christmas party - prizes, the stuff needed for the games, etc. And then went to work. After work I was planning on finishing up with the Christmas party organization, but then I got a call from my dad who reminded me that my mom went to a Christmas party so we have no food at home. And since my dad and I don't cook, we ended up eating out. That was actually nice - a dinner with my dad - 'coz while I hang out with my mom a lot - we watch musicals / movies and eat out together - I don't hang out with my dad at all. So, that was actually cool! We got home at around 10:30 na. And I still had to finish the BCBP video, wrap some presents, wrap the prizes (still not done with the games, hay!). I ended up sleeping at 1:30 am and I still wasn't done. So ...

Friday: Woke up at 6 am (I feel so groggy as I'm typing this), finished wrapping the presents, the BCBP video, and then I started cleaning out my room (aunt is staying over). And then went to work. Tonight, I'm going to the SFC Christmas party.

TOMORROW: Breakfast in San Lorenzo at 8:30 am (have to leave at around 8) until 11:30 am. Then Xmas party in Alameda (around 30 minutes from San Lorenzo) from 12 - 5. I won't stay until 5 because I need to pick up food for my uncles' (that's right - 3 uncles are celebrating their bdays) birthday party. The party starts at 6:30 pm and it'll go til about 1 am the following day.

Boy! I'm tired already. I don't know how I'll survive tomorrow. Sigh!


* I'm not sure if I made sense. Too sleepy, my brain's no longer working.

THE REAL ME

Foolish heart, looks like we're here again.
Same old game of plastic smile,
Don't let anybody in.
Hiding my heartache,
Will this glass house break?
How much will it take before I'm empty?
Do I let it show?
Does anybody know?

CHORUS:
But You see the real me.
Hiding in my skin, broken from within.
Unveil me completely.
I'm loosening my grasp,
There's no need to mask my frailty
Cause You see the real me.

Painted on, life is behind a mask,
Self-inflicted circus clown.
I'm tired of the song and dance,
Living a charade, always on parade.
What a mess I've made of my existence.
But You love me even now
And still I see somehow...

CHORUS

Wonderful, beautiful is what you see
When You look at me.
You're turning the tattered fabric of my life
Into a perfect tapestry.
Oh, I just wanna be me,
I wanna be me.

CHORUS

and you love me just as i am.
wonderful, beautiful is what you see
when you look at me.

*performed by Natalie Grant

PARKING SPACE

Sometimes, we find ourselves frustrated at having to circle parking lots several times to find a slot. And there are times when, as we wait for a car to fully back out and clear out a slot, another car comes careening in and takes the spot that was rightfully yours. Angrily, you vent out your frustrations by pressing the horn for as long as you can. And sometimes, no matter what you do to humiliate the person who took the slot you've been waiting for, the result is still the same - you still lose the slot. And so, with nothing else left to do, you go around the parking lot again and are surprised to see a lot of empty parking spaces. In focusing your energy and attention to that one slot, you failed to see other slots that were being emptied as cars leave the parking lot. And then you finally get a slot, and it's better than what you've waited for but lost.

* I dunno where that came from, to be honest. It's a random-rambling of a schizo who only had 4 hours of sleep.

* Thanks Beng and Maloiks for the punctual greeting! MWAH!

BIRTHDAY AND CHRISTMAS WISH LIST

Disclaimer: This post is not intended for my regular visitors (Harbs, Jane, Malou, Raina, etc), but for my family and friends who, I anticipate, will be asking me what I want for my birthday.

*** EVERY ONE OF THE THINGS ON MY LIST IS ACCOUNTED FOR! THANKS ***

So, Thanksgiving is almost here! Soon after Thanksgiving, it's already December. A time to grow a year older and a time to celebrate the Birth of Our Savior. =) And with these occasions coming up, people tend to ask me what I want, to make it easier for them to buy me stuff.

This is my first time having a wish list. And the reason I'm putting this up is to let people know that what's on this list is all I want - NOTHING MORE! I found myself, recently, not having a need or a want for a lot of things. So, this is it. Again, I want NOTHING MORE than these items found on the list.

1) Catherine of Siena: The Dialogue I want to read my patron saint's most renowned work.

2) Logitech USB Microphone - would allow me to do "voice chats" with my younger cousins - around 10 years of age - in Australia

3) Sony Remote Control Tripod - I've always wanted one. Would be good when recording family wacky activities. It's expensive ($99.99) - so everyone in the family can just chip in to get this. THANKS! =D BTW, it's free shipping on Sonystyle.com until December 31, 2006!

4) cellphone holder - would come handy at work.

5) black leather pocket tissue case - no need for personalization.

THAT'S ALL! To reiterate - NO MORE THAN WHAT'S LISTED.

Thanks!

ALMOST THANKSGIVING

It's almost thanksgiving. My family and I are going to Roseville and stay at my aunt's for the whole weekend, so I won't be anywhere near a computer. I don't really have any updates, except that the paper, which I am a co-author has already been published in the scientific journal of Traffic. Here's a copy of the first page. If you want to read the rest, holler at me and I'll send you the pdf. =)



Happy thanksgiving everyone!

THE QUEEN ... OH SO DRUNK

So, as I mentioned in my previous post, Friday was a holiday, at least for Federal workers. Sorry Harbs - I didn't know it was a "limited" holiday until you posted a comment. Anyway, so I enjoyed that time off and watched the first disc of "Without a Trace" (my new favorite TV show) 1st season the whole of Thursday night, thinking that I'll get enough sleep the following day since I won't have to wake up early. Just imagine my frustration when I woke up at 7 am (my normal wake up time) and couldn't go back to sleep.

I ended up just watching my "toons." Yep, I'm in my mid twenties and I still love watching cartoons. =D Hiya Jane! And then my mom and I headed out to the Embarcadero One Center to watch "The Queen."

My mom's usually stressed out at work - she teaches high school Chemistry in a school that's close to a housing project and she's had more than her fair share of rowdy, and sometimes violent kids. So, once in a while, when we both have a holiday and my dad doesn't, I take her out to do whatever she wants to do. And this time she wanted to watch "The Queen."

It's shown only in selected theaters and we're glad it's shown in the Embarcadero Center because we've never been there. Can you imagine? 9 years in San Francisco and we've never been to that part of the city? Anyway, it's in downtown San Francisco - the nice part of the city. It's really beautiful and it's very unfortunate that I did not bring my camera with me. Since it's in the upscale part of the city, naturally the theater was more expensive than your normal AMC, or Century Theaters. For bargain matinee, it cost us $8 a piece. I was complaining initially, but the scenery outside the theater was really beautiful so I forgot all about my complaints.

The movie was nice. It brought out the Anglophile in me. As I sat in the theater watching the movie, I wondered why I was not born British. =P It's about, who else but, THE QUEEN - Queen Elizabeth II - and how she handled Princess Diana's death. And how Tony Blair, the newly elected Labor (leftist) Prime Minister, influenced the Queen to somewhat bow down to the people's wishes.

When Princess Diana died, I was influenced by the media into thinking that the Queen was heartless because she did not want a public funeral for Diana nor did she allow any one from the Royal family to make a statement expressing their sadness. And the movie showed her side of the story - why she felt it was appropriate to grieve privately.

It was also interesting to see a Labor Prime Minister - who's supposedly against the institution (ie the monarchy) - gain a whole lot of respect for the Queen, the ultimate symbol of the institution he was supposedly against.

Anyway, if you're an Anglophile like me, you should watch this movie.

Afterwards, we had lunch. We bought my godson, Keiffy (remember the Kid with the mohawk), a gift. Then went home.

Then, I went to Chuck E. Cheese's for my godson's party. I have not seen him since that time we visited their house. And I'm glad he still remembers me. As soon as he saw me, he jumped into my lap and gave me a big and tight hug. He's 5 now and he knows how to pose gangsta.



So, that was my friday.

On Saturday, I didn't do much. I went out with Krys (Keiffy's mom) and Jen (the birthday girl) to celebrate Jen's birthday. We went to Il Fornaio and had dinner. Then we went back to my parent's place (they were in Roseville), and drank the night away.

Krys bought a bottle of Don Julio Tequila and we took shots after shots after shots. In between the shots, we were rambunctiously singing our hearts out. We finished the bottle in 2 hours. And being that I don't normally drink, I was so drunk after the 8th shot. I felt so horrible, I can't describe it to you. I couldn't hold my gait steady. I was dizzy. I wanted to throw up but couldn't. I didn't like the feeling that I was no longer in control of my own self. And I wanted the feeling to go away.



But don't think I did not have fun - minutes before I experienced the horrible feeling of being oh-so-drunk, I was laughing my b*tt off. I was laughing and laughing and laughing. And then, I couldn't laugh anymore. I just wanted to be in control again. And I knew it wouldn't happen, until I sleep it off. So, I did.

I didn't have a terrible hang over the following day. Just a terrible allergy to the alcohol. My back was covered with rash and I had to drink Benadryl to make the itch go away. So, I ended up dizzy again. And I slept the whole of Sunday and Monday. Terrible, isn't it?

From then on, I vowed never to drink that much again.

VETERAN'S DAY

Woohoo! Holiday tomorrow! I get a chance to relax and rest! =)

BUSY BUSY WEEK

Although I don't get to update my blog everyday, I think it's time to take this blog out of hiatus and start updating at least once a week. So, here's my update for this week. =)

It's been a hectic week for me. Applications were due on Wednesday, November 1 and I still had to formulate nice short essays for the weird questions they asked me. One of the harder ones to write was "What insight into the human condition can you bring into your studies at UCSF?" When I initially saw that question I thought that this is similar to the question, 'What is the essence of a woman' asked at the Miss Universe pageant.

Luckily, I have friends to help me. =) For my UCSF Supplemental Application, I had to answer 5 questions. Elaine helped me with the 2nd question (the importance of diversity in pharmacist - patient relations). She (as in Sherrylyn) answered the 5th question (personal characteristic that would make you stand out as an individual). I just had to change the YOU's into I's. And for the dreaded "insight-to-the-human-condition" question, Pet and Ferlie gave me ideas. So, for all those who helped me, MUCHAS GRACIAS.

I had a bit of a scare with the UCSD Supplemental Application. See, I know that both UCs have their deadlines on November 1. For UCSF, it has to be the postmark date (although, I could've easily dropped it downstairs, but they wanted it postmarked). And since UCSD's was online, I thought that I won't have to mail anything for them. But I was wrong. On October 31, I saw that I needed to mail my payment (they don't accept credit card) and they have to receive it by November 1. I went to the post-office and asked for overnight delivery. And they said that I missed the cut-off by 30 minutes. So, I hurriedly went to UPS and again I was told that I missed the cut-off by 30 minutes. Darn! I should've gone straight to UPS had I known.

So, I was really worried. I thought that I should just forget about my UCSD application, but I decided to pursue it and pray hard for a miracle. On noon of November 1, I e-submitted my UCSD Supplemental Application. After which, I received an email saying that the payment should be postmarked by November 1. I let out a huge sigh of relief. Man! They should be careful on how they word their remarks, because it's really confusing!

Anyway, so that was over! Done and over with by November 1. And while I relaxed for a few hours, I neeed to start working on the scientific article I needed to present for Journal Club at work today. It's a 13 page paper. And while, I can read a 13 page book with pictures no problem, this one was pretty difficult. The paper was entitled, "Matrix Elasticity Directs Stem Cell Lineage Specification." My head hurt just from reading the stuff. WAAH!

Then, the following day, Thursday, I started working on my powerpoint slides for the presentation. I thought it would be a cinch, but man! it took me hours to finish it.

I even had to wake up at 3 am this morning to work on it. I didn't leave the house until 11 am because I was finishing all the stuff. I got to work at 11:35, 25 minutes before my presentation.

And finally, that's over. I can't say I did a very good job at it. But considering our Lab doesn't work with Stem Cells, I suppose it was okay. So now, I'm just updating my blog. =)

I prolly will have to stay til 8 pm tonight, to finish up various experiments I have running. But oh well, at least things are not that busy or hectic anymore.

Tomorrow, I have BCBP meeting in the morning. Elaine and I are going. And then afterwards, my mom and I are watching The King and I.

Have a nice weekend everyone!

A MUFFLED CRY

The complete silence at the retreat allowed God to show me the dismal state my soul was in. To save my soul from completely rotting from within me, I managed to write a long list of resolutions. I was determined when I left Vallombrosa. But as soon as I mingled with the rest of the world, I found myself weak and desolate. I could not do any of the resolutions I listed. I just continued to ignored the problem that was staring me in the face.

I realized that the retreat only showed me the state of my soul. It failed to show me the state of my emotions, my intellect, and my body. The lifetime movie, "Augusta, Gone," was the one that showed me that my emotions, intellect, and body were rotting within me along with my soul.

Finally, last night, I heard a muffled cry coming from the depths of my spirit, "HELP."

DISTRACTED BY ANGELS

We get a good view of the Golden Gate Bridge, the San Francisco Bay, Downtown San Francisco, and Golden Gate Park in our lab, which is situated on the 15th floor of HSW at UCSF. It's a breathtaking view. It's the same view that would-be mothers, on labor, see while they're doing their lamaze and breathing exercises as they wait for the delivery of their newborn.

As I walked the halls of the 15th floor, I looked at the spectacular view of the Golden Gate Bridge and I saw four jets in "four"mation, flying closely together. That's when I remembered that it's San Francisco's Fleet Week this week. And I remembered the first time I was introduced to it:

I just recently started working in the lab. I was busy doing experiments (or trying not to screw up an experiment), when I heard this loud sonic boom from outside our building. Frightened, I asked a postdoctoral fellow in the lab what it was, as I looked up and around to see any signs of the building starting to collapse. The fellow pointed me to the window and showed me fighter jets doing stunts on air. It was spectacular.

And today, we got great "seats" to their show. Granted they are just practicing, but I found myself totally impressed. And I wasn't able to get back to work until 30 minutes later. They fly real low and at close range to each other. A miscalculation on the part of a pilot will have devastating consequences. From afar, the four fighter jets flying in "four"mation, looked like two big planes. That's how close they were to each other. They were flying real close to the Golden Gate Bridge. I'm sure commuters and tourists found that either scary or amazing. They flew real close to our building too. They were higher up, but we saw their shadows.

I suppose I don't need to go down to the Pier to see the show. I've already seen them several times in the course of 4 years. And nothing beats the panoramic view I get from watching them in our lab.

WE ARE THE TIGERS ... WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS

It's been, what, almost 10 years since I graduated from UST, and since I left my alma mater for good. And yet, here I am, cheering it's Men's Basketball Team, the UST Growling Tigers, as they win the 69th UAAP Championships. I didn't even know that UST made it to the finals. I wouldn't have known, had Kuya Junby not teased me about the Tigers losing to the Eagles (obviously, Kuya Junby is from Ateneo). And apparently, this sudden rivalry of Ateneo and UST (just for the championship, 'coz we all know that Ateneo's eternal rival is De LaSalle) caused ripples all throughout the Philippines (okay, maybe I'm exaggerating). But I suddenly saw a surge of "Tiger Power" status on YM. I couldn't help but join in the band wagon. Amidst all the "Tiger Power," "Black Gold Black White," and "Go USTe" status, I put up the "We are the Tigers ... we came to WIN" cheer for my YM status.

I wasn't expecting the Tigers to win. As I've read from some articles, the Blue Eagles are sure winners. But, in an unexpected turn of fate, the GROWLING TIGERS ROARED and WON! After how ever many years (since we graduated from HS), the UST bags another UAAP Championship Trophy. Aight! Go USTe!

We are the TIGERS
The mighty mighty TIGERS
We came to WIN
And to win it without fear!

AND WE WON!!!

We are the CHAMPIONS, my friends
We'll keep on fighting til the end
We are the CHAMPIONS
We are the CHAMPIONS!

Sorry Maloiks and Kuya Junby ... Got carried away.

HOW TO JUDGE A CHEERDANCE COMPETITION?

I'm a full-blooded Thomasian. My parents are Thomasians. I was born in UST. I was raised in UST. UST is my second home. I would have gone to UST for College had my family not migrated to the US.

In my four years in HS in UST, the Tigers won four straight years. The first two years were historic. The first one was a Sweep. UST did not lose a single game. The second one was a Grand Slam - The Tigers, Tigresses and Tiger Cubs all won the UAAP championships. The third year was supposed to be a back to back grand slam but the Tiger Cubs lost to the Blue Eaglets. Then the fourth year was a four peat.

UST was aiming for a 5-peat, but since I already left my beloved alma mater, they started their losing streak. =(



The only competition UST continues to win is the CheerDance Competition. And thanks to YouTube, though I do not have TFC at home, I was able to watch UST's performance. This is their 5 peat. And I was amazed to see their routine. They're really good! I guess the 5 trophies prove how good they are. But anyway. I read in the UAAP website that FEU placed second and UP placed third. I watched all their performances. FEU and UP were good as well. But of course, in my eyes, UST was the best. But can anyone tell me what makes the Salinggawi performance better than that of FEU (their pyramids are riskier) or of UP? THANKS!

AYAN! PICTURES WITH WORDS PART 1

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FREE T-SHIRT, ANYONE?

Since the last post didn't clarify as to who those people in the picture were, let me clarify now. Those are my third cousins visiting from the Philippines. They were in the Bay Area only for 5 days, then they flew to Florida to see Disney World.

Anyway, we had so much fun with them. It was more than 10 years since I last saw them and I really missed them when they left.

Though I could've texted one of them (since he had International Roaming), I decided to let them be as they explore the big WORLD of DISNEY. =P

Last night, I got to chat with both of them. They were already in Texas (the 3rd leg of the US trip) and finally had a computer access. I was chatting with my cousin who's almost 2 years older than I am and he told me he got free t-shirt from Disney World. I was intrigued. I didn't know that they give out free shirts at Disney World. I asked him if he joined a contest. And he said no. So I asked him how the heck he got a free shirt. And here's the story.

Apparently, he wore a shirt spoofing Oral Be. It read, "Oral Me." The park attendant told him that since it was a family oriented theme park, shirts like his were a complete No-No in the park. So, as soon as they got in the park, they were led to a souvenir shop and was told to get any shirt and he'll get it for free. =) So, he got a $24 Mickey Mouse shirt without costing him anything.

I was laughing my b*tt off when I heard the story. I accused him of knowing it would happen that's why he wore that "Oral Me" shirt. hehe.

CASTRO

Castro. The last name of the famous Cuban dictator, Fidel, whom the US has been trying to kick out since the 1960s.

Castro. The maiden name of my paternal grandfather's mother.

Castro. The famous street in the gay district of San Francisco.

Last night, out of a whim, Ferlie, Laurice and I decided to meet up. Laurice had volunteer until 8 pm near where I work so Ferlie and I picked her up. We were trying to go down on Irving St., where we normally eat, but having seen the many shops, restaurants and pubs along Cole St., we decided to stay there and check them out.

We ended up eating at Bambino's Ristorante. We wanted to try the French one, Zazie but it was way too full. So, we settled for the Italian one. The ambiance was really nice. But the food was kinda bland. But at least, we can tell people that we've been to Bambino's. =P

After that, we decided to walk around a bit. Though we were full, we kinda wanted some dessert. So we figured we needed to walk off what we ate, then we'll eat our dessert. But the nearest Crepe place was only 5 buildings away. It wasn't much of a walk and we were still very full when we got to Crepes on Cole. So, we decided to go to Sweet Inspirations by Market and Castro. We drove to get there.

We strolled a bit ('coz we really needed to walk off what we ate) around Market St. Then turned left on Castro. It's a very interesting Street and I'll advise everyone who visits San Francisco to check it out.

We saw a shop called NAIA. And I thought of our International Airport in the Philippines. It was an Italian Gelatto shop. And they had so many flavors! They have coconut (tastes like Buko Ice Drop), Banana, Nutella, Millk Chocolate, Cassanova, Mango, and so much more. Though initially, we wanted to just get one and share amongst us three, we ended up getting our own small cups. And I just have to say, it was really good. Though we said we wouldn't be able to finish the gelatto, they were so good, we ended up finishing them in less than 5 minutes. And now, we vowed to go back to Castro and get some more of that gelatto in NAIA.

As we were walking the famous Castro St, a lady came up to me and said hi. I said hi back. I forgot I was in the gay district, so I didn't think she was lesbian, until she said, "Can I get a hug?" It's a sentence I use only on my younger (less than 10 years old) cousins. She wasn't the malicious type, so I said, "sure." I'm not sure what I was thinking. Maybe I was afraid of the mob of people in that area. I didn't want any sort of confrontation, so I gave her a pat on the back. She asked the same off Ferlie and Laurice. Laurice didn't want to, but she was kinda forced to give her a hug. She asked us if we're gay (I suppose 3 ladies hanging out together can be mistaken for lesbians) and Ferlie responded with a resounding NO. The lady shouted back, "Turn GAY." It was funny.

When we got to Sweet Inspiration, we were already full from the Gelatto we had. Though they had delicious looking desserts, we decided to head home.

My friends who want to visit San Francisco, let me know when you're coming. I'll definitely take you to Castro.

NO WORDS, JUST PICTURES

* thanks Jane for introducing me to the world of RockYou! *


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BLOGTHINGS ADDICT

So, things have been light at work. But instead of working on finishing up Abby's San Francisco Trip (her last day) post, I've been taking all these weird tests at blogthings.com. I've taken so many of them already, I don't remember them anymore. But anyway, here are the results of the 3 that I liked best!

What Your Soul Really Looks Like

You are very passionate and quite temperamental. While you can be moody, you always crave comfort. You are not a very grounded person. You prefer dreams to reality. For you, it's all about possibilities. You believe that people see you as larger than life and important. While this is true, they also think you're a bit full of yourself. Your near future is a lot like the present, and as far as you're concerned, that's a very good thing. For you, love is all about caring and comfort. You couldn't fall in love with someone you didn't trust.

Inside the Room of Your Soul

Your Rising Sign is Capricorn

Old fashioned and conservative, you carry yourself with dignity. You have a tough exterior, and you can be intimidating when you want to be. Hard working and ambitious, you can survive in the most cut throat work enviroments. Outside of work, you are a true friend to everyone in your small inner circle. You may have had a difficult time earlier in life. Capricorns are late bloomers and you may be coming into your own right now.

What's Your Rising Sign?

You Are a Prophet Soul

You are a gentle soul, with good intentions toward everyone. Selfless and kind, you have great faith in people. Sometimes this faith can lead to disappoinment in the long run. No matter what, you deal with everything in a calm and balanced way. You are a good interpreter, very sensitive, intuitive, caring, and gentle. Concerned about the world, you are good at predicting people's feelings. A seeker of wisdom, you are a life long learner looking for purpose and meaning. You are a great thinker and communicator, but not necessarily a doer. Souls you are most compatible with: Bright Star Soul and Dreaming Soul

What Kind of Soul Are You?

ABBY'S SAN FRANCISCO TRIP - SUNDAY

This is Abby's big day. This is the day of the San Francisco Marathon. I didn't even know we had a marathon in San Francisco. Thanks to Abby, I found out about it. Hehe.



Abby, as always, woke up earlier than I did. She was finishing up when she woke me up at around 4:20 am. I think, we said we were going to leave at 4:30 am to get to the site (we didn't know which streets they were going to close) by 5 am. I took a quick shower and left by 4:45 am.

They did close a street I wanted to go through. But thankfully, Abby and I brought a map and we found our way shortly. We got there at around 5 am.

There were a lot of people! It was still dark and it was kinda cold. I was wearing my jeans, shirt, and jacket. And Abby was wearing shorts and short sleeved shirt. And yet she was fine. I walked with her to her "corral." She wanted to start with the fourth wave. As we went, I couldn't help but smile. Thanks to Abby, though I'm not participating in the marathon, I'm glad I get to see the event. I'm amazed at all those people (most especially Abby), who had the determination to train and finish a 26.2 mile run.

Abby stretched for a bit, while I took pictures of the Bay Bridge. =) I'm a good for nothing photographer. Then people started walking, so Abby joined them. She said goodbye to me and she was off. I waited til I heard the announcer tell the fourth wave to go. Then I tried to find a place for me to hang out for about an hour, while I figure out how to get to the half mark by public transit - I didn't want to lose my spot as it was free. But as I walked the empty streets of Embarcadero, I felt uncomfortable. I don't normally hang around downtown San Francisco by myself, especially not this early. So, I ended up deciding to go home.



It was good I went home, 'coz then I was able to get the directions to the Golden Gate park, where the half mark was. But the only thing about going home was, I left home later than I should have had. So I wasn't able to go to the half mark. I went to see Abby more than a mile and a half past the half mark. And I thought I missed her already. 'Coz I had no way of knowing where Abby was. I wished she had a GPS tracking device on her, so I would have known where she was. I vowed to wait for 20 minutes and then leave. After 10 minutes of waiting, I saw Abby! =) Then I left. Hehe. Ang bilis no!



Then I went home for a bit. Then went to pick up Abby na. I saw her cross the finish line, but I wasn't able to take a picture. Nataranta ako when I suddenly saw her. Hehe. I'm not good at taking picture of moving subjects. =)



Abby's there. Try to find her. You probably can't see her.

Then, I tried to meet her by the finish line. I missed her pala. I tried waiting for her. So, naunahan pa ako ni Abby sa meeting place talaga namin. Hehe. Sowi Abby.

Then, I made her walk to where I was parked. Poor Abby. I took pictures of her first.







Then, we went to the Cheesecake Factory. There weren't too many people. So as soon as we got there, we were seated. Abby went to change sa restroom while I ordered our food. I forgot na what we had. Hehe. Basta, Abby had rice. She wanted something with rice. Then I forgot what my order was. Hehe. We ordered dessert. Something with Lemon. Shucks! My memory's failing me. We didn't finish it. We were so full.

After Cheesecake Factory, we went to Alcatraz!



Last time Abby was here, I planned to take her to Alcatraz. But apparently, you needed to get your tickets way before. So, Abby and I went on a Bay Cruise instead. So, I promised that when she comes back, we'll go to Alcatraz.

While waiting to board the ferry, Abby and I spotted a cute European and we tried to follow him, but he was aloof and he walks real fast.



It's been ages since I went to Alcatraz, so I forgot that you have to walk quite a bit to get to the cell house. Poor Abby. She had to walk uphill, after running 26.2 miles. She didn't have a jacket and it was pretty chilly. Hay! Kawawa talaga si Abby.

Alcatraz for me is depressing. So, if Janey, Harbs, Alfredo, Erlyn and Malou wants a tour of it, I'll go with you on the Ferry ride. I'll go up with you to the Cell House. But I won't go in with you. I'll just take a picture of the birds that made their homes in Alcatraz. =)





After Alcatraz, we were both tired, so we went home. But before that, we bought Abby's Koreanovela DVD set, Love Story in Harvard - the one she and Lau watched on Thursday night. Abby loved it and wanted her own set. Then, we went to Pizza Hut to pick up our dinner (they don't deliver around the area where we live). Abby talked to Janelle, while we were waiting for our Pizza. We vowed to watch at least 2 episodes (1 hour each) of the Koreanovela (Korean language, English subtitles), but I fell asleep in the middle of the 1st one (around 9 pm). I don't know how long Abby stayed up. Hehe.

And that was the end of Sunday.

SPECIAL MENTION - MARK

Although I wanted to keep my posts focused on Abby's San Francisco Trip, I just want to take an interlude to say thanks to my friend, Mark, who has been trying his hardest to read ALL of my 120 posts so far. Mark, don't burn your eyes out. Hehe. Thanks though. Touched ako you're reading my blog. *hugs*

I'll be away for the weekend, so I won't be able to work on Abby's San Francisco Trip - Sunday and Monday. I'll get to them when I get back. Have a great weekend everyone!

ABBY'S SAN FRANCISCO TRIP - SATURDAY

I slept in Saturday morning. I was willing to get up at 7 am (even though Abby and I went to bed at 4:30 am) to go to Napa - the Wine Country of California - and have a tour of the Mondavi winery, then maybe have a picnic at V. Sattui winery. Since Abby decided we should just leave whenever, I slept in. Hehe. She woke up before I did. I think I got up at 10:30 am. Abby was already eating breakfast by then. Hehe. Ang bait kong hostess no ... get your own food. =P

We set off for Napa a little before 12 nn. While Yahoo Maps said that the trip would only take about an hour and a half, it actually took us 2 1/2 hours to get there. There was massive traffic before we crossed the Bay Bridge. Then we stopped over at Appian Way (there are a lot of fast food places there) to grab a bite to eat (I didn't eat breakfast. Abby was still full, but I was hungry). We went to Wendy's because it was the closest to the freeway. Hehe. Then, more traffic on the way. Hay! I was stressed out because the Mondavi winery closes at 4:30 pm. Which means we needed to get there by 3 pm if we wanted to make it to the wine tour. Abby, being the natural optimist that she is, kept on telling me that we'll make it. I, being the pessimist that I am, kept on apologizing to Abby for wasting her day. Hehe. I already knew, that we would miss the wine tour by a couple of minutes.

The trip towards Napa was long but it was scenic. I love seeing the mountains and the trees, and that's all you see on the way to Napa. Too bad, I couldn't stop every second to take a picture of the scenery before me. There was also traffic going to Napa. It wasn't our lucky day apparently. Puro traffic na lang kami that Saturday.

Then, finally, we got to Mondavi winery. I dropped Abby off, told her to get us our tickets to the tour (o di ba ... bday ni Abby, and she treated me sa tour of the winery ... ang bait ko talaga!!!), went to find parking, and met her at the front. I was expecting her to tell me that they already closed ('coz we got there exactly at 3). Then Abby told me that the last tour was at 3:15. Yay! We got to go on a tour of the winery! (Mind you ... in my 9 years of living here in California, this is my first time in Napa).

Being that I'm a quasi / pseudo nature photographer, I didn't really listen to what the tour guide was telling us. I was just taking pictures of flowers, of the scenery, of the grapes. Hehe. Here are some of them:







He allowed us to taste some of the grapes that are purple. They were pretty sweet. Then he took us to the place where they have these huge vats to ferment the wine. Is that what they do? Shucks! I forgot na! Told you, I wasn't listening. Anyway, those who are interested in learning more about the process should come visit me (though, I have to warn you, I'm a pretty bad hostess) and I'll bring you to the Mondavi wine tour. Here are more pictures:





Then off to wine tasting. The room was pretty elegant for wine tasting. He made us taste - shucks! I forgot na! I need to go back to Napa! =P All I remember is that 2 were white wines and then the other one was red. I really don't remember what they were. After tasting those 3 (Abby and I didn't like any of them), he made us taste Moscato d' Oro. OH! I don't like the bitter taste of wines or anything alcoholic for that matter, but I fell in love with this wine. Abby too! So, we ended up buying two for Abby's bday celebration that night. (They sell them in small bottles ... kaya 2 ... hehe ... defensive!)



Then, we headed off for church. Being that I was not familiar with Napa, we got lost for about 5 minutes, then found our way. We went to St. Joan of Arc Catholic Church in Yountville (about 7 minutes from where we were). We were the only non-whites there. The priest, who was Indian we think, asked us, "visitors?" We replied, "Yes!" Initially, I thought he just asked if we were visiting to Napa from somewhere in the US. Then later on, it dawned on me that he must have been asking if we were visiting from Asia or some other place far from the US.





Then we headed home. Again, we were stuck in traffic! Darn! Bay Bridge! Hay!

Laurice joined us for dinner. Abby wanted to Carbo Load, so we took her to Pasta Pomodoro. Oh, before Pasta Pomodoro, we dropped by Red Ribbon and bought Abby a mango cake. After Pasta Pomodoro, we headed home and waited for Gerard (Abby's new found bestfriend - Oh! I just remembered, the night before, at Rain's house, Abby and Gerard were laughing at each other. I made a comment that they're bestfriends na. Oni commented, "Baka umiyak si Gerard pag-alis ni Abby." Hehe) and Sherrylyn. We sang Happy Birthday for Abby, then ate the cake. When it was time to open up the Moscato d' Oro, we couldn't find a corkscrew. That's when I realized that we didn't have any at home. So Lau and I ended up going to the nearest Safeway to find one. Then, we finally got to drink our precious Moscato d' Oro.





Then we watched several videos online - "Keys Me" by Alyssa Alano; and SBC Packers by Rex Naverette. And we ended up just laughing our hearts out. Abby was tired by then. And she needed to sleep early for the marathon the next day. So she left us and went to sleep. While Gerard and She promised that they would only stay an hour (from 9:30 - 10:30) so Abby can sleep, they stayed til 12:30. But Abby went to bed around 11 am.

Then they left ... And I went to bed ...

Next up ... Abby's MARATHON!

ABBY'S SAN FRANCISCO TRIP - FRIDAY

I had another chiropractor appointment on Friday morning. I woke up at 8 am (hoping Abby was still asleep), got ready for the appointment, woke Lau up and was ready to head off when Abby went out of the room. She was already awake. And being the nice hostess that I was, I just told her to find some food in the cupboards or the fridge and that I'll be leaving for my appointment (now who would want to visit San Francisco and stay with me? probably none). Then Lau and I left. I dropped Lau off her house. She was finally able to get in. Then I went for my chiropractor treatment. After an hour, I was on my way back.

Abby was in the shower when I got home. She went running around the area. I printed out the driving directions for where we were headed, then left the house when Abby was finished getting ready. We went to IHOP for brunch (it wasn't 12 nn yet). Abby had omelet and I had fish and chips. Then we headed off towards Embaradero to pick up her bib, timer then her shirt.

We were able to find a decent parking spot. It was about 4 blocks away. But it was metered and the most you can put in is for 30 minutes only. The line to pick up the bib was not that long. But to pick up the timer, man! it was waay too looong. So, I had to go and put more coins on the meter and meet Abby at the place where she has to pick up her San Francisco Marathon shirt. She picked up her shirt. She loved it! According to her, San Francisco has the best Marathon shirt. :-) Then, we drove around San Francisco to check out where she'll be running.

Most parts of San Francisco I haven't been to. But thanks to Abby, I got myself a tour of San Francisco as well. Hehe. The first couple of miles (maybe 3 miles) was pretty scenic. They have the view of the bay, and the Golden Gate Bridge. I was pretty impressed. We had to stop a couple of times to take pictures. As I didn't bring my camera (stupid Venus!), I don't have anything to show for. =( Maybe once Abby sends me a copy of the pictures, I'll put them up.

It took us, by car, 2 1/2 hours to go through all the places Abby will be running to. It was about 1/2 the time most marathoners take to finish the course.

The last couple of miles was pretty bad. It's the industrial area where factories are. Not many shops, places to eat, people walking could be seen. It was a pretty depressing sight. And Abby said it would be difficult to run that stretch because no one would be cheering and there's no scenic view anywhere.

Anywho, after going around the city where the marathon would take place, Abby and I headed out to Union City so I can take her to ChowKing. Yep, that's right, we have ChowKing here. It was a bit of a drive to Union City. About an hour. We took longer because of the traffic. I think we ended up leaving the city at 4:30 pm - close to rush hour. Abby had been to Red Ribbon and Jollibee, so it's time we checked out ChowKing. It was a disappointment. For one, Abby wanted to get Congee - the only thing she orders at ChowKing. They didn't have any. For another, the food wasn't that great. The pancit canton was soggy. Their fried rice was blah. The mango shake tasted like a Mexican mango concentrate. But at least, Abby can say she's been to ChowKing.

After ChowKing, I took Abby to Santana Row - where rich people shop. It's a smaller, less elite version of Rodeo Drive. We went around, although we weren't really in the mood to shop. It was a bad idea to have taken her to Santana Row after ChowKing 'coz the only other thing you can do in Santana Row aside from shop is to eat. They have a wonderful selection of places to eat there.

After Santana Row, we dropped by the Our Lady of Peace Church, to show her the more beautiful version of Our Lady of Peace. I think the Our Lady of Peace in EDSA was copied off of this one. But see for yourself how different looking this statue is.

Then we went home. Gerard (remember him from the last post?) and Sherrylyn offered to take Abby to see the San Francisco night life. We agreed to meet at 10 pm at home. I think we got home at 9 pm. I decided to sleep a bit. I think I slept for about 10 minutes, then it was time to get ready. But Abby and I ended up looking at pictures. So, I had to text She at 10 to let her know we're not ready and that they should take their time. Gerard was still apparently stuck at Oni's HH meeting (he was the guest speaker) and was not answering his phone.

But anyway, Abby and I got ready. Then we called Reggi - one of our closest friends in HS. Ang daming boo boos dito sa call na ito, but I'd rather not get into them.

Then, finally Gerard and She picked us up. We headed down to Embarcadero (where we were the day before to pick up Abby's marathon stuff) and went to Gordon Biersch (bar). Abby got beer - I forgot which particular German one. I forgot what kind Gerard got too. She and I got Sangria. We just talked. Gerard and Abby hit it off. Gerard found Abby funny and vice versa. Abby couldn't stop laughing at Gerard's animated stories. And Gerard couldn't stop laughing at Abby's tact. Abby asked Gerard if he lives with his mom. Gerard said yes. And Abby followed, without pausing or anything, with "So! You're a Mama's Boy?" My sides hurt from so much laughing. Then Abby found out that Gerard was an only child. So, without skipping a beat, Abby asked him, "So! You're spoiled?"

I'm a social drinker and I don't drink that often, so I don't know how low my alcohol tolerance is. After finishing our Sangria's, She and I ordered another drink. I forgot what She ordered. But I got a Caribbean Margarita. After a couple of sips, I felt it! I was past my tolerance limit. I was drunk. Man! I was so talkative. She was laughing at me. It took a couple of minutes, plus a glass full of water before I became more sober.

Then Gerard and She, took Abby and I to Twin Peaks. At the Twin Peaks, you can see the whole of San Francisco. But it was too foggy. We can only see a couple of feet in front of us. It was a scary drive up the Twin Peaks. At the top, we expected to see no one (since you really can't see anything because of the thick fog), but there were a few parked cars up there. And I'm sure you know what they were doing up there, right? Anyway, Gerard was funny because though we can't see anything, he'd be pointing to something (through the thick fog) and say, "So, Abby, there's the Golden Gate Bridge." Then he'd drive a bit, stop, and say, "and you can see there the Alcatraz." It's so funny!

After that, we dropped by a sister's, Rain, house because Oni's HH was there and he invited us. We ended up staying there until 4 am. And initially, I planned on going to Napa at 8 am. Haha. So, that would have left us with only 3 hours of sleep time. But Abby said we should sleep in. And go to Napa later.

So, the Napa story is for some other time. =)

ABBY'S SAN FRANCISCO TRIP - THURSDAY

On Thursday night, July 27, Abby Agaton flew in from Las Vegas where her parents, grandmother, and 2 siblings are currently residing. That morning was my 4th time to see the chiropractor that week and I was still pretty sore and sensitive (no wonder the chiropractor hasn't done any "ADJUSTMENTS" on me yet). I went home, watched some TV, slept a bit, then woke up and started cleaning the house. When my parents left for Lake Tahoe on Sunday, it was pretty clean. But since I haven't been doing any cleaning since the accident, it was in a sad sorry state by Thursday afternoon.

After I cleaned, I talked to Gerard a bit. Then I went off to drop by my cousin's CDs at her house, then went straight to the CLP. I was late. It was already starting by the time I got there, so I didn't get the chance to talk to Pie, the person I invited to the CLP, at all. By the time the talk and sharings were done, it was already 9 pm - Abby's arrival time at SFO. I said goodbye to Pie since I wasn't sure if I'll still see her, then asked She which freeway I should take to SFO. As I was asking for directions Abby called to let me know the plane landed. Then, I rushed to SFO.

I didn't know Abby was waiting for me outside. I parked in the parking structure and was waiting for her inside. It's a good thing I called her after a couple of minutes because Abby was dressed for Las Vegas weather (which apparently reached 115 degrees Fahrenheit) and it was 65 degrees in San Francisco that night. She loved the weather. She said she liked it cold. And that's all we have in San Francisco, mild cold. =)

I drove back to the CLP since I needed to talk to Ferlie about something. She said she needed to give me something. Then, we went to pick up Laurice (poor Abby - she was forced to tag along with me as I do my "errands") 'coz she needed to be at the CLP. We went to Tapioca Express with the rest of the SFC San Francisco/Peninsula members. Abby got to talk to Gerard, a great friend of mine. As Abby and I were figuring out where to go to pick up her bib and timer for the marathon, Gerard joined us at our table, introduced himself to Abby and asked Abby a couple of questions about herself. Then we went home.

As we dropped of Lau at her house, she realized she left the keys inside the house. So, she ended up staying over with us. At home, Lau and Abby watched the Koreanovela - Love Story in Harvard - while I tried to find out where Abby will be running for her marathon. She wanted to see it before her run on Sunday.

Abby loved the Koreanovela. She and Laurice ended up staying til 2 am to watch it. I ended up staying til 2:30 am figuring out where to take Abby since she's already been here before.

More on Abby's trip soon ...

NEED HELP TRANSLATING

So, I have an acquaintance's mobile phone number stored on my cell. I would text her once in a while when there are big celebrations, like Thanksgiving, Christmas, 4th of July, etc. But apparently, she changed phone numbers and some guy now owns this number. He called me up one time (left a message on my voicemail - I failed to pick the phone up) asking me who I was. Since it wasn't my friend who called, I did not bother calling him back. I just texted him saying we don't know each other and that my friend used to have that number.

He called me again recently. He left a message on my voicemail since I was already asleep when he called. I couldn't understand most of the message. All I understood was the "we should hook up" at the end of the message. So, I texted him back saying, "Hi. I think you have the wrong number. :-)"

He sent back a message at 3:30 am. I need help translating the last sentence.

Sorry for so late
i bar tend 2 nites a week
my name is ---
own fence in ssf (wow! he owns a house?)
drive a 300z (i know someone who drives a 350z =P)
u do no me sweaty :-* (the emoticon was his)

So what does that mean? U DO NO ME SWEATY? Is that hip hop lingo? HELP PLEASE!!!

OF NANNY MCPHEE AND ABBY

After meeting with Laurice and Alaine last night, I watched Nanny McPhee when I got home at midnight. It was a curious cute movie. I definitely enjoyed watching it. I even cried at the end of the movie. *blush* I admit it. I'm really a sappy person. But if I may be defensive (=P), there was a message for me at the end of the movie. I think that's why I cried. What that message is will remain between me and God. ;-)

Abby Agaton is flying in tonight from Las Vegas! It's great to see her again after 1 1/2 years. She'll be running the San Francisco Marathon on Sunday. I still have no itinerary for her, as she's since most of the tourist spots in San Francisco already. I'll pull something together later tonight. YAY! I'm excited.

I WANT A CMT

And I don't mean Country Music Television.

Ever since the car accident on Saturday ... yep, I got into an accident. Was rear-ended off of I-880 N ... I've been seeing a chiropractor because I feel pain on my left shoulder, lower back, and leg. And my treatment includes a 30 minute massage by a Certified Massage Therapist (CMT). And let me tell you, though it hurts when my sore muscles are touched, after the massage, I feel so much better. And I can't help but muse, as I'm being massaged (that sounds weird), how nice it would be to have a CMT for a husband. Then, you wouldn't need to go to a spa and pay for an hour massage. Hmm ...

WHY DEJA VU?

The month of July has seen the most deja vu's, thus far. It is really freaking, not only me, but my friends out. For example, around this time that year, my two friends and I had a karaoke night. My friend, let's call her A, sang many songs, but I specifically videotaped 3. My other friend, let's call her B, sang several songs, but I only videotaped 1. Friend A recently got a hold of a magic mic again and sang the THREE songs which I videotaped. And she asked our friend B to sing the song B sang when I videotaped her. We only realized it when we watched the videos on Sunday morning.

And then, around this time that year, A, B, and I (cute!) went to Macy's to buy sunglasses. After the shops closed, we ended up eating at Denny's. Last Saturday, we went to Macy's to buy sunglasses. Then we ran some errands. And we ended up eating at Denny's (because it was one of the few remaining open restaurants).

So, why all these deja vu's? There are several lines of thought that tries to explain why these are all happening:

1) God was answering my prayer. I asked to go through everything again, exactly as it happened, if given a chance. And He's given me my chance.

2) God is just showing me how funny and powerful He can be so I'll stop doubting in His power and might.

3) Everything God did ... He does again ... but in a FINAL and COMPLETE way. (So, I'll have an answer by March to the question I've been asking since that fateful year).

4) God made a mistake. He did not like how the "story" ended that year, so He's saying, "let's rewind. let's repeat that. let's go through it all again. and this time, get it right!" <-- I find this funny. To think that God made a mistake is a bit blasphemous. But it's a cute line of thought. B was the one who proposed this.

I want to make a modification to #4. I think it's more appropriate to say that I made a mistake. God did not like how the "story" ended that year, so He's saying, "let's rewind. let's repeat that. let's go through it all again. and this time, KATE, get it right!"

Thank God for second chances!

BAFFLED

I heard Mass this morning. Imagine my surprise when I heard the first reading. I did a reflection on that reading for my state-of-life discernment (whether I'm for single blessedness, marriage, or religious life) on July 16 of that fateful year. It's the exact same reading. It's so weird. I know that it's 5 days behind. But I can't help but notice that the "Not Worthy of Me" reading was also 5 days behind this year. So, I thought, maybe we're in the same Liturgical Year in the Catholic Church. The Church has 3 liturgical cycles (A, B, and C). And apparently, if you went to mass everyday for 3 straight years, you would have read most of the Bible. So, I don't understand why the readings are lining up again. I mean, the difference between that fateful year and 2006 is not 4 (1 = A, 2 = B, 3 = C, 4 = A) for the readings to line up. And so I did a research. I tried to look at the liturgical cycle for this year, it's B. And I looked at the liturgical cycle for that year and it's C. Go figure!

ANSWER TO CAN FRIENDS OF THE OPPOSITE SEX REMAIN JUST FRIENDS?

I asked this question 2 months ago, Can Friends of the Opposite Sex Remain Friends? after I got so frustrated with people giving meaning to the friendship I have with a guy. I got so tired of hearing people ask, "is something going on between them?" or commenting, "I wish you guys would end up together." Well, I have an answer for that question now: YES. Friends of the opposite sex CAN remain JUST FRIENDS. :-)

So much for the "ladder theory, Malou

FREAKED OUT BY DEJA VU'S

That fateful year (the one where I was beset with grief, suffering, and many sleepless, crying nights) I wrote a reflection about the passage on Matthew 10:37 -"Whoever loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me." And I wrote it on July 12th of that year. I just re-read this reflection of mine two days ago, when I tried looking for something in my journal because I had another deja vu experience three days ago.

So, imagine my surprise when I began to read Didache's reflection for the gospel for today, July 17th (arguably, it's 5 days later, but it's still pretty close!). The reflection was for the verse ... you guessed it ... Matthew 10:37. Here it is:

" whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.” – Matthew 10:37

My parents Johnny and Charo Magnaye of Looc, Romblon celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary last January 19, 2005. The best lessons my parents taught me are these:
a) Make the Lord number one in your life.
b) Defend and support the Catholic faith.
c) Don’t make your loved ones an excuse not to serve the Lord.
For better or for worse, my parents served the Lord. Even if our family faced the heaviest problem ever, still my Dad and Mom were there for the Church and for the less fortunate.
In sickness and in health, my parents spread the Good news. Even if Mom and Dad were sick or we their kids were sick, still they made creative ways to do what is expected of them as servants of God.
For richer or for poorer, my parents shared and cared for God’s glory. Rosanna M

Truly, God is a powerful God. I'm amazed.

*`*`*`*`*

What's even more amazing is this: I found an old chat transcript between my friend and I. It was dated July 15th of that fateful year. As I began reading through it, I was shocked to see the same topics we discussed while chatting on July 13th of this year. I found 18 similarities between the chat then and the chat this year. Grabe! Ang weird na nito!!!

EXPLAINING THE DEJA VU

Since this is still an on-going experience for me; since these deja vu experiences involve other people (who do not know they're part of my deja vus), I can't very well detail all that has happened. But if I may use a bit of an analogy, I'll try my best to describe what happened.

Several years ago (I don't want to give out the exact year), I went on a joy ride that lasted a whole year and three months, beginning in January and ending in March. I didn't see it or realize it then, but God was the driver of the 4x4 I was riding in. It was a thrilling and exciting new adventure for me then. I have never experienced anything like it before. But while it was fun at times, there were times when it was scary and nerve-wracking. On rare occasions, I feel like screaming, "Get me off this ride." I had been hurt many times during the course of the ride. I suppose there were times when I'd been too eager to plunge in the experience that I would unbuckle my seat belt and end up bumping a body part against the jeep. When the ride finally ended, I was in deep pain. I had been thrown off the Jeep. I had broken bones and was badly bruised.

It took me a while to heal, mainly because I was in denial that I needed any form of healing. But when I finally began to heal, I realized what a beautiful journey that was - the joy ride. I thanked God for arranging everything for me and for allowing me to go through everything I went through. I realized that though I had been hurt numerous times all throughout the year and 3 month period, it was still such a beautiful experience. That's when I told Him, I would go through it all again, if given a chance.

I didn't think God would answer that prayer, for it wasn't really a prayer. It wasn't even a request. I said it for rhetorical effect. I saw the beauty in the experience. It was so wonderful that I wouldn't mind to go through it all again, exactly as it happened, even if it meant I would get hurt again. By saying it that way, it felt like I really appreciated all that I've been through. But I really did not want to go through it all again.

The deja vu began on January. I was put on the same 4x4, headed out for the same trail, without my knowing it. It wasn't until 4 consecutive events (everything happened as it did that fateful year) flashed right before my very eyes and I ended up exclaiming "OH MY GOSH! I am re-living that year again." I was freaked out, naturally. And I ended up getting mad at God, screaming at Him, "I meant it in a rhetorical way." But thankfully, I ended up realizing that God was just showing me how funny He can be and how powerful He can be.

Though I'm still 8 months away from the end of the joy ride, I already saw a glimpse of how it's going to end. And it looks like it's going to end in the same way. Hopefully though, I won't get thrown off the Jeep as before.

This probably doesn't help, Malou, but as I mentioned in my comment in my last post, I'll tell you about it in more detail after your bar exams. Harbs, tell you about it after my speech class ends and after Abby goes back to New York. ;-)

THE END IS NEAR

Some of the readers of this blog know that I'm going through a deja vu experience this year (for reference, check out Trusting in a Powerful God, Whom I Don't Understand and Could This Be It. And while I still have 8 months before it formally ends, God has just given me a preview of how it's going to end. And I'm laughing right now because from what God has shown me, it will end in the exact same way as it did before.

But one thing I'm grateful for: though there had been many instances when I could've cried because of the circumstances and the events, I haven't cried yet. So, hopefully, when it ends the way it did before, I won't cry then.

I'M BORED

Last week, it took me forever to write my personal narrative speech for my class. Today, I'm already done with my informative speech. And I finished it at work. Now I'm really bored. Hehe. It will be a while before I have anything else to do here at work. HELP!

UPDATES

For lack of creative juices, I'll keep the title of this post simple. Just want to update you on what has happened so far.

Beng, you asked in my "What to do? (x3)" post if I tried to redeem myself and I said I did but it might have been too late. Turns out, it wasn't too late. I believe (although it might be too early to say), I've been redeemed. :-P

And Beng, is absolutely right in saying I need to want to stop dancing. I think I do want to. But as soon as I'm in that situation ... I completely forget what it is that I want to do. Haha. So, I end up dancing ulit.

Hehe ... this post is not just for Beng ... sorry dear readers. :-P

So, the update: like I typed above, it's too early to tell where things are at and where they are going (as if they're going somewhere ... hopefully they are ... too much ranting here :-P). It's too early to make conclusions. But as of late, it seems that we're in good terms. What I did in "what to do? (x3)" caused him to be extremely uncomfortable with me. And he did do a little bit of dancing because of that. But, I guess 'coz he started to dance, I danced around with him. But when he stopped, I couldn't, because I (like Beng - si Beng na naman :-P - said) was used to it).

And now that I've somewhat redeemed myself, things are back to the way they were - There's certainty mixed with uncertainty. <-- it's always been like this and I suppose it will be like this for a while.

You gals are absolutely right in saying, I should just enjoy the ride. The problem with me is, after a loop or a twist or a turn, I end up analyzing. I ask questions like, "What did I do wrong there?" , "What could I have done better?" and "Where is this leading up?"

Now, I'm going to be still; I'm gonna stop thinking, stop dancing in the roller coaster; and I would just scream, "WHEE!"

Thanks fellow DOMINICAns for being here (though not literally) for me. *HUGZ*

THE DANCE - A REALIZATION

I've been thinking about what I wrote in my last post and the comment Malou left for that post. And I realized (actually, this dawned on me last night but did not have enough time to completely think about it) that I am the only one who was dancing around walls and barriers (as opposed to the rules and regulations that I wrote about in the last post) that I've erected for myself. My friend never danced around those walls and barriers, he would come straight to me.

I suppose that ANGST post was written BY me and FOR me.

I NEED TO STOP DANCING!

ANGST

Why do things have to be complicated
Why can't we be friends
We used to be such good friends before
But now that we've started dancing around
Some rules and regulations
You've stopped being my friend
And I've stopped being yours
It frustrates me
And I do not know how it's affecting you
So, I am asking and begging you
Can we please stop the dancing
And start being friends again

ATTEMPT AT EXPLAINING WHAT HAPPENED

This is difficult for me to write - not because I do not want to share it, but because I can't be very specific and detailed in posting about it. So, my dilemma is how to convey to you exactly what happened without giving you too much information.

So, here's the thing, someone hinted at something. Haha. Shucks! Ang labo, but that's all I can say. Try to figure out what that meant. But because that someone said it in a very cryptic way (kinda like a riddle), I did not get it. I thought it was a continuation of the joke that that someone started. Make sense? or am I confusing you even more? So, I responded in a way as to let that person know that the joke was not funny but I appreciated that that someone tried to make me laugh. But the "to make me laugh" part was left unsaid. Hence, "supalpal" yung kausap ko, and it was not my intention at all. I only understood it after the fact na. Hay! I can't say anything anymore. That's it for now! Lemme know if you have an inkilng as to what happened.

WHAT TO DO? WHAT TO DO? WHAT TO DO?

What do you do when, after not understanding an information that came your way or its implications, you said the exact opposite of what you would want to say had you understood or decoded correctly the cryptic message you received? What do you do in this case when 5 days already passed since it happened? What do you do when the sender of the message stopped talking to you all of a sudden?

What to do? What to do? What to do?

ARRRGGGHHHHH! WHY DIDN'T I SEE IT COMING???

Why did I have to pretend I'm someone I'm not? Why did I have to "change" how I react to certain things? Why did I think I had to be "creative" in responding, when I could have just responded the way I used to respond?

ARRRGGGHHHHH! BECAUSE OF ALL THAT, I SCREWED UP BIG TIME!!!

What to do? What to do? What to do?

SIGH!

Life is ... SIGH!

WHEN GOD MADE YOU

Because I don't want to work on my first speech for my class, I decided to add stuff on my blogger side bar. So, the song playing on the background is my Wedding Song (only if the one I'll marry someday decides to use it) - When God Made You. The lyrics are up on the side bar too, in case you want to know. :-) Enjoy the music everyone!

KUYA ALVS

It's been 1 1/2 years since I last saw Kuya Alvs in LA. That's when I last saw Jane, Leng (not Beng =P), Janelle, Abby, and Sam, too. Anyway, on our first night in LA, Kuya Alvs arranged for us to go to a Gay Strip Club(?). I'm not sure anymore. He, apparently, wanted to take the so-called, "Santa Santita" and make her less of a "Santa Santita." If you haven't already guessed, the "Santa Santita" is, none other than, I.

So, we went there. I didn't know what to expect. From the looks of Jane and O'Neal, it's not a fun place to be at. Haha. But I guess, God protected His own "Santa Santita," as there wasn't any "show" that night. There were drag queens singing, but none of the excitement that Kuya Alvs wanted to expose me to. So, Kuya Alvs went home upset that I didn't get to do the one thing he wanted me to do.

Anyway, I was surprised to receive a phone call from Kuya Alvs tonight as I was driving home from school. Apparently, they were at that place again. And for some reason, he always associates me with that place. And he can't resist calling me, telling me to go visit LA so he can take me there on a night where they actually have "THE SHOW." Anyway, I thought that was funny. And I suddenly missed my high school classmates and mga ka-brother section. SIGH!

BUSY BUSY WEEK

So I'm starting school on Tuesday of next week. I'll have class on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday nights. I'll be really busy for about a month and a half. So, I decided to make the most of this "last" week I have before going back to school. So, I scheduled something every single night of this week.

Monday night - had an SFC "upper" household meeting from 7:30 - 11 pm. Went home, then ended up chatting until 1 am.

Tuesday night - had coffee with Gnetski from 6:30 - 9:30 pm. And then I ended up chatting til 11 pm.

Wednesday night - had my night class at St. Cecilia's from 7:30 - 9:30 pm. I didn't chat this night, 'coz I wanted to sleep early. Guess how early is early for me? 11 pm.

Thursday night - had my household meeting. For the first time in so long, there were 6 of us (normally only 3 of us show up for our household meeting). Jen and Cza (been in SFC for more than 2 years) attended for the 1st time!!! We had a lot of fun. The meeting formally started at 8:30. We ate before that. And then we talked until around 12 mn. Got home at 12:30 am. Slept at 1 am.

So now, I'm really tired, and really sleepy. At lunch today, my co-worker Sachiko (a lady), kindly offered to give me a shoulder and neck massage. And I was very happy to accept that offer. She gives great massage! I didn't think I was that tired until I felt how stiff my muscles were. And now, I want an hour full-body massage. I'm thinking of scheduling it this weekend. I really need it!!! (can you tell how cranky I'm becoming?)

Tonight - I'm having dinner with Jen. Hopefully, I can be home by 9 pm tonight. I really want to rest.

Tomorrow morning - I'll be at the Fiesta Filipina event from 8 am - 2 pm. Apparently Wowowee will be there on Sunday. Too bad, I won't be there on Sunday. :-( Hopefully I'll get some rest on Saturday afternoon.

Sunday - I'll be attending Jen's graduation. Then we'll have dinner? I wonder how late I'll end up staying out.

Monday night - I'll be having dinner with Alaine. SIGH.

Tuesday night - It's Oni's birthday. They might have a celebration for him. But too bad, I'll be in class - my first day back in school!

So, that's my packed week! And now, I want to go home. SIGH!

CRYING BOUTS

I've been emotional lately. Harbie can attest to that. ;-) I guess, ever since the retreat I've gone to, all I want to do is cry. And I've been crying a lot lately. Thank God, I have allergies to pollen and it affects my eyes. So, my co workers think that my eyes are swollen because of allergic reactions to pollen. But in reality, it's because I cried my eyes out last night.

I thought that my reactions to the deja vu experiences I've been going through again are different from the last time. But they aren't. And last night I realized that there's still so much I have to learn. There are still lessons that I need to relearn. I thought I already learned them, but as it turns out, I haven't.

I'm grateful for moments of silence and crying. Because it teaches me how to get up from past mistakes and move on with my life, trying my best to avoid making the same mistakes again.

SWR: Such Wonder Radiating

I wrote a piece for our SFC website detailing my SWR (retreat) experience last year. I updated that piece, adding pictures to it to fully capture what the words are trying to say. I'm proud (not so much of the piece), but of the photos I took capturing the beauty of God's creation. Check it out on my Reflection blog. Lemme know what you think. Other photos are posted on my friendster site.

A BIT OF AN ADVENTURE

I'm not an adventurous person. I won't bungee jump or skydive. It's just not me. As my friend always says, I'm a structured person. I don't usually go beyond the structure I've built for myself over the years.

I like comfort zones. I like staying in them. It's funny how people in SFC think that my bestfriend is the one who never gets out of her comfort zone. It's funny they don't recognize that I, too, hide within my comfort zone most of the times.

Yesterday, I was a bit different. I stepped a bit out of my comfort zone and truly enjoyed the experience. I work at a pretty developed place in the City (though not the downtown, financial center area), where there are a lot of shops, and wonderful places to eat.

Last night, a former co-worker of mine and I agreed to have dinner. She asked where I wanted to go. I told her, I'm fine with anything as long as it's not Japanese. I was already thinking of the usual places we go to near our work, trying to guess which one she will end up choosing. Imagine my surprise when she said, "Cheesecake Factory?"

What's wrong with Cheesecake Factory, you ask? I love the Cheesecake Factory. I love their food and their Cheesecake. But, it's in downtown San Francisco. And though I love the San Francisco downtown area, I don't go there by myself. And never have I driven to that area by myself. It's an area that I'm not too familiar with - where to park (there's not much parking around that area), where the shops are, how to get there, and how to get back home.

But I said yes to her, though I was really expecting that she was going to come to where I work 'coz it's close to her home anyway. So, I looked up the directions to the Cheesecake Factory. I looked for the nearest parking garage. And headed off, by myself, to the Cheesecake Factory (drama ko ba? I'm just not used to going off on my own to an area I'm not familiar with).

I followed the directions, and I actually enjoyed driving through streets that have never been charted by me. I was looking at the buildings and the places, and started wondering, why haven't I driven here before?

I got to the place early and reserved our place. I had to wait for my friend for about an hour. And though I feared that I would feel looking foolish waiting by myself at the Cheesecake Factory, for some reason I didn't. Makapal na mukha ko. YAY! :-)

Anywho, my friend finally got there. We ordered Avocado Roll (I guess this is only in Cali?), Salad for her (she's on a diet), Pasta with Pesto, Chicken and Mushroom for me, then we shared a Godiva Cheesecake. I was so full!!! I couldn't even walk.

I'm glad she chose Cheesecake Factory. And I'm glad I went even though it meant I needed to step out my comfort zone a bit. :-)

*`*`*`*`*

Last night, I was chatting with my cousin. She sent me a music file of her cousin playing the piano and singing. It sounded like Bukas Palad even though there was only one person singing. He mixed all his voices. And it was so beautiful.

I, for reasons unbeknownst to me, was uninhibited last night (I didn't drink at the Cheesecake Factory, I swear). I asked my cousin if her cousin has a gf. And she ended up being the middle woman for us both.

We were both joking. And I hope we both know that. :-P Anywho, that's something I won't normally do - joke around with some unknown guy and let him know I'm interested in him. I'm such a serious person, I don't know how to joke. But last night, I did. =)

*pats myself on the back*

OF WILL SMITH, SWR, LEANN AND JEEL

So, during Memorial Day Weekend, I went on a Singles Weekend Retreat (SWR). A lot of things happened there. And since that's more religious than a Schizophrenic Rambling, my thoughts on that retreat can be found in my other blog. So, just check it out.

We went up to Aptos on Friday night and stayed there til Sunday afternoon. Monday afternoon, we went on a SFC Memorial Day BBQ. And there, I got to bond with an SFC sister, Leann. It was so much fun! I'm really more of a one-on-one person rather than a groupie person.

Yesterday morning, I found out from my boss, that Will Smith was on our floor, talking to Dr. Don Ganem about virology. He's apparently making a movie about viruses and he wants to learn more about it. I didn't see his face up front. I saw his back and a side-view profile. He's not that tall, though he looks real tall on the screen. He's about 5'5 or 5'7. He went around the Ganem lab, which is situated next to our lab, the Brodsky lab. And it was fun to see scientists (you know, with PhDs) gushing over this celebrity. He had his bodyguard and several posse members. He tried using a pipetman. It was funny. I'm looking forward to watching that movie, whatever it might be.

And last night, I went out to dinner with Jeel, another SFC sister. We met at 7 pm and we finished talking at 9:30 pm. Actually, we weren't done talking. She was just a blast to talk with. But because the restaurant wanted to kick us out already (we were the last ones to leave), we left.

So, that was my weekend y'all!