me want...

Last year, I made a Christmas wishlist and got most of the stuff that I wished for. Not everything came to me as a gift though, there are things I had to purchase myself. 

I did not get the oven toaster, and in as much as I planned to buy it myself, I kind of lost interest (i hope just temporarily) in being a master chef.

I bought the juicer, and used it for probably a maximum of 7 times. I went back to using my old trusty blender. I must admit I was pleasantly surprised with the ginger, not a huge fan of ginger but once it is juiced together with apples, carrots and a bunch of spinach, I had fun sipping it. Unfortunately cleaning the juicer is a huge task.

I got a huge bottle of Nenuco, journals and pen, pens,pens!!!

This year, I am again making a list... and checking it twice. The following are the things I would love to have for 2014. After all, I have this nagging feeling that I have been very behaved this year and is probably on santa's "nice" list.



Belle De Jour Power Planner

I have always been fascinated with journals... I call them organizers. But don't get your hopes too high, I may not be able to fill this up very nicely. But I will try to. Although I have already received a nifty little weekly organizer complete with the daintiest post-its and a little envelope that I presume will be for cash.. or receipts from my favorite couple elaine and emer ( yeah I know it is not yet Christmas and I shouldn't be opening gifts yet... I have low EQ... sue me.) I would really love to get this one. If I don't get a it as gift, I will not go out for coffee for 2 weeks and buy it myself from this site : http://belledejourpowerplanner.com


Handkerchiefs

Yes for real. I want handkerchiefs. But I hope whoever gives me handkerchiefs would not feel bad if I lose them. It is a very popular gift item but I have not received any. I sneeze a lot, and in my desire to do away with disposable napkins and do my share in helping the environment. I will start to use handkerchiefs in 2014.

Wristwatch

I can't remember the last time I wore a wristwatch. I used to be addicted to watches, I lost count of how many Swatch watches I owned and eventually lost. I wear them to sleep, even as I take my shower. They say using the mobile phone to tell time is now a thing of the past,so I guess it is time for me to get a watch. The one above may be too fancy for my pay scale, as I always say, "act your wage" maybe what I can save up for and buy is nothing close to the one above. Maybe this one will do:

Bicycle

A simple one. Maybe something I can buy from a Japan Surplus shop. Just so I can use something for short errands within the subdivision. Not too familiar with bike specifications, but one thing I know, I won't be joining any triathlon event nor do I plan to bring my bike to the nearest offroad trail. I just want a bike, two wheels, a pedal and a handle bar. 

Gym apparel

The bitter truth is I am obese, and losing these bulges is starting to be really frustrating. I have done everything from starving myself and taking nothing but lemonade for 5 days, Brazilian Coffee that keeps me up all night, appetite depressants, juicing, meal replacements... but I have never really paid much attention to spending time burning calories. As early as now I have already purchased vouchers for gym sessions. And now I need to make sure I have the right apparel to motivate me.


Pen pen pens!

There is never too much pens for me! 

Just a few stuff that I would aim to get in 2014... aside from World Peace. Looking forward to a prosperous, stress-free and kilig-filled year ahead! I CLAIM IT!!!

Granting a "TINY" wish

Not sure if any of you remembers, but I did post about being a ninang (sponsor) to one of the students of Mapedya Elementary School. Over the weekend, the group who spearheaded the project successfully delivered the gifts that they were able to gather over the past few weeks. 

All these pinky-girly stuff:

has been so thoughtfully delivered by the group TREK to this little girl:

Yup! That's Tiny Joy... With her little umbrella sticking out of the huge bag that TREK provided.The pig tails gave me a huge sense of relief, she is girly enough to appreciate the pink overload. And that very shy and almost reluctant smile is enough for me to feel blessed to be able to share. 

And this little note made me go awwwww:

On another note, I work in the airline industry and this video literally sent shivers down my spine and got me crying happy tears :

So just like little Tiny Joy and the lucky passengers of West Jet who got what they were wishing for because they were honest enough to say what they want, if anybody asks me what I want... I will definitely say what I want... A White Christmas Suzuki Swift ... and of course World Peace! 

teach them to fish

It is cliche to say "Give a man a fish and he'll have food for a day, teach him how to fish and he'll have food for a lifetime"... But that is exactly what I did to make my sister realize the value of working for money. See my sister has not been working for quite a few months now a ( since mamu is away), my sister gets to keep the household running. Making sure that meals are cooked, clothes are washed. It is with high hopes that I am thinking that she will find a job as soon as my mom returns, but that is still a couple of weeks from now. And Christmas time is just around the corner. That time of the year when everyone, and I mean everyone needs money. 

With that in mind, I thought of having my sister do something to ensure that she will at least have money to buy presents for her inaanaks, or better yet, buy herself something nice. I thought that if I give her 1,000 pesos, the probability of her spending it all on foodtrips is very likely. So instead of giving her the money, I purchased milk, colorful candy sprinkles and declared that we are making pastillas. 

I had everything planned out, I wanted the pastillas to have fillings, so we made pastillas with strawberry, caramel, nutella and chocolate fillings and had them rolled in colorful sugar. We called it sweet surprise. they look something like this:

The first batch we made was given out for free. All I wanted was for my sister to have at least 5,000.00 profit. But my sister-in-law proved to be the "bestseller"! I sometimes think she can sell even ampalaya -flavored chewing gum! Orders started pouring in. From making 6 dozens every night, a day came when my sister had to produce 50 dozens! I urged my sister to not decline any orders, to strike while the iron is hot.

A month into our operation and my sister has already reached my 5,000.00 peso target. 

I feel good about it. My sister has her own money, my nephews have extra allowance, (they sell them to their friends), they all learn that  making money requires a lot of hardwork... but the most priceless benefit we all get from this pastillas-making activity... is the chance to bond! 

Got to go.. I think my sister needs help in boxing those sweet little milk balls! 

HI DUBAI!

No... I am not going to Dubai, well not that I do not want to, I'd love to! It is just that I am still technically broke after spending my hard - earned and bank-loaned funds a few weeks ago in the US. But now that I have the attention of my friends who are now currently in Dubai, I would like to ask for a little favor. 

Please do not make plans on the 22nd and please go to this event:

You have probably been living under a huge rock if you have not heard about how typhoon Yolanda violently devastated most parts of the Visayas. And I know most of you are wondering how you can help. So here is your chance. 

I know most of you are in Dubai to earn a living. I am not sure how the AED60 will affect your budget. But you can also help by giving in-kind donations. I heard that aside from ready-to-eat food stuff, blankets, footwear and toiletries are also badly needed.

I think my friend's post on her blog, which you can read here can give you more information on this very meaningful Fiesta. 

"We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give." - Winston Churchill

of little sacrifices and granting wishes

I have been reading www.kellyaustria.com and learned that she and her group visited Mapedya Elementary School in Nueva Ecija to see if the place is in need of aid and also to deliver a water hose and a solar panel. It was during this trip that they were able to collect the Christmas wishes of the kids enrolled in the said school. You can read the full story of their visit to Mapedya here. 

Have a look at what the kids of Mapedya want for Christmas:

and this one wish simply broke my heart:

Payong (an umbrella). That's it. Nothing fancy. So I checked their facebook page and learned that they are looking for generous hearts to be ninongs and ninangs (sponsors) to grant the wishes of the kids of Mapedya. I volunteered to be the ninang of Tiny Joy. 

And that same day I committed to being her ninang, off I went to shop for the things on the list. Hope this brings great joy to a little girl named Tiny Joy. 

pink pink and more pink! I hope she is as girly as her name!

I skipped a venti frap and got myself the pink bag. I did not take a taxi on my way home and was able to buy the umbrella and the dress. I will not have my "spa day" this weekend because I spent the money meant for my 1 hour swedish massage to buy the slippers, shoes and school stuff. 

These kids don't want much. What they would want to have are the basic things they can use daily. Footwear, umbrellas and raincoats to protect them as they walk for 4 hours to get to school. Paper, pens, ruler and a bag to keep their stuff.

I am pretty sure some of you still have a few umbrella corporate give-aways from previous years that are just gathering dust. I will be more than glad to pick them up. Or hopefully some will be more willing to skip the nail art, the usual "2bottles" during fridays or the milk tea and instead buy a raincoat or an umbrella. 

"you have never really lived until you've done something for somebody who can never repay you".

26 days and 5 pounds later

So I filed for an 18-day leave and packed my bags to go to" the land of the free and the home of the brave " for 24 days. Some would expect me to post something really detailed about my recent adventure. Well, prepare to be disappointed because I do personally feel that this post won't be anything like that. Why? Because first, I am a very lazy blogger. Isn't it obvious? 1 blog post every month, sometimes none at all! and second, Because I am very busy.Believe it or not but I did do some work while I was a couple of timezones away from the Philippines.   I tried my best to stay connected, responded to emails and requests for proposals and planned my night-outs on manila weekends.

But since my primary reason for this blog is to keep an online journal; here's a quick peek at what happened during my US-trip... a.k.a. "operation blue eyes".

1st stop: the city of angels. Took a 12-hour flight from Manila to Los Angeles. Spent 3 of my most jet-lagged days there. Got to walk on the biggest stars at the Hollywood Walk of Fame and took the chance to have my picture taken with the" Victoria's Secret Angel" star.  Also had the chance for the inner child in me to enjoy Universal Studios. And I know you can see that little minion that tagged along with me! 

Spent 6 hours on board the Mega Bus and travelled to San Francisco where I stayed for 2 weeks. So aside from being invited for buffet after buffet after buffet, I also did the following:

Spent an afternoon in sunny but very windy downtown San Francisco.  Rode the Bart and the world famous Cable Car. I really wanted to but I did not get the chance to have my photo taken at the world's crookedest street.

A friend of my mom was kind enough to invite us to invade their pretty pretty Las Vegas home. So off we went for a 12 hour ride to the entertainment Capital of the world.  All dolled up for Halloween, I saw the largest pumpkins. Walked through rows and rows of slot machines.Too bad I did not have my jumpshot photographer with me as I hopped and skipped to my heart's delight in front of the Welcome to Vegas sign. Our visit to Vegas coincided with iHeart radio's music festival... Since we were not aware of this event, I wasn't able to attend.. but just the thought that Justin Timberlake is within a mile radius is good enough. 

Returned to San Francisco and met with some college friends. We had a blast! I can say it was one of the highlights of my trip. It was so nice catching up with them. They took me to Stanford University and to the very posh Stanford Shopping Center. We feasted on crabs at the Backyard Boiler and had Sprinkles Cupcakes for dessert. We were all laughing and talking at the same time... It was like the movie "The Hangover"... female version! We got quite a few unsolicited stares, primarily because we looked like a dance group as all four of us showed up wearing a certain shade of blue!

Before I took my bus ride back to Los Angeles, I was invited to visit the Facebook Headquarters! For that I will make a separate post because my experience inside 1 Hacker Way was really something nice. Truth is I have already started thinking about working for Facebook! Who wouldn't? Your boss can not say you are procrastinating when he sees that you are checking your Facebook account. 

Back in Los Angeles on the day prior to my trip back to Manila, I visited the Griffith Observatory, kept my eyes open for possible celebrity sighting as I strolled along Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills and had a great dinner by the beach in Sta. Monica. Oh did some last minute shopping too at the promenade. Seemed like by this time the tourist factor has already rubbed off because I was no longer in the mood to take photos. Or maybe I did take photos, I probably did, but lazy lazy me has not yet uploaded any! 

photo post - story of my life

Just something I saw somewhere:

Really must be nice to be someone's first, but nothing beats being someone's last!

this is where your taxes go

I have always considered myself "taong deadma" when it comes to politics, never been very vocal about how I feel about corruption and politics, until the subject of pork barrel started to flood my Facebook wall. I guess it is true that ignorance is bliss… because after being made brutally aware of how a certain number of people have  misused and is continuously misusing their funds, i can't help but feel annoyed, a little more every time i get an update on how this organized theft works.

I am not totally naive, of course i am aware that politics is corruption-laiden, but to what extent, I never really had an idea, never knew it was already ninja level graft and corruption,  not until I got the chance to hear and learn about what Benhur Luy has to say.

It started when I took time to read a very interesting post i saw at dulzspeaks.blogspot.com  (quite a lengthy one). Took 30 minutes of my 40-minute jeepney ride to finish reading it. It sent shivers down my spine, I alighted the jeepney with mixed emotions, i felt mad, annoyed, cheated… robbed is a better word, i pitied myself. I really do not mind taking a jeepney ride home, but after reading it, can't help but try to compute and realized that if I was to refund all the tax that was deducted from me since I started working right after I finished college, I could possibly be able to afford a car, maybe not a Porsche Cayenne but something wage-appropriate for me… sure I may not always act my age, but I do act my wage.

So from then on, I tried to keep myself updated, and not help but feel sorry for myself. I am sorry if it will seem like I am bullying the model-designer baby of Janet Napoles, I just want to bash, I just want to vent! 

the caption says it all!

Okay so maybe I am jealous, maybe because I also want to live as luxuriously as her and be able have my tiny foot experience what it is like to be in a pair of Christian Loubuotin (did I spell it right?) shoes. Maybe I also want to rub elbows with the rich and famous of Hollywood, and be able to throw a lavish party in Beverly Hills. Maybe even my chubby little body will look good in a little pink dress that costs as much as, if not more than the annual salary of a minimum wage earner. Maybe I will not be late for any of my appointments if I use a  watch that costs a million pesos. 

But I know that even if I work my pretty little ass off until I retire I will never be able to afford it… and that is what pisses me the most… her living the way I can only dream of and the knowledge that she can do so by using the taxes that the government deducts from me and from every other working Pinoy.

I am willing to pay taxes, it is my responsibility. I just hope that the next time I look at my payslip, I will not feel bad about giving a part of my salary to the government knowing that my hard-earned money goes to where it should… not to a social-climbing, malnourished-looking, striving fashion designer who takes pride in following celebrities. And by the way, I am no fashion guru, I am actually a self-confessed baduy, but that so-so collection you had paraded at that catwalk thingy you had at your "legalized" party is not something that shouts haute couture. It looks like something I could buy off the rack at a department store but wouldn't. 

There… I feel better…  at least for the time being.