Panda Eats Light Bulbs

A Day

2010-12-24T16:11:00.002+08:00

A day, strangely ordinary, looking through a few hours to Christmas eve. I stumbled home from a work party, drunk and loaded with gifts. It was a karaoke party, and I had resolved not to take pictures because my phone was running out of juice, and I wanted to fill my head with memories.
Sara and Clare had arrived late, because they had baked Christmas cookies with cheerful stars and tree shapes. Johnson was there too, but he had adamantly refused to sing anything, and taken up a corner, texting all night. Sparkly effervescent Julia bought everyone a round of shots, and was howling along with me to the songs she knew. Quiet Irene smiled and finally relented and ended up singing some Avril and Spice Girls. It was funny how Yui just took the backseat, but she joined us eventually in devouring the plates of popcorn chicken and fries. The true stars of the night though were Doreen, all clad in her Indian Goddess-ness, Braedon, our Broadway Star, and Shimbo the dancing King.

I am grateful for this day.

A Big Fish and Three Bibs

2010-10-04T15:52:00.003+08:00

So I had to go to the US before october 9th, as that was the date that my DSA pass would expire and the US Department of Homeland Security. I decided to hit Seattle October 1st-3rd to celebrate my new apartment move (I moved Sept 30th to my fabulous new place) and everything else fell into place. Even my awesome boss appended two days off to this, bringing my total vacay to 5 glorious days.

So south we drove, enjoying a leisurely sun drenched friday afternoon. We ended up outlet shopping at the tulalip outlet stores, and I walked away with two pairs of jeans from the Gap, at $25.99 each. Then we headed down to the Crab Pot on the pier behind Pike Place, to eat crab and different kinds of mussels and clams, armed with mallets and wet wipes. Totally worth it!

The next day Kevin brought us to this cajun crawfish place, Crawfish king. I had never had either crawfish or Cajun food, so the spice was almost too much for me. Kevin and Alex offered moral support as I managed to squeeze a pound of hot spicy crawfish past my swelling lips, though I spilled a lot of spices on my second bib of seattle. We walked around the Ballard Locks (Ballocks for short?) afterwards. It was so fascinating to watch what Kevin called, boat tetris, while Alex jumped around looking at the salmon ladder.

On the way to dinner we took a wrong turn and ended in the parking lot of Bigfish games! We had an amazing meal at Shiro's sushi where I had the best fish of my life while Alex ate half a sea urchin in it's shell. Whew. We rolled out of there and had some ice cream, then Kevin had to leave for a house party.

We decided to do even more exploring on our own, and hit the pubs in Belltown. Not so good.

Third bib of Seattle was at another pub/roasthouse on Pine Street, whose baby back ribs were so good I forced myself to eat all of it. They had random Seattle memorabilia hanging from the ceiling and the super friendly servers were very attentive.

Seattle is my new foraging ground for food!

Walls, Speed, and Boxes

2010-09-08T16:32:00.002+08:00

I packed my first four boxes today in preparation for my move on September 15th. It's beginning to feel more official now. I get the keys in 7 days.

In the meantime, I have just discovered Criminal Minds, a tv series about the Behavioural Assessment Unit of the FBI. Note that I spelled Behavioural with a u. Sooo Canadian now, eh? The past few days have been spent watching season1 and 2. Can't believe that they're on their fifth season and I never even noticed. It's interesting, and makes me want to take up psychology. It also makes me paranoid, what with the women being grabbed off the street or their homes broken into.

Alex talked me into going rock climbing with him tonight, and I got certified (conditionally) as a belayer. Yay!

More soon!

August in Vancouver

2010-08-10T05:18:00.006+08:00

I know I haven't been blogging in a while, and I guess that's just because life got in the way. I promise to blog more often!

Here are some pics since I was last here:

So, Anna Torv is outside my Starbucks...

2010-04-11T00:42:00.003+08:00

She's laughing on the corner of Smythe and Granville with some crewmen between takes. Alex and I are walking around and I see her. She's one of those absolutely gorgeous glowing people, the kind that makes you stop and think, whew. We walked past her, and I was struggling not to squeal because I was so starstruck. A few feet later I turned to Alex and gasped, "OMG She's so beautiful!"
Alex replied, "Who?"

Awwwww.

Bulalo

2010-01-29T10:28:00.002+08:00

I bought the marrow bones about two weeks ago from a Korean grocery, missing the oily cholesterol-laden goodness of Bulalo (Beef Marrow Soup) which I last had in Manila almost three years ago. Three years! My mom refused to cook it for us on the grounds that it was disgustingly unhealthy and there was no beef marrow to be had. I haven't seen any Filipino restos that might serve it here, so I decided to do it myself.

First I poured water into a pot, threw in some salt, pepper balls, half an onion, and four marrow bones. Seemed fairly simple enough. Except the oil began to bubble up almost immediately, radiating yellow bursts of artery-clogging goodness. Mmm. Then I realized that we had no beef- except for a giant slab of steak. Okay. Steak it was, I thought, as I threw the meat in.

In between trips to the laundry room in the basement, I kept boiling the stuff, adding water, adding salt and pepper, and adding more water. The mix was now half oil. I started draining the oil, first with a spoon, then with paper towels, blotting them up until there was half of the liquid left, and zero flavour. Oh no! So I went through the fridge looking for beef bouillon cubes, but we were out. Instead, I found some miso soup base. In the soup went a spoonful, spoon included.

My dad once told me he went to a remote town, and he noticed that while his hosts were boiling the beef for soup, they dropped in a teaspoon. "It softens the meat faster," they explained to him. My dad thought it was some kind of superstition based on the scientific principle that the metal spoon would bring the water up to a higher temperature then the regular boiling point, thus enabling a quicker cooking time.

After three hours and two status changes in Facebook, the meat was tender enough to fall off my fork. Yay! So I waited for Alex and Yasuko to get back. Then Rob showed up, and tasted my soup and pronounced it Awesome! Then my parents showed up. Bulalo is always a community event anyway. Cheers!

Growth and other Options

2010-01-19T15:43:00.001+08:00

"IF EVER YOU FEEL GOD IS TAKING AWAY SOMETHING FROM YOUR HAND, DONT GET SAD; HE IS ONLY EMPTYING YOUR HAND SO YOU CAN RECEIVE SOMETHING BETTER" - from Frances' FB Status

I think God gives me slightly more than I can handle just so my capacity for greater things gets a little bigger each time. I also think that I am exactly where I need to be right now.

Last Day Of The Year

2010-01-01T03:37:00.007+08:00

One year ago I was reeling from the shock of being fired from a job I absolutely hated, and looking with fear at the year ahead. Emotionally unstable, and mentally exhausted, the big question in my head was, how do I get through this?

January I found myself back at Starbucks, at a job that has a love-hate relationship with me, surrounded by awesome coworkers and really sweet customers, just trying to get my head back together. This was the first time I had ever seen snow deeper than my ankles, and I loved it! Of course, I didn't have a car, so this was probably why.

February had some heartbreak, some goodbyes, and lots of new friends as well. It was really when I had started cheering up again and learning to be more relaxed. Work wise, I had begun talks with my manager on wanting to be a shift supervisor. I also realized that it was time to either move up or get out.

March- Kiwis Denden and Eric came to visit. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to go snowboarding with them, but we did get almost arrested in the park. Burnaby was now mostly melted, so daily treks home were very muddy and squishy.
In April, I moved to another store and got Spore for my birthday (from my brothers!) Also, I met SOMEONE. It's funny how life happens when you least expect it.
Yes, it seems I have a preference for smart funny guys with glasses and dimples. Hrmm.

And now it's December 31st, 2009. I am almost late for work, having not yet showered, battling a cold that I have infected others with, that I acquired in California.

Yes. I am so looking forward to 2010!

How I Got My Tourist Visa

2009-11-18T04:31:00.003+08:00

I got into a taxi at 8:30 AM on Davie Street, worried that I was going to be late for my 9am Visa Appointment. The taxi driver was *surprise* a korean, and he was very chatty and excited for me when I told him where I was headed.

I got into line behind a lot of Korean girls who were toting their oversize purses, and a man who was chattering away on his cellphone. There was also a Chinese couple with their daughter, also carrying purses. When the security guard came to let us in, she announced that purses and other electronic equipment were not allowed, and they had to get out of line to find a place to leave their stuff, propelling me to the head of the line. Honestly, there were instructions in the appointment letter, and I'm glad I followed them.

The staff there at the US consulate seemed really grumpy. No eye contact, harried looks, and super sharp voices as they herded people from one line to another. I guess if I had to work there, I'd be frustrated too as a lot of people did not follow instructions all the time, despite the LARGE and REPEATED signs and videos on the walls for them. On the other hand, 90% of the visa applicants were not speaking english (from what I could see) so this could account for that.

Four lines later, I was in front of this awesome woman who was really nice and friendly. She looked at my letter of employment and said, "Starbucks Metro Towers? On Seymour? No way! That's where I live! How come I've never seen you before?" Small world, eh?

So now I have to wait a couple of days before I get my passport in the mail. It wasn't the ordeal I thought it would be, but I am sooo glad it's over now. San Francisco in December, yay!

November Rain

2009-11-17T04:00:00.002+08:00

I do love working at starbucks. It's the every day, the bloody ordinariness of it that makes me so comfortable, the idea that I'll make or break some stranger's day, and hopefully make their lives just a little bit better. This literally is my dream job, except for the shitty schedules and the crap pay.

I was talking to Alex last night about where i am right now, and worrying about my US Visa interview tomorrow for a tourist visa. I don't know. He says I worry too much, and I agree. I worry so much about everything and even for things that don't need to be worried about. Chill pill, anyone?

Recently I've been nagging my brothers to keep our kitchen sink empty (no dirty dishes allowed!) and it's been an uphill battle, since I am the eldest and only girl and sick of cleaning after them. This past 3 weeks have been a campaign to get them to not leave dishes there, especially since we have a mousie in our apartment. So last night, when i got home, the sink was sparkling clean. I was about to rejoice! and then my brother rob mentioned that our mom came by and did the dishes. Sigh. Okay.

Falling Slowly

2009-10-31T00:49:00.003+08:00

Day Five of my flu battle today. Still in the murky area of is-it-or-isn't-it-H1N1. Been comparing battle notes with some friends who went through this, and I'm wondering if it is just a run of the mill influenza bug plus some asthma. Bah.

The doctor's kept me at home for a week, and these past couple of days have given me some forced introspection. It could really not have come at a better time, since life's thrown me at a sort of crossroads. My brother, Bas, is following his heart and moving to Edmonton to study Theology, and although I am terrified for him (the people I've met up here aren't too friendly to people with strong religious convictions) I'm also sort of envious that he finally knows what he wants to do with the rest of his life.

Two of my closest friends have gotten engaged (to awesome nice girls!) and so I would like go congratulate Boogie and Liezl, and David and Raney. You guys deserve the absolute best. I am so proud of you both.

My fantastic boyfriend Alex has been nice enough to bring me chicken soup and food ingredients for whatever I am craving, and my brothers have been good enough to cook them for me and wash the dishes afterwards.

Three days online. There's only so much Cute Overload you can look at. I found myself back on filipino sites looking through news and magazines and blogs, at familiar faces. My life would be sooo much different if I had stayed there for sure, and I would still be running a TV station (maybe), going on weekly spa trips and driving around.

Things are going to change soon. I am almost there.

Nina posted a video of this song: Falling Slowly (cover by Jess & AJ) I cried for a few minutes afterwards.

Falling Slowly by Glen Hansard

I don't know you
But I want you
All the more for that
Words fall through me
And always fool me
And I can't react
And games that never amount
To more than they're meant
Will play themselves out

Take this sinking boat and point it home
We've still got time
Raise your hopeful voice you have a choice
You'll make it now

Falling slowly, eyes that know me
And I can't go back
Moods that take me and erase me
And I'm painted black
You have suffered enough
And warred with yourself
It's time that you won

Take this sinking boat and point it home
We've still got time
Raise your hopeful voice you had a choice
You've made it now
Falling slowly sing your melody
I'll sing along

Snapshot

2009-09-23T13:32:00.002+08:00

Today:

Ginny (Fine Arts blockmate) just got engaged!

Rick (from Starbucks Pivotal) just told me that one of his regular customers came in and told him that her breast cancer had come back. She had been in remission for some time. Please pray for her.

Leah (Starbucks coworker) just got back from her vacation in Hawaii. Envy.

Trace (Starbucks coworker) got a huge shopping spree yesterday care of his friend miranda. Yay him.

Erwin (Friend in Manila) is selling his Canon Camera.

I did three loads of laundry and cooked dinner after an 8 hour shift that started at 7am. Hmmm. Must. Not. Wallow. In. Self. Pity.

So Pauly Shore walks into a Starbucks...

2009-09-14T14:54:00.003+08:00

And he is actually kind of nice. Woo. Famous person sighting number fifteen this week. We also had some of the Twilight actors in there, they are really awesome and nice. Not the pattinson guy though.

(image taken from : http://www.hecklerspray.com/wes-craven-hates-pauly-shore-for-reasons-other-than-the-obvious/20078883.php)

Mornings

2009-08-29T21:30:00.001+08:00

One thing I love about my new place is how I wake up with a smile every morning to different sounds. Today it was seagulls screaming. Also the sea smells wonderful. I wake up looking forward to the day ahead without any stress or pressure to do things.

Day Off

2009-08-28T07:07:00.002+08:00

I am definitely enjoying my day off today. I just woke up at 2. Now I am doing laundry and considering biking to starbucks to say hi to my peeps.

There is something i have to say to someone, and i still have to work up the guts to say it. Maybe it'll come to me during the spin cycle.

Tired Silly

2009-08-25T01:55:00.002+08:00

So these past couple of weeks I've been moving from a closing shift at starbucks,which is typically 1-9:30 PM, to an opening shift,which depending on the day, starts at 5 AM or 6:30 for weekends. 5 AM! I've always been a night person, and given a choice, 5 AM is bedtime. I already had trouble before when i was scheduled for 7:30 AM shifts.

I am finding it interesting though that i am more awake at 5am than i am at 7. Still, I've been passing out on Alex's couch for four hours at a time right after. Poor bf never gets to go out with me after work as i am snoring very loudly every day.

I have to try to get back into blogging again. Woo.

In A Relationship

2009-06-04T16:41:00.002+08:00

When you least expect it you're in a relationship. :)

On Turning 27, part 2

2009-04-29T03:43:00.002+08:00

So now that i've left mid-20's and entered late 20's, I am suddenly strangely excited. And now I feel like a grown-up. Work is looking good, and maybe, just maybe i get to move out this year. I have awesome friends, and I have my health.

This will be my year.

On Turning 27

2009-04-25T05:51:00.002+08:00

Things I have done today so far:

Laundry (1 load)
Taxes (partially. It's pretty screwed up so far .*shakes fist at previous employer)
Looked at Jobs (getting there! Yes!)
Paid off credit cards. WAITAMINUTE. Oh my goodness, I am officially out of debt today.

So far, so good. Let's hope this holds for the rest of the year.

Cheers!

Happy Birthday To Me - According to the stars

2009-04-24T16:13:00.000+08:00

April 24 Birthday Horoscope

as taken from http://www.cafeastrology.com/birthday/april2409.html

If Today is Your Birthday: April 24

The Year Ahead

Forecast for April 2009 to April 2010

With the Solar Return Moon just behind the Sun, this is a year when you are itching to do something new, but you are perhaps unsure about what that "something" is! You are likely closing important projects or "chapters" in your life. If you normally lead an active life with initiating qualities, you may feel quite restless. The year, in a general sense, is best used as a meditative time for inner searching. It is a time for letting go of the past in order to prepare for the new. Although the new is still totally unrecognizable, it is important to allow the necessary surrender to the unknown.

Pluto is transiting trine your Sun this year, and your attitude towards life is changing. What used to satisfy you may not continue to do so, particularly if your goals have been superficial or a poor reflection of your inner desires. You are no longer willing to make compromises in the important areas of your life, particularly with regards to career and your life path. You are more determined this year, and it’s an excellent period in your life for getting rid of bad habits. This is a year in which to get your life back on track, as you have the willpower to do so. Others are bound to recognize your leadership skills and talents, or, at the very least, your potential. You want your life path and your objectives to reflect what you’re really about. You benefit from being more decisive than usual, and your ability to concentrate and focus help you to achieve what you set out to do. A new project or goal begun this year has a good chance of being successful and long-lasting.

Your ambition is stimulated, and achievement is especially important to you. Your willpower is stronger than usual, so it's a great year in which to start a new exercise program, to rid yourself of outworn habits or defeatist attitudes, and for any type of healing program. You feel empowered, and others sense your effectiveness. Jupiter in creative aspect to your Sun helps bring success through positive thinking. A square from the Sun to the North Node of the Moon suggests that it's quite likely that you will be re-evaluating relationships in terms of whether or not they are contributing to your personal growth. With the Moon waning in your Solar Return chart, you are likely closing some of the chapters of your life story this year.

Venus is aligned with Mars in your Solar Return chart, and romantic and creative passions figure strongly this year. New beginnings on the romantic front are likely. If you are not currently in a relationship, you are more likely to make the first move and go after what or who you want. Your affections are strongly stimulated, and you are more acutely aware of your powers of attraction. Romance, love, and sexuality occupy your mind more than usual. You can enjoy an increase in personal magnetism (as well as libido!), but be wary of competitiveness or tension in existing love relationships, as this aspect ignites your passions in general, whether they‘re feelings of love or anger! Now is also a good time to engage in creative projects and to join with others in pursuing a common goal. If you are involved in competition, you could come out a winner.

With Venus in Mars also square Pluto, jealousies are likely part of the picture this year, and are directly related to the fear of losing someone. Something tiny can trigger all sorts of buried emotions, and this can be very revealing! If you find yourself dredging up old hurts, examine the emotional "slush" you've been carrying around with you. Avoid taking it out on your partner or on yourself. The Venus-Pluto aspect can also suggest making a large purchase or payment and having to adjust your spending as a result. With the Mars-Pluto energy, channeled positively, you could move mountains when it comes to pushing your projects ahead. If mishandled, however, you could be argumentative, stressed, and hell-bent on having your way! Avoid taking extreme measures to make things happen your way, and avoid people who might be doing same. Deliberately trying to maneuver things in order to get the upper hand will be a lesson in frustration.

Mercury squares Jupiter and Neptune, and sextiles Uranus. The desire to attach greater meaning to your experiences might lead to a tendency to overstate, promise too much, or to neglect important details when making plans. You are likely to have increased opportunities for travel and/or new learning experiences. You may find more opportunities to attend meetings and other organized group activities, to communicate online, and to take part in activities involving computers, scientific projects, or metaphysics this year. Original, creative ideas are easy to come by this year, but keeping goals realistic and focusing on quality over quantity will be important.

Romantic and creative intensity are big themes this year. Exploring your feelings, and a spirited approach to relating, figure strongly. Especially strong commitment to your goals brings success this year. You are able to conduct yourself with more authority as well as authenticity, and success tends to follow you as a result.

2009 is a Number Three year for you. Ruled by Jupiter. This is a year of sociability. It is a friendly time, when it is easy to enjoy life and other people. Focus is on personal freedom, reaching out to others, making new friends, and exploration. You are more enthusiastic and ready for adventure. It is likely to be a rather lighthearted year, when opportunities for "play" time are greater than usual. It's also a good year for expressing your creativity. Advice - reach out, but avoid scattering your energies.

2010 will be a Number Four year for you. Ruled by Uranus. This is a year of work and development. It's "nose to the grindstone" time. It's a time to deal with practical matters, and it's not a time to be lazy or especially gregarious. Sometimes, it can be a year that feels hard, monotonous and routine, and/or lonely. Positive new relationships are generally not formed in a Four personal year. Advice - get yourself organized, work to build your resources, keep busy.

Today's Horoscope by Rick Levine

2009-03-20T04:59:00.002+08:00

If you recently allowed your excitement to entice you to do something out of character, now it may be time to play the waiting game. You don't like feeling off balance yet you may have reached too far and acted too fast. Although your goals might be admirable, it's best to regroup today, while you still can. It will be easier to go forward in a few days, after reevaluating your current position.

- Sometimes it's scary how accurate horoscopes are.

A Little Bit Older

2009-03-18T16:54:00.002+08:00

I am now listening to this song playing over and over :

Last Words by The Real Tuesday Weld

Over Elkin Avenue
The helium balloon, disappears into the sky
You give some money to a junkie
Watch as the sunny day drifts by
Can't tell you why
These are the last words
I'll say them to you
These are the last words
I'll say them to you
You said you loved me
And I kind of believe that
But these days who knows what it means
So we sat by the laundry mat with magazines and cigarettes
Talked about a million other things
These are the last words
I'll say them to you
These are the last words
I'll say them to you
Last night I dreamt that somebody had died
And it was one of us
I did the biggest thing that I could
But I was not enough
These are the last words
I will say to you.

So. It's been three months since I last blogged. Here I am, a little older, a little more bumped and bruised and scarred, and hopefully a little wiser.

Career wise, I'm back at a job I love that doesn't quite love me back as much, financially. Starbucks is an awesome place to work, and I have lovely fantastic coworkers who make every day a new adventure. Right now we are ALL battling a nasty flu bug, and infecting each other, and it IS a challenge trying to serve coffee while repressing a cough and holding down phlegm while smiling broadly at a customer. And still they come back, some of them 3 times a day for their caffeine fix, because they know that we are there.

Heart-wise - let's not go there. Let's just say I've still got so many things to figure out, and I am right now not in any shape to be in a relationship. It hurts but it's true. Plus I doubt if I'll be able to sustain any relationship while living at home with my parents. Seriously.

Well. It's another day tomorrow. I can honestly say I have never been this depressed in my life, and my emo side is showing. Still, it can only get better. It has to.

On Endings

2008-12-10T05:41:00.002+08:00

So I've been let go by the media company I have worked for the past year and 1/4 at. I'm happy. I was coming in today to hand them my resignation but i guess the boss scented the wind and sensed it and fired me instead. *shrugs*

What really really burns me, though, is that she could call my work into question and use that as an excuse. And then threaten not to give me a good reference if i didn't hand over the mag stuff for the next issue, which i was going to do anyway. And then call me disruptive when i am quietly minding my own business.

It literally has been a year and four months of hell at that place. Oh I had good times with Vanessa and Karen, and I did learn a lot. I get that I'm the next one voted off the island. Next month I know who'll be voted off next. It's a small company. At any given time there are 5 people max there, and in the time I have worked for them I have seen 8 people leave or get fired, including myself.

I hated that i was constantly singled out, constantly pointed out, constantly pulled aside and made to feel different. My suspicion of this is that because I look different, because I am not blond and blue-eyed and born in North America, because I don't speak with a midwestern twang like SHE does, I have a giant bulls' eye painted on my forehead.

I hated that I couldn't eat a single meal there without her eyeing it beadily and then counting every calorie, classifying every bit of it as carbohydrates or proteins, and at one point having her approve it. I didn't eat there after a while.

I hated all her pointed remarks about me having come from the third world and wasn't I lucky to work for her and her having hired me "off the boat." Seriously. I hated that she condoned racist and sexist treatment right in her office, reinforced it even by punishing the wrong person.

I hate that she treated her dogs better than she treated some of us. And she talked to me like I was one of her dogs. Like I couldn't understand any of it. And then she would hug me like that made it okay.

She was unbearably rude sometimes and she drove clients away. I hate that two of the clients she cited in my letter as grounds for dismissal were clients who were pissed off at her. I hate that she was so small minded that she couldn't tolerate real open mindedness. I hate the fakery that she perpetuated, I hate that she almost killed all sincerity in me and that I almost let her.

I hated all that glowwy lovey we are one with the universe crap that she was spouting. She would say constantly that I was psychic and I was gifted and whatever. I hate that she tried to make me dependent on her for my self confidence and that she tried to make me dance to her rules like a trained monkey. And now that I've stopped dancing she's gotten rid of me. Well good for her.

I hold in my laptop vital parts of the next month's issue. It is tempting, oh so tempting, to just delete them. After all, she didn't pay for this laptop. It's my machine. But I won't, simply because I am moving on and i will not let her or that office get to me. Because I have said this before. I believe in Karma. And good luck to them.

Two Old Ladies on the Sky Train

2008-11-29T17:03:00.002+08:00

Lady 1 was about 90 years old in a Tshirt and a miniskirt in this weather. Lady 2, her friend, had bright red lipstick and a dress that was older than me, or my parents, with beautiful pearls.

Lady 1: My brother and his wife have been married 73 years!
Lady 2: 73 years! Wowza!
Lady 1: He was 18 when he married, his wife was 16. But they're celebrating their 74th in February.
Lady 2: My goodness. And I thought I'd been married long.
Lady 1: Why, how long were you married?
Lady 2: 63 years.
Lady 1: WOW!
Lady 2: I'm only happy he died last year, or else I would have killed him.

This made my day.

Thank You, Universe

2008-11-01T13:43:00.007+08:00

Thank you, Universe. I really needed a week like this one after the hell that I was going through. Friday!
Thursday!
Wednesday!

Monday!

Haang Cute ng Mamang Ito

2008-10-23T12:08:00.001+08:00

Bambi calls it The Henney Virus. Lol.

I am actually at my star bucks now blogging in an attempt to stop myself from heading home and spending the next 7 hours watching Seducing Mr. Perfect over and over

The past week, my every waking hour has been consumed by watching soap operas and movies starring this Korean American actor who looks like he won the genetic lottery. . Jinah, my Korean friend says that he is very famous in South East Asia.

It’s good therapy, my friends tell me, like chocolate or potato chips. Even better, since I’m not hurting anyone (except myself from lack of sleep), I’m not spending anything (except time) and I’m not gaining weight from nomming mindlessly. (I doubt that)

This man. I stare at him on Ignatius’ wallpaper all fricking day. He is also the wallpaper on my cellphone.

My brothers say this is reminiscent of the time I went crazy over a certain Irish boyband who shall remain nameless. I’ve even infected friends. Can’t stop myself. I am subconsciously learning Korean too, this way. And not just the curses.

Interesting though, I came across an article about him that mentioned how Western cinema has always treated Asian males as:

1. Brainy geeks (Harold from Harold and Kumar, for example)
2. Kung Fu Fighters (Jackie Chan, Jet Li, Chow Yun Fat)
3. Faithful assistants (The Chinese driver in the Green Hornet)
4. Circus Freaks- Siamese twins, etc.
5. Tattooed Gangsters/ Terrorists/ Communists

In fact, for a while there was Hollywood propaganda portraying Asians as evil. Raise The Red Lantern had Richard Gere being the persecuted savior in a communist country. M. Butterfly, Miss Saigon and others come to mind. James Bond was also guilty of this.

Historically, Caucasian men have played asian roles too, like Wang Lung in The Good Earth (remember sophomore year?) and The King in The King and I.

Let’s take this discussion up a notch and talk about Hollywood portrayals of Asian women.

1. Kung Fu Ladies or Hot exotic superspies (Michelle Yeoh, Maggie Q, Bai Ling)
2. Maids/Helpers (if you’re Filipina)
3. Bitchy mothers
4. Prostitutes- Nearly every orgy scene ever filmed has had an Asian woman writhing and sweating. On the flipside, there’s also been a lot of other races there.

So. Now that Mr. Henney is taking on a major action role in X-men Origins: Wolverine, it should be interesting to see how it plays out. Will it be another Legolas? Remember when LOTR came out, and for lack of charismatic characters in the movie, everyone fell for the golden, pretty prince of Mirkwood, thus launching Orlando Bloom’s career. Because, from the people so far cast into the movie, he is the hottest. LOL.

On the other hand, it could be Dominic Monaghan. Anyone looks hot next to him. :D Will this herald more substantial roles for asian actors in mainstream Hollywood, both male and female?

Asian cinema in itself is a vibrant, multi-headed creature hampered only by the language barrier. I spoke yesterday to an Indonesian friend who grew up watching the Filipino Soap operas, and to my everlasting shame, can name every leading actor from Mula Sa Puso. She carries around a picture of Rico Yan in her diary, a gift from her yaya 10 years ago.

I can count on one hand the people I know who have never seen a Japanese cartoon, tv show, soap opera, or movie.

You gotta love globalization. I am right now in an American coffee shop drinking Italian coffee, using a laptop whose components were designed in Japan, manufactured in Korea, and programmed in Canada, sitting on a chair made from wood from a tree that grew in China, watching a British/Korean/American actor. The world is getting smaller, for sure. I can’t wait to explore it.

In the meantime, I have to figure out a different way to distract myself, as this is getting almost out of hand.

Announcement

2008-10-15T13:21:00.000+08:00

Tobie and I have decided that after 2 years and 8 months of being together, it's time to figure out who and where we are separately. I have been in Canada a year and a half, and that's a year and a half of physical distance, and we have found that we're growing into different people because of different circumstances.

We've decided to give each other space, and maybe, someday, God willing, find each other again. Or not. A lot of you are friends of us both; please know, this isn't a bitter breakup, there are no sides, we still consider you all our friends (and this is not mutually exclusive either)

Some of you may choose to judge this negatively. That's your prerogative. But not your business to begin with. And to those who read this announcement excitedly because they've been waiting all this time for a chance at Tobie, make him happy. Or I'll break your neck.

Yun lang po.

OMG OMG OMG LOOK WHAT I FOUND ON THE INTERNET

2008-10-07T15:38:00.000+08:00

My first crush ever. EVER.

Because The Blogger is Now a Jogger- Day 1

2008-10-06T09:54:00.003+08:00

DAY 1

So, following DoctorMan (TM) 's Orders, I set aside an hour to jog today, around Central Park here in Burnaby.

Time: 5:00 PM - Dusk
Temperature: 13 degrees Celcius

I ran at first. Then I walked. Then I jogged. It was cold so I felt the sweat drying right as it popped out. My shirt was damp but not soaked, and my face was covered with oil. Hmm. Also
I had forgotten about the crazy scary squirrels of Central Park. I was chased by a procession of about four big fat black squirrels. Note to self: Bring food next time.

It was past sunset when I left and I have to admit, it IS pretty scary running in the forest at night. Good thing about 8 other people had the same idea as I did, so we ended up jogging in a pack, avoiding eye contact carefully.

Still, the fall has brought the flame-coloured leaves that it is famous for. Every time the wind blew we would be pelted by orange and red and purple leaves fluttering down.

When I got to the corner near my house, I did 64 jumping jacks to cool down.

I'll start earlier tomorrow after I get home from work. Right now my calves are spasming and I just want to lie down. I guess I was in denial about how out of shape I am. I just need to work up the guts to do the saltwater snorting now.

Cheers.

Field Trip To The Ear Doctor: My Nose is Not A Virgin

2008-10-04T12:02:00.003+08:00

My ear doctor is a superhero. His name? Dr. Man. Not to be confused with my chiropractor Dr. Mann.

Doctor Chris Man. He was recommended to me by our family physician, Doctor Yong, after I had complained of a difference in my hearing between my left ear and right. Since my mom has a history of hearing problems in her family (see cholestetoma and timpanoplasty) I wanted to make sure everything was working correctly.

Now, when I set up my appointment, the receptionist was very rude.
(Me: My last name is Pimentel.
Receptionist: What?
Me: P as in Panda, I as in Igloo, M as in Man, E as in-
Receptionist: I'm not in kindergarten. Get on with it.)

I called yesterday to confirm and the sub receptionist informed me my appointment had been cancelled. She reinstated me again for today and it was all good.

Today was rainy. I set out in gray skies and horizontal soupy foggy rain, headed to Broadway station and walked the two blocks to their office. The hallways of the medical building were the nondescript white that could have been in Manila, or in Timbuktu (though I wouldn't know about timbuktu) with grey carpeting that smelled from the wet footsteps of the patients walking in.

The receptionist asked for my carecard and did a double take when she saw my name on it. "Raine? Your name is Raine? Like the weather outside! It's Raining!" I smiled soggily.
"You know... There's a Korean popstar named Rain." She said conversationally. "Are you related? Oh, wait you're from the Philippines. Are you familiar with him?"

I had heard of him from my korean and japanese korean friends, so I nodded, shaking off a few droplets. She processed my info and I trudged over to a chair, the same fake-leather seat that I could have sworn my pedia had in his cebu office. Everyone else waiting for their turn was chinese and over 75, by the looks of it. The magazines were outdated (Surprise!) but were all in chinese characters, and had nubile young women in bikinis on the cover. I opened one and found naked people inside! Fantastic. Distract the patients with nudity and save on remodeling.

After an hour wait, I heard my name called and walked in.

Dr. Man is a thin, serious-looking man with glasses and greying straight hair. He makes me sit in the chair and pulls my hair back, then starts prodding my neck, feeling around my throat and under my chin and below my ears. All clear, he tells me, swinging the chair around and poking an instrument up my ears. Itchy itchy ears. All clear there.

I tell him about my bloody nose and snot, and he grabs one of those fiber optic camera thingies and slides maybe 5 inches of the tube up my nose. It burns like hell and my sinuses are not happy. He does the same for the other hole. OW. Yes. Some congestion.

And now for the verdict: I have to do two things.
1. Nose Gargle- with a saline solution. I have to snort and exhale to wash my nose twice a day.
2. Go Jogging. 30 minutes a day or more.

Post # 701

2008-09-30T10:44:00.002+08:00

Today at the department store downtown, I was browsing. Then the Pro-Activ (did I spell that right?) salesperson approached me, a middle-aged Hispanic woman with heavy eye makeup.

Saleslady: Hi. I noticed, you have so many blemishes.
Me: Uh. Ok. Thanks.
Saleslady: You should use proactive. It's good.
Me: Er... I have products I use, thank you.
Saleslady: Do you have a boyfriend?
Me: Yes...
Saleslady: Good. If you didn't, you'll have trouble finding one. Your skin is so oily, so many pimples.
Me: Uhh...
Saleslady: You need a cleanser and toner and moisturizer.
Me: No, thanks.
Saleslady: (impatiently) Do you want to lose your boyfriend? You need to make yourself pretty for him!
Me: Excuse me?
Saleslady: You also need sunscreen.
Me: I have to go.

Eep. Talk about hard sell.

People Beside Me Today

2008-09-26T11:32:00.000+08:00

8:10 AM : Skytrain Elevator - Two blond asians. Gak.
8:30 AM : Skytrain - Tiny Pinoy Woman on her cellphone screaming "p-ina mo! p-ina ka! Give me my money back. You son of a bitch!"
9:00 AM: Road - Tall european guy strolling in the rain, smoking and walking slowly. Trying not to choke.
9:10 AM: Elevator - Dark eyed architect from the fourth floor looking worried
9:30 AM: Office- Vanessa looking tired
10:30 AM : Office - Vanessa looking tired
11:30 AM : Office- Barefoot Karen looking for ad leads
12:30 AM: Office - Nobody
1:30 PM : Office - Vanessa looking tired
2:30 PM : Starbucks - Martha (Shift Supervisor) exclaiming "You really love the oatmeal don't you?"
2:45 PM : Starbucks - Pregnant Chinese woman coming in from the rain, settling down beside me with a book and a latte, taking a minute to close her eyes and rub her tummy over and over happily, like she knows a secret. She does.
3:00 PM: Starbucks - HUUUUGE fat caucasian man. Unhappily bitching that he ordered a VENTI NONFAT NO FOAM EXTRA SUGARFREE VANILLA MOCHA. With Whip cream. Because he's on a diet.
4:00 PM: Office- Vanessa talking about her ikea stuff. Once you assemble one part it comes together, she says.
5:00 PM: Office- Vanessa and Rebecca.
5:15 PM: Road - Soaked woman on bike staring enviously at my fantastic Cirque Du Soleil umbrella. Whee.
5:30 PM: Skytrain- Tall professional looking guy with dimples, who smiles apologetically as he has to reach past my (tiny!) chest to grab the pole for balance as the train is packed. Awww.
5:44 PM: Skytrain - Little chinese lady shorter than my elbow, about 99 years old, shoving everyone out of her way and yanking the multiple-pierced guy out of his seat and sittng in it. Wow.
6:10 PM: Skytrain platform- Two guys ducked behind the elevator shaft to make out in the rain.
6:11 PM: Skytrain steps- Indian woman glaring at me as she races down the stairs in her 4 inch stillettos. I am in my boots and hopping down one step at a time, splishy splashy through the puddles in my waterproof boots. Ignatius is well protected in my laptop bag.
6:13 PM Sidewalk - Two blond asians.

Fusion Lunch

2008-09-21T12:07:00.002+08:00

The Unofficial Canadian National Dish, Poutine, is a fusion of FRENCH Fries, Beef Gravy and Cheese Curds, melted into a coagulated goop of gooey cholesterol raising goodness. I am addicted. Thankfully, I am also addicted to oatmeal. Talk about a balanced diet.

From Le Wikipedia:

Poutine

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Jump to: navigation, search

This is the fast food dish. For the completely different Acadian dish, see poutine râpée.

Poutine

*"Original" flavour poutine from La Banquise* with thin sauce and cheese curds.**
Origin information
Country of origin :	Canada
Region or state :	Quebec (late 1950s)
Creator(s) of the dish :	Multiple claims
Dish information
Course served :	Snack or side dish
Serving temperature :	Hot
Main ingredient(s) :	French fries Cheese curds Brown gravy
Variations :	Multiple

Poutine (Quebec French pronunciation putsɪn (help·info)) is a dish consisting of French fries topped with fresh cheese curds, covered with brown gravy and sometimes additional ingredients. ^[1] The freshness of the curds is important as it makes them soft in the warm fries, without completely melting. It is a quintessential Canadian comfort food, especially, yet not exclusively among Québécois and Maritime Acadian Canadians.

Poutine is a fast food staple in Canada; it is sold by many fast food chains (such as New York Fries, Harvey's, Ed's Subs^[2], and Deluxe French Fries ) in most provinces, in small diners and pubs, as well as by roadside "poutine trucks" and "fries stands," commonly known as "cantines" or "casse-croûtes" in Quebec. International chains like McDonald's,^[3] A&W,^[4] KFC and Burger King^[5] also sell mass-produced poutine across Canada, especially in Quebec and Atlantic Canada. Popular Quebec restaurants that serve poutine include Chez Ashton (Quebec City), La Banquise (Montreal), Lafleur Restaurants, Franx Supreme ^[6],La Belle Province, Le Petit Québec and Dic Ann's Hamburgers. Along with fries and pizza, poutine is a very common dish sold and eaten in high school cafeterias in various parts of Canada. It is to be noted that many poutines can be very high in cholesterol and trans-fat, especially in restaurants that use frying oils over and over again.

20 Dollars and ignatius

2008-09-15T15:15:00.005+08:00

I've just noticed that everything in Vancouver costs about 20 dollars. (Well, not everything, but there is a trend towards this)

A good pair of jeans (Cheap!) $20
A great shirt on sale at Zara$20
Entrance to the Vancouver Aquarium $19.99
A good steak meal at any of the fine dining places (at least) $20
A booklet of bus tickets $27
Three pints of Guinness $19.00
Four Frappuccinos at Starbucks $21.50
Two burger meals with drinks at A&W $19.50
A good book from Chapters $5- $30
A bottle of shampoo from Zenkai $20
Manicure at the Nail Spa $25
A tube of facial wash from The Face Shop $20
Nokia Headphones $23.99
Four hours long distance to Tobie's cell from my landline $20
30 minutes long distance from my cell $20
Strawberry Shortcake $18.75
Two Pairs of Shoes from Payless Shoess $22
One pair of shoes from Naturalizer on sale $39
Taxi from my house to downtown $20
Denomination of bills from any atm machine $20

Now, $20 is roughly PhP800. With minumum wage here at $8.50, it would take me, oh, two and a half hours to earn it. (But since I'm making slightly more than minimum wage, it would probably be two hours)

At my old job it would have taken 4 days to earn this amount. Which brings up the point of, if I am earning this much, then why am I broke right now?

Behold:

Meet my new macbook pro, Ignatius Pro.

The China Earthquake Comics Blog by Coco Wang

2008-09-13T08:45:00.005+08:00

I have been weepy all day over these comics. They will break your heart

Marrying Age as grabbed from Kay

2008-08-24T08:40:00.000+08:00

Because I thought it would be fun

[X] I know how to make a cup of coffee.
[X] I keep track of dates using a calendar.
[X] I own more than one credit card.
[X] I know how to change the oil in my car/bike.
[X] I do my own laundry.
[ ] I vote every election.
[X] I can cook for myself.
[ ] I think politics is exciting.
[X] I balance my checkbook.
[1/2] My parents have better things to say than my friends.

total: 8 1/2

[ ] I show up for school/college/work everyday early.
[X] I always carry a pen in my pocket/purse.
[X] I've never gotten a detention.
[X] I have never smoked a cigarette.
[ ] I have never gotten completely trashed.
[ ] I have forgotten my own birthday at least once.
[X] I like to take walks by myself.
[X] I've watched talk shows.
[X] I know what 'credibility' means without looking it up.
[X] I drink coffee at least once a week.

total: 7

[X] I know how to do the dishes
[X] I can count 1 to 10 in another language
[X] When I say I'm going to do something I do it.
[X] My parents trust me
[X] I can mow the lawn.
[X] I can make adults laugh without being stupid.
[ ] I remember to water the plants.
[ ] I study when I have to.
[X] I pay attention at school/college.
[X] I remember to feed my pets.--- Overfeed them sometimes

total: 8

[X] I can spell 'experience' without looking it up
[ ] I work out on a regular basis.
[ ] I clean up my own mess.
[X] The people at Gloria Jeans know me by name.-- STARBUCKS po.
[X] My favorite kind of food is takeout.
[X] I have gained weight since middle/high school.
[X] The first thing I do when I wake up is get caffeine.
[X] I can't go out of the store without getting something I don't need.
[X] I understand political jokes the first time they are said.
[X] I can type quickly.

total: 8

[ ] I have realized that the weather forecast changes every hour.
[ ] My only friends are from my place of employment.
[ ] I have been to a Tupperware party
[X] I have realized that no one will take you seriously unless you are over the age of 25 and have a job.
[ ] I have more bills that I can pay.
[X] Most of my friends are older than I am by days and months
[X] I can say no to staying out all night.
[X] I use the internet every day.
[X] My wardrobe hasn't changed for a while.
[X] I can read a book and actually finish it.

total: 6

Add up all the numbers and repost this as: MY MARRYING AGE IS...28 years old.

Yeek. 2 years left. Ok.

This Week on Panda in Canda...

2008-07-17T23:45:00.000+08:00

Oh, oh, oh, this week has been fantastic.

It was kicked off on Monday with a fire that raged underground for hours and burned out the power grid in downtown, leaving it in darkness. So my boss from Starbucks cancelled all shifts and closed the store down for two days. Yay! A day off! Ok. Maybe I shouldn't be so happy about it.

On Tuesday, I walked in to my other office to find that it had been exorcised during the darkness of the day before and the person who has made my life a living hell for the past 11 months was gone. Just gone. Itago nalang natin siya sa pangalang Diyosa. When I saw the email saying that Diyosa was not coming back I had to take a couple of deep breaths, trying not to cry. It was the best gift I had all year. Diyosa apparently pissed off a new boss and went too far. All I can say is, good riddance.

And on Tuesday, Tobie and I hit 29! Months! Together! Talk about timing, eh"?

So Vanessa and I had lunch to celebrate. On our way there I ripped my skirt up the side all the way up to my underwear and had to scurry into the nearest store, called Spank!. I made my way carefully to the bored-looking salesgirl and asked, "Could you direct me to your skirts please?" She looked surprised by the question, and replied, "I don't think we have any! Let me check." She went through the store while i stood in the corner trying to hold my skirt together, and came up with two skirts. One was cute and colorful (and $98! or PhP4k to save you from converting) and the other was tweed and grey and yellow at 50% off. No choice, really.

V and I feasted on spinach feta mushroom crepes and strawberry milkshakes at Cafe Crepe (and Cafe Breton in G4 kicks their ass big-time). Ding dong, the witch is dead!

So I headed home after work and opened my email to find The Golden Ticket! And no it wasn't spam. Starbucks has selected me to be in a pilot program to be set up only in Vancouver. And I don't know how much i can say without killing you, so that's all I will say. Yay!

Wednesday saw me at my other job, juggling both the production and sales schedules. It is so much easier now that the air is clean and the office morale is so much better too. I was walking to the library when someone called "Hey, barista, is that you?"
I turned to see a regular, let's call him grande 3/4 Americano, dragging an embarrased-looking girl over. I waved happily.
"Guess what?" He grinned
"What?" I replied
"I have a girlfriend!" Waving her hand at me. "A new girlfriend!"
"Oh boy, congratulations! Wait till i tell the people at the store!" I was sincerely happy for him. This sweet man, who has tipped us $5 once or twice, always makes the time to talk to us about how his day is going.
The girlfriend, whose face is now bright pink, shakes my hand. "Thanks!" he grinned even wider and hugged her and bounced off into the sunset.

Yay. I love my life again. Yes I do. Tomorrow we watch batman with lem (cousin) and rob (brother) and jen (rob's gf) and bas (other brother)

Yay.

Awwww.... Lolcatz

2008-07-16T12:46:00.003+08:00

more cat pictures

more cat pictures

more cat pictures

more cat pictures

more cat pictures

more cat pictures

more cat pictures

more cat pictures

more cat pictures

more cat pictures

more cat pictures

more cat pictures

more cat pictures

more cat pictures

more cat pictures

more cat pictures

more cat pictures

The Big C

2008-06-24T08:58:00.000+08:00

I always thought that Cancer was not going to be a problem, not in my family. Now that they've performed a sudden mastectomy on my grandmother, I'm still reeling. She is my only remaining grandparent, and the one that I am closest to.

It also sucks that I am here in Vancouver and she is in Cebu. Still the removal of the tumour should make her completely okay now. Please pray for her speedy recovery.

As for me, I am looking at a complete lifestyle change. No more potato chips or fatty foods or microwaving in plastic containers. Now I am hearing that I should stop using deodorant altogether. Dear Lord. What else should I do? any suggestions?

Buti nalang Taurus ako. heh.

Questions for Lasalistas

2008-06-20T12:26:00.000+08:00

1. Sino si Heidi? At bakit 3 times? (Parang bastos yata.)
2. Wala namang blueberry sa Pinas eh. Strawberries naman, bihira lang sa taft tumubo.
3. Do you really need to spell out the name of your school at every school game para maalala ng team nyo kung sino ang school nila? Mas madaling ispelling ang "green".

Pero. In fairness to the green peeps. This makes their cheers sound so amazingly fantastically intelligent.

Cheers. Just remember, pikon talo. And for all intents and purposes. My bf is from lasalle. Haha I am so dead.

Thoughts on My Second Independence Day Outside of 'Pinas

2008-06-13T22:29:00.000+08:00

I find it ironic and kind of sad that more people have commented, in email or via blog or friendster or multiply or whatever, on Friday the13th more than June 12th.

Talking to my Japanese and Chinese co-baristas about national pride yesterday made me sadder. If you ask any of them if they are proud to be Japanese/Chinese/Korean etc you'll hear a resounding "Yes!" but it has been my experience that if you ask any other Pinoys, it'll be a 50-50 chance you'll get a "No way." The rest would say, "Yes, BUT... The government is corrupt," or, "I wouldn't want to deal with other pinoys" or, "I'm happier outside the country" or "We'll never work as a nation."

I get glowing compliments on our ability, as a people, to assimilate into other cultures and speak english. Even the Canadians are surprised by our grammar and diction. I have to explain to them that Filipino is an amazing hybrid of Chinese, Spanish, Arabic, and English with the local dialects balancing it for a rich language. I let them know that English is a medium of instruction in our schools, and Filipino, although it is our national language, is not spoken exclusively all over the country.

Someone said, "Wasn't your country an American Colony?" and I had to say, "That's why we celebrate Independence Day."

But we aren't celebrating it. We aren't even mentioning it. So in my quiet corner of Vancouver I will sit and contemplate the loss.

My Act Of Defiance at the office

2008-05-10T05:10:00.000+08:00

OMG This is so true. Hahahaha.

2008-05-09T09:54:00.000+08:00

The Wild Rose

Random Brutal Love Dreamer (RBLD)

You are The Wild Rose.

Prone to bouts of cynicism, sarcasm, and thorns, you excite a certain kind of man. Hoping to gather you up, he flirts and winks and asks you out, ultimately professing his love. Then you make him bleed. Why? Because you're the rare, independent, self-sufficient kind of woman who does want love, but not from a weakling.

You don't seem to take yourself too seriously, and that's refreshing. You aren't uptight; you don't over-plan. Romance-wise, sex isn't a top priority--a true relationship would be preferable. For your age, you haven't had a lot of bonafide love experience, though, and this kind of gets to core of the issue. You're very selective.

The problem is them, not you, right? You have lofty standards that few measure up to. You're out there all right, but not to be picked up by just anyone.

Your exact female opposite:

The Dirty Little Secret

Deliberate Gentle Sex Master

Always avoid: The Bachelor (DGSM)

Consider: The Vapor Trail (RBLM)

Link: The Online Dating Persona Test | OkCupid - dating services | Dating
My profile name: : angpinakamalupe

As Tagged By Tobie - Tagging David, Hammy, Kay, Abel, Majo, Basil and EVERYONE

2008-04-14T10:03:00.000+08:00

Share 8 things that your readers don’t know about you.

Then at the end you tag 8 other bloggers to keep the fun going.
– Each blogger must post these rules first.
– Each blogger starts with eight random facts/habits about themselves.
– Bloggers who are tagged need to write on their own blog about their eight things and post these rules.
– At the end of your blog, you need to choose eight people to get tagged and list their names.

– Don’t forget to leave them a comment telling them they’re tagged, and to read your blog.

Tagged by Tobie

1. Right now, I have THREE jobs. Count them - Starbucks, SharedVISION and Philippine News Today. As of Saturday last week I gave up all weekends.

2. Careers I've always wanted to explore (Serious ito ha!)

a. Teacher (Think of the minors!)

b. Firefighter (Because I like the heat?)

c. Lawyer (pero tamad ako magmemorize)

d. Porn Director (hehehe. Pwede pa. Volunteers?)

3. I am now the oldest unmarried female on both my father's side and my mother's side. Wow. Achievement ito! I AM NOT HINTING HA. Which brings us to #4 -

4. I have 152 immediate relatives. Bas and I counted yesterday. Including cousins, kids of cousins, and their spouses. 4 of whom are now pregnant.

5. I am allergic to everything. Weirdest allergies : Chicken, Make-up, Bell Peppers, Sarah Jessica Parker

6. Fav Game Characters: Rikku from Kingdom Hearts, Wakka from FFX, and Mario. THE Mario.

7. Animals and babies love me. Maybe because we think alike.

8. I stash food all over but don't like to eat them.

4 YEARS and $4

2008-04-07T11:37:00.004+08:00

My Blog is now 4 years old, borne out of fury and my creative juices trying to find a way out.

Now that it's hit four years, let's make it interesting.

I will be awarding $4 Canadian to four lucky people who give me a good reason to (And I will mail it to them so they know what canadian money looks like.)

By a good reason, I mean they have a story, photo, or whatever that I can share THROUGH this blog. They also get a pingpic that hasn't been published yet. AAAND if it's a really good reason, I might make it a bigger surprise.

I'll announce the people on MY BIRTHDAY (and if you don't know when my birthday is, shame on you.)

Cheers!

Tired Hysterical

2008-04-03T22:31:00.000+08:00

So. I announced triumphantly to the world a few weeks ago that I was quitting my job for a career in Starbucks. (Ok, maybe not a career)

I dodged two offers from my boss to get me to stay, but she snagged me with her third counteroffer, which at first glance looks like a fantastic set-up. Essentially, what it is, is a demotion in position, and it's got me doing the work of 3 people 3 days a week (no overtime) for 20% more than what I'm making now and more flexibility.

The PROs:

1. Higher Hourly Pay

2. I get to keep my previous commissions which I would have lost anyway had I quit

3. More freedom (I hope)

4. Longer experience with this company (Which is always good on paper)

5. More interaction with people outside - I am essentially the entire customer service department

6. Part time work - I can do other things now

The CONs:

1. I have to work with THEM.

2. The thought of working with them and enduring that daily emotional abuse is actually making me physically sick

3. Hourly pay might be higher but the hours are much less, so it's about 40% less per month than what I'm used to. Hopefully Starbucks fills in the gaps.

4.The workload I am looking at is okay but i can see where it can overwhelm me. I refuse to do unpaid overtime, but I hate to leave a job unfinished.

5.They're paying my health care but only until Starbucks kicks in. So really, it's not that big of a deal.

6. Daily lectures on why I'm not good enough, my culture is not good enough, and why I should take verbal abuse from the office asswipe, all delivered with a hug and a pat on the head.

7. Dog sitting duties.

Right now I am wondering what the hell was I thinking, coming back to this? And I think of the Calvary that is the next three-six months, and just hope I don't kill anyone. I start at starbucks on saturday, by the way. Wish me luck.

Playlist Fun

2008-03-27T23:52:00.000+08:00

RULES:
1. Put Your iTunes, Windows Media Player, ETC on Shuffle.
2. For each question, press the next button to get your answer.
3. YOU MUST WRITE THAT SONG NAME DOWN NO MATTER HOW SILLY IT SOUNDS.
4. Put any comments in brackets after the song name.
5.Put this on your journal.

1.If someone says, "Is this okay?" You say?
1000 Words from the Final Fantasy Soundtrack

(or more...)

2.How would you describe yourself?
She's Only Happy In The Sun by Jack Johnson
(And my name is Raine.)

3.What do you like in a boy?
Bright Lights by Matchbox 20
(Oo nga, ayoko ng bobo.)

4.How do you feel today?
Simple and Clean from Kingdom Hearts
(Hindi Bangag )

5.What is your life's purpose?
What is This? By Fallout Boy (New Nightmare Before Christmas Soundtrack)

(What is that?)

6.What is your motto?
Number 36 by Twisted Halo
(Akala ko ba 42?)

7.What do your friends think of you?
Fall Away by The Fray
(Aray.)

8.What do you think of your parents?
Last Request by Paolo Nutini
(Oo ang daming pinapagawa, palaging last request ng last request)

9.What do you think about very often?
Yearning of the Sword from the Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon Soundtrack
(Hidden Violent Tendencies?)

10.What is 2 + 2?
Sunday Mornings by Maroon 5
(5! 5 daw!)

11.What do you think of your best friend?
Helena by My Chemical Romance
(So long and goodnight!)

12.What do you think of the person you like?
Creep (Radiohead Cover) by Damien Rice
(Sorry Baby, talagang random lang ito )

13.What is your life story?
Don't Look Back in Anger by Maroon 5

(Cover ng Oasis. Maroon kasi taga Peyups ako.)

14.What do you want to be when you grow up?
No Ordinary Love (Sade Cover) by Urbandub
(Nothing ordinary about it!)

15.What do you think of when you see the person you like?
Superman by Lazlo Bane (SCRUBS soundtrack)
(My tobie is my superman!)

16.What will you dance to at your wedding?
She Will Be Loved by Maroon 5
(Hint na yan sa groom. Ba't ang daming Maroon 5?)

17.What will they play at your funeral?
Tulog Na by Sugarfree
(Okay, Goosebumps. )

18.What is your hobby/interest?
Bubbly by Colbie Caillat
(?)

19.What is your biggest fear?
Sora's Sacrifice from Kingdom Hearts

(Watch the game vid. OO nga. )

20.What is your biggest secret?
A Love Before Time by Coco Lee
(Huh?)

21.What do you think of your friends?
The Blower's Daughter by Damien Rice

And So it is

Just like you said it should be

Life goes easy on me

Most of the Time

22.What will you post this as?
You'll Be Safe Here by Rivermaya

Wheee

Se7en - as tagged by Tobie

2008-03-19T22:17:00.000+08:00

Seven things that scare you:

Math - Hooooh yeah. Nothing terrifies me more than a quadratic equation.
Commitment - but that doesn't mean I can't commit ha. It just scares the beJesus out of me to commit long-term, but hey, 25 months na kami ni tobie. Who'd have thought it.
Never moving out. Ever. And being stuck with my parents. Forever.
The Dark. - I used to sleep with a night light and now i sleep with the windows open.
Heights - kahit second floor
Losing someone I love through disease, death, or infidelity
Ignorance - it's the scariest thing for me.

Seven things you like the most:

Tobie - Love also. Like sometimes. yup. hehehe. Just being with Tobie makes me happy, and I may not show it sometimes because I'm a tough macho panda. But inside there's a little squealy romatic girl who gets so kilig. Especially when he's bagong gising haha. That's the best time to attack.
Taking pictures
Web comics. I recommend Minus and Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal
Guilty pleasures: Dark chocolate truffles, mangoes (especially since I moved to BC and they are expensive!) and my new skincare stuff. Yes.
My friends - the ones who have seen me at my best and worst and loved me anyway
My parents. it's a love-hate thing, as it is with most people.
Walking quietly at sunset ankle-deep in crackly leaves or snow bundled up in my jacket.

Seven important things in your room:

My Nikon D50.
My Cellphone - lifeline!
My Books. I use them as ammo and throw them at my brothers when they piss me off.
My Computer - Lifeline part 2.
My kikay crap
My clothes- it's hard to go naked in winter.
My babies - Pingping, Rose and Reese, Wuwu, Eclair, Waffle and Bambu

This was hard for me to fill out as I share my room and don't really have my own space. This is it, I guess.

Seven random facts about you:

I love taking the train and people-watching.
I am a sucker for dimples on a guy. Buti nalang Tobie has dimples. hehe. On his face ha. I don't know if he has dimples anywhere else! *innocent look
I have a temper and I try to keep it locked down most of the time but when it gets out I can be a spectacular bitch. And after I let it out I forget about it. Haha.
I have lately discovered the joys of my PS2 and I am now hacking my way through FF X. I still love Kingdom Hearts and Katamari better though. And I find it has made me a bunch of new friends, just by waxing poetic about Cloud's slashy blady move thingy or Wakka's fast balls.
I failed my driving test here. And I've been driving 10 years in Manila. Wahh.
When I am quiet, that means I am either pissed off, or I am not comfortable with it, you or the situation.
I would rather not eat than eat something I don't like.

Seven things you can’t do:

Whistle
Dance - Nope. Ask Rocky, or Walter. Kicked out of 2 ballet schools, yup that's me.
Tolerate wrongdoing. If I see something wrong being done, I have to speak up and fight. Even if it's none of my business.
Stay in one spot for too long - I get twitchy and I get cabin fever. I like going out, breaking the routine, doing something different every day.
Be boxed in. Mentally or emotionally or physically.
Eat mayo or ketchup. eurghh.
Look at naked men without laughing.

Seven things you can do:

Curl my tongue
Keep a poker face no matter what the situation (unless it's naked men then I have to laugh)
Carpentry - Hammers, Drills, etc. I am macho. Yes. I can even do some electrical stuff.
Change a tire, change oil, jump-start a car
Eat a whole pizza by myself na family sized - ask Maui
Cook. And I cook well. Other times I don't haha. But I make a kick-ass lasagna and melt-in-your-mouth Cathedral Windows Cake
Burp at will. At varying sounds, depths, and pitches. Yay.

Seven things you want to do before you die:

Travel the world with someone I love
Work for a big-name company and eventually rule the world
Go someplace new where nobody knows me and I've never been. I can imagine just walking up to the ticket counter at the airport, asking where the next flight is going and then buying a ticket and going there. I want the complete freedom to do that without guilt, just a fresh start like that, away from everything I know.
Go up to all the people who made my life hell through the years and tell them. And make them pay. And I'd go up to the people who made my life worth living and thank them.
Let go of all my negativity, embrace the positivity
Stop caring about what other people think and stop being affected by what people say, even the ones I loved
Eradicate poverty, cure cancer, end the war, rule the world

Seven things that attract you to the opposite sex:

Dimples. Yup. They're so sexy on a guy
Intelligent conversation
Blind worship hahaha I like a guy who spoils me and loves me and doesn't tell me what to do
Stubble. I like chin stubble. It makes me shivery hahaha.
Someone with values
Someone taller than me. :d And A BIG... Heart
A healthy libido. Hahaha.

Seven things that repulse you in the opposite sex :

BO. Yup.
Mama's Boys. Grr. Bad experiences with those. They're usually spineless and wimpy. That does not mean I wouldn't date a guy who is close to his mom, like tobie is. I draw the line at having his mom fight his battles for him
Someone who tries to change me or mold me into someone who fits his image. I don't like lectures, I don't like being dictated to. I am a stubborn Taurus, after all.
Minors - Below 18 hahahaha
Old guys - well, I'm not Anna Nicole
Boybandy metrosexual guys prettier than me
Someone who does not make me a priority. I've been in relationships where I felt that I was only treated as a gf when it was convenient, and believe me, I am never going to put myself through that again.

Seven things you say the most:

Hmm.
Hello?
Eh? Canadian eh?
Yupyup.
Waah
Burp
WTF?

Seven Celebrity Crushes

Neil Gaiman
Alan Rickman
Anne Hathaway - yes, tobie. Girl-crush.
Angelina Jolie
That cyclops/prince charming guy in all the movies who never gets the girl. Whatsizname.
Brad Pitt - Threesome with A.J. And B.P. - hahaha
Blank.

Tagging: Maui, Basil, Hammy, Majo, Randee, and everyone else!

Endings

2008-03-14T12:22:00.003+08:00

I've been working here for eight months, and tomorrow, I hand in my resignation letter and two weeks' notice.

It's funny. Someone pointed out to me, I was lucky to have that job. Most immigrants ended up bagging groceries at 7-11. Most don't get promoted after one month.

I am lucky. Don't get me wrong. I am very very grateful to my boss for taking a chance on me, and giving me an opportunity most people don't get. Heck, I was promoted after 1 and 1/2 months. Not many people can claim that.

I don't even know where I'll work next, but I am hoping to work at Starbucks for a while. And yes, I've heard the criticisms. "Why are you demoting yourself?" or "Isn't that a step down?"

Well, maybe it is. But I've always had this semi-dream of working at Starbucks. I've already been told that the status of barista isn't the same here as it is back home. Yup. I know that. I don't even DRINK coffee. Well, I can't stand it without half a cup of sugar and half a cup of cream. So. Why there?

I am looking forward to being a part of a team again, and coming up face to face with people. I am excited about being excited to go to work now. I want to work in a multicultural environment, and as we all know, there is no such thing as a perfect multicultural environment.

I am looking forward to walking down the street and not noting down the names and addresses on passing trucks as possible ad clients. I am looking forward to being able to open a magazine or newspaper and not go over the ads first, ignoring the editoral.

I want to be able to eat at a restaurant without feeling guilty because a.) I'm eating meat, b.) it's not organic, c.) it's not protein (long story there), d.) it's not fair trade, and e.) they don't use organic and biodegradable dishwashing fluid.
I am looking forward to eating lunch without having every single calorie and nutrient pointed out to me.

I am looking forward to working with people who have open minds, and a greater understanding of other cultures and a willingness to admit that maybe, just maybe, Asia is not just China or India.

I am also looking forward to not having my heart clench in dread whenever I get summoned to my boss's office, to not having to listen to lectures every five minutes from everyone else about why I am so lucky that I am in a 1st world country with people as educated and amazing as they are.

It's time to move on. And I am happy now that the end is in sight. Finally.

Linky Links

2008-02-20T13:59:00.002+08:00

Some fun links I found recently:

Superman being an ass

Not for the pink of heart

When Minus is pure Genius

Bouncy bounce

Comicssssessss are evuuulllh

Brasil, not Basil

Matter Boxes

A lesson is learned

Enjoy!

Novelty

2008-02-06T16:24:00.000+08:00

I am currently enjoying the novelty of not having the crappiest day in the office. My title is being totally enjoyed- not- by poor Vanessa. Yay.

Please Don't Comment!

2008-01-23T04:48:00.000+08:00

As Tobie has tagged me with this, here it is. Exciting. Wag kayong mag comment ha.

Leave a comment and I'll reply by answering the following.

1. I'll respond with something random about you.
2. I'll tell you what song/movie reminds me of you.
3. I'll pick a flavor of jello to wrestle with you in.
4. I'll say something that only makes sense to you and me.
5. I'll tell you my first/clearest memory of you.
6. I'll tell you what animal you remind me of.
7. I'll ask you something that I've always wondered about you.
8. If I do this for you, you must post this on your journal.

Overseen, Overheard

2008-01-19T06:02:00.000+08:00

Walking past a construction site:

Guy 1: (Looking up at guy 2) So, you've got your little thingie there!

Guy 2: (Hanging on a scaffolding) Thanks to you, hey!

Guy 1: That's a slippery little thingie you've got there. Keep a good grip on 'er.

Guy 2: Great traction though, for a thingie.

Guy 1: Doesn't it, though, eh?

Lalalala. I don't want to know.

Dropped by my BMO bank today. Graeme, my favorite teller, took my check and made jokes about the pitiful amount huddled in my bank account. I wanted to hit him, but he's too pretty. hah. Good thing i'm in a serious committed relationship. Pramis. Haha.

Lunch today was fun. Had pizza at the library pizza place full of pinoys. I looove them. It's Flying Wedge Pizza and they're a little expensive but really good.

Sat next to an older couple, one of whom was paralyzed from the neck down. It was beautiful to watch them. They must have been in their late 70's, and one in a motorized wheelchair (Stephen Hawking in 20 years?), both dignified, silver haired gentlemen, and both talking animatedly. The healthier man was feeding his partner bites of pizza by hand, and wiping his mouth, both of them laughing and gazing deeply into each other's eyes in between bites. It really doesn't matter what gender they were, it was just awesome to watch them.

I am writing this around a lapful of sleeping, snoring, wiggly chihuahua at work, and it's days like this that make up for everything else. I do miss the sunny skies and tank top friendly temperatures of Manila, and a job with naked sweaty athletic young men, but I guess this isn't so bad. Now come visit me. Everybody. Now na.

The Ex Axis

2008-01-18T10:38:00.001+08:00

On my way to work today on the skytrain I read this in my horoscope:
Taurus - An old flame will come back into your life. Decisions will be difficult to make, but patience is the key.

So I walk to my office, switch on my mac, which I have affectionately named Boo, short for Buddha, because this one is so much wiser than the older mac i had when i started here.

Mail comes in. Friendster- You have a message from xxx

So the ex, na itago nalang natin sa pangalang Blank, is writing his life story and wants to know if he can use my real name. Um. No.

In fairness, the whole existence of this blog is due to Blank's blankness. Pandamonium was born the day we broke up, and it has seen me through the past 5 years, now finding me comfortably in a relationship with the Best Boyfriend EVER.

So I told him to use a pseudonym. Huh. I wonder what he'll come up with. Well, no, I don't really wonder.

----

In other news.

Tobie had a car booboo. I am taking this opportunity to thank all of our friends who have expressed their sympathy and support and anguish over UEN's accident. I am just really really thankful that Tobie is okay and well and all his parts are functioning properly.

I can;t wait to see him soon enough, but his safety is his first priority. Mwah.

23 months!

2008-01-16T12:57:00.000+08:00

Here's to the man who's been holding my heart for the past 23 months. I can't wait to see you again, love.

PEYUPS SURBEY

2008-01-16T12:44:00.000+08:00

Student number? 98-67264

College?
UP Visayas Cebu College and
UP Diliman College of Fine Arts

Ano ang course mo?
Bachelor of Arts Mass Communications
Bachelor of Fine Arts, Major in Cuteness

Nag-shift ka ba o na-kick out?Nope. Di lang umalis. Haha.

Saan ka kumuha ng UPCAT? (Where did you take your entrance examination?)
UP Cebu Amphitheatre

Favorite GE (General Education) classes? Speech 121!

Favorite PE? Sport Climbing and Aikido

Saan ka nag-aabang ng hot guys/girls sa UP? Not the dorm. Wahaha.
Sa AS at sa CHK at sa FA at sa ENG

Favorite Professors?
Sir Marlon! Sir Misajon, rest in Peace

Least favorite GE (General Education) class? Span 10. Ask Jeriel.

Did you sign up for Saturday classes? Yep, PE

Nakapag-field trip ka ba? UPLB! Memories.

Naging CS ka na ba or US sa UP? Nope

What Organization/Fraternity/Sorority were you a member of? Philippine Collegian, UP CSA, Beta Ep (anak ng.) UPAA, Molave House Council

Saan ka tumatambay palagi?ABS-CBN. *wink

Dorm, Boarding house, o Bahay? Kamia tapos molave

Kung walang UPCAT test at malaya kang nakapili ng kurso mo sa UP, ano yun? Creative Writing or Advertising

Unang play na napanood mo sa UP? And St. Louis Loves Dem Filipinos.

Saan ka madalas mag-lunch? Beach House!

Name the 5 most conyo orgs in UP?
CSA! Yung mga soro.

Name 5 of the coolest orgs/frats/soro in UP. Beta Ep. Molave. AC. FA!!! SAMASKOM

May frat/soro bang nag-recruit sa yo? Yup. Apo. Pero honorary betan na ako.

Masaya ba sa UP? Are you kidding?

Nakasama ka na ba sa rally? Yup!

Ilang beses ka bumoto sa Student Council? 2

Pinangarap mo rin bang mag-laude nung freshman ka? Nope. Nakapasok ako sa peyups. Brayt na ako.

Kanino ka pinaka-patay sa UP? M. Wahahaha. At kay R.

Kung di ka UP, anong school ka? Ateneoh dahlings.

Miracles do happen!

2008-01-06T17:11:00.001+08:00

Walter Uy: Still not sleeping?
Isha Raine: almost
Walter Uy: Hmm... What kept you?
Isha Raine: caffeine
Walter Uy: You drank coffee tonight? Or just the cola?
Isha Raine: cola
Walter Uy: Hmm... In that case, a dash of alcohol would do the trick.
Isha Raine: FROM YOU!
Isha Raine: I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU JUST SAID THAT!
Walter Uy: I just said a dash.
Walter Uy: Not bottle.
Isha Raine: I will blog this!

Andy Olmsted killed in Iraq

2008-01-05T17:40:00.000+08:00

I didn't know him, not until after he died but he asked a friend of his to post this message if anything ever happened to him. We need more people like this.

Rest in peace, Major Olmsted.

Batman Vs. Britney

2008-01-05T17:12:00.000+08:00

VS.

Commissioner Gordon has taken away custody from Britney! (See below)

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080105/ap_on_en_mu/people_spears

Is K-Fed really Batman? Is he? Or is it his latest attempt to look cool?

If he can get Paris Hilton to hit on him.... Holey Rap Cds, Batman!

One Year Ago Today

2008-01-03T12:22:00.001+08:00

Palakang nagbabalagtas si Miro
Gradyuweyt si Juswa
Commissioner si Papa Noli
At walang damit si Kuya Igso. Dyoskopow.

Merry Christmas Everybody!

2007-12-25T10:13:00.001+08:00

And for everyone, have a VERY MERRY Christmas! Wish you were here!

(p.s. Am not fat, it's just the sweater. Haha.)

i got my katamari game from ebay last week and bought my brand new ps2. Tobie nalang kulang, complete na.

Tobie, I got it!

2007-12-25T04:31:00.001+08:00

Thanks for my planner, sweetie! My officemates are green with Envy for both the planner and the bf. Hah! Merry Christmas too!

A Painful Christmas Poem

2007-12-23T04:08:00.000+08:00

On Vanessa's MacBook

On Vanessa's Brand New Macbook

On the last pre-Christmas workday

Me and laura had a look

And we all decided to play

In the spirit of the season

We just had a lot of fun

There was no real reason

And most of our work was done

My office is a fun place

And the people are so nice

(Most of them, anyways)

Happy Birthday, Jesus Christ!

A VERY USEFUL LESSON (Entry # 666 in my blog)

2007-12-14T14:15:00.000+08:00

Four years ago this blog was made to mark the end of a relationship and to celebrate my newfound freedom. Yay.

And now, to mark entry number 666, from the book X-Treme Latin (Unleash Your Inner Gladiator) by Henry Beard (Henricus Barbatus)

Useful Syntax - Syntaxis Utilis

Imperative

Futue te ipsum

Go fuck yourself

Imperfect Subjunctive Expressing A Wish For The Present

Utinam tete futueres

Would that you would go fuck yourself

First Supine Expressing A Wish For The Present With Verbs Of Motion

I futum te ipsum

Go in order to fuck yourself

Potential Subjunctive

Velim te futuas

I should like you to fuck yourself

Substantive Clause of Purpose

Te rogo ut futuas te ipsum

I beseech you to fuck yourself

Genitive of Purpose

I tete futuendi gratia

Go for the sake of fucking yourself

Future Conditional, Less Vivid

Si te futuas, gaudeam

If you should go fuck yourself, I would rejoice

Future Conditional, More Vivid

Se te futueris gaudebo

If you will have gone and fucked yourself, I will rejoice

Present Conditional, Contrary to Fact

Si te futueres, gauderem

If you were fucking yourself, I would be rejoicing

Past Conditional, Contrary to Fact

Se te futuisses, gavisus (gavisave) essem

If you had fucked yourself, I would rejoice

Future Participle Denoting Intention or Likelihood

Tete fututure, te saluto

You who are about to go fuck yourself, I salute you

And now, Alan Rickman. Sigh.

Falling in Love

2007-12-08T15:53:00.000+08:00

For the past few months I have been seriously doubting my immigration here to Vancouver. It wasn't worth the emotional hassle, the nonexistent customer service, the unbelievably expensive lifestyle, the obnoxious people, the mounting stress, the bad food, working a job that i am coming to hate, and being cold all the time. It was definitely not worth being away from my tobie.
Just yesterday I woke up cursing myself, shivering in the frosty 8am dawn air as i headed off to work.
At one point today i wanted to crawl under my desk and cry my eyes out. It was almost too much.

And then today I found the best sio mai I have ever tasted.
And then I found a friend in the North Face store who was, though not pinoy, practically one as all his friends were pinoy and from Bora, and he was going there next year and he gave me a huge discount on one of my jackets.
And then after that I watched Who Wants to Be a Millionaire in a Japanese restaurant with my mom and the Malaysian Chef and the Thai Waiter and the Korean Cashier. The Thai Waiter was the most emotional about it, snapping at one point to a customer who called in, "I too upset to cook, Stupid lady on Who Wants To Be A Millionaire no deal on $110,000. I am sick to my stomach!" He is my new best friend.
And then after that we walked home and the streets were so beautiful and then we went down to the Granville station with it's 3 story escalators.
And then I got on the train and sat next to a man who looked like prince charles with smaller ears who told me about how he lost his drivers' license and now has to bike to work. He showed me an airbrush he had bought for his friend (with a blush on his pale face) and the beautiful inks he also got for her.
And then I walked home with my mom on a cold night with the beautiful starlit sky overhead and the whooshing skytrains that passed above us and the glittering silvery frost on the grass.

I love the Philippines. You can't take that out of me.
But maybe I'm falling a little in love with this place too, yay.

For My Batman

2007-12-05T09:22:00.000+08:00

Immortalized in A Comic

2007-11-28T13:01:00.001+08:00

Thanks to the lovely Laura, I have been immortalized in a comic. Guess which one I am.

Hah.

Pekpek O! My First Snow! and other Pictures

2007-11-27T14:32:00.000+08:00

Unlike most of you who have been rubbing elbows with Neil and Mike, here on the other side of the world I have been wandering around Chinatown and getting my first snow. (Di naman bitter noh?)

Cheers.

My mom suddenly stopped and pointed. "Mukhang Pekpek o!"

Maaaagic Shroooooms. They make everything better.

"After the boys get circumcised, they carefully gather the skins and bleach them and sell them to gullible foreigners as aphrodisiacs."

Two million kinds of peppercorns. I don't get it.

It feels just like hong kong.

Our (not so close) neighbourhood siopawan.

Feels like... a family reunion. Just kidding. Hahaha.

My gabi is bigger than yours. So there.

Hot. Yup.

My first snowfall, as seen from my bedroom window! Wheeee! Ang galing.

Traipsing through Vancouver's Chinatown.

When we got down from the bus we were confronted by people yelling (And I am not making this up)

"Heroin! 2 grams heroin!"

"I need a joint. Anyone?"

"What can I get for $50?"

Blink blink. Poor beleaguered panda.

Panda Sounds (nakakagigil)

2007-11-26T15:13:00.001+08:00

Vid doesn't seem to be working, so you can click here.

Death Comes to Fluffy

2007-11-23T13:15:00.000+08:00

Fluffy knew he was going to die. Oh yes.
It was his 4th week in the machine and The Hand had not even come close to grabbing him. He had lost 13 comrades so far to The Hand, but it was Pinky he missed most.
"Don't forget meeee!" Pinky had screamed as The Hand had plucked him like a ripe melon and tossed him into The Hole.
Fluffy fought back tears as he saw The God who had taken Pinky stuff him into a bag and take him away.
"Why are we here?" a young cow mooed in despair, pushing against the invisible edges of their world.
"Be quiet," a blue creature simply known as Cookie growled. "We must fight with our last breath, and never complain. Death comes only to the cowards."
Sometimes The Hand would only threaten to grab them, driving the newer ones into a terrified frenzy. Nobody knew what happened when The Gods took them, only that no one had ever come back. Ever.
"And then," the oldest comrade, a purple and orange frog named Ribbit croaked, " And then if you are not Taken, Death comes for you with his flashing scythe and you are gone and there are new brothers in your place." True enough, when they all woke up the next day, he was gone and a brand new handsome brown bear named Cuddles was in his place.
Fluffy knew now not to get too attached to his brothers in arms. They were taken from him one by one and he was left with apathetic strangers, now the oldest one at 5 months. Sheep, all of them, complacently sitting in place until The Hand took them. Not caring at all, content to sit there and look cute and cuddly. No amount of speeches would get them to care. All Fluffy's brothers were gone.
Fluffy knew he was going to die. The Hand paid him no attention at all.
He looked up at The Hand.
And then Death arrived.

Panda Updates

2007-11-22T15:55:00.000+08:00

Overheard on the skytrain:

Guy: (Hitting on the girl beside him) Well, ask me anything.
Girl: (looking uncomfortable): okay, do you know anyone famous?
Boy: Well, er... I went to kindergarten with a porn star.

Smooth pickup line. Really Smooth.

Work is okay. They've got me doing things i never dreamed i'd be doing. And my boss is so nice about it too. I'm shaping up in ways i never thought I would, haha. It's a fun place.
Also, we have a ghost in our washroom, ooh.

And yes. It is cold. It is so cold. 0 degrees. I have not been this cold in my life and I am breaking out. Yaaargh.

Many, many thanks to Janice who I owe big time for these pictures. She attended my exhibit in New York and managed to snap a couple.

Panda Tree

2007-11-22T12:46:00.000+08:00

This is a panda tree that grows on my desk.
If you don't pass this on to 89 people a wild panda will visit you at midnight and dance the macarena on your face.
If you pass it to 89 people your wish will come true.

Because I said so.

Tender Lumplings Everywhere, Wouldn't You Like To Have A Good Scare? - The Nightmare Before Christmas

2007-10-30T01:30:00.000+08:00

Happy Halloween!

It's my first Halloween in Vancouver and it's COLD. It actually hit 2 degrees celsius the other night when my brother came home from his work at dawn. Brrr. And sunrise is now at 8am. Sunset is at 6. It's a whole new world out here. But the days leading up to October 31st have been interesting, to say the least. Saturday night saw me on the skytrain with 4 transformers (and one of them was a very slutty bumblebee), 3 pirates in different states of undress, a couple of fairies, a few demons here and there, and of course, Zombies. I got off the train and on a bus, where i sat next to Kurt Cobain and the Paperbag Princess and across the aisle from a couple of Pierrots and Harlequins. Cute. Wish I had thought to dress up haha. Wait till next year.

Last week (as tobie and some of my officemates know) saw me feeling a lump on my head that had suddenly gone tender and swollen to the size of a pea. It actually hurt when i moved my eyebrows and the whole right side of my head had gone sore. I went to the doctor, a nice chinese man named Dr. Yong who greeted me in chinese then switched to pretty good Tagalog. (He was married to the Filipina receptionist.) Thankfully, it's only an infected cyst and he put me on 30 pcs of antibiotics.
I got a pleasant surprise when i did not have to pay the doctor, because of my Care Card. Whee! Also, when I went to the pharmacy next door, they gave me a 25% discount because I was under 16 (!) haha. I love it. People keep asking me what high school i go to.

And now I am sneaking off from work to blog. Happy Halloween! (And i love you so much tobie!)

PEOPLE IN NEW YORK: haha drop by if you've got the time

2007-10-22T04:04:00.000+08:00

One of my photos is going to be displayed in the NYIP Focus: Photograph Your Hometown International Photo Contest Exhibition.
The Exhibition will be held at the New York Headquarters of Credit Suisse, located at 11 Madison Avenue, owned by The Sapir Organization. The exhibition will up starting Monday, October 22^nd and run through Friday, November 2^nd.

Do drop by if you're in town. And thanks, guys, for voting. I really do appreciate it.

Happy 20 Months Baby!

2007-10-16T10:09:00.000+08:00

With thanks to the Tasty Mr. Blanco and Rivermaya for giving me the words.

EVERYONE sing along!

This song is dedicated to my Tobie on our 20th Monthday.

Put your heart in my hands, you'll be safe here. Thanks, baby.

One Blog for Burma

2007-10-03T13:10:00.000+08:00

Burning Burma

2007-09-29T16:10:00.000+08:00

I have followed the developments in Myanmar over the past few days with mounting horror, like the rest of the world.

It is deplorable to shoot into an unarmed crowd during a peaceful rally hosted by Buddhist Monks. It is more disgusting that the military comes in the dead of the night to raid TEMPLES and homes, killing indiscriminately. Cowards. They don't even care if they hit non-citizens, not that that's an improvement. They killed a Japanese journalist who died with his camera in his hand. They shot at a Singaporean on his way to work with his wife, for no reason. They bashed the brains out of a young boy with iron tubes just because he was there, then they dragged his body away, leaving his brain in a canal.

There are no words to describe an evil such as this. None.

Now the Myanmar government has cut off all communication means, including the internet, the telecoms, and the media.

These are the realities that remind me of the tales my father used to tell me of Martial Law in Manila. This is a semi-communist government in almost-total control. The fear of being caught and dragged into the night, never to be heard from again. The endless rallies, protests, futile fists raised against machine guns. The religious leaders that were lost in the endless night and the families huddled in their homes, waiting for dawn to come, for day to break so they can pretend to lead normal lives, dreading the coming darkness. But we never had to face this degree of bloodshed.

I suppose this affects me especially since I went to UP, I was at Edsa I and I know how good it is when peaceful civil disobedience works. But then in my country it's an annual event, civil disobedience. And the apathy has set in. In Myanmar I can see how the world can change. All that blood will wake the world, as bloodshed usually does. And I am afraid of the slow awakening; perhaps when our vaunted leaders finally stir from their hallowed halls, it is to find a world changed. I hope it is an Angry World they wake up to. We need to be angry. SOMETHING HAS GOT TO HAPPEN.

I can only think of the irony. If Myanmar had oil deposits, you can bet your ass the US would be there invading- excuse me, LIBERATING them faster than the first bullet would be fired. Iraq was a weak excuse (all together now: Weapons of mass destruction) and still they're there, fighting to save the pride of a president who says "Childrens can learn." And this, this real evil, this real terror is going on, and all he can do is mutter and fidget vaguely. Where is the UN? Where are the organizations that we formed specifically to deal with events like this?

I don't know. I want to do more, but apparently the most i can do is blog. If you guys have any suggestions, please let me know. I will not stand by and let this happen. Just please let me know how to change it. Let's do something. Anything.

To see images and stories as they happen, you can look at the following blogs of brave citizens of Myanmar who are doing their best to get the word out:

Blog of Nyein Chan Yar

Ko Htike's Prosaic Collection

Justice and Injustice

Help Burma Now

Burma-Myanmar Genocide

http://mmedwatch.blogspot.com/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/naingankyatha/

To follow the news stories from the world media:

http://burmanews.cbox.ws

http://www.fileden.com/files/2006/12/14/510728/jpjorlst.wmv

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/302726/1/.html

http://www.newsdeskspecial.co.uk/burma/

And other related articles too from concerned people:

Empowering Myanmar, one Blog at a time

Odds and Ends

2007-09-18T10:14:00.001+08:00

And in other news. I'm in the church choir! Take that, Chico from 5 years ago who said I was the worst singer he had ever heard (and he was courting me at the time, hahaha) I'll be singing every sunday at the 7pm mass. woohoo. God help us.

We are currently enjoying the last flowers of summer. Saturday bitch-slapped us with fog, dark skies and really icy temperatures. The locals (which we aren't part of yet) heaved a collective sigh and broke out the autumn wear. We are still figuring out what thermal underwear is. (My mom, who hates kneesocks, is in denial.) The nights begin now at 7pm, as opposed to the 11pm sunsets we had to adjust to when we first got here. The air is chillier too. Last week a regular day would be 24-32 degrees celsius. Now it's 15 degrees with the sun out. BRRRR. When we got here 4 months ago it was on the tail end of a very long winterrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr. In these 4 months we saw springsummerfall. We're looking at winter again. I miss Manila. I need a Tobie to keep me warm. Mishyu baby!

AND The End of The Wheel Of Time

(Warning: WOT Fans, I really have nothing against you so please do not flame me. I respect your right to like WOT so please respect my right to express my opinions.)

Robert Jordan is dead at age 58. Without finishing the painfully long Wheel of Time saga. May he rest in peace.

Poor WOT Fans. I never did see the point, though I suffered through books 1-11 and then plodded through the prequel. Seriously. It was, in my opinion, torturously detailed, and I think whenever R.J. had to write a female character, he would head for the nearest adult bookstore and "research" there. There was simply not enough personality for me to tell the difference betweene Elayne and Aviendha. There was the endless dice rolling in Mat's head. That would have worked in 2 books consecutively, but not eight. I mean, when the three women agreed to share Rand Al'Thor, I knew. This was a book that fed the fantasies of prepubescent boys.

We waited 11 books! ELEVEN. We staggered through eleven books of about nine hundred pages each, through inane conversations and repeating situations and weak characters, to get to the final battle that apparently isn't coming. BECAUSE INSTEAD OF FINISHING THE SERIES OFF, HE WROTE A PREQUEL. I find that hilarious, and I can imagine all over the world weepy fans are lighting candles to the great memory of Robert Jordan. Yes, he could write. And write and write. And write. And now he won't.

Yes. I don't get it. I probably totally missed the point of the series. But I read every last book to try to get to the point that probably isn't coming.

I respect that this guy wrote at least 12 novels. It really is DIFFICULT to publish one, much less a dozen, but when you think about it, it really is only ONE giant painstakingly written, much more painful to read story. Now that's an achievement. And to get millions to buy it, that's even more of an achievement.

Hey. I didn't like it.

Our new place!

An exhausted panda (surrounded by her pooped family) after a long hard day of moving.

New Machang Pic

2007-09-08T15:27:00.000+08:00

Here is the baby we left behind in Manila. He's so big na, Tob! My dad just took this pic. Awwww. (He's not my baby by the way. See earlier pics.) Waaah, I miss him so much. Let's adopt him na pls.

Unbelievable.

2007-09-07T11:40:00.000+08:00

This month's cellphone bill just hit $680. WTF. And no, i didn't call anyone. Only one or two text messages and a couple of picture mms. So apparently, my phone is possessed. It surfs the internet when i'm not looking. Apparently.

My plan with the Fido network specifically says that my first three months are free. I just got my phone at the end of june so it's only been two months. My contract locks me in with them for three years. Three frigging years. Even Globe and Smart lock us in for only 2 years, and with much better units. I am stuck with a crappy Nokia 6300 and nothing to do on it. They don't even sell accessories here. Incidentally, I bought this phone for $100. Well. Poop.

The bill for August came and my due balance was $125. I went to the Fido shop, stood in line for about 30 minutes (not much difference there, I think, from the Globe Hubs) and then when I got to the counter, the guy said they could take my money but they didn't know my balance. He then asked me to call their customer service, ON MY PHONE. So I waited another 30 minutes to finally connect to an agent only to be told to wait another 3 minutes. When I finally did get to talk to her she explained to me that my due balance was $680. I felt the blood actually drain from myface. It's a HUGE jump from $125 to $680. I asked her to explain and she said about $500 of that was on internet charges.

I paid off the first $200, since that was all I had with me, but for the life of me I could not recall ever using the internet. Seriously. They're crazy. Then I remembered how my phone would automatically go to the internet key when you press any function key. One or two times I'd pull my cell out of my bag only to find that it was browsing a website. Sometimes the autolock function would not work. But that's $500 worth of accidents. WTF. Someone who worked in a cell store here told me wryly that they do it on purpose, these telecoms. Accidents are one of their biggest cash cows.

So it took me a month to pay it off (and am not yet done with it, it seems) and I am just so disgusted. So if you guys EVER go to Canada, stay from FIDO and the ROGERS network.

Vote For Me pls.

2007-08-30T14:30:00.000+08:00

Please vote for my pics at:

htt p://contests.fotki.com/nyip/petsandwildlife_sort1/vote/215030724.html
http://contests.fotki.com/nyip/localmusic_sort1/vote/215026957.html

please please please! Hugs.

Neil Gaiman and Me. Endless Love.

2007-08-29T11:04:00.001+08:00

Got this from Neil Gaiman's Journal. Siiiigh. But yeah. Tobie is still my sweetie. Haha.

EIGHTEEN MONTHS

2007-08-20T13:21:00.001+08:00

Two years ago (Aug. 15, 2005)...

The bibingka kept jumping off my fork as I sat with some guy I met online outside Starbucks ABS CBN. "Table manners." I kept reminding myself, trying to look poised and sophisticated, chasing the bibingka bits around with a plastic fork.
"The bibingka hates me." I finally announced. He flashed me his gummy grin, blinding me.

Present time...

Tobie : wow, it's thursday already. Aug. 16. Work is piling up.
Panda: er...
Tobie: And i told james it was August 14! Oh no!
Panda: Tob, it's August 15.
Tobie: You sure?
Panda: Yep.
Tobie: ok.
Panda: Oh. I forgot! It's AUGUST 15!
Tobie: Me too! Happy 18 months baby!

(not the exact words verbatim)

Hah. Who needs 18 months when we've got the rest of our lives? I love you baby! Happy 18 months. Don't blame the bibingka.

Things.

2007-08-20T13:11:00.000+08:00

* Each blogger must post these rules first.
* Each blogger starts with eight random facts/habits about themselves.
* Bloggers that are tagged need to write on their own blog about their eight things and post these rules.
* At the end of your blog, you need to choose eight people to get tagged and list their names.

tagged by : Jac

1.) When I was younger I used to think that the priest would mix toyo and vinegar during the offertory and dip the host in it during mass to add flavor.

2.) I hate idiots who choose to remain stupid and complain about it

3.) Tobie is the biggest person or influence in my life. Totally unexpected, having him like this, and being his, but i am humbled.

4.) Neil Gaiman is the second. Haha.

5.) I have been trying for the past 5 weeks to make Cathedral Windows (like the Jello cake of Goldilocks) that taste like my lola's. So far I've gotten the taste right, but the last attempt looked like tie-dye, before that like a collage, before that they all melted and mixed. Bleargh. Now waiting for the next batch to cool. Fingers crossed.

6.) I watch strangers on the train and try to imagine coming home to them as my family.

7.) My train music (on my MP3 player) is the KATAMARI on The Rocks theme.

8.) I believe in Karma. And everything that happens is a result of something you put into motion.

TAGGING:

the next 8 people to read this. Don't be shy. Wahahha.

Girly? NO! I am Manly.

2007-08-14T11:29:00.000+08:00

You Are 44% Girly

You're a little girly, a little boyish, and probably a whole lot indie.
You have your own unique style, and it pretty much defies gender lines.

How Girly Are You?

Secrets

2007-08-13T06:47:00.000+08:00

The Post Secret Mini Movie

for some reason it wouldn't load. But please, if you've got a couple of minutes, have a look. It just might save your life.

My Secret is this:

One day I'll be free and you won't be able to hurt mE ANYMORE.

Now Working

2007-08-12T03:15:00.001+08:00

My office building as seen from the 7-11 across the street. I'm an advertising assistant/ directory manager/ gopher for a mag called SharedVISION. Yay! The biggest difficulty for me adjusting was the 8:30 - 5:00 PM office hours, but so far I haven't been MAJORLY late, but then it's only been a week. Haha. I love love love my new office. I really do. I get to talk to people and doggies and eat fresh organic fruits and drink all the tea or coffee that I want. My office is across the BC Stadium and a block away from the Vancouver Public Library and 3 blocks away from the Stadium/Chinatown Skytrain Station. Wheee.

The 3 doggies of our office, from L- Gracie, Mr. Piddles and Brutus

I also love our washroom. It's so pretty. It's got those industrial-style windows overlooking the street and the huuuge lightbulbs. I accidentally broke the toilet the other day (well, I think it was me) by flushing down something that in hindsight maybe i shouldn't have. But no, it wasn't my poop that clogged it. I don't poop in the office. Wahaha.

And here is someone I stalked on the skytrain on the way home yesterday. Though tobie is way way way better than him. And knowing my luck he's probably 16 and/or gay. Hahaha. Having a cam phone is fun. Don't know why i waited so long. Ah, kasi walang pambili pala. hahaha. Pero Tobie pa rin ako. Definitely. Love you baby!

And. Remember how the rallies in manila are? Well, i've found out that they do rally here in Vancouver too! But only on game days of the local football team, the BC Lions. They do take their sports seriously here. The buses actually drive around flashing "Go! Lions!" and about two weeks before the season starts they start putting up orange posters. They closed down my office street for about 6 blocks and it was just full of orange-shirted people. While I was walking to the Skytrain I noticed that there were maybe two of us pedestrians walking away from the Stadium direction and 50 people across the street headed our way, faces painted in black and orange with Lion stuffed toys and foam hands. Scary.

So it's my first work weekend and i intend to laze around for a day and then watch stardust tomorrow. Missing my baby terribly (he was sick this week too!) and I hope i see him soon. Cheers! Panda out.

Mixed Pics

2007-08-02T04:22:00.000+08:00

Quote of the Day

2007-07-25T09:21:00.000+08:00

Rob: It's Unisex! Sex with Unicorns!

Got this useful tip from creative bits.com

2007-07-22T06:35:00.000+08:00

source: http://creativebits.org/how_to_make_a_new_shapes

TODAY is a milestone day!

2007-07-21T11:27:00.001+08:00

I just got asked to come in for training on monday for Shared Vision! Yay yay yay. *happy panda squeal.

Plus! I heard from Vik Penaflor today after 3 years. Wahaw. He's in Toronto. Wahahha. It brings back memories. Plus he's got a gf now, which answers a question I always wanted to ask but never did. Haha. Great to hear from you again, dude!

Plus. ALASKA won. I'm just as shocked as you are. In a good way. Haha.

Lubbyah tobeh!

Hahaha, Tobie O!

2007-07-20T12:34:00.000+08:00

Bull's Eye!

2007-07-19T01:26:00.000+08:00

You scored as English/Journalism/Comm, You should

strongly consider majoring (or minoring) in Communication,

English, Film, Journalism, Literature, or Writing.

It is possible that the best major for you is your 2nd, 3rd,

or even 5th listed category, so be sure to consider

ALL majors in your OTHER high scoring categories

(below). You may score high in a category you

didnt think you would--it is possible that a great major

for you is something you once dismissed as not for you.

The right major for you will be something 1) you love

and enjoy and 2) are really great at it.

Consider adding a minor or double majoring to make

yourself standout and to combine your interests.

Psychology/Sociology

100%

History/Anthropology/LiberalArts

100%

English/Journalism/Comm

100%

HR/BusinessManagement

88%

French/Spanish/OtherLanguage

88%

Education/Counseling

81%

PoliticalScience/Philosophy

81%

Visual&PerformingArts

81%

Religion/Theology

75%

Physics/Engineering/Computer

69%

Biology/Chemistry/Geology

63%

Accounting/Finance/Marketing

44%

Nursing/AthleticTraining/Health

44%

Mathematics/Statistics

WHAT MAJOR IS RIGHT FOR YOU?
created with QuizFarm.com

I love Photoshop.

2007-07-18T16:16:00.000+08:00

The Amazing Bouncing Ferret?

2007-07-13T15:37:00.000+08:00

Mina Beltran Mallare February 11 1916- July 12 2007

2007-07-13T04:16:00.000+08:00

It is with great sadness that I am announcing the passing of my maternal grandmother, Severina "Mina" Beltran Mallare, from a blood clot in her brain.

She is survived by her ten children and legions of grandchildren and great grandchildren.

She was 91, and if anyone lived life to the fullest, it was Nanay.

Up until last year, she would supervise the planting of the rice fields and harvest rice enough to sell and to feed her family. Stubbornly independent, and a loving mother and grandmother, Nanay lived through the wartime and afterwards, a remnant of a different generation. Growing up, she doted on all of us but she was STRONG.

She loved tagalog telenovelas, Loren Legarda (it boggles the mind) and KFC chicken and pan de sal from Pan de Manila.
The past year must have been hell on her, with her stroke leaving her mute and paralyzed, and a glaucoma leaving her blind.

I'm happy she's free now.

Rest in peace, Nanay. Say hi to Tatay for me.

Ana Escalante Neri 1978-2007

2007-07-11T12:25:00.000+08:00

29.
Floyd tells me he heard she hanged herself, had multiple heart attacks, and then expired on the way to the hospital.
29 years old, a writer for Sunstar Daily.
Patay na si Ana, Floyd YMd me.
Who? I thought, Ana's a pretty common name.
And then I went to her multiply site. It said, pretty aptly, The road has forked, and this site is now closed.
Funny how after people die, they suddenly become interesting. Painfully interesting. Especially if they die young.
Only the good die young, my dad once told me.

Rest in peace.

My Class at ISS

2007-07-05T22:24:00.000+08:00

Looking oh-so-business-ready, Ladies and Gentlemen, my class at ISS. Top row from left is Leonard, he's a great Med Tech, followed by Shane, an award-winning manager, Toon who has great people skills and wants to work in a Casino, and finally, Dennis the instrumentations engineer. Bottom row from the left is Rosy, an up and coming designer, Freda our lovely teacher, Primrose, a very talented Medical Technician too, and Me, a panda in blue. HIRE US! NOW!

More Pics

2007-07-03T11:17:00.000+08:00

More Pandas

2007-06-30T17:23:00.000+08:00

All taken from www.pandafix.com