All Smiles

I WAS ALL SMILES.

Even though you took away my world, my life - I've never felt hatred towards you... until that night...

...that moment, the first and only time we met, by accident. Remember that night, dear? From afar, I could see that you even tried to avoid me by attempting to hide but you knew it was already too late for that, LOL! Still, I managed to smile at you... I even reached out to shake your hand... and I even wished the two of you well. Those things I did were genuine even though I was being overwhelmed by the awkwardness of the situation. It all happened so quickly... but before we turned our backs on each other, I felt the need to look at your face, into your eyes one last time as I embraced my defeat... hoping to see even just the slightest trace of guilt, of shame... Then I had goosebumps... because there was none.

Right then and there, I saw your cold, empty eyes. Your stale face revealed the real you. And that made me realize that you don't really give a damn about me and my feelings... and you don't feel sorry about ruining my family. Your eyes showed me a glimpse of your ugly soul. It's such a shame he didn't see your true self sooner. For sure he wouldn't have sacrificed our family if he did. As we parted ways, I felt very disgusted, and that's when my hatred for you was born.

I went home that night with mixed emotions and a grin on my face knowing that even if I don't do anything to sabotage you, sooner or later I shall have again what you once took from me. For months, I waited patiently in hell. Alone.. and in pain.. but I kept my silence. I tried hard to keep things to myself. But just because I was quiet doesn't mean I've forgiven you. Besides, not even once did you ever apologize to me anyway, right? And why would you? I'm guessing you have a firm belief that you've never done me wrong.

One thing only a few know about me is that I have a vindictive soul. But they also know that I have a lazy body to go with it, haha! So aren't you just lucky that although I know your workplace and where you live, I never showed up to confront you even if I could? You know that, right?

After sooo long, because I'm such a nice person, all I ever did was describe you accurately and create a hashtag that's dedicated to you, HEHE! In reality, I was indeed taunting you and dissing you. I know it was an intellectually shallow form of revenge, but I chose to do that to match your level of understanding... just to make sure you get it.. and I was successful wasn't I? You ended up getting offended by that and I expected you to at least show me what you got. Instead, you started portraying the role of a helpless cyber-bullied victim.

In return, others reacted and started attacking me in defense of you. I was confused at first because as far as I know, it was you who cheated on your boyfriend, had an affair with my live-in partner which resulted to wrecking my family, and then cheating on him again to be with your EX... but somehow I was the one tagged as the bad guy?! Because of what? For calling you names? Wow. Such hypocrites. Come on! Like they've never insulted anyone in their entire lifetime? Their timelines were often filled with prayers, bible verses and they religiously post inspirational quotes that somehow constantly contradict themselves. Moreover, dig deeper into each comments section and you will also see them bashing/insulting others and gossiping about unnamed individuals. They were quick to point out how evil I am for dissing you but don't they know that gossiping is also a major sin? Still, it really amazes me that I keep finding their noses on my business.

But what surprised me was the fact that half of these people had nothing good to say regarding you before. You should hear the negative stuff they had to say about you and the worst adjectives they used to describe you. Ewww, it kinda makes me sick that they could say all those things behind your back yet they're now hanging out with you! Are they suffering from amnesia or something? On the other hand, the remaining half of these hypocrites are somewhat entertaining because they are more aggressive in sharing their opinions about me even though they don't know me at all! And why the hell are they so affected? It wasn't them I attacked... I never did them wrong and I don't give a shit about them because I actually don't know them. So... why are they the ones reacting in the most violent way? Haha!

Well, here's my message to you all: If you all think I'm a bitch and all of you are perfect then congratulations to you all for being so self-righteous! Why don't you try to open your fucking minds so you may realize that I am not you and you are not me which means my life is not your life therefore you should stay out of my business as I stay out of yours. If you still don't get this then let me take you back to where this all started - a ruined relationship because of a third party. In other words, the issue here involves only three people: the couple and the third party. If you're not one of those three people then better shut the hell up because you don't know the entire story. If you think I'm just bitter and couldn't move on, why is that affecting you so much? How is that your problem? Your opinions are definitely unnecessary. Go fuck yourselves instead. And oh, try to avoid exposing yourself to so much heat or sunshine because you'll end up melting and we all know that burnt plastic stinks!

Make sense, right?

Presently, I'm happy everything's working out pretty well for me: a complete family, an improved hubby, a better home, and a new working environment. Contrary to what others believe and insist, it is possible to be genuinely happy even if there's someone you hate at the back of your head.

I'M ALL SMILES.        

Misery Business

I'm in the business of misery, let's take it from the top
She's got a body like an hourglass that's ticking like a clock
It's a matter of time before we all run out
When I thought he was mine, she caught him by the mouth

I waited eight long months
She finally set him free
I told him I couldn't lie, he was the only one for me
Two weeks and we had caught on fire
She's got it out for me, but I wear the biggest smile

Whoa, well I never meant to brag
But I've gotten what I wanted now
Whoa, it was never my intention to brag
To steal it all away from you now
But God does it feel so good
'Cause I got him where I want him now
And if you could then you know you would
'Cause God it just feels so
It just feels so good

Second chances they don't ever matter, people never change
Once a whore, you're nothing more, I'm sorry that'll never change
And about forgiveness, we're both supposed to have exchanged
I'm sorry honey, I passed out, now look this way

Well there's a million other girls who do it just like you
Looking as innocent as possible to get to who
They want and what they like, it's easy if you do it right
Well I refuse, I refuse, I refuse!

I watched his wildest dreams come true
Not one of them involving you
Just watch my wildest dreams come true
Not one of them involving !!!

*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*

YEP! Lyrics above to Paramore's popular song. Misery Business is the lead single from their second studio album, Riot! (2007).

A few months back, I've been through a lot of hell. All because some ugly slut stole my Bry away and broke our family. Ashlee was devastated. I was so stressed out and depressed. No words could explain the pain I went through, how hurt I was. I nearly lost my mind. Worst, I felt like it's my fault. My mental and physical health deteriorated. I was bitter. Very bitter. I was so open about it on Facebook.

But I didn't give up. I fought. Hard. I've tried everything to be able to let go. Soon I was so good at pretending to be happy being single. Sooo good that some people actually believed I was okay. Damn. At that time I felt like I deserved a best actress award or something. But 'behind the scene', I was still very broken. I became best friends with alcohol. I even started dating several guys (and girls) at the same time to forget. Did it work? NO. Caused me more harm instead.

During that period, there was just one thing I hated more than that manipulative nymphomaniac... it was 'time'. I tried to kill time but it was killing me instead. Hours felt like days. Days felt like months. Months felt like years. But while it was being my worst enemy, I realized it was also what I needed to move on. Time does heal. I slowly realized no one else can help me but me and that is why I have to love myself more. And that I did. And I think I've become a better person. My attitude improved. Even my looks improved. Suddenly I didn't care much about him and her anymore. I was starting to be okay.

Although I've changed and was finally able to move on from the circumstances, there was one thing that didn't change and I was so ashamed about it. My feelings for him - he still holds my heart. I hated what he did to me: the betrayal, the lying, the cheating. But I still love him and I was too embarrassed to admit it even to my closest friends and relatives. They would ask me these questions: "Do you still love him?" or "What if they break up and he returns to you, will you accept him again and get back together?" I was always quick to answer with a strong "HELL NO!" or "NO FUCKING WAY!" because I wanna show everyone that I'm stronger. And I would feel bad about it because I know I wasn't being true to myself. Because it's him I still want. It's him I still need. He's still the one I wanna spend the rest of my life with. But nobody saw that because then again I was sooo good at pretending that I don't give a damn about him. Besides, I was getting used to him being gone and I'm getting quite comfortable being single. Like I said, I was starting to be okay.

Anyway, just as most people expected, their relationship didn't last. And just as most people expected, he wanted me back. So, how did I feel about that? Honestly, although I knew that eventually they'd break up, I was quite shocked that it happened too soon. When he told me about it and expressed his desires of getting back with me and starting over again, I had mixed emotions and didn't know how to respond. All of the pain came back. I felt angry and I initially thought of getting revenge and making him suffer. But I realized karma already did its job. And I am afraid of karma myself. Still I feel that the pain and suffering he went through with her IS NOTHING compared to the pain he had caused me. But I knew I was just wasting so much time and energy asking him why he chose to break my heart because I realized that no matter how hard I'd try to listen to him and even though I feel his sincerity, no reason will ever be acceptable. His reasons will never give me peace of mind. But I wanted to have a second chance with him so I had to let my heart take over. After all, the heart wants what it wants. I'm sure many people won't understand my decision.

Okay... so we're now celebrating our first 'monthsary' after getting back together (yes, we reconciled on Valentine's Day! cheesy huh!). The days went by too fast. We've already had major fights in such a short time but we've both matured and grown emotionally so this time we were always quick to make up. At the end of the day, we're still there for each other.

So, why do I have lyrics of 'Misery Business' on this blog entry? Well, because I can somehow relate to some of the lines. I'd like to utter the lyrics (those bold, underlined words) to that slut's face if given the opportunity. LOL. Because that's exactly how I feel. Those lyrics strongly suggest that I don't feel sorry for her and that the glory of getting Bry back is precedence over any shame or guilt. Having said that, soon we'll let important people in our lives know about our status. Slowly. Because we think they haven't moved on. In their eyes, Bry is still an antagonist in this story. We can't blame them though. We've exposed too much dirty laundry on Facebook during our entire ordeal. And we've both learned from that. We've both already caused too much damage on our reputation because of oversharing. Never again. This time we're going low profile, haha! It's more peaceful when less people know about things that really matter. Especially, it's easier to mend misunderstandings. Things don't get too complicated. But I know friends will soon find out. And for sure they won't be happy about it. I'm expecting violent reactions from them, haha! If they ask me 'why?' My answer would be simple: I chose to take him back because of all that he did right for the first three years of our relationship, rather than pushing him away for good just for the few things he did wrong last year.

So there. I got him where I want him now. ;)

Don't Fall In Love With Me....

“Do not fall in love with people like me. I will take you to museums, and parks, and monuments, and kiss you in every beautiful place, so that you can never go back to them without tasting me like blood in your mouth. I will destroy you in the most beautiful way possible. And when I leave you will finally understand, why storms are named after people.” 

―Caitlyn Siehl, Literary Sexts: A Collection of Short & Sexy Love Poems

My Depression Test Results

Major Depression: High
Dysthymia: Slight
Bipolar Disorder: Moderate
Cyclothymia: High
Seasonal Affective Disorder: Very High
Postpartum Depression: N/A
http://www.depressedtest.com/

Shoichi Kondoh

With this blog entry, I wish to convey, on behalf of the Filipinos worldwide, our gratitude from the bottom of our hearts to all people from around the world and their countries who unselfishly poured their support to the victims and survivors of Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan). We will always remember.

One of the most powerful storms on record, Yolanda claimed nearly 6,000 lives and destroyed many cities in the Visayas region of the Philippines. During the wake of the tragedy, the country has received an outpouring of international support. In fact, it was very clear and widely known that the entire world scrambled to help.

Personally though, there's this individual I will never forget... a 6-year-old Japanese kid named Shoichi Kondoh. A week after the storm hit the Philippines, this boy went to the Philippine Embassy in Tokyo and gave away his piggy bank savings of 5,000 Japanese Yen (almost 2,200 Pesos) when he found out about our country's predicament on television. When I first read about this, my heart melted.

Shoichi, accompanied by his mother Miho, making his donation at the embassy (Photo by:  R.Gavino from http://tokyo.philembassy.net)

Because one kind deed deserves another, a group of Filipinos here and abroad came up with the idea of sending this boy a humble present that would be sent anonymously to remind him of the people he had helped and would give an impression that it came from the Filipino people in general. So a month later, the Philippine embassy was able to find Shoichi and handed him the package: a nicely-wrapped present, the size of a shoe box, containing four small jeepney toys and an “I LOVE PH” shirt.

Now, just look at that bright smile on his face after receiving his surprise!

(Photo from the Philippine embassy in Tokyo)

Kudos to that anonymous group!

In my opinion, his parents deserve gifts too for raising him so well! :)

Introducing... MOLEE

Our Molee is the biggest of our three cats.

On his first day with us, he was the most elusive of the three. He immediately ran and hid under a pile of old pillows as soon as we opened the basket (that carried them) when we got home. We couldn't coax him to come out of there and play. He just stayed there for hours. He was kinda aloof for a couple more weeks and would often be hiding most of the time under the bench, under the bed, under the stove rack, and even under the sink. But when he finally started getting used to the people living in the house, he was more visible. Actually, he became the MOST visible.

(Hiding under the stack of pillows on the first day...)






If you look at Molee's head, you will notice the proportioned fur markings on his whole face. I love that perfect black triangle mark that covered his entire nose. It makes his nose appear really big and I would tease Bry that Molee is a cat version of him, haha! He also has facial markings that made him look like he has a little mustache and a goatee! And these make him seem like a mean looking cat! He's got black tail (which is somewhat crooked), his ears are black and the back of his four legs are all black as well! His paw pads are dark brown.
Though he is the biggest, he has the tiniest, highest pitched 'meow' of them all. It's really weird and we find it funny because it seems that the sound does not come from him at all! LOL

Molee is the most disciplined. We can actually prepare our meal and eat without fear of our food getting snatched or stolen by him. While we're eating, he would just sit quietly close by without demanding to be fed. He also rarely climbs up fixtures and very seldom do I see him scratching on furniture.

I consider Molee my bed buddy. He would jump up the bed and sit or lay beside me while I'm reading a book/magazine or playing games on my iPod Touch and would even take a nap sometimes. There were also instances wherein I would wake up and find him sleeping in between Bry and me on the bed, haha! And I love that he doesn't mind or walk out on us when we pet/stroke/hug him while he sits and rest. He's the most huggable, probably because the other two are much skinnier and smaller than him. 

When Bry's at home on his rest days, Molee would be following him around the house. Wether he's in the kitchen, doing laundry, or using the toilet, Molee tags along.

We had to buy Molee a collar twice! The first one we got him is  maroon/black/white but the buckle got broken so we bought him a new one which is green.

Bored in their cage...

While Molee seems to be the sweetest angel, he really is NOT! Usually when not much people are around, I would catch him pestering the other two. He would often attack and bite Kelee on her back and pounce on Tuxedo who is just usually sitting by himself and minding his own business. He would also be the one who usually rings the others into an enormous burst of energy and all three of them would be running like crazy, sprinting from one end of the house to the other. And they would do this mostly at night which is not good because they'd be running all over sleeping people and Bry's parents would get awaken and be so pissed! Hehe.

Yes, he could be naughty sometimes but he is never antagonizing. He was never greedy when it comes to food and space (his other siblings would be sleeping outstretched in the cage and he'd just be in one corner sleeping in the most awkward position). He is an ideal big brother- so generous!

But Molee's got this really weird habit... whenever I use the bathroom in the evening before going to work, he would try to get in the shower curtain and if I drive him away, he'll climb up the beams so he can see what I'm doing in there!!! He watches me while I do bathroom business! Look at these pics...

It is also strange that he likes sleeping in buckets...

And just like any other cat, he likes to go inside huge bags and hang out in boxes...

Meow :3

Our Furry Babies

Four months ago (June), Bry and I adopted three kittens. They were only three months old then.

This was the basket we used when we picked them up from the original owner:

People who know me too well asked me, "WHY CATS? YOU HATE CATS!"

Well, why not? I DO NOT hate cats. It's just that I grew up with dogs around the house all the time (my dad's a vet) so I've spent most of my life having hands-on experience with dogs. There was no way we could take care of cats back then because my grandmother is a dog lover and she believes that cats and dogs do not get along. I grew up believing that too. Looking back, I used to think that cats are evil and manipulative, LOL. I don't remember exactly what made me thought of them that way. I used to bring home assorted animals (e.g. kittens, bugs/insects, birds, bats, worms, etc.) all the time and my grandmother would go ballistic! I guess the incident that made me less amorous towards cats was when I snuck in a stray kitty so I could give it some milk and food (I was 16 years old that time). It looked so hungry, harmless and helpless that my heart broke. I even thought of keeping it in my room and caring for it secretly but had second thoughts because I didn't wanna get into trouble. After feeding it, I went to check if the coast was clear so I can go release it back outside. After just less than a minute, I heard utensils falling off the dining table. I ran to check and I found it on the table dragging away a huge chunk of beefsteak that my grandmother cooked for dinner. I hurriedly went closer to grab it off the table and it scratched my arm while struggling vigorously. "You ungrateful animal!", I yelled as it rushed through the open door. I was no longer very fond of cats after that...

...until I started going out with Bry two years ago. He would often tell me stories about the three generations of cats that his family had taken care of. And being a good storyteller that he is, I was always entertained and amazed by what cats could do. To make the story short, Bry made me realize how awesome cats actually are! So when this rare opportunity came to have crossbred cats for free (the father's a Siamese cat and the mother's a pusspin), I did not have second thoughts! I contacted the owner right away and arranged for the pick up of the kittens. And the rest is history!

So here are our cute furry babies, now 7 months old... 

From left to right: KELEE, TUXEDO, and MOLEE

28th

(Deep breath...) Oh-kay. I really don't know how to start this one... but I really want to apologize first (to my imaginary readers! hehe) for not being consistent and not being able to update my blogs (I have two) often. I know I've promise a gazillion times that I will frequently write but I just couldn't find time and inspiration.

Time- I have found this a couple of weeks ago, actually, when I lost two other jobs. But time alone isn't much of a help without inspiration. That's just me maybe, I don't know about you guys. Having plenty of time but without inspiration, I'd just be procrastinating.

or maybe... yeah... I'm just downright LAZY! pffft!

So... here goes...

It's my 28th birthday (although the date here says Oct.22nd, western time zone I guess). Nothing special. No party or celebration whatsoever. But I do have plans to have dinner with a couple of friends this weekend. Just plain dinner at a resto. No drinking or partying or anything like that. I don't know why I feel this way, but I feel really old now.

I've been telling myself this for years and I will tell myself again: "Maeka, be more productive this year. The time is now to reach for your dreams." I'm taking bigger steps now. I hope it's not too late for me.

Actually, I couldn't ask for more this year. Our new house in Lancaster Estates was finally endorsed; I became a crazy cat lady (we adopted 3 kittens a few months ago); I got new eyeglasses (thank God! my old one lasted 3 years!); and I was interviewed by Marc Logan (although the supposed show never made it on TV, LOL!); etc...  It rained blessings! I really couldn't ask for more! Well maybe just a little more like being debt free...? >.<

Call me shallow, but I look forward to birthday greetings on my Facebook wall/timeline every year. A Japanese Facebook friend of mine greeted me as early as two days ago. One of my closest friends in high school greeted me yesterday. But today, on the day of my birthday, Bry greeted me first. I was just expecting a simple 'Happy Birthday' greeting from him on my timeline. I mean I just didn't expect him to exert more effort than that. But he surprised me.

I had two drops of tears ran down my cheeks... and I've never felt more loved, more blessed, more inspired!  My heart pounded as if wanting to get out of my body. It's true that love must be shown thru actions or deeds, but it suddenly struck me how important it is to hear (or read, in this case) sweet words from your loved-ones too. I just... MELTED!

Then I probed as to how he wrote such a beautiful message because I just wanted to make sure these words really came from his heart and not just copied anywhere! Haha! I know it sounds like I was underestimating him, but no. In the earlier stages of our relationship, we used to write each other love notes all the time so I know he has this talent to write stuff that would make girls fall head over heels. Then for no apparent reason, it abruptly stopped. Anyway, his birthday message kinda triggered me not only to revive our exchanging of love notes but also to blog today.

And I'm hoping it doesn't stop here. I'm inspired to write more! I'll definitely try to blog more tonight. :)

My Recent Trip

NO.

I don't mean 'trip' like a journey or excursion for pleasure but the other meaning of 'trip' which is to catch one's foot on something and stumble or fall.

That TRIP. >.<

On my way to work one evening last week, I was running a little late that's why I was kinda walking really fast from Shaw boulevard going to EDSA so I can get aboard a bus that will take me to Ayala. As I was approaching the loading zone (in front of Starmall), I failed to notice the elevated part of the sidewalk... so I tripped and went flying into the road. Then it was like that scene from 'The Girl Who Leapt Through Time' wherein I felt as if time slowed down. I was thinking that I was going to fall flat on my face and that a bus might run me over. To my surprise, I landed on both feet in a somewhat squatting position... Thank goodness there weren't any moving buses close by because it's a loading zone. Of course I still felt embarrassed but what the hell, I'm safe. Aboard a bus, I was analyzing what had just happened because I wasn't hurt (no scratches or whatsoever) and had somehow done an amazing leap like that... then I suddenly came to realize one thing...

I am indeed... A CAT!

My First Tattoo

After going to the Dutdutan Tattoo Convention last year with Bry, I promised myself to get inked before my 27th birthday. Promise---BROKEN. >.<

But this is one of the many crazy things I really wanna do in my existence ('Crazy' because I know most relatives of mine and some people close to me strongly disagree with it. And I think my Dad doesn't know yet but there's a 70% chance he will disown me once he finds out >.<). So I decided (yet again) to get it done this year, 5 months before my 28th birthday.

There were a few things I had to consider but unlike other first timers, pain is the least of my worries (I've already given birth for goodness sake!). The idea of  REGRET was what bothered me the most. I didn't wanna feel regretful so I was very careful in choosing the design and the part of my body to put it on. Doing research helped me a lot. Other than Bry, I even talked to some people who've already gone under the needle just to know what to expect at my first tattoo session. I went looking for a tattoo artist with a good reputation on the internet to make sure that I get the best experience and that I don't end up sick with blood borne diseases (e.g. tetanus, hepatitis B, hepatitis A, etc.) and skin infections (e.g. granuloma). Another thing I needed to consider was how much it would cost me. I was not willing to pay too much. Originally, I wasn't really planning on getting a big one right away so my budget for a 2x2 colored tattoo was 1,500Php. 

I also did some soul searching to come up with my own design 'coz I don't ever wanna see my tattoo design on another person's body that's why I made sure it will be unique. So here was my original 2x2 design...

 A cat paw print symbolizes my love for animals...  3 symbols on top (digital pads) are our zodiac signs, left to right: Sagittarius (Ash), Scorpio (me), Libra (Bry)... then below (metacarpal pad) is the Chinese character for Ox (1985- me and Bry's birthyear)...

On the night of May 22nd I was lucky enough to come across this page on Sulit.com.ph and I was impressed by the guy's work. Moreover, he had a promo going  on called 'May Madness' wherein he would only be charging 500Php for any tattoo design up to the size of 3x5 for his first 50 customers for the month of May. I contacted him the following morning and was easily able to get an appointment for me and Bry. By that time, I thought of changing my design because of the promo - I might as well get a bigger one. I started thinking about getting a 'dream catcher' instead. But then again, I didn't want my original design to go to waste. So I decided to put these two designs together and I came up with this final design: 

Bry acceded with my design and I with his. We had them printed and we were all set. Came the morning of May 25th. Bry and I both just finished work and we haven't had any sleep yet but we went straight to Mad Ink Tattoo Shop in Parang, Marikina for our 11AM appointment. I was having mixed emotions. It was like being excited and nervous at the same time. To get rid of that weird feeling, I had originally planned on getting myself drunk before the session but I found out just in time doing that would lead to excess bleeding during the process. So I just calmed myself down on the way there. The place was not difficult to find and the tattoo artist was very professional and accommodating (even served us ice cold Coca-Cola). 

Okay, I know you wanna see the pictures... Here they are:

Here's me before the session     ===========================>>>>>

ALL SMILES!

From Left to Right: 1) Mr.Rizaldy Panganiban, our tattoo artist, preparing; 2) my plain right upper arm; 3) moistening the area for pattern transfer; 4) pattern successfully transferred

Here's me after the session     ===========================>>>>>

Still... ALL SMILES!

Okay... Bryan's turn...

From Left to Right: 1) Mr.Rizaldy Panganiban, our tattoo artist, preparing; 2) pattern successfully transferred; 3) needles doing their job  

So there.

I just feel compelled to let you know one thing.... YES, IT DOES HURT during the first minute. After that your skin goes numb and you wouldn't really feel much. Did I bleed? Nope. Neither did Bry. I think that will depend on your tattoo artist. I love our overall experience with Mr.Rizaldy Panganiban. He works fast, very efficient and  I would not have second thoughts going back to him for a second tattoo ;)

Check some of his work on Facebook (click here). I highly recommend him. ^_^

Pizza-making with Ashlee Jade

Last weekend, we took Ashlee Jade to the ER because several red spots/rashes suddenly appeared throughout her body. The diagnosis: chicken pox... which meant missing school for an entire week (or two) and not being able to join the field trip tomorrow. :(

Some blisters visible on her face

Still, she managed to stay happy and preoccupied despite being stuck at home. Fortunately, she is one creative child and could keep herself busy the whole day. Last week, my mom's friend sent us one big box of goodies from California (filled with shoes, hair and skin care products, designer perfumes, clothes and a box of chocolates) and Ashlee begged my mom for the large box! She used some colored papers, glue, crayons, and markers to decorate her box (she said it's her house LOL!). A couple of days ago, she made me and Bryan heart-shaped cards. Earlier today, she turned one of her shoe boxes into a miniature bus for her barbie dolls . I also recently discovered a pencil case she had made some days before. Then my mom even brought her home a paper clay art kit this evening. So you could just imagine the big grin on my daughter's face when my mom handed her the kit (it's her first time to try it out).

Anyway, we're grateful that the medicine prescribed was really effective and those nasty liquid-filled blisters did not increase in numbers (not more than 15). Ashlee is so active, it's as if she's not sick at all!

Sick or not, she always deserves a cuddle

We found ourselves giving her more special attention and spending more time with her because of her condition. And when she announced that she wanted to make pizza (her favorite snack), my mom immediately got her everything she needed: cheese, tomato sauce, ham, mushrooms, a bag of little pizza crusts (little as in bite size), and pineapple tidbits. Ashlee then scheduled the activity on Monday (October 1st) for our afternoon snack.

We realized my mom bought the wrong kind of cheese (it won't melt) so Bryan ended up manually shredding the cheese by a fork while I cut the ham into strips and Ashlee did the rest. She first spread tomato sauce on each pizza crust... added the ham, then the mushrooms, then the pineapples... and she finally sprinkled shredded cheese on them.

 Ashlee decided to make just six because we were still too full from lunch and my mom left for a sudden appointment. She carefully placed them in the oven toaster.

After 10 minutes.... TADAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH! Mini Hawaiian pizzas!

Okay.. Yeah, I know... the cheese on top kinda got burnt... and Ashlee was slightly frustrated. It was my fault. She specifically instructed me to set the oven to 7 minutes and I didn't listen to her and I did ten... so.... BUT I assured her that it was MY fault and that she did a great job! And the smile was back on her face. :)

And we enjoyed the pizza... we didn't really notice the burnt cheese.. Or maybe we just ignored it!

YUM!!!

Maroon 5 Concert

It all started with this Tanduay Ice Red Mirage bottle...

I used it as props in a video entry I made for a Maroon 5 contest on RisingStars (an online videoke website) sponsored by Tanduay Ice. To make the story about the contest short, my entry won 2nd place which earned me two tickets to the Maroon 5 concert.

So to give you an idea... here's what I look like in the video =====================>>>>>>>>>

I look funny, I know! But I did it anyway...
'cos I really really wanna see Maroon 5... so... yeah... and if you wanna see the actual video, click here.

Okay, moving on...

Look at that monitor above us. It has the prices of the tickets... quite expensive... and they're SOLD OUT! So If I didn't win the contest, there's just no way we'd be able to see the concert.

The concert was on a Tuesday, a work day. So Bry and I had to miss work that night (our boss was really pissed! HAHA... and we just had a closed door meeting with him a few hours ago regarding that... but that's another story, and don't worry, we didn't lose our jobs! HEHE!) The concert starts at 8PM according to the promotional posters but we were told to be at the Araneta Coliseum by 5PM because we had to meet with the other winners, the people from Tanduay Ice Asia Brewery, and Ms. Denise (RisingStars admin) to claim our tickets. When we arrived at the meeting place, the line was already long but I easily spotted Sam Mangubat who won first place (check out his video entry here, he's on YouTube too!) so we chatted for almost about more than an hour until Ms.Denise arrived. And here's our group picture:

Holding on to the tickets!

But we still could not go inside the coliseum and we had to wait for the people from Tanduay Ice Asia Brewery (one of the major sponsors of the concert) because we need to go in at the same time with the other winners of their other promos. So while waiting for them, Ms.Denise treated us to a lovely dinner at Kangaroo Jack. By that time, Sam's companion, Jun, arrived (he's responsible for Sam's victory as he was the one who promoted his video everywhere!) We all had a plate of sizzling chicken barbecue (I burnt some of my taste buds because I was so eager to take a bite) and raspberry iced tea...

After dinner, we still had to wait for about half an hour before those people from Tanduay Ice Asia Brewery finally showed up together with the other winners of their other promos. Several more minutes and we all found ourselves making it to one of the gates of the coliseum. It was almost 9PM. We all decided to drain our bladders first before going inside the coliseum because we would not want to be missing any part of the show. Besides, it was going to be really difficult with the amount of people there.

Before the concert: 

Video here

Around past 9PM... Maroon 5 started performing!!!

LEFT: Spotlight on Adam / RIGHT: OMG! He's pointing right at me! LOL!

Videos here, here, and here

Okay, I know that the photos and videos above aren't that great. The camera was busted.. couldn't Zoom in. I don't know why they turned out as if we were too far because our spot was really nice and we could clearly see the stage and all the little movements that the members of the band were making.

Here's the setlist... The band played a total of 24 songs including intro/outro covers and medleys.

1. They started off with Payphone (no rap version). I really love this song. The entire crowd went wild and started singing with the band. It was difficult to hear Adam's voice. Yep, that's how loud we were!
2.  Makes Me Wonder; using Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough (Michael Jackson cover) as intro
3. Lucky Strike
4. Then came Sunday Morning and once again the crowd was singing along.
5. If I Never See Your Face Again (album version, minus Rihanna)
6. Wipe your Eyes
7. Won't Go Home Without You. I sooo love this song too! Everybody was singing.
8. Harder To Breathe; using Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites (Skrillex cover) as intro
9. Wake Up Call
10. One More Night
11. Hands All Over
12. Then comes my favorite Maroon 5 song, Misery (also the song I used in the contest). Halfway through the song, Adam introduced the band members. I think of all the people there excluding Adam, I SANG THE LOUDEST. I was literally shouting and I felt like my lungs were about to collapse! LOL. My throat is still so sore 'til now...
13. And another favorite of mine, This Love, was supposedly the last song. Adam decided to show off by doing a guitar solo of Don't Forget Me (Red Hot Chili Peppers cover) as outro

But of course WE WANTED MORE! So then came the encore...

14. Seven Nation Army (The White Stripes cover)
15. An accoustic performance of She Will Be Loved; Adam dedicating this to all the ladies in the house :)
16. Then Adam showed off again by rapping during Stereo Hearts (Gym Class Heroes cover)
17. Daylight
18. The band also played a medley of Don't You Want Me (The Human League cover) and Sexy Back (Justin Timberlake cover).
19. And to wrap up the show, they did Moves Like Jagger; using Gangnam Style (PSY cover) as intro... we actually thought that they were going to play the entire "Gangnam Song" or at least see them dance to it. We would have gone crazy because of excitement if they did!

So... there! WE HAD A GREAT TIME! It was my first time (as well as Bryan's) to watch a concert by an international artist. We will never forget this experience... Again, I just wanna mention that we're so grateful to RisingStars Philippines and Tanduay Ice.

Oh by the way, look at these cool photos... not edited! Just glow stick magic!

Looks like lightning/electricity (left); looks like butterflies (center); looks like musical notes (right)

RHEA

Guys, meet RHEA...

 

She is one of the Zoobles. Zoobles? Undeniably cute but... what are they?

***************************************

At my age, I'm still very fond of toys. For several years, I made attempts to collect a specific kind of toy... mostly little cute ones that aren't very expensive. I would start off by buying a couple. Then  I would buy a couple more on my next return to the toy store...  and... that's about it. It ends there. LOL! So I guess what I wanted to say is that I was always unsuccessful when it comes to collecting toys or just about anything... books, pens, stamps... Name it, I failed in it! Sad isn't it? I'm hopeless...

Anyway... this past weekend, my daughter showed me and Bry a brand new toy that my mom got her (my mom spoils her sooo much, I know! ). With it's size, at first we thought that it was just another Happy Meal toy... but she demonstrated what it can do... and we found it really cute!!! So I asked her what it is and she showed me the piece of carton that went with the toy... it says ZOOBLES: SPRING TO LIFE.

According to the official website Zoobles.com, Zoobles are collectable, colorful characters that 'pop' open when placed on their magnetized 'Happitat' (habitat). There are hundreds of Zoobles to collect from the nine Zoobles lands. So by using Rhea (Zoobles #352 from the land Jungleopolis), let me and Ashlee demonstrate how Zoobles "spring to life" (Bry took these photos using my Corby phone)...

So this first photo shows Rhea sleeping in her tree 'Happitat'

1. Remove sleeping Rhea from its tree 'Happitat'... 2. Put her on top of the tree (magnetized area)... 3. Watch her 'Spring to Life!'

Watch her curl back to sleep (into a ball) when you carefully push her head down...

 And you can even watch your Zooble dance by turning the wheel/knob found on the side of the happitat (actually attached to the magnet inside making the Zooble go in circles... thus, the dancing effect!)

I dunno really... but maybe I'm just really immature that's why I like this toy so much... HAHA! But since Ashlee, Bryan and my mom really like it as well, I am thinking of buying more. It's going to be like a family project... our family's collection!

The price is around 350 pesos each. Uh oh! For me, that's not really cheap... I guess we can't have all of 'em (there's like more than 300 of them, haha!) Let's all just see how far we can go with this. Stay tuned because when we get a new one, I'll be blogging about it of course!

My HAIR and I

For a very long time, this was what I used to look like...

...and now I'm totally missing my long straight locks.

When I broke up with my daughter's real father last year (May 16, 2011), I wanted so bad to cut my hair. I dunno why but many of us girls feel that way. It's as if a new hairstyle would give us a new life, a new beginning. It's like for us, we show the world that we have finally moved on when we sport a new look.

But for me, it was no drastic change. I took little baby steps. 

BANGS

It happened one night... I don't remember exactly what was going on inside my head. Maybe I was going crazy that time. I just suddenly had an idea to cut my own hair... to have BANGS! So I ended up looking like this:

So I was "BANGS GIRL" for a couple of months. Now, I can say (and I am sure) that it was that  hairstyle that suits me the best. But I didn't know that then. I continued experimenting. By that time I have quitted my job as an online English tutor and got hired by an international software company.

BOB

wearing a fedora hat with my bob

By the end of July last year, my  bangs have grown and I started going out with Bryan (my current boyfriend who I'm going to marry next year ^_^). To celebrate my new love life, I felt that it was time for another hairstyle. I decided to cut my own hair... again! It took me quite a couple of hours to decide how to cut my hair. But those nasty split ends helped me made up my mind. After a few snips of the scissors...BOOM! I had a BOB!

I thought I was happy with it... but no. It only took me less than a week to realize that. I wanted to cut my hair again... and that's when Bryan interfered. He advised me forced me to get a proper haircut from a professional hairstylist. He has some amazing convincing powers so I obliged. It was a weeknight and we had to go to work (we work for the same company) but I was having a hair emergency, HEHE! In just a couple of hours before our shift started, I found myself in a hair salon called Hairspray Spa and Salon inside our subdivision just near our home. So there was no turning back. I wanted my hair really short. I wanted to look like Halle Berry in that James Bond movie. And the hairstylist started doing his own magic! TADAAAAAAAAAH!

If I wasn't wearing a dress or girly clothes, I kinda looked like a boy. I even used the men's toilet a couple of times and got away with it. LOL!

I was truly grateful that Bryan had convinced me to go to the salon for that particular haircut. If it wasn't for him stopping me from cutting my own hair again, I would have gone bald! HAHA! I was loving my new look. I've always wanted to look boyish... and it finally happened that night so we decided to celebrate by drinking a few bottles of beer before heading to the office. I felt great working that night because of the tipsiness... just kidding! I meant I felt great because of the hair! LOL (but seriously, I really felt good while working that night and I strongly believe that it was because of the alcohol in my system. You oughtta try it too, just for the experience...HEHEHE).

I did enjoy my short hairdo for a few months... wash and wear! Works well for a lazy me. But of course hair is hair and it has to grow. Before I knew it, my hair was almost reaching my shoulders again and I started looking like this:

 

in the office with my newly dyed hair

A couple more months passed and I could finally tie my hair into a ponytail again. But I'm still pretty bored with it. So one fine Sunday, as my daughter and I were staying at Bryan's family's residence in Pureza for the weekend, I made up my mind to go on a trip to the nearest hair salon there - CUT Salon and Spa (Teresa - Stop and Shop branch). Their services are really affordable and got my hair dyed for only 290 pesos (that applies to any length) and I chose the color ash blonde. I even managed to convince Bryan to also have his hair dyed (he originally just wanted a haircut) and I chose the color copper brown for him. And because my daughter is too young to get her hair dyed, we just had her get hot oil treatment for her hair so she can join in the fun too! Now my hair looks like this:

Still I can't wait for my hair to grow longer. I wanted to have my long locks back. But I'm opting for the wavy look this time. Long hair can easily be styled. Here are some of the cool stuff I used to do with my long hair:

PIGTAILS (for sunny days), TIGHT BUN (for sports, physical activities), BOHEMIAN LOOK (for gigs and night outs)

wearing assorted hats (like caps, beanies, and cartoon character headgears) looks awesome with long hair

... and I'm really missing all of the above! Come on hair! You can grow faster than that! :P