RHEA

Guys, meet RHEA...

 

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

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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

Flooding in Metro Manila

It was like Ondoy was back.

On the morning of August 7th (Tuesday), Bryan and I left the office right after our shift ended. It was a rainy morning and at first everything seemed normal. But as we stood under one of the shelters in the loading zone waiting for a PVP bus, we were slowly realizing that something was wrong that day. We were wondering why Ayala Avenue wasn't crowded. It was like a Saturday morning on a weekday. Where are the people? Not many vehicles. No traffic. We waited for about half an hour... no PVP bus. So we decided not to wait any longer, just take a bus headed to Baclaran and get off on Taft Avenue where we can take another bus or jeepney that will take us to Santa Isabel College.

On the bus on our way to Taft Avenue, we were still speculating why we were only seeing a few people on a supposedly busy day in Makati. Then as our bus was traveling along Senator Gil Puyat Avenue, our speculations were confirmed. It was flooded and people were having a difficult time coming to work. We then remembered how it was raining so hard the night before until dawn. Bewildered, Bryan and I took some photos from inside the bus using my cellphone. Here are the pics: 

I had a feeling that Taft Avenue would not be different and I was right! We got there and it was barely passable. What to do? We need to get home. The rain was not stopping and there were signs that it would get heavier. We don't wanna be stranded there so we made a choice to take the LRT from there instead. So from LRT Buendia Station, we got off at Doroteo Jose Station where we took the link bridge to LRT Line-2 Recto Station. While walking the link bridge, Bryan took these photos:

From Recto Station, we got off at Pureza Station where we were caught off guard by the next scenario that greeted us: more flood and so many pedicab drivers shouting their lungs out. It was like they were having a yelling competition to get passengers and it was like people at the LRT station had a choice. Who would wanna get soaked in the deep, dirty, stinky waters? The pedicab drivers were our heroes at that moment. They charged us 100 pesos for the safe ride home... I guess they're not really heroes after all... LOL! Anyway, Bryan took this picture of Ramon Magsaysay Boulevard while we were in the pedicab:

When we got home, we found out on television that those flooded areas we've seen so far are sooo nothing compared to other places like Marikina, some parts of Quezon City and other nearby provinces (such as Rizal, Bulacan, Pampanga, and Pangasinan). We also learned that aside from classes, the government suspended work too (including private sectors) that day. It was also emphasized that employees can report their employers if forced to go to work. So we just stayed home the entire day and throughout the night watching rescue operations being done in many affected areas.

The following day (August 8th), it has not stopped raining and everything was quite the same on the news. However, it was announced that work has resumed. We also got a text message from our HR/Admin Officer that our boss was expecting everybody to report to work that night. Darn! So we prepared for work early to avoid hassle going to the office. But we were skeptical so we decided to find out first if the roads/streets that we were going to take were passable. We went outside and got our answers from the pedicab drivers so we decided not to go. Leaving and traveling in the evening were just too risky. However, knowing our boss, we needed evidence so Bryan took this picture outside their house: 

Then we sent a text message to our boss and HR/Admin about our dilemma and that we won't be able to come to work. And that day marked the first ever absence of Bryan since he started working for the company more than a year ago and my first absence this year (my only other absence was last year when I had a molar extracted). Anyway, earlier this week, we filed that day as a 'leave' so we still get to be paid.

I feel bad for all the other people who have lost their homes, vehicles and loved ones (including pets). Until now, a lot of schools haven't resume classes because they were turned into evacuation centers. It's just really sad that this had to happen. How many more Ondoy-like situations do we have to endure? No more, I hope.

I am Britney Spears, LOL

I am a Britney Spears wannabe... LOL! The thing is, I can sing her songs pretty well. Oh, you want proof?

Listen to me sing these Britney classics here:

Oops, I did it again...
Lucky
I'm not a girl, not yet a woman
(You drive me) Crazy

So, what do you think? :P

Cockroach Attacks

Last night, I was attacked by a cockroach... TWICE... in a span of less than ten minutes... while I was in bed sleeping. Dafuq! >.<

The second time I was alert enough to defend myself but the first one was quite traumatic... It crawled on my upper body and reached my neck.. my head.. my hair.. my face! So you could just imagine my boyfriend (Bryan) waking up to my screaming... I was screaming my guts out while vigorously shaking my body to rid the little monster off me. I calmed down when Bryan sent it away then I tried going back to sleep... but just a few minutes later, it was back on my side of the bed... and it scared the hell out of me again. I'm not sure if it was the same cockroach on the first and second attacks... but probably it was. Bryan drove it away for the second time, still unable to hit and kill it as he was still groggy. And knowing that it wasn't dead and might go for a third attack, I agreed to switch sides of the bed with him.

I don't understand why it was just me they attacked twice when my boyfriend was laying next to me on the bed. >.<

I have been attacked by cockroaches many times before, but last night was the first this year. I hate them because I'm afraid of them. Especially, the flying ones. If one of them flies to my direction, I swear, I'd pee my pants! Maybe they can sense my fear... that's why they're bullying me, I guess? WTH! I just want them to leave me alone.

When we finally got up to get ready for work, I noticed a dead cockroach just a few steps away from the bed. Could it be the one who attacked me? But how did it die? Could it be that Bryan did hit it but was just too groggy to notice? But if it wasn't Bryan, maybe it was nature who found a way to avenge me. LOL.

Anyway, here's a trivia... Did you know that there are sixteen notable species of cockroaches? Yep. And I'm hoping they all go extinct! Or at least the specie that attacked me. >.<

I found these on Google images:

Seriously??! How can they make such a disgusting insect this cute?? And why? >.<

Now, here's more I like it:

 TADAAAAAAAH! hehehe...

The Hunger Games

Yes, people. I have finally seen it. Yesterday. On DVD... Erm, PIRATED DVD. Hahaha! Well that's because I missed it in the cinemas and I didn't wanna wait for another couple of months for the DVD release so I settled down with a pirated one. And the subtitle's not bad. Okay. I'm being defensive, I know. Hehe! And yeah, I know this movie's a bit outdated to be excited about but I'm just really glad that I've seen it at last. I was very very curious about this movie for many reasons.

So is the movie awesome? Uhhmm.. no. Bahaha! Oops. Now, I fear for my life. THG fans- please don't execute me! IT IS A GOOD MOVIE. There. I can't say 'awesome' because I had high expectations for this one. Nowadays, several book series have been turned into movies. I didn't wanna compare but somehow it is inevitable.. and I expected a little bit more.

Anyway, I was really happy with the cast. Some of them I really like but were not given much lines and scenes. I haven't read the book but I have familiarized myself with the characters by reading Wikipedia. LOL. (Yes, I use Wikipedia. Who doesn't?) So I expected quite a few characters there to have more exposure in the film like Clove (played by Isabelle Fuhrman from the movie Orphan), Foxface (played by Jacqueline Emerson) and Rue (played by Amandla Stenberg from the movie Columbiana). It is all about Katniss (played by Jennifer Lawrence from the movie X-Men: First Class). But why wouldn't it be? She's the heroine! And I love that Jennifer played her. She's perfect for the role. But I wanted to see more of Josh Hutcherson (who played Peeta) too. Maybe that's why I'm complaining. LOL. And oh! Lenny Kravitz is part of the cast! Cool.

I found out about some of the differences of the events between the book and the film (also through Wikipedia, hehe). Not a big deal on my end. We all know it's normal for film makers to do this to make things more dramatic for the big screen. There's only one thing though that bothers me... how come they didn't include Madge Undersee in the movie adaptation? I mean, in the book, she is Katniss's bestfriend and the one who gives her the mockingjay pin which becomes a symbol of rebellion and is featured on every book cover, right? So, I definitely think they should have at least included a short scene of her handling Katniss the pin. Just saying.

I already knew that Rue was to die. Still, I ended up crying while watching the scene. I know it wasn't just me. It is a sad, sad scene. :'(

I am such a cry baby! I think every movie I've seen made me cry. >.<

Okay. So now after seeing the film and feeding my curiosity, I am officially a fan. And I look forward to possessing the book series. ^_^

And to other THG fans out there... look what I found! This Hunger Games cast photo shoot on Vanity fair...

... with the tributes looking clean, fresh, happy and far from looking starved... Hehe..

That's it for now.

May the odds be ever in your favor.

Things I love about YOU, BRY...

I love it when you kiss me when I least expect it. And I especially love the warmth of your kiss... on my lips, my cheek, my hand... and my BIG forehead, hehe!
I love the way you say you love me... and the way you tell me that I'm beautiful.
I love how you never fail to make me smile or laugh with your antics
(even in public ^_^)... In fact, I love your ability to make me laugh like no one else!
I love the way you move my hair away from my eyes.
I love how you massage my hands, my feet, my back (and my butt cheeks too, haha!)
I love that you fix my clothes in public to protect me from Peeping Toms out there... and how you give the persistent ones a sharp glare.
I love it when you sing to me at random moments... then look at me and smile. :)
I love how you can tolerate it when I bite you out of exhilaration ^,....,^
I love the fact that you taught me how to play Heroes of Newerth and introduced me to other online games.
I love that you prepare my food, make me a cup of coffee, or a glass of juice when we're in the office.
I love it when you let me hug you tightly like a BIG teddy bear.
I love the way you cradle me in your arms to calm me down when I'm agitated or when I'm restless.
I love how you can ruin a good moment with your loud fart, LOL!
I love your lame dance steps, hihi!
I love it when you share cute images or videos using Yahoo Messenger or Skype at work.
I love that you do all these and the fact that you're not ashamed to do them.
I love that you're my best friend and we can talk about anything and everything under the sun.

And you know what I would love to be the most? I'd love to be your wife... and for us to be referred to as "MR. AND MRS. BRYAN MEDRANO"