Okay, before anything else, I’d like to say that holiday season is very
much different for grown ups. I just realized this after having been
subjected to the pressure of ’shopping’ for some Christmas gifts. Last
minute shoppings and worst, the traffic.
Stressful:
1. Traffic - Last Friday (December 14) was our company Christmas party and it took us
about more than an hour just to get past Makati Avenue - and it was
already midnight!
2. Last minute shoppings - more so if you’re like me, who, doesn’t have
funds. These gifts are somewhat expected from me (such as those for
exchange gifts and stuffs)
3. Parties - late night parties. I am not a big fan of parties, where we
have to play parlor games and stuffs, especially if the party is
immediately after work hours. That is so tiresome. What’s worst? Having to
go to work the next day.
Well, despite of those three stressful things about the season, I must
say, I enjoy it. Since Monday,
1. I’ve been counting down by seconds - because I can’t wait for Saturday.
It’s fun fun fun because I’ll get to go home to Batangas on Saturday,
spend Christmas with family and relatives and my _bf_ .
2. NOT having to go to work for dayssss
3. The family trip on the 26th
4. Some gifts from everyone
HOHO… I totally forgot, last Tuesday, I finally got my Nintendo DS Lite,
I got the crimson/black one but it was kind of disappointing because,
honestly, I don’t like the color that much. BUT, of course, practicality
(at some point) dictates that such color is the safest bet. As opposed to
getting the light BUT so KAWAII ones, such as the pink and blue colored
units.
I named her Kewpie. She’s my first ever gaming device (well apart from
Snakes from the good ol 5110 I used to have).
Anyhoo, I am now totally, totally - addicted to Animal Crossing: Wild
World. It was the first game I played with my DS Lite. Having Kewpie
changed somethings - a new dimension for my good ol’ boring lunch break.
Just this noon, while enjoying the time away from office, I was in
Starbucks playing with AC, when suddenly three young boys (studying in
Hope Christian School, between the ages of 3-5) asking me if what I was
holding was a DS Lite, I said yes. And they all gathered beside me trying
to peek at my display. The most agressive one asked “Can I play with
__insert game name here__?” They even asked me if I have Pokemon or
whatever that other ‘Mon’ is. I said I don’t have either of those, and
that all I’ve got was the AC (ok, I lied). I know if I told them I have
those games, it would be a riot amongst the four of us. They’ll attract
further attention from other kids - and worst they might hurdle each other
would leave my Kewpie dead and scratched on the pavement. I know my
imagination was so morbid, but that’s a possiblity.
**
Oh, back to the present. I have another Christmas party to attend to later
(and I have to be there because it’s our department Christmas party) and
from somewhere here in Magallanes we have to drive far north Cubao. EDSA,
here we come. I am not sure what time I’d get there. I can take the MRT
with my office mates but it’s just unrealistic that we can cross such a
short distance but WITH heavy traffic in such a short time.
Aw. Good thing I have kewpie. Hmm, just a thought, maybe I should take the
back seat in the car I guess it’s less stressful because I won’t see
all the buses swerving from left to right, right to left.
**
Hmm. We’re going to HK! Not to shop (money matters) but just to visit the
place, see a different environment, and breathe freseher air. Ok, and
maybe a little shopping. Aw, and we’re gonna go visit Disneyland! For
the first time ever, I’ll get to see Winey the Pooh, okay Mickey. AND
Minne mouse!!! I am so excited excited excited excited. Excitement
overload!!!!
I’ve been on a cheap thrill this afternoon. My office mate gave me a Fan Yang Gazillion Bubble - our company is the exclusive distributor of these here in the Philippines.
I am so happy with this stuff, really!!! This afternoon, _Bobi_ and I went to Greenhills to window shop. And oh boy, it was so traffic and the queue for parking areas were all LONG that it would take us about an hour or so before we can get a parking space. I was playing with my little bubble bottle already but the heat outside was too much that I decided that we should just go to Paseo instead and hang out. (TIP: Makati is the best place to be on Sundays (just stay away from the mall areas) not too much cars on the road and it’s peaceful.)
The parking area was almost empty and it was windy, what a great time to blow bubbles! It was a cheap thrill really and I met four new little friends (two of them looked like Pakistanis and two of them are Koreans) they seemed like between 2-10 year-olds and they loved chasing the bubbles. I even asked one of the Korean kids to blow the bubbles. She was so happy that I felt guilty when I got tired of holding the wand for her and bid her bye bye.
Imagine a 25 year old person (ehem, kid) playing with the wind and the bubbles. I know I looked silly and crazy but I don’t care, it was fun! If only people would take sometime every week to play with bubbles and chase them in the wind, this world will be a happier place to live in.
ps. Gazillion Bubbles are available in Toy Kingdom, among other stores.
As I type this entry, my friend is already boarding her flight back to Dubai. I really feel like crying right now - but as part of being “A grown up”, I can’t, not here in the office.
But then, there’s this maddening feeling. I really want to cry. Because I’ll spend lots days and months without her within my reach. No more phone calls every night. Drinking sessions once in a while. Laughing hysterically over nothing at all.
Talks about life and learning. Shoulder to lean on when I feel so weak.
I have my boyfriend (and he’s my best friend too) but there will always be something different about Chumz. She’s The Sister I never had. We’re not just bestfriends because we’re girls nor we just love girl talks - because we never had talks about fashion and make-up and stuffs. There’s a connection that ties us (imagine the blue ribbon in the Globe Handyphone TV ad).
**
The friendship started when one lazy Monday afternoon, first day of class in our Constitutional Law subject, when she walked inside the classroom - she was looking for the best seat. I saw her looked my way. “Oh, dang, not here not here. DONT sit next to me” - it was screaming in my head. I am a bit anti-social or I am just plain paranoid or whatever, to think that I also didn’t know anyone in there. But still she walked in, sat beside me.
“Do you already have a bf?”, she asked, OUT OF NOWHERE she just asked me that.
Me (talking to myself) “WTF?!”, but I mustered, “Yes, why?” trying to be polite as much as I could.
“What would you do if your boyfriend needs to leave for abroad?”
“Um, I’ll let him go,” (NOT true, that was the only ‘mature’ answer I can give her at that time. “I won’t stand in his way, if that’s his dream, then I will support him”
“I see.” She replied. I just nodded.
“By the way, I am _B_” she said.
“I am _ME_” with a confused look on my face.
The next few days in school, we spent days together. Laughing hysterically in the hallways of our school. We didn’t get to study anything for our class anymore.
One day -
“I don’t want to hang out with you anymore, I can’t study for my subjects anymore” She said, trying to sound funny but it just annoyed me.
“Ok”, I said. When in fact what I’ve been meaning to tell her was: “Fine! I don’t even want to hang out with you!”
Days passed. But we just found ourselves together a whole lot more often that before.
I remember the time when I posted this, I was so excited. I was so happy that I’d get to spend lots of time with my best friend. It was for a sad thing that she had to extend her stay, but the days we got to spend to together was memorable nonetheless.
But she have to leave, again. And now, everything feels so sad again.
My shih-tzu, Sundae, gave birth to four beautiful puppies last Saturday morning (Nov. 24). As always, she wanted to gave birth in my room, with her tiny little corner and uber nice sister to help with the whelping process, which lasts for about 5 to 6 hours. And it usually happens at night! Well, after couple of hours, it was 5 in the morning when my sister told us that Sundae still has one more pup in her tummy - and we have to help her, bring her to the vet and get the darn pup out of her body.
I was kinda doubtful because she seemed to be really fine already. Well, it was Monday when we realized there was something wrong with one of the puppies, that puppy is my sister’s (she asked for one from the litter, she named it Maxie), we had to bring him to the vet, in the middle of the night. It seemed like he had hypothermia (thanks to my sister for the term). He refused to eat (or suck milk, to be clear). We went home with a powdered puppy milk and a little bottle feeder for him. It was a great way to spend for the night.
The next day, he seemed to be fine already until we noticed blood on his poop. My sister had to rush him to the vet, he was admitted and confined for couple of hours. When I got home later that night, it was the cutest sight.
Before anything else here’s a happy happy note - it was my B/F’s birthday yesterday!!! ^_^ I’ve got TWO best friends (I am so thankful for that) actually, but this entry is more about the friendship with my girl best friend ^_^
________
Moving on, the four-day weekend was GREAT. I had to make time to visit my best friend. Her mom died last week, as I’ve mentioned, and was buried two days later - and I didn’t get to visit her. So I made it a point to visit my best friend as soon as my schedule allowed me to. My B/F and I drove all the way to Bulacan (it’s not that far though but insofar as the GAS expenses were concerned, that still makes me sigh). I picked up my B/F from his office yesterday morning (3:45am) and we arrived at my best friends house at exactly 4:30am, could have been earlier if it weren’t for those maze-like streets of their subdivision.
We got a chance to bond again. Months ago, while she was in Dubai, I felt like we already lost the connection we once built, those laughters and all that we shared. There were those times I promised myself that I’ll forget her already - we lost communication because of work and it wasn’t clear to me if I still have a best friend. Through it all, we still somehow tried to communicate. Calls came often around September this year, she said she’ll be home by April next year. Until something happened and she told me she’s coming home soon, she arrived the next day.
While we were together yesterday, I just realized, you cannot just throw something away just like that. You cannot forget friendship you once built, just like that. The other day, I also got to watch Charlotte’s Web on DVD. It is the best movie about the value of friendship. Seldom that we meet a person who’d stick with us no matter what. We spend lotsa times together and we call them our best friends. We do things for them - not because of what they can do for us, but because we love them and we just want them to be happy. We share things to them not because we want to flaunt what we have, but because we know that that person was the sibling we never had - and siblings always share.
You have been my friend. That in itself is a tremendous thing. I wove my webs for you because I liked you. After all, what’s a life, anyway? We’re born, we live a little while, we die. A spider’s life can’t help being something of a mess, with all this trapping and eating flies. By helping you, perhaps I was trying to lift up my life a trifle. Heaven knows anyone’s life can stand a little of that.
Charlotte, “Charlotte’s Web”
A very memorable quote from Charlotte. Someday, when I have kids of my own, I’ll teach them the values I learned from this movie. I’ll always cherish the friendship I have with My Best Friend. When I told my mom about the whole day I just spent with my best friend, she said she’s envy, because she can’t call anyone as her best friend. She said she’d meet people who’d call her as their “best friend” - borrow money from her, won’t pay her back, and completely erase her from their lives. Yes, sometimes, we try to weave webs for people we call friends, only to find out that they don’t see us as their friends. Or sometimes, they’re just around for the ride. There are people who come and go, people who have no plans of being with us for good. It’s sad when people treat us bad but we should never close our doors to the chance that the person sitting next to us - would be the best friend we never thought we’d have - just like how I found mine.
I mentioned before that my best friend went home from Dubai because her mom was ill. It was only about three weeks since that time and yesterday, I received a text message from her that her Mom passed away. Until now, I don’t know what to say. I feel sorry for my best friend. I admire her Mom because she’s so sweet and caring to her children. I feel sad because I can’t be there. I can’t be there because I’ve got a new job. Tomorrow would be the first day when I have to do things alone in the office. My boss will be there tomorrow and it’s not that easy to ask for permission to absent from work because I just started last week. There are lots of things expected from me. This is the first time I prioritize work over something.
I hate this feeling but I guess this one of those things that I have to learn, again, as part of growing up.
As I mentioned, I am now trying to expand my happy corner, aka my comfort zone - by getting a job (a really unplanned an unexpected one, but enjoying it nonetheless). SO… I wonder, is falling hard down the stairs a PART of such ‘growth’?
Okay, I am not ashamed to admit, being spastic as I am, I fell hard down the stairs yesterday morning at work. It was a shock slash denial slash confusing moment for me. I didn’t realize at first that I was actually falling until I found myself suspended in the air and felt my fone hit the pebble floor. OUCH. Good thing no one saw me trippling down the stairs. The company asked me to go home early and get my self checked. No fractured bones (thank God)!
Right now, I am busy with work. The outgoing EA still got two more days to train me before I’d be left on my own. I hope this time things will work out fine.
___
The other day, I was caught by an MMDA police while I was turning left from Shaw Blvd to EDSA. Earlier that morning, we (I and the outgoing EA) had a meeting with my boss’s wife in one of their office in Ortigas. We left Makati around 4pm - we decided to just bring Miss N’s car because I haven’t drove in EDSA yet - I wasn’t really prepared for the ‘unexpected’ things in EDSA - notorious drivers, traffic, among others. My b/f picked up the car from my office so he could pick me up from Ortigas after the meeting. We thought the meeting would be over by 6:30 but it ended around 7pm, which means, my b/f couldn’t wait for me anymore. He had to be in the office 7:45 in time for his work.
I told him to just bring the car with him and I’ll just take a cab. But right after I sent the text message - he told me he had to go and that he left the car in the parking lot somewhere in Ortigas - so I HAD TO drive myself back to Makati. I wasn’t ready for it. My feet were aching because of my high heels, it was raining hard, it was so traffic and I’ve never been to EDSA. BUT I HAD TO. Amidst the traffic, I was so scared that I had to take EDSA, I sent him a text message, FURIOUS and told him that if something happened to me - it’s his fault. Then I made the turn - then there they were THE MMDA traffic enforcers under the flyover, flagged me down for THREE violations:
1. Beating the red light;
2. I don’t have the car violation with me (or so I thought, I later found it in my bag)
3. Apparently, because I haven’t registered the car yet. I know I can still register it because it’s still October!
MMDA boy told me they had to confiscate my plate AND my license. The rest was history.
It was a nightmare. My gas level was already low, it was raining, I had no money, violated, weak, tired and pissed off.
It’s always hard to move out my happy corner. I’ve been pampered in some ways that sometimes, it’s painful when I resist growing up. I know it’s best for me. I guess it’s harder when you have to do something because you have to than doing something because you choose to do it. Such as those things expected from you at a certain point in life.
Okay, lemme clear things up, I ain’t a brat but there are things that admit - that sometimes, I am stubborn and obstinate in refusal to grow up. Not always in a bad way though.
I have to somethings that I have to do - because I want to do those things that are expected from me. It’s growing up is hard, but it’s HARDER when I try to resist changes. Negative thoughts and feelings would always consume the best of me.
On a lighter note and speaking of CHANGES - I want to change my disastrous hair style…. Immediately. But my hair texture is NOT your ordinary kinda hair. I have to spend thousands before I can make a hair style work for me (ie, rebonding and lots of treatments)…
Finally got my non-pro license! Yey! Now I can legally drive because for the past month that I’ve been driving alone around Taft Avenue (Manila) I didn’t have a license. I even refuse to drive to Makati in broad daylight and when the cops are around. Now I can drive alone - I just have to say it again because I cannot believe it :p No more waiting for someone with a license to accompany me when I have to go somewhere.
My best friend is back, though we haven’t had he time to go out and really talk because she needs to look after her mom. I wish I could be with her 24 hours but I just can’t because of parking fee issues and all other commitments, i.e. my life. I may be driving but I am so broke recently.
The other week I got to save PhP2500 from all the allowance and stuffs (starving myself to save enough). I was sorta saving up for gas and I was also thinking about getting a new pair of Havs or maybe a new bag - or just something that can lighten me up. Then, tadah - the power steering hose broke down. Had it repaired for about 2300++ So much for my shopping fantasy.
And also last week, I chanced upon a gorgeous sleeve for my MacBook. THAT sleeve that I’ve been wanting to have ever since time immemorial - I had the money at that time, but because I want to keep my ’savings’ for something more important - aka car maintenance, I had to let it go.
Oh, is Leopard out yet? I am so out of the loop that I don’t know what’s in or out. I got to see (by chance) the new Nano’s but right now, I don’t have any appetite for those kinda gadgets. All I’m thinking about right now is are car maintenance. And oh add-ons.
Car stereo (second hand, slightly used will do) - 3,000
Car antenna - 3,000
Washover - 30,000
Gear shift and boots - 3,500 (Momo) or 1500 (for generic)
Headlights and some more add-ons - 5,000
and the list goes on.
I am not saying that I am going to spend as much as (insert amount here) for the car right now, because honestly, I don’t have the means to come up with such amount. But it’s just a wishlist. Or maybe I should just scratch that list and replace with: “Ford Focus” instead! Now that’s really wishful thinking.
Then, there’s a really long story about my LTO visit earlier but I’ll write about that later.
My best friend is coming home!!! I am sooooo excited! Just yesterday, she called me up to tell me that in a week or two, she’s coming home. She wasn’t supposed to come home until April next year but she have to because her Mom is in the hospital.
She’s been in Dubai for 23 months now (she left November 2005) and I really missed her. There were times when I thought I lost my best friend already but all these times we tried to communicate. I miss her so much and I can’t wait to see her again. For someone who’s kinda anti-social like me, having a best friend is a big deal. Not having too many friends can be sad at times :p
So, I received a call from her just now - and she told me that she’s coming home tomorrow!!! Ayt! That she might arrive around 10pm (how’s that?! I don’t think I can drive around that time but I’ll try). But it’s supposed to be a good thing that’s she’ll be arriving on a weekend, right? Wrong. I have a class Saturday morning and a final exam on the afternoon and at night, we are required/compelled to attend the inuman session. I cannot not join, I have to be there so my professor won’t forget me when he’s already grading the papers.
