Oplan Kaligayahan: Ang Bisa ng Pagyakap

I'm sorry, blog, I know I've been neglecting you, but all the other things I planned to write about will have to wait because of this.

Because I have committed myself to being a force of positive, happy energy (which is doubly difficult because of my name and because of the situations I somehow manage to find myself in), I made a lifelong choice to become like Buddha and to listen to the cries of the world when the world refuses to hear them. While I realise that this has made other people feel much better, they do make me feel worse, especially because many of them as of late hit so close to home. And, of course, Buddha didn't exactly seem to bother to preach about handling your own problems either (I've re-read his teachings so many times in my young life, maybe I'm missing those verses?), so it's enough to say that I'm plodding through my own troubles.

I've tried several attempts to soothe my soul. I've returned to breakfasts with the BCBP; I've bought and overdosed on camomile and jasmine tea (and infusions thereof); I've even brought a miniature Zen garden to the office. Today, after slinging these problems on my shoulder and trying to focus on work, I prepared to exchange packages with a friend I hadn't seen in months. The exchange was meant to take only a few minutes, as I had a report to rush and I was suffering from cramps due to the arrival of my monthly visitor.

Our items (a keychain from her and a letter opener from me) changed hands but right before I left, I gave her a HUG. It was quite unexpected, even for a spontaneous person like me, because what I really wanted to do was to say that I knew she'd having a tough go of it of late, and that I was feeling the same way too. But then again I couldn't think of any words to tell her (each person has her cross to bear, after all), and there really wasn't enough time to say them.

Strangely, although I was the one that gave it, that one hug has turned my day around. My body began to feel less tightly wound, and the cramping seriously decreased, which is rare because when I have my period it is a serious effort to even get out of bed. The printer eventually broke down so the report is unfortunately three days late due to the weekend, but amazingly my boss just let me finish printing it on Monday. I was able to get my mum to agree on meeting my cousin from my dad's side as she's in town, which is normally difficult because anything that has to do with my dad is a thorny problem on her side. And, of course, I found out that my friend was able to get by today because of that hug.

I heard from one of my classmates in high school that hugs have been scientifically proven to be therapeutic, but now I can see that random, genuine hugs have an incredible amount of power. Hugs are able to convey so many things that words cannot: I miss you, it is great to see you again, thank you, I understand.

(As for the other types of hugs that say, "Hey, I really like touching you," well, let's not discuss those types of hugs today. :P)

I believe hugs are magical and some of them can burst out with so much magic and positivity you just want to give a few out because it can't be contained. Hugs are easy and healing. I wish I had thought of this easy feel-good solution sooner.

HUGS!!! ♥♥♥











* This post is a direct response to Milk.Blood.Ink's Hug Therapy. You always have my back, and my hugs. ^.~v

The 25s (Possible-to-reach) Needs: Hoping God & the universe hear me...

To God and the universe, I hope you can help me with the following needs:

1. At least US$10,000 added to EACH of my bank accounts (BPI savings account, Banco Filipino savings account, and the one I plan to open in Standard Chartered) so I can finally get that long-delayed trip to see Mahal again without worrying about rainy STORMY days.
2. A ten-year multiple-entry visa (B2) and TWO-WAY tickets to the USA from the Philippines to see Ate, Jannie, Laney and Mahal!!!
3. A USB cable for my Sony T-20 Cybershot (pamana ni Inay/inherited from Mum). Okay, I forgot I DO have this already, so instead of my old number #7 I would like some better-quality silicone cases for my mobile phones. An almost-new Sony DSC-T20 Cybershot camera, which I lost during an event at the Peninsula Manila last 23rd September. DDDDDX 
4. Better quality silicon cases for my mobile phones. 
5. A new set of eyeglasses with ultra-thin, multi-coloured transitional lenses (L: -6.00 + astigmatism, R: -3.50). I prefer thin, coloured rims as horned rims don't work for my facial structure at all. 
6. Diksyunaryo ng Wikang Pilipino (Dictionary of the Filipino Language) by UP Press. Or, failing that, a decent, comprehensive, one-stop Filipino-English dictionary, which we SERIOUSLY lack in this country.
7. A miniature (portable?) electronic sewing machine complete with implements.
8. A decent pair of jogging/jazz/workout pants/shorts that don't split when stretched out at the crotch as I can get surprisingly involved and malleable during my exercises.
9. Board shorts especially for summer days. Thanks Ate A and Ate E!♥
10. Dress forms, body hangers and/or mannequin bodies for my costumes and for my sister K's fashions.
11. Original Windows 7 OS and Microsoft Professional applications for Windows XP and 7 - preferably not overpriced by PhP1,000 the way they sell it here (@#&;* local customs bureau!), and with full multilingual and app support. 
12. The latest Adobe Creative Suite, all-original and with full multilingual and app support.
13. The latest McAfee Anti-Virus system, all-original and with full multilingual and app support.
14. A new case for Anthy, my PC, who looks so shabby because of all the holes my Dad carved into her casing so we could fit more fans in. (As it turned out, all those fans contributed to her constant overheating, and the solution was newer, better fans.)
15. Lots of belts (especially narrow, not thick belts) and shoes. I need belts because most of my trousers and some of my skirts keep falling (curse of the half-size), and shoes because I wear them out so easily (curse of ginormous yet strangely half-size feet, grossly disproportionate to my body). Brand is not important, but build and durability are.
16. Lots of jewelry that are extremely durable but also cheap or at least reasonably priced.
17. Lots of bags for daily use and special occasions alike, but most especially a formal yet theft-proof clutch or purse. I will pay premium only if it's sturdy, not because it's by a famous brand or its knock-off. 
18. Business card keepers for work and personal use.
19. 4D-size batteries for emergencies, especially after Typhoons Ketsana and Parma hit us.
20. BlackBerry Storm charger for work, which I ironically lost on early September after I brought it back to work. DX
21. Clear books and clear sheets for the old cutouts and clippings that I really, REALLY want to save.
22. BlackBerry devices with matching data plans. One for me, one for Mahal (especially so we can chat for hours on WiFi!) and one for Dad because it would totally help his business. Sorry Nokia, Sony Ericsson and Apple, this baby beats you in lightweight-ness (especially compared to the MacBook) and data efficiency hands down. Though those keypads can get seriously tiny...
23. A nice, durable, clamshell/hardshell laptop bag that can comfortably fit a 13.3" white MacBook (my workstation) and all its stuff. Thanks K! ♥ Well, crap. I still need one because the last one I had, a lovely black one full of lace with a Hello Kitty design given by K, got stolen while I was at the mall - though thankfully without the laptop inside. DDDDDDDDDDDDDX
24. A spiffy wireless modem that's stronger than our grande olde dame of a wired modem - as much as I love her, she IS showing her age already by not being able to pick up signals via the cord - and our el cheapo router combined.
25. A portable HDD, minimum capacity 320GB, with its own idiot-proof shock absorbers to match my on-the-go lifestyle. Bonus points if it looks pretty. X3 ♥ Got a spiffy black 320GB Apollo II from Imation, complete with its own cover! ♥

The 25 (Almost-Unreachable) Needs: Hoping God & the universe hear me!

These qualities and situations I have always desired for a VERY long time. I'm doing my best to work on these, but I wish some of them would come to me more easily. The others, well, they are what we call "suntok sa buwan" ... literally "a punch at the moon," the best English transliteration being "aiming for the moon." I am hoping and praying that they don't feel that way for very long though.

1. Longer weekends. As long as they are announced a week early and not sooner.
2. Longer vacation days, so I don't succumb to the stress of my occupation and thus burn out easily. *looks meaningfully at her PR agency, which she loves but sadly doesn't offer more than 1 week's vacation at the most*
3. Better eyesight. Glasses can be a pain even with the meganekko/girls with glasses/girl geek-nerd trend being big right now. If by some miracle I either suddenly possess enough tear glands which will facilitate immediate healing after eye surgery, or I just suddenly wake up with a marked improvement to my eyesight, I will be forever grateful. The only reason why I could not qualify for the surgery is because I can't cry - and because I can't cry, I can seriously go blind instead of heal during post-ops for the eyes.
4. Handwriting that's reasonably easy to read. Ever since I was a child, I practised, but I could never get it right. I think I've just given up now because it's just so hard to conform my fingers into those words. X_x
5. Infinite patience. Enough said.
6. Retaining my capacity to sing. Once upon a time I had such a beautiful voice. ;A; I should start sleeping early though, but still that's kinda hard considering we have so many things to do at work and even get calls so late into the night... =_=
7. Superior PC tech skills so I can finally reformat, reprogram, rewire and revamp my PC without worries. (I am trying to practise but I always get it horribly wrong. DX)
8. Superior hair-doing skills. Seriously. I try so hard but cannot style my hair to save my life wallet.
9. Superior make-up skills so I can do my own make. I mean, I AM getting there... but I wish I could be with it a bit faster, y'know?
10. Superior styling skills so I can maximise the clothes I currently have and fit them into the current trends, instead of seeing all the pretty but trendy new ones that are being sold right now.
11. The ability to discern which of my clutter stays in my room, and which goes.
12. Superior cash and credit management skills so I can finally ensure my future.
13. Superior business acumen, because I have inherited absolutely none from my perennially business-minded mum.
14. Superior sewing skills so I can DIY my clothes and finally sew my own costumes. Alas, I am currently "sewing machine killer." XP
15. The capacity to forgive.
16. More courage and humility to ask for forgiveness from others.
17. More self-control. This means prudence over my spending, moderation in my eating, restraint over my reactions, and particularly shutting up instead of talking, because obviously I have no bone of tact and diplomacy in my body. That way I wouldn't need to ask for forgiveness as much and I wouldn't need to try and remedy disasters that could've been avoided had I done better.
18. More tact and diplomacy, along with the self-control.
19. More courage to do things I've always been too scared of trying, like swimming, riding a bicycle...
20. Increased speed and the ability to assimilate new actions quickly so I can start and finish work faster.
21. More time to visit and hang out with my older sister in the USA. Oh, and the cousins too, but not so much them as with Ate. X3
22. Meet Archfaith and my cosplay friend Mew Pudding in New York, and Pinksugarichigo along with all the other gyaru in California. Hopefully I can do the latter when I go to the US.
23. Mahal with me right now and forever. Yes, I am thinking about marriage and raising a family. (Who'd have thought?)
24. More free time. To party, to fix my room, to fix my handwriting, to fix my weight, to fix my LIFE...
25. More sleep. Which reminds me, why am I still up?

Tayo na, tayo na!

Partida tayo may nakaalala pa nito. d^_~b



Honestly, while the late Rene Villanueva was a most disagreeable man and a disappointment for youngsters who loved his TV show, everyone from my generation agrees that Batibot was one of the best things ever shown on Philippine television. ♥

Ang mga Belonio

Meeting Professor Alexis Belonio is such a blessing. He's humble and self-effacing, he willingly shares his inventions for free on the internet (www.bioenergylists.org), he acknowledges God (Supreme Being for those who are more spiritually-inclined) as his Source of ideas, he finds it important to foster the spirits of invention and enterprise on his seven children, he would much rather keep working on and refining his inventions than let the justifiable glow of the RAE get to his head and his heart, and he realizes the need of finding alternate energy sources from existing waste material.

Plus his wife, Salvacion, is awesome and so supportive, and just as brilliant as he is. They make a team which cannot be classified into empty words. It is a shame she keeps getting relegated to the sidelines, but it is a testament to her character that she is very patient, considerate and untiring in her support of her husband.

I suddenly feel so small and insignificant. But on the other hand, I am still proud because I now carry a small part of him in my mind and heart.

FOOD PR0N! [WORKSAFE = starring only food, not pr0n XD]

I'm not sure if I've indicated this on my profile, but I am a die-hard foodie. I'm a die-hard foodie to the point that I know I'm going to die by overeating a certain piece of food - what it is yet I'm not really sure though, so it's possible I'll die by overeating in general. XD;

But enough of death. As I was saying I'm a die-hard foodie and so I enjoy eating out immensely. I have been to a lot of restaurants, cafes, bars and eateries here in my hometown, Metro Manila, and thanks to my blog-happy sister I've begun taking photos of my food. I just LOVE the sight of food, it makes my mouth water. And I hope that my photos have that same effect on you! XD; (Don't forget to CLICK ON THE THUMBNAILS to get the large photos. ;3)

First, we have the lovely Kapampangan (Pampanga province-themed) restaurant Abe, in the boutique mall One Serendra in Fort Bonifacio, City of Taguig. It's home to the best Ensalatang Pako (fern-based vegetable salad, with boiled egg, and onions), Binukadkad na Pla-pla (fried tilapia cut up and made to unfurl like a fan) and expensive Spicy Sisig in Metro Manila, among other things. XD I especially love their Lumpiang Ubod (steamed egg "crepe" roll filled with vegetables and garnished with peanuts, garlic and sweet peanut sauce) because the vegetables they use for it are very fresh - you can tell by the taste. Highly recommended.



Next is the lovely niche known as Cafe Juanita. Tucked inside a tiny home in the corner of a busy street in Barrio Kapitolyo in Pasig City, this "hole in the wall" began as exactly that, catering to taxi drivers and other blue-collar denizens making their way through the barrio. However, as the cook had never lost his aspirations to become top chef (he used to work in a cruise ship, or so I'm told), he decided to steadily upgrade the place into a swanky, slow-food cafe serving Filipino and Southeast Asian cuisine in a sea of antiques and Southeast Asian bric-a-brac. It's won great recognition and a lot of positive buzz, noteworthy among them the praises and recommendations heaped by no less than the Philippine Tatler - and twice! Although not all of their food are my favourites, I will admit Cafe Juanita does cooked fish exceptionally well, and everything tastes reasonably good and reasonably priced. It was a recent discovery of mine, having been brought there for my birthday by the family last month. Too bad I don't remember a single name of what I ate, except for the Kinilaw (raw fish in vinegar, see 2nd and 4th photos) which didn't really taste so good. D:

For geeks into Greek (bad pun, I know XD;;;), the best place to go is Cyma. With four branches in four select upscale malls in the metro, it's accessible enough but still undeniably exuding class. The atmosphere is warm and familial; it always feels like I'm coming home no matter what time of day I'm here. And the food is superbly prepared, though I will have to warn you that their lamb dishes aren't always easy to cut up, and their Greco-Mediterranean desserts are a bit on the cloyingly sweet side. Try their couscous, kebabs, pita bread and pasta, and bring your appetite because the servings are extra-large by Asian standards (though they are pretty reasonable for European and American palates).

Let's take a short day trip outside the metro and enjoy the spectacular provincial venue of Sonya's Garden. Originally just an organic botanical paradise for its owner, it soon expanded into food after Sonya realised that her friends were going there for her cooking as well. Of course, if you grow your own food, and the healthy type at that, you will always be patronised no matter where your customers are coming from. Besides its signature vegetable salad in cream-and-onion vinegarette, the set meal of Sonya's includes pasta (the kind of pasta you get varies between "seasons" or the four quarters of the year), juice (normally dalandan, or the local orange) and some sweet dessert (usually either local fare like bananas dipped in hot caramel, or foreign fare like tiny slices of creamy, icing-rich cake ... lol, so much for keeping healthy XD;;;). All in all the food is worth the day trip. ♥

Back in the Metro, Xocolat is a franchise cafe specializing in chocolate, undoubtedly the best export of Aztec, Incan and Mayan civilizations. My favourite branch would have to be the one in Eastwood City, Qnezon City, as it's outdoors and literally right in the center of the Eastwood plaza square, and for the fact that my boyfriend and I had our first date there. ♥ Also, this branch doesn't serve the chocolate too thickly or sweetly as the other branches do. I am completely enamoured with their hot chocolate drinks ... thick, bittersweet and perfect for a rainy day. ♥ (My boyfriend prefers the iced chocolate-coffee concoctions better, since he finds the Philippines a terribly hot place. XD;)

Closer to home is Tsoko.Nut, a fastfood cafe built to reinstate and focus on Philippine chocolate culture. Although it serves modern food like Spaghetti and Pancit (Chinese pasta), its true star is the chocolate made into tablets, and then mashed with a special mortar and pestle called collectively as a batirol, making the drink a refreshingly bittersweet experience. The Arroz a la cabana (pictured here) eaten by my boyfriend was terribly dry in comparison. Oh well!


And now here are some random bits of food. Bonus points and a nifty little online surprise to anyone who can guess where these photos are from! (Hint: only 2 are in one place; the rest are in different places.)

So everyone, what are your thoughts on food? Let's discuss! \^0^/