I Must Be Growing Up

I remember a couple of days ago, Thrina brought some KFC for our lunch after picking the kids up at school. It was already 4pm, so we were both quite hungry. I got one piece and, as is my usual practice, set aside the skin to eat it last. I turned away for a few seconds to talk shop with Thrina and when I looked back, I saw Marco and Noah each tear away a bit of skin and stuff it into their mouths.

Now, anyone who knows me knows how selfish I am when it comes to chicken skin. I swear, kahit mga boyfriend ko dati hindi ko hinahatian ng balat ng manok, kahit gaano ko sila kamahal. Once, a loooooooong time ago, I even elbowed my brother in the ribs because I thought he was making a grab for my chicken skin.

Anyway, it was all I could do to not yank my nephews away from my plate. Knee-jerk reaction... so sue me. I gave them both a really dirty look, but they knew I wasn't mad at them. In fairness, tinirahan naman nila ako. And boys will be boys.

I'm going to miss them when I'm in Florida.

Hamster Dance

Posted as per my nephews' request:



Enjoy!

Manual Labor, Maggie Moo's and Moving On

My cousin bought a franchise of Maggie Moo's - it's like Cold Stone Creamery but for families and kids - and for the past week, I've been helping her set up the store since Sunday. We've been making ice cream and ice cream cakes, filling out pint and quart containers and de-panning the cakes among other things.

There's something to be said about manual labor. The mechanical-ness (That's not even a word! Hahaha!) of it all - lifting boxes, storing materials/ingredients/equipment, making ice cream and cakes, filling pint and quart containers... all of these exercises allow moments of reflection and meditation. You can tune out everyone around you and just focus on the task at hand. And I did a lot of manual labor. I have the broken fingernail and cuts and scratches on my hands to prove it.

Once in a while you snap back to reality because to need to hand someone a food pan or a spatula. But after that, you return to your own little world and just do your thing. Spoon the chocolate mix into the ice cream freezer, close the door, pour the ice cream mix into the batch freezer hopper, press start. While the ice cream is churning, you get the other materials together: the ice cream pans, rubber & steel spatulas, pint and quart containers. When the ice cream's done, you extract it and place them into the pans - kinda like filling a soft serve ice cream cone, only bigger - label them, cover them with wax paper and store them in the freezer. One pan is used to fill out the containers. It's all very routine, very mechanical.

Well, it was all worth it. Opening day, which was yesterday, came and went without a hitch. There were a lot of customers. Not just family and friends who knew about the opening, but even those who'd been coming by the entire week last week asking when the store would be in operation. I'm sure the customer base will keep growing in the coming weeks because it has a great location. Plus, the ice cream's really delicious - I keep pushing the Peanut Butter, Cinnamoo, Dark Chocolate and Strawberry flavors - much better than Cold Stone Creamery.

I'm just sad that I won't be able to see it grow. In one week I'll be flying to Florida to pursue a (very promising) job opportunity. It's going to be hard to adjust to a whole new state again. I've always been comfortable here in Virginia because of my cousins and their friends and having to start fresh is a bit daunting. But there's also a part of me that's excited about things to come. Like I told my friend earlier, I'm looking forward to saving up enough money and renting out a place of my own. That, I'm really looking forward to. So far, there's not a bone in my body that's scared or nervous when I think about living alone.

So, all my friends who are reading this, please include me in your prayers as I begin the next chapter in my life.

Edited on September 25, 2006

True Love

"... is the soul's recognition of its counterpoint in another." - The Wedding Crashers

You wouldn't think a line like this - as cheesy as it may seem - would come from a movie like that.

Home Sweet Home

I'm back in Virginia. Thank God my friend offered to drop me a ride so I didn't have to take the train anymore.

We were supposed to drop by Karen's place to visit her and the baby, but they weren't home. She and Carlo attended a parenting seminar, the reason for I which I don't really know, especially since there are so many in their circle who have kids. Si Thrina pa lang marami nang matuturo sa kanila.

Anyway, it's great to be home. I'm looking forward to sleeping in my bed again.

Tired is an Understatement

After my second day of door-to-door resume dropping, I can honestly say that it's not an easy thing to do. I don't have a car so I walked all around Washington DC. I didn't think I was going to make it home because I could feel my legs and feet burning with every step. When I got to the apartment, I had some mushroom soup and then fell asleep watching some episodes of Firefly.

I just got up, which means I'll probably up til about 2 or 3am.

I have one more day of giving out resumes. After that it's back to Virginia for me.

Don't Knock the Filipinos

Went around the neighborhood today to submit my resumes door-to-door. Ran into a number of Pinoys working for different embassies. They were all very nice and gave me some tips as to which embassies I should make sure to submit my resume to - Namibia, Egypt, Djibouti among others - either because there are a lot of Pinoys working there or there are positions that have possibly opened up. I was able to hit some of them today because they were in my coverage area. Tomorrow and Thursday I'm going to hit the others.

When I was in the Argentine Embassy this afternoon, there was a gentleman in line before me that was speaking with the receptionist at the Consulate Section. He was applying for a visa and was being asked to pay $90 (to speed up the process or something). After paying the $90, he thanked the woman over and over again for helping him with his visa application. He then took a seat on the sofa next to me and when he found out I was from the Philippines, he started a conversation.

His employer (Best Western) advised him that he needed to fly to Argentina next week to inspect a couple of their hotels over there (Manila was part of his itinerary. That's the reason for the interest in my being Filipino). He was very thankful that he was finally able to get the application process rolling. Apparently, he'd been waiting 2 hours before somebody asked him forward (and we were the only 2 people in the room then). It surprised and impressed me how he managed to keep his disposition after going through all that. I would've left in a huff after being ignored for a few minutes. Sure he needed a visa, but still, his mood didn't sour one bit. There aren't many people like that. I know I'm not.

He also mentioned that of all the hotels that he's inspected, the warmest people are really from Asia. So even though their hotels aren't as high-tech as the ones in America and Europe, a lot of people still enjoy - even prefer - going to the Asian branches. Especially those in the Philippines.

It made me think of the Filipinos I encountered during my rounds who gave me tips for my job hunt. It made me think of my cousin in Virginia who welcomed me into their home and always welcome my friends when they come visit. It made me think of their friends who have made me feel like I've been a part of their group for years. They didn't have to do all those things, but they did.

Many think that Filipinos have this crab mentality wherein they don't want their fellow-Filipinos to succeed and will do anything to pull them down. But I believe that there are many Filipinos out there who do want the best for their kababayans and do all they can to help them succeed. And I to believe that the latter far outnumber the former.

Weekend with Candice

Candice arrived in Washington DC a couple of weeks ago and we were finally able to get our schedules together and meet up. It's partly thanks to Tim, Candice's husband, who was sent to Vienna for a week. The original plan was for her to come to Virginia and spend the weekend there. Now, I'm in DC, keeping her company until her husband comes back. Good thing they live in DC. Will be able to do some door-to-door applying the entire week.

Candice went straight to Virginia from her work in Bethesda last Friday. I picked her up at the Vienna station. From there, we stopped by Shoppers coz I needed to pick up some toiletries. We did a little bit of catching up before dinner and got ready to go out. (Thrina's friend invited us for a get-together at her house.)

Nakakatuwa na tuwang-tuwa si Candice na puro Pilipino ang kausap nya at pwede na daw ulit syang mag-Tagalog. Yung mga magulang daw na Pilipino sa skwelahan nila, lagi din nyang tinatagalog. It's actually interesting to see how she'll adjust to life in the States, considering how nationalistic she is.

Anyway, after Dory's (the homeowner) dad finished watching Wowowee on TFC, we started the videoke session. Suffice it to say na nag-concert kme ni Candice sa bahay nina Dory... hehehe. Then we made plans to take her out the next evening.

For a while, the plan was to back to eCitie and go dancing again, but come Saturday evening, we decided to grab some drinks at La Tasca in the Clarendon area. I liked their sangria. I loved their jamon and cheese. After finishing off one pitcher of sangria and a margarita (served in a tall glass, mind you), we met up with the guys at Miu Kee (This is where BP went after the April 7 concert during the last US tour, and it's one of my cousins' favorite haunts) for some congee, tofu and seafood hotpot, frogs legs, roasted pork, spinach and fried rice.

For the first time ever, I tried frog's legs. Can't say I care for it. It tasted like chicken, sure, but the little bones I chewed on with every bite made me really queasy. At least I can say I tried it before completely eliminating it from my future food choices. Another one is chicken feet - a.k.a. Adidas - which I can safely say I'll never try. Ever.

Gonna go back to watching Firefly now. Carlo, I'm finally watching it... hehehe.

Speaking of my brother, I was able to have a video chat with him earlier using Skype for Mac (with video). Coolness. Pareho na kmeng mahaba ang buhok. Pero, dude, mas buhaghag pa rin ang buhok mo sa 'kin.

Baby Suri

Baby Suri Cruise is alive and well. More than three months after her birth, the first photos of the baby of the moment will be available available to the public via the October issue of Vanity Fair. She looks exactly like her dad, but she has her mother's eyes.

Snippets

I love the smell of freshly rained-on grass in the morning. So fresh and clean.

***
The portrayal of construction workers that we see on television and the movies couldn't be closer to the truth. The cat calls and the whistles, they're all there. And it doesn't matter that they're so high up the condo they're building that all you can really make out are their hard hats. It also doesn't matter that the only things supporting them as they're leaning out - as if doing that will get them close enough to touch you - are pieces of nailed-together plywood and an orange net.

***
Two days after my I-could-have-danced-all-night evening, a part of me still can't believe that I danced with two complete strangers. I never thought I'd have the guts to do that. I'm having my cousin and her friends there gave that little ounce of courage I needed. That and I said to myself, "What the heck? I'm never going to see you again anyway." I'm glad I listened to that voice coz I had a blast.

***
My cousin-in-law, Karen, Carlo's wife, gave birth to their baby boy last August 30. They never let on what they were going to name him, although they gave us the shortlist: Joaquin and Enrico among others. I was getting ready to call him Joaquin.

So, what name did they finally give him? LORENZO. And I still don't know what his second name is. What's up with that?

***
It's not even a week after my last period and already I'm PMS-ing. What a hassle.

...

I can't sleep...

Crocodile Hunter is Dead

Steve Irwin, more popularly known as the Crocodile Hunter, died yesterday. He was stabbed in the chest by a stingray barb.

http://www.cnn.com/2006/SHOWBIZ/TV/09/04/australia.irwin/index.html

I Could've Danced All Night

Yesterday was Thrina & Joey's anniversary (12 years!), and they celebrated by taking the entire family to lunch, and then going on separate gimmicks last night. Joey went out with Dominic while Thrina, Dang and I met up with 2 other people, Anna and Dory, at Bonefish.

While waiting for Anna and Dory to arrive, Thrina, Dang and I ordered a round of Hpnotiqs and their delicious calamari. The other two girls arrived during our third round, and we decided to move to another joint. We went to Dory's house to drop of her and Anna's car and we all rode in Dang's car and drove to e Citie in Alexandria.

E Citie is a warehouse club with a lot of drinking and dancing. Since it was a Sunday evening, about 10:30pm, it wasn't packed. We were able to get a space at the bar and ordered our drinks. Then we headed for the dance floor and danced up a storm. We stopped only when we didn't like the song.

As the night wore on, some of us were asked to dance. It was my first time to experience being asked to dance by a complete stranger. And it happened twice! It was unsettling at first, but I decided to just enjoy the moment. I was never going to see these people again anyway.

The first stranger was an Arab-looking man. Kinda creepy, honestly, so I made sure that we were at least 3 feet away from each other the entire time. On my way back to the bar, a tall African-American gentleman, Tony, approached me and said that he'd like to dance as soon as I was rested. He came back to our area after 10 minutes and asked me to dance with him.

The song that was playing when we reached the dance floor had a samba beat so we danced the samba. I must say that Tony's a good dancer. I felt kinda weird dancing with someone who was so tall, but, again, I decided to just enjoy the moment. The moment lasted until closing. We went from dancing the samba to hip hop to a final slow dance. Tony remained a gentleman the entire time. He even walked us to our car.

I really, really enjoyed last night. Letting loose and dancing without a care in the world, even for just a couple of hours. Looking forward to doing it again.

9, 8, 7, 6, 5...

9. last place you were:
* e citie
8. last cigarette:
* a long time ago
7. last beverage:
* water
6. last movie seen:
* moments of love (on vcd)
5. last phone call:
* marco
4. last CD played:
* joey's compilation
3. last bubble bath:
* i don't remember
2. last time you cried:
* a couple of days ago
1. last alcoholic drink:
* white russian earlier tonight

8 have you evers...

8. have you ever dated someone twice:
* yes
7. have you ever been cheated on:
* oh yeah
6. have you ever had your heart broken?
* yes
5. have you ever kissed somebody and regretted it:
* nope
4. have you ever done drugs:
* i had one puff of marijuana in australia
3. have you ever lost someone:
* yes
2. have you ever been depressed:
* yes
1. have you ever lived away from home?
* i am

6 things you did today
1.) ate dimsum
2.) loaded my phone
3.) entered a new post on my blog
4.) went dancing
5.) met some guys
6.) read a book

5 things/pipol you adore (in random order)
1.) michael jordan
2.) my family
3.) johnny depp
4.) bukas palad
5.) my friends

4 places you want to go...
1.) spain
2.) paris
3.) home
4.) italy

3 favorite colors...
1.) orange
2.) teal
3.) red

2 things you want to do before you die
1.) get married & raise a family
2.) be fulfilled

-------IN THE PAST 24 HRS, HAVE YOU----------
* Cried: no
* Worn jeans: yes
* Met someone new: yes
* Done laundry: no
* Driven a car: no
* Talked on the phone: yes
* Said I love you: no
* Gotten drunk: yes

--------WHICH IS BETTER----------
*Chocolate or vanilla: chocolate
*Coke or Pepsi: neither
*Love or Lust: love
*Girls or Guys: it doesn't matter
*Blondes or Brunettes: i don't care
*Tall or Short: it depends
*Night or Day: day

-------WITH THE OPPOSITE SEX------

*What do you notice first: the look

------------THE LAST TIME YOU------------

*Showered: this morning

-----WHO------
*Makes you smile: secret

-------DO YOU EVER---------
*Sit by the phone waiting for a phone call: no
*Forward secret E-mails: no
*Wish you were someone else: not really
*Wish you were a member of the opposite sex: definitely not
*Wear perfume?: yes

--------HAVE YOU EVER--------
*Kissed two people in the same day: no
*Used someone?: no
*Been used?: i hope not
*Been Cheated on: yes

--------WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON---------
*That you saw?: my cousin, thrina
*You talked to?: thrina
*You instant messaged?: my mom
*You messaged on myspace?: don't have a myspace account
*You yelled at?: i don't remember
*You thought about? secret
*Who told you they loved you?: my mom

---------HAVE YOU EVER?--------
*Wanted someone you knew you couldn't have: yes
*Done something embarrassing: definitely
*Cried in school: yes

Babies

Went to visit baby Lorenzo, Enzo, today. He's so cute! Looks exactly like Carlo. And he's such a good baby. He hardly cries and he's always asleep! He even sleeps through a diaper full of poop.

I want one. 

You and Me

This is my most recent favorite love song. First heard it on Smallville. Enjoy.

My Favorite Emmy Moment

Stephen Colbert and Jon Stewart provided the funniest, most-memorable moment of the 58th Emmy Awards. Conan's opening is a not-so-close second. Enjoy.