Inkblots

Emman

2011-11-02T15:12:00.002+08:00

Can't think of a cheesy line/quote/song to go with this post, only a wide grin from ear to ear.

Eternal Sunshine Playlist

2011-05-24T11:47:00.002+08:00

Beautiful Day - U2
Elevation - U2
Put Your Records On - Corinne Bailey Rae
Bubbly - Colbie Caillat
Heart Skips a Beat - Lenka
Roll With the Punches - Lenka
Sad Song - Lenka
Shock Me Into Love - Lenka
Everything's Okay - Lenka
Just Fine - Mary J. Blige
Head Over Feet - Alanis Morrisette
All I Wanna Do - Sheryl Crow
All I Want - Toad the Wet Sprocket
Ants Marching - Dave Matthews Band
Banana Pancakes - Jack Johnson
Coloured Kisses - Nina
Huwag Nang Malumbay - Eraserheads
Every Little Thing She Does is Magic - Sting
Fruitcake - Eraserheads
Good People - Jack Johnson
Hope - Jack Johnson
It's My Life - Bon Jovi
One Day - Matisyahu
Raise Your Glass - Pink
There's Gotta Be - Stacie Orrico
Three Birds - Bob Marley
Unwritten - Natasha Bedingfield
Your Song - Ellie Goulding

Travel Checklist

2011-05-17T14:05:00.003+08:00

• Money
• Cellphone
• House keys
• Clothes
• Shoes / slippers
• Documents
• Toiletries
• Small notebook / pen
• Book
• Music player
• Plastic bags
• Sun glasses
• Swim suits
• Towelette
• Sling bag
• Camera
• Optimism
• Open mind

Super Hats Off

2011-04-12T14:46:00.003+08:00

Nanimbawt ako balhibo.

Ditto!

2011-04-10T22:56:00.002+08:00

"... All I really want to be is a good HOUSEWIFE."

Ha ha ha!

Wittingly or unwittingly, I say this a lot.

And it's FUN seeing how people react.

image from postsecret.com

Water Marvel

2011-04-08T10:34:00.019+08:00

The day was cold and gloomy, not the usual bright summer day you'd expect in the First Day of April. Dark clouds hang over our heads, and soft drizzles of rain come and go as if foreboding that a heavy downpour is about to come.

We treaded upon the damp pavement under the shadows of the giant trees whose names I only wish I knew. I marched up ahead as if I've been there before, but always taking calculated steps careful of the slippery ground beneath my feet.

There was a monkey tied to a horizontal pole between two trees. I wonder of whose standard they find this amusing. Well, for some reason, Daddy did find it entertaining. But he finds a lot of things entertaining that I could not really understand.

As I walked on, I crossed a small suspension bridge and beneath it was gushing water which could only come from the mountains. As I went further, my eyes laid upon what I could only describe as a giant water creature. It felt like a living thing that is breathing and ready to devour on its next prey. I didn't find it beautiful nor magical, but more of monstrous and powerful. The water falling from the mountain was so strong, going near it felt a bit scary.

For scaling purposes, what seems like a rock in the middle of the left photo is the inconsequential me, a tiny spectacle amidst the tallest waterfall I've ever seen.

Photos from Mantayupan Falls, Barili Cebu

My Coffee Story

2011-03-31T13:32:00.015+08:00

We were hanging out a few days ago and Rick asked me if I miss being a barista. Hell, yeah. I don't think I'll ever tire talking about my barista experience. It's certainly one of the world's best jobs ever. It's an almost carefree world out there. There's nothing much to worry, except probably audit time, but even that doesn't have to be a worry if you're doing everything according to standards.

At Itoy's Cafe with the Coffee Gang i.e. family

My love affair with coffee began when I was a kid. The earliest coffee experience I had was when I'd ran to my neighbor's house back in the province and have a bowl of coffee mixed with rice. It was one of the most exciting things I'd do when I'm at their place, aside from reaching for mansanitas from their window. And yeah, I was also a die-hard mansanitas lover. But I don't want the ruby red mansanitas. I prefer them in orange-greenish color, a bit firm on the skin, and sweet and mushy on the inside.

But I digress. So coffee is one of those things my parents forbade me to drink as a kid because they say it stunts my growth and makes my brain dull. Coffee tasted so good so it's always a treat if my neighbors prepare the bowl of coffee with rice. I never told my parents, of course. It was my secret indulgence. I also recall my parents used to ask me to prepare their coffee during their afternoon snack times. When they're not looking, I'd take a spoonful of coffee or two before serving the cups to them. The thought just makes me smile right now. I was ever the stubborn girl. haha. And then when I ask them if I could please have some coffee, mommy or daddy would let me have a spoonful, 2 spoons being the maximum, and they'll no longer let me have any no matter how much begging and bugging I do. I wonder if my parents still remember those times.

It was only in college that my father actually offered if I wanted to have coffee in one of those afternoon snack times. I was so surprised and I felt like such a real grown adult. hahaha. Imagine, I have been deprived of coffee for so many years. I'd only have Bear Brand or Nido, Milo, or sikwate. But to have coffee with them? Huwattt, does that mean I'm a full-grown woman? Noooo. So I drank Milo instead.

Coffee-drinking runs in the family. If there are families who sing or dance or do sports or play instruments, we as a family just drink coffee. Yeah, we're so talented like that! hahaha.

My sister is probably the heaviest coffee drinker. She drinks it anywhere, anytime.

When I became a barista a couple of years ago (holy camole, that was so long ago), that was when I developed my romance for coffee. That's why I probably could say that it was one of the best jobs I'll ever have because I have so much passion for the drink. Everyday, when I enter the store, it was just coffee heaven. The rich strong aroma, soothing music, wonderful ambiance, and the conversations with various people just make the experience so awesome. It was one of the best decisions I've ever made in my life, and I think because of that job, I'll never be the same person again. There were so many valuable lessons I've learned that I could not write them all, or if I would, I wouldn't know where to start or how to end. At first, the little dirty jobs bothered me like washing the dishes, cleaning the restroom, wiping glass windows, bussing the tables, etc. But I did them all, and I'm so glad I did because I may never know what it feels like.

One of my pet peeves is lipstick stains on mugs. I just hate the sight even though that stain is mine. My Figaro brewed coffee was perfect, by the way.

Oh yeah, I miss the whole thing of being a barista but I can never go back. It's one of those things that you do and move on. Probably like a stopover in between destinations. I'm setting my direction somewhere far, and I realized that I couldn't do all things at once. John, a regular customer and a retired consultant once told me, "Gayle, as you grow older, you have to learn to compromise." And I'll always remember him for those little conversations we've had. He was somehow like a father and I was touched by his genuine concern. I'll never be able to thank him for that. He was also the same guy who told me that I was "facetious". One of my dumbest moments, thank you, John.

So now, since it's officially summer, and I'm jobless, and I'm too cool for school, I whipped up a no-brainer concoction with my favorite drink. Chari actually reminded me of this one. Too bad it wasn't the Super Thick Vanilla of her brand. hehe. It's just the double dutch ice cream over ice over coffee. Don't need to put sugar because you've got all the sweetness from the ice cream. There goes my 30-minute exercise. haha. This is totally the perfect drink for the summer heat. I love it, this reminds me of the Cimbali Coffee Float which is one of the things I look forward to in Dumaguete. Heaven on earth!!!

Time froze when I had this. Definitely, one of my favorite thaaaannggsss... That should be said the Oprah Winfrey-style.

Summerrrrr is Here

2011-03-31T07:13:00.003+08:00

Has ABS-CBN released their summer station ID yet? You know, that clip where all their stars sing the summer jingle, because that's one of the things that you'll know summer is here. Ay, ay, ay, time to hit the beach and don that beach bikini body... not! hahaha. Don't care about the flabs, baby, it's all about the fun under the scorching sun! Time to pack the bags... Weeee!!!

Photos taken somewhere in the islands of Puerto Prinsesa, Palawan. Just one of those random mommy trips.

Nothing Complicated

2011-02-28T21:52:00.004+08:00

Give me wisdom, plain and truthful

Teach me somethin I don't know

Plain as education, inspiration I suppose

Give me family, on a Sunday

And I'll be just fine

There's nothing in the world

That's worth more of my time

-So Simple, Stacie Orrico

25

2011-02-28T21:26:00.004+08:00

If this had been five years ago, I would have told myself to go forward, dive in. Carpe diem would be the mantra on top of my head. But things change. Time tames even the fiercest bone in us. Slowly, we evolve into different versions of ourselves. Lessons that we bitterly learned in the past make us say "never again" - but ofcourse, there will always be times that we'd say "for the last time", completely forgetting what we have already gone through, and taking chances that this time, it would be different.

Had this been five years ago, it would have been a completely different story, and I would know exactly where it would lead to. But now, I'm taking a different direction. Quite completely the opposite, I would say. Sometimes, it totally amazes me on how we all grow up. We think we are already what we are, only to be surprised the next day to take a complete turn around. As Justin Bieber wisely puts it, "never say never."

This is one of those moments that I just cross my fingers and just surrender it all. Waiting, hoping, wishing.

DMB

2011-02-16T22:12:00.006+08:00

I've finally learned how to use torrents after 48 yearssss!!! Yes, I've been living under the rock (still am), and I'm not complaining.

Anyway, the first things I downloaded were albums from Dave Matthews Band. Awesome, awesome band. They are so good with what they do that listening to them makes you feel in a different dimension. For me, they totally define what music is.

I can't pinpoint my favorite track because there are just too many. Even the songs without lyrics are just as good. Their songs have been playing for a couple of weeks now and I'm still not getting tired of it. Amazing. I wish I could see them perform live.

My favorite tracks in no particular order:

The Space Between

Satellite

Shake Me Like A Monkey

Dancing Nancies

Gravedigger

Where Are You Going

Write A Song

You and Me

Dive In

Ants Marching

Watch how the violinist and the drummer play like crazy. Totally talent overload on one stage. Mo tukar sad unta ni sila sa Osmena rotunda uyyy..

Shoe Lust

2010-11-14T21:33:00.004+08:00

This is a little vain but I've been lusting for a pair (or two) of Sebago shoes. Me so wants!! It's in SM, near our store. I pass by it every time but I never have the gall to get in because I don't want to die in envy. They just look so gorgeous, comfortable and pricey. But I really don't know how much they cost. Well, everything is pricey for the little poor me.

Merry Christmas, Universe. Please get one (or two) for me. Wink, wink.

Carpe Diem!

2010-11-07T16:47:00.003+08:00

“Imperfection is beauty, madness is genius, and it’s better to be absolutely ridiculous than absolutely boring.”

Marilyn Monroe

Lucky Me

2010-11-01T19:21:00.005+08:00

I'm beginning to think that I'm very lucky when it comes to contests or games of chance. I've won several things already ranging from really major ones (like going to South Africa c/o Cathay Pacific) to minor stuffs (like a Starbucks to-go strap or P800 cash from Petron's scratch and win). It's fun winning these things you never expect.

And to add another win for the record is a Nat Geo shirt from one of my favorite bloggers, Daphne Osena-Paez. The contest was simple. All I had to do was post a question in her blog in line with Nat Geo's Live Curious campaign. So I posted a question and in fact made my own blog about it! haha. A few days later, I won.

Thank you, Daphne and Nat Geo!

Now the dilemma, how to pick up the prize in Makati.

Pasko na sad..

2010-10-30T21:38:00.004+08:00

For the longest time, I've never been this excited for Christmas and I don't know why. Probably it's because of the lovely Christmas songs in the store during the season while we make luxuriant gourmet coffee.

And then there is the unending line of customers eager to earn their stickers who can hardly wait to get their hands on their planners. And then some of them getting rude but that's okay because

a) it's part of the job

b) people can forget their manners for trivial things.

And then there is work even at the eve of Christmas, but that's okay because

a) family gatherings should be all year round

b) i'll just be watching TV or munching on too much food if I was at home anyway.

And then there's peppermint mocha and toffee nut latte. It's beginning to feel a lot like Christmas..

What time is it? It's Stressing Time.

2010-10-25T17:30:00.005+08:00

I just saw Papa P, a classmate, and he told me the grades are in. Too scared to admit that I'm scared. And by writing this down, I'm scaring myself even more. Oh nooo... Shiverssss..

Papa P is moving on to another school, and I think, so will I. Noooo... Kaya ra ni. Haha. Scared out of my wits. Insert quote "you haven't lived if you haven't failed." Waaahh.. the stress of being a student. The stress of high expectations. The stress of this world!!

OK RA lagi ni. No matter what. Haha. How do you comfort and assure yourself that every little thing's gonna be alright? -Bob Marley. Do you just dust yourself off and try again, dust yourself off and try again, try again? -Aaliyah.

Anyway, tomorrow will be my first time conducting a Coffee Seminar. Bring it on. I'd love it if you can come join the fun (oozing with choco and crispy wafer too! Oh we love Stick-O!).

As you can see, all these emotions is killing me.

But yeah, I feel better. Wonderful catharsis.

Today

2010-10-22T20:36:00.001+08:00

"I am an excitable person who only understands life lyrically, musically, in whom feelings are much stronger as reason. I am so thirsty for the marvelous that only the marvelous has power over me. Anything I cannot transform into something marvelous, I let go. Reality doesn't impress me. I only believe in intoxication, in ecstasy, and when ordinary life shackles me, I escape, one way or another. No more walls."

Anais Nin

NatGeo-inspired

2010-10-20T17:42:00.006+08:00

Why worry?

Why do you need money when the best things in life are priceless?

What is so corporate about corporate attire and why is it so Western?

Why not ignorance?

Why live only to die?

What is so wonderful about the beach?

What is so special about friendship?

How do you know you should be where you are right now?

What is a permanent thing other than change?

Why did Romulus, our dog, die?!?!

Why is it hard to be different?

How come some people are effortlessly cool?

How do you measure success?

How does love come about?

What if there is really no purpose?

How come fireworks are so amazing?

What is so merry about Christmas?

What is wrong with being single?

How come a lot of people are convincing me to get into Facebook?

Why is it too much for you to smile back?

My name is Gayle, you're local barista, and I've got a million more questions because everyday I live curious.

... the kind that blind sides you

2010-09-03T22:42:00.004+08:00

Upon seeing my midterm scores, I asked myself:

Why am I here? What is my purpose of being? I think I'm in the wrong place.

And then I laughed at myself, but I really wanted to cry, but I'm really not sure.

Shout Outs

2010-08-13T22:10:00.005+08:00

I still get embarrassed when people not so close to me "stumble" in my blog and tell me in person that they've read some of my entries. For me, only a blogger understands a blogger. So I'm not really sure how this blog would be like from a non-blogger perspective. Then again, that was the risk I took for publicly publishing.

Nevertheless, it is flattering when I get a kind word or two about my rants here in cyberspace. hehe. Thanks for dropping by guys! This really doesn't deserve your special attention.

Time to hit the books again for midterms week. Will update when I finally ace an exam! I seriously need to reach this goal before my time runs out. And I'm not kidding.

Libi vs. IAC

2010-07-28T21:22:00.001+08:00

"One of the ironic verities of life, it has been said, is that sorrow is sometimes a touchstone of love. "

G.R. No. 70890, 1992 Sep 18

Eargasmic

2010-07-24T08:43:00.004+08:00

Sounds like the Cardigans, but I think she's prettier.

Happy Day

2010-07-20T13:24:00.004+08:00

Off from work.

Studying on the beach.

Getting called for orals.

Complimented by teacher.

Oh well.

One of those times.

That it's just a Happy Day.

And you just can't help it.

Bangkok by Day*

2010-07-20T12:17:00.007+08:00

It was the first family trip abroad, and it was fun indeed. Yay, more money for Mommy so we could do this more often! And more cheap Cebu Pacific flights! I love Cebu Pacific for making travel less of a luxury.

So what we did:

Visit the temples. Have the endurance to walk, patience for the heat and more endurance to walk further. The temples are ahh-mazing especially the Leaning Buddha. It's a photographer's heaven.

Discover the many sights and sounds of Bangkok. We went to Khao San Road, watched some cultural entertainment at the plaza, ate street food (excluding the crickets, cockroaches and worms, of course), and just immersing in their culture.

Rode the taxi river. It’s one of the most convenient means to get from one point to another because you can avoid the traffic. Plus, you get a good view of the Chao Phraya river.

Play “Spot the King.” Their King is a well-loved public figure so you can see his images posted in different buildings. You can make an album of their King if you compile all posters on public display.

Shop. Chatuchak is a cheap shopper’s haven. Trust me, you will get physically and mentally exhausted from all the shopping. So make sure to reserve at least a day for this weekend market.

I might as well add that we didn't hire any travel guides nor did we join any package tours so it was really an adventure for all of us. Good thing mother prepared the itinerary and equipped herself with all the knowledge she could find in the internet. Way to go, Mommy! And it's really a good thing because swindlers abound in the city and we experienced that first-hand. First, there were those guys telling us that the temples were closed, giving us the wrong directions, and the taxi driver urging us to drop by a jewelry shop. Exactly the things we were warned about when travelling in Bangkok.

But everything's worth it for all that pleasure of visiting a foreign land. I'm very much looking forward for my next trip! Hope to write about it soon.

Photo taken by Jhoy, my brother's girlfriend. She takes really good ones.

I've got more pictures here.

* because we're too exhausted to go out by night. Let's do that some other time. Thailand is definitely a traveller's must.

For The One That Got Away

2010-07-15T20:59:00.003+08:00

I love the way how Macy Gray sings this song. It makes it more complicated.

Goodnight

2010-07-02T22:37:00.003+08:00

"Heaven's windows are the stars
You were watching me from where you are
But we're divided by the light
When morning starts

So goodbye to the sun
Goodnight
All pain will be gone for a while
A while, goodnight"

- Goodnight, Barbie Almalbis

----

With you, I always tend to forget to remember to forget.

----

For you who let things slip away. No one can shout you the answer if you haven't even whispered to ask.

----

Goodnight.

Hot Guys Reading Books

2010-06-27T20:17:00.008+08:00

Totally, agree! Hot guys reading books are doubly hoooottttt!!! Saw this guy at Suvarnabhumi airport and I just had to steal a pic. When I checked what he was earnestly reading, it was Freakonomics - a book that was recommended to me (for being funny and intellectual) but I never really got myself to read. He sat there unperturbed as I literally stopped dead in my tracks and stared at him just a few feet away.

What a vision. Traveler, music lover, book worm AND good-looking. And maybe even funny and intellectual based on the book he was reading. What else can you ask for? I wonder what he was listening to. Notice how his music player is attached to his sleeve. He's just cool like that. My insides were screaming like crazy. But he never even looked up to say hi. hahaha.

Now, I am of firm belief that my lover is somewhere out there traveling the world. We may not meet yet or we could never ever meet, but that's still a happy, satisfying thought.

Fly me again.

2010-06-23T22:23:00.001+08:00

But where to?

Daddy Day Yo!

2010-06-20T21:24:00.006+08:00

He's not the best, but I wouldn't want it any other way. I can't say more without being emotional so I wouldn't say more.

Happy day (like any other day isn't?) to the most important man of my life! No one compares.

---

"Remember that (no matter how old you get), you'll always be my little princess." - Daddy

He said that when I was a teener. Then I just choked.

Officially Hating Saturdays

2010-06-19T21:25:00.003+08:00

I can hardly sit through a three-hour class, let alone a five-hour class period. And it's not just sitting pretty and dandy. It's pure mental anguish the whole time! Where is the love?!?!

IMY, SA!!!!

2010-06-17T09:27:00.001+08:00

Dear Diary,

2010-06-04T11:12:00.004+08:00

I failed to see some turtles in action and now I'm itchy all over, but I still super enjoyed snorkeling off the coast of Moalboal. I think I was the one who really had a blast among the group. We only paid P50 each, but my snorkeling experience was priceless. Underwater life was just awesome! The thousands of fishes and magnificent corals were just totally incredible. I hope someday I'll really learn how to scuba dive (and afford it) so I could appreciate marine life's total splendor.

The ocean is addicting. I want to go back there again and again and maybe just live there. Under the sea where there's no books, no money, just me.

There's school in less than two weeks and I'm not excited to go back. For two years, I've already lived my dream of becoming a Law student. I'm halfway done and I can't wait until this is all over.

Best Job in the World

2010-06-04T10:42:00.003+08:00

I thought it was a hoax when the advertisement came up for the "Best Job in the World." I mean an island caretaker is just too surreal for a job, right? It is, at least for me. So imagine my big surprise when I saw the Best Job in the World show on NatGeo with its winner, Ben Southall!

It turned out that the whole thing was really a tourism campaign for Queensland. Well, I have no regrets for failing to pass my resume. haha. Mine is NOTHING compared to Ben's. Check out his:

Happy Food/Thought of the Day

2010-06-02T16:40:00.005+08:00

Iced House Blend coffee of the day with white chocolate mocha, and dried mangoes.

On Q

2010-06-01T20:14:00.005+08:00

"Join me again as I turn ordinary recipes into MY favorite recipe."

But I don't care about YOUR favorite recipe. How about "join me again as I turn ordinary recipes into YOUR next favorite recipe"? It's all about the viewer, you self-absorbed cook.

And didn't anybody ever advise you to remove your expensive watch and pretty manicure when doing a "cooking" show. They make you look so fake and unconvincing. All the while, I was only guessing whether you're wearing a Rolex or an Omega, and still I'm not sure.

Take your cue from Giada de Laurentiis of Everyday Italian. She exudes what a chef-host should be - passionate, credible, articulate, exciting. She doesn't just smile and make pa-cute on cam, she engages the viewer not just to be entertained but also to teach what she knows.

P.S.

When you said that you'll cut the shrimps into three, you actually sliced them thrice, thus cutting the shrimps into four!

Most local TV shows are so annoying. They treat viewers as if we're unthinking.

Awit ng Barkada

2010-05-27T21:45:00.009+08:00

"Kahit sino pa man ang may kagagawan

Ng iyong pagkabigo
Ang isipin na lang na ang buhay
Kung minsan ay nagbibiro
Nandidito kami ang barkada mong tunay aawit sa iyo
Sa lungkot at ligaya, hirap at ginhawa
Kami’y kasama mo"

Interestingly, the remake of this Apo Hiking Society song was made by the Itchyworms - the same band that played at the Freedom Park in our first night at Dumaguete. I love this song. I love Apo (the band and the island). I love Itchyworms. And I love my friends who love to travel.

--

This is not going to be a travel blog. Since there are hundredsss of pictures from our weekend travel, I'm randomly uploading five to sum up the fantabulous weekend that was. So in no particular order.. cross my fingers (I'm secretly hoping for "good" pics. It would be in a list format so I wouldn't know what photos would come up).. here goes:

1) They get briefed before snorkeling at the marine sanctuary. I won't be swimming because my right foot just got sliced from jumping off the coral. Notice how smug Lay is looking (the girl in the white dress in the middle). She's getting pissed at how the locals offer their snorkels and life vests for rent. She's not taking them manongs, take that! And she doesn't want to be told where the turtles are either! haha.

2) The rock formation on the background is the unmistakable landmark that identifies the island. Pity that part of it got defaced by some merciless vandals. But Apo island is a beauty just the same, especially if you've got friends like mine for company.

3) This is the ohmygahddd-ohmygahddd-ilahveeet moment. A school of dolphins decided to play in the morning sun while we were going to Apo island. Kym took this shot when some of them swam along with our pumpboat. They were the hospitable hosts welcoming us to their territory. I felt genuinely happy to commune with nature.

4) With me is Kym, our official photographer. We've got 600 plus photos from her cam, and half of are her solo pics. haha. Kidding! I'm not sure where this pic is taken. Most likely in a jeep bound for Zamboangita, which is our jump off point to Apo.

5) Lastly, this was our first night. Just had some drinks at Hayahay and we were going back to Babajuba (where our place is at). Then suddenly, "... akin ka nalang, akin ka nalang..." it was Itchyworms playing at the park. So I told Gwen to stop just to catch a little of their tunes.

Bonus:

Went dipping at the falls in Pulang Bato where we became instant celebrities for bathing in sulfur while clad in bikinis. Seriously, was it safe to bathe there? Everybody else were on the other side where the water did not taste like rust. haha.

Edit: For a blow-by-blow account of this trip, you can visit Leigh's. Or Kabal's or Kym's when they're no longer lazy to update theirs.

Don't Look Back in Anger

2010-05-15T21:38:00.005+08:00

Caught a little feature of BBC for Tony Blair and this was the music on the background. I found it really cool. Serious politics on one hand and cool alternative music on the other was very dramatic.

Cheers!

2010-05-15T11:25:00.004+08:00

Time flies when you're having fun. Can't believe it's already a year since I've been a barista. It's just hard to put it all in words because it has been a very great/challenging/fulfilling/memorable experience. So I'm listing my favorite drinks instead. haha.

1) Iced Hazelnut Mocha
2) Iced Raspberry Mocha
3) Mint Javachip Frappuccino
4) Mint Mocha Frappuccino with coffee jelly
5) Caramel Coffee Jelly with java chips
6) Caramel Frappuccino Blended Cream Affogatto style
7) Iced Raspberry Caramel Macchiato
8) Iced Irish Cream Vanilla Latte
9) White Chocolate Mocha Mango Passion Fruit Frappuccino
10) Iced White Chocolate Mocha Americano
11) Iced Single Vanilla Chai Tea Latte
12) Dark Mocha Frappuccion
13) Iced Strawberry Signature Chocolate
14) Iced Single Hazelnut Signature Chocolate
15) Quad White Chocolate Americano on the rocks
16) Chocolate Cream Frappuccino with marbled strawberry sauce
17) Hazelnut Green Tea Frappuccino
18) Coffee of the day with white chocolate mocha

Most of them are coffees done cold because it takes time to drink a hot one while on break. They're are as good when served hot(except for the frappuccionos, of course). A double tall breve cappuccino makes me very sober.

Yay! Cheers to more years/months(?) of bussing tables, washing dishes, discovering new things, delighting customers, and creating the best coffee experience!

Gone Beaching

2010-05-12T15:49:00.005+08:00

Me on the beach with a book and a box of chocolates (thank you, Charito Tan). Finally an alone time that I can enjoy. Then those really RUDE stares. Give me a break!

This is not a Paid Advertisment

2010-05-09T18:25:00.007+08:00

I'm voting for the person who I think has the vision for the country and the political will to make it happen. He was the only person for me who showed that a government can be an effective and powerful institution. I was in highschool when he was Secretary of the Department of Tourism, and I can't forget how much he made me proud to be truly Filipino.

Dick is the man.

Does my endorsement count? haha.

Mamang Pulis

2010-05-09T16:29:00.006+08:00

While giving out the drinks..

Me: Hi, *****. Here are your drinks. I marked the regular Americano. You're from the PNP?

Guy: No.. (with a meek smile)

Barista beside me: (quickly but silently correcting me) Mayor..

Me: Huh? Mayor? (confused.. a few seconds later) Awwwwww.. mayor diay ka sir? haha. Sige, sir. Good luck tomorrow.

Guy: Thanks.

When the guy was gone with his PNP escorts, I couldn't stop laughing. I wondered who was more embarrased. Me who mistook a mayor for a police officer, or him who was a mayor and was mistaken for a police officer. But in all fairness to him, he'll make a very dashing policeman.

Mao diay porma kaayo with the Lacoste and aviator shades. Sorry na, Koya. I don't read or watch local news.

One Cup, One Vote

2010-04-28T21:23:00.005+08:00

Responsibility | Starbucks Coffee Company

Because ONE can mean a world of difference.

Less than two weeks to go before elections and the politicians are mudslinging like crazy. As a voter, it really is confusing who to vote for because there seems to be very few qualified candidates to choose from (and I mean more qualified than just to simply read and write). I haven't chosen my party list and my senatorial line-up is not yet complete. The local officials are even harder to choose from because you hardly hear about them in the news.

Although I made it a little easier for myself by making up one criterion (not a hard-and-fast rule). And that is, the more campaign materials one has littering the streets, the less likely I will vote for that person. Haha.

Who are your candidates and why are you voting for them? I need to make enlightened choices.

P.S.

Thought I could post the video, turns out it's just the link. Check out the link above. Starbucks always has superb marketing management.

My Iconoclast: The Rebel Billionaire

2010-04-21T18:53:00.007+08:00

Archbishop Desmond Tutu: A young lad who dreams of becoming a millionaire comes knocking on your door, what advise would you give him?

Sir Richard Branson: Money is not a definition of success. Pursue your interests and do it the best way you could. One should expect more failures than success.

Or something like that.

Sir Richard Branson is definitely one of my biggest inspirations. He is an entrepreneur, adventurer/daredevil, environmentalist, visionary, humanitarian, among others. I am just in awe of this man because he personifies how I should be in my ideal life. I first got to know him in a TV series that he hosted which resembles like The Apprentice, except that it was a hundred times better. He can only be described as crazy - in a positive light, of course. His ideas are just so out of the box, you wouldn't even think their conceivable. He does what normal people think is not possible.

His career began when he founded a record company because other record companies refuse to produce a musician whom he thinks deserve a break. Under the same record company, it later produced the music of Janet Jackson, Lenny Kravitz, The Sex Pistols, The Rolling Stones and other successful artists.

Two hundred companies later under his name, Sir Richard Branson is now co-founding a group of "Elders" like the likes of Jimmy Carter, Archbishop Tutu, Kofi Annan and other world leaders to foster world peace and comity. While other government leaders think of time frame in months, years and probably decades, Sir Branson thinks of hundreds of years. That's how much of a visionary he is. He's already even thinking of commercial airspace travel and biofuel production for his airline companies.

What I also admire about Sir Branson is that he is such a fun-loving individual and he clearly enjoys so much what he does. You can really sense that money is just a by-product of everything that he's passionate about. You'd think that he is so uptight like a billionaire businessman should. But no, this guy is just so informal with a great sense of humor. He is the person of coolness. He was definitely cool with a roomful of world leaders in a meeting in his private island when suddenly he shouts, "Who wants to go sailing?" And sailing they did!

I think a big part of his success and as he himself say, is because he never dreamt of becoming an entrepreneur or a billionaire. He don't care about making money as much as he is concerned of creating ideas that he can be proud of. For example, any prudent business person would probably refuse to risk getting into a saturated market with strong commercial brands. Only he does. And he does it so good that competitors resort to dirty tricks just to bring him down. He defies rules which truly makes him the rebel billionaire.

But it's not really the money I envy him for. It's his guts. Many thanks to him, I have a tangible proof of my ideals. He's my living reminder that life should be no less than incredible.

Lay, if you get to read this, I was thinking of you all the time while I was watching the whole episode. You should definitely watch this. I caught this in Lifestyle channel's Iconoclast: Archbishop Desmond Tutu + Sir Richard Branson. Be inspired, too!

Compulsory Mendicancy

2010-04-19T01:34:00.003+08:00

I get it, you're poor. But I'm not here to salvage you from whatever rut you're in. I've just been overcharged by a taxi driver (not a first time), pinched by a street urchin because I refused to give her some change, and psychologically agitated by a group of adult males who tried to beg for money by "singing" inside a jeepney. What the hell's wrong with you people? Being poor doesn't make you entitled to other people's kindness.

Let me be kind when I want to. Generosity, to me, should never be a perfunctory act.

Bangs, Birthday.. Nothing Really

2010-04-16T19:50:00.008+08:00

Like I'm seven again! That's how I feel like when I look at my reflection with my full short bangs. There were gazillion of incomplete thoughts that ran through my head 10 seconds before I finally decided to snip off my hair. Silly as it may seem, but my heart was actually pounding when I was cutting my bangs! Haha. But what the heck! It's about having fun, taking risks, and just simply being free!

Do you also get amused by your own self? I do! I sometimes laugh at myself for being just so crazy and silly. Life can be so fun if you want it to - which reminds me, I just turned twenty-four! So this is how it feels like to be twenty-four. Maybe I'm in denial but ever since I reached eighteen, I never felt like a year older. I don't know until when I'll be stuck at eighteen.

Meanwhile, my culinary skills were again put to the test. I decided to cook some Spanish cuisines. It was my first time to cook paella and to no surprise, it was such a failure - undercooked rice, bland taste, overcooked clams. I don't even want to think about what went wrong. Everything that can go bad went bad on my paella dish. Oh well, paella really is a difficult dish to prepare. The best thing I learned is not to attempt to cook this recipe again. This was how my failed dish looked like:

I also made some patatas bravas, which I must say was definitely a winner! I shall never underestimate the powers of paprika and thyme ever again. And hey, don't you just love those little McCormick bottles? I really find them pretty little things to look at.

For dessert, I initially planned to make a two-layered panna cotta but due to time constraint, I was only able to make the chocolate layer. It was delish, nevertheless. But it could have been better if it was made at small servings and a few garnishing on top. Panna cotta is Italian, by the way.

Finally, to pair everything is my own customized sangria. I think I was the only one who appreciated it though. My dad's a diabetic and my mom already complained that she was getting drowsy after drinking half of the glass. Told her I mixed some brandy with the drink. Mwehehehe.

Thinking about all these food is making me hungry again. Gotta scrounge for some left-overs.

A Bar Problem

2010-04-12T20:35:00.004+08:00

This is my barrista grammar dilemma.

When drinks don't get claimed after I initially call them out, I usually call again but to make it shorter what I say is "Drink/s for (customer's name) at the bar."

My fellow co-worker got corrected by another because she says it shouldn't be "at the bar" but "on the bar." Of course, I was/am preoccupied because English spelling and grammar is a little fixation of mine (I used to sleep with a dictionary so that I don't have to get up in bed when a word pops up in my head that I don't know how to spell/pronounce/define. And no, I am not alone. I share this similar trait with 2 other persons that I know, so far. You could probably blame it on my [mis]education. Or maybe I'm kinda just a, ehem, linguistic person).

Anyway, I did some research to refresh my grammar lessons. What I found out is that at as a preposition of place is used when referring to a specific point like "at the corner", "at the front desk", "at the entrance", etc. On the other hand, on as a prepositon of place is used when referring to a surface like "on the floor", "on the ceiling", "on the cover", etc.

I got confused because "the bar" could mean the whole bar area where we make the coffee, or it could also just refer to the handoff plane where the drinks are placed. According to my Microsoft Encarta Premium Suite 2005, a "bar", among other things, is:

5. drinks counter: a counter where alcoholic drinks are served 6. place providing product or service: a commercial establishment, or a counter inside one, where a product or service is provided

a juice bar

I know most of you, kind readers, are word fanatics yourselves. What do you think?

We Share Bluntness

2010-03-31T21:52:00.003+08:00

lay: texti lng ko ugma...

gayle: sige, sige

gayle: if layaan kos akong life, text lang ko nimo

lay: i hope di ka laayan...

lay: hahaha

lay: sige sige!

lay: ciao!

Maybe I should talk about long distance relationships next time. For now, let me think about what to do with my holy days.

Lay is at the extreme left of the picture. Some people think we look alike and even confuse us (hel-looww?). The key there is on the chest, memehn! hehe.

Wa Kunoy Sukod ang Baws!

2010-03-17T00:05:00.003+08:00

Not.

CHARITO ALCOVER TAN,

In response to your post, nagresearch kog old pics and look for at least one incriminating photo against you. Only to find none and discover that I have more pics incriminating myself! haha. Atay.

This is what I get for living in the moment. Thank you for making me realize as I've already realized before that this is the only way to live my life.

And now I shall attempt to sleep again.

"All There's Good And Nothingness Is Dead"

2010-03-12T16:42:00.009+08:00

One of the best things in my job is listening to great types of music. I get to discover a lot of cool artists and simply listening to them just totally makes my day. The store has a random selection of tracks, although most of the songs fit a specific theme for a certain month. I can never predict what I get to listen to. Sometimes it can be a John Legend, Matisyahu, Bob Marley or some opera or jazz singer I have no idea who.

Music plays a great part in sometimes making me feel how work can be so spiritual. Strange as it may seem, there are times that working makes me feel part of the cosmos. That in my insignificance, I feel significant to a little community. It's a wonderfully strange blissful feeling.

Anyway, here's a song that I'm keeping on repeat mode. When I got to hear it first in the store, I had to run to the backroom to check the title and artist. Here it is, One Headlight by The Wallflowers.

P.S.

When you like a particular song, do you also play it on loop so much so that you can hear the song still even if it's not playing? I've almost memorized the whole song already. Now, I can sing to it while taking out the bacon of Sir Domz' turkey pepper jack. Ok back to Nationality and Statelessness. Gotta pass this test. Can't wait for finals to be over.

Hey, Sistah!

2010-02-26T23:43:00.006+08:00

Now, now, don't get too embarassed because it's a fun memory to last you a lifetime. You may not have the talent, but you've got something that a lot of talented people don't have.. THE GUTSSSS! To actually wear that dress and go up in that auditorium and (out of all things) SING and DANCE is a feat that not everybody could dare.

But you, my dear sister, despite the lack of skill/ability/talent have dared and then quite expectedly, brought the house down! I could still hear the audience screaming. Watching those videos totally made my day. I completely laughed my head off. But please remember that there are reasons why some hidden talents should be kept hidden (or at the very least, hidden from the public eye).

Nevertheless, I AM VERY PROUD OF YOU. I can never wish for another sister but you. You look stunning in that dress, by the way. Now, keep off your distance from that stage. Time to gain back your respectability, or what's left thereof.

Gahd, you were just funny. Over-the-top funny. But you so make me proud. No amount of achievement can ever equal or even come close to what you did in that fateful night. That's how crazy it was!

Beach Blooper

2010-02-24T17:43:00.005+08:00

Cute College Boy: Nindot lagi ang beach ngari miss, noh?

Me: Huh? Uhhh..

CCB: Taga-asa diay ka, miss?

Me: Ha?!

CCB: Taga diri ra ka? Diri sa Cebu?

Me: Awww.. o. Ikaw diay?

CCB: Taga Leyte.

Me: Ahhh.. naa ko kaila taga Leyte.

CCB: Unsay ngan?

Me: Gracia Belmonte (not real name).

CCB: Asa dapit ila sa Leyte?

Me: Uhmmm.. I think Tagbilaran man to ila.

CCB: .... Bohol man ng Tagbilaran!

But the best gyapon ang trunks ni Macjoy. You think guys no longer swim in the beach wearing skimpy trunks? Think again. Only a real guy can pull that thing off. Yeah!

As usual photos not mine. It's Gracie's this time.

I Laugh At Myself Like That

2010-02-24T17:03:00.005+08:00

Words you won't hear that runs through my head during oral recitations.

Teacher: Opseema?

Me: (a. murag ako man na. I think ako na.. Ako na!)

Yes, Ma'am.

(b. shit ngano ako man? kadaghan pa wa natawag, ngano ako maaaan?!!?

c. ingon si Lovely wa nag orals sa pikas room, ngano nag orals man si ma'am ron?!?!

d. ahak nis Lovely! maypa gatuon ko!

e. noooo, i'm so not prepared. maypa wa ko gasige tabi ganina. waaaa.

f. don't panic. no use for what could have been's. think straight. inhale. exhale.

g. shucks, gi-gabaan nako kay sige ra nako gibinoangan si Mai-Mai ganina. oh nooo!

h. shit, ako na mag orals. paksit!)

Teacher: So blah blah blah de facto officers?

Me: Uhmm, uhmmm, ma'am for a second, i'll just open my.. uhmmm.. uhhmmm

(a. file name sa ako notes click.. pagdali open.. waaa.. scroll down..

b. shucks, unsa gani ng de facto officers?!?!

c. de facto.. de facto.. de facto.. unsay de facto?!?!

d. here!)

Uhmmm.. so ma'am last meeting we have classified public officers into two. These are de facto and de jure officers blah blah blah...

Teacher: So what is the effect?

Me: Uhhhh.. Uhhh..

(a. unsay effect?!

b. naa diay na effect?! waaaa.

c. omigahd. i can't think. na shock ako self.

d. laina doh. way warning. di ko palabot.)

Javier vs COMELEC

2010-02-13T21:34:00.004+08:00

Let us first say these meager words in tribute to a fallen hero who was struck down in the vigor of his youth because he dared to speak against tyranny. Where many kept a meekly silence for fear of retaliation, and still others feigned and fawned in hopes of safety and even reward, he chose to fight. He was not afraid. Money did not tempt him. Threats did not daunt him. Power did not awe him. His was a singular and all-exacting obsession: the return of freedom to his country. And though he fought not in the barricades of war amid the sound and smoke of shot and shell, he was a soldier nonetheless, fighting valiantly for the liberties of his people against the enemies of his race, unfortunately of his race too, who would impose upon the land a perpetual night of dark enslavement. He did not see the breaking of the dawn, sad to say, but in a very real sense Evelio B. Javier made that dawn draw nearer because he was, like Saul and Jonathan, "swifter than eagles and stronger than lions."

- an excerpt from EVELIO B. JAVIER, petitioner, vs. THE COMMISSION ON ELECTIONS, and ARTURO F. PACIFICADOR, respondents. G.R. Nos. L-68379-81 September 22, 1986

Undoubtedly one of the most beautifully written decisions I've read. Penned by Justice Cruz, it reminds me of reading the works of F. Sionil Jose. Poignant, eloquent, compelling. Cheers to Filipino literary greatness! Read the full-text, if you want to know what I mean.

Planners, Pens and Hearts

2010-01-24T13:35:00.012+08:00

For somebody who writes on tissue, planners aren't really a big thing. But I was giddy excited to have one though (well, anything for free is welcome). The wonderful thing about it is that I can relate to every page in it so it becomes even more personal. Take this page for instance. I watch this drip everyday.

Still don't know what to write here though because I never really write down my plans for the day/week/month. My phone calendar takes care of that. Maybe I'll make it my travel chronicle or my barista memoir? The 2007 planner I have is more than half empty. I made it a doodle/memory book and had some of my college friends sign before graduation. I'll probably have my present classmates sign, too, soon.

Of course, jeacreated wins the best page for sheer effort and creativity.

mag sige pa ta ani?

2010-01-18T13:40:00.008+08:00

shet.

ka kapoyg tuon. mid-terms na sad. unya trabaho na sad ugma. pwede magtanga ra? or tan-aw salida. or matog. haha. akong lawas grabe pama-ol tungod sa lakaw nako gahapon na pirting layua. laliman ka gikan dapit v. rama hangtod mj cuenco ako gilakaw ug 30 minutes kay blocked na ang mga roads. so while galakaw ko padung trabaho party pipol na kaayo ang mga taw. pwede mo apil ug sayaw? haha.

unsaon man ni para mo activate ang brain? wa koy gana magtuon. paet kung mahagbong na sad. dapat naa koy internal motivation. so unsaon man ni ha.. mag blog nalang. haha.

anyway, na curious ko gamay sa akong mga anonymous commenters. ma conscious man pud ta gamay. haha. bitaw uy, salamat sa pagbisita. ato-ato ra ni. hehe.

sige na uy. study sa ko.

(boringa jud sa election laws uy. hahay.)

and pit senyor diay! where was the party at?!

edit: as usual pics not mine.

Maria Pulls Cheapest Trick

2010-01-05T16:50:00.012+08:00

Maria got irritated because she was waiting for 2 cappuccinos that never came. I took up responsibility and profusely apologized for missing out these 2 drinks out of 6 other orders she had, even after repeating everything before ending the transaction just to make sure I had everything right.

I tried to amend the situation, but in her crooked balikbayan English she kept on yakking and walked out on me. Fine. Nobody ruins my day like that.

Minutes later while I was accommodating other customers, she charges in the counter brought the hot green tea I had earlier made and remarked that I look into it, that she wasn't happy, etcetera, etcetera, and walked out of the store with her entourage. Even without looking, I was already wondering what she placed in there. A bug? Pebble? Or a cockroach maybe?

After I got all the orders of the customers in front of me, I opened the cup of tea without much curiosity. And then there it was, a big, black, dead fly floating in the surface. Poor fly! It's life sacrificed for a woman's uncouthness. Or maybe it was dead already when she placed it in.

Here's why I know, Maria, that it was impossible for that fly to be in your drink when I served it to you. Bless your ignorance and uncivilized self.

I was the one who personally prepared your zen tea. I used an empty cup and opened two tea bags. The water in our brewer is 90 to 95 degrees Celsius, so unless I want to get myself burnt, I was doing nothing else but paid attention as the cup filled with hot water. If there was any dead fly there, I would notice because it was also me who immediately sealed the cup with a lid to ensure that the heat gets trapped. Moreover, there is hardly any flying insects inside our airconditioned store.

Unfortunately for you, too, I conducted tea tasting activities on the same tea you ordered, not just once, but twice. So yes, I am familiar with the tea's aroma, appearance, body and flavor. From the looks of the tea you returned, you have already poured honey. So why not complain from the first instance you opened the cup? And why the effort of properly closing the lid upon seeing the fly? That's odd human behavior.

Ok, granting you're odd. But that's never a reason to be rude. You did not offend me, actually. The stunt you pulled was just so childish for a middle-aged woman, it's funny. If you're so dissatisfied, then talk, don't walk away. Say what you have to say nicely, and listen on what I have to say because I'll also be saying it nicely. Familiar with the line, "you can have money but you can't have class"? That's you. But on second thought, I don't think you have much money either. After all, you were unwilling to pay the additional drinks.

In my experience, it's ironic to note that the really rich customers are actually the most pleasant and humble people I've met. You expect them to be snotty, but they're not. They are the one's who don't look down and treat you as if you're a colleague of their own. These are the people who truly understand that the way to success is by treating others with dignity and respect.

Letting My Hair Down

2009-12-29T13:34:00.010+08:00

In a sea of black, straight relaxed/rebonded hair, I often find myself the odd girl out. Had this been a few years ago, I would have felt very self-conscious. As a matter of fact, I was very self-conscious with my frizzy, wavy hair in highschool that I always made sure to pull it back in a pony tail.

Then in college, I spent most of the time donning a boy cut hair. Ironically enough, it was in my short hair that I felt most feminine. I felt sexy and attractive because most girls wear their hair long. I think that most short-haired girls have a very unique appeal because it takes a lot of attitude to wear it, not to mention the courage to chop one's hair off. Before, every trip to the salon to have my hair done was a heart-stopper. I cringe every time the scissors snip because I never know how it would look like afterwards. And what if it would look terrible? It would take time to grow my hair back, and then what? Wear a bandana or cap until it does? The thought was just horrific.

So now after a few years, I'm finally growing my hair long primarily because I can no longer afford to go to a salon to maintain a short hair. I get a lot of comments of how long my hair has grown. Old acquaintances do double takes to make sure it's me, a few don't even recognize me at all! I also get countless comments directly or indirectly about the wonders of relaxing or rebonding my hair and how it could make me more beautiful. If I didn't know much better, I would have felt deeply insulted. It's like saying, "Hey you've got a flat nose, you need a nose job" or "You're too short, how bout some leg extensions?"

I don't understand why many Filipinos stereotypically equate beauty with long, shiny, straight hair. I remember the rebonded hair craze before when almost all females had it and almost everyone looked like they came out from the same hair factory. I have nothing against those hair procedures. What I'm only concerned about is the narrow perception of beauty for some and how they go about meddling other people's hair affairs.

Now that I'm a little much older, I've learned to accept who I really am and what I really have. I've learned to shun most of the nonsensical dictates of society and live the way that makes me feel happy. As time pass, I've discovered so many things and see the real beauty in me without external approbation. Now, I'm just gladly letting my hair down.

Some days ago while going out with my first-degree half-Aussie cousins, funny this may seem, I felt a deep sense of hair belongingness. Monica and Natalie both have long, wavy hair and my goal is to achieve their hair length and see how it fits me. I just realized actually that nobody in my family has straight hair.

That's them in the pic and notice how pretty they are even with the wavy hair. For once, my second-degree half-Chinese cousin with the straight hair was the odd girl out (I meant Caitlin in the striped shirt, but nevertheless still as pretty). Also in the second pic are cousins Ivy and Adrianne.

Photos courtesy of my favorite DJ, cousin June who also has naturally curly hair.

027, Smoke coming down

2009-12-17T17:15:00.000+08:00

by Raymund Fernandez

Today, the Maker was not feeling too good. This morning he quit smoking. The expected symptoms of nicotine withdrawal were strong with him. And he had to match the urge to smoke with the strength of his resolve. He knew it would not be enough. And so he willed himself to contemplate the fear of death. If there was one thing he knew with a certainty it was that the smoking would kill him, sooner or later. He could feel it killing him every time he lighted up.

The Maker expected a storm coming. He worried especially if he would still be able to write well. His writing environment had always contained these elements: computer, cup of coffee, ash tray, lighter and pack of cigarettes. Now, he had only the computer. He would try a cup of coffee if only he were not sure this would lead him to surrender to at least a stick. And then he would tumble from then on. And so he had just the computer and a kind of emptiness inside him. Not only that, he began to worry if he was following the right track with this series. Clearly, he was feeling a strong bout of anxiety. He felt a vulnerability he had not felt in a long time. He longed for the old times.

"Don't think like that. Now is a good time to look on the bright side of things," Christina said, trying to placate the Maker and ease his obvious nervousness. She steered him to the nearest sofa. She knew this was a time when touch would count more than words and so she held him close to her resting his head on her single good breast. The Maker felt immediately better. In fact, he felt so good he began to feel excited. He had rested his right hand on the softness of Christina's mid-section. Now it began a gentle if slow descent. She began to enjoy it. It took some effort for her finally to cross her legs. "I think you are more in need of a friend than a lover" was what she said.

"Let's talk instead about smoking. Why would people actually risk their lives for it? Is it really that good?"

Christina and the Maker began deconstructing the act of smoking between themselves. Smoking is rolled tobacco lighted up then ingested by breathing. The smoke ingested is a cocktail of poison. Which was why you threw up the first time you smoked a whole stick. "How did you ever begin smoking?" Christina asked.

The Maker recalled a happy time decades ago when he played chaperone to his older sisters. Back then, everyone smoked. Them and their boyfriends, parents, brothers, sisters, uncles; smoke was everywhere. They knew it was cancerous but this was a careless time, everyone was in the prime of health. Death was something you worried about far, far into the future. We were invincible. The Maker turned to Christina and smiled. "I guess the future caught up with us."

"But what is it about smoking that gets you?" Christina asked, obviously persistent. The Maker was silent for a time until finally he blurted out, "Hollywood." All the old stars smoked: Eastwood, Sinatra, Bette Davis, Taylor, Burton, etc, even Castro and Che. We should not be surprised to find the Tobacco companies actually paid these stars to smoke on screen. It’s hard not to smoke if all our "idols" smoked.

"But what of the actual pleasure of smoking. Is it real? What are its constructs?"

The Maker recalled the actual feeling of smoke passing through his throat and into the lungs. He had to admit a nostalgia for that sensation now but still he wondered if that sensation was by itself actually pleasurable. Clearly, if at all pleasurable, it should not feel better or even equal to the pleasure he felt from Christina's fingers scratching the dandruff from his scalp. The pleasure of Christina's touch is logical. It could be translated into sex and/or love. "But smoking? What does it translate to?"

Finally the long silence. Seated together on the sofa, both fell into each other's bodies and felt the momentary sense of endless peacefulness that in time would yield to muscular discomfort or even a crick in the neck. But for now there was only the sense of being comfortably together. Finally, It is was Christina who said this: "Danger, excitement, adventure, time. Entropy. Decay. Death"

"We all deal with it in our own way. I truly hope you will get there. Quit."

Negotiability

2009-12-15T20:03:00.006+08:00

When you ask what a gift card is and the barista replies that "it is an instrument containing an unconditional order to give any tall drink with two optional add-ons, whether or not the bearer of the card is a holder in due course," then you'll know that your barista is studying Negotiable Instruments Law.

In the same note, how do you describe a pre-mid NIL exam? Long and hard. And that's not even half as intriguing as it sounds.

Turning Japanese

2009-11-02T17:01:00.005+08:00

Too much Naruto marathons is turning me to Japanese.

(caveat: most likely wrong spelling for Japanese words)

Me greets konichiwaaa!!

And the Japanese customer's face lights up. Konichiwa, he responded.

Genki desu ka?

Very nice, he said while still smiling.

Weee.. I feel so cool! haha. I should learn Japanese, hai? haha.

For the third time, I greeted a Japanese-looking guy "Konichiwa. Genki desu ka?"

Amused, he replied, "Ni hao." Chinese diay?! Sorry na gud. Wahahaha.

Other Japanese words I know:

Sayonnara

Mata ne

Ohaiyo

Ramen

Japanese sweetcorn

Japanese paper

Japanese game

News Flash

2009-10-21T19:54:00.003+08:00

Erap officially announced that he's again gunning for the presidency because the voice of the people is the voice of God, vox populi, vox dei. From what it appears in the news, he's very much well-received in Tondo, Manila.

First, the populi is definitely not just Tondo.

Second, why don't he just run for mayor in Tondo instead?

Excuse me before I puke on myself.

Kaleidoscope Coffee World

2009-10-21T18:44:00.004+08:00

Chika of the Day

Boss thinks I only small talk familiar customers, especially NOT to those who are hard in speaking English. So she challenged me that in a month's time, I should have a list of 10 foreign customers that I have interacted with. Well, what can I say to a challenge like this? Bring it onnnn!!!

First customer of the day was the American named James.

Me: Hi, good morning! How are you?

Customer: Good. Are you ready to make me a cappuccino?

Me: I'm just finishing some stuffs, but sure. Is that what you want?

Customer: Actually, I'm gonna get a quad venti latte.

Me: Alright. Would you want to pair it with something to eat for breakfast?

He got a slice of banana loaf. Later on, I discovered that he just came back from Manila and hates the place. After a few minutes, he came back to get some danish and told me that the guy I just spoke with was definitely not Thai. He was then "overhearing" my little chitchat with "York", a guy who looked very South Korean to me, but claims that he's Thai and "studying pre-dentistry in CDU."

James further recounts that he was once assigned in Thailand during the Vietnam War and is very familiar with the accent. This was how I learned about Seabees, their tattoo and their motto of "Can do!" - to which I replied, Yes We Can! And this was also how I used Don's status message of "Semper Fidelis" in a conversation.

Another customer was Sitzie. He has a very unique first name with a more complicated last name. I thought his name is German because "Sitzie" somehow rhymes with "Nietzsche." haha. I pretty much guessed all the European countries I could muster in our short guessing game. Only to find out that we has from Netherland, where all the good things happen. haha. And that's how I learned that while Deutsch is to German, Dutch can be Netherlands, Norway and those other countries he mentioned. So how do you call a guy from Netherlands? Simply, Netherlander. But you have to say it with a different accent (nasal, I suppose.)

Katya also came back to the store to have a quick latte. She's a German doctor who's here on a mission work. It's quite surprising to note that a few foreigner customers I know actually flies hundreds of miles to help the local urban poor. But let's not dwell on that sad plight.

Tonight, I'm just starstruck because of the amazing splendor of the moon. Or should I say moonstruck? It's perfectly perfect. I want to eat it like candy. Ah, to finally have some time for leisure's sake. SEM BREAK!

Schedule now available for booking. Good while supply lasts.

It's the Wanderlust

2009-10-14T06:33:00.004+08:00

Rick has been one of the most pleasant customers I've spoken with. He's an American who travels the world as a hobby. He's been all over Europe, Asia, North and South America, that's roughly 40 countries at his estimate. This fact alone made my eyes bulge with amazement. This guy must have had a hell of adventures.

He doesn't look at all like a traveler to me. He looked very casual when I smiled and approached him. I was bussing the tables when he was just about to leave. The rain was pouring hard and he complained that he's going to get wet on his bike, and that's when I noticed that while he was holding a crushed venti paper cup on his left hand, he was also holding a helmet on his right. The Skygo bike he just bought the other day will be used for going around Mindanao. It's actually his second time in the Philippines and he loved it so much that he came back and will be staying a good 9 months. He's been working for 25 years and now just lives to travel. He still plans to travel for 10 more years, hopefully with a girlfriend or wife in tow who shares the same passion. (He's now officially the second customer I know who's coming over the Philippines is to look for a wife. The first being an Australian. I don't know what to think about that.)

Anyway, to end my 5 minute conversation with Rick, I asked him that with all the numerous places he's traveled, what was the best place he's been to. He replied matter-of-factly and without batting an eyelash, "I'm in the best place right now." That's why he came back because he never goes back to a place a second time unless it becomes his favorite. I looked at him in disbelief. He said that everything in our country is just beautiful - the beaches, the coconuts, everything. I was wondering if he also meant the women. But he's been to Mexico with all their Miss Universe potentials, so he couldn't just mean about women. It feels both shocking and inspiring that for a wanderlust like him who has been to pretty much everywhere, the Philippines is on top of his list.

I just love my job.

S-P-I-R-I-T

2009-10-06T22:10:00.005+08:00

cheer leader: hey, Gayle! What do we got?

Gayle: We've got... S- supernatural, P- phenomenal, I-incredible, R-responsible, I-intelligent, T-terrific!

All: We've got SPIRIIIITTT!!!!

Strawberry shortcake banana split. Bananas, bananas uhmm - aahhh.

Shake it to the left and shake it to the right. Uhmm, take a bite coz our team's alright!

S-I-X-E-R and S, sixers, sixers. We love... SIXERS!!!

(Just need a cheering squad. That's all.)

Irreplaceable

2009-09-20T19:26:00.007+08:00

What more appropriate line to start this letter with than...

Dear Zarah,

Remember that glass of Tequila Rose you owe me from losing a dart game we played in Moalboal, which until now you haven't paid? You've been meaning to pay me that for more than a year already but I guess there hasn't been an appropriate time. But what you don't know actually is that you don't owe me anything. That's right. I cheated on that game. While you were turning your back against the dart board, I quickly placed the pin on the bull's eye and pretended that I threw it from the line. Yes, you've been conned... by me. Haha! The moral of the story is, more people will cheat on you, disappoint you and let you down. So always be careful because the price you pay may be more than just a glass of Tequila Rose.

(mushiness deleted)

Now that you're going away, I can only bid you good bye and say thank you. Thank you for those times we've shared which made living worthwhile. The memories will be a lifetime to cherish. Till our paths meet again.

I love you,

Gayle

P.S.

Now I know what "irreplaceable" truly means... YOU!

Coffee Incidents

2009-09-13T17:19:00.006+08:00

It works the same way because it also feels great when customers remember my name, too. Thank you Dominic, John (the American), Allan, John (the Filipino), Nathaniel, Tony and Kathy for also addressing me by my name and making my day. I do appreciate the human interaction.

---

On another note, a funny thing happened to me today. I was transferring some caffeinated liquid from a large tub to a smaller pitcher. The tub was heavy around 10 liters. When I was about to pour the liquid to the pitcher, I knew exactly that it would spill, but I continued to pour it anyway. And ofcourse, it did spill.

I was amused with myself because in preparing coffee, as in life,

a) I prefer damage control than preventive measures, and I exactly know which is the wiser option.

b) I never really learn.

Haha. Stupid me.

Note to self: I do have irrational behaviors. Still human after all.

postcard photo from postsecrets.com

Nobody Nobody Batchoo

2009-09-06T19:30:00.020+08:00

I'm sure you've already heard of that song that goes "I want nobody nobody batchoo.." And that's the only English line I hear. I pretty much hear it everywhere that it has become so annoying. I'm eating my lunch and "I want nobody nobody batchoo". Walking to school then suddenly there's "nobody nobody batchoo". When I'm riding the jeepney, a car zooms past and it wants "nobody nobody batchoo." The tune has become so incessant that even when I'm alone, I think I'm still hearing "I want nobody nobody batchoo."

What's up with this song with Korean lyrics you can't understand?!

So imagine my surprise when last Saturday, my friend Kym actually knew the song and memorized the dance steps by heart. Instead of getting irritated, I couldn't stop laughing until my tummy ached. I couldn't believe the fact that I have a friend who knows such a baduy song. Here she is dancing like that and even trying to teach us the dance moves:

I was soooo laughing like crazy. Haayy, Kym. Thanks for making my night. I wouldn't want nobody nobody batchoo!

Edit:

Pizza + Below Zero Beer

Crazy Old Friends

Failed Masterplans

Keeping Sanity

Pics all from Kym Astrid. hehe.

Not a Big Fan of Emoticons

2009-09-01T18:16:00.003+08:00

.. but

:-<

Tomorrow

2009-08-30T19:43:00.004+08:00

I shall delight myself with a warm strawberry belgian waffle and some hazelnut mocha. You are welcomed to join. I'll just be sitting in the corner reading a book. You'll know me by my disheveled shoulder-length hair and cool indifference.

Consider this an open rendezvous. Be there an hour after the sun is at its peak. I won't be expecting you though, so surprise me.

Pissed

2009-08-27T17:45:00.005+08:00

Karaoke / loud music is fun but at the right place and at the right time. I don't intend to be grumpy but come on.. sometimes I just need some peace and quite at my very own home. It's hard to comprehend why people can be so inconsiderate sometimes. Not all people dig for your karaoke singing and taste of music, you know! Or maybe they don't understand the concept of silence at all.

Gahd, I need some neighborly love!

On another note, a lot of people also don't understand about personal space. It totally ticks me off. You know that feeling when blood rises to your head and feeling your hair strands stand in annoyance? That's how I exactly feel. Touching me anywhere when we barely know each other is sooo unwelcomed. Thank you.

If people have been pissing me off lately, they've done their job. Congratulations.

Matisyahu Muzik

2009-08-25T20:27:00.000+08:00

"it's not about
win or lose
because we all lose"

- Matisyahu, "One Day"

Demokrasya

2009-08-03T23:02:00.003+08:00

What does it mean to you?

Sometimes, I don't know how to respond to love

2009-07-28T16:36:00.003+08:00

Okay, make that MOST of the time.

On Weekends...

2009-07-20T14:44:00.002+08:00

(can't post a comment on Chari's blog so I'll make my own post instead)

After classes on a Saturday night:

seatmate: Gayle, asa ka?
Gayle: Huh? Uli. Magtuon.
seatmate: Loser! Di jud ko pwede di mo laag ug Saturday.
Gayle: hahaha. Enjoy. Bye!

Why limit your fun on Saturdays when you have the whole week to enjoy?! What's stopping you?

Pistachio

2009-05-25T20:57:00.000+08:00

Why I Love Dirty Jobs

2009-05-02T00:40:00.012+08:00

Among the shows I love watching in Discovery Channel is Dirty Jobs hosted by Mike Rowe. It features people who do "dirty jobs" in different parts of the United States. These are some jobs I never knew existed so that civilized people can live a life more convenient and go about making more dirt.

I love the show because it portrays real people with their real work that are normally thought of as disgusting or bizarre. I mean can you collect roadkills, chase pigs, gather dead cows, wash disposable diapers, or suck semen from a turkey for a living? These people are the unsung heroes who dare do what most people would rather shrink at the tasks ahead. When someone's got to do it, they are the "someone" who makes things possible.

One episode featured a guy whose job was to clean up the rust and paint the interiors of a suspension bridge. It wasn't an ordinary bridge because it was a huge one that stretches for miles. To start his work, he has to crawl, climb and squeeze his way in between tight cells inside the bridge's structure with only a flashlight providing illumination. Then he has to take out the rusts and repaint the steel. While interviewing the guy 150 meters above sea level in the tight compartment, Mike Rowe was complaining how bad his job is because there is no one even to appreciate or be awed by his work because he is all alone inside. But if you'll think about it, this guy's duties are indispensable. Without having someone to perform the job, the bridge could eventually crumble to pieces.

What I like about Dirty Jobs is the fact that many people don't dream of doing these things. Most of us want a fancy high-paying job maybe behind a desk with a cup of coffee. But who wants to do real labor and get down and dirty? People take these jobs for granted and think that it is beyond themselves to do some "lowly" labor. But it is actually these jobs that puts food in the table and roofs above the heads of these workers. What most people don't realize is that even if the pay is not as high and the position not as glamorous, people actually make honest living from these types of occupation to make ends meet. What we consider as "dirty" to our eyes may even be the cleanest jobs in the world.

But I think that what I really love about the show is that it is a great moral booster. It portrays human struggle and how one triumphs over it. With life's challenges, one could just give up and succumb to it. What I see are not just "dirty jobs" but people fighting and prevailing over strife.

'Musta?

2009-04-29T16:46:00.012+08:00

I have a month and a bit until I'm back to school again. The idea of it seems so exhausting. By then, I'll already be juggling two part-time jobs: a writer's writer and a human coffee maker. The half-year that I've been unemployed made me so lazy. Trust me, loafing around is so addicting. I sometimes even forego the parties and night-outs because it's terribly hard for me to haul my ass off the bed, couch or computer chair. My plan of finishing last sem's school book has been totally unrealized. I've been procrastinating on it weeks after weeks. haha. I promise again to myself that I will read it starting May.

In the meantime, here's our vain attempt at kite-flying:

Is this fun yet?

Good thing you never go wrong with nature treks (even if you take shortcuts that turn out to be the long ones).

Photo credits from Chari

From Coffee Drinker to Coffee Server

2009-04-28T22:02:00.004+08:00

Choco-mania

2009-04-22T15:15:00.003+08:00

I just finished around a hundred grams of Nestle Dark Raisinets - yes, dark chocolate-covered California raisins. I think I'm gonna have a stomach ache.

Why are chocolates so good?! Waaaa..

Ok, back to Dr. House..

Ang Pinaka Things that Make Me Happy that Costs from Zero to Ten Pesos

2009-04-12T10:35:00.002+08:00

A lot of people think that happiness has a lot to do with how much money you have and how many things you can show off. This mentality is probably the primary contributing factor to the current economic recession of the US (and soon apparently, the world). People just acquire things they know they can’t even afford to the detriment of the economy in the long-run. On the other hand, wiping out materialism can mean also the demise of capitalism. Is it not that society must be attached to the material world for the wheels of capitalism to turn?

Ugh, enough of that stuff. What I’m really saying is that I’m just broke and I’m counting some cheap thrills to enjoy the rest of summer. Join me as I count off my Ang Pinaka Things that Make Me Happy that Costs from Zero to Ten Pesos. So in no particular order, here goes:

1) Choc Nut / Hany
2) ice pop
3) Choco Mucho
4) Fudgie bar
5) polite strangers – coz the world has gone so mad, politeness becomes shocking
6) random kindness
7) pleasant surprises
8) old friends
9) new encounters
10) finding lost things
11) fresh pillows / blankets
12) happily ever after stories
13) a good night sleep
14) waking up early – coz recently I’m waking up almost noon already
15) good TV shows
16) people saving the earth – both literally and figuratively
17) tira-tira – coz unwrapping that sticky coconut candy is a challenge
18) cleaning my room – coz I hardly do it. Haha!
19) watching Rovilson Fernandez on TV– I swear watching that bald guy makes me grin from ear to ear. His knack for humor totally knocks me off! Waaaaa.. this list may just be in fact dedicated to him. Haha!
20) inadvertenyly knowing that you share in common with somebody something that you thought is unique about you – a few days ago, I learned that I share with Leonelle my Number 19! Wahaha.
21) a hot cup of Milo – yes, as in the energy drink
22) a close match of pick-up sticks, scrabble, and snakes and ladders – and me winning
23) a close match of tong-its, chikicha and other card games – and me still winning. Hehe.
24) my daddy’s stories
25) getting my exact jeepney just when I arrive at the stop
26) family dinners – coz we hardly get one
27) tan lines – but this may exceed P10 because I need to go to the beach to have some
28) sun sets
29) moon beams
30) warm hugs
31) crazy conversations
32) solving puzzles
33) finishing a school book
34) upbeat latin / jazz music
35) counting my blessings – like now
36) .. and many more.

What’s your happiness less than diyes pesos? C’mon you’re not that poor. Life’s really not that bad. Donchatink?

Last Year, Around This Time..

2009-04-10T12:03:00.003+08:00

I had my birthday. No this is not a birthday post. No learnings, realizations, resolutions, goal settings or whatever. It's just simply another day. I wish though that I could have more money so that I could have more leeway on how to celebrate my birthday in the most insignificant way. haha.

One of the most influential persons in my life taught me that birthdays shouldn't be celebrated in the conventional ways because after all what is a birthday but just plainly the day of your birth. Not much to rejoice about unless, erm, you are the awaited Messiah? haha. But really, she may probably just shunned the attention or the hullabaloo of the whole thing.

I'll be turning 23 and I have long lost my childhood dream of being the youngest player to win the Wimbledon. I know that's funny coz I can't even hit a decent rally. (ohemgee, Rafa is only 22 and he's like the Number One seed.. whaatt?! Makes you feel so insecure.) Now, that gets me to the point why most older people I know are shy when it comes to their age. The reason probably is that they are already in that age, and yet they have not achieved much for themselves. Hmmm.. just musing.

Around this Time, Last Year..

2009-04-10T10:38:00.012+08:00

I was in an island somewhere in the Visayan Sea. I never got to talk about it that much coz there was so much drama going on with me. The highlight for that trip was the ride around the island of Siquijor. "Taplod" as what they call it or a rough equivalent of the English term "top load" because we we were sitting on top of the multi-cab.

Here I was enjoying the 360 degree view of the “black magic” island with my co-workers who were just so fun to be with. They were probably one of the wackiest and craziest bunch I have known where most of them just drop the most below-the-belt jokes.

It was actually my second time around Siquijor, and my second time to miss spelunking. They said they have wonderful caves there, but I never got to explore them because I think I was the only one interested (or did we lack the time? Or they were afraid that we might befall on some evil witchcraft since we were supposed tourists on the island?) Well, I forgot exactly why.

Our 3-day vacation included going to Lazi Church, swimming in Cambuhagay falls and camping at Salagdoong Beach. I particularly loved the experience going to Salagdoong Beach. To get there, we have to snake our way through a forested area and you could hear the birds chirping and some unfamiliar noises around you. I remember telling my workmate beside me that it felt like entering through the gates of an old English castle. The sun was beginning to set and it all felt so magical looking like this:

Gerwin, our trusted photographer took these photos. More of his fantabulous photos here. It would be probably a long time till I travel again.

While Job Hunting..

2009-04-09T14:30:00.002+08:00

Pirmi nalang jud ko mangita'g kwarta ay. Pwede ang kwarta na say mangita nako?!
- Leonelle, 040709

Right on! Hahaha..

Flying Kites

2009-04-06T14:04:00.008+08:00

For over a year, I've been meaning to fly a kite again. It's perhaps a childhood frustration because I never was able to successfully fly a kite on my own. Since I was such a loser, what I did was just watch the kites of the other kids fly gracefully in the air. Hey, I did try but I was too shy trying and failing too many times.

For me, there is just something so fascinating about flying kites. Maybe because the kite was something we made on our own (from sticks, plastics and threads), or maybe because it's the challenge of kite-flying itself. It is both an art and a science to fly kites. You must know how to design your kite at the same time be in perfect timing with the wind so that it soars in the sky instead of taking a nose-dive to the ground. A kite that dances gracefully with the wind is just a beauty to behold.

It's a little surprise then that I loved the movie, The Kite Runner.hehe. And now that it's summer time, it's the perfect season not just to eat halo-halo because of the sweltering heat, but to fly kites as well because the winds are blowing strong. But now that I live in the city though, there is not much space to fly kites. Do you know that there is a kite-flying ordinance?! Such ordinance prohibits people from flying their kites to avoid it from getting caught up in electrical posts. So I just hope our plan with my friends pushes through - kite-flying in Balamban.. yeebaaa!!

Photo credit

Siargao Lovin'

2009-04-03T13:18:00.006+08:00

Siargao is surely now one of my favorite destinations. It's a little island in the Pacific, just a few kilometers from the Philippine Trench. The tides are high and so am I! hehe. This island paradise is famous for surfing because of its perfect Cloud 9 waves. It wasn't the surfing season when we went there though, which is just fine to avoid the crowd.

There is already a direct Cebu - Siargao flight from Cebu Pacific so Siargao makes an ideal getaway if you do want to get away from whatever you want to get away from. Going to Siargao is also faster than going to Bantayan or Malapascua islands, which makes you think - maybe Siargao is indeed nearer to Cebu! haha.. corny.

Siargao has surrounding islands (Naked, Guyam and Daku) which has equally pristine, white sand beaches. I just had the most wonderful time rolling with the strong waves in Naked island (named such because the small island has practically no vegetation - and since the island can also be deserted, go naked if you must!). Naked island can be compared to White island in Camiguin, but Naked has finer sand and stronger tides.

Having lunch by the beach in Guyam island was paradise. We were feasting on grilled fish, sinuglaw, boiled sweet potatoes and bananas with ginamos (that's like fish paste, I think), and freshly picked coconut for our drink. It was just simply a superb experience.

You can check our fabulastic photos here.

Haunted

2009-04-01T17:08:00.004+08:00

I recently got this feeling of annoyance and disgust when confronted by some memories of the past. As a matter of fact, I badly want to delete some photos just to vainly detach myself of some history. Somehow I really regretted those experiences and wished they never happened. Whenever I recall them, I just cringe and feel nauseous. I know, I know, this is truly unacceptable. I don't understand it either.

But this is just a phase. After all these are nothing more but feelings. They never last. And then again, it would be an awful lot to rid of those memories including the good ones. I can't deny that there have been moments of pure bliss, which is probably why looking back feels so toxic.

Mango Crepe Delight

2009-03-31T15:41:00.005+08:00

Ingredients:

4 eggs
2 cups flour
1 big can of evaporated milk
1/4 cup melted butter
a dash of salt
a drop of vanilla
sugar to taste
slices of sweet mangoes

Making crepes is really simple. It's like making pancakes. So what you gotta do:

beat the eggs until yellow and put a dash of salt to taste
slowly put in the flour and the the milk. it will be lumpy but no worries.
just beat them in one direction until smooth and creamy
add the sugar, butter and vanilla. The sugar is for you to taste. You can omit it if you like.
scoop a little mixture into the pan in low heat
spread the mixture thinly through rotating motions of the pan. It's hard to make a perfect circle of the crepe but somehow it should look like this:
when the edges get brown and the top is dry, flip it over
after 15-20 seconds, you're done with your crepe
roll it with fresh slices of yellow mangoes
best served with vanilla ice cream

Cooking

2009-03-31T15:02:00.005+08:00

I love to cook and that's probably the only way I can compensate for my lack of artistic sensibilities. Cooking is the closest I could get to the arts. It is culinary arts, right? Back in college I almost freaked out when we were asked to submit an artwork for our Humanities I class. The good thing was that we could pass artworks in any form including installations. That saved me a lot. You see, my drawing skill is limited only to stick figures, let alone paint.

What I presented in class was a miniature "ginger bread" house consisting of sliced bread, candies, marshmallows, chocolates and lots of icing to cement them all together. It took me all night until early morning to finish the whole project, and only a millisecond to throw it off the bin after it was graded. haha. But hey, I got a 1 point something grade for that!

I've probably inherited my cooking passion from my mother. She cooks and watches a lot of cooking shows. She also have these really old 80's journals with meticulously hand-written recipes and clippings which I use as a guide even until now.

Don't get me wrong. I'm far from being a good cook. But what I love is the whole process because it's a skill of following instructions, being systematic, taking risks, getting creative and at the end of it all, delighting the taste buds of the people who matters most. I really detest cleaning up though.

So now that I'm very much unemployed and no school to get busy with, I'm cooking again! I'm starting with a Mango Crepe, which is really a simple imitation of Eastwest's Mango Sushi Crepe. I've attempted to re-create their sauce 3 times to no avail. But the sauce is dispensable, I'm satisfied with my own version of their crepe. Delish!

Terribly Touched

2009-03-25T16:58:00.005+08:00

It was our last dinner together with my classmates for the school year. Pat, as usual, would not have joined if not for our urging because her driver was already waiting for her. I am so glad she did.

Pat is probably one of my favorite persons because she is such a Very Good Human Being. She is intelligent (number one!), humble, gentle, kind and assertive without being aggressive. In short, the opposite of me. haha. That is probably why I appreciate her character because I see a totally different perspecitve.

I don't know how we became friends. I could just count the similar interests we have - tennis, cooking, Criminal Minds and American Idol. In other aspects, we are on extreme ends, and yet we go along very well. While I love travel and adventure, she just like staying at home and being with her family. She tames me down, in the same way that I loosen her up. I know this because in one of our seminars, she gave me the Person Whom I Admire Most straw.

So after having dinner when we were about to part ways, she was the only one who gave me a hug. It came as a pleasant surprise because we were never the touchy-feely friends. And no, it wasn't the usual beso-beso that we often do socially. It was a sincere, warm embrace that seemed to summed up the year that we had - a thank you and a good bye. Then she gently smothered me while saying jokingly that she will kill me if I won't enrol next semester. You see, a mild-mannered, conservative Chinese girl like her don't usually smother just to get a point across. So in a big way, I was very touched by the thought that even if it was just less than a year, I probably meant something to somebody.

Friendships like this make me mushy. There is just something about human connections I can't explain. Maybe it's the emotions which make me feel weirdly human.

Swing Swing Away

2009-03-23T22:33:00.009+08:00

I want to swing
swing again
swing some more
swing swing
swing swing away.

Take me there?

Chari shot this in Guyam Island, a little island away from Siargao.

The Blues

2009-03-20T11:11:00.002+08:00

When I'm feeling down and that the world has gone against me, I just take note of it.

So that when one day somebody asks about my success, I have a much more interesting story to tell.

The Miseducation of Gayle Who?

2009-03-13T20:40:00.005+08:00

When I was in kindergarten, I was told to do good because elementary school would be tougher. I can even recall how I got whacked by a bamboo rod because I refused to go to school.

When I got to elementary, I was told to do even better because highschool would be much harder. I have to be prepared to the heavier hurdles ahead. And so they said.

When I got to highschool, I was told to exert my best efforts because college will be totally different. They said I should learn how to strive, put up with suffering, and never to complain.

When I finally got to college, I was told to also study hard and I was taught several theories and moral values to prepare myself "in real life".

Now that I'm in law school, everything seems to be in preparation for the Bar exams. Every teacher has a line that says "This/that question was asked in the Bar exam.." and a follow-up line, "You should know that / don't forget about that.."

Every stage of my life seems to be a preparation for something, a training ground for somewhere. I just observed this whole thing again because a former mentor is offering me a job and said that it could be a good training experience for me. Training for what? I don't even have a clue where all of this is going or what it all means.

After years of studying (and still studying), I don't even know what to do with my 4-year BS Management degree. I don't even know where my diploma is. Or maybe I should have taken up Tourism, or another course. But whatever, are you supposed to focus on one career for your entire life? Can I NOT have a serious job, please? And just be cool to life as I can be? 8)

So after all those seatworks, homeworks, periodical exams, investigatory science projects, business plans, oral defenses, etc. and I will become a housewife one day, I will only have Miss Alforque's Grade 2 cross-stitching class to thank for. I learned cooking from my mother and the old cookbooks she has.

Wait, I'm not even sure if I will have to sew when I get to be a housewife.

So What's New?

2009-03-04T15:14:00.002+08:00

Not much.
Meaninglessness.
As always.

How do you fight the lethargy?

Time-Pressured

2009-02-27T11:19:00.001+08:00

There were 7 questions in my pre-fi Oblicon exam. Some have 2 sub-questions in each number so that the total score would be a hundred points. While I was still in question 4, our teacher already announced there was 10 more minutes left. I was conscious of the time because I've probably consumed 20 or 30 minutes for the first two questions alone. The exam was to last for an hour.

So I was basically just skimming through the last few questions and answering them as aptly as I could because I was already running out of the time.

The last question of the exam that I recall reading was:

Harvey went to the bank and brought along his eight year old brother, Edward. Harvey was to procure a loan and his brother was to be his co-maker. Edward signed some documents including a Real Estate Mortgage (REM) for some of his properties. Later on, Harvey defaulted in the payments of his loan. Can the bank foreclose the properties on the said REM?

I read the question twice, even thrice. I couldn't get it. It was such an easy question. Why would our teacher ask such? Edward was definitely a minor and therefore incapacitated to enter into contracts. Was this a trick question? But it looks so plain and simple. I was also wondering from the question why Edward had properties, but maybe he had inherited some lands. Or the fact that the bank actually allowed Edward to sign the documents when he was just a kid. Maybe Harvey was a loner and had no other friends.

Or maybe the REM was valid because the contract entered into by Edward was one of necessities? But that it is too far-fetched from the given facts. It was just a loan - nothing is said if it was for Edward's necessities or not. (FYI, a minor can enter into contracts of necessities but the parents/guardians should be liable to pay for them).

So for a 10-point question, my very simple answer was:

No, because Edward is a minor and thus, the contract is voidable. If the contract will not be ratified, it shall remain unenforeceable.

Or something like that. This was the most confusing question in the test for me so right after the exam, this was the first question I asked my classmates. They don't know about the eight-year-old Edward question because it turns out, Edward was actually EIGHTY years old. A classmate told me that she thought it was eight years old at first then when she re-read the question again and closely scrutinized Edward's age, it was really eighty years old so she changed her answer when there was 2 minutes left.

But it was impossible. I read that particular question a few times myself, and in those few times, Edward has always been EIGHT that's why I got so confused. And I'm not alone. Four of my classmates think they read that Edward was also eight years old. But it would have been more sensible if Edward was really eighty years old because then you would have to establish whether or not he was incompetent. Then my answer would have been longer. hahaha.

Maybe they misread it as "eighty year old" instead of "eight year old"? Maybe I did? Or maybe it was "eighty ear old". hahaha. Whatever it was, I hope Sir brings the questionnaire on Monday.

yippee

2009-02-26T16:14:00.000+08:00

Finally got myself around this thing.. will write more here soon.

I gotta run to class for now.

waaaa

2009-02-20T09:46:00.000+08:00

I still don't know how to use blogger. hahaha.. it's been here for 3 years.

my active blog account

2006-05-12T22:01:00.000+08:00

http://gayleopsima.multiply.com/