The music I danced to on New Year's Eve

Meron akong kapitbahay na kinaaasaran dahil sobrang lakas magpatugtog, wala na kaming maintindihan sa pinapanood namin sa TV. 

Pero kagabi, sa halip na mainis, I found myself dancing to this song when they played it - Hey Daydreamer by Someday Dream. 

I also like its acoustic version in Youtube.

You know, I might have a thing for electronica, I find it "malamig sa tenga". 

There was also a local indie-electronic act that came out years ago, and they were called, drumroll please - "Daydream Cycle". What are the chances? 

Let's call it a year

Today was my last shift for 2011. A bright sunny morning is one sweet way to end and start a day (and a year).

Good morning Ayala 

 rise and shine PBCom Tower

going home to the boondocks

Bye 2011. Hello 2012.

New label created - "Oh That's Nice"

Let's face it, life can be hard and this world can be so depressing.

But I believe that appreciating beauty even to its simplest form, being thrilled for cheap thrills, and just trying to see the good in everything is good for the soul. 

I've seen this in other blogs and I'm now doing it too. When I come across something that makes me say "wow", "whoa", or just a simple " oh that's nice", that something goes in here. :)

Aaaww..cutie got too comfortable

(saw this from http://inothernews.tumblr.com/page/22)

Ngiting-ngiti ako dito. :D

Christmas 2011

Wala kaming Christmas decor. Hindi ako nakapag Christmas shopping. Isang Christmas party lang ang napunthan ko (company's). Isang exchange gift lang ang nasalihan ko (team's).  Christmas season this year passed by so quickly, before you knew it, 25th na. 

Ang plano ko sana sa pasko, nasa bahay kami, magbibihis ako, magpapatugtog ng Christmas songs, tatanggap kami ng mga bisita (mga inaanak at mga namamasko), watch holiday movies in cable, then in the afternoon after all these kanya kanya kami ng lakad. Pupunta sila sa mga friends nila, ako naman manonood ng Disney on Ice with a friend. 

Kaso, naabisuhan ako the day before na mag-aanak ako ng binyag on Christmas Day, dalawang magkasunod, magkaibang simbahan. Tapos very good nagkaroon kami ng Christmas drama. At pumatak pala ng Sunday ang pasko ngayong taon, may simba, so walang tao sa bahay kaya wala din kaming bisita. As early as 8am nagbahay-bahay ako sa mga inaanak ko na malapit samin para iabot ang pamasko ko. Kaya pagdating ko sa unang binyag, haggard na ko. 

Mga kababata ko ang kumuhang ninang sa 'kin. Hindi na kami close ngayon pero  I spent childhood with them. I rarely associate myself with people in the neighborhood, kaya nahiya din ako sa sarili ko when I realized how distant I was. In between shots of Emperador, my kumpare's and I talked about really serious things like raising kids, hard life in Saudi, the work they do now, ano nang nangyari kay ganito and those stuff. I don't have the hard time of family life that they do, but they have blessings in their lives that I don't have. Tapos ang simple simple lang talaga ng buhay nila, I felt a sense of comfort and ease.  

I had a few hours to kill, so I decided to attend the church service. Wow, 3 church visits in a day! Methodist, Catholic and that church in the mall. Favorite ko yung huli kasi aircon. Haha. Siguro mukha akong mabait at hindi maarte, kaya ako ang tinabihan ng isang pamilyang recovering ata sa bulutong, seryoso, they have marks all over. I've been a church goer all my life, pero ito lang ata ung time na nagchurch ako on the exact Christmas Day. It was a different feeling, like attending the birthday party of the Celebrator. I got a bit emotional, so I prayed a special prayer. Sabi nga ni Pastor Ferdie sa prayer niya "If You can give us Your Only Son, how much more the things that we are praying for." Pastor Noel even added "If it's good for you, God will move heaven and earth to give it to You."

I headed to Araneta after that for Disney On Ice. I was actually looking forward to this the whole day because I was going to be catching up with a good friend, kaso by this time, pagod na ko, ni hindi namin nakuhang kumain after. Still, it was a great show and a good time with her kahit bitin.

Either at home, or at a relative's house, I was always with family on Christmas. This year is different. Well I was finally with them before the day ends, but I was dead tired. I had a good sleep that night, I woke up at 10am in the morning.

Company Christmas Party (PICC, 12/10/11)

new goddaughters

 waiting for the 2pm service to start (VCF Galleria 12/25/11)

Finale - Disney on Ice (12/25/11 6m show)

The Little Black Dress

Nagkaroon kami sa office ng medyo dressy lang naman na year end gathering. I planned to wear the blue knee length dress my cousin wore on her senior prom, kaso malas ko hindi na mahanap kung saan tinago (she's now a college junior, asa pa 'ko). Sa mga ganitong pangyayari, napakadaling magdecide na 'wag na lang pumunta, sa totoo lang. Walang gastos, walang pagod, walang awkward feeling, walang okray. But I felt defeated na I let circumstances dictate my mood or choices. Something tells me it's about to be 2012 already, and I should now be willing to stick out my neck like a turtle. 

Whoever said that every girl should have a little black dress, was right. I bought one a few months back just for that reason and it was my savior that night. I bought a pair of gold shoes to match, did my own hair and make up, and there, pwede na daw sabi ng nanay ko. Haha.

Some girls go out looking like this almost everyday, but not me. I hardly go out and party. I was just comfortable at home, watching TV or reading something and I feel more productive this way. And this coming new year, this is what I'd like to do more of. Not to party more, but to come out of my comfort zone, try new things, and invest on experience. 

I had many terrible photos of me of that night, pramis, so please allow me to rejoice about those that I think are good enough. Haha. Minsan lang po talaga ako makatsamba sa picture.

Dumiretso kami sa S Lounge pagkatapos pero kinailangan kong umalis agad. Hindi ko naman ata maeenjoy ang gimik habang napupuyat ang nanay kong naghihintay sa akin. Pagdating ko ng bahay, narealized kong gutom ako, so hinubad ko ang gold heels, nagpalit ng tsinelas, and went out to eat. While my friends were grinding in Opus, kami ng nanay ay kumakain sa lugawan, suot ko pa din ang fancy gold necklace at ang black dress. Pagkatapos ay nag-order kami ng coffee to go, yung tig P12 na nabibili sa kanto-kanto. Haha. And I was thinking "me looking like this (awesome), and mom looking like that (perfect), talking about meaningful things over kanto coffee and hot pandesal, priceless". Hindi ko ipagpapalit sa S Lounge, Republiq or Opus.

Untitled Tearjerker Moment

This is a very spontaneous post. My heart is overflowing I have to write about it kahit walang edit-edit.

Napagtripan ko lang biglang i-search sa Facebook yung mga dati kong nakilala sa first job ko which was 8 years ago. Mixed emotion. One is already married and is now pursuing film. One now lives in London. Another one is a singer in HK Disneyland. There was also this girl who I thought would one day be somebody because she was so brilliant. She now lives in Singapore but I don't even know what she does, her FB does not say. She wasn't power dressing as I thought, or looking big time as I had expected, but she seems happy surrounded with Singaporean kids and friends. And there was this person, who I used to catch a ride with going home all the way to Rizal, and he's now engaged! And I just said, "Wow, God is good!" 

And may narealized ako. Sa dami ng nami-meet natin, we forget some, we remember others, but we feel for those who touched our lives. The kindness some of these people showed to me, big or little, I didn't know I was carrying them with me to this day. I was so overwhelmed with God's goodness in their lives, I cried. I'm just happy that their happy. And I know that what God can do for them, He will also do for me. :)

Okay, okay! Crush nga kita.

I'm admitting it not to the person, but atleast to myself.

Intoxicated with the Man of Substance

Habang ang karamihan ay nasa bakasyon at lakwatsa noong Thanksgiving long weekend, I was just at home watching lots of TV.

As I was switching channels, I caught "Grow Your Own Drugs" on the Lifestyle Network and my first thought was "nice try to be clever with titles". Tapos nakita ko yung host; pretty face, british accent, nice smile, nice arms and shoulders, looking good in jeans and shirt. The next thing I knew - I was actually watching the show.

So maybe it wasn't just his looks that caught my attention. Totoo naman eh, he was actually talking about something to me was interesting - the benefits we get from fruits, plants, and herbs. And people close to me know that I am starting to embrace this stuff. Pero to be quite honest, habang half of me was saying "ah talaga, ganun pala 'yun.", the other half naman was saying "shocks, this is the kind of guy for me! We can talk hours about this kind of stuff! We're perfect for each other!" Hahaha. Really, I never knew na merong plant geek na ganito ka-cute. Always before, when I think of botany, ang naiisip ko, either si Ernie Baron, or yung show na Ating Alamin. But this guy? This is the type you introduce to your 'rents. They will complain about their arthritis and he'll gladly boil them some leaves that will relieve the pain. Ohh..they will love him! And...I'm also thinking...I should stop right about now because I'm starting to sound scary! Haha.

So this are some of what Wikipedia has to say about him:

At the age of 27, Wong became the presenter of his own television series Grow Your Own Drugs. The award-winning BBC Two series demonstrates a number of natural remedies sourced from plants, and soon became the highest-rated gardening series on UK television. Wong has also authored the two best-selling books that tie-in with each series of the television show.

Dahil din sa google, nalaman kong there were rumors about him being gay kasi he's a famous garden designer in England na equivalent daw ng pagiging male hair-dresser or interior decorator sa amerika. What? Hindi ko alam kung matatawa ako o mapapa-iling. Pero hindi yan ang deal breaker, dahil hindi naman ako convinced na bading nga siya. Ang alam ko kasi depende yun sa sexual orientation hindi naman sa hilig. Pero nabasa ko rin kasi na he believes in evolution and Charles Darwin is his hero. So bago ko isipin kung maganda ang tunog ng Raquel Wong and how exciting magkaroon ng anak na british accent, I've to do some reality check, we have different core beliefs! (Kung makasalita naman ako parang there's a chance in a million years na magkafuture kami together. Eh alam ko naman na lagi siyang busy sa research and taping. Haha. Ayaw talagang tumigil.)

Gay or not, Darwin worshipper or not, it doesn't change the fact that I like what he does and I will still try to catch the show if I can.

Ngayon kung ang tanong eh, if interesting pa rin siya sa 'kin kung hindi siya good looking...uhmmm...kapag fanatic na din ako ni Ka Gerry Geronimo, dun ko masasagot 'yan.