ramblings, random musings, fascinations, rants, raves and revelations

I was having lunch with another blogging friend Antonio earlier and was reminded how important it is to pause… to breathe… and to be mindful.

I’m reminded of a song by Freestyle. I may not exactly mean the exact meaning of the lyrics [or I'll be stoned to death] but just the main thought of it. Let’s take it slow. Can we?

This is a great song that just happened to come on the taxi’s radio when we stopped at a red light on my way to work.

SO SLOW

I’ve been with you boy
Three years is quite a while
But getting too sensual
Is really not my style
You know I love you
And i like it just like this
Sometimes I feel like giving you
More than just a kiss

Refrain:
But baby it’s wrong
Baby it’s not my kind of game
If I give it to you now
Our love will never be the same
It won’t be long
We gotta play our love just right
I know you know the time will come
But baby for tonite…

Chorus:
Lets take it slow
[So slow]
Anywhere you wanna go
Baby for you
I’ll lay it all on the line
You ought to know
[Ought to know]
Boy I ain’t got nowhere to go
I’ll give it to you
Only to you
We gotta take it real slow…

When we get together
You know I feel the fire
It burns up inside me
Oh, that natural desire
I know that you feel it too
I know you wanna flow
Keep dreamin about it
And the fire starts to grow

[Refrain]

[Chorus]

I know tomorrow
It would still you and me
I’m saving it all for you especially
Trust in me baby
When I say this to you:
If we wait a little longer
Our love will be forever true

[Chorus] 2x

I love to sing this song while sitting on a red light. I know, I should have slowed down. How about you?

I have been so pessimistic about love from time I can’t already remember. I have always been cautious and distant. I always tell myself - “I’ve already been there and done that..” so being fooled once again is a big NO NO.

I thought I already learned all the love lessons I could get. I thought I already knew the right signals. The dangers and the selling points. I thought I knew…

I’ve been involved and lured once more but the good thing is that I’m taking them positively now. I don’t feel bitter anymore, I can just easily smile and say - “Well, there’s another lesson learned”.

Wow, it’s amazing how readily those pesky life lessons can appear - and how prevalent they are when we have something to learn! The funny thing about lessons is that they are so personalized! Served up on a silver platter, tied up with a beautiful bow, and complete with a gift card with my name on them! It’s like being knocked and called - “Special delivery for Al Michael!” - the way Starbucks baristas call your name when your coffee is ready. “Grande cappu-lessons for Al Michael!” Hmmm… I love that.

Did you ever wonder why the exact same situation can totally tick one person off while another person in the same environment doesn’t even notice? That’s the fancy gift-wrapped lesson with the personalized card on it. I’m learning that the situations that bug me the most are the ones with the most important, and often the most pressing, lessons for me to learn.

I’m finding some situations are appearing in more than one package for me recently. They might not look exactly the same on the outside [one's got a gold bow and one's got a red bow, for example], but the lesson inside is exactly the same. Until I figure out why these gifts are still being presented to me, I’ll be destined to keep unwrapping the packages - hoping to find new gifts inside, but finding the exact same thing in the box. It’s not enough for me to say to myself “I’ve already got one of these” … I’ve got to really ACCEPT the gift for what it is - a lesson for my entire life. When I get that I have a choice to really accept the gift as a GIFT, not a reprimand, an “I told you so” or a form of punishment - I can get beyond this gift and beyond the situation that presented me with the gift, and on to other opportunities to learn and apply.

It’s not enough to just understand this insight… I now need to actually DO something with it. The true test will be whether I’m presented with this gift yet again. I’m banking on getting something brand new next time!

Another boyfriend for Al Michael!

And yeah, here’s what I did when I thought okay talaga kami. Sad ‘no?

Visiting Baguio has always been fun. There was even a time that I decided to just stay and work there. So like what I said from my previous post, I went to Baguio last month for my much-needed break. Days before leaving Manila, I made sure I won’t miss the most happening restaurants up there. People would always catch me browsing ClickTheCity.

Jc, Kiko and I - we all love eating. We usually have our weekends saved for movies and a lot of binge-ing. I used to restaurant-hop back in college. I remember going to one place over lunch and just jump from one resto to another. Different place for appetizer, main course, dessert, and drinks. I can spend that much for food and not feel guilty about it.

I frequented Baguio when I started working because I thought it’s the most convenient place to go to if anyone wants to feel being in a totally different place. But I’m done with fancy places and I’m sick of tourist spots. I wanted to experience the city’s modern culture, something different and authentic of Baguio.

If you think you’ve had enough of Session Road with its dense cluster of “traditional” culinary musts - Swiss Baker, Star Cafe, Cafe Luisa, 456 Restaurant - think again. You may have to crane your heads a little higher, way above the first floor establishments along Session Rd, and check out what’s cooking in the upper reaches of the Session buildings. Vegetarianism has found a strong foodie foothold in one of the rooftops along Session, and even if you are a meatlover, you’re bound to visit and revisit this foothold not only for the food, which is good [fresh vegetables in Baguio make this possible], but because its such a fantastic looking place. It’s called Oh My Gulay!, and if I were a brief and concise person, my review should consist only of an “!”.

From the minute you walk through the cave-like entryway into OMG!, the first words that would come to mind would actually be its name.”Oh my Gulay!” literally translates into the silly phrase, “Oh my vegetables!” But this exclamation is really the Filipino version for the expression “omigosh.” Makes no sense? I didn’t think so, either. But the restaurant is living up to its name and more, and here’s why…I was born and raised a carnivore. Veggies never had much appeal for me and vice versa. But this cafe/bistro on the top floor of an ancient building along Session Road had too much intrigue for me to ignore. So, as is customary in the highlands [you have to huff and puff in order to get anywhere], this particular climb to the fifth floor can really work up anyone’s appetite. And so there I was at the entrance, panting and parched and starved, and what lay before me was a vision. This wasn’t just a restaurant; it was a village on top of a building, secluded from the rest of the city four floors below.

This place would remind you of a scene in a Peter Pan flick. There’s a tiny bridge you’d have to cross to get to the numerous seating areas. Further from the bridge and up a few steps is a semi-open space that overlooks this storybook spread. Practically everything here has an ethnic touch to it, making it much more extraordinary than any other public place I’ve visited in Baguio. The place even has a mini-water mill that actually turns! And if you think that’s unique, wait till you visit the john — it’s inside the village chapel. Haha! The entire area can seat 50 people easily. I went there on a weekday, but as I was informed, they also have a live band that plays during weekends, which justifies the stage you can see to your right the moment you enter this Peter Pan world.

Still don’t wanna believe? Play the video below courtesy of Jc’s cinematic mind.

I miss our Galera group so I thought of doing this. This wallpaper is now gracing my cellphone. Nice no?

I was blog browsing earlier when I saw Rain’s post. I haven’t confirmed it yet to her but the entry seemed to have been pertaining to a break up and getting over the heart aches. I know how painful it is and how hard it is to get over no matter how we deny it.

If a person has an experience that is physically, mentally or emotionally traumatic, the mind deals with the situation in one of several different ways. Some people abuse alcohol, food, drugs or other substances to numb the feelings they have inside. Others mourn for a short period of time, restore their faith, balance and sanity, and somehow miraculously move on. But the rest of us left over, usually those who are very analytical and logical, have trouble processing deeply troubling situations. So, we replay the painful situation over and over again in our minds, searching for an answer. But the problem is, the answer cannot be found in the rational mind, because the problem is on an emotional plain. Therefore, the solution has to come from the heart, which needs to be healed and restored. Here is the step by step process I have adapted to end obsessive thinking about an Ex:

Step 1:

Don’t take anything your Ex ever said or did personally, because nothing your Ex ever said or did was about you. Even if your Ex downright blames you for everything that went wrong in your relationship, realize their statement is only coming from who they are, which has absolutely nothing to do with the person you are.

Step 2:

However, not taking your Ex personally is a two sided coin. If during the heat of an argument you react and tell your Ex what an idiot THEY are, and how everything is THEIR fault, then it has nothing to do with them. Your statements only reflect the kind of person you are, which is a person who likes to blame and judge. This has nothing to do with your Ex. Therefore, consciously make an effort to be the person you are, regardless of how your Ex is behaving. Make a list of all the qualities you admire in others, for example: kindness, confidence, compassion, and respect. Chances are you already possess the qualities within yourself. Be very careful not to make statements that don’t reflect who you are, even when you may be tempted to give into the hurt and anger you feel.

Step 3

Release your judgments and opinions by becoming friends with Death. As morbid as this sounds, realize that in 100 years, you and your Ex will likely be dead, and nothing you ever fought about will be remembered. If your Ex has the obsessive need to be right and argue with you about everything, give in to their whim and say, “You are absolutely right.” Not only will this reinforce your relationship with Death and save you a tremendous amount of personal power, your Ex will find it impossible to argue with you because you are giving the non-verbal message that it really doesn’t matter. As one my favorite authors Wayne Dyer once said, “Have you ever noticed how hard it is to argue with someone who isn’t obsessed with being right?”

Step 4:

If the hurt and anger is overwhelming, distance yourself from your Ex completely. And no matter what, get on your knees and pray for your Ex every morning. Pray that your Ex will be granted all of the health, wealth and happiness you wish for yourself. Even if you are not a religious person, or you don’t believe in God, the act itself is liberating.

In twelve step programs, such as Alcoholics Anonymous, they are taught to pray for people they have a deep resentment towards. At first, you will not mean a word of the prayer. But if you say the prayer consistently for two weeks, you will come to genuinely mean it, and find that there is a part of you that realizes your Ex is just a human being, with their own imperfections, weaknesses and short comings. If you go deeper, you will realize your Ex may also be a very hurt and scared person - even if they outwardly seem very hostile, aggressive and manipulative. Of course, no matter what happened to your Ex in their childhood or even in their day to day life - it does not give them a reason to mistreat you. But by being aware of the fact that your Ex has a certain set of issues to deal with on their own time, it will help you replace the hurt and anger you feel with compassion and understanding.

Step 5:

Own your personal power. Because when you are who you are, regardless of the situation or circumstance that comes your way, then this transforms you into a very powerful person. This is the step that absolutely baffles your Ex, because by you being who you are, and not letting them get you down - it sends your Ex the non-verbal message that you are who you are and they are who they are. But most importantly, it tells your Ex that you are not going to take any of their crap! When you respond to your Ex’s hostility with kindness, and your Ex’s blame with compassion, it frustrates them to no end, because your Ex cannot get you to play their game.

Step 6:

Come to understand that you are doing all of this work for no other reason than to realize who you are, restore your sense of balance, and reclaim your personal power. If you do all of this work in order to manipulate your Ex, and make them want you back, your Ex will subconsciously sense your intentions, because at one point or another, you will slip and let your intentions be known without realizing it. When this happens, you will give all of your power back to your Ex, and will have to start all over again with Step 1.

Step 6 is often tricky, because if you master each step up to this point, your Ex may very well want to reconcile. At the very least, your Ex will begin responding to the kindness you send their way in a positive fashion. But regardless if you want to get back together with your Ex, just be friends, or just get over the obsessive thinking - remember your sole purpose is to realize who you are, restore your sense of balance, and reclaim your personal power. If you do all of this work just to manipulate your Ex into responding the way you want them to, it may work for a very short period of time. But I guarantee your Ex will pick up on the fact that your intentions are not genuine, and you will lose your personal power. Not only that, but when you genuinely become who you are, you attract the right kind of people to your life. And maybe your Ex is not the person you are meant to be with! And the only way you will know if you are meant to be with your Ex or anyone else is if you are genuinely who you are.

Step 7:

Forgive your Ex, no matter what they did or didn’t do. Unfortunately, it may not be enough at this point to say, “I forgive my ex.” And leave it at that. Forgiveness has little to do with words, and more to do with action. Before proceeding with this step, I recommend reading up on the topic of forgiveness, and reading heroic stories about the power of forgiveness. I once read a story about a woman whose daughter was brutally raped and murdered by a man that was eventually caught and sent to prison. As anyone can imagine, the woman spent years of her life in rage and obsession over what this man had done to her daughter. I am sure there are no words to express how much pain this woman was feeling. However, she somehow stumbled on a book entitled, The Course of Miracles and began reading about what the power of forgiveness could do for her. She started to pray for the man, and eventually sent him a letter, letting him know she had forgiven him for the actions he took against her daughter, even though she didn’t condone his behavior. To make a long story short, the man wrote the woman back and apologized profusely. The woman felt compelled to see this young man in prison, and she held him as he cried during their first visit. To make a long story short, they became friends, and she became his number one advocate in attempts to release him from prison.

There are not a lot of people walking on the planet as courageous as this woman, but it is an extreme example of what is possible within each one of us. I thought about this woman before I reached out to my Ex with forgiveness in my heart. I sent a gift to my Ex and the woman my Ex left me for, which seemed to pale in comparison to this woman’s story. Of course, it took me a little over a year to reach that point, and a lot of soul searching. To this day, I love my Ex with all of my heart on a platonic level. We live in two totally different cities, but still call and send each other emails on occasion as good friends.

I am also in a healthy relationship with someone I am deeply in love with. Next week will be our two year anniversary. I do not think I would be as happy and as deeply in love with this new person as I am now, had I not let go of the anger, bitterness, and resentment I once felt towards my Ex, which is another reason why forgiveness is so important.

A lot of people believe turning off your feelings for a person you once were in a romantic relationship with, or even hating them is a way to show that they are “over” the person. But I believe the exact opposite is true. When you are completely “over” a person, you really wish them nothing but the best - and you are totally detached emotionally from how they act or react. Another point to consider is the fact that love isn’t real unless you loved your Ex for the person they are, not the person you wanted them to be. And just because the romantic relationship didn’t work out, doesn’t mean your Ex isn’t a lovable person.

So get over him Sweety.

Jc, Kiko and I just got back from a much needed Baguio vacation and see what’s next?

I love my life!

Sometimes you need a weekend away from the world. Away from work. Away from side work. Away from your normal locale. This weekend we headed up to Baguio City to relax. After a good bit of rain and some light hydroplaning along the way, we arrived unscathed. There’s something about chips, Country Style sandwich, iced tea, tamarind candy, hotdogs, chicharon and good friends that’s really comforting on long drives like this.

Thank you pinkrosebud.

I was trying to write something earlier about how and why this blog has been so quiet the past few days. Aside of course from the fact that I dedicated Saturday for my Manager’s birthday, I went on a vacation leave with friends. Yes, I visited Baguio once again and this time with my good friends Kiko and Jc. I wish I could tell you how wonderful it was but my mind isnt working that good now. I then decide to just check all the updates I missed, and good thing I did! good thing I really did. Thanks Ash.

Here’s an excerpt of concert review by Dan Aquilante of the NY Post.

After all the success in career, the beauty, the heart, the soul that Ms. Dion has, the critics are still brutal on her. I’m one of the millions though that feels Ms. Dion’s performances as heartfelt and as soulful as it can get. At least the reviewer is positive on Charice’s performance with Ms. Dion. Excerpt below:

“One of the most interesting turns in this show was the MSG debut of 16-year-old vocal prodigy Charice Pempengco, whose manager, Oprah Winfrey - that’s right - secured the Philippine singer a duet with Celine for the song “Because You Loved Me.” The Charice segment was the night’s brightest moment. The teen was able to blast notes with Celine-like power, but she was also able to get in touch with the song’s emotions.”

Kinilabutan talaga ako.

There are various meanings to the word BOSS - one of them is AN IDIOT!

But MY BOSS - YOU proved to be nothing close to the meaning of that word and having you as my BOSS - the only other meanings which I can associate you with the word BOSS is :

FRIEND, MENTOR, GUIDE, ASSOCIATE, COLLEAGUE, LEADER, MOTIVATOR, INSPIRATION, CREATIVE, TASK MASTER, ACHIEVER, SUCCESS and MORE!!

It’s nice to work for someone who knows the secret to being a good manager… being a good person.

Happy BIRTHDAY!! Dont BLAST but HAVE A BLAST! Haler?!

You might be wondering where I am right now, I’m at Figaro ShangriLa. I’m just waiting for my friend to finish her order, infront of me is a wall picture of gorgeous male models wearing nothing but their soul and black smoke which deprives me of what I really want to see. I also have a full view of my least-favorite species in the animal kingdom: Homo sapiens sapiens.

I think I’m the only one of my sex genre with zero fashion sense: I’m just a jeans-shirt-jacket-cap fellow. The only way I know how to “spice up” my usual non-fashionable self is when I’m wearing my regular plaid shorts, statement tee, flip flops and aviator shades which are annoying nowadays because everybody seems to be wearing plaid shorts. I don’t know how it all started and what started the craze. I used to be the only one wearing plaid shorts before. Whenever I go out, it will always be in my trusted plaid or checkered shorts. But now? Lahat nalang! However, my jologs fashion sense had me developing a rather keen eye for the fashion sense of other people.

Consider call center girls or party girls who wear ultra-short miniskirts and shorts even if they have ensaymada dough for legs.
And then there’s the fashion sense of fathers everywhere: the collared, short-sleeved polo shirt. Nothing speaks more of corporate fatherhood than wearing a Lacoste polo shirt, jeans, and leather loafers. I think the inventor of the Daddy-Do should be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for changing the way we look at fatherhood in general.

Or that annoying trend of today, Abner Mercado’s abel Iloco scarf. I don’t know what’s up with that, and I certainly don’t know what’s up with emo kids wearing it with their skinny jeans and Paramore t-shirts. Then they take pictures of themselves at comfort rooms at Gateway… I just hope they don’t go to Recto.

Which might beg the question… who the f**k do you think you are? Okay, I am AL and I’m just saying what my observations are. This is my blog. The same way you have your mind. Just that you can’t write yours. See? So stop reading this if you’ll take it against me or better yet, check the concept of blogging.

Stay happy.

The usual weekend craving got the best of my original plan to start dieting. Not wanting to go more into specifics on how we [the weekend group] agreed to go out, let me just say that “So, nag-Glorietta nga kami”. After checking out some shops and visiting Kiko’s optometrist for his black contact lenses, we started our usual practice of cruising for a restaurant and soon decided to check on Veneto Pizzeria Ristorante. We were really craving for pasta but Kiko didn’t like the place. We were already seated with the menus and the utensils in front of us so we were really having second thoughts and at the same time thinking of a good excuse to leave but we made it. I can’t remeber how we did it. We then soon settled at Dampa Macapagal.

Earlier, Z texted that he’s craving for Italian Pasta. He said that he’s just strolling around Greenbelt and so invited me to join him. Since I can’t go back to sleep anymore, I obliged. Red and green colors of a nearby dining place caught our eye and we stopped to read the menu. It was impressive at first glance. The name of the place is A Veneto Pizzeria Ristorante. I then remembered that it was the same restaurant last Sunday. Having such a name makes me think authentic italian and italian always makes my mouth water. We entered excitedly and hungrily.

It wasn’t really a beautiful place and I mean the interior. It appeared to want to look more high end but ended up short. The sign at the entrance said “Please wait to be seated”, but no one greeted you at the door so Z just charged in and picked the nearest table there was.

We were given thick laminated menus that were neither chic nor cheap. The selection though was interesting. There were several choices for appetizers, salads, pasta and pizza. Everything sounded delicious even though the pictures on the menu were far from enticing. It may have been to z though, because he ordered enough for 6 people [we were only 2].

We chose the A Veneto Family Platter, the Baked Zitti with 3 Hungarian Sausages, and two sliced of pizza - Bacon Cheeseburger and New England’s Best.

A Veneto Family Platter - This barkada appetizer included french fries, onion rings, breaded crabsticks and chicken wings. It came with catsup and sour cream for dipping. The first piece I tried was one of the onion rings. It came big, round and floured. Someone though forgot to put in seasoning and the whole thing just tasted like fried flour. The sour cream did wonders so it was bearable enough for me to wolf down a couple. The crabsticks tasted… well weird and soggy so I stopped at one piece. The fries tasted like the frozen one I buy at the grocery for my kids or those that are cooked by Potato Corner using a turbo broiler. The saving grace of this dish is the chicken. It was fried crisp and salty and doused with chili sauce. Yummy.

Bacon Cheeseburger Pizza - Large, thin and oh so bacon-ly. It might have been my love for anything bacon but this pizza tickled my fancy. I am embarrassed to say I finished every last bite. It was thin. It was sweet. It was salty. It was soo yummy.

Baked Zitti with 3 Hungarian Sausages - The dish came very hot and oozing with cheese. That was about it. You could have eaten 3 spoonfuls and not notice anything. It was that forgettable and disappointing. Z kept nibbling trying to find some sort of flavor. I told him “hayaan mo na”. I advised him to eat some sausage with the pasta and it worked. He said it indeed tasted better. I still beg to differ. The sausages added flavor to the dish, but it could not hide the fact that it lacked taste and quality.

I no longer tried the New England’s Best pizza. I thought if that was New England’s Best, I do not want to imagine their worst. The pizza looked like a bigger version of a Greenwich pizza, only bigger. Tsk tsk.

You may think I am being too harsh and I do not mean to be. But naming your place A Veneto Pizzeria Ristorante, one would expect some sort of authenticity in your establishment. There was nothing authentic about the place. It was all store bought and assembled. From the sauce which tasted like canned tomato paste cooked and seasoned, to the canned mushrooms spread on top of the pizza, to the fries, and even the black pepper. We saw the servers earlier spooning black pepper into McCormick containers from a big pail of black pepper [not sure if it was generic or just tons of McCormick black pepper in a pail].

Ok I will say one good thing about the place. You get what you pay for. The dishes are served and priced enough for sharing. To me, it was more a like a casual place where you took your friends if you want to and save money. The place feeds hungry diners and that’s about it. If you wanted to eat pasta or pizza and enjoy it, why not just go to TOSH. Its got a simple name but delicious food at least.

I was not really a bad experience in all. I don’t think there’ll be bad experience with him. Chot!

I have here the new addition to my wish list. Nice no? I want the white one and the green too.

http://kathydaylightful.multiply.com/photos/album/86/Ion_Sports_Watch_and_Bracelet - Here’s where you can get them.

Soon as I posted my last entry, my boss asked me “ako ba ito?” which I replied “nyek!”, she insisted by asking “ako nga?”, I immediately replied “hinde! di ka naman nakipagharutan dtio. Haler?!”.

I maintain a good relationship with my boss. I can approach her and talk to her with my face held up high because I know I didn’t say anything negative against here. Not that I’m trying to be sipsip but I really don’t find anything bad about her. I understand that we can’t avoid negative impressions and I admire her on how she handles such.

I have been called and referred to by many names. People have viewed me as someone who feeds the boss all the information because we’re friends.

You know what the funny thing there is?

Of all people, I’m the one who can’t just open those things to her.

I’m just thankful that despite all the issues and problems on my job I’m still enjoying it. Sometimes the thin line that makes the difference between a nightmare job and a dream job is a good relationship with your boss. I’ve had one too many friends who complain about their jobs. All of them acknowledge, though, that their jobs will be a whole lot more fun if their bosses didn’t have that “I am God and you’re just a mere maggot” aura.

The most important policy is respect. Under any circumstance - in success or failure, you should always show some form of respect to your boss. Sure, it’s pretty tough to do if the bastard’s like Dilbert’s Pointy-Haired Boss. Of course it’s more ideal if you become friends with your boss, but even though you joke around with each other, always maintain that level of respect so that you never do anything below the belt.

Cope with your boss’ leadership style. It might not work for you at first, but s/he’s the boss so you’ll just have to make it work. You can either adjust or resign. One of the best values of professionalism is being able to cope with different leadership styles. In the long run of your career, you will come across different leadership styles. And the best that you can do is to make yourself efficient under any leadership style.

Know when to assert and when to back off. Your boss needs your ideas, your efforts, and your full cooperation in every project. When it comes to brainstorming, planning, and execution, be at your best and give all you’ve got to contribute to the success of every project. Equally important is to know when to back off. Your boss needs space when s/he comes to office in a bad mood or when s/he seems overly stressed. Be observant and sensitive. Just wait for the tempest to ebb a little before you give him more things to stress over.

There’s nothing really wrong to be friends with your boss especially if you can both keep things isolated. You take professional matters as they are and so do you with personal matters. One advantage of being friends on the professional side of things is that, it totally creates a better line of clear and honest communication. You probably wouldn’t get that I’m-about-to-wet-my-pants feeling when the boss asks for you.

So there it is. Make her/him your friend. Maybe then you’ll realize BOSS ko nga siya.

It has been raining hard since yesterday. Many of my officemates called in for their SLs [Sick Leaves]. I wasn’t feeling good also but of course I’m not the type who would just give in and succumb to the heavy feeling.

I’ll wait out headaches and deal with muscle ache and a host of other ailments. I head to the doctor once in a while if some problem doesn’t really feel right after a while. I don’t usually medicate unless I’m a complete mess and can’t function, such as the other day when my nose just would not stop running.

After the minor hassle obtaining medication yesterday, the only thing I can say about Advil Multi-Symptom Cold is that it works. Oh man does it work.

I always have a back up of anti spasm, Tylenol, and paracetamol at home but the geniuses at Wyeth have shoved an antihistamine, ibuprofen and pseudoephedrine in the same pill. How good is that? I took two over an eight hour period yesterday. An hour after taking the first one my nose just stopped running without clogging up my sinuses. I slept through the day soon as I got home around 10am without waking up needing a tissue. I felt good when my timer alarmed but took another one just to be on the safe side before heading to work. I shoved an extra in my pocket in case I needed it, but didn’t. I was skeptical because 10 of them cost the same as 20-30 of the regular Advil Cold & Sinus. Good thing it really did the works, damn if they didn’t.

I’m full of life today. Energetic and happy. I feel like my body stored up all of the energy that I didn’t have yesterday somehow, then released it today. Very groovy indeed.

So for those who need it or to those who acts as if they need medication [hahahaha] try mo ang Advil. Thanks Advil.

I have been thinking of starting to diet again. For these past few months I have been eating all I want. As you may have noticed from the pictures posted from my previous entries and the most recent ones, I have gone literally big from -this- to =THIS=.

A large number of people often eat relatively healthy during the week, however, when the weekend comes they seems to let their hair down a little too much and negate all the hard work they did through the week.

I still remember the last time when we were eating at French Baker, Jay told us -

“You should try to work on prioritizing Quality over Quantity”

or something of that sort.

It is an easy thing to do, if you go out with your friends, have a few beers or wines and the next thing you are snacking down on potato chips, lollies or you find yourself in the queue for McDonalds.

The weekends for many are seen as time off, time off from work yes, from being healthy NO! before you go out with your friends make sure you eat a healthy meal at home, or at least some healthy snacks, this will help curb your hunger cravings as the night progresses.

You also need to ensure that your house isn’t filled up with unhealthy foods. Because your home more often on the weekends, if the junk food is there, then there is a greater chance that you will eat it. So ensure you get your fridge and pantry stocked up for the weekends, and ensure you keep to your healthy ways even if others around you are not.

Yes! I’m trying to make sense here. I want this blog to at least be of use for my readers… so nevermind what we look like, just try to get what I’m trying to say. I may not be the perfect example to live a good life but at least my thoughts and my words can be used to attain that. I’m trying to do the same.

On the other hand [hahahahaha] here are our pictures from last weekend’s food binge-ing. I told you I’m just trying to make sense.

Another visit to Dampa, Macapagal [1st time for Ralf though]

Having fun at Glorietta and a visit to MAC

Coffee after a full meal

Wanna know what these guys are really checking?

I have been playing Christmas songs soon as the BER months started. Some find it weird and some, especially Mhel feels the same way as I - excited. I don’t know how you guys feel about the Christmas Season but it’s an uplifting feeling for me to know that Christmas is just around the corner. You will usually see me head banging with house music on my earphone but this time, it’s all about

Away In A Manger, Jose Mari Chan’s, Coca Cola Christmas Theme [Yes! the one you get to see every year on their TV commercial], Deck The Halls, Feliz Navidad, Himig Ng Pasko, Let It Snow, Little Drummer Boy, Chestnut Roasting In An Open Fire, O Come All Ye Faithful, Pasko Na Sinta Ko, Sa Araw Ng Pasko, etc…

Maybe alot have just renewed their membership to SMAP [Samahan ng Malalamig ang Pasko]. Every time you hear the song “Pasko Na Sinta Ko” played on the radio, you want to go out and shoot your neighbor’s dog. Okay, so you don’t have a boyfriend this Christmas. What are you going to do, sort of hiring a macho dancer as your boyfriend to present to the relatives for the Christmas Day reunion? Eeeewwww…

Well, first of all, make sure you pay him at least a thousand bucks. Just kidding!

You are not alone in this world. I know a number of people who have husbands, boyfriends, or family who still don’t feel the Christmas spirit at all despite the grand day being just few months away. So I can just imagine what it must feel like when one is all alone with no one to share a special romantic gift over the holidays. I also have spent numerous occasions being alone. It is true that this is the time of the year when suicide rates spike up as people either don’t have money or don’t have loved ones to turn to. If you let the Christmas blues get to you, you will likely feel empty, wretched and miserable. At the end of the day, the only one who would be most affected by your blues is YOU. So why let it happen?

I, for one, have always been thankful that, despite some years when I have to cough up my membership dues to SMAP, I still have my family around me. It will be a bit different this year,maybe because I lost some friends and BFs? [pun intended], but I know we will all pull together to make Christmas still meaningful despite their absence. Having kids around helps as their wide-eyed innocence and belief in some bearded fat man in a red suit bringing them gifts just makes us work harder to make the holidays extra-special. My nephew knows him already and that adds to the joyful pressure.

There is no reason, however, to feel lonely on Christmas just because Prince Charming seems to have lost his way trying to find your house. [Baka na-traffic].

Focusing on other people instead of yourself eases the loneliness. If you become self-absorbed and keep obsessing about your loveless plight this season, you will likely need more than a bottle of Paxil to lift your spirits.

While shopping malls have all but eroded the real meaning of Christmas, try to remember that the season is all about giving love and joy to all, and making peace with others. It is also the time to count your blessings and realize just how lucky you are. You may not have Prince Charming by your side, but you’re healthy, are able to eat three meals a day, have a roof over your head, and good friends [or family] around you.

You have every reason to be happy.

As I was playing/baby sitting to my nephew ealier, I received an SMS saying “kapal naman ng mukha mo to call me panget and bobo, di mo pa naman ako nakikilala, bakla ka rin naman ah!!!” Yes, with three exclamation points.

I decided to just ignore it but he kept on bugging me by his incessant text messages and missed calls. If you know me, you’ll know how I responded. I called him up and started my “talak” - “So how would you like me to call someone who uses somebody elses picture on his profile and still have the nerve to invite me for meet up, face me, talk to me and invite me to come with him as if I wouldn’t recognize the big difference of his claimed picture and the bullshit atop a shoulder stinking infront of me?”. He was speechless after my tirade and later on muttered - “Putangina mo, napaka-pintasero mo!”. Duh!

I admit being pintasero. I’m not afraid to laugh out loud and poke fun at my own gender’s stupidity and complexities, as well as our counterparts’ stupidity and simplicities. No subject is taboo, I claim no expertise, and my writings are merely opinions from the perspective of an opinionated person enjoying what life can at least offer. You’ll get an honest opinion without the filters of youthful insecurity, bitterness or overt political correctness. Basically, I’m happy to tell it like it is. And you must be a friend to hear all these. Trusted friends who wouldn’t take such words against me. Trusted friends who know what jokes are and what they are for.

So if you’re reading this [in case you will still continue reading my blog everyday], I didn’t make pintas on you. Panget ka talaga at bobo. Next time, gamitin mo totoo mong mukha.

And yes, I also write about subjects discussed during girl’s/boy’s night out, but they are well aware of my right to steal any story that exits their mouth regardless of alcohol consumption [names at times will be changed though to protect the not so innocent].

Expressing one’s self comes in different forms. I, for one can express it throught my layouts, incessant chatting, out of tune singing and of course - blogging. Writing is a great way for me to vent my feelings, organize my thoughts, become creative, and even opens new opportunities. Health benefits are numerous: psychologically, I release my emotions here, especially in a creative way; expressed emotions help me to lower blood pressure, lower my stress levels, and aiding in digestion and circulation; and I reap the overall rewards of better physical health.

For you guys, to reap the health benefits of writing, since most are afraid that they might not have the perfect words to say, you don’t need need to be a professional wordsmith. There are various ways to put pen to paper [or fingers to keyboard] and start expressing oneself. For those with greater writing ambitions, trying one could prove to be emotionally satisfying as well as lucrative.

Blogging, short for web logging, is a type of writing that introduces a journal to the world wide web. This type of writing is not for the faint of heart: unlike a personal journal, a blog can be found on the internet and be read by millions of people. Oftentimes, women write about issues such as health conditions, parenting, or politics. Blogs can also be more personal in nature. Here I can write whatever I want to say. It acts like my personal “pensieve”, my streamline of thoughts, emotional reservoir, stress reliever and own home. Funny as it is, I started my blog using Friendster, migrated to Blogspot then to WordPress. Now I have my every entry duplicated to Multiply.

So what are you waiting for? Start writing people!

Cocktails and liquor are staples of many meals and social events. While some indulge on a daily basis, others save their sipping for special occasions. No matter how much you know about or enjoy your beverage of choice, there’s always more to learn about the latest news and trends in brewing and consumption.

Since everybody has been affected and feeling deprived of the Oktoberfest Party happening just nearby our workplace, we can’t help but talk about cocktails or liquors being served there. The thought made us all long for a good drinking session. Bailey’s local counterpart Boracay, Mule, San Mig Light, Long Beach Iced Tea, Blue Frog and Mindoro Sling made us crave more.

I was also talking to some friends over YM and the conversation was diverted to how those drinks are being mixed. I mentioned about my old posts here teaching how to create local counterparts of Baileys and the likes.

Puerto Galera has been an annual Holy Week summer getaway for me aside from the fact that I’m from Mindoro. In every visit, I make sure that I get to slurp and hick a Mindoro Sling. In one of my visits, for the love of the drink, even though I’m tipsy [ok... drunk! intoxicated!] I watched a bartender of a famous bar in Puerto Galera. I memorized each and every ingredient she’s adding into the pitcher-as if I’m stealing the ingredient of Coke. And there you go the next day I put in into writing in my little black book, secured on my way back to Manila.

Mindoro Sling

1 Bottle Tanduay Rhum 5 Years [250ml]
1 small can Mango Nectar/Concentrate
1 Jigger Grenadine
1 Jigger orange juice concentrate
1 Jigger lemon juice concentrate
500 ml Sprite
Apple Slices

Mix all the ingredients in a pitcher.
Add ice to fill the pitcher.

If you find the ingredients so maarte, try these instead :

1 big can of Dole Four Seasons Juice
1 bottle of Ginebra GSM

In a pitcher, pour 3 parts of Four Seasons Juice and 1 part gin. Add Ice. Add alcohol for stronger punch

Enjoy!

For whatever reason that urged him, Z invited me earlier to join him sa San Miguel Oktoberfest. I was hesitant at first because I’ve seen how wild the crowd is during such events but he secured me that he’ll have a VIP pass and that he’ll fetch me again. The party has not started yet so he just showed me around and after few bottles of beer I made my way to work. He didn’t want me to leave yet but I insisted.

I just wish I can really stay especially after he told me that this year’s Oktoberfest has four stages - Reggae, Pop and Alternative, The All Girls Stage and where Third Eye Blind is performing. All the stages are along the stretch of San Miguel Avenue. Few steps away from our building.

You heard it right, people. This year’s San Miguel Oktoberfest 120 [siento bente] leg will be opened by an international act - THIRD EYE BLIND. This world renowned rock band, along with Philippine’s top bands will be gracing one of the four stages along San Miguel Avenue. San Miguel is aiming to break two Guiness records with this year’s grand Oktoberfest: the most number of people toasting, and the longest bar. Apart from the copious amounts of beer, participants can also interact with SMB’s personalities, like Efren Bata Reyes and PBA players. The grand opening for 2008’s Oktoberfest have the traditional booze fest and of course fun, fun, fun.

There is also a simultaneous launching from different parts of the Philippines in Lapu-Lapu City, Cebu, Iloilo, Davao, Olongapo and Sta. Rosa City.

The bands aren’t the only thing that you should watch out for. San Miguel Pale Pilsen is repackaged with a new Oktoberfest limited edition! It kinda looks like the San Mig Light and the Cerveza Negra bottle combined. Don’t worry guys, this isn’t the weak kind of beer that weak people drink[hihihi]. It’s still 100% malt, full flavored, light bodied and sweet to the taste. We were able to taste it and it’s really good. It’s not that bitter and it’s between a San Mig Pale Pilsen and San Mig Light. The operative word here is that it’s LIMITED so you have to taste this one before it’s too late! I was about to ask him how is he connected with the San Miguel company but later decided to just be mum about it.

This year’s Oktoberfest isn’t free also. Here’s the official release about the Oktoberfest Grand Opening tickets.

Ticket Type: General Admission [Longest Bar] Ticket
Longest Bar Venue: Php 120.00 per head inclusive of 2 San Miguel Pale Pilsens
Note!: A General Admission Ticket gains entrance to the longest beer bar section along San Miguel and Julio Vargas avenues ONLY to be able to watch the events happening in any of the four [4] stages and take part in the numerous booths, games & activities in the main area. Entrances are at the intersection of Julio Vargas Avenue & St. Francis Road and intersection of San Miguel Avenue & Lourdes Drive. Tickets to enter the Special Viewing Section for the Third Eye Blind concert and Special Oktoberfest Marquee sections are sold separately.

Ticket Type: Special Oktoberfest Marquee Ticket
Oktoberfest Beer Marquee: Php 300.00 per head inclusive of 3 San Miguel Oktoberfest Beers & food
Note!: A Special Oktoberfest Marquee Ticket gains entrance to the air-conditioned tent and longest beer bar section along San Miguel and Julio Vargas avenues. The Special Oktoberfest Marquee Section is located at the Open Space Parking Area along San Miguel Avenue beside Metrobank & in front of the main gate of San Miguel Corporation Head Office Complex. Tickets to enter the Special Viewing Section for the ThirdEyeBlind concert are sold separately.

Ticket Type: Gold Ticket
Special Viewing Section: Php 1,500.00 per head inclusive of 2 San Miguel Pale Pilsens at General Admission Section and 3 San Miguel Oktoberfest Beers & food at the Special Oktoberfest Marquee Section.
Note!: A Gold Ticket gives access to the privilege few to a Special Viewing Section to be the closest to watch ThirdEyeBlind perform live. In addition, the Gold Ticket gives access to all other sections specifically the Special Oktoberfest Marquee with three [3] San Miguel Oktoberfest Beers plus food and the General Admission [Longest Bar] Area with two [2] San Miguel Pale Pilsens.

I still feel “inggit” as I write this because I can hear the band playing from here, all the most when I heard my officemates screaming their “wows” by the pantry as they watch in astonishment the oktoberfest’s fireworks display. Hayyyy, the things that you have to give up for work.

Allan will be celebrating his birthday so Mami Abi asked me to do this tarp design to surprise him. Maligayang pagtanda!

I still remember when I was first invited to an art gallery by an artist friend and my instinctive reaction was a feeling of apprehension. It was a strange feeling as I have always loved art especially paintings, so why the anxiety. I thought that maybe I just love art but not seriously loving it. The time I’ll be spending there can still be used to stroll around the mall, binge for food, have fun outside or maybe just to sleep.

I thought that my appreciation of art is when the art will just brought to me or infront of my eye minus the hassle of still going to a place to see them, much more, to spend money just to see them. It dawned on me that I was not worried about experiencing the paintings but how to react to them, what to say and how to converse about them so as to not look like a complete moron to my friends. I know this is very deep and doesn’t look like me or the AL people have known but trust me, art creates a major impact to my life.

This very unusual problem led me to explore and find a simple and down-to-earth approach to art appreciation. The idea is to demystify the process and make it easy to enjoy art.

So when the opportunity knocked last weekend, I grabbed it. The Art Center at Megamall staged “25th Kulay sa Tubig” exhibit. With Ralf, Jc and Kiko in tow, the art appreciation has been appreciated more.

And what would be best to end the day but with a cup coffee at Starbucks.

I first came across Tender Bob’s at Promenade where I’d hang out with my then boyfriend Chris. We both loved the food and the attentiveness of the staff. When we found out that they have a branch at Shangri La, we were more than thrilled. A comfort zone so close to home and work. But that was then… when he was still with me.

The place has become a rest stop in between work where I can sit back, relax and order the usual. My favorite meal is the Chicken Steak, grilled chicken fillet served with gravy, corn, steamed vegetables and choice of side. Options include plain, garlic or java rice, mashed potato or The Bomb which I tried for the first time yesterday. It is a perfect companion to the chicken, sliced baked potato smothered in garlic sauce. A must try. I wish I’ve tried it sooner.

So you can just imagine when I received an SMS from Ralf and Jc inviting me to comeover because they’re having dinner there. It was a dinner full of fun and banterings. With Ralf, Jc and Kiko in tow, it was definitely a perfect day.

Remember though to brush your teeth after the meal so that your breath does not smell garlicky.

Check out Tender Bob’s. You might end up as pleased as I am.

Opa! These words were repeatedly said on KC and Richard’s movie “For The First Time”. I was with Jay [birthday celebrator], Kiko, and Jc then. I kept on thinking where I heard the word. It was only after all the closing credits were gone that Cyma entered my thoughts.

I had the 1st chance to experience the restaurant the last time we went to Bora. So for those who’re frequent to Boracay, Cyma Restaurant may already be familiar to you. It is a restaurant that specializes in Greek and Mediterranean dishes. I wasn’t actually the one who ordered for my food before so it still felt like my first time to dine here, so I was a bit wary when Z invited me to have dinner there, though excited at the same time to try new food.

The place was filled with diners and the atmosphere was bustling with chatter. We had to squeeze between groups of people. The air was contagious and soon my spirits lifted with the excitement akin to festival fever. Z has always been all-knowing on these spots so I made him do all the tasks.

I let him order as I was not about to pretend to be an expert on Greek cuisine. I just read the description of the items he was ordering just to make sure that there wasn’t something there that I did not like.

Saganaki - is – visually and audibly – the flagship dish of Cyma. It is a Greek cheese-based dish that is either fried or grilled. At Cyma it is served at your table with great grandeur by igniting it as all the servers shout “Opa!”. I was literally amazed. It wasn’t my first time there but it surely beats the usual “Happy Birthday” that is usually done in other places. The Saganaki was served with grilled bread that was a perfect partner with the fried greasy cheese appetizer.

Another appetizer, the Dakos or Greek bruschetta, is a watercolor painting of sorts with the errant splotch of wild color. Little towers of bread hold aloft crowns of crushed olives and feta cheese while sitting in a pool of crushed tomatoes, capers, parsley, and olive oil. It’s a meze that has echoes of the Mediterranean.

Large in scale is the Pastitsio, a monstrous baked macaroni, although that term doesn’t do it justice. The Greek form of the Italian word, pasticcio, which means, among other things, hodgepodge, pastitsio is a tri-layer baked pasta dish. A bottom layer of tubular pasta bound with cheese and egg, it’s “piggy-backed” by a layer of ground meat mixed with tomato and cinnamon, and what I distinctly make out as nutmeg. Another layer of pasta, and then it’s topped with béchamel.

The Tonnos Salata is in itself, a salad buffet: mixed greens, feta, baked onions, roasted peppers, olives, marinated potatoes, green beans, and boiled eggs, it boasts of seared Ahi tuna and Gavros, homemade anchovies. Bathed in a summer herb vinaigrette, my family enjoys picking out their desired ingredients to make their own salad, instead of just scooping out large chunk-fulls and dumping it helter-skelter onto a plate. “We ordered the to-share portion for four people last time, and we were so bitin. So good is this salad that even this gigantic family portion is not enough for our party of 12.

My nephew is attracted to the Greek Burger made from Wagu [could this be a menu misspelling?] Brahman beef patties. It comes with peppered feta cheese and tzatziki sauce, a Greek yogurt condiment made from cucumbers and mint leaves. Ordered medium well, I find it tough since I usually like my meat medium rare. Despite the disparity in desired cooking times, the burger smacks of bovine glory with delightful spurts of salt from the feta. I’ll come back for this.

Cyma has an open kitchen and while the main ding room is packed and frenzied, and on a weekend at that, the kitchen maintains its own rhythm. Service is satisfactory, and our waiter, Cayo, is handling the onslaught of orders very well. I can’t complain. The noise level on the other hand, has my nerves on edge but hey, elegant tearoom this is not.

As much as I wanted to eat all of it, it’s just almost impossible because I’ve eaten so much already. And I felt guilty having to leave the plate half-eaten [as I’m used to eating everything placed on my plate] but it’s just physically impossible to stuff all of it in my stomach and expect that I could still in the next 20+ restaurants.

Remember my post about going to Baguio for relaxation? to unwind? to be free? It helped a lot. When I got back, I feel like free as a bird. The promise that I’ll be better succeeded. I have learn to be just there, don’t mind things and be happy for whatever life brings.

As I write this, my shift has already ended but I’m still at work. Still waiting for the perfect time to leave. With a heavy stomach brought by our Banchetto, and a happy heart because I’m still breathing and surviving despite all the chaos.

I still remember the time when the rebel in me tried to fight back. I even thought that peace of mind was nothing but rarity. Not only I became extremely paranoid, I started to really boil over. Maybe the days of frustrations have built up deep inside of me that I deserve at least one sleepless night to think things over, to sort things out, and to just let it go.

Salamat sa Baguio.

Oh yes, I still am quite angry at some people. I still can’t let go of a past I should have let go in the first place. I still get the feeling that I’ve been screwed over one too many times that I can’t help but be an accuser for once. I still get the feeling that the brunt of “injustices” in this world are passed off to my direction just like used condoms in a motel [sheesh, the metaphors].

Enjoying the company of Gay, Abi, Abhi [Yes, they're two different people], Ed, Alma, Zelot, Nina, Kelly, Lanie made a great realization. It finally hit me: “injustice,” like “justice” itself, is a perspective. I often complain that I’m too under-appreciated and taken-for-granted, that I should take my grievances somewhere to someone who would perhaps listen. Then I thought how much time I wasted looking for reciprocity, for appreciation, for acceptance… so much so that I forgot how much is already in front of my table. So much so that I forget about the apples already in my basket. Isn’t that enough to be thankful for?

Sure, I made a few mistakes. No, wait, I made a LOT of mistakes. But I kind of forgot how many times, and in how many ways, I got up and took what’s coming, and kept on walking. I kind of forgot how many times people tried to knock me down, and time and time again, I always clawed my way back up.

So yeah, I always made complaints about how many people didn’t help me when I was down. I’ve always complained about how many people didn’t become my crutch, how many people screwed me over, and about “getting tired” when nobody “comes to my rescue.” It took me a sleepless night to realize how much of myself was formed not because I was up, but because I was down. Of how much of me smells like smoke because I went through the fire, not around it. Of how much of me stands because I fell.

So I guess I can’t say I got screwed over. There are too many blessings for me to count. There are to many friends for me to count. Salamat!

My friends usually call me “bato sa pag-ibig”, frigid or “manhid”. Not that I’m a hater or a loser of sort, just that I don’t allow myself to be lured by all the promises a love usually brings.

I have been self-guarded and aloof for the past years. I used to keep falling in love for all the wrong reasons, and then I go emo all over it. Romance to me then, has become a preoccupation brought about either by boredom or by necessity. I guess all it took was for me to find a good-enough distraction to get myself out of love for good.

And then it happened.

Gone were the days where love is a thing I’ll always sought for. Gone were the days where I’ll let myself be hurt. I fell and got hooked again. I enjoyed it and loved it.

Then Z came along, a disaster. I guess the word [disaster] need not more explanation. All my defense were shaken and tested. All those years where I’ve been “manhid” came to an end. I allowed myself to be sensitive again only to be sorry. I guess I haven’t really given up my defense.

In a word: catharsis. It’s a lot like diarrhea, enema, or a good vomit after drinking copious quantities of beer.

Pardon to all “into love” at this point. If there’s anything I learned from this another free fall with romance, it’s that you don’t really need it. I know this is going to sound extremely toxic [in many senses of the word], but if you find yourself wasting a lot of time and energy on people who do not reciprocate your affections, much less genuine gestures of friendship, then they really, really aren’t worth what you expend. So yeah, you’re wasting your time.

At this age, it’s a given that I’m not getting any younger. But that doesn’t mean that all other opportunities for me to find someone who is worth my time and my effort diminish every day I grow older. There are plenty of other opportunities out there, not necessarily for romance. Getting to meet new people, learning new stuff, going to new places, and trying out new things. I may be getting old, but everything around me is always a brand-new thing that either I never experienced before, or I never really enjoyed.

No more chains, baby! No more Bebs, that is!

I have long been planning to go back into reading. After finishing Harry Potter series, no other book has caught my attention again. It was only after my good friend JD lent me his manga book that I tried to open some pages again. But since I’m not really a fan of mangas, I ditched it.

Few days ago, while trying to get a sleep and nursing myself from pain brought about by my “kidney stone sickness” or whatever you call it, I resorted to reading. Not with the intention of really being drawn to the story but just to get my eyes tired thinking that it will help me sleep.

Few pages after, the bug hit me. I can’t allow myself to sleep anymore. Not after I’ve been introduced to Dr. Tenma.

There are a lot of misconceptions about the medium of manga. The obvious ones are that it is childish and conceptually weak. I am guilty and I hate it. The reason for the misconception is that manga is not a genre, manga is a fairly diverse medium that covers everything from the children’s shonen [means "young boy" and is a genre] all the way to more adult [non-pornographic] themed dramas.

Monster is a manga that I suggest for people to read when they are coming from this misconception. I bet you’ll also be sorry for how long you’ve disregarded the manga venom. Monster is a complex drama that reads like a puzzle as it puts together pieces slowly throughout the story until you have a whole at the end.

The bright white cover of Naoki Urasawa’s Monster [VIZ signature] belies the subject matter of this gloomy suspense series: a serial killer story centered around a gifted Japanese surgeon who may have saved the life of a nine-year-old murderous psychopath.

Dr. Kenzo Tenma, a brilliant Japanese neurosurgeon based in Düsseldorf, Germany has the skills to save lives. His life turns upside down on the day he finds out that a boy he operated on nine years ago has grown up to be a murderer.

Dedicated to the healing arts, Tenma finds out early on that his idealism leaves him ill-equipped to deal with the vicious backbiting of hospital politics. After operating on and saving the life of a famous opera singer instead of a poor immigrant laborer who arrived at the hospital first, Dr. Tenma finds himself haunted by his supervisor’s and his fiancé’s contention that “not all lives are created equal.”

So when Tenma must next choose whether to operate on a highly-placed political official versus a young boy with a bullet wound to the head, his decision to work on the boy sets in motion a series of events with repercussions that will ripple across his life almost 10 years later.

As the many mysteries of Monster reveal themselves, Tenma finds that the little life he saved nine years ago is at the center of a vast conspiracy of Eastern European espionage, mind control and murder. Can he solve this dangerous puzzle before it kills him?

I have not read enough of Urasawa’s works to make this claim yet, but if he continues to weave suspenseful stories that keep you turning the pages the way Monster does then I may start calling him the Hitchcock of manga.

I have yet to finish the whole story though. I’m just on the 1st book.

When you dream, it usually has something to do with your subconscious. It can involve anything from your last thought before you go to sleep, to that show you watched before bed, to the to-do list you have looming tomorrow.

But more often than not, dreams tap into your inner psyche. They often present things you don’t want to face in your day-to-day life. Your mind works overtime while it’s dreaming, and what you worry about will often come to the surface.

My plan to get a good sleep worked just right earlier. I didn’t eat too much, didn’t have too much coffee and didn’t think so much the whole time at work. Soon as I get home and after a quick bath, I hit the sack. It was a peaceful sleep except for a not so bad dream [I supposed].

I dreamt about a cheating boyfriend. It didn’t affect me much because first of all, Z and I aren’t really into a relationship. We have this “thing” and some endearments but never really talked about getting serious. I treat him as my boyfriend but don’t really expect. I have learned not to [thanks to Jc's precaution].

I’ve read this from Glitter Magazine before. If you’re dreaming out a cheating boyfriend, there’s a reason! Your gut feeling about your relationships is always correct. Your subconscious mind might see the signs, while your conscious mind dismisses them. If you don’t want to face the fact of a cheating boyfriend, it will be easy to sweep the signs away.

But deep down, you know the truth!

If you’re dreaming about a cheating boyfriend, it’s time to get the proof – one way or the other – that will set your mind at ease. If you have that gut feeling that something is wrong, chances are, you’re absolutely right. But how do you go about finding out what he’s hiding from you?

The tips are the only ones I can really remember. Might as well share right?

• Start by keeping a journal. Use it to write down not only the things you dream about, but the things you see in your waking hours. Write down what he tells you about work or his friends. Make special note of any mysterious phone calls or evenings he worked late.
• You can go further than that! Write down the mileage on the car and check it every day or so. Is he driving it much more than necessary just to get to work? Ask him where he had lunch, and make a note of it – you might find a receipt later that says otherwise.
• If he’s evasive about anything, hesitates during a discussion with you, or changes the subject abruptly, make a note of it. What might seem innocent if it happens once or twice is not innocent at all if it begins to show a pattern.
• Pay attention to what parts of his life he doesn’t want to talk about and make a point of bringing them up from time to time. If his stories change, you’ve caught him in a lie – and why would anyone lie, unless they had something to hide?
• The more you hear, the more you will write down. The more you write down, the faster you will see a pattern that looks out of place. Your dreams don’t lie – pay attention to them, and start digging to find out what your boyfriend is hiding!

I know that it may sound stupid and a loser’s act but I’m just sharing it anyway. Who knows? You’ll get a thing or two from it. I think it’s better than to tell everyone about all the cutest guy in town being your boyfriend right? And please don’t use somebody elses picture for bragging and whoever that is being smittened by your beauty if in case you can really call it that way.

PS - picture is of Tami… my “crush.”

Yes I know. Sunday is the time where we should enjoy as much as possible. However, for me I have been just slugging around doing nothing. Well, I did a little noodle soup for lunch with salmon and spinach. Then, watching a bit of T.V and then my bed started to call me. I tried to resist but it’s persuasion power was just too great.

Anyway, had a good nap and I woke up with quite a strange dream. Got to do with eating those of “Bulagaan Olympics’” yesterday. Oh yeah, I’m feeling great now too.

Thank you sa lahat na nag-suggest to have a second opinion of what I’m feeling.