Monday, August 29, 2011
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My 30-day blog project for August is a failure! I was aiming to blog at least once for 30 days --- sort of like a habit again to flex my writing muscles, but I couldn't keep it up, what with all the stuff that happened during the month. I should think about doing that again; it was a good exercise for me, trying to do writing regularly once more.
Can I just share though, August was just plain cray cray! In a fun, engaging, unexpected, hurtful, wild, exhausting, overwhelming way. So many different things happened in August, I was pretty bewildered. Rundown:
I am all surprised, tired, amused and grateful. But what can I say, I am happy to be busy and back on track (not in the way I expected though). August turned out to be pretty interesting and am looking forward how September (oh my the -ber months already!) and the rest of the year will turn out (even better, I hope!). Labels: life
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Friday, August 26, 2011
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Steve Jobs' resignation from Apple as its CEO unexpectedly touched me. Strangely.
Steve Jobs is a belated discovery/inspiration for me. When I was leading huddles in the office before, I refused to use the huddle material sent everyday because I wanted to inject something fresh to my teammates' day. The value I wanted most to do was "Display Passion and Optimism" which I never seemed to get (I eventually did, on my last huddle lead), so I would look for articles relating to passion and optimism and the value that I happened to land on for that day. I was planning to use Conan O'Brien for a later huddle, so I decided to search for other good reads. I came across the text of Steve Jobs' Stanford Commencement address in 2005 and I loved how it spoke to me about failure and passion. I was in a very distressing time already in my life and this was a good aid in reflecting how things such a failure can change your life in a good way if you let it. I loved how Jobs related how he looked back on life and could see how everything fell into place. This is one of my favorites:
I also appreciated how he failed (was fired publicly from Apple) and this led to so much grief, and yet he still pursued what he loved. He found that the worst thing that could happen was actually the best thing that could happen. I cried at this point (as I said, I was in a bad place). And finally, this part, I kept: Sometimes life hits you in the head with a brick. Don't lose faith. I'm convinced that the only thing that kept me going was that I loved what I did. You've got to find what you love. And that is as true for your work as it is for your lovers. Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven't found it yet, keep looking. Don't settle. As with all matters of the heart, you'll know when you find it. And, like any great relationship, it just gets better and better as the years roll on. So keep looking until you find it. Don't settle. Isn't it nice? Holding on, not losing faith and just love what you do. And not settling. How true. I hate how I discover these things at A lot of things shook me soon after that huddle. But I kept the text of the speech and kept on re-reading it. Sort of like a mantra on how to keep it together and just holding on to what you love to do. It served (and still does) as my inspiration as I try to make it with my various passions. As long as I know what I want to do and be, I know it can and will happen. Full text of Steve Jobs' speech can be found here. Labels: life
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Saturday, August 13, 2011
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Steady Saturdays are good Saturdays! ♥
New discovery is Hazelnut Mocha Frappuccino from Starbucks. After months of avoiding coffee in favor of milk tea (be it Serenitea, Happy Lemon, Moonleaf, Chatime), it's a treat to go back to coffee! :) When I was trawling through my Flickr account (which I have not visited/updated for the longest time), I realized I was a huge fan of White Chocolate Mocha Frap. Then I went back to regular Mocha. Expensive kase. :) A really random entry... just a good way to cap off a stressful week. :) Labels: random
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Friday, August 12, 2011
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From another Friday 5 site.
1. Bully, teacher's pet, geek, shy kid in the corner, or something else? Shy kid in the corner or saling pusa. Hmm I think I have that aura about me! I don't know if that's good or not though. 2. What did/do you usually eat during lunch time at school? Ooh lots of good food memories all of a sudden! If Grade School to High School, I always brought food from the house for recess and lunch periods. But oh! I remember buying ZigZag ice cream everyday before. And also green mango slices with salt whenever they were in season. Yum! I loved my school's homemade spaghetti, pizza, arroz caldo and sago! I miss that!! College, I finally had a regular allowance to buy food from the caf (strangely it was usually a tuna sandwich on wheat or ham-egg-cheese sandwich) or from the nearby mall or eateries around school. 3. What did/do you normally wear to school? Thinking back to what you wore (if you've already graduated), do you like it? Grade School to High School: our very nice plaid uniform. We always thought we had one of the better all-girls' school uniforms. Obviously, we liked it! College: First to Second Year, I was usually in jeans. Then Third to Fifth, we were required to wear smart casual/business attire. Boringggg. 4. Any sports/activities/clubs you participate(d) in? Only Bowling in college aside from Comelec. High School was all about the school paper. 5. Any worthwhile friends you (would) still keep up with after graduation? (sic) Of course! ♥ my friends from my school days. I know it's supposed to be last week's 5 on the LJ, but they might post the next 5 later today (or tomorrow here). In any case, for fun! Nice trip down memory lane. Labels: survey
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Thursday, August 11, 2011
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Today was a semi-rough day - from a snippy conversation with someone to a long wait for a meeting and then traffic going home. Super nothing went my way! (Retrograde?) Bad day! Days like these, I don't like. Gets me really down and hard to snap out of it. The good things that happened today? Oh my, completely forgot about due to the stress.
But let's hope things will change for the better. *cross fingers* We live to fight another day tomorrow. Labels: life, random, rant-rave
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Wednesday, August 10, 2011
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On a noontime variety show, one of the hosts/correspondents was talking about the various events he was sent to cover. This prompted my brother to comment, "Does he still go to college?" I said I would think so, considering the boy goes to a good university and generally seems to have that good-boy image. "Iba na mga bata ngayon!" I said.
Which is so true! Students are not just students but students slash superstar bloggers slash celebrities slash anything with a raket! In this age of social media, it's very hard to remain anonymous, it's something to be unique. When I was in second year college, I considered working part-time by looking up want ads, but never mustered enough courage to go to the office where the interview was being held. It was so intimidating! My friends and I eventually became interns for a short-lived magazine. That was a short-lived job too. In the end, I didn't get any other part-time jobs in college and instead concentrated on the Masters Degree and orgs. I figured, I will concentrate and enjoy being a student and will work when I graduate! Although extra funds aside from allowance would help, it was very hard to manage graduate school-level work, org commitments and commuting home (I emphasize that because the travel time was a big factor for me). These days, I'm amazed to see how students can accommodate so many commitments and still keep up with school work. I guess there are more opportunities open and not just limited to being physically "in an office" (as what part-time jobs were open to before). More writing jobs, photography jobs, teaching jobs and so on -- all done online. So easy! I like to think that if I were a student now, I would be using writing or teaching skills to earn a little. It's so interesting how much technology creates plenty of breaks for people to connect, earn and learn, no matter how young (or old) one may be!
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Tuesday, August 09, 2011
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My TV Guilty Pleasures
It's awful, but yes the TV is my constant source of amusement these days. The TV is also my background when I blog and surf. I used to watch a lot of series -- Glee, Grey's Anatomy, Desperate Housewives, HIMYM -- but I tend to get emotionally invested and when it comes to that, I don't have the patience to wait a week for the next episode. So with the availability of whole series online and elsewhere, I don't watch series on TV anymore. I eventually have to update the series I need to catch up on (and add new ones, like Pretty Little Liars which I chanced upon on TV) so now what I watch on TV are the reality shows. Hehe. And these are really guilty pleasures. For example, America's Next Top Model. I can and will watch the reruns of whatever season is showing on TV! Right now it's Cycle 9 (again, for the nth time) and 16 on two different channels. The photo shoots are fun to watch and I guess it's not easy as models make it seem to look pretty and to sell the garment or image. I always wait for the "best shot" presented at panel and try to guess who gets it. :) Looking forward to the All Stars Cycle 17 to see if the favorites and the so-called villains are there! It's airing next month! I hope Star picks it up! Another TV show I have been watching lately is MasterChef Australia 2, showing on Star World. I think it's the last week this week, as they are airing all the previous Master Classes. I missed the finale last Sunday although I did look up who won. Love this because (1) I like food and eating out (gosh watching the judges taste makes me want to be there to just try the food!). Nice to watch the cooking process and conceptualization as well and (2) I like that the contestants are nice. They are competitive, but no evil stuff that most reality shows have to be "real." Same goes for Junior MasterChef. Now that was an adorable series! Belatedly, I checked out Hell's Kitchen 6. Wasn't initially attracted to watch with all the screaming and bleeping during the trailers, but now that it's almost ending, I started watching. Ah, so here we get to see the restaurant service. With a lot of pressure. Well, it's interesting to watch. I guess the contestants have to be an aggressive lot. I just look at the food when it gets too much. Hehe. Other shows I have seen once or twice are Top Chef and MasterChef US, but once I figure out their skeds, I will be watching. Except for ANTM, it's all about food! Yummy! Labels: favorites
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Monday, August 08, 2011
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 I wish I could stand up to an impending bad decision.
From PostSecret. Labels: life, postsecret
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Sunday, August 07, 2011
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Friday 5 on a Sunday.
1. What’s something you recently learned how to do on a computer? Aggh. Some HTML to adjust posts. 2. What’s something you recently learned in the kitchen? Pesto and tuna make for a quick pasta sauce. Haha. My mom did that but I sort of moseyed around the kitchen while she was doing that. 3. What’s something you recently learned about the town where you live? There are plenty of interesting places to go to and it's bigger than I expected. The other day, while riding in the FX going home, the people in the back were telling this man about a certain parish in this city and how to get there. I never realized it was part of where I lived. 4. What’s something you recently learned from television? I super enjoy watching cooking shows and I have learned to appreciate how chefs conceptualize dishes and prepare them for the customers. 5. What’s something you recently learned the hard way? That I had it so good and easy already and yet I gave it up just like that. (Although maybe this means I am up for a challenge that might change me. Just an errant thought.) Labels: survey
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Saturday, August 06, 2011
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 One of my favorite inspirational websites: Things We Forget. Always gives me something to chew on. I hope to pick up one of these Post-Its one of these days! ;) Labels: favorites
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Friday, August 05, 2011
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I really found this recent Twitter meme #BooksWithALetterMissing super funny! I was laughing when I was reading the entries. People can be so creative.
Huffington Post weighs in here as well. Labels: random
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Thursday, August 04, 2011
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The Do Project (pronounced "doe") Do is the nickname I call one of my friends at work. CD calls him "Earthdome." Either way, Do responds to both. I can't believe I haven't blogged about this yet -- what CD and I did for his birthday two years ago! To think I took pictures to document it. CD and I had this idea to surprise him with unexpected stuff on his birthday. She brought Jungle Juice and something else I forgot, while I volunteered to buy the Doraemon balloon (beyond me why I suggested this). Then we would set it up on his work station on his birthday. Come the day, I went early to the town proper near the church where I knew the balloon vendors converged. I hoped that there were balloon vendors on a weekday morning! Good thing there was. I approached the first vendor I saw and was surprised that balloons like that cost P50.00! And that was two years ago. Wonder how much it costs now. I failed to consider how to transport a helium balloon from the car in the parking, walk along busy C5 to get to the office building and bring it up to our floor and unit (which was in the far side of the floor) without getting it popped or drawing unwarranted attention! Good thing I had some paper bags big enough stored in the car and stuffed it in like this:   Don't ask about the baby Mickey and Minnie on Doraemon's tummy. I don't know, either! Good thing I was able to get to the office unscathed! Haha! We set it up -- the juice, gift and balloon -- in Do's workstation so that he could see it once he came in (Doraemon bobbing amidst the cubicles and the stuff on beside his phone). Haha I like to think he appreciated our efforts! :) Funny things we did come up with! (Nothing as grand the next year, though.) :) 
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Wednesday, August 03, 2011
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Got this from some blogs. :) Answered for fun! 1. What do you order at Starbucks? Tall Mocha Frappuccino with soy milk and a honey glazed doughnut. 2. What's one thing in your closet that you cannot live without? Err... none in particular? 3. What's one thing that most people probably wouldn't know about you? I secretly wish to dress everyday very girly in dresses and skirts but my legs aren't all that nice. 4. Name one thing that you want to do before you die. Visit France and Rome. See The Birth of Venus and Mona Lisa in real life. 5. What's one food that you cannot live without? Anything chocolate and cake. 6. What quote/phrase do you live your life by? Live and let live. Patience is virtue. 7. What do you like and dislike about the Blogger community? I like reading good writers, finding out about secret places only people know of and the general sense of community. Not a fan of not so good writers with bad grammar. 8. What's your number one most listened to song on iTunes? Oh dear, I have not accessed/updated this for the longest time. I would say I always play some Avenue Q. 9. What kind of style would you define yourself as having? Conservative. Haha! 10. Favorite number? 12. 11. Two hobbies: Reading and writing. 12. Two pet peeves: Wrong grammar and diction (would love to edit). Impatient people (guilty sometimes of being such). 13. Guilty pleasures: Watching America's Next Top Model (any season showing on TV and all reruns!), MasterChef Australia. Buying taho whenever I am out. :) I hate grocery shopping, but sometimes I like wandering around them by myself. Labels: survey
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Tuesday, August 02, 2011
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 This is my wish-for hair: a bob like Katie Holmes'. I used to really want to have hair in that length and then little longer later on, skimming the shoulders. So pretty, but my regular hair stylist and I (the latter, reluctantly) agreed that my hair will be extra limp with a bob because the texture is fine. :( Although I finally have long hair after so many years of defying my mom (haha) and I like having my hair long, I think it would be nice to try to change my look once in a while with a bob. :)Photo from this website. Labels: random
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Monday, August 01, 2011
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It's August! I haven't really heard of the significance of Ghost Month or what Mercury Retrograde is, but after looking them up recently, I am slightly concerned because this is supposed to be a month of changes for me. And I mean changes that are sort of charting where I want to go in life. I sincerely hope, Universe, this month will be a good one. This month and the rest of the year! Started the month rather slowly: dropped off some government files and documents before 9am in Makati, killed time with breakfast at McDo and a new found friend, went home and spent the rest of the day reading Before Ever After. Today's weather, albeit a hassle when I was commuting home (almost got drenched getting off the jeep!), is perfect book-reading weather. ♥ Slow start. I wonder if this is the calm before the storm. Labels: random
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