Nearly New Year

Two more days before 2006 becomes a part of history. As a pessimist, I would usually rant about things and complain about what I don't have or don't get. But this time, I am going to look fondly back into this year. I made new friends and learned new lessons. I got a year older and hopefully that means I got more mature too. Sure, there were stressful times and disappointing moments, but I'm happy I'm about to face 2007 with my family and friends with me. We're blessed to have good health. I still earn a regular income. I am truly lucky.


Many years ago, a doctor/artist/writer/teacher was executed. He was declared our national hero. Today, we commemorate the life he offered for our country. December 30 is Rizal Day. Today, another execution took place. People see him as a villian and *some* people see him as a hero. Saddam Hussein was executed today. Since I'd rather not discuss politics in this blog, all I can say is, there is I'm glad there still justice in this world.


:)

Your New Year's Resolutions

1) Get a pet bunny 2) Eat less tofu 3) Travel to Hawaii 4) Study Latin 5) Get in shape with stripping classes

What Should Your New Year's Resolution Be?

Free Smacker

My sister got her first Smacker for free! I wrote a blog entry about my Penny Brown moment and it was chosen as one of those blog entries who won in their promo after I named my own Penny Brown combination (Sinful Escape). We got the free Smacker yesterday when we dropped by Food Choices in Glorietta 4, Makati.



my sis caught my name on their list


I have been on leave from work for a few days now and I'm feeling better. I guess I'm just burned out from work. I haven't even stayed home as much as I would want to. I've been out and about with my sis and mother. I am going back to work tonight and I'm gonna miss watching "Lost" and "House" marathons.


I made some modifications on For the Love of Tolkien blog entry and it was just posted in the New Worlds Alliance website. Check it out. Cool.


A few days from now, it's gonna be a whole new year. I have a lot of things to be grateful for and a lot of lessons learned from this year 2006. I am not really into making New Year resolutions but I just hope it's gonna be a brighter and happier year for all of us.

Happy Christmas!

I woke up a couple of hours ago. It's really nice having a 3-day weekend since I was on leave last Friday. I spent most day yesterday watching Season 1 of Lost. My sis, who is home for the holidays, and I went to mass last night. We had 2 guests at home and the food was delicious. I have work tonight but I still am looking forward to a few more days off this week. It's nearly 2007. How time flies fast! :)



pic taken by my sister


This is one of my fave Christmas songs:


My Grown Up Christmas List


Do you remember me
I sat upon your knee
I wrote to you
With childhood fantasies


Well, I'm all grown up now
And still need help somehow
I'm not a child
But my heart still can dream


So here's my lifelong wish
My grown up christmas list
Not for myself
But for a world in need


No more lives torn apart
And wars would never start
And time would heal all hearts
And everyone would have a friend
And right would always win
And love would never end
This is my grown up christmas list


As children we believed
The grandest sight to see
Was something lovely
Wrapped beneath our tree


Well heaven only knows
That packages and bows
Can never heal
A hurting human soul


No more lives torn apart
That wars would never start
And time would heal all hearts
And everyone would have a friend
And right would always win
And love would never end
This is my grown up christmas list


What is this illusion called the innocence of youth
Maybe only in our blind belief can we ever find the truth


Have a Merry (and Pippin) Christmas everyone! God bless!

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

The title of Book 7 is "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" confirmed by Bloomsbury. Wanna know how it was revealed? Check out J.K. Rowling's Official Website.


What a great Christmas gift to Harry Potter fans! :)

Of Wanting

It's been a few days since I've been online. Most gifts have been given out. I also received tokens/gifts myself (appreciate them very much!). Been busy with get-togethers and been catching up on some zzz's. I'm still sick-- sore throat, runny nose and now, a bit of a cough plus my monthly period. I feel crappy. I hope I'll feel better before Christmas, especially now that I'm on leave from work today.


Thoughts for the day:


Sometimes, if you work hard enough, you can get what you want. But most times, what you want and what you get are two different things. Sometimes, God breaks our spirit to save our soul. Sometimes, He breaks our hearts to make us whole. Sometimes, God sends us pain so we can be stronger. Although we can't have everything we want, we can want everything we have.


I believe in that... but then again, we can want everything we have and still want something we don't have. Selfish maybe, but it's also a part of human nature to dream and hope to achieve a goal. The question would be "when will that something be ours?". Only time can tell. If it's not meant for us for reasons beyond our knowledge, it won't happen... but remember Paulo Coelho's "The Alchemist":


...And, when you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it.


Hmm... am I making sense? If not, that's fine. To hell with what other people say. Haha! It's just how I feel after crossing a couple of things from my Christmas wish list. :)

Quiz: Are You a Grinch?

Been sick with the sniffles lately. I guess it's because of my lack of sleep for the past few days. My immune system's down and Vitamin C supplements aren't enough. I really hope I won't turn into a Grinch this Holiday Season.

Nope, You're Not a Grinch

Although you may feel Grinch-like at times, it's just because you're worn out from the holidays. You get into the holiday spirit more than most people - and you truly enjoy celebrating with your family and friends.

Are You a Grinch?

Greetings!

We love you!

For the Love of Tolkien

After my shift yesterday, I slept for a couple of hours then woke up to attend The Philippine Tolkien Society's (TPTS) Christmas party. Our way there was an adventure in itself. I met a friend who lives near my place and we went to meet a few more in Shangri-La. Meeting in the mall is convenient because it's near EDSA and I can buy the food/drinks we had to bring for the potluck. We underestimated the crowd and the Christmas rush. So, it took us over an hour to catch a cab then later decided to take the train instead. One of us wasn't able to get in the train on time, so we had to wait for him to arrive at the station. We, then, caught a cab somewhere in Quezon Ave. Then somewhere in Tomas Morato, we got lost and had to ask for directions. If it weren't for the company I'm with, I would have called it quits and went home. But I did enjoy the company and we just made jokes and laughed off our situation. Besides, it's not as difficult as Frodo's journey from Hobbiton to Mount Doom, right? Haha!



me with my furry friend, Bownie
photo by Ulan


I planned to go back home at about 9 PM but left there almost midnight instead. Why? Because I realized, we seldom see each other. "We" means the members who are always there to support the group despite the growing number of newbies; people who make things happen; people who enjoy the company of other geeks; people who find fun and happiness in the simplest and shallowest of things; and people who bond not just because of our love for all things Tolkien, but also because we have learned to treasure each others' friendships despite our differences. It was the only Christmas party I've been to so far that is just as fun without inhaling other people's cigarette smoke. There were lots of food (coz we're hobbits in our own way), some of them vegetarian (feeling a bit Elvish here), and full of sweets, stories and smiles. If I had enough rest I could have stayed there later than I did. Now, I am just looking forward to another moot.



group shot at the table
photo by Ulan


You can view more pics at Ian's online album.


P.S.
The group is currently discussing J.R.R. Tolkien's "The Hobbit" as our Book of the Month. For those who want to join the discussions, you're all welcome to sign up. :)





Click to join The_Philippine_Tolkien_Society

Unwritten

This is more than just a commercial background music. This song means a lot to me and my sister. Whenever I'm missing her, I listen to it.





I am unwritten,
Can't read my mind
I'm undefined
I'm just beginning
The pen's in my hand
Ending unplanned


Staring at the blank page before you
Open up the dirty window
Let the sun illuminate the words
That you could not find
Reaching for something in the distance
So close you can almost taste it
Release your inhibitions
Feel the rain on your skin
No one else can feel it for you
Only you can let it in
No one else, no one else
Can speak the words on your lips
drench yourself in words unspoken
Live your life with arms wide open
Today is where your book begins
The rest is still unwritten


~* some lines from "Unwritten" by Natasha Bedingfield *~

The X Factor

It wasn't planned but I went anyway. Last night the company I work with, Eperformax, had its Christmas Party in Rockwell Tent (beside Powerplant Mall). It started at 3PM but since I haven't had sleep, I grabbed a short beauty snooze and arrived at about 6:30PM, just in time to watch one of my friends/officemates (also named Karen) perform in the singing contest. That was the main reason why I agreed to go.



diva/idol Karenine and plain Karen


I was nervous like a stage mother before she got up there and screamed my lungs out like a fan when she performed. She's really great and although she got 5th place, we're still proud of her. I just wished there were more of us there who would have added to the text votes. Good for the other accounts since all of them have their weekends off while in our account, only a handful have weekends off. Oh well.



hanging around the Christmas tree


The theme was funky formal and of course, I wore my necktie again although this time I wore jeans and sneakers and a pair of specs. My color was literally black and blue. Haha! We ate (yummy Bizu!) and mingled around. It was really nice hanging out with people and friends without thinking about the stresses from work. It was fun though I missed a few people. I realized a lot of people are really fashionable and very talented when I watched the awarding ceremony (for people who have contributed a lot to the company when it comes to passion for work and tenure), the Epmax Idol singing contest and the group competition (our account, Verizon, won second place). The crowd thinned out and since I felt sleepy, we headed for home at about 12 midnight. At that time, Kala (their vocalist is also an agent working in the company although he's from Experian) was in the middle of their performance.


I was happy. I don't know if it was because of the chocolates or maybe because I realized there were more people in the company than those I just see everyday. Hahaha! There were definitely more cute guys out there though I know more than half of them are gay. Oh well. Such is life. Click here for more pictures.

Christmas Wish

My wish list:

cellphone (preferably Nokia 6233 or Nokia N73)

laptop (any kind)

digital cam (any Canon IXUS or Powershot)

books (new releases by Paulo Coelho, Neil Gaiman, Nicholas Sparks, Eoin Colfer, Mitch Albom; Post Secret 2)

Converse Chuck Taylor shoes (black-purple or red-navy blue foldable high-cut combination)

bag for work and play

leather shoes for work

my own house and lot



If I were to choose just one wish Santa could give me, it would be the last one. Undoubtedly, it is the most expensive and most difficult to achieve.


I was 6 or 7 when my family was forced to sell our house and since then, we moved from one place to another and survived by paying apartment rentals. Through the years, I forgot how secure it feels to live in one's own home. Recently, our neighbors who live just 2 doors away from us were given a month's notice to move out. It's not that they aren't paying the rent. The reason given was that the landlord wanted his niece from the States to stay in that apartment. It's nearly Christmas and now our neighbors don't know where they'll go. I mean, just imagine if all the landlord's relatives from the States came here and we were all forced to leave! I can't bear the thought of that. But I also realized that yes, one's own home can be taken away with a snap of powerful fingers.


So, if I can be less selfish for a moment, my Christmas wish is to let everyone have a comfortable, secure and cozy shelter-- a place one can call home.


P.S.
If Santa can't give me my last wish, the others will do. Hahaha! :)

December Stress

The Christmas rush usually stresses people out. Now that it's only a few weeks before Christmas, some people may be itching to spend their well-earned bonus to buy gifts and food and/or go on a vacation. I don't blame them. I know Christmas should be a time for family and for simple pleasures but a fast-paced life in the city often results in lesser time for oneself and for quality rest and relaxation.





I have signs of stress for the past couple of months. I haven't consulted a doctor but had signs like missed periods, falling hair, impulsive buying and eating. When a friend asked me why I think I'm stressed I has difficulty pinpointing the real reason why. I said maybe because I think too much. She asked me what things I think about and I realized it's the little things-- family, my inability to save money for myself, my so-called love life, missing my sister, gaining weight, work-- all these little things piled up can really affect me. She suggested I listen to mellow music. I am doing that now while typing this. I hope I can afford getting a whole body massage session too. I think I need that as well, so I can just sit back and breathe.


My sister left for Ternate, Cavite early this morning for their immersion, one of the requirements to finish her Nursing course, and she'll be staying there for the next 3 weeks. I'm glad she'll be home before Christmas and New Year but will go back there again on the first week of January to spend probably another month there. It's sad. I haven't caught up on sleep since she left at 4 AM today. I'll be missing her despite the fact that I'm gonna have the bed and the room to myself (Haha!). It's like losing a part of me and we all have to adjust having no "noisy one" in the house. So, I decided to file for a 4-day leave after Christmas (and hope it will be approved). I just want to give some time for myself and for people who matter the most to me.


Any other suggestions on how to battle stress? Feel free to comment. :)

Sinful Escape

It's not as sinful as one might think, but since I desperately wanted to convince myself to start going on a diet, I committed a "crime" against myself. After shift and hanging out with 3 my friends, I found myself alone and killing time in the mall. I got hungry after a few hours and I "discovered" Penny Brown. I ordered a Smacker! Imagine about 2 hefty scoops of ice cream sandwiched between 2 freshly-baked cookies! Not only that, you can choose your own ice cream flavor and choose your fave cookies. I got a white choco loco (coz I love white chocolate) and a Penny Brown classic (coz I don't wanna miss that) and sandwiched between is a caramel/pastillas ice cream (coz cappucino was not available then). Yumyum! I called it "Karen's Sinful Escape". That's my Penny Brown moment.





Diabetic? No worries! Just add a few pesos and you can choose sugar-free ice cream and sugar-free cookies so everyone can enjoy this treat! I know my father would love that. Look for the stand on the 3rd floor, Glorietta 4 Food Choices. :)


After that I found myself watching "Borat". I miss watching movies alone and the movie was so funny! I recommend watching it with a group of friends. Although I didn't care laughing out loud despite being alone (especially when I saw *that* scene and I thought, now I know why that's the movie title and it's NOT because of the lead character's name. Hahaha! Evil me.) Oh well, I broke my promise of not being a glutton anymore but it was worth it. I think I deserved that treat. Now, I need an activity to sweat everything out, but the holiday season is not exactly the best time to go on a diet with all the food around, right?

Goldfingers

I can't believe it's already December! The typhoon is not as scary as everyone expected it to be. It's actually a cool and breezy day outside. So, let's start this month with a very interesting quiz from dadaprofae and geewitch. Hehe!