Worth a LOT

IS this what you're looking for too?

In a brief conversation, a man asked a woman, "What kind of man are you looking for?"

She sat quietly for a moment before looking him in the eye and asking, "Do you really want to know?"

Reluctantly, he said "Yes".

She began to expound..."

As a woman in this day and age, i am in a position to ask a man what can he do for me that i can't do for myself. I pay my own bills. I take care of my household without the help of any man...or woman for that matter. I am in the position to ask, "What can you bring to the table?"

The man looked at her. Clearly he thought that she was referring to money.

She quickly corrected his thought and stated, "I am not referring to money. I need something more. I need a man who is striving for perfection in every aspect of life".

He sat back in his chair, folded his arms and asked her to explain.

She said "I am looking for someone who is striving for perfection mental because i need conversation and mental stimulation. I don't need a simple minded man".

"I am looking for someone who is striving perfection spiritually because i don't need to be unequally yoked...believers mixed with unbelievers is a recipe for disaster".

”I need a man who is striving for perfection financially because i don't need a financial burden".

"I am looking for someone who is sensitive enough to understand what i go through as a woman, but strong enough to keep me grounded.

"I am looking for someone who i can respect. In order to be submissive, i must respect him. I cannot be submissive to a man who isn't taking care of his business. I have no problem being submissive...he just has to be worthy".

"God made woman to be a help mate for man. I can't help a man if he can't help himself". When she finished her spiel, she looked at him.

He sat there with a puzzled look on his face.

He said, "You are asking a lot".

She replied, "I'm worth a lot".

`STF

Great Weekend

Since we were nagpabaya with our racket, Shirl and I made a killing last weekend. We went to Divisoria and rummage through lots of beads and eye hooks and clasps. It was a beadmaker's heaven - all the raw materials you can think of, they were within your reach. But that is after riding the LRT, getting stuck in Recto and had to walk a few blocks while holiding on to your bag for dear life and moolah...hah, Tabora!

After getting all we need for Weekends, we had a pre Chi-New Year in 168 in Binondo. It was a cheapskate's paradise naman. Lots of Korean shoes, accessories, bags and household merchandise! The mall has 3 floors but after doing the rounds in the ground floor, the two of us were deadbeat. Huh! But this is shopping so we dragged our exhausted selves to the 2nd floor and ogled at the clothes and DVDs! Thus, aside from the kikay kits and wallets and gaucho pants, we had a 7 in 1 DVD of Korean films (Sassy Girl, anyone?!), a Bob Marley concert and Elizabethtown in our not-so-obvious shopping bags. Too bad the crayon Shin Chan Cartoons copy didn't have an English subtitle. Asar!

We got lost on your way to Binondo church. Blame it on the warm weather, gutom and exhaustion. But with lunch in our mind, we managed to be in a Chi-fastfood (not Chowking!) before 2 pm for a very late lunch. Then, off we go to Eng Bee Tin and Resureccion Chocolate store for the yummiest hopia and tablea, respectively. Hmm, while on our way to Chuan kee, we met a group of tourists having a walking tour in front of the Resureccion Chocolate store. We wondered, "probably, we should do that next time."

Sunday was spent doing beads in between rounds of the Pacquiao-Morales match. But alas, a very vocal neighbor was shouting her hearts out by the 4th round to announce that someone won by TKO on the 10th round. Nagmagandang loob to volunteer the info without saying who won. So, by the 9th round, Shirl and I were glued to our seats waiting for the KO round. Huh, buti na lang, it was Pacman who TKO-ed El Terible. Hahaha...Pretty exciting match.

Hmm...who could have thought I got a long distance call aside from my mom in Zambo? That made my weekend too.

It was an exciting, tiring but great weekend. Probably, the following week, we get to experience tour ...or the week after. I can't wait for Saturday again. :D

`alotlikelove

Saturday nagging...blah, blah...

And this is the price I have to pay for an over-extended vacation huh? Being stuck in the office on a Saturday morning, while everyone is still stuck in bed, and still halfway in Dreamland. Have to fax some urgent letters, make updates to our website, clean my desk and stuff some files into their respective folders. Such a mess!

***
As a “reward” for a busy work week, I bribed Love to a night out (no main course involved, only their infamously sinful BTS – go figure that one out) at Gayuma. It’s been a year since I last went there. Well, Love’s last visit was on her birthday date with her “crush” (so high school!) last March. And it sure did bring back good memories to her, so she paid the bill. Thanks for that! BTS is still sinful, yes, but really, I still have to find out if it’s really better than ____… oops, I’ve given away too much info already.

2 night-outs in a work-week, yup, I know, I’ve been bad. Been out last Wednesday to meet with the men in my life – my HS friends Wilbert, Armel and visitors Melchi and Junnifer. Always tagged “as one of the boys” (is this an advantage or not?), I was with them – sampling the dumplings at Causeway, talking about “chicks” and marital struggles, and finishing off a barrel of beer (no, I just had mango shake – that terrible headache’s killing me) at Pier One.


***
It’s not a great start for movie buffs like Love and myself. Nah, it’s not the movies, but the free time to watch the movies. It’s 2 weeks well into 2006, and believe it or not, we haven’t visited Walter Mart Cinema, Robinson’s East or Gateway Cinema. Hah, tough luck. Have to find time to watch that Tagalog movie they’re talking about (last local movie I watched was “Happy Together”), and of course, Narnia. Next week, showing na “Rumor Has It” – have to watch it because of Mark R, and not because of Jen A. We also have to list “Memoirs of Geisha” in our movie list next week.

***
2 hours and 34 minutes later, still here, finishing this blog. I’m not proud that I haven’t accomplished much for this day. A blood donor just backed out, so this means panic time again. Have to pressure that “stand-by” donor I called up yesterday. If you’re wondering what I’ve been blabbing in this paragraph, let me tell you this: AAP also holds a list of RH negative blood donors.
Yes, there’s an RH negative. Majority of us Filipinos are RH positive, but the expats (of which is our “market”) are of RH negative.
Trivia:
Only 15 per cent world’s entire population is known to have RH negative blood, most of them Europeans. RH-Negative is a rare blood type in which red cells lack the Rhesus factor (RH), any of the 30 or more protein substances that, when introduced into the body, stimulate the production of an antibody. Only three in every 1,000 Asians have this type of blood, probably from a remote European ancestor.
More on this:
http://www.americanassociationphilippines.org/opportunities.htm

Something (i.e. 12 noon alarm) is pulling me back to my desk to get some serious work done, ASAP!
Oh God, the horror of being in this GUPPie situation.

`STF

AAP website

My office website is finally (after a lot of drama and struggle with the Boss/es) is up and running.

Please visit us at www.americanassociationphilippines.org

Take a look, and help me edit some loose ends. If you find any grammatical or typo errors, do let me know. That would be a great help!

`STF

Welcome 2006

This is a week too late but with the almost over vacation-mode I am right now, it is very apt that I welcome two-oh-oh-six.

When I think about it, there should be a year in review, it seems that everything after June was a blur except for occassional never nakakalimutang events like PG weekends, Shirl's Indian party, never-ending xmas meetings at Gateway and our lil hobby turned raket-beaded accessories making.

The year started with bang with lot of sentis at home. It was great to see my two lolas at the verandah looking at the fireworks during the New Year's Eve. Though they can't walk and go outside, a glimpse of fireworks and lots of noise from our neighbors are enough to bring smile on their faces.

Jan 1 was also the day I met Pam after a long time. Aside from strings of gimiks with my high school chums, it was also a time to meet up friends from grade school. As usual, we had a lot of catching up to do. And the day after? huh, we went to Tambayan and had some lunch and dessert...So much for dieting!

Tapos, there was the sangkatutak pasalubongs from Butuan and Davao courtesy of my bestest friend. Cake was never that delectable, huh. It was a sin to say no to that green pandan cake. Yum yum... Thanks to Marion for spoiling Shirley that much.

And now, I am back in the daily grind. But that is before cooking for someone who happened to request a yummy fish dish from me. But then...he was too damn late for the dinner that all I got was an apologetic text message. Probably, when he comes back, it is his turn to cook dinner for me.

This is enough to kick off the year.

`alotlikelove

What's the Date Today?!

I’m back to the real grind of things. Yesterday, it felt like only January 2 for me. My work body block is a week late. Blame it on an extended Christmas break in the province amidst some eventful happenings – friends and family members involved. Though I don’t want to dwell into those things now. Well, it was still good to be home and be with the people I love most.

Going back to Manila still remains a torture to me, kaya hanggang bahay lang lahat ng family ko. My designated driver for this vacation was Mitzi (thanks Tzi) and her Iñigo, and she patiently drove me to the airport, and waited with me, following announcements of a delayed flight. Talking about “99% on time, all the time”. That makes them 97% to my standards, since this is the 2nd time they were delayed. But still in fairness to them, I remain loyal to Cebu Pacific. With their unbelievably low GO rates, our trip to Bohol MIGHT materialize this 2006 – still have 11 months and 2 weeks to make that happen.

Getting home (which means QC now) on Jan. 4 means very serious business – serious cleaning (mopping and waxing), serious re-arranging of stuff and serious laundry. I was luckily spared from the last task, but nakakahiya magbigay ng labada as pasalubong. At least, Love had her usual Boy-boy and Apollo wafers, and I had my Salvaro and Butuan’s banana chips and pinasugbo as our "consolation" to our beloved Ate Inday.

It’s already Jan. 10, and a pile of pending work awaits me today. Arrgh! Wish it were still December.

And hey, happy new year everyone!

`STF

My Princes

sf and bros1
Originally uploaded by shirlove.

Lil big brothers. Guess who is the oldest among the 4 of us. Irwin, Toto, Nonoy and myself.

Cousins!

Cousins!
Originally uploaded by shirlove.

Taken during the Christmas season. KC, moi, She, Ton, Kristine and Lyn.