goodbye gilmore girls

It's really sad that Gilmore girls has already ended. I've been catching up for the past few weeks on the 7th season not knowing that the episodes were the last. It's overwhelming how the events turned out watching the last 4 episodes for the past hours. It's such a shame that it didn't work out with Logan (cute!)... I really thought things were going okay. Well, that was what I thought of Christopher & Lorelai -- and that turned out sour as well. Oh, i just love Rory and Lorelai's witty remarks, fast-paced talking, crazy ideas and just their chemistry! It's like something has really ended, and it's sad not knowing how things will be. I just want to watch them and see what happens. I'm attached! I'll miss Rory and Lorelai. (I'd like to be like them) Gosh, really got myself addicted to this series. *Yawn* Now i'll just have to keep up with my own life. *Yawn* heheheh

kung hei FAT choi

year of the pig pala -- my year! sana it brings me luck. :) i thought of making my new year resolutions this chinese new year since i didn't have a post for the calendar new year, (yaw ko na isipin why i was too busy during the new year to blog, arg!) new year resolutions/goals: 1. be optimistic - think happy thoughts! 2. make short and long term goals 3. keep on trying new things -- get out of my comfort zone 4. read at least 1 book a month 5. exercise (seriously need to shed those pounds) 6. relax more 7. learn how to edit videos, use photoshop 8. pray more

*Sigh*

I havent felt this tired in a loooong time. I have found new meaning to the word fatigue. It's not just physical, you know. Tired of thinking, stressing, knowing that the emails will keep on coming, that tasks are piling up, my 'to do list' keeps getting longer. It kinda reminds me of college. College without having a definite end to this agony. I wont have a sembreak that will relax my body, mind and spirit. I wont have that fresh new that the new sem brings in. I miss school.

Prime

Most movies end up happily ever--together. In Prime, though, they did end up happy but living separate lives. It's nice, reassuring perhaps, but it's not exactly how you wanted it to end. "You love, you learn, you move on" -- Lisa (Meryl Streep)

Au Revoir, Choo!

To marimba Chiu-ner To pranks To water breaks (iigib ng tubig sa pantry) To snacks (share your snacks, don't grow fat alone) To Q&A sessions To grammar and spell checks To HP crushes To hang-ups To books To your music influences To nights at Tbar To google-earth-stalking To kabastusan that you'd explain coz i didn't understand Miss you choo!

For Tito Nonong

We picture Death as coming to destroy ... let us rather see it as Christ coming to save We think of Death as an ending ... rather think of it as new life beginning We think of it as losing ... rather let us think of it as winning, as final victory We think of Death as parting ... rather think of it as a meeting ... of loved ones We think of it as going away ... rather think of it as arriving... Home at last!

Tito Nonong, I'm glad you're home. We will miss you though...

Nice Guys

Naisip ko si George O'malley while reading this.hehehe

.o0O0o.

Ode to the Nice Guys This rant was written for the Wharton Undergraduate Journal This is a tribute to the nice guys. The nice guys who finish last, who never become more than friends, who endure hours of whining and bitching about what assholes guys are, while disproving the very point. This is dedicated to those guys who always provide a shoulder to lean on but restrain themselves to tentative hugs, those guys who hold open doors and give reassuring pats on the back and sit patiently outside the changing room at department stores. This is in honor of the guys who obligingly reiterate how cute/beautiful/smart/funny/sexy their female friends are at the appropriate moment, because they know most girls need that litany of support. This is in honor of the guys with open minds, with laid-back attitudes, with honest concern. This is in honor of the guys who respect a girl’s every facet, from her privacy to her theology to her clothing style. This is for the guys who escort their drunk, bewildered female friends back from parties and never take advantage once they’re at her door, for the guys who accompany girls to bars as buffers against the rest of the creepy male population, for the guys who know a girl is fishing for compliments but give them out anyway, for the guys who always play by the rules in a game where the rules favor cheaters, for the guys who are accredited as boyfriend material but somehow don’t end up being boyfriends, for all the nice guys who are overlooked, underestimated, and unappreciated, for all the nice guys who are manipulated, misled, and unjustly abandoned, this is for you. This is for that time she left 40 urgent messages on your cell phone, and when you called her back, she spent three hours painstakingly dissecting two sentences her boyfriend said to her over dinner. And even though you thought her boyfriend was a chump and a jerk, you assured her that it was all ok and she shouldn’t worry about it. This is for that time she interrupted the best killing spree you’d ever orchestrated in GTA3 to rant about a rumor that romantically linked her and the guy she thinks is the most repulsive person in the world. And even though you thought it was immature and you had nothing against the guy, you paused the game for two hours and helped her concoct a counter-rumor to spread around the floor. This is also for that time she didn’t have a date, so after numerous vows that there was nothing serious between the two of you, she dragged you to a party where you knew nobody, the beer was awful, and she flirted shamelessly with you, justifying each fit of reckless teasing by announcing to everyone: oh, but were just friends! And even though you were invited purely as a symbolic warm body for her ego, you went anyways. Because you’re nice like that. The nice guys don’t often get credit where credit is due. And perhaps more disturbing, the nice guys don’t seem to get laid as often as they should. And I wish I could logically explain this trend, but I can’t. From what I have observed on campus and what I have learned from talking to friends at other schools and in the workplace, the only conclusion I can form is that many girls are just illogical, manipulative bitches. Many of them claim they just want to date a nice guy, but when presented with such a specimen, they say irrational, confusing things such as oh, he’s too nice to date or he would be a good boyfriend but he’s not for me or he already puts up with so much from me, I couldn’t possibly ask him out! or the most frustrating of all: no, it would ruin our friendship. Yet, they continue to lament the lack of datable men in the world, and they expect their too-nice-to- date male friends to sympathize and apologize for the men that are jerks. Sorry, guys, girls like that are beyond my ability to fathom. I can’t figure out why the connection breaks down between what they say (I want a nice guy!) and what they do (Im going to sleep with this complete ass now!). But one thing I can do, is say that the nice-guy- finishes-last phenomenon doesn’t last forever. There are definitely many girls who grow out of that train of thought and realize they should be dating the nice guys, not taking them for granted. The tricky part is finding those girls, and even trickier, finding the ones that are single. So, until those girls are found, I propose a toast to all the nice guys. You know who you are, and I know you’re sick of hearing yourself described as ubiquitously nice. But the truth of the matter is, the world needs your patience in the department store, your holding open of doors, your party escorting services, your propensity to be a sucker for a pretty smile. For all the crazy, inane, absurd things you tolerate, for all the situations where you are the faceless, nameless hero, my accolades, my acknowledgement, and my gratitude go out to you. You do have credibility in this society, and your well deserved vindication is coming.

Breaking Free (ala high school musical)

I want adventure in this great wide somewhere. I'm just tired of the same old things. There are so many things to try and little by little i want to put myself out there and really experience the world! And how do i start? Black eyed peas, ice skating, blogging, and whale watching (soon!). Kahit ano as long as i don't break the law. Well, speaking of the law... I almost had my first driving ticket. Almost because i paid the guy off. Haay, i never imagined that i could bribe someone. I drove to mall of asia and i suppose it was plain stupidity that led me to turn to the wrong lane. Freakin counter flow! I was called by some men in uniform and there it all happened. It took a long time though before i could do it--didn't actually know how to say it without explicitly implying (can i actually use those words that way?) that i was bribing them. Don't ask me na lang how much. Charge it to experience.

Mind over heart

Being sick the past few days has given me the opportunity to catch up on my reading. Who would've thought that i'd stumble on such a beautiful idea (that i so agree on!) in Eldest by Paolini? "... being a decent person is no guarantee that you will act well, which brings us back to the one protection we have against our demagogues, tricksters, and the madness of crowds, and our surest guide through the uncertain shoals of life: clear and reasonable thinking. Logic will never fail you, unless you're unaware of --or deliberately ignore--the consequences of your deeds..." This is why I like being logical...

Forever lovers and forever friends (mush!)

Finally, i got to watch The Notebook. Parang college pa lang ata, super gusto na ng ICTUS friends ko panuorin yun kse pang "forever lovers" daw sha.hehehe. I've read the book long before pa, and i think the movie gave justice naman to the book. Pero syempre, i like the book better. The story is just so sweet and beautiful. It's something you'd aspire to have for yourself. The growing old with someone part is not often the most romanticized in movies, but here you see that it's even more touching than when they were younger. (oops, did i just spoil it?)

.o0O0o.

Last week, one of my closest friends left for the US. It has long been her plan to work or live in the US ever since highschool, and now finally had her chance. Her notice was very short and my friends were hardly able to give her a despedida. None of us cried that night -- perhaps partially because Bunny had often gone to the US on vacations (and this was just like one of those), Or perhaps because we had grown numb(but i hope not!) since Monica then Tisha's leaving. Or perhaps it's because we just know that our friendship will withstand the distance. (Sarah, isthatchu?) Besides, there's always webcam, email, YM. Bunny, good luck and take care!

Congrats to Rain and Lou!

It was rain and lou's wedding yesterday. It's the first time to have friends getting married. It's really sweet and romantic to see the boyfriend-girlfriend turn into a life long committment. They were really happy and i'm so excited for them. :) Congratulations and best wishes to Rain and Lou!

.o0O0o.

Not so long ago I could already see myself getting married too. I would've been engaged around 2 years from now. And the wedding would've been a year after the engagement. It was an exciting thought. But things didn't turn out as planned and perhaps that is a good thing. I'm still young and in no hurry. God will send me the one in the right time. To my highschool barkada, sino kaya saten ang mauuna ikasal? =)

Puppy luv

We adopted Nutmeg from Tita Nene a month ago. She's about 4 months old i think. She's half Labrador and half askal.hehehe. Nutmeg is super playful. She really can't stay put and she always has to have something inside her mouth. Anything from twigs, dried leaves, santol fruits, stones, bones, my ankles, my fingers, my watch, slippers, grass, the pineapple plant. She loves to jump on you and attack you from behind. She loves rolling over and having someone rub her belly. I've forgotten how fun it is to have a dog you can play with...caper just wasn't the playful type. I was always a bit scared of him.hehehe We're trying to potty train her and teach her some simple commands. So far, she's doing pretty well with "sit". She poops in the same area--most of the time.

murphy's law strikes again

tonight's my last night of my DM week. consistently, something unfortunate happened. believe me.. something bad always (no fail) happens during my duty manager week. 1st - begin your DM with a big issue! shipment number range 2nd - DM during the 3 or 2 day work week when everyone was on vacation, specially people from the province (*wink*) who rarely get the chance to be home 3rd - PLDT line in antipolo stolen. supporting without phone line, without DSL. note: AE BR checking still going on 4th - March DM. everyone knows what happened...i think. 5th - now. stormy weather. nice cool and windy atmosphere..but hey, in antipolo when the wind blows, the lights go out. and it did. and when the rain came, our phone line was grounded. ergo, no electricity + no phone. at least that lasted for 2 nights only. when you look at the list, what happened this week doesn't seem that bad afterall. but hey, can't i have a normal DM week?

Closing Cycles

This is so nice. Inspiring :D ----------------- Closing Cycles By Paolo Coelho One always has to know when a stage comes to an end. If we insist on staying longer than the necessary time, we lose the happiness and the meaning of the other stages we have to go through. Closing cycles, shutting doors, ending chapters - whatever name we give it, what matters is to leave in the past the moments of life that have finished. Did you lose your job? Has a loving relationship come to an end? Did you leave your parents' house? Gone to live abroad? Has a long-lasting friendship ended all of a sudden? You can spend a long time wondering why this has happened. You can tell yourself you won't take another step until you find out why certain things that were so important and so solid in your life have turned into dust, just like that. But such an attitude will be awfully stressing for everyone involved: your parents, your husband or wife, your friends, your children, your sister, everyone will be finishing chapters, turning over new leaves, getting on with life, and they will all feel bad seeing you at a standstill. None of us can be in the present and the past at the same time, not even when we try to understand the things that happen to us. What has passed will not return: we cannot for ever be children, late adolescents, sons that feel guilt or rancor towards our parents, lovers who day and night relive an affair with someone who has gone away and has not the least intention of coming back. Things pass, and the best we can do is to let them really go away. That is why it is so important (however painful it may be!) to destroy souvenirs, move, give lots of things away to orphanages, sell or donate the books you have at home. Everything in this visible world is a manifestation of the invisible world, of what is going on in our hearts - and getting rid of certain memories also means making some room for other memories to take their place. Let things go. Release them. Detach yourself from them. Nobody plays this life with marked cards, so sometimes we win and sometimes we lose. Do not expect anything in return, do not expect your efforts to be appreciated, your genius to be discovered, your love to be understood. Stop turning on your emotional television to watch the same program over and over again, the one that shows how much you suffered from a certain loss: that is only poisoning you, nothing else. Nothing is more dangerous than not accepting love relationships that are broken off, work that is promised but there is no starting date, decisions that are always put off waiting for the "ideal moment." Before a new chapter is begun, the old one has to be finished: tell yourself that what has passed will never come back. Remember that there was a time when you could live without that thing or that person - nothing is irreplaceable, a habit is not a need. This may sound so obvious, it may even be difficult, but it is very important. Closing cycles. Not because of pride, incapacity or arrogance, but simply because that no longer fits your life. Shut the door, change the record, clean the house, shake off the dust. Stop being who you were, and change into who you are.

with friends and family

It has been a fantastic long weekend with friends and family. SC, Bunny, Jamie, Tanya and I got ourselves pampered at Nurture Spa in Tagaytay. The place was amazing and we definitely love the food (oooh the carrot cake, divine!). The never ending kwentos actually got us into trouble because of the very serene atmosphere the place exudes. We were actually disturbing the peace because of SC's rendition of the moves and cheer dances way back in high school. To think, 5 lang kme.. just imagine ung gulo if all 17 of us were there! hehehe Of course, kme pinakamagulo na guests. Sobrang saya talga kayo kasama.. nakaka-high sa mga kwento, mga imagination naten, sa katatawa! We should tell the others what it would be like if we're the ones featured in Pinoy Big Brother.hehehe We missed the other 12 who were not able to make it. We definitely have to do something like this next time! *I actually got to do complete 2 items in my summer activity list. Out-of-town.. check. Spa, facial, do something different with my hair..check! Bunny and I proceeded to the parlor when we got back to manila. Highlights for Bun and a trim for me with Bunny's choice of style. ======================== On May 1, we had a Grand Mendoza reunion at Villa Trinidad at San Mateo. Hindi naman all of the Mendozas in Pinas, but the families of the siblings of my grandfather, Lolo Ido (gets?!). I got to meet dozens of titos and titas, what seemed like hundreds of cuzins, and lots of nephews and nieces. Thank God, i don't think we have any grand children yet.hehehe

My favorite nephews-- twins, Joseph w/ Me and Jeshua with Janice. Aren't they adorable?!

Happy Summer!

Just like what my sisters and i did when we were younger, i have come up with a list of things i want to accomplish this summer:

1. Fix my college stuff. Yes, they are still on my desk and they are calling me to put them away once and for all.
2. Complete the thesis. Calling on Ohana! Let's meet up soon to finish this. Puhleeaasse. After that, the tita will be off your back. :)
3. Play tennis regularly -- pao, help me here
4. Go swimming. Gosh, as if i'm not dark enough.
5. Play some badminton (chesca?)
6. Put up my highschool and college grad pics (by request from Mama)
7. Read at least 3 books - neverwhere, eragon, and... any suggestions?
8. Do something different with my hair, have a facial, or go to the spa.
9. Go out of town with highschool friends. sana matuloy 'to...
10. Eat in any of these places -- Mr. Kebab, Gulliver's, Circles, Omakase, Goodearth. Anyone who'd like to accompany me? KKB ha!
11. Bake, bake and bake! Now that our new oven is in place, we can finally start baking again. It has been ages since we last opened those recipe books. Chocolate chip cookies, french apple pie, chocolate cake, cream puffs, brownies, cheesecake... this list can go on.

Just this holy week, Lalee and I were looking over our cookbooks and saw these pictures of easter egg cookies.. sige nga, can you figure out w/c ones are our creations and w/c ones are the pictures from the book? Masasabi ko lang, the book can make it look so easy but in reality it's really messy.hehe. Messy but fun. the taste? hmmm. let's just say, they're cute to look at. ask me that again when i'm baking something from my list. ehhehehe.

Me and blogging

I don't think i'm the type who would actually have a blog. First of all, i don't like writing. Second, i'm not comfortable in sharing what i think.. specially not for the whole wide world to see. I guess, with what has been happening recently, i haven't been my normal self and i think i'd like to do something out of character for a change. Also, i thought it would be a great idea to write about all the things i'm thankful for and all the good things happening...haha, kinda like therapy ba? My first entry came from an email way back. I keep it because it reminds me that there is always a reason to be thankful and to be happy. Bee happy!

it's all in how we look at things

May we always be thankful for everything God has given us.. most especially the little things we often take for granted. I am thankful for:

• the mess to clean up after a party because it means i have been surrounded by friends
• the clothes that fit a little too snug because it means i have enough to eat
• my shadow who watches me work because it means i am out in the sunshine
• the spot i find at the far end of the parking lot because it means i am capable of walking
• the piles of laundry and ironing because it means my loved ones are nearby
• the tons of homework and deadlines because it means i am gifted with a brain
• the lawn that needs mowing, windows that needs cleaning, and gutters that need fixing because it means i have a home
• the lady behind me in Church who sings off key because it means i can hear
• weariness and aching muscles at the end of the day because it means that i have been productive
• the alarm that goes off in the early morning hours because it means that

I AM ALIVE