Another Much Needed Sweet Escape

I'm so happy September's over! Although I want time to slow down since I don't wanna hit November yet, I'm so excited for October! This month will be a very special month for me.

My friends and I have always wanted to go to Boracay altogether but this is the first time it's actually happening in real life. I can't wait to be with them and do such exciting things together. This will be one hell of a ride, I'm sure. I'm still working on my pocket money but I know it'll all be ready once the trip is due. 

As of now, we only have our tickets. Monica told me that we are to book our hotel some time past October 8 so the payment will be on November. I guess that sounds just right. Nevertheless, I won't mind which hotel/inn we're going to stay at. I'm sure we won't be spending time in the room anyways. 

Another thing I have to prepare for is my body. Well, it's October 1; and it's too late to work for that "beach body". I guess I just have to cut down my Starbucks, extra rice, and all unnecessary food intake so I could lose a few pounds before hitting the beach.

Oh my gosh, this entry has been nonsense. Excuse my excitement.

How about you? Any plans for the ber months yet? :)

The Life I Never Had

September 27, 2014 | Aracama

It was my girl, Nicole's birthday last Saturday and I must say, I did and didn't miss partying. I went there mainly to celebrate with her and my other girlfriends; not because I wanted to dance & flirt with guys just cause I'm free to do so. If I were to look for a boyfriend, clubs would be the last place I'd go to.

Having fun freely with my friends would actually be the life I never had. When I was in high school and my friends and I started partying, though I didn't have a boyfriend back then, the liberty felt different because I was underage and of course my parents didn't know I was drinking & smoking cigarettes. As stated in my previous entry, I had a boyfriend for 6 years and Lord knows how many celebrations I missed and parties I barely enjoyed. I guess the party I attended last Saturday was a party I very well deserved.

I arrived at The Fort Strip around 2300H, and I went around the parking area twice. Damn, that's why I hate that place! Anyway, I called out for help and good thing my friend knows this parking space nearby so I parked there. When I finally arrived at Aracama, I was very happy and excited to see Nikki, the birthday girl, and all my other girlfriends + a few boyfriends. As I expected, the music was loud, there was booze everywhere, and there were a lot (and I mean a lot) of people. I guess the only thing I hated about that night was the crowd which was too much to handle. Oh and another thing, I was pissed off someone that night. It's sort of dangerous for me to disclose whatever it is I hated about that person, but yeah. 

To sum it up, having fun with my friends with absolutely no worries is something I've always wanted. I think I'll be going single for quite some time ;)

Questions Towards the End

Created this in Photoshop

How do you really know when you are to end up with someone?

How do you really know when you should stop a relationship that's more of a habit than a real relationship?

Well, I don't have the right to speak for everybody, but I think I can speak for myself. This is a personal entry so it may not be as detailed as it should.

I just came out of a 6-year relationship. I can say that it was both amazing and toxic. If I jump into details, I might be judged and hated by some, even my ex. Let me keep everything simple.

We were friends before we got together. The friendship was good, very good, that you would assume that nothing could go wrong. At least that's what I thought. As years passed, just like in any relationship, we got to know a lot more about each other and I think that's when I can say that I found myself opting out of the relationship.

I am the type of person with a lot of faith. Faith in God and in people. In this public portal of mine, I'd have to say that there were a lot of people who didn't really want to see us together. Yes, and I'm sorry. The people who didn't want to see us together had different reasons and over the years, I tried to fight those reasons - I tried to disregard them because of love. Just as Patty Smith would sing it, "There's a danger in loving somebody too much. It's sad when you know it's your heart you can't trust. There's a reason why people don't stay who they are. Baby sometimes, love just ain't enough." I've been into this song since I was in high school and it never really meant something until I reached the point where everything was falling apart.

Writing this entry took me awhile because I don't want you guys to get the impression that I'm perfect or that I never committed mistakes throughout the six years I was with him. In all honesty, I've made a lot of mistakes. Towards the end, I knew there were a lot of things that I should and shouldn't have done, but I just couldn't find the will to do because I was losing hope. My faith in him has fluctuated and I think this is the first time I didn't want to blame myself.

Well, since this is a private matter, I can't really divulge into details which makes this post rather gibberish, but I'd like to let it out since it's been choking me for over a month now. I also wrote this entry to once again explain myself that I have my reasons and I didn't just "throw everything away". Seriously, not that type of person and you should know that.

Over a Month of Whatever

© Compiled the words on Photoshop

I ended my Nexus career last June 30 and I don't think I've ever felt this relieved. Don't get me wrong, I loved working there for quite some time. I think I just reached the point where I realized that there are other things that I'm good at. Besides, I'm pretty sure they didn't need me there. There are other people who deserve that job more than I do.

So it's been over a month now and the words above are somehow the summary of how I've been. I cannot dig deeper for I won't be able to write sane things. Nevertheless, I think I can consider the past month as one of the most exciting months of my life.

Being unemployed and having weekends as my workdays is not really as easy as I thought it would be. There are really days where I have nothing to do. It's good that we have the fishball cart, but it's not enough. Given all my idle time, I can't really avoid to think about anything and everything. It's like I've been given a free retreat but with no supervision by the priests or nuns or retreat masters.

I once read that looking over your life and reflecting about the things you've done so far is a very important task. We often take a lot of things for granted and don't always notice that we're doing it. After a month of whatever, I feel like I've been blessed with time to actually see the things I've done wrong, see the things I've done right, and understand where I should go. Okay, so don't get me wrong. I fully understand everything that's happening to my life right now, and I even know how to fix some broken parts of it. But just as everybody else, I'm only human. Most people would say I'm strong; but most people don't know how I really feel inside. As a flawed human, I sometimes cannot put into words the thoughts and feelings I have inside. I tend to say things that don't really compliment to what I actually feel, so people can really say that I am strong. I don't really blame them if they think I am. Having said that, let me just remind you of a saying that we all know:

Everything is easier said than done.

Okay, so you can shoot right back at me. You can tell me, "Everything is easier said than done. Wanting something is easy. Saying something is easy. The challenge and the reward are in the doing." -- yes, I am fully aware of that too. But how do we really start the "doing" part?

I came across this very interesting quotation on Google, and allow me to share it to you.

As mentioned above, quote is from GOOGLE but I made this on PS

Then it hit me. Which one of the two has actually happened to you, that you started doing? That you started changing? If you ask me, I won't lie. I would go for number 2; that I've been hurt enough that I have to. If you're curious, yes. I believe I've changed. A lot.

If you know me personally, you would know the change that has occurred in me, but I don't know if you're gonna be happy about it or not. Again, some can say that I've finally become tenacious, some can be proud that I've learned to think about myself, some can say I've changed for the worse, and some can say I've changed into the person I used to hate. There will be a lot of words that will be coming out of different people. There will be a lot of unsupported opinions, but I think I have the right to say that it's  hard when you really haven't gone through the things I have and if you have, we are still different people. I will still insist that things are so much easier said than done. I understand that I may have to face more difficult situations if I don't start/stop, but I believe I still have a lot of discerning to do.

Why?

Why am I really wasting your time right now? Why am I writing this entry? Well, it's simple. If I were to be asked to compare myself to one thing, I'd say I'm crap. Yes, that's right. Shit. Defecation. Not that I'm smelly (oh dear God I hope not. I do not spend a long time in the bathroom cleaning myself just to smell like shit), but because I feel like shit. One day, I'm in someone's life, and then the next day just feel like he/she doesn't need me anymore so he/she decides to just get me out of his/her system. When the time comes that he/she feels very bloated, he/she will come begging for more shit but not really to keep it inside but once again, make him/her feel good. And then there's another side to it. I feel like shit for having treated some people differently just because I am realizing a lot of things.

 

s'il vous plaît aidez-moi savoir la bonne chose
je me sens quelque chose de si bon de faire les mauvaises choses

Fifty Seven & Counting

August 5, 2014

My dad's 57th birthday

Kainan sa Tabing Lawa, Tanay, Rizal

Yes, we drove all the way from QC to Tanay, Rizal just to be able to eat at this restaurant. We love this restaurant because their food is great. Their food is so great it makes us travel that far just for lunch. 

I am my daddy's favorite girl therefore when I suggested to drive to Tanay for his birthday lunch, he had no choice but say yes (well, it's not as if he didn't want to though). I'm happy I got to be with my dad on his birthday and I'm happy he has lived another year. May he have more birthdays to come!

We've been going to this place since I was a kid. Probably around the 90s. Personally, the only food I eat in this place is dalag. The food they serve are all damn good but I really just love the mudfish. 

Dalag / mudfish

A mudfish is a kind of fresh-water fish and is known for its delicious taste that is familiar with lapu-lapu and dalagang bukid ( source: Wikipedia )

iPhone 5S shot of one of the 5 dalags we ordered (this one's with egg! :D)

I'm disappointed I wasn't able to take photos of the whole restaurant. The next time I visit there, I'll make sure I have my camera with me and I'll take more photos so I can blog about it better.

Hardwork • Passion • Success

Made this with an iPhone app | Quote from Google | Added "Take the damn risk"

Over lunch, I was talking to a friend and our topic was all about life. Both of us shared life experiences and thinking about the things she shared now, I only have one line in my head:

The richest people are not employees.

Yeah, well. To whoever will disagree with me, I would really want to have a debate. Nevertheless, I think we all agree. If you search Google for Entrepreneurship quotes, you will see a quote that says, "60-80% of all new jobs come from small businesses". I will take every opportunity to be able to second the motion. If you come to think of it, starting your own business will not only benefit you - it will benefit those who are less fortunate. A simple small-time restaurant would probably have 10 employees at a minimum. That's 10 heads - 10 families you're feeding. Sure it puts a hell lot of pressure on you, but there is no doubt you're going to feel good about it. Here in the Philippines, a small sari-sari store would have at least one employee/helper. That is again, one head, one family. Although the salary is not as big as those of big companies, that is still considered as income. 

 My friend was telling me about a friend whose parents had to go through a lot just to be able to reach their current status. I'm sorry, but the only line I said was, "well it's a good thing his parents decided to start small-scale businesses rather than "work hard" as employees. I can just imagine what they went through - living days with no earnings, and on other days earning too much. It's really tricky; but they never gave up. It makes my inner goddess jump up and down with joy to know they're really doing well now.

Contrary to what I'm writing, my parents aren't businessmen/entrepreneurs. My dad is a professional, being a dentist. My mom is, well, retired. But she used to be someone big at a certain company. I don't know where this passion came from, but I'm pretty sure it got stronger when I entered college. As stated on my previous entries, I have lived a pretty luxurious life. Given that my parents aren't entrepreneurs at that rate, I can just imagine the life I can give to my children when I focus on the businesses I have in line.

Inspiration

To end this entry, here is a short story/interview of one entrepreneur I'm sure would inspire you in any way possible. Source: Entrepreneur.com

As founder and chief shoe giver at TOMS, a retail company with a mission of social entrepreneurship -- Blake Mycoskie launched his company eight years ago intent on giving back. The premise of TOMS was simple: For every purchased pair of shoes another pair would be donated to children in need in 60 countries all over the world.  

The spirit of this trademarked "One for One" philosophy has informed how TOMS has grown, as the company added eyewear to their repertoire and moved into other ventures.

Last year, TOMS Marketplace was launched -- a digital hub that calls attention to similarly socially-minded companies and gives customers an opportunity to shop with a cause in mind.

And this spring, TOMS got into the coffee business, directly trading with the farmers that grow their beans and giving a week of clean water to the communities that need it most for every bag sold.

We caught up with Mycoskie, an award-winning serial entrepreneur, former Amazing Race competitor and the bestselling author of Start Something That Matters, to talk about always putting the customer first and the importance of following your passion, wherever it takes you.

Q: Knowing what you know now, what would you have done differently when you were first starting up?
A: I would have never decided to enter a business where only a handful of companies or customers can determine your fate.

Q: What do you think would have happened if you had had this knowledge then?
A: I wouldn't have tried to start a cable network [Reality Central in 2003]. I tried to start a reality TV cable network and ultimately failed, because we could not get necessary distribution on the big cable operator platforms.

Q: How do you think young entrepreneurs might benefit from this insight?
A: Even if you have the best idea in the world and tons of customers that want it, if there is a platform, channel, retailer that will get in between you and your customers, you could have a problem. If they love what you are doing, that's great, but if they don't, you have to figure out a way to get directly to the end user with your product and service. 

Q: Besides inventing a time machine, how would you have realized this wisdom sooner?
A: I would have read more business biographies.  The most successful entrepreneurs who write them are transparent about the mistakes they have made and what you can learn from them.

Q: What are you glad you didn’t know then that you know now? Why?
A: How hard it is to start a shoe business. How hard it is to build a business when you are committed to giving something away every time you sell something in a one-for-one manner, and lastly, how many red eye flights you would have to take to save money on hotel rooms!

Q: What is your best advice for aspiring entrepreneurs?
A: Focus on your passion. Nothing else matters.

-This interview was edited for clarity and brevity.

Let me repeat something in big, bold letters:

Focus on your passion. Nothing else matters.

Thoughts: Craft Coffee Revolution

June 5, 2014

with Patrisha Bagalso 

 You have probably read my other entry regarding Sunshine Slushie & Comedy Manila and it states there that I was there on the 4th of June. Funny how I couldn't get enough of their slushie.

I invited Pat to Craft because I wanted her to try the Sunshine Slushie and I also wanted to try the Strawberry Slushie my friend ordered the night before. It stands to reason that it was as good as I expected. More than the slushie, I remember Pat saying, "ang sarap talaga maupo dito" (it really feels good to sit here) more than twice. She said she's been wanting to chill at a place where she could stay for hours but be comfortable. Well, I must agree. For the past years, we've been staying in different milk tea places but I think that is about to change. Besides, since their slushies cost P95, it doesn't really make a big difference compared to ordering an P85 peso milk tea. Don't get me wrong, Craft is a coffee place and there are other stuff you could order there. Personally, I'm not just into sweets (cakes, etc) and pasta. I am a coffee person though, and I have yet to try their coffee.

Craft's location is also one thing that captured our hearts. We stayed outside so I could entertain my vice, but I think this is the first time Pat actually didn't mind. There were plants around us which made the ambiance relaxing, scientifically supposed to make the place cooler, and it was quiet. There was music, and of course other people chatting, but so what? It adds up to making this place be awesome. Besides, unlike the milk tea place we're currently visiting, the sound of the tricycle disturbs our conversations. Although in my case, I have to say I'm having difficulty parking my car. They have few slots and they share it with another establishment. The last time I was there, I parked on the street. The night before, even the street parking was full. That's probably the only thing I don't like. Nevertheless, I love Craft. ❤

My Personal Rating for Craft: ★★★★★

Sunshine Slushie + Comedy Manila

June 4, 2014

Craft Coffee Revolution

Katipunan

Accompanied by friends who are avid fans of Comedy Manila, I finally got to attend a stand-up comedy show. Yes, I'm a stand-up comedy virgin. I haven't been to famous comedy bars - those of which the likes of Vice Ganda do comedy live. I heard it was fun, but I also heard that some people take the "okrayan" part seriously. So insulting an audience is not good, but why would you go to such a place when you can't take a/n (joke) insult? Anyway, knowing myself, I'd enjoy those things.

I am very thankful for the courage of my friend to do something huge for the one she loves because this brought me to them and Craft. I'm always in Katipunan but I never knew there was a slushie-haven there. I also would have never considered attending such a thing. Okay, I don't know the right spelling or the spelling they used in Craft. Even Google got me confused. This is the best I got.

There are a number of different kinds of slush drinks:
Frozen uncarbonated beverages are made by freezing a non-carbonated juice or other liquid. Machines for producing these do not require a pressure chamber, and so are much cheaper and easier to maintain. These machines usually have more attractive clear product hoppers, and can fit on a counter top. They make a slightly wetter slush. There are variations including frozen carbonated beverages, typified by the Slurpee or ICEE, are made by freezing a carbonated drink. Machines for producing these are complicated and expensive, and notably require a carbon dioxide supply. They make a very fine and 'dry' slush. - Wikipedia

I ordered the Sunshine Slushie, and it was a-mazing. A-mazing. If I remember it correctly, it's a mixture of apples, bananas, and oranges. It sounds odd, it looks delish, and it tastes great. I SWEAR. Craft Coffee Revolution's Slushies cost Php 95.

My Sunshine Slushie! ♥

Now, back to Comedy Manila.

Comedy Manila is a group of (straight) male stand-up comedians. No one wore makeup, no one wore a dress, no one insulted anybody. They were very casual which doesn't really intimidate the crowd, and they were all very friendly before, during, and after the show. Well, they insulted themselves. There were malicious jokes - personally, those are my favorite jokes and yes, I love dirty jokes.

Comedy Manila + Open Mic-ers

 Apologies for that collage, but I can't really tell you which of them are the open mic-ers and the actual members of the group. Needless to say, all of them were good. Some of them thought their jokes were corny because not as much people laughed, so they'd say something to embarrass themselves which makes it funnier. Besides, I was laughing the whole time. Their jokes were true-to-life stories, their jokes consisted of a bunch of things that happen every day that are so funny but we don't really realize it until someone points it out - and they pointed it out to me so I'm very grateful. It might just be a bit dangerous to me though cause I might find myself laughing alone in the elevator. I think they understand the fact that comedy is supposed to make you feel good, not feel bad about yourself. Thanks guys, I was able to forget the world for a moment.

In case you're wondering, yes, I do have my favorites. I have three, actually. ;)

Btw, the show in Craft, Katipunan is free. I didn't really notice what time it was when it started, but I'm pretty sure it was between 9-10PM, and ended around 11:30PM. If you're interested to get to know them more or know the schedule of their gigs, just visit their Facebook.

Craft - must visit
ComedyManila - must watch

The Big Boss

February 14, 2003

Valentines Day, 6th Grade.

Max, being Kim's legal name, was my mom's Valentines gift to me and my brother. I was 12 (turning 13) and my brother was 13 (turning 14) when he came to our lives. As mawkish as it sounds, I really feel that the song How Did You Know by Gary Valenciano is one of the songs I dedicate to Kim boy. Seriously, how did he know we needed someone like him in our lives? That there were empty spaces in our hearts? He came at the right time in our lives. I'll never forget how he brought the sun to shine in our lives; and took all the worries and fears that we had.

Kim boy is a pure breed German Shepherd. Before we had Kim, we had Pongo (in the Philippines we usually call his breed the "askal" meaning "asong kalye" or street dog. Otherwise, he's a mutt), Pearly (she was an askal given to me by our neighbor who died after 2 mos), Mikey (another askal/mutt who's still with us now but isn't really friends with anyone), and Bambi (a bulldog who stayed with us only for several months). That's four dogs before him, and he beat them in all aspects. Being probably the most expensive breed of the bunch, he really is the smartest. You would usually see German Shepherds as dogs who smell you/your things upon entering a hotel or a mall, go after bad guys, etc. They're really smart, and they're really guard dogs. Real dogs. Given that they're sorta like the soldiers, they have a very loving dog-nality (excuse the term. I was going for personality lol). They are very sweet and very loyal.

Kim boy was both. Very sweet and ferocious. Ferocious to people who don't live at home that is. Sweet, well, duh. His favorite person on earth is my dad cause when he was still a puppy, my dad slept on the floor with him. He would clean up his poop, his urine, feed him, bathe him, and all those things. As a child, I really didn't know how to do those. Second would be all of us. He likes staying with us as we eat, and he would stare at you and giving you the impression that he likes what you're eating. As for me, he knows how I hate having saliva on me so he would always come to me and shove his face all over me and then leave.

When my parents were in the States, I was talking to them on Skype and asked my dad to say, "Kim boy" over the phone. Setting the highest volume, Kim, missing my dad so much, ran around the house trying to find where the voice was coming from. That's how he is. That's how passionate he is. That's how he loves us. Whenever I am home alone, I'd stay at the garage, watch tv, smoke some cigarettes and eat. Knowing that I don't like being home alone because I'm fragile, he would stay beside me, watching the gate. He would guard me like that. He does the same for everyone else.

People who don't have dogs (or any pet) and people who have pets just for show will never understand the pain of losing a dog. Dogs aren't just dogs, they're your friend. They, one way or another, become a part of your family. Just like what my brother said on his Facebook account, "You'll always be someone, not something". Kimboy is not just our pet, our guard, our friend, but also our brother.

Now that we have Alex, we have someone to remind us of Kim. She is also a pure breed German Sherperd. She’s 6 months old and she’s also sweet. My mom didn’t have the intention of getting her, but she was very shocked to see the 98% physical similarity with Kim.

Kim boy, wherever you are, we miss you. Wherever you are, please keep on guarding us. We will always have you in our hearts.

Past Days' Paroxysm & Disarray

My friends would usually tease me as being the talktative one in the group. Obviously, being talkative means you have millions of words in your head and you just speak them out. Lately, I can't deny the fact that I still am very talkative when I'm around people; but when I'm alone or in the office, I am literally out of words. I can't even start this entry right.

I've had quite a number of disarrays for the past few days caused by certain extreme emotions. One day I'm too happy, and one day I'm in deep pain. As much as I'd want to remain positive, I'm really stuck in this cubicle full of sadness.

I'm very much on the verge of breaking down every minute because of the passing away of our dog. I am to create a separate entry for him because he is that special.

Having exactly 27 working days left is very thrilling. Having a very nice job offer is very flattering. Having everyone else around is such a blessing.

..all of these things are gifts to make me feel better but as of the moment, I just can't just let go of the pain.

Start of the Journey

SM North Fragrance Consultants: (L-R) Kuya Kenzo (Reymond), Lacoste (Alex), Gucci (Rannie)

Though I cannot put a lot of stuff into detail, I'm very proud that my second client for my Events Photography and Photobooth business is a well known company in the Philippines. It's such a huge step and will serve as a huge contribution to my/our portfolio.

We were hired to setup our photobooth on the second week of May at SM North, and we're currently on our fourth day at SM Megamall. It really feels good to have such a good start for this venture of mine. Of course, just like any other, I have my doubts and fears. But believe me when I tell you that the most effective key to success is courage. In other words, take the risk. Always remember that not taking the risk is the sign of your first failure.

I have big hopes for this business, and I'm working on making them slowly. Leaving my job is my first step.

Cheers to more and bigger events! ✌

SM Megamall Setup

Butuan, Mindanao

Camera: iPhone 5S

My dad was born and raised in the lovely place of Butuan. Well, not this hotel obviously. But this is an example of how peaceful it is in Butuan. I love going to this place because of several things.

1. Fresh air - Well, I guess there's fresh air in different provinces here in the Philippines. Then again, I don't have a province so this is the closest place I have to a province (well, next to Quezon but my mom didn't really grow up there). I was born and raised in Manila and I guess I've been used to pollution all my life. Being in Butuan gives me a different vibe every time. Sure there are a lot of cars there now, but it's just different.
2. Food - It's technically the same. As much as I love pork, beef (steak, to be exact), and chicken, I love fish. My colleagues would always see me buy fish for lunch and think I'm on a diet. Well, no. I just love fish. Fish here in Manila is great, but it's so much better in Butuan because it's fresh. There's nothing better than fresh fish! I would always tell my relatives to prepare my favorite fishes whenever I'm coming home. People shouldn't be surprised if I gain weight whenever I pay a visit to this place.
3. Chill-ness of the place (if there's such a word) - It may be a province, a province 495 miles from the metro, Butuan also has places I'd chill at. Although they don't have Starbucks yet, they now have Bo's Coffee, and of course the very famous (in Butuan) Margie's. I've tried it, and it's nice. I'm not saying this just cause I'm trying to plug this place, but because it really is good. It has that Filipino-taste in coffee: sweet, coffee-ish shiz. Can't really explain it. Margie's also serves cakes and pastries and it's got nice interior. You could visit this link to see the review. If you want more, you could check it out on Google yourself. Besides, they already have milk tea places so I can survive there. Just me, my cigarettes, a cup of coffee, or milk tea. There are also bars and ktv rooms around, if you're gonna ask.
4. Family - Well, growing up, I've always known my dad has 9 siblings (yes, there are 10 of them). But as a kid, I've gotten close to my mom's relatives more because they're geographically closer to me. Most of my dad's siblings and cousins are abroad, or in Butuan. I've been to Butuan as a kid, maybe twice, but I was too young to even care. It's really nice to get to know them because getting to know them means getting to know my roots and surprisingly makes me know myself more. It's funny how a simple vacation at your dad's hometown can make you feel at home in different ways.
5. Butanon / Bisaya - Okay, so I really sound funny when I try to speak in Bisaya. Forgive me, I'm more of a taglish person. I can't even speak straight Tagalog. How on earth do you expect me to fluently speak a dialect I seldomly hear? Silliness aside, I've always been touched by the fact that my dad's proud of me for always trying hard to speak his dialect. In fairness, kasabot na ko ug binisaya. Ga tuon pa ko, kaya gamay lang. Dili na ko ma-loko. Yep, no Google search on that! If ever you're Bisaya and you notice I'm grammatically incorrect, please do correct me. 
6. Culture - We're all Filipinos, but we know that there are certain things that are distinct in one province. Say, Ilokanos are known for being stingy (kuripot), Batangueños for being brave (matapang), and the Pampangueños known for being good cooks. I'd like to say Butuanons are very friendly. Although there are people who still don't know how to smile randomly, most of the people I've encountered greet me with a smile. 
   
   

   
    So there, few reasons why I love going back to Butuan.
   
   
   This photo was shot by me last year, as seen on the lower part of it. This was at our property by the beach. Next time I go there, I'll make sure I have a photo of the property. It's nice to know that when I'm out of budget, I have a beach property some place nice. Though it's not white sand, though it's not known for its clear waters, I know I have a place to go. :)
   
   
   
   

The Astounding Feeling

Hmm. I guess astounding is too much of a word to be used for this entry but I just really wanted to share the weird feeling I felt upon reading a few emails at work yesterday.

First of all, though I've told several of my colleagues that I have filed my resignation, I don't know how there were others I'm not relatively close to who know about it. Oops, my bad. I know how they found out. Lol ;) 

Yesterday, May 5, 2014 is the first day I saw an email that said, "our colleague Tina Cembrano has already resigned and we would like to *insert confidential message here*". Wow, just wow. I am happy that I'm leaving the company and that I am now able to do what I want, but it just hit me that there will be a lot of other things that are important to me in this company that I'll be leaving. I always tell my friends from work that I enjoy working there, but I don't like my job. As odd as it sounds, I also feel odd knowing that I'll be gone soon. I tell myself that I won't be much of a loss since I believe I don't really excel in the industry, but some people tell me otherwise. I even received comments such as "you're smart, just not trying hard enough" and "you don't excel because that's what you tell yourself and you're very distracted". Well, my sincere apologies. Maybe through time, I can really excel. But given all the other opportunities, I don't think I'll find myself falling in love with this job. I just don't see it. But when I come to think of it, I might miss the fact that when I don't have meetings, I'll be in the office, fully air conditioned, I receive my salary twice a month, other incentives, etc.

Before this entry gets longer and gibberish, let me just make it clear that the saddest part of quitting my job is leaving the people I've gotten close to. Though I know that it's going to be easy on my part and theirs to move on, or to get used to not seeing each other every day anymore, but it's just sad. This is just like graduation for me. I'm unsure with the future of our relationship, but I really hope that it will not end.

One Step Closer

I cannot take this anymore. Saying everything I said before.
All these words, they make no sense. I find bliss in ignorance.

Everything you say to me takes me one step closer to the edge
I'm about to break, I need a little room to breathe.

It's another Monday yet again and all I can think of is my last day of work. I'm very happy to say that I finally know what I want to do with my life. I really don't see myself as an office girl for life, or someone who pleases clients and make someone else rich. I really see myself doing the things I know I love, and make myself rich. 

I am one step closer to making my resignation official. I have explained myself to my supervisor already, and the next step would be to talk to the big boss. In all honesty, I'm more concerned with what my supervisor would say and think than what the big boss might say and think. I only have a business relationship with the big boss so it's a lot easier to break it to him. With my supervisor, I consider her not only as my direct boss but also a big sister. No kidding. She is a very nice person and no one has ever stood as an "ate" to me the way she has. I think her sister being a year younger than me is a big factor to that - I think she somehow sees something in me that reminds her of her sister. To me, well, I don't have a sister. I guess I'll never know how it feels like to have one but thanks to her, I'm close to believing I have one. Although it may be impossible for her to see this post, I know I won't forget to let her know how I feel about her and how I feel about leaving. 

This is my first job since graduation and obviously my first time to resign. When I see/hear my friends resign, I don't understand how "easy" it is for them to do it. It took me a few months to finally advise my boss that I was to resign. Imagine that - months.  Months. How come my friends simply pass their resignation letters? I think my problem is, and always is, me being attached to people. I should do something about that.

...or not? I think that's one thing about me. Although my past experiences don't really support what I'm about to say, but loyalty is very important to me. I can easily forgive someone who has been disloyal to me, given they'd explain why they've done it and actually make me understand their situation, but if I choose to be loyal to you, may you be a friend, a partner, or a colleague, expect me to be loyal. Maybe that's one thing that people like me for. I'm not assuming, okay. I said maybe. ;)

To sum this entry up, I'm just very excited to finally end this journey. It has been one hell of a ride, but I still learned a lot. To all my colleagues who have contributed to who I am now, thank you, from the bottom of my heart.