Bankable bank?

As an Interior Design graduate, I never thought I'd be working at a bank. But, here I am! Already with the company for 2 years and counting, this is my longest stay with a workforce. As in every corporate setting, there are ups and downs and I have my share of that, too.

Pick-me-uppers:

• Smiles and sincere thank yous from clients
• Some generous ones give us food
• Free passes to exhibits
• Bonuses, increases, profit sharing
• Medical benefits
• Christmas is a fun time when clients give gifts
• I hope they like our giveaways, too

Low-downs:

• Obnoxious clients and us becoming an extension of their offices
• Incompetent units
• Stinging eyes from looking at the monitor whole day
• Sore back and big hips from mostly sitting

The ups outweigh the downs and I'm still content with my job. I'm looking forward to the merit increase (and in my salary since I was promoted) although it's not very much.

Closing Time and Mama's birthday

Yesterday, my mama turned __ years old. There was dinner prepared at their house at Araneta (my former home when I was still single) - Angus beef, tacos, spiral pasta with red sauce, baked ribs, my 2nd eldest brother brought seafood in taro with spinach (looked weird but was actually yummy), spicy squid and birthday noodles from Luk Foo. I was assigned to bring the cake. I planned to buy one at Estrell's, which makes delicious caramel cakes, so that they could try it. It turned out that I have to order a day ahead, they didn't have ready-made ones. I went away disappointed. I didn't know that policy! I ended up with a carrot cheesecake from S&R (how pathetic huh?), which my mama chose herself. Before the party began, Rix and I went with her to S&R (where I am a member) for some grocery shopping, because she said that it's been a long while since she last bought stuff there and she missed it. We left Elhaym at Araneta with my papa. We paid for all her purchases, but she insisted on paying for her supplementary card. That way, she could go there anytime she wants to shop. Oh, and we also bought a roasted chicken to add to the dishes for dinner.

Photo taken by my brother

While savoring our food, our eyes were savoring the closing ceremony of the Beijing Olympics. It was also note-worthy, like the opening performance. I didn't really pay much attention to it (I was hungry), except for the presentation of London, who will host the next Olympics in the year 2012. It's mostly symbolism, where a bus from London arrived and a little girl took the torch from the Chinese then boarded the bus. The bus then became a mini stage where a lady emerged and sang, then a senior citizen guitarist appeared. Beckham was also there with the two and he kicked a ball towards the audience and an Asian (I'm not so sure of the nationality) scrambled to take hold of the ball like it's precious. The line from Closing Time by Semisonic "every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end" is applicable here. Beijing Olympics began and ended, and now it's London's turn to begin their preparations for the next 4 years.

It seemed like everyone had a full tummy and a great time!

Go for the gold!

Nah, I'm not pertaining to the Beijing Olympics.

Ever since Elhaym was born, Nan1 was prescribed to her by her pediatrician. It is one of the more expensive infant formula around. So far, it suited my baby just fine. Up until it doesn't suit our budget anymore, so we asked the pedia to prescribe a new milk supplement for her, which is more inexpensive. So we bought a "trial version" of Progress Gold. It is yellowish in color and takes longer to dissolve in water. The measuring scoop is twice bigger, 2 scoops of Nan = 1 scoop of PG. It seems to agree with Elhaym since she finished most of her bottles. The one thing I don't like about it is that it makes Elhaym's poop very hard that she cries when she's defecating. I guess I have to up the ounces of water. *sigh*

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Yesterday, I went to Ylaya in Manila to choose cloths at a friend's store. You can visit her stalls if you have a requirement for cloths for uniforms or for wedding gowns. The road that leads to the place was crazy! It was so cramped! But, it would be a lot worse come Christmas time. That's how it is in Divisoria. It's like walking behind a funeral car that moves forward ever so slowly. I had to watch my bag all the time as Manila is notorious for its pick-pockets. The vendors devised all kind of hollers, just to catch the attention of potential buyers of their products. I wonder why things there are so cheap...

The color scheme my friend, who is getting married in November, chose for her entourage was gold and champagne. Since she has a budget constraint, I, together with 2 of our friends, decided to be the ones to purchase her godmothers' cloths as a wedding gift. I was the one tasked to choose, so I think it would be best to go with her color scheme so I bought 39 yards of these two-tone gold whatchamacallit cloths. Sorry, I don't know what's the specific name of these cloths. I felt that I have accomplished something cool. I hope she likes it! And her godmothers, too! If none of them used the cloths, then they didn't!

My Little Superstar

I read in a book that a baby, after a few months of observing the world around him/her, begins to display his/her own preferences. My Elhaym is no exception. My heart is bursting with pride for being blessed to be the mommy of this bundle of joy.

She's a friendly child. She waves and smiles at people she meets. They adore her. She says bye bye and blows me a kiss when I'm going out, although there are many times she would protest at my leaving. She giggles and laughs at my corny antics, she's my fan! I love the feeling of both of us laughing together. She's the sweetest thing that's ever happened to me. She hugs me real tight, she kisses me and her daddy on our cheeks, she even kisses her stuffed toys and plastic toys and the remote!

She drinks lots of water. She likes wheat bread, vegetables and especially fruits. That's very good! I should learn to be like her - a healthy eater. When a catchy music comes on, she would start to bob her head, or sway it from side to side, when she's standing, she would bend her knees and point her thumb at herself - that's how she dances. I wonder if she imitated those moves from Wowowie dancers? I expressly told the yaya* not to let Elhaym watch that show.

I think little girls are little angels sent by God. But, sometimes, she doesn't act like one. She craves my attention when she's left in the play pen and she would shout with all her might and throw her toys in my direction. She likes to watch how gravity works, and she would drop things from her high chair - the spoon, the bowl, etc. Oh well, I just have to stretch my patience a little further.

Well, Elhaym is not perfect, but she's perfect for me (and her daddy).

On a related note, the Huggies site offers great parenting tips and ideas on how to enhance a child's development.



*yaya: English Definition: (noun) nurse; nursemaid; wet nurse; governess
Source: http://www.seasite.niu.edu/Tagalog/

A darker shade of purple

Were there times when you feel like you have a dark side that is wanting to come out, but you suppress it because you have a goody goody image to protect?
Once, I let this dark side surface, and a poem was born. The witch in me talked. (*thunder sound and some scary music*)

No one's hurt me like you do
I'm gonna get me a rag doll
And pretend that it's you
Get scissors and cut the hair
Get a knife and rip the chest
To the stomach and even down there
Twist the legs at an odd angle
Separate the arms from the body
With a rope the neck I'll strangle
Prick and ruin the eyes with a pin
With the knife, slit the mouth even wider
Get a handful of cockroaches and stuff them in

One day you were found cold and dead
Looking like a rag doll with an ugly head

Are you scared of me now? (*evil laugh*)

Well, that happened only once. Just one episode, and no reruns.

I swear, I felt like a mangkukulam* with this poem. It's frightening!



*mangkukulam: n. bewitcher, sorcerer, witch

Taggety taggie!

This is my first tag for a meme.

Tagged by Hearthur.

4 Simple rules:

1. Copy
2. Paste
3. Enter your answers
4. Tag 4 people

• Four places I go to, over and over:

1. Home at Caloocan
2. Work place at Caloocan
3. Trinoma where Rix and I go buy our grocery
4. My parents' home at Q. C.

• Four people who email me regularly: (only 2 are real persons)

1. Achi Gyn
2. Marco D.
3. My subscriptions
4. Friendster notifications

• Four of my favorite places to eat at:

1. Causeway at Banawe
2. Pasta places
3. Fast foods
4. Actually, any place is fine with me

• Four places I’d rather be:

1. Ireland
2. New Zealand
3. China
4. Anywhere with no taxes

• Four TV shows I could watch over and over:

1. CSI Las Vegas
2. Care Bears
3. Totally Spies
4. Kim Possible

• Four people I am tagging: (if it's OK with them?)

1. Meg
2. PM
3. Who else?
4. I can't think of any
   

It's a DAM fine day!

It was a special non-working holiday in commemoration of the death anniversary of Ninoy Aquino, who was assassinated and was considered a hero by some because he opposed Martial Law. Then his widow Cory Aquino became president after the EDSA Revolution that kicked out Marcos and his Martial rule, and was the first woman president of the Philippines. Unfortunately, she is battling cancer at present.

Rix's friends planned a day out to La Mesa Ecopark where the La Mesa dam is located. I was expecting an ordinary park, a flat park like Rizal Park but is overlooking a big water reservoir. I was wrong! Where we parked our vehicle was far from the actual site and we had to hike, not just walk, to get there. I was not prepared for the upward trail, I should have worn sneakers and brought a hat and a pair of shades. Oh, my poor slip-ons! Anyway, it's a jungle out there, kinda, that surrounds the trails. There were many, many people milling about: family groups, school groups, pre-nuptial groups that were playing with their children, conducting field trips with games, posing and taking pictures, respectively. We went as a family - I brought my Elhaym along, plus a nice camera to capture moments and nature.

We chose a spot in the stair-like clearings and laid our blankets and food and sat down. The earth where the grass is on was soft and dirt stuck to the sides of my footwear. Oh, my poor slip-ons! The grass was wet, so my pants became moist as water seeped through the blankets that were not water proof. And then there were ants - black ones, red ones, tiny ones, big ones. I was so afraid they would take a bite out of Elhaym. That is the picnic enemy number one! After filling our tummies, we rested for a while then proceeded to burn the calories with a leisurely stroll around the park albeit laden with heavy things on our shoulders. We went around once, climbed the steep staircase to the first landing and to the side where bed of flowers were, rested and took some pictures. Then we climbed again to the next landing and took some pictures again.

Soon, it's time to head home because there were so many dragonflies, and they said that those are a sign that it's going to rain. So we went down and hiked, again, to the parking area. Oh, my poor slip-ons! It was a nice experience over all, although there were downsides of being outdoors, like the ants and being burnt a bit by the sun, I forgot my and Elhaym's sunscreens. Oh, well!

Here are some photos that I took of nature.

One mushy stuff

My hubby and I are about to go into our 2nd year of marriage bliss in two months. It seemed only yesterday that we celebrated our first anniversary. I even wrote a poem for him last year.

Our First Year

One year down and a lifetime to go
More in love each day we grow
Help me to be a good wife
That I may please God with my life
I thank Him He gave me you
A loving and wonderful husband true
We were blessed with a beautiful daughter
May she bring us closer together
As we love and raise her
Entrusting God with what comes after
Any storm together we will weather
Troubles we will face with strength and laughter
Side by side I am yours and you are mine

With God we will establish a family divine

Snippets

Here are some thoughts to ponder, some snippets of wisdom that I found in some songs by popular artists. You can share with me your finds if you have some.


"Every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end."
-Closing Time by Semisonic
They say life is a cycle, so maybe this holds true.

"We live and we learn to take
One step at a time
There's no need to rush
It's like learning to fly
Or falling in love
It's gonna happen and it's
Supposed to happen that we
Find the reasons why
One step at a time

When you can't wait any longer
But there's no end in sight
When you need to find the strength
It's the faith that makes you stronger
The only way you get there
Is one step at a time"
-One Step At A Time by Jordin Sparks
Words of wisdom for those who are rushing through life that they fail to see and feel the beauty of it.

"I'd change the world if I could change my mind

Why do we keep killing each other, what's the reason?
God made us all equal in his vision"
-Union by Black Eyed Peas
It is easier to change ourselves, than to attempt to change the world.

"Now I understand to hold you
I must open my hands"
-Butterfly by Mariah Carey
Letting go is a part of being in love. God gave us freewill, so why not give our partners freedom?

"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"
-My Grown Up Christmas List by Kelly Clarkson
Material things could not take the place of unconditional love.

On a different note, have you seen The Sketch Show? Here it is shown on Jack TV. It is a show full of skits of comical essence. I like it! If you feel down, I am sure it will lift your spirits. :-)

The shortness of life

If you found out you have terminal cancer, how would you react?

Would you go into depression, and say, "All I have done before were for naught."?

Would you spend all your savings on a last trip around the world?

He chose to come back to work after his operation. He tried to regain what was spent on his illness. Then he was on chemotherapy where his paid leaves and his family's money were exhausted. People at the company raised a fund for him. But today, the Lord chose to take him home, where his sufferings would end. I do hope he goes to heaven. He was only 25 years old. I haven't met him personally, but the knowledge of a colleague passing away made me feel sadness. And he was part of our cluster, too.

I know it's cliche, but our lives could suddenly end. Are we satisfied with how we are living it? Are there things that we could do today, which we prefer to accomplish tomorrow? Would it be too late then? Are there people you should thank? Are you joyful? Or would you be happy when you win the lottery, get promoted, or bought a new house?

They say, "Respect the dead." I say, "What's the use of that, when you did not respect them while they were alive?"

Confession: 7 things

Would you think I'm corny if I say I am sort of a fan of Miley Cyrus? And that the melody of her latest song, 7 things, keeps playing in my head, like an LSS (Last Song Syndrome)? I also watch her TV show Hannah Montana when I get to catch it. It's funny, she's funny. I feel like a child for liking her, and liking shows like Totally Spies, Kim Possible, Pocoyo (and his friends Pato and Ely), and Mickey Mouse Clubhouse (*sings "M-I-C-K-E-Y M-O-U-S-E!").

The 7 things I hate about you
You're vain, your games, you're insecure
You love me, you like her
You make me laugh, you make me cry
I don't know which side to buy
Your friends they're jerks
When you act like them, just know it hurts
I wanna be with the one I know
And the 7th thing I hate the most that you do
You make me love you

And compared to all the great things
That would take too long to write
I probably should mention
The 7 that I like

The 7 things I like about you
Your hair, your eyes, your old Levi's
And when we kiss, I'm hypnotized
You make me laugh, you make me cry
But I guess that's both I'll have to buy
Your hand in mine
When we're intertwined everything's alright
I want to be
With the one I know
And the 7th thing I like the most that you do
You make me love you
You do (oh)

Oh, and I need to get this off my chest.
7 things I hate about "her"(not Miley Cyrus), and more:

1. Conversation with her is 1-way, she does all the talking
2. What comes out of her mouth is mostly complaints
3. She's also a nagger
4. She's bossy and expects others to meet her wants
   
5. And discriminative
   
6. And demanding
7. She thinks she's all that

Woohoo! There's a whole lot more I'd like to list down, but she's not worth every inch of my blog.

That's my bread!

Do you like bread?

I do... especially when it is soft and fluffy.

It was first given to us by a client of Rix's. It's a special kind of bread, it has its flour mixed with cheese. The top of the loaf has melted cheese which is chewy and tasteful to the bite. The middle has a swirl of cheese, which is a bit concentrated so it's flavorful when one gets to that part. We were drawn to it, so we decided to look for an outlet where we could procure some. We drove to Manila and when we got there, there were plenty of customers lined up in front of the counters waiting for their orders. We had to wait a while for our turn.

December came, and we decided to share this with our families. We hoped they liked it. Until now, this client still goes to buy at this store and he would give us a loaf. It comes in other flavors like ube and chocolate, which are also yummy, with the signature swirls and the flavored tops.

Where could you get one?

Located at 1650 Dapitan corner Don Quijote, Sampaloc, Manila, this is their main.
They also have a branch at Fiesta Market Market Global City, Taguig.

08-08-08

8 reasons why this date has no significance for me.

1. It is not my birthday.
2. It is neither the birthday of my family nor my friends.
   
3. I am not part of the Olympics.
4. I have no important appointments.
5. It's just an ordinary working day.
6. I did not give birth.
7. I do not own any establishments that opened on this day.
8. I was not affected by the luck that is associated with the number 8.

However, the blood that courses through my veins is mostly Chinese, so I am proud how the Chinese handled the burden of hosting this year's Olympics (so far, its opening is great). I have 8 phrases/words associated with the presentation that's "made in China".

1. Wonderful synchronizations
2. Awe-inspiring
3. Chinese history
4. Admirable talents
5. Human resources
6. Visual stimulation
7. Spirit
8. Lights, sounds, action!

I got to watch the opening at my parents' home where my family and I went to have dinner with my mom, my syoti, my eldest brother and his family, my aunties from Chicago and their family. The ambiance was festive and a variety of dishes were served courtesy of my mom, my sis-in-law and my syoti. To name a few:

1. Grilled Angus beef
2. Red sauce pasta
3. Potato gratin
4. Mashed potatoes
5. Chicken with churizzo
   
6. Grilled asparagus
7. Corn soup
8. Fruit bowl with sabayon sauce

Ah! I have broken my promise to diet, again. Oh well! Like they said, "It's better to have eaten then died, rather than to die with an empty stomach." Do you agree?

Confession: I'm an addict

Yes! I am addicted to MCF, a.k.a. Mystery Case Files. I even have a training version of it in my flash disk that I play at work. He he! Rix discovered it somewhere and he DLed the 4 in 1. We finished the MCF: Ravenhearst and now, I am playing MCF: Madame Fate. He, in turn, is playing MCF: Prime Suspects.

It's fun! It features scenes of places significant to the game theme, there is a list of objects to find in these scenes on the right panel. It allows me to train my eyes to be keen to details because some are tiny or camouflaged. Then, there are also puzzles that need logic to solve. The games are timed so it piques my speed to find the clues and unravel the mysteries.

I would highly recommend this engaging game to anyone who is up to the challenge.

food experiment

It's noontime! What's for lunch? Rix and I planned to cook baby back ribs on a lazy Sunday. I called up my syoti* for the ingredients. What we used were:

• tomato sauce
• Worcestershire sauce
  
• sweet blend ketchup
• black ground pepper
  
• mustard
• Coke
• radish
• vinegar
• white sugar

We combined all of the above and pressure cooked the ribs in it. We didn't grill it anymore, or baked it (since we do not have an oven). Rix just decided to pressure cook it various times until tender and sauce became thick. It turned out well, but it was lacking in salt to enhance flavor.

Not much of a presentation, eh?

*syoti - Fookien Chinese for little brother. He had a degree in HRIM - Culinary, that's why I was asking him about recipes.

Defying Age

There are so many products out there that claim they could erase wrinkles, tighten skin, lighten complexion and whiten dark spots. All these are a part of the woman's aging process. 3 years to go and then I'll be 30 years old. How time flies! I could feel the gravity of age pulling at me. Sagging this and that, wrinkles and freckles, and drier hair. I am not very vain and I don't follow a strict beauty regimen, but I have a few products that I often use, that could hide a few flaws (I hope!).

1. Facial wash this is a staple. I chose one that is hypo-allergenic, non-comedogenic, dermatological tested and it has NMF (natural moisturizing factor), all of which are important for healthy skin - smooth and supple.
2. Toner for after washing. It deeply cleans and tightens pores. Cool on the skin. It has naturally derived aloe and chamomile to prevent over-drying.
3. Moisturizer or day cream or face lotion. Better if it has SPF to prevent damage from harmful ultraviolet rays. One of them has whitening properties to lighten dark spots, and is vitamin E enriched. This helps reduce fine lines and wrinkles. I like the light and non-greasy feature. Don't forget to apply liberally on the neck because the neck also displays one's age.
4. Night cream nourishes the face overnight when the skin is at rest. This is also to help smooth out wrinkles as it is made from goat's milk.
5. Eye cream reduces the puffiness and the look of bags around the eye area. It also smooths out minor wrinkles. It says it shrinks the capillary walls, I don't understand the benefit of that.
6. Lotions enhance the elasticity of skin, have UV protection, prevent stretchmarks and have whitening properties.

The Month Ender

Today is the last day of one of my branch mates. He's been here for 5 years and now, change is calling upon him. He will be assistant to our TBH in the EO. He will be missed. But then, there's always the telephone!

As a sort of farewell activity, we, minus the 2 officers, plus Rix, went to Wensha Spa, Timog yesterday evening, 31st of July. Both guys opted for the full body massage, and us girls had the foot spa. The establishment is badly in need of a full renovation. I think they are going to do so. I hope they are going to do so! The girls' locker room and wet area are grim. Ceilings are yellowing and peeling. Damaged stuffs were littered around. First, we hanged out at the jacuzzi area, dipping in the hot and cold pools, naked, save for a towel. Then, we showered. After that we were led to a dim room filled with lazy boys and a flat screen TV on one wall. Right in front of the chairs were built-in foot lavatories where we had our feet softened. My feet seemed to have layers of dead skin that my therapist scrubbed for quite a while. Eek! I don't think it lasted for an hour. It's pretty pricey considering it's just the feet and the price is same with the full body massage at P580. We even had to pledge our tips for the therapists by writing the amount on paper and signing it. Weird!

Behrouz is where we had our late dinner. There we ordered Shawarma, beef Kabab, liver Kabab and ox brain. I tried all, except for the brain, I really couldn't bring myself to take a bite of that. It wasn't even dressed up into something else, it just sat there, bluntly looking like a chopped brain. The Shawarma was OK, though the beef was a tad hard. I forgot to take photos of the food. Would you like to see a picture of the brain?