santa, bring me love

this goes out to my fab single girlfriends. whether you've been good or bad, there is no better time to make that santa wish than now.

after all, santa isn't just for kids.

"Santa, bring me
Bring me love
Tell me the time has come
That there is someone waiting for me too"

Chris Brown and Rihanna's concert, the verdict

it. was. awesome.

the long wait was very well worth it and i couldn't ask for a better finale.

that being said, however, i don't think i will watch another concert in a free standing venue in a long time. unless of course it's an NKOTB reunion concert

lss ... ella ella

the eve of Chris Brown and Rihanna's concert

and all des and i can talk about is which outfit to wear and what bag to bring.

what's up with that?! hahahaha!

oh and for those who are watching, you are not allowed to bring pointed umbrella-ella-ella

separation anxiety

i'm having one right now. it's been 3 days since i last saw my nephew and i get sadder by the minute.

my mom's solution : "have your own baby na kasi!"

yeah right.

there's truth in humor

me: ladies, are we gonna watch Hairspray? we gotta buy tickets soon as the good seats are almost sold out

April: i'm good with Dec. 6. and while we're at it, lets celebrate your birthday!

D.I.: so, what would you like on your birthday?

me: i want LALAKI!

yes, it sounded desperate and so un-ME i know! but seriously, i do want one! it's been 3 effin years! i think it's about time.

so friends and countrymen, if wanna make me happy on my birthday, you go find me a fine man!

is it just me

or is anybody else feeling the lack of Christmas spirit? i mean, one can't help but notice that people these days are in no way near what this season is supposed to be about. you know, being all shiny and happy and feeling the Christmas rush and all?

i, for one, didn't realize that it's just 44 days to go.

it's just sad. and so not right. especially when it's gonna be my nephew's first Christmas. so, global economic crisis and all, imma have to start shakin off the Scrooge in me and start thinkin about mistletoes and chestnuts and santas and presents and give miguel the best first Christmas ever.

seriously liking someone

and the fact that he's gorgeous is just a bonus.

Lay Bare Waxing Salon

if you're one of those who are so freaked out about growing hair in places where there shouldn't be, then Lay Bare Waxing Salon is the place for you.

i've been hearing/reading good reviews about it since forever and when they opened a branch here in Makati, i found no reason not to go.

my tolerance for pain is close to non-existent so a trip to a waxing salon isn't something i fancy. however, i also know that one must endure pain for the sake of beauty. so, armed with a couple of painkillers, my friend and i decided to checkout their branch in Buendia.

it was just like a regular spa with an entirely different menu - anything and everything that has to do with unwanted hair removal. the staff were uber nice which made me at ease right away. the rooms were just enough to fit a single bed and a few kikay items (powder, lotion, etc.). there also was piped in music to complete the spa-like ambiance.

i didn't want my first trip there to be traumatic so i opted for the safer treatments : eyebrow, underarm and upper lip wax. i'm not sure if it's because of the kind of wax they use but the treatment was close to painless.

i also have to add that my therapist/waxer/technician or however they call them was sooo funny. she was trying to convince me on having the famous Brazilian Wax to the point that she asked me if i wanted to look at her yah know what so i'd see how pretty it looks. really. seriously. or maybe she meant she was gonna show me "after pictures". needless to say, i opted not to do both. now boys, don't go running there and see if they would flash you.

i'm definitely going back though. maybe try the more painful ones if and when i'm ready. hats off to my good friend who dared try their bikini wax which, according to her was not as painful as she thought it would be.

Nights in Rodanthe

a second chance at love which proved yet again that age has nothing to do with finding it

richard gere still has it. gray hair and all, he still makes us ladies shriek like girls as he did with Pretty Woman.

diane lane, as with her roles in Must Love Dogs and Under the Tuscan Sun, has proven to be the epitome of a hopeful romantic. never giving up on love no matter how many times her heart has been broken.

nicholas sparks stayed true to what he does best, romantic tragedies which, after making you go "awww" with the plot, makes you go "WTF" in the end.

the beach house was awesome. i want one like that. or at least go away on a weekend or something to a place like that. minus the hurricane of course.

i'm glad i haven't read the book as it would've spoiled everything.

the only thing i hate about my Nights in Rodanthe experience was this gassy guy, three seats to my left who chose to burp with all his friggin might in almost all the really wonderful scenes.

i'm letting you go

from this day forward, i shall be free of you.

...of the idea of you
....of what it felt like to be with you
.....of the bar that you set ever so high
......of the kind of connection i thought all along only belonged with you
.......of hoping that someday you will realize that it's me all these years

tomorrow, i shall wake up, free and uninhibited. no longer will i be bound to the thought that what we had can never be found with anyone else. because it can and it will happen.

just wait, it will happen. and when it does, i expect you to be happy for me as i am for you.

simply adorable

miguel @ 3 months

now who wouldn't want to come home to see this uberly adorable baby boy?

ok, i wanna have a baby

Koji Murofushi

so long as he's the father!

imagine what gorgeous babies we'll make.

really, really gorgeous babies.

Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants 2

next to Sex and the City, The Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants 2 comes in a close second for the best chick flick of the year (well at least for me).

i. loved. it.

the cast. Greece. the plot. Greece. the men. oooh the men. did i say Greece? suffice to say that after the film, we all wanted to go there. someday. maybe. hopefully.

unlike the prequel, part two is much lighter and happier with a whole lot of kababawan that would make the mush haters grimace in pain. needless to say that you ladies might wanna let the guys sit this one out as i'm afraid they will not appreciate this at all.

eat sushi off of what???

why?

seriously, i don't get it. i mean, come on! us Filipinos get bashed about eating with our hands all the time. i say doing that is way better and less ickier than eating food served on top of another person's body.

i'm sure their personal hygiene are impeccable but the thought of eating off a stranger, at a party is just way out of my league.

and why did it have to be sushi? argh!

love and time

this is a bit long but do read til the end for a major awwww factor.

Once upon a time, there was an island where all the feelings lived: Happiness, Sadness, Knowledge, and all of the others, including Love.

One day it was announced to the feelings that the island would sink, so all constructed boats and left. Except for Love.

Love was the only one who stayed. Love wanted to hold out until the last possible moment.

When the island had almost sunk, Love decided to ask for help.

Richness was passing by Love in a grand boat. Love said, "Richness, can you take me with you?"

Richness answered, "No, I can't. There is a lot of gold and silver in my boat. There is no place here for you."

Love decided to ask Vanity who was also passing by in a beautiful vessel. "Vanity, please help me!"

"I can't help you, Love. You are all wet and might damage my boat," Vanity answered. Sadness was close by so Love asked, "Sadness, let me go with you."

"Oh . . . Love, I am so sad that I need to be by myself!"

Happiness passed by Love, too, but she was so happy that she did not even hear when Love called her.

Suddenly, there was a voice, "Come, Love, I will take you." It was an elder. So blessed and overjoyed, Love even forgot to ask the elder where they were going. When they arrived at dry land, the elder went her own way.

Realizing how much was owed the elder, Love asked Knowledge, another elder, "Who Helped me?"

"It was Time," Knowledge answered.

"Time?" asked Love. "But why did Time help me?"

Knowledge smiled with deep wisdom and answered, "Because only Time is capable of understanding how valuable Love is."

-- Author Unknown

Friday hit 'n miss

HIT

Mom and Tina's Cafe

for lunch, my officemates and i decided to try the biggest buzz in Makati dining these days : Mom and Tina's Cafe. located along dela Rosa Street, the cafe is ideal for the working class at it is just a few minutes away from Ayala Ave.

we got there around 11:30 and there was already a queue of people waiting for their turn. i got excited. long line means really really good food. promising but not good for those who are famished as waiting time could last as long as 30-45 minutes.

the good thing about waiting however, is seeing food come out of the kitchen, giving us an idea on what to order. everything smelled and looked good. the wide array of baked items on display added to that i-feel-like-i'm-in-my-mom's-kitchen feel of the room.

after a good 30 minutes or so, we finally got seated outside. i ordered their Chicken Alexander - bits of chicken and mushroom in a creamy sauce layered with mashed potatos and corn served with 2 garlic cheese rolls. it. was. good. the potatos were cooked perfectly and the cream sauce gave the dish it's hearty fill.

the rest ordered the famous Shepherd's Pie (ground beef and mushroom in tomato sauce layered with mashed potatos), Fetuccine with Basil Pesto Sauce (squid and shrimp on pesto sauce and freshly made fetuccine noodles) and Paella Valenciana (a mix of chicken, chorizo and seafood on top of rice in tomato and olive oil). of course i poked my fork on everything and they all tasted sooo good.

my only complain is that there isn't enough ventilation outside which made dining a bit uncomfortable. a wall fan or two could make a huge difference.

all in all, my first Mom and Tina's experience was great. the long wait was worth it and the price is ridiculously cheap. we'll definitely go back. earlier next time.

MISS

Wensha Spa

i've been meaning to have a massage since i got back and what better place to go than Wensha Spa. i've been there several times before and i've never had reason to complain. a good massage with a complimentary buffet is a bargain after all.

last night, however, i wasn't happy. while i understand that Friday night is usually a busy night, i still expect the staff to be at their best and treat all clients in the same manner they would on a slow day. but no, at least not last night.

the massage reception area sounded like a marketplace with therapists arguing with the the receptionists on which one to go next blah blah. it was like listening to vendors offering their goods. really.

when we finally got our turn, we were escorted upstairs. what i saw as i entered the room wasn't anything i expected. there they were, 8 other girls having their massages. side by side. like a buffet of butt cheeks. not a pretty sight. so i asked the girl downstairs if it's ok to just wait til a private room is available as i wasn't comfortable sharing a room and getting naked in a roomful of naked girls.

her response :"babae naman yang mga yan eh. saka may rotation ang mga therapist. ready na yung therapist nyo so hindi na pwede palitan". another girl continued to say that it's really not possible. what the fuck??? how can it be impossible to wait??? they didn't even have the courtesy to tell us that we were going to use the common room. unacceptable!

in utter frustration, i agreed. i stripped naked in a roomful of other naked girls and had my massage. a few minutes later, another set of girls came in. TALKING REALLY LOUD while stripping. right beside my bed.

argh! so much for relaxation.

business as usual in AIG

i have been getting calls and messages from friends and family asking me about the current status of the company i'm working for. now, as most people know, i don't read nor watch the news as doing so just gets me depressed every single time.

however, in light of the current hullabaloos that Wall Street is going through these past couple of days and with two major banks filing for bankrupcy, i had to know the facts. i neded to know since the company i'm working for is a regional center of AIG New York.

more importantly, will i still have a job in the coming days?

in a span of 3 days, several emails and press releases have been sent. the US Federal Government, with 79.9% equity share saved our butt and gave AIG an 85 billion dollar loan; our CEO who sent an email yesterday assuring us that everything will be alright, was replaced today by a new guy from another insurance company. the media hype didn't help at all. we all got worried.

during a mini town hall meeting this morning, our bosses here explained everything and continued to reassure us that though there may be changes in the next few days/weeks/months, all is bound to get better.

so dear friends and family i still have a job. and to all policy holders and investors, it is business as usual in AIG.

for more details and press releases, you may click on the ff. links:

AIG Corporate site
AIG Recent Stock News
Fed’s $85 Billion Loan
Ex Allstate Exec to Run AIG
Edward Liddy

maid of honor yet again

the place has been set.

the invites are being printed.

the gowns have been fitted.

and come November 5, i will be walking down the isle as a maid of honor. again.

of pixie dusts and happy thoughts

i need a bag of these.

not because i want to fly.

but because the thought of not being able to know how to have fun gives me the creeps. i have been way too serious lately that one of my friends suddenly blurted out "pixie dusts sweetie, you need some pixie dusts".

and thus, leading me to think that i may be turning frigid and OLD. not a good thought. never a good thought.

so, Tinkerbell if you're reading this, pay me a visit tonight and sprinkle me some.

please?

West Side Story (Dress Rehearsals) @ Meralco Theater

ANITA (Rowena Vilar) ROCKED! i loved loved loved her! her voice, her accent, her moves. everything about her screamed Anita.

as for the rest...