My Pink Shoelace

I was just listening to the guys talking about random stuff when something caught my attention. They were talking about gadgets and such at one point and it was then when I tuned them out but when someone mentioned lovegra and then viagra I was stunned. I looked at them and when they saw me looking or shall I say staring Vince had the decency to look flustered when he saw me looking. I rolled my eyes and turned back to whatever it was I was doing trying to forget what it was that I have just heard.

I have told friends time and again that I think a car is a liability and that I don’t see myself owning one plus the fact that I could prolly never afford it but that’s beside the point. My neighbor has been complaining about her car breaking every now and then. It has been taken to the shop twice this month and the amount of money it has cost her seems to be increasing by the minute. Yesterday I heard her whining to her mother in law about having to buy a new toyota custom floor mats for her car and that just didn’t sit well with her. Her mom already to her whining just rolled her eyes … see a car is a liability, you’re off taking a cab. ^_^

I have always wanted to go on a road trip with friends. Just go driving towards the north or south provinces on a big cruiser. Wouldn’t that be fantastic? When I mentioned this to a friend she told me that should we go planning a road trip we must have someone who has a roadside assistance plan to go with his or her car insurance. Stacy has a land cruiser and she was game with the thought of a road trip so all we really need is a date.

With Maya’s limited internet skills she had to rely on her friends to do her online shopping for her. Whether its bidding on Ebay or to buy phenphedrine, she’d have to ask Andy or Leslie to do it. I wonder if they receive some sort of “talent fee” for doing her shopping for her. LOL Maybe she should just hire a virtual assistant to act as her personal shopper on the web.

I miss eating Takoyaki Balls. The last time I had some was back in January with my friends at Ayala. I have seen the vendors prepare it and from the looks of it, it’s made of vegetables and not a single piece of meat. Yet despite that, the Takoyaki Balls are just delicious and it made me wonder why. It must have something to do with the sauce.

Took me awhile to get this posted but last Feb 5, 2011 my friends and I went to UP Grounds to join the Otaku Fest 4.0. I mentioned on my last post that we would be joining the Otaku Fest 2011 but we didn’t make it in time. We didn’t have enough time to our Vampire Knight costumes ready. Anyways we had lots of fun … check out the photos below.

- Gundam Action Figures -

- Am not sure which anime series they’re from but they look cute -

- Members of the Shinsengumi taking a stroll lol -

- Sakura With Female Naruto and Sasuke -

- Characters From Naruto -

- Maids -

- Am sure that’s Ichigo from Bleach but am not sure who the girl is suppose to be -

- Sword Fight -

It was my first Otaku Fest and I have to say I had fun. It also made me realize that I am “bloody” old since the anime series that I have grown up watching were not even there. I mean no one dressed up as characters from YuYu Hakusho, Dragon Ball, Flame of Recca, Knight Hunters, Rurouni Kenshin, Fushigi Yuugi, Magic Knights Rayearth, Vision of Escaflowne and Monster Rancher. I saw two who dressed up like Sailor Mars from Sailor Moon … that was quite nice. Hopefully next year we would be able to join even if it means just costripping.

Allison has been getting rather anxious with the first communion of her youngest cousin. Her auntie put her in charged of the creation of the communion invitations to be sent to their friends and relatives. Lisa’s first communion is set on the second Sunday of next month which gives her about a week or so to finish it and then have time to send it all out.

Yesterday I spent the whole day wandering around the streets of Cebu joining in the throng of people enjoying the parade. Lucky for me the parade passes by the road near my home and not too far from where I live I saw a float carrying anime cosplayers and they looked really cool. Take a look below:

As my friends and I went further along we found this kid in the sideline eating tempura dressed up as Naruto and we went ahead and had our photos taken with him. He was really cute though it looked like all the fuss we made about how cute he was made him all shy. It made me wonder if there are other anime cosplayers out there.

Isn’t he just adorable or what? We were just glad he was so willing to pose with us.

Off to the streets to enjoy Sinulog 2011 with friends

I found a long lost friend on Facebook and I found out after chatting with her for an hour or two that she is currently living in Taichung, Taiwan. She told me that a year ago she saw an advertisement for manufacturing jobs in Taiwan. She went through the address posted on the flier and there started her application before she knew it she was flying to Taichung to start working.

A new item has been added on Johnny’s wish list and its something I have not heard of before. Johnny changed the number one item on his list to holographic sights and I have no clue what its for, what it looks like and how much it would cost. His first item on the wish list was an 8 GB USB flash drive. I am not sure what prompted him to change it at the very last minute. It’s a good thing I was the one who got his name.

I should have posted this sooner but well I got really busy doing other stuff … posting this entry kinda took a back seat. The five of us [me, Rose, RJ, Vince and Jepoy] have been planning to watch Harry Potter together and have dinner in celebration of my birthday last 23rd but since RJ got sick, we had to reschedule. We watched the movie on the 29th, ate at Kublai Khan [its a first for RJ and Vince] and after the movie we had yogurt at Teriyaki Boy. It was a blast, Rose had fun fooling around with my camera and took the pics which means she wasn’t in most of them. Nyahahaha

~ After watching the movie and off to Teriyaki Boy | Photo taken by Rose ~

~ League of Evil as RJ puts it. LOL. The people who mattered ~

~ Silly Faces | Photo taken by Rose ~

~ Mango Yogato ~

~ Ichigo Yogato ~

~ Serious kunohay | Photo taken by Rose ~

~ Teriyaki Boy | Photo taken by Rose ~

Teriyaki Boy is located at the second floor level of the Terraces, Ayala Center Cebu and they serve the best yogurt I have ever tasted ever.  I look forward to another gathering with the “League of Evil” nyahahaha seriously I have no idea why RJ calls our small rag tag team “League of Evil” … oh well whatever goes I guess. Hehehe

The image below is of me … a crazy looking me with a very huge grin happy to finally have my hot choco. Hot choco is the next best beverage God ever gave man kind next to coffee that is and I have been addicted to Signature Hot Choco from Starbucks.

- image courtesy of Doi @ doiSpeaks.com -

Doi and I went to Figaro a couple of weeks back to work on pending projects while I work on my Mandarin assignment. Figaro serves an amazingly delicious Chef’s Salad and Doi and I cannot wait to sample it again.

Make Your Own Havaianas is an annual event and several people would always flock the venue, this year was no different.  It was a weekend event and Make Your Own Havaianas 2010 was held at SM City Cebu and the number of people was just amazing. Kids, teenagers, young adults and adults alike were all there. Let’s take a look at some of the photos … now shall we?

~ Make Your Own Havaianas ~

~ Mix and Match ~

~ Havaianas ~

~ The crowd ~

~ My travel buddy, MJ ~

I did not create my own havaianas, the one I purchased a year ago is still working so I did not buy one. This year’s Make Your Own Havaianas is a first for me and I found it utterly enjoyable. I have always lived in Cebu and that was the first for me to attend the event. I look forward to next years event.

Kokopelli is a fetility deity shown as a humpbacked flute player and is venerated by some Native American cultures in the Southwestern United States. Kokopelli presides over both childbirth and agriculture.

The image of Kokopelli is very famous and can be seen in almost every type of crafts, from vases to necklaces. It is also a famous design in tattoos and I got one on my right wrist.

Let’s take a look below:

Kokopelli On My Right Wrist

Kokopelli On My Right Wrist

What do you think?

I said goodbye to my second family earlier today. I handed my resignation letter effective immediately and I am just glad that the big boss accepted it … otherwise my four years tenure would go down the drain. People were surprised, they knew that at some point I would leave they just didn’t expect it to be so soon.

I filed a leave for the first two weeks of June last April and there no feedback whatsoever and no response to the follow up I made, I only knew last Wednesday that it was disapproved because of staffing issues.  For personal reasons I have to be overseas for these dates and I chose to leave … what I didn’t expect was it to hurt the way it did and I cried, cried like I did when mom died. Anj told me not to cry much, she said it’s not a loss but an opportunity for me to venture out on something new.

I guess I wasn’t ready emotionally to let go of the people I have come to love … it sucks and a part of me is afraid that with the separation I made with the company comes the separation of the friendship I have with so many people. I have become rather clingy ever since mom left after all friends are all I have right now and I hate the thought of losing them.

Before I went to the office to tender my resignation I made a promise to myself that I won’t cry … my friends would always be around no matter where I work and we’re just one text away from each other.  But that changed when I said goodbye to dodong and cried, I cried when I talked to Te Kate yesterday and I’m just glad I didn’t see Mitchy on the floor earlier otherwise it would have been too difficult to stop the tears from coming.

Weng, you are such a crybaby! I mentally scolded myself over and over … but you my dear reader must understand, this is my first job, a job I held for four years and leaving all these people behind was harder than I could ever possibly imagine. We said we’d keep in touch and am holding that thought close to my heart; my comfort words.

**Sayonara – It Has Been Sweet‏**

I suck at saying Goodbyes … so I’d do it in writing.

It has been an amazing four years with you guys, I’ve found my second family here and it’s painful for me to leave but the circumstances forced me to choose … I’m at the point where no matter how I want to compromise I can’t seem to have both.

I cannot begin to describe how thankful I am to have met all of you … so I guess this it …  and I’ll see you guys around.

 —-

 Weng

————– end of chapter 1

————– looking forward to starting chapter 2

With her newly acquired car she has been terribly busy contacting several insurance companies who could give her a reasonable quote for her insurance needs. We have also printed and read several auto insurance reviews online to understand the basics of essentially what is covered under a certain package. Though some of the terms are rather incomprehensible jargons for us but hopefully we’ve grasped enough for us to move further along on out reading.

I was with Druggie and Eds awhile back at Hebrews, a coffee shop over at IT Park and I must admit the internet connection is pretty impressive.

~ Carbonara over @ Hebrews ~

~ Eds seriously working on something ~

~ Druggie – the gothic fairy behind lakbaydiva.com ~

The food was good over at Hebrews Coffee Shop and I cannot wait to go back and sample their other dishes and hopefully with my laptop with me so I can enjoy the free wi-fi. Yohoooo … so I have taken photos of the two crazy people I have met at work. Eds has become more of an extrovert kinda person who loves to point and shoot [we're talking photography here, don't get any other ideas] and Edwin a crazy lunatic I met at work if you are in need of a good laughter then call him.

- wedding rings and moi???  not quite! -

Technically she’s still 24 when she tied down the knot yesterday and she’s the first in the group to settle down [or so they say]. Well I got invited to attend my friend’s wedding, back in high school we have this circle of friends, there’s like 17 of us [15 girls and 2 boys] we parted ways when we went to different colleges but still get in touch and gather for Christmas party every year [am almost always missing in these gathering but nonetheless].

So Ann tied down the knot yesterday. Heck I don’t even know the guy [some friend huh?!!] Well we are not “close” per say,  it’s  big group what’d you expect? true all of us are friends but within that group you’d always have your own close friends right?.

So I watched her walk down the aisle in a princess like wedding gown and wondered, there she was settling down at the age of 24 and here I am at 24 still waiting or shall I say still trying to grow up. Heck! What happened in the “growing up” phase? A friend said just because she’s getting married doesn’t mean she has matured already … but then marriage is a HUGE thing, it’s not a trial and error kinda game that you could just walk out of the moment you realize it’s no longer working for you especially since there’s no divorce here.

The wedding was a classic scene and I just hope she’s getting married for all the right reasons and not because circumstance forced them too. Creepy One always said I am a cynic, so what … love in this day and age is highly overrated. I’d prolly cause foreheads to frown on that last sentence but what the heck  … bite me!

I was sick last 22 and on the 23rd, so much for a happy birthday but all’s well now so here’s a few tidbits. On the 24th Bena, Diva and I met up for lunch after my appointment with the quack. I decided that since we’re all food people we’d better go for eat all you can and we did at Family Choice. There was not that many people [must be coz of the rain] but the food was good and so was the company. It was fun!

- moi, or shall I say yours truly -

- Diva -

- Bena of bena-yot.com -

- Bena, Diva and Moi -

It was a good choice to go for eat all you can, I had two rounds lol but the bayot had 3! Waaaaaaaa lol. Till next time

Diva and I went to the main post office after shift yesterday and of the 13 parcels | packages for me one of them was from Bobbie [Lavender72004 via swap-bot] and it contained this …

I am glaeken via swap-bot

At first I thought this was for one of the swaps am in but no it was a birthday gift … and it’s very cute! I received a tag from her for one of the forum tags at swap-bot couple of weeks back but this was totally unexpected. Another birthday gift I received … [they sure arrived days ahead of my birthday] was from Cari, she’s my swap partner and she included a birthday gift for me on her package for our swap, something she made herself, so sweeeet.

I have met so many wonderful and artistic ladies via swap-bot and though Jovie said I have “no life” outside of home and work but I found great friendship online … it was more than I could ask for. These presents arrived unexpectedly … something I didn’t ask for which is  really really nice  …..

I got a letter from a friend today, she lives in the US and she mentioned that some kids would join the army because the amount of money they make while in service is enough to get them through the entire four years in college instead of applying for a student loan which by the way is extremely expensive there. She asked about my college experience here and at the moment I am still composing the words for my reply. lol … not in a very creative mood am afraid.

His wish list is just impossible, he wants one of those plasma tvs you see on commercials. Impossible … especially when the worth of our exchanging gift is just 500 bucks. Thankfully am not the one who got his name and he doesn’t have anything else on his list. Can you imagine??!!! Such an a$$hOl3 … lol. Anyways as for me … the usual, books and books. I just hope whoever got my name would be able to find at least one of the titles am looking for.

Am not gonna say Sunday … not the band that is lol. Okay what am about to write is the freakin cast off heated mattress pads she gave me [against my will that is, mind you] last last year right after winter solstice but guess what she’s asking for it again! With the nonchalant approach that goes like this, hey remember that matty I gave you say last year??? well … can I have ‘em back please. I was like, I puked and peed on it … you still want it. She looked at me in the eye with the blank stare of a lunatic. Is it me or has the world gone haywire?

A friend of mine is turning a year older this Friday and for a present he asked for something relatively simple,  a burned CD with the completely discography of his favorite bands: Tool and A Perfect Circle. I listen to these bands every now and then but am not a die hard fan but he is and given that he has given me my first ever skateboard I wanna make sure I get that CD for him. So I managed find someone with those files and hopefully I’ll get them tomorrow.

We were texting the other day when he mentioned a friend of him from work whom I happen to met sometime last month at a gathering. His text message where as follows (translated in English):

him : bai, remember Jason? my height, a team mate of mine … introduced you guys last month? nyways, I mentioned to him you were getting me the Tool and A Perfect Circle discography, know what he said?

moi: the preppy guy? yeah I remember him, he gave me the traditional head-foot look over. not my type though too preppy for me … don’t tell him that, that’d ruin his ego. lol

him: hahahha funny thing is you are sorta his … as he put it, you are pretty geeky and conservative to be a skateboarder and to be addicted to the kind of music you are listening to. you also appear to be pretty oblivious.

moi: what’d you say?

him: told him to leave you alone

moi: good. bwahahaha. and yeah you can tell him he’s too preppy for me. see yah Friday.

So there you go … I was like … ah … it’s either I’d be amused that I happen to be someone’s “sorta” type or be annoyed for having met someone so stereotypical.  It reminded me of how someone who pointed out that am raised to be conservative made it sound that in this day and age … that bloody well is a crime. That being single is pitiful … oh which brings to mind a team mate of mine who kept on asking me that he introduce me to his friend in Singapore. Whoooohooo … can you people just leave me alone???

He prolly mean well but it’s annoying, how my seemingly unattached state is giving him the creeps and the cause for worry. Weird.

This was taken in Baguio last April at Camp John Hay … they have a very beautiful garden with a wide assortment of pretty flowers. This bunch reminds me of two persons who meant a lot to me. First is Lovely, one of my besties and the sister am never blessed to have and second is Te Kate … a friend from work. Funny how we only got closer when mom died and Vic chose her to send his condolences to me. Like Lovely she has accepted the fact that am a brat, childish most of the times and very fickle-minded. Like Mitchy she’s kinda like my big sister on the floor, the kind who never refused to give you 50 bucks when you ask for one coz your hungry and you need to dash to the pantry and grab something to eat. So yeah … am surrounded by good and affectionate people.

Had dinner at Pancake House with Momie Cherry and Femme after my tutorial sessions and I enjoyed every bit of morsel they served. After a voluminous meal we had ice cream at Gelatissimo and it was swell. Then a ransack at Fully Booked which I am proud to say that I managed to walk out without spending a dime. There are several titles I’d like to have but I resisted temptation and was quite damn proud of myself for self-control.

Just got home from Bangkok and I dread going back to work and facing reality. *sigh* No presents for anyone this time … somehow some if not most people tend to like me for what I can give and not for who I really am. Bangkok was a swell especially with MJ who was just super friendly, we made friends with 3 tourists like us, Salah from Denmark (he’s Egyptian); Wuteim from Israel (he’s been travelling in the last 7 mos.) and the lovely Marietta from London (she’s Polish). It was a cool bunch they were all so talkative, between food and drinks talk was from whatever topic that sprung to mind. Photos later My Pink Summer Contest is still up and running, click on the banner below to join.

The night before my scheduled trip to Hong Kong (which was March 23, 2009), we had dinner at Moon Cafe to celebrate MJ’s birthday. There was Diva, April and Manong, Tin-Tin and Kitoy, Moi and MJ, Benita couldn’t make it and though we kept on calling him on his cell … there was no answer. We were assuming he was heavily asleep.

Dinner was great and talk was flowing, we had videoke afterwards at Beatbox and around 12 midnight MJ and I headed to Starbucks to unwind. It was 5 minutes 3 AM when I got home.

For photos click here : MJ’s Birthday Celebration : March 23, 2009 Album

Kids these days would want a ride of their own, I remember Carol asking her mom for one the day she turned 15 and is eligible to apply for a driver’s license. So Aunt Lucy checked with her contact to see if she can get the best deals on car insurance before buying a second hand car for Carol. We have been seeing a lot of her classmates drive their own wheels and though its kinda impressive but the thought of high car insurance rates is making me sick.

Apart from the car her parents had promised her, they’re also going on a trip somewhere in Europe as part of her graduation gift. Graduating class valedictorian certainly has its perks and right now I am helping her in looking for cheap accomodation so they can save on hotels and so they’ll have extra pocket money. Though Aunt Lucy thinks that teenagers and credit cards are words that should not go together, in Carol’s case she conceeded to giving her one. Afterall she is a responsible teenager.