life's a pile of good things and bad things

we're being pulled out like weeds

2012-02-18T02:45:00.000+08:00

There's that moment of sobriety when you realize, "Wow, I just got retrenched." From the French, retrancher, a verb: the act of cutting off, of removing, of omitting. Mind you, it's not as if I'm even working full-time. I did that in April 2008, almost four years ago, and when I moved back home, the job moved with me, albeit in a part-time, hourly capacity. But I didn't mind. There's something

the heart is a muscle, not a metaphor

2012-02-15T09:46:00.001+08:00

So Valentines' Day has come and gone at this corner of the world. I'm not sure what to say about a Hallmark holiday specifically created so people could spend money for the sake of proving to another person that they love them, but I'm ambivalent towards Valentines. On the one hand, if you're spending it with someone you love, then good on you. Hope you had fun. On the other hand, shouldn't you

my two cents' worth

2012-02-13T11:09:00.001+08:00

Like what I said previously, I wanted this blog to be some kind of remembrance, of trying to remember what I did and saw and read and listened to. So I'll try to do some kind of media wrap-up on Mondays, or at least once a week, mainly to keep track of the things I do and so I can look back and go "Hey, I'm glad I had a productive time" instead of, oh I don't know, wasting my time playing Sims 3.

the (food) pleasure principle

2012-02-10T10:41:00.000+08:00

Last night, I had dinner with my friend Meia and her boyfriend, Kevin - both of whom are lovely people and whose company I always enjoy. We'd planned to go to this breakfast/dinner place called Milky & Sunny at Pasig City, which is located at a pleasant part of the city, full of restaurants and small bars and cafes. It boded well that beside the restaurant was a Moonleaf milk tea place, and

how we are relevant

2012-02-09T11:56:00.000+08:00

A few days ago, I was invited by one of my old university organizations, the Writers' Club, to talk about the relevance of a Creative Writing degree. Well, "invited" is a bit too strong - more like, the original speaker was sick and offered me up as an alternative in his place. And since I am currently gainfully unemployed, I figured it was no skin off my back to pop by and talk about writing. Of

wherein the door is opened once more

2012-02-08T08:55:00.000+08:00

So... well. Hello. I'm back. It reminds me of the scene in The Return of the King where Sam comes back from the Grey Havens after seeing Frodo, Bilbo, Gandalf, Galadriel, and may of the High Elves board the ships to Valinor, and he comes back to Hobbiton and to Rosie and Elanor and, you know, all these things that happened to him, all these grand and frightening and terrible and wonderful things

Oh. Oh, you sexy thing

2012-02-07T08:04:00.002+08:00

Well now. *dusts off the corner of a table, abandoned* Oh hello.

And So It Is

2008-09-23T10:33:00.003+08:00

As they say, all good things must come to an end. I've had this blog since I was 18, which is a hell of a long time to be writing in a blog. People usually change URLs the way they change diapers, or underwear - that is, to say, quite often, and quite sporadically as well. Blogger's interface has changed as well. Previously, everything was open-source, in text files, and HTML was encoded manually

Letters and Numbers

2008-09-04T19:15:00.001+08:00

I haven't really posted anything public in quite some time, owing to the rather delicate nature of certain topics that only a select few can read. But lo and behold, I post once again. And of course, things will be numbered because I'm too lazy to write connecting paragraphs to each one.1. So I'm apparently going to the Avril Lavigne Best Damn Tour concert on Sunday. O_o Now, you have to note two

Odds and Ends

2008-08-20T20:47:00.001+08:00

I really can't blog most of the time, possibly because (a) my work generally involves writing. A lot. All the time. And when I come home, I would like to shuck it all beside my by, climb into my bed, and go to sleep. Unfortunately, this does not happen often. In my mind though, it does.Oh, and (b) I sleep. A lot. During weekends.Speaking of sleeping, so yesterday I caught a terrible cold - the

Happy Birthday, Hiyas!

2008-08-10T08:29:00.000+08:00

From the Corny Court days to the UP GRAIL days to the Kestrel days, we've been through a lot of crazy moments, ups and downs, funny and not-so-funny experiences. Thanks for lending me comics, buying me chocolate when I'm cranky, having coffee breaks when the day's just been too frickin' long, and generally for being there to listen to me when I need someone to talk to. Soul sister, wild child,

Delays and Backstories

2008-08-09T11:30:00.001+08:00

Things I've been meaning to blog about:1. SingFest '08 and the love that is Jason Mraz.2. Cooking Happy Adobo for the office.3. Staying in the office 'til midnight on a Friday night and playing pool at 3 in the morning. Why? BECAUSE I CAN.Things I've actually managed to blog about:The list of things I need to blog about.

Mobile postage

2008-08-04T19:49:00.000+08:00

So this is the first time i'm posting in my blog through my mobile phone. I'm currently stuck at Swensen's, waiting for the boyfriend. It's minutes to midnight. And i find it a bit funny that i've graduated from writing in internet cafes to writing using my phone. Fantastic thing, this technology. Now if only i can get a bed, everything would be fine.

Lust At First Sight

2008-08-03T07:00:00.001+08:00

Just a quick entry before I get ready for SingFest. :)I bought a new phone yesterday! It's a Sony Ericsson W910i Walkman phone. I named her Samantha.To be perfectly honest, I didn't quite expect to buy a phone yesterday. I mean, it's been at the back of my mind for at least a few months now, but my old phone (a sturdy Nokia 7360, the girly edition) suddenly decided to have the plastic nubby thing

Things That Keep On Happening

2008-08-02T07:54:00.000+08:00

Yesterday marked the end of my probation period at the office - something which has totally slipped my mind, to be honest. :) I still can't believe that I've been here 3 months; a part of me is still going "But wait, I'm still a newbie!" and yet the other part of me is saying, "All right, world. Bring it on." Ooooh, and this means I get to have a name card now. *evil laughter*Anyway, so for the

Wanted: Copywriter/SEO Specialist

2008-08-02T07:23:00.000+08:00

Posting this on behalf of a friend. Kindly pass on. :)*Lauren Silva is a niche marketing E-tailer specializing in women's intimate apparel. Currently our sales are 80% in the United States and 20% Canada, Australia, and UK. We have offices in the United States, Philippines, and Peru.In 2007 Lauren Silva gross sales exceeded 1.3 million and employed 18 people on three continents. 2008 gross sales

Meme: Looking Back

2008-07-30T21:10:00.000+08:00

A meme from chilibreath over at LiveJournal. Anyone who wants it can have it. :)Fifteen years ago I......was 9 years old and in second third grade at all-girls Catholic institution. I sat in the third seat of the third row. I was in III-Topaz, and my cousin Camila was in III-Brilyante. I would play jackstones and agawan base with my cousins during recess. A small cup of Snowie from the first

Sesame Street Days

2008-07-27T19:40:00.000+08:00

Today was one of those Sesame Street days where things move seamlessly from one moment to another, as if a master cinematographer spliced each and every second of a day into something resembling a masterpiece.Things achieved today:1. Applied for my first credit card (which actually morphed and split into two, as Citibank was having a promotion and were giving 2 cards away, for free) and am now

Looking Ahead

2008-07-25T20:57:00.000+08:00

You know you're a geek when you're 24 and you've already finished your Masters' degree.You know you're an even bigger geek when you're 24, you've already finished your Masters' degree, AND you're looking around for a good school to take your Ph.D in.So this is the school that I'm targeting to go to in two years.In all honesty, I was looking at this school even while I was looking for an MA. But

Love, or Something Like It

2008-07-22T19:38:00.000+08:00

It must be that season, isn’t it? If we were in a magic realist story, maybe frogs will fall from the sky. Or leaves will turn a bright mandarin orange, and birds of paradise will suddenly start rising from the lakes. On Facebook or on LiveJournal, on Multiply and my RSS feeds, and even on the New York Times, there seems to be this quiet displeasure that love is not what it seems, or that we have

My Mother's Visit to Singapore

2008-07-19T19:03:00.002+08:00

Everyone, meet my mother. She's very strange, but apparently a lot of my friends think she's cool, which may be another synonym for strange. ^_^I guess I wasn't really able to blog during the time she was here, and then the week after, I had a lot of catching up at work to do, so major blogging backlog these days.I've always had a fairly amiable relationship with my mother, since she's quite easy

Then Vs Now

2008-07-19T18:44:00.000+08:00

Three out of five days last week, I ended up staying at the office later than usual (read: anytime after 8PM). There's definitely a lot of things to do over there, but I can't help but feel a little sparkle of pride whenever I accomplish a task or if I don't fudge things up too badly - like HTML taggies or a clever phrasing here and there. And I was really pleased (read: beaming!) when my

Forward Step

2008-07-12T21:05:00.002+08:00

Posted by request from a few friends (am in the process of uploading more photos on Facebook and Multiply, so don't worry. Especially of Friday night, since I totally forgot my camera that night.)My mom's visit here was nothing short of fantastic, and I only realized how easy it was to let her go because I know I'll see her again soon, and it's that knowledge that let me move towards the next

On Graduation

2008-07-10T06:34:00.000+08:00

Writing this at my mom's hotel, The Gallery Hotel, which is now on the top of my list for incredibly nice but reasonably priced hotels in Singapore. Just finished breakfast (mmmm!) and am now comfortably stationed at one of the two Apple iMacs in the corner of the dining area, where you can have your cake and eat it too! ^_^Last night was graduation night - I was decked out in a pretty lace black

Just a Quickie

2008-07-08T08:52:00.000+08:00

So many things happening all at once. I don't think I even have time to breathe.Sunday was spent visiting A., a friend over at Woodlands, where a bunch of us attended the wake of his mother, who had spent almost a year battling leukemia. While it was great to see friends that I hadn't seen in quite a while, the reason for the impromptu reunion was also quite depressing. I went home in a

Cycles

2008-07-06T07:38:00.000+08:00

It's very odd to realize that you've been in a place long enough that you know someone who just gave birth and, quite soon after, are required to attend a wake. Reminds you how life and death can sometimes follow each other, not quite heads or tails, but something that goes round robin and becomes a strange cycle of what can and cannot happen. It doesn't help that your mom is starting to go all

I Need a Lifesaver

2008-07-05T20:38:00.000+08:00

What saves me these days:- The Tony&Pepper fiction archive. I am such a hor for Tony/Pepper UST, which is full of angst and snarky banter. Oh fandom, I love you.- Deb Talen, and The Weepies in general. - My boys over in the office. You may be 2 centimetres tall, chubby-faced, and full of teenage angst, but I still love you guys. You keep me sane even during the worst days.- Work in general. ^_^

3 Poems

2008-07-02T18:22:00.000+08:00

What is with the spate of new poems all of a sudden? Gosh, you pray for a trickle and it becomes an ocean...CartographyShe crosses out bordersAnd draws new ones: white linesAcross the jade green approximationsOf fields and mountains. Here is where she first saw snow,And here, where the river meets the road,Is where she first caught a salmonBeribboned in red, pulsing with life.Her eyes move across

Balderdash

2008-06-28T21:46:00.001+08:00

This is randomness at its finest.This is my friend Eeyore. Eeyore lives with me because he looks like The Boyfriend when The Boyfriend is emo. This is why I cannot get angry at The Boyfriend when he is emo, because he looks too much like Eeyore.Eeyore lives in a Hello Kitty House because if he lives on the bed, he gets squished whenever we go to sleep. This means that he cannot breathe. That is

Somewhere, a Poem Emerges

2008-06-23T20:00:00.001+08:00

Two things you must remember: I haven't written a poem in months and that this is not going to be the start of something new, as that High School Musical song goes.Weirdly enough, the first line of this poem came as I was walking from the Novena MRT going to the office. It had just rained that morning, and there was the body of a dead snail on the sidewalk. It was a brilliant mahogany color,

Sixth Anniversary!

2008-06-22T22:28:00.001+08:00

Six years ago, I opened up this sundialgirl account just to see how my journaling habits would fare online. I had been writing journals since I was in third grade - they were written in black signpen on recycled Papemelroti notebooks - the kind you used to get for something like 12 pesos. If you calculate it, I've been writing journals for the past 16 years. That's roughly how old my sister Bea

Nine Months

2008-06-16T05:56:00.000+08:00

I feel like crap.I woke up with the alarm in my ear - thoughtfully left there by The Boyfriend who was off early - and every bone in my body was aching. Well, they're still aching, but at least I can now roll on my stomach and start complaining online. I knew my temp was higher than normal despite the fact that the fan was on full blast and in my face, and I just really felt like crying. One and

Notes Scribbled on the Back of a Life

2008-06-14T11:39:00.000+08:00

I went on a marathon writing spree yesterday at work, churning out around 8 articles within the day, not to mention the weekly newsletter. Of course I had spelling mistakes and shit, but COME ON. At the end of the day, I just wanted to collapse on my knees and plead for mercy, but ah well, we need to make our bread and butter one way or another. ~I still have a 2,000 word behemoth to write over

Early Morning Ramblings

2008-06-07T22:28:00.000+08:00

Let me get my thoughts in order.One of the things that I've come to realize while loving someone who is different from you, in a cultural and religious manner, is that there is more to relationship problems than just "You don't understand me" or the kind of petty jealousies that fuel little (and big) arguments. Even the basic fundamentals of what's right and what's wrong can be compromised, as

A History of Phones

2008-06-03T20:08:00.002+08:00

I was probably 15 or 16 when I received my first mobile phone - a clunky Nokia 6110 handset, with a stubby antenna poking out from the top of its curved head. It was still fairly large, especially by today's standards, and still had the green analog screen where you could type ACSII characters and form things like teddy bears and roses and stuff like that. Yes, there was a time before MMS became

Back from the Dead

2008-05-28T23:20:00.000+08:00

I...have not been writing. There are a few reasons for this. 1. When you write at least 3 articles every day, and your immediate superior (hence, the "assistant" beside your title) points out all the nitty gritty details of your mistakes, you wonder (a) "Am I still an English major?" (b) "My God, why didn't I see that?!" and (c) "My head hurts." So when I get home, I try and avoid all forms of

Bluebells and Bullet Points

2008-05-13T16:56:00.000+08:00

1. Still undergoing a massive information overload with regards to work. It doesn't help that a lot of my daily tasks have been put on hold because of the regional meeting going on for all representatives of the company, which means that I also have to attend because I need to know what's going on as well. Which doesn't help because now there's no one in the office tomorrow. Oy. On the upside,

Escaping their Evil Clutches

2008-05-10T06:54:00.000+08:00

The first week of work can be summed up in three words: Massive. Information. Overload. I have taken around to toting a notebook around every time someone is trying to teach me something about the system - and I have to be careful about the system because pressing the wrong button might result in catastrophe. I am now more thankful than ever that I have been blogging since the beginning of time (

Islam Class: Session One

2008-05-04T18:30:00.000+08:00

Well, first of all, I was late. Because online guides are only as reliable as the next best thing, all I knew was that the Muslim Converts' Building was two blocks away from the Paya Lebar station. I left the house an hour early in the hopes that I would be able to get to the place on time - the train ride alone took me 30 minutes, not to mention all the bus transferring stuff. So I get there

First Day Jitters

2008-05-02T03:14:00.000+08:00

Dear God,I ask for your blessings today. Kindly let me remember most, if not all of the things I have to remember to do; please don't let me make too many mistakes, and if I do, let me make the minor ones that happened because I didn't know what to do or because it wasn't explained properly to me; and please, please don't let me fuck this up. Thank you.Oh, and bless The Boyfriend too. He has

(Extended) Family Dinners, Etc.

2008-04-29T19:19:00.000+08:00

Had dinner today with three members of the Encarnacion clan - Tita Livi, Tita Margo (Tito Mino's wife), and their niece Mico; myself and Ate Tabby rounded out the group. The Danses and the Encarnacions are very good friends, ever since our grandparents' college days in UP (that was in the 1940s) and so even the kids are very close to each other. My mom's best friend, Tita Bobbet, is the third

Best Advice in Ages

2008-04-29T07:14:00.000+08:00

"Once you've been called to write, you will write." An old teacher of mine (old as in I've known him since high school, not old as in...well, yeah, age-wise as well, but not so much) told me this last night, since a year and a half of being unproductive is never a good sign. But he assured me that perhaps this is a hiatus, and that no one really stops practising their craft once they've started.

Party Girl

2008-04-06T19:27:00.000+08:00

Today was the first time I ever went to a proper desi party. (According to WordWeb Online, "desi" is a noun that refers to "a South Asian living outside South Asia". The Boyfriend simply defines it as a reference to people in general, kind of like "my people". I suppose it's similar to how we Filipinos refer to ourselves as "Pinoy".) One of The Boyfriend's batchmates, Shereen, who also worked in

Hungry

2008-04-03T14:33:00.000+08:00

It's raining right now outside our office block in Singapore. The windows are darkened; there is a chance that my pants will be drenched to the knees tonight. I am craving palabok - warm and salty-sweet, the neon orange sauce mixing togetehr with squid bits and shrimp, crispy chicharon bits sprinkled on top, the thick glass noodles freshly cooked and smothered in sauce and the thought of home.

It's That "L" Word

2008-03-29T18:21:00.000+08:00

Thank you for letting me sleep in bed even if it's past seven o'clock on a Saturday morning, for wrapping me in a blanket and cuddling me when I have a headache, for giving me hugs when I feel cranky and buying me chocolate when you know I have a bad day. Thank you for the massages when I'm having cramps, and for making sure that I'm not in pain before I go to sleep. Thank you for letting me have

On Being a Domestic Goddess - The Breakfast Edition

2008-03-22T07:06:00.002+08:00

So last week, I splurged and bought a copy of Nigella Express: Good Food Fast (SGD 62.06 at Kinokuniya) by the domestic goddess herself, Nigella Lawson. The Boyfriend and I are great fans of hers, and try and catch her shows on Discovery Travel & Living during weekends. After a couple of weeks of intermittently eating out of the house or cobbling together whatever we can find in the fridge, we

On Being Holy

2008-03-19T17:43:00.000+08:00

So everyone knows I'm not exactly the best Catholic in the entire world. I rarely, if at all, attend Mass or say my prayers in a prescribed manner, and goodness knows I have never been a saint. I guess too many years in a private Catholic girls' school will have a tendency to warp one's religious beliefs. I guess it was also a part of my upbringing - my parents have always been happy liberals,

Something Greater Than This

2008-03-15T13:04:00.000+08:00

There's something quite pleasurable about realizing that I am all alone at the flat right now. The Boyfriend is out for high tea with the NUS Pakistani Society, and the flatmates are all out. I am relishing the fact that, for once, I have so much space.Of course, I think it might also have been the fact that I have been so used to having my own space that now that I'm sharing this space with

Rain, Falling on the Window Pane

2008-03-12T20:28:00.000+08:00

1. The weather in Singapore for the past few days has vacillated between drizzling and pouring. It must have been at least four or five days of intermittent rain - there's no such thing as monsoon storms in this country, which I miss. Still, the weather's been cool enough that we can forego the a/c for once and still feel relatively comfortable, cuddled up on a single bed. 2. Work has been quite

New! Creative! Project!

2008-03-11T19:52:00.000+08:00

Unabashedly taken from my partner in crime's DeviantArt account:"Mise en Abyme a collaborative creative exercise between me and my friend Gabby Lee. We come up with a theme every month, then she thinks of a title, then I make a book cover appropriate to the theme and title, then I pass the cover to her and she writes up an excerpt to go with it. All in the space of a week. Then we do it all over

The Things We Do For Love

2008-03-01T05:59:00.000+08:00

Being raised as a moderate nationalist - I'm not one of those who will march on Mendiola, calling for the resignation of yet another corrupt president and replacing him/her with another stupid one - it feels weird to finally download the form for PR (permanent resident) here in Singapore. I'm staring at it right now: the neat little boxes that compartmentalize my life and remind me how much a

Trimming Down

2008-02-24T20:32:00.000+08:00

1. Because it was a Sunday and we were bored at home, The Boyfriend and I decided to go out for an early dinner at Lau Pa Sat. We had around 4 different kinds of satay (chicken, beef, mutton, and duck) and seafood fried rice, and then walked off our tummies by going from Shenton Way to the Esplanade. Beat that! ^_^ And then afterwards, we watched the Kate Hudson-Matthew McConaghey (sp?) flick,

Balancing Work and Life

2008-02-21T15:29:00.000+08:00

1. I have been getting sick a lot lately. I have a feeling it's really because of the stress from work, there's a virus going around the office (first E, then me, and then A, and latest victim is T), and we're all doing so much. I'm adjusting better after my second month, but to be honest, I really do wish they'll pay me more with all the work I'm doing for them. I've never had a quiet day ever

Post-Valentine Bandwagon

2008-02-15T07:23:00.000+08:00

You know, for a holiday that's not even recognized on most (if not all) official holidays around the world, Valentines' Day certainly spawns a lot of blog entries - both pro- and anti-Valentines sentiments being the norm. I find it rather entertaining, reading everyone's two cents' worth on romance, love, and the entire ball of cheese.Weirdly enough, The Boyfriend and I didn't really celebrate

Rant # 291

2008-02-12T14:09:00.000+08:00

Agh. Past seven and I'm still stuck at the office. Shoot me now. O_o Thankfully, the Boyfriend has a career talk thing that he went to at NUS, which means that at least I'm not cooking dinner for two people tonight. The thing is, I'm only waiting for some visuals to pass to a client who, in all probability, might not even be in the office anymore. This bugs me. I am wasting my time, looking busy

Cooking Up a Storm

2008-02-04T17:52:00.000+08:00

I don't want to be one of those girls who put up posts of the food they feed their boyfriends but this case, I think I can make an excuse because my camera is in the office and I forgot to bring it home last week. ^_^ But suffice to say, I have been cooking up a storm here at home. Since both the Boyfriend and I are on a shoestring budget, we've decided that home cooking is much easier and much

Tectonic Shifts

2008-02-02T16:05:00.000+08:00

I guess it comes as no surprise that I'm terribly unhappy with my job. The pay is extremely low for the amount of work I do, as well as the position I was given - and people who know me know that I rarely quibble about cash. So when I tell you that the pay is low, seriously: the pay is low. And the working environment is something that I'm not quite happy with: my officemates, for the most part,

Birthday Update #2

2008-01-27T17:59:00.000+08:00

So. Turning 24. There's something poetic that I'm sure I can say about it, but it seems that the only thing ringing in my head nowadays is the realization that I'm as old as Ginny was when she first met me in Dumaguete. The ramifications are interesting. ^_^At any rate, so the birthday. I was woken up with cuddles and kisses from The Boyfriend, and then my dad called, wished me a happy birthday,

Birthday Update #1

2008-01-26T22:08:00.000+08:00

So. 24. We're off to a good start. ^_^

Various Facets of a Life

2008-01-21T18:49:00.000+08:00

- Work is...interesting. Projects are piling up, and there are pitches to prepare for. But one particular campaign, though daunting, is really exciting and I want us to get this. ^_^ I'm crossing my fingers that the creative team's ready for this and that they're also as enthusiastic as I am.- Currently reading (and concurrently at that) The Boleyn Inheritance and Antonia Fraser's The Six Wives

And Another One Bites the Dust

2008-01-20T09:29:00.000+08:00

Ew. I'm turning 24 in a week's time. Ew ew ew. I've always thought that once you hit 24, you're now officially considered an adult. Never mind what the age of consent is - you're excused from doing mature things before you're 24. I think it's also partly because my mother got married at 24, so I can't help but think, "Homaygash, at this age, my MOTHER was tying the knot!" *facepalm*Of course, all

Last Two Weeks

2008-01-19T11:30:00.000+08:00

Well, it's been quite some time since I was last here, so apologies all around. The word "hectic" does not do justice to everything that's been going on for the past two weeks, so maybe "crazy" would describe things better.I guess the two biggest things right now is my new job and the fact that The Boyfriend is back in Singapore. ^_^ The new job is just an upgrade from my old job before going off

After a Hundred Years

2008-01-09T15:16:00.000+08:00

I am one of those lucky kids who was born a UP baby. My dad was from the Department of Philosophy at CSSP and, at the time, my mom was the chairperson of Visual Communications at the College of Fine Arts. We lived in UP Village, just on the fringes of the University Avenue, and we've lived there my entire life. My mother tells me that when I was a baby, she would bring me to faculty meetings and

It's Like An Indie Band!

2008-01-08T14:20:00.000+08:00

So, say you're bored and you have nothing to do with your life. Here are three simple and easy steps (taken from the lovely Mary Ann) to making your own band.01. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:RandomThe first article title on the page is the name of your band.02. http://www.quotationspage.com/random.php3The last four words of the very last quote is the title of your album.03. http://

Someone's Sick Again

2008-01-04T11:06:00.000+08:00

I woke up an hour before my alarm went off, my eyes swollen and red (nope, I wasn't crying). My breathing was laboured and wheezing and I took a few puffs of Ventolin and a swig of water to control the asthma. There was absolutely no question in my mind that I wouldn't be able to go to work today - yesterday I was already coughing and having a hard time breathing while crossing the bridge to

First Day at Work

2008-01-03T03:17:00.000+08:00

This is probably the earliest I've ever been awake, not counting days when I had to catch early-morning flights and/or exams. Work starts at 9 AM and I'm slightly nervous.No, amend that: I'm extremely nervous. The only other time I remember being this nervous was for my presentation for my Cultural Studies class two semesters ago, when I was talking about autobiography and the graphic novel, and

Happy New Year

2008-01-01T16:01:00.000+08:00

So here's the prerequisite New Year post, the first blog entry for 2008. We put a lot of premium on "firsts" - first word, first step, first kiss, first love. We want to do something right the first time around, and I suppose that's human nature to be disappointed when things don't turn out the way they want. Last year, I was so sure of myself: I knew what I needed to do and what I wanted to do,

The Pre-Requisite Christmas Post

2007-12-23T20:25:00.000+08:00

So I suppose this is to tell you (yes, all three readers) that I am alive and well and in Manila until the 31st of December. It's very strange to actually go back to Singapore on New Year's Eve, the last day of 2007, but I suppose with everything that's been happening for the entire year, this is not so surprising after all. I've been out most days since I got back and I will be out most days

A Strange Feeling

2007-12-13T13:03:00.000+08:00

So I'm back in Manila, at least for the next two weeks. Ill probably be off to Davao around the 27th, and from there, off to Singapore by the New Year. It's a bit weird to be able to say that I'm home because now, home means a number of things for me already. Still, it's quite nice to be able to be with my siblings and my dad; my mom is coming in on the 17th, and I still have a whirlwind of

Times are a' Changin'

2007-12-09T21:42:00.000+08:00

Hay Lord. Two more days and I'm back on my way home. I'm having mixed feelings about this - on the one hand, I'm totally excited to see my family and friends again, to have a great Christmas and to be on a break (possibly the longest break I'll have for quite some time) before coming back here and literally starting another phase in my life. But on the other hand, I'm also quite sad to be leaving

Classified Ad #1

2007-12-09T13:48:00.000+08:00

Kindly re-post or pass on to friends in Singapore or who might be moving to Singapore and are looking for a room.ROOM FOR RENTBlock 1 Normanton Park (SGD 750 exc. utilities)*near Science Park I and II, NUS and NUH, downtown CBD and Orchard - v. accessible*nearest MRT: Dover and Buona Vista*semi-furnished*has wi-fi Internet, landline, air-con*common room (shared toilet with one girl), laundry area

Wrapping Up

2007-12-07T13:13:00.000+08:00

I can't believe I'm missing so many things tomorrow! UP Writers' Night, the launch of the Philippine PEN Anthology (where I have a story published), and the launch of the PSF Vol. 3. It's a literary smorgasboard, and I'm in another country, five days away from home, and it's rather sad. This is the first time I'm missing Writers' Night since it was reinstated in 2004, as part of the core group of

The Last (Official) Day

2007-12-03T20:29:00.000+08:00

(Just sneaking in a quick post before heading off for an amazing all-nighter involving myself, a bibliography 70 pages long, and a cup of coffee.)Today marks my last official day as a student of the university. It was my last exam (TS 5101: Text and Performance) as an MA student; after today, I have no more requirements to submit, no more exams to take, no more classes to sit for. I have

12 More Days

2007-11-30T11:56:00.000+08:00

On the recent coup d'etat fakeout by TrillanesI actually learned about it on LiveJournal during the afternoon, when people started posting one- or two-liners about Trillanes and the entire affair. So of course, I logged on to Inquirer.net and switched the channel to BBC (much to The Boyfriend's amusement; it's his fault that I'm now up-to-date with a lot of world affairs) to see if there was some

First Exam

2007-11-27T07:06:00.000+08:00

Because I am the most responsible student in the world, I woke up a quarter before nine and realized that (a) my windows were open, thereby letting in a nice breeze, and (b) it was raining. A lot. Now, yes, I knew I had an exam today. And I knew that I didn't have to study much for it, because it was an open book exam and I attended all most of my lectures anyway, so I had notes and you know the

In The Midst of Things

2007-11-24T10:06:00.000+08:00

L-R: Mitch, Aldo, Andi, Gene, me. Photo taken by Justine on Aldo's camera. (Lorie took the same photo, but from a different angle)This was taken from a last-minute get together at Aldo's flat at Clementi Ave 5. Well, last minute for me, since I didn't know that this was going on until Gene texted me and asked me where I was since lunch was already there. Thinking that it was just an impromptu

Between Man and Dragon

2007-11-21T18:56:00.000+08:00

Today, I accompanied The Boyfriend for his final interview with Credit Suisse for the position of Product Analyst. The bank's office was located at Singapore's Central Business District (CBD), which meant that at least there were loads of amusements for me to partake while waiting for him. The test ran for over three hours, and for most of that time, I found myself at the nearest Starbucks -

Approaching the End

2007-11-21T13:45:00.000+08:00

Finally, all the final papers are done and I can breathe for at least the next couple of days and get cracking on bibliography work. It's such a relief to finally be able to submit the bulk of my requirements and actually be able to sleep at midnight and wake up with the sun rising already. At least I can finally get school out of the way and happily go about my other businesses - including job

Panic Mode, Part 2

2007-11-19T10:27:00.000+08:00

I am supposed to be writing my two-days late final requirements for my ISM, which means Master Holden will not be pleased with this turn of developments. I do not have a good excuse: somehow, I don't think saying "I've been doing at least a paper a day since Monday and I've already burned out" might not quite cut it in grad school. Or maybe I'm just being too hard on myself. Anyway, I'm hoping to

Quit Playing Games

2007-11-18T12:38:00.000+08:00

I swear, The Boyfriend beats me at everything!While we were dating, one of the best dates we've had involved a late night of bowling at Marina Square. Of course, I thought (especially after that successful game last Christmas at Jilly's old office) that I could at least score decently against him; and of course I was soundly beaten after one little game. In almost every other game we've played

Panic Mode

2007-11-14T05:46:00.000+08:00

My brain is currently made up of mush. The Boyfriend has just left the building (he has an exam today at noon) and I have just enough time to sweep the floor and do the laundry once I can get off my ass. Didn't sleep very well at all last night, and my legs cramped up sometime this early morning, but there was a storm at dawn (and how often can you write those words down?) and the entire sky was

By The Weekend

2007-11-09T11:50:00.000+08:00

Oh amusements of amusements! I am wasting time on Facebook because today is "Gabby will rest day". I'm officially done with all my freelance writing work (including that horrid case study) and with only the bibliography work to go - something I will focus on during Reading Week - I am perfectly free to go and panic for no less than THREE papers, the first of which is due on Tuesday.