Hard sell not necessary. You had me at "No oily stools".

When I was 22 I had all the time in the world. I would go home at 3 AM because I didn't want my evening with friends to end.
Today we are all over the world.
My friend Charm lives in Canada, Nomer is based in Australia, Izza flies for Kuwait Airways and so on and so forth.
We are all flying to Manila for the holidays and I promised to hang out with them for as long as time permits.
For as long as time permits?
Whatever happened to not caring about time?
It didn't matter that we had nothing in our pockets except a few bills and some cigarettes, because we could be together for days on end and we could tough it out together.
Today is very very different.
Nomer is asking for five hours of my time on December 22, because he wanted to catch up and have a serious conversation about life outside the Philippines.
Okay where the hell did that come from?
We were just nicking lattes at Starbucks Cubao eight years ago.
I have a month to see everyone and reconnect with them.
I want each and every meeting to be meaningful and long and fun and climactic.
We can't afford to just chill out and not do a thing.
If we're together, we have to do something.
That is weird.

Geez my sister is all grown-up at 15.
Her Facebook status says "Get out of my face hoeee."
She knows a hoe personally, and hates the biatch too.
If she's met a hoe then she's definitely in the real world.
Or in Kanye West's circle.
Either way, I think nowadays that's a sign that you're normal at 15.

Fifi and I are seriously thinking of moving to another area. Where people don't fart in the lifts!
Yesterday as we were walking towards our building from the parking lot, we were talking about how great our weekend had been and how we couldn't wait to just retire to bed watching the American Music Awards.
We entered the building and patiently waited for the lift. Thirty seconds later a poker-faced man casually strutted out. Well he farted so he had no business looking like there was nothing wrong.
We stay in the lift for at least ten seconds all the time. Please don't fart in the lift. Please don't.
You will forever be remembered as a pig.
And we will die of the smell.

A Kickass Day in Kathmandu

I've been working here in the Gulf for nearly five years, and have interviewed a number of prominent figures. Sheikhs, Bollywood super star Shah Rukh Kahn, actress Mandy Moore, English cricket star Freddi Flintoff and so on and so forth. Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine meeting the Arabian Warren Buffett, the 19th richest person in the world, and one of the catalysts of change among women's role in Saudi Arabia. It's Prince Al Waleed bin Talal, chairman of Kingdom Holding.


So Danters and I were taking pictures in Kathmandu. Our first day in Nepal and we were already climbing over a hundred steps to see one of the capital's temples. And then there was a small crowd, and I checked out what was going on. There he was, casually waving at everyone, with minimal security surrounding him. I simply walked up to him and asked if we could take a picture together, and his short reply, "Sure," led to this:


People who are aware of the magnitude of his success and the amount of influence he has in the world that I was super lucky to have met him and taken a picture with him. Am I? Well...
I have mixed emotions. I feel extremely fortunate, but I also feel like it's just how I roll. So I am semi-modest and semi-super confident. Maybe that's why the prince and I get along? I don't know, you be the judge!

Pretty Ladies On My List

I have always liked the following Hollywood stars, but these pictures of them are exceptionally mind-blowing. What they're wearing nailed it. Also they're funny. Funny is always sexy, don't you ever forget that.

Jessica Alba, just one of those occasions

Eva Mendes in "The Other Guys", where she plays the wife of the character of Will Ferrell, a douche cop.

Sarah Silverman, one of my favorite comics in the universe.

Ellen, your speech made me cry.

My 2010 List

Oh well. End of the year.
How do you gauge if your year has been successful?
I always have a list every time I change calendars.
And the list is carefully crafted - not too easy so that I may not falsely overachieve, and not too hard that I just end up frustrated and unhappy.

Last year most of the things on my list were checked.
There were some things I was not able to do because I was holding out.
I didn't know what I was waiting for, and I didn't know what I was so afraid of.

This year I'm going all out, because this is not the year to hold out.
Because this is not the year to regret.
It started out great - Fifi and I moved together, I got a new job, I cut down on smoking, reconnected with friends, and had a relationship with a good man.
I'm not about to end it with a long face.
Or a fat one.

So what are the last few items on the list?

Travel, travel, travel.
Go places I've never seen before.
I've saved enough to pursue my short-term dreams on a whim, and more.
By the end of the year I will have traveled to five places, each with its own charm and an overwhelming sense of distance from everything that burdened me.

Get physical!
Walk, run, swim, fly, fall. That is the way to get fit. And with my itinerary for the last two months of the year, it looks like I will be doing all those things.

Brainstorm investment options.
I will no doubt spend my money in the Philippines.
But I need to look at a few things - is it going to be property, agriculture, food, apparel, a love shack? Kidding about the last one.
But yeah I need a concrete plan and maybe a trustworthy business partner who's smarter than me.

So far that's it. I don't have a lot of goals left, because I have achieved most of them, thanks to the infinite power of the Lord and my own awesomeness.

Can't wait to make my 2011 list.

Life's reflexes

When one part of my life is in shambles, another part starts to magically improve.
Thanks to life's reflexes, the good cancels out the bad.
The two are not similar in nature - a loss is still a loss, and a gain in another area of my life doesn't mean the other void is filled.
Nevertheless, I cannot complain.
I woke up this morning with a heavy heart, but a phone call changed it all.
I skipped to work today (well, from the parking lot to the entrance of the building) and involuntarily smile whenever I think about my good fortune.
Just when I needed the world to prove me wrong, it showed off its powers and left me happily scratching my head. Bow.

ABS CBN's New Station ID for Christmas 2010

My Take on Destressing

Brides Magazine published a list called "16 Surefire Ways to Destress". I thought it was a lameass page filler, because I would never blow bubbles to pacify myself, nor would I organize my sock drawer when I'm upset. Check it out:

1. Organize your sock drawer
2. Blow bubbles
3. Check things off a list
4. Give yourself a pedicure
5. Dance like crazy in your living room
6. Count backward from 100
7. Head out for a hike
8. Inhale a calming scent, like lavender
9. Try out a new, complicated recipe
10. Go for a drive with the windows open
11. Scream into a pillow
12. Pet a cat or dog
13. Chew gum
14. Kickbox
15. Buy a new lipstick
16. Try on your dress!

I kind of have my own version, and it's more realistic, because these are the things that people I know actually do, and they seem to work. Plus, it's a must shorter list.

1. Curse. Sometimes I like cussing under my breath or in the car when I'm alone. Especially when it's loud and there's a particular person I'm cussing. And just now as I was Googling, I found out that my favorite destressing technique is actually backed by a legit study. Chekirawt:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/norfolk/7047536.stm

2. Get away. Whether it's out of the house, out of town or out of the country, a new environment always works. I prefer going back home to the Philippines, or somewhere nice and exotic (last year I had an awesome ten-day holiday in Kenya), or if I'm on a budget I go out of town with my friends. Our latest in-country "ekskarshon" was to Khorfakkan in Fujairah.

3. Pray. Whether it's reciting the Rosary or talking to God silently in the church, praying is a very effective stress-reliever for me. I usually thank God for all the blessings He's been giving me, apologize for not meeting His expectations, and ask for His help with my personal problems and the concerns of those who are dear to me.

4. Watch a funny video. I don't remember how many times a funny movie or YouTube video has saved me from killing myself. Or stress - more accurate. When I've had a long day at work and I don't have the energy to go out and meet up with friends or talk to them on the phone, a slapstick comedy or a short stand up clip always does the trick. Fifi and I were obsessed with Nacho Libre for a time. "Encarnacioooooon..." These days I'm hooked on Sarah Silverman's YouTube gags.

5. Talk. Just talk. If some people are really driving you crazy, talk about them. I do in the car on the way home from work. Alone. I usually do a Q&A with myself. Like I would ask myself "What makes (insert name) a douche?" and then I would answer, "Well, for starters, her breath stinks but she still talks like her words make the world go round."

6. Drive aimlessly. Works in this part of the world, where petrol is cheaper and traffic is bearable. I usually drive around and call people up, and if they're up to something that's interesting enough to make me get out of the car, I join them. Or I go to the mall and window-shop and eat ice cream.

7. Vino. Need I say more? If you'r all grown up and have bills to pay and a future to plan and you just want to take time off and clear your head until you are ready to carry on again, counting backward from 100 doesn't compare to a nice glass of wine. And quite frankly seems utterly useless. Booya.