JONALD AND TESS CELEBRATE THEIR 25TH WEDDING ANNIVERSARY

Hey! I just met them, but this is crazy! 
Jonald and Tess, nag silver wedding?

Sorry about that.
But it's true.
I can't believe Jonald and Tess celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary on July 25.
They look so young.
Move over, botox and laser.
True love is still the best way to stay young and happy!
I had the privilege to host the wedding reception, and Fifi was there to take pics!
Love you Layds!

 Cake cutting slash fencing! 

The understated, classy three-tier cake from Jumeirah Emirates Towers.

 The couple still looked fresh and relaxed after a whole day of preparations and celebrations.

 Denise and Denica Cabildo stole the show with their sweet rendition of Love Makes A Friend Be a Friend Like You. They can carry a tune, and harmonize too!

 The family that smiles together....

 The family with their wacky friends!

 A special song number by Gwen Goden, who performed TWICE at the event.

 Myself and Sheila, the banquet manager at Jumeirah Emirates Towers, and the person who made sure that the ballroom was beautiful, the food was delicious, and the whole event took place smoothly.

 When marimba rhythm starts to play...

The couple danced to one of their favorite songs, Sway.

I was very happy to have my picture taken with the couple on this stage. 

It wasn't so much a stage as it was a set of a talk show.

Ramadan Around The World - Indonesia | My Dubai My City

I had a lot of fun having iftar with Isti and friends.
I also learned that Indonesia and the Philippines have similar languages.
It was a surprise knowing that they also call their wraps lumpia.
High five on our caveman days!

Ramadan Around The World - Indonesia | My Dubai My City

KERALA PICTURES

Thought I'd post pictures form our Kerala trip. Really miss going on a holiday and thinking of absolutely nothing. I've been working like a dawg and the only thing that keeps me going is the promise of a much-needed getaway in less than two months! For the meantime, I am going to have to look at these and maybe pack my suitcase in advance.

MY FIRST IFTAR THIS YEAR

I'm so excited to attend an Indonesian iftar tonight! I am meeting Isti, a lovely Indonesian lady who has lived in Dubai for years.

She's serving up a feast at sunset, and it's going to fresh, tasty and accompanied by stories from her and her guests.

I like nasi goreng and Liam likes beef rendang. Let's see if those two dishes will be part of her spread this evening.

I'll keep you posted!

This Ramadan is definitely my busiest ever.

I love it.

Celeb Street Style Spotlight: Maxi Skirts Celeb Street Style Spotlight: Maxi Skirts – The Frisky

Celeb Street Style Spotlight: Maxi Skirts Celeb Street Style Spotlight: Maxi Skirts – The Frisky

We love maxi skirts!

I managed to have a great weekend, even though technically, I do not have weekends. I am required to work on Friday and Saturday, and have been doing this for over a month.

Fortunately, Liam and Fifi are the best. Liam and I had dinner on Thursday evening at Hoi An, a French-Vietnamese restaurant at the Shangrila Hotel in Dubai. French grape and Vietnamese cuisine mix very well, and it was worth getting out of the house at the end of a hot and tiring week.

We also managed to go to Ikea and Hyperpanda before the work week. Ikea has always been a happy place for me. I bought a bunch of little things for my house in Cubao last year at the Dubai Festival City branch, and it's nice that Mama, Zoe and Ate Joan are using them.

Fifi visited me on Saturday afternoon and we had a short coffee date at Costa downstairs. We listed down 18 things she should be doing when she turns 30. It was a fun activity and I can't wait to do my own list! We also hear mass in the evening and had Taza for dinner. Taza like KFC, only it's an Arabic brand, and it's supposedly healthier than the Coronel's chicken.

I ended my Saturday by watching a documentary about Gypsy fighting in the UK. It was a chilling account of how travelers settles scores by using their fists, and how they expect their sons to continue this barbaric tradition.

Well, that's my weekend non-weekend. Or my non-weekend weekend.

I dreamed last night that my whole family was running away from our grandfather, who happened to be Muammar Ghadafi. Grandpa Ghadafi was chasing us in the woods. Luckily, we managed to find a nice bungalow house where we locked ourselves in and kept safe until he broke the door and slipped his hand inside! Oh no.

And then I woke up. He was still dead, I was still in bed, and it was another day at work.

Whew.

I should have known by now that when I reach my lowest point, that's exactly where my climb to a better place begins. I have had that experience many many times and I've always panicked, sunk into depression, or thought negatively. Things have always ended up better than ever. And now, no matter how much I worry or think about the worst thing that could happen to me, the reality is, things are getting better for me, and if I don't appreciate that, I would be the biggest ingrate in the world.

Forward, always forward.

Filipinos among world's heaviest smokers

Filipinos among world's heaviest smokers

This news is no surprise at all. Cigarettes are available everywhere.
They're cheap, they're marketed as a must-have cool accessory when going out, and tobacco companies have become innovative.
Marlboros now come in all colors and lengths and thickness, depending on people's mood and ages and what they want the world to see them as.
A stick of Philip Morris is the only thing you can buy with two pesos, and it lasts a while, giving the tired jeepney driver a much needed mini-break.

I'm a quitter. I've been one for a year now, and it feels good!
I no longer need a fag fix every three hours.
I don't include them in my daily budget anymore.
My gums look healthier and my face brighter.
My skin just looks so much better, and I smell fresher!

Many say it's so easy to get back into the habit, but I promise never to do it again.
It's the worst thing I can do to myself, especially now that I am no longer 23 years old.
And every time I experience the little wonders of being a non-smoker, I let out a long, big sigh of relief.
I'm able to, thanks to my clean lungs!

You're simply perfect.

We can't really have everything.
Otherwise we would be perfect and have achieved every objective we and the universe have set for us in life, and then it's time for us to die.
So it's all right to have challenges.
In fact, it's necessary.
Difficult, hair-pulling, make-or-break ones that will really push us to think what's important in our lives.
Money? Career? Love? Family? Religion? Fashion? Reputation?
And the list goes on.
And one of the things that determine that is a heart-attack moment.

I have had so many heart-attack moments.
Moments that compelled me to make the most difficult and life-changing decisions in my life.
And they were the moments that dramatically altered my life in ways deeper than any Chilean miner can dig.
And right now I am very close to making one.
It's eating up my brain, making my heart beat faster, firing up my ambition and reviving my passion for something I have always always loved doing.

But like any big event in one's life, I am faced with a big hurdle.
And I am aiming to get over it before the end of the day.
Literally, before sunset.
There is absolutely nothing I can do to slow down my heart beat or tell my thoughts to stand still.
This challenge is taking over me and giving me a kind of rush that I have not had in more than two years.
And you know what? That's a good sign.
So let me say a little prayer and get on with it.
Here goes....

CocoRosie - By your side

I made apple crumble in maple syrup the other day, and I had to use butter and serve it with vanilla ice cream. That was one of the rarest times since February that I allowed myself to have dairy. No biggie, I thought.
But within hours, my digestive system was disrupted, making me realize for the Nth time that dairy products were not for me.

My dairy-free vow that started on the first day of Lent has brought me nothing but joy and health. My skin is clear and glowing, my body has shrunk by at least three kilos, and my overall physical appearance has improved. I even have more energy. I don't pant anymore. I feel lighter. And there is less mucus in my body.

If this all sounds gross to you, I'm sorry. But going dairy-free is probably one of the best health decisions I have ever made in my life. Sure, I can break my own rule once in a while, but I suffer from the consequences, and that's even more reason to quit it altogether.

Go dairy-free. No skinny lattes. No frozen yogurt. No parmesan shavings on your salad. Just quit it and live happily ever after, smiling in a bikini and looking ten years younger.

Yup, I came up with the quote. Also made the poster without using Photoshop or Paint. And yes, the whole point of this is to inspire you and keep you going. You're welcome.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

DISAPPOINTED

Yup. I guess that's the word to describe how I am feeling right this moment.
How would you feel if your sister got kicked out of college?
I have funded her education since her high school years.
I attended her high school graduation ceremony last year with my head held high, proud to be the big sister of a bright and outgoing young woman who knew what she wanted in life and had ways to get it.
So finding out that she had been dismissed by her college after completing her first year and a summer course broke my heart into a million little pieces.
My sister isn't stupid. I know that. She outsmarts me and my mother all the time.
She is lazy. She doesn't give a hoot about getting an education and she certainly doesn't think about all the other young girls in the world who could only pray to have enough money to attend a decent school.
Why do we all go to school, and strive to finish university?
We all want a better future. We all want to have careers.
We want to make empowered professional choices, so that we don't beg employers to hire us, or be forced to wait tables or clean toilets, or marry a rich but evil man.
And yet my sister is oblivious to all this, despite the fact that it's all I ever talk to her about.
So now she wants to go to fashion school.
Now she wants to start anew, and has promised me that once she is enrolled again, she will never ever ever take her studies for granted.
I appreciate she has to study something she loves so her attention won't stray.
But I really hope that my sister as staying power to last four years to be able to say she has obtained a degree.
A four-year course is a four-year course, whether one is learning about numbers, plants or fabrics.
I know that I have doubts about my sister's sincerity about wanting to study so badly.
But here I am, giving her another chance, as awesome big sisters do.
It's hard, sooo hard to think that everything is going to be okay.
That my sister will shape up and learn her lesson and tread the path to a successful career eventually.
It's even harder to think that she believes or listens to me.
I just hope that the way I expressed my disappointment - all those words I carelessly hurled at her and the disgusted look on my face as a reaction to her indolence - will not taint her appetite to try again.
I am very hard on her not because I want to feel powerful, but because I want her to look up to me.
I desperately want her to find out how I experienced university life and how I managed to build a career.
But for now, I hope she freaking finds a school.

I am hosting a wedding in July! It's the 25th wedding anniversary of two wonderful Pinoys living and working here in Dubai. It is truly a rare occasion. Not many couples last that long nowadays, and it is an honor for me to be part of such a romantic and fabulous celebration!

They are even making a dress for me! We went to the tailors yesterday to give them my measurements. I was not happy about my waistline, which is why I'm going swimming with the girls tonight. It is going to be a great day! My dress will look something like this, but it will be fuchsia and silver, to conform to the theme color.

And I am back on Blogger! It's been almost eight months since my last post. I thought I would completely abandon this blog to start a new one, but I was obviously not strong enough to leave a colorful online past. So let's get started again, shall we?

Interesting.

September 5, 2011

Breakfast:

Lemon water

Half an apple

3 biscuits with cashew nuts

Lunch:

Buffet takeaway from Organic Foods & Cafe

- Beef patty with tomato and cheese, sauteed veggies, fish curry, half a cup brown rice

Snack:

2 Walnuts

1 raisin

1 apple

Dinner:

Inasal chicken breast

Sauteed veggies

2 spoonfuls of rice

1 piece chicken chicharon

1 peppermint tea

Water intake: At least 3.5 liters

Physical activity: Zero

I feel good though. That, minus the chicharon plus a 30-minute walk, would be the perfect day for me.

I don't feel heavy, guilty or depressed with what I allowed my body to take in today.

I am temporarily turning this into a food journal.

September 3, 2011

Breakfast:
Lemon water
2 Flaxseed chocolate chip cookies
Tamarind

Lunch:
6-inch Turkey breast sub - wheat bread, peppers, onions, olives, sweet onion sauce, no cheese
1 small pack Salted peanuts

Pre-dinner (WTF):
Tamarind
2 Flaxseed choc cookies

Dinner
Wine
Turkey, cranberry and brie sandwich (thanks Fifi!) - white bread, plastic cheese, lettuce and cucumber slices
A small piece of leftover Max's fried chicken
Peppermint tea

As you can see I had a very bad dinner last evening.
This will NOT be tolerated. By myself.

My Birthdays

Every year on my birthday I have so much fun and wish the day would never end.
There's so much laughter and food and singing and dancing and picture-taking!
My friends here really work hard leading up to the celebrations to make sure that my party turns out fabulous and more importantly, to make me feel loved.
I feel so blessed every year that I don't mind being older.
But at the back of my mind, I always have this fear that my party will bomb, or at least won't be as fun as the year before.
But I am always proved wrong, because every year it turns out to be more fun, more meaningful, more boozy and more ... fun!
So for now I am holding on to the memories of my last party until my next one rolls around.
Maybe it's time to produce my own concert on my next birthday.
It's my only chance to have one really. Remember, the world will end in December 2012?

Pinoy Table Manners

Oh my gosh, this is so true. He is so annoying but he's got all the quirks and mannerisms right.
And yes, I do everything he illustrates in the video, except eating banana and rice together.

Traditional Filipino Courtship.

I hope this still exists.
How sweet!

Tatay

Tatay, you will be missed.

Thank you for every thing you have done to make life better for us.

For teaching Mama how to drive.

For picking up Daniella, Carlo and me from school.

For treating my wound when I got bitten by April the crazy dog.

For cooking talbos ng kamote for Daniella.

For watching Jesus Christ Superstar with us.

For caring for Carlo's dog.

For running errands for all of us.

For always taking every thing in stride.

And most of all, thank you reuniting your children, who had not been okay before you passed away. No, we are not mourning your death, but celebrating a life lived meaningfully, and a honoring a selfless man who possessed nothing but lived as if he had everything he needed in life.

I love you Tatay.

No. No. No.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YDakFfLQDF4&feature=fvwrel

The 30 Day Bikram Yoga Challenge

I feel great!
Fifi and I agreed to take on the 30-day at the only Bikram yoga studio in Dubai.
We've been doing Bikram for over 2 years, but never regularly.
So in a way this is going to be a first for us.
Thirty straight days of non stop stretching, flexing, breathing, intense movement and sweating.
It is going to be great.
Last evening I already felt the difference in my body - all stretched out, energized, detoxified and refreshed.
My acne subsided a little bit, and I imagine by the end of the month it's going to feel and look a lot better.
This is going to be super awesome.
What a great way to take advantage of Ramadan timings!

A very touching song.

Haha. Nerd is the new hunk. Why not.

I feel better after reading all those acne-related forums online.

It turns out, a lot of people get cystic acne after quitting smoking.

It's the body's way of detoxifying and getting it used to a nicotine-free system.

I am happy that I finally quit. It has been more than a month and I feel fine.

I don't crave it, and I am pretty sure I will forever be against it.

Now back to my acne. I am trying to ignore the fact that it is getting severe.

I am on medication and I am positive that I will see miraculous results in a month or two, but for now it is really hard to look at my face in the mirror and say "You are beautiful".

I have always been very confident, and when I go out I always think that acne doesn't exist.

But there are times like today when it really gets to me and I just really want to disappear, and resurface when my face is clear again.

Oh well. Patience is a virtue.

It took a great deal of patience to kick the bad habit.

A little more to wait for my skin to heal is nothing.

Bow.

Unlike former Prez GMA whose State of the Nation Addresses focused on the economy and eradicating poverty, PNoy started his with a list of corruption cases and extra judicial killings that are on their way to seeing the court's verdict. That's his thing. Okay I like that.

I thoroughly enjoyed watching this in film class.
It was described as a shining example of a poorly made movie.
The director intended to make it extra crappy by failing to maintain continuity in certain scenes, making some of the events illogical, unacceptable and simply too gross for anyone's viewing.
But he made trannies and fatties fashionable and irresistibly funny.
I wish I had a copy of this! Would be fun to see again.

OD-ing on Vitamin A....

...is NOT funny.
it is supposed to get rid of my acne.
It worked for me in the past and I am trying it again.
Okay.
I understand that it will get worse before it clears up.
I was warned of the side effects like chapped lips and dehydration.
Lip balm? Check. Water? Check.
Overall, everything's going swimmingly, except that I think I am going blind.
I sometimes think I'm blinking too long - longer than the usual split-second eyelash batting I do - only to realize that my eyes are open and I cannot see a thing for a second or two.
And then my vision comes back in a snap.
Weird.
I also read somewhere that the harsher side effects include hallucination, depression and in some cases, suicidal tendencies.
Oh retinoids.
Love you and hate you like a schizo on acne meds.

Paul Scheer still cracks me up

I've been awake since 3 AM and nothing could make me go back to sleep.

But in the three hours that I have been up, I've accomplished a lot of things, thanks to the world wide web.

I learned a few things, like light beer has fewer calories than a gin and tonic. Shame.

Applied ice on a big zit on my forehead for thirty minutes. Yay.

Talked to Mama on the phone to say hello.

Phoned my cousin Daniella to sort out some paperwork in Manila. Check.

And now I'm about to help myself to a hot cup of cocoa before jumping in the pool.

And then my day starts. :)

I quit smoking completely.

Cold turkey.

Woke up one day, didn't want to light another cigarette again.

I thought it would take one brave, life-changing gesture on my part.

But the way I decided to give up this bad habit was understated and sincere.

I have not even announced it.

Not that it's of importance to a lot of people.

But it is definitely a big deal to me and my friends.

I love myself and I plan to live a long, happy, healthy and meaningful life.

Amen.

I am so proud of my sister Zoe for passing the tryouts for Company of 1, a prestigious dance group in her school!
It's only her first month in college and she is already making waves - making lots of friends, studying hard, and pursuing her passion for dancing.
Now I know that Mama and I did a great job raising her.
Bonus: she is also as pretty as her big sister and mom.
Are we perfect or what???
She's my Kendall Jenner. You know it!

Forget potions.

Dr. Ibrahim is the best dermatologist in the world.

Very reassuring, calm and prescribes nothing but the best.

Brunch with the girls!

This weekend took a LOT out of me.

But can't complain because it was awesome!

Here are some pictures from out Friday brunch.

It was super fun pigging out and goofing around with my sisters!

What my handwriting says about me...

What does your handwriting say about YOU?

The results of your analysis say:

You plan ahead, and are interested in beauty, design, outward appearance, and symmetry.
You are a social person who likes to talk and meet others.
You are affectionate, passionate, expressive, and future-oriented.
You are a talkative person, maybe even a busybody!
You enjoy life in your own way and do not depend on the opinions of others.

Best Overnight Zit Zappers

1. Bioessence Acne Lotion. This can be bought in the Philippines for a little over a hundred pesos, and it lasts for over six months. It's best applied on blackheads that tend to become full-blown zits. It contains salicylic acid and is tinted, so it can be applied under make up. I personally don't use it during the day, because it smells funny. But apply it in the evening and you will wake up less oily.

2. Fucidin H. It is an antibacterial cream and it was recommended by my dermatologist, for HUGE pus-filled pimples. Zits multiply because the bacteria is spread around the face, so it is important to stop stupidly touching your face all the time to check if your zits have vanished. Fucidin comes in gel or cream form. I personally like gel because it stays on my face longer, therefore more product is absorbed overnight. I woke up today to find the zit on my forehead less noticeable. Yay!

3. Ice. Oh my gosh, ice is the best! For really red zits that tend to get bigger during the day, ice application is the solution. Wrap a cube in a paper towel and dab it on the spot. Don't press hard, just enough to numb that sonuvagun. Do that for ten minutes, and do the whole thing at least twice a day.

And for scars, use papaya soap or hydroquinone cream. But use them sparingly. We girls tend to be impatient and put a sh*tload of product on our faces. That is NOT cool. Your face will saga and get all wrinkly fast if you do that. Moderately apply stuff on your face.

And also control your drinking. Make sure you drink lots of water to keep you hydrated. Especially in humid weather. I think that's how I got my gigantic zit on my forehead this week.

Had fun!
Spent lunch time at home stuffing my face with siopao and chips.
I also mock-proposed to Fifi by going down on one knee and offering her a piece of cake that looked exactly like a Tiffany blue box.
It was tear-jerking. In many ways.
Anyway Fifi and I collaborated on another rap song.
She's my Dr. Dre/Timbaland in a lot of ways, and I'm her Eminem/50 Cent.
Actually we borrowed Leslie Knope's rendition of a famous early 90s rap song.
Well, famous if you were a Fresh Prince fan.
We are not dorks, but we couldn't think of anything else to do.
Will post it here soon :)
Oh my gosh multi-media savvy beats being president any day!

I am so happy today!

The big zit smack in the middle of my forehead is a speck of dirt in my life.

That's the power of optimism and morning workouts.

Also I think my thighs are getting smaller.

I have been waking up extra early lately to go for a swim in the morning and talk to my mom on the phone. It feels great!
I get a lot done before 9 AM, like go to the bank or make my morning warm water and lemon concoction and sip it slowly.
I also have a lot of time to clear my mind before starting another long day at work.
It is so great to be an early bird for a change!
I've been a late sleeper for so long, maybe a decade!
And to wake up at 630 in the morning to jump in the pool is a big achievement for me!
Some people climb Mt. Everest, some decide to end their drug addiction, some get all of their teeth repaired, and I decide to wake up three hours earlier than my usual wake up time.
Not bad.

Michelle Phan's rice water toner and cotton mask

I love this video! Yes I will try this. Don't eat rice. Put it on your face, biotches!

Handsome Men's Club

Oh my gosh!
How handsome are the men in the Handsome Men's Club?
I'm surprised the studio didn't explode when they all got together.
Okay, my top three picks are:

Rob Lowe
Lenny Kravitz
John Kasinski

World of 30

Check this out! This group I am working with posted the short video I made about two girls who share what they love about their age. Both are based in Dubai and turning 30 this year, and are looking forward to a lot of things after hitting the big Three-Oh. More importantly, they are happy!

World of 30 is a group dedicated to women who are either approaching their 30s, have turned 30, or are in their early 30s. The founders are beautiful, creative, and determined to reach out to women all over the world to address their concerns that come with their age.

I am so happy they found me! :)

They say that God will never give you a challenge that you cannot overcome.

Today, I have accepted a very big one, and it is about to change my life.

This will bring my self-respect to greater heights and make my family happier than ever.

Most importantly, it will make me worthy to be God's beautiful child.

All for Your glory, God. Amen.

+

=

Ok my video post was NOT successful at all.

For some reason the audio was not in synch with the video.

So my mouth is moving weirdly and this could distract the viewer.

Whatevah.

What up! I just found out you could post videos on this thing. How low-tech am I?

Ok so here's a video I made in February.

I wrote this song in high school. It's about... good guess. A boy.

He's a drummer and I never got the chance to know him because I was too shy to approach him.

Also he was part of a big band back home. Underground superstar status.

So there.

And how stupid do I look in the beginning and between verses?

Hahaha.

Enjoy!

I cannot stand watching this performance by Adele.
It's such a very good, very emotional, very precise account of every failed love story.
It drags the corners of my mouth down to the ground.
She is so good.

Bedtime Schmedtime

I am tempted by lots of C's this week. Panic!

Chocolate, Cosmos and carbs!

Yikes!

Must ask other C's to salvage this bovine lifestyle.

Vitamic C, costumes (wink) and Christian living!

Corny, cheesy, completely useless information.

I realized that one way I could help my Philippines is by supporting the Reproductive Health Bill.
It hit me when I had a conversation with a 23-year old Belgian who seemed to have vast intimate knowledge of what's going on in my uterus.
And I took no offense because I kind of had an idea why.
The Belgians have one of the best educational systems in the world.
The moment they hit puberty, their teachers are obliged to tell them what hormones do to you, and how they change your body.
As a result, they are smart enough to know when and when not to fool around.
They also know what to do when they do fool around.
And they now what's going on in their bodies.
And so the Belgians are able to plan their lives - when to settle down, have babies and juggle family life with career.
So the Kingdom of Belgium sits comfortably somewhere in Western Europe, with a population of over 10 million and a GDP of $466 billion.
The government does not need to worry about hungry mouths to feed, homeless families, and what the church will say about family planning.
Belgium is also a predominantly Roman Catholic nation, just like the Philippines.
I am no genius and have not conducted a study on whether the RH Bill will improve our lives and consequently the Philippine economy, but maybe it will.
Squeeze it into the curriculum.
Welcome questions.
Give people options.
We hear of families having too many babies because they couldn't afford condoms or pills, so they kill their babies or make them work before they could even go to school.
They're lucky if they could.
So what's wrong with a few free condoms being passed around the slums?
What's wrong with having options other than despair and death?
Let's give RH a shot.
Come one people.
We gave Erap a shot.
We will never ever be Belgium, but we can be a better, less hungry, less ignorant, happier Philippines.
Now where to start.

forward, always forward: The Kardashians are back!

forward, always forward: The Kardashians are back!

The Kardashians are back!

Kris and Kim at Sonya's Garden, Tagaytay

Khloe, Kim and Kourtney with Gab at Dubai WTC

Kim and Kris at Sonya's Garden

Kourtney, Kris and Khloe performing at Kim's birthday party

Kim, Kourtney and Khloe at Yas Island, Abu Dhabi

Kourtney's karaoke birthday party

Kourtney, Khloe, Kim and Kris at Comedy Junction

Kim and Khloe hanging out at a coffee shop

7 Female Celebs Who Got Plastic Surgery For “Medical Reasons”

7 Female Celebs Who Got Plastic Surgery For “Medical Reasons”

I wish there was a thigh-and-hip equivalent of a deviated septum.

I know that obsession over losing weight is not a unique trait.

Hundreds of girls shrink, get ill and even die from it.

But I am still learning how I as an individual developed it.

It's become embedded in my soul that I don't see it as a burden.

In fact, it is integral to my existence.

If within a month I don't shed unwanted fat, I panic and sometimes think my life is ruined.

But that is okay, because more often than not, I always do.

When I don't, I find a way to do so.

And the control I gain over how I am supposed to look and what the weighing scale should say is intoxicating, like falling in love or going on a really nice holiday.

Ok, at least I know where to start: control.

Control is synonymous for Leo.

Leos like being on top, whether it is of a situation or a nice young man.

They thrive in knowing that they are able to manipulate something or someone effortlessly that in the end, they are seen as powerful yet beautiful.

That is exactly how I feel and what I become when I lose a kilo, resist a cookie, or burn 900 calories in 90 minutes doing Bikram yoga.

So why do I feel the urge to control my weight?

I am generally a person who needs more patience.

And while it takes time to achieve my biggest goals in life, body weight is such an easy thing to play with.

Bikini season in a couple of weeks? No problem.

I can quit chocolate, drink a gazillion cups of green tea, walk a mile or two every day, and purchase every weight loss supplement in the market.

And then I am not tubby anymore.

And then I am happy.

Quick weight loss quenches my thirst for things to happen instantly.

Why did I grow up not being patient?

Because it was absolutely a no-no for my mother.

I am being completely neutral about this.

When I was a kid I thought my mom was ruthless and unbelievably impatient.

But as I grew up I learned that sometimes, patience is an excuse to not move a muscle and trigger activity in one's life.

In short, impatience makes me do stuff.

And I do stuff.

Wow sometimes I just go on and on about something and I totally lose my point and become sleepy.

Good night!

What is up with people who do NOT let me finish talking, only to either repeat what I was going to say, or make a really stupid point?
Along with deceiving a woman's heart, it should be illegal, Shakira.
I have developed this indispensable skill of standing straight and speaking without stuttering and looking down, and it is hard for me to maintain for years.
And it's hard for me to maintain that swag every time a douchelord interrupts me.
Good thing there is that breathe-and-count-to-ten technique, or prayers.

How incredible is life?
Seriously.
I have not had time to think about it lately, but when I do get a minute or two, like now, I make it a point to ponder events in my life lately, and it is simply awesome.
When a struggle ends, another starts.
And as we all know a struggle is not an end in itself.
Struggles make us stronger, wiser, happier in the long run.
But we can only take so much at once, and so we are given one at a time.
I am so happy that my mom is recovering fast and her doctor has reduced her meds.
It is truly good news for the whole family.
And right now we have something else - equally big and life-changing - to think about.
And it is a challenge I am willing to take on.
I am very excited because my family and I are working as a team again.
The fact that I am miles away is not even important.
We are so awesome.
I love it!

I am in love with Blaine even though he is gay.

Rebecca Gonzales Zalamea is my mother.

Call her Becky for short.

She had me when she was barely 18.

So she was this tiny 18-year-old mom in the early 80's.

After finishing college, she started to work.

Every day she would commute from Quezon City to Manila, where she worked as a designer.

Every day she would work hard and go home to greet me and prepare dinner.

She worked to buy my milk, clothes, pay our bills, send me to good schools, pay for my swimming and ballet and speech classes, pay for our weekend holidays with our aunts and cousins, and give me some money to buy food in the school cafeteria.

She taught me to pray and we walked to church together every Sunday.

She was not one to show weakness.

Rest and solitude were for losers.

She kept working even when she was pregnant with little Zoe.

She worked through the most turbulent times of her life, and worked her way up until she was not longer a mere employee but an indispensable figure in her firm.

She established her own line of clothing.

She put up her own business.

Everything we ate, used and enjoyed were from the fruits of her labor.

I always thought she worked really hard.

She would take a vacation once in a few years.

She loved the States and Hongkong.

Straight from the plane, she would make sure we were good girls, and go back to work.

I cried to her a lot of times and she didn't like it.

I didn't like it either.

I wanted to be strong for her and I wanted her to see that I took after her when it came to possessing strength and soldiering on in the face of adversity.

And then the daily grind stopped this year.

She took a minute to rest and catch her breath.

She is regaining her strength and can't wait to get back on track.

That's my Mama.

I've been witnessing her tireless and selfless efforts to keep our family intact for 28 years.

Many people tell me that they admire my mother's resilience, and that they wish they could be like her.

Well, it hasn't been easy to get to where she is.

It took a lot of twists and turns.

But at present, we have never been happier.

You are an amazing mother, Mama.

You deserve the world.

I love you.

This is the week of a LOT of Fs - fatigue, fun, friends, frivolous frolicking, fat figures, fading foundation, feces, favors, fixations, fiends and family.
And I cannot explain each one of em.

Housewarming Party Guest Wish List

ok i was so bored i played a game in my head.

what if my friends and i had lots of money but we could only use it to pay for good company?

and so my housewarming party guest wish list idea was born.

Zeena's Guests:

1. Zach Galifianakis. My favorite person at the moment. "If a foot could fart..."

2. Aziz Ansari. Tom Haverford is a close second, thanks to www.tomhaverfoods.com

3. Jim Balsillie. Please give me a new BlackBerry and a PlayBook. And I will rest my case.

Fifi's Guests:

1-5. The hosts of TV5's Juicy. They MUST sing the Blind Items jingle because it tickles Fifi.

Momzi's Guests:

1. A lover. Nuff said.

2. A new boss. Word.

3. Our trusted dermatologist. Good luck getting out of the party place alive.

I know I tend to overuse the word "literally", but right now, I'm not kidding, there are literally hundreds of things happening at the moment - in me, around me, concerning me, concerning the people around me, and they can all be too much to handle. I am only one tiny brown girl. And while not entirely empty, my brain cannot cope with things that all need to be thought through and decided upon at once.

A lot of people around me seem to think they know better.

I don't, but neither do they.

It is just sad when they are arrogant, negative and inconsiderate.

But in the spirit of Easter, may they finally obtain the knowledge they thought they had.

Google Me

I just discovered that if you googled me, all my Tweets, blog posts, stand up comedy videos, idly written comments on various websites and profile on all networking sites turn up - all in between my online resume, work videos and sites that mention my work.

I am very careful when writing something which is not work-related online, but my opinions and story-telling are too much information for potential employers.

And I have not idea how to clean up my act on the world wide web. Apparently typing and clicking are not the only skills one has to have in order to use the web properly.

Sorry Mike Sorrentino, but this is The Situation.

I realized that since finding this out, I've become more cautious when expressing my thoughts and insights on any website, even this precious blog of mine. If I eventually learned to edit my Google results, I would be faced with a dilemma: do I really want to hide my blog from people? Nobody reads it at the moment but that is not the point. Do I want my Tweets to be read only by my followers? Most of them are US-based companies selling random stuff, but again that is not the point.

It would be horrible to worry about it all night. Well I don't have to, thanks to Sleep N Restore. Melatonin and Valerian will help me sleep like a baby in 5, 4, 3...

I am not a loser, but this morning I went online to look for inspirational quotes that would inspire me to go to work today.
A short backgrounder: I have been restless since I landed in Dubai last week, and started trying a bunch of home remedies and herbal pills to keep my stress levels down and help me go to sleep.
My efforts are not entirely futile, but I seem to be tiring myself more looking for more remedies to feel better and better.
It was becoming a pointless snowball of temporary cures to a messy mind.
So I tried another method.
Let's have a go at this Zen thing.
So I start by going online (dur... how do we always start something?) and these words made a HUGE difference to my day.
If they make you feel a little better, good.

Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you have imagined.
Henry David Thoreau

The only journey is the journey within.
Rainer Maria Rilke

We are either progressing or retrograding all the while; there is no such thing as remaining stationary in this life.
James Freeman Clarke

Fear less, hope more, eat less, chew more, whine less, breathe more, talk less, say more, hate less, love more, and good things will be yours.
Swedish Proverb

Half of the failures in life come from pulling one's horse when he is leaping.
Thomas Hood

Quarter life crisis visited me late.

Too late, in fact.

I am 28. I have no business worrying about what to do with my life.

I should have had that cheap insane moment ten years ago.

But there was no way I could slam the door in its face.

It came uninvited, and if I didn't deal with it, it was going to sleep over.

Jerk.

So I pondered.

Tried to think like a poet/the Dalai Lama/Maya Angelou and struggled to find words to console myself.

Needless to say, QLC left a gaping hole in my brain and I could not think of anything good to tell myself.

What a bummer.

Not even little miss perfect Kim Kardashian inspired me.

Tried to smile but ended up smirking at the thought of smiling.

What was there to smile about?

I was a big lump of mess.

Until Cookie went online.

She saved me.

We talked, talked some more, and laughed.

I feel so much better knowing that on the other side of the world a friend understands exactly what I am going through.

And helps me cope too.

And encourages me to be positive, productive, grateful and resilient.

Now all I need is a warm bath, two sleeping pills and I am all set to bury this episode six feet underground.

If I wake up and it's still there, God will find a way to save me again.

I'm glad He sent Cookie tonight.

Amen.

"The Daily Stat: Mobile-Phone Purchases Reduce Tobacco Use in Philippines"

Read more: http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,2058946_2059124_2059119,00.html #ixzz1IurYdM3M

- a Tweet by Harvard Business Review

Okay, this makes Lucio Tan poorer and MVP richer.
But this also means that more people may get cancer from mobile phone radiation than from tobacco.
But if I had to choose, I would go for the phones.
At least they don't smell and they are actually a tool for dating, not a turn off.
I am one to talk.

Family first

I have spent a week and a half in Manila and I feel nothing but gratitude and happiness.

I am so glad to be able to witness my sister's graduation ceremonies and walk by her side as she ends a chapter in her life and begins a new one.

By doing this I've made two very important points that I hope she will never forget - I love her very much, and obtaining top notch education will take her places.

The day of my sister's graduation was also my mother's birthday.

On her special day and during my entire stay I made sure that I was able to serve her and show her how much I love her.

I cooked, shopped for clothes and waited on her.

I bought her favorite food and accompanied her to the hospital.

These are very small gestures, but these are the things I am capable of doing to make her happy.

My heart is filled with nothing but happiness and love, two things even the meanest, tallest, funkiest pair of shoes cannot replace.

Amen.

Interesting Dinner Date Rule - Very Helpful

5. If you have to use the powder room, just say, "Excuse me please." Or "Will you excuse me for just a moment?" Your date doesn’t need to be told that you’re off to evacuate your bowels.

http://shine.yahoo.com/channel/sex/rules-for-a-dinner-date-2464185/

There's a lot to learn on the world wide web! Sigh. Thanks Internet!

This little girl from Winnipeg took YouTube by storm and actually got to sing with Lady Gaga on stage. She's Filipino by blood, and I associate myself with her because. Like millions of others back home do.

Crying in my head to Stevie Wonder songs.
Yes it's one of those crazy days.
I made a mistake of finishing all my self-imposed tasks at 4 PM.
Now it's Thursday, and with one foot out the door, I've had to improvise with some - or any - form of entertainment to keep me awake.

The painkillers are (pun intended) big downers and I am scared to close my eyes.
I've reapplied lipstick for the nth time today, so don't suggest that.
I also did some research, stretching and a lot of thinking about what to do with my appearance.
Sometimes I think I look like a monkey.
But just on really really bad days.

this is what i ought to do. now.

Second day staying at home with a lopsided face.

My lumpy cheek is so annoying.

I sometimes think I'm chewing, and then I realize it's only mouth ulcer.

What a gross thing to have, especially on days when I'm all fired up to work.

I am restless but doc won't allow me to go out.

A 90-minute yoga class won't harm me.

It's a detox thing, so why would it.

Unless some old guy farts in my face again.

If my mouth ulcer was flammable that would be the end of the only bikram yoga studio in Dubai.

my wisdom tooth is getting in the way of work.

i woke up yesterday morning and suddenly there was an extra gum flap forming around it.

my dentist calls it pericoronitis.

i call it the nemesis of botox.

it completely dragged my left cheek down.

and inflamed it - hopefully not beyond repair.

today was tiring: i had to pretend i was chewing all the time.

antibiotics, painkillers, topical shiznit, here we go again.

This is the only day of the week I feel like lazing about, but all these unfinished tasks won't allow me to.
I am swamped!
But it's totally okay because this morning I finished all the boring stuff.
Things that needed to be signed, fixed, paid for, ordered and ignored.
Healthy breakfast too.
So anyway I am faced with at least a dozen things I promised to do before the end of the week.
And that is at 7 PM today.
I have a few ideas on how to speed things up:

1. Think: work now, drink later.
2. My work is still so much better than an ass wiper.
3. I would feel awful if I didn't finish my work.
4. My weekend would be spent worrying about unfinished tasks.
5. I am paid to work. Dur. Thursday 10-7 does not belong to me. I am owned by my company and I must compensate them for giving me a chair and a computer.


OR... stop blogging and actually work!