when art imitates life

Another article out in Cosmo Sept. ish! This time, it's all about wise spending. So I guess this is life's way of telling me that I should seriously learn to save and budget for my future family life. Hahaha!

--

Q: What's your romantic bonding ritual?

A: (Please click to enlarge) Teehee!

(On a mushy note:) A few weeks back, Sam (Cosmo's Managing Ed) told me she read this snippet of mine in Cosmo Feb ish. I totally forgot about this one. But I remember Leslie (former Cosmo Managing Ed) asking me a question about me and my fiancé's romantic ritual. Am so glad my answer came out! Yey!

japanese boy guitar prodigy yeah!

Oh my, this kid is amazing!!!

my name is Shain Chain

Hello there, Shain Chain!

Yesterday at Starbucks in Tagaytay, I got a a brand new name for meself: Shain Chain, also spelled as Shean Chai.

With our orders in hand, Francis amusedly told me that the barista had a very difficult time pronouncing my name. I thought, "How can that be? What's so hard about pronouncing 'sunshine'?" Then I foudn out as soon as our cups landed on the table: On mine was written "Shain Chain". And as if one new name isn't enough, on Francis' Java Chip cup read "Shean Chai". I can only imagine how puzzling it was for the poor barista to pronounce those two names! Hahahah! Now where's Dao Ming Si?





Anyway, I was so excited about last Saturday because for the first time ever, I went on an out-of-town trip ALONE, commuting. Ever since Francis was assigned to Cavite (since his first assignment there last year), he had been nagging me about not visiting him there. Bad me. So this time around, I resolved to give him a visit, never mind the 4 grueling hours of trip it entails, and the possibility that I'd get lost. But good thing I did not. I may not be that good in directions, but I'm thankful I have a good memory when it comes to landmarks.

Having left home at around 8:30, I finally got to Cavite whole at around 12:30. And because Trece is such a "happening" town, we ended up having lunch at Jollibee. Now don't get me wrong: comparing the old Trece (last year) with what/how it looks now, there really are good improvements. When last year there were just 7-11,Chowking and Jollibee for dining options, now there's Red Ribbon. The once bare road is now busy with tiangges. I'm sure the place will be on it's way to more developments soon.

After lunch, we headed to Tagaytay, which is another first: it was our first time to go there commuting. Good thing there are airconditioned buses faring the road to Tagaytay.

The funny/annoying/freaky part was, upon alighting from the bus, there were these tricycle drivers offering us their services (they'll tour you around the place for a price, of course) left and right. However, there was this annoyingly insistent driver who first blocked our way that we had to skirt close beside his trike in order to pass the road. He kept on following us and stopping to block our way. After 3 more irritating tries, I could already feel the anger rising to the surface. I had but to blurt out "Kuya hindi nga e! Ang kulit mo!" (We said no! Stop being persistent!). We thought that ought to make him stop. WRONG! He still kept on hounding us. By this time, I was already freaked out. So in order to lose him, we stopped by 7-11 to buy a bottle of mineral water, hoping that by the time we step out of the store, annoying driver has already gone to bug other people. WRONG AGAIN! He was still there, bent on persuading us. Unfortunately for him, a jeep came along and we hurriedly got in. That dude really scared me!


Anyway, we just chose to hang out in Starbucks for a couple of hours. had we not eaten lunch, we would've given in to our craving for The Boutique. I was already imagining their generous serving of this seafood dish swimming in heavenly delicious white soup (I forgot the name). Even while waiting for a bus to Manila, Francis can't help but pine for The Boutique. Wah!

Next time we hit Tagaytay, we'll definitely visit The Boutique again. And we'll make sure to bring a car so we can make a longer stay. (Francis, on the other hand, upon discovering how easy it is to commute from Trece Martires to Tagaytay, announced gleefully that he'll come back whenever he feels bored. He can only have so much of Jollibee/Chowking/Red Ribbon.)

(More cam-whoring here.)

speculating on changes that are spankin' good

I've hardly been receptive to changes, especially the sudden ones. Like when Francis would suddenly decide to just meet some place else when I'm already headed to the original meeting place, or when there's an impromptu client meeting that wasn't listed down in my planner. Such ruin my day, albeit varying in degree.

Getting married is definitely one of these changes--a big one--yet I do not find myself disliking it a bit. In fact, I feel a sense of peace and solitude when I think of the many other big changes that would come crashing down on my lap after we walk down the aisle. I find it amazing to actually be looking forward to something like this--something that would force my life to make a 180-degree turn. The mere possibility of changing careers even makes me grin, because definitely, I would soon be considering whether I should still keep my present job or wave hello to other (hopefully greener) pasture(s) (If you ask Francis, he'd gladly tell you his take on this issue--the latter). It's weird, this feeling. I have never been this happy nor excited about such a big shift that would affect my whole life. It's like after getting married, I have all the excuses in the world to change, too--some things I may not even have control of (like how big my belly would get because of a baby bump; I would finally be getting fat!).

Of course, it's not all wonderful butterflies in my tummy. I'm also scared. I wouldn't know how I can handle all those 180-degree turns, or what would come next, or if making decisions and coming up with the answer would be as easy as choosing between wearing flat shoes or stacked heels. But the Lord will be my fortress. OUR fortress. And I shall be with THE man He gave exclusively and generously to me.

I never thought that having to face many looming major changes in my life would be this deliciously exciting!

slasher alert!

Poor bag of mine...

On my way home from a whole day shoot at Daddy Ocs', my bag got slashed in a PUJ. I was with Cindy, and we were pre-occupied with yakking that I hardly noticed my 1-week old bag getting slashed. I was just annoyed by this burly man crowding me that I passed it up as something normal in a public vehicle jampacked with tired people all wanting to go home and get out of the rain. So yadda, yadda, yadda, and then good thing I glanced at my bag, only to see this burly man's hand reaching for something on my lap. Then I saw it: about 3 inches of a gaping slash marring the bottom of my grey, patent leatherette bag (seconds later, I saw there's another longer one opposite it)! That's when I panicked and went rummaging through my things to see if that jerk got hold of my valuables. During this time, I was already half-shouting that my bag got slashed, and seeing that my phones, wallet etc. weren't stolen, I went on to tell Cindy (and the rest of the passengers) that the man beside me is the culprit. By this time, too, the man was in a hurry to alight from the jeep. He flagged the PUJ at Ligaya, and I was somewhat battling with myself whether or not to grab him by the arm and make everyone know he was attempting to steal from me, or just kick him on the butt while he made his way out of the jeep. I really can't remember now what I was planning to do that moment--only that I wanted to be violent towards that jerk who took advantage of me. Thinking about it now makes my teeth grit in anger!

Still, I had to be grateful that none of my valuables were stolen. Cindy was making me calm down, saying that it's okay and that the worst thing that could have happened (aside from my things getting stolen) was me making a scene and the man hurting me with whatever sharp object he used to slash my bag. Yes, good thing nothing bloody like that happened. I just couldn't imagine what I would've done if he was able to steal anything from me. Maybe I would've done something stupid to make him give it back before he could even alight from the jeep (there was ample time to make me do it), and it could've turned ugly. (Sometimes, I tend to react without really thinking.) So yeah, after calming down, I was thankful to God that nothing worse happened.

And to forget the incident, I resolved to mend my bag. I couldn't wait for tomorrow to bring it to Mr. Quickie to have it repaired. Anyway, I think I made a decent repair.




Hay. All is well that ends well. Thank You, Lord!

P.S.
Thanks to Cindy for calming me sane. Haha!
And to all commuters, be extra cautious when riding a PUV along Katipunan. My sis also got her bag slashed when she rode a jeep in the same area. Beware also of a burly man who'd suspiciously crowd you--or any person for that matter!

"just don't think our anniversary is the 10th of may. it's the 9th...of march"

Because I need to get my mind off things...

Thanks again, Pat, for sharing about Def Poetry.

"...where ideas kiss similes so deeply that metaphors get jealous"

Poems and poets like this make me green with envy.

P.S.
Thanks to Pat E. for sharing. Miss you, my dear!

a night of reunions

Just one of my very few decent photos of the concert.

"Magkahawak ang ating kamay at walang kamalay-malay, na tinuruan mo ang puso ko na umibig nang tunay..." - Ang Huling El Bimbo by the Eraserheads

Though one of my favorite Eheads songs, Ang Huling El Bimbo, was not played due to an emergency (Ely Buendia, the band's front man, was rushed to the hospital after the first set, hence cutting the concert short. Hope he gets well real soon), being in the midst of a Pinoy music phenomenon with other thousands of fans is an experience that would make it to my personal history. In fact, I am not surprised that by now, just a day after the much anticipated reunion concert, a lot of blog entries have already been written and read, professing of how the event turned an ordinary night into something extraordinary, and what the band/their music meant to the authors.

I wasn't much of a fan, not in a sense where I would follow every single detail of the band's life. But there is no denying that my generation has been greatly inspired, if not influenced and shaped, by the music of the Eraserheads. Eraserheads, for me, means high school and early college, and everything that comes in between those years. Songs like Sembreak, Torpedo, Minsan and Pare Ko (the three latter songs weren't performed, unfortunately) conjure up memories that in a way define what my life was as a geeky high school student and a hopeful college freshie. It was particularly nostalgic to see clips of my dear alma mater, UP Diliman, being flashed in the big screen--not really just a mere part of the visual effects for the concert but because those four cool guys actually hailed from the same university, were my seniors, and first met in the Kalayaan Residence Hall (a dorm for freshies).

Yes, it was indeed unfortunate not to see Eheads perform more songs that would've made everyone, including me, jump, bump and sing out loud with glee and pride. But seeing them and hearing all those nostalgic melodies once again--live--and bumping into old friends who share the same admiration for the music is an experience worth cherishing.

P.S.
Photos to be uploaded in my multiply soon.

unlabeled emotion (translation: i think i am a psychologically screwed up person)

Sometimes, I really do make things complicated for myself.

Perfect example would be what transpired today: let's just say I got a good career break--something I should be very happy and gleeful about. I mean, I am happy about it and I sincerely thank God for it; it's just that I know I should feel a higher degree of happiness. Any normal person would, so I guess this lack of exuberant emotion makes me a retard. What's worse--I can't label what I feel. It's not being ungrateful but more like, I dunno, can I say oblivious/indifferent? I'm really trying my best here to feel the appropriate emotions. Trying really hard...And I hate myself for having to try when I shouldn't even be trying but just feeling!

What the heck is wrong with me?

Somebody help figure me out. Please!

my first attempt at domestication

The idea suddenly sprang in my head during one of those days when I was stuck at home nursing my asthma (so this must be a sick idea. Haha!): I've decided to cook for Francis. I've decided to cook. Period.

Not that this was my first attempt. I already whipped up some mediocre meal for him years back, with my lola's help. This time, I've decided to be on my own. The menu: Chicken in creamy mushroom sauce.

So yesterday afternoon, I was at the supermarket (yes, I now appreciate having a mall in the neighborhood) shopping for my ingredients. During the grocery trip, I had this brilliant idea to not only cook the main course but prepare some appetizer (potato salad with a dash of thyme) and dessert (milky melon and banana), too. A full-course meal. So ambitious of me, eh?

There I was at the refrigerated section of the supermarket, clueless as to how shitake mushrooms look like fresh. Button mushrooms are easy (especially the canned ones), but my recipe calls for the former. When I saw these shrooms peeking out from the shelf, I made sure to look at the label to avoid picking out the wrong kind. And when my hands finally landed on shitakes, I thought to myself, "Ano ba 'tong pinasok ko?" (What have I gotten myself into?). I mean, how do I go about cooking them, much more slicing them first? It's a pretty easy dilemma, I know; but for someone like me who's never a regular at the kitchen, such trivial questions could very well equate to calculus.

But to be honest about it, I felt excited and giddy, albeit nervous. So when I got home, there's no other way to see if I'm making a big mistake but to try and make some sample.

After about an hour of kitchen heat, I managed to survive the ordeal. I think what I've prepared are decent enough not to rush someone to the nearest hospital due to food poisoning. My sister even finished her share as a sign of approval. I felt somewhat relieved and proud at the same time. I only had to wait for the next day for the verdict.

---

Dinner was served with anticipation. So anxious was I that I almost forgot to prepare my own plate and would have opted for Francis to try his first and wait for his reaction. After sitting down, Francis took his first spoonful. I held my breath. "Wow, sarap!" was my fiance's first reaction. I had to make sure he was telling me the truth and not just acting as my (polite) fiance. Seriously, he better be honest because he'll probably end up eating whatever I would serve him the moment we're married. There is no turning back for him, right? So I took his compliment as the truth after seeing him ask for another serving. He not only loved the main course, he also had three servings of my potato salad and two servings of my dessert! Wahahaha! It was a success! I can't believe it!

The only downside: since I don't know any better when it comes to approximating how many/much of each ingredient I'm supposed to buy, I ended up having an extra can of cream of chicken, 5 more pieces of shitake mushrooms and a handful of basil leaves. I guess I'd have to prepare some chicken soup soon before those ingredients expire.

So there, first attempt at domesticating myself has been a success. I just hate the now-wash-the-dishes part. And I wish I was able to take a couple of pictures of my masterpiece as proof. Never mind, there will be a next time. Heehee!

P.S.
Thanks to Mems for letting me bug her about shitake mushrooms and basil leaves.

tagged, and you may be tagged, too

Was tagged by Jay, my gay lover. I even got scolded for not attending to this meme right away. He can be so demanding. Ahaha!

People who have been tagged must write their answers on their blogs & replace any question that they dislike with a new question formulated by themselves.

Tag 8 people to do this quiz & those who are tagged cannot refuse. These people must state who tagged them & cannot tag the person who tagged them. Continue this game by sending it to other people.

1. How has Multiply/Blogger changed your life?
I now have the whole www to talk to when I'm bored, or just plain in the mood for "talking". I can be über mushy, angsty or simply senseless and I don't even care because hey, it's my blog!

2. What do you do before bedtime?
Cleanse my face with an astringent, surf the net, yak on the phone with Francis, and have my quiet time.

3. What are you going to have for dinner tonight?
I've no idea yet. Maybe the same menu as my baon for lunch: sweetened ribs (my mom's specialty).

4. What is the ONE place you want to go to before you die if you had the money and the time?
With Francis, either up in the cold mountains (the Alps? That place where Heidi and her grandpa live in the book, Heidi [by Johanna Spyri]) or a serene but very scenic beach like a remote resort in Hawaii or the Caribbean.

5. Are you an introvert or an extrovert?
I'd like to believe I'm an extrovert. But I confuse myself because I can also be an introvert sometimes. Case to case basis.

6. What do you do in your free time?
Read books, listen to music, watch DVDs, sleep. And when I'm visited by the muse, I try to write.

7. Do you trust easily?
Before, yes. Now, I test the waters first. (But I easily get attached.)

8. What personal belonging do you have with you everywhere you go?
My mobile phone--inside my big bag that has other things, which make for aching shoulders at the end of the day.

9. Is there anything that has made you unhappy these days?
Yes. Quite a handful. "Unhappy" is such an understatement. I just try to not wallow in it. For one, there's Francis being assigned in Cavite for five friggin' months. And then...

10. What is your best quality?
I can say that I easily get along well with people, and that I have a sense of humor, albeit shallow. Haha!

11. Is being tagged fun?
Yes, it is. Especially when I don't have anything to blog about. Tagging can be a legit reason to blog away.

12. How do you see yourself?
I make my own life complex in one way or another. So yes, complicated and a contradiction of sorts.

13. Do you prefer rain or snow?
I love it when it drizzles. But I also want to experience snow, given that I don't get frostbites or die of hypothermia.

14. What kind of person do you think the person who tagged you is?
Jay is handsomely gay, darn it!

15. Poor but loved, or rich but hated?
Poor but loved. But it doesn't hurt to be rich and loved at the same time, does it?

16. How many children do you want?
Two--a boy and a girl. Right, Francis?

17. What’s better: to give or to receive?
Last Friday, there was an ex-deal sale at work. So I grabbed a perfume for my mom, which she's been wanting since she got a whiff of it. So I bought it for her. I was all excited to go home that day and hand her that dandy bottle. So yeah, it is better to give than to receive. Makes me feel all fuzzy inside.

18. What do you feel about sex without love?
That's just plain lust. I prefer to call the act "making love" than just "sex". The latter term has this detached rawness to it, which I don't find appealing.

19. Would you have 100% safe sex with a stranger for $10,000,000?
Uhm. No. But if that's with my husband, then I'm all for it. Hahaha!

20. What would you name yourself if you’d been born the opposite gender?
I prefer it ancient-sounding and uncommon. Say, Onesimus or Moses. Hehe.

You're tagged: Camille, Sam (ayan!), Abby, Kat, Archie, Cos, Mavs, Pat

another breath of fresh air

Yesterday's sermon was a blessing. "God speaks and makes His presence known through His creation." I cannot agree more. That's why another trip tomorrow 'til Thursday to the northern mountains is, again, in good timing.

A lot has been happening lately, and I wish I can say that they're not a matter of life and death. Two of the most important people in my life--my dad and my future mom-in-law-- are not in the pink of health, and they need all the prayers they can get. Sometimes I wonder why I haven't really become as depressed as I should be. I feel like I should be bugging my eyes out crying, but I'm not. Dunno if that's good or bad. I'm just thankful that I'm still sane to actually come to work, smile, greet people, function like I should, come up with decent copy, etc. It scares me that all this might catch up on me, and that when that happens, I'd be caught unawares.

So yes, I thank God for another opportunity to temporarily escape everything that's haunting me now, even if this is another official business trip. I actually look forward to hear Him speak and calm me with His presence up there in the mountains.

And yes, please pray for my dad and my mom-in-law. Just please pray that they be well soon.

one of 'em boys cried then went shopping

Last Friday's snippets:

Was watching SYTYCD's Kherington and Twitch do some Viennese Waltz. The routine has a personal sentimentality to it, especially because the song has a very special meaning to the choreographers.

So I was watching it, and just when my tears were about to fall, my colleague Tim suddenly showed up in my cube and caught me teary-eyed. I had to shoo him away before I got to explain. Embarassing moment no. 261 there! Hahaha!

---

Had a matter-of-life-and-death issue at hand: what's more flattering for a girl--to be categorized as a girl-next-door or a hot chick. For me, it depends. But when Iza and I asked Francis' take on the issue, he only has one thing to label me:

One of the boys.

Great. Well, fine, I admit I tend to be one. And sometimes, it works for me. Sometimes. Still, it's flattering to be treated like a lady, not like a brother. Ugh.

---

Since there were no takers for the GCs I've been selling (they're Big & Small/Spin/Havin' A Baby GCs), I decided to just use them myself, see what preggy clothes I can buy and get away with wearing them without being accused of being actually pregnant. Francis was quite hesitant to join me in my shopping spree. "Naku, baka ma-tismis tayo nito," he said. I just laughed it off.

So there I was, gleefully enjoying fitting the clothes on sale only to learn I can't buy them with my precious GCs (but then Bubs and Cleo told me they were able to score sale items with their GCs. So unfair!). So I just settled for a brown tube dress and paid cash for this maroon bubble tube top that was on sale. At the cashier:

Cashier: Ma'am, first baby nyo po?
Me: Um. Ah. Hindi pa.

Was so tempted to point at Francis and say, "Sya, baby damulag ko."

dreaming with a broken heart in SYTYCD

Hmmm...so now I'm confused which pair to like--Kherington and Twitch (with this vid) or Chelsie and Mark (with Bleeding Love).

But Twitch is sizzling!

bleeding love in SYTYCD, drip drip

Such intensity! I hope this couple wins!

I think Sam and I watched this for the nth time today, wishing we'd memorize the routine and perform it decently even in our dreams. But I have yet to work on Jabbawockeez's Apologize (see previous entry).

Dancing is indeed, emancipating.

jabba, jabba, jabba!

They got me at Apologize. Now I'm so hooked! Jabbawockeez ROCKS!

tweet-tweet-twitter!

Here I go again littering the cyberspace. Another site to maintain. This will be fun!

Follow me on Twitter and I shall follow you, too! Yay!

hurry before June ends!

As narrated to me. Please click to enlarge.
And please buy a copy so you get to read the whole story!

Got an article published in Cosmo June ish. Yey! Do grab a copy now hurry hurry!!!

tug-a-tag-tag

So Sam tagged me. And since there has been some inactivity in my blog these days (the reason for which will be in another entry), I do find this a fun reason to write a post. So here we go...

The Rules:

I. Each blogger starts with ten random facts/habits about themselves.

II. Bloggers that are tagged need to write on their own blog about their ten things and post these rules.

III. At the end of your blog, you need to choose ten people to get tagged and list their names.

IV. Don't forget to leave them a comment telling them they're tagged, and to read your blog.

---

10 Random (sometimes weird and scary) facts about me:

1. I am a H-U-G-E fan of Lord of the Rings, and therefore, Tolkien. So huge that I even attempted to learn Elvish language (there are two: Sindarin and Quenya). In fact, the greeting you will see on my multiply home page (Vedui' il'er) is the Elvish for "Welcome, my friends!". My multiply address, among others, is "luthien tinuviel", the great ancestor of Arwen Undumiel. I reenact some scenes, too (yes, even some sword-weilding scenes) from the movies. There was also a point when I got really hooked on the LOTR Yahoo chatroom, even role-played there, and met online friends, some of whom I still talk to today. And if given the resources, I would definitely purchase LOTR items to my heart's content.

2. As perhaps apparent in item # 1, I can consider myself a geek. Summer break in elementary and high school were spent reading books that would prepare me for the next level. Say I'm an incoming sophomore--I would read sophomore books and find them delightful, somehow. *gulp* Also, I was best in Science and Math when I was in elementary. I dunno what happened in between then and now.

3. I used to have a big crush on...uh...Sylvester Stallone--back when he was still capable of being a Rocky. I think I was in Grade 2 or 3 then. Yes, I did have a poster even. Ahaha!

4. I lack the drive to pursue my poetic dreams. Francis can attest to this. I have more than a dozen poems ready for copyright application, but I never got around to doing it. For more than 5 years now. So I'm giving myself a deadline: I need to have my works copyrighted before I become Mrs. Funa. I hope, too, that at least one of my poems gets published before this self-imposed deadline.

5. Warning: this may sound scary and I will understand if, for a period of time my friends who get to read this avoid me, until proven otherwise...I am drawn to weird criminal cases. For instance, I find myself so engaged in reading about Charles Manson-like cases, or those about kids killing other kids. You know, the serial killer types. Maybe that's why I have a secret crush on Dexter Morgan (played by Michael Hall in the TV series Dexter). Believe me, I am a safe person to be with. I am not one to slash your neck and watch you die from loss of blood.

6. I am semi-arachnophobic. When I was a kid, I was taking a bath and when I opened my eyes, I saw this big spider swimming in my pail of water. That did it for me.

7. I am also afraid of rambutan. Yes, the fruit. I imagine them to be these red sea urchins that would just attack you to death with their spiky skin. If anyone plans to give me this fruit, please make sure they're peeled. Though sadly, I still don't eat them, but thanks for the effort.

8. I like my mornings quiet. I get irritated when I bump into someone on my way to work because then, I am forced to strike an early morning conversation when I could be catching some more sleep during my commute.

9. I seriously want to pursue travel writing and photography. I see myself quitting my day job for these.

10. I get attracted to gay men--90% of the time. I wouldn't know they're gay in the first place until someone tells me they are. So if I get a crush on this particular bloke, there's a 90% probability that he's not straight. But Francis is not gay. He's the exception to the rule. Let's be clear on that. Haha!

Tagging: Zig, Pat, Archie, Mch, Meikah, Cos, Gibet, Ninah, Ate Janice, Jay.

happiness is witnessing the Cook bring home the bacon!

Had to wake up early this morning, as in 8am (yes, that's major effort for me these days) just so I can watch the AI Season 7 finals. Groggy as I was, it was all worth it. David Cook is da man!!!

Now before I hit the road to Baguio, lemme post these--for all David Cook fans who haven't seen this vid yet. (Thanks to Abby for sharing.)



And now, let's give it up for Archie.



That's a hot rock star and a cute li'l boy for you! And oh my, they're both lefties! Haha!