hi bloG! how are you naman?

haha! been caught up with work so much lately kaya no updating of blog came about within the past few months. and besides, nothing much is happening to me thats worth chronicling. (di ko kinaya yung word nayun ah) except that just last week, me and my officemate sab, went to the US embassy to apply for a visa for us to be able to attend the training that Ethan Allen will be having at Danbury, Connecticut. (just like what Dianne & Shella went through a couple of weeks ago. its a 2-week training, and then a 5-day extension sa new york, but that's for leisure na! YEEKEE!!) Syempre, of all the ordinary days we have in a year, tlgang September 11 pa kami nasched for an interview. and its a terrible anniversary for the americans to relive dba?

and so we went there. sab was early, so she got in line ahead of me. i arrived just in time for the screening of passports before people enter. it was drizzling that day. so syempre ako naka black polo, tucked in sa slacks, pero may hawak na bulaklaking umbrella. (perfect look for issuance of a visa!) tapos, in a couple of minutes, sab went out of the line, to where im standing, saying her photos may be invalid coz one of her ear was being covered by her hair. so rush muna sya sa nearest fotome booth... actually there are vulture photographers waiting na for innocent preys na hindi inaaccept yung mga id nila. you can see them clustering in one corner waiting for people seeking help. kaya yun bayad sya 200 for her id..pero was able to get back the line on time. so we went inside... deposited our cellphones.. screened by guards and went to the waiting area. as our passports being checked, sab's passport was rejected since it has a mild defect on the lamination. so from there, she has to go pa to DFA pa. so, as shocked as we both are, we were separated early that day! not knowing how to deal with the rest of the time we have.

ako i proceeded na to the waiting area where you are suppose to wait (duh?) for your number to be called. and after minutes of fidgeting cold feet, my number was finally flashed. and so I went to the finger scanning booth na. the american girl behind the booth was speaking in tagalog. she was repeatedly saying "keh-lee-weh" which is suppose to mean kaliwa, or use daw my left hand first. she was repeatedly speaking in that manner so it was funny listening to her uttering those words.."keh-lee-weh" so placed my left index finger to the scanner and was questioned: "what's wrong with your fingers?" (apparently she could not read my finger prints) ako naman sabi ko "skin allergies ma'am" and she replied "hmmm..let me see" and so she reached out through the hole on the glass and looked at my finger. she told me: "hmmm.. well its clear enough for me to let it go... but take good care of your fingers ok?" ako naman was like "WHEW!" just when I thought i would be rejected from that point palang. so i was happy she considered me. (di bale, i will take my fingers to a "finger spa"... if there is such a place!) haha!

so after that funny moment.. i went to the US consul booths na... (which was like the heaven's gate for me) not knowing if i will achieve salvation or suffer the fires of hell. so from that stage i was without a doubt.."a nervous wreck". so I sat on the far back side of the waiting area... behind a post where i cant see the numbers being flashed. so everytime may nagaalarm... i have to stand up and take a look at the numbers... so upo tayo ako ng upo tayo.. making me look like the most nervous person in that room!! and so, nagflash na number ko saying proceed to "window 4". hoping i will get to meet an angel looking consul who looks positive in approving me, rather than an old looking evil woman, who has been in the embassy for centuries and will be grilling me like hell. but fortunately, it was a young fat white girl with curly blonde hair, who looks... hmm.. nice enough. so she started questioning me like "what is the purpose of my stay...what is a visual merchandiser..what is focus global" they ask questions that you wouldn't expect, so there isnt really a perfect way of preparing for this. I was able to answer straight forward and truthfully naman... (which is the key of getting a bigger chance of approval) so the lady halted the interview and stood up. ako naman was like... (ok? WHATS HAPPENING?) and then I realized, a solemn prayer pala was being played thrugh the speakers and they were having a silent moment of tribute to the 9/11 anniversary. and so i also bowed down, (pretending I am also a US citizen deeply contemplating for that moment) but inside me was a screaming monster shouting "APPROVED NA BAKO OH HINDI??" and so after the prayer the lady told me: "we were just commemorating the anniversary of the september 11 attacks" ako naman said "yes ma'am i understand that!" and after that, the lady was discussing to me na the next step after that..proceed na daw to the next booth, handing me this yellow form (which was like the golden ticket in american idol) and to schedule na daw a date for the delivery of my visa. kaya ako naman ecstatic (nagttumbling nako sa isip ko!) but i cannot show it at that moment so I discreetly went out the room carrying my pink floral umbrella.

when i was walking to the parking area which was beside manila bay.. i was saying "USA HERE I COME!) but a part of me was also saying "SAB!!! ASAN KA NA!!??? WAAAH!!" so when I got home, I called sab na agad, asked if she was able to go to DFA na and fix everything. she said yes, but her passport will be issued not later this week pa, and so she has to reschedule another interview. so ako was feeling half happy, yet half anxious pa! hopefully if sab got it all right, we will be leaving na this october 9. and besides, like what we were thinking before our interview... we prefer to be denied together, than to be approved alone!! waaaah!!!! still keeping my fingers crossed.

superman in imax

watched superman returns in IMAX yesterday! weehee! hurried home form work to catch the movie i was anticipating since last month. imagine that we bought tickets last sunday for this week's sunday screening. (the whole week was sold out) to think the tickets cost a pocket-draining 350 pesos for a 2 and a half hour movie. anyway, as we enter the imax theater, as expected, the hugeness of the screen and the venue was overwhelming. i dunno about the "screen-is-8-storey-high" press thing (mere hyperbole), i think it was a bit exaggerated at that aspect, but the screen was really gigantic! when the first previews were shown, and with the magic wonder of the 3d glasses, i felt that i am inside the screen and that the letters of the movie titles flashing were sliding below my feet. what magic optical illusions can do these days!combined with ear drum-busting surround sound system ofcourse. the preview of the trex movie was the amazing part of it... they made the rocks from a quarry seem like its actually crumbling above you, and branches from the trees almost scratching your face... and ofcourse who wouldn't be awed by the horrendous face of the trex protruding out of the screen and seeming almost inches away from your face. it was so incredible!

anyway, so the movie starts, and as expected... the "UH-OH" feeling of having another potential obsession to such a gorgeous actor... brandon routh, is realized again. and so I was right. im totally IN TO him right now! urrrghh.. why do they make perfect looking people like that that always gives me reason to drive myself crazy?? why oh why!?!

the feature presentation was also great... ofcourse setting aside the fact that I havent watched any superman film before... i am familiar with the basic story plot tho, like and superman's history, what he's up to and his nemesis. I didnt even care if the story was good, as long as the actor is an eye candy, then satisfaction granted already. hek! hek!

the 3d effects of the movie wasnt that "whoa-ing". it was a total of 20 minutes of 3d action scattered into different parts of the movie.. so an annoying symbol indicator flashes once in a while, during the movie when its time to put the 3d glasses on and to take it off... i totally would appreciate it more if they consolidated the 20 minute 3d scenes into a one portion of the movie, (the best scene ofcourse; which for me was when he's carrying the landmass) to avoid the hassle of interrupting audience once in a while. im actually looking at my parents everytime the symbol shows, assuring if they got their glasses right.

so there, thats my review of the Superman Returns and the Imax theater... the movie was average, the actor was hot, the imax theater was huge, the 3d effects need improvement... oh and the trex preview was jaw dropping!

rest days

Im wisely utilizing every free time im getting from my work schedule, that's why whenever time allows, i grab the chance like a mountain puma.

during weekends, i try to squeeze in a lot of lakwacha whenever I can, kaya last saturday, after work...since my sunday schedule starts at 1pm pa... dianne and I went to krisna's place to play poker. (well, twas my first time to actually play poker with pot money, since most of the time I play online.. ha! loser!) but before that, we stopped by at sm mall of asia to eat muna, with dots.. kakamiss nga the bondings eh.. atleast now we can bond na in other places like mall of asia aside from g4, since Im bringing a car na (naks!). My second visit to the titanic mall was more convenient and pleasing than the 1st. ofcourse minus the rampage of people I've encountered then, which was also like the 3rd day after its opening, we actually went home that day cursing the mall, never to return there again. but hey, im back there and I say, nakakaaddict na sya, since mas konti na tao this time.. and the restaurants there are really nice! dami choices and quality food tlga. its really nice to hang out there na... its like an expanded greenbelt 3.. and when i say expanded, tlgang "galit-sa-flooring-yung-architect-expanded!" so before pa sumakit yung legs namin kakapili ng resto, we decided to go to a retro diner, Gram's Diner... beautifully conceptualized resto... sarap pa ng food! so yun, buntis na kami pag labas. nice din the interiors...brings back the olden days... "vintage!" when waiters were serving in skates, and jukeboxes were blasting boogie tracks...

after nun, we drove to coastal then to the express way, all the way to bacoor cavite! sounds wrong diba? well...that is what really happened. nagulat nalang kami, may talaba na for sale sa sidewalks... out of metro manila na pala kami! haha! we're lost! pero after ilang u-turns and side stops, we were on the right way.. whew!

so ayun, we arrived at krisna's house, mga 9pm na ata... we imagined right away how krisna's going to react the moment we get there... "HOW ABOUT SOME SENSE OF PUNCTALITY HERE!" kaya inunahan na namin sya.. so yun, we went up their terrace...we found bonx.. and thats it.. no other people.. kaya kahit konti lang kami... it didn't stop us to play... 200 was the pot money and didi was the dealer! (a very indelicate dealer I must say.. haha!) and I won! the 1st round! well, also the last round... umuwi na agad si boinks! so yun... nag pusoy dos nalang kami while dianne slept ahead of us na (talk about utilizing the free time!) and we had a heart to heart talk...dots & krisna...twas nice to have finally talked to you guys! hehe *wink*

slept at 4am. woke up at 10am...went to work 12nn..

so today it was my day off naman... went to sm asia ulit, with my mama and my tita naman! im telling you nakakaaddict yung food lane dun facing manila bay. galing ng choices of restos and varieties of food and ambience! we ate at gumbos... new orleans ciusine..chuva chuva! sarap nanman ung food... may libre pang appetizer since its just their 2nd day... yummy yung shakes nila... their concept naman was a new orleans mardi gras na party, where ladies collect and wear colorful beads after flashing their boobies to men... of course dito, without the flashing part.. (thank goodness!) we also went to the imax theater to buy some superman tickets... july 9 na yung nabili namin..which is sunday next next week pa! so yun...cant wait!

tomorrow is another work day!

cars

I have just watched yet another pixar-disney movie today, and I reckon its a movie worth blogging for.

Being an avid follower of the disney and pixar tandem masterpieces for the past years, I say the big duo does it again. Taking in consideration how high the bar they've set for more of their up and coming CG animated films, since every year they kept reinventing and topping the previous years' films, "Cars" is another movie magic that Im sure CG film-fanatics like me will be applauding for. With the perfect equation of Pixar's almost true-to-life animated effects, and Disney's superb way of story telling, this movie is a feast for both the eyes and heart. Who could've thought, after giving life to toys, bugs, monsters, fishes, and superheroes, Disney and Pixar would have the guts and the ability to create a story about personified cars making us laugh and cry at one sitting. I mean, I seldom cry in real actor movies, but to cry in animated ones...enough said.

Though, admittedly it's not as good as finding nemo and the incredibles (those 2 films are almost impossible to top), you can still say its one of Pixar-Disney's best, and it will not disappoint moviegoers both adults and kids. It's still catchy, the characters are still interesting, the setting is still original, and the story is still incomparable. I mean, as for me, Im gonna have to watch it again, and get myself an original dvd copy of it, first in line! As for their next CG movie for year 2007... im so concerned and anxious as to what the big movie machines will be doing again. I mean, if you ask me, I'm running out of ideas as to what story to tell after a very interesting concept has been shown. But not, Disney and Pixar... just before the movie CARS rolled, they showed a quick teaser of supposedly the next year's blockbuster CG movie again. Its, Ratatouille (rat-ta-too-ee) its about a food loving sewage RAT, beneath an upscale PARIS restaurant, who couldn't stomach eating garbage, like other rats do. I mean talk about good story plots!! its another hilarious movie to anticipate.

dianne's bday / n1q reunion!! part 4

dianne's bday / n1q reunion!! part 3

dianne's bday / n1q reunion!! part 2

dianne's bday / n1q reunion!!

haay! ive been itching to write an entry for this blog, but i just dont have the time anymore. coz its work work work for me, these couple of days. by saying "work" that did not necessarily mean i'm doing something.. or something progressive that is.

well, i just thought it would be interesting to tell something about my experience today.

you see, im a "virgin" in the automotive world. i have no knowledge of how a car works or how is it mechanically configured in that sense, but it just turned out that today is a starting point for me to begin learning a car's whatabouts and how to troubleshoot incase of... well... trouble! (hope the upcoming movie "cars" can help! haha)

well, back to the main topic... i finished my office shift today, only to find out my car wouldn't start.. or wouldn't click to open its doors either... ofcourse, the panic adreline attacks start rushing up my body, i began to sweat and turn pale..since, like i said.. ive been driving for just about a month now, and the last thing i would like to happen is to bust this friggin car! and yet, i still did.
so, there i was standing at the parking lot, looking really anxious, not knowing where to call help, or who to call. i picked up my cell, which is supposedly my only saving grace slash gadget for me to get some rescue. i dialled, and it told me that i dont have money left in my account... not even a text message is possible!! the timing was impeccable! grabe! just when i started to feel faint and wantng to cry out loud "saklolo!" our most trusted security guard approached me. He was there to converse with me, well, give some words of sympathy.. but that wouldn't help ignite my car now would it? so! its still panicky me!

and then a hope of light arises from the ashes... my officemate glenda, who have this foreign boyfriend, who is parked just beside me... sensed that im getting delirious, and offered help, even if i didn't asked for help. (see the problem with me, is i still dont open my mouth to ask people's help even with the most precarious times... like even if satan is hooking me down to hell! i would still shut up. but thats just me! errk) so he put down his car windows, and a glow of rainbow glistened from his eyes while saying "you need help?" and so i bashfully explained: "my car won't start." and so he went down from his car, and glenda too... and offered to jump start my car with the use of some chords and his car battery... which im still amazed right now as to how it can work that way.. so there... he clipped his batteries to mine.. and gave me power... a sort of a bewildered antelope offering his power to a lifeless shizah, the indian prince for reincarnation. aaaah...the images in my head.

so after a couple of minutes... my car started! and then suddenly my headlights turned on! from then, i already knew the cause of the shut down... i left the headlight open for 5 hours, and it drained my battery to its death. so there... thats the main cause... well...that and my stupidity. like why the hell did i turned on my lights during high noon! oh well, atleast i know how it goes.. a new experience for me... i'll be more vigilant next time. im still up for more challenging obstacles. maybe my second test would be bursting a wheel in the middle of edsa! haha! yikes!now getting through that would be like climbing everest for me.

fontana

"is this the only kind of summer fun im going to have?"



despite the horrific schedule of not being able to rest on weekends... my colleagues still managed to squeeze in a company outing for us... the destination?? nowhere else but fontana... hmmm sounds familiar....





anyway, since nga it was just a "squeezed-in outing"....mas matagal pa kami bumiyahe kesa sa stay namin dun...haha! but the trip was worthwhile came night time. we played "taboo" the whole night through... my gash! naubusan ako ng english sa game nayon! mahirap cya ah! but it was fun.... yun lang muna masasabi ko...im feeling sedated na! gotta sleep coz work nanaman tomorrow! ciao!

things...

(since i dnt have the time to put entries to my blog na, religiously... this entry will be very informative! haha... well... referring to me that is...)

just got home from work 2day... (nga pala, im driving myself to work na these past few days!) woohoo! (praise da vinci!) everyday i have to pass this obstacle course jungle called EDSA... which is much more packed this summer, since the coding was lifted. can't find a point on doing that.. but anyway...so yun, im driving to and from mandaluyong evryday... hopefully i dont crash and die... but if i stopped adding entries to this blog for a couple of months or so, then take the hint.

anyway... my friend, whom i haven't spoken for a long time, called me all of a sudden in my cell, telling me that our video for ethics at PSID before, the one with the clearances and building code violation documentary... wherein ginagaya namin yung show na wazzup wazzup... WAS ACTUALLY SHOWN IN WAZZUP WAZZUP, the real show in studio 23!!! My gosh! i was so surprised to hear it, na i was actually not concentrating na on my driving... my friend told me na mga 2 minutes daw yung video, and pinapakita yung pagsayaw namin and reporting... can't believe it! tapos the intro daw was: vhong:"sikat na tlga wazzup wazzup, may gumagaya pa satin... video, INSERT!" then our actual video was being shown... i think they got it from the web, since nagpost si dottie ng clip nun sa isang website..

haay! i dont know whether to be happy or ashamed... happy because, baka madiscover....haha! pero ashamed, kasi baka madiscover..pero in a bad way... as mga taong walang magawa na gumagaya lang ng kung ano anong show sa tv... rrrk! i think im feeling more of the latter. haha!

so yun, im just surprised to know that we were exposed sa tv......
without our consent yun ah!!!
tapos it was pretty long pa... imagine 2 minutes of our video, being flashed on tv....my goodness! cant believe it until now...

but so far, isa palang nag inform sakin... so, as far as i know, sya lang ang nakakita...errk...

anyway...

work related stuffs naman... since my stay at ethan allen, 3 prominent people na visited our showroom... one is lea salongga, then senator ralph recto, then senator miriam santiago... my gash! talk about pressure on our part to assist them and also to beautify our showroom.. whew!

and boy! the assisting part is trickiest when senator miriam santiago was there!
imagine mo! my officemate assisted her, and while going around the showroom she (miriam) asked her a very confounded question (in her very known weird tone) senator defensor asked:"What is the virtue of this table?" pointing to one of our tables... syempre my officemate was stunned to her question... so she just came up with the answer na broad and not so direct to her question! it was so funny... like, who would ask that way? diba?? dont expect the people to respond accurately if you know that you have "dictionary-like brain cells" and WE, the normal people dont! weird.

well... so far, wala pako masyado nababago sa showroom...pero hopefully before the year ends, ive already contributed something to ethan allen na... like right now, we are proposing to renovate our casual section collection and focus more on the contemporary style showroom rather than the classical side... where ethan allen is known for. so it would be a totally different look to the showroom, which i will be designing... hehe!

so yun lang... mga things i wanted to share...

have a hot sunny summer everyobody! mwah mwah! till my next entry!!

lasa manila

here are the pictures we've taken during our dinner get together (of hub losers..haha!) at LASA MANILA at THE PODIUM. I've promised the guys to upload our pics, and so here it is... kept my word for it.