all about hubby (and a few about us)

open tag from Mich.

How long did you date? 7 years :D
How old is he? he’s turning 30 this July.
Who eats more? he does
Who said “I love you” first? him :)
Who is taller? he is
Who sings better? definitely him!
Who is smarter? ok, let’s put it this way – he is smart, smart but i am the street-smart one!
Whose temper is worse? his
Who does the laundry? me – thank heavens for automatic washing machine! :)
Who does the dishes? both of us
Who sleeps on the right side of the bed? him
Who pays the bills? me. he gives me 100% of his salary, and leaves everything for me to budget
Who mows the lawn? we don't have a lawn :D
Who cooks dinner? it depends on what dish needs to be prepared
Who drives when you are together? he does
Who is more stubborn? me
Who kissed who first? i did…yes, you read that right – I DID! torpe kasi si hubby noon eh! :D
Who is the first to admit when they are wrong? me
Whose parents do you see the most? none, because we’re based overseas
Who proposed? he did
Who is more sensitive? him!
Who has more friends? me
Who has more siblings? him
Who wears the pants in the family? he does

remembering New Orleans

(warning: very long read & photo overload)

i feel like going down the memory lane and reminisce my first taste of America. in a few weeks time, i will be traveling again to the land of milk and honey, so i thought before my old story gets completely spoiled, i better share with you what i’ve done in ‘The Big Easy’ while i was on my first business trip.

home of jazz music

i went to New Orleans, Louisiana late April of last year - during one of the biggest insurance conferences in the world. i was sent as a delegate for our company’s exhibition, along with other colleagues from the Marketing, Risk Management & Business Development Departments. i remember how we braced ourselves for the trip: the flight from Dubai was about 17 hours, plus connecting times, so by the time we landed in Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport, we were totally exhausted!

i wasn’t particularly happy with our connecting experience in Washington D.C. we almost missed our flight to New Orleans because the queue was too long! it was our first port of entry so we had to struggle to get to the immigration desk, get our luggage from the conveyor belt, bring it to another security check, and then queue again to get to our boarding gate. i personally didn’t mind the security thing. but the time pressure – sheesh! my director and i scrammed to find our gate, and reached there 5 minutes before they closed. we made a mental note to make sure that the next time we travel to the U.S., we have to have at least 3 hours connecting time. it was too darn stressful!

by the time we arrived in New Orleans, it was already dark. we took a shuttle bus to drop us off to our hotel, which is the Crowne Plaza in Canal Street. i didn’t realize that the hotel we were staying at was located in a prime location – not only because it’s in the major road of New Orleans, but also because it’s in the corner of Bourbon Street. now, Bourbon Street was one of the most popular streets in the U.S. if you’ve heard about their famous mardi gras, then this is the street where all of the ‘fun’ takes place - the world-famous red light district that tourists and locals alike visit eagerly. ok, let me rephrase that – adult tourists and locals alike.

when i finally checked in and got to my hotel room, i was already famished. i quickly secured my important belongings in the safe, and then rushed out to find some food. thanks to the next door neighbor Mc Donalds, i was stocked up in no time. my next stop was at an electronics shop to buy a local sim card, and then afterwards hopped to a grocery store just across the road. i bought myself some chips, candies, and 2 liters of bottled water, which were surprisingly more expensive than sodas. i also decided to grab a few trinkets as souvenirs, as i thought i won’t be able to do some shopping in the next coming days as i would be extremely busy at the conference. besides, i knew there’ll be not much time for me to explore some shops there because by the time the conference finishes, the stores would then be closed for the day.

after buying my necessities, i went straight to the hotel to rest. i was a tad bit scared walking alone, despite seeing many people flocking towards the Bourbon Street (it was Saturday when we arrived). it was a culture shock for me to see drunk men walking past me with their beers in one hand and a smoke on another (ciggy or weed, i have no idea!). i only felt completely secure when i started seeing police patrolling the area (can’t blame me – New Orleans has the highest crime rate in the whole of America).

that same evening, i sms’d my high school bestfriend, Freya, who was based in Duluth, Georgia. she called me thereafter, and we had a chat for more than an hour. unfortunately, neither of us were free to meet up, so we made do with a lengthy conversation over the phone.

by midnight, i willed myself to sleep, with the telly switched on (ok, i am scared of staying alone in a hotel room, so please forgive me mother earth!). by 5:00 am, i was already awake so i watched MTV to pass the time. i was officially jet lagged.

when it was already bright enough to go outside, i met up with my colleague Kevin to see the conference venue, the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, which is situated right next to the Mississippi River. we were joined by Justin from TGP, our supplier for the booth materials and stands. i have to admit i was pretty bowled over by the enormity of the place – it was 1.1 million square feet exhibit space, and only for one level in one building! the ballrooms and the auditorium, plus meeting rooms in the second floor were excluded. in the middle of the ocular inspection, i could almost hear my feet complaining, even while wearing my Madrid Birkenstock pair.

by the time we finished, it was already time for lunch, so we went to this restaurant in Canal Street to try on some local cuisine. if you’re familiar with the song ‘Jambalaya’ of The Carpenters, then you’ll have an idea of what New Orleans cuisine is all about. my first local meal was a Po’boy, Louisiana’s traditional submarine sandwich. and what best partners a yummy sandwich on a hot day? a large strawberry daiquiri!

waiting for our daiquiris

when we were finished with our meal, we went our separate ways to prepare for the evening’s cocktail reception. my hotel was just a few blocks away so i decided to just walk since i see everyone doing the same. Nine West was almost in front of my hotel so i made a quick pit stop. after half an hour, i left the store with a new pair of pumps (remember the picture in this post?). i also passed by this shoe discount store where i managed to get 2 pairs of shoes - a black ballerina pair of flats & a cork-soled sandals, which totaled to $35. (first day pa lang, shopping na agad! hehe!)

the streetcar in Canal Street

in the evening, we attended the cocktail reception at the Hilton Riverside Hotel, and the theme was ‘James Bond’ night. when we entered the room, we felt like we were in a setting of the Casino Royale. there were some mock casino tables, and delegates were given chips to play. there was no betting involved – just plain fun all in the spirit of sticking to the theme, and it was a blast!

the following day was the official start of the show. the exhibition hall was packed with delegates teeming from all directions. it was well-attended, considering the fact that it was held in one of the 'provinces' of the U.S. we were actually quite pleased because the event took place in New Orleans. one of the conference's goals was to help boost New Orleans' tourism and find jobs for the Hurricane Katrina victims. anyway, the event went on like that for the next three days (read: B-U-S-Y!) i was just so happy i brought with me my ‘conference shoes’ – an inch & a half heeled mules with just about the right cushion. so even while i was standing up the whole time, my footsies barely had any discomfort.

the following days were mostly the same. but the unwinding part of each day started every 6:00 pm, where each global insurance company and broker would outdo one another by hosting various cocktail receptions and parties around town. we attended one at Mulate's, and at an exclusive quaint café in the French Quarter. but our most favorite was the Marsh’s reception done at New Orleans’ Steam Boat Natchez. it was there where we spent five hours mixing and mingling with the hosts and the guests. there was a dixie band that played inside the steamboat, and drinks were overflowing! they even had the drinks served in the traditional glasses they had, which gave the evening a more local touch. by 10:00 pm, a barge they had commissioned sailed down the Mississippi River for the fireworks. everyone inside the steamboat rushed to the East side to watch, i thought the boat would keel over! yikes!

at Mulate's

the Steamboat Natchez at the Mississippi River

the night before the last day of the conference, our group went our separate ways to shop a little. i went to Riverwalk with Martin to buy some items from GAP, and then headed to Wal-Mart for some other good old American merchandise. (that’s where i actually got our Scrabble Deluxe!) later in the evening, our group met up, and we treated ourselves to an evening at Bourbon Street to experience their kind of party. we went bar hopping – with me just ordering daiquiris most of the time. i was convinced to try rum and coke, but only once, and i didn’t bother to give the drink another shot.

in Bourbon Street, i noticed police cars stationed in every corner – with at least 4 policemen on guard. that made me feel safe despite being surrounded by a lot of intoxicated people on the road. in Bourbon Street, you can carry your drink wherever you wanna go – a long as your drink is in a plastic cup. as the bars were mostly open (as in you can see what’s happening inside from the outside – definitely not for conservative people!), loud music blasted from all directions. the bar that i appreciated seeing though was the jazz preservation bar in Bourbon Street, where they played authentic jazz music.

New Orleans, being known for the party life and ‘beads’ tradition during mardi gras, is also known for voodoo and fortune telling. funny enough, the night of my flight to New Orleans, we watched ‘The Skeleton Key’ on DVD starring Kate Hudson – and the setting was, where else, but in New Orleans, LA! imagine my fright! anyway, just for the experience, my colleagues and i went to try palm reading in the side walk and had each of our fortunes read. i’m not a believer of such thing, so i felt ripped off after paying $10 for a 5-minute session.

as a night capper, we went to the al-fresco Cafe du Monde and tasted their café au lait and French–style beignets, which they are best known for. this coffee shop located in the French Market at the French Quarter is open 24 hours, 7 days a week, and is always brimming with patrons. even after midnight, the place was still packed, making it difficult for us to find a table.

having our midnight snack, New Orleans style

the following day was easy for us all as it was the last day of the event, and the sessions were only till half of the day. i went to attend one of the sessions, which, by the way, was too technical for me. immediately afterwards, i did a little walk-about by myself and explored the French Quarter, the oldest and most famous neighborhood in New Orleans. thank heavens the place was minimally damaged by Hurricane Katrina, so most of the old buildings and establishments were still operational. on my way to the French Quarter, i made quick short pit stop at the Hard Rock Café where i bought some souvenirs for me and hubby. then, i went to the Jackson Square where the Saint Louis Cathedral was located.

souvenir shopping

at the Jackson Square

inside the church

after saying my prayers at the church, i worked my way towards St. Ann Street, where shops and galleries were lined up for tourists to visit. i kept walking towards the French Market where i heard bargains are regular. i also made a little visit to Aunt Sally's Original Creole Pralines Shop and grabbed some samples to bring home as pasalubong. at the French Market, i purchased a figurine of a jazz artist resting on a Bourbon Street sign, and a sketched artwork glued to a roof tile from an old building in Vieux Carre area (other name for French Quarter), dating back to 1700s.

French Quarter architecture at the background

checking out Aunt Sally's creole pralines

walking back towards Canal Street, i heard some music coming out from this small building, which turned out to be the New Orleans Jazz National Historical Park. i was cheerfully welcomed by the organizers, and was led to the row at the back, where an old, white haired pleasant couple, who i presumed were there for the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, warmly smiled at me, as if to say ‘glad to have a younger generation come in this room to experience this beautiful music’. the old lady patted the chair next to her, and i obediently sat down to enjoy the music. in less than a minute, i was already enthused by the music. the band was playing Louis Armstrong classics, and they were really awesome (especially the lady drummer!). woohoo!

paying homage to Louis Armstrong

after the set, i politely said goodbye to the old couple, and then headed out to the food joint next to Café du Monde for a quick bite. i decided to sit outside and enjoy the weather. i forgot the name of the place, but if ever i go back to New Orleans again, i’ll make sure to come by again because they serve the best lemonade ever!

feeling recharged, i went to the levee and had a leisurely stroll by the Mississippi Riverbank. thereafter, i went to the indoor Audobon Aquarium of the Americas to see their aquatic animal collection. they have quite an impressive exhibit area where you could find sharks, penguins, sea otters, alligators, and sea horses. they even had a ‘petting zoo’ sort of thing, where you can touch a cownose ray, and feed some sting rays – which i expectedly didn’t do as i was too scared! (you should’ve seen how the kids were trying to coax me…how embarrassing!!)

aqua zoo visit

my last stop was at the Riverwalk’s spanish steps where i rested for a while before heading back to my hotel. by 5:00 pm, i joined my colleagues for a last minute shopping trip to The Canal Place, where i snagged a Coach Hobo Bag, with a matching key ring courtesy of hubby (thanks hon!).

we dropped off our stuff at our hotel, had dinner altogether in a lovely restaurant and then headed back to our hotel to retire. we were all dead beat to hit any of the bars! besides, we were alarmed by the news of a tornado heading towards our direction, so we thought it would be best to get to our respective rooms and monitor the weather through the local news.

when i got to my room, i switched on the TV and tuned in to the local news channel. and even as i flicked the remote to other channels, weather updates were being flashed on the screen, making me more nervous by the minute. i couldn’t sleep, and was feeling so worried. i phone hubby every night as i struggled sleeping alone in a room, but that evening, he could sense my anxiety.

by 12:00 noon the following day, i was ready to go home, but when we got to our boarding gate, our flight was announced delayed, which later on was declared cancelled. the winds were gusty, and it was raining cats and dogs they had to close runway and cancel all outbound flights. talk about unlucky! by then, i was already panicky. my other colleague who has a later flight in the afternoon called me sounding freaked out as the hotel lobby where we stayed at was flooded knee deep…and to think we were there 3 hours ago! ironic enough, she was the one who managed to fly out the same day as the run way was cleared by 4:00 pm.

United Air booked us in the Hilton Airport Hotel to stay overnight, and completely changed our itinerary. i dragged my stuff to my room which was facing the airport, and found myself slumped on the bed - wishing, hoping & praying at the same time that the weather would improve so we can go home the next day as scheduled. the hotel’s ambiance was gloomy in the evening, so me and my colleagues had a quiet dinner at the hotel’s restaurant and then called it a night.

as i was terrified of the weather, i barely had any sleep. i watched TV, checked emails and surfed the internet to entertain myself. i kept calling hubby who had to pacify me while i was thousands of miles away from him :(

the next day, the weather was much better so we finally flew out of New Orleans – each of us in one piece. wonderin’ where the tornado hit? it drastically went up North to Kansas City in Missouri .

i was delighted when i arrived back to sunny Dubai . i was sore and tired from the trip, but i was more than happy to be back. i missed my hubby, our home, and most especially the nice weather. it was a very memorable trip for me, and despite the scare, i did enjoy it immensely. i learned a lot of things, and i’m quite happy to have had the opportunity to be on that trip.

so, that wraps up my New Orleans story. sorry for this lengthy post – i went way beyond my planned RTP (reminiscing the past), but i hope you learned a thing or two about New Orleans, too.

cheers everyone, and have a wonderful week! :)

the longest line

this tag is from my fellow girl scout – the famous mommymunchkin, Weng. :)

you must have played the game the longest line at some point in your life. how about if we play the cyber edition of this game? are you with me? let's start.

Rule: Copy the entire list and add your name below the person who tagged you. Then tag at least 5 friends (But you can tag as many as you like) and visit their blog to let them know you tagged them.

Abie - Journey to Life

Abie- MyPlanetPurple
Bela

Kaptyurb by Howell

Vannie

Vannie2

Aggie

Apols

Apple

Thea

Jacqui

Jane

Jody

Joy

Kelly

Mich

Peachy

Vien

Nick

Meeya

Meeya’s Memes

Meeya’s Parties

Munchkin Mommy

Mapped Memories

Cafe Munchkin

Gracie

*here's your spot!* :D

most of the peeps from my blogroll already has this tag, so i’m deviating from the rules and will just let anyone grab this tag from my page.

have a great week everyone! :D

photoblog it!

got tagged by fabulous Momma Vannie – merci beau coup!

Here’s how it works:

1. Go to http://www.photobucket.com/
2. Type in your answer to the question in the “search” box.
3. Use only the first page.
4. Insert the picture into your Blog

no words - just express your answers through the pictures!!

enjoy!!

1) What is your Relationship Status?

2) What is your current mood?

3) Who is your Favorite Band / Artist?

4) What is your Favorite Movie?

5) What kind of pet do you have?

6) Where do you live?

7) Where do you work?

8) What do you look like?

9) What do you drive?

10) What did you do last night?

11) What is your Favorite TV Show?

12) Describe yourself:

13) What are you doing today?

14) What is your name?

15) What is your favorite candy?

i’m tagging Che, Chung, Laine & Joanne. wonderin’ if we have something in common ;-)

10 recent things that made me happy

snagged this from Kelly, and thought i’d share with you my joy these days.

1. dinner with hubby last night at The Noodle House. i was craving for something oriental and it was the perfect place to pig out eat.
2. my colleague, Kwok volunteering to put some hard to find songs on my iPod (the guy’s got 3,000 original cds!)
3. learning that my trip to San Diego, California has been approved. this means serious shopping. (right, sis Hazel?)
4. spending quality time with hubby last weekend
5. knowing that my friendship with C has never faltered despite our previous long strife
6. successful event at work last week
7. talking to my family over the phone yesterday
8. hearing a fellow Pinay in the centre say a heartfelt ‘thank you’ the other day for the help i extended to her last week
9. finishing Sophie Kinsella's book, ‘The Undomestic Goddess’ overnight. i missed reading an entertaining, hard-to-put down book!
10. hearing the good news that my friend, Maie, is finally tying the knot

through the years

yesterday, my friend at work Maria gave me and Ryan a nice Christian book as an Easter gift. it is a compilation of 250 anecdotes that touches upon love, kindness, family and friendship. while waiting for Ryan to pick me up from work, i skimmed through the pages and stumbled upon a touching story about friendship, and how it lasted even beyond death.

when we got home last night, it was rather late than the usual, but i had to do some chores first before calling it a night. when it was finally time for me to retire, it was already past midnight, and i couldn’t get myself to doze off immediately.

so while willing myself to get to dreamland, i contemplated on the story i read and thought about my friends back home. i thought of my old friends whom i’ve known since gradeschool years, as well as my childhood friends who’ve made my kiddie years the happiest i could ever imagine. i’ve always been proud of the fact that i had a happy childhood, and that i would never trade those years for anything else in the world. i had scars to remind me of my mischief, but have not regretted getting them. if i had been too careful before, i wouldn’t have learned how to ride the bike, climb up a tree, play every street game imaginable, and even discover how to go over our locked gates to play outside when i was 6! (this is something i am still able to do at this age – even in platform heels!!)

i also reminisced the fun memories i had with my high school friends, and ushered a short, thankful prayer for being blessed with such wonderful people who were not only there for me during my happy moments, but who were also present and supportive during my trying times. in spite the distance and all, we know we are still friends no matter what. and i thank today’s technology for keeping me in touch with them.

i’ve also brought to mind friends i’ve met during college years: my blocmates, my batchmates, my room mates, classmates in GE subjects from various colleges, my brods and sisses at UP Student Catholic Action, my friends from Freshman Bloc Assembly - all these brilliant people whom i’ve lost touch with now, but haven’t forgotten. these were the people who kept me sane while in university, and i cannot thank them enough for making my life colorful then.

i’ve also thought of my friends from my previous jobs - people who have opened my eyes to reality, who made me understand what adulthood means, and who’ve taught me a lot of essentials in facing life in general. they’re only but few, but i’ve proven through time their kindness and genuine friendship.

i was flooded with memories last night, which made me resolve that i will never miss going home to Manila at least every year. it can get pretty lonely at times when you’re miles away from home. nothing beats the feeling of laughing with your real friends, and this feeling i terribly miss. *sniff!*

updates, updates

hey guys, i’m back from oblivion! and whaddaya know, a long weekend had passed and i didn’t even notice. problem these days is that time passes by so quickly, you never even get to linger on it as much as you would love to. there’s always something to do and more often than not, these are things that are pressing to ignore.

anyway, pardon me if i’ll write in bullets. i’m just itching to share what i’ve been up to the last few days, and my thoughts are still a bit scattered as my mind is still on vacation mode. it was Prophet Mohammed’s birthday last Thursday so it was a public holiday here in the UAE, and i’ve applied for a holiday yesterday as it was Easter Sunday so i had a 4 days off in total. it was short, but i was in full throttle. here’s a list of what i did:

- had dinner with my friend, Cleng
- caught up on sleep
- cleaned and redecorated the living room. (thank you, Ikea for your wonderful inspirations, and for selling reasonably priced furniture) :)
- had a fun date with hubby on Friday. saw the film “Vantage Point” via the buy one take one promo of HSBC Credit card at Cinestar Cinemas. had a late lunch at Coco’s thereafter
- took afternoon naps
- did the laundry
- did some ironing
- snoozed
- went to the bank for some errands
- shopped for a new carpet and dining table cloth...although honestly, i would’ve loved a new dining table set. it was so tempting because Home Centre was on S-A-L-E at 70%!!
- zzzzzzzzzzz….
- grocery shopped for our supplies
- watched “Mr. Brooks” and “88 Minutes” on DVD
- heard mass on Easter Sunday and had lunch at Chili’s afterwards
- blogged after a long hiatus

by the way, i changed my mind about the planner. i thought it’s wise to just wait till my trip to Europe and have it purchased there instead. or probably ask my cousin to get it for me when she goes to Paris for a flight. sayang ang tax refund! i did not dare go to Burjuman or Mall of the Emirates to tempt myself. hubby says i’m such a good girl. *wink*

unhappy feet

work has never been this busy.

all the trouble working on a particular event that we've begun preparing for since last year took its toll on me. i had a few bouts of this weird sensation that makes my jaw feel like the teeth it's holding are gonna fall off in one go. i had back aches, sore arms and swollen feet. i was literally tired...beat and dead tired.

for days i ran in the office like a headless chicken with gazillions of thoughts racing through my head, not to mention with bloodshot eyes. my make-up couldn't hide the stress i was feeling then. the headache from racking my brains trying to think of solutions to some unexpected blips that happened didn't go away despite 2 tablets of Panadol. i felt like the world around me spun out of control, and my weak body could barely get a grip. i was literally shaking i thought i'm gonna have a heart attack and become a vegetable.

by the second day of the event, i decided to be more calm in facing all the pressure. and to be more comfy, i brought with me my trusty Havies to work. the little me walked in the hallways of our office wearing my crisp suit (in skirt) and my periwinkle flip flops. i only wore my heels when i went to the CEO's office, and when i escorted our VVIPs to their meeting rooms. for the rest of the day, i allowed my feet to breathe. i didn't care if people joked about my footwear. when my colleagues would begin giving me a funny look, i would defensively say "i have shoes". i was so tired to even care if i looked stupid. comfort became my priority.

i am sooo glad that packed week was over. next time it happens, i may bring a pair of sneakers instead. they'd be good for running ;-)

a planner after 1st quarter

i’ve always been a fan of Louis Vuitton. i love their leather goods, not just because they are iconic, but also because their designs are quite sturdy and functional. they produce fine leather products that could last for years, and even guarantee you of repair when the stitches are damaged.

the last time i had a serious craving of an LV item was in January (see here). i’ve placed a reservation, but i’ve begun losing hope that the local stores here will have any stock.

for now, my latest covet is this, and this time, i hope i’ll be lucky:

Medium Ring Agenda

how it looks like inside

i saw one this morning at my colleague’s desk, and i just couldn’t help but be jealous of her *hehehe!*

would you believe i’m still using my 2007 Starbucks Planner to jot down notes for myself? i dare not bring them to the office because it’s so bulky, not to mention old (kakahiya!) so i just use it at home to organize my thoughts and plans during weekends. exasperatingly, there’s not much choice of dandy planners here, and silly me for forgetting that LV sells ‘em, too.

if ever i become unsuccessful at grabbing one from Burjuman or Mall of the Emirates this weekend, i’ll take it as a sign to wait till September and get it from Monte Carlo instead, where i’m sure it will be a lot cheaper, and not to mention tax-free, too. anyway, my trusty old planner still works for me, so if i don’t find one, i won’t be that heartbroken. ;-)

big bear hug

this bear hug came from one of my oldest friends, Drea (thanks!). i miss this pretty gurl, too. can’t wait to see her walk down the aisle on December.

links around the world tag

i was tagged by blogger happy Thea :D

^_^ Start copying here: ^_^

This is the Links Around The World Tag.

Instructions:

1. Place your link after the list. If you have more than 1 blog, feel free to add them all here!

2. After placing your blog’s address/es, you must tag 5 or more bloggers that is not yet in the list, this is to keep the ball rolling.

3. Here is the best part: Make sure to update your list every now and then, by getting the master list here. I’ll be updating the master list every day, or as soon as I see a new blog that’s been added to the list.

1. Momhood Moments 2. Business Mars 3. Princezz 4. Princess 5. Cecil 6. Ron & Cecil 7. Pinay Mommy Online 8 OnlineBiz and Resources 9 A Simple life 10 - moms…..check nyo 11 Mommy’s Little Corner 12 Random Thoughts 13 Paradigm 14 See Me For What You Will 15 Pamp’s Blog Corner 16 - Pampered 17 - HappyHeart 18 Qtcotzkie and Baby 19 A Sorta Fairytale 20 tragicseven 21 - Listen to the Beat! 22 Just Saying 23 Tipsy Tips 24 Different Angles 25 Delicious Corner 26 I Care 27 Blog Blag Blog 28 Daily List 29 Life’s Journey 30 Welcome to my Crib 31 A Daily Walk With Bill & Gina 32 Me,Myself + 2 33 Fun.Fierce.Fabulous 34 Mike 35 BerryScrappy 36 BloggerHappy 37 –A Reality Bite

i’m tagging Pheng, Valerie, Cheryll, Kelly & Drea to keep this rolling.

have a great day everyone!

beauty and…ahm, beauty only

i bet this girl is gonna hit super stardom! after all, she’s so confident! *tongue in cheek*

hilarious is such an understatement. i rest my case.

rules of four

my manic Monday starts off with a tag from Joanne. thanks sis! i immensely enjoyed doing this.

4 jobs i have had:

Marketing Assistant

Senior Sales & Marketing Associate

Department Administrator

Client Relationship Officer

4 movies i watched over and over:

The Cutting Edge (more than a dozen times, seriously!)

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon

My Sassy Girl

Love Affair (original)

4 shows I watch:

CSI Las Vegas

House, MD

Grey’s Anatomy

F.R.I.E.N.D.S.

4 places I have been:

(these are the places i've been to in 2007)

London, UK

New Orleans, USA

Nice, France

Monte Carlo, Monaco

4 places I would rather be:

Manila, Philippines
Mauritius (yeah, dream summer vacation!)

Prague, Czech Republic
Barcelona, Spain

4 things I look forward to this year:

going home this Christmas

my family’s trip to Hong Kong

RIMS 2008 – San Diego, California, USA

our 30th! :D

i wonder what Drea, Jesse, Kelly & Mich have to say if i tag them :)

friendship chain

The chain was passed on to me by lovely Vannie – thanks sweetie!

~~Begin Copy~~

This is the easy way and the fastest way to :
1. Make your Authority Technorati explode.

2. Increase your Google Page Rank.

3. Get more traffic to your blog.

4. Make more new friends.

Rules :
1. Start copy from “Begin Copy” until “End Copy” to your blog.

2. Put your own blog name and link.

3. Tag your friends as much as you can.

1. Picturing of Life 2. Juliana’s Site 3. Hazel-My Life, My Hope, My Future.4. Jeanne-The Callalily Space5.My Family is my Life 6. My Charmed Life 7. To the Moon and Back 8. My Happy Place 9. I am Dzoi 10. Starz in De Sky 11. Denz Techtronics 12. Denz Recreational 13. My Blog 14. Because Life is Fun 15. BLOGGERHAPPY 16. BerryScrappy 17. Me,Myself+2 , 18. Fun.Fierce.Fabulous 19. A Reality Bite

Keep the chain going folks! This tag is open so feel free to copy and add your name in the list.

fantastic blogger

thanks very much Pat for this nice trophy. it'll will fit nicely in my awards case..hehe! :D

Rule: Copy the entire list and add your name at the bottom. And tag at least 5 friends. (But you can tag as many as you like) Thea, my scrappy side, Childstar, abie, aggie, alpha, apple, apols, jacqui, jane, jody, joy, mike, kelly, mich, peachy, dorxie, Butchay, lena, anna, sheryll, pat, gracie

i'm passing this award to

cheryll, che, joanne, vannie & chung.

spiked after five

after a long, hard day at work last Tuesday, i decided to unwind by heading down to our next door neighbor Jumeirah Emirates Towers Boulevard to do some window shopping. i wanted to see how the Coach Patchwork Swingpack physically looks like, so i dragged my friend at work Abbie to take a peek.

as we were exiting the building, Nick caught up with us and decided to tag along. after spending a good 10 minutes at the Coach store, we walked over to Scarlett’s for an after-office drink. i am never a fan of alcohol, but since i really had a tough day, i decided to grab a Breezer and a frozen margarita. Abbie and i were lucky because it was also Scarlett’s ladies’ night so we got ourselves free coupons for our drinks.

Nick, Gracie & Abbie…you don’t wanna know what topics we talked about!

i’ve never gone out on a weeknight for a very long time, and i was quite happy that i did. it sure relaxed me! that minimal alcohol intake served as good sedative for me - i slept like a baby all throughout the night.

with the many crazy things happening at work and at home, it was a welcome treat for me. tonight, i have booked myself for some treatment at the salon, and i just can’t wait!

and oh, did i mention it’s Thursday today? Thank God it’s the weekend!! :D

the perfect title

wanna know why i named my blog “A Reality Bite”?

the reason is to pay homage to that very precious book bound 200++ page manuscript with the same title that i’ve written back in college. i wrote it almost 10 years ago to detail what i’ve done during my practicum days (yikes, it’s like giving away my age…hehe!). a documentation of all my experiences when i first took a bite of reality in the working arena, and what it felt like in the dog eat dog (corporate) world.

“A Reality Bite” was my ticket to graduation. it took me a semester to finish it, and man, i spent a lot of days and sleepless nights working on it – from the first draft, down to the final published version, and all that chasing of signatories to have it authenticated and approved. not to mention balancing my time with my other major subjects in full load - from speech communication to writing to theatre. whew! thank God for my then advisor, Professor Emeritus Edelwina C. Legaspi, PhD, who had guided me all throughout the way, and treated me with utmost patience since day one!

so now you know why this blog’s special to me. and that’s a little trivia for you. ;-)