Next to purple, pink is my favorite color. I love the girly feel of this color, and even if I am already 30 years old, I feel like I am just in my teens by using pink products. :) I have quite a lot of pink stuff, but I think I have posted pictures of those stuff in this blog one way or another, so I will just post this picture:




In 2007, I joined an aerobics class, and the instructor asked us to bring some dumbbells. When I bought these, the staff at the store recommended I'd buy these instead because the 1lb. ones might be very light for me. After 5 sessions, I stopped attending the aerobics because my walk buddy can't accompany me anymore and I didn't want to go to class alone.

My mom borrowed these dumbbells after, and now that I am trying to lose weight again, mom brought home the dumbbells for me to use. These may just be 2lbs. each, but I am happy to use it because I can do lots of sets before I get tired. I guess next year, I could use a much heavier pair.

*** Jenn ***

It's now the last week of September, which means it's also the last week of sharing some nostalgic moments from my Elementary days.




I was sad that my friend Kutchie had to switch schools once again, but I was really relieved that my "puppeteer" switched schools, too. I can now concentrate on my lessons, and my parents as well as my second cousin Lolit (who was taking care of my sister) didn't have to get angry with me anymore. Halfway through the school year, ate Lolit decided to come home, and mom took the services of ate Baby, which was my own nanny when I was still a baby. I loved her back when I was a child, but I really hated her now that I can already understand things.

I was never the emotional eater, but I do love to eat - and my weight increased tremendously. I have always been the fat girl (even if I looked smaller in pictures), but in Grade 6, I was a bit surprised I was already the same size as my mom, and I was even bigger than my class adviser! Still, dieting wasn't something that came to mind because my dad didn't want to see us "thin." Well, my brother was actually skin and bones thin that time, and my dad couldn't bear to see his son like that - so he would always encourage us to eat. I was never sporty, so the excess calories just piled and piled.

One of the best thing happened to me was when dad took brother and I to the optometrist. I have already complained about my poor vision and even though my parents blamed us for watching too close to the television and reading books in the dark, he still had our eyes checked. The new pair of eyeglasses was a good change.

Some school memories:

• My teacher in Sibika at Kultura wanted us to recite Andres Bonifacio's poem "Pag-Ibig sa Tinubuang Lupa." If the student can recite the poem in whole, she would give a grade of 95%, but since it was a long poem, she told that reciting at least 4 paragraphs would give the student a grade of 75%. I have learned to procrastinate, and just started memorizing the poem during the lunch break. At first I was ready to take the 75% grade, but I guess I do wonders when cramming for I was able to recite the whole poem, and it took me just 45 minutes to memorize it.
• One of the teachers gave a surprise quiz, and I realized I didn't have any pen nor pencil to use. I panicked a bit and was happy to see another classmate using my pen (which he borrowed a day or two before). I took my pen even if he was left with nothing to use. Oh well, I didn't feel guilty about that - he was one of the popular students in the class, he certainly found a way to get a pen for himself.
• The Glee Club was given a name, "the Young Minstrels." Aside from being the school choir for the First Friday masses in school, we also performed in different school activities.
• I joined the Spelling Bee. I made it to the top 10, but because there were so many contestants, and each had to come up the stage during his/her turn and I already got tired of doing it, I decided to get my word wrong so I could stop coming up the stage and facing the people watching.
• When I was in Grade 2, my brother had a classmate that would always pinch my face whenever he saw me. I really made an effort to hide from him, and in Grade 6, during the school's Foundation Day, I went to the high school's canteen to buy myself a glass of Halo-Halo. I had a hard time mixing the food, when he came to me to offer some help. Oh my, he certainly looked handsome! Hahaha! Well, he was already cute back then - he even acted on some TV shows, he just never made it big.
• While performing the graduation song, my classmate and I weren't singing - we were chit-chatting. Hahaha.
  

Once again, I finished third that year. Being the 1st Honorable Mention, I had to do the invocation. I was happy because the prayer I told was written by one of my parents' principal sponsors when they got married. During graduation, I was happy, too, because aside from feeling proud that many parents could see me come up the stage and be pinned with my medal, seeing two sets of "parents" made my night. First of course was my own parents, and the other, the couple who would always "borrow" me when I was much younger. Since they have been married for quite sometime, it was a little sad on their part for still not having a child, so I became their adopted daughter in a way. Well, they eventually had a child (a beautiful daughter - taking up law now), who was also having her pre-school graduation that night. Receiving their hugs made me really happy.

It was also a sad day for me, because when the ceremony was over, my dad asked me to go find my brother so we can walk home together. Dad said she and mom will be attending the 1st day of Couples for Christ - Christian Life Program, which was about to start. When I found my brother he told me he cannot come home yet because they still need to clean up the place (he was in the CAT that time already). I went home alone and sad... and it made me cry that ate Baby didn't even cook something for dinner. I just opened a can of sardines and watched TV. I felt really sad because I gave my best to be part of the honor roll, yet my family didn't even complimented the effort. The thoughts of hearing another parent telling how proud she was for her daughter to finish Elementary and that they have prepared lots of foods in celebrating her graduation was a big blow for me.

Graduation will always be bittersweet. While I was happy to be finishing elementary, I had fears of what will happen in the next stage of my school life.

*** Jenn ***

The spotlight is on Robin Williams this week on Tuesday Couch Potatoes. When I was younger, I considered him one of my fave actors - thanks to his great acting in movies like "Jumanji," "Mrs. Doubtfire," and "Jack." I instantly thought of "Mrs. Doubtfire" to share this week, until I made a rundown of his filmography and realized there is a Robin Williams movie that changed my life (a bit).






I cannot find a good trailer of the movie in You Tube, so I just shared this video instead - just to give you some snippets from the movie. If you weren't able to watch this, I copied the synopsis from Yahoo! Movies:

Chris and Annie Nielsen's children are both killed, and then a few years later Chris himself dies in an accident. Chris goes to heaven, a place built of his imagination, and the paintings he loved in life. He discovers from an angel that Annie has committed suicide, as she is bereft without her family. Chris determines to search for her, but as he has gone to heaven and she to hell, he must endure great hardships to find her.

This movie came at the right time. I quit college, tried to stay away from "life" by living with my aunt in La Union where no one (except my relatives) know me. Something happened to me that I was thinking of having suicide, but didn't have the courage to do it.

Before I went to La Union, a classmate of mine already spoke about this movie, so when I found a shop that rents VHS tapes had this movie on their rack, I borrowed it for curiosity's sake. It was quite a heavy movie... but the scene where Chris did all he could to save his wife from hell made me happy I didn't kill myself when I thought about having a suicide. No one knows for sure if heaven and hell really exist, but... what if I did commit suicide? Who will save my soul then? After watching this movie, I did tell myself I will never think about doing suicide again.

This movie is something that will forever be special to me. Sure, I might forget some scenes and the names of the actors... but the very jist of this movie I will never forget.

*** Jenn ***

14 September 2010

For mom's 61st birthday, I decided for the family to use the Mr. Jones gift certificate I won from the first Yummy Magazine blog contest. It has been in my possession since June, and because I want to share my blessings with my family, I waited for the right time to use it. Mom's birthday fell on a Monday, but since sister's day off at work was on a Tuesday, mom just switched her birthday holiday so the whole family could eat out.

The night before, I already called in the diner to reserve a table, because it might be a full house come lunch time. Since it's been ages since I last explored Makati City, locating the diner made us walk for about 30 minutes by the time we got off the Ayala MRT Station. Still, the diner kept our reservation, and after catching our breath and thinking what to eat, we gave them the order.


We had: Fish and Chips, Melted "Old Bay" Crab and Dory Thermidor, Wicked Truffled Mac and Cheese, and Char-Grilled "Greek Style" Norwegian Salmon Steak. For drinks, we shared in the Banana Cream Pie milkshake and Blueberry Granola Yogurt "Slim Shake." I guess we were a little overwhelmed with the fancy names in the menu that we weren't able to think carefully what to order. The foods were all great, but as soon as the dishes were delivered we realized we order a whole lot of fish! It would be a bit better if we have tried the meat dishes, too.

The servings were big, and all of us enjoyed the meal. My favorite would be the Mac and Cheese... it was totally wicked! So delicious. I also liked the fish and chips, but unlike sis who enjoyed it with the tartar sauce, I enjoyed it with the vinegar. Best thing about dining here? Hearing some good old music, and Elvis was playing the whole time we were there. It felt as if we were eating at the diners we could only see on films.


I loved the way staff catered to their customers. They were very attentive, very quick to offer help, and they were very friendly. The way they treated us erased the annoyance I had from them the night before, when I called to reserve a table and the person on the other end of the line dropped the call after I have my whole long sentence about reserving a seat. All's well, I didn't hold any grudges. :)


After eating, we walked to the Greenbelt Chapel to say prayers. Now that sister is already working and is coming home just to sleep, it became rare for the whole family to be complete. Today, we didn't just celebrate mom's birthday, we also celebrated a time being together.

The mass will be held late in the afternoon, and since it was only 1PM, we decided to carry on with the day. We went to Landmark to shop, and sister and I bought footwear - I bought a pair of rubber shoes and she bought a pair of wedge shoes. We also went to the kitchenware section, where we bought a much needed replacement to our ladles. It was fun shopping at the Landmark, not only were the prices low, they were also having their anniversary sale. We were able to buy a lot and paying a little over a thousand for all the kitchenware. Sweet!


Traveling back home from Makati City would take us two to three hours (depending on traffic), so we decided to grab some snacks before going home. We just ate at Jollibee in Glorietta - sister had the Champ (in picture), mom and I had the Spaghetti / Regular Yum meal, and brother had the Hotdog meal. It was a good choice, for we didn't eat dinner anymore when we got home.

I am always happy whenever I am with my family. I love sharing a meal with them because not only do I get to share foods with them, I could also share good chats, hearty laughs...as if we were friends gathering. I don't know when the whole family could eat out again, so I really savored this moment.

Happy birthday, Momskie!

*** Jenn ***

Oh how timely... I am watching ANTM while typing this, and their photoshoot topic was about bullying. They had to "wear" the word people used to bully them, while wearing the word that they are now - giving a statement that "the end doesn't really justify the means." Connecting it to the 30 Days of Truth... from something I "hate" about myself, now it's about:

Day 2 - Something You LOVE About Yourself

Ask me this question maybe three years ago, I would seriously go blank for a long time. Not that I hated myself so much... I just can't see something there is to love about myself. No wonder all my relationships failed. I didn't love myself back then, why would I hope people will love me back? I think I am one of those people has the appearance that only parents can love... but would you believe I haven't heard my parents told me I am beautiful? Once I asked my dad, "Am I beautiful?" He answered, "Of course. You're my daughter!" I know my parents love me very much, but they haven't really told me I am beautiful. I am not blaming them, but...it was really difficult to find beauty in myself knowing even my parents don't consider me as someone beautiful, in the literal concept of it.

In one of the inspirational notes I had, it said, "Angels in disguise exist." Love for oneself starts from within, but I can also say that seeing how people love me can also help me love myself. I got friends, yes, but in my life I have to thank two particular persons who have helped me love myself. One would be my ex bf Doc. Our relationship was internet based, but it lasted two years. He wasn't only my boyfriend, he was also my psychologist. During my fragile times, I would always shoo him away and he would always say, "...holding your hand, and not letting go." The way he helped me appreciate myself and accept myself the way I am was really something I would be thankful forever. Other person would be my friend K. I also got to meet him online, but unlike Doc, we already got to meet personally and in November we would be celebrating our second year anniversary. Thinking about how he accepted me (flabs and all) was mind blowing - even I can't understand how and/or why he loves me. He picked up where Doc left off, and because of him, I am loving myself more than ever.

With the renewed spirits, it would be difficult to write down the things I love myself, so I will just list down the FIRST ten things that will come to mind:


My Smile. The girl who never knew how to smile truly has come a long way. Smiling is one of the easiest things I could do, and people have complimented me a lot of times because of it.

Simplicity. My parents came from poor families, and I was born in a poor family, too. I may be deprived, but I have come to know how to live simple. While some people would complain about not having "enough" food on their table, I would be a happy foodie if I had rice, bagoong balayan and tomatoes for lunch. Also, it's very easy to satisfy me. I don't really go for the lavish, extravagant things... but of course, if one would give me some lavish things, I would gladly accept it. What I am saying is that - even if you give me a Panda or a Parker ballpen, the degree of happiness will be the same.

I Don't Get Angry Easily. Get annoyed, yes.. but my annoyance only has a lifespan of 5 minutes. If ever I get annoyed with you, just go and talk to me after 5 minutes, and I will be okay already.

I Forgive Easily, Too. It would take a lot for me to get angry, but when I finally get angry, it would take sometime for me to process things. However, should one say sorry, I would be okay with that. Sadly, I may forgive, but I don't forget. Sometimes, I have already forgiven the person, but the degree of what was done to me can be a reason for me to flee away from the person. Still, I don't hold any grudges in my heart. I just don't want to be hurt again, or maybe staying "friends" might be a stupid thing to do, so I'd just move on with life.

The Shutter Happy Me. Since the day I discovered what "macro" photography is through my cell phone, it opened a new door for me. I still am not a very great photographer (sometimes I still don't consider myself one - I think I am still more of picture taker rather than a photographer), but I do take pride that I take good pictures, too, and the compliments (whether real or not) are just proofs that I have talent in photography.

My Voice. I cannot sing like Celine Dion, but I can carry a tune. Also, people who have heard me speak on the phone always tell me I have a good voice. I thought my speaking voice sounded like a child, but if they say it's good, then it's good. :)

Being Frugal. Give me three thousand pesos and I can have a very great trip that will cover Baguio, La Union, and Vigan. Of course, that's just one example how frugal I am.

My Cooking. If not for my brother who told me, "If you love to eat, you gotta learn how to cook" when I was about 13 or 14... I would have never tried my cooking skills. Now that I have taking on the path of testing recipes printed in magazines, I love that I still haven't cooked a bad food yet. Expanding my horizons in cooking is an assurance that I can survive in this world. *grins*

Realizing I Really Have to Lose Weight. I wanted to lose weight since my elementary days. Being half-hearted about it hindered me to actually achieve my goal, but about a month ago, I have finally drew the last straw, and I love that I am giving more of my attention to it. I have lost 4lbs. so far, but I am not giving up. I know I can reach my goal weight.

I am Loving Myself More. I love that I have a positive outlook in life now, I am in a much happier disposition, and I am enjoying my life more.

In closing, let me share this:

"Dance like no one is watching,
love like you'll never be hurt,
sing like no one is listening,
and live like it's heaven on earth."
- William Purkey

Life is short... love yourself now - it's the least you can do to yourself. Yeah, it's something I need to tell myself often, too.

Next Sunday - Day 3: Something you have to forgive yourself for.

*** Jenn ***

I love to blog hop. I love reading how people view life and how they celebrate it - through their hobbies and their words. As a person who is now an advocate of attracting positive vibes, seeing this meme instantly made me join it.




The question of the meme was, "What are you finding beautiful around you?" I work at home. Most of the times, I am in front of my net book, doing my job while documenting my life, my hobbies, and my views in my blogs. If I go out, it's usually on weekends, and being at home all the time, I so used to seeing the same things over and over.

Just a few weekends ago, mom came home with a plant, which she just placed in the pot just so it won't die. My mom didn't really tend it, she just planted it and left it there. The morning sunshine and the afternoon rains made this plant bloom, and now it has quite a lot of flowers. I find the plant so interesting - deep purple leaves that look like 4-leaf clovers with small pale purple flowers. It's just so unique!

I will be taking the time to plant them in a much better pot... as the plant grows, it was leaning towards the other side because mom placed the plant at the edge of the pot. I guess putting it at the center will balance it all.

Flowers make any place beautiful. I am thanking God for creating them.

*** Jenn ***

Even though I'd go for black clothes to conceal the flabs, I don't own much black stuffs. When it comes to bags / wallets, I would always go for red, and for footwear, it was a toss up between pink and brown. When our desktop PC finally gave its last breath, it gave me the chance to get a laptop so I could bring it during my travels and be not worried about work... and yes, the Facebook games. :)

Getting a new laptop wasn't an easy decision - brother and I discussed about the aspect of traveling and documenting life... and since I would also want to own a DSLR camera in the future, carrying my luggage might be a difficult thing - weight wise. In the end, instead of getting a laptop with DVD player (which I need to access my old files), I went for a netbook that is quite lighter. I realized, the weight wasn't really the issue - it's how long I will be carrying it. So if I decide to go out of town and take it with me, I would be keeping my focus on the trip and not my straining shoulders because of the weight.

I gave myself 20K for this gadget. I don't want to go over that because not only am I a very thrift person, I also value money. I don't see the idea of getting a very expensive gadget if I can get the performance I need in a much cheaper one. I decided to get the Lenovo S10-2, after seeing that my former high school classmate bought one last year, and still hasn't complained about it. Personally, I seriously hope to get the purple one (converging specs and fashion sense), but the store only had black. I took it anyway, because I have called different shops, and learned that net books in different colors meant paying at least 1500 to the black one. If the color would be the only thing that separates them, I would be happy with the black one.

I called my net book Yoko, after Yoko Ono. Well, Lenovo sounded a lot like Lennono (John Lennon + Yoko Ono), and because I love this couple so much, I named my gadget Yoko. When I get my DSLR camera (I don't know when will that be), I will name it John. :)

*** Jenn ***