One of the best things in life...

...is having someone to sing Air Supply with.

Yes, my good friend Ida and I both love the songs of Graham Russell and Russell Hitchcock.
(and Aerosmith and Jon Bon Jovi!)





Dinner at Il Pirata. (The codfish-and-anchovies pizza was terrific!) Went to see Made of Honor afterwards. (Which we both loved.) Then capped it off with a good smoke, Starbucks Zen Iced Tea and thoughts about love, life and men who do and do not treat women like shit.

:)

------------

Ida: Ready to order?
Me: Yup!

(we both look at the waiter whose back was turned to us)

Me: (with my best flirting tone) Hey cutie!

(the waiter turns)

Ida and Me: (giggling) Uy... tumingin siya!

:)

Welcome home besty!

My besty is back from her dubai trip / raket! Yey! We met up for a quick lunch at the Podium. Since we both weren't hungry, we settled for crepes at UCC. It's the companionship that matters anyway!



Len bought a new cellphone in Dubai.

Len: Bumili ako ng bagong phone!
Me: Bumili ka ng phone? Eh paano 'pag nasira, saan mo papaayos?
Len: (slight pause) ...Ewan ko.

:)

And her pasalubong for me was a really nice tube top that was a dark blue with tiny floral prints, which according to Edward was "so Annej!" :) Thanks bespren! Suotin ko na bukas! Yey!

Next besty date: Inuman at Janero again on Friday! Can't wait!

P.S.

Martin, inuman ulit! Tara! :)

French Class: Day 1

First day of my French course at UP Diliman. I survived! Yey! :) Honestly, I had a great time. Went there early so I'd have time to look for my classroom, and I didn't want to be late. So I was about 10 minutes early for my 9am class. My professor was this very nice lady named Cindy. Most of my classmates were working people like myself. It was quite amusing to see a group of adults being taught the French alphabet, the days of the week (les jours de la semaine) and the months of the year (les mois de l'annee). It was like going back to kindergarten, and learning how to read and write and spell for the first time. But it was fun! :)

Now I know that when someone asks me, vous vous appelez comment? I answer je m'appelle Anne.

:)


God bless UP for NOT being a non-smoking campus!

After class, I rewarded myself with a good smoke and a good lunch at my favorite place in UP - Chocolate Kiss!




The one thing I always order: Grilled Tuna Steak, no rice, double servings of veggies.


And you can never say no to their most delicious dessert: Devil's Food Cake. Since I'm on a diet, I just got one tiny piece. :)

Oh happy day! :)

Tomorrow... Shangri-La Mactan! Looking forward...

Inuman!

Went out with my besty's workmates last night. Len's radio show partner, Martin D, invited me to go drinking with them at Janero. I said yes but only if he'd treat me to two bottles of beer. Surprisingly, he agreed! Hindi kasi siya nanlilibre, according to Len. :)

So off we went drinking with da boys at Janero, which was a place I found quite enjoyable. Just about everything was good - the music, the food, the crowd (not too sosy, not jolog, just somewhere in between which was good kasi honestly I don't enjoy upscale bars that much, I find majority of the rich young people quite arrogant and irritating), and the company! Sobrang enjoy! :)


Len and I with Mike and Eric and I believe our 2nd bucket of beer. Or 3rd? Lost count. :)

First time ko sumama sa inuman nila. And first time ko to go drinking with new people. Len told me na makukulit yung mga WRR boylets, and ang kukulit nga! That's why I had such a great time! :)

We talked about love, marriage, sex, heartbreaks and a lot more personal stories until we were all drunk and sleepy. Saya!


Inuman at kulitan with WRR boys Mike, Erik and such-a-manager Martin D.


Ang kulit! :)

I haven't laughed that much in quite a while! And it was exactly what I needed.

And Martin (who moonlighted as Janero operations manager) was so gracious and maasikaso to me. Refilling my glass over and over with beer and ice, lighting up my cigs for me. Panalo! :)

Thanks guys! And thanks to my besty, too! Join ako ulit sa next inuman niyo ha? :)

Bonafide Student!

Naka-enroll na ako today! Yey! By myself! Yey! I'm such a big girl now. :)

10:00 AM. Went to UP Diliman to enroll in their French Extramural Course. Since I was alone, I don't have any pictures to post. So I'll make kwento na lang my experience. :)

I didn't know where the College of Arts & Letters was located so I parked at the Mass Comm building and asked the security guard. The kind sir gave me directions with a smile, and so I went back to my car and drove to Bulwagang Rizal, which was just beside Palma Hall. Easily found a parking spot, thank God!

By the way, I didn't want my outfit to look too dressy or too "old" and I just wanted to look like a normal student, so I just wore a denim miniskirt, a blue tank top and havaianas. After seeing the students walking around the campus, I smiled to myself and thought, "Cool! I think I look pretty much just like them." :)

Okay, so I went inside the CAL building and looked for the European Languages office. I spotted it, and found myself talking to the friendly old man who entertained my phone inquiries a couple of weeks ago. He told me that both the morning and afternoon French classes were already closed. But since a lot of people were still asking about the course, they decided to open another morning section, and I was the buena mano of that new section - French 1-C! Yey! :)

So I filled out a student information form and the payment slip. After that, the friendly old man got my form and told me the next step - paying for my tuition fee. Eto ang conversation namin:

Old Man: Okay, magbabayad ka sa Cashier's Office. Familiar ka ba kung saan yun?

Anne: (shakes my head) Hindi po.

Old Man: (gets a map! - and I thought Oh no! Malayo!) Sige, eto... May sasakyan ka naman yata diba?

Anne: (flattered, so I look like someone who owns a car! Sosyal!) Opo.

Old Man: (looks at the map) Nandito tayo ngayon... (and he gives me the directions)

Anne: (bewildered - why on earth is the cashier's office so far?) Thank you po. Pwede pong akin na lang itong map?

Old Man: Oo sige, sa iyo na ito.

Anne: Tapos I'll come back here po ulit after?

Old Man: Oo kasi yung official receipt yung kailangan para masama ka sa klase.

Anne: Okay. Thank you po.

So I went back to my car and drove again, looking for the Cashier's Office, which was located at the building that housed PNB UP, near the shopping center where you buy the fishballs. Nag-date kami ni Alvin doon before nung bagu-bago pa kami kaya alam ko yung place. (Diyosko, hanggang sa UP ba naman memories of him haunt me??????)

So eto na. I fell in line and took out my checkbook, and kamusta naman, naiwan ko yung sign pen ko sa car. Naman! So, alam ko pathetic pero no choice ako, I borrowed a pen from the girl next to me. And I was wowed by her impeccable english! After exchanging a few lines, I found out she was a frehsman, and she was from Cebu. No wonder she speaks such good english. The she asked if I was an alumna. And I was crestfallen. There goes trying to look like a normal student. Punyeta, matanda na talaga ako! Dibale, maganda naman ako.

So back to paying for my tuition. After falling in line and waiting for my turn, when I got to the window the not-so-friendly lady said to me when I handed her my check:

"Ano yan? Di pwede yan. Manager's Check lang pwede."

Kamusta naman yun diba? So I went to the nearest ATM and got cash, and did the whole lining-up thing again. The guy outside who pointed me to the ATM said "bakit, kinapos?" I was insulted but said nothing. But deep inside I wanted to tell him, "Hello manong, gusto mo i-enroll din kita ng French, libre kita, para classmates tayo."

Anyway, I was sitting there (again) waiting for my turn (again) and I was already sweating kasi ang init and hindi naman aircon. I looked at the others around me, and my god hindi sila masyadong pinapawisan, samantalang ako parang nag-cardio! Goodluck!

After less than five minutes, I got back to the same window and the same lady, and now I had cash! Dyosko, kaloka! I paid for my tuition and got my official receipt - the sacred piece of paper that will put my name on the French Course 1-C list! Yey! :)

11:05 AM. I was back in the European Languages office, proudly holding my official receipt, which a friendly lady photocopied, gave back to me, and asked me to hold on to it until I get my certificate. Then she pointed to the white building outside the window, saying, "That's your building. The room number for your section will be posted there on June 21."

And that's it! I am now a bonafide student! Congratulate me! :)

Hmm... it just occurred to me now. I've always wanted to study in UP Diliman. And I've always wanted to drive my own car while in school. Now, 11 years after wishing those two wishes, I'm studying in UP, and driving my own car, too! Ang galing. :)

Happy birthday Peña! :)

My good friend Nadine celebrated her 29th birthday yesterday. She treated us to freshly-cooked seafood and meat, vodka and tequila, at Dampa Ortigas.


Delicious and fresh feast at the Dampa


The birthday girl with Kathy, Zhai, Mareng Jeje and Annpet


The birthday girl with Raymond, Kat, Tots and me! :)


Naman! Ang gaganda! :) Shot taken by Bernie. Thank you! :)

Manila's own version of the Sex & the City girls. :)

Happy birthday mare! Lotsa love!

Super excited about Shanghai! Lapit na! Sana maka-tiyempo nga tayo ng Irish hunk na nagtu-toothbrush ng naka-brief lang sa communal CR ng hostel. Ahahahaha! :)

A whole day besty affair!

Both dateless on a beautiful Saturday, Len and I decided to spend time with the ones who never tire of our company - each other!

We were supposed to go to UP Diliman first so I could sign up for my French classes. Good thing I inquired Friday afternoon and found out that their office was closed during weekends. Ngek!

So after my boardwork, I picked up Len and off we went to our dear alma mater - University of Santo Tomas!



Enrollment day for my besty. She's going to start her Masters in Communication this year. Nothing really special about enrolling, really. But if your bestfriend is there with you, laughing, reminiscing and taking pictures, it becomes so much fun! :)



Now Len is a bonafide MA student! Hurray, besty! :)

And since we were already there, we decided to walk around (under the scorching noontime sun) and rekindle the memories of our oh-so-exciting college life, while appreciating our old home's new look!


The Health Service Bldg was truly memorable for us, for it was the home of TC Radio, where Len and I were part of the pioneer jocks. I was Angel, she was Nina, and together we hosted the sign-on show.


There used to be a stone bridge over a pretty big pond on this spot. Now goodbye old Colayco, hello sensational fountain! :)


Tinoco Park, just like old times.


The Great Library where many researches were made! Where we edited our little documentary 'til the wee hours of the morning, and somebody else got the credit for it! Dibale, mas maganda na tayo sa kaniya ngayon. Hehehe :)


Where art thou Alden and Anghelo? The sacred Pav, where the gods of our hearts (back then) used to stay and smoke and look damn cute.


Europe? Central Park? We wish! That's actually just the Main Bldg and the park fronting the Main Bldg. :)


And hinanap namin where one of our old tambayans used to be - Centinet! Owned by the guy na naging crush ko dati (and I think naging crush din niya ako) Patrick. Hehehe :) Hi Pat!


At dito kami nag-lunch! Where we used to have happy lunches with our friends Nadine, Kat, She and Naths. Mga mare, remember this place? Classic! :)


Tindera: Bakit po kayo nagpi-picture?
Anne: Kasi po matagal na po kaming di nakakain dito. Eight years ago na po. Nung college pa kami.
Tindera: Ah talaga? (with a smile)
Anne: Mas maganda po kami ngayon kaysa nung college kami.

Yun naman! :)



After Uste, we decided to go to Eastwood to catch a flick. We went to see Kung Fu Panda! Super funny movie! It was exactly what we needed, considering the "issues of the heart" that we were going through. God was so kind to us, too. He gave us empty seats on both sides for our bags. Walang katabi, yey! And we didn't have to pay for it!


Chillin' at Starbucks while waiting for the movie to start; ice cream and cheesecake after! Saya!

After Eastwood, we decided to treat ourselves to one of life's ultimate stress relievers - manicure and pedicure! And I knew the most perfect place - Lotus Hand and Foot Spa at the Podium. Pricey but oh-so-worth it!



Final stop...McDo El Pueblo for dinner! Panalo!



Besty bonding from 9:30 AM to 10:30 PM. Winner! :)

Remember the pact we made before, bespren? Mawala man ang mga boylet natin, ang bestfriend nandito pa rin! So true! And boy am I glad we got each other! :)

Like you'll never see me again...

The demise of actor Rudy Fernandez made me realize two significant things: First, life is short. Second, we are never sure of our tomorrows.

So many times we take our lives for granted because we are so sure that another day will be coming anyway, and we can always make up for things undone or unsaid. We treat the present carelessly, yet worry about the future. When in fact, the future is uncertain, a mystery. While the present is a beautiful gift to be cherished. What happens tomorrow rests not in our hands but in God’s. Sometimes, for some people, their tomorrows fail to arrive. Because their time is up, and they wasted their last day worrying about tomorrow – the day that never came.

Drastic as it may sound, but we are all guilty of this. We assure ourselves that many tomorrows are up ahead, so we live the present so casually and thoughtlessly. I’ll do this tomorrow. I’ll tell her I love her tomorrow. I’ll call my Dad tomorrow, when I find the time. I’ll thank my friend next time, for all the help he’s given. I’ll see you next time. We don’t bother to stop and wonder – what if tomorrow never comes? What if there won’t be any next time?

So goes the saying yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, but today is a gift, that’s why it’s called the present. I believe we can live our lives fully if we value the present, and keep in mind that life is short. What do you have now that you should be thankful for, yet take for granted? What are the things you need or want to do now yet have been waiting for next time? Have you been meaning to tell a loved one how much you love them, yet have been saving it for another day, for a better day?

I remember this sad yet touching story that was emailed to me a few years ago. There are actually different versions of it. But the lesson is one and the same. The father spent every day working hard to send his daughter to a good school. He was too involved with work that he missed out on the good stuff – like getting a hug from his little girl, or helping her with homework, or seeing her school play. He was too busy saving for her future, which never came, because one day his daughter got hit by a car, and died. The husband was too busy with work, with making money, that he wasn’t able to appreciate the beauty of life surrounding him – a loving wife, her tender touch, home-cooked meals, laughter and long conversations – until it was too late. The son who was always too busy to call Mom and tell her he loved her, until she died in her sleep, and his words were left forever unsaid.

We worry so much about the future, we busy ourselves with preparing for the future, our lives are too occupied with plans for the future. Nothing wrong with that of course. But if it hinders you from enjoying the present, from seeing the beauty around you, from appreciating God’s daily graces, from doing the simple things that are really important like saying thank you or I love you or I’m sorry, or give a hug or a kiss or a pat on the back, then you are already too caught up with the uncertain tomorrow and have taken today for granted.

So stop for a while and smell the roses! Dance like there’s no tomorrow! Love like you’ll never love again. Life is short and precious, so enjoy and make the most of what you have today, for only God knows our tomorrow.

I don’t want to forget the present is a gift,
I don’t want to take for granted the time you may have here with me,
Cause Lord only knows another day here’s not really guaranteed...
So everytime you hold me, hold me like it was the last time,
Everytime you kiss me, kiss me like you’ll never see me again,
Love me like you’ll never see me again.

- Like You'll Never See Me Again by Alicia Keys

Lalola

I heard a local network will be doing a Philippine version of Lalola - an Argentinian comedy series.



Lalola tells the story of Lalo, a playboy transformed into a blonde chick, by a spell from a bitter ex-lover. With help from his female bestfriend Grace, who is secretly in-love with him, he will fight to recover his job and prestige, and will know how hard it is to be a woman when he starts to feel something for his male co-worker Facundo.

Guess what? That's actually one of the dubbing projects I'm doing right now. We're dubbing the original version to English, and it's being aired abroad. Cool huh? :)



In the dubbed version, I play the role of the bestfriend Grace, who's a radio announcer. Guess that's why I got the role. :)

Plus my second character is Victoria, a sexy blonde who's always on the prowl for good-looking men. The opposite of my character in real life. Except for the sexy part. :)

On Hope...

Lifted from Just For Today - Guidelines for Living:


"When you feel there is no light at the end of the tunnel, you lose hope. And when you lose hope, what makes life worth living for you quickly vanishes. Giving up hope is like slamming the door on God. No situation is hopeless when God steps on the scene, for hopeless is not a word that is in the vocabulary of the Almighty."

"God is not disinterested in our personal lives. There is no problem so big or circumstance so difficult that God cannot turn it around."

"God is infinitely larger than any challenge, any problem that shall confront me."

Get well soon Daddy!

My Dad is in the hospital. :( Not sure yet if his kidney stones are acting up again or what. The findings will be out by tomorrow pa yata I think. I hope he'll be okay.

So kanina we were all in his room, sharing laughs and kakulitan over McDo and hospital food lunch.


Bek: Sino ba itong stranger na nakikisali sa picture namin? Hehehe...
Dad: Walang hiya talaga itong mga anak ko. May sakit nga ako, picture pa ng picture. Hehehehe...



Anne: Dad, usog ka muna diyan, nakaharang ka sa picture namin. :)



Trust my family to turn an actually serious situation into something fun and full of smiles!

Get well soon Daddy! Love you!