Life's All That

We're Expecting!

2008-08-29T20:35:00.005+01:00

scrap credits: shabby princess - promise, express yourself (ronna penner), sun porch (amy teets)

see story of how i found out here

6 Layers

2008-08-29T20:24:00.003+01:00

Tagged by Jen

:START:

:RULES:1. Add your blog/s to the list. Feel free to add all your other blogs. It’s okey if you only post this questions in one blog as long as you answer them.2. Get back to Me {YEN} and I’ll add your blogs to the master’s list HERE! Note that you are not ALLOWED to change the link of the here.3. Copy from Start to End.4. Tag as many friends online you know. But you don’t need to be tag in order to join.Copy this Participants List: Me and Mine Creative in Me For the LOVE of Food Little Peanut Pea in a Pod It’s Where the HEART Is Around the World SugarMagnolias I Am Mommy All About The Memories Enchanted Play Just My Scrap Whats Up Simply Me Kitchen Deelite A Mothers Horizon In Depth A Life in Bloom Because Life is a Blessing Digiscraptology Mommy Talks Aggie Shoots. Aggie Scraps All Kinds of Me Stuff The Salad Caper Winding Creek Circle InkBabyStudios My Precious Niche Eds Mommy Life Just Me…Eds In Depth celebrating life my life is peachy belly, body and beyond My Random Thoughts My World Woman Style Scribbles of My Life In This Game of Life The Shopaholic in Me My Family is my Life Jen's Sweet Escape Frechie's World

LAYER ONE:
– Name: cheche
– Birth date: some time in july
– Birthplace: Manila
– Current Location: southampton, england
– Eye Color: light brown
– Hair Color: brown
– Righty or Lefty: righty

LAYER TWO:
– Your heritage: filipino
– The shoes you wore today: pink sketchers
– Your weakness: mango (the shop)
– Your fears: death of a loved one
– Your perfect pizza: not into pizzas
– Goal you’d like to achieve in life: provide my kid/s a comfortable life

LAYER THREE:
– Your most overused phrase on YM: oist
– Your first waking thoughts: 15 more minutes
– Your best physical feature: complexion
– Your most missed memory: masters in audio days

LAYER FOUR:
– Pepsi or Coke: doesnt matter
– McDonald’s or Burger King: burger king
– Single or group dates: single
– Adidas or Nike: nike
– Lipton Ice Tea or Nestea: nestea
– Chocolate or vanilla: chocolate
– Cappuccino or coffee: cappuccino

LAYER FIVE
– A famous person, dead or alive, would you interview: bill gates
– Movie can you watch and say the lines along with the actors: harry potter 1
– Name two of your passions in life : photography, traveling
– Least favorite time of day: definitely, mornings!

LAYER SIX
– Use hairspray or gel: hairspray
– Your favorite meal: im not picky
– Color is the inside of your head when you close your eyes: burgundy
– Listen to classical music: i will now, for my baby's sake =D
– Ever said LOL in real life without thinking about it: no

::END

One Word

2008-07-10T19:20:00.002+01:00

tagged by van

Here’s the game: you have to answer the question with ONE WORD only and then you have to tag 4 people.

1. Where is your cell phone? bag
2. Your significant other? lounge
3. Your hair? straight
4. Your mother? chubby!
5. Your father? manila
6. Your favorite thing? shopping!
7. Your dream last night? *shrug*
8. Your favorite drink? soda
9. Your dream/goal? stay-a-home (that's one word! *lol*)
10. The room you’re in? bedroom
11. Your hobby? photography
12. Your fear? death
13. Where do you want to be in 6 years? UK
14. What you’re not? unlucky
15. Muffins? blueberry
16. One of your wish list items? world-tour (one word ulit =D)
17. Where you grew up? manila
18. The last thing you did? eat
19. What are you wearing? pjs
20. Favorite gadget? laptop
21. Your pets? none
22. Your computer? dell
23. Your mood? light
24. Missing someone? nephews
25. Your car? corsa
26. Something you’re not wearing? dress
27. Favorite store? mango!
28. Like someone? yes
29. Your favorite color? aubergine
30. When is the last time you laughed? now
31. Last time you cried? *shrug*

snatch this if you want!

Describe Yourself Today

2008-06-01T01:47:00.003+01:00

tagged by van

Rules:

1. List 6 things that describe yourself today.

2. Add your blog to the list. Feel free to add all your other blogs.

3. Tag other online friends you know.

This is me today:

1. upper back, shoulders, arms - hurting! worst is my neck, can't turn it sideways.

2. it's already 1:50am but im still up. i slept the whole afternoon because the medications i was taking made me drowsy.

3. p*ssed because i can't accept my car's fate. i am happy with my car, did not need to replace it. but now i have to. and we can't find something as good but will fit our budget.

4. excited to see my nephew. i talked to his parents earlier and they told me they'll be arriving on monday morning. sure na!

5. counting the days till june 20, when we're off for a 3wk-holiday in the states.

6. thankful that i only got aches and pains from the accident. and that i have already passed my driving exam when it happened. and that the other driver has a car insurance to answer for all my expenses (already assuming im going to get paid for the damages caused).

Links:

Creative In Me, Little Peanut, Me and Mine, Pea in a Pod, Sugar Magnolias, BLOGGERHAPPY, Berry Scrappy, Changing Lanes, Pit Stop, Kapturd, and so i am, Princess Bela, Our Journey To Life, My Planet Purple, Women xplore, Princess Vien, A Pocketful Of Happiness, As We Face Forever, Our Family Adventure!, Life.Love.Us., My Lavender Fields, Frechie's World, Life's All That

tag yourself if you want!

100 Q's

2008-05-18T08:54:00.002+01:00

snatched from katia

1. ONE OF YOUR SCARS, HOW DID YOU GET IT
left leg, jelly fish burns. buti na lang it's not that obvious anymore!

2. WHAT IS ON THE WALLS IN YOUR ROOM?
mine and tantan's pictures

3. DO YOU SNORE, GRIND YOUR TEETH, OR TALK IN YOUR SLEEP?
tantan told me i snore very lightly sometimes. i think i grind my teeth as well. pero bihira lang din

4. WHAT TYPE OF MUSIC DO YOU LISTEN TO?
pop, jazzy type

5. DO YOU KNOW WHAT TIME YOU WERE BORN?
morning ata

6. WHAT DO YOU WANT MORE THAN ANYTHING RIGHT NOW?
be with my family, travel around the world, have a baby, buy a bigger house. ang dami! *lol*

7. WHAT DO YOU MISS?
taho back in pinas

8. WHAT IS YOUR MOST PRIZED POSSESSION?
pictures

9. HOW TALL ARE YOU?
5' 4"

10. DO YOU GET CLAUSTROPHOBIC?
no

11. DO YOU GET SCARED IN THE DARK?
sometimes. i get paranoid e. i still believe in ghosts! *lol*. i cant sleep with the lights turned on pero i have to have the lamp on until tantan goes to bed with me =D

12. THE LAST PERSON TO MAKE YOU CRY?
someone named ryan

13. WHATS YOUR WORST FEAR?
death of a loved one

14. WHAT KIND OF HAIR/EYE COLOR DO YOU LIKE ON THE OPPOSITE SEX?
basta natural para nd trying hard

15. WHERE CAN YOU SEE YOURSELF PROPOSING / BEING PROPOSED TO AT?
im already married. pero we never had a formal proposal. pero given a choice, kahit ano siguro basta magpropose! the fact that he's marrying you and promising to spend the rest of his life with you, that in itself, speaks a lot already.

16. COFFEE OR ENERGY DRINK?
coffee n lng dear =D basta decaf

17. FAVORITE PIZZA TOPPING?
ham, pineapple, bell pepper, pepperoni, onions

18. IF YOU COULD EAT ANYTHING RIGHT NOW, WHAT WOULD IT BE?
inihaw na tilapia with ensaladang mangga OR bulalo with really anghang soy sauce

19. FAVORITE COLOR OF ALL TIME?
Blue

20. HAVE YOU EVER EATEN A GOLDFISH?
nyek! ayaw!

21. WHAT WAS THE FIRST MEANINGFUL GIFT YOU'VE EVER RECEIVED?
back in highschool, someone gave me a figurine. underneath, it says take care always 010403. me and my mom spent a long time trying to figure out the numbers. it's not the date because it was the 90's pa. then my mom figured, 143 - i love you. nyek! corny. *lol*

22. DO YOU HAVE A CRUSH?
no

23. ARE YOU DOUBLE JOINTED?
??? ewan s yo... hehehe

24. FAVORITE CLOTHING BRAND?
my wardrobe is consist of either mango or gap outfits. mango - sobrang sakto their sizes with my body frame. gap naman, super comfy and mura =D

25. WHO IS THE HOTTEST FEMALE/MALE CELEBRITY?
not so much into celebrities

26. DO YOU HAVE A PET RIGHT NOW?
none

27. WHAT KIND IS IT?
na

28. WOULD YOU FALL IN LOVE KNOWING THAT THE PERSON IS LEAVING?
oo naman, he's just leaving lang naman. not dying! besides with technology, everything's possible.

30. SAY A NUMBER FROM ONE TO A HUNDRED:
16

31. BLONDES OR BRUNETTES?
brunettes

34. HAVE YOU BEEN OUT OF THE USA?
i live outside the US. but yeah, i've been to the USA

35. YOUR WEAKNESSES?
good food, clothes

36. MET ANYONE FAMOUS?
yes

37. FIRST JOB?
entrance test proctor in ust

38. EVER DONE A PRANK CALL?
yes pero with my family or relatives lang

39. DO YOU THINK EVERYONE OUT THERE HAS A SOULMATE?
yup

40. WHAT WERE YOU DOING BEFORE YOU FILLED THIS OUT?
net surfing

41. HAVE YOU EVER HAD SURGERY?
yes. i had my 4 wisdom teeth extracted. it was done by an ent consultant, in an operating room under general anesthesia. lasted for 4 hours. yes, it's a major surgery, i was told.

42. WHAT DO YOU GET COMPLIMENTED ABOUT MOST?
my "very good english" (patients). the brits here are not sanay that a foreigner can speak english as good as them. pano the panas don't. they would often ask how long i've been here (oh really? yet you speak fluently..). i tell them that pinas is an english speaking country, well, not entirely pero we're taught english in school.

43. HAVE YOU EVER HAD BRACES?
yes, for 3 years. up and down. they were taken out kasi i left for uk and i was told dentists here would just take them out as they don't want to handle after care done by other dentists (not sure if it's true). i think i need to go back to having braces. but im still saving up coz it's really expensive here.

44. WHAT DO YOU WANT FOR YOUR BIRTHDAY?
a very long holiday! im kinda having it naman, nd lang natapat sa exact bday ko. i'll be on a 3wk vacation and will be coming back a day before my birthday. that counts already =D

45. HOW MANY KIDS DO YOU WANT?
2

46. WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE?
yes. from a pocketbook character my mom was reading

47. WHAT IS THE BIGGEST TURN OFF OF THE OPPOSITE SEX?
mayabang and feeling gwapo. and mabaho!

48. WHAT IS ONE THING YOU MISS ABOUT HIGH SCHOOL?
nothing

49. WHAT KIND OF SHAMPOO DO YOU USE?
anti frizz (loreal elvive smooth intense)

50. DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING?
yup. lalo na when i compare it with my colleagues. their hand writing, parang pang gradeschool. tayo lang ata ang merong hand writing subject in school pag elementary

51. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LUNCH MEAT?
roast lamb with the whole shebang

52. ANY BAD HABITS?
I don't smile when there's nothing to smile about - same as katia!

53. ARE YOU A JEALOUS PERSON?
yes. very

54. IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON, WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU?
oo naman. im easy to please naman e. just don't do anything bad to me. matagal ako makalimot. im a good friend but i can also be your worst nightmare =D

55. DO YOU AGREE WITH FRIENDS WITH BENEFITS?
NO

56. DO LOOKS MATTER?
somehow. some are really biased.

57. HOW DO YOU RELEASE ANGER?
venting, sa friends or through my blog. sometimes, shopping =D

59. WHATS YOUR MAIN GOAL IN LIFE?
Be happy - me too! that's the ultimate goal naman d b..

60. WHAT WAS YOUR FAVORITE TOY AS A CHILD?
my luto-lutuan toys =D

61. HOW MANY NUMBERS ARE IN YOUR CELL PHONE?
i don't count.

62.WERE YOU A FAN OF BARNEY AS A LITTLE KID?
nope

63. DO YOU USE SARCASM?
minsan

64. MASHED POTATOES OR MACARONI AND CHEESE?
depende sa mood or cravings

65. WHAT DO YOU LOOK FOR IN A GUY/GIRL?
me direction in life. meron dreams

66. WHAT ARE YOUR NAMES?
cheche, chicheh, chichay, christibelle

67. Sino nag-bura ng number 67??
ewan?

68. WHATS YOUR FAVORITE TV SHOW?
bones, house, greys anatomy, private practice (and ung classics: friends and sex and the city *lol*)

69.WHATS THE BEST WAY TO DEAL WITH YOUR ENEMIES?
keep them closer bwahahaha!

70. WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM FLAVOR?
double dutch, rocky road, mango

71. DO YOU HAVE ALL YOUR FINGERS AND TOES?
fortunately

72. DO YOU HAVE A COMPUTER IN YOUR ROOM?
sometimes. i have a laptop and it depends on where i wanna use it. sometimes, in the bedroom (like right now) or sa lounge, if i wanna watch the telly at the same time.

73. PLANS FOR TONIGHT?
watch dvd with tantan

74. WHAT'S THE FASTEST YOU'VE EVER GONE IN A CAR?
100mph but not me driving. ako, just 75mph. *lol*

75. DO YOU WANT EVERYONE TO ANSWER THESE QUESTIONS?
whoever likes to

76. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO?
fergie's

77. LAST THING YOU DRANK?
nothing yet today as i've just woken up. last night, diet 7up.

78. LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE?
celine

79. THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE IN THE OPPOSITE SEX?
teeth. and smell *lol*

80. WHAT DO U LIKE TO DO IN YOUR SPARE TIME?
mag obssess. i always think na i've got lots of important things to do pero i end up just surfing the net.

81. FAVORITE THING TO HATE?
the weather

82. FAVORITE MONTH OF THE YEAR?
july. aside from being my birth month, it's summer here. travel time!

83. WHATS YOUR FAVORITE TYPE OF CANDY?
gaya ng skittles =D

84. HAVE YOU EVER REALLY AND TRULY HAD A BEST FRIEND?
YES. and im so thankful!

85. WHAT IS YOUR HAIR COLOR?
brown, turning really light-ish. some thinks na i had it coloured. pero no. really, it just lightened up here.

86. EYE COLOR?
Brown, on the light-ish side

88. FAVORITE FAST FOOD PLACE?
KFC and burger king

89. FAVORITE RESTAURANT?
saisaki

90. DO YOU LIKE SUSHI?
yes!

91. LAST THING YOU WATCHED?
nancy drew on dvd

92. FAVORITE DAY OF THE YEAR?
christmas day

93. PLAY ANY MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS?
no. my greatest frustration!

94. REPUBLICAN OR DEMOCRAT?
keber

95. KISSES OR HUGS?
both

96. RELATIONSHIPS OR ONE NIGHT STANDS?
tanong ba to? syempre relationships! something that lasts no.

97. WHAT WAS THE LAST THING YOU BOUGHT?
lacoste bag

98. DO YOU HAVE A LOW SELF ESTEEM OR A HIGH SELF ESTEEM?
tama lang

99. WHAT BOOK ARE YOU READING?
nada

100. DESCRIBE YOUR LOVE LIFE:
happily married =D

Hubby Tag

2008-05-11T12:15:00.002+01:00

van tagged me and here goes:

How long did you date? 8 years before getting married in church.

How old is he? 31

Who eats more? me, he's diabetic so he's too careful with what he eats. andhe says i eat like a construction worker! seriously!

Who said “I love you” first? he did

Who is taller? him by a few inches

Who sings better? ala! hahaha, we're both tone deaf

Who is smarter? he is. you can talk to him about anything

Whose temper is worse? mine

Who does the laundry? i do. thank god for automatic ones wher eyou just put everything in and it's done!

Who does the dishes? he's assigned the task. but sometimes, he waits till the dishes pile up and i end up doing it as i cant stand the disorder!

Who sleeps on the right side of the bed? i do. it's farthest from the door. i have this weird thing about doors (monster inc?) *lol*

Who pays the bills? everything's through direct debit. some goes through his account, others in mine. but we pay 50/50 of everything

Who cooks dinner? can't say. i cook most of the time and he appreciates it. i like his yakisoba, it tastes good as well.

Who drives when you are together? he does mostly, but since im getting ready for my practicals, he lets me drive sometimes.

Who is more stubborn? i am.

Who kissed who first? he did

Who is the first to admit when they are wrong? him usually. ma-pride kasi ako

Whose parents do you see the most? mine. my mom specially. we live away from home pero since my mom has just been here last year and we're meeting her in the states this year, we see her often. besides, his mom resides in japan and very seldom does she comes to the philippines. his dad is dead.

Who proposed? no formal kilig proposal. we always knew we'd end up in church =D

Who is more sensitive? me

Who has more friends? him

Who has more siblings? same lang ata. he's an only child but he's got half siblings. me i've got 4.

Who wears the pants in the family? both. i always argue my case and would end up getting my way. pero i know my limits. i know when nd pd ung gusto ko. *lol*

tagging el

Photobucket Tag

2008-04-06T16:06:00.019+01:00

this is long overdue! tagged by gracie

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?

Computer Woes

2008-03-12T10:04:00.002Z

im in hythe and our computer system is busted. the cpu in the main room has been standing on its side and it fell last monday. damaged something inside (i was initially told it's the motherboard, and people here yesterday was told it's the hardware..are they the same?). anyways, we have reported this to hythe's IT department. they came but they said it's another trust's pc so they can't do anything. i was told it might drag on. we're stuck with a laptop at the moment.

oh dear!

Hiatus

2008-03-05T10:33:00.000Z

pardon my long absence. i have been very busy lately that my nightly computer time has been reduced dramatically! apart from doing some overtime work, my evenings are spent practicing to drive. as you know, tantan bought me a car. i don't have a valid uk license yet but i am currently working on it. i have to practice every night (with tantan, who holds a valid uk license) so i can pass my tests easily. im not sure how long this will go for. but i want to get this done and over with the soonest. and the sooner im done with it, the more i can blog! will keep you posted =D

Bluebook

2008-03-05T10:14:00.004Z

tantan has an account with a few online casinos. he doesn't play much but visits them once in a while. one time, i asked him to teach me how to play. but i end up losing him money *lol*. he doesn't do it to gamble and knowing him, he wouldn't spend much on anything other than our basic needs.

but if you'll be given a chance to know where you can get more from your money, will you play more? i think my husband would! as he said, he's a wise spender, not a cheapskate. he just wants to spend every last penny worthily. the Online Casino Bluebook has the answer! it will give you valuable information on online casino gaming: the top ten, info on their welcome bonus, and the best thing, you'll read reviews from actual experienced online gamers.

this will surely convince tantan to play more!

My Life Rated

2008-03-03T11:28:00.001Z

This Is My Life, Rated
Life:	7.9
Mind:	7.1
Body:	7.2
Spirit:	6
Friends/Family:	6.8
Love:	7.3
Finance:	8.8
Take the Rate My Life Quiz

not bad! =D

Monthly

2008-01-23T18:30:00.000Z

it seems like i update this blog only once a month! been very busy since i came back to work. im doing overtime again (i rested for december) because my bank account needed to recuperate from all the shopping that we did over the christmas season.

going back to the list i made in my previous entry, i think i did quite well. our main website is almost done (im just populating the gallery), i have finished the practical guide for touring-england and i have started adding properties again (though it seems im stuck in northern england!). im trying to keep up with all the available paid opps pero minsan, tinatamad na talga ako. if not for the thought na i need extra money so i can support my luho, nd na ko mag paid posts. sayang din naman ung extra 150£ (at least) monthly. sabi nga nila, grab the opportunities as they come.

i still haven't filed my annual leave for the next fiscal year, although naka pencil book na lahat ng planned holidays ko. next year (2009), we're going back to the philippines because it will be the Audiology Department's first major reunion. 10th year anniversary kasi and syempre, papahuli ba kaming pioneer batch!?! ako, nd. i have never attended a reunion in my life (aside from the family reunions that we have) kaya im excited since this'll be my first one. and tama na din since it would be my 3rd year since i went home. tagal na din no?

anyways, no further updates. it's getting lighter na ulit pag gabi and it doesn't seem as cold as we have predicted (sana wag mausog). january is almost over, february na sunod. the next thing we know, december na ulit!

to all my blogger friends, i visit you everyday. minsan, ala lang time to leave a message. but i make sure i regularly pay you a visit.

cheers!

Happy New Year!

2008-01-04T01:34:00.000Z

it's been a while since i last posted in this blog. i have neglected this for so long. ayan tuloy, nag suffer and page ranking! *lol*

anyways, i just want to wish everyone a fantabulous 2008! i'm still trying to pick up the slack and getting my life in order. my brother just left last night and i have been a bum for too long that it's difficult for me to get back on the groove of things.

anyways, here's the plan and i have to do it all before i go back to work on monday (so help me god!):
1. iron our clothes - not that plenty naman as i've done some bits and pieces already.
2. clean the bathroom and toilet
3. make the house spic and span. put things back in order
4. blog on my brother's stay here and post pics
5. do paid opps. loads! to recover my expenses *lol*
6. add properties to our touring-england travel site. populating the database is my job so sorry if you haven't been seeing new properties in there (and it's supposed to be a chestful of information!), my fault. i have been very lazy but i promised tantan i will add more this weekend.
7. decide on the content and layout of our home site, frechie.com. i have already chosen a template, tantan just needs the 'idea' of where things should go (ako daw kasi ang picky) so he can develop the site. and im the one nagging him to finish the site asap!
8. plan my holidays. i've got 27 working days of annual leave + 8 days bank holidays (national holidays of england) for a total of 35 days, and hopefully, at the end of the year, another 2 days will be added (though im not sure if they'll give them fully or pro rata for the fiscal year) since i'll be working with the national health service for 5 years already. parang ang dami d ba, but based on my last calculations, kulang na kulang pa! here's why:

(a) my brother's family plans to come over in may. that would take at least 5 days (b) we plan to stay for 3 weeks in the US this june, which would include a few days in canada (c) my best bud, kat, just informed me that she's getting married in october or december and i had to clarify whether it's this year na or next year pa (hoping ako na it will be next year). medyo tight ang sched, tantan said i could probably go home for a week, pero bitin naman un (d) we'll be applying for our permanent residency this year, one day din mababawas since we'll be taking the fast track route (e) tantan and i plan to take short breaks around england... sa dami ng plans, kulang na kulang ung leave ko so dapat talga planuhin mabuti.

9. i have to start sleeping early again. otherwise, waking up early on a work day would be a drag! lately i've been sleeping around 2am na, like right now, it's already 1:56am, and nd pa ko dinadalaw ng antok. tapos i wake up around 10am, kasi syempre dapat at least 8 hours of sleep *lol*
10. organise our photos and have them printed. so i can change the photos displayed dito sa house. sawa na ko sa face namin ni tantan and they are a bit old na. it would be nicer to display photos of my mom's and bro's stay here and my nephews.

hay naku, madaming madami pa! i'll keep you posted kung magagawa ko lahat according to plan. goodluck talga!

anyways, here's a photo i took of the fireworks in london during the new year's eve celebrations. have a properous new year, everyone!

Kylie

2007-12-16T18:58:00.000Z

last night was the finals of the x-factor here in uk (british idol, of sort). though i think the viewers voted for the wrong talent (he's my least favorite of the 3), i really enjoyed his duet with kylie minogue. i love the song and i liked their chemistry. i've seen it quite a number of times but i haven't got tired of it yet. i never thought i'd say that i like kylie, but i do, right after her duet and again, when she sang her new song. she sang live ha!

Top of the World

2007-12-05T11:09:00.000Z

this is actually part 3 already. they all look the same so i thought i'd post them in parts so people won't get bored with them. these pics aren't enough to really describe the views from up there. and it was a bti hazy that day. what more on a really clear, sunny day!

part 1
part 2

Early Christmas Do

2007-12-01T19:41:00.000Z

last thursday was our department's christmas party. it wasn't even december yet but the organisers decided to have it early so it would be inexpensive and we'll avoid the christmas rush.

we did it at the phoenix inn in twyford, near winchester. there were only 20 of us and that's including some of our hubbies/partners. tantan came with me. we each paid 10£ for a game of skittles and dinner. it was so-so. not as fun as the last time we were there (sue's leaving do). probably because most of those who came are newbies, and we haven't really taken to each other yet. dinner was served late (8:30pm) when call time was 7pm. not to mention, twyford is a long way off from southampton. it's far for most of us when it should have been set in the middle of where we most live.

nevertheless, it was still a nice night out. we got home past 11pm. i enjoyed the skittles we played. i thought there were 10 pins so i was counting the scores by looking at how many were left. tsktsk. there were only 9 pins so i was giving everybody an extra point! there were 10 of us in each team (tantan and i were on diff teams) so it got boring in the end as there were 3 balls to roll. but the 2nd game we played was more fun and exciting. it's like hit at least one pin or your out. i got booted in the 2nd round while tantan did not even get to that round *lol*.

we still have one get-together left. it will be just in our canteen on the 19th but food will be free! we'll also be having our secret santa on that day. im pretty sure, lots will be attending this one!

Special Plugging

2007-11-28T10:34:00.000Z

as posted in frechie's world:

tantan has been very busy constructing this travel site for england. i hope you could all help us by linking this site to yours. we will happily link you back as well. and if ever you're travelling to england, hope you plan your travel with us. the site's not finished yet but you can visit to have a look and see what the site has to offer.

please please, if you find it in your good heart to link us up, kindly inform us so we could do the same. thank you bunch!

2007-11-26T13:54:00.000Z

tagged by kaye.

1.Mention the person who tagged you and create a link back to them.
2.Copy-paste the traits for all the twelve months (see below).
3.Pick your month of birth.
4.Highlight the traits that apply to you.
5.Tag 12 people and let them know by visiting their blogs and leaving a comment for them.
6.Let the person who tagged you know when you’ve done it!

DOB: 14 July

JULY: Fun to be with. Secretive. Difficult to fathom and to be understood. Quiet unless excited or tensed. Takes pride in oneself. Has reputation. Easily consoled. Honest. Concerned about people’s feelings. Tactful. Friendly. Approachable. Emotional temperamental and unpredictable. Moody and easily hurt. Witty and sparkly. Not revengeful. Forgiving but never forgets. Dislikes nonsensical and unnecessary things. Guides others physically and mentally. Sensitive and forms impressions carefully. Caring and loving. Treats others equally. Strong sense of sympathy. Wary and sharp. Judges people through observations. Hardworking. No difficulties in studying. Loves to be alone. Always broods about the past and the old friends. Likes to be quiet. Homely person. Waits for friends. Never looks for friends. Not aggressive unless provoked. Prone to having stomach and dieting problems. Loves to be loved. Easily hurt but takes long to recover.

i can say im friendly but people's first impression on me is that im mataray so they don't find me approachable. pero really, if you talk first to me, i'll talk to you. i also like to say im honest in the sense that if you ask me a question, i'll try to answer as truthfully as possible but there are also things i'd rather keep to myself, tantan and a few close friends.

*****

Twelve Months

JANUARY: Stubborn and hard-hearted. Ambitious and serious. Loves to teach and be taught. Always looking at people’s flaws and weaknesses. Likes to criticize. Hardworking and productive. Smart, neat and organized. Sensitive and has deep thoughts. Knows how to make others happy. Quiet unless excited or tensed. Rather reserved. Highly attentive. Resistant to illnesses but prone to colds. Romantic but has difficulties expressing love. Loves children. Loyal. Has great social abilities yet easily jealous. Very stubborn and money cautious.

FEBRUARY: Abstract thoughts. Loves reality and abstract. Intelligent and clever. Changing personality. Attractive. Sexy. Temperamental. Quiet, shy and humble. Honest and loyal. Determined to reach goals. Loves freedom. Rebellious when restricted. Loves aggressiveness. Too sensitive and easily hurt. Gets angry really easily but does not show it. Dislikes unnecessary things. Loves making friends but rarely shows it. Daring and stubborn. Ambitious. Realizes dreams and hopes. Sharp. Loves entertainment and leisure. Romantic on the inside not outside. Superstitious and ludicrous. Spendthrift. Tries to learn to show emotions.

MARCH: Attractive personality. Sexy. Affectionate. Shy and reserved. Secretive. Naturally honest, generous and sympathetic. Loves peace and serenity. Sensitive to others. Loves to serve others. Easily angered. Trustworthy. Appreciative and returns kindness. Observant and assesses others. Revengeful. Loves to dream and fantasize. Loves traveling. Loves attention. Hasty decisions in choosing partners. Loves home decors. Musically talented. Loves special things. Moody.

APRIL: Active and dynamic. Decisive and hasty but tends to regret. Attractive and affectionate to oneself. Strong mentality. Loves attention. Diplomatic. Consoling, friendly and solves people’s problems. Brave and fearless. Adventurous. Loving and caring. Suave and generous. Emotional. Aggressive. Hasty. Good memory. Moving. Motivates oneself and others. Sickness usually of the head and chest. Sexy in a way that only their lover can see.

MAY: Stubborn and hard-hearted. Strong-willed and highly motivated. Sharp thoughts. Easily angered. Attracts others and loves attention. Deep feelings. Beautiful physically and mentally. Firm Standpoint. Needs no motivation. Easily consoled. Systematic (left brain). Loves to dream. Strong clairvoyance. Understanding. Sickness usually in the ear and neck. Good imagination. Good physical. Weak breathing. Loves literature and the arts. Loves traveling. Dislike being at home. Restless. Not having many children. Hardworking. High spirited. Spendthrift.

JUNE: Thinks far with vision. Easily influenced by kindness. Polite and soft-spoken. Having ideas. Sensitive. Active mind. Hesitating, tends to delay. Choosy and always wants the best. Temperamental. Funny and humorous. Loves to joke. Good debating skills. Talkative. Daydreamer. Friendly. Knows how to make friends. Able to show character. Easily hurt. Prone to getting colds. Loves to dress up. Easily bored. Fussy. Seldom shows emotions. Takes time to recover when hurt. Brand conscious. Executive. Stubborn.

JULY: Fun to be with. Secretive. Difficult to fathom and to be understood. Quiet unless excited or tensed. Takes pride in oneself. Has reputation. Easily consoled. Honest. Concerned about people’s feelings. Tactful. Friendly. Approachable. Emotional temperamental and unpredictable. Moody and easily hurt. Witty and sparkly. Not revengeful. Forgiving but never forgets. Dislikes nonsensical and unnecessary things. Guides others physically and mentally. Sensitive and forms impressions carefully. Caring and loving. Treats others equally. Strong sense of sympathy. Wary and sharp. Judges people through observations. Hardworking. No difficulties in studying. Loves to be alone. Always broods about the past and the old friends. Likes to be quiet. Homely person. Waits for friends. Never looks for friends. Not aggressive unless provoked. Prone to having stomach and dieting problems. Loves to be loved. Easily hurt but takes long to recover.

AUGUST: Loves to joke. Attractive. Suave and caring. Brave and fearless. Firm and has leadership qualities. Knows how to console others. Too generous and egoistic. Takes high pride in oneself. Thirsty for praises. Extraordinary spirit. Easily angered. Angry when provoked. Easily jealous. Observant. Careful and cautious. Thinks quickly. Independent thoughts. Loves to lead and to be led. Loves to dream. Talented in the arts, music and defense. Sensitive but not petty. Poor resistance against illnesses. Learns to relax. Hasty and trusty. Romantic. Loving and caring. Loves to make friends.

SEPTEMBER: Suave and compromising. Careful, cautious and organized. Likes to point out people’s mistakes. Likes to criticize. Stubborn. Quiet but able to talk well. Calm and cool. Kind and sympathetic. Concerned and detailed. Loyal but not always honest. Does work well. Very confident. Sensitive. Good memory. Clever and knowledgeable. Loves to look for information. Must control oneself when criticizing. Able to motivate oneself. Understanding. Fun to be around. Secretive. Loves leisure and traveling. Hardly shows emotions. Tends to bottle up feelings. Very choosy, especially in relationships. Systematic.

OCTOBER: Loves to chat. Loves those who loves them. Loves to take things at the center. Inner and physical beauty. Lies but doesn’t pretend. Gets angry often. Treats friends importantly. Always making friends. Easily hurt but recovers easily. Daydreamer. Opinionated. Does not care of what others think. Emotional. Decisive. Strong clairvoyance. Loves to travel, the arts and literature. Touchy and easily jealous. Concerned. Loves outdoors. Just and fair. Spendthrift. Easily influenced. Easily loses confidence. Loves children.

NOVEMBER: Has a lot of ideas. Difficult to fathom. Thinks forward. Unique and brilliant. Extraordinary ideas. Sharp thinking. Fine and strong clairvoyance. Can become good doctors. Dynamic in personality. Secretive. Inquisitive. Knows how to dig secrets. Always thinking. Less talkative but amiable. Brave and generous. Patient. Stubborn and hard-hearted. If there is a will, there is a way. Determined. Never give up. Hardly becomes angry unless provoked. Loves to be alone. Thinks differently from others. Sharp-minded. Motivates oneself. Does not appreciate praises. High-spirited. Well-built and tough. Deep love and emotions. Romantic. Uncertain in relationships. Homely. Hardworking. High abilities. Trustworthy. Honest and keeps secrets. Not able to control emotions. Unpredictable.

DECEMBER: Loyal and generous. Sexy. Patriotic. Active in games and interactions. Impatient and hasty. Ambitious. Influential in organizations. Fun to be with. Loves to socialize. Loves praises. Loves attention. Loves to be loved. Honest and trustworthy. Not pretending. Short tempered. Changing personality. Not egotistic. Take high pride in oneself. Hates restrictions. Loves to joke. Good sense of humor. Logical.

tag yourself if you want. naubusan na ko ng i-tag e =D

Everything French

2007-11-26T09:08:00.000Z

i have heard that Chef Jean-Christophe Novelli will be among the star attraction of the France Show in january next year that will be held at olympia in london. tantan wanted to enrol again in a cooking class (yes, he took some cooking lessons a couple of years back) and this would be the perfect opportunity to remind him of that desire. im pushing him to learn how to cook so someone else would alternate with me. cooking is not something i really want to do, but out of necessity, i was forced to learn. anyways, who knows, by going to this french show, i might get the inspiration. well, it's not just frech food that you'll find. it's everything french.

Jean-Christophe Novelli, Britain's favourite French Chef, will be one of thestar attractions at The France Show 2008, which runs at London's Olympiafrom 18-20 January.

He will be conducting three live cookery demonstrations each day at the showwith his "mobile" Novelli Academy Cookery School, revealing the secrets thathave made him one of the most celebrated Chefs in Britain.

The Novelli master classes will be among the main highlights of an alreadymouth-watering line-up for the Olympia show, which is expected to attract30,000 visitors. It is being organised by Archant Life, publisher of theUK's three leading French lifestyle magazines - France, Living France andFrench Property News.

Miller Hogg, Regional Managing Director of Archant Life France, said: "Wehave had a wonderful response to the France Show so far from the public andare extremely excited about working with one of the world's greatest Chefs.For anyone with a love of French food, watching Jean-Christophe Novelli inaction is a must."

Jean-Christophe, who started work at the age of 14 as a baker in his hometown of Arras came to Britain in 1984. He is a Michelin and 5AA Rosetteaward winning Chef, whose attributes include AA Chef's Chef of the Year,European Chef of the Year finalist representing Great Britain and theprestigious Egon Ronay Desert of the Year. He won Restaurant of the Year onnumerous occasions and many other awards for culinary excellence.

In 2005 Jean-Christophe established the Novelli Academy, which was votedamong the 'Top 25 Cookery Schools in the World' within three months andoffers a diverse range of courses to suit aspiring cooks of all levels. Ayear ago he branched out again to open his first gastro pub, 'A Touch ofNovelli' at The White Horse in Harpenden.

During 2007 Jean-Christophe launched Novelli Wines - "I have always been aspassionate about wine as I am about food. As a chef, I know that if youserve the right wine with the right food you can turn a good meal into atruly great one. There is a wealth of small producers in France creatingwonderful, and affordable, wines. The France Show is all about sharing andappreciating everything that France can offer."

Jean-Christophe's new recipe book "Everyday Novelli" will be available from1 February 2008, from Headline Publishing, and advance copies can be orderedat the show.

The Novelli Food Theatre will be one of the main attractions at the FranceShow offering demonstrations of cookery to suit all palates. There will besix cookery demonstrations each day, three by Novelli, two by his protégé,Steven Kitchen and one by Franck Raymond, the head Chef of London's oldestFrench restaurant, Mon Plaisir.

Other highlights of the France Show 2008 include a huge property zone,London's largest French market and an extensive holiday travel fair, as wellas insights into French culture, language and lifestyle.

Visitors who pre-register can obtain free tickets or else pay £8 at the dooron the day. For your free tickets and further information about the FranceShow,visit the official website at www.thefranceshow.com

Thief In Our Midst

2007-11-22T17:00:00.000Z

sorry if you'll see this here and in my other blog. i just want to alert everyone that there's this girl, who's copying our blog entries and posting it as her own. go visit her site and see if she has taken yours: dongskyqt.blogspot.com. im not sure if she'll erase them now that she has been caught, but here are some screenshots proving my point! there's more, i tell you!

looks familiar, don't you think?

this post was created on the 21st of nov. hers was the 22nd! she did not even change the title!

how i found out? there's this nino guy who emailed me telling me that he's a friend of donna (the culprit,) who he thought is my cousin, and is asking for help with his website. i told him i don't know any donna. he said his full name as well as that b*tch's and he told me she's from pangasinan. im not from pangasinan and i don't know any relatives who live there. he gave me the link to this stealer's blog and imagine my shock when i saw familiar pictures and entries!!!! the nerve!! i left her a message in her shout box. i told her that if she can't come up with decent, original entries, she doesn't have any right to blog.

even the style of this post was taken from mine!

My stories are all about my family, and while I do know that disclosing my personal schtuff on the web entails people to have impressions on me, I suggest you do not judge me. All of my stories are real, and heartfelt.

the nerve talga!

i have flagged her up with blogger. do you have any suggestions on how else we can torture her? im not a war freak but my entries are all well-thought of (though it's not that obvious) just to be stolen that easily. i wasted hours building a proper site for myself and someone else will just use my posts for their advantage?!

i have noticed a few familiar entries. it might be one of yours. go and find out! start bitching!

here's another example:

her entry

the original entry from rachiel posted on the 13th of october. hers on the 23rd.

Test Video

2007-11-21T20:48:00.000Z

i have been wanting to post some of the videos we took of my nephew, adam, last time we were in pinas. but i can't find a video converter (3gp to wmv) that will enable me to upload them on our website. i have noticed that blogger already has a video upload facility. but i never thought that i could upload just any video type. i tried it and voila! instant video converter =D. pardon the quality as it was taken using my brother's ancient nokia 6111. and the voice over, just ignore, please! (for your sake, pls lower the volume! =D)

adam was just 2 y/o then. i was bugging him with this question but he's too pre-occupied with his toys that he's not answering me properly. he knows the difference kasi of hiphop and rocker and gustong gusto ko sya kinukulit about it. the green car was my dad's christmas gift to him. it's battery operated, can be driven manually or through remote control. super saya, it's like he's really driving. just look at my brother who was 16 then. kayang kaya nung car *lol*. but at first it freaked adam out kasi he would ride the car tpos we'll use the remote tapos nd na nya alam why it's moving by itself. eventually he found out how we're doing it. anyways, ganyan po ka spoiled si adam.

finally! pinagbigyan. although, ung rocker part lang =D. bigla ko tuloy siya namiss. lalo pa ngayon na he's got more tricks up his sleeves.

Almost A Week

2007-11-21T11:23:00.000Z

without a post, that is. hibernate mode na nga ako. i want to do lots of things pero thinking about them pa lang, tinatamad na ko *lol*. everytime i attempt to do paid opps, i just stare at my screen for minutes pero ala ung drive. im not that motivated. sayang, dami pa naman available opps (ayan, jen, nd na ko hungry wolf *lol*). hopefully, i'll get the push in the next few days. my only excuse is that winter really affects me this way. hay, summer is still a long way off. kainis.

la lang. just wanna update this blog. because of my laziness, my page ranking for this one went down to just 2.

B*tch

2007-11-15T09:00:00.000Z

it's been a while...

anyways, yesterday i had an encounter with the most horrible, rude person in the world. i was at an outstation and to go there, i book my taxi (which is paid for by the hospital) for a return trip. i usually do it the day before. anyways, i book my taxi for 4:15pm going home. they usually come 15 minutes later so at 4:40, i phoned the company to make sure they haven't forgotten me.

the operator apologised, asking me where the medical centre is again in the hospital area. he then told me that the driver went to the wrong place. he said not to worry as he's still in the vicinity but would i mind if there'll be 2 of us in the taxi. the other lady had to go to another hospital, which is 5 minutes from my house. i thought and decided to say i didn't mind since it's pretty obvious that i haven't got much choice. if i had said yes, i mind, i might have waited for another 45 minutes for a taxi to get to me. good thing i decided to lock up and wait for the taxi outside.

when i got out, the taxi just passed by and good thing i went out when i did because they're leaving again without me! anyways, as soon as i opened the door (still smiling), that pana lady was shouting at me: "where have you been!!!! we had to come back for you... you should have been waiting outside, not roaming around and not giving a care in the world... blah blah blah....". my smile was swiped off my face. i told her it's not my fault that the driver did not look for me. im not going to wait outside as it's cold and i've been booking my taxi for 3 years and the drivers always know where to get me. and in the first place, the company should have sent 2 taxis to pick us up separately. i booked my taxi last night.. you?!?

she was fuming mad at me when it wasn't my fault. i heard our secretary outside booking her taxi at 4:15pm when she should have been the one doing it. and the secretary should have gone home by then but as a favour, gladly accomodated her request. anyways, she couldn't think of any witty retort to my ramblings so she asked me where i was going. i told her where home is. then, shouting at the driver, she said, you have to drop me off first. i was the one here first blah blah... the driver just scratched his head as my home if definitely nearer than her destination. it's really stupid dropping her off first then going back to where we've been to drop me off. but i still told the driver that i didn't mind if he drops her off first as her bitching won't get us anywhere. then i just sat quietly in my corner, listening to my audio book.

nearing my house, i was surprised that the driver turned to the motorway going to my place. obviously, the pana did not know the area so she just assumed that the driver was taking a short cut. just imagine her dismay when the driver pulled over outside a residential area, and me wearing my big smile again, thanking the driver, while getting off.

im pretty sure the driver got told off. but it was really an in-your-face moment for her *lol*. im just so happy the driver did not let her get her way. he made my day!

Lions For Lambs

2007-11-07T21:39:00.000Z

we watched the preview of this movie earlier tonight and i, honestly, liked it. i wasn't really expecting much from it since some of the reviews i've read were not exactly raving about it. but tantan and i liked it. disturbing, as tantan described it, but it's got valid points. no spoilers here as it's not even released in america yet but it's worth watching. lots of dialogues, not much going on but the arguments are quite interesting. just like what one reviewer said: Significant and entertaining, thought-provoking and reality-based sad, mostly well-written, and exceptionally well-acted, "Lions for Lambs" is likely to leave the audience with the feeling of having participated in an important happening, but perhaps not quite knowing what it was.

watch it. it's good.

Poker

2007-11-05T18:49:00.000Z

we were watching rented house dvd. in one of the episodes, they had a charity event and 3 of the main characters were playing poker and even though i know that the whole lot was scripted, i still found it impressive how some people could guess their opponent's cards - whether they have a better hand than theirs - and play poker really well.

i wish id learn how to play poker. we have a poker set here at home but hubby would beat me ruthlessly. probably i'll try playing online first, try the instant play of rushmore online casino, get the hang of it. who knows, if i get that good, i might beat hubby in his own game.

Despidida

2007-11-04T13:57:00.000Z

yesterday, we went out and celebrated my mom's last weekend with us. we had a buffet lunch then went shopping.

i was able to buy a pair of jeans, 2 denim skirts and shorts for myself from gap. not for winter but you know how they drop the prizes for out of season items. we've also done our christmas shopping so our tree is now complete =D.

i promised tantan i won't shop till my brother comes in december. he's ok with it, he's even paying up! saya!

Christmas Time

2007-10-28T11:49:00.001Z

halloween's not over yet. it's not even november yet. but we decided we'll get the tree out early and have the christmas spirit in the air.

i know our tree isn't that big and not even that beautiful. namana pa namin yan sa previous owner ng house namin. but at least, our home feels christmas-y na (me lights yan ha!). we plan on buying a new tree next year. but then again, depends on where we'll spend it, either pinas, sa states or here.

for now, this will do. 60 days till xmas!

Sales Training

2007-10-28T11:09:00.000Z

when we were renovating our kitchen, we had a hard time finding a plumber to help with the plumbing works. there were only a few in our area advertised online. plumbers are pretty in demand. but finding a reliable one is very difficult. i wonder how they get work for themselves. im sure it's mostly through word of mouth. but how about those that are just starting? i've read that avand.co.uk offers Sales Training for plumbers because they have been getting lots of enquiries on this matter. obviously, selling their skills is part of the business. you may be a good plumber, but if you don't know how to successfully run the business, you might end up with no clients at all! that's money down the drain =D

Name Galore

2007-10-25T19:03:00.000+01:00

tagged by ann

YOUR ROCK STAR NAME: (first pet & current car) fish stu - my first pet was a fish and i cant remember its name
YOUR GANGSTA NAME: (fave ice cream flavor, favorite cookie) double dutch oreo (parang nd bagay na pang gangsta!)
YOUR “FLY Guy/Girl” NAME: (first initial of first name, first three letters of your last name) c.arq
YOUR DETECTIVE NAME: (favorite color, favorite animal) Blue fish
YOUR SOAP OPERA NAME: (middle name, city where you were born) De Leon Manila
YOUR STAR WARS NAME: (the first 3 letters of your last name, first 2 letters of your first) arqch
SUPERHERO NAME (”The” + 2nd favorite color, favorite drink) The red orange
NASCAR NAME: (the first names of your grandfathers) celso romulo
STRIPPER NAME: (the name of your favorite perfume/cologne/scent, favorite candy) pink skittles
WITNESS PROTECTION NAME: (mother’s & father’s middle names) De Leon marquita
TV WEATHER ANCHOR NAME: (Your 5th grade teacher’s last name, a major city that starts with the same letter) arquisola albay
SPY NAME/BOND GIRL: (your favorite season/holiday, flowers) summer tulips
CARTOON NAME: (favorite fruit, article of clothing you’re wearing right now + “ie” or “y”) kiwi shortie
HIPPY NAME: (What you ate for breakfast, your favorite tree) cereal oak - can't think of any tree!
YOUR ROCKSTAR ENTOURAGE NAME: (”The” + Your fave hobby/craft, fave weather element + “Tour”) The surfing sunshiny tour
YOUR PORN NAME: (First Pet + Name of street you grew up on) fish sulu

Remortgage

2007-10-25T18:45:00.000+01:00

we are trying to study the current market for Remortgages. ours would expire next year, in november, and by the looks of it, we would be paying more than what we are paying now, considering we are over-paying already (meaning we pay more than the required amount to further bring the interest down). that means, we would be paying close to 1k£ monthly. yes, that much! our only consolation is the fact that we only have 18 more years before our house become fully ours.

anyways, just to give us an idea, we are following the trend for housing interests. it's been going up and up but we're hoping that by next year, it would decrease or at least, stabilises. it's so difficult being a grown up - lots of responsibilities!

Seen On YM

2007-10-23T10:10:00.000+01:00

a couple chatting about what to order online (grocery). trying to outwit each other:

Phone Number Email

2007-10-23T10:01:00.000+01:00

i haven't heard anything like it before. have you?

the biggest technologies around are the mobile phones and the internet. we can all agree that most of us communicate now through these methods. it would be easier if we have one single account to remember instead of having 2 separate details to memorise. www.redinbox.co.uk does just that. people can have their mobile numbers as email addresses and that would make communication even easier and faster! why not visit redinbox.com today and join free today!

Home, Sick

2007-10-23T09:56:00.000+01:00

did not go to work today. i haven't slept a wink as i've been coughing and sneezing none stop. even tantan wasn't able to sleep because i was too loud for him to get some decent snooze.

my voice is a little better though. i thought it's gonna get worse because yesterday at work, i have been shouting at patients. how do you expect a paos to talk to deaf people?!

i have an appt. with my gp later this afternoon. im seeing her just to get a prescription. im not counting on her diagnosing what's wrong with me. im pretty sure she'll ask my opinion on what i think i have and how i think i'll get better.

fantastic!

Chaos

2007-10-22T17:11:00.000+01:00

my hubby is hopeless with his things. everthing's all over the place. it stresses me out especially after telling him off several times yet my nagging falls on deaf ears. he needs a special garage storage system to keep his things organised. all his tools, screws, hobby crafts are all scattered around. i hope with enough storage, he'll be able to keep things tidy. i just hope he remembers to put them back in their proper places after he's finished using them.

Edinburgh Part 1

2007-10-19T20:03:00.000+01:00

our first (official) day in scotland was spent in edinburgh. we went to the castle first thing and was there even before it opened. we came out almost lunch time and spent about 30minutes figuring out what we wanted for lunch! we ended up with home made paninis from home made recipes from the store made by 2 university friends in their self-owned shop. the paninis tasted good! we then went to the roslin chapel and then to the royal botanical garden of scotland. we've done lots of walking - tiring, but fun!

here are some random pics from our trip to edinburgh, city itself and the edinburgh castle. more to follow..

church turned restaurant

the tour guy in the castle

some more pics here

Down Memory Lane

2007-10-19T19:26:00.000+01:00

i was tagged by jen but this is one tag i had difficulty in answering. im not that good with music. i remember my bestfriend teasing me about this. we used to do name that tune and no matter how many times we do it, i still can't remember them!

anyways, here are some of the songs that brings back memory
1. the last time by eric benet - our first dance sa wedding
2. love moves by julia fordham - my friend, celine, introduced this song to me. she said, she wanted it played during her wedding. we would listen to it on repeat during our medical missions, out of town trips. it was that time when tantan and i were picking up the pieces.
3. power of 2 - tantan's theme song for me

hay naku, madaming madami pa! but i can't remember the titles anymore. there are songs which reminds me of my family, my friends, my past. i'll try to fill this in as i remember them one by one. but for now, this will do =D

Quizzes

2007-10-19T19:15:00.000+01:00

lately i have been very lazy. i want to edit pictures, i want to blog hop, i want to surf and surf. but instead of being productive, i end up staring at my screen not knowing what i want to do or read or visit.

that led me to do emo quizzes. it helped me pass the time. it's amusing and fun to do. you'd be amazed on how accurate their interprations are! if you've nothing to do, why not try these out. there's even a forum where you can hook up with fellow 'emos' *lol*

Changes

2007-10-17T13:26:00.000+01:00

edit: i think everything's sorted, including the case sensitivity thingy. if you notice anything wrong, pls. inform me. cheers!

we are in the process of changing hosts at the moment. tantan’s transfering files to another server so you might get some error messages when accessing my sites/links. also, please please can you update your link to my frechie blog, it’s very case sensitive and tantan’s still trying to figure a way round this. pls. make sure that it’s all small letters:

www.frechie.com/myblog

many thanks!

Stardust

2007-10-15T23:07:00.000+01:00

we saw the special preview of the movie stardust earlier tonight. it's very very entertaining. aylavet! tantan loves it, my mom enjoyed it a great deal. i think i can watch it over and over again without ever getting bored! it even has an all-star cast to boot!

to top it all, we were given goody bags before the screening!

Crammer

2007-10-15T22:47:00.000+01:00

christmas is fast approaching. as usual, we haven't shopped for christmas gifts yet. im a crammer, you know, always has been (as all my gifts are well thought of *lol*) so probably shopping will have to wait till the first week of december. but tantan won't let me this time! we've been doing this for 3 consecutive christmases and only one of 2 things happen: (1) we pay more as goodies are more expensive nearer christmas or (2) there's not much choices around so we end up buying what's left.

as always, we'll probably resort to online shopping. and the best way to do it would be with online shopping coupons. not only do you get discounts, imagine the hassle free shopping. no need to rub elbows with fellow shoppers also doing last minute cramming.

tantan got fashionbug coupon codes from couponchief.com. as i was browsing the website, i also saw some nice expedia travel deals that tantan and i could take after the new year.

this is making me more and more excited!

Officially 13

2007-10-13T21:00:00.000+01:00

we went to gunwharf quays earlier today. i bought some tops from gap suitable for age 13 and they fit me like a glove! so i announced proudly to tantan that i am officially 13 years old. he then said, matataba ang mga bata dito no! *lol*

Too Lazy

2007-10-12T18:11:00.000+01:00

we went to scotland, from saturday till tuesday this week. since then, i have been sooo lazy to do anything, hence the lack of tangible entries here (and in my other blog). anyways, im still lazy, even paid posts don't appeal too much to me. and no, im not pregnant, ok?! =D

but this i got to say, i fell in love with scotland. only if it's as warm as here in the south, i'll move in a jiffy! but definitely, moving there is a possibility.

will post pics as soon as i get the groove back.

Samsung

2007-10-12T11:24:00.000+01:00

my mom is looking at getting a new phone before going home this november. well, that's the plan really as phones here are cheaper than in the philippines (as we could get really good plans here) and the latest phones come out here first. well, usually ahead of the philippines.

i've given her a samsung flip top phone 3 years ago and liked it. she's used to it already so she decided she wants another samsung. we're now scouring the net for fantastic offers, looking at various phones' features. having a slider phone myself, my mom wants one!

anyways, we've seen the new samsung g600 mobile phone and it looks really posh! im guessing my mom's in love =D. incidentally, they have an ongoing contest entitled Samsung G600 Top thirty uber stylish clubs in the UK. visit this website and find out how cool the photos are using the phone's 5megapixel camera. if you fancy anyone, you can vote from among the 300 image conscious uk clubbers, just for fun.

anyways, have to get back to my phone searching, err deal searching!

Christmas With Family

2007-10-12T11:21:00.000+01:00

my brother, who's in ksa, is coming over this december. he'll be spending christmas and new year with us. he said he wants to experience a white christmas. too bad for him, we don't get snow, not in our area anyway. he's welcome to the bitter chills of winter but sorry, no snow!

he's staying for less than 2 weeks. he's only allowed 15 calendar days off. higpit! *lol*. better than nothing!

Torchbearers

2007-10-10T10:27:00.000+01:00

i know most of you reading my blog have been my "wedding" classmates. i am not talking about the torch bearers during receptions. this is bigger and better! im talking about the one during the olympics. 2008 would be olympic season again and samsung, proud sponsors of the game are looking for people to Nominate torchbearers for the historic Torch Relay to theBeijing 2008 Olympic Games. they are looking for people who have suceeded in whatever endeavor they have undertaken, be it a personal or social struggle; or people who have been inspirations for other people.

this is truly a once in a lifetime experience. as most of you know, the 2012 olympics would be held here in england. i hope someone will nominate me for that!

Q's

2007-10-06T09:26:00.001+01:00

sorry for my long absence. i've been very lazy lately. anyways, i was tagged by anne.

First name?: christibelle (second name: daine)
Middle name?: de leon
Like your name: it's too long! but i like its meaning, beautiful christ. my mom got it from a british pocketbook she was reading then. at least my colleagues here can properly pronounce my name =D
named after anyone?: from a character in a british pocketbook
Any nicknames?: my family calls me che, cheche as most of my friends. some also calls me chichay or chicheh or bachich
Age?: 29
Birthdate? : 14 july 1978
Birth place?: Manila
Time you were born?: not sure. i've been meaning to ask my mom... will do later =D
Current location?: southampton, england
Height?: 5'4 1/2"
Like your height?: yup
Eye color?: brown
Contacts/glasses?: yup! and i think my eyes are getting worse!
Hair color?: brunette
Natural hair color?: brunette
Dye your hair often?: no
Righty or lefty?: righty

Your favorites...
Type of music?: depends on my mood but currently listening to mica
Band or singer?: no one in particular, depends on my mood as well
TV show?: before - friends, sex and the city, charmed. now - house, grey's anatomy, heroes, x factor (uk's american idol)
Movie?: moulin rouge, star wars, miss potter (ewan mcgregor!!)
TV channel?: whatever
Radio station?: wave 105
Place to be?: anywhere as long as it's somewhere *lol*. we love to travel so kahit san basta we're comfortable and it's fun, game kami!
Thing to do?: surf the net, watch my favorite programs, travel, photography
Food?: nd ako pihikan! good thing it doesn't show!
Non alcoholic drink?: juice, hot chocolate
Alcoholic drink?: i'll try anything wag lang beer!
Animal?: fish? basta madaling alagaan
Holiday?: christmas
Season?: spring
Sport? : bowling but i'd love to try wall climbing
Place to shop?: online?!
Clothing brand?: mango and gap
Scent?: ralph by rl, pink by lacoste, aqua di gio for tantan
Restaurant?: saisaki! anywhere basta kasama ang friends or family.
Fruit ?: kiwi or green mango with shrimp paste
Vegetable?: now im into broccoli
Fast food restaurant?: burger king
Pizza topping?: pepperoni
Ice cream flavor?: double dutch and rocky road
Magazine?: whatever
City?: manila kasi it's home. but i find washington dc very clean
Color?: i used to be into anything blue but im not liking red more =D
Number?: 8

This or that...

Chocolate or vanilla?: chocolate
Pepsi or coke?: any basta diet
Hot or cold?: hot
Black or white?: white
Dog or cat?: nada
French toast or pancakes?: pancakes
French fries or onion rings?: french fries
Hamburger or hot dog?: hamburger
Pepperoni or sausage?: pepperoni
Britney or Christina?: Christina
McDonalds or Burger King?: burger king
50 Cent or Eminem?: 50 Cent
Canada or Mexico?: haven't been in either of them so i can't say really
Hug or kiss?: hug
Movies or TV?: tv
Truth or dare?: dare!

Do you...
Shower daily?: yes
Sing in the shower?: sometimes
Like to sing?: not really, im not musically inclined
Like to dance?: a little
Smoke? : no, but i've tried puffing before but never liked it.
Drink?: not so much, i mean im a social drinker
Curse?: no
Talk to yourself?: sometimes
Believe in yourself?: yes
Play an instrument?: in my dreams!
Go to school?: not anymore
Go to college?: i did. i even finished a masteral degree kaya sawa na ko mag aral!
Have a job?: yes, audiologist
Like your job?: so far
Want to get married?: already am
Want to have kids?: 1 or 2 someday
Get along with your parents?: my mom very much. not so much with my dad
Get along with your siblings?: yup
Drive?: i used to in manila many moons ago.

Random ...
Do you think you're trustworthy?: of course
Think you're funny?: think so
Ever toilet papered someones house?: nope
Gone garbage can tipping?: no
What are your parents names?: mylvin and dalisay
Siblings names?: michael jan (micmic), mylvin jr. (junjun), cheryl aiza (aiza) and neil andrew (dokdok) hahaha, kakatawa mga nicknames namin. specially the youngest!
Do you wash your hands frequently?: yup, for proper hygiene
How many time a day do you brush your teeth?: honestly, just twice. but i floss and gargle mouthwash everyday as well.
Collect anything?: nope
Ever been in love?: you haven't
In love right now?: everyday
What color pants are you wearing right now?: black (office trousers)
How does your hair look?: straight, shoulder length with bangs
Ever had your heartbroken?: yup
Ever broken the law?: nope
Been arrested?: no
Been out of the country?: yup
Can you stick your fist in your mouth?: pathetic!
When was the last time you got drunk?: 2000 probably when we were on a medical mission in quezon and we were invited to a lambanog drinking session
Do you do drugs?: never
When was the last time you were high on anything?: whenever ive achieved something or when i shop
Do you prefer the lights on or off?: off
Would you ever get plastic surgery?: i would. im vain!
Do you prefer boxers or briefs?: briefs
Do you like to laugh?: laughter is the best medicine
Ever had a bloody nose?: yeah, tantan and i were eating sa benissimo sa sm manila. tapos my nose just bled! he was so scared! *lol*
Have you ever caught a fish?: from the aquarium
What was the last thing you ate?: last night, m&ms
What time do you go to bed?: usually around 12am
What's your favorite color?: blue, red
Do you like to give or recieve?: receive hehe
Are you obsessed with anything/any one?: not really
Do you live alone?: with hubby
Do you own a blender?: yes and me smoothie maker pa (tantan: why do you need to have 2 seperate blenders, they look the same!). kanya kanyang expertise yan! *lol*
Do you like the snow?: not really. good thing, this part of england doesn't snow much
Ever been up a mountain?: yeah
Ever been rootin'?: what?
Do you like surprises?: of course!

tagging jen

Garden Trip

2007-10-06T09:13:00.000+01:00

it's autumn now and the leaves are starting to change colors. my mom will only be here a month so for her to truly experience autumn, we plan on doing garden hopping. the first one would be at the stowe landscape gardens in buckinghamshire next week. that means i need to book us into a buckinghamshire bed and breakfast. mom would not only get to experience autumn but also enjoy the traditional english accomodation.

Annoying

2007-10-02T11:18:00.000+01:00

jen tagged me and here are some of the reasons why i am annoying (also) according to tantan (but these could be weird things as well =D):

1. i like keeping things tidy and orderly but to the point that i, myself, forget where i kept them.

2. i can't do number 2 (you, know, call of nature) without locking the toilet door. and there should be music in the background or at least, the sound of running water.

3. i have to shop for new clothes if we're going out someplace special. i don't like wearing the same clothes in pictures =D

4. i usually don't finish my food eventhough there's only one bite left. i don't know but i feel full already that i can't take in anymore!

5. i don't travel light. this annoys tantan, looking at my bulging suitcase (s). even if we'll be away for just a week or two, i almost always bring my whole wardrobe and the whole shebang.

6. i like teasing tantan, making him kulit. but if he does it to me, major away especially if im not in the mood (which is most of the time! hehehe)

i can't think of anything else ~~as i'd rather keep some of them a secret~~ =D. im tagging my sister, thet, katia and dionne

Sleigh

2007-10-02T09:51:00.000+01:00

my aunt shopped loads of furnitures before we went over to the US, her son was really amazed! she has had her house renovated and wanted everything coordinated. she has replaced all her Sofas, got herself some fabric Sofa for upstairs and Leather sofas for the lounge. she works 120 hours a week, she could afford it! but when she said she's replacing her bedroom furnishings as well, we had to stop her. although seeing the tropical sleigh bed that she likes, we'll probably let her get her way!

Entertainment System

2007-09-30T16:02:00.000+01:00

about a month ago, we bought a computer system (from dell), without monitor, with the latest vista system, as we wanted to use it as our media center downstairs. our tv in the lounge is already a 32" lcd hdtv and we wanted to maximise its use. we have a dvd player and before, we usually had to ferry it around depending on where we want to watch (upstairs or downstairs). we grew tired of this, so we said our dvd will now permanently reside in our bedroom. and since we have subscribed to abs-cbn now, we figured we needed a better computer system (not that we need it really for that, but it's always better watching at a bigger screen!). also, the freeview in our bedroom has been shouting for ages to be replaced so we transferred the downstair's one upstairs. *fyi* our lcd tv did not come with a freeview. anyways, the new system allows us to watch the same channels that the freeview box offers (of course you will need a tv tuner for that).

also, tantan prefers to using this in surfing the net because the screen is big and usually, we can watch the tv, while he surfs the net at the same time, through the PIP system (but that's a feature of the tv itself). aint that cool! also, tantan downloads lots of animes, shows, music, whathaveyous and he can do it straight to this pc. after the download, he can watch it directly and enjoy the size of the screen!

so, in summary, our toy serves us our: computer, dvd player, freeview box, sound system - an all-in-one entertainment system. very powerful and cool! i heard many people are now doing the same thing.

it's funny that we have 4 computers now at home. our original desktop, which is in our 2nd bedroom, which my mom uses as the bedroom serves as her room; the apple power mac that tantan's office gave us (which resides in the 3rd bedroom); my laptop and now, the downstair's computer system. addict! =D

Refurbishing

2007-09-28T11:46:00.000+01:00

my colleague here is kept busy by the refurbishment of their home. she's about 7months pregnant and they are trying to get their baby's room "habitable" (her words!). it's not her first pregnancy. she has a boy already and their nursery turned into their stock room of the toddler's toys. they are getting rid of the kid bedroom furniture to make way for an infant's crib.

they are now having a girl so the current boyish child bedroom furniture will have to be replaced by girly ones. the joys of parenthood! the amount you spend for your kids *lol*.

they can't share their bed with the little one even though they have queen Beds. they said it's just not safe.

anyways, i was just thinking of the amount that we have to set aside for our own bedroom furniture refurbishment when we have our own child! ooh, the thought!

Nanny Diaries

2007-09-28T11:41:00.000+01:00

we watched the advance screening of this film last night and we loved it! just having been to new york and new jersey, we could totally relate to all the places mentioned. the story is good and you'll shed a few tears here and there.

this is definitely worth watching!

Text Me

2007-09-27T15:53:00.000+01:00

my dad is constantly sending my mom prepaid loads for her roaming number here. he probably spends thousands of pesos just so my mom will have enough load to text him, my siblings and her friends back. but it's not really worth it. it's too expensive to maintain especially since we found out that we could send a text message cheaper by signing up with ipipi.com. we can even send picture messages and use the pc to send them. the price? very affordable, about 10 cents/message. that is a fairly good deal as it would normally cost us 40cents per message using the local line.

Nanny Wanted

2007-09-27T15:48:00.000+01:00

my sister's looking for a new nanny for her son. they are having a hard time finding one, someone they could entrust their only son with. their previous yaya was a college graduate from mindanao. she was really great, obviously, especially with helping my nephew with his school works. unfortunately, she had to go home as she needs to tend to some important family affairs. since then, my sister hasn't found a replacement with the same qualifications. where can you find a nanny who graduated from college?! that's very rare.

if ever, i think they would be better off going to new york where they will be paid at least 500$ a week. not bad right?

Help With Essays

2007-09-27T15:38:00.000+01:00

when i was in high school, we were asked to write several papers at a time and it could be really taxing. we could only take in that much work you know! teachers then thought that our little minds were machines that could go on and on not thinking that we needed to rest too. fortunately for today's students, they could ask someone to write their essays for them. not just that but also term papers, research works - help is just one click away. and that is without plagiarism and they could rush the work too! that's really handy especially if you've tried your best and couldn't seem to get the creative juice to flow.

my brother is asking me for tips on making an Argumentative Essay, a project in school. i think i better share with him this site so i won't have to do it for him =D

Boring Day

2007-09-27T15:33:00.000+01:00

most of the staff in our department is in the main hospital (so am i). that means, all rooms are occupied and so, i have been assigned as a **backup audiologist for the morning. that means, i stayed in the department office (where the clerical staff are) in the morning just staring at my screen. it's not a bad thing really as it means 'rest' for me but if you're not doing anything, that makes time pass by ever so slowly.

i have been assigned to do ent clinic this afternoon. but im so bored and knowing that it won't be very busy in the clinic, i asked my colleague to swap with me. he agreed and here i am doing his list, still, doing nothing much! =D

**back up - if one of the staff calls in sick, the back up one will take over her list of patients.

Sensitive Skin

2007-09-27T15:12:00.000+01:00

i've got sensitive skin, especially my face. when i was still in the philippines, i go for regular facials and beauty treatments. but when i got here, i did not have the time and i have yet to find a reliable brand. i have tried various brands, even famous ones but they did not suit me. right now, my face is in dire need of affection. some parts are dry while other's oily. and it's driving me mad!!! i'll try the dermalogica and see if i have found my match!

Desktop

2007-09-26T22:12:00.000+01:00

tagged by jen. one of my favorite wedding pics which reminds me, i have yet to tell rene my choices for the album! yikes!!

i'm tagging my sister, ann, and thet (3 na lang muna =D)

Note: Copy Starts Here!
Desktop Free View Instruction:

A.Upon receiving this tag, immediately perform a screen capture of your desktop. It is best that no icons be deleted before the screen capture so as to add to the element of fun. You can do a screen capture by:
[1] Going to your desktop and pressing the Print Scrn key (located on the right side of the F12 key).

[2] Open a graphics program (like Picture Manager, Paint, or Photoshop) and do a Paste (CTRL + V).

[3] If you wish, you can “edit” the image, before saving it.

B. Post the picture in your blog. You can also give a short explanation on the look of your desktop just below it if you want. You can explain why you preferred such look or why is it full of Icons, things like that.

C. Tag five of your friends and ask them to give you a Free View of their desktop as well.

D. Add your name to this list of Free Viewers with a link pointing directly to your Desktop Free View post to promote it to succeeding participants.
iRonnie - I Set No Corner

Thess - Thesserie

Rebecca - Skippy Heart

Knoizki - A Dialogue With K

Beng - Kauderwelch- domlawrenceOSB

- bluepanjeet™ OTWOMD™

Marie @ Vanidosa Marie and Vanidosa at blogspot

Ems @ Just Let Go and Pieces of Me

Yen @ Me and Mine, Little Peanut and Our Pea in a Pod.

Alpha @ my blog

Jen @ Cellulitic Bliss
CheChe @ Frechie.Com/MyBlog

Plastic

2007-09-25T21:07:00.000+01:00

with the advancement of medicine, cosmetic surgery has become a very lucrative business. with celebrities and models strutting their stick thin figures all the time - in magazines, tvs, movies, whathaveyous - people think that that is the standard with which they need to live up to. people, who are less fortunate in having less-perfect bodies, resort to these medical enhancements. i don't blame them. in this world of idealism, people tend to ignore the reality of things - that nothing's perfect.

but these surgeries don't come cheap. i think it's most expensive in the uk and in the united states. most people in these countries tend to go to less developed ones where these surgeries are cheaper. but they run the risk of infection, failure with operations and a number of other health risks that make them regret that they did not 'invest' in them more.

so do you think cosmetic surgery abroad is safe? i don't believe that if it's expensive, it means they're always better. you can go to less developed countries and find that they also have advanced equipments, machineries and brilliant doctors. but i think people still need to do proper research and carefully choosing the doctors or the insitutions they go to. regret's always in the end, you know.

with low low prices in eastern european countries, i would guess the number of having surgeries abroad will increase in the next couple of years. it's the law of supply and demand.

20$ Picture

2007-09-25T20:40:00.000+01:00

im serious! we went up the empire state building and on the 60th floor (??) before heading up to the 86th, they have this green virtual background thingy and guests pose in front of the cam. as the guests go down, they could buy the pictures taken. we were shocked at the price! it's 20$ for this 5"x8" (??) picture with a small pocket sized one. 25$ if you get their cd of places in new york. good thing it is optional. we did not want to buy it as tantan said he can do it himself with photoshop. but my tita said we looked cute so she insisted on buying it together with my mom's and lola's picture. they can't even get the colours right! i was wearing a sunny yellow jumper but it turned out a mustard yellow. how can they sell it for that ridiculous price?!

Hair Styler

2007-09-25T20:14:00.000+01:00

my sister is asking me to buy her a hair styler. she's got long hair and she said she'd take anything, be it curlers or straighteners. good thing i found beautysleuth which sells different beauty aids. and they have special discounts too! imagine this ghd IV styler you can get savings from 29.05£ to as much as 45.05£! i might get one for myself =D

Night Before

2007-09-25T19:45:00.000+01:00

peter, pete, rowena, me, tito godfrey, tantan, nanay, mommy ethel, mom, tita lina

this was taken friday night at my cousin's (rowena) house in upstate new york (i forgot where exactly, but it's about an hour away from new jersey, i think it's near the palisades center). we had dinner with them. her son, pete, entertained us all night. he's so adorable! and smart too. we had baked ziti, salad, ribs cooked in something-tomato sauce and some pudding. yum! i wish someday i could be like her, just a stay-at-home-wife/mom =D

Piercings

2007-09-25T16:07:00.000+01:00

would you believe our neighbour was fired because of her piercings and tattoos? unbelieveable! to think we live in a 1st world country where there's freedom for everything. he was told he has to get rid of his gold lip rings or they'll get rid of him. well, he resigned. anyways, it's his principles that he's fighting for. he said there are people who does more horrifying things and yet not reprimanded. he said, when did body jewelries become a basis for termination! he said he couldn't work in an environment like that, where there's no respect for personal choice.

he's got a point!

Virgin - No More!

2007-09-24T13:05:00.000+01:00

remember my post about our flight to the US with virgin atlantic? our flight home wasn't any better! i think it was even worse!!

we arrived at the jfk airport in new york at around 5:00pm. we're there early as we did not want to get stuck in traffic as the yankees were playing that same time. our flight wasn't till 9:45pm. when we arrived, we headed to the bag drop off point as we've checked in online already. when we got there, we heard people talking how delayed the previous flight was (with virgin atlantic as well) and they were just being boarded on the plane. i think that flight was delayed for like 3 hours before finally leaving.

the staff attending to us informed us, in a whispered voice, that he's transferring us to an earlier flight. instead of the one leaving at 9:45pm, he's putting us on the 8:30pm flight. he said they are not allowed to do it but since they were told our original flight would be delayed, and they're not sure what time that will leave, he'll put us in the earlier flight instead. which means, we won't need to book hotel accomodations when we get to england (he probably thought we're coming over for a holiday since we don't look british!). and he was saying this like he's doing us a huge huge HUGE favour! i did not argue as we had some problems with our baggage allowance. but it really annoyed us because he probably thought we're stupid enough to believe his lame story! if indeed our flight would be delayed, they would need to pay us because i think there's a law that states airlines would pay passengers penalty if they're to wait at least 5hours for their flights. and he even told us that he managed to find us seats together BUT we're not to board together as they're not supposed to do what he did! puh-lease!

we boarded at 7:45pm. the plane smelt of pee! seriously! and it was an old old plane, seats are more cramped, it was hot inside! at 9pm, we haven't taken off yet and the pilot apologised for the delay because our original flight would be delayed by they-dont-know-how-many-hours and that they're trying to wait and accomodate people from that flight. he said it's the operation's decision to board them (us). see, that stup*d staff was acting as if he was going the extra mile to help us and that his job was on the line if someone finds out!

the attendants weren't attentive. tantan wanted some water. he already asked for water, even asked for one bottle already as they only give them in cups and he did not want to disturb them all the time. he wasn't given the bottled water. he asked me if i could ask for it instead as he's asked 4 times already in a span of 10minutes. i turned on the call light. nobody came! i have seen a few attendants going our way, even looked up at the light but nobody came to us to ask what we need. and the nerve of one attendant to say (after 20minutes or so), "oops, somebody must have pressed that unintentionally". i told her, no, i've been waiting for someone to come FOR AGES to ask for water. she did not even apologised! and again, she gave me 1 cup.

they did not even bother to give us the kits that the airlines provide. im sure even in economy class, they still give out socks, eye covers and tootbrush. but no, there weren't any. in the toilet, there were only tissues and a hand wash half full. food? edible if you're really really hungry!

i know if i want better service, good food, i ought to book business class flights. but i've always flown economy and i have never had such horrible experience before! they shouldn't offer anymore economy seats if they give such poor service.

tantan and i vowed we'd never fly with them again. ever! unless they give us free flights. but then again.....

Order Now!

2007-09-24T12:51:00.000+01:00

computers now are a necessity. im sure most of us have desktop computer systems at home. they're not only for database/computing purposes, but they are now used to surf the net, for entertainment and communicating with other people. it's very very useful and im sure most of us can't live without it. i know i can't!

anyways, we've always used dell computers at home. they are very reliable, can be customised to suit each individual's needs. and best of all, they are very affordable and would really fit in your budget.

even here at work, we use dell bureau pc. ours is a big company and im sure they don't buy stuff just because they're inexpensive. they know that they can rely on this brand and will last a long long time. ever since i came here, we've always used this brand. not once did we have any problems with them. and i've been here almost 4 years now!

good quality computers for low low prices. if that's not a good deal, i don't know what is!

Still Awake

2007-09-24T01:58:00.000+01:00

we're now home, here in england. the plane touched down at around 9:30am (sunday) at london heathrow, got out of the airport at around 10, got home around 12pm. i slept at 1pm and woke up at 8. cooked dinner and unpacked and tidied up the house. now im still wide awake. i have to go to work at 8am (later) so that means, i have to get up around 7:30. that leaves me with around 5 hours sleep, assuming i'll sleep anytime soon.

the joys of jetlag!

Office Desk

2007-09-22T17:11:00.001+01:00

i love the houses here in the US. they are big and spaceous and doesn't cost as much as in england. i wish our house is as big as the houses we see here. well, we need to work hard in order for us to provide a bigger home.

that being said, my aunt's house is huge! i think it covers a total of 2 lots and there's plenty of room for everything! the bedroom furniture in the room we stayed in won't fit in our current home.

what's good is that they could afford to buy really big-sized Living Room Furniture without worrying whether they would appear cramped up.

i like my aunt's office. it doubles up as a receiving area as well and she's got this credenza desk that's really wow! their room looks elegant, sophisticated and grand.

i wish i could also buy Furniture Home Office but it won't even get in our door! well, someday.. someday...

St. Patrick's Cathedral

2007-09-22T17:04:00.000+01:00

we went to this church in new york and it reminded me somehow of our very own san sebastian basilica. it's located near the rockefeller center, at 50th street and 5th avenue in manhattan. we went there because we haven't been to a church ever since we came over. all we did was tour, shop and dine and we realised that we ought to give thanks for all the blessings we have received *lol*

PC

2007-09-22T16:20:00.001+01:00

my friend celine is asking my husband to find her a good deal for a computer for the longest time. she's been in england almost 4 years now and haven't really gone around to buying one, no matter how many time she said she would.

we've been using dell pc's ever since so naturally, it's our recommended brand for her. good thing we found out that they have a pc sale. our new one, a vostro desktop, which we bought last month was very inexpensive, yet the features are really good! what's good about dell is that you can customise the parts and softwares and whathaveyous so you get just what you need. and that means, you pay only what you ordered for.

i guess this time, she won't let this opportunity pass =D

Nanay

2007-09-22T16:08:00.001+01:00

we call her nanay. she's the only grandparent we have still living. she's my mom's mom. she's based in the states and has been living in new jersey since 1982 (or 81?). she's been back in the philippines only twice since migrating - in 1993 and in 2006, to attend my wedding.

very active, loves to dance and exercise. she wakes up really early to do her routine of work-ups. clear eyes (needs glasses only for reading) and her hearing, very sharp! she was with us, going places, walking all the time and not once did she complain that her joints are hurting!

she has her own pad, lives very independently away from her 2 kids, although they are still within commuting distance from her. she stayed with us in my aunt's house for the duration of our vacation to spend some time with us. she's a delight to be with! a bit forgetful now but still, not bad for her age of 75.

i wish her strength and continued good health. we'll miss her, definitely.

Digital

2007-09-22T15:53:00.000+01:00

what's nice about our present age is that technology has gone a long way. lots of gadgets about. we get to enjoy the convenience of what science has to offer.

even the smallest of things, like picture frames, they have gone digital! if you're tired of looking at one boring photo all the time, there are now digital frames out in the market wherein you'll see pictures changing every few seconds or minutes (whatever you fancy). you can showcase your travels, parties, events as they unfold. it's like watching a harry-potter-sort of album come to life. aint that cool?!

digitalframez.com offers very affordable digital picture frame. they come in different sizes, with different features. different styles and colours that can complement your house's theme.

replace those traditional albums with these space-friendly alternative. reduce the clutter of your home and full speed ahead to technology!

im really thankful for my friends as they got us one as our wedding gift! really generous =D

Mommy Ethel

2007-09-22T15:43:00.000+01:00

she's my mom's older sister, 2nd in a brood of 9! she's been in the US for more than 20 years. we stayed with her, during our 2 weeks vacation in new jersey. she's hip, fun and a fashionista! very generous too. a workaholic, works about 120 hours a week as a nurse. 120 hours!! she seldom takes holidays as well so us, coming over, was a welcome break for her.

i would like to thank her for accomodating us for 2 weeks. for thrashing her very nice home *lol* and dragging her to all those shopping malls (which she enjoyed anyway! =D).

she's inviting us again next year. if we're not going to the philippines, we'll sure come back! this time, she promised we'll go out of the east coast and head west.

thanks-a-bunch again! we'll miss you =D

Vacuum

2007-09-22T05:59:00.000+01:00

i just remember, i have to buy tantan a new car vacuum. his old car, it was never vacuumed (i think our old vacuum did not work that well so he just did not bother) and it looked like a big garbage dump inside. now that he has a new car, i have to make sure he keeps it tidy. who wants to ride a filthy car?!

Mental

2007-09-22T05:57:00.000+01:00

he needs help! can anyone help him go to where he's pointing at? *lol*

Dell Laptop

2007-09-22T05:23:00.001+01:00

i've had my laptop for over a year now and i was teasing tantan that im gonna replace it soon. i said it's gone pretty slow for my liking and that i want a more advance one. why i need a techy one when all i do i surf and surf and surf, that i don't know! well, i want to replace it because i feel there are better laptops out there needing a new home! =D

anyways, i heard that there's a laptop sale with dell, so im bugging my husband again! my old laptop is from dell, an inspiron one, so im sure it will be perfect for me. after all, it's already tried and tested. tantan said only if we find cheap laptops. well, dell meets that criteria, doesn't it?! please tantan, i wanna buy a new one. pretty please?!

1st Anniversary Celebration

2007-09-22T05:12:00.000+01:00

**Picture scanned**

(L-R) 1st row: tita linda, steve

2nd row: amor, tita lina, tantan, mark, mommy ethel, mom, nanay, harry

last row: tito godfrey, susan, niel, ate jen (the couple celebrating their anniversary)

this was held last september 9 at my cousin's house. we met susan and harry (ate jen's in-laws) for the first time and they were really funny. they are friendly and full of stories. i like them a lot. we also met tita lina's sister, tita linda and her fiance, steve and tita linda's daughter amor.

we had steak, salad, spring roll, desserts and they had recreated their wedding cake! funny, my nanay (grandma, mother's side - only one among my grandparents alive) told us that she heard that the party's in a hotel. we weren't sure though because she could be forgetful at times. but to be on the safe side, my mommy ethel and mom decided to wear something fancy. i only wore heels *lol* so it was awkward when we were picked up by tita lina and tito godfrey as they were both wearing shorts and shirts *lol*. no time to change as we're going about an hour away.

anyways, it was lovely seeing my cousins again. ate jen was one of our secondary sponsors. last time we saw each other before that was in 1993, i guess. yes, that long!

well, hopefully, we'll see them more often now as we might be spending more time in the US than in the philippines =D

Dining Room

2007-09-21T15:08:00.000+01:00

back home, we don't really have a proper dining area. how our house was laid out, the lounge shares the space for the diner. but as soon as we have time, we intend to transform our utility room to a dining area. although it would require careful planning as the room is narrow.

we have been on the lookout for a dining room future that would suit the size of our utility room. but it's hard as i've said, the room is narrow. so finding the right formal dining room furniture is a real challenge.

for now, we have contented ourselves with a counter height dining table which was incorporated in our kitchen and serves as a breakfast nook for me and hubby. soon, we'll have the perfect dining room for us and the perfect dining furniture to boot =D

We're Going Home

2007-09-21T15:01:00.000+01:00

one more day and we're heading back home. our 2week vacation is coming to an end and we'll miss our lazy time here. on monday, it's back to work for me and hubby. we've really enjoyed our stay with our relatives here. all we did was eat, shop and explore places. we're thinking of coming back next year. it all depends whether they'll be going back to manila. if that's the case, we'll be seeing each other in the philippines.

now. manila has a close rival. we might find ourselves spending our vacation time here in the US more often than in the philippines =D

that being said, i hope virgin atlantic will have better service.

Picture Perfect

2007-09-21T14:45:00.000+01:00

we now have tons of holiday pictures to print. my tita has an hp all-in-one printer, scanner, fax and we have actually pushed it to the limits. it has conked out on us and wouldn't let us print anymore pictures even though we have changed inks already.

i have suggested we need to buy printer. i have suggested the Dell 926 all-in-one Wireless Solution. since my aunt did not want any cables around, this wireless all in one printer, meaning it already has a printer scanner copier, would be the best one for her.

we have a dell printer, though not the same model and we can vouch for its vivid colours and larger than life quality. pictures are very important. they keep memories alive.

Liberty

2007-09-20T15:38:00.000+01:00

waiting for the ferry ride to ellis island and liberty island

america's tribute to the world trade center

new york skyline background

historic central railroad of new jersey

dock

ferry station

ellis island

read of our funny story here

see more pics here

Flying Over The Atlantic

2007-09-14T16:54:00.000+01:00

we flew with virgin atlantic and it wasn't the best experience i ever had. well, you would say that flying economy would not really give you the best seats but i've experienced better things.

1) we checked in online, but spent the same length of time at the bag drop-off point, as we would have if we just checked in the regular way.

2) the seats are cramped, worst economy seats ever!

3) no foot rest

4) food was served super delayed. they were collecting the food trays from the other passengers already, but on our part of the plane, food has not been served yet.

5) the flight attendants were not that friendly. you would get the impression that they couldn't wait for the flight to be over.

6) they were giving the wrong flight cards, im not sure what they are called exactly, but it's needed at the immigration counter. because of this, it took ages for everyone to get through. people were asked to fill up forms at the counter again because they have filled out the wrong one. fortunately for us, we were given the right card when we dropped off our bags. we were in queue for more than an hour!

7) i know it's their policy for seat belts to be worn, not just by them but all the other airlines for our own safety. but with them, they need to see that we've got them on at all times! with the seats being cramped, you would want to get the best position you could. but you can't. because they want them visible to them, you can't hug any pillows, you have to wear them over your blankets - they've got to be in their plain view. what's worse, they will wake you up so you would change your position and let them see the belt!

i could go on and on but will stop there. we'll be flying back with them and i hope we get better service. afterall, 700$ is still hard-earned money.

IVA's

2007-09-14T16:37:00.000+01:00

i am now in new jersey, taking a much needed break. i was just gone a week and chatting to a friend earlier, i was shocked to hear that someone i know is dodging summons from authorities and the bailiff has already paid her a visit at home. that only means that she's buried in debt so deep that creditors already asked help to get their money back.

this is shocking news as i know that she's very careful with her finances. doesn't really go out on gimmicks, nor buy branded clothes. well, it turns out, she doesn't if she's with us. it's like she's living a double life. she came to england because she needs to support her family back home - send her siblings to school and provide their daily necessities. she should have known better!

anyways, she doesn't need to be judged right now. she needs help. she's thinking of submitting herself as bankrupt but that should be her last resort. we have heard about IVA's, which we think is the best option. she will sit down with her creditors and arrange a more realistic means of paying her debts. they told her to visit Myvesta UK Individual Voluntary Arrangement (IVA), which will tell her more about this reasonable option. i was told that people who needs help can chat anonymously with their advisers, free of charge. also, this group is a non-profit group so you can be sure that they won't charge you exhorbitant fees. at least that won't add up to her debts!

i still have another week here. i wonder what other shocking news awaits when i go back home.

Not A Snob

2007-09-13T03:44:00.000+01:00

julai tagged me and this is true. haha! try it for yourself.

You Are A Little Snobby

And being a little snobby every once and a while is totally allowed.
Because if no one was ever snobby, no one would ever try to dress up or look pretty.
And while you do enjoy the finest things in life (that you can afford), you tire of superficiality.
You know there's more to life than what's just on the surface.

Are You a Snobby Girl?

Let's Swim

2007-09-06T22:02:00.000+01:00

as i was saying in my previous entry, it has been really hot and sunny the past few days. im pretty sure most people are heading off to the beach this weekend to enjoy the last bits of summer. any other time, when it's miserable, damp and cold, people head off overseas, book themselves Beach Holidays. who can blame them? when it's chilly about 3/4 of the time, i would definitely miss the sunshine. that's why i always look forward to going back home, to book exotic Beach Holidays or just plain Beach resort Holidays.

with lots of cheap flights and holiday offers about, it's no wonder lots of people would rather fly out of england than endure 8 months of winter here.

Holiday

2007-09-06T21:47:00.000+01:00

me, my mommy and hubby will be spending 2 weeks of bliss - away from work and the unpredictable weather of england. the past few days have been really lovely though, being hot and sunny. hopefully, it would carry on until we come back. but that's suntok sa bwan =D. will try to peek once in a while. hope you all have fun like us!

Bags, Bags, Bags

2007-09-05T10:20:00.000+01:00

we went to whiteley last saturday. we only go there to buy bags at this samsonite store that sells, well, samsonite bags and lacoste bags. that time, there were lots of items on sale that i was drooling all over. my mom was able to buy a bag for her and my sister. what annoyed me was finding the bag that i bought 2 months ago, being sold for half the price!!

i told myself i would not buy there anymore. why do i have to tire myself going there (it's about 20min drive fr our house) when i could just order online, using coupon codes. i can be sure that all the items there are on SALE and that i would get a better deal for my money. i found these ebag discounts at couponchief.com. im sure that would suffice my mom's fetish for bags =)

while browsing for more codes and discounts, i saw the discounts they offer for spalook. i told tantan that while we're in the states, im gonna do all the pampering i can't do here in england. all he could do was shrug and shake his head =D

Madame Tussaud's

2007-09-03T19:25:00.000+01:00

more here and here

Recap

2007-08-31T22:17:00.001+01:00

we had a very tiring but fun weekend. read what happened here

in pictures: wiltshire (day 1)

more here

Wedding Accessories

2007-08-31T21:46:00.000+01:00

planning a wedding is both fun and stressful. it's fun when ideas are freely flowing in but when you're stuck, you're stuck. sometimes knowing what you want is not enough. specially with someone like me, i need to see a sample to actually visualise how things would look like. or i would rely on what family and friends vouched for. it's hard, trying to pull a wedding thousands of miles away.

fortunately, the internet has been my saving grace. i was able to conceptualise my dream wedding and turn it into reality. i pulled it off, we pulled it off. it was everything we ever dreamed of. and i would happily go through all the stress of planning a wedding again, although im not sure if hubby would be too happy to spend that much again *lol*.

if you're at a loss for ideas, Visit Wedding Bitz r Us Ltd, you might find there what you've been looking for for a very long time. as they say, don't sweat the small stuff!

In Pictures: Flowers of Lake District

2007-08-24T14:50:00.000+01:00

more here here

car wash

2007-08-23T09:30:00.000+01:00

our poor car, golpi, for the 3 years that we have him, i think tantan has only washed his body less than 10 times! could you believe that! tantan's excuse was it's always too cold outside to wash him with just pails of water or with the garden hose, which makes car cleaning take too long (you know what the british weather is like!).

now that we have a relatively new car, i would really make him take care of the it more. i have urged him to buy a pressure washer so cleaning would be a breeze.

Goodbye Golpi

2007-08-22T09:01:00.000+01:00

any day now, our old car, golpi would be towed and put to rest. we will miss him terribly. but life has to go on. we should learn to detach ourselves from inanimate objects in the future. otherwise people would think we're nuts! *lol*

learn more about golpi here

Storage

2007-08-19T11:30:00.000+01:00

before buying our house 2 years ago, we used to live in a flat. we were trying to suppress ourselves from buying more personal and home stuff due to lack of space. but there were times when we couldn't really resist it. and then before we knew it, we have accumulated tons of stuff that we knew we had to find a bigger space.

when we bought our house, we got bigger space alright but we still needed storage to keep all our junks in. our house only came with an antique wardrobe (which never worked with the look that we want), a built in closet, small but functional and a few cabinets in the kitchen. we searched online for ideas with storage until we found the furnature store that has lots of ideas with storage bed, under bed storage and queen storage bed.

we decided that aside from (getting rid of the old ones and) having new wardrobes, we could use the space under the bed for storage as well. not only will it help with the space but it will help declutter the place and prevent our house from being an eye sore.

so that's what we did. and we're quite happy with the space that we now have. we can buy all the stuff that we need without worrying where we'll keep them. although in time, im sure, we'll face the same problems again. and when that time comes, im not sure whether filling up those extra spaces or chucking out the junks would help. we might end up buying a bigger house!

Multiple

2007-08-17T21:13:00.000+01:00

we had our us interview last friday and got our visas approved. last monday, we got a text message from the courier service telling us that our passports will be delivered the next day (tuesday). true enough, before lunch time, tantan received both our passports. we were chatting and he was winding me up by refusing to tell me how many years were given to us. initially he said i got 5 years and he's only given a year. it seemed so hard to believe but he said, 1 year is understandable for him because US is just trying to be cautious with lots of terrorist threats about. then he said, we were given 10 years in total, meaning it could be 5 years each or 3 years for him and 7 years for me and so on. it lasted for about an hour before he finally told me that we each got 10 years multiple entry visas. i refused to believe him until i, personally, saw the proof.

i intentionally blurred the photos *lol*

Special Flights

2007-08-17T19:28:00.000+01:00

before we booked our flights to the us, we have browsed several travel sites to get the best deal and our money's worth. and i was surprised to find a special kind of travel agent, the one that specialises in mission travel. so who are they? their staff are all christians and they help those who are called to help others, be it by being missionaries or adopting little angels. these people don't have big budgets for their travels. they need all the discounts they could get to be able to fulfill their calling. they've got a special 24/7 numbers so people need not worry about any last minute glitches. they are indeed heaven sent, for people sent by god.

Final Installments

2007-08-16T18:43:00.000+01:00

finally. we've received, viewed and have fallen in love with our wedding videos by buddy gancenia all over again.

watch the 2nd installment (church) by clicking on the screenshot:

watch the 3rd installment (reception) by clicking on the screenshot:

Run Fat Boy Run

2007-08-16T13:04:00.001+01:00

remember ross of friends? david schwimmer directs this comedy film about this chunky, clueless guy who ditched his pregnant fiancee on their wedding day and five years on, discovered that she's the love of his life. find out how he tried to win her back. watch the Run Fat Boy Run teaser starring Simon Pegg. simon pegg starred in mission impossible 3, big nothing, league of gentlemen's apocalypse. im pretty sure this would be a riot.

Fun In The Sun

2007-08-15T20:35:00.000+01:00

fortunately, last weekend was sunny. for once, we were able to enjoy the british summer weather here. too bad it didn't last long as it has been rainy here since yesterday.

see how we spent our weekend with friends here.

US Trip

2007-08-15T10:33:00.001+01:00

last friday, we went to the US embassy for our interview for our us visa. we have booked it late july after my mom got hers approved. we almost did not make it as we had no idea on how to get to the embassy. yeah, we've booked it in advance but failed to search on how to get there!

got there in time and though nervous, we were somewhat confident that our applications would be approved. the interview process did not take long. we were seen by the consul for less than 5 minutes. but the waiting was terrible! we were at the embassy a total of 2 hours. but i think it's not as bad as it was in the philippines. fortunately, our visas were granted. so the wait was worth it.

last sunday, we have booked our flights with virgin atlantic, leaving for 2 weeks in september. we've contacted our relatives in the states, who are equally happy with the outcome of our application. they can't wait to have us over and have already made plans on what we're gonna do. it's so difficult to choose from the many states and attractions that they have there with so limited time. but as tantan said, we have to prioritise. there'll be other opportunities and we just need to visit one zone at a time. ok fine, disneyland will have to wait for next time (not if i can convince my aunt to bring us there! =D).

will be staying in new jersey (just about 30mins to new york). my aunt said we could go to the statue of liberty, visit manhattan, ground zero, atlantic city, newport mansions in rhode island and eat some lobsters in maine. sounds fun (not to mention, yummy) to me!

i still wish though that we could go to the other states (disneyland.. nuninu). i have been searching for places to stay at just in case we could squeeze it in our hectic schedule. do you think i should make Hotel Reservations already? why not, it might go according to my plans! *insert evil laugh here*

Friday (mis)Adventures

2007-08-14T20:18:00.000+01:00

read the story here