This is an Nth attempt at a blog; Blogspot, Friendster, LiveJournal, Multiply…name it…I’ve been there. Hopefully, this one will find perpetuity, with more humor [and information] and less drama.
For those who know me [or check this everyday -you know who you are 
], thank you for your continued “interest”. For those who don’t, an introduction is in order…
I stumbled upon a friend’s Facebook stat which read “The thing about us is this – bec we overdo the hospitality, our guests can’t tell when the welcome mat is worn out. This hurts both parties.” to which I commented “I so know what you mean.” I’m guessing G didn’t mean “hospitality” in the literal sense (as in hospitality in one’s home). Just the same, it reminded me of a conversation between T and myself at my office last night.
My mother taught me well (as J one told me: “two words: CHILD. REARING.”). Sometimes I feel mom taught me too well (you’ll understand what I mean by this later). But I believe that having too much manners -IF there is such a thing- is better than lacking in it.
This got my mind whirling; Thoughts of pet peeves and what bothers me about some people who were apparently raised “differently” from the way I was raised (that’s putting it politely) suddenly came to mind.
Since I hardly -if not never- invite myself over, I don’t particularly like people who do.
When people are in my home (office, or car), they are welcome to practically ANYTHING. I will most likely say “yes, you may” every time, but I wish they would have the courtesy to ask anyway.
I don’t like it when people sit on my bed wearing their “street clothes”.
I don’t like it when people put their feet up on the chair (or any piece of furniture) even if their shoes are off.
I don’t like it when people have the habit of holding their feet or toes (albeit unconsciously), even if their home or feeling at home. This is just gross.
I don’t like people who call me and ask “Where are you?” unless there is a good reason for them to know (or unless, um, the person asking is my mother or boyfriend).
I don’t like people who call me in a panic when there is no real reason to panic; The story “The Boy Who Cried Wolf” was written for a reason.
Unless I say “It’s ok, my treat.”, I don’t like people who promise to pay me back (e.g. for something they made pabili or for yosi that I paid for when they didn’t have any cash right at that moment, etc.) or replace something, but don’t.
…and the list goes on…
Cliche as it may sound, truly, everything happens for a reason. This belief is one of the few things that have kept me going ever since I learned about my “condition”. Along this same belief, I realize that if I’d joined Cxxxx any earlier, I’d surely fail. The guidelines of the Program are very strict, very precise. The mere fact that vegetables practically dominate the Plan is proof of that. And I now realize the “reason” I learned to eat tomatoes and discovered yoghurt even at such a late age: Everything. Happens. For a reason.
I got my Prescription last Wednesday (I think) and immediately went to the grocery. But Rustan’s was quite limited. So from Thursday until today, I’ve been on “practice mode”; I prepared a few meals Cxxxx-style and incorporated it into my usual diet. All this, in preparation for tomorrow when I actually start the Plan, full-force.
S & R rocks (as expected)! They had Tilapia fillets, Feta (which Rustan’s surprisingly didn’t have that day), and PAM cooking spray -all of which are either prescribed or required. I also bought Chicken Breast, plus more Mangoes and Nestle Creamy (Plain) Yoghurt. I’m still in search of another reasonably priced yoghurt brand with less than 2% fat, since that is what’s prescribed.
As soon as I got home tonight, I spent a few hours measuring about a week’s worth of meals. My new digital food scale rocks too! Tonight’s whole pre-portioning experience was so commissary-like 
I need to remember the other pertinent parts of the Program, such as: drinking at least 8 glasses of water each day, sleeping early (to help regenerate the HGH) and for at least 8 hours, not eating before going to sleep, and not skipping (or altering) any meals. Each nutritionist, doctor, and book I’ve ever come across have said these time and again, but it seems that these are easier advised than done.
I am almost convinced that this Program is going to work. If not to “cure” my condition, then at least to make me achieve my life-long goal. I can feel it! But it will take a lot of work, determination, and sacrifice. Good luck to me
The decision to travel to Kota Kinabalu via Air Asia (which departs from Clark, therefore requiring a drive or bus ride from Manila to Pampanga) wasn’t made in a snap, especially since there was the option of taking Cebu Pacific (which departs from Manila directly). But the latter did not offer daily trips to Kota Kinabalu, whereas Air Asia (being a Malaysia-based airline, apparently) did. Given that the price via both airlines would have been the same (+/- a few hundred Pesos), I took the risk of choosing Air Asia. I figured I might as well try it to know, once and for all, if taking this particular “budget airline” was worth the savings.
The verdict: I enjoyed the drive to Clark (and back) and the flight, and I’d do it again!
“Park & Fly” (a.k.a. overnight parking) at the Diosdado Macapagal International Airport is Php 90/night. If you don’t have a car or would rather not bring one, you can ride the bus. There is a Philtranco terminal outside Megamall Bldg. A which drops you off right at the DMIA departure driveway.
Tip #1: Pre-book Baggage allotment and Meals
Take note that the price quoted to you when you book online is for ticket only. This does not include Baggage allotment nor meals.
Pre-book baggage allotment. It’s cheaper online than at the airport.
There are lots of food stalls in DMIA (Clark, Pampanga), as well as at Terminal 2 (Kota Kinabalu). But in case you feel you might get hungry during the flight, it would be a good idea to pre-book your meal(s) as well. I recommend the Chicken Rice Combo (Php 117.00 only).
Tip #2: Don’t waste time with Web Check-in
Air Asia will email informing you that you may check-in and print out your boarding pass ahead of time, then just drop off your check-in baggage at a drop off counter. Don’t bother. There airport officials don’t know what to do with your pre-printed boarding pass and there is no drop off counter at the airport (so you’ll have to line up for check-in anyway just like everyone else).
…wish you a Merry Christmas
We wish you a Merry Christmas
We wish you a Merry Christmas …
me and Jorge
…and a Happy New Year!!!
Just in the past 12 months or so, I’ve gone from an addiction to yoghurt, frozen yoghurt, and KFC’s Strawberry Banana Krusher to my recent discovery: buko shake. All of these, however, I seem to have gotten over by now…which is good.
It’s a wonder [even to me], therefore, that I never got hooked on the most common forms of addiction i.e. “yosi” and coffee.
For one thing, I’m highly allergic to cigarette smoke. So that’s “good”, right? But still, considering the industry and the company I keep, I never even got myself started on the stuff! I smoke cigars, sure (for over 11 years now, thanks to W). But unlike cigarettes, cigars aren’t actually inhaled so the nicotine isn’t the thing about it that you crave. What’s addicting (if you can even call it that) with cigars is the whole experience; the aroma, the perfect matching drink, the setting (ideal on a cold cold night or, conversely, on the beach), and what I like to call “fubu” a.k.a. “fumo buddy”.
I love coffee! I love Coffee Crumble (my absolute favorite ice cream flavor of all time), coffee candy, and it’s the scent of coffee oil that burns in my living room. But since I refuse to drink anything that’s short of being “ice cold”, I don’t particularly enjoy warm coffee drinks. I am not one of those people who needs coffee to start my day (and thank gawd for that!). Coffee (iced coffee, at that), to me, is a dessert.
I’ve watched New Moon [in the cinema!] 6x, to date. I’ve read all four books (yes, I have the boxset!). And recently, I can’t seem to get enough of photos and video interviews of Robert Pattinson (Edward, the vampire) and Taylor Lautner (Jacob, the werewolf) on the ‘net! So I guess you can say I’m addicted to Twilight (the entire concept; the Saga) as well.
I can’t wait for Eclipse (that’s the 3rd installment) which I hear will be out by June, 2010.
And I can’t wait for my next addiction to strike…whatever that may be.
My family has never been much of the gift-giving kind. I suppose this is why my gift-giving patterns have really always been quite inconsistent and unpredictable.
Come my birthday or Christmas, I can never seem to come up with a decent “list” (you know, to spare others from guessing what to get me). But this year, I know exactly what I want. However, I don’t expect [to receive] these from anyone but myself.
So here it is:
The last one (Midnight Sun) is up for grabs. Whoever gets me this, I will be a slave to…for life.
Other than these, I simply wish for better health in the year(s) to come.
ps
BTW, you’re all getting food from me this Christmas. haha
I recall never wanting to sleep back in high school. I actually considered sleeping as a big waste of time. I felt that way well into [the height of] my working years; I still feel that way sometimes.
It seems to be when I’m “between jobs” (like towards the end of Kitchie’s MOJOFLY days in 2003, after I finally let go of MOJOFLY in 2007, and just this September-October when I decided on “early retirement” again) that I find myself catching up on sleep the most. I don’t know if it’s due to the sudden lack of anything to do, brought about by post-”break up” depression, or simply my body’s way of “billing” me for the rest that I clearly owe it.
I’ve seriously forgotten what it’s like to have a cold especially since I suffer from Allergic Rhinitis, which exhibits practically the same symptoms as a cold, almost everyday. And not having blown my nose ever (as in, ever) because I have a “nasal drip” (as opposed to the more common “runny nose”) adds to the confusion. So I didn’t think much of the sneezing and itching [nose] I suffered from all day yesterday while running around Landmark (buying more kitchen stuff for Alfredo’s) and Glorietta (watching New Moon for the third time). My clogged [nose and] ears since last Thursday should have been a dead giveaway. But I honestly thought that was simply caused by the a/c blowing at my back during my home-service massage that evening. Four days later, I’m finally down with the flu.
I can’t recall the last time I was this sick. As a child, I hardly ever got sick (I think). That changed completely after my Bulimia showed up (and never left, mind you) in high school. Resistance wise, I’ve never been the same. The littlest change in the atmosphere can now cause me to feel “sick”.
I had a long list of things to do at Alfredo’s today. It was actually painful having to make the decision to stay home and “sleep” this out. Flu or no flu, I’m making up for lost time at the resto tomorrow.
Not having my laptop helps (I’ve been leaving it out of my condo for about a week now so I’m forced to get up and sit up on the iMac -where I am now, which happens to be in the adjacent room to my bedroom- if I really wanna go online). I’ve been S-L-E-E-P-I-N-G.
I’ve also been reading (rare!) in between. Sometime this morning I finished reading New Moon. Then I immediately started on Eclipse (which is even thicker). Already, I’m halfway.
It’s clear to me, at least in this particular instance, that the reason I’m this sick and oversleeping is because my body is S-P-E-N-T. This is what I get from years and years and months and weeks and countless nights of neglect.
A “down payment” is an initial payment made when something is bought on credit or when a transaction is not paid for in full [right away]. This is to protect the “seller” from fraud, opportunists, or simply fickle-minded people.
In our business [of booking Artists], we usually ask Producers for 50% of the Contract Price [as Down Payment] accompanied by a Booking Agreement (aka Contract) stipulating the terms and conditions of the transaction. This is SOP. Or at least, should be.
Personally, I cannot stress enough that the Down Payment and Booking Agreement serve not only as the Artist’s protection against the Producer [that the show will push through on the date, time, and location agreed upon] but also as the Producer’s protection against the Artist [that the latter will show up on the date, time, and location agreed upon, and perform]. These, therefore, become a form of “insurance” on both ends. As such, neither the Producer nor the Artist should be afraid of making/receiving a Down Payment and signing a Contract especially if they have nothing to hide or if they’re entering into negotiation with genuine intentions.
What Producers sometimes do not understand is that once an Artist receives a Down Payment and signs a Contract, the Artist commits to the show. The moment another inquiry comes in [which happens to fall on the same date and time as the previously booked gig], the Artist will turn down the new inquiry in favor of the previously booked show. Therefore, if and when the previously booked show gets postponed or canceled [for reasons not attributed to any "act of God"], the Producer must forfeit the Down Payment in favor of the Artist (one of the provisions stipulated in the Contract) due to “loss of opportunity” on the part of the Artist.
As an Artist Manager/Booking Agent (for a good 14 years now), I frown upon other Managers/Agents who do not adhere to this SOP. Without realizing it (then again, maybe you do), you end up making it difficult for us who do (adhere, that is) since Producers [who are allergic to Down Payments and Contracts or simply want to "get away with it"] will prefer to deal with the likes of you. But if we unite to protect ourselves collectively (instead of prioritizing personal gain), we all end up winners. Competition becomes a fair game. And this industry we thrive in will be a better place.
I highly recommend the use of Pilipinas Teleserv’s service when renewing one’s Philippine Passport. Sure their Php 1,300 fee is steep compared to the usual Php 500 fee if you were to go straight to the Department of Foreign Affairs! And the downside is that they do not offer the “expedited” service (7 days instead of 14 days) which DFA offers. Other than that, however, theirs is a full-service which saves you a lot of time, hassles, and money in the longrun.
I’ve had their Hotline number on my cellphone for years (taken from a billboard on EDSA I saw years back) so I finally made a call on November 11 to start the renewal process. The agent asked me a few questions (be sure to have your old passport in front of you before calling) and informed me of what requirements I needed to submit. By November 13 the courier came to pick up my old passport, new passport photos (3 copies), and scanned copies of particular pages of my old passport. I scheduled it on that date because that was the day I was actually going to be home (you have to be present when they come by). I was asked to check the information on the application form (filled out over the phone during the initial call) on which I was made to affix my signature and thumbprints (he came equipped with a stamp pad). I paid the processing fee and got a receipt. Make sure you bring this when you go to DFA for your “personal appearance”!
My “personal appearance” was scheduled for November 16 (today).
DFA is located along Roxas Blvd. beside Cuneta Astrodome. To avoid getting lost or having to make unnecessary U-turns, follow my route: Coming from QC, head South via EDSA. Stay on the left so you end up in Pasay (not SLEX). When you hit EDSA Ext. stay in the middle so you don’t end up on the fly over which turns left to Tramo (airport). Just go straight all the way till you hit Roxas Blvd. Turn right into the main road (NOT the service road). Once you see Cuneta Astrodome to your right, you’ll soon see DFA. Go a little past it till there’s an opening into the service road. Park. Walk into the street perpendicular to Roxas Blvd. between Cuneta Astrodome and DFA. They call it “Libertad” but the new street name seems to be “Arnaiz” (that’s according to the street sign).
Even before you hit “Gate 3″ you’ll find a Teleserv representative, wearing a Maroon collared shirt, holding up a sign. Approach him so you don’t have to cue. He’ll lead you to Gate 3. Approach the representative there (by the Exit gate) so you don’t have to cue. He will walk you into DFA and turn you over to another representative. Take a seat. Another representative will call your name in no time (depending on the cue, of course!). He will lead you to a window where he will ask you to check the information on the printed application form. This is the actual information that will appear on your new passport so [to avoid future hassles] check it well! When you find everything in order, you will again be asked to affix your signature and thumbmarks on the application form. And you’re done!
If you ask me, the whole “personal appearance” is really quite a waste of time. All I needed to do was check the information on the form (again), affix my signature (again), and affix my thumbmarks (again) which I already did when the courier came to pick up everything. I really don’t get why I had to do the same thing all over again in DFA especially since it’s not like there was a DFA official there to actually verify or witness what I was asked to do. Thought bubble: welcome to the Philippines!
I was back in my car in exactly 26 minutes. That includes the [less than 5-minute] walk from the parking to Gate 3 and back. When I checked the time I was done by 12:46pm which means it’s not true that Teleserv is only available from 1-3pm.
My passport is supposed to be released by November 26. If there are no unforeseen delays, according to Pilipinas Teleserv, it should be delivered by November 27 at the latest.
…wish you a Merry Christmas