New Hobby

Maybe scrapbooking can be a great hobby to start the year with. Besides, that cute magazine cut out and that three-year-old photo and some concert tickets has to have some permanent place to serve as a reminder of those glorious years. Plus it's time to get rid of those tiny boxes of left-over ribbons and stickers from former friends. Yes, former friends. They exist.

Habit

Zaide, my younger brother, is fond of purchasing memory cards. He had three different brands with different storage capacities of these cards that I questioned him one day as to where he puts these cards. He only has one phone and I just gave him my PSP so that means he only needs two cards. He hasn't given me an answer yet, but I warned to watch his budget because he had been spending a lot for these cards. 

The Muppets

I adore each and every character from The Muppets. Aside from Kermit the Frog and Ms. Piggy, The Muppet Show had colorful characters that definitely made my childhood wonderful and unforgettable. Each of them are considered classic by both young and young at heart.

Sesame Street even made Jim Henson's characters even more popular to kids of all ages as they incorporate fun songs with the characters, where everyone can sing along too. The video below is one of my favorites:

The 1969 original version of this song, which was based from the Italian song written by composer Piero Umiliani, was equally fun but this version is the coolest and the most refined one. Don't you just love the orange glasses? 

Dad Tasks

My father specifically asked me to look up some cheap car insurance deals online. He will be ending his contract with the his previous company this year and wanted to open a new account with a different provider next week. I asked why he decided to change and apply for a new company, and he explained that he wanted to find out if there are better deals out there. I hope the information I found today will do, to give my father a head-start on his tasks this coming year.

Christmas Day

Finally, a time to blog! The past few days have been so busy for me and my family. Christmas every year is a double celebration for us because it's also Zyrene's birthday. Every Christmas, my mom and I would always prepare a mini-party for the kids in our old neighborhood. I remember the whole street being closed come 4pm every December 25th and all the kids would gather infront of our house and wait for the program to start. The kids who participates at our annual Christmas parties are now all grown up, just like my brother. So after seventeen years, we decided to start new traditions this year. 

We started the day by attending the early morning mass. My father was among the lay ministers who served the second mass that Christmas day. The church was unusually filled with people from every corner. The excitement on every kid's eyes was undeniable because they know that this day is special for them. Sila ang bida, kung baga. The mass was dedicated to all the families who were present at the celebration. After the celebration, the presiding priest requested all the families to gather infront of the altar and offered a little prayer and greeted everyone a Merry Christmas. 

My mother and I went to the Palengke after the mass to buy additional ingredients for the day's lunch. Zyrene requested for Sinigang na Baboy, and my father gladly agreed to prepare the best version of it just for the birthday boy. Our relatives dropped by and shared the whole day with us exchanging gifts and stories about how the year have been for them. I am glad to be able to spend the day with Tatay Doro. We haven't seen him around here for a long while because he has been really sick these past few months, he decided to stay with Tita Maan and Ate Liza. It's better than be here at our house, which is insanely far from transportation in case of emergencies. I love my Tatay's smiling eyes when I jokingly greeted him and asked for my pamasko. 

After exchanging gifts and greetings with our relatives Mama, Papa, Zaide, Zyrene and I decided to end the day by driving off to Robinsons MetroEast and catch the late night screening of Ang Tanging Ina Ninyong Lahat. 

with the birthday boy 

before going in the cinema

excited. with papa,

zyrene and zaide 

with mama and zyrene

Eugene Domingo did a great job in this movie, the five of us agreed that the movie would not be as funny as it is without her as Ai-ai's best friend-slash side kick. The plot of the movie was a bit far from the previous franchise of this film, making it less funny as the first one. 

We ended the night dining in at the nearest Max's restaurant and singing a happy birthday to our dear bunso. 

09 Adventures

Two days and we'll say goodbye to 08. I am looking forward to traveling this coming year and have been busy researching about the places I want to visit, like Baguio and Corregidor. I checked some travel insurance websites and listed down some that offers the cheapest yet great deals when it comes to safety precautions when traveling. I'd better choose which one to apply to and start my plans for 09...

Kowpee

One cup of coffee really isn't enough. In a few minutes, I'll be reaching yet again for my favorite mug and fix myself another cup.

***a minute later

San Mig coffee is da BEST! LOL. So what am I doing in front of the computer while everyone's busy cleaning up and preparing for tomorrow's big day? The lazy bug just bit me and lingered on my pillow a couple of hours ago, and it had a very lasting effect. After lunch, and this would all be over. After the caffeine hits and I have eaten lunch. It's the weather too. The cold weather somewhat disabled me, resulting to just staying in one place and my fingers the most fully functional part of my body. No Leptovox-like doses would change that, hehehe.

Great Sunday

No las vegas hotel reservations or any other luxurious things would top my day. It's 1:27 and I am still overwhelmed with the warm and sincere environment I've been in a couple of hours ago. As much as I wanted to blog about the details now, my eyes just won't give in. I sleep this off first and share everything after 7 or so hours :) 

Goodnight, world. 

Secure Heart ♥

Twenty units of security systems is what my heart needs. Crazy as it is, I sometimes can't control it. It causes trouble whenever it beats that I wish it will soon stop for all these anxiety to go away. Braving every minute whenever I hear his voice, I would definitely give Edward Cullen a run for his money. 

Early

I am literally starting the day early. It's 1:41 AM and I still DO NOT WANT to sleep. A lot have been going on around me that I always find myself lingering on different thoughts most of the time. I am worrier. If there's such thing as a company that pays people for every little thing that their worried about, I'm going to be a billionaire. There are certain scenarios that I can't get out of my head, like my skull bursting out and people seeing each and every tidbits of my worries scattered on the floor. It would be ugly, but at least my body would react to this overwhelming brain task. Literally.

Look at me, starting the day early with all these non-sense.

Anyways, I will be having a loooong day today. I'll be officially starting it after I get 7 or so hours of sleep first. Shopping for gifts and finding a costume for next week's Christmas party would be Sunday's agenda. Generosity this season and the strings that comes with it can be frustrating. You cannot just be genuinely generous, you have to leave an impression to each and every receivers of your presents. These thoughts are the ones that I sort of gotten from my folks spending 25 Christmases with them, and it somewhat improves every single year -- it becomes more and more frustrating. I have no qualms when it comes to sharing things and making others feel happy and great, but it starting to hit me that WE always make these things a big deal every year, especially with relatives. We forget the things that are, I think far more important, than making an impression. All for the spirit of giving.

I started reading one of my friend's blog to get inspiration. I'll be seeing her later with her band mates and 10 or so other bands at the Ayala station for Rock the Riles 2008. I'll be a shutterbug and I am psyched about it. I haven't laid my hands on my trusted digicam for a lifetime now that I've decided to end the hiatus later. Malfunctions can happen, as always, but I planned to enjoy my Sunday. And I surely will. Wait and see.

Come Next Year

The year is about to end. And what a great way to end it by listing down the things that I am looking forward to do come next year. Going back to school have been my plan at the start of the year, but could not get the details and make the plan into a working one. A few subjects in Literature is my main plan, but my doors are open for possibilities of other things to learn about, like managing a business perhaps. I searched for possible institutions that offers great courses related to business and management. I found Nouveau University interesting. Nouveau University, founded by entrepreneur Jim Piccolo, was created to offer entrepreneurs and small business professionals practical knowledge specifically designed to help them put their ideas in motion and jumpstart their careers. The university is a unique business institution offering associate and bachelor programs in real estate investing, small business management, accounting, finance and marketing. Nouveau University had been one of the most recommended business university in some blogs. The university recently acquired the financially challenged Institute of Construction Management & Technology (ICMT). Their goal is to continue to meet the need for educated management by offering bachelor's and master's degrees in the areas of construction management and construction technology with specialization areas in construction operations, residential construction management, and land management. This means more options for future students :) Now, I have to make up my mind on what course to take up. 

Mail Today

I received promotional products in the mail today. It's not a surprise since it's only 24 days away before Christmas. Random products were inside the box and was curious about who signed me up to receive these. Well, it's interesting because items inside are some of the things I am interested in and was thinking of giving out to people this Christmas. Better start on my list now before the rush comes in.