Hot Saturday 2006

It's so hot today! The temperature read at 28C degrees but it felt like 39C degrees. We had to switch on our aircon already! Being so hot today, we had to go out to do some errands still and it was really sizzling hot! Good thing the places we went to does have a clean and cooler air. The heat alert was up in Toronto. And so are the smog alert. Nevertheless, Canadians love the hot weather. The Taste of Italy which happened in downtown Toronto might be a good blast with all those nice foods and entertainment that will keep the people's minds from the heat. Overall, today is hot but OK. Signing off now....

"For the First Time"

While waiting for a process to finish here at work, I came across a song on my music list. It's Kenny Loggin's "For the First Time". I never get to realize that this is a very beautiful song for lovebirds who fell in love for the first time.... such a very romantic song. A very apt wedding song for two people, who fell in love for the first time and joined together under the sanctity of God.

I liked the line when the song sings about:
I've been lookin' at you forever
But I never saw you before
It's like love was right in front of you but you chose to neglect it until one day you realized, you woke up, with that love still waiting for you.

And this part simply sings how everything changed when he realizes that he wanted her for keeps, and how incredible love has hit him:
For the first time I am looking in your eyes
For the first time I'm seein' who you are
I can't believe how much I see

He kept wondering why it took him a while to see what's right in front of him:
It's all so strange how can it be
All along this love was right in front of me

At the verge of giving up on love all together, he's glad that he'd found her:
Such a long time ago
I had given up on findin' this emotion...
Ever again
But you live with me now

Despite all the heartaches, the result at the end is amazing. That's the kind of love that lasts. :)

Summer Scent

I have never believed that Korean telenovelas are addicting until I began watching one. I chanced upon a DVD box set entitled "Summer Scent". I later found out that it has already been shown in the Philippines, which many Filipinos enjoyed watching the dabbed-into-Tagalog version. Good thing my player has English captions.

What I noticed is that, this series is a love story that has a Triangle. He loves her, she loves him, and he loves her. Add one to the equation which is complicating the triangle. HIHI As one of the characters said, "Their love story is a rectangle."

The supporting actors are good that it made the story livelier. And it's not just about tears and sadness. These two supporting actors brought joy and laughter to the story.

I'm currently in episode 17 out of 20. So 3 more to go then I'd know what happened in the end. I dare not know the ending right now. :) I had a marathon last Friday til Saturday and the theme song is stuck in my mind. GGGRRR!!! Oh well, I'll finish this so that I can move on to my next set. HA HA

Turkey From Pillars

Ok.. now here's another favorite for the week. Turkey sausage from Pillars. hee hee... I bought a pack but haven't had the chance to eat it again after the sample I had at Costco. :) These things should be taken moderately. Don't overdo it. Maybe once in every 2 days? :D

Mr. Spam

Mr. SPAM is my new best friend now. I just don't know why it makes me happy just to have SPAM for my breakfast. It brightens my day. HAHAHA I know it's not that good to eat this every single day. But I just couldn't help but have SPAM to start my day. HAHA Maybe I need to eat more and more so that I'll be fed up with it and NEVER will want to eat it again. :D

I Always Thought.... (Part 1)

I know there are lots of things that I always thought.

I always thought...
... that Dilbert is a short, plump, IT guy.
... that the host of 'The Price is Right' is named Bob PARKER!
... that the chocolate store is Laura SECOND!
... that Febreze is spelled as Febreeze!

... more to come....

Cough! Cough! Cough!

Doesn't it annoy you when the person working next to your cubicle is coughing every minute? I have noted that it started last Friday. It's now Tuesday. And no change in the way he's coughing. It's really annoying!!

I wanna just holler these things to him:

"Go home!! You're infecting everyone!".
"Stay at home!"
"Cover your mouth!"
"Take Tylenol for Cough - Super Extra Strength"

Maybe by the time he's recovered, everyone is already infected! GGGRRR!!!!
I am not in the best position to receive this virus! So please get well! And be considerate!

Party Animals

Have you ever had a neighbor who loves to party til the early dawn? Last Saturday was really hellish! The music vibrated through our walls from our living room up to our master bedroom. How can someone like them be so inconsiderate? Unmindful of the others who are resting and retiring for the day? Even though it's on a weekend, people do get up early Sunday morning for church you know. But these party animals doesn't. When everyone is wide awake, they are sleeping like swines! When everyone else is sleeping after a possibly tired long day, they are up partying.

It's so mysterious if they are ever listening to their own music or not. Or they are too drunk that they couldn't gage how loud their music is? Or maybe they are stoned?? I'm sure the other neighbors complain this every weekend. Especially their other neighbor who is detached from them. So much for us since we are right next door to these party animals. Our units are joined together if you know what I mean. Their music is just so loud and it has turned into noise that it's starting to be annoying. I didn't get much sleep that night. Or should I say that early morning. Maybe one of them got up at 5am and took the liberty to switch off their music.. "Oh, the music is still on and it's now 5am." geesh! these people!

May it be a lesson to everyone. Never ever have a neighbor like them. If you are buying a townhouse, know who your neighbors are. Don't let yourself be the victim. Well, if you can't find out this information, act like a westerner. Knock their front door and say "Can you shut the @#$@# up?!" hehe.

Hair Scare no more

Yup! I finally did it. I finally cut my hair! It's not that short, and it's not that long either. People will surely spot the difference. About 3 inches was cut off. During the final touch, the hairstylist turned the chair away from the mirror. I don't know. Maybe that's her style. LOL. Finally, after the last touch, she turned me to the mirror. And I can say that the length is just what I wanted. So I am going to see her again.. in say 3-6 months time? :)

Hair Scare

One of the hardest decisions that I have to make is... believe it or not... cutting my hair. It's not just changing the hairstyle. It's basically, shortening it! I just don't know why I can't make up my mind on this. I remembered snivelling when I was younger because my haircut was too short! I tried pulling my hair hoping it will grow longer if I pulled it. I ended up having a big headache! I stayed at home. I was 9 then. LOL! I used to be heedless about my hairstyle. When I was 4 or 5, my mom wheedled me and my sisters to the parlor and have our hair cut, permed, cut, permed, permed, permed.... I really didn't care. As I aged, I because sentient of the way my hair is styled. Not too short. Not too long. Definitely no permanent curls, though I was lured to dye my hair once or twice. But then, it will require me to maintain it often. And to choose a color everytime I dye my hair? Now, that's a different story. That's another stage of my indecisiveness. LOL! I didn't realize that having a different hairstyle would ultimately redound to my well-being. I am not born to have a free flowing hair although I am thankful I don't have naturals, that would be harder!

Savvy Gravy

I didn't realize that GRAVY was so easy to make. The magic ingredient.. beef broth! All these years, I used Chicken broth. No wonder it doesn't taste like a true gravy! :) First I mixed the beef broth (beef cube & water) with the cornstarch. Then heat it with constant stirring. Add a pinch of salt, pepper and sugar. Continue mixing it. Add butter then continue stirring it until the gravy becomes thick. Koala! You got your gravy. I don't have the measurements unfortunately! The next time I make the gravy again, I'll take down notes. Ciao!

Remember My Birthday????!!!!!!

As you well know, we are getting closer to my birthday. Every year there is a celebration in my honor and I think that this year the celebration will be repeated. During this time of the year, there are many people shopping for gifts, there are many radio announcements, TV commercials, and in every part of the world everyone is talking about the fact that my birthday is getting closer and closer.

It is really very nice to know, that at least once a year, some people think of me. As you know, the celebration of my birthday began many years ago. At first people seemed to understand and be thankful of all that I did for them, but in these times, no one seems to know the reason for the celebration. Family and friends get together and have a lot of fun, but they don't know the meaning of the celebration.

I remember that last year there was a great feast in my honor. The dinner table was full of delicious foods, pastries, fruits, assorted nuts and chocolates. The decorations were exquisite and there were many, many beautifully wrapped gifts. But, do you want to know something? I wasn't invited. I was the guest of honor and they didn't remember to send me an invitation.

The party was for me, but when that great day came, I was left outside, they closed the door in my face......... and I wanted to be with them and share their table. In truth, that didn't surprise me because in the last few years all close their doors to me.

Since I was not invited, I decided to enter the party without making any noise. I went in and stood in a corner. They were all drinking; there were some who were drunk and telling jokes and laughing at everything. They were having a great time. To top it all, this big fat man all dressed in red wearing a long white beard entered the room yelling Ho-Ho-Ho! He seemed drunk. He sat on the sofa and all the children ran to him, saying : "Santa Claus, Santa Claus"... as if the party were in his honor!

At 12 midnight all the people began to hug each other ; I extended my arms waiting for someone to hug me and .... do you know .... no one hugged me. Suddenly they all began to share gifts. They opened them one by one with great expectation. When all had been opened, I looked to see if, maybe, there was one for me.

What would you feel if on your birthday everybody shared gifts and you did not get one? I then understood that I was unwanted at that party and quietly left.

Every year it gets worse. People only remember to eat and drink, open the gifts, and enjoy the parties and nobody remembers me. I would like this Christmas that you allow me to enter into your life. I would like that you recognize the fact that almost two thousand years ago I came to this world to give my life for you, on the cross, to save you. Today, I only want that you believe this with all you heart.

I want to share something with you. As many didn't invite me to their party, I will have my own celebration, a grandiose party that no one has ever imagined, a spectacular party. I'm still making the final arrangements. Today I am sending out many invitations and there is an invitation for you. I want to know if you wish to attend and I will make a reservation for you and write your name with golden letters in my great guest book. Only those on the guest list will be invited to the party. Those who don't answer the invitation, will be left outside.

Do you know how you can answer this invitation? It is by extending it to others whom you care for...I'll be waiting for all of you to attend my party this year...I hope to see you soon .... I love you !

-Jesus-

Sunday TV

Yesterday we stayed home and I tuned in to Vision TV and watched the Sunday service of People's Church of Canada on TV at 1pm EST. The program name is THE LIVING TRUTH. They also have an informational website where you can log in to (www.livingtruth.ca) and view their bulletins and upcoming events. I was wondering if we can just stay at home and tune in every Sunday rather than get dressed for church and drive to and from church. Wouldn't it be nice? At the comfort of your home, you hear God's message and receive God's blessings. :D

To Siberia!

Am I a paranoid already? Last night I stayed up until 2am just to finish a task that I completely forgot for the weekend. It was a document given to me by my team lead. She asked for feedback. Being not in the same flock as them, I am prone to be asked for opinions. It seemed that there are two teams here. The RF and the RC. Let's leave these initials up to this point. Anyways, the document ... ah.. I can't find the right word. Maybe.. a challenge. It took me some time to fully comprehend what it is trying to say. I am not an expert in documentation, especially technical ones. I mean, they did a good job in starting the idea, it just makes it hard for other people to go along with their thought. I made a few 'big' changes on what they are trying to say. I haven't presented them yet to my team lead. The question lies... will she be brave enough to accept MY edits? Or will she take it against me? Knowing her, I'd rather put my gear somewhere else. Keep myself busy. After all, this team is a strong and stubborn one which doesn't take any orders from anybody. Let alone... me, a lowly profiled analyst working my guts out looking at all the others putting their feet up and relax in the middle of the day. Hey, I can do that myself if I want to. I'm a multi-tasker! But they aren't. That's the difference! But then, I don't want to go to the road to Siberia. It's so cold there! :D So I will just keep it low and wait-and-see. You don't want to mess up with a Siberian tiger, do you? :D

Jokes

These are among the jokes I got from forwarded emails. It is said to have happened in a beauty contest. I can't help but laugh a bit. I wonder if it's really true.

Host: What makes you blush?
Contestant: Blush on.

Host : What would you like to say to foreigners?
Contestant : Please come back.

Host : What is your favorite motto?
Contestant : (After a long pause) I don't have a motto eh. (So the crowd starts helping her out. The crowd starts saying "Time is gold! Time is gold!)
Contestant : I have na po. Chinese gold!

Host : If you were to describe the color blue to a blind person, how would you do it?"
Contestant : That's a very good question. Keep it up.

Host : What, in your opinion, is the ideal age for marriage?
Girl : Between 24 and 25!

Host : How do you see yourself 10 years from now?
Girl : I'll be 28.

Host : If you were given any special power, what would it be?
Girl : Power of Attorney!

Host : What is the biggest problem facing the youth today?
Girl : Drugs.
Host : Why?
Girl : Mahal eh!

Host : What makes you blush?
Girl : Blush on!

Host : Hey, I heard you almost didn't make it, how did you get here? Did you ride or did you walk?
Gay Contestant : Of course, did you ride. What do you think of me, did you walk???

Talking Books

A child may wonder whether the book is really talking. But as adults, have you ever wondered, too? I associated a talking book with Casettes. There are lots of these in the library that I go to. Now they come in CDs, too. Isn't it nice? Equipped with my MP3 player, the talking books are one of my companion every morning when I take the train to work. Of course, aside from dear hubby who is snoozing beside me. Hek hek hek.

To date, I have read/listened to the following talking books:

Bill Clinton's MY LIFE
Hillary Clinton's LIVING HISTORY
Mitch Albom's THE FIVE PEOPLE YOU MEET IN HEAVEN
Adelaine Yen Mah FALLING LEAVES
Sophie Kinsella's THE UNDOMESTIC GODDESS
Danielle Steel's FINE THINGS
Danielle Steel's JEWELS
Danielle Steel's VANISHED
Danielle Steel's SECOND CHANCE

All these happened in a span of 3 weeks. Had I take my time and read, it would probably take me more than 3 weeks! I realized one thing though, no matter when I'm reading or listening... I had to retrack to the pages or section where I dozed off to and from work to link the story. Oh and this also served as my lullaby if I have trouble sleeping at night. Hek hek hek.

Pearl

Ok, now I'm bored again. Just listening to music while I am working on a document. It's now playing the theme song of the movie Pearl Harbor. I then realized that the orchestra that played the music is so sentimal and captivating. I love it! It made me depict the movie on my mind where my favorite actress, Kate Beckinsale, starred and of course, the cute Josh Hartnett. he he I was glad when the character of the Rafe played by Ben Affleck wasn't around for a while because I don't like him. HAHA. The movie Pearl Harbor is about a story of two best friends, Rafe (Ben) and Danny (Josh), and how their love lives evolved to one woman as they joined the WWII. Surprisingly, Jennifer Garner was also part of the cast. Hmm??? Nah! It was only after the movie Daredevil that Bennifer Part 2 materialized. hek hek hek

YAHOO!

yahoo \YAH-hoo\ noun
: a boorish, crass, or stupid person

All the while I thought the word YAHOO connotes a hooray sort of thing. Oops guess I was wrong!

Chatterboxes

After a day's of work, you want to relax ASAP. You start by leaving your office. Then take the public transport to go to your humble abode. You waited to board the train. The train is late! As soon as it came, people swarmed inside the train to find a good seat to relax while enjoying the ride home. And guess what?? A bunch of chatterboxes rushed in and reserved seats for their friends. As soon as everyone is seated and the PA announced that the train will leave in 1 minute, the rah rah rah and blah blah blah start! For 45 minutes, they were talking non-stop. Aloud. Laughing like it's so super funny that only they can understand it. GOSH!! Where is the etiquette here? Excuse me! They are not in their home country. Show some respect here. Phuleeze! Even for 1 minute! They couldn't keep their mouth shut! Now, I know why Torontonians have to own their own MP3 or Discman or Walkman. Good thing I have long owned one. Bad thing... I didn't bring it with me when those chatterboxes boarded the same train as me. He He. It's best to avoid them.

Out of Sight, Out of Mind

Have you ever felt sometimes that you are stuck with something that you don't want to do? or that fleeing seemed to be remote? or tied up to something that instills endless committment that you don't ever want in the first place? or doing something and showing something from the oustide but you're not happy inside? Simply put, manipulated?

These people who are deluding us should know where to set their foot on. People are given free will. Whatever they do is not the other's responsibility. It is their own responsibility. They should just mind their own business. Paddle their own canoes. Someone they thought is leading a sloughy life is not of their concern. Maybe that person isn't comfortable discussing some things with them. They need not pry. It is up to that person to solve his own predicaments, unless they seek for advice. These manipulative people should learn not to stand in other people's way for they don't want other people to step on their paths as well. So better yet to avoid this types of people. Life will be peaceful that way.

CCCOOOLLLDDDD

It was so brutally cold this morning! I need to get those thermal pants of mine and start wearing them since I have to wait at the open-air platform for the train every morning for a good 10 minutes. They said a nice and warm corduroy pants would be ideal so I didn't miss the sale at the one store that I frequent. I got myself 2 of that pants! :)

I'll write more later....

Downtime

It's downtime for us right now in the office. It's been an hour. Probably something wrong with the servers. Cool for us but not cool for the SysAds. Hehe. I went down the mall and took a walk. Upon returning, I went into some of the stores. Not much to see except for some stores embellished with the Halloween aura shrouded in mystery! In two month's time, we will see the Christmas lights whose refulgence will be beaming through the mall. And that means.. winter is coming. Time to haul all the winter clothings and keep those lightweight clothes and kiss goodbye to summer. :)

Dear....

I'm not really a writer but I love to write. I remember having my first diary. It comes with a tiny gold lock and key. I would write something down whenever I have the chance. It always start with "Dear Diary"... then followed by "Yesterday, I..." Queer? I usually recall all the happenings for the previous day. But isn't Dear Diary supposed to be about your CURRENT entry? Mine is different. Gee, I wonder where all my diaries are! As I grew older, these cute tiny diaries are harder and harder to find, and I needed space so I thought of escalating them into something like a journal. I began to invest in cute notebooks. Then by the time I need more and more space, I settled for cheap ones instead. My philosophy is.. cheaper but of many quantity. Talk about being prudent but practical!

These days, I have the blog to write my thoughts. But of course, there are things which you can't write for the public to see. Even if it is private, you can't stand a chance with the hackers. Anyways, I will end this blog entry of mine. I'm just bored at work thus the free time to blog! It's fun! G'ngt!

Would you rather work alone?

I have been in projects, mini-projects, team projects… and I found out that it’s better if I work alone rather than in a team. It’s not that I am not a team player. Being a junior and all in the team, they have a hard time accepting the fact that they have to sink in my valuable inputs as well. With the majority of the team being seniors and of different “world”, they were brought up to be of power in their own way eventhough it was obvious that what I do, is more than they do. By senior I mean in age and not in experience. I just don’t understand why they like to dawdle with things. They like to wander aimlessly or casually without urgent destination. Tea breaks. Coffee breaks. Cigarette breaks. 1hr lunch break. And yet they are paid higher than I do despite having the same amount of workload. Is that a privilege to be a senior? Or is it their WAY of doing work? This is so exasperating!

Today Friday

I am so lazy and hazy today. The weather is good. It's gloomy and cloudy and I love it! I am not a "sun" person as it brightens the sky and makes my eyes want to just shut down. After a short breakfast with hubby at McDo, we proceeded to our respective offices. It's a quiet day today. Our Team lead has to work from home today. We usually start our Friday with a goodie. Each of our team member is assigned to bring any treats every Friday. I just had mine 3 weeks ago. And my turn will be here soon. Anyways, I'm in between slumbers right now. The idea of sleeping in a nice comfy bed does not elude me. It’s taunting to know that I am sleep-deprived. After hearing the tintinnabulation of the train, I want to just shut down everything and go back to sleep but I know I can't. Another day brings forth a full day of surprises.. and once you know it, the weekend has started and ended in just forty winks.

FIVE-FINGER PRAYER

Despite the world's immorally unacceptable ways, amidst the bad testimonies of people who are close to me, in spite of the unworldly manners of those self-proclaimed righteous people, somewhere in my system, I truly believe that there is still God. And prayer is still powerful. Sometimes as life dictates, we often want to give up on something that we’ve been waiting for, longing for, yearning for… for a very very long time. And yet we never get even near to the answer. Being a Christian entails lots of responsibilities when it comes to prayers. You not only pray for yourself, you pray for your family, relatives, friends, and strangers. When you say “I WILL PRAY FOR YOU”, please… mean it for these words mean a lot to the people you spoke with.

I came across a good method to pray. It’s the FIVE-FINGER PRAYER. When you fold your hands, the thumb is nearest you. So begin by praying for those closest to you—your loved ones. The index finger is the pointer. Pray for those who teach—Bible teachers and preachers, and those who teach children. The next finger is the tallest. It reminds you to pray for those in authority over you—national and local leaders, and your supervisor at work. The fourth finger is usually the weakest. Pray for those who are in trouble or who are suffering. Then, your little finger. It reminds you of your smallness in relation to God's greatness. Ask Him to supply your needs.

Use this and see if it works.

Cinderella

When the Cinderella DVD Platinum edition came out on the market, I didn't have second thoughts to buy it or not. I rushed to the only store that advertised the DVD on a much cheaper price **wink**, which by the way was only for 1 day. They also give out trendy tin cans where you can keep the disc inside, or anything for that matter. Pretty cool add-on. So, that night, I chose my spot on the sofa, sat down, relaxed and watched the movie. The 'show' relived my past. Back to the days, I remembered being 5 or 6 years old, when all of us kids in our old house would swarm in our 'studio' apartment, sat on my parents bed as my Dad would set up the projector screen. It was a soundless movie mind you. But despite that, we are still astounded by the cartoon we watched. I remembered watching Cinderella and Snow White, but only Cinderella stayed in my memory. When this movie came out on DVD, I didn't have qualms. Now I am a proud owner of one. Thanks to technology! The color of the picture was enhanced among others. bibbidi-bobbidi-boo! What's next? Visit the castle in Disneyworld? **wink**

TV Night

I therefore declare WEDNESDAY as TV Night. I will be in DND mode as of this time. I am going to allocated this night mainly for TV. All household chores has to be done before 8pm. That means, getting off from work at 430pm to take the 448pm train, reaching home at 530pm, cook dinner, and prepare for the next day's lunch, transform myself into the houselady, all these to be done til 7pm. Then we eat dinner at 730pm. Clean the kitchen til 8pm. Morph again into gym clothes. Workout at 8pm for 30mins. Rest for a while. Refresh myself til it's 9pm. Then transform again into a potato couch til 11pm. That's TV night for me. :) One twitch and my sked will have to change.

Before I post this... Wednesday nights are for LOST and INVASION. I vowed not to miss these episodes!

Finally Over

Finally, the exam is over. What I think about it? It's EASY! The multiple choices were great and up to the point and the essay questions were.. guess what? from previous exams. BUT! What do I really think about how I did? I think not. It's so sad that I have this bad feeling about me passing coz I have a strong feeling that I didn't make it. Had I have concentrated more on the past exams *regrets flying around mid-air now*, I would have passed with HIGH MARKS!!

I want to despise myself already for taking them too lightly. Some, yeah, I did great but to the one with highest marks, I don't think I did. I even answered one fo the question that was worth 10 points WRONG! *geesh* It really hurt my morale. I left work for 2 weeks and this is the feeling that I have? This means, my U$300 will not be reimbused. Hu hu hu! If I retake this exam, I have to pay another fee with no guarantee again. This is intense mental distress!!! I don't know... maybe it was a bad move after all. *sigh*

Anyway, I just want to forget today. I just want to relax and read a good book and put all these thoughts at the back of my memory already. The best is yet to come!

Smoggy Weather

At last the rain has come today. September 22 is the start of the Fall season… my favorite time of the year. It not only brings with it the changing of the leaves color, but also the cool and refreshing air.

The past few weeks, Toronto has been experiencing muggy weather and smog alerts have been raised. Apparently, the municipality of Toronto heartened everyone to take actions and reduce smog. One interesting program they have is the 20/20 The Way to Clean Air campaign. It encourages people to save energy both at home and on the road.

According to the Smog Advisory issued by the Ontario Ministry of the Environment, the smog is extremely bad this year. For the past years, the highest number of smog alert days was only 20 in 2001. Four years later, for the first 9 months of the year, smog alerts were raised 44 times!

It has been formulated that smog is formed when the heat and sunlight react with gases and fine particles in the air. Its color can be depicted as brownish-yellow, hazy cloud over the city on hot summer days. Smog usually affects rural areas like Toronto and outlying suburbs. I want this sultry weather to end now. I want to welcome the cool and seamless weather of Fall.