Where am I going?

xc is back in the city!!!

2009-03-08T22:30:00.003+08:00

new blog, new city, old tricks:

XC in the City

leave me a message on the new blog so i can put yours as a link.

peace and luv,
xc

Saging lang ang may puso

2007-10-26T23:58:00.000+08:00

photo by Greg @ Route B, Cloud 9, Siargao

Blog blog blog blog blog

2007-10-23T17:27:00.000+08:00

After 10 years, I am back to blogging. Let's just see how long this will last.

So far so good. G has been in Manila now for almost 4 months and is now sick and tired of the city. Since I can only go out of town on weekends, we have only been able to go around Manila, like Laguna, Batangas, Cavite. But we have spent 10 days in Palawan, a week in Siargao and 10 days in Malaysia. In fact, G is still in Malaysia right now. I had to go back earlier to work...boo!!! And since he is on a year long vacation anyway, it would have been a waste if he does not make the most out of Malaysia.

So now, while he chases wild animals and birds in the forest, while he is getting attacked by leeches, I am all alone in Manila. Bored out of my mind. More boo!!!

I have also just resigned from my current work. Yay? Mixed feelings about leaving but when it's time to go, it's time to go. The new job will be more interesting since it will be more on programming not to mention I get a bigger salary plus a tax break. Something which is not in my current company's vocabulary. In fairness, my boss is trying to convince me to stay by giving me a better deal. We'll see how it goes. I still have Until the 16th of November to decide.

It's halloween and people in the office have decorated their work areas with fake webs and spiders and pumpkin cut-outs. It's quite nice actually. Nicer still if we also get to take the declared holidays as off days. But no...since the people in the UK are not on holiday, we have to be here at the office too. Sucks for us. At least I get three days of holiday pay! Yay!

So that's it for now. I just found out that the new Ikea catalog is now online and I'll have to go and drool all over my laptop now.

More pictures on Multiply: The World Through My Fishbowl

peace & luv,
xc

Ultimate Summer Getaway

2007-05-10T16:51:00.000+08:00

Although this year's USG didn't have the WOW factor that Pandan Island had, I still had a super great time. So great that it's still difficult to go to work right now. After 10 days of vacation I think I'd need at least 20 days to get back into the work rhythm. Gah.

We went around Bacolod, La Carlotta, Mambukal, Silay, Iloilo, Guimaras, Miag-ao and of course 4 Jony's shake filled days in Boracay. Can you say Ultimate???

Pictures will be posted in Multiply...as soon as I can get the copies from Quay and Mai.

Next year's USG: Camiguin!!!

Time to save up.

Joke time

2007-04-19T16:51:00.001+08:00

Doctor: Lola, kailan ho ba kayong last nakipagtalik?
Lola: Mga 1955...
Doctor: Matagal na ho pala ano?
Lola: Di naman! (sabay tingin sa relo). 20:55 pa langnaman ah!

Sssaaaallllooooppppeeeee!!!!!

I hearts and I hates

2007-04-18T21:14:00.000+08:00

I love airfare promos. Cebu Pac's piso promo, Air Asia's free seats promo, anything that can be used for travelling cheap, I absolutely adore.

I hate having only 15 vacation leaves in a year. Well, technically I can use 20 leaves for this year since I still have 5 left last year. Actually if I don't use those 5 days before June, they will be converted to ca$h. But seeing that I am leaving for our yearly USG (ultimate summer getaway) in 2 weeks, I am forced to use those 5 days from 2006 before being able to use any of my 2007 ones. Hence this year, I have 20 paid days off but no vacation leave pay out at the end of June. Yuck.

I also hate other people who take advantage of these promos from the first second they come out. Excluding me of course.

I only realized that I can take advantage of Air Asia's free seats promo since travel dates start from October 1. G and I will be in KL on Oct 7 (at 1 am thanks but no thanks to Cebu Pac's piso promo). We have planned to go to the Perhentian Islands but are thinking twice since travelling there by bus is quite the endeavor. Or we can fly to Kota Terangganu and from there it's only a few minutes by taxi to the port but will be, obviously, more expensive...Not if I get free airfare!!!

So, slow me only checked out Air Asia's website a few minutes ago and found out that only the return flights are now free. But the fare's not that expensive so it's still a possibility. Slower me thought that maybe flying to Siem Reap instead would be so much cooler if I manage to get free seats. No luck. Hanoi? Nope. Bali? None. Phnom Pehn? Nada. Any other international destination? Nope!!! Although I did see a couple of return flights for free but from unknown places. What the hell is in Pekenbaru that all seats from November to March next year are all taken?!?!?!

Aaaarrrrgggghhhh!!!!! Why can't people stay put wherever they are????

Oh well, I guess I'd have to wait for another time to be able to go to Cambodia. But damn! This was the chance!!

Come on airline people!!! Me want more promos!!!

grrrr,
xc

My Travel Guide

2007-04-17T21:54:00.000+08:00

There are tons of travel books and guides popping up everywhere and everyday. Well, I too have an idea for a travel thingie!! And if I'm not too lazy, I might just find myself actually doing it (imagine the shock!). Plus, G is coming over and surely we'll be able to go to places I've never been to nor would ever think of going to. So I might as well document everything and get a few bucks (hopefully) from it. Not to mention I have my own personal photographer to get me them cliché-ish yet oh so awesome sunset shots for the book. I'm posting my plan for the world to see so that I can say I thought about it first...or at least I think I thought about it first.

So here's the plan: the guide will sort of be a weekend warrior's quick and easy travel plan. 52 weekends in a year (or something like that), 52 quick and simple weekend getaways.

-We wouldn't have access to our own car so it will be a real step by step how to get there guide.
-We are backpackers so accomodations will not be very luxurious. Quaint, certainly (or at least it should be) but fits in a weekend budget. Surely pitching a tent in a rat infested island with no water nor food will not make the cut. (Believe me, we have done that and will not do it again...EVER)
-It wouldn't be in the usual over crowded areas. Serenity and seclusion will be highly regarded. (Maalala mo Bantayan and Pandan)
-A weekend is all we have, hence, the getaway should be doable in just 2-3 days.

This should be the perfect guide for those who rack their brains out thinking of what to do for the weekend...aside from partying and such, of course.

The best part of all is that I would have been to all these places and would be writing from experience!!! How cool is that???

Well, maybe a book is too much. Maybe a nice blog will suffice. Oh well, we'll see, we'll see.

Wachatinks??

excited,
xc

Presenting...

2007-04-13T19:55:00.000+08:00

My über kulit nephew Julien:

Facts:

- 3 years old

- Drinks coffee

- His teacher has already told his parents that she doesn't want to see him again

- Sniffs everything first before touching them

- Super dooper ever kulit

What's in my bag?

2007-04-12T21:32:00.000+08:00

I don't usually bring a purse whenever I go out. I use my pockets (yes, fashionistas will kill me for that) or my brothers' pockets or mom's purse. But whenever I do bring a purse, it is filled with useless stuff that have been there forever and I forget or am too lazy to take out. But aside from the usual wallet and phone, I do have some other things I never take out of my purse:

1. Cherry Chap Stick...a necessity. When I was in Paris I had super dry lips but they never hurt nor chapped too badly...thanks to Chap Stick. I've only tried Strawberry and Cherry and Cherry's my favorite. It's not as useful here but old habits are hard to break.

2. Fino coin purse...I used to have on of thos magic wallets you get for Php100 and of course it didn't have a coin purse. So for our office Kris Kringle, I asked for this totally cute orange coin purse from Fino. And voila! Ryan was kind enough to buy it for me.

3. Earphones/Hands free thingie...I have an iPod but my brothers seem to think it's theirs. So instead, I use my phone as an mp3 player. In fairness, it has iTunes but it can only accomodate about 50 songs regardless of the size of the memory card. Loser.

So there. Actually, the only point to this post is to show off the pictures I did this morning. I've been super frustrated with my cam and tried to shoot some stuff this morning to see if they would come out good. In fairness...some where okay...after a lot of tries! These particular ones turned out cool...sans photoshop too! But I'm still thinking of getting a new one and am restraining myself from even thinking of it. Argh! Help!

peace & luv,
xc

Apartment Therapy

2007-04-12T21:01:00.000+08:00

Now that I'm in the mood to write more than two sentences, I would like to talk about my new favorite website...and no, it's not perezhilton.com. That has been my favorite since 2 months ago...

Apartment Therapy!!!

I discovered this site while surfing through ikeahacker (my next favorite site). On Aparment Therapy, I get my daily fix of beautiful furniture, amazing designs and of course, awesome apartments!!! The best thing they have is the Smallest Coolest Apartments contest!!! (I can't help the !!!s) We get to see how others live in style in a small space. For those of you who has had the weirdest desire to look into other people's places (um, like moi) this is the site for you. You can peek into how other people have decorated their units and get great ideas on how to spruce up yours and make it look chic and expensive.

The only thing is...this site sort of makes me depressed. Seeing all those great designs and decors make me wish I had my own pad..and not just any pad...a cool one!!! With wide big windows, a bathroom you would wish to live in (I know some people who actually sleep in theirs *ahem*), a killer kitchen...the works!!! I already have the look I want in my head, I just need the moolah to make this dream come true.

But while I'm still cooking up schemes on coming up with the moolah, salivating on the cool apartments on apartmenttherapy.com will just have to be my own therapy...even though it just lights the designing desire within. How that classifies as therapy, I don't know. I just know that I love the apartments they feature on the site. It's not like the unlived ones you see in design magazines. These are real flats where real people live in. There's actually hope that mine will look like one of those someday.

So everyone should check this site out and don't forget to look at the smallest coolest apartments section. I promise you it won't disappoint. Someday you'll see mine there!!!

Besides, spying on other people's houses makes a good time killer.

dream & design,
xc

I want to be...

2007-04-11T19:22:00.000+08:00

an Interior Designer!!!!!!!

Promise to self:

2007-04-11T00:55:00.000+08:00

-Try to be better
-Actually be better

Decreasing increase

2007-03-23T22:39:00.000+08:00

X+(Y/100)X = Z

"No matter how big Y is, if X is the lowest basic salary ever, Z will never be good enough."

-xc

A Cuppa

2007-03-23T22:00:00.000+08:00

I'm sooooo bored!!! I've been doing nothing but watch movies and eat the entire week. I don't know if I should be happy or disappointed.

In other news, I had pre-dinner with my aunt this afternoon and got to try their croissant aux amandes. Not bad. It's sort of like the ones mediocre boulangeries sell..or the ones you can get at Auchan or Carrefour. Not the top, but quite okay anyway. I also bought madeleines...it's quite good but like I said, not the top. I miss the bread in France.

Looking forward to the weekend. I plan to play a bit of pétanque (at last!) and get dinner with the college friends. Still can't believe Krish is getting married already!! Then it's Mikey's birthday and we usually eat lunch at whichever restaurant he fancies.

Then it's the work week again. Blah.

peace and luv,

Ikea Hacker

2007-03-22T23:47:00.000+08:00

I've been a huge fan of Ikea ever since my first Ikea HK trip back in 7th grade. I bought one of those cool wooden pencil cases. Heavy and not really functional, but it was my first Ikea purchase. I'd leaf through pages of the Ikea catalogue and dream that one day my house will be designed and furnished the Ikea-way. Yes, I know, I dreamed of great things when I was young.

When we were in Paris, most of our furniture were from said store even though the designs weren't really appropriate for our appartment. Most of their stuff are made for small flats and our high ceilings made the furniture seem too small. But still my mom and I (and I think even my dad) enjoyed our Sunday Ikea trips even though we don't really buy much. My dad likes their 2 euro sandwich and soda meal and I LOVE their spice cookies and meatballs. I still love the catalogue and dream that one day I'll design my flat just the way they do in their magazines.

But there's no freakin' Ikea in the Philippines!!! Although I did find a blog in Blogger's list of Noted Blogs: Ikea Hacker.

Ikea Hacker is one of the coolest blogs I've ever read. They take normal pieces from the store and modify them to something else. Daybeds become seaters, curtains to dividers making $10 look like $100. Awesome!! I love, love, love, love it. Let's all go to Ikea and go DIY-crazy!!
The only thing is that when browsing through the site, I go green-eyed monster with saliva dripping down my mouth (not a good image...) seeing all them lovely flats and furnishings.

Damn you Ikea and makers of nice appartments!!!

I swear when I get my own, it'll be the bestest flat ever! And maybe by then Ikea will be making an appearance on Philippine soil.

wishing and dreaming,
xc

Back to Gen San

2007-03-22T23:32:00.000+08:00

For Holy Week, the fam will be going back to Gen San. Since I will only be there for 5 days, we have decided to go to Davao on the 7th 'til the 8th. But for the other 3 days, it will be Gen San...

Aside from Nadiz (the bestest chicken inasal ever!) and durian (which I don't eat by the way), what other things can we do there??

We've been there twice before and have been to the fish port, the mall (of course), the beaches...What else can one do in Gen San?

Oh, and for the curious or the one who suggests to go see Manny P: he's not gonna be there as he is currently in the US preparing for his fight and mommy whatsername is busy campaigning for him.

Suggestions anyone??

Name that chicken

2007-03-22T00:58:00.000+08:00

Overheard @ the pantry:

guy: whenever at a thai restaurant, i only order that dish...the chicken breast wrapped in pandan leaves....how do you call that again?

ummmm....Pandan Chicken????

ps - 3 posts in 1 day!! and i was worried about content.

Dead fish

2007-03-21T23:40:00.000+08:00

Last Saturday I went to Cartimar with Mark D. It was my first time to go there (naks, virgin) and I was excited to see all the cool pets they were selling for almost half the mall price. I've been wanting to go there coz I wanted to buy a pet goldfish. The want was fed by an episode of Scrubs where a patient gave JD a pet goldfish. So I asked Mark if I can go with him on his next Cartimar trip so I can buy my own. And that was where I ended up just last weekend.

By noon, and with only 350 pesos, I had in my hands:

2 goldfish

1 kilo of white sand

1 water plant

1 big fishbowl

1 fighting fish

1 small fishbowl

And after spending the afternoon at the SM baggage counter, my precious fishies finally went home. By the end of the day they were comfortably swimming around in their fishbowls. I didn't even think of naming the little bastards then.

Sunday - 1 goldfish was dead!!! Holy mother of all holies! My brother said it was because of lack of oxygen despite the quite living plant in the middle of the fishbowl. I thought it was due to lack of space. I name the remaining goldfish Zander. Greg names the fighting fish Terreur.

Wednesday - Zander dies...................................Sad day. I wasn't even able to take pictures of him swimming around his little world on top of one of our tables. I'm not going to post a picture of him upside down in his little world on top of one of our tables..that's just morbid. At least Terreur is still alive...for now. I didn't even have the guts to fish out Zander (haha @ the pun though not funny) and give him a proper burial. Just like the other goldfish (yes, I call it that since it has no name), his future probably lies in an ice candy bag in the left-over food trash bin.

Cruel I hear you say. Cruel I am. I just wanted those fish for decorative purposes anyway. Haha. Kidding. KIDDING!!!

...and I'll still buy another one this weekend and I promise I'll take care of it better this time around.

peace and eternal life,

Yay! I'm on Joomla!

2007-03-21T23:16:00.000+08:00

The title might be a bit misleading...

Although I have downloaded Joomla! and installed it on my server (uh-huh, my server), I still haven't published anything nor "created" anything on it. For the moment it's just a Joomla! page. I still have to play around with it and master its inner workings if it's possible seeing that I have some free time at the office. (-->insert exaggerated face here<--).

Then I thought, maybe I don't really need to create my own website when there are easier alternatives out there wherein I can channel my inner writer (haller! Blogger!) and inner trying hard photographer (haller! Multiply!). I can actually do my blog and photo album all in Multpily. I can't even maintain my blog. Gah. Designing skills? Gah. It was probably just a phase.

So my own website will be delayed until I can find enough content to put on it. Hehe.

Flow creative juices, flow!!!

Ce Weekend...

2007-01-07T17:01:00.000+08:00

I am currently on a hammock on the balcony, homemade chocolate chip cookies beside me, listening to Josh Groban *blush*, the wind blowing in my face...ahhhh...the wonders of wifi.

So I'm supposed to do Self Appraisal for work but obviously I'd rather browse through YouTube than browse through my "goals" last year and say something about them. You think procrastination can be considered a goal? But then again if I'd have managed to achieve that goal then I would be failing, wouldn't I? Gah. Thinking's not good for me.

*Should not move too much 'coz I'm afraid the hammock would collapse and I'm in no position to effectively protect myself from that fall*

So...2007. I have at least 2 saved drafts about how I spent the holidays and all that giddy stuff but those will never see the light of day now. I don't think it's fair to reminisce about tohse happy days when it's back to stupid work for me now. I'd rather think of sad mediocre things to make me feel better about the after-holiday season....

or go shopping!!

Yes, that's one good thing about the after-holiday season. It's the after-holiday sales. Although Zara's sale now isn't that exciting nor interesting. But I did go crazy at People Are People when I saw my shoes (I've been wanting them forever) on sale. P499!!! Haller!!! It was the last pair left and they were my size. Can you say Destiny? So 3 shirts and a pair of shoes later I thought I'd reward myself with churros at Dulcinea. That was a successful shopping trip *pat at the back*.

And that is how you're supposed to start a year! Well, there's that and Cho's way which I think I'd actually prefer.

So 2006 ended with a blast with the Gen San trip and now 2007 looks promising. Looks like this is everybody's year.

Watch out 2007 here we gooo! (Romy and Michelle style)

peace and luv,
xc

2007-01-05T14:34:00.000+08:00

Josh Groban on Michael Buble's Concert

Arggghh!! Two of my favorite singers ever. Josh Groban's my secret crush.

Because I'm vain...

2006-12-28T15:38:00.000+08:00

Regalo

2006-12-22T05:06:00.000+08:00

I can't really remember the last time I had a Christmas Wishlist. It was probably at 14 years ago or something. I remember wishing for a Sony walkman for Christmas...which happily I got. But since then, I don't remember asking for anything particular. Maybe because I already ask a lot during the year. I also remember wishing for Marks & Spencer socks for my birthday when I was in 5th grade and a Benetton bag when I was in 6th grade. But for Christmas, nothing special pops up. I've never really expected anything for Christmas. But this year it is slightly different...sort of.

The other day, I received a slip from the post office. I had to claim a package at the Makati CPO. Duh! Only one person would send me something that the customs people might be interested in. I was excited..giddy actually I think. I don't think G really likes giving presents to his girls so this made it extra special. By the way, the note on the package says it was supposed to be for my birthday...but since it came late, I'm considering it as my Christmas present. Yahoo.

Even if the customs people took out all the fun by insisting they open it there at the post office, I didn't let that lose my moment. I didn't look at what's inside. I specifically asked them not to tell me what's inside. Besides, the note also said that I open it with G on cam. *rolls eyes*

So I did. And the coolest part was that he received my Christmas gift that night so we both opened our presents almost at the same time. Cheesy!!! No I'm not going to say what was in it. But just to say that I absolutely adore it. J'ai ses yeux avec moi!

Anyway long story short, this is one of the coolest Christmases ever.
We will be flying to Gen San on Saturday and spend Christmas there. What a change from the solo Christmas I had last year. Happy happy joy joy.

I'm so happy I started giving out presents again haha.

peace, luv and lots of holiday spirit,
xc

Busy as a Bee

2006-12-12T21:28:00.000+08:00

A day at the office:

--thanks Bry!!

My Jologs Moment

2006-12-07T19:56:00.000+08:00

Did you know that the Bee Gees is actually an acronym for the Brothers Gibb? And that they went to live in Australia because Barry was in so much trouble in England? And that they only started using their famous falsetto voices for the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack? And that they don't consider the music they did for that movie as dance but more on the soul side?

Well I do...why? Because I was a huge Bee Gees fan and I mean huge! Huge like owning pirated videoke cds huge. Buying Keppel Road - The Life & Music of the Bee Gees huge. One Night Only DVD huge. Not seeing the sights in Chicago coz you'd rather watch VH1's Bee Gees special huge. Promising to watch them in concert if ever they go to Manila huge.

Eeeewwww, I know. I can hear myself barfing.

But yes, those were my jologs days. I loved loved loved them. Actually I only like Maurice coz he was the only fun one even if he didn't really sing that much and had no hair.

And ever since he died, I sort of lost interest in the brothers Gibb. I've never really like Barry even if he did compose those cool songs and Robin was just plain weird. He was a judge on Pop Idol and didn't really say much there either.

So I didn't even know that Robin Gibb was coming over to do a solo concert here in Manila. But apparently as far as the reviews went it wasn't all that anyway. His voice isn't as strong as Barry's and he can't dance if his life depended on it. After all he is just 1/3 of the group. It's like having your choco peanut parfait and only getting the peanuts. How sad. Not to mention the toupee.

I'm not as loco as I am over them before but I still love love love their music. I can still lip sync to all of their songs. But as for watching a Bee Gee in concert, I think I'll pass (um, I did). That's just sad.

But anyway, those were my jologs days...eeeewwww.