My ManAcc finals this Thursday signifies the last hurdle before a month-long (?) break!  And my goulash.  I've eaten so much today.  I won't enumerate everything I ate because I will take forever, but I had the first taste of McDonald's Chicken Nuggets I've had in a long, long time, and to top it all off I've just washed down almost one cup of nuts (almond/walnut/peanut mix) with Earth & Sky Iced Green Tea.  It's especially crazy considering I'm off to the beach this weekend.  Kabaliw.

...Earth & Sky Lemon Green Iced Tea!  Tita Cake and I bought a pack for the Team ABS Christmas party last December and I've been hooked since.  Yum yum.

Wala lang, I just gulped down a few glasses of it moments ago and thought I'd share.  Hehe :)

Why did I not hear of these when they were out?  I know I'll always be a maroon-blooded UP loyalist at heart (um, yeah, I do realize "maroon-blooded" is a bit of a tautology), pero buti na lang La Sallista na rin ako :)

I left work early yesterday and skipped my regular Tuesday workout so I could have some much-needed rest; apparently I've caught the flu that's been going around our office.  I crammed at least four different fluids into my system and was in bed as early as 11:30 PM (yes, that is early for me).  However, by 3 AM I was still alive n' awake n' coughin' nonstop.

Then it hit me: this was not the first time this would've happened if this hunch was right.  I had to check the drug information manual MIMS; I'd been taking the wrong medicine all along and this had only worsened my condition.

Stupid Jess.

Edit: Grabe.  Adverse Reaction -- Nakakadeaden pala ng grammar skillzzzz ang pag-inom ng maling gamot.

If you read this journal, even if I don't speak to you often, post a memory of me.
It can be anything you want.
It can be good or bad, just so long as it happened.
Then post this on your journal too!

(Be surprised (or not) about what people remember about you.)

I need to learn to keep my big mouth shut before karmic forces set out to get me.

Not many people know that if things had gone a bit differently, I wouldn't be the eldest in my family.  My mom had a miscarriage three years before I was born and my parents were getting hopeless about having a child.

Now there's a fortune-telling practice called Kau Cim done in Chinese temples, based on the principle "what you request is what you get" (有求必應).  In this particular temple, you are made to hold two pieces of wood, each shaped like crescent; each piece of wood has a flat side and a round side.  The person with a wish is to drop these pieces of wood on the floor.  If the round side of both pieces turn up on the floor, then it means your wish will be granted.

My parents had visited the Taoist temple in Cebu less than two years before I was born.



This time around, my parents, my sister, and I all went to the same temple, where the round sides of my dad's, my mom's, and my wooden blocks all turned up. 

Here's to hoping wishes do come true :)

More pictures from my trip to Cebu here.

Nabbed from Marlon :)

104 words

Touch Typing online

The product of months and months of Typing Tutor as a kid, I think. Hahaha.

I was supposed to work on a more profound journal entry, but it's 2 AM and my brain is feeling rather...soupy. (Er, how else would I translate "sabaw na ang utak ko"? :))

YEAR-END SURVEY!

Name: Jessica
Age: Getting old(er).
Year: 2007

*****PLACES:
1) PLACE YOU HUNG OUT THE MOST IN THIS YEAR: Office.  Gym.  Trinoma.  The Block.

2) FAVORITE NEW PLACE YOU DISCOVERED: My New Office, Mondays/Wednesdays @ FF Ortigas, Fridays @ FF North, Trinoma

3) PLACES YOU WENT ON DATES: Had "dates" @ Trinoma and the Block.

4) FAVORITE VACATION SPOT FOR THE YEAR: Phuket and Bangkok :)

5) PLACES YOU MADE OUT IN (OR MORE) THIS YEAR: Eh.

*****PEOPLE:
1) PERSON/S WHO TAUGHT YOU A LOT THIS YEAR: I learned a lot from so many people.

2) AN OLD FRIEND YOU REDISCOVERED THIS YEAR:

3) PERSON WHO TOLD YOU THE NICEST THING ABOUT YOURSELF: Dean and Tita Cake :)

4) PERSON WHO DID SOMETHING REALLY GREAT FOR YOU (AND WHAT): My "big" brother Dean.  He pushed me to join the BC elims at FF ABS (thanks to which I met a lot of great people) and helped me train for the event.

5) PERSON YOU SPENT THE MOST TIME WITH THIS YEAR: My Dad, Team ABS.

6) PERSON YOU DID SOMETHING REALLY GREAT FOR (AND WHAT): My groupmates in MIS5000 (although I did benefit from being a really good groupmate).

7) SOMEONE YOU WISHED YOU TALKED TO THIS YEAR: ...

8) SOMEONE WHOM YOU STARTED A GREAT NEW FRIENDSHIP WITH: Team ABS-CBN!!!

9) OLD ENEMY/S YOU MADE PEACE WITH THIS YEAR: I have no enemies.  I'm nice :)

10) SOMEONE YOU LOST THIS YEAR: I'm glad to report that there are none.

11) PERSON/S YOU KISSED THIS YEAR: Nada.

12) PERSON WHO MADE YOU LAUGH THE MOST: MWF Workout Clusters! :)

13) PERSON WHO MADE YOU CRY: I can't even remember the last time I cried.

14) PERSON YOU DISLIKED WHEN THE YEAR BEGAN BUT ENDED UP BECOMING GOOD FRIENDS WITH: Mitch...well, I didn't dislike her but I thought she was a snob.  Hehe.

15) PERSON YOU CRUSHED ON THE ENTIRE YEAR: None.

16) SOMEONE YOU WISHED YOU APOLOGIZED TO: I never withhold apologies that are due.

17) PEOPLE YOU WENT OUT ON DATES WITH: N/A

18) FRIENDS YOU WENT OUT WITH A LOT: Tita Cake, Byron, Mike V., Mike A., Nels!

19) COOLEST PERSON YOU MET THIS YEAR: Rich, Byron

*****STUFF:
1) CLOTHING ITEM YOU WORE MOST THIS YEAR: My Nike Air rubber shoes (one of which now has a hole), my Havaianas Slims

2) NICEST PRESENT YOU GOT THIS YEAR: My dad traded my old Altis for the Innova I drive now :)

3) FAVORITE SONG FOR THE YEAR: Ummm...

4) COOLEST EVENT FOR THE YEAR: The Event and training for it.  Sooper fun :)

5) NEW HOBBY YOU PICKED UP THIS YEAR: BodyAttack, Being a camwhore :)

6) BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR: I need time to read...

7) BEST MOVIE: Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, I guess?

8) MOST SHOCKING NEWS HEADLINE OF THE YEAR: Nothing too shocking.

9) FAVORITE FOOD FOR THE YEAR: Goolai Salads -- it's all Janine's fault :)

10) FAVORITE NEW ARTIST THAT CAME OUT THIS YEAR: --

*****LESSONS:
1) WISEST THING YOU DID THIS YEAR: Going to La Salle instead of UP business school (so far, anyway).  Joining the ABS-CBN combat elims.

2) STUPIDEST THING YOU DID THIS YEAR: Almost - - -

3) BIGGEST CHANGE IN YOUR LIFE THIS YEAR: I met a lot of new and wonderful friends :)

4) BIGGEST CHALLENGE OF THE YEAR: Keeping my hyperness at bay.  Heh.

5) SOMETHING YOU LEARNED THE HARD WAY: I really have to keep better track of my stuff.

6) GREATEST LESSON YOU LEARNED ABOUT:
A. LOVE - You don't have to be "in a relationship" to love and be loved...haha.

B. LIFE - Life is what you make of it.

7) BEST JOKE YOU'VE HEARD ALL YEAR: Hamburger!  (Sana mabasa ito ng mga makakakuha ng joke.)

8) BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT OF THE YEAR: Um...buying a lot of stuff only to realize I can't use them or that I could have gotten them for a lower cost, I guess?  It freaks me out.

9) BIGGEST BLESSING OF THE YEAR: My friends :)

10) BIGGEST THING YOU DISCOVERED ABOUT THE WORLD: It can get really cold.  Hahaha.

11) BIGGEST THING YOU DISCOVERED ABOUT PEOPLE IN GENERAL: People have short memories.

*****AND LASTLY!!!
1) GOALS/DREAMS FOR THE NEW YEAR:

• The ever-evasive FIX MY SLEEP SCHEDULE.
• STOP PROCRASTINATING SO MUCH.
• QUIT PLAYING NEOPETS.

2) PREDICTIONS FOR THE NEXT YEAR ON:
A. LOVE - Live and let live.

B. CAREER - Ditto.  Hehe.

Doing my final term paper for accounting is not how I imagined I'd be spending Christmas Eve, but sadly, it is in fact how I am spending the first couple of hours of one of the most-anticipated holidays of the year.  Feliz Navidad much?

...Nah, crankiness is unbecoming of me.  And it is my fault, after all.  My brain apparently decided to designate today as its holiday and I have done nothing but invent new ways to procrastinate.  (Like what I'm doing right now.)

HOPE YOU ALL HAVE A WONDERFUL CHRISTMAS! :)

...and I'm freezing.  Burning the fat that used to provide me with much-needed insulation apparently has its downside.  And global warming has made the climate go wild.  I'm actually wearing my workout gloves as I type this in order to prevent my hands from turning into ice.  Never mind that I'm still in the office at mukha akong ewan.

Kwatro ang midterm grade ko sa accounting, and Mio and I aced yesterday's report.  My request to enlist in Management Accounting next term has been approved.  I've processed and distributed the admin's 13th month pay.  I just had a peanut butter sandwich.  I'm attending Dean's combat tonight at North Edsa with Team ABS.  I'm actually feeling quite content right now.

It hasn't been all sunshine and daisies, however.  My college professor just passed away yesterday after being in a coma for almost a year.  He was also a friend of my parents as they were all members of the First-Quarter Storm Movement.  I took Discourse Analysis and the Life and Works of Rizal under him, and he was one of the most dedicated and passionate teachers I've ever had.  Prof. Monico Atienza, you will most certainly be missed.

Also, I just wish the peso would stop appreciating.  Then maybe my dad will quit being all dazed and cranky.

And for those who haven't seen my previous post, please do check it out:
THANKS: My Annual Obligatory Year-End Post (2007 Edition)

It's December again, and I have, as usual, been infected with the sentimental nostalgia virus.  Unfortunately, this means making my annual obligatory über-mushy post is now inevitable.  I know half the people I will mention in this post will never get to read this, but still, I would like to extend my most sincere and heartfelt thanks:

To my Dad – for everything; thanks for never failing to be there for your “little” girl :)

To my Mom – for putting up with me when I’m being incredibly cranky.

To my sister Kemps – for helping me find myself.

To Merc, for being my “other sister.”

To Team ABS – for being my second family and providing the camaraderie I’ve always longed for: to Tita Cake for being my surrogate Mommy, to Rich for always being the greatest listener and awesome person you are, to By for the neverending hyperness and unsurpassed fun, to Mike A. for always being the ever-reliable and responsible “go-to guy," to Arnie for always being a great companion even if you always have to travel halfway across Manila to do so, to Mitch for the constant thoughtfulness, kindness and hospitality, to Mike V. for putting up with me with no pretensions especially when I need to vent, to Nels for the (ahem) unending comic relief and sentimental messages, to Tita Jo for being our “tita,” to Tita Olive for spreading your inexhaustible vigor, to Tita Swanie for always spreading cheer whenever you're around, and to Dan and Jury for allowing me to be part of this incredible group of people.

To Dean, for being my encouraging mentor, for pushing me to go through one of the most enjoyable experiences of my life, and for never failing to lift my spirits even on the crappiest of days.

To Bon, the adopted member of Team ABS, for the warmth and trust, and for being my “nocturnal buddy.”  Labyu adik :)

To Mio, for keeping me company; my first couple of terms in graduate school would've totally sucked if I didn't constantly have you as my groupmate.

To Janine, for being my girl talk/work rant/gym babble/secret keeping buddy.

To Cham, for constantly reminding me of who I was and who I am.

To Sheila and Jasmin, for putting up with me at work.

To Kaitlin, for still being the buddy you’ve always been to me since high school.

To TJ, for showing me the extent to which anyone can reach.

To dabarkadah, for being the friends I know I’ll always have.

To the Kalipips, sana magkatotoo na ang ating ever-postponed reunion.

...and to everyone who was a part of my life this past year.  Thanks for helping me realize what it feels like to be happy :)

I can't remember where I took this picture...I have no idea if the artist was absentminded or if s/he was just trying to be funny when he made this sign:


...and one more picture from Rich's party last October, reminiscent of "Twilight Zone" and "Tales from the Crypt"...hehe (ay, napaghahalataan ang edad ko...):

Friday

Ate lunch at Dencio's with my parents, did a bit of shopping @ Trinoma, then headed for Francis' BodyAttack/Dean's sooooperfun winnermix BodyCombat/Genesis' BodyJam in the evening, after which I had dinner then coffee with my teammates :)

Saturday

Slept for 10 hours (!)  Went to my cousin's house to drop off my godson's birthday gift but ended up staying there well into the evening since I took the time to catch up with my cousin (regarding family matters and our plans for the holidays) and her Magic Sing mic :)

Sunday

Met up with Mike, Arnie, and By at FF Manila for back-to-back-to-back Attack/Jam/Combat (although Mike had already done two or three classes prior to our arrival...yan ang adik!), but during Jam there was an unexpected power outage (we have no idea whether it was related to the recent political turmoil -- hah) which resulted in Mike (jam instructor) doing the rest of the routine without the music.  I swear Mike deserves some special commendation for that class; he ended up singing and counting until the entire routine was finished.  CHAMPION.  In any case, everybody was cheering wildly by the time it ended.  Unfortunately, Combat was canceled and everyone was given an hour to evacuate the area.

**Side Note: Before going to the gym, I dropped by the department store to pick up some stuff.  While paying for them, I heard two salesgirls talking to each other.  One of them was saying something like, "Sino nga ba yang Trillianes na yan?" and the other apparently had no idea either.  Their conversation kind of freaked me out.**

Anyway, nabitin kami so gym addicts that we are, we decided to transfer to Fort, where
we were (ahem) pleasantly surprised to find out that Bon was relieving for BodyCombat.  Endorphins galore :)  But stomachs were grumbling by the time we'd finished so we transferred to David's Tea House and dessert at Cheesecakes,etc./Big Chill at Greenbelt.  By the time we became conscious of the time it was already 10:30 PM.  Gaya nga ng sinabi ni Mike, nawawala ang lahat ng prublema namin pag magkakasama :)

'Nothing like a cup of hot Chai Latte on a cold and rainy day :)

(I sound like an advertisement...)

Yikes, trimesters fly by so much faster than do semesters. It's online enlistment again, and thankfully there still are subjects with decent schedules that I can take. I'm trying to choose among:

• Management Accounting (Thursdays; Dr. Rosalinda Evangelista)
  
• Ethics, Family Life and Work Balance (Thursdays; Ma. Nenette Barrios/Myrna Sanchez)
  
• Business Law (Saturday Mornings; Atty. Virgilio De Los Reyes)
  
• Marketing Management (Saturday Mornings; Ernesto Perlas)*

My schedule this weekend is giving me a headache. Last night we had dinner at Cyma Trinoma to celebrate my mom's birthday, today I'll have to drop by my godson's birthday at their house before heading to the Block for Bon's class with my teammates, after which I'll have to pick up a gift for my godson (then I'll drop by their house again), then tomorrow I have to go to mass and pick up a few basic necessities before meeting friends at the Fort then heading for a group meeting for accounting class in the evening, before which I ought to have analyzed our case. I actually feel like I'm wasting precious time as I type this.

I did this a few months ago, but because I'm procrastinating...

Rules:

1.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.

2.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.

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



The image in the background is a photo we took during our trip to Phuket last summer.  Most of the icons on my desktop are shortcuts for programs.  They kind of speak for themselves, except maybe the powerpoint presentations, which are supposed to be notes for accounting class that I just received, and the "logs" folder, which contains my chat logs.

On the taskbar I have windows for my inbox and my mutiply account and among on the lower right are icons for Pidgin (YM, to be more precise), AVG, uTorrent, and your basic Windows Vista background apps.

Yes, it's that boring.  I'm kind of a neat freak when it comes to my desktop :)

Tagging: By, Mercy, Bonster, Nyel, Mike V.

After honking my horn while on the way home from a day out at Robinson's Place Manila with Arnie, Nelson, Byron, and Mike A...

Nels: Umiinit pala ulo mo pag nagddrive...

LOL.  What an understatement.  May kasama pa ako nun.  Magnified by ten ang kasungitan ko when I'm driving by myself.  May endorphin aftereffect pa yan sa lagay na yan.  Hahaha :)

I've done this before, but what the heck :)

1. Leave me a casual comment of no particular significance, like a lyric to your current favorite song, your favorite kind of sandwich, or maybe your favorite game. Any remark, meaningless or not.
2. I will respond by asking you five personal questions so I can get to know you better.
3. Update your LJ blog with the answers to the questions.
4. Include this explanation and offer to ask someone else in your own post.
5. When others respond with a desultory comment, you will ask them five questions.


From princess_spygal:

1. What was the last dream you had?
   Oh my...it's been ages since I've had a dream I remembered upon waking up. Probably the depressing one wherein I was hanging out with some of my friends and something I don't exactly remember happened?
   
   
2. Apart from your computer, what is the nearest object to you?
   My phone, handbag, and pillows!
   
   
3. When is your favourite time of year and why?
   'Round my birthday (because it gives me an excuse to see and talk to everyone I love and/or miss), followed by Christmas (for the same reason).
   
   
4. What was the best holiday you ever went on?
   I'm not sure if it was the best, but definitely one of the most unforgettable vacations I've ever gone on was that of the summer of 1993, when my family and I went to California and Florida for more than three weeks. It was the first time I took such a long vacation, and it gave me chance to get acquainted with "the world out there."
   
   
5. What's your favourite drink?
   My favorite alcoholic drink would undoubtedly be piña colada, but I have quite a few non-alcoholic faves, like mango shake, plain old iced water, fresh orange juice, chai tea latte, melon soy milk, coconut water, and four seasons, to name a few :)

From Nyel:

1. Name a film which changed your life
   Kind of a sellout, but...Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring.  It actually brought back my love of watching movies.  Prior to that people had to drag me to the movie house and force me to pay for my tickets.
   
   
2. Seriously, why did you choose art studies as an undergrad course?
   It was kind of an accident, to tell you the truth.  Long story cut short, my application was late and the deadline for the course I intended to shift had come and gone.  When I got to my majors and main area course subjects, I realized how much I missed writing such that I decided to stick with it to the end.
   
   
3. If you, me and trix can go on a trip, where should we go and what should be in our itinerary?
   Shopping and food-tripping in Bangkok!  Yahoo!  Sorry, the culture-lover in me takes a backseat to the food tripper.  Hehe.  There would be so many other things to do there anyway, and it's much cheaper and more practical than going to, say, Europe :)
   
   
4. Do you check out guys in the mall or in your overseas trips? If you do (i know you do!), what sort of guys catches your eye? haha.
   To be honest, not really.  More often than not, I like guys who have a lot of heart and personality rather than those who are all about looks.  I don't think I've ever experienced "love at first sight."  Except maybe for Michael Vartan.  Hahaha :)
   
   
5. Following that question, in your daydreams, what sort of person will your imaginary lucky boyfriend be?
   
   A great conversationalist, a smart person, a sweet and thoughtful guy, a dependable friend who can always cheer me up.  And I'm honestly not too particular about looks, but he should at least look and smell presentable.  Mareklamo pa naman ang pamilya ko pagdating dun :)