I'm so proud of being a pinoy because of Filipinos like Efren Penaflorida....for giving his unconditional love and support for the youth of this generation....his inspiration and encouragements to these underpriviledged kids gives them hope that they can change the world...that this country is still a better place to live in...May the Lord continue to bless him as he steadfastly do His work....Let's vote for him kababayans!:)

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Meet our home bud "Benj" a male shih tzu doggie....my Uncle who passed away 3yrs ago bought him and is now my special cousin's best friend and Lola's guard....this dog is so protective of my special child cuz and of my grandma that whenever you tried to go near my grandma whenever he's near he will try to bite you, I've been a victim of him twice already and no one dares to go near Lola whenever he's beside her....we call him "snobbish dog", he's not too friendly to non-members of the house and even is not so friendly to us either he is only afraid of my other male cousin and our housemaid....but for the rest he doesn't like being cuddled...not your typical dog right?he is really weird hehehe! But one thing is for sure he loves being photographed....so here are snapshots of him posing for me ;)

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It took me two years to update the template of my blog...First, I'm busy and had really forgotten about this "On My Own" blog that I put up for the sole purpose of sharing my travel adventures in NY and my freedom from pain...I even noticed that I made a few drafts of some stories that I failed to share during my stay there like The Pennsylvannia Trip, Halloween NY Style and My Typical Day @ Ate's Place...those were all unfinished, and I'm not that keen anymore to share that as there are far more interesting topics to post for the next coming days...Don't worry, the NY adventure doesn't have an ending yet, as there will be more blogs about that in the near future...for now I'm excited to share the new look of my blog which is so Me and it gives the readers a glimpse of my personality...I'm still in the process of fixing some glitches and adding some features, hoping that my blog will have a polished look soon....I got so addicted to Facebook that I totally forgot that I have to blog co'z writing is a good therapy to release emotions and to broaden one's understanding of the world.

Now, I'm thinking of what topic to post next.......work?vacation?friends?or my family?.....let's see and check the personal archive of my life....:)

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Me and some friends watched ASAP Show yesterday...thanks to Phang for inviting me to tag along together with my other friend Dhana. T'was a fun and memorable experience for the three of us since it's our very first time to watch the ASAP Show. I've been to the ABS-CBN Studio years back and was able to enjoy watching one full episode of "Home Boy"(morning show of Boy Abunda a few years ago) and got a chance to tour around the studio's premises courtesy of our friend Dang, who works in the said network. We're just so lucky that this sunday's show was a special tribute for Michael Jackson and the video shows how amazing OPM artists were when it comes to singing! Who would imagine we would be able to watch The Company, Zsa Zsa Padilla, Sarah Geronimo, Gary Valenciano, Charice Pempengco and Lea Salonga in one special number?! Oh well, only in ASAP!;)

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Got a new toy to start blogging again and this time it's all mine yey!:) It's an Acer Aspire One notebook laptop, so small and yet so versatile just right for the on-the-go like me. Now, I'm busy transferring my files to my new buddy, hmmm have to think of a name for this new gadget. Finally, returning to my first passion before Facebook, so brace yourself...it's time to blog, blog, blog!;)

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It's been so long since my last post in this site....I've been very busy with work and enjoying every minute of life that God gave me. I'm so blessed co'z I'm surrounded with family and friends who continue to give meaning to my life. Met a lof of new and interesting people, travelled to different places and reconnected with relatives and old friends. Life is such a blessing....and I'm back with a lot of experiences and pictures to share :)

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After the year that was post, I'm proud to share with you now what the New Year is bringing in into my life.

Right after Tatay's 40days I applied for a job in the call center industry again. The very first and only job interview I had is with HSBC (Hongkong Shanghai Banking Corp.) Electronic Data Processing Phils, it was Jan 16 and everything happened on that day....initial interview, exams and another set of in-depth interviews while waiting for the results of each evaluation process. The interviews were tedious and long that I literally ran out of words and scenarios to prove to my interviewer that I am capable of the job but good thing I passed this stage. What a relief hearing that I got the job! just an entry level post but good enough to start from scratch and learn again from there. Besides, the pay is quite high compared to other call centers and they commensurate my salary based on my years of previous experience which is a big Yehey!:P

The completion of job requirements is much more tedious than my interviews. I had to complete everything within 10days for me to be able to sign the contract and start the training. I hate lining up for Government agencies like NBI, the system still sucks and I have to go all the way to Carriedo near Quiapo Church just to request for a new NBI Clearance and the process is still slow it takes 5 days for them to release the clearance since I also changed my marital status. I also lined up for the SSS Digitized ID at their main office in East Ave., yeah, I know, I know, I should have done this years ago but hey better to be late than never. HSBC asked a lot of documents as their pre-employment requirements, they even want to see your original birth cert, marriage cert, TOR, diplomas, licenses, passports etc. As some of you knows, all my original docs I took with me when I went to NY and I left everything there for security purposes. Now, poor sis she has to send all the docs to me again via courier, thanks Ate!:). They all arrived just in time before I passed all the requirements. Ok since my requirements are all complete, the HR revised the Job offer and I signed the contract and now I'm on board January 29, 2008 for the training. The benefits and allowances are really great, some of which is of course healthcard which can be used at once even if on probation with dependents, Rice Subsidy, Meal and Transpo allowance, Hazard pay (for night shifts), night differentials, HSBC credit cards, discounts in different establishments like gyms, spas etc.

I'm having the training here at PBCom Tower in Ayala Ave. Makati for 5wks then after here our account will be based in the new office building in Commonwealth, QC which is very near our place. The first week of training is more on the "English Only Policy" of the company. It will hone our communications skills since our job will entails a lot of talking to foreign customers over the phone. Then next week the Process training of the account we'll be handling. The training is fun and good to know I'm not the only one in my age bracket :P most of us are no longer neophytes in the call center industry and there are some who are a way much older and is also "complicated" when it comes to friendster status hehehe!:P I can't wait to know what the scope of our job will be and see the actual place where we will work our butts off.

There are a lot of things I need to do while I'm here in pinas....and slowly my plans are unfolding in front of me. I still think of my "complicated" status and I need to think fast and straight of what I really want in my life. What about my ex? we no longer communicate with each other and I'm also exploring my options for revenge....legally. My silence will not be that long....I need to speak up for myself and exercise my legal rights...we'll see.

For now, just enjoying the beautiful blessings God is giving me for the start of the year and blessings of Hope that Life is still indeed beautiful and worth fighting for :)

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I don't want to deal with the thought that the year 2007 was a very bad year for me. I prefer thinking that the past year was a challenging year not only for me but for my whole family. The blessings I received this year was overshadowed by the hurts and pains I felt for months. The passing of my father created more pain, feeling of loss and uncertainties in life whether to finally give up or move on. Everything is surreal, I feel like giving up....I feel that life is treating me so unfairly...I feel like everything conspired to make me feel miserable and endure so much pain. It made me question the Higher Power, letting him know I don't deserve this for I constantly keeping my faith and abide his rules. But it's wrong, I know it's wrong...that is this is just one moment in my life where I questioned Him which I should'nt have done in the first place. I even dared to asked Him to take me instead of my father, for the pain is too much and I'd rather die than continue to taste the bitterness of pain. An hour before the year ends, I locked myself in our room and prayed the rosary amidst the sounds of firecrakers, cheering of people outside and loud music....tears kept rolling down my cheeks as I say the Hail Marys...a simple cry turned into sobbing tears as my fingers jump from one rosary bead into another...I never prayed this hard in my life...asking God to bless my father's soul and comfort him to His Kingdom and laid him to a peaceful rest. I also talked to my father, letting him know how I love him and told him all my regrets and assuring him that I will try to be more strong and independent now that he's gone. I also asked Him, the blessing of Forgiveness...forgiveness to the one person I loved the most...the one person I vowed to spend the rest of my life with....it's very hard to forget the cause of the pain...to move on...I still don't know how to move on....how to overcome everything I've lost in 2007. I'm just trying to hide this from everyone...every smile...every laughter...behind that is a lonely spirit...a lonely soul...I feel like part of me had died with my father...I feel like a lost soul wandering in space and doesn't know where to go, can't tell if I can see the light again...I come to realize that in times of great sorrow...no words or hugs can heal a wounded soul.
But the never ending support and love of those people who read this blog made me feel I'm still alive...there's still hope...For in every uttered prayers by people who keeps on lifting me up sends a special message from God that everything will be alright...that tears will stop...the pain will be gone...that I will no longer be a lost soul for I will see the light in due time...that love and forgiveness will grow within me...that I will be whole again...completed with God's love and miracles. This year I know God has a special plan for me...bearing this on my mind....hoping and praying this year is special and the year that was...was just a year I had to pass.

To God be the Glory!

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I had my very first Flu Shot last night. Here in the US, Americans are nuts about getting this flu shots esp when winter comes. They remind everyone to have one...in the news, commercials and you can hear people asking each other if they already got their shot this year. They said its Flu season once again, my sister insisted I got one too for protection since I'm not really used to very cold weather like I'm beginning to experience now. Yeah, it's really cold now I even wear my sweatshirt inside the house. But I love the coldness on my face, I love the scent of air, its feels fresh. It is usually colder in Manhattan area co'z it's near the bay so whenever I go there on commute I make sure I wear really thick clothes otherwise I won't endure the cool breeze. :)

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Last month, had a chance again to go to Manhattan and see some other sights. First stop, the St. Patrick's Cathedral located at 5th Ave. between 50th and 51st St. Actually, I've gone here twice already, the church is so beautiful inside and out, we had attended mass here on my first visit. There are so many tourists, and I'm one of those who keeps on taking pictures of every corner of the church. Each popular saints have their own corner if you like to light a candle. I'm so happy seeing my favorite saints, St. Therese of the Child Jesus (Lisieux) and St. Jude. I had to make a moment of silence with these saints, for they have been my refuge also when the storm came. Made a special Prayer of Good Health for my dear friend Jen. And of course, prayed for myself...for healing...for acceptance...letting go...and moving on. And Prayer of Thanksgiving to God and Jesus Christ for keeping me strong, for giving me a chance to enjoy life despite of the pain...for making me feel to not lose hope. Lastly, Prayer of Blessings for those people who's been with me at the lowest point of my life. If you are reading this, you are in my prayers :).

Then we checked out the Rockefeller Center. On the way here you can also passby The Philippine Embassy. I've been wanting to see the Rockefeller co'z you always see this in the movies and also Central Park, but I'll check out the latter maybe one of these days. Rockefeller has this skating rink and restaurants around the rink, we ate there btw had a sumptous lunch. The ground level of Rockefeller houses lots of nice shops like Godiva Chocolate, oh this chocolate is so yummy! You can also see here the NBC Studio, one of the biggest TV network here in NY. I can't wait to visit Rockefeller again on Nov28, yeah I marked this date on my calendar co'z it's the lighting of the biggest Christmas Tree and they said in the news this is the biggest tree ever in the history of NY! So I'm pretty excited about this.:)

I also had a chance to see The Chinatown in NY, we had lunch at Hap Kee, well nothing so amusing about this resto it's just that it's a chinese resto that most pinoys here crave about. Yeah, the food is great and you can see pinoys dining and they said even the chinese who works here understands and speak tagalog so pretty homey for the pinoys. The Chinatown looks like hongkong, you see a lot of chinese, tiangges and chinese restos and stuffs. Just like in Greenhills they sell fake items from bags, sunglasses, clothes etc. I miss Greenhills in an instant!

After Chinatown we went back to Rockefeller Center to meet Ate's friends, then we walked a couple of more blocks looking for the Serendipity Restaurant. Actually, I can't remember exactly where we turned but walking along the streets going to this spot is pretty enjoying co'z you can passby typical Manhattan apartments and houses which again we often see in the movies. The restaurant is pretty small for a two storey resto, and people come and go and you have to really wait for you to be seated co'z this place is pretty busy during dinnertime so the waiting list is kinda long. Good thing me, Ate and her friends got there a little pretty early for dinner so we just waited for a few mins for our table. Me and Gerry (Ate's friend) got pretty excited to find the exact table where John Cusack and Kate Beckinsale had their dinner in the movie "Serendipity". I feel nostalgic actually, remembering the scene and all. But I thought this is the best thing about this place, but when we tried their dessert, oh wow! heaven! They are really famous for their "Frozen Hot Chocolate" and mind you I haven't tasted a hot chocolate like this one in my entire life until I tried this and sooo thankful I did, make sure you try this before you die hahaha!:P Try also their "Forbidden Broadway Sundae", their sundaes are big for one person and the taste is really something. I know, I know stop with the mouth watering desserts bragging.:P After Serendipity, we just walked and walked until we see Bloomingdale's store, one side of Central Park and the Apple Mac Center.

There's more to see in New York and sights to visit, I'm taking my time and soon I'll start visiting other states and spend time with dear friends. 'Til my next tours :)....

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