for my sister's achy-breaky heart:-(

here's the pic that goes hand in hand with the music video!love u yaku:-)

will it be a merry christmas?

For the first time ever,I am CLUELESS about how Christmas will unfold this year.If my travel plan pushes through,God willing,(I've been waiting for quite long already)I'll celebrate it in the lion city.

Usually,my family would spend Christmas in our hometown.We attend masses,hold parties,and resort to our delightful "funny gifts".Firecrackers are everywhere,and I mean everywhere,that most people  who are fearful of losing a finger or two resort to cursing after the midnight mass.

Maybe this year,I'm bound to spend it alone.

Perhaps in a subway as a passenger gazing as the entire place is filled with firefly-looking Christmas lights.Or in a charming church flocked by multi-racial parishioners.Or maybe I'd be rubbing elbows with strangers as I wander around the Merlion statue singing a Filipino Christmas Carol,hoping it will catch the attention of a fellow Filipino who like me wishes a handy reminder of how this joyous event is celebrated at home:-)

How about you,what will Christmas be like?

magical

I chanced upon this information that meteor shower will dominate Philippine skies this Tuesday morning.But since it has been raining in the afternoon,will the weather come in the way of this beautiful sighting?

There will be 40 meteors an hour tonight and if myth be real,we have forty chances of having our wishes come true!Happy star gazing!

FB-ing has its detriments.

I recently "nagged" with its "tag" feature because my sister uploaded an album that showed ghastly,kalusmos-musmos looking pics of ourselves(me and my other sisters,excluding herself...hmmmmmm)to facebook...

Tag should simply be limited to the photos that you chose and not the entire album!I'm laughing about this now but nuts as it seems,it did cause worry on me yesterday!

of food and friendship

This is my favorite scene in the movie.365 days after,Julie,a culinary novice, whipped out this delicious array of recipe that yells:MISSION ACCOMPLISHED.
Together with best buds Visa and Carie, we trooped into the cinema to watch Julie and Julia.
The movie was supposed to start at 5:10 but no thanks to my erring punctuality, I arrived late….grrrrr..
While watching, we were binging on Chippy crackers and noticed that the theatre looked like we had a private screening because we can do a headcount on those who were inside. We even joked that for every person coming in, we were gaining movieHOUSEMATES.

The movie evolved on two women who found bliss in homecooking.It was a searing statement in the power of curiosity. Julia was ignored in her all male cooking class and ridiculed when she can’t mince onions. She practiced religiously at home and even when the onion bulbs were tear-jerkers, she came up with a mountain pile.
Next day, like a true blue Cordon Bleu Chef,she made her classmates look like wimps when she emerged as the fastest chopper to finish the chore.
It was also a call to DARE.
In 1943,there were no French cook books printed in English. Julia sought to write one and she got published.
In 1992,Julie thought her blog only had a lone reader in the person of her Mom.When she looked up,she discovered the throngs of comments from her followers.She even received ingredients as gifts from her readers.She went on writing in cyber space, authored a book, and signed up for a movie.

It was BOOST on partnership.
We hear men credit their wives for the persons they’ve become. The movie turned the tables around and depicted how strong-willed and selfless men can mold their spouses into being driven and dedicated to their crafts.
Behind a great man is a great woman,vis-à-vis, behind a great woman is a great loving man.


But if I’ll pluck out the core message, it’s GETTING STARTED. It’s bad enough to be slacker, it’s worse to be a quitter but the worst kind is definitely the non-starter.
So whether it’s a new hobby, a new travel destination, or a new article to a forgotten but not forsaken blog-BRING IT ON.

10 Ways to Be Liked in Your Job Interview
by Jonathan Littman and Marc Hershon

No matter your resume and talents, if you mess up a job interview you won't get that position. In today's tough economy you need every possible edge. As authors of the new book, "I Hate People! Kick Loose from the Overbearing and Underhanded Jerks at Work and Get What you Want Out of Your Job," we see it as a simple equation: You want to be liked -- not hated.
Here are 10 simple things to do that will dramatically increase your chances: from wearing the right expression, to knowing what not to say, to never ever breaking a sweat.

1. Don't be a "smiley face."
Excessive smiling in a job interview is seen for what it is -- nervousness and a lack of confidence. A smiley-face person exudes phoniness, which will quickly be picked up by the interviewer. Instead be thoughtful and pleasant. Smile when there's something to smile about. Do a practice run in front of a mirror or friend.

2. Don't be a small-talker.
Your job is to be knowledgeable about the company for which you're interviewing. Random facts about last night's episode of "Dancing with the Stars" or your favorite blog will not get you the job. Never feel you have to fill an interview with small talk. Find ways to talk about serious subjects related to the industry or company. Pockets of silence are better than padding an interview with random babble.

3. Don't sweat.
You can lose a job by wearing an undershirt or simply a little too much clothing. Sweaty palms or beads on your forehead will not impress. You are not applying to be a personal trainer. Sweat will be seen as a sign of weakness and nervousness. Do a practice run with your job interview outfit in front of friends. The job interview is one place you definitely don't want to be hot.

4. Don't be a road block.
Interviewers are seeking candidates eager to take on challenging projects and jobs. Hesitance and a nay-saying mentality will be as visible as a red tie -- and seen as a negative. Practice saying "yes" to questions about your interest in tasks and work that might normally give you pause.

5. Don't be petty.
Asking the location of the lunchroom or meeting room will clue the interviewer into your lack of preparation and initiative. Prepare. Don't ask questions about routine elements or functions of a company: where stuff is, the size of your cube, and company policy on coffee breaks.

6. Don't be a liar.
Studies show that employees lie frequently in the workplace. Lying won't get you a job. In a job interview even a slight exaggeration is lying. Don't. Never stretch your resume or embellish accomplishments. There's a difference between speaking with a measured confidence and engaging in BS. One lie can ruin your entire interview, and the skilled interviewer will spot the lie and show you the door.

7. Don't be a bad comedian.
Humor tends to be very subjective, and while it may be tempting to lead your interview with a joke you've got to be careful about your material. You probably will know nothing about the sensibilities of your interviewer, let alone what makes them laugh. On the other hand, nothing disarms the tension of a job interview like a little laughter, so you can probably score at least a courtesy chuckle mentioning that it's "perfect weather for a job interview!"

8. Don't be high-maintenance.
If you start talking about the ideal office temperature, the perfect chair for your tricky back, and how the water cooler needs to be filled with imported mineral water, chances are you'll be shown a polite smile and the door, regardless of your qualifications. Nobody hiring today is going to be looking for someone who's going to be finicky about their workspace.

9. Don't be a time-waster.
At every job interview, the prospective hire is given the chance to ask questions. Make yours intelligent, to the point, and watch the person across the desk for visual cues whether you've asked enough. Ask too many questions about off-target matters and you'll be thought of as someone destined to waste the company's resources with insignificant and time-wasting matters.

10. Don't be a switchblade.
Normally the switchblade is thought of a backstabber, often taking credit for someone else's work. In an interview setting, the switchblade can't help but "trash talk" his former employer. If you make it seem like your former workplace was hell on Earth, the person interviewing you might be tempted to call them to find out who was the real devil.

Ninoy's Letter to Ballsy

My dearest Ballsy,

“I write you this letter with tears in my eyes and as if steel fingers are crushing my heart because I wanted so much to be with you as you celebrate your legal emancipation. Now that you have come of age, my love, a voice tells me that I am no longer young and suddenly, I feel old.
“An old poet gave this advice very long ago: ‘when you are sad, remember the roses will bloom in December.’ I want to send you bouquet of roses, big red roses from my dreamland garden. Unfortunately for the present, my roses are not in bloom, in fact they have dropped all their petals and only the thorns are left to keep me company. I do think it is fitting to send you a thicket of thorns on this memorable day!
“I am very proud of you because you have inherited all the best traits of your mother. You are sensible, responsible, even-tempered and sincere with the least pretenses and affection which I vehemently detest in a woman. I am sure, like your mother, you will possess that rare brand of silent courage and that combination of fidelity and fortitude that will be the life vest of your man in the tragic moments of his life.
“During my lonely hours of solitary confinement in Fort Magsaysay, Laur, Nueva Ecija last March and April with nothing else to do but pray and daydream, with only my fond memories to keep me company, I planned a weekend barrio fiesta for you in Tarlac for your 18th birthday. I fooled myself into believing that my ordeal would end with the fiscal year. I planned to invite all your classmates and friends and their families for the weekend.
“The schedule called for an early departure by bus from Manila and the first stop will be Concepcion, where lunch will be served by the pool. And after lunch, you were to visit the Santa Rita Elementary School to distribute cookies and ice cream to the children of that public school where you were first enrolled. I guess sheer nostalgia prompted me to include Santa Rita. We were only three then: Mommie, you and I. Those were the days of happy memories, little responsibilities, tremendous freedom, a great future ahead and capped by a fulfillment of love. You are the first fruit of our union, the first proof of our love and the first seal of our affections.
“From Concepcion we were to proceed to Luisita for the barrio fiesta. I intended to invite a friend who could roast an entire cow succulently. Swimming, pelota, dancing and eating would have been the order of the day. Sunday morning was reserved for a trip around the Hacienda and the mill and maybe golf for some of the parents and later a picnic-lunch on Uncle Tony’s Island. Return to Manila after lunch. I am afraid this will have to remain one of the many dreams I had in Laur.
“Our future has suddenly become uncertain and our fate unknown. I am even now beginning to doubt whether I’ll ever be able to return to you and the family. Hence, I would like to ask you these special favors.
“Love your mother, whose love for you, you will never be able to match. She is not the greatest mother in the world, she is your sincerest friend. Take care of your younger sisters and brother and lavish them with the love and care I would like to continue giving them but am unable to do so. Help Noynoy along and pray hard that he will grow to be a real, responsible man who in later years will protect you all. You are the model for your three younger sisters. Your responsibility is therefore great. Please endeavor to live up to our highest expectations. Be more tolerant to Pinky, more accessible to Viel, our little genius-princess, and more charitable to Krissy, our baby doll, and make up for my neglect.
“Finally, forgive me, my love, for not having been an ideal, good and thoughtful father to you all as I pursued public office. I had hopes and high resolve of making up, but I am afraid my destiny will not oblige. I seal this letter with a drop of tear and a prayer in my heart, that somehow, somewhere we shall meet again and I will finally be able to make up for all my lapses, in the kingdom where justice reigns supreme and love is eternal.
“I love you, Dad”