It's now or never

I just realized how ignorant I am when it comes to politics. I do read the news online almost everday. But after scanning the headlines and finding nothing that interest me, (as hard as it is for me to admit this) I directly go to the juicy entertainment section. Being the health-freak (read as obsessed with losing weight) I have turned into, I even spend more time in the Health and Fitness section. (Yeah I know I should be ashamed of myself (-_-").

So, what brought up this realization? I just finished watching Fahrenheit 9/11 this evening; and guess what I found out? There is no strong and valid reason for US to attack Iraq! (ano? ngayon mo lang yan nalaman?) Well, I thought that the reasons for going to war with Iraq are because they're responsible for the 9/11 tragedy (hiding the Al qaedas) and that Iraq has in possession weapons of mass destruction (WMD). With the 9/11 tragedy reason, I now know it isn't right. (sorry for my ignorance.) As for the other reason (which I know was the stated reason given by US government), where the hell are these Iraq WMDs? No findings of such thing have been confirmed. After all, they said the WMDs existed in large quantities, they should not be hard to find right? And now I read that US is giving up the search for Iraq WMD. WTF!

No direct link to Al qaeda ... no finding of Iraq weapons of mass destruction ... so what's the Iraq War all about? Greed. It's about some people who want to have all the power and money they could get at the expense of other people ... Iraqi families whose homes have been destroyed, innocent children who haven't caused anyone harm, young men and women who were tricked into thinking they are fighting for a good cause, and other thousands of lives lost in this meaningless war.

What I can not understand is the fact that he won the recent election; which means there is still quite a number of people who think he is deserving of a second term. I guess I'm not the only one who is politically ignorant.

**I know this is a very delayed reaction, I just needed to let it out of my system. I guess from now on I should be more aware of what's going on in my country and around the world ... so, what's the deal with this VAT increase huh?**

I just tried this test (What Age Do You Act?) which my friend posted in the Friendster bulletin board. And guess what? The result says that I do act my age. Can you believe that? I can hardly believe it myself. :D

You Are 28 Years Old

28 Under 12: You are a kid at heart. You still have an optimistic life view - and you look at the world with awe. 13-19: You are a teenager at heart. You question authority and are still trying to find your place in this world. 20-29: You are a twentysomething at heart. You feel excited about what's to come... love, work, and new experiences. 30-39: You are a thirtysomething at heart. You've had a taste of success and true love, but you want more! 40+: You are a mature adult. You've been through most of the ups and downs of life already. Now you get to sit back and relax.

Yesterday I had my first taste of snow for the year. It was so freezing cold you would want to snuggle up with somebody. But since I didn't have that option, I had to settle with the next best thing .... EAT !!! :D




@Outback - (2nd) farewell party for a good friend
(good kasi he's very generous in giving compliments :D)
Bon voyage!

"Sino pa ang lalapit na lalaki sa'yo n'yan? Ang hirap mo na abutin..."

... was what a friend said after telling her that I'm thinking of getting a place of my own (just a small one) when I go home. What?!?! Actually, it wasn't just her who reacted in that manner. Another one said that if I'll have my own house, it's either no guy will approach me or if there is one, must be someone who wants to take advantage of what I have. Now that's not so nice. Borrowing a line from Miranda Hobbes,

"So I'm being punished for being successful."

Not that I'm successful (coz I am far from being one); it's just not fair when a woman needs to appear weak and in dire need to be rescued just to get a man. I just want to enjoy what I have worked hard for ... that isn't a crime right? (And I think it's the practical thing to do. Instead of paying a monthly rent, why not pay a monthly due for a house to own.)

They say that men don't want a woman who's too strong and self-sufficient. Buying your own place means you don't need a man. (I think it was Carrie who said that.)


-----

"When single men have money, it's their advantage. But if a single woman has money, it's a problem to be dealt with. It's ridiculous. I want to enjoy my success, not apologize for it." - Miranda Hobbes, SATC

My ThinkPad is back! *happy dance*

In less than a week, my notebook is now as good as new. They needed to change the planar (motherboard). And mind you, I didn't pay a cent (even for the pick-up and delivery)! That's what you call service! Well, actually, it's a good thing my notebook is still within the warranty. Else, I can't imagine how much I would be paying for the repair ... might as well buy a new one perhaps (which I really couldn't afford).

*sigh* I wonder if service will still be as good after the change.

What is better than going home for the holidays? It is going home, seeing family and friends you haven't seen for months and hearing praises such as "You look great!" coming out from their mouths. :)

It's amazing what a loss of ten pounds can do. Upon seeing me for the first time last December, my dear lola said "Ka-gwapa ba sa akong apo. Ayaw na patambok ha, ayaw na pud paniwang. Sakto na kana. ( ..... Try not to gain or lose any more weight. That's enough.)" Although I obviously need to lose more weight, it was really sweet of my lola to say those words.

Well, here are some of the kind (and kinda vague) words I received:

"Taga-kita nato nagkadaot man ka dess. Unsa man imo gihimo? (You're getting slimmer every time we meet. What did you do?)" -- no rice for more than a month?

"Murag nigamay lagi ka Dess. (It seems you lost weight.)" -- yeah, he was not that sure

"Now I can clearly see the Lea in you." -- you are indeed a good friend Krishie :D

"Dess, unsa imo gihimo? Naa naman ka figure karon. (What did you do? You have a figure now.)" -- huh ?!?! was I just a lump of matter before?


The down side ... I have gained back most of the pounds I lost before the holidays. But that's okay; I still have more than 2 months left before going home for good. That's enough preparation time ... and then it's back to "Thank you! What a nice thing to say!" while giving out my sunniest smile. :)

A friend of mine has been courting this girl since forever and until now, he still doesn't know where he stands. In one dire moment, he (finally) thought of giving up and that he had done enough waiting for nothing.

This led me to thinking "in courtship, how long is too long?"

During my teenage years, (being a Filipina) saying "YES" to a suitor right away is a no-no. If I remember it correctly, I waited for 4 months before saying yes to my first boyfriend. Besides the reason I wanted to make sure of his feelings, I really didn't want to be uncomfortable when answering the question "Gaano katagal ka nya niligawan?". Yes dear, it was a big deal back then. (To think, for a long time my lolo had to "igib" water and "biak" wood for lola during their time.)

I am not sure if today's society has too much of Sex and the City; undeniably, the realm of courting has changed. There is less of it and there is more of dating. As what Parokya ni Edgar said, uso pa ba ang harana?

Which leads me to another question ... dating and courting: what's the difference between the two?

Although often used in a synonymous manner, dating and courting are two different concepts. Dating is about meeting someone and having fun. Although considered to be a casual relationship, holding hands and kissing are acceptable. (Sometimes, there's even more.) They say a couple who is only dating doesn't have marriage in mind. They just go on dating without making clear to each other where the relationship is heading.

On the other hand, courting is more about getting to know someone better and discovering if they are compatible for marriage. A couple usually begins as friends and then leads to talks about dreams, beliefs, family, etc. A friend of mine said that in a courtship, the intentions of the guy are made clear. And in a book she read, one of the advices is not to date and court if a person is not ready to face the altar.

With the last one, it was more of going out and saying yes when asked to give a relationship a try because it just felt right. Well, maybe it wasn't casual dating because we were friends before it started. I am in my late 20s now and definitely my way of thinking has changed. I won't deny the fact that a cloud called marriage is looming over my head. (Yaiikkss ... now that should scare guys away.) Yes, I can go out on a date and have fun; but if that date leads to a string of dates and more, I would prefer to know what we are doing and where we are heading before the 50th date coz waiting for nothing is something I don't have time for.


(By the way, my friend has not given up ... that's 2 years of waiting for you. I guess that's how much he loves the girl.)

During my vacation, I was able to watch few episodes of this Korean drama my mother and sister are religiously following. The drama tells the story of a well-to-do guy and a not-so-fortunate girl falling in love. In the episodes I watched, the girl was desperately trying to get on the good side of the guy's family. Not being in the same class with them, the guy's family doesn't approve of their relationship; and they are not ashamed to let her know that. Being, I guess, the good person she is, she endures all the awful and humiliating remarks and goes on with her attempt to win the family's nod. There was a point when I wanted to grab her by the shoulders, shake her senseless and tell her to stop being sooo pathetic. She doesn't need their approval, even her fiance said so.

I can't help but ask ... how important is it to get along with the family of your other half?

My brother has a girlfriend my family is not that fond of (especially my Pop). They've been together for more than 4 years, yet until now Papa shakes his head every time her name is mentioned in the household. I can even count on one hand the number of times she has visited our home. When I asked my brother about it, he said she is too afraid of Papa and opts to avoid an audience with our family. (Papa did give her the look the last time she was there.) And unlike the girl in the Korean drama, she has never attempted to get on the good side of our family.

My family is very important to me. If I have the option, I would like my next gentleman friend to get along with my family; as much as I would like to have a good rapport with his.

It's the 12th day of year 2005 ... a year which I hope and pray would be better than the last one. With all the tragedies and calamities, 2004 was indeed a tough year.

I am back in Japan. Actually, I've been here since Friday last week. I was planning to post my first entry over the long weekend; but unfortunately, my precious ThinkPad got damage during my trip back here. No it was not the airline's fault. It was all due to my negligence (a.k.a. stupidity). But who would have thought that Mr. Absolute H2O would pour out of the bottle and into the other contents of my knapsack during the long flight? Obviously not me! Anyway, I am hoping the damage is not that severe. I already called the service center and they will be picking up my machine tomorrow afternoon. Sana, I'll get it back in a week.

So, how was my vacation? Besides being a food-filling one, it was wonderful!