Sony Memory Stick Pro Duo (Mark 2)

My Colleagues and I went to the shopping centre during our lunch break today. I had my regular serve of fried rice with stir-fried chicken and veggies. :)

While at the shopping centre, I took advantage of the opportunity and bought the Sony 8 GB Memory Stick Pro Duo at Dick Smith.

I'm so excited to take lots and lots of shots without having to worry if I'll be running out of memory. Yipee! :)

Chinese Dumplings

A Chinese Colleague of mine, Minnie, came to work this morning with a platter full of Chinese dumplings. They were sooo yummy! Check them out.

She made these dumplings from scratch - even the wrapper! Hopefully one day I will be able to put together dumplings as yummy as these. 

Thanks Minnie! :)

Stress + Sadness = Shopaholic

I had a very stressful day at work today (I almost went home before noon), and when I'm stressed (and sad at the same time), the shopaholic in me gains more power.

I actually didn't do too bad this evening (I consulted with Hubby first as well as Becks), I only made one purchase online. Plus it gave me free postage because the item was over $99 and also gave me a free pair of thongs since my purchase was over $80. Yipee, great deal! :)

Of course, you will see the post when the goods arrive. I just looove the feeling of getting a pressie in the mail.

Excited! :D

(Becks, I ditched the bag. I felt bad coz Art kept on reminding me to spend wisely. Sad, but happy I saved a bit.)

Project in Effect

A good friend of mine, Mike, has joined a team of talented people at Project in Effect.

If you need any kind of branding, web development, design, advertising or similar services no matter what medium, do check out their profile. They have accomplished some AWESOME projects!

For further information please contact Mike Mamaril.

My Becks

In my twenty-five years of existence, friends have come and go. Some have left marks in my heart. Sadly, I have none or very little contact with them (partly my fault for always being busy with work and always feeling tired).

Nevertheless, I know things happen for a reason, so there must be some perfectly good explanations as to why my friendships turned out this way. Let us not dwell on the sad side of life as I am at a very happy state at the moment. Why?

I have a new best friend! :)

APRIL

I have known her for a few years now, since our Uni days. We were room mates back in Uni. It's funny because we have so much in common, down to the very last details. We are both God-fearing, love to eat, love to SHOP! Our love for shopping would have to be one of the ones on top, hence our "pet name" for each other,

BECKS

April derived this from Rebecca (Becky) Bloomwood of the Shopaholic series. Perfect comparison indeed! lol :P

April was my Maid of Honour at our wedding, and I'm proud and happy that she took on that role. It wouldn't fit anyone but her. She has been a big part of my life and I'm over the moon that our friendship has blossomed into something as beautiful as this.

Becks, I just want you to know that I'm always here for you, no matter where life takes us.

Love you! :*

Need for More Memory

I am starting to worry about the memory on my digicam. I currently have a 2gb memory stick - when we went to Cebu last year, we exhausted all the space.

I am strongly considering purchasing a larger memory stick, particulartly this one from Dick Smith Electronics.

It's an 8gb one, which I think will give me enough space before I have to download the pictures into my laptop. (I am mainly concerned about our trip to Boracay coz I don't want to have to bring a laptop on our trip)

Decisions, decisions. I might just have to buy this little gadget and make my 2gb memory stick a spare.

Theii Shops Again

I went to the shopping centre today, with the thought of having only two free Sundays left before I leave for the Philippines. I planned on completing my purchases (pasalubongs) if not this week then next. So I did end up buying stuff. Unfortunately (is it really?), I only ended up buying things for myself. Well, they will be used on my trip! One I can even use on a daily basis, and one other for all future travels hubby and I may have.

Here they are.

Swimwear, to cover the cossies (and my belly) while not in the water. Perfect for our upcoming trip to Boracay.

Elmo sleepwear (I love this kind of sleepwear, so comfy).

Cookie monster sleepwear.

BNT wash bag for my delicate garments, especially while traveling where wash bags are not available.

Pink tea length dress (my dress for hubby's cousin's wedding next month).

Here is my most favourite purchase of the day.

Rip Curl cosmetic bag, which I won't be using for cosmetics, but for toiletries when hubby and I travel.

Here is the view when the cosmetic bag is open. I already have some cosmetic (toiletry) bags, but they aren't waterproof. This one that I just bought is fully waterproof which I totally love.

I DID try finding a Ben 10 toy for my 2 (going on 3) godson, but only found toys which were too mature for his age. Maybe I will have better luck next week (pay a visit to Toys R Us).

Well, that's all for today from this shopaholic. :P

Carlo and Mandy's Wedding

My cousin's wedding was celebrated yesterday. It was so beautiful! I'm a little bummed that I wasn't able to make it to the wedding ceremony. Certain circumstances did not allow me to do so. Anyway, I still had a blast at the reception which was held at the Weribee Racing Club.

Check out some of my favourite photos from the reception which I took.

My second frozen strawberry and mango daiquiri.

(So easy to get addicted to, as I LOVE fruit shakes)

Amazing wedding cake made by Tita Thelma.

(Notice the cute cake topper, the bride is holding a fishing rod and has caught the pants of the groom)

The gorgeous bride, my new cousin, Mandy.

Carlo and Mandy

(21 February 2009)

A very happy and beautiful wedding - a relationship of 11 years has blossomed into a lifetime commitment. :)

Cardigan for All Seasons

Tomorrow is my cousin Carlo's wedding, and I have this brand new gorgeous dress to wear. Although I have one tiny problem about that dress - it's a little too revealing. With that thought in my mind, I rushed to the shopping centre during my lunch break and bought a black cardigan. I wanted a black cardigan I could wear up or down so I can get the most out of it. My colleague Minnie was with me and she persuaded me to purchase this particular cardigan from Lolitta as she said I can wear it anytime.

(Sorry for the not-so-nice photo which I took from my mobile. It's not the phone, it's me. Haha)

This cardigan won't exactly cover the "revealing" part, but at least it will steer away some of the attention. :P

He's Just Not That Into You

Just came home from from watching He's Just Not That Into You with my brothers and my cousin Faith. A Butterscotch ChocTop, massive popcorn, and gigantic sprite made the movie more enjoyable. Nibbles are a must when watching movies!

It's an alright movie, a good laugh and a tear. Haha.

My most favourite part was..

Watch out, here comes a spoiler!

My most favourite part was when Ben Affleck proposed to Jennifer Aniston. That scene was totally unexpected and super sweet! Definitely a big awwww.. lol

The movie is based on a novel which was published a few years ago (one I had read in my Uni days). A somewhat annoying book, as most of the instances you would agree that the guy is just really not into you. :c

Delivery for Me (and Hubby)

On Monday I went online at Surf Stitch and did just a little bit of shopping. I had shopped on this site before and the delivery was smooth so I thought I'd give it another shot. In the first place, this is a site recommended by Billabong Australia, so I trusted it first hand.

My first purchase on the site was a purple bikini (which I failed to blog when it arrived in the mail a few weeks ago so I will post the image now).

Anyway, back to today. Since I made my order on Monday I had been waiting for the package to come. And today, it arrived. Yipee!

Here they are, Billabong beach towels for hubby and myself.

We have been traveling quite a number of times and I thought it would be nice to have our own set of towels to bring with us instead of borrowing some from the hotels/resorts.

Of course, the first beach this set of towels will touch - Boracay! :)

And another plus, if you spend over $80 in one transaction at Surf Stitch, you get a mystery pair of thongs for free! You simply had to select if the pair is for a male or a female as well as choose the size. (I also got free shipping because the transaction was over $90)

Here is the free mystery pair of thongs.

Luckily, we got a good pair of thongs. Haha. Those thongs will be for hubby. :)

Can't wait to use the towels.

Happy happy shopper I am! :P

My Top 3s Meme

My good sister Jigi suggested I take part in this to keep me occupied - to stop thinking about my husband's visa-in-the-making. :)

Thanks sis, love you lots already. Mwah! :)


My Top 3 Meme


Three Names that Friends Call You:
Thea - Theii - Al

Three Most Important Dates in your Life:
08 May - 29 March - 06 November

Three Things You've Done in the Last 30 Minutes:
Checked emails - Drank honey & lemon tea - ate Savoy crackers

Three Ways to be Happy Even when you're at Home:
Skyping with my husband - Watching telly with the family - Catching up with friends on Facebook

Three Gifts You Would Like to Receive:
Trip around the world - Lifetime shopping sprees - Leave anytime you want pass from work

Three of Your Favorite Hobbies:

Blogging - Shopping - Food trips


Three Places You Want to go for a Vacation:

United States - United Kingdom - Philippines

Three Favorite Drinks:
Water - Iced Tea - Fruit shakes

Three Things Found in Your Bag:
Mobile phone - Wallet - Keys

Three Favorite Colors:
Purple - Pink - White

Top Three Hangouts:
Home - Work - Shopping centre

Top Three You Love so Much:
God - My Husband - My Family

Top Three Who Do You Think Will Answer this Survey:
Leah - Eds - April

Top Three Things Special To You:
Relationship with God - Relationship with my husband - Relationship with my family

Top Three Reasons Why You Answered This Survey:
To keep busy - To reflect - Love my sis Jigi

Shower Me with Patience Please

I couldn't think straight today. My mind was very much occupied with one thing - my husband's visa. I got so jittery that I rang the Australian Embassy. It has only been one month since we lodged the application (we got the acknowledgment letter a few days later), but what the heck, I had nothing to lose.

I rang the Embassy without even thinking that I hadn't shared my thoughts with hubby (sorry love, my jitters got the best of me). I had the tiniest hope that they would tell me that his visa has just been approved. But of course, my tiniest hope didn't matter.

They didn't tell me anything I didn't already know. His visa was in the processing stage, that the processing time averaged 4-6 months, and that they will contact us if they require anything else. I tried to push my luck by asking what the chances are with getting his visa approved by April. And as expected, they said they cannot make any assumptions. You don't lose anything by asking, right?

Anyway, back to waiting. Still hoping and praying that hubby will be able to join me here by April.

I don't like this game very much. Boo. :c

Flags at Half Mast

The Victorian bushfires have claimed at least 173 lives so far.

This situation has left me speechless. I can't believe that bushfires can continue burning for four days straight, damaging all the life and buildings it comes across.

I pray for those families who have lost loved ones as well as their homes.

I pray that Victoria can overcome this tragic event, sooner rather than later.

Thank you to all those who battled the flames and risked their lives to save others. Thank you to those who have contributed to the growing fund for those affected by this unfortunate event.

God bless you all..

Bittersweet Reunion [long post]

Last night after work, I went to the wake of Alvz' Mum. I came in and it was silence, except for the very familiar voice I hadn't heard in almost a year - it was Alvz, reciting the prayers for his Mum. I stared at him, noticing how well he carried himself. Such courage. His voice would occasionally shake, but he would compose himself and get back on track. I understand how he feels the the need to be that way, as he is the eldest son and he has a Father and younger sister to look out for.


I was close with Alvz back in Highschool, even before our schools were amalgamated. He was easy to get along with and great to talk to. Sadly, we drifted when I left for the Philippines in 1999. Eventhough, Alvz will always have a special place in my heart.


As the prayers ended, Alvz' dad thanked everyone for attending and welcomed everyone to take a last look at his wife. I made my way towards the front but stopped to greet Tito Fred (a HS friend's Dad) and made "mano". I continued my journey towards the front, then bumped in to Zaldy, and old Highschool friend (two batches ahead) whom I haven't seen in nearly 10 years. A hug and a kiss on the cheek, and we got talking for the first few minutes briefly catching up. We then realised that he had to get back to work (Alvz assigned him to take some photos for relatives in the Phils) and I had to continue my walk up the altar.



So I continued my walk, got half way and stopped when I saw Karen (also a Highschool friend, part of our "barkada"). I also hadn't seen her for nearly 10 years. A kiss on the cheek and a huge hug, whispering that it was sad we had to see each other under these circumstances. We would have loved to have seen each other at a lighter environment. We walked towards the altar together, with me reaching Alvz first. We stared at each other before a kiss and a hug. I was totally speechless. I stood by him and looked at his Mum from where we stood (first/second row).

I left Alvz after a bit to allow other family and friends to gather around him. I settled for a small piece of space just behind the last row of seats, standing.

Not long after, I came across Zaldy again and we chatted some more about the happenings in our lives. Surprisingly, not much has changed between the two of us (only that I was married).


Karen found me again and dragged me to meet some of her (and Alvz') dance friends. I also caught up with another Highschool friend, Patricia, who was a batch lower than us (with a kiss and a hug). Moments later, another friend from our barkada arrived, Jayson (with a kiss and a hug). Jay was also close to me back in Highscool, with him calling me "Ate" eventhough we were less than a month apart. He didn't stay with us long as he headed for Alvz up near the altar.


Before heading home, I said my goodbye to Alvz. We stared at each other momentarily (me temporarily unable to speak), me hoping that I got the message across to him - that I was still there for him. With that, my last words to him were, "Take care of yourself, okay?", wishing that I had left an order instead of a question. Nevertheless, he understood me and replied with, "I will".

Thinking of the many topics we talked about last night, one particular conversation stuck with me (although they may not be the exact words). Karen told me:

"Life is short. You have to do as many things as you can. Have fun."

Life is short indeed. And from today onwards, I hope on playing those words in my head - To help me overcome all the fears and worries I carry in my heart and head, to help me make the most of the blessings that God has given me.

Pinoy Skittles

I got this video from Sis Mae. :)

I don't think I've ever seen a commercial with the Filipino language in Australia.

Check this out - this Skittles commercial was released in the United States.

Farewell Letecia de Castro

We received horrible news yesterday..

My good old high school friend (barkada), Alvin De Castro, lost his Mum. She passed away early Tuesday morning, 03 February 2009 at 52 years of age.

Hearing the news saddened me not because I personally knew his Mum, but because Alvin is a dear friend to me. Losing a mother is and will never be easy, and I know that Alvz must be going through a really tough time. It hurts to hear that a good friend is hurting.



I went through his Facebook profile, and it was nice to see that many friends are consoling Alvz and his family. I scrolled further down and got the shock of my life. Two of his status made my eyes huge. One was a little past 4:00AM, and the other was around 10 minutes after.



The first one said that the ambulace guys have been resucitating his Mum for the past hour. And the other, requesting God to not take his Mum yet. I couldn't believe it.

Now I can't even imagine the pain he is going through, especially during the time when his Mum was being saved right in front of his eyes. I really can't imagine the pain. All I can think of is one word - unbearable.

I pray for the soul of Alvz's mum, and for the family she left behind. Please help us to pray for them.

This illustrates how fragile life really is. It scares me. :(

Boracay, here we come!

Our trip to Boracay has been booked! Yipeeeeee! :D

We will be staying at one of the nicest places on the island - Fridays. At first we were a little hesitant, as staying at Fridays is rather costly. But our relatives kept telling us that staying at Fridays is sooo worth it, no matter how expensive. So we were persuaded, and have secured ourselves a room. :)

I AM SO EXCITED!!! (The only thing I'm afraid of is the 20-minute boat ride. I am such a wuss.)

Hubby and I have never been to Boracay, so this will definitely be a memorable trip for both of us. My cousin Faye and her boyfriend Luke will also be joining us.

Any tips for our trip to Boracay dear sisses? Things to do, food and drinks to try? :)

Celebrating with Rafa, Crying with Roger

Vamos Nadal!

The young 22 year old has won on hard court, the Australian Open, for the very first time.  On our court he gained his sixth grand slam, and we are proud of it. :)

Although, it was sad to see Federer miss his fourteenth grand slam.  Even more heartbreaking when I saw him hesitate to talk, noticing that he was about to break into tears. :(

Here are the boys before the big match, their future after four hours unknown.

And here is Nadal fighting for the title on the fifth set.

Nadal approximately 5 seconds after his victory.

The scoreboard at the end of the match.

Here Roger attempts to make his speech (this is the part where I really felt bad for him).  He knew couldn't say anything because he knew that the moment he starts talking, his voice would tremble and his tears would fall.  Right he was.

Rafa accepts his award from Rod Laver himself.

Rafa makes his speech.  One of the nicest speeches I have ever heard from a champion - very humble.  He actually said sorry to Roger for that night.  What a true gentleman, true sportsmanship.

Here are the two champions with their awards.

A truly remarkable match by these two gentlemen, a match to remember - my dream match has concluded.

See you at the 2010 Australian Open Rafa and Roger! Love you both!  :)