au resolution

yearly, as the last days of december toll, friends keep asking me what's my new year's resolution. for years, i have been changing my answers as i thought i am becoming a better person and so, things i must change, change constantly as well. but this year, i realized that most of the things i've changed, i've turned into them again.

tell me, is it just the dilemma of having a resolution just for the sake of having one? is it because i must have an answer to those who ask? or is it because i really want to change?

beats me!

this year, whatever my resolution may be, i've decided not to tell. my friends won't need my explanation. i also wouldn't need theirs. what's important is that i strive to be a better person. better than last year. better than the previous ones.

in the coming year, may we all be blessed. surely, whatever the new year will bring, as long as we remain positive, we will overcome all trials.. resolution or none!

:p

Quillon

as a child, whenever we hear mass in Quiapo Church, my mom would always take us to an alley adjacent to the Balikbayan Market. my fondest memory is that once we reach home, we have bags after bags of goodies consisting of kikiam, fish balls, hash browns, french fries and the like. today, i revisited the area.

after the usual flea market bargain hunting in Carriedo, my constant companion Lee and I decided to hunt down the "alley". remembering the place with how my mom calls it, we naively asked peddlers where Quillon is. and in no time, we traverse the labyrinth of alleys ending up in the quaint store which carried my childhood memories.

Quillon, after all these years, is still the same. same look, same smell, same procedure. you write down your order in the yellow form, give it to the staff, pay off in the cashier, wait for your name to be called. i know it sounds ancient as compared to how we netizens shop for stuff in the web but the thrill is unique. something only a trip to Quillon can give.

reaching home, i unpacked the frozen goodies which actually dripped the whole trip. nevertheless, i am now reaping the fruits of my well, labor.

as of this writing, i have a mouthful of fries in sour cream and onion and cheese!

gimme!

i'm such a sucker for gifts. no one can wipe the smile on my face as i slowly open the crunchy, crispy wrappers, exposing the trinkets and treasures beneath it. i admit, i expect to receive lots of gifts everytime a special occassion comes up. more so, i expect to receive tons every christmas.

unfortunately this year, i only got a few ... :(

amazingly though, i didn't get upset. had it been a few years back, i'd probably be on the verge of rage and madness. but now, i understand that there are reasons.. the slump of worldwide economics, lack of stable income, issues, problems.. and of course, on top of all these, how can i be so selfish to expect that people would still try to be careless with their resources, splurging on gifts. i am not that insensitive.

and so, through this blog (:)) i extend my forgiveness to my friends and family members who forgot / wasn't able to give me a gift. i understand that times are tough and we have to be tougher.. i'm not mad. not at all..

know why?

'cause i know (and i expect) that next year, next christmas, your gifts will be grander.

;p

pre xmas party '08 poopsies

this year's xmas party is so hyped that everyone in our company burns with fervent desire to be in their best, spending their free time Googling for outfits that'll sure to make them the stars of the night. crazily though, the theme of the party seemed to change with each passing day.

initially, it was announced that it's a cocktail event so its coat and tie for guys and dresses for girls.

it then changed to the "So You Think You Can Dance" concept which dressed the event down several notches.

and now, with less than 24 hours to prepare, invites that were given out indicated that it's a Hollywood red carpet event and of course people are expected to be in their full Oscar's and MTV awards regallia.

if you tell me it's not confusing, i don't know what is..

so, with as little as 3 hours left, what do you expect me to do?? nothing!

whatever the theme is, i decided not to care. i'll just be in my best outfit and that is to wear my skin. no silly, i'm not going skinny dipping on this one but i'll just arrive with whatever i lay my hands on later. besides, there's nothing fancier and more fab than be our own selves. instead of stressing over pre - xmas party poopsies, why not steer away from things that don't matter and stick to those? what's really important is that we are celebrating this event with our friends whom we'll have sure fire fun with no matter what. after all, the party's just gonna last for a good 3 - 4 hours!

pre mortem

it feels great when you are seemingly trapped and then you are able to suddenly get away..

it's like being reborn. like you are given another chance. another shot at things.

you suddenly disassociate yourself from things you usually and normally do. not totally but partially. it's such a discovery of sorts.

and when you are given that oppurtunity, you just can't help but grab it.

hopefully this account will enable me to just breakaway. to part me from the usual. to make me a channel of thought, ideas, words.. to just give me a new avenue.

and from being trapped, i will let a lot of things be free. i will let them just get away.