back from the dead

it has been ages since i last wrote something here. as usual, i've been buried under an enormous shit heap of travail. god knows why i stick with this... wait, i do know but i'm just too mutton-headed to do anything about it. umm... apologies to the scores of cute lil sheep around the world.

anyhoo, just wanted to write for the sake of writing. i figured it's been ages since i've chronicled anything here, and i'm bound to forget the nice little sprinkles of fairy dust that decorated my otherwise drab existence of the past, what, 5 months?

* * *

china has been wonderful. i've been trying to upload photos in my multiply. alas, work has been brutal enough to prevent me from doing so.

one of my favorites...

saw the pandas, ate peking duck and had a free foot massage in the new olympic village being created for 2008. all excellent experiences for sure. i find myself searching for that patent sense of homecoming i felt when i stepped out of that distant gare in angers, dusty, tired yet eager to start a new chapter of my life. vive la france!

going down from the great wall...

maybe it was because it was just a four-day trip. maybe it was because i was with my family. but when i stepped out of that not-too distant airport and into the bright beijing day, that feeling eluded me.

inside the bus with shobs...

going past the forbidden city, tiananmen square, the great wall of china, and the smaller nooks and crannies of this ancient city, i could see myself settling in with the locals though. beijing has that modern-slash-historic-city vibe going on, which i definitely dig. lots of places to discover and food to gorge on. and the fact that the olympics will be held there on 2008 definitely does not hurt.

group pic at the forbidden city

* * *

club noah isabelle was wonderful as well! i repeat my sentiments after going to el nido last december- palawan trumps bora anyday.

snorkeling, sun bathing and fishing are the primary ingredients for a super vacation before your life takes a decisive turn up shit creek.

* * *

completed the first 4 calls of my cruise project with much aplomb. very interesting project that allowed me to work with various people across the board. plus, it gave me the opportunity to practice my flailing francais. c'est super!

* * *

my birthday was pretty underwhelming... as usual. no hot brazilian guys, no booze and no police hauling people off to jail.

thanks to all the peeps who remembered me on that day. i don't think i deserved it specially right after i forgot to greet 2 of my closest buds on their respective birthdays (the shame...).

the icing on the cake was enzo being suddenly assigned to fix some i.t. thingabob in our office. yay! lunch and merienda with one of the lostest nicest boys in the world. don't worry zo, you're not the only one suffering from memory loss.

* * *

ok, back to being unproductive.

allez ducs allez!!!

woohoo!!!

my favorite french hockey team kicked ass!!!

félicitations pour gagnant la coupe de france!

anna et mike, j’espère que j'étais là-bas, à bercy, avec vous.

vive les ducs!!! vive l'angers!!!

* * *

Les Ducs d’Angers sacrés à l’issue d’une soirée historique
par Fédération Française de Hockey sur Glace

La finale de la Coupe de France 2007 restera gravée dans les mémoires à plus d’un titre.

En cette soirée de la Saint Valentin, plus de 12 000 amoureux du hockey sur glace s’étaient donnés rendez-vous pour célébrer le retour de leur sport à Paris-Bercy. On retiendra ainsi qu’avec 12 215 spectateurs, un record d’affluence a été établi pour une rencontre de hockey sur glace se déroulant dans ce lieu mythique du sport français.

2 événements importants se déroulaient également en marge de cette finale :

- La remise d’un « plan patinoire » à Monsieur Jean-François Lamour, Ministre de la Jeunesse, des Sports et de la Vie Associative, destiné à favoriser l’émergence d’infrastructures nécessaires à la pratique et au développement du hockey sur glace.

- La signature de conventions de partenariats et d’échanges avec les Fédérations Canadienne et Finlandaise de Hockey sur glace en présence de René Marcil et Bob Nicholson, Présidents de Hockey Canada et Harry Bogomoloff, Vice-Président de la Fédération Finlandaise.

Du côté du jeu, on savait que la finale s’avérerait historique pour le vainqueur, Angers ou Epinal pouvant en effet inaugurer leur palmarès à l’issue de la rencontre.

Après un premier tiers temps indécis, les Ducs d’Angers prenaient le meilleur sur les Dauphins d’Epinal dans les 2 tiers temps suivants et emportaient ainsi la décision finale par 4 buts à 1.

Simon Lacroix était désigné meilleur joueur de la rencontre et le capitaine Martin Lacroix se voyait remettre le trophée « Pete Laliberté » des mains de Luc Tardif et Jean-François Lamour.

Les Angevins pouvaient alors célébrer leur victoire en compagnie de leurs supporters tandis que les joueurs Spinaliens forcément déçus allaient saluer leurs nombreux fans ayant fait le déplacement depuis les Vosges pour les soutenir.

early montage

not that anyone would notice, but my mobile went kaput last week. it started turning off and starting up again everytime i pressed 4 and finally decided not to revive after the nth time. after threats of mechanical decapitation, drowning and cellslaughter, i finally conceded that i needed to let her go and find a new phone. so if any of you tried to call or text and i didn't reply... hahaha! what's new?

that being said, things i need/want to buy:

1. mobile (i'm trying to decide between nokia 7390, n70 or that hot motorola phone)
2. book case (i found a nice, cheap, functional one at puregold when we went there last sunday. i reckon i'll be able to squeeze around 240 books into it- not even half of my stash- but it'll have to do)
3. exercise machine (given that i absolutely ABHOR going to the gym but need/like physical exercise- unfortunately, we don't have a pool-, this is a must)
4. a whole case of orangina (yup, i'm still jonesing for it)
5. books!

books i NEED to buy:
1. drop dead gorgeous- linda howard
2. undead and unpopular- maryjanice davidson
3. jennifer scales series- maryjanice davidson
4. code name: baby- christina skye
5. code name: blondie- christina skye

ever since i started teaching and my brain cells got much needed exercise, i felt that my quota for romance novels warranted a much deserved increase. so there.

* * *

after putting it off for some time (i've been busy with work, ateneo and bubu), i recently watched al gore's an inconvenient truth. truth be told, i wasn't expecting much. regardless of how interested i am in the subject, i've found that proponents of the reality of global warming and climate change are usually lacking in public speaking skills and style. add the fact that the film is a documentary and you can almost imagine a snoozefest taking place in front of the screen.

however, despite snippets of political and personal footnotes slyly inserted into the chunk that is global warming, i found it to be a very interesting and informative primer on the nature and ramifications of global warming. it tends to be simplistic at times, but considering its audience, it would have to be for the message to get through. al gore is surprisingly capable and electric. his knowledge and passion for the issue is clearly evident. i liked it so much that i showed it to my class in research methods. i felt that they could benefit from it as much as i did and perhaps, since none of them has seen the documentary before, i could make a minute difference in their lives.

going off on a tangent, i just had an edifying epiphany. does this mean i really want to stay in the ivory tower?

* * *

ack!!! i can't believe the bloody result will be given on may! that's 3 bloody months away! boo!!!

for some reason, i'm not as confident about it as before. perhaps it's because i have a lighter grasp of it, or maybe it's because i just know so many people who deserve it more than i do. or maybe it's because a lot of people are expecting me to get it and the thought of failure is gag-inducing.

whatever.

if i get it then yay!!!

if not, i better get started on a contingency plan lickety split.

orangina oh orangina!

i'm seriously jonesing for orangina.

a late recounting of 2006

stole this from lenlen (who i really miss, by the way).

what did you do in 2006 that you'd never done before?

• visited tours (and ate at a french restaurant all by myself) and nantes
• ate pizza with a bunch of hockey players after a great game
• went on a shopping binge with anna during sale season
• haul big-ass luggages through paris' metro
• really went around paris (this included a visit to l'arc de triomphe, versailles, montmarte, sacre coeur, louvre, pigalle moulin rouge, bastille, champs elysee, etc.)
• hibernated 3.5 weeks of my life away
• got a regular job
• paid my own bills
• got a raise
• got another job: became an instructor
• went bar-hopping in manila
• seen and swam with a whale shark
• went scuba diving ( well, it was an intro dive... but still)
• went kayaking
• went to bicol, davao and el nido
• this feels like a lot so i'll end it here

did you keep your new years' resolutions, and will you make more for next year?

• i didn't have the time to make new year's resolutions last year, but i made some for 2007

did anyone close to you give birth?

• as far as i can remember, ira!

did anyone close to you die?

• i don't think so...

what countries did you visit?

• well, i got back from france and singapore.

what would you like to have in 2007 that you lacked in 2006?

• a better plan, foresight and passion

what date from 2006 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?

• several dates:
• 19 january 2006: last day in france
• 6 march 2006: first day at work
• 18 november 2006: first day as an instructor

what was your biggest achievement of the year?

• becoming more mature than i thought possible

what was your biggest failure?

• february and march 2006

did you suffer illness or injury?

• yes, minor stuff

what was the best thing you bought?

• i can't seem to pick one:
• a black blazer from camaieu
• a blue and green waterfall necklace from lafayette worth EUR 1,5
• dark chocolate gloves from morgan
• an underwater digital camera for my dad
• a box of dustless chalk

whose behavior merited celebration?

• mine! and my sister's

whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?

• haha! secret.

where did most of your money go?

• food, gifts, books, and house bills

what did you get really, really, really excited about?

• going shopping during the january sale
• visiting versailles
• seeing the pyramids at the louvre
• going to bicol and el nido
• pizza hut's cheezy volcano

what song(s) will always remind you of 2006?

• hsm songs: breaking free!
• save yourself by stabbing westward
• everything and stepping out by kaskade
• sugar sugar by frankie j
• summer nights by lil' rob
• and a lot more...

compared to this time last year, are you:

• i. happier or sadder? -- sadder
• ii. thinner or fatter? – thinner
• iii. richer or poorer? – richer

what do you wish you'd done more?

• spend time with old friends

what do you wish you'd done less of?

• sulking

how many one-night stands?

• heh.

what was your favorite TV program?

• supernatural
• prison break

do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?

• yes

what was the best book you read?

• my vampire novels
• do-overs
• confessions of a not it girl

what was your greatest musical discovery?

• stabbing westward
• frankie j
• kyo

what did you want and get?

• maturity

what was your favorite film of this year?

• casino royale
• the covenant
• hsm

what did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?

• celebrated it with family and friends, 23

what one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?

• longer stay in france
• more travel
• and something else...

how would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2006?

• european casual and corporate

what kept you sane?

• reading, bitching, movies, music, friends, bubu

which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?

• zizou, until the headbutt
• steven strait
• vin

what political issue stirred you the most?

• hahaha...

who did you miss?

• france buddies: anna, tam, danny, jlaure, caro, gege, georges, walid, florian, charlotte, jenna, helen, mansour, omar, stef, claire, jean, mike, mithun, simone, sarah, angela, aurelien, gaston, irina, adriana, phil, till, parrain, guigui, and so many more!

who was the best new person you met?

• there were a lot- new friends, some colleagues

tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2006:

• don't be sad because it's over, be happy because it happened

what was the nicest thing someone told you about yourself?

• i'm going to go places
• second nicest: seriously, you look thinner. hahaha!

the most touching experience you've had this year?

• when i got home and bubu ditched the welcome reception at the airport because she wanted to watch the backstreet boys concert. heh. seriously, when ahia made an effort to hang out with me when we both know we give each other headaches.

what did you like most about yourself this year?

• my bank account

what did you hate most about yourself this year?

• same old same old

quote a song lyric that sums up your year:

• stick your head back in the sand, it's not yet safe out there (if that's not a part of any song out there, someone should seriously consider composing one with that line in it)

was 2006 a good year for you?

• in spite of the answer to the previous question, yes.

what was your least favorite moment of the year?

• 19 january 2006

where were you when 2006 began?

• playing a drinking game with a bunch of hockey players in anna and mike's apartment, miles and miles away from my family

who were you with?

• see above

where will you be when 2006 ends?

• edsa shang, garden wing suite

who will you be with when 2006 ends?

• bubu

do you have a new years resolution for 2007?

• lots, but i'm not gonna put the list here

what was your favorite month of 2006?

• december 2006

did you lose anybody close to you in 2006?

• nope!

what was your favorite record from 2006?

• ost of the covenant

how many concerts did you see in 2006?

• none

did you drink a lot of alchohol in 2006?

• yep, while i was in france

do a lot of drugs in 2006?

• hahaha!

you do anything you are ashamed of this year?

• maybe

how much money did you spend in 2006?

• a lot. i'd get my annual statement, but i'm too lazy so yeah, a lot.

what was your proudest moment of 2006?

• treating my family out for the very first time
• bubu's debut

what was your most embarrassing moment of 2006?

• ack, never mind.

if you could go back in time to any moment of 2006 and change something, what would it be?

• done more stuff while i was still in france

what are your plans for 2007?

• boy oh boy, wouldn't i like to know

how are you different now that the year has ended?

• more mature and responsible

what are your wishes for the new year?

• lower greenhouse gas emissions
• nicer politicians
• world peace

updates

so i haven't posted anything in a while. between preparing my sister's surprise debut, teaching and, oh yeah, working, i didn't really have much free time for myself. it was all candles, papers, seashells, class list, buffet menu, quizzes, layouts, avps, and ops scheds. but all that's over now. well, at least the debut part. hooray for me. another successful debut concluded satisfactorily. i might have prospective clients after that event. maybe i'll become a wedding planner someday. heh. the poor couples. natch!

i'm uber glad that bubu appreciated it. regardless of the fact that several boobs weren't there to celebrate her birthday with her, i could tell that she had fun. but thank the good lord i only have one sister to spoil.

* * *
my fledgling career as an instructor was off to a good start... i think. my potty mouth didn't rear its not-so-ugly head up, i didn't spew venom and my class stayed in their seats until the bell rang, so that's a pretty good start. i'm giving them their second quiz tomorrow. i do believe they are starting to dread my quizzes. i wonder why...

i have this little, fluffy theory percolating in my head. hopefully, i'll be able to understand its significance soon enough.

* * *
ma famille et moi will be going to el nido for a vacation. yay!!! december 22-29 will see me skinny dipping in palawan with a hot brazilian guy. (wow, it just occurred to me that i haven't thought of my prototypical brazilian guy for ages... maybe it's because i've been thinking of shifting to another archetype... natch!) haha! anyway, i'm really glad i decided against the eurotrip with my bro; at least this way, the family will get to spend christmas and new year together, unlike last year when i was in strasbourg and they were in hong kong disneyland. i think i can bear to stay away from europe for a couple more years... maybe less. let's see.

* * *
ok, back to quantitative methods...

i'm happy, damn it!

i wanna write something in this blog, but my thoughts are just waaay too jumbled up to even attempt untangling them.

ack.

maybe i'll feel better tomorrow after some retail therapy later tonight.



maybe.



i'm happy. i'm happy. i'm happy.



there.

obstinacy usually wins in the end.