Bibliophile, I am: How I Got My HP6

In the midst of the hype of Harry Potter 7, I decided that it was finally time to add the complete set of the books for my collection.  Honestly, I haven’t read all of the books.  In fact, I only got to read book 1, half of book 2, and book 5.  What can I say? 

You see, there is always a chance that I lose interest in something, a book or a song, when it becomes famous.  That is why I only got to read half of book 2: Harry Potter was crazy famous by then.  Everyone who found me weird because I was a bookworm, were suddenly experts in literary art.  I kinda felt betrayed, books were my gig (Alright!  I was 21!  That’s my excuse).  You know how it is…

Anyway, the lot of you guys know that I have started applying the Law of Attraction into my life.  So in my morning quiet-time, I started picturing the complete hardbound set in my possession.  I don’t know if I would get around to reading them.  I just want to have the set in my collection.

Last Friday, the executive committee of my company treated us to a meal.  It was chaos in the pantry area, but I finally got a seat beside a manager from my batch, Ms. Dinah.  I have not talked to her in a while, so we were having an animated conversation to catch up on things.  I find her chica btw.   My quest for the books came up,  and oddly enough, she actually has an extra copy of book 6!  What a coincidink?!  Who actually has an extra copy, in mint condition no less, of a Harry Potter Book?!  Turns out it was a freebie for reserving the final installment of the series.

She offered it to me for 500Php, and actually asked if it was reasonable.  What luck?!  No, this is not just luck.  This is the universe moving circumstance and things to give me what I asked for, nothing less.

As far as the Law of Attraction goes, I am MAGNETO!

Visita Iglesia

In all the years of my family’s devotion to the Catholic Faith, I was quite surprised that we have never gone to this church.

This is Sta. Clara Church in Katipunan, which also houses some monk sisters.  If I’m not mistaken, this is the Church from the Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo books by Dr. Jose Rizal.  The place is just embraced by serenity, despite it being in the middle of the Metropolis.

I came with these guys — my new friends from the office.  They let us out of the office early last Monday due to network problems.  So we decided to do a short roadtrip to the Church.  Afterwards, we spent the rest of the afternoon at Timezone Greenbelt 3.

You Like? They’re Not Shoes

They’re sandals.

They are so comfortable that you don’t have to break into these shoes, err sandals.  I bought the Donny ones with the blue stripes.

Check www.sanuk.com for their line.  These are available at Rustans.

Cheapskate’s CheapSteak

 

Rubi introduced me to House of Minis steak today.

 

I got this large slab of steak for 200Php flat.  I was pleasantly surprised that it’s delish.  Unbelievable!

House of Minis can be found at Food Choices Glorietta 4.

A Sign

I never ordered Vanilla Ice blended from Coffee Bean before.  I looked down and saw this.   

It is on its way.

In the Name of Dessert…

…we got rained on.  This was last Wednesday.

We went to Jollibee for shakes and pie.  It was already dark when we went out of the office, but we pressed on.  On the way back, the heavens finally cried.  We had no choice but to wait it out at a Jollijeep.  From Jollibee to Jollijeep.

Our feet were soaking wet.

But we were the happiest stranded people around.  When we finally arrived, we found our officemate Franco like this:

Buti pa siya himbing na himbing sa pagtulog. 

Too Pooped to Pop

I lost all energy trying to explain The Secret to my brother this evening.  I could almost feel an icky feeling come over me after that conversation.  Urk…

This way of thinking is not just for material things, you know?!  Yeah I may have tried to prove that it works by attracting material things to me, but don’t judge something out of what you just overheard.  Haay…

I must focus on one more thing then… understanding.

Oh well, tomorrow is a new day.  I know that it is going to be a good one!

I’ll post some stuff then.

Lunchtime Flashback

After lunch, we decided to go to the nearby 7-11 store to get some dessert.  So on our way back, I was eating a cone of cornetto, when the girls (both Mums) went inside Lady Godiva Beauty Station. 

So I sat there, eating my ice cream, waiting for them.  I was like a kid waiting for my mother while she shopped around.

I can’t remember how many times I did this with my Mum.

 

Anything is Possible

I wrote my goals the other day.  It’s a list of what I want my self image to be in the future in all aspects:  financial, relational, physical, intelectual, and spiritual.  At first I had a difficult time, but I was adviced to write what I didn’t want and then traslate it into it’s opposite polarity.  The results are my positive goals in life.  The key is to embody, as if you already attained them.

I learned that it is unhealthy to keep this survivor attitude of mine.  It keeps me from moving forward.  Since the universe acts only on what you focus on, there is no room for negative feelings if you want to attain your goals.  That is the Law of attraction.

I’ve since then let these positive feelings flow through me.  I’m excited.

Midnight Anxiety: Negativity Breaking Through

Yesterday was such a stressful day for me.  From my way to work, negativity has been thrown at me in the form of a very insensitive person.  I did my best not to give in to it.  It can’t be helped.  I was taking public transportation.

I got to work to find that literally everything has halted.  We were sitting there doing nothing, paralyzed by the malfunctioned system.  I think the seven or so hours of idle time finally caused the collapse of some of my emotional safeguards.  For survivors like me, sometimes you have to use these safeguards to keep the negativity of your dark past at bay.  I scribbled down these few lines to articulate the experience.

Shards of sadness just came over me right now for no apparent reason. Well, I guess for a moment, i gazed upon the telephone and started to run through a list in my head of who to call. Finally realizing that there’s no one family member concretely in my life right now, save for one of my brothers.

I was again beset by a profound feeling of being alone. The dilemma there is that I do not even know if I want to connect with them still.

This overall feeling has taken over me such that I have built this invisible wall around me. I cannot learn to trust and depend on anyone new right now. I fear that I may never quell this chain of distrust.

Even on my way home I stumbled into some negative people.  Trials, trials…

 

Room of Backlogs

This weekend, I decided that I didn’t have anything to write.  Well, nothing substantial, not if you consider staring at  people at work all day bloggable material… Or staring at space if I’m not doing actual work.  No, I haven’t even gone to a coffee shop the past week, not even with myself.

So right now I’m in my room, thinking of something to write, very much like conjuring something from nothing.  I look around and see that I have a ton of things to finish.

Like games I need to finish, I have 3 more to go through…

Like the stash of books I need to read through: 2 more of the Balefire Series, the Shadowmancer which I have been reading forever but have not finished, and the Sweep Series which I would like to read again…

I also need to get shelf space for my bags, right now some are sharing closet space with my clothes…

I have just the space to move things around.

 

Because I have this huge hole in my house, that’s half of my livingroom there.

—

I do have some things of interest.  But I can’t write about it right now.  It  involves P.I.-ing some people’s information, on the net of course.  I’m sorry about being so cloak-and-dagger over this.  It’s more fun this way.

Midnight Anxiety: Silencio

In D&D (Dungeons and Dragons), or any other fantasy games and stories for that matter, there is a spell called silence.  D&D elaborates on this:

Spell of Silence

Upon the casting of this spell, complete silence prevails in the affected area. All sound is stopped: Conversation is impossible, spells with verbal components cannot be cast, and no noise whatsoever issues from, enters, or passes through the area.

Basically it prevents magicians from using their skills…

— 

I feel like the Spell of Silence has been cast on me, in the form of frustration.  My skills, my talents and focus are directly connected to my emotions.  That much I learned about myself throughout the years.  I also know that I lose the power to wield them when I am drowning in a sea of negative feelings.

I just hope that I can muster enough willpower to get my head out of the water.

Cool Travel Kit, you like?

I saw this at Jack Spade last night.

The colorful lining is also made of nylon, which makes it weather-resistant.

It’s the Drill Nylon Travel Kit from Jack Spade.  It has a 25% discount at the Greenbelt store.  Very tempting, isn’t it?

My Secret Winning Streak

Remember when I showed you guys this bag (click here)?  It was not available at the lone Jack Spade store in the Philippines.  I wanted it so much that I considered ordering it off-shore.

Well, all day I was looking at this pic at www.jackspade.com.  I felt like going to Jack Spade after work.  When I arrived, these greeted me at the display area:

I literally could not contain my happiness to see them.  It’s like reuniting with long lost friends!  

Well finally they arrived, and at 20% discount, a substantial amount was slashed off! Apparently, they were taken out of storage for the sale.  Oh God is just so good to me! 

But I can’t get the red one, and I didn’t want to get the one in tank color.

I already have a Jack Spade Nylon Day Bag of the same color.  The Salesperson insisted that these were the only ones available.  I finally convinced her to check their stock and…

TADA!!!!  I got it in black, which was not displayed, even to the Salesperson’s surprise.

Thanks to AJ for introducing me to The Secret.  I am believer SOBRA!  I can’t wait to get the THING next month.  You know, the blurred picture that I really LVOE?!

A Shiela from Down Undah!

Kat, an officemate, is back from her Australian assignment.

Best part?! She let me get two items from her goodie bag because we’re close.  She has become one of the (silent) regular readers of my blog.  Thanks, Kat!

Because I can!

Sometimes I wear this shirt, half of a pajama set I bought from Mark & Spencer at Glorietta, to work.

It doesn’t look like sleepwear, but it is when paired with the jammies.  The cotton fabric is really soft.  Very comfy!

But I decided to where a black Fubu shirt and Jeans, with an unkempt hair for work.  I am SO not myself today.

My Emotional Assassin

There was a trolly lying around my living room this morning.  It was my old trolly bag which my brother (from Davao) nicked from me the last time he came.  But this brother of mine was nowhere to be found.  I was then told that he came in at 4:00AM and went to Quiapo Church before I even woke up.  He was not yet around when I left home for work.

I am pretty sure my brother is avoiding me.  He’s been doing so successfully for about four months now.  Even his whole family has not talked to me since March.

He’s been here in Manila since Saturday, that much I know.  He went straight to my Aunt Lydia’s house and I suppose stayed there for a couple of days until today.  He still managed to avoid me by coming in at such an unholy hour.  Maybe he’ll get back to Davao by lunchtime.  Very very slick.

I hope he knows that this showcase of streetsmarts and espionage skills only hurts my feelings, if he ever cared.

—

Update 12nn July 17:

I’m actually not as hurt as I’m supposed to be.  What does this mean?  Scary…

Update 2pm July 17:

Scratch that!  It sunk in na, and it’s really infuriating!

The Formidables: Chambered Existence

It is as if I am living in a glass case, I realized today, free from the trivial pursuits of other people.

I sat with some girls for lunch today, and I just could not relate to what they were talking about.  Well, at a conscious level I do understand them.  I just can’t see or feel the importance of their conversation.

Like the Chambered Nautilus, I have moved into a thicker shell.

—

The Chambered Nautilus
By Oliver Wendell Holmes (1809-94)

This is the ship of pearl, which, poets feign,
Sail the unshadowed main,–
The venturous bark that flings
On the sweet summer wind its purpled wings
In gulfs enchanted, where the Siren sings,
And coral reefs lie bare,
Where the cold sea-maids rise to sun their streaming hair.

Its webs of living gauze no more unfurl;
Wrecked is the ship of pearl!
And every chambered cell,
Where its dim dreaming life was wont to dwell,
As the frail tenant shaped his growing shell,
Before thee lies revealed,–
Its irised ceiling rent, its sunless crypt unsealed!

Year after year beheld the silent toil
That spread his lustrous coil;
Still, as the spiral grew,
He left the past year’s dwelling for the new,
Stole with soft step its shining archway through,
Built up its idle door,
Stretched in his last-found home, and knew the old no more.

Thanks for the heavenly message brought by thee,
Child of the wandering sea,
Cast from her lap, forlorn!
From thy dead lips a clearer note is born
Than ever Triton blew from wreathed horn;
While on mine ear it rings,
Through the deep caves of thought I hear a voice that sings.

Build thee more stately mansions, O my soul,
As the swift seasons roll!
Leave thy low-vaulted past!
Let each new temple, nobler than the last,
Shut thee from heaven with a dome more vast,
Till thou at length art free,
Leaving thine outgrown shell by life’s unresting sea!

The World According to J.A.: Relieving Stress

People rearrange furniture when they’re stressed…

I make people I’m stressed about rearrange furniture for me.

Weekend Trek

Saturday July 14:

I went to Makati to do my bank run.  Getting pretty stressed out after that, I decided to walk it out.  I walked from Citibank Tower in Paseo de Roxas to Glorietta.  Wearing my havs, my feet was aching a bit.

I bought this cake before making my way home for my brother’s birthday celebration.

Sunday July 15:

After having lunch with my Aunt Lydia, I asked them to drop me off the SM mall in Sucat.  I went straight to some salons to try to get a haircut, but there was at least a 30-minute waiting time on all of them.  I’ll just get my hair done on the weekdays, I guess.

I remembered that I was supposed to get my SM Advantage Card (See, I am a cheapskate!  A tightwad!).  I decided to walk around the furniture section at the 3rd level since there was still a line at the customer service.  Besides, I wanted to get some pieces for my room.

I saw this desk which would be perfect.

If I would ever have the heart to demolish my late Mum’s gigantic closet and vanity (It was built where it stands),  I would get this.  There’s a 20% discount on this.

To save space for my room, maybe I’ll replace the bed with this sofabed.

This is half the price, but so un-chica, even for sofabeds.

This is SM, but I did find a cool dining set at 10% off.  Perfect for a condo unit.

 

Finally I got my SM Advantage card.  And there’s my gold cc underneath, very tempting but not now. 

 

I have my little project to accomplish.

 

Forgetting Myself Day is Friday

I was wandering around Greenbelt 3 last Friday while waiting for the Harry Potter showing at 8:30 that evening, when I found out that the edifier I reserved was already availabe at the PowerMac store.  I got it for a measly price, and saw some vinyl skins for my Ipod.

I decided to go with this skin for a very good reason. *Wink wink at AJ

 

Telekinetique

Here is a version of myself on COH.  Telekinetique, who can win the “Hero with the Most Obvious Powers” award.

 

Like the shades?  I am never without a pair of it.

The Old Me: Rediscovered

Experts say that people shed their skin constantly since birth that from childhood to adulthood, we could have completely replaced our original skin. We are practically different versions of ourselves skin-deep.

I came accross a collection of notes I had from some 5 years ago. This was the time when I decided to chronicle my experiences in paper, after my Dad died. As I started to flip through some pages, I felt like I was reading another writer’s work. He seemed very different, yet familiar. The writer was like me, but more dependent on friends, vurnerable, and weaker in spirit. For a moment there I wanted to reach out to this person, whose wounds were so fresh from the loss of a loved one. But he is me, only I am independent, stronger, and formidable.

It’s surprising to see how much someone can change in such a short span of time. Especially for someone who has gone through hell and back, not once but thrice, the change can be astounding.

I think this is the right time for me to finally show these notes in public.

Kalerky Start of Day!

Worst case scenario – the cab I was riding broke down in the middle of EDSA.

I had to walk from Evangelista to Magallanes where my luck turned and got to ride another cab easily on a rush hour.  Fortunately I managed to get to the office unscathed. 

This kalerky day painfully reminds me to enroll myself to driving school this weekend.

Birthday Boy Aki!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY BROTHER AKI!!!

Excited!

Emergency! Emergency! This I gotta have! The pic is intentionally blurred because it’s a surprise.

This all started when AJ showed the link to me. Then I got even more excited when we saw it at the storefront this evening. I am SUPER EXCITED!

I’ll borrow the idea of The Secret ha?

—

Update July 12: IT is apparently more affordable than expected. I LVOE it!

Design Detail?

Kickers at Glorietta 4 is on sale until the end of the month. Of course, in the name of economic growth, I bought a pair.

The outside is nice enough, but I found the lining (I don’t know if you could call it that) interesting.

If the shoes were only reversible…

My Boss, the Superhero

While creating a new hero for the game City of Heroes, I produced Sgt. Starlight. A hero with the powers of flight, and light, obviously.

He ended up looking very much like Andy, my former lead from Acn, in my opinion. What do you guys think?

Like Soldiers of War

These are the guys from my batch in the Firm.

Like soldiers in training, we are all set to be deployed to different places very soon. About five of these people will be sent to Stockholm, Sweden. For me and another colleague Franco (the guy in the blue striped shirt), the plan is for us to go to Warsaw, Poland. The trip being realized is still vague, though. Anyway, the management is making efforts to finalize it.

I need to get my passport renewed. The expiration is set to February next year, but as most of you know, some visa applications require the validity of the passport to be at least six months. That is in case the trip goes through.

Pasta Frenzy

The cheapskate that I am (Hold your objections!), I ate at Italiannis twice last Thursday. An officemate gave us a bunch of these vouchers, I just had to oblige.

I have also been eating a lot of pasta lately, at Food Choices, even the ones being sold at the office. Maybe I’m looking for the taste of the one we make at home. It is my brother Aki’s birthday this week, if we celebrate it on Saturday, I’ll be sure to have it prepared. It is not for him since he is not really super fond of it, it’s for me.

My late sister made the best spaghetti. Oh well…