Week 31

Today is already the weekend of Week 32, and my entry is a week delayed!

Blame it on the frenzy at work.

One of my office gal pals will be having her 'despedida' as she is bound to leave for an overseas stint. As is with the culture, this kind of occasion never slips away easily as goodbyes were and may never be our forte *sentimental pinoys*.

So the previous and the week that was were juggled among work, drinking, videoke, and coffee sessions.

The continuous downpour of rain did not dampen our videoke plan. Originally, it was planned to just have a singing sleepover at my home wherein I intend to concoct my signature cocktail...if only among my gal pals. But finally on the day itself, we opted to just have it in a family ktv so that the others may join, as there may be no more chance for a Friday get-together again.

Reservation is really a must on a Friday. I was surprised to see how many yuppies and not-so-yuppies arriving at the ktv even as I left for home before midnight. *It made me to wonder how much they must be earning to afford such a regular night-out. hmm...muses...* I had to remind myself to watch out for the sleek black BMW as I backed-out of the jammed parking. I would not want a replay of the Benz incident (long time ago) whose fender I pitifully crushed into as she was peacefully lounging in the corner parking, would I? *buzzzz!* Lesson learned!

The highlight of the night was the shot of jagermeister and the fiery baileys that i had with my friend JR.

Their faces registered a perplexed look as I stood up to leave for home as soon as I downed the fun shots. Of course, with my blushing cheeks, I can always excuse myself as drunken. Afterall, goodbyes are inevitable. They are bound to happen sooner or later. As an afterthought, sometimes it's better to be the one to have said goodbye than to have been said goodbye upon...particularly applicable to instances such as this, when you get to avoid the burden of dividing the bill amongst yourselves in the case of a Dutch Treat. Haha.

Reaching home, I had to collect myself and give in to my CCA's request for me to cook her her fave heart-shaped egg. Even groggy, how can I say no, when she declared that I'm the best egg-cooker in the world! That girl of tactics! You just have to love her.

I spent the weekend of 31 trying to be productive. I tried my hand at baking,started off with the simple ones. So I grabbed my book of baking and scouted for the ingredients at a nearby grocery.

To my surprise, I find baking very relaxing lest somebody budges in the kitchen every so often. If only I can say, I want my alone time please!!

My oatmeal-raisin cookie was a success! They look good, aint they? As for the taste...well...err... I have to ask my dad as I firmly requested him to take it OR i'll be offended (translates: emotional blackmail) :-)

The 'Millionaire's Shortbread' (the yellow 'thing' in pan) was 70% success, marred by the last part wherein I have to pour in melted milk chocolate as the topmost layer. It could be that I couldn't find the kind of chocolate particularly meant for baking, or that I ignored the instruction on using a 'double-broiler' for melting the chocolate. Whatever the he*l is that anyway??!! Excuses, excuses. If only there's a nearby baking school that fits-in with my sched.

I have been searching but in vain...

Simply put, I find the finished product of my 2nd project unworthy of my 'click'. Hence, the missing photo. I could be discriminating...yeah I know. Hehe.

To cap the weekend, I just vented-out my baking angsts on more videoke. However, CCA kept on grabbing the mic for her version of 'the dancing queen' that went on an on as the sound of rain lulled me to zzzzzz...

Busying in the Weekend

Here's a recount of how i spent my weekend...

FRIDAY, 25July2008

I had a couple of San Mig light *make that (couple*2)+1* with my friend JR after work in a newly-discovered nook within our office building. The place, though a tad small, is actually a garden with a glass pyramid that would put The Louvre Museum to shame. Last order is at 8:30PM, but we managed to stay until past 10 as we watched the crew tidy up the area.

What started out as a let-the-traffic-pass couple of beers turned out to be a cozy cool drunken night.

Personally, i consider myself as quite over the San Mig light stage and if I had my way (more like if budget permits, hehe), I would go for Vodka Ice or some fancy cocktail in a nice cosmopolitan glass with a stemmed cherry. Chic!

I had a nice chit-chat with my long-time friend and actually enjoyed the usually repulsive taste of San Mig. I really had a nice time...while there, that is!

As i was driving home, tears rolled down my cheeks without my knowing it. I blamed it on the uninhibiting effect of alcohol. It went on even as i reached home and lay on my bed...

I should have known.

The maxim: Aside from avoiding drunken-driving, one should never drink when broken-hearted (or something to that effect). It will eventually come out.

There is no other place I'd like to be where now except beside my hp. Haay.. *daydreams*

I arrived home around 11PM, cried myself to sleep, woke up at 1am. Sleep eluded me.

SATURDAY, 26July2008
As I had no sleep the night before, I spent this day like a zombie. I tried to do something productive like writing and baking, but in no success.

It must have really been a boring day as I couldn't recall anything worth remembering. At all.

SUNDAY, 27July2008
I woke up early and vowed to make up for my lazy Saturday. I got into my sweat pants and shirt, woke up my assistant and headed to accomplish my mission: zooom! zooom!

I've always admired ladies who know how to drive the stick. So, to add spice to my bit dreary existence, I practiced driving M/T.

Surely driving schools let you start off with manuals for a week, but people nowadays actually drive A/T in their everyday commuting so they tend to lose touch with the basics. Guilty as charged! Ahem.

It can come very handy, you know:
1.) When your car is on color-coding and you continuously dozed off despite your phone's alarm. So you woke up at 7am, then fret no more! You can drive your dad's old Ford or Volks (plate starts with N, as proof of its antiquity) that had been sitting in your garage for the looongest time.

Forget about being apprehended and fined Php300 for the violation of VVRS ( Vehicle Volume Reduction Scheme), particularly by the Urdaneta traffic enforcer just when you make the turn to Ayala Ave from EDSA! You won't miss him, or more likely, HE WILL NOT MISS YOU! Gaaad, he is so strict and really on the look. Try crossing his post at 7:15am and he will be just too pleased to hand you a ticket! (they get a fraction of it for commission). The least he could do is to hide his smile! That is what I call OA.

2.) You won't have setbacks anymore swapping with your brother's or boyfriend's car from time to time. Guys, being the car fanatics that they are, have stronger belief in M/Ts as they are more fuel-efficient and can induce greater acceleration. Translation: M/T=Schumacher-like driving!

3.)In cases of emergencies, i.e. when you need to run somebody to the hospital and the only available car in sight is an M/T (or even a jeepney in the extreme-est case ---haha!), then it can even be your life-saving vehicle, you know.

4.)If you get tired with your A/T, you can trade it for a classic M/T plus cash. Cashing! Cashing! Who would say no to extra moolah, eh?

But then again, you may just end up spending more as u need to hoard tons of anti-wrinkle serum for the surging wrinkles on your face brought about by more stressful driving. (for this sole purpose, i'd like to have a driver please!)

So, I (with my cute chubby assistant-CCA) reacquainted myself with the stick for a couple of hours. We went to the safest place I know for practice.

Hint: As my CCA puts it, it's the 'dead park' !

The Memorial Park! Nobody even tried to cut me. Not even a single soul! Haha. Plus, we also got to see a couple of eagles, monkeys and squirming tadpoles (which my CCA finds eeeww!)

I must admit, there was a different feel in shifting gears. I got excited everytime. Perhaps I shifted gears too often that day.

So we headed for home too thirsty and my CCA complaining that there were just too many dead people that she lost count of them.

Later in the afternoon, me and my family headed to my brother's place in Calamba,Laguna. We had a relaxing meal in an al fresco resto known for their 'Bulalo'. Food was good particularly the kare-kare (ox's tripe in peanut sauce), except that my tooth had a serious combat with a highly-resistant grilled squid.

We then had coffee and strawberry ice cream in my brother's house. Of course they had beer and videoke by themselves. Just i find it boring to drink with them as they still have that funny look in their eyes that says 'you're still the baby that we used to bring chocolates to everyday before.' Boring judgmental old folks, hmmmp!

I spent time around with my nieces and nephews instead as they give me a different look that clearly spells: A-D-O-R-A-T-I-O-N! Surely, i can be egoistic once in a while. So sue me! Haha.

Just a normal weekend.

Kimchi hors d'oeuvre

current palate penchant: kimchi hors d'oeuvre

I don't know about you guys, but when I find something really to my strong liking, I can stay happily stuck with it for a looong time...if not forever.

In this case, am currently crazy over kimchi hors d'oeuvre (personally tagged as such).

I had been introduced to it about a month ago, and I can't seem to get enough of it and find myself salivating over its lingering taste even in the middle of the day and/or while on my drive home. *stomach now growling*

It's nothing fancy really, but the magic spell it casted on me made me go loco over it. Simply, I find it arduous to take my mind off it.

In brief, it's a combo of roasted dried seaweed-sticky rice-kimchi, in that particular order. *refer to pics for illustration* The seaweed gives off a salty and exquisite oriental flavor, while the kimchi (fermented cabbage) is a face-off between sour and spicy. Oh, and the sticky rice serves as the neutralizer. The taste: Enchanting!

I got a feeling that it's just meant to be an appetizer or a side dish, but what the heck, I make it my main course. Who makes the rules on my table, eh?

It's quite addicting actually, only my perennial worry is that the seaweed will always be not enough, at least for me. Considering the exponential rate of how fast I wolf it down, I guess I have to find a nearby oriental grocery soon! Really soon lest I go crazy.

I can live with it forever...in addition to my mom's 'The Ginisang-Monggo,' that is.

Just some of the simple joys of my existence.

Prologue

Hp:

It had been almost a week. I'm really missing you...

I know we've spent the best of our time together and that it's now time for our new chapter to unfold. During the wonderful time that had been, we loved each other deeply and thoughtfully...right to the very last day that we've shared.

We practiced and anticipated this moment, but I had not been warned of the overwhelming sorrow of you being away from me.

Surely we will continue to love each other, afterall, love resides in the heart (and mind) more than anywhere else. It's just that i find it somehow cruel and ironic for us to miss the time (which may take years or a decade) that we could have been together given how restricted we already are. Neither of us can say what is exactly in store for us in the future. All I know is that we love each other well.

No matter what, i believe that our love will find its way.

-Mh-