This is a big world -- 44 Down/8 to Go	[me]

[+] SO MUCH NEW MOON THIS WEEK -- it's crazy. I can't imagine modding a twilight-comm these next few weeks. Kudos goes to the amazing mods. Seriously. Vanity Fair + Harper's Bazaar = Fandom Heaven!!!

[+] SO MANY FIC UPDATES!!! The Training, Counterpoint, My Life To Be, Hydraulic Level 5 AND Emancipation Proclamation? YES PLEASE

[+] THANKS SO MUCH to mizramanips for the VGIFT!!! Sweetest thing ever! Here's to more wholesomely awesome PMs!

[+] I am the last person to jump on this bandwagon but I finally succumbed to Taylor Swift's Fearless album and I LOVE IT. I'm such a teen girl. Bring me back to high school please!

[+] Also, I still have the Holiday Card Post just in case you still haven't checked it out! Great week for me, hope it was for you too! ( » )

The last time I covered an APEC Summit was 1997 in Vancouver.

Much of the world has changed since then...and my faith in APEC as a world body that is suppose to break down trade barriers have also faded.

Not many trade barriers were broken down, but a lot of discussions went around.

Will member "economies" achieve any break throughs in Singapore or will they only talk some more?

In 1994, APEC Leaders adopted the Bogor Goals that aim for free and open trade and investment in the Asia-Pacific by 2010 for industrialised economies and by 2020 for developing economies -- we are no where near the implementation of this, though 2010 is just around the corner.

And who will really benefit from an APEC FTA?

Come to think of it, does anyone really care about APEC?

Wake Me Up November 20?	[Lion and Lamb Love]

With just TWELVE days left (I can't believe we're less than 2 weeks away) to New Moon, the press junket finally happened which means a million and one videos to watch and squee over. I am a happy (and exhausted) fangirl.

[+] Summit released interviews with almost everyone from Rob, Kristen, and Taylor, to guilty!crush Chris Weitz, Ashley, Dakota, Michael Sheen and even SMeyer! It's things you'll be hearing about New Moon over and over minus often times annoying interviewers! [Collider]

[+] This mega long but interesting transcript for Rob, Kristen, and Taylor's interviews make you feel like you were actually at the press conference! Plus they show some Cweitz love. [also via Collider] ( +1 )

[+] Then next week we get the European tour and the week after that the talk shows and the actual premiere. I'm tired already. ( » )

[Bones Online]

Wow did I miss this show or what? Now that the Yankees have won the World Series (and my dad is a happy camper), I can now get my Fox shows back on my TV shows with Bones this week (and Glee next week!) And they came back with cuteness from Booth/Brennan and some Angela priding herself in her almost six months of celibacy. You go girl. I'm so glad this crime-solving duo is back on. I missed it way too much. ( » )

I have no appetite
and I have just forgotten how to smile.

My heart is broken
and my spirit is crushed.





I might as well be gone.

Please..just let me die.

Ok, I've never heard of Agatha and I haven't seen the store—but Grace, let's go!
Some of the stuff is literally charming.
I am a sucker for these.

Some of the stuff are very Looklet or very girly


To celebrate its 35th anniversary, French fashion jewelry label Agatha created limited edition extra-large charms created to recount the story of Agatha throughout the years.
Agatha also chose 12 models to represent individuality, imagination, diversity and choice.
Again, how very Looklet!




Let's go nah!
Agatha jewelry is exclusively distributed by Stores Specialists, Inc. (SSI) and is available at Greenbelt 5 and Robinson’s Midtown.

http://agatha.fr/accueil.htm

Nestlé wants you to take 14 days to show off your shape and win a new wardrobe!
Simply form a team of 2-8 members, and using Nestle Fitnesse’s 14-day meal plan, everyone in the team has to lose at least 2 pounds in 2 weeks.

Participants only need to replace breakfast and one of the main meals—either lunch or dinner—for 2 weeks.
They are encouraged to exercise, eat plenty of fruits, vegetables and low-fat, carbohydrate-rich foods to complement the 14-day regimen.
As part of the challenge, participants need to chronicle their 14-day regimen through an online “fitness diary” accessed at http://www.fitnesse-14days.com/



The Top 10 most popular FITNESSE 14-day diaries will make it into finals.
The Nestle Fitnesse 14 Days to Show off Your Shape will kick off on November 14, Saturday, 9am, at Greenbelt Park, Makati, with the voting period lasting from November 15 to December 3, 2009.
Winners will be announced on December 10, 2009 in a fashion show.

And here's what you get:
A designer wardrobe handpicked by Manila's editors and stylists: Pauline Juan, Rissa Mananquil, Audrey Carpio, Bianca Consunji, Donna Cuna Pita, Isabel Roces, Jenny Eperson and Joyce Fernandez.
It includes an Hermès belt, plus pieces from Chanel, Rhett Eala, Michi Calica, Religioso, Kate Torralba, Jun Escario, and 7 for All Mankind.

Hermès

Chanel

Religioso

Rhett Eala

7 For All Mankind

For more information about Nestle Fitnesse’s 14 Days to Show off Your Shape, log on to http://www.fitnesse-14days.com/

Dear Grace,
Too bad, sold out na ang Twitter tights!
Was gonna get you for Christmas.



Via: Etsy

Superga is an Italian shoe brand founded in 1913.
It originally made tennis shoes, including the famous model "2750 Classic" but then diversified into a wide range of colors, fabrics, and prints each season for women, men, and kids.
Take a look at Superga's offerings from Disney.
With all the new characters coming out—from Ben 10 to Pokemon—I'm surprised that my boys would still be interested in Disney. I actually bought a Mickey Mouse plush toy for my son yesterday.

Mickey (Markus likes)

Spotted (for the baby)

Nemo

Comics (Ben likes these)




And more. Superga is exclusively distributed by Stores Specialists, Inc. (SSI) and is available at Rustan’s Makati, Rustan’s Tower, Rustan’s Alabang, Eastwood Mall, and Greenbelt 5.

The World Pyro Olympics 2009 will be held at the Fort Bonifacio Global City, Taguig, Philippines.
This year features a NEW SHOW FORMAT to be used by competing countries.
Each pyromusical composition will run for 18 minutes and have the added feature of low-level effects, which were not utilized in past World Pyro Olympics.
Synchronized musical scores will be played through sound systems on the event site.



EVENT DATES (5 CONSECUTIVE SATURDAYS)
21 November - Germany, China
28 November - Canada, Australia
05 December - Japan, Italy
12 December - Korea, USA
19 December - Highlights from the participants -- La Mancha Group International (closing display)

TICKET PRICES
PER SHOW:
VIP - P1,500 (inclusive of dinner)
SVA - P500
GVA - P200

DISCOUNTED PRICES FOR 5 SHOWS:
VIP - P6,000
SVA - P 2,000
GVA - P 800

Limited VIP tickets only. Reserve now!
We are now accepting reservations for VIP and the Special Viewing Areas.
Please call 568-6908 or 3840239 for reservations (World Wide Womb).
GVA Tickets are Available at TicketWorld Outlets: Selected Ayala Cinemas, Robinsons Dept. Stores and National Bookstores call 891-9999

ADDITIONAL INFO: This will be located at The Fort Open Grounds behind High Street, near MC Home Depot.
VIP comes with a free dinner from VIA MARE and all VIPs have sure seats.
VIP and SVA are in front of the GVA (General Viewing Area).
There will also be enough food booths and seats at the SVA although you cannot reserve seats there, first come first served.

Gates open at 3pm, but fireworks start around 6:30 PM.

I love PostSecret.com

If you haven't seen it already, you should check it out. PostSecret is an ongoing community art project where people mail in their secrets anonymously on one side of a postcard.

------------------------------------------------------------

About PostSecret:

Three years ago, Frank Warren began PostSecret as a regional art project in Maryland.
People were invited to submit postcards that, through words and art, detail a personal secret.

The messages were originally part of an exhibition in Washington, D.C. Today, the PostSecret phenomenon includes a Web site which has received more than 100 million "hits" and hosts over 3 million visitors every month, has spawned four New York Times bestselling books and has resulted in more than 180,000 secrets being sent in from around the globe.

Warren receives about 1,000 postcards each week at his home address (13345 Copper Ridge Road, Germantown, MD 20874), and he reads every one. Each Sunday night, he posts 20 selected cards on his blog.

"We all carry secrets," Warren says. "Each of us has a secret that would break your heart if you just knew what it was."



------------------------------------------------------------

At a first glance, PostSecret seems like a website for the depressed to convey their very morose messages. That's what I thought anyway but I judged too soon. The resulting collection of visual secrets; intimate, humourous, heartbreaking, sometimes disturbing are all strangely compelling. I definitely recommend giving the website a look.

www.postsecret.com

On a side note, I loathe Miley Cyrus. Her stupid 'Party in the U.S.A' song has been stuck in my head for the whole damn day.

------------------------------------------------------------

[after a hail of gunfire doesn't stop V]
Creedy: "Die! Die! Why won't you die?... Why won't you die?"
V: "Beneath this mask there is more than flesh. Beneath this mask there is an idea, Mr. Creedy, and ideas are bulletproof."
-- V for Vendetta

My banger sister- on a bus ride to a supposed rock gig- said, "We are young and the time to make mistakes in NOW." With that in mind, I QUIT MY JOB. So today, I made it official, I left my Call Center job and off I run to find a new one hoping to find what I REALLY WANT along the way.

I'm young and very sickly and I guess all I ever want in this life is time to think things over and breathe... with my lung condition, breathing might be challenging. I love you, Acquire! As I have indicated on my resignation paper, it was a "first time" worth remembering. Yes, Acquire Asia Pacific was my first employer since graduating from College with the degree I stretched my bones to the fullest for.

I look back, I recall May 6, 2008, I was with Willy Sy, one of my 2 guy Best Friends, we walked in to Acquire, office located at the Lower Ground of the Worldwide Corporate Center along Shaw Blvd. I was young, I had no idea what was in store for me. Inna Aldeguer, my College Best Friend refered me to the company and so I got in, not because she referred me, it's because they thought I was good with the help of "RX 93.1" all over my resume, they thought, hey, this boy can talk, more than that, this boy can speak. With no work experience whatsoever, I got the job offer, a basic salary of Sixteen Thousand plus, on top, regularization allowance, commission and other bonuses.

20 Days, I worked all the necessary forms: from SSS number to NBI Clearance, I learned that life was never gonna be as easy as how it was in College. May 26th, start of Training. 18 months, I served Acquire, or they served me. I left because I knew I had to already.

I've seen million faces pass me by. From my fellow trainees to fellow agents who come and go and the bosses who later on found a better ofer elsewhere, I learned that leaving is always a part of every employee's life. After all, nothing's permanent to even begin with. And taking this small detail of life, which is employment, the whole idea of permanence is sure to be a perfect fit.

On the floor, I have always been the bottom performer. They love to call me a 'bottom' for some reason. Seriously now, I didn't know what I was doing. Being a newbie was never an excuse for my poor performance. From June of 08 to January of 09, I was stuck at Level 1 on the campaign for the beginners, Cold Dialing Campaign, Outbound Sales. I had 4 Team Leaders who I could say took care of me and then later on gave up on me- Eugene Mendoza, Jay-Jay Lim, Chris Misa and my trainer who then became a TL, Nino Simborio.

November, Nino moved to "the better campaign" and I was left dialing Cold. I was then handled by the TL who I have to say has got to be the best boss, leader, immediate supervisor I had been under, Eric Manalo. I spent the holidays in the office with Eric and my team mates, we were his first team as he got promoted from being a Sales Coach. I received the best Christmas gift from a boss, a fancy bracelet which I always wore, reminding me that in everything I do, there's always a TL to back me up, wrapped around me, so I better not fail. In January 2009, I was somewhat promoted, I would love to call it that, I started dialing the "way better campaign" on Outbound Sales, Online Campaign. Eric was still my supervisor then. I dialed Online leads until May of 2009. That was the time when I earned more than what I thought I was gonna be capable of. Twelve Thousand per cut-off and I was just on Level 1.

May of 2009, Eric was moved to another campaign, as equally as good as Online, Inbound Campaign. I was then handled by Sheryll Ronquillo. (Oh no, I'm starting to cry.) Sheryll was my first female boss. She was the only bos my parents got to meet when we bumped with each other at Kenny's in Mega. That time, my poor performance had become something that's beyond her control. I failed big time and so she let me go. I was transferred to another campaign, not as bad as Cold could be but it wasn't as heavenly as Online. I was transferred to April Nograles, another awesome lady love. I then dialed the "Online-2 Campaign." In July of 2009, I was diagnosed with Systemic Viral Infection and I got confined for 4 Days and 3 Nights. I had been absent for 9 Days in July and as per the handbook, no matter the reason, one cannot dial a "Special Campaign" with a heavy amount of absences. So April let me go and transferred me to Rich Dela Cruz, I was back to Cold Calling. It was not a bad experience to be dialing Cold again, I'd been there for the longest time anyway.

Last week of July, I tried to apply for a higher position in another Department, the Winback Manila Department in Acquire. Same acount, diferent job description. From the Department name itself, Winback, to win customers back. I made it and instantly, my status became Level 2. From the position title, Outbound Sales Representative Level 1, I became an Account Specialist Level 2. With generous training from Gian Isip and supervision of DM Sue Peterson, PM Marvin Maglonzo and immediate boss, Coach/ Team Leader Anne Dadufalza, I was living the life of an Account Manager. I have to say as well that I wouldn't be as awesome of an agent if it wasn't for the Level 3s who guided me along the way especially Leona Tampoc aka Ate Lyn Lyn, my Best Friend LT's sister.

November 2009, as I celebrate my 18th month, I left.
Health reasons, personal reasons, they came in handy. Very timely, we are moving addresses and I've been very sick lately, sick enough to stop making calls. I've been diagnosed with Pharyngitis twice, thrice in a year and I should give my throat, pharynx some rest. I was considered to be a candidate for Tonsilectomy (if I mispelled it, f*ck me) for my tonsils are way infected.

I just wanna tell everyone that Acquire rocked my life.
I will forever be thankful.

To all the people I've met through my first job,
it was nice knowing you all. :-)


If this is yet another huge mistake I've done in my life, nothing's responsible for the blame, not even my glamorous beautiful self. I'm young, I can change the course of my life because I'm only 22. I can live the next 22 years more making mistakes. Provided, I return to every detail and try... try to correct each and every mistake, breakdown and downfall.

So I guess this is Good Bye?


Lastly, to my girlfriends and boy tropas from Sales, to the ones who are still with Acquire and to the ones who have left before me, Honey Del Coro (my first ever friend in AAP), Michelle Genio, Lara Santos, Cindy Morales, Marese Secades, Berns Bunda, Pablo Uy, RJ Reyes, Quen Pineda, Mark Gatpayat and Matz Diaz, I love you and I'll miss you forever. To my Winback Family from the HOT Team to the WARM Team to the COLD Team to Recontracting and Cash Converters, you guys rock the Christmas Party, alright?

To my one and only crush at work who I never got to know, yes, I never had crush on anyone in Acquire except for this new HR who replaced the lady who hired me, Kitty Magpayo. Yes, you, Ivan Nava, you're simply beautiful and I still dream about kising your butt cheeks.


To all my gays in the office, it's all about the color Yellow, honey.
Remember me with a smile, always! :-)


Good on ya, mate!

Now, God...





Why not You come before me and face me?
EXPLAIN YOURSELF!

Because I tried;
but still failed to understand.





WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO MY LIFE?


Stop taking over my destiny.
Because it hurts when Your will is done!

Who told You I want to be strong?
Who told You I want to learn from my mistakes?
Who told You I want to be a better person?
Who told You I want to grow up, be matured, and be able to prove myself worthy?

Why does it always have to be about what You want?
I JUST WANT TO BE HAPPY!




IS THAT TOO MUCH TO ASK FOR??
















Please, just take my life.
Please, take it back.
I DO NOT WANT IT ANYMORE.

WHAT GOD ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT??










The same One who washed 5, 000 people with His floods?
The same One who lets children of third world nations starve?
The same One who keeps throwing forbidden things to our faces so we could all commit mortal sins?
THE SAME ONE WHO GIVES US ENDLESS PAIN AND SUFFERING?



Oh.
Yes.

Without a doubt, it is definitely that God.

TV Quote Of The Day:
"You know it's not a real relationship when you can't hold hands."

"You can't make people love you; but YOU CAN MAKE THEM FEAR YOU."
-Gossip Girl, Season 2

Ok, I've gotten rid of the yellow tone of the Samsung camera and here's a small photo diary of today and yesterday's activities. All shots taken sans flash.



First, dinner at Mannang with Mich and Markus.
Best squid head ever!



Lovely chilled mangoes


Dexterton lights on my wish list. (There's a newly opened Dexterton on top of Pepper Lunch GB5.)


These look like scotch glasses


Checking out the Greenbelt 5 construction


We are running ahead of schedule


Liza, looking very Looklet


Clean plate: Our Russian guest from Kira Plastinina was fascinated with Pepper Lunch


My kili-kili shot (Jeroen took this)


xoxo

[YouTube]

(No) Thanks to all this New Moon hoopla, I wasn't able to flail a little over the upcoming Jake Gyllenhaal starring, Prince of Persia trailer that came out. I'm not here to defend the movie over whatever criticism it's got. I'm here to complain about the lack of shirtless-Jake. What happened Bruckheimer? Why release topless Jake shots when you're keeping him clothed in the film?! I have been fooled! [Cinematical, PopWatch] ( » )

Today marks my third day of not reporting to work. I've been slightly sick and now I feel over-the-top sick.

Tuesday, I went to Mega Clinic, Mega Mall to go through this "Pulmonary Function Test" and the results were quite expected, I have an infection somewhere. What surprised me was when it was already labeled as a 'disease' in the lungs which is alarming if you'd ask me. The findings stated, "Small Airways Obstructive Disease."

Wednesday, I had a Chest X-Ray done and today, I wait for the results.


I'm a smoker and that explains everything. This blog is to remind every one that it's not bad to believe what most people say, smoking is dangerous to your health, to our health. Let's all cut-down on puffin and lighting a stick after another. We can do this, seriously.

***
Crash and burn, yes. I crash, I burn. Been going through hard times lately with work. I don't know. What I do now is plainly work, I work to earn. This is not what I see myself doing for the next few months, years. This is not a career and there's no way I can make a career out of it. Been the bottom performer for far too many times now and I tend to ask myself, have I been learning from all these, really? The problem is in me yet I can't hate myself for not trying to strive. Now I don't know where this blog entry's going, I better get outta here and wait for my X-ray results. I wanna grab some doughnuts.

***
By the way, I've created a Wordpress account. You might wanna check it. But seriously, LJ, I'll never leave you. You're my first true love and I will love you forever.

My smart ass friends were saying, the robbers are so dumb, why did they rob Rolex when Patek Philippe is just next door?
I said, anobah. Hindi alam ng robbers ang Patek. Rolex is like the Nokia of the Philppines. Everyone knows the brand and aspires for one lah.
It turns out, the robbers meant to rob Philik Patik, not Rolex.
What's sad is one robber was paid a measly Php 15,000 to do the job.