Lavender & Coffee Stains

...did you ever harass someone? Hmm.







If you're gonna ask me, I think I did. Poor guy. Hehehe.

I would like to invite everyone to check out the upcoming Philippine Food Expo on January 26-30 to be held at the SM MegaTrade Halls. The expo will showcase locally-made food products (from all regions of the country) that are worth promoting.



I always make it a point to visit every year. It is a nice experience to shop for food and on the look-out for something that is yummy to my palate. I am looking forward to check out what the other regions will be offering this time. If you have time, do drop by.

DOH reported yesterday that the cases of this disease in Baguio is already decreasing. I hope so. I love this city like my own and I still want it to be the kind of haven busy people like me would like to escape to. I will never get tired of seeing this place no matter how many times I go there each year.

I just hope that everything will be over by next month. I am actually looking forward for the very exciting Baguio Flower Festival. I never fail to go every year (though I go there during the last week of celebration; I love the street parties...hehehe). I am wishing that the meningo will not dampen the merrymaking of this adorable city. Excited na naman ako sa Flower Fest. Hehehe.

Your boyfriend is likely to guard you closely this period. He can be very possessive and demanding at the same time, which are the things you hate in a boyfriend. Don't worry, sister, the support of your friends will pour. You may find out something at work that may ruin a co-worker’s reputation. It’s best to be quiet about it if you want to maintain the peace. Have enough sleep and eat a well-balanced diet to keep you fit and healthy. Live within your means. Spend only on things that you really need, that’s the secret of inner peace.



I don't about the boyfriend 'act' part but the rest of what is written above speaks well about me. Co-worker? I got the feeling who the person is and yes, I will keep quiet so long as she will not turn the tables against me. She may have the best cards but I got the ace.

Enough sleep, balanced diet? This is what I am lacking and not capable of. I need to sleep because I always feel like I am floating in oblivion. I need to cut my rice intake to make me fit again. I am a sucker for rice and my mom says I now look like a boxer for having a baggy upper arm. I also have to trim my craving for rice so I will be able to regain a little abs here and there.

Live within my means? Spend only what I really need? Oh well, I am getting there, almost. Hopefully, I will be able to pay off my debts to someone and finally reach a balanced sheet of spending and saving.

All I need is a little bit of self-discipline and conviction to do what I am really determined to accomplish. Small way to start but I think I am capable of it.

Well, it was only last year that I started having a number of resolutions for myself. The hardest resolution that I ever had for myself was such aboo-boo. Why? Because it never materialized. It was hard to put such discipline in myself when all the factors that involves it come into play.



Anyway, I will still include that in this year's resolutions.
1 - save for the rainy days (they always say, "keep on trying till you can")
2 - leisure trip in Thailand (this has been a 2-years long delayed plan)
3 - make it my mission to clean the house of unwanted stuff, either throw them away or donate it to someone or a perhaps a group (I am satisfied with myself everytime I do this during the weekends)
4 - make my parents happy (I am starting to make my parents' lives in our new, small house in Cavite a little bit comfortable. Basically, it will defy my #1 resolution but it is okay)
5 – have a final decision if I am really going to resign within the year (I still want to go back to school and I have not saved enough and I am thinking of trying my luck in call centers while taking up my master's degree either in economics, public administration or environmental science/management)

Well, it is still nice to have some resolutions for yourself because there are times that you will actually contemplate executing them for real.

So what does Google thinks about me? Find out at Googlism.

As Ivan:

ivan is reviewed by pc magazine (ano ko, computer?!)
ivan is the dog of hate (di ko alam, may types of dogs din pala accdg to emotions)
ivan is the "hit" man (hired gun pala ko?)
ivan is not detecting my sound card (computer daw tlaga ako!)
ivan is a pk (2k alam ko, ang pk hinde)
ivan is sooo sexy (ehem)
ivan is a very high yielding variety (what am I? A hybrid corn?!)
ivan is the guy who owns the local nursery
ivan is still being defensive (uy, hehehe)
ivan is an incredibly social
ivan is a project scheduling package developed by mclachlan group pty ltd in australia
ivan is actually half black lab and half border collie -------> (hybrid pala ako ng hayop)
ivan is extremely knowledgeable about internet law (just e-commerce law, lol)
ivan is a hero (what noble thing did I do?
ivan is 45 (I'm not even 30)
ivan is single? he spends his time going to movies (not really)
ivan is a software engineer at america online (how I wish I took computer engineering)
ivan is one who is a 'jack of all trades' because he can do various things (I love multi-tasking so long as nobody bugs me which and what to do first, hmm; got that?)
ivan is both arrogant to a fault
ivan is still a virtual master with a torch and can cut with the best
ivan is the 272nd most popular male first name in the united states
ivan is a survivor and does things to make his stay in the camp tolerable (am I soldier?)
ivan is not all work (yeah, I do play as well, hehehe)
ivan is presented as an idealist who wants to make russia a world power and must fight (I like Russia not because of their political inclination but their language and the kind of names they have - does my blogger account says so? IVAN ULRICH)
ivan is a graduate of princeton (I like Princeton U than Harvard)
ivan is a cat (I am not a catty person, more like a puppy girl)
ivan is a nondescript
ivan is also a talkative fellow (you got that right!)
ivan is always active and larger than life (though I am petite)
ivan is now a graduate student majoring in ancient slavic languages and history (might as well add french)
ivan is the man phoebe saw in her vision (my email addy starts with the phoebe name because the Charmed series inspired me; saw in her vision - told you, we're talking here of Phoebe's Charmed tv show)
ivan is a contributing editor to skynew magazine and his articles have appeared in astronomy (ow really?)
ivan is a three time washington state archery champion (archery, wow!)
ivan is an attorney (my frustrated dream exactly)
ivan is a horrible husband—should have been shown the door a long time ago (nyehehe)
ivan is curious
ivan is full of compassion for the "injured and humiliated"

What bad spirit has overtaken me? Instead of focusing on accomplishing preparations and arrangements for my 3 simultaneous projects starting next week, I am here updating and changing my blogsite. Aside from that, I am deep into checking my email accounts. Hah! This confidence of mine is raging a little bit.
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It looks like Friendster is getting better and better. I logged in a while ago and jarannnnn... what appeared first was my profile and settings which you can update right away. I liked their new lay-out. Cool to the eyes. On the other side is a notification board which tells you if you have and how many messages, friend requests and testimonials you got. Right now, I got 3 messages, 1 friend request and 1 testimonial.

I am a little surprised that someone has the nerve to even send me a message. Honestly, our friendship before is nothing like at the present. I only add her out of courtesy and not to renew or rekindle the old ties. It may seem like I am such a cruel nut but she deserves it. She ruined our friendship over something trivial, even causing a hate war between our moms. Because of her, my capability to trust old and new friends alike is something which I cannot do in a flash. All I want to say is good luck to your marriage life and good for you to have a kid of your own. That is one thing I can even honestly say to you face-to-face.
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Aside from the blogskin, it is also time to clean up my links. Either I update, add or remove them from the list. O di ba ang busy ko? Hehehe.

"I climb because of absolute simplicity.
There is focus.
Your mind is clear.
Light becomes brighter and sound becomes stronger.
You experience a powerful purpose of life."

- Heinrich Harrer (Brad Pitt in Seven Years in Tibet)

A nice lady from a yahoogroup which I had joined a few years back is inviting me to dine at her restaurant at the Global City. This came about after my small vacation at Baguio. You see, she owns Brod Pit which started in Tacloban, then Baguio and now at Fort Bonifacio.

It was a pity I was not able to check out the Baguio branch. I was wondering where it was but then I saw it the day of our departure back to Manila. From my mini-hunting for small, cutey items at Mine's View Park, the jeepney we (I was with Dex) were boarding back to Session Road passed by the corner of the street of the resto. By chance.

According to her, one can see a spectacular view of SM at night from the back windows of the resto. If you have visited the big mall there, you will know that it is always fully lit up. From the way she described her resto, I can imagine how homey it would feel like to be there. I think I would love the look and feel of the interiors of the place - walls and floors being made from pinewood. Being an old house (that of her grandmother's), I think I will realy like the classic ambience emanating everywhere inside the place. What do you think?

Serving grilled food as their specialty and some regional specialty cuisine, this dining place claims that they serve the best 'crispy pata' in town. Hah! I am gunning for their pinakbet and bicol express.

In case anyone is interested to try out the one at the Global City, it is located at the 4/F Market Market, inside Choices.