Te amo támbien mi señora bonita!

Photo by my cousin Ryan Fajardo for wifey, Bing. :)

Te amo támbien mi señora bonita!

Jeff and I probably won't be able to dine out or celebrate this Valentine's, but that's fine really. I don't mean to be a kill joy, but we normally skip the chaos and heavy traffic, and we're not a big fan of the crowd either. I asked him also not to give me flowers anymore, because we're saving up for something else. Do you think I'm a scrooge? Of course not! Because I believe in love and its unbelievable power, and that it's a natural force human beings are not supposed to own and limit, but rather share and imbibe, every day of their lives. And I live on this terms; while the flowers, fancy dining and little kisses from people I love are but big bonuses. :)

I'm sick this morning, and just came back from a long planning session with my client, but I'm feeling positive and overwhelmed with funny feelings and happy thoughts of spending the V-Day night in the comfort of my home and loved ones, and I hope to transfer this energy to all of you.

So instead of a usual V-Day greeting, let me wish you a happy and colorful life full of love for yourself, your family, your friends, your pets, and significant others today and always! There's so much to love in life, so let's celebrate everything, big or small! 

PS: The title came from my Sweetie, who surprised me with his attempt in Spanish. He knows I'm self-studying, and cute of him to remember. 

Muy bien! Te quiero, chico malo! :) 

PPS: Shout out to my good friend, J, for her thoughtful gift! She's so sweet and she reminds me how bad I am with these things! Love yah, Jelly Bean! :) 

I thought for a second it's candy

From the Nook,  

Dang  

Gratitude List: On Confusion and Personal Missions

VIA

There are moments when my mind just want to vomit thoughts so bad that my hands have no choice but to write type endlessly, and claim the moment. Earlier today, a good friend confessed to me that he thinks he wants to quit his job, but doesn't really know what to do next, worse, what he really wants to do next. I laughed and told him that he better ask someone else, because for one, I'm such an evil and supportive friend that the next things I'll say will probably be "fudge, just go for it." Not that I find anything wrong with following one's heart. In fact I'm a staunch believer of following your heart's desire, because it will, in all the madness of the Universe and God's mercy, will lead you to where you're really meant to be, so jump! But that's me. My alias doesn't stand for nothing, so it may not be the best advice for him to hear that moment. Second, I begged him not to ask me because though I'm not as lost as him during our short cab ride conversation, I'm also not in the best position to tell him what he's supposed to do, only because I'm also in the middle of my own, personal journey.

As much as I'm happy, challenged and fulfilled with what I do and where I am at present, it's too early to tell if this is what I really want to do for the rest of my life. That to me, is more of a calling, a spot in this world that is only yours to discover and claim. I like to think of it as my mission. The reason I was born, and the role I'm destined to fulfill. Spiritually, it's one's life purpose. 

I'm in no hurry to discover my master plan, I don't like to peek on God's 201 file. What I know right now, aside from the things and comfort that I want for my family and self (of course I still think of worldly things) is that I may be a source of joy for other people, every living day. Be it joy from financial help I can offer, joy from inspiration and energy I bequeath or joy from being able to make someone laugh during a hard day. 

For now, that mission is good enough to keep me going. :) 

Have a blessed Friday, guys! On a personal note, it's my Sweetie's birthday tomorrow, another reason to be grateful!

Much Love,

Dang

Men Who Hate Women: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo Movie

Men Who Hate Women, is the original title of this novel by Swedish author and journalist Stieg Larsson.The first of three-part series, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is the story of Mikael Blomkvist, an investigative journalist forced to take a leave of absence from his job after losing a libel case versus a crooked CEO and billionaire. He is then hired by a retired industrialist, Henrik Vanger, to investigate the disappearance of his 16-year old grand-niece forty years before. He works with the sallow and complex girl, Lisbeth Salander, who, despite her history of being socially incapable, is a brilliant researcher and computer genious.Together, they solved the mystery and unearth the Vanger family's unbelievable dark side.

Call me a fan girl, but that's what I really am. My involvement with the story started the moment I picked up the book (which originally is a gift for my sister-in-law). I finished the book in four days, and went on to devour the second one, The Girl Who Played with Fire. I'm halfway to finish the third installment, so I'm shutting up at this point. :)

The hype caused by the cold and bizarre trailer of the movie, and the powerful cast lead by Daniel Craig and Rooney Mara is justified by the beautiful mystery and fear that decked the halls of the cinemas. The characters are perfect, and it's a treat to see one of the most notable books I've read come to life. The old cottages and the wicked snow storms of Sweden painted the background of the perfect thriller movie, and for that alone, I put Sweden on my bucket list. 

Craig, as expected, performed solid as a Mikael, but Mara is exceptionally brilliant and a revelation. Her lack of expression perfectly suited the troubled Lisbeth. Obviously, fans anticipated the Lisbeth in flesh, and Mara gave her more than justice. She made her tangible, immortal, to the fans. I heard Scarlett Johansson auditioned for this role, but as much as I love her, her curves will kill the character! 

158 minutes is quite long, but I didn't bother to check my watch from start to finish. There were moments when I had to contain myself from the graphics and highly sensitive scenes, which brought back the emotions I originally felt when I read the book. The rape and vengeance scenes are unforgettable and to some, may be too much to see on screen. But if you're a geek like me and read Larsson's inspirations on writing this, you'll understand how he'd come to depict it in such painful details. This film is carefully made and well-thought of, and IMO, one of the best movie adaptations to ever grace us. 

If you read the book, I'm quite sure you'll watch it, if you haven't done so. If not, brace yourself for the deep chill that will cloak you. I've warned you, it's not for the faint-hearted.

PS: Don't ever, ever, ever, try to watch it on DVD. Save yourself some disappointment. It's a must to see this on big screen.

PPS: Not for the kids, not even 17-year old, with or without parents! 

Must. See.

The scene that made me churn a bitter laugh

Now, can someone lend me the Swedish version, pretty please? I'm serious, message me! :)

From the Nook, 

Dang

2012 Starter: Roadtrip and Stories from Potipot, Zambales

It's Friday and all I think about right now is weekend and my date with Lisbeth Salander. This week has been hellish challenging, that my stress-induced pimples refuse to budge with any spot correcting gel. My mom thinks I'm on graveyard shift and the boyfie said my temper tripled, bordering on bipolar. I find it amusing because I'm actually clueless that I'm stressed not until my boss and good friend tapped my shoulder and said "Get some air, and parang habag, get something to eat." So I got up and got a rice bowl from the convenient store, and happily ate my first meal of the day at 7:00 PM. You see, our team was recently assigned additional roles, and surprise, multimillion-peso challenges. But I refuse to take it negatively, and rather treat this as a vouch of confidence on my talent and hard work instead. In times like this, flattery can help you survive. ;) And since this is a personal blog, I'm free to bore you with my stories so thank you're still reading this part!

Moving on, I'm finally sharing my recent getaway with my colleagues and friends that literally changed my view on road trips. Flying can definitely buy you more hours on the beach but 7-hour drives can do more for the friendship. My first assignment for 2012 is to plan a team getaway, to take advantage of the long weekend in January. Since three days is too short to fly to some faraway land, we decided to head North and go to what they call the poor man's Boracay, Potipot Island in Candelaria, Zambales. 

Let my photocaps do the storytelling. 

Make sure to have a reliable and comfortable vehicle to make sure you have a pleasant and hassle-free road trip. We hired this macho, audio-loaded van with our ever dependable driver, kuya Ramil.

Stop over at Xtremely Expresso in Subic for a quick lunch. Unfortunately, their famous giant pizza is not available! Boo!

But we pigged out, anyway. :)

All relaxed and beach ready!

Another stopover at PureGold Duty Free to hoard food and what else? Alcohol! Smirnoff is only Php 300/1 liter! In the photo are my super cute buddies Pia and Nina, arguing who's taller than the other! Ahem. :)

After seven hours, we finally reached the shores of Candelaria, Zambales. Sunbloom Resort is rustic yet clean enough and the staff treated us like family. We brought raw meat and veggies and they cooked them for us for a minimal fee, and boy they are such good cooks!

We arrived at around 4:00 PM, and nothing can stop us from reaching Potipot island even though the boats can only transport people 'til 6:00 PM. In short, we chased the sun (or whatever's left) on the first day! Potipot island is just minutes away from Candelaria beach; upper right portion of this photo. 

I'm almost there!

First sight and I knew seven hours on the road is well worth it!

No more sun, but all good!

We woke up very early the next day to get as much sun as we can. My friend on the left, Jelly, is a closet albino, she never gets dark! Peace, Jell! :)

We bribed the bangkero to bring us to the most secluded part of the island and used the handicapped excuse (my boss, K, has a cast on her left foot) to dock on the normally restricted area. The beach photos will tell you why we took all the trouble!

I used a normal point-and-shoot camera, with no Photoshop help, whatsoever. Amazing, isn't it?

Peace and quiet at long last

Should it be called "Poor man's Boracay"? I think NOT!

The beach essentials

Party favors. Please don't judge us.

The Wicked Gang with Jim Beam and Malibu!

Sexy cat, Nina

Obligatory solo shots ;P

The bangka picked us up just in time to watch the most beautiful sunset!

I hope you didn't get tired of the photos, I actually stopped myself from posting more. If you want to read my nuggets of wisdom from the trip, you may click HERE. 

I also suggest you visit pretty Potipot, it's fun especially for a big group. You can do camping but no electricity or amenities in the island other than a common toilet, so be ready. The whole trip cost me Php 5,000 inclusive of transportation, accommodation and really generous meals! The DutyFree shopping on the other hand, is a different story.:)

Van rental = 13,000 (drop off/pickup for 9-seater van)

Room = 1,200/2 pax 

Bangka = 400/2-way, good for 6-7 pax

Entrance Fee to the island = 100

'Til my next beach getaway! :)

From the Nook, 

Dang

Get Prettified by LOURD RAMOS!

With inflation rising, too much bills to pay and endless grown-up problems, how often do you really, reaaalllly, pamper yourself? When I said reaaallly, I'm talking about quality service from well-respected salons and beauty experts. One like Creations by Lourd Ramos.

Folks from Creations are helping us kick-start 2012 with a head-to-toe makeover, and their mechanics is so simple, I have a funny feeling these generous guys really just wanted you to take a photo of your beautiful self for the world to see! (Oh how I love vanity shots!) So read on, join the contest and celebrate and reveal your true beauty! 

And oops, don't forget to join their FANPAGE, they will be giving away Davines Gift Certificates to random fans every week. 

As if that's not enough, they also have a really good deal (good deals aren't so common these days!) at Cash Cash Pinoy! If you're a hair color junkie like me, click HERE. :)

It's middle of the week, I'm overwhelmed with work and new, ultra-ambitious assignments, but I'm not turning my back to God's blessings. Kaya ko 'to! Have a blessed Wednesday, my dear readers! Passing on my positivity through wi-fi, or however! :)

From the Nook, 

Dang