Click of Destiny

He's a student.


He's 6 years my junior.


He’s almost 30 miles away from me. 

I have every reason in the world not to choose him.

He’s the last person I could ever thought of falling in love with. 

...But I did, still do and will always do…now, that’s ironic!

It started in Facebook…now don’t ask who invited who…LOL. 

Alright…I did make the first move of inviting him but I really have no idea who he is…I am just in search of someone who can be my friend… I am not expecting for more because I am not fond of eyeballs either especially that guys nowadays won’t give you their time without seeing you first…well, atleast that is for my opinion…I just want a constant textmate…that’s all! I don’t know but I have this feeling…insecure feeling that there’s more tendency for someone to love me when they know me first in the net or through text than seeing me personally first. I feel I am not beautiful enough or maybe, they won’t like me…so just to be safe…I opt to have friends online.

It was a normal day of adding whoever in facebook….just random people…I didn’t know that one click on the “add as friend” button of a total stranger named “Mickey Eusebio” is a click of destiny.

Just a day after I added him, I checked my facebook and I have 3 messages. Those messages came from the ones I have added a day ago saying hi and hello but one of the three messages really leave quite an impression. That’s the first time he made me smile…and never fail to do so until now. Anyway, as I remember it right, he says how he finds me stunning. OMG. Yes that’s the word, stunning! I have never in my whole life found a man who could describe me as stunning…I was amazed as well…I am a self-confessed insecure of how I look like..(I have dual personality when it comes to this coz sometimes I feel narcissistic…hahahaha…) but that’s not the point, he always compliments me…and I can’t help but feel good about it…not until he confessed he is just 19 years old and literally…my jaw dropped like...

“Are you serious???? This is not happening…I am flirting with a guy 6 years younger than me. OH pleaseeeeeee……just few years passed his puberty…and to think I like him…I’m gonna have to stop this…I am supposed to be his ATE…”

...but something in my mind is shouting…

”But he’s the sweetest….and you must admit, you’re happy just chatting or talking with that teenager..so forget about minor abuse…he’s not even minor anymore…”

There’s really a debate going on in my head and I decided that there’s more men who is not as young as he is so maybe I will let him passed by…that all I could offer was just friendship…

If only he is my age or older, I would love to give him a chance.

When he’s dropping some hints that he loves me…I will just laugh on him and tease him saying…

“Haynako…that’s not LOVE…atsaka ang bata bata mo pa, anong alam mo sa love?” 

...and he would always defend that he knows what he is feeling if only I would give him a chance. Of course, I have ignored him for the first weeks but as days passed by, I am starting to see him in a different light. He has his immaturities (which is just normal..I do have my own..) but not overly immature…I mean he’s more mature than I thought he was. He persistently made me feel loved…there is no moment that I felt that he’s not serious… despite the fact that I’m continuously avoiding his sweet gestures and ignore all his efforts. There was a time when I told myself… 

“Damn, he’s so serious in pursuing me…”

After all the efforts, I told him not to text me anymore but as I was texting that, I am also hurting…that feeling that you don’t want to let someone go…that feeling that just imagining a day without his text would make me feel so sad…that’s the time I realized that I don’t care about the age gap anymore…I just want him to be there everyday…Thus, I gave him a chance to prove to me he’s mature enough for me and to convince me enough to overlook our age gap.

Surely enough, he had proven me wrong. He’s so genuine and everyday that he’s courting me, I discover more reasons to fall in love with him. I tried not to fall for him too early…trying to play hard-to-get… but for someone as persistent as him, you can’t help but fall...and the time comes that when he says “I love you”, I can’t control myself to say the same. I don’t wanna play hard-to-get anymore coz I only meet someone like him just once in a lifetime and I don’t want to let it go. 

Simply put, he succeeded in winning my heart. I choose him and I bet that’s one of the best decisions I’ve made in my life…the decision to choose to overlook the age for as long as you love each other. 

On February 12, 2012, I gave him my sweet "YES" and there the real story began...

Since that fateful day, our relationship grows from days to weeks to a month and now going on 6 months. The first month went well. We see each other for the first time in Eastwood and I guess this is our first Valentine date together, if you can call it a date. The first time I met him, I was smiling coz he doesn't seem to be the man I talk to on the phone....coz he is so shyyyy..he was hiding under my arms...never wanting to let me satre at him for seconds....but I find it cute....his shyness continues when I introduce him to my mom, my sister and my aunt and that's the first time he had witnessed my special talent in "speed-eating"...Right after he met my family, he also introduced me to his parents which is around the area that time...and damn have I eaten and swallowed my tongue coz I was soooo speechless...this is the first time I have ever been introduced to the parents of the one I love and indeed, it is ver hard because you are anxious that they might not like you for their son. and I mean hellllerrrr???? meet-the-parents on the 3rd day of our relationship??? that is fast!!!

That first date led to a second date and as of now, we have been seeing each other for at least twice a month??? One of the most memorable dates we had is when we decided to have a photowalk in Enchanted Kingdom..Geezzz...it was tiring but there I realized that no matter how tired you are, when you are with the one you love and when you are with the reason why you smile...you can always make it through...and when I was in the bus at aroung 10pm going to Manila...I can't help but smile because we had fun taking pictures but more importantly, we had fun building happy and sweet memories together...

That day, he is so sweeettt, as usual, but if you ask me what's the sweetest thing he ever did to me? I can't think of anything in particular coz there are so manyyyy...

He surprised me with an "I LOVE YOU KRISTINE" poster at the trunk of his car...

He wrote "WILL YOU MARRY ME" on a mirror with my lipstick...(even if he didn't mean to marry me now...that is still sweettt...

He always surpised me with simple thing like chocolates, etc...

He always remembers me when he is out of the country...

He always gives my mom "pasalubong" when he visits me at home just to show he remembers her...

He never fails to show how much he loves me...by texting me...calling me unexpectedly just to say "i love you" or just to hear my voice in a middle of his class...posting something in facebook...mentioning me in twitter...creating collages of our pictures together...serenading me every time...He is really amazing...

So...how lucky can I ever get?

You might wanna ask...Is it all happy? Is it really that simple and easy? Well..honestly..the answer is..it is not all happy...it's not that simple...it is never easy...I say it's hard coz like just any other couple, we have our own share of fights...both petty and deep ones...we have tons of it actually..mmm....you can't possibly think that a LONG DISTANCE RELATIONSHIP with a 6-year AGE GAP can go on verrrryyyy smoootthhhhllyyyy, right?

....and before I decided to love him, I have already expected the challenge of handling an extraordinary relationship...but as the song goes...Nobody says it would be easy but no one told me it could be this hard...but before you misinterpret things...I would like to clear that though it's hard, at the end of the day, it's all worth it...He is worthy..

Some may say that fights are signs of incompatibilities...I couldn't agree more...but who says you can't reconcile incompatibilities? who says one cannot adjust to the other? In this relationship, I have learned that there are no irreconcilable differences with great willingness to work things out...that it is possible to be compatible even if both of you cannot possibly think you can ever be...but there's the catch....it takes a little extra....superrrrrr meggaaaaaa duppperrrrrrr grabeeeeennngggg to the highessssttttt levellllll na effort...hahahahahhahah!


And I must admit that most of the, he is the one who is willing to take that extra mile for our relationship. And that's the reason why I have fallen even more and more and deeper and deeper in love with him. Sometimes, people only see our fights and his immaturities but they don't see how good of a man he is, how he takes care of me, how he is always concern about me, how he is willing to change for me, and how he is willing to adjust for the betterment of our relationship..I would not love him this much if I know he is not deserving of such. He is not perfect...he has his flwas but one thing is for sure...he loves me so much and I feel the same....

But wait, it doesn’t mean I am not trying as well. Being in love with a guy 6 years younger than you have its advantages…and with every advantage comes disadvantages. It is not that easy but I know we’ve decided to love each other and I’ll stand by every decision I’ve made. I’ve tried…and still trying but there are times that my best ain’t enough.

There are times we want to give up on each other…tired of the fights…but it always boils down to questions: 

“Can we survive without the other?”

"Are we happy?"

“Do we still love each other?”

...and the answers always leads us back to each other.

I am afraid of rollercoasters but that almost 6 months have been the best rollercoaster I’ve ever experienced in my whole damn life…and never will I regret a thing…I will forever treasure the love we feel for each other coz this is the very thing that can make us hurdle every obstacle and overcome every challenge.

I believe in him. 

I believe in US.
No matter what destiny brings, I will always hold on to the though that we can make it through it all...

..I will always remember the promise we have made that nothing's gonna take us apart...I will never forget that God is the one who had led us to find each other...and that only Him can break what Kelvin and I had....


Yeah, by the way, that's his real name...Kelvin John D. Eusebio.

Can Jessica Sanchez be the very first Filipino to win American Idol?

I personally love reality shows showcasing extraordinary talents. Just seeing the contestants grow from an amateur to a professional makes you feel that you too can make your dreams come true. However, In spite my love for reality shows, I haven't been a follower of "American Idol" despite its huge success all around the world but this season is different.

One contestant really caught my attention....perhaps, it's because of her vocal prowess but aside from that, the fact that she is a FILIPINA excites me because if ever she wins (which is verrrrryyyyyyy possible by the way the competition is going...), she will be the very first filipino to ever get the title. So how thrilling can it get?

I started to notice that she's a filipina in the auditions when she performed "You Make Me Feel (Like a Natural Woman)" by Aretha Franklin. She did great on that one but I thought at that point, "nothing extraordinary..." I mean, don't get me wrong...I've heard many filipinas sing the way she did, that's why!

BUTTTTTT....permit me to change my mind...the Las Vegas audition, when she sang "The Prayer" by Celine Dion, as her final piece on her way to be a part of top 24, quite convinces me that she's not that ordinary as I initially thought of her.. She is not just someone who belts out thinking that the higher the notes, the more chances to qualify. In that song, I felt her heart and her soul...not overly belting it out...just pure soul...and from that day on, I've been a fan. (not super fan but I am looking forward to her every performance)

Jessica Sanchez sings "The Prayer" by Celine Dion

I made some research about her...Jessica Sanchez is a 16-year old filipino-mexican-american petite teen, who, just like most of other aspiring singers, had started their dream of becoming one at an early age. However, I am shocked to know that this is not the first time the world have seen her perform because when she was 11, she had competed in the first season of "America's Got Talent". Obviously, she didn't won the said contest but 5 years had past and those years can go a long way when it comes to voice maturity.

Back to American Idol Season 11, who among the contestants have made the three judges stand from their seats thrice? Yes, thrice, they first gave the talented girl a standing ovation in the group performance in Las Vegas. Second was when she sang "I love You I do" by Jennifer Hudson in the Movie, Dream Girls. This song wins her a sure spot in the Top 13. It's crazy that every time I see her perform, the more confident I am in saying she can be the next American Idol for as long as she will be consistent with her performances in the weeks to come.

She sings "I Love You I Do" by Jennifer Hudson

The third standing ovation happened in the recent episode of American Idol Season 11 where the men sings Stevie Wonder hits and the girls get to sing the songs of the greatest diva of all time, Whitney Houston. I was surprised that she picked "I will always love you", probably, the most popular song of Whitney. At first, I think it's not a good choice, it is the signature song of Whitney and the more popular the song, the more it is prone to criticisms. Luckily, it made a positive impact with the judges considering it the best performance of the night and recognized Jessica, as one of the best voices in the whole competition. Indeed, she is a voice to be reckoned with.

In her performance of the all-time classic, "I Will Always Love You" of Whitney Houston

But as they say, nothing beats the original but being close to the original or at par with it is quite an achievement. What I love in Jessica is that when she performs, you can't feel her nerves at all 'coz she's just so relaxed...the amazing part is, I'm sure she's really nervous but you can't hear it in her performance...she is just so cool..the feeling that every song she sings, she had been singing it her whole life...she is not making her nerves get the best out of her but instead, she's making her nervousness bring out the best in her..

In her "I will always love you" performance, there is no doubt she is the best of the night, however, I just feel that it is rushed, that it is more faster than the natural tempo of the song...and I think this made it less dramatic.. They have cut the amazing parts of the song in the end but nevertheless, the last three notes was divine and flawlesssssssssss!!!!! So two thumbs up to her and I really pray she made it!

I am looking forward to more "standing ovations" from the judges in the weeks to come. I think the time has come for a filipina American Idol. She just have to be consistently good coz in a contest where consistency is the key to success, she has to be better and better than her last performances but never less... GOODLUCK and a shout out to America, please vote for her! :)

SCENTS worth your CENTS.

My enthrallment with fragrances starts as early as I was in Elementary years when my childhood crush always captivate me with his scent. From then on, I have been a "perfume lover", "fragrance enthusiast", whatever you want to call it. However, I am no expert in this. I just buy the ones that interests my olfaction.

I can say that I splurge on perfumes and I really believe every splurge is worth it. I am unbelievably frugal but when it comes to perfumes, I really can't resist... In a way, perfumes can give you a different feeling of freshness in daytime and sensuality in nighttime... Who says only good looks and vavavoom body can make heads turn? Because we must admit, we can't help but turn our heads to the one who smells like heaven.. (LOL) I know I'm exaggerating but perfumed men really turn me on...(wholesome turn-on)

My fragrance line starts from colognes to designer perfumes. I have my fair share of colognes and sprays from Victoria Secret and Bath and Body Works, any one of them I haven't bought....(LOL) It was always given by my very good aunts from US. VS and B&BW tends to be so sweet and fruity...that is when I realized that I don't like fragrances with fruity notes and vanilla scents.

As years passed by, I have accumulated quite few fragrances that I personally love... (disclaimer: this is not a review or anything to that effect...this is my personal opinion..I am no expert in perfumery or things like that...I only based my opinion on fragrance alone... and not on smell longevity since perfumes longevity varies depending on its chemistry with your body.) Who doesn't want the feeling of people turning heads on you because you smell great?

In no particular order, the following are my I-can't-resist-you perfumes for women:

1. COOL WATER FOR WOMEN (DAVIDOFF)

This is my "first love". I could describe its scent as light, fresh, clean, breezy, watery and oceanic... However, it's more appropriate as a daytime perfume or a perfume when you are walking by the sea...or strolling on a summer day...

2. DKNY (Donna Karan New York) Energizing for Women

I really am in love with clean and fresh scents and this is one of the scents that is a manifestation of that. When I am wearing this scent, I always feel like i just got out of the shower. However, it doesn't work that well with my body chemistry coz it doesn't last long but fragrance-wise, it's my absolute favorite!!! The notes include citrus, iced vodka, tomato leaves, water lily and green coral orchids to name a few. It's floral scent will surely give you compliments every now and then.

3.) Incanto Shine (Salvatore Ferragamo)

I can describe this as mystical and sensual. A combination of fruity and floral notes that creates a sexy feel when you're wearing it...more like making you feel like you're in beach wearing your favorite summer dress. Just like DKNY, this is a not-so-popular perfume which makes the people who can smell it actually asking you what perfume are you wearing? It's very noticeable that everytime someone passed by wearing this on...i already knew...but don't fret coz it is not overpowering at all.

There are also some perfumes that is getting great reviews and feedback which I haven't got the chance to try by myself like the all-time favorite, Light Blue by Dolce and Gabbana and Happy by Clinique. The latter is my sister's favorite by the way.

If there is one tip I could give to a man regarding dating...I say: Wear perfume and if it's not too much, I'll give them my favorite masculine scents that will surely make a girl ignore how you look like (i know i'm exaggerating again..) but truly, perfume, generally, can really turn a women on even if you are not necessarily good looking for their standards. It's a must-have for all men and I mean, if you miss to wear some, you should definitely go back to wear it on, it's that important!!!! It's a part of your personality and should not be worn just for the sake of vanity! So here it goes, my favorite masculine scents. (again, this is my personal opinion...)


1.) COOL WATER FOR MEN (Davidoff)

Ohhh...just imagining the scent of this drives me crazy...this scent, whenever I smell it, is like luring you to come near the person wearing it. It's the masculine counterpart of my first love and has almost the same marine notes. It's a guaranteed +100,000 pts. for me for a guy who wears it!!!!


2.) Acqua Di Gio (Giorgio Armani)

This is the scent of masculinity!!! (well, atleast for me...) I definitely adore all men I know who wears this perfume...as in ALL..It's a perfect blend of musk and marine notes! For me, if the mythical "ADONIS", who is an epitome of a super good-looking man, is true and existing today, this must have been his scent! 


3.) Aqva Pour Homme (Bulgari)

This is the scent of the love of my life. Whenever my bf wears this, I am like..."come near me...hug me...hug me until the scent lasts" lol. I am so addicted to aquatic-style scents and this one is no exception. It reveals my inner lioness! I am not that sweet but smelling this on my bf makes me overly touchy. hehehehehe...joke!


Again, there are other masculine scents that captivate my sense of smell...like Essential by Lacoste and Drakkar Noir by Guy Laroche. The former is the scent of my dad and the latter is the scent of my uncle. I can say Lacoste has that elegant feel deceiving you that the one who wears it is a very successful man and Drakkar is a very powerful perfume. Both of which is long-lasting and the longer you wear it, the more fragrant it gets.

There are so many great scents in the market today so be sure to avail of even just one just for special occasions. You need not wear it everyday if you're really not the type who will splurge on perfumes but believe me, it's worth every cent!

Open Letter to the twin of my soul

SCENARIO: I walked into a room full of people in white or black blouses or dresses. I don’t exactly know what this is but the mood is depressing. Almost no one seems to smile. Everything is vague but I know the ones I see are my friends, my workmates, my neighbors. Now I know what this is…this is a funeral. Then I heard a voice of a girl describing the person inside the coffin…I can never be mistaken..this is my sister describing me..and tears rolled down my eyes…then I woke up! (Geez…Thank you! It is just a dream..walanghiya yun, kung makadescribe..ahahahaha.joke!)

It was a bad dream but it is also a good dream realizing that if there’s someone who can most perfectly describe me as a person, aside from my mother, it would be my one and only sister (one and only sibling actually) Who else can better describe me but someone who have been with me since day 1 of my life. She knows how “maldita” I am, how moody I am, how ugly I look when I woke up, how many lice I have when I was a kid (halos kalbuhin nila ako..ewwww..), how “burara” I am, how dirty my panties are when I have menstruation, how I always forget to flash the toilet after I pooped, how I pick my nose. She had seen my whole body, naked! Ok..ok…I have made my point already, this is really getting grossed…LOL. So if u think you know how close our ties are, you have no idea because we are not just any other ordinary sister relationship, I have always believed that what we have is beyond sisterhood, (brotherhood?) if there is something beyond that. We can have a sister but rarely do we consider them as our best friend and much more, our soulmate but for me, she is my best friend, protector, confidante, companion, and my soulmate all rolled into one. If you know me, you would be surprised by this post. I am not good at this appreciation and thanksgiving stuff…however, this only comes once a year so this is the perfect time to tell my sister how much I appreciate her and how much I thank God for giving me the twin of my soul.

  HAPPY BIRTHDAY ATE!!!!

Thank you for the following:

• Taking care of me when I was still a baby…You are only 4 years old back then when you are forced to look after your cute baby sister (don’t deny it, I am the cutest baby you’ve ever seen!) When every kid your age is playing outside, you are inside the house since mama needs to work to provide for our needs. Not to mention, for being patient with me when I was having tantrums and throwing all of your toys on you (maldita talaga!) but you have to say sorry for tying me up in a tree. LOL.

• For being a good student when we were in the same school…because of that, you had built a good reputation. The teachers would tell me, “ah…ikaw ba yung kapatid ni Katrina? Kasing bait at kasing talino mo siguro yung kapatid mo…” (Are you Katrina’s sister? You must have been as kind and as smart as your sister..) Although, they have expected more of me, it made me strive hard to be worthy to be called your sister.

• For simply being my protector!!! Police protection can’t even come close to my sister’s protection of me when we were in the same school. (exaggggg!!!!) I remember before, no one can pick a fight on me because they are scared of my sister..Hahahahahahha…I don’t mind if I was behind your shadow all the time…coz I know if I was the elder one, you would not mind as well.
• For being my no. 1 fan! You would always compliment me, praise me, and appreciate me for all my achievements, big or small. You’re the very first one who will applaud in my feats. And the very first one who will extend a hand when I fall. When I am down, you would pull me up and when I am up, you would push me even higher…

• For being the younger sister sometimes…ahahahahahaha! You would always tell me..”parang ikaw ang panganay ah!!!” and I want you to know I appreciate you when you lend your ear to listen on what I have to say and have the humility to accept that I have a point just like a younger sister. I am happy to know that I don’t limit my opinion just because I am the “bunso” of the family coz you hear me out.
• For being always on my side, right or wrong… You know I don’t want your impulse sometimes.. And you also know that I always preach you to be objective in your decisions. No biases. We are the total opposite of each other. When it comes to fights, you are the impulsive type and I am the think-before-you-speak type. We would always clash on our views. You would always tell me…”ikaw si baka naman…hindi naman siguro…” As my friends would put it, I am the balance in the family. I told you that impulse can make you do things without even thinking about it, that can’t make the situation better; it can only make it worse. I remember before, it made me cry when you said that I can’t defend mama. But please understand ate, this is my personality. For me, fighting based on impulse is not a good way to handle a situation. It is not that I don’t care about it, but I believe that you should always hear the side of the other to have an objective view on the matter and if you are right, there are other diplomatic ways to solve the problem. And I know, you accept me for that. How I wish you would appreciate my objectivity sometimes because there is no other person who can tell you upfront if you’re right or wrong but me.
• For spoiling me. Mama would always tell me “napakaspoiled mo naman sa kapatid mo…” coz whatever I want, when you can, you’ll give it to me. You’re naturally generous ate! If I will count all the things you’ve given me, I would forever be indebted to you but don’t worry ate, I know I am frugal but when time comes that I have money to spend, I will spoil you as well regardless if I have a husband or daughter already. I know you are not asking for anything in return but I want to return all the favor coz you deserved it and because I love you.

• For being ever supportive in all my endeavors and never judged me in my decisions. I have made a lot of mistakes in my life and through it all, you have supported me. You never judge me for doing bad things in my life. You know my deepest secrets but you still see me as if I am the best.
• For being a doctor. Your pride is my pride and my pride is yours ate! I am so proud that I have a sister who is a doctor. It’s just that it’s not my nature to be boastful but whenever I say that “my sister is a doctor.” I say it with pride. Whatever you achieve in your life, I feel like I own it up to the extent that sometimes, I feel like I wanna be like you. You’re my idol in perseverance and determination. Also, because of this, you’ve been a big help especially to mama. Actually, not just a big help, you’re the breadwinner! When I was the only one working before, I was stressed on how I could help mama but with you now, it lighten my burden or should I say, it removed my burden coz you’ve carried it all!!! Ahahahahahahaha….ligtas ako… (I am saved!)

• For being my sister. Actually, it’s not you to thank but GOD for lending you a life to be a sister anyone would have asked for.

Sorry for not being a good sister when I have every opportunity to be one. I know that sometimes, you just need a little sweetness from me, a big hug after a long tired day at work (kasi wala naman bf mo dito..ahahahahaha..wala..wala..wala!!! iyak ka na?) but instead, I feel like I am taking you for granted most of the time. Sorry ate!

I know I am not the best sister, but sorry, I am all you’ve got. *wink* Sometimes, I know you feel that I’m kinder to other people than to you. That may be true but I will never want to replace you as my sister. I know you would get mad but…I am thinking that when I die, I want to know when so that I can make the best of my days spending it with you and mama. But if I have the same opportunity as Dianne in 49 days (Pure Love), I will surely live because I have you and mama who would cry for me representing pure love!

Always take care of yourself ate. Never abuse yourself just for the sake of having more money. (I know you are not like that!)Work will always be there but once you abuse your health, your life is on the line. You are a doctor, you know that!!! As much as I want to tell you to live your life and don’t worry about me and mama, I can’t coz we both know that at this point, we need your help. You are old enough to live alone but you are still worrying about us, though I know you’re doing it for your own happiness. You are a very good daughter and MAMA must have been very very very proud for having a daughter like you, except sa pagiging pikon!!! Ahahahahahaha…

I wish you happiness kapatid. I know you are happy and contented right now but there are things that can make you even happier. I wish you….

TRUE LOVE….although I think you already have one but I wish that may you have eternity to spend with each other. I can see how happy you are when he’s there, so who am I to stop you from loving someone who can make your gloomy day blissful. At the very least, you ought to have that!

I wish that I may have many….

NEPHEWS and NIECES from you but I am not saying now!!! (excited ka agad!) Always remember that a child will be given at the right time..no rush! If it’s meant for you, it will come so just enjoy the times you don’t have one yet! And I wish that I can treat your child as my own (wag ka magseselos sa akin ah!) ahahahahha…

I wish that you’ll be an…

OB-GYNE as soon as possible! This is not to compliment you or anything but I really think you’ll make a great OB-GYNE because you have a heart of a mother. I can’t wait to receive a check from you (akala mo kung anu noh? Ahahahaha…palamunin pala ako!) kidding aside, I can’t wait to see the day when you’re at the peak of your career. I have no doubts that even when that day comes, I can still scold you when you’re wrong! You never make me feel that you’re a doctor, you stay the same, actually, you became sweeter and kinder, as I know you when you have nothing to be proud of. I commend you for that!

And what’s best in you is that, when you have no time for yourself anymore, you still have time to spend for us! So I wish you more TIME for yourself, a time to travel around the world, a time for your future husband and your future children, a time to live your life to the fullest!

I love you ATE! My love for you is like the air. You may not feel it but it surrounds you everyday of your life. Naks!!!!! Celebration na!!!

Mother and Daughters Indulgence in PINOY MOVIES

They say that parents must have a happier life when their children already have their own jobs. This is the time when they are finished worrying about their children’s allowances and tuition fees...and it’s also the time for their children to return to their parents what is due to them and once in a while, pamper their parents (in our case, only our mom. Well. My dad is not living with us…so he can’t really feel the fruits of our labor…)

My mom is a homebody. As much as I want to let her explore on her different activities, she really doesn’t want to go out frequently unless necessary. It takes a lot of persuasion for her to go out of the house and have some fun and pamper herself and for some weird reason, she has two daughters who is way far from being a homebody (especially if payday). As my mom would often say it,

“Kating kati kayo gumastos noh?”

and we will just look at her as if begging to allow us to spend our money…our eyes saying…

”Please mama!!! Payagan mo na kami….ngayon lang naman!” (such a cliché!)

Thinking about it, we should be free to buy whatever we like with our own money. Nevertheless, we understand that she only wants to make sure we know how to spend our money wisely. Although for us, spending for family bonding is more important than the money itself! As my sister would put it…

“It’s the bonding, MOTHER!!”

Going back, being the mother that she is, she can’t resist our “paawa” look and will just give up with a loud sigh…

”Bahala na nga kayo…pera niyo naman yan...”

BUTTTTT….there is always an exception to the rule…Same is true with my mom, there is only one thing that she would be willing to go out for (aside from buying groceries)….MOVIES, specifically PINOY movies!!!! Take note: It has to be a Filipino film because if not, you will just end up waking her up in a 15-minute interval…or worst, you will just hear her snore inside the cinema. Her reason:

“Gusto ko lang manuod ng walang iniintindi…Kaya nga ako nanuod para mawala stress ko..kapag foreign, nakakastress naman un..iintindihin ko pa yung sinasabi nila plus iintindihin ko pa yun istorya....” (I want to watch with nothing to worry about…I watch movies to release stress…Watching foreign movies is stressful. I’ll worry about understanding what they are saying…and understanding the whole story at the same time)

Since then, whenever there is a new Filipino film coming up, I will always reserve it to my mom. I remember in my college days, my friends would ask me to go watch a movie. My default question would always be

“Filipino or foreign?”

for the reason that if it is Filipino, my usual line goes…

“Nako! Sorry…Alam mo naman kapag Filipino, nakareserve kay mama…Siguradong magyayaya yun na panuorin namin yan…” (Sorry…You already know that Filipino movies is always reserved for my mom…I am sure my mom would ask me to go watch that movie..)

My friends understand. Anyway, we can watch a foreign one. They are not as limited and as choosy as my mom with respect to movies.

Movies are a good activity to bond with each other. There, we laugh together when Eugene Domingo slipped in the Septic Tank…

we giggle together in the “sulyap tingin” moments of Lyda and Migui… (guess the movie!!! This is for pinoy movie enthusiasts)

We get angry together on how stupid Basha is for leaving Popoy (that is an easy one…)

 but we also hope together that Popoy gives Basha “one more chance” (give-away naman yun.)

We cry together when Lorna Tolentino finally revealed about having a cancer to her daughter, Bea Alonzo in the movie “Sayo Lamang”…

we cry together in pity of Johnny Delgado in “Tanging Yaman”…

we weep together in the journey of “Thelma”…

and just recently, we get mad together on Anne Curtis’ character as a mistress/bitch (LOL. But she portrayed it very well. Two thumbs up for Anne) in the new film “No Other Woman”..

Name it,,we’ve watched it! Alright…I admit…I am a crybaby when it comes to movies…in fact, in my “crying history” 70% of my tears came from movies that in real life painful situations…and my mom is just the same…we will look at each other in the cinema and will laugh at each other for being such a crybaby…most of the time, my mom is holding back her tears..and I’ll say..

”Ma, huwag mo na kasi pigilan.. iiyak mo na yan!!” (Ma, don’t hold it back..cry it out!)

If there is a word “food trip” there is also “crying trip” and we are fond of that!! Really, we haven’t let any famous pinoy movie passed us by…if there is, sobrang unti na lang yun!

Lest I forget, we criticize the actors/actresses physical appearances in the movie…At the middle of the movie, you can just hear us whispering at each other…(fill in the blanks)

”parang ang taba ni ______ diyan…”

”parang ang itim ng kilikili ni _______”

“parang and laki ng binti ni _______”

“hindi pala maganda si ________ pag nakasimangot…”

“banlag si _________ noh?”

Wait…it was not all negative…we know how to appreciate beauty!!!! Hehehehehehe….check this out!

“ang gwapoooooooooo ni ____________, hayuppp!!”

“ang ganda ni ___________, parang manika lang…”

“diyosang diyosa si _____________”

“ang kinis ni ____________...parang walang kapeklat peklat”

“makalaglag panty naman tumingin si ___________”

“Laway mo ate!!!!” (LMFAO)

Right after every movie, expect a discussion among us…we agree and disagree on how great or how poor the actors were in their portrayal of their respective characters…on how good-looking the actors/actresses were in the movie…on the lessons that can be learned from the movie…on the good endings and bitter endings…and also, on our own version of ending the movie if we were the directors…on how it could be better if Jake Cuenca kills Dennis Trillo in “The Neighbor’s Wife”.

Kidding aside, the great part of everything is we talk about things.

All-in-all…it is an ultimate bonding experience with my family especially with my mom.. It’s a great thing that we always discuss and we can open up our opinions in different topics depending on the movie we’ve just watched. Sometimes, we agree/ Oftentimes, we disagree and 90% of the time we disagree, silent treatment. (LOL. Nagkakatampuhan kami. I am highly opinionated and I speak my mind and sometimes, my mom is offended by the fact that I inherit this attitude from her…) From these movie discussions, I have been able to know some of my mother’s opinion in some things like marriage, premarital sex, live-in, mistresses, relationships, success, love, death and life in general. Indeed, children can be more mature in their decisions when they can openly talk about anything with their mom, even topics that are considered taboo in other families. Whatever it is, even if our opinions differ, my mother’s points of view will always be considered in all the decisions I have to make in my life.

Thus, I am looking forward on more Filipino movies with her…on more healthy discussions with her. With a mom with few interests like my mom, you almost want to let her watch movies everyday just to make her happy. So I am wishing for more movies to come. Also, more power to the Filipino Movie Industry.

Sisters' bonding: Humanessence SPA

I have never been a fan of health spas. Perhaps, because everything that I can see in a spa, I have it in the comfort of my own home. Thus, I do my manicure, pedicure, foot spa, body scrub..name it…I am doing it just by myself. My belief was I can do it better than the staff in a spa. I know when it hurts… I know my pain threshold… I know the pressure I need to put on… I know everything about my own body…plus the fact that I don’t have to pay for my own services…talking about being frugal.

My sister is my exact opposite when it comes to this. (Well, not only to this. We’re opposite in a lot of things. Lol. I should do a different post for that!) She’s a spa lover. If she has extra time, you’ll know where to see her, in the spa having a good massage..literally, almost every week!!! Not to mention the times where she would call her personal masseuse for a home service. She can’t get enough of it. 5 hours of massage, she can handle it; she can be massaged forever actually!!! At first, I can’t get it..I can’t understand why is she addicted to it? What I do know is that she’s tired from work, that’s reasonable; she’s an ER physician having 48 hours of duty. Nevertheless, is that a reason to overindulge yourself into so much pampering?

Well, I really can’t identify with her not until she brought me with her in a spa in West Ave. named “Humanessence Spa”. It is located in the 3^rd flr of a certain building near Caltex in West Ave. She availed of……what else? Body massage + body scrub + footspa with pedicure which is in a promo that month which costs 1,050 all-in-all. She forced me to avail of a body scrub as well and a footspa with pedicure, that’s 680.00. Being the frugal person that I am, My jaw dropped big time and my first reaction was “grabe naman, ang mahal..” (Oh my God…it’s expensive.) and my sister said..”ako na!! worth it naman eh.” (My treat. Don’t worry, it’s worth it.) I conceded. Her treat. Who won’t say no to a free service? 

 (http://www.google.com.ph/images)

Then my journey to wellness starts….Before you can be allowed to walk in the lounge area, you will be required to leave your footwear in the reception area, a staff will put your footwear in a shoe locker and will give you another set of rubber slippers which is the only slippers allowed in walking around the spa and a key to your personal locker to those availing of the body services. The lounge area is divided into 4 parts, there are 5 lazy boy’s chair towards an approximately 50-in TV. There are two sofa sets adjacent with each other. From here, you can also watch TV There is a bar area but it is not functioning as such, it only functions as an area for preparation of coffee and tea and last is the 6 super comfortable chairs for the footspa, pedicure and manicure services. The lounge area is shared by both men and women but of course, the massage and shower areas are separate. I am not aware if there was a couple massage room, I am single so don’t ask me. (bitter?)

For those who are availing of body massage and body scrub services, you will be asked to take a shower (you can opt not to take the shower if you just took a bath) and you can also use the steam sauna if you want to. After which, a towel, shorts which can fit all sizes (so to my fellow plump ladies, don’t fret) and a cotton bathrobe will be provided.

For those who don’t have the luxury of time and always in a hurry, you might be disappointed with the long waiting hours before you can be accommodated. If you arrived there at 11pm, expect to go home at around 2-3am. Although you are free to take a nap in their comfy chairs (I do it all the time). Anyway, if you fell asleep, they will call your attention if it is your turn. If you are not sleepy, you can also watch TV while sipping a cup of coffee or tea. They serve coffee or tea upon request until supply lasts. And if you are lucky, possibly, you will be left alone in the lounge area and you can watch the TV and treat it your own. Grab the remote control. Browse channels. You can do anything you want actually.

As for the service, it was great! The downside of it, you will have to be naked, (although I haven’t seen a spa that will not require you to take your clothes off) but don’t be bothered, the lights are so dim; the staff can only see your silhouette. So I guess this treatment will not be a relaxing experience for the conservative types. Initially, they will let you lie down on your stomach then on your back. The scrub consists of the actual scrubbing starting from your feet up to your neck. Following that, you will be required to take a shower (this time it is mandatory). Next, your whole body will be applied with honey…as in pure honey mixed with a small amount of hot water. When the staff is applying the honey, I feel like I am a pancake. I can smell myself. I almost wanna lick myself, kidding! The honey will stay for 15 minutes. Shower again to rinse off the honey and it’s done. The service took about 30minutes. The effect fascinates me considering this is my first time. I have done this way back when I was 18 but this was different, my skin was the smoothest. My skin had never been that smooth. The foot spa is also good but nothing extraordinary if you will compare it to other spas. Perhaps, the great thing is the pedicure because I didn’t feel any pain. I nearly fell asleep when they are doing my toenails when I am expecting it to be really painful since I have deep in-growns.

Right after every service, they will give you a tip envelope with their name if in case you want to give them a tip for their service and it is your discretion if you want to give it directly to the staff or leave it in the tip box.

When we got home, I feel the need to avail of these services twice a month or at least once a month. My sister grinned, as if saying..”I told you so..now you understand…” and I immediately defended myself saying “It’s not that I am getting addicted to it…My skin needs it…” ahahahahaahhahaha….

Before, I thought I can do it better myself but I was wrong, it’s a good feeling that you just have to lie down or sit back and relax and let somebody else do it for you. In view of all of these, I highly recommend Humanessence Spa for everyone who is so stressed out (just be sure you have a lot of time to kill). I though this was expensive but upon research of all other spas, it’s cheaper.  (That’s what matters to me the most…lol) So check it out guys!

Who would have guessed? Now, this is my bonding experience with my total-opposite sister! Aside from eating, by the way!

Chic-Boy. So-so.

Since I first saw Chic-boy in West Ave., I have always wanted to try it. Months have passed and I haven't even tried it yet and last week, finally, after going to the spa, i've experienced it with my sister and my mom.

On the outside, it looks like the food will range from 150-250 per person. but upon entering, the ambience can be compared to that of Mang Inasal and I was quite surprised that the prices are cheap. We ordered cebu lechon meal and the inihaw na liempo meal. Each meal is only 99 pesos!!! That's a treat! Mind you, the meal is with an unlimited serving of soup and rice. IN addition to that, if you want unlimited iced tea, you would only add 25 pesos. Thus, all in all, for the 3 of us, we only paid 373 pesos!!! I was happy about that!

However, while I was satisfied with the affordability of the meals, I was disappointed with the meal itself. I am not that good in cooking but it seems to me that my grilled liempo is better than their inihaw na liempo. The liempo was underseasoned and not that juicy as I desired liempos to be. Also, i've already tasted the original cebu lechon directly from Cebu and this is really different but not as underseasoned as the liempo. On the other hand, the soup is good.

And there's something more that made up for it.

There is one waiter there named "Aries" which is outstanding in customer service. You need not tell him to refill whatever. He will approach you before you even call him and the best of it, he did everything with a smile. We can't help but notice him because he stands out from the rest and we want to help him in our own ways so we ask to manager if we can make a commendation for Aries. Indeed, when you are giving good service, you will be rewarded because the supervisor told us that Aries is the "Employee for the month" and we hope that he will stay as is for as long as he is wearing that smile on his face ready to serve the customers and we also hope that all the waiters will take Aries as their model.

Over-all, from 1 to 10, 10 as the highest, i'll give Chic-Boy in West Ave. a grade of  7 and here is the breakdown:
Ambience                7
Affordability            8
Taste                       4
Customer Service    9

DISCLAIMER: I believe that Chic-Boy is into franchising so I would like to make it clear that this review is based on my experience in the West Ave. branch I don't know about the other branches. That only shows that sometimes, franchise agreements can be really risky because every franchisee holds the name of the company so the franchisor of Chic-boy shall really look into this.

If I will go back, maybe I'll try some other branches when I'm out of budget! CIAO!