Inside all of us is HOPE.

First-time thrift shopper

2012-02-25T23:04:00.001+08:00

Yesterday, I came to Cavite to spend some time with my sister, her husband, and my niece who recently moved here. I actually have a lot of things to do for my majors, but I couldn't say no to a couple of days of vacation outside Manila.

When I got here I randomly told my sister that I wanted to go thrift shopping because I had never experienced it. Luckily, my sister knew of a shop or ukay-ukay, just a 15-minute drive from their house. So today, we decided to visit the thrift store and see if we could find something nice.

Well, after two hours of hunting from one rack of clothes to another, I was able to spot some awesome items. I bought 2 maxi skirts, 2 midi skirts, 2 tops, 1 long undershirt/nightie, 1 pair of shoes, and 1 leather sleeve bag. Everything for less than PHP 700. Crazy, isn't it?

This is what I wore today. I only brought a couple of shirts with me, so my outfit was pretty simple.
(Cross Tee + Black Harem Pants + Black Doll Shoes + Leopard-printed Wallet - Topshop)

Maxi skirt with floral prints

Multipurpose leather sleeve bag

Velvety maxi skirt

Printed midi skirt

Black midi skirt

Cream blouse (front)

Cream blouse (back)

Oversized floral top

Black Elle Petite boots

P.S. Special thanks to my sister for taking these pictures; all were taken with my iPhone. :)

Moolah needed

2012-02-24T00:15:00.001+08:00

I've been visiting online shops like crazy these past two days. And I feel that I will be broke very soon. It's so hard for me to put money aside because there are just too many things I spend on (phone bill, clothes, food, clothes, food, food, clothes... Yes, basically food and clothes). Although I've been trying to change that by TRYING to save some money... I don't know how that will end, but for now, I'm still far away from reaching my goal (saving a certain amount every month).

I'll post some of the oh-so-awesome clothes I've been eyeing. I want to have all these clothes in my wardrobe NOW.

I'm gonna order these babies soon! I have a thing for long cardigans / capes! I haven't seen any at the shops here, so I'm just going to order them online! Been also looking for a pair of round glasses! They're kinda pricey, but I think I'm going to give in (still deciding on it).

Cinnamon Cardigan (Market HQ)

Crochet Cape (Market HQ)

Round Glasses (Market HQ)

Pearly Detachable Collar - this would totally improve the look of any outfit (Chic Wish)

White Dip Dye Tunic - it's so beautiful! (Market HQ)

Beaded Chiffon Shirt (Romwe)

Anomalous Hem Skirt - it's short in front; not your typical skirt! (Romwe)

Stripe Panel Mesh Dress (Runway Bandits)

Collar Necklace (The Quiet Riot)

Cut-out Shoes (The Quiet Riot)

I have an entire album on my laptop filled with pictures of items I wish to purchase online! I shall make a post at least once a week and upload the latest pictures added on my wish list. :-)

Certified gourmand

2012-02-16T23:31:00.000+08:00

I haven't had the time and opportunity to update my blog, although a lot has happened lately. I finally moved out of my old condo -- I really hated it there! I still have no cable and no Internet connection in the new condo, so I bought the Globe Tattoo 4G Flash, which isn't bad, so I can still surf the net when I want.

I was supposed to publish this post yesterday night, but I wasn't able to edit all the pictures because I barely had 2 hours of sleep two nights ago and I couldn't wait to hit the sack yesterday night.

Here below are the pictures of all the delicious foods my friends and I have tried this past month.

CAUTION: EVERYTHING WILL MAKE YOU HUNGRY. (Don't say I didn't warn you! HAHA.)

Long weekend

2012-01-24T00:10:00.002+08:00

(I have yet to blog about my 3-day trip to Singapore last last weekend. I actually started, but I was too lazy to finish it. And I haven't edited all the pictures yet... But I promise to blog about it soon!)

Kiong Hee Huat Tsai! Happy Chinese New Year! So it's officially 2012 for everyone. If I'm not mistaken, Virgos are supposed to be lucky this year. I hope that's true! I'm so glad Chinese New Year fell on a Monday this year. Why? It's simple: Students didn't have classes today. And my Monday schedule isn't really ideal: "The Christian Vocation To Life" (TREDFOR) from 14:40 to 16:10 and "Design For Film" (DESFILM) from 18:00 to 21:10 (!!!). Yes, DESFILM is one of my 3-hour classes this term. I'm used to it since all my majors practically last 3 hours, but I was glad for this free day.

But let me go back to Thursday. At 9:40, my "Television Production" class started and after 3 hours it was finally over. At 14:40, my TREDFOR professor began the class with a 5-minute prayer. My group was supposed to present about marriage as a lifetime commitment, but something was wrong with the computer, so our professor just ended up giving us a lecture about Pope John Paul II's 'Theology of the Body' and dismissing us at around 15:30 instead of 16:10. We had no complaints. That was my last class for the day and for the week. (I have a MWTh class schedule, so my Tuesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays are free.) Basically, I had Friday up to Tuesday (tomorrow) with pretty much nothing to do -- well, I do have homework, but I'm a lazy ass, which is not a good thing at all and which also means that I cram everything. *le sigh*

Since I was free to do whatever I felt like doing, my friend Kat and I decided to have our nails done at ... errr, I forgot the name of the place, but it's at One Archers Place. I was really looking forward to a relaxing afternoon, but the other girls who were there were being too noisy and quite childish. Good thing I loved how my nails turned out. I brought the nail polish I bought at Topshop and asked them to apply it on my nails.

On Friday morning, I was supposed to join my other orgmates and welcome the Star Scholar students, but I woke up with a fever and started throwing up, so I decided to stay home and rest. I had to leave for school in the afternoon though because I had to take the P&G exam. I wanted to reschedule, but I didn't know how. Eventually I got better and luckily didn't miss the celebration of Kat's 18th. Since I wasn't fully feeling well yet, we decided to stay at my place, order pizza, and have a movie marathon. We watched "Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist" and "Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World", although most of us were falling asleep by the time the second movie started.

On Saturday, I had to go to the mall and my friend JV accompanied me. When we got to Robinsons Manila we were quite hungry already, so we looked for a nice place to eat and ended up at Cyma, a Greek restaurant. The food was okay, but we agreed that we weren't really fans of Greek cuisine. (It was cool though when we got the appetizer and all the waiters shouted, "OPA.")

I ordered this Chicken Gyro with potatoes. The gyro tasted okay, but the potatoes were awesome!

JV ordered this salad. The almonds tasted really good!

After eating, we just dropped by some shops. When we were at Topshop, I had to face a dilemma: to buy or not to buy the bag I've been eyeing for quite some time? I decided to buy it because it was 30% off and I couldn't let it go. As you can see from the pictures below, the bag can be used as a handbag, as a shoulder bag, and even as a backpack! I believe I made the right decision.

Yesterday, I just stayed home and ordered food from McDonald's. I used ClickTheCity's app for iPhone and I must say it's pretty convenient. I could have just ordered from McDonald's site, but I wanted to try the app out and so I did. I think I just watched 'House Season 5' and the first two episodes of 'American Idol', played games on my iPad, and read a few 'Time' articles all day -- I read about the 'Little White Lies' magazine, which is totally cool. In the end, it was more or less a bum day.

So here's today. My friend Alex texted me yesterday and asked me to go jogging with her. We decided to meet at 9:30 this morning and go to the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) to jog. I can usually jog for about 30minutes, but something was wrong with me this morning. Either I was too hungry to jog or I still hadn't fully recovered from the last time I was sick. We had to stop jogging. We just stayed at a park nearby and chatted. After quite some time, I told Alex that I wanted to inquire about the residence building I want to move into and asked her to come with me. We were supposed to just stay for a few minutes, but the agent was nice and showed us a couple of condo units. I really liked the second one he showed us and I'm hoping to move in soon. The building's amenities are commendable! After seeing everything, I just wanted to move in right then!

I was actually supposed to go to The Fort with my friends this afternoon, but I got lazy so I decided to stay home and take a nap since I wasn't able to sleep much last night.

I can't believe how fast this long weekend went by. Tomorrow's my last free day, but I have to cram a concept paper and perhaps I'll go to the mall. I shall decide tomorrow.

Photo editing apps

2012-01-10T13:56:00.001+08:00

Once I got my new phone I started installing photo editing apps like crazy. I'm having a lot of fun trying various lenses, effects, etc. So here below are some pictures I edited using different apps.

Awesome Finds

2011-12-20T16:51:00.000+08:00

I randomly came across this online shop on Multiply and look what I found! :) Actually when I checked their albums, I noticed they only had the Foals Antidotes tank top. I'm so glad I e-mailed them to ask if they also had a Foster The People tank top because they did! :)

Grams Diner -> New Year's Eve -> Borough

2011-12-19T17:59:00.001+08:00

Last Wednesday, Kat, Joss, JV, and I decided to have dinner and watch a movie to celebrate the end of the term. We ended up going to Rockwell, where we bought our tickets for the last full show of "New Year's Eve" and where I got two new ear piercings. We had dinner at Grams Diner, and the food was delicious. After the movie, we weren't in the mood to go home yet so we took a cab to Podium. Since Borough is open 24/7 and Kat and I had never been there, we figured it was about time. Joss, JV, and I ordered three shots of Jager Bomb and other drinks (mine was Electric Lemonade) while Kat ordered this amazing pudding. Overall, it was a great night. :)

Here below are some of that night's pictures. Sorry for the low quality! We had to use my Blackberry's camera because even though I had my D-SLR with me, I didn't realize till we got to the mall that I had left my memory card at home. :| Haha.

My Beauty Brick experience

2011-12-13T01:10:00.010+08:00

Last week I finally decided that it was time to change my hairstyle. My hair had gotten so long and dull already that I really needed a change. So I called Beauty Brick and scheduled an appointment for December 12 (which was yesterday). Luckily, my sister stayed in Manila for a couple of days so she was able to accompany me.

When we got there at around 1:30pm, I still had no idea what I really wanted to do with my hair. I was weighing my options: to perm or to dye? I was worried about getting a perm because I didn't want my hair to be super curly (just wavy) and I was worried about dyeing my hair because it would have been my first time.

Anyway, I ended up getting my hair permed and I also decided to dye my hair next month (I wanted to dye my hair yesterday too, but Mr. Shin told me not to). Radical change indeed. I cannot wait! I hope whichever color I choose will suit me.

Enjoy these pictures of the salon + me in the process of getting my hair permed! Haha. All were taken by my sister.

After five long hours, here's how my hair looked. :)

What I'm wearing:

Top - Forever21

Jeans - Zara TRF

Belt - Cotton On

Doll shoes - Topshop

Bag - Topshop

Wednesday night at The Fort

2011-11-26T23:20:00.007+08:00

Last Wednesday, my friends and I decided to have dinner at The Fort and chill at Starbucks Coffee afterwards. It was an awesome night! The recipe? Lots of food, tons of fun, and great company, of course.

Fully Booked (I bought "Miss Peregrine's Home For Peculiar Children"; I'm currently reading it, and it's really interesting; we saw Jolina Magdangal - I was reminded of my childhood)
Dinner at 2nd's (delicious food omnomnom)
Jamba Juice (I tried their Strawberries Wild and I liked it; we saw Ivan Dorschner from Pinoy Big Brother Teen Edition)
Hobbes and Landes (Kat and JV bought mochi; we also found out that they sell Mimobot flash drives - I must save up!)
Fully Booked again (Mari bought "The Future of Us" by Jay Asher, author of "Thirteen Reasons Why", and Carolyn Mackler)
Starbucks 32nd and 7th

My latest addiction

2011-11-19T19:22:00.006+08:00

For the past few months, I had been dwelling on whether I wanted an iPad 2 or an iPod touch more.

When Apple released the white iPod touch, I thought that I would go for it. But Apple also released the iPhone 4s. Currently, I'm a Blackberry user and I'm quite happy with my phone, but I decided to get the white iPhone 4s next year.

So why get an iPod touch if I plan on switching to an iPhone anyway, right? The idea, then, of getting an iPad 2 seemed more appealing. I figured that I could bring it with me all the time (my 13" Macbook Pro isn't that heavy, but it's a hassle to bring around especially when I'm out the whole day) and that it would fit all my needs. I have had it for eleven days and I couldn't be happier.

I reserved my iPad 2 three weeks ago and I finally got it last week. I bought a grey Moshi Concerti case, which is really practical, easy to use, and well-designed, because I'm not a fan of the Smart Cover. If I bought it, I don't think it would really protect my iPad.

My iPad 2 is the black 64GB one. Here are some pictures I took.

Watch this video below for a full iPad 2 review.

Watch this video below for an iPad 2 Moshi Concerti case review.

ONCE YOU GO MAC, YOU NEVER GO BACK. ;)

Allison Elizabeth Harvard

2011-11-13T13:43:00.003+08:00

If you aren't familiar with her name, I'm sure you will recognize her by her face.

"Allison Elizabeth Harvard (born January 8, 1988) is an American fashion model and internet celebrity. She is best known as the runner-up of the twelfth cycle of America's Next Top Model." (via wikipedia.com)

Allison Harvard is currently a contestant on America's Next Top Model Cycle 17 All-Stars, which features models from previous seasons. Nine episodes have aired so far, and Allison is one of the last five remaining contenders for the title.

I quite like her because I believe she's effortlessly good. I also think she's the whole package. She's a great model, she's artistic, she has a unique style, and she has a pleasing personality. Besides, her blue eyes are amazing, aren't they?

Here below are some of her works. (via allisonelizabeth.com)

Don't you think she's incredibly talented? I hope she wins this time and becomes America's Next Top Model because she deserves it! :)

Follow Allison on Tumblr

Follow Allison on Twitter

Check Allison's website

Check Allison's shop on Etsy

Starbucks 2012 Planner

2011-11-09T20:56:00.006+08:00

Let me begin by telling you that this day was totally lovely.

This morning, I was able to complete all the stickers I needed (9 Christmas drinks and 8 Core beverages) so I could claim my Starbucks 2012 planner. Special thanks to my friend Joss, who helped me. :)

And at around 3:00pm, I finally got the iPad 2 I ordered from my friend Bard, who is currently enrolled in his MARKET2 class. I was so happy because I reserved it a couple of weeks ago and I really couldn't wait any longer.

The Starbucks 2012 Planner comes in five different colors. I got myself the Cherry one. :) I really like this year's planner because it's simple and it isn't bulky at all. It actually reminds me of the Moleskine planners, which I love.

Here below are some pictures of my Starbucks 2012 planner. All were taken today.

From a screenplay to a short story

2011-11-08T08:04:00.008+08:00

Last term, I took Writing For Film (WRIFILM) under Direk Jose Javier Reyes aka Joey Reyes. He is one of the best professors I have ever had! I truly learned a lot from him, and he inspired me to write more. I actually never thought I could properly conceptualize a story and write a screenplay. Because of his tips and comments, I got better. I was so happy when I got to know that he would be returning to DLSU next term to teach Writing For Television (WRITETV) this time around. I will definitely enroll in his class to challenge myself yet again.

This term, I enrolled myself in Creative Writing (ELECLIT) because I wanted to push myself harder; I wanted to know what else I could do with my writing. The course isn't actually that challenging, but when I tried to turn one of the screenplays I wrote for my WRIFILM class into a short story, I realized that it was harder than I thought it would be.

I planned to turn my best screenplay into a shorty story for my final manuscript in my ELECLIT class, but as usual I found myself cramming. I just couldn't deal with twenty pages of screenplay... So I ended up using another one of my screenplays -- a shorter one.

Read below to see how it goes. It is entitled One Last Time. (Don't be too harsh. I'm not a good writer, but I tried my best to make this one work. :) And yes, I crammed it... Haha.)

One Last Time

Isn’t destiny haunting? We often think that our choices delineate the paths in our lives, but sometimes we just can’t escape whatever it is that is meant to happen. And Laura would find out soon enough that she couldn’t run from her past as easily as she thought it would be.

At 9:00 a.m. sharp, Laura hurriedly entered Starbucks Coffee. She opted for their Signature Hot Chocolate, which never failed to make her concentrate on whatever she needed to be done. She looked around, looking for a free table. She thought that, perhaps, this time she could find another table, but in the end, she ended up in the same spot where she sat every weekday. She suddenly felt like she was the most boring person. She shrugged the thought off and started to write her report, which she needed to submit within the end of the day.

As she took a sip from her drink, Laura looked around, enjoying the Christmas decorations, which made her think about Matthew. Oh, how he loved Christmas and presents! She couldn’t help but smile at the thought of him being so happy.

“One venti Cranberry White Chocolate Mocha Frappuccino for Gabby!” one of the Starbucks baristas shouted.

And just like that, the smile on Laura’s face disappeared, and she suddenly froze. Gabby. She knew that name was common, but her heart started beating faster. She tried to calm herself, but that name…Gabby…brought back a lot of memories. Laura couldn’t help but turn towards the counter to check if she would recognize a familiar face.

The man in corporate attire was facing one of the baristas, Amy – she was probably the one who called him. Basing on his built and by the few gray strands of hair, the man, who was giving Laura his back, was in his middle 30s.

As Gabby turned around to look for a seat, Laura couldn’t help her heart reacting the way it did – as if it dropped from a building. That man, standing in front of her, was her Gabby; her Gabby, who was now holding his drink on his right hand, while on the other he had his briefcase. Before she could pretend like she didn’t see him, Gabby, who certainly looked surprised, smiled at and greeted her.

“Laura? Hi! How are you? It’s been so long!” his smile was sincere, but Laura couldn’t see the sparkle that once was in his eyes. She tried her best to talk to him as normally and politely as she could, also asking him how things were with him and his life. Gabby’s smile was so contagious, but Laura still couldn’t let go of her inhibitions. He joked around like the good old times, and she couldn’t refrain herself from thinking about what they had once.

Gabby’s cellphone rang, “Sorry, Laura,” and he excused himself. “Let me get this one.” Laura still had a smile plastered on her face, but she forced herself to think about what Gabby did to her several years ago. She might have forgiven him, but she would never be able to forget.

It had been seven years already. Laura’s mother, Antonia, sat next to her. She remembered that night like it was yesterday. Antonia stayed quiet for a few minutes, weighing her words and trying to properly select them. She could feel the pain in her daughter’s eyes. She wanted to console her, but she knew that only time could heal that kind of wound.

“Hasn’t he called yet?” she posed the question softly; she didn’t want to pressure her daughter. Laura feebly shook her head, and tears ran down her face again. She had been waiting for Gabby’s call for two weeks already. She could still remember his last text message saying, “I’m deeply sorry, Laura.” Nothing more. She tried calling him, of course she did, but apparently he wasn’t using his sim card anymore. She tried going to his condominium; she desperately knocked on his door, and nothing but silence welcomed her. Just like that, he disappeared from her life.

“You know, mom, I don’t know what I did wrong. Why did he suddenly leave without a warning? What am I supposed to do with his sorry?! I thought two years of being together was gonna be enough. I thought he really loved me. I knew he did,” Laura cried like a baby and broke down, and her mother’s arms were there, ready to be wrapped around her.

“Laura?” Gabby gently called her name. She didn’t notice he was already back. He was standing in front of her. “I’m sorry, but I have to go. I have a meeting in thirty. But I would love it if you agreed to have dinner with me tomorrow.” Gabby flashed another one of his smiles. Laura hesitated, but eventually gave in and dictated her number. Perhaps this could be her chance to finally have the closure she had wanted for so long...

Gabby had already left, and Laura attempted to stop thinking about him, but she couldn’t. She had seen it… Gabby was wearing a wedding ring. With difficulty, she digested the information and constantly repeated ‘He is married’ on her mind. Eventually, she realized that she was just wasting precious time. She temporarily dismissed that thought and continued to write her report.

After a busy day at work, Laura finally got home. Ever since her mother died, the house lost a little bit of its brightness. She deeply missed her mother, who was once her rock.

“Yaya Marta? Baby? I’m home!” she shouted.

Yaya Marta showed herself and greeted Laura with a smile, while Matthew hurriedly walked towards Laura to give her a hug. As Yaya Marta prepared their dinner, Laura and Matthew proceeded to the dining room, ready to catch up with one another regarding their day.

“Mommy!!! Guess what?! We’ll have a field trip next week. We’re going to the zoo!” Matthew excitedly shared.

“Baby, that’s great! What are you looking forward to seeing?” her son’s smile was such a joy to see. He was growing up so fast. As they continued to chat, she thanked God for giving her such a beautiful blessing.

After dinner, Laura allowed Matthew to watch his favorite cartoon. She, on the other hand, thought about her six-year-old kid; how he had never met his father and how it would make Matthew happy if he had a father figure in his life. But Laura knew it wasn’t possible; at least not now when she hadn’t seriously dated in seven years because she still had been hoping that Gabby would come back and not when, for the same reason, she hadn’t given any man a chance to get to know both her and Matthew.

Laura lay still on her bed for several minutes. She had feared being alone for so long. And she thought that she had moved on somehow, but seeing Gabby gave her a reason to recall the memories she had tried so hard to forget.

When Gabby left her, Laura found out that she was pregnant. Although hurt and alone, she knew she wanted to keep the baby. When she couldn’t reach Gabby in any way, she promised herself that she would raise Matthew and give him the life he deserved, no matter how difficult it would be.

As Laura was still deep in her thoughts, Gabby was in his hotel room, thinking of how small Metro Manila really was. Of all the people he could have bumped into, it was Laura. His Laura. She was beautiful, as she had always been and, he believed, always will. Gabby knew that Laura deserved to know the truth, but he never gave her that. He just left, disappeared, and never came back. He loved her, but that wasn’t enough.

Seven years earlier, Gabby’s father, Alfonso, who was living in the States, had only a few weeks left – that was what the doctors had declared. Gabby had no choice but to fly to Los Angeles. His family had never met Laura, although they knew about her. But they had never believed it was serious. Laura was the only reason why Gabby was still staying in Manila, despite the many times his parents had asked him to move to L.A. with them. And at his father’s deathbed, Gabby couldn’t reject any of his wishes.

Alfonso was the weakest he had ever been. Gabby felt miserable looking at his father.

“Make me happy, Gabby. Can you still resist me, as I now lay on my bed, waiting for the day I die? Take good care of your mother; stay with her here. And marry Therese,” his father smiled feebly at him, and Gabby nodded slowly. He moved to Los Angeles and married Therese, the only daughter of his parents' best friends.

Gabby looked at his wedding ring and at the picture frame on the bedside table. A picture could certainly conceal reality. The shot portrayed Gabby as a happy husband and father, smiling at the camera, and so were his wife and two kids. Gabby loved his wife; time was able to teach him to do so. But there were days when he would still think of what it would have been if things had turned out differently and he had married Laura instead. With this on mind, he grabbed his cellphone and texted Laura the address of the restaurant where they would be having dinner that Saturday night.

Gabby arrived at the restaurant thirty minutes early. He didn’t really know what to say to Laura yet. How could he possibly explain and excuse his behavior when he left her?

“Hello, Gabby,” Laura greeted him.

Gabby stood up, smiled at her, and moved her chair so she could sit down. They smiled at each other before quickly ordering. After a few minutes of chitchat, they both knew it was time to talk about what had happened years ago.

Gabby cleared his throat and started, “Laura, I want you to know that I am really sorry for what happened. I know I shouldn’t have left the way I did. I chose to be a coward instead of telling you the truth. My dad… He was terribly sick. I moved to the States, and there he asked me… He wanted me to marry Therese, his best friend’s daughter. I… I couldn’t say no to him. He was… dying. And I felt…was…miserable. I know this isn’t enough of an explanation for you to forgive me. I wanted to fight for you, but as I looked at my dad every day, I just knew I couldn’t do that.”

Laura was trying not to cry; she breathed deeply and looked away for a few seconds, trying to figure out how to deal with the pain. She didn’t know it would be that hard to talk to the man whom she had loved deeply, but it was. All the pain she had once felt was now coming back. But all those years had made her stronger, as well.

“Gabby, I forgave you a long time ago. Of course, I was hurt. The pain was unbearable. But you can’t blame me for feeling that way, can you? We’re both wiser now and we both know our mistakes. We’re now mature enough to accept that things have changed and that we can’t go back anymore,” Laura responded as she made an effort to smile. But she could feel the sadness surrounding her. Before Gabby could stop himself, he extended his arm on the table to touch her hand. Laura awkwardly moved it away from him.

The waiter saved them from that uncomfortable silence, as he served their food. It was time to go back to chitchat.

“So… how are you and… Therese, right? Any kids?”

“We’re good. Therese and our two kids, Alyssa and Devon, are in the States right now. I’m just here for business. I’ll be flying back to L.A. next weekend.”

Laura slowly nodded at him to acknowledge that she had heard him. She was still weighing things, thinking whether it was best to tell him about Matthew.

“How about you? Are you married?” Gabby eagerly posed the question.

Laura just laughed and showed her naked ring finger.

“Seeing anyone, then? No? Why…? I’m sure a lot of men would feel lucky if they had a chance to date you.”

Laura shrugged her shoulders and just smiled. She decided not to tell him about Matthew. It was for the best. “I’ve dated a few times, but never seriously. I’m busy with my job – I’m practically married to it.” And to Matthew, she thought.

Gabby felt that something was up. He still remembered that look of hers, that secretive look followed by a shrug. Laura was hiding something from him, but he had no right to inquire about whatever that was. Because whatever she was hiding from him, it was none of his business anymore.

As they both left the restaurant, Laura politely thanked Gabby for the dinner.

“My hotel is just nearby. Let’s have some wine and talk some more. Would that be okay with you?” he slowly offered.

Laura had a feeling that it wouldn’t end well, but something deep inside her drove her to nod and walk with Gabby.

Laura looked around the room, while Gabby poured some wine into both their glasses. Then he walked towards her. He was wearing a gentle smile on his face, and the sparkle in his eyes, which Laura knew so well, was there, just like when they were still together.

Laura couldn’t lie to herself: she was longing for his touch, secretly wanting him to come near her, hold her in his arms, and kiss her on the lips. She knew he was married, but both lust and love took over her. She knew that Gabby felt the same way, although he was still hesitating. It was obvious in the way he moved. He wanted to touch her face and stare into her eyes. He had longed for and wanted her for seven years.

Unknowingly, they found themselves in front of one another, looking into each other’s eyes. Gabby hugged her tightly, like he never did before, like he didn’t want to let go of her anymore. Laura hugged him back, and in that moment, they both knew.

Consumed with their suppressed love, together they committed what they had thought was unthinkable. Moved by their desire for one another, they didn’t think about the persons they would hurt, nor did they think about how this would affect them. Burning with passion, they held one another into each other’s arms.

Hours later, Laura awoke. She slowly gathered her clothes, trying her best not to wake Gabby up, and dressed herself. She, then, left the room and walked towards the elevator.

She had decided to leave. That was the closure she needed. She felt terrible for giving in, for sleeping with a married man, for making love with the father of her child, for letting herself trust him again. But there was no going back.

She knew that Gabby would wake up alone in the morning and that he would read the note she had left for him on the bedside table. Let us forget any of this happened. This is our last goodbye, Gabby. –Laura

Ding. Laura quickly entered the lift and pressed the ground floor button, as the elevator doors closed.

Random day :)

2011-11-07T23:46:00.006+08:00

Today I woke up at around 11am. It was like a miracle. I usually wake up at around 2pm because of my fucked up body clock (I usually fall asleep at around 6am). So I was quite happy because yesterday I fell asleep at around 2:30am.

When I woke up I decided to stay in bed and watch some episodes of That '70s Show instead of taking a shower right away. Eventually at around 2:30pm, I got up because my friends and I were going to hang out.

We decided to meet up at Starbucks Torre Lorenzo at around 4pm. We usually hang out at Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf, but since we're collecting stickers to get our not-so-free 2012 planners, we decided to just go to Starbucks.

Since I hadn't had lunch yet, I ordered a Texas BBQ Chicken Wrap and a Cranberry White Chocolate Mocha. While we were at Starbucks, they offered us some free Toffee Nut Frappuccino shots. It was rather delicious (it was my first time to try it, and I'm definitely going to order it next time).

Free Toffe Nut Frappuccino shot! Isn't it cute?

Here's one of my friends, JV, enjoying his free shot of Toffe Nut Frappuccino, even though he suffers from what he calls 'coffeetitis'. HAHA.

After finishing our drinks, we decided to leave Taft and go to Serendra for a chill afternoon/evening. Since it was still pretty early to grab dinner, we went to Fully Booked first and roamed around. And GUESS WHAT? After one year, I finally found a Wreck This Journal here in the Philippines. I was so ecstatic! I grabbed it right away and bought myself a copy. (It only costs 540php!) I also convinced my friends, Mari and Kat, to buy it so we can be proud members of the WTJ club. HAHA.

"Tape this journal closed. Mail it to yourself." Kat had a great idea and suggested that I do this when I go to Italy. I can't wait to mail this to myself! :)

At 6:15pm, we left for Balducci, an Italian restaurant, to have dinner. I'm a big fan of Italian food, so I was quite excited to try one of Balducci's specialties. Kat and JV both ordered Cannelloni della Casa, Ricotta e Spinaci, while Mari and I opted for Agnellotti al Salmone (Mezzaluna). Everything was amazing!

Here is Kat's order: Cannelloni della Casa, Ricotta e Spinaci (cannelloni with ricotta cheese in their bechamel sauce).

Here is my order (which I absolutely adored - FOODGASM, indeed!): Agnellotti al Salmone - Mezzaluna (salmon filled half moon ravioli in light cream sauce).

After our amazing dinner, we went to Powerbooks (former A Different Bookstore) then wandered around (we even ended up at Gourdo's - The Christmas Shoppe). We definitely could feel the Christmas Season in the air!

Before leaving for Taft, we dropped by Sonja's to buy our beloved Red Velvet Cupcakes. (Yum!)

Once we were back in Taft, Kat, Mari, and I decided to go to Starbucks once again. I ordered their Signature Hot Chocolate. While we were playing Monopoly Deal, I was also trying to finish my manuscript for my Creative Writing class (it's due tomorrow!).

This day was so random, but I had tons of fun. We surely ate a lot! I'm still full until now. :) My only regret was the fact that I didn't bring my SLR. So I'm sorry for the low quality of all the pictures above (I used the camera of my Blackberry; just click any of the pictures to view them in high res). Other than that, I had quite a nice time with my friends. It didn't feel like it was a Monday at all.

Bacolod's best: It's all about the food

2011-11-06T22:40:00.005+08:00

Last term break, from September 4 to 7, some of my friends and I went to Bacolod. Our vacation, although short, was awesome enough to really keep our minds off from academics.

We enjoyed every single adventure, but most of all, we enjoyed the food. Everything was just so cheap and yummy!

If you plan on visiting Bacolod, be ready to be full and make sure to drop by the following:

1925

Calea

Kuppa

Pepe's

Aboy's

2012 Planners

2011-11-06T04:47:00.005+08:00

While I patiently collect eleven more stickers in order to get my Starbucks 2012 planner, here below are some images of cool planners (all courtesy of calendar.com).

Folk Art Birds 2012 Hardcover Engagement Calendar

Bow Wow 2012 Hardcover Engagement Calendar

Owls 2012 Hardcover Engagement Calendar

New York 2012 Planner

World Map 2012 Pocket Planner

Dr. Seuss 2012 Pocket Planner

The Beatles 2012 Pocket Planner

Cats in Bowties 2012 Pocket Planner

Keep Calm and Carry On 2012 Planner

Soul & Tears 2012 Planner

Van Gogh 2012 Pocket Planner

24/7 Mom Large Coral 2012 Planner

Daily Drama 2012 Pocket Planner

Pink Leopard Small 2012 Planner

Paris 2012 Planner

Numbers 2012 Planner

Green Leather with Scripture 2012 Planner

Black Moroccan 2012 Small Planner

Pottermore: AvisChaser136

2011-11-06T04:10:00.008+08:00

If you've been living under a rock and don't know what Pottermore is, please do visit pottermore.com.

"Pottermore is an exciting new website from J.K. Rowling that can be enjoyed alongside the Harry Potter books. You can explore the stories like never before and discover exclusive new writing from the author. It is FREE to join and use, and is designed to be safe for people of all ages."

Unfortunately, if you weren't able to answer any of the seven Magical Quills around three months ago then you won't be able to access the site just yet.

Pottermore is actually quite interesting, but its features are still limited and being tested. Nonetheless, I have been able to enjoy it by adding friends, brewing potions, practicing spells, etc.

I was so happy to be sorted into Slytherin, by the way. And as of 4:18am 11/06/11, we have the most house points!

Here below are some of the screenshots I took.

Remembering Quiapo

2011-11-06T02:41:00.014+08:00

A few months ago, I had to go to Quiapo to shoot for my final project in my Photojournalism class. It was my first time to visit the place, and fortunately, my friend Alex was able to accompany me.

We met this weird-looking fortune teller, Madam Auring, who was really entertaining. She charged us quite a lot for the interview and actual shoot, but it was worth it.

Doesn't she look totally legit?

Click any of the pictures to view them in high res.