The holidays of 2008 just came by as if it were an ordinary season... just like how we celebrate Valentine's season. People prepare decorations, businesses create themed products and what have you; and then when the season ends, everything goes kaput.

I woke up this morning to find my parents and our household help removing the decorations all over the house and storing them in their old, dusty boxes. I realized that the season has finally ended. Time to go back to work and work my butt off.... time to deal with the daily grind (pay bills, save money, etc), and time to be busy once again. I realized that I was being pessimistic about the coming year, and somehow, I remembered that each day, for the rest of year 2009, is another chance to create permament memories filled with so much meaning. It's another chance for me to learn something new each day, to improve myself each day, for i will never know what will happen next. It's another year to live my life... and live it without so much reservations.

My parents are flying to Indonesia again on Tuesday... and I have to say that I'm quite sad that they're leaving already. We weren't given that much chance to bond. I mean, I am there with them in all of the family gatherings this Christmas season had in store for our family... I was there for them when they needed help on some things... but I never really got the chance to talk to them in a way that I used to... Somehow I hesitated to talk to them... but it's okay.. I still have the next couple of days to make bawi... and I might just fly there in a couple of months to visit them...

Speaking of family, my aunt, Tita Liway is going through some challenging times nowadays. She had her bypass operation before Christmas, and she had to spend her Christmas in the hospital. Her wound relapsed and she had to spend New Year there as well. My friends, I'm asking you to pray for her speedy recovery. Thanks in advance.

Workwise, I will be welcomed with a very busy summit that I need to be a part of. I must say, I am kind of anxious as to how everything will turn out. It's gonna happen in the next couple of days, and I will be one of the first speakers, so to speak. It's really scary, because it seems that I need to prepare a lot of things pa. I hope I can muster enough courage to do all of it..

So, new year, new things to look forward to. As I was driving over the past couple of days, here are just some things that I feel I should do more of this year:

1. Eat MORE greens and eat LESS of the junk.
2. Drink MORE water and consume LESS soda.
3. Allot more GYM time.
4. Save MORE.
5. Resist tempation to splurge.
6. Use tons of self-pampering products
7. Wake up earlier.
8. Read more.
9. Be more organized with my things.
10. Be more empathic.
11. Pray
12. Smile.
13. Smoke less.
14. Have fun for less. =)
15. Love a whole lot more.

Happy New Year, everyone!

Got this from Perez Hilton's site.

CHANEL, the luxury empire brand is laying off 200 workers.

What could Coco be thinking if she were alive?

If you guys have the time, I suggest you go check out the Filipino film "100."

It's a story about this girl (played by Mylene Dizon) who makes a laundry list of her "things to do" before she dies from cancer. She goes through the ordeal of telling her best friend (Eugene Domingo), and then eventually her mom (Tessie Tomas) -- and comes to terms with a lot of things as she manges to accept that she's really about to pass away.

I love the way Chris Martinez (writer and director) handled the movie. It doesn't blackmail you regarding the pains of death, rather, it makes you empathize with the characters. It's amazing how the really sad scenes suddenly shift to funny (as in laugh out loud) moments as well. I think the editing was superb. It doesn't look like an indie film at all. The movie was almost 2 hours long, but it did not feel like it. Mylene Dizon was amazing! So were Tessie and Eugene. I thought the skinny-dip scene was super nice as well. All in all, the movie was made in good taste.

The movie made me miss my mom. It made me realize once again how short life is, and how everything can be taken away from you in just an instant. Furthermore, it made me understand death even further. Similarly, it made me understand how to live my life in a more meaningful way.

You guys see it. You'd see why Chris Martinez is best director and Mylene Dizon got Best Actress. =)

I know... I know... I should have posted this blog a week ago... but work's been really pretty hectic! So many stuff to do left and right... plus the stuff at home... it's really crazy! I heard Chris Brown's forever playing in my brother's room and that reminded me to post something here!

I have a confession to make.

I am a Rihanna fan. Her voice is different. Her songs are different. The way she conducts herself is quite different as well. And she seems legit. You can even dress her up like a barbie doll and make her wear something straight from the streets... and she'd still look nice. :)

That's why when it was announced that she was coming to Manila... I silently.. got excited. I bought my tickets on the second day the tickets were sold. hehe. Wala pang pila!

Let me tell you this... There were so many people!!! Parking alone was a problem. Imagine, the concert venue was just at the left side of Serendra (if facing Boni High Street), and I was able to park right beside MC Home Depot. You guys might be wondering... "Teka... ang layo..".... YES! Malayong malayo. Imagine the walk I had to do just to get to the venue. It was okay though we were walking naman with the others as well (who parked there as well). The nearer I got to the concert venue, the larger the groups of people walked. As soon as I got there, my greatest fear came true... MAY PILA! ang haba ng pila papasok. End to end. It was crazy. We had 15 minutes before the concert started and we wouldn't get there on time. Good thing I knew my way around Fort Boni and remembered that at THE OTHER SIDE, there might be an entrance as well. So we had to pass by Serendra, walk around Market Market, and then head to the other side of the venue (by this time my feet were already killing me). The cosmos were so kind to me... there wasn't any line on the other side! We got in without any hassle, of course.

When I got in, ay... grabe... wala na. Puro tao na. Saka ang liit na ng stage (I was watching at the Silver section lang). Sabi ko wala na to. Audio na lang maririnig ko. But when I looked at my right, perfect! May malaking screen! THe silver section had screens! Yung bronze... sa pinakalikod.. wala. So sila yung audio na lang talaga. We didn't wait long enough and then the MTV hosts started coming out and everyone screamed na!!

After the introductions, Chris Brown came in na! Remember the "hanging in the ceiling" number he did at the VMA's/Grammy's? He did that too! He started the concert coming down from a suspended wire. Everyone was just screaming like crazy! Lemme tell you, the dude can perform! He can dance man! My favorites were "With You" and "Forever". Ang galing galing!

His set lasted for an hour and then we had to wait another 30 to 45 minutes before Rihanna came out. Sulit ang pagod (at kahit masakit na paa ko).

She started with Disturbia. (bum-bum-dee-dum, bum-bi-bum-bum), then followed it up with Breakin' Dishes, Good Girl Gone Bad, and then Rehab! She did some costume changes and then started again with Pon De Replay, and S.O.S.... and then Don't Stop the Music (this was the part were everyone was dancing na). And then she asked how the crowd was doing... haha.. I remember her screaming.."Are you guys all right? If you are... then make some motherf***in' noise!" I thought it was really funny.. and real of her to do that.. she needed to make the crowd excited again.. kasi the others were there 4PM pa lang (it was around 10PM na).  After that she did Live Your Life (the song with T.I.) which I really like! I was groovin' there. hehe. She then did her slow songs (started with a piano instrumental of Unfaithful, and then I hate that I love you). Her encore songs were Shut Up and Drive... and of course... Umbrella.. where Chris Brown came out to do the Cinderella Remix! The crowd was super happy!! She promised she'd come back and said that she was enjoying her stay here... hehe

I heard she went to Alchemy that night as well and went shopping at Greenhills the following day. hehe. I was soooooo happy that I was able to watch! Minsan minsan lang naman to eh! :) In Indonesia, I heard that she backed out the last minute.. good thing she went through with the concert here in Manila!

Looking forward to the next concert! (ella-ella-eh-eh). =)

WARNING:

This will be somewhat self-centered. While I know that most of the items in the list are somewhat unecessary... but hey... kaya nga "wish" list.

Paminsan, dreams do come true. *cross fingers*

Blame it on the endless malling that I've done over the weekend...

Well here you go!

1. A new I-pod nano (yellow, orange, or blue). - it's time I replace the old one. :)
2. A whole new set of really nice Clothes and accessories from Topman, Philosophy and Dean&Trent.
3. That new pair of colourful sneakers that I saw in Adidas Trinoma!
4. A sleek, black new Toyota Corolla Altis. (woo-hoo!) (spell A-S-A)
5. That yellow-white-gold cross-trainers I saw at Nike.
6. The very functional black carry-all bag in Rustan’s Black Label line (the messenger bag and the classic overnight bag).
7. A sleek pair of leather shoes from Pedro.
8. A Nokia E71 phone.
9. My 2009 Gym membership waived. (hahaha!)
10. A relaxing full-treatment at a spa.

Santa baby, I've been a good boy all year round. =)

Yesterday, I was in the Ninoy Aquino International Airport to pick up my dad. The drive to the airport was hassle free. I was actually in the mood to sing along to pop tunes. The sudden downpour even made the sing-along session in the car really enjoyable... it seemed like the weather was singing along with me. I was belting out songs left and right... switching to one radio station to another like crazy.

I arrived at the airport without any hassle. Before I got down the car, I discarded all the untidy things in the car... fearing that dad might make "puna" the little trash that have accumulated over the past months (parking receipts, skittles packs, and (eeeps) even cigarette boxes. After being the perfect cleaning aide that I am, I hurriedly got out of the car, opened my huge green "Landbank" umbrella, and then went to the paid section of the waiting area. Fortunately, I had some loose changes in my pocket. I paid absentmindedly, and then went inside. I even had this 'tatak' in my right palm which looks really ugly... like I've been branded as Grade-A beef of some sort (buti sana kung mala The Scarlet Letter... hehe).

I was an hour early so I decided to buy an iced tea at Jollibee and then decided to sit down in one of the empty chairs there. I was so pleased that the area was cold, and surprisingly-- unpopulated. It was an easy choice for me as to where I wanted to sit; near the TV screen where you can see all the arriving people walk by. I started to open the Stephanie Meyer book that I had and read.

I was so engrossed with what I was reading when I heard the "Flight blah blah blah from Singapore is now arriving. Passengers shall exit at gate blah blah." I was telling myself.."Yey! Dad's here." I immediately texted my dad and informed him that I'm just at the paid waiting area and that he didn't need to rush. Got no answer. Must be really busy looking for his luggages, I thought. Twenty minutes after that, I saw him walking down that ramp from the screen, and I immediately got down to tell him that I was going to bring the car inside so that he won't be soaked by the rain. I saw my dad nodding at my mala-boy-scout gestures. I hurriedly braved the rain once more, got in the car, paid the Php35 peso parking fee and drove around the arrival area. I parked just right in front of dad. Absent-mindedly, I got down the car and walked around the car to proceed to where my dad was...

And then I saw someone who looked really familiar.

It's my mom.

I knew it was Mommie.

For a split-second I had to think if it was indeed Mom.

Yes it was! Yes it was!!

I shouted an "Oh My God!" Clasped my hands in my mouth, and expressed a priceless look on my face!

My mom was with my dad and she's going to be here for a week!!!

I was dumbfounded. I was still standing there. I literally froze.. and she immediately rushed to where I was and gave me a good hug. Felt really great. My mom's here! :)

All along, mom and dad pala were doing this skit to everyone here in Manila pala. The plan is to surprise everyone! It was such a pleasant surprise... :) I really didn't expect to see my mom.

Mom's here to have an operation at the Asian Hospital. She actually wanted to find an excuse to come home. I'm praying that her operation would run smoothly.

It's nice to be surprised like that. I just realized that even if my family has gone some really tough times for the past couple of years with everything that has happened, I still know that whatever happens, there will always be that unbelievable bond when you're with...

FAMILY.

I was able to catch "You Don't Mess With The Zohan" this weekend and I was surprised by Mariah Carey's cameo!

I know, i know. Some of you might think that Mariah's the worst ever... haha... but seriously, I'm a fan. haha! I love her line "I love you too Horny Little Man. Buy My album!" *signature hello gesture using only her fingers*.

As in LOL!

MC, we love you. hihi =)

I saw the movie line-up for the week and saw that "Grace Is Gone" was to be shown exclusively at the SM Cinemas (plugging for SM-- dibale, oks lang.. utang muna). Ordinarily, I attend the BodyJam class at Fitness First Megamall on Thursdays; hence I thought it was the perfect opportunity to ask Ron to accompany me and see this not-so-mainstream movie.

Ron's into the Hollywood blockbusters type. While I do enjoy watching these types of movies as well, I love to watch the limited release films as well. I read that this movie garnered several Golden Globe Nominations... so kahit na anim lang kami sa sinehan na nanood, I still think that it IS a good movie, and that you guys should watch it.

The movie tells a story about a father (played by John Cusack) who just learned that his wife died while serving in Iraq. The challenge was for him to tell his two daughters about their mother's death-- and as he tries to find the courage and the opportunity to tell them, he decided to take them on a road trip, hoping that he would find the best opportunity to tell them. He finally gets to tell them towards the end, and the last five minutes of the movie were the strongest and most emotional part of the movie.

I was dumbfounded, and was carried away. I was disheartened, and I found myself shedding a tear or two. It taught me so many things about love, and life. It taught me the important lesson of acceptance... of picking up from what's left and using that only source of hope to move on.

The last five minutes of the movie was something that I can't forget until now. It was beautifully done.

I know it's not for everyone, but I recommend that you guys see it. It's still being shown at The Megamall until this week before it gets transferred to The Block next week I think. Or buy the DVD... whichever works for you.

Just find time to watch it, and appreciate it.

I felt better after seeing it.

Since Derek posted this on his Multiply page-- and I didn't want to disappoint him, I'm posting these as well.

Four Jobs I've Had:
1. Marketing Manager (ng text text)
2. Business Development and Corporate Communications Officer (ng isang software na para sa Customs)
3. Project Specialist (taga conceptualize ng Website at taga gawa ng Site Map)
4. Sales Associate (taga set ng appointment, taga take down ng minutes, in short, alila.)

Four Movies I've Watched Over and Over:
1. Scream (all time favorite slasher movie. I love Drew Barrymore's cameo there. Galing).
2. Love Actually - The best Romantic comedy of all time for me. Nagsisimula pa lang si Kiera Knightley dun. hehe
3. White Chicks- Hands down, one of the funniest for me. I can watch this over and over again.
4. Y Tu Mama Tambien- Hands down, one of the best foreign language movies I've ever seen. One of Gael Garcia Bernal's best performances. Ang galing pa the way the movie portrayed political and social conditions of their country (Mexico) while revolving around the plot of two best friends and a woman going on a joyride. I know it's quite R-rated, but the sensual scenes were very well put. Walang sinabi ang "Lust, Caution." Although I think Lust Caution was nice too. "2054" comes in third. haha

(hihirit pa ko ng isa, I think "V for Vendetta" is nice as well. It's very rich in political and social unrest undertones).

Four TV Shows I Like To Watch:
1. Brothers and Sisters - The series feels so "close to home."
2. Project Runway/America's Next Top Model/American Idol
3. The Amazing Race - "you're the last team to arrive..."
4. My So-called Life- I remember staying at home and watching this on cable TV then. Claire Danes' started here. Galing.

Four Places I've Been On Vacation:
1. Boracay/Palawan
2. Ho Chi Minh (Vietnam)
3. Hongkong
4. The United States - San Fo, San Diego, L.A., Vegas baby!

Four Places I Would Rather Be Right Now:
1. Bali, to visit my parents (Miss you, Mom and Dad).
2. Spain
3. Back to L.A.
4. Australia!

The other day, I was in the mall with Ron when I saw this super cute kid who was behaving (much to my pleasant surprise) the way a very obedient, well-mannered kid should act. He was simply sitting in his chair, eating all his food. I gave him a grin and he simply looked at me (probably wondering WTF haha), but after a couple of seconds he was consitently staring at me.

I wanted to adopt that little boy! I figured, having a kid is really part of my "grown-up" list. I still want to give my parents a grandson to play with and spoil... I really do! But then again, it's not as easy as adopting a pet, as we all know. Things can get really complicated.

I started to zone out afterwards and wondered about the following things:

1. Would I be a great father? I mean, I still can get a little bit impatient every now and then. My driving temper has reduced dramatically to an all time low, but then again there's still the inner beast in me that forcible gets his way around when things are really slow and people seem not to care. Putting that aside, I think I can still make that work and be really, really patient. Nakaka-pressure to be the best parent no? It takes a lot of courage, a lot of trian-and-error, and a lot of perseverance to get things going every single day. My kudos to all the parents out there. Galing.

2. Would I still remain hot even if I'm a dad na? (bwahahahahahaha asa pa ko na hot amp). But then again there's the gym. Or!! I can bring him to Gymboree while I sweat it out. :) Sasamahan syempre sya ng Tito or the yaya. :) Or ni Ron. :)

3. Will my kid be cool?  NAMAN. The coolest clothes, the trendiest gear, the latest gadgets. The best education, the most comfortable lifestyle that I can give; the most exposure that I can give him in terms of the arts, music, and sports.

4. Will I be broke by that time? MALAMANG. Nuff said. hahahaha!!

But then again, maybe this is the cosmos' way of telling me na hindi muna. Perhaps I need to focus all my energy into something more personal muna... that does  not involve having a kid of my yet. Ibibigay naman yan at mapupunta sa akin pag talagang para sa akin, hindi ba? Although it would be nice to be Daddy Rex walking with Baby Hannah Celine Isabella no? =)

Sa taas ng bilihin ngayon, this one seems unnecessary, I know. Pero in a perfect, brand-conscious world where there's no poverty and everyone lives in style, this would be something that I would really want. hahaha!

Take note... both the Iphone saka yung Case syempre ha. haha!

Taken from an article on Forbes.com =) Written by Zack O'Malley Greenburg

Nice to know that dito sa Pilipinas, may instant coffee sa sachet na masarap. =) Dito sa atin, what's the most yummy coffee you've tasted?

World's Most Expensive Cups of Coffee

Vladimir Ilyich Lenin must be rolling over in his grave. Just 17 years after the collapse of the Soviet Union, the one-time capital of communism is now home to the world's most expensive cup of coffee. The average cup of joe in Moscow is $10.19, including service, according to a new survey by the London office of U.S. consulting firm Mercer.

The rest of Europe isn't much kinder--coffee is $6.77 in Paris and $6.62 in Athens. International travelers looking to satisfy their caffeine cravings should look to South America and Africa for relief: At $2.03 per cup in Buenos Aires and $2.36 in Johannesburg, both continents offer relief to cash-strapped java seekers. New York is far from the most expensive, weighing in at a mere $3.75.

In Depth: World's Most Expensive Cups Of Coffee

"The cost of living survey is conducted in stores of international standard, frequented by expatriates," says Nathalie Constantin Métral, a research manager at Mercer's office in Geneva, Switzerland. "We collected the price for a cup of coffee in bars and cafés of international standard frequented by expatriates in Moscow, and those places are very expensive."

The figures are a part of Mercer's annual cost of living survey, which covers 143 cities across six continents and measures the relative cost of more than 200 items in each location, including housing, transportation, food, clothing, household goods and entertainment. The results are used to help government agencies and multinational companies determine compensation allowances when sending employees abroad.

They better up the budget for Moscow trips, if they haven't already. Along with that $10 cup of coffee, an international newspaper clocks in at $6. So along with something to eat, even a modest-spending business traveler has racked up more than $20 in expenses from waking up and starting the day just as he or she would at home.

In addition to purveying the world's most ruinous roast, Moscow topped Mercer's overall cost of living index for the third year in a row, finishing ahead of Tokyo and London. The average monthly rent on a two-bedroom luxury apartment in Moscow costs $4,500. (In Tokyo, where space is at a premium, the apartment rent averages out to $5,128.84 ... but the coffee there is only five bucks, not 10, and the morning paper will only run you $1.40).

Though it can feel expensive at times, New York isn't even among the top 20 most expensive cities, according to Mercer. This year the Big Apple slipped from No. 15 to No. 22 on the list, and is the only American city in the top 50.

What's the most you've ever paid for a single cup of coffee? Share your experiences in the Reader Comments section below.

Coffee isn't the only everyday commodity that will cost U.S. citizens abroad. A ride on London's tube costs $5.89, the highest mass transit cost of any city on Mercer's list. If you want to buy a CD, don't go to Prague--unless you want to dish out $33.53, on average. Americans traveling to Dublin might want to go on a vegetarian diet--the average burger is $10.12, nearly twice as much as Moscow's $5.75.

Moscow's prices continue to rise across the board, but there is some relief in sight for coffee drinkers. Last year, beleaguered Starbucks (nasdaq: SBUX - news - people ) opened its first location in the Russian capital following a victory in a lengthy dispute with a Russian patent squatter. Muscovites complained about the prices from the get-go, but Starbucks' brew is actually lighter on the wallet than most. According to The Moscow News, the company's notorious lattes ranged in price from 150 to 200 rubles, or $6.42 to $8.56 at today's exchange rates.

Either way, Moscow's elite can afford the costly beverage--the city boasts 74 billionaires, the most in the world.

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Dito sa Pilipinas, ano ang pinakamasarap na kape para sa inyo?

Hmmmm... buti naman this opened na. Parang gusto ko tuloy mag travel domestically. hehe... As a frequent "lakwatsero" myself, I'm eager to see the Airport. Hopefully, I'd be able to fly out again soon. =)

Here's the article:

http://ph.news.yahoo.com/star/20080722/tph-naia-3-partially-opens-cebu-pacific-541dfb4.html

This article was reposted. Got this from Yahoo!tv and E online. Here's the link as well:

http://tv.yahoo.com/the-tonight-show-with-jay-leno/show/34238/news/urn:newsml:tv.eonline.com:20080721:19e5a1e68617_4045_be07_f5bd5888825d__ER:78408

Whether he likes it or not, Jay Leno's got a date for his final Tonight: May 29, 2009.

NBC today set the calendar for the funnyman's mandatory retirement as part of a timetable for the network's rejiggered night-owl plans.

Heir apparent Conan O'Brien will be installed as Tonight Show overlord on June 1. O'Brien will abdicate his Late Night desk in the spring, most likely March or April, and move from New York to Los Angeles to prepare for his new duties.

NBC will air O'Brien-fronted Late Night reruns until Fallon is deemed up to speed.

Facing questions about the much-publicized possibility of the supposedly disgruntled Leno taking his late-night antics—and possibly his sizable audience—with him to ABC, NBC Entertainment cochairs Ben Silverman and Marc Graboff stuck to their guns.

"We really believe in the decisions we've made with our partners, including Jay," Silverman told reporters at the Television Critics Assn. gathering.

In a subsequent statement, NBC tried to give props to the departing Leno, as well as the new hosts.

"The Tonight Show has a remarkable history rich in tradition. We're proud of each and every show Jay has shared with America as we look forward to Conan carrying on that outstanding tradition next year," said Rick Ludwin, NBC's chief late-night programmer.

"We also can't wait for Jimmy to showcase his winning style following Conan. Jay has left his personal stamp on The Tonight Show for what will be 17 years. He is enormously creative, generous and professional."

Leno didn't immediately comment on the network-imposed timeframe.

We're guessing he's too generous and professional to let us know how he really feels.

Copyright © 2008 E! Online, Inc. All rights reserved.

Thanks to Sandro for posting this.

This is really nice. =) Nice to know that we Filipinos create an impact.

http://my.nba.com/thread.jspa?threadID=5700017915