Centipede

But as I was going through a very difficult time in my life, my dad told me something so simple yet so fundamental that changed my life forever.  He told me that ever since my sister and I were little girls, he prayed for only 3 things for us. He prayed for his daughters to: 1) Find a man who LOVES GOD more than anything 2) This man should be someone who loves my daughter more than himself 3) This man should be the man my daughter is madly in love with too. He told us to never ever settle, and that 1 out of the 3 should never be enough. It should be all 3 or nothing at all. He didn’t pray for us to become smart, rich, famous or even beautiful..He prayed for us to find love and to be loved.

These were Patty Laurel’s words from seven months ago and I found myself reading her blog once again this evening. I may not be super stressed but something has definitely been bugging my mind since last night and I found that Patty’s blog help reinforce positivity in my days. In less than an hour, I’ve already liked and tweeted some of her posts to help spread the sunshine, and when I found myself already reading through entries that I’ve read before, I decided to jump to her first entries. That’s when I stumbled upon her Father’s Day post another time.

I remember the first time I read this. I remember a friend telling me that Patty just relaunched her blog and had to visit it. I remember this entry striking a chord because of how things in my life were going at that time. I was a confused girl in California in need to talk to her trust circle often and it’s funny how a few words from a complete stranger helped me find the strength to admit to myself that to go after what makes me happy, the courage to face my fears; and  faith in the One who mastered everything, who made all the pieces fall in place at what could possible have been the perfect time.

It was the day after I returned to Manila when we made it official. I entered a long-distance relationship, something I’ve been avoiding since Singapore had become a place where Filipinos found greener pastures. Buti sana kung Singapore lang, same continent and timezone but no. He had to be in North America and a good 14-hour flight away. I knew it was a little crazy, that this was a huge risk of blowing up on me, but I had to shrug off all those doubts to make this relationship work.

you gotta love Facebook timeline

I’m not really one to count months so pati ako nagulat to realize that tomorrow marks our sixth month together. SIX MONTHS and I’ve never been happier because things between the two of us only get better.

So Patty Laurel (and Patty’s dad), this one’s for you: Thank you for sharing wise words and good vibes. I’ve been feeling extra sentimental these past few days hence the entry. 🙂

Saturdate

It has been awhile since my last trip to a spa. Yes, my family would sometimes go to Nuat Thai on random weekends for a massage, but I’m talking about a place with steam baths, jacuzzi, and saunas. I don’t think I even treated myself to a spa trip on my last birthday.

This was a different weekend because today, I decided to go out and give myself major pampering. I thought I deserved it, having worked plenty of extra hours (eleven days at work, anyone?) the last couple of weeks. I also figured I a “prize” is in order for completing 18 sessions of Barre3 (my 19th and last will be tomorrow) in thirty days. Oh, and we also have these huge roll outs in the next days so I thought I should relax (and de-stress) now in preparation for crazier days.

Spa trip justified. 🙂

Now, why would I go through all this trouble thinking of reasons to spoil myself? In the past, I’ve always asked for Executive treatments at The Spa. Executive treatment means that while you share the wet floor facilities with other patrons, you will have a separate room during the massage. This time, I wanted to try the Suites that The Spa has at Richmonde Hotel in Eastwood City. Suites are like the Executive rooms but better because you get your own steam bath/jacuzzi and of course, a shower room.

I called The Spa to reserve a slot right after my 12:00 PM Barre3 class. No better way to relax my aching muscles, right? At the Richmonde Hotel branch, the Suites come with either a steam room or jacuzzi. Because I find heat very relaxing, I requested for the steam room, but asked if they could show me the jacuzzi rooms as well, just to satisfy my curiosity.

Jacuzzi Room #1

This is the jacuzzi room for one person with a door that opens to an adjacent room of the same type. Janet, my attendant, told me that they also use this room for patrons who wish to get their massages together.

Jacuzzi Room #2

Then they showed me Jacuzzi Room #2, their Couples Room. Couples Room because there’s only one jacuzzi and one shower room. Oh, and there’s no divider between massage beds.

And now, my room!

Steam Room

As soon as Janet opened the door for me, I felt my jaw drop. The room, although small, was amazing. There’s the steam and shower area on the left side of the picture. The mirror that you see there doubles as a closet. Perfect for me, because I was lugging around an overnighter, coming from work out and all.

In my excitement, I didn't bother changing clothes before going to The Spa. What is baboy? =D

It was great to be reunited with the best ginger tea ever. That’s another great thing about having my own room. It might have just been psychological, but there was a different sense of calm as I sipped my tea inside the steam room.

I had three cups of their ginger tea. Yes, it's that good.

I got my usual Hilot (and I would recommend this to anyone who has not visited The Spa yet) where they use banana leaves and tea candles to apply heat to “soothe and restore” the body.

Tea candles and oil

Their words, not mine; but then again, I wouldn’t have come back plenty times in the past if my visits had been less than satisfactory.  I have never really held back when it comes to wellness and making myself happy and it has gotten me in minor trouble in the past (impulse buys sound familiar?) but when it comes to finding peace, even if it’s only for a couple of hours, nothing beats a visit to the spa. I feel so recharged that I can tell the coming week (hello, deployment) to bring it on (I’m still smart enough to not challenge fate like that, though. Hey, universe! Joke lang yung hamon.) I wouldn’t want to find myself needing another session in seven days.

After two hours at The Spa

To cut an already long-enough blog entry short,this was money well-spent and I just might do it again after completing another month of Barre3, or maybe in December, to cap off what turned out to be a pretty special year. 🙂

In other news, ang show-off nitong nag-park sa tabi ko.

Bitter Ocampo

Never Settle, You Deserve Better

They always say, “never settle for less.” Never be okay with receiving less than you deserve. But how do you know what you deserve? You find yourself in a relationship where he doesn’t remember every little thing. But that’s okay, you tell yourself, because it’s not like you’ll find a guy who does. You don’t feel like the number one thing in his life, but are you ever going to find someone like that? Probably not, you tell yourself. So you take what you can get, because you realize you probably won’t get more than this.

Your heart will disagree though. Every time he forgets to call, your heart will cry out and ask why he forget. Every time he misses an event, your heart will demand to know what’s more important than you. Every time this happens, your heart will fracture a little more until one day you wake up and find you’re holding an unrecognizable pile of shattered pieces which once used to be your heart. You will know when you are receiving less. When you start to doubt and begin to wonder if you’re doing something wrong, then it’s less. When you lie awake at night and dream of something more, then you know it’s less. If you dream of someone else, then he’s definitely less.

So let me tell you one more time. You deserve the best. If you don’t feel a 100% of effort in the relationship, then it’s not what you deserve. Don’t feel the need to stay just because. If you don’t want to be in the relationship, leave. Break up and move on. Learn and look. Look for something better, because you deserve the best and nothing less.

And one day, you will find it and it will be so perfectly amazing. There will be ups and downs, but even at its worse it will be better than those other relationships at their best. So keep looking. Don’t give up.

http://findingloveinlife.webs.com/

Paperweight

Paperweight
Joshua Radin feat Schuyler Fisk

Been up all night
Staring at you
Wondering what’s on your mind
I’ve been this way
With so many before
But this feels like the first time
You want the sunrise
To go back to bed
I want to make you laugh
Mess up my bed with me
Kick off the covers
I’m waiting
Every word you say I think
I should write down
I don’t want to forget
Come daylight
Happy to lay here
Just happy to be here
I’m happy to know you
Play me a song
Your newest one
Please leave your taste on my tongue
Paperweight on my back
Cover me like a blanket
Mess up my bed with me
Kick off the covers
I’m waiting
Every word you say I think
I should write down
I don’t to forget
Come daylight
And no need to worry
That’s wastin time
And no need to wonder
What’s been on my mind
It’s you
It’s you
Every word you say I think
I should write down
Don’t want to forget
Come daylight
And I give up
I let you win
You win ’cause I’m not counting
You made it back
To sleep again
Wonder what you’re dreaming

He’s not perfect. You aren’t either, and the two of you will never be perfect. But if he can make you laugh at least once, causes you to think twice, and if he admits to being human and making mistakes, hold onto him and give him the most you can. He isn’t going to quote poetry, he’s not thinking about you every moment, but he will give you a part of him that he knows you could break. Don’t hurt him, don’t change him, and don’t expect for more than he can give. Don’t analyze. Smile when he makes you happy, yell when he makes you mad, and miss him when he’s not there. Love hard when there is love to be had. Because perfect guys don’t exist, but there’s always one guy that is perfect for you.

Bob Marley

Music Meme – Days 1 to 3

I started doing this music meme on Facebook, the 30 Day Song Challenge. It’s pretty simple. Every day for thirty days, you just have to post the song (or video) that fits the criteria. I’m already on my third day, and for memories’ sake, I will post my answers here as well.

DAY 1. Favourite song with a colour in the title
I Guess That’s Why They Call It The Blues – I know. “Blues” isn’t really a color but this was the first song that came to mind.

DAY 2. Favourite cover song
The Rescues – Teenage Dream – My bandmate, Mel, shared this cover with us in one of our jam sessions and I fell in love with it instantly. There is something so appealing about a quartet, especially when executed so flawlessly. We’ve yet to finish our own Teenage Dream due to limited practice times, but we will get it done. We have to.

DAY 3. Oldest song you love
Someone to Watch Over Me – Originally recorded by Gertrude Lawrence in the 1920’s from the musical “Oh Kay!” , this takes the cake. I first heard it from my mom and fell in love with the song so much that I even requested my voice teacher to let me sing it in a recital. It’s been recorded by a lot of people over the years that I wonder now why I only have seven versions of this song in my iPod.

Keepers Photoshoot Part II

Remember this? Oops, we did it again.

Sanity Keepers Photoshoot Part 2

Timing seemed perfect too. It was the first time we all saw each other since more than six months ago, I think. Aims and Pete are visiting from Singapore, Cha is back from her six months in Calgary, I was back from my two months in the US and Eliza will be leaving for Canada in a few weeks’ time. Si Cza, I see her more often than the others but I miss her just as much. Haha. Bawi lang baka wala akong pasalubong after her North America trip with Arvic eh. (O diba, feeling ko naman ang sosyal namin. Jetsetters?? Mapagpanggap! Lol).

This time, we didn’t have to be pests to another household, because we did the shoot at an actual studio! Rommel expanded his wedding photography business to a studio at LRI Plaza in Makati. So off I went, broken wiper and all. Did I mention it was also one of the rare times that my dad let me take the car out alone? Pretty sweet.

It was four hours of projection (with pro lights, ahem!), wine (sila lang. I couldn’t drink yet coz I just graduated from Mastercleanse) and cheese, and catch up kwentuhan. What five kikay girls wouldn’t have a blast? There should definitely be a repeat of this, and next time, Prec and Sheen should be present, too. Para complete talaga. Last time all seven of us got together was in 2007 pa ata, just before Aims left for Singapore.

My broken wiper - it was stuck like that from Shaw to Makati. Good thing the rain stopped

Photobooth shots at Teriyaki Boy

Prep time

Between shots and sips of wine

And of course, here are some of my favorites

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Thanks to Cinematiconcepts and Cinematic Studio for accommodating us.

Something Good

I’ve been humming this song all day today because lately, I’ve been feeling pretty lucky. I have a guy who lives thousands of miles away but every message, image and audio note he sends makes me feel like he’s here beside me. I thank the universe for bringing D into my life again.

Perhaps I had a wicked childhood
Perhaps I had a miserable youth
But somwhere in my wicked, miserable past
There must have been a moment of truth

For here you are, standing there, loving me
Whether or not you should
So somewhere in my youth or childhood
I must have done something good

Nothing comes from nothing
Nothing ever could
So somewhere in my youth or childhood
I must have done something good

Something Good, The Sound of Music

First Post in Months

It’s been a while since my last post and feel pretty bad about neglecting this blog. Blame Twitter for introducing me to microblogging. So much has happened since March and I don’t even know where to begin!

Oh, check out my WANTS AND NEEDS list. I crossed off an item. Finally, after three years of procrastinating, I mustered up the courage to brave Manila roads and learned to drive. I planned on doing it after Holy Week, but because I had to go to the US for a business trip (and drive there), I enrolled a few weeks earlier than planned. While I still find myself shaking my fist at bus and motorcycle drivers, driving has been pretty fun. I wish I had my own car to drive, though. Maybe that can be another item to put on my list. Eh. NOT.

So I mentioned I went to the United States and in my seven weeks there, I was finally able to put faces to the names of people I work with everyday. Having stayed there that long also gave me a chance to reconnect with friends and relatives I haven’t seen in years and it’s been great catching up with them. I wish I could write more but there’s so much to say, and I would like to keep this entry to less than 300 words. Haha. In a nutshell, I’m really glad I went on that trip because I learned so many things, not just about work, but about myself, too.

Right now, I’m feeling a little sentimental sound tripping to old songs while blogging. Gavin DeGraw, James Morrison, Jack Johnson, Paolo Nutini and Jason Mraz. I miss these guys.