Books, books and more books. A girl like me can never have enough books to read. If I could (and I know I'll eventually could), I'll have a library built in my name. Wouldn't it be really nice? There would be a library called Apple Misada Library. A huge library with tons of collections from novels to references to books written by Paris Hilton, Jessica Simpson (do you know that she wrote a wedding book? how ironic!) and other people you never thought could write a book. But I'm gonna specialize my library. People will recognize my library for its collections of business related books and novels written by young female authors. Like if you wanna read this book on how the Coca Cola company became a business empire or you wanna read the Shopaholic series, go to my library. Rest assured that my library will not be your usual library coz I'm gonna franchise Starbucks and strategically place it beside my library or in it!

Haha! The books I've been reading are probably getting into me. Before school started, I was reading John Maxwell's Roadmap for Success and Sun Tzu's Art of War and Management. I used to read two chapters each everyday but Roadmap for Success became more interesting for me so I set aside War and Management for a while.

If you're looking for a book to help you plan your future, better read Roadmap for Success. Maxwell wrote interesting ideas on success.



The reason why I stopped reading War and Management for a while is that it's too ethnocentric for me. It's nice to learn the similarities of warfare and management but all examples I've read so far are all the achievements of Japan in the world market. You know, how Japan applied their century old art of war to their economic endeavors like competing in the western market and Toyota giving Ford and Rolls Royce a run for their money. But what's interesting about this book is you could also use the strategies mentioned in your lovelife. You could use Sun Tzu's art of war for winning the war against the other girl and getting that guy. Better read the book to know what I'm talking about.


During the days classes were suspended, I finished reading two books. I finished all two coz there was nothing left to do (the library was closed so I couldn't work on my thesis, my girls don't have classes too so I couldn't teach them and the Worker Bee me finished all five press releases a couple of days before the deadliest deadline) after Leanne and I had "the talk" at Starbucks. I finally finished Falling in Love When You Think You Were Through by Jill Robinson and Stuart Shaw. It is their love story. I started reading it last summer as my bedtime book. But I was too tired and drained often that I couldn't read a page. I finally finished it coz of my current sleeping disorder. It's been a month now that I couldn't get my satisfying 6-hour sleep. I only get three hours of sleep now, four if I get lucky. Some unseen force or whatever wakes me up in the middle of the night and won't let me get back to sleep no matter how tired I am so I read until the sun comes up for my morning prayers.



I just realized, I finished the book after I ended things with this guy. I was reading a real life love story while getting over this guy-- the irony of it. The story is not a usual love story of living happily ever after. It is the realities of falling in love after two failed marriages, dealing with his and her children from previous relationships, money and tons of personal differences. I was actually inspired coz Robinson and Shaw fell in love and managed to keep their relationship amidst their differences. But not all people are blessed with lifetime partners like them. Yes, I'm referring to myself.

My roomie in Baguio and I met a couple of weeks ago. Ate Marge is the best roomie in the whole world coz she rarely stayed in our room but she checked on me during "unexpected moments". She was too busy with graduate school, her work and her struggling marriage then. But we managed to keep a friendship that we know would last forever. She gave me a book that she said is "so me". I think she's right coz I love the book the moment I read the title The 10 Women You'll be Before You're 35. I know I'll definitely be 10 women before I turn 35. Actually, I am two women now and I'll be three women in a few months.


Allison James elaborated the 10 women a girl will be before she turns 35. She'll be the New Graduate, the Dollarless/Pesoless/whatever your currency is Diva, the Worker Bee, the Party Girl, the Body Conscious Babe, the Chameleon, the Crisis Chick, Ms. Independence, the Wirl (half woman/half girl) and the True You. After reading the book, I found out I am a Dollarless/Pesoless Diva (the Undervalued Chick to be particular) coz I feel I am underpaid. It's like no matter how many kids I teach, I don't get the dough I deserve. Maybe it'll change by the time I start at Convergys but I'll really, truly, emotionally miss my kids. I am also the Worker Bee coz I believe I'll get the raise I deserve by working my butt off. In a few months (if I finish my thesis this sem), I'll be the New Graduate. The best part of the book was the profile for every kind of woman. Like the New Graduate nicknamed Kid, favorite music is the senior mix CD, fashion includes an old pair of jeans and lots of tees with her college logo and the Dolarless Diva nicknamed the Credit Card Queen who loves singing "Material Girl" by Madonna or "She Works Hard for the Money". Haha! My mom reads it now and she's having a great life with it as well.

The boyfriends that never were-- the main topic of me and Leanne's talk over two rounds of tall cafe mocha at Starbucks last Monday (yeah, the sugar overload). It was raining really hard and we were in Starbucks Galleria "monopolyzing" the most comfortable couch while putting in a few pounds. Leanne's a gradeschool friend now based in Cali who takes her regular vacations here. She says she can't stand the West Coast heat so she endures the tropical storms here. She's a soul sistah like most of my girl friends abroad.

The conversation was doing quite well. Updates on school, jobs, our life long dreams of living in a far away land and making it on our own until she brought up my dreaded topic-- guys. I answered her as honestly as I could and told her I'm practically fine with my "guyless" life now. School, work, my family and friends eat up most of my time so there's no way I could have time for dates and hang outs with men I barely know. Then she mentioned this guy. I can't blame her for that coz this guy is the only guy I've been telling her and my other friends for the past couple of years which made them think he is a stable part of my life. Well... he used to be.

I've been avoiding the issue regarding this guy for months now and I realized no matter how far I run away from it (or from any issue in my life), it'll still get me. Leanne's a friend who would really press you until she gets all the info. So I told her everything--how I made this guy one of the most important people in my world, how long I've waited hoping we would be more than friends, stuff that made me think he's the one and how hurt I was coz I didn't only lose this guy but I also lost our friendship which is the worst part of it. She asked me what are the top five relationships in my life. I told her my relationship with God, my relationship with my mom, my relationship with my career and the people in it, my relationship with this guy and my relationship with friends. She told me to analyze which is different among the five relationships I mentioned. I couldn't answer coz I really don't see any difference. Then to my surprise, she said my relationship with this guy was different. Why? Coz all the other relationships give me assurance. They are all mutual relationships except for my relationship with this guy. I am assured of God's love for me, I am assured of my mom's constant guidance, I am assured of a nice career especially after I gradute and I am sure my friends are always there for me no matter where in the globe they are. But with this guy, I don't even know how important I am in his life.

It looks unfair to me if I see it through an egoistic perspective coz he is so happy with his life while I was here desperately wishing on every star for things to work out between us. But truth is, this guy never did anything wrong. I was just so dumb to let my guards down for this guy. I mean, I've been keeping my defenses up from all guys that come my way for the last three years after a major break-up but I gave this guy all the chances I could give. Lesson number one here-- never categorize the men in your life. If you date this guy, date all guys.

I loved this guy unconditionally. I never expect anything in return and I never asked. Well, except for this event I so wanted to see with him and I profusely asked him to drive six hours to Manila for that and that was the last talk. Good thing he didn't give in to my demand. I know he didn't appreciate the things I did for him but I never held that against him. Lesson number two-- unless it's a relationship with God, never sacrifice your whole self with any guy. You only sacrifice the things that you have and not your entire self. So does your partner. That's why there are trade offs and compromises. You give something up, he gives something up too for the two of you to have a stronger bond. It's not a one way street, honey.

Sugar loading on a stormy day with one of my best soul sistahs can really be an eye-opener. I learned two lessons in life which I know, are really simple but hey, I learned it the hard way. Another thing that I learned, this guy is also my boyfriend that never was. Now with the list of my boyfriends that never were, I really, absolutely, truly believe God didn't make me for a guy. Super grateful to Leanne for making me finally settle the "this guy" issue over double rounds of cafe mocha-- our official sugary goodness. Case closed.

I got an email from a friend abroad. She said the photo captions in my friendster account aren't enough to tell the stories behind them. Because she's one of the most important people in my life and yeah, she's right, here are bits of info 'bout the photos. But I'll just do the photos taken within the month. There's no freakin' way I'm gonna do all the photos in my photobucket account.

These were taken at Chosen Ground 3, an interschool dance competition and a concert of the UP Streetdance Club last July 1. It's actually the second Streetdance Club concert my friends and I saw. Since Dad Marky's a member of the Club, we MUST see all the Streetdance Club concerts he's in.



These are my friends Mark and Nike. We were taking pics while waiting for our friends coz the event is "a must" in our clique.



I know, I gained weight over the past year since I started eating five times a day. But that's just it. Yes, I developed a small "second chin" and a little excess fat on the arm that could pass for baby fat but I still have my tan. Haha! Thank God for Hawaiian Tropic Dark Tanning lotion and my early morning sunshine walks with the babies in our block. Vitamin D for the kids, sexy tan for me.



The after concert. Look at Dad Marky, he's such a ghettosupahstar. My college friends a.k.a my dysfunctional family. Tito Mark, stepmom Nika (the first legal wife), stepmom Camille (the illegal wife), family friend Nike, Dad Marky and me (Dad Marky's only daughter and sole heiress of Jollibee Corporation). Why? Dad Marky's Jollibee! Take a closer look.



This one's with JM. He'll be in LA with his teammates for the world hiphop competition I guess this week. Huh! Before I forget, ANNOUNCEMENT: FRIENDS, BUDDIES, COUSINS, TITOS, TITAS IN THE WEST COAST, SUPORTAHAN NIYO ANG ATING MGA KABABAYAN SA WORLD HIPHOP COMPETITION. BAHALA NA KAYO UNAWAIN ANG AKING PATALASTAS. MARAMI NAMAN PINOY DYAN, INYONG IPASALIN NA LANG SA INGLES. Haha!



Next photo. This is at the Gawad Plaridel-- the annual awards ceremony our college holds. Last year Vilma Santos got the award. This year, it was Tiya Dely. Yes, the woman your lola (and my lola) listens to on the radio until now. The girl with a really cute dimple is Angeli (the only girl I know aside from me who loves Laguna Beach) and the other girl is my orgmate Roge.



This pic is with a Japanese exchange student. My orgmates and I decided to adopt a Japanese exchange student. Haha! I'm kiddin'. This is J, our classmate who looks like he's from the land of the rising sun.



Almost everyone knew I got sick, right? There was a major storm here like a couple of weeks ago and I was sick. But that didn't stop me from catching a movie at the pink film festival. While classes were suspended and I'm in bed having fever, the moment mom left for bible study, I took a warm shower, got dressed and met my friends at the university film center. We watched Wild Side, a movie that "shattered my innocence". I would not want to elaborate that. The guard reprimanded us for taking pics in the theater. Haha!



This is the frog prince at the film center. After the movie, we saw a frog infront of the movie posters. We thought it was deciding what movie to watch. I took a pic of it. It really looks ugly! But I thank it and its race for eating the flies around.



Look at my god daughter Michae now. She's grown so big. She's still one but she's as big as a two year old toddler. She's really heavy now, I always tell her to walk when she wants me to carry her by convincing her she's not a baby anymore. We were both sick and just got out of bed when we had this pic which explains the look in our eyes.



We have applicants in our org for the sem already. They hosted an acquaintance party for us. The theme was children's party which explains the hotdog. I should've brought Michae with me.


There are tons of pics more but you know how lazy I get on these downloading whatevers. Besides, I'm still trying to figure out this radio blog for your listening pleasure while reading my posts.

Who's the hottest Laguna Beach babe? Angeli and I are checkin' out the latest LB kids for season 3. Who is hotter, Lexie or Tessa? Your pick!


This is Lexie.


This is Tessa.

We go for Tessa!

I finally have a blog! Is that an achievement or what?! Duh! Yes, I know. I'm a Luddite-- a complete opposite of a techno freak. But with my friends here and abroad who always want a piece of me (it's not what you're thinking, it's a different kind of piece, k?), I decided to post the latest stuff in my life online to save myself from the burden of updating people one by one. Telling/writing/emailing/texting the same stories a gazillion times in a day is really not my kind of fun.

Now if anyone asks me to give the latest buzz in my life, I'll simply tell them to read my blog. I honestly have a boring life so I'm really wonderin' why friends and relatives keep track of my life. I stick with my usual routine-- school in the morning, work in the afternoon and evening, a bit of partying/clubbing/bar hopping on weekends and of course occasional trips to Cello's doughnuts with friends that I absolutely adore.

Oh! Last July 14, my orgmates and I went to Cello's doughnuts and we were so lucky coz it was their anniversary. We got to have cocktail doughnuts for free. I was so happy with our freebies and I couldn't help but take a pic of the doughnuts before we devoured them.



Aren't they tempting enough? I even had my pic taken with the doughnuts and my Milo.