I Dream of a Blue Summer

Just wanted to share this youtube video, which I unearthed while randomly finding interesting things. This is a video of a male figure skater from Japan named Takahashi Daisuke, and I will admit his SP here is nothing short of gorgeous. He's chosen music piece is from HIPHOP's (?) version of Swan Lake. Awesome music...

Heya peeps, just a heads up. I'm moving my personal blog to wordpress. Now I won't be abandoning livejournal since I do have friends here. It's just..well livejournal has never been "easy" to deal with.

Plus I wanted to revive my teen memories and finish what I've always began...creating a workable website that hosts my fanfictions and other crap. Plus it has more versatility. Sure their "privacy" and lack of a social network kinda sucks, but I can live with that. :))

But no worries, I'm trying to find some apps that would let me post to multiple blogs. :D And I think I found one. :3

In the mean time do take a visit my blog, I've posted a new post on my latest bento box collection. It's still pretty bare right now, so please bear with me ;)

For the sake of both vanity and sheer necessity, I've finally given in and took a visit to a dermatologist to address the following woes that's been afflicting my skin for the past few years...

(1) Rashes or pimples that are prevalent in my upper arms. It makes wearing sleeveless difficult and embarrassing, and frankly acne, a lot of acne mind you, anywhere in the body can be a concern. I've had them as long as I can remember but I've been noting that the skin was getting inflamed and the pimples were frankly spreading as far as my elbow. This includes rashes that appeared on my feet that causes my skin to start peeling, some sort of skin asthma apparently. Both are genetic apparently and was told that no amount of alcohol or cleaning would have prevented it from happening. Treatment including medication are roughly around Php 4k.

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February again and my birthday has just passed me by. I've just turned 27, a good number as any, last February 12 and decided to actually go shopping for myself with my beloved's help.

My first purchase was practical enough. I was looking for a new pore minimizer. My previous pore minimizer did an average job and I was willing to invest on something good. So I dropped by Rustans to have a look-see and found Estèe Lauder. Now I wanted to try Clarins but their staff wasn't exactly helpful. They were not rude, just passive and given my lack of knowledge in all things cosmetic (learned late in life) I went to the Estèe Lauder kiosk and was assisted by very helpful ladies who had no qualms actually putting stuff on my skin to let me see for myself the results, while explaining what it does, how to use it, when to use it.

Impressed at actually seeing visible results, I rang up Estèe Lauder's Idealist which cost me around Php 2,000 (double Clarin's price).



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Wow, the new year is fast approaching and I'm three months behind posting. Besides the Glorietta blast, hostage taking at Manila Pen, nothing much in terms of interesting has happened.

Lol.

I lied. A ton of stuff happened to me, but I'm too lazy to write anything. It's not like a have a bunch of people who eagerly wait with bated breath what's happening with my life, but I write it anyway...sort of like an online reminder that I do have a life outside work.

(1) Oct. 15, 2007 - My mom's first death anniversary. We spent the morning visiting her grave as we talked about mom and made sure that the caretakers are making sure her gravesite is clean. I can't believe it's already been a year since Mom left us. Although the pain of losing her has lessened, I still miss her terribly. I love you, mom, where ever you are.

(2) November Something or Other - I don't remember the exact dates but I've spent a lot of good dates with my boyfriend this month. Mostly because we don't often go on exclusive dates with each other often. Our Saturdays are usually spent with lunch together, and playing table-top games with the Mafia people (aka our gaming group).

This month was also the month I got into WoW...aka World of Warcraft. Yes I'm back to MMO gaming, bitches, and playing the Horde Blood Elves.

(3) December Days Before Christmas - Baking Horror. Baking chocochip cookies and cinnamon shortbread cookies for gifts. (@_@) But the good things are the dates Jay and I've been too, and the buffet madness.. *sighs dreamily* Circles~! And the restaurant discoveries (Fish & Co.)

Side note: Go eat at Fish & Co. It's a fish and chips type place so make sure to order the recommended stuff. And the calamari. My god, the calamari is heaven sent.

I also got my car. My very own car. :D I enrolled previously in A1 Driving school, and now I do practice driving on weekends and holidays. Awesome transportation for me~! Now I'm no longer Makati bound \(^o^)/

(4) December 25, 2007 - Merry Christmas! We attended the last Midnight Mass in Shangri La hotel (w/ free coffee and biscuits and cookies) and had the Noche Buena buffet.

That's all for now, I'll see if I can try to update again by the New Year. :)

Now before I begin I will begin listing my litany of excuses for not updating:

(1) My dad was recently diagnosed and treated of Stage 0 cancer they detected on the polyp on his large intestine. He has undergone elective but major surgery and is now doing well. The results of his biopsy are clean: no trace of cancer anywhere. There is no need of chemotherapy and radiation. :)

(2) I was learning how to cook new dishes...chicken in gata, sarciadong isda, sinigang na baboy, oriental chicken and other things.

(3) I discovered Sango (the best burgers evar) and the Japanese co-op beside it that sells Japanese grocery items at Php 68 bucks. Now I don't have to torture my pocket in visiting Sakura. All of which are available at Mile Long Creekside right beside the Pharaoh club.

(4) Watched a hell lot of anime. There's only so much I could do when I was waiting my dad recover in the hospital. (^^);;

(5) My half-sis just arrived from the US on a 'surprise' visit. It was'nt much of a surprise when everyone pretty much told me when she was arriving. My dad and my aunts are lousy in keeping secrets much to my sis' dismay. We had fun, we ate out and we shopped a lot.

Which leads to my latest post.

Since my sister Pam was only here for only a few days, she was forced to a great deal of lunch and shopping invitations. One of those invitations involved me and two aunts who lived in the far south, in a place called Sucat, Parañaque.

Once there we were treated to series of interesting small shops along BF Homes. The first one of which was a shoe store called Step-Rite. From there I was treated to two pairs of sandals that cost me less than Php 500 bucks each pair. In fact one pair cost me Php 190 and the other cost me around Php 490, not even reaching Php 1,000 bucks.

The sandals were of good quality and very sexy--absolutely perfect for the days I feel like being sexy and girly. The store surprisingly enough carried big sizes. Most small shoe stores won't bother with anything bigger than a size 7, catering to the tinier, malnourished forms of most Pinays. See my new shoe darlings here and here.

Step-Rite can be found along Aguirre St., BF Homes, Parañaque City (tel #: 842-9303)

The second store we visited in Sucat, was not a shoe store, but a rather gorgeous and fantastic bead shop where I was treated to a matching set of indian inspired beaded bracelet and necklace worth Php 1,500 total (much thanks to my tita for buying them for me). I'll post pics and details next time. :D

My second shoe discovery was found closer to home, particularly Glorietta's Shoe Salon--the name of the shoe store alone raises much protest on my poor wallet, as compared to previous store, a pair of shoes bought at the Shoe Salon would equivalent to five to seven pairs of shoes at Step-Rite.

However there are some things that my wallet would just have to swallow and take it like a man.

God, that just sounded wrong.

Anyway, I'm here to talk about my latest foot purchase from Sanuk. The story began when I limped around Glorietta in the latest torture equipment developed by the inquisitors of the Spanish Inquisition. My boyfriend taking pity on me and my blistered feet, suggested a visit to the Shoe Salon. I've been combing for hardy shoes with the comfort of flip-flops for several weeks to no avail, especially when the rainy season started and my current tatami tsinelas, were getting too dangerous to wear on the slick sidewalks. I was so desperate I almost succumbed to buying those horrid Brazilian tsinelas that are so the rage right now.

I don't care who made it or what it is, it's still friggin' tsinelas, and i'm not paying Php 1000 bucks for something I can get for a quarter of that amount without much noticeable difference.

Then I discovered Sanuk...actually it was my boyfriend who pointed them out. I tried out a pair, and my god, my feet were praising the heavens above. It was like wearing moccasins, only better. I tend to have sweaty feet particularly when it gets humid, but my feet were kept surprisingly dry and presko (fresh). The sole was comfortable enough and it endured my shopping trips and my walks with much comfort. Not even my branded pink ballet flat style sneakers were as comfortable.

Here's a picture of my latest Sanuk "sandals/shoes" here.

The only downside is that it's rather expensive, hitting me for about Php 2,300 more or less, but I was so happy with it that I dragged my dad the next day to buy him a pair as a belated birthday gift. :) He's very happy with his pair and happily wears it during the weekend. He's got sweaty feet like I do and at his age, he's been looking for something comfortable and yet wearable without feeling too under dressed--and like me he has no intention of wearing tsinelas even if they're made in Brazil or something. Sanuk satisfies both his needs and uses it almost exclusively when he's not in the office.

Just a warning that men's shoes tend to be a tad more expensive than the womens, my dad's pair hit me for almost Php 2,900 plus.

For more info and see some of their new stuff, visit Sanuk's website here.

Want a luminous, translucent,and bright complexion ? Want all your problem spots to go away? The Nu Skin Triphasic White System can do all that! It’s not “whitening” per se as people normally perceive “whitening” to be, for this system more of evens out your skin tone, clears away uneven pigments, for a smooth, bright,and ethereal-like skin. You don’t need to worry about having your skin damaged with such treatment for Nu Skin is water-based, and is gentle enough even for the most sensitive skin!

Kikay Kits is giving away this fabulous set but if you want to know more on how join then click here



What Makes Me Kikay?

People who have known me, would never consider me 'kikay'. I hang out mostly with the men (including my boyfriend) in my gaming group, my work which is at home (and in the past in a gaming company with very lax office attire), give me little to no opportunity to get 'girly.' However, my opinions of being 'kikay' to the rest of the population is vastly different.

Kikay is a term mostly to describe the "girly" personal grooming habits of a female, at its worst, it's also used to describe a shallow female obsessed with physical beauty or appearance or someone so very vain.

But for me, being kikay is more than just buying every single facial scrub and moisturizer in the market, beyond than the latest lipstick and eyeshadow combination. It is more than just being L'Oreal/insert-your-favorite-cosmetic-brand-here fan girl. Being 'Kikay' is a lifestyle.

Kikay-ness isn't just about applying the right moisturizer or sunblock or even how many minutes or hours is spent fussing infront of the mirror. It's also about eating right, exercising and over-all good health. No amount of cosmetic, both topical and surgical would do anything if the body is weak, sick and unhealthy. What you put on your skin, even something a simple as that luscious butter lotion from The Body Shop, can only enhance what is there. No amount of expensive paint job is going to hide a busted car.

Part of a Kikay girl's lifestyle includes not just good health but also a good dose of self-esteem. You are beautiful and unique, and never forget that. Too often, society has forced on us on what beautiful should be: fair skin, a size 8 figure, long flawless super straight hair and double D breasts, most of which isn't possible without the use of expensive and dangerous surgery or good Photoshop skills. It doesn't matter if you're less than five feet high, morena, your nose is pango and you wear a size 18 dress (no matter how much you exercise or diet); love yourself, and confidence--not to mention sexiness--will surely follow.

Love yourself. There is no better beauty regimen than accepting and loving who you are, inside and outside, all your faults and your attributes. It opens your heart and mind to the beauty of those around you.

Courage is another important aspect of a being Kikay. Don't be afraid to dare, to try new things. Don't be afraid of what others will think of you. If you believe that your 'style' doesn't conform with the masses--don't be afraid to showcase it, just flip them the bird and be on your way. Express yourself, be creative. Being Kikay means not being afraid to experiment, to learn that trying something is much better than not doing anything at all.

This is what it means for me to be Kikay: a healthy body, heart and soul.

I have pets now, as you can tell from my previous posts. I'm delayed in proudly showing the pictures of my beloved tiny princesses. Not that it matters to all you intellectual snobs out there. Here's a tip for the folks trolling for something "deep" and "metaphysical" in the blogosphere... Go. Kill. Yourself. Now. Seriously.

Now that I got that out of the way I will now proceed to gush and fawn over my pets like any self respecting cat lady would do. Only perhaps I'm not a cat lady and I got mini kangaroo rats instead of cats. Not that I have anything against cats, they're wonderful creatures and I adore them, they're just harder to smuggle into the building.

I should begin before I start rambling again...


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I got tagged by Moons, now usually I don't for for this sort of thing but you know..why the hell not. It's been a while since my last livejournal entry so I might as well post *something* to at least say I'm still alive.

“Each player of this game starts with 6 weird things about himself orherself. People who get tagged need to write a blog entry of their ownas well as state the rule clearly. In the end, you need to tag 6 peopleas well and list their names. Don’t forget to let them know they’vebeen tagged!”

WEIRDNESS NUMBER 1: I do not enjoy the company of women very much. I tend to be selective of my female friends than I do with my male friends. There's something about hanging about women that grates on my nerves. Women of today tend to be plastic, manipulative, backstabbing little insects. Absolutely lacking in grace, dignity and honesty. Men despite their sometimes more primitive behavior are more forthright and honest. I have no need to impress on the latest fashions and showbiz talk, they don't care if the shirt I've been wearing was "totally last season." I can be me without fear.

I can only be with women who are like minded and are down to earth.

WEIRDNESS NUMBER 2: When I order Big Breakfast w/ rice from McDonalds, I have to perfectly cut both the patty and scrambled eggs in five to six pieces so I can pair both patty and egg when I eat.

WEIRDNESS NUMBER 3: I have not watched TV in ages..and have no desire to. All I ever need to watch are usually downloadable or available in DVD. The last full commercial I've watched was around two years ago.

WEIRDNESS NUMBER 4: I 'mew' in response to a lot of things. I have the 'frustrated mew', an 'angry mew', 'pleading mew', 'asking mew' and a 'telling mew'.

WEIRDNESS NUMBER 5: I sympathize with animals more than people. I can watch a person get injured and feel less bad about it than seeing say, a limping cat. The sight alone is enough to break my heart and make me feel bad for the rest of the day out of guilt.

WEIRDNESS NUMBER 6: I devolop a second personality when given a hand puppet. Seriously. I just bought one last Saturday a pink and white bunny hand puppet. I've been making the hand puppet hump other people's shoulders, face and head. I ordered my usual in Starbucks with a hand puppet. I introduce my bunny in the same cutesy voice then tell them they're losers...with a hand puppet.

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That's all for my weirdness. Seriously though, I'll just tag my pointyman2000 considering that most of my friends detest blogs. I'm not much of a blogger myself. (^^);;

I think someone from above loves me. As in really, REALLY love me.

Finances wise things are looking better. Our estimate of paying Php 800,000 in Estate Tax has been dwindled to a mere Php 64,000 much to our bank account's relief. I give thanks to my accountant aunt who spent hours with us pouring over documents to try and find ways to reduce the Real Estate tax significantly. Love you auntie, you rawk~!

Because of this, paying for the debt is now easier. Initial estimate of expenses to pay for both the debt and the tax was roughly almost Php 1.8M (this is an initial estimate my mom gave me when she was alive...my dad refuses to share money burdens with me so I'm not exactly sure how big our debt is...but I'm fairly certain that it's not bigger than this--we sold enough properties to pay for a huge bulk of the expenses...I hope it was enough), and with the reduction of the tax we can now pay for at least half the debt we owe now.

Big whew on our part. *Jumps for joy*

The way things stand we can clean up ourselves after the year is over..or at least reduce it again in half before the year ends.

Go Me~! \^o^/



I finally got to play Granado Espada.

Dear mother of god! The graphics is eyebleedingly BEAUTIFUL!!

It's the usual grindfest, but just this once I can forgive them for it and grind. Seeing the costumes, the graphics, everything was so gorgeous. I'm usually admiring the sceneary whilst pounding magic and blade into my enemie's guts. It's also fun to have in control a group instead of one character. Much much fun. :D

Contrary to popular belief, not all my characters are female. The men are so bishi that I only have one female character right now. And all she does is look pretty :D pretty pretty fairy princess~!

Yes I know. I've found inspiration for future Victorian costumes to make, but for now I still need to go design stuff and grind some more. :D