The Courtesy of a Reply

I have a lot of pet peeves, really I do. Maybe it's me, maybe my expectations are too high, but come on, if I text you, please do me the courtesy of a reply. Ignoring my texts, and then acting as if everything is normal when you finally deem it convenient to send me a message, just pisses me off.

And then you ignore me again?!

Ugh, not even sure why I'm all high strung about this, when I technically have no right to demand anything. Overactive hormones might be a factor, but nonetheless, I expect a reply when I text. Or at least an explanation that actually makes sense. But then again, maybe I don't. Whatever.

Edit: Soooo, there was a valid explanation. And I might have overreacted by ranting, but I'll still keep this post up, it's still a pet peeve anyway.

Words and Wit

I'm a sucker for words and wit.

Whether that's a good thing or a bad thing, I can't really say.

For me, words have power, whether it's written or said out loud. It can make you feel, think, realize, manipulate...it can create worlds, build and destroy relationships, boost or crush egos, seduce, incense and pacify. It's no wonder I hold people who can wield words and wit with ease in such high regard.

I'm a sucker for words and wit.

Why write about this now, you wonder? Well, I've been doing a lot of self-reflection lately, of what I'm doing with my life, what I want to be doing, who I want to be with, and it was just one of those things that I realized about myself.

I'm a sucker for words and wit.

Then I thought about my past encounters with words and wit... from my frustrations at becoming a writer, an ex who I fell for over games of Scrabble and conversations, to an unreciprocated infatuation I had because of smart and stoic tweets, to work opportunities I passed over because of poorly worded job descriptions, candidates I failed in interviews because of poor communication skills, and more recently, to the guy I went out with because I enjoyed our playful banter only to realize that he was just another douchebag.

*sigh* I'm a sucker for words and wit.

It may seem I only dwell in the negative aspects of my encounters, but tonight since I'm feeling melancholic it's what pops up in my head.

Yes, I'm a sucker for words and wit.

But I wouldn't have it any other way.

Finding Comfort in the Familiar

I've changed.

Sure, everyone changes over the years, and I know I have made some improvements to myself, made the most of opportunities, achieved goals...but in the process I might have lost pieces of myself that make me who I am. Nothing too serious, but enough to make me question what's the point in getting what you want, when you miss out on things that used to matter?

I'm trying to change that this year, trying to find comfort in the familiar, going back to my old ways, putting in time for things that I used to enjoy and seeing what happens - resurrecting this blog, is one such example. Others, I already know from experience, might lead me straight down a path of complications.

Old habits die hard, and now I'm falling back to old patterns, familiar but potentially detrimental patterns. I already asked my best friend to keep me in check, if it ever comes to that, but in the meantime, I'm determined to have fun and just enjoy. If I'm right, and I have this under control, then I might be worrying about nothing at all.

I Refuse To Let My Blog Die

If it means coughing up a post or two per year, then so be it!

I've always had trouble keeping up with promises on updating my blog, partly, it's because of work, partly because of laziness. The desire is always there, and I have draft posts dancing around in my head, but procrastination always gets the best of me and the desire eventually dies down.

I usually wrap up the year with a recap of what happened, but I won't do that this year. I don't want to play catch up anymore so I'll just put in overdue posts when I can. But 2014 was a pretty good year for me, but I can't wait to see what 2015 has to offer.

And let me just end this post by saying, December 31 is my most hated day of the year... I hate firecrackers, and I mostly spend the day and New Years Eve indoors, and cursing people who fire off firecrackers on our street.

 

Am I Too Old?

Of course not.

But it sure felt like it, when my friends and I dined at Stella last night. :(

I'm going to China this October with some friends and friends of friends, and since we didn't know everyone, we decided to have a China group meet and greet to get to know each other before the trip. We decided to dine at Zong, at the Fort Square (previously Fort Strip), to start off the China experience on the right foot. After a savory and filling dinner, we transferred over to Stella for some Chocolate Almond cookie dough (one of my favorites) and some Vahlrona chocolate cake.

Stella usually has a very laid back ambiance, and targeted for casual dining and family meals. This is in stark contrast with it's neighbor, Rocket Room, their detached bar except for the small hallway that connects the two of them together. Now, I do understand that a bar like Rocket Room would have a different ambiance, music blaring from their speakers at sounds enough to shatter eardrums, it's totally fine since it's a bar. What's not fine was for that same ear-shattering music being played at the Stella side, making it difficult for anyone to carry a conversation without shouting.

I was seriously, seriously disappointed. This was the first time I've ever been to Stella where it felt like the restaurant owners were punishing it's customers by blasting loud music into our ears.

I actually requested one of the waiters to tone it down, since we weren't at Rocket Room, and they did turn off one of the speakers but it didn't help much. That was how loud it was. Even the waiters seemed frazzled by the loud music, and other patrons were obviously not enjoying the aural assault.

What's more disappointing, was that whoever was mixing drinks that night was probably a rookie, because my friend and I ordered the same drink (American in Ipanema), and it couldn't have been more different. The alcohol in my drink was so strong it overpowered other flavors, while Chie's was more fruity and had a better flavor. Maie's Grassy Knoll cocktail originally came out tasting like ginger water, and this was a drink that she used to like a lot. She sent it back, asking for some more lemon, when it returned, it still didn't taste like the normal drink she ordered, so she asked for them to make it again. It was still sub par, but she just stuck with it, figuring it wouldn't get any better.

The noise level became so uncomfortable, we had no choice but to leave early. I felt old.

Stella used to be one of my go-to restaurants, but after this experience, it would be hard to come back, let alone recommend it to my friends. What's the point in separating Rocket Room and Stella and giving them two very distinctive identities if you're just going to turn the entire place into a bar atmosphere anyway? I was so frustrated, disappointed and irritated...I don't ever want to come back.

I Need A Breather!

Yeah, I get tired too.

Every once in a while. work just gets on my nerves and I feel like everything just keeps going wrong and things are beyond my control.

And if you still haven't noticed by now, things that I can't control, tend to upset me.

Yeah, I'm upset.

The only thing that keeps me going now is that I know I've been through worse, and I know it will get better soon.

In Retrospect

As part of my plan to revitalize this blog, I will try and post some items from my 366 days album to this site. I think I should try and maximize the use of my blog...I love writing, I love sharing information, but I always seem to have no time to do the things I love. So, as part of my plan to have work-life-balance, I'll be forcing myself to do more of the things I love. Sounds ironic but you get the point right? :)

It's not that I don't like my work, I do. It's actually the most satisfying job I've had, but there's just so much to do, and so many things to look out for that I need to have some time to do things outside of that world, and this blog is the perfect outlet.

I will definitely be finishing my SEA Odyssey series too. :)

Good luck to me.

Finding Ways to Be Thankful Every Day

I started a new project for 2012, it's not an original project and I've been seeing people do it for quite some time now, but I was inspired by my best friend, Jeng, to start my own 366 days of blessings. 366 because 2012 is a leap year, just in case it slipped your mind. :)

So, what is this project all about? Well, it's on Facebook, and it entails posting a picture of what you're thankful for everyday. So far I haven't missed a day, and I hope I can continue for the rest of the year. It's really a fun project when you think about it, and it encourages you to see things in a different light, looking for blessings in random day to day events and encounters.

Honestly, I think a lot of us need to be constantly reminded of how blessed we are.

Happy New Year everyone, be thankful every day.

:)

P.S. For those wondering why I'm not posting them here, aside from respecting other peoples' privacy, I simply don't have the time (or energy) to post into 2 different sites, it's as simple as that.

Geekyobserver Turns 29!

No, not the site silly, me! :)

Happy birthday to me!

I've been very blessed for the past 29 years. I have wonderful parents, crazy fun sisters, amazing friends, a good job...really, what more can a girl ask for?

Well, love maybe? Hahaha, but hey I'm not rushing.

I just feel really blessed and thankful. :)

Jeepney

I rode a jeepney today.

To be honest, I don't usually take the jeep anymore, when I do, it's normally just because I'm lazy to walk, but to actually ride a jeep to get to a destination, I think it's been years.

But anyway, today I made the conscious choice to ride a jeepney to get to the mall so I could meet my best friend. I could have taken a cab, but for some reason, I decided to take the jeepney instead.

Ahh...the warm wind in your hair, the smell of exhaust in the air, being forced to squish into a confined space like sardines, being jerked around by the constant stops and starts as people get on and off the jeep, the sudden burst of speeds that make you feel like you're in a high speed chase, and finally, finally reaching your destination looking like a frazzled mess (or maybe that's just me).

Takes me back to my good old school days. :)

Honestly, riding the jeepney is not so bad, and even though I haven't really taken the jeep for such a long time, there's a sense of familiarity about it that I miss. It's good to know that there are some things you don't forget, in my caseits how to survive riding a jeep in Manila.

Rain, rain, rain...

If you're living in Manila, like I am, I'm sure you've noticed that the weather has been a temperemental bitch lately.

And most improtantly, that the rains have not stopped pouring since yesterday due to Falcon and another low pressure area. Yesterday, floods stalled traffic everywhere around the Metro and left thousands of people stranded at work, school, malls what-have-you. A typical 30-min ride home became a 2 1/2 hour crawl. And it wasn't just because of the floods, can you imagine there were buses and jeeps on counterflow in Buendia? And what's more, when it came to crossing Osmena highway, MMDA prioritized these traffic offenders and they crossed Osmena before those of us who waited patiently as traffic moved inch by inch from Ayala to Osmena!

I know traffic rules are not as strictly enforced because of 'extreme circumstances' but that was just ridiculous!

Finally got home before 2AM. Today, I woke up early and started work early, I'm just really glad that we have the option to work from home because the weather outside is crazy!

Stay safe, stay dry, take care everyone!

Harry Potter Love

In less than a month, the final Harry Potter movie will be released in cinemas...I am literally counting the days until I can score 1st day, 1st showing tickets from Sureseats. In the meantime, I have this awesome, awesome trailer to tide me over.



I was first introduced to Harry by my British cousin, John. He was about 10 I think some 12 years ago, and they were visiting my grandparents here in Manila. He was reading Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (later changed to Sorcerer's stone in the US edition), and he was very excited about it, told me it was a good book.

One afternoon, with nothing better to do, I read it. It was a kid's book, so it took me just an hour to read it, but for some reason, I got hooked. My cousin was returning to the UK so I had to buy my own copy of the 1st book (so I can reread it), and bought Chamber of Secrets and Prisoner of Azkaban - I was still studying so I had to borrow money from my parents for the book. :P I eagerly read the second and third books (on the same day mind you). And I swear, I thought Prisoner of Azkaban was the best book ever! I was so in love with Remus Lupin's character that I liked him even more than Harry.

And the rest, as they say, is history. It didn't take long for Goblet of Fire to come out, but then the wait for the 5th, 6th and 7th books was torture. Granted, I could always re-read the earlier books, I even had audiobooks and e-books of the entire series, and even backup paperback copies. I mean, backup paperback copies? Who does that? My top 3 books are definitely Deathly Hallows, Half-Blood Prince and Prisoner of Azkaban.

Anyway, going back to the movies...well, there are some criticisms to note, and I don't always agree with the way they edit them, but I am still eternally grateful to WB for producing them. They still brought Harry Potter to life, in a way even my imagination would not have been able to. And I have to say, Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, Tom Felton, Alan Rickman, Jason Isaacs, Ralph Fiennes - basically the entire HP cast are just all amazing. And that British accent is just always so nice to hear.

I will definitely cry when I finally get to watch this movie. I can't wait to watch it, but at the same time I just don't want it to end... it's like the Deathly Hallows release all over again. All I know is, Harry Potter will always have a special place in my life - and the magic will live on, no matter what.