california highway patrol

fate is trying to be funny. and i'm not laughing ...

i got pulled over yesterday morning on my way to work - going 82 mph on the 118 where there the maximum speed limit was 65. it's the first time i was pulled over so i had no idea how to handle the situation. the sudden rush of panic was awful. i tried to get myself out of getting a ticket by telling the truth - that i was running late for work which i really was. bottomline, i got a speeding ticket. and that weighed down heavily in my head for the rest of the day. i didn't want no speeding ticket considering how whacked my financial situation is right now. why oh why did this happen to me?? talk about wrong timing. i'm anxious to find out how much i have to pay. at least 200 bucks i've been told by friends/co-workers - oye! and on top of that, i have to go to court and go to driving school to off set the record otherwise it will affect my insurance. this is all bullshit!!! no holiday shopping for me!

in other news ...

weekend finally ... i'm off to watch mraz again on sunday. yeh, i saw him perform last saturday at the joint in vegas and i'm going again this sunday this time at the wiltern in LA. i'm mraz-merized what can i say? like my friend lesley once said, mraz is like the the male india arie. his songs, both fast and slow, are meaningful. it has essence. pure talent. and he has a wicked sense of humor that will send you rolling to the floor.

other than that, nothing else exciting is going on. nothing really to call home about.

i wanna win the lotto jackpot - $192,000,000

hump day updates - 2

i know!!! one day delayed and im sorry. lol .. i had a crazy day at work yesterday and i had dinner plans last night.

* end of the month bullshit here at work is driving me up the wall! i want it over! i need a force field.

* i saw melody lacayanga at the dance studio i go to last monday night. she's soo cute and diminutive. i wanna marry her.

* The Amazing Race was fun! non-elimination round so the pink Godlewski sisters were saved.

* off to vegas this weekend to see jason mraz play at The Joint at the Hard Rock Hotel. good times! kinda scared about the drive though coz it's halloween weekend and im sure a lot of peeps are trekking out to the desert.

* speaking of halloween, i'm still undecided what i will be this year.

* it's been rainy and cold the past few days - a sign that winter is just around the corner. time to take out those sweater, coats, scarves and beanies. cold season in southern california doesn't last very long though and thank god we don't have to deal with snow since my tolerance for cold weather is pretty low.

* imma try making pork sinigang tonight. i really like it maasim! (making asim face) and i like mashing the gabi with the rice then pour sour broth over it. pass me the patis!

* it's sorta my policy to learn something new every day and today i learned that the english term for gabi is taro root.

* The Tourettes Cowboy - a must see for the silly peeps like me.

* i badly need to get new headphones for my ipod. my right earpiece conked out. i dunno but listening to music with one earpiece doesn't feel right.

it's really pointless

top 10 things that make alex happy ...

10. home cooked chicken adobo over a plate of steamy white rice...

9. a kick-ass routine at dance class...

8. an acoustic Mraz concert...

7. long weekends consisting of trips to the beach or a road trip to Santa Barbara or San Diego...

6. endless afternoon naps...

5. ipoding at work...

4. fresh contact lens are almost orgasmic...

3. lunch breaks by the lagoon...

2. trip to a city/state i haven't seen before...

1. someone special who'll make an extra effort to make me happy when all else fails...

alex the chef

my latest culinary accomplishment - beef with mushrooms and kaldereta! lmao ... damn, it feels good to actually know how to cook something. i'm slowly graduating from eternal sandwiches, tv dinners and microwaveable meals. it's awesome!

and even though the kaldereta took me two hours to prepare, it was worth every minute! the end product almost brought me to tears because it reminded me of home. it was a lucky first try i have to admit. i got the exact taste how mama makes it (unlike my first try with adobo which was only half-way decent). and after two hours of cooking it, i finished my meal in just 20 minutes. is it just me or does one really eat faster when they are all alone?? sadness...

so my next mission is pork sinigang which i heard is uber easy to make - even easier than beef steak. i'm not a big pork-y oink-y fan but i might as well tryit and add to my roster of culinary achievements. oooh it just hit me - shrimp sinigang! lol...

hump day updates

ok ... every wednesday starting today, imma try doing a weekly-update-whats-goin-on-with-my-life-random-shoutouts-i-speak-my-mind-blah-blah-i'm-a-dork kinda post ...

* san francisco trip last weekend. happy to see my step-lola. pig out on caldereta and rice. ulk!

* hang out with my high school friend Mei on sunday afternoon. window shopping in downtown san fran. stroll on market street. movie at metreon. dinner at Cheesecake Factory which sits on the rooftop of the Macy’s Building in the heart of Union Square. sigh, a pretty autumn day in san fran!

* thanks for a storm named Wilma, i had the most horrifying flight ever! 30 minutes of turbulence while i watched lighting and rain thru the airplane window. i seriously thought that was it - the end, kaput, goodbye, adios, sayonara. i held on to my armrest like i would hold on to my dear life. i said a prayer and made a note to my family and friends just in case i die inside this crappy piece of flying metal called Southwest.

* ugly shoes and i talked last night. pleh! i can see where this "relationship" is going. "call you in a few days." makes me shudder every time!

* my YM buddy lesley is in a flash training in anaheim today. ugh, it's almost impossible to survive a work day without her!!

* from KGB (10/18) "Hi alex how are u. What u dont like to talk to me any more? No call, i see ur friends out, but your not there. What is all this about. I think i saw u on friday, maybe. U look hot, if it was not u well u looked hot anyway. I think ur hair is longer maybe. Well any way myy weekend was ok, just chilled out and saw a movie. I heard u were in S.F. to see family. Ill call u tonight. chow."

* i freakin missed Amazing Race Family Edition last night. grrrr ....

* i am very close to maxing out one of my credit cards! *shock*

* i discovered a Big Lots close to work - 3.5 miles away only!

* billie, a very good college friend of mine is coming to LA. wow! i think it's been about 5 years since i last saw her. can't wait!

* dance class tonight .. weee!!!!

* my next culinary project - beef with mushrooms.

* it's 3:56pm. an hour and a half to go! i'm clockwatchin.

denial

a routine trip to K-mart turned out to be a wake-up call.

i almost flipped when i walked into a section of the store laid out with fake christmas trees, beaming santas, and endless rows of holiday decors. i yelled to myself - 'already??! fuck me, i ain't ready'.

halloween isn't even over yet. for a second, i was tempted to talk to the manager to ease my panic attack. i wanted tell him that this isn't right. after a few seconds of deep breathing, i realized that it is already october and indeed, the holidays is just around the corner. it pretty much goes downhill after halloween. holiday songs will be playing on the radio, holiday decors everywhere you turn, red/green/gold ornaments etc etc! and slowly i will drift into my annual holiday depression. for me, the holidays mean 'a complicated level of homesickness'.

hohoho ... with a frown.

=(

Cold, cold water surrounds me now
And all I've got is your hand
Lord, can you hear me now?
Lord, can you hear me now?
Lord, can you hear me now?
Or am I lost?

(from Damien Rice's Cold Water)

pinoy beef steak

yum yum for my tum tum!!!

sunday night i was bored out of my wits when suddenly i remembered the beef steak recipe my sister gave me over the phone just a few nights ago. i rushed to Pavillions at the top of my street, got the ingredients and 30 minutes later i was enjoying a plateful of rice and my own home-made beef steak. it wasn't difficult to make it. and i realized what a dork i was for not trying it sooner.

and i am oh so proud of myself. hehe ... it wasn't as good like my yaya back home would cook it but mine turned out ok for a first-time try. i was so happy with my beef steak that i was tempted to gobble up the whole thing. lol ...

maybe this coming weekend i'll try adobo. it's gonna my new thing - i should learn how to make filipino dishes. i've been asked a million times before by my american friends if i know how to make chicken adobo or pansit (apparently, these are the most popular filipino dishes). i die of embarassment everytime i answer in the negative.

i should call home and tell mom about my recent culinary success. hahaha .. it's been 2 days and i'm still stoked over my beef steak. so stoked that i even had to make a special blog entry about it! good times!!

freeway snacking ...

so ok, this morning i woke up pretty late. thanks to a late night visitor. i was in a total rush to get out of the house, hop on my car and speed down the freeway. but viola! this lady on the left- most lane was chowing down on a burger or a bagel, god knows what, while going 50mph!!! given that almost everyone keeps a pretty busy lifestyle, i understand why some people have to "snack behind the wheel". but for crying out loud, get off the f-ng fast lane!!! and not because you have an extra few minutes to spare and enjoy breakfast on the freeway, it doesn't mean every one else does!!! how freakin inconsiderate. i was totally pissed i was tempted to rear-end her!

if you have to snack-behind-the-wheel, please remember:
1) AVOID THE FREEWAY ... please! take surface streets. everyone will be happy. you'll have a satisfying meal and everyone else will get to their destination on time .. and in one piece!
2) if for some reason, you find a sense of content by chomping on a breakfast burrito while driving on the freeway - USE THE RIGHT-MOST LANE! and i'm almost positive the members of the MealOnTheGo club will welcome you with open arms (and maybe a greasy handshake).

*breathe* sorry, i just had to vent.

flying solo ...

it's saturday night. it's 59 degrees out - nice and chilly.

i had a nice dinner consisting of salad, roasted chicken breast and rice with a glass of chilled pinot grigio.

ALONE ...

it feels nice in an odd way. i could get used to this. sometimes staying in is good for the body and mind. life do exist even in solitude. happiness and content abounds for those who search.

time for long hot shower then off to read a book. hop into bed by 11 and then i dream away...

top of my list

my favorite dance by far...

Blake McGrath and Melody Lacayanga - Lyrical
from So You Think You Can Dance (FOX 11)

sigh ...

L: i know a song in tagalog
alex: oh yeh?
L: lapit manga kaybeegan at ma kanee kayo
L: ahoy medeladelung balita
L: galing sabayenko
L: nice koong imamahagi
L: amangabewndo
L: amanga pangayarin nagaganap salupong... pinagnako
alex: haha... wicked funny!

My Quit ... weee!

Quit 253 days. Cigarettes NOT smoked: 2532. $442.75 and 19 days, 8 hours of your life saved!

monday blues

is it just me or do relationships really get more complicated when you're older?

weekend blahs

i knew it! the symptoms were obvious - scratchy throat, sneezing, watery eyes, sore joints. i woke up this morning with a fever and yes, i am very upset! God knows i can't afford to get sick now. and i'm not exactly the expert when it comes to being sick and taking care of myself. being the youngest in my family, i've got so used to being taken care of whenever i fall sick as a little kid. reality check - i'm now a 28 year old adult living on my own and there's no one else to take care of me but ME!

the more sorry part is i had laundry and cleaning to do today. i had a huge pile of dirty laundry and a tall pile of used dishes that's been screaming for attention. my apartment is a big mess it's not even funny anymore!!! bottomline, despite my need to relax and try to get better i had to get my sorry ass out of bed and start working around the house. did i mention anything about my bathroom yet? ugh! major ugh! cleaning that one up would have to wait!

i napped pretty much the rest of the day after laundry and dishes were taken care of. i wanted to get out and do something. it was a perfect day for a stroll down ventura blvd but i knew it would be wise to just stay in and rest. besides, i have to be out tonight for a friend's pre-birthday weekend celebration. yeh, just what i needed - more alcohol to kill my immune system. sure dehydrate me some more and i'll render myself clinically dead by end of the evening. ehhh, it's all cool. my friend's birthday celebration is the perfect excuse to be out and about, to see and be seen! (just wishing i won't bump into people i don't really care for!)

it's dinner time and i haven't had a single bite all day!

weee!

Summer of 2005!

Pre-drinking at Eric's place before hitting the Sunset Strip.

From top L - R: Nina, Girlie, Raffy, Eric, Alex, Eliza

From bottom L - R: Kettle One Vodka, Doritos, Cranberry Juice

vodka shots anyone?

classic

May 22, 1966. This picture was taken 39 years ago at my parent's wedding at Santa Cruz church in Binondo, Manila.


I came across this photo during my recent visit to my second-degree aunt in Long Beach (she's the young lady on the left side of the picture). When i saw it i was in awe! First, because i haven't seen a picture of my parents as a young couple ever since i moved to LA. And second, it's amazing how a copy of this picture has survived over the years.

I was tempted to steal it really but i had second thoughts. Stealing this picture is like stealing a piece of antique - it's old, faded, hardly pretty but nevertheless precious and priceless!

jaina

I MISS YOU MY SWEET ANGEL ...

YM 9/8/2005 5:20pm

alex: im happy right now. there may be something that can make me happier, but i'm in no rush. i'm sure that something will eventually come along.
cm: That's a good philosophy. Pretty much the one that I have.
alex: like my dancing, i want to live life full out.
alex: regardless if it's a life with somebody or a life on my own.
alex: and with that i bid you goodnight.

sense of normalcy

i was back in dance class last night after a two week absence. it felt awesome. also, it gave me a sense of normalcy after two weeks of playing host/tour-guide. i had two sets of guests visit me recently and my daily routine was totally thrown off. i'm not in any way complaining coz the past two weeks has been the best so far this year...

cousin mei ... my dear "little sister" and i reunited after 4 long years. funny how seeing her at the airport brought me to tears. it felt surreal to actually see her and hold her. spending time with her gave me a sense of "being home". she bridged the gap between my two homes - LA and Manila. and most definitely. her visit was good for my soul. and everytime i will hear the lyrics "you don't know how much you mean to me. Whenever you down, you know that you can lean on me. No matter the situation, I'm gonna hold you down", i shall look back on mei's visit to LA and smile.

nina and girlie ... two friends of mine from college came out to LA for Labor Day weekend. it was a long weekend filled with good times and lol, alcohol! what amazes is me the fact that i've known these girls for about 9 years now and through the years we all managed to be friends. we may have grown up differently in some ways but when we're together, it all comes back. it feels like we're back in college - wandering free spirits in search of fun and maybe a sense of purpose. being with nina and girlie is one good reality check - that true friends are rare and i'm lucky i have them.

mei, nina and girlie - three girls i spent the last 2 weeks with reminded me to stay grounded. their presence made realize what i was in the past and in a lot of ways help me understand what i am today.

it's bittersweet when the day comes that it's time for guests to leave. every single time i would wonder and ask myself - when will we see each other again. only time can tell, i guess. as long as we stay in touch, special bond with relatives and friends will remain strong. it may be a lot of work but for sure, it's all worth the effort.