If given the chance, I would want travel with my husband to Europe. Who knows? I'm excited just browsing over the possible places to visit. It must be difficult booking a decent, affordable place to stay. I've been told by my friend Isobelle that in case I'd plan to travel abroad, to search and make my reservations months before the travel date. I was wondering, what if suddenly decide to travel, would it be impossible to find a decent place to stay abroad?
When it comes to traveling, I usually search the net for information on the place I'll be visiting. I know most of you do, so this might be of help the next time you pack your bags on a grand vacation.Perhaps you're considering a honeymoon in the romantic city of Paris, a visit to the hometown of The Beatles inLiverpool, a pilgrimage to the Our Lady of Lourdes in or a tour just about anywhere in the world. You can check for Paris hotel and travelsto book online. Whether you prefer luxury or budget rooms, you can choose from a variety of hotels to stay. France travels and hotels need not be expensive. They offer the lowest rates that if you ever find a cheaper alternative, you can always contact their customer service so they can adjust their rate! So is true if you're likewise hunting for aLiverpool accommodation.
Whether you take a side trip to the place where Dao Ming Si lost his precious memories of San Chai, in Barcelona, Spain or watch the famous bullfighting in Madrid, no worries on the last minute booking. For your travel to Barcelona and hotels,all you have to do is to let your fingers do the talking. Browse and reserve online. In searching forMadrid hotels and accomodations, there are apartments for family travelers and hotels that include free breakfasts or hotel parking. They instantly confirm your reservation, providing a whole more convenient option for you.
Hmm.. if I wish hard enough, my dreams of a Eurpean tour could actually come true. Eiffel tower, here we come!
I regret not being able to take pictures of my puppy when she was still alive. My hubby warned me not to take pictures of her because of superstitious beliefs. I wanted her badly to live so I obeyed. She left us a month ago due to parvo. Luckily, I found a picture of her on my nieces' camera. She just took a bath in this photo that's why her hair's still a little wet.
This is my chinky-eyed puppy. I miss you, Kimrox! Darn, I still get teary eyed typing this.
Wu Chun, of Hana Kimi Taiwanese version and Romantic Princess fame, is in our country right now together with his co- Fahrenheit member Calvin Chen.
The two are visiting in promotion of their television series, "Romantic Princess" which currently airs at ABS-CBN. They are the half of the 4 member band Fahrenheit. The others being Jiro Wang (who reminds me of Mark Bautista) and Aaron Yan.
Wu Chun and Calvin Chen guested earlier this evening at the Pinoy Dream Academy season 2 performance night. It was refreshing to know that they can speak good english and learned a few Filipino phrases like "mahal ko kayo". They sang "Xin Wo", the theme from Romantic Princess.
The first time I saw him was in Hana Kimi where he was perfect for his role as the hearthrob/ athlete who inspired a girl (Ella Chen) to go great lengths just to be close to him, including enroling in an all boys' school. I was laughing my gut out while watching the series. Jiro Wang was in it, as the funny guy who suffered identity crisis by falling in love with Ella Chen's character. The ending left us all hanging and wondering if there would be a sequel to the hit series. Wu Chun will also be starring with Meteor Garden's Dao Ming Si, Jerry Yan in the most awaited asian TV series called "Hotshots", a basketball drama which will soon be aired through ABS CBN as well.
I'm currently working on a beauty blog called Make Up Artist In Scrubs, taking after my winning entry to the nokia N76 passions contest last year.
It will contain tidbits about beauty and fashion. I've been thinking of putting up a make up tutorial here in cdo but considering how stingy people can get, I decided to work on my tutorial little by little for free via that blog.
If you have any questions you've been dying to ask about beauty, don't hesitate to ask me. I'll try to offer some help and feature it in my website. Check it out soon!
I've been considering freelance writing as a possible full time career option in the event that my hubby decides to start his residency training somewhere outside Cagayan. That means I'd have to resign from my current work as a school physician and lose reliever stints as a company doctor, to accompany him wherever he plans to train. I thought, online jobs might save me from possible joblessness because it would be difficult to find work for doctors like the ones I have now, that wouldn't entail 24 hrs duty. I definitely have no plans of going back to the zombie life once more.
When I browsed around for freelance outsourcing websites, I noticed there were a lot of open projects for writers but the pay can get as low as $1 an article, with expected turn around of 5-10 articles of 200-500 words per day. And these are not mere rewriting jobs but works containing original contents. Its not like you can write whatever's on your mind, right? It's not even a personal blog. You have to carefully study the topic assigned, process your thoughts before hitting the keyboards with words that actually make sense. Since I'm relatively new to this field, I'm not sure if it's easier for seasoned writers to effortlessly produce multiple articles like living factories.
Since most freelance websites hire their employees by bidding, the one who bids the lowest pay gets the job. Amazingly, there are people who can bid as low as .50 cents per article just to land the job. Are times really this hard up? Are they worth that low? This situation tolerates buyers/employers into offering jobs with very meager pay. The provider comes across as a beggar who will take anything, just to survive. Heck, beggars in our streets even require a minimum of one peso from willing donors. But these writers are supposedly professionals who spent years on education to be able to pull off a sensible article.
Maybe if I don't have the convenience I am presently enjoying in my current jobs, I might actually give in to the pressure of taking whatever is there. But good Lord, I hope it doesn't come to that point. That would probably be the time when I'd rather go full time into make up artistry, or whatever job that respects my skills and knowledge.
I am grateful that through this blog, I was able to land a writing gig at odesk.com. Although the entries here are not that polished and contain more of my rants than intellectually-stimulating pieces, it was a wise decision to keep it. This served as my portfolio.
I signed up for odesk last December just for the heck of it. Upon searching the open jobs available, I couldn't find anything suitable for me. In every job posting, there were a lot of applicants gunning for the respective positions. I didn't bother applying to any of slots because I didn't feel I had the edge over the others. Not until I got the invitation to work for a website for doctors in UK.
My present boss, who is likewise a doctor, contacted me to have an interview for a project they were working on. He browsed through my profile and this blog. The tasks included article/ blog writing and forum postings. This was just the job that I had in mind. This must be the "law of attraction" working.
With my assignments, I get to learn the latest news in the medical field, research about diseases and awaken my neurons which I haven't done for a while, after quitting residency. This work makes me think! Just when I thought I was ready to trade my career as a doctor to become a full time makeup artist, I realized I still crave for mental calisthenics. Don't get me wrong, make up artistry takes a lot of creativity, but it is in writing where I get to quench my brain the knowledge it has been thirsting for. I get to employ my medical education, the use of which I have been questioning for quite some time now.
I am thankful to God that now I am putting my skills to use. From make up to writing to music (I went back to playing the piano) to practicing as a physician, I am enjoying His blessings for me and the time that allows me to do all this. This makes my life a lot lovelier.
Oh yeah, I just got my first pay from odesk yesterday. Here's hoping for a lot more gigs to come. Thanks a lot to Matt, my boss for trusting me on this job.
We always had puppies but this one I recently adopted is different. My mom told me it was my canine counterpart. She was chinky eyed, liked to isolate herself from the other puppies and loved sleeping. She had this funny habit of getting in the way when my car arrived. She would stretch out her tiny body just a few inches where the wheel was about to halt. They call her suicidal. I thought to myself, she's just like me: self- destructive.
Like me, she ate very little but her favorite food was sushi. She'd wiggle her tail when she is served her fave dish. She can get moody too. Ignoring her when she wants to play with you will send her to some corner and starve herself. She had always been a weakling. Maybe that's why I adopted her. My heart went out for her. She was the tiniest in the brood of puppies that our dog gave birth to. However, she was the cutest, prettiest and meekest one. She had curly hair and looked like a toy.
While her siblings were all playful, they annoyed her a lot. She would sleep in a corner away from them. It bothered me that there were times when she refused to eat. Once, it rained hard and we found her on the ground after falling off from the terrace. She was shaking so bad I wrapped her in a piece of cloth to warm her up. I even blow dried her hair. I thought she was gonna die then. Thankfully, she survived. Next thing we knew, she was beating her siblings off to their meal. That's how I knew she was getting better.
The next few days she was her usual weak self again. I suspected she needed deworming. Her tummy was distended. My mom brought her to a vet clinic where she was confined for 5 days. They said her intestines were probably obstructed by a ball of worms. I was willing to spend just for her to get well. I prayed for her everyday. I saw myself in her. A weakling but a survivor. I wanted her to be healthy once again because seeing her well means there's hope, there's miracle. She went home improved but I sensed there could still be something wrong inside her.
These past few days, she only drank milk and milktea through a dropper. She lost her appetite once again. We changed her name a couple of times thinking that a particular name made her more prone to sickness. From Jeprox (my nick when I was a kid) to kim rox , finally to kim shoe (because she liked curling next to my hubby's shoes). It didn't work. She was getting sicker by the day.
Yesterday, she puked. I didn't realize there was blood in her vomitus until my mom told me this morning. This noon, it was my first time to hear her cry. She hardly made a noise before. My mom said she was passing out bloody stools. I could only run my fingers through her hair wishing i could do something for her. She was already on antibiotics. Then she wailed again. I knew she was in pain. I was hoping she could get over this one like she did a couple of times before. After all, she was my tiny survivor. A few minutes later, my mom called out "she's dying". I rushed out finding her nonresponsive yet heavily breathing. I tapped her over and over again hoping to get a response. She was after all, still breathing. She was in shock.Like the many terminal patients I witnessed dying before me, I knew she was about to go. It was frustrating to be a doctor yet helpless as to saving my little pet's life.
I went inside my room to hide my tears, leaving her to my mom's care. I wept my heart out afterwards. I couldn't stand the sight of her struggling to live. I thought we'd survive our sickness together. I thought we'd prove that miracles can happen. But there she was, holding on to her life by a thread. Any minute, I knew she was about to leave me. When I went out to work, she was still breathing . I shed tears while driving. When I was in the clinic, thinking of her crushed my heart. I found out later, that she gave out her final breath minutes later after I went out of the house.
I take refuge in the thought that she is over her suffering. No more pain. No more agony. She's a happy pup wherever she may be now. But still, I couldn't help myself from missing her.
The most awaited finale of the American Idol season 7 has ended with David coming home with the crown.
David Cook, that is. My heart was torn between him, the Big David and the little one, David Archuleta. They were both awesome. Though I find myself listening more to David Cook's songs, Archey is truly a force to reckon with.Both with different styles, Archey the Josh Groban-nish crooner and Cook, the rocker/ Daughtry kind of singer. But both can hit the high notes right and give you goosebumps. Cook kinda gained a following after he sang Mariah's " Always be my Baby" and blew everyone away with his own rendition of the otherwise girly song. But I was most impressed with him singing "The Music of the Night". A rocker who can croon to Broadway songs, at such high notes truly made my jaw drop. He is merited for his originality and versatility. He was laid back last night with his song choices but he already won the hearts of the voting audience even before the finale. Archuleta, the front runner of the show early on, is an inspiring performer who awakened my love for music once again. For that, I'll always be thankful to him. He has such charismatic effect that even babies stop crying when he starts singing (check out youtube). I always feel like squishing him because he's just so cute. To back up the cuteness is a powerful, mesmerizing voice leaving you awestruck every time. He gave such amazing, flawless performances in the finale that whatever the result was, he came home with his head held up high. He gave a good fight. He bowed to the king, David Cook, but he, David Archuleta, is the prince.
Congratulations to both Davids. They made American Idol a whole lot more exciting. For the first time, they made me vote (through gizmo5). Rock on.
I find this boy so adorable. He's David Archuleta of AI Season 7 when he was younger. Until now, I can't help myself from wanting to squish him whenever he sings at AI because he's so cute. He's talent amazes me too. He strikes me as a good boy that anyone would want for a son. I'd rather not go into controversies regarding his dad because I don't really dig negative issues. What matters is that this boy could sing and I love him to bits. He's my hubby's bet for the big win. I go for David Cook, however. :) But I'll have no hard feelings if Archey snags the title. Both of them are awesome and are bound to sell millions of records. I can't wait for the finale.
With no less than Ms. Kagay-an Runner up, Ms. Natasha Mills. I have nothing but praises for her. Despite the lack of sleep, she was very professional. For someone exceptionally beautiful as she is, she had no qualms about getting herself dirty from the charred woods, being bathed by the scorching heat of the sun for long periods of time, pinning up oversized gowns, her feet hurting from her 4 inches high stilletos and people flocking around the site in Agora market. The shoot started at about 10 AM til 5 Pm yet her energy was up til the end, making fabulous poses and flashing expressive emotions that are marks of a supermodel.
She may look intimidating at first, with her british descent but in reality, she was very warm and down-to-earth. She was joking around and making goofy faces in between takes. Her amazing professionalism stems from her experience as a model in England before she moved here to the Philippines 2 years ago. Her projections will blow you away, as her eyes are naturally expressive and dramatic. She's a chameleon, too. Her looks can transform into different facets. She leaves you astounded as if you're looking at Angelina Jolie, Kristine Hermosa, Donita Rose, Yayo Aguila and the rest of the beautiful celebrities rolled into one. I am counting months or years before a major modeling agency in the country eyes her. It will be a loss for us, but we will be more than ecstatic to see her make it big. We will just forever grateful to her that once, she was our model, our prized jewel.
All shots in this album are taken through my digicam. Professional shots from "The Dustein Sibug" will be released soon after his solo exhibit during the Xavier days. Do watch out for it. With a model like Natasha and Photographer like Dustein, expect no less than breathtaking photos. It was sure exciting to be able to work with a powerhouse team for this shoot. Noteworthy to thank are the ff:
.. dustein's project 8 team members Richard who's likewise a top-caliber photographer and Mai2x, their manager.. .. Benjie Manuel and Moda de Oro for the dresses used in this shoot .. my dearest husband Chris for his assistance in this shoot. the one who truly understands my passions and pushes me to be the best i can be.. .. Natasha's cool friends who like her, were very pleasant to deal with.. ..Dr Cherryl Billena for lending me her clinic space for the makeup preparation..
For more pics, visit http://leggylass.multiply.com
Nope, I'm not a big fan of Jay-r so I won't be caught dead posting his pictures on my blog. You're looking at his deadringer, Dr. Jerome who rotated in our department last month. He's apparently my first model who sparked up my interest in reviving my photography skills.
A week ago, I scheduled a photo shoot with the brother of Ruby (one of our interns). I took notice of his talent through Ruby's friendster photos. I told Ruby we'll hire him. My friends and I are bent on this outdoor pictorial which is something we want to do before we grow old or settle down (which ever comes first). Unfortunately, I had the worst time trying to nail the agreement as the appointed photographer wouldn't reply to my texts. Hence I cancelled and decided to take matters into my own hands, to shoot the photos myself.
I hardly explored the features of my canon ixus digicam ever since I bought it. The other day I brought the camera's manual to work and while reading it, I directed the camera on Jerome to try it. Being the self-confessed narcissist that he is, he began posing and wouldn't stop. Never mind if it freaked out the people entering the reading room.
Even if I was behind the camera, and not posing for it, as I always do, I had fun. I promised Jerome I'll give him copies and I'm posting now the edited versions of some of the pics I shot. He says he fancies seeing his face on the billboards. These shots should feed his fantasies for now.
Anyone willing to teach me new photo tricks or volunteer as my next guinea pig, err, model, can get in touch with me. No nudes, though. Unless you're Luke Jickain. By the way, Jerome arranged for a nude pictorial with Ruby's brother next week. That's something I couldn't volunteer shooting. Besides, he couldn't let me handle that coz he fears I'll sell the pics to his patients. Hehe. Good luck to both of them.
Of course Chris is the only love of my life. No way is Nathan Scott replacing him, but this eye candy has been keeping me up for the past few nights, on my "One Tree Hill" marathon, that is. The culprit for my dark eye circles and nap sessions at the reading room. He's the bad ass Nathan Scott who transforms into the guy every girl would fall for, including the goody two shoes Haley James. Yeah, I know that's pretty high school-ish but watch the show and find yourself getting hooked as well.
Kate Bosworth can have Orlando Bloom to herself now, I got a new dreamboat in James Lafferty. And yeah, Chris dear, he may have my eyes but you got my heart. *wink*
I just got a text from our breast cancer support group that my surgeon, Doc Frankie has passed away this morning. My mind was still trying to grasp the terrible news when my tears started flowing.
I didn't know where the tears where coming from -guilt feelings, fear, or regret. Guilt because I was in the same city she was having her treatment yet I didn't bother to pay her a visit. Our consultant who is likewise a breast cancer survivor mentioned to me a few weeks ago that Doc Frankie has been deteriorating. She had suffered complications from her liver metastasis. Lately, her ascites worsened and they were draining about a liter of peritoneal fluid per day. I knew that was bad news but I never acted on it. I didn't even text her to cheer her up, like she always did to me when I was undergoing my chemotherapy and about to start my now cancelled radiotherapy.Fear, because all along she was doing fine. She was radiant and beautiful who made life meaningful by helping others through her profession.She had a loving husband with whom she fought her life's battles. Yet despite the vibrance and strength, cancer caught up with her again. Regret, because she was someone this world needs. Compassionate and understanding, she was more than a surgeon to me.
The stubborn patient that I am, she invited me out for lunch just so she could convince me to go through chemotherapy. It was at that time when I didn't care whether I live or not, as long as I didn't feel pain when I die. Pain was then a major staple in my life.Death was a friend who would take it all away.Doc Frankie patiently discussed my options until I could finally view life as the right and only choice. It wasn't easy but she succeeded in teaching me to be brave.
She introduced me to our breast cancer support group composed of amazing women who inspire others to live. She constantly invited me to activities that would help me get better. From group meetings to a healing session with a priest.Since she was a surgery consultant at the hospital where I work, she would sometimes drop by the reading room to announce an activity cooking up. More than my doctor, she was a friend. When she broke the news that I had cancer, I could swear, I saw tears welling up in her eyes, while I listened calmly, but in denial.
Doc Frankie was strong yet emotional person who was not afraid to cry. She was remembered by most of our i can serve sisters as the "crying lady" while she delivered her testimony at the silver linings event. One of the more prominent figures in the group said, she wishes she could look as good as Doc Frankie while crying. She was also the ever dependable doctor who shed light to medical topics in our egroup.
Doc Frankie was diagnosed with breast cancer about the same age I was. Likewise, she was on residency training when the disease struck. She was stage 2, like me. About 4 years later, they found bone metastases to her spine, requiring her another round of radiotherapy. On February this year, a week after our healing mass, the cancer spread to her liver, necessitating chemotherapy again, a nightmare which cancer patients dread repeating.She kept in touch while on treatment and I told her, "doc, pagaling ka ha".My healer was sick. I got bothered everytime I heard news about her health. It was depressing know that the person whom I drew my strength from was suffering more and more.
Last I heard, visitors weren't allowed at her hospital room. Last week I made a mental note to visit her at the hospital when I learned she wasn't doing well. Several times last week, I wanted to text her but somehow I always forgot to do so. Today, it is all too late. My cheer-up messages or my presence would no longer count. She could no longer hear me when I say thank you when I visit her wake. Cancer is a bitch.
Doc Frankie,I know you're in a better place now,free from all the pain, in God's loving arms. It was a battle well-fought...We'll miss you.
Colombian-American singer Soraya, who won a Latin Grammy for best female album in 2004 and worked to educate Hispanic women about breast cancer, died Wednesday after battling the disease. She was 37. She died in a Miami hospital, said Lorena Oriani, a spokeswoman for her record label, EMI Latin. She was born in New Jersey to Colombian parents in 1969 and was found to have breast cancer in 2000. Her greatest hits were “Solo Por Ti” and “Casi,” both released in 2003 on the album “Soraya.” She was well known for integrating cumbia and flamenco music with her own style of pop-rock. Besides her Latin Grammy in 2004, she won a Billboard Latin Music Spirit of Hope award that year. In 2005 she was nominated for a Latin Grammy for female pop vocal album for “El Otro Lado De Mi.” In a letter posted on her Web site Tuesday in Spanish, she wrote to her fans about her battle with cancer. She said she was sure her life was ending. “I have not lost this battle, because I know the fight was not in vain,” she said. “Instead, it will help end a larger battle, which is early detection to prevent this terrible disease.”
Today, May 2, 2006, it's been a month since Chris and I got back together. I haven't been blogging about it coz I was too happy and pre-occupied with things around me.
I know people, especially those who don't know Chris personally, would be cynical about this, with the sad thing that has happened between us recently but I've never been happier my whole life. Past is past.I can never imagine myself with another guy now. Suddenly, all my bitter and painful memories of my past unrequited loves have paid off. I know soon, my friends would understand. They would realize how wonderful he is and why of all people, it's Chris that I have fallen for.
Things are different now, with him being sure about himself and his priorities in life. Finally, I now know how it feels to have someone special in my life who makes me feel really loved without me having to beg for it. I could not ask not more except that God keeps us both safe and that we spend a long, healthy life together. He's someone who makes me wish I could live longer. I want to take care of him as much as he takes care of me.
Chris, I thank God for you. I'm glad I waited this long for you.
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