Tick Tock. Tick Tock.

31 days into the year and my blog is gathering up dust and cobwebs.

Not that I'm complaining, 2010 is a great year for me, in fairness. I think I've met a lot of new and interesting people, as well as cutting off some who no longer deserve me in their life. So far, my project at work has finally picked up. I hope all goes well. ;-) But, I still need HR numbers. Haha!

So basically, my job is taking up most of my time, and I'm loving it. But I am still craving for more. And surprisingly I am doing a lot more than I have expected. But for the past week, I am just so tired. My time card at work is witness to that as I was five straight days late for work. I don't think I have the same stamina I had when I was in college anymore. :-( I'm missing the days that I would just go on and on working and studying without even sleeping. Now I can't even last a day without taking a nap at the office couch during lunch break. :-(

Speaking of a lot on my plate, Ms. Carol of John Clements is asking for assistance for BOP 2010. :-) Actually, I have talked to Ms. Anj (she's from JC too) a couple of weeks back about being on the subcommittee. I guess she was too busy to accommodate my inquiries. Haha! :-p Anyway, BOP meetings used to be on Tuesday mornings. I was informed tonight that they're on Monday afternoons. I really want to join the subcommittee this year. I wonder if Ms. Sam will allow me. (Oh Lord please tell Ms. Sam to consider my proposal.) And now I'm wondering if Ms. Carol would join my event. ;-)

But on top of being busy, I managed to create a Twitter account last week. Haha! It's not really a personal account so no one-liner rants there. But I do use the account to *sometimes* stalk my friends.  *Bigger Haha!* Which is how I found out that this Gino Quillamor account on Facebook is actually an impostor's. Not that I know Gino personally, but I have friends who do know him. Actually, when I saw this account, I was sort of pissed. Man, how could this person even talk to the "friends/fans/followers" as if he was the real Gino? I don't know how that person could live with the lie of being someone he is not. But on the bright side, this means Gino is something big already that someone has decided to become his impostor. Ah... The silver lining in every dark cloud. Haha!

So for people wanting to stalk or dig up some dirt on me on the web, you shouldn't search in my Twitter. I created it for work purposes. I really am fighting the urge to post something personal there. Besides, from the definition itself, if it's personal, I'd rather to just keep it to myself or talk about it with people I know I can trust. So if you check it out, you'll find mostly events there. *And personal plugging begins.* For the latest and not-so-up-to-date happenings, check @PatsHappenings. Maybe you can stalk me here in knowing my whereabouts! Haha! ;-)

I may have a lot on my plate right now but I am certainly enjoying every single bit of it.

Anyhoo, 11 months to go til 2011. That means 334 more days of fun. Aymlavinet. :-)

On Working In The Middle Of The Night.

How timely it is that I used such title for this entry.


I am still up, when I should be sleeping. Yes, I am sleepy but there's this sudden rush of adrenaline in my system that just won't go away. I've been online for more than an hour now. Doing research, basically. I just realized today in the office that I might have finally ran out of HR people to call. Or that I am just having another attack of procrastination. (Which, I know, is so not good for my job.)


Ok. I checked my planner (see, I'm using it) and found out that I have more than a dozen to call and send proposals to. And that's not enough for me. I need more. Literally hundreds. Because I can't stop this. I'm seeing something good out of this.


And that's what I need to cement in my brains. (Somebody stop me from ranting!)


Anyway, more than an hour into my research, I realized that Google has presented me with almost 1,170,000 results of job openings for Filipinos. And now I can't help wonder why there's still a lot of jobless people out there. Lazy, yes, I think I might be one of them (but I have a job). Picky... Hold it right there. Almost two million jobs out there (and not counting the ones that didn't make it online due to budget constraints), and you can't pick one? WTF man.


Seriously? You can't pick one? I'm barely twenty-two and have no idea what to do with my life but I suddenly had to fight this big urge of mine to apply for at least twenty different job openings out there that never in my wildest dreams did I imagined I would want to apply for today. (Because I realized that I looooooooove my job. Come on, does your boss let you view random job openings 24/7 and actually call up the HR people and get paid to do it? Didn't think so.)


I just don't get it. Getting a job interview is one click away, yet some people are too lazy, and inhumanly picky to do it. And this is just something I can't deal with. No, I abhor whatever attitude this people have towards working. Not that I'm the employee of the year or something, but is it really possible for someone not to find a single job out there that he'll really apply for? This is just too much for me to accept right now. Or probably for the rest of my life.


It's almost two in the morning. I now have a list of what seems like a line up of a battle for the best online job portal in the country, excluding Jobsdb, Jobstreet, and Jobmarket Online, of course. I think this will be enough to last me for the rest of the week.


I need to get busier. I need to remember that all of this will be for a good cause. I have to remind myself that this is my way of showing the increasing unemployed population of the country can find the job they'll like too.


Maybe I'll just look for one more contact number and then I'll sleep.

Kristin Singson's (FULL) Story.

Well, what do you know? I'm off to procrastinating and reposting stuff all over my accounts again. I know I am busy and I was supposed to write again another sensible entry but I just can't do this right now. Anyway, I got this from Telai, and I'm hoping people can help spread out the word.

January 13, 2009
Superklasse Wednesday


After four months of not going to a club (LITERALLY), I finally did to show some support for one of my best friends, Mel and to see friends who I haven’t seen for the longest longest longest time. It was the first time I’ve ever set foot in Encore (to think I used to go to Embassy every week). It felt surreal to be out and without my boyfriend, LJ, who couldn’t come due to an early class the following day.

I only had 4 drinks: 3 Amaretto Sours and a Mai Tai. It felt good seeing a lot of my friends. We took so many pictures that my fully charged camera went low bat. Anyway, Mel and I decided to leave Encore by 2:30 A.M. Our friends stayed behind since the club closes at 3 A.M. Mel and I were taking separate cabs since she goes home to Mandaluyong and I to Makati. I WAS COMPLETELY SOBER. Not even a bit tipsy.

I remember telling her as we were leaving the club “It’s my first time going home in a cab alone from this club.” Mel was a bit concerned, even offering me to stay over her place for the night.. I told her not to worry, I ALWAYS get home safely.

So we went to get our cabs and I made sure Mel got into her cab first. Then I was looking for a cab who wouldn’t fix the price (you know how it is at The Fort) and there was one who volunteered that he’d use the meter. So I took his offer. I distinctly remember most of the waiting cabs were DAVIS cabs. Mine was not. And I was so damn stupid not to get his taxi’s name and plate number.

In the middle of the ride, I started changing into regular shorts and top. The driver wasn’t looking though but suddenly his hand reached for behind and I was surprised. He was saying, “MAY NAHULOG. Wallet mo ata.” I found a 50 peso bill on the floor. Then he said, “Ang dami mo sigurong pera. Mayaman ka noh?” I didn’t answer. I started getting nervous. I started looking for the cab’s number (which is usually written on the side of the doors). There were faint markings but it couldn’t be understood. The driver noticed my agitation and said, “Anong hinahanap mo? Plate number? Bigay ko sayo.” I was like, “Never mind.” I did NOT want him to know I was getting nervous already. Plus we were so near my house. I thought, what could go wrong?

But something did. Three streets away from my house, the cab driver “hit” a pothole or hump or whatever. He pulled over to the side and said, “Tangina, pano na yan? Na-lock yung steering wheel. Hindi ko maikot.” I was just looking at him, confused. I have no knowledge of cars so I do not know if he was bluffing or not. The meter was 75. I gave him a hundred. He had no change daw so I was like, “Fine, whatever. There’s nothing I can do about it.” I stepped out of the cab, in the middle of Bautista Street, a long street but near my house. It was almost 3 A.M. When I looked back, the cab was gone.

HOW IN THE WORLD WAS HE ABLE TO DRIVE AWAY IF HIS STEERING WHEEL WAS “LOCKED”?

I called my boyfriend up AND THANK GOD HE ANSWERED HIS PHONE. He was sleeping already, good thing the call woke him up. I was trying to remain calm. I told him my dilemma. Suddenly an empty cab drove by. A DIFFERENT ONE. I hailed it. I had probably less than half a kilometer to my house which was three streets away. The cab took me in and I ended the call.

Two more lefts, it was my house already. It was Camalig Street, then Bigasan Street. Suddenly the driver went left, the street just right before my house, Camalig. I said very politely, “Kuya, MALI. Atras ka, atras ka. Sa kabilang street pa. One more left.” The driver just kept driving like he didn’t hear. I said it again. Then he stopped and looked at me. Then he said, “Bayaran mo na.” I was weirded out. I was like, “Why? This is not even my house. It’s on the next street.” Besides, we haven’t traveled far. The meter was still at 30 pesos.

SUDDENLY, without warning, the driver grabbed my neck and jumped to the back. My first thought was, “ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME?!?!?!?”. But his grip was getting tighter and tighter. I literally couldn’t breathe and felt my consciousness slipping. As we were struggling, I kept scratching at his eyes and reaching for the lock of the left door. He was on top of me hitting my head repeatedly while his other hand around my neck. I was choking and choking when I realized the left side HAD NO FUCKING LOCK, which means I couldn’t get out. Which means I had to try my luck on the right side. Imagine my struggle to get to the other side as a full grown, heavyset man kept bashing my head, scratching my face, pulling my hair and hitting me. I kept scratching his eyes. It was all I could do. When his grip loosened a bit, I managed to open the right door with so much effort. Unfortunately he pulled me back with my hair. Imagine MY TERROR as the door closed again!!!!! I couldn’t scream anymore. Besides, who would hear me I was inside a fucking car. My neck was so sore and I was close to fainting. I kept scratching his eyes and reaching for the door until by some miracle, I opened it fully and screamed with what was remaining of my voice.

The driver said something like, “Tangina, it’s not worth it.” And literally kicked me out of the car. I rolled out onto the street with my shoulder bag which was slung around me the whole time with its remaining contents. The driver suddenly sped away. Till now, I don’t know his motive, whether it be rape or hold up. Or both. Or murder.

So there I was in the middle of the street, barefoot. Then I realized why the hell am I so wet?! I realized I was sitting in a pool of my own blood. There was so much blood dripping from the right side of my head, it was like a half-closed faucet if you get what I mean. I started screaming for help.

This time the apartment I was right in front of lights’ went on. Imagine the horror on these people’s faces as I literally crawled towards them bloodied and barefoot. When I reached out to them for help, I saw my arm. It was covered in blood. And I could feel that I was losing so much more. I asked for a cellphone. I still had the consciousness to call my boyfriend. The people who took me in were nice enough to let me call. They talked to LJ and informed him of what happened. They even cleaned me up. Suddenly there was the barangay people and witnesses. That’s when everything became hazy. The barangay people said that they had to take me to the hospital because I was losing so much blood.

I was taken to Makati Medical Center ER. I still remember as I was being loaded onto the wheelchair the horrified looks of the people outside the hospital. I even had a high school batchmate who was assigned as my nurse, Erika Bautista (THANK YOU SO MUCH). In her own words she said that when I came in I looked like I was already in critical condition. I am not exaggerating when I say this: I WAS LITERALLY COVERED IN BLOOD. Head to foot.

Everything was in a daze after that. All I remember was the blood. Under my nails, on my face, on my hair, on my neck, my chest, my legs, my toes. Even my armpits had blood. Truly, I have never seen so much in my whole life. My face started bruising up so much I could see my right cheek even if I look straight ahead. I also had so much hair falling out because the guy kept on pulling it. But what bothered me was the blood that kept dripping continuously from the right side of my head… and the pain. The doctor said the cut was so deep it LOOKS LIKE I WAS STABBED. It was really bad. I wouldn’t stop crying. I hate the sight of blood and here I am, a walking bloody blob. My first medical gown was drenched in blood. So they had to change it. I changed my medical gown four times before I was discharged. That’s how bad the bleeding was.

When LJ arrived the hospital, I forced myself to be cheerful. I smiled and said “HAPPY MONTHSARY!” It was our 2nd monthsary. Geez what a way to spend it. Till now this hurts me, thinking how ironic the situation is. He said the wounds on my head were like the claw marks in the Jurassic Park movie logo. B, no words can express what I feel towards the situation and how grateful I am that you were there. Basta alam mo na yun.

Anyway, after a few hours, I got a CT scan to detect hemorrhages and X-Rays. Good thing it all came out negative. But I had so many wounds and lacerations on my head. They had to STITCH THE RIGHT SIDE OF MY TEMPLE AND ANOTHER ONE AT THE BACK OF MY HEAD. But there are still minor wounds all over my head, even the inside of my ear has blood till now. Till now my hair is all stiff and sticky from the blood. They shampooed my hair in the hospital but a lot of it still haven’t come out. (I woke up today with dried blood on my pillow).

The first time I saw a mirror, I could not believe my eyes. I thought it was just dirt and dried blood but then I realized I had a giant bruise on my right cheek and deep scratches on my face. I got a Wet One but it just won’t come off. I had to face it, my face was really fucked up. My neck had strangle marks, my jaw was swollen, I had two semi-black eyes, my cheeks were patches of black and blue and the abrasions and cuts were deep on my face. I look like the Bride of Chuckie.

After they sutured me, I became delirious for sometime. Not knowing what I was saying to LJ but he said I was acting strange and started rambling about random things that I don’t remember.

The police came and they got the license plate of the cab DAW from the witnesses but they weren’t sure if it’s accurate. We’re still planning an investigation. I lost my school ID, cellphone, cash and camera. The only things that I salvaged from the incident were my shoes, a brush and a dress. They were covered in blood as well. Now, the question is, are the first and second cab incidents related? Is it a Modus Operandi?

Anyway, I’m out of the hospital now. My body is aching all over and my face looks like Pacquiao practiced on it.

The reason why I am writing this note is TO WARN EACH AND EVERYONE OF YOU PEOPLE TO BE CAREFUL. I never ever thought such a thing could happen to me. I thought it only happens in the movies. Imagine, I was just a street away from my home and THIS HAPPENED. A STREET AWAY. Thank God I wasn’t drunk, Thank God the guy did not have weapons (I think), Thank God some kind souls helped me. Thank God I had the presence of mind not to remove his hands from my neck but to scratch his eyes out and reach for the lock. Some girls initial defense would be to un-strangle themselves but I didn’t. I let him strangle me. My main objective was to get the damn door open and escape.

The doctor told my boyfriend I was lucky to be alive, before leaving the hospital. As I was struggling inside the taxi, I did not see the whole “your life flashes before you when you’re dying” thingy.

NO. That’s why I fought against him as much as I could. I told myself over and over again, “NOT TODAY… NOT TODAY… This isn’t how I should die. I’m too good for this.”


I SAW the reason why I should keep on living. That’s why I’m still here today.

PXG 725 or PSG 725
White Taxi

Lethargy and Procrastination.

Because my job requires me to be in touch with a lot of companies all over the metro, particularly the human resources department, I have been searching for telephone numbers and email addresses in the past three months all over. Directories, classified ads, websites, tv commercials, billboards, even asking my friends.

I realized last weekend that about 25% of my friends are in the human resources industry. Or maybe more, if I asked everyone I knew one by one. But as usual, I am too lazy to socialize with my friends lately, or to put it in a nicer way, I am too busy.

Anyway, I was browsing several sites all at the same time. (You have no idea how many tabs are there on my Firefox.) I checked out Air 21's website and one link led to another and I landed on their mother company's website and look what I found on the site:

 Looky-look here, baby.

So yeah, I learned that among the services offered by the Lina Group of Companies, they are now offering to have your Transcript of Records delivered right at your doorstep. (And I thought 2Go's NSO document delivery was the coolest thing service ever.) Woohoo!

If you were anything like me who despised the looooong lines at the University Registrar's office during graduation season or accreditation season, then this service is definitely for you. It works like this; you call them up, you give important details, wait about several working days (depends on your school's mandated number of processing days) and voila. Your TOR is delivered at your doorstep. And from the site's FAQ's section, I proudly share to you the new found knowledge I got from procrastinating with my work:

Q: What is e-transcript.com.ph?

Posted January 3rd, 2008

A: E-transcription is a time-saving, efficient, and innovative service package designed to assist college graduates obtain a copy of their Transcript of Records, which can be delivered right at their doorstep.

Q: Who can avail of this service?

Posted January 3rd, 2008

A: All alumni as well as college students may avail of the service.

Q: What are the benefits of the service?

Posted January 3rd, 2008

A: SURE-A Process and delivery - Saves alumni time - Un-tampered records - Reasonable costs - Enjoy efficient pick-up and delivery - Avoid unnecessary expenses

Q: How much is the service fee?

Posted January 3rd, 2008

A: The fee will generally be dependent on the school and where the document will be delivered.

Q: How long will it take to process the request?

Posted January 3rd, 2008

A: Completion of the request is based on the schools’ normal procedures.

Q: When will it be convenient to request for the transcript of records?

Posted January 3rd, 2008

A: We receive requests from Mondays to Fridays between 8:00 am – 5:00 pm.

Q: Can the documents be delivered outside metro manila?

Posted January 3rd, 2008

A: Transcript of records may be arranged for delivery anywhere in the Philippines. We can also arrange for overseas deliveries if requested

Q: Is this service available on-line?

Posted January 3rd, 2008

A: We are continuously upgrading the service and currently developing a process for this to be made on-line available as well.

 So if I still don't have my official TOR, I will be availing of this service. Seriously. Haha! (This might be quicker than actually taking a trip to my school.) And besides, I don't have time to go to school. I'm busy. ;-)

On Racing Against Time.

Wouldn't it be cool if we get to have this reset button to hold on to everyday?


I don't mean like Adam Sandler's life remote control on Click, but just this one reset button. Which can make you go back to the moment you woke up and do everything you did, just slower or different this time, because you want to change something. Which can only be used once everyday. Which can only be used at the last hour of the day. Which goes off once in awhile due to exhaustion. Which can be accumulated when not used. Which will expire when not used after 72 hours. Which will have more rules than I have already listed.


Seriously, I am this close to not sleeping anymore. Even that I can't fit into the frigingly short 24-hour day we all live. (That ten hour sleep I got today? That's pretty much my rest for the coming week. I'm seeing 2 or 3 hour sleeps again during the next few nights.) On top of not getting sleep, I can't even take five minutes of the day to open up my planner and writing down everything that I have, need and want to do. Because I am already doing a lot.


I know, I know. I've been living this kind of lifestyle ever since. But I'm starting to get tired of it. Tired, not bored. I think I have finally learned how to love the life I've been living. Maybe I just need change. I think should run on a different track. Or maybe take a walk through life on a slower pace. Let's see if that will fix things up.


It's already past two in the morning. I am ranting, but not complaining. Maybe close to it, but not quite yet. I just can't seem to understand how some people can manage their time, let alone their lives and I can't. I am now entertaining this huge wondering why Monday is too far from Friday, yet Monday seems so near to Friday.


I'm off to work again tomorrow. And sometime this week, I have to squeeze in time for things I want and need to do for myself. I think I'll stop ranting and try to figure out how to write everything on my planner.


And if all else fails and I still can't fit everything in 24hours, I'll just spend the rest of the day sleeping. Aylavet. :-)

Down The Aisle.

On New Year's Eve, Niq and I were having this random conversation about wedding songs.

Nothing special, really, because weddings are sort of part of our daily conversations anyway. And on that certain day we picked bridal marches as our topic. So in the car, we were listening to this song, which according to her, was the one used by her blockmate's cousin when she walked down the aisle.

Right now
Face to face
All my fears
Pushed aside
And right now
I'm ready to spend the rest of my life
With you
Would you look at her
She looks at me
She's got me thinking about her constantly
But she don't know how I feel
AS she carries on without a doubt
I wonder if she's figured out
I'm crazy for this girl
I'm crazy for this girl

Yep. That's Lifehouse's I'm Crazy For This Girl. Until now I can't picture out in my mind how a rock song can be used as your bridal march song. And of course, Monique had told me that it was sung in a slower version. But still, I can't imagine the scene. Even after listening to Evan & Jaron's acoustic version.

Oh well. I think any song can be your bridal march. For whatever reason you chose it, it must be something special to you, something that means a lot. And not just to the bride, but for the groom as well. And I now remember someone I know who got married last year used "Lost In Space" by the Lighthouse Family as her bridal march. (Which, btw, was an instrumental version of my Gaudete friends. Too bad I wasn't able to attend the wedding. Haha!)

So that conversation with Monique got me thinking. On top of everything you have to accomplish for your wedding, you have songs to choose. And as I said, it could be for reasons that only the couple knows why they chose the song. (And now my ranting begins which I have to control.)

Anyway, rants later. I was listening to my Lifehouse collection today (blame it on Monique for giving me LSS with ICFTG), and I came across one of their most beautiful songs. Minutes later I was singing along. As I sang the chorus, I knew it. This is my song. No matter what people say, what the groom will say. I want this song. And when I Googled for a music video, guess what I found. I won't say what the title of the song is, but it is also by Lifehouse. ;-)

 <3

How timely. :-)

And oh. I'll let you in on a secret. My eyes watered when I watch the video. ;-)

Maximizing Resources.

Since I mentioned that my planner is just collecting dust underneath my pile of stuff on my desk (because I don't have time to write everything there. Boo! Ang loser.), I decided to use it as my mousepad.

Because Starbucks planners have textured covers, they make great mousepads. And I think dragging my mouse all over the planner will be a good reminder for me to use the planner for its primary purpose.

Galing noh? :-D

Stuck.

I am declaring myself to be on an indefinite writing hiatus. And no, this is not because I am bored or I don't have time, but mainly because I have nothing to write. Or maybe I do. It's just that I'm too lazy to string up words that are actually sensible and decent enough.

I think I am procrastinating again.

Fine. I admit I am toooooo busy. I think my planner is useless. It's empty. And I know I have a lot going on. Pfft. A week into 2010 and I am lost in my own ways. I have some cleaning up to do.

Oh well. I've been spending time lately lurking other bloggers' blogs. So sue me. I like reading a bit more now than writing.

And while we're at it, I now have a Formspring account. Maybe the questions there will help me write. See the square thingamajig on the right where you can ask questions? I encourage you to please ask me questions. And help me break out of this hiatus. :-)

Hello 2010! :-)

So I started the year drowning in booze, is that really such a bad thing? :-P


Anyway, the new year came in with quite a commotion. There's this fire thing just outside the walls of our subdivision, which basically put a halt to the new year shebang everyone was doing on our street (our house is on the main road of the subdivision) for about ten or fifteen minutes. Thirty minutes later, everyone moved on and we the drinks started pouring in. (I'll be posting pictures somewhere. Just not now, I'm still waiting for my friends to upload those. Haha!)


So this year was different. It started out with a different "bang". So I'm guessing there will be a looooot of other "bangs" for people here in our subdivision for the rest of the year. And for those who want something to do for this year, I found this article on Yahoo, which I thought would be nice to share. Even if I think it's full of free advertisement anyway. (And I think this will be nice to add to my "everyday something new" list.) The ones in bold are the ones I'll definitely try to do this year. So much for new year's resolutions. :-P

50 things to do in 2010

Philstar.com - Friday, January 1

Now that we have rung out the old and rang in the new, let’s get right down to the business of living. Here are 50 tips on what to do in 2010:

1. Try to get eight hours of sleep every night.

2. The seven 2009 Metro Filmfest entries are still showing. Catch any or all of them.

3. Try to drink at least eight glasses of water every day.

4. Fix that leaking ceiling in your room.

5. Blend five “greens” — green apple, green pepper, celery, cucumber and ampalaya — and take a glassful with your breakfast.

6. Arrange your closet and give your still wearable clothes to the typhoon victims.

7. Exercise at least 15 minutes every day. Don’t be a couch potato. Jog in place while watching TV.

8. Read those novels piled up untouched on your headboard.

9. Bring your family to lunch in Little Asia (Tomas Morato Avenue, Quezon City; and Greenhills Promenade, San Juan City).

10. Visit Bohol and say “Hello!” to the tarsier.

11. Check out the new set of eyewear at any of the Sarabia Optical Clinics where Vivian Sarabia will welcome you with a big smile.

12. Meditate with the Pink Sisters at the St. Joseph Adoration Chapel (Hemady St., Quezon City).

13. Vote wisely in the May elections.

14. Watch the sunset in Manila Bay from the Roxas Blvd. seawall.

15. Don’t be a litterbug.

16. Drive carefully; don’t drive if you drink, don’t drink if you drive.

17. Get a foot-and-back massage at MTO (Timog Avenue, Quezon City; or Malate, Manila).

18. Pay your bills on time.

19. Continue your good habit of reading The STAR, the all-around paper.

20. Be kind to your neighbors. Invite them to the salu-salo at your home.

21. Don’t be hassled by crank phone calls.

22. Don’t worry about growing old. What for? Everybody grows older every year anyway.

23. When going on an out-of-town trip, lock doors and windows and unplug appliances.

24. Pray before going to sleep and pray upon waking up.

25. Put your celfon on “silent” mode at bedtime or turn it off altogether. Put it far from you, if possible out of your room, because the radiation it emits is bad daw for your health.

26. Spend a weekend with your family at the Imperial Palace Suites (Timog-Morato Rotunda, Quezon City, telephones 927-8001 and 411-0116).

27. Subscribe to Vanity Fair and get your fill of really nice, comprehensive stories.

28. Continue your good habit of watching Startalk Saturday afternoons (2:30 to 4:30 p.m.) on GMA.

29. Stop worrying, look at the bright side of life and greet every new day with a smile.

30. Check out the new line of clothes at any of the Bench outlets.

31. Tip from Mike Enriquez: If you are diabetic, do some mild exercise at night so your fasting blood sugar will be normal (between 70 and 120).

32. Need to consult a diabetes specialist? Call Dr. Wilson Lim at 0917-8809172.

33. Give street children food, not money.

34. Be kind to animals. Take a stray cat home.

35. Want an inexpensive but mouth-watering (burp!) meal? Try the maki or machang at Manosa (along Valencia St., Quezon City, telephone 721-3381).

36. Have a haircut, manicure, pedicure, ear-cleaning, etc. at any of the Gruppo Barbero outlets (one of them on Timog Avenue, Quezon City).

37. Unload. Donate old books to a public library.

38. If you happen to be in Bohol or nearby Cebu on Feb. 12, watch the pre-Valentine concert of sweethearts Ogie Alcasid and Regine Velasquez (photo) at the Verdant Pavilion of Panglao Island Nature Resort & Spa in Bingag, Dauis, Bohol. Showtime is 8 to 10:30 p.m. Priced at P2,000 (VIP), P1,500 (VIP) and P800 (General Admission), tickets are available at the BQ Mall Management Office (call 038-412-3964) or at Sales & Marketing Department of MetroCentre Hotel & Convention Center (call 038-411-2599).

40. Make peace with your enemies. Holding grudges is unhealthy.

41. Listen to mellow songs. It’s relaxing.

42. Practise deep breathing. It’s relaxing.

43. Think positive. It’s relaxing.

44. Take a bowl of steaming-hot beef mami at Lingnam (T. Alonzo St., Binondo, Manila).

45. Attend Fr. Joey Faller’s healing Masses at Kamay ni Hesus, Lucban, Quezon (or check out his schedule published in Funfare every first week of the month).

46. Attend Fr. Fernando Suarez’s healing Masses (watch for the schedule in this corner).

47. Eat only when you’re hungry; don’t overeat.

48. Avoid “nega” people. According to the Desiderata, they are “vexations to the spirit.”

49. Keep smiling.

50. Read Funfare every morning and Conversations with Ricky Lo every Sunday.

(E-mail reactions at rickylo@philstar.net.ph or at entphilstar@yahoo.com) - FUNFARE By Ricardo F. Lo (Philstar News Service, www.philstar.com)

And that's it. Maybe I'll be doing something different this year. I hope I do big things. Or maybe small things in a great way. There's 365 days to fill, I think it's good to start with a positive outlook that I'll be better this year. ;-)