Read this first: Asia & India

After a not-so-good day at the office, I went to Booksale to “move on”. Hahaha! Weird phrasing. But that’s actually what I want to do. Move on from the negatives of work by finding a good book to read. I am attracted to Asian writers these days (historical novels, anthologies, general fiction literature), so I was hoping to grab a book authored by Asians–Chinese or Japanese, most probably.

But I wasn’t able to find anything that suited my craving. Instead, I got this well-written travel bible.

Not that I’m travelling anytime soon. :)

The Home That Is Iloilo <3

When I am at home, I feel different. The positive different.

Unlike when I am in Cebu or Manila where work calls me to be up and awake all the time, Iloilo is like a pillow-blanket-mosquito net combination. The place enables me to laze around all day and be happy in a world full of anything but rules and needs.

When I am at home, I have time to think. About me, my life and the people who surround me. I can think about them and space out for hours. Only my mother’s calls of the three most wonderful time of the day can break the spell.

Iloilo makes me lazy. While Cebu and Manila demands of me to clean my room or wash my clothes, Iloilo encases my being and makes me a bum. My mother would bark the list of chores that needed to be done, and I would pause for a moment and think that these is one of the best music undiscovered by men.

This is the only place where I feel most comfortable even when I have not taken a bath for days. All I seem to do all day is open the refrigerator and plug in something in the socket.

When I am in Iloilo, I can be very productive in the ideal sense. I have time for stimulating thoughts—not the ones filled with memos, attendance and office rules.

I lavish at the thought of leaving this place to go back to the workroom. Because it is only during that moment that I look forward to the day I can go home to Iloilo once more.

PR: San Remigio Properties welcomes Atlantis

Come December 2011, San Remigio Properties will add another feather in its cap with the rise of Atlantis.

“On the 18th, we are welcoming a new baby in the San Remigio Properties family—Atlantis”, shared Mr. Mark Ynoc, General Manager of San Remigio Beach Club.

Atlantis is perfect for banquets and other intimate functions mainly because of its 120 pax seating capacity. Only nine feet away from the beach, guests will be delighted at the spectacular view of the beachfront.

Mr. Ynoc disclosed that they got the name “Atlantis” from Plato’s famed dialogues Timaeus and Critias.
Apparently, Atlantis is a utopia created by Poseidon, the Greek god of the seas. Atlantis became the center of civilization because of the great knowledge of the Atlanteans in many areas such as the sciences, technology and arts. On the day that they decided to extend their kingdom, it was said that the skies turned black and the waters swilled until the whole Atlantis is no more.

“Behind the story is a great kingdom which fits the kind of image that we want for our Atlantis: elegance, power and a great sense of tranquility”.

The site of the new Atlantis structure was originally San Remigio Beach Club’s game room. “We want to make room for Atlantis without compromising the usual enjoyment of our beloved guests here at the resort.”
Aside from the panoramic view of the resort during lunch meetings and small parties, the Atlantis has a small snack bar readily available by request.

“We want the Atlantis to cater to any type of guest or event. We want this newest addition to our family to become the beacon of elegance, power and tranquility which the legendary Atlantis was famous for”, concludes Mr. Ynoc.

from Singapore, with love.

My first Christmas card for this year did not come from someone I had met personally.

It should not come as a surprise because I am connected with a PR firm but when the card arrived, I was a bit shocked.

It came with a red envelope with my name was neatly scribbled outside. It had no return address.

I thought: Hala, a rejection notice from one of my online applications? They’re rich, huh? Then I thought: it couldn’t be. It had to be something else.

And there it was, a folded scented paper from SMILE Magazine’s Jil North. I never expected to receive one from her because we were not close and we only corresponded/ worked together via email. It was thoughtful of her to send me one. She even handwrote a simple Christmas message for me.

It was the first Christmas card I got from someone I have not yet seen. I certainly hope it would not be the last.
Image from Google

SMILE Magazine was the magazine for Cebu Pacific. The company I work for engaged with Miss North because it would help one of our clients if they get a spot in the magazine.

100 Sorries, A Happy Find

100 sorries

If I could only speak
100 words,
I would spend it all to say I’m sorry
Even when you turn away.

I would use them all to make you stay
And be by my side always.
For I won’t need thoughts absurd
If I can’t have my 100 words.

I would use them to make you happy
When your sun goes far, far away.
Or I would call out to the sun a hundred times
So it will come back and you will be mine.

If I could only speak a hundred words
I would not think of any other things
Except to wait for the day
When I can finally say, “I’m sorry.”

A Happy Find

We lost it one day
And we were too anxious
To know where it went
But all thoughts disappeared,
When we found it.

We lost it one day
and it worried you and me.
For we might never
Spend another lifetime with it
Then the good news came:
We found it.

We lost it one day,
On that hut by the sea
The wind blew and the waters splashed,
Bu we found it anyway.

I found you.
You found me.
And that pinch of happiness
We yearned to see.

The Simala Trip

Simala, Sibonga, Cebu. It’s been a month since I’ve been there but the memories this place brought seems like the trip was only made yesterday.

It’s Yan’s friend, Eric’s, birthday. I did not know until the day of the trip. Funny because I almost did not want to go. For one, I am running out of money. Two, I will be leaving Jennie alone again. But, I somehow feel I had to.

And everything was worth it. Eric paid for the bus and van trips, breakfast and lunch. “Mayo gani kamo lang nagkadto, kung daamo pa gid, maputo ko. Hahaha!”

Belated Happy Birthday, ric! :D

The church in Simala

The interiors of the church/museum. There are more or less 100 statues inside and outside of the church.

The altar. We all prayed and made wishes. When we got tired of roaming around, we heard mass. By the time we got out, we were starving.

The gigantic statue of Virgin Mary. One of the reasons this place is famous.

10 reasons why I hate/love my job

I copy + pasted this article by Andrew Worob from PR Daily. After reading, all I could say is, “exactly!”

Here are the top 10 reasons why being a PR pro is one of the toughest jobs you could have:

10. Demanding clients. They always want more results.

9. Demanding bosses. See above.

8. Meetings, conference calls, meetings, conference calls. Every day is filled with these. How can work ever get done?

7. Time management difficulties. No matter how many clients you may have, the work has to get done.

6. Getting the raise you want is no easy feat. The economy aside, it’s tough enough showcasing the value in the results we achieve for clients, so how do we go about doing it for ourselves during yearly reviews?

5. New tools keep appearing. There is a constant need to stay on top of the newest resources that are available and a need to be prepared to offer counsel on them.

4. Nothing is harder than securing a top-tier media interview. Even when we send well-timed, appropriate pitches, reporters are still annoyed by all of the emails and calls they receive.

3. Nothing is harder than securing an interview, regardless of outlet. There are fewer media outlets and reporters than ever before.

2. You’re always on-call. There’s no traditional work schedule. Check any PR pro’s email inbox and you’ll be sure to find conversations happening at the most random of times.

And the number one reason why being a PR pro is one of the toughest jobs you could have …

To borrow a line from Rodney Dangerfield: Hey, we get no respect. Whether it’s battling for more budget from clients or defending ourselves against the actions of unethical agencies and PR pros, we always have an uphill battle against others.

My boss is right. What they need as employees have to be bionic. Hahaha!

*Happy birthday to my good friend, Jing2!

Conversations with a stranger

I have this weird fetish of having conversations with random people.
Stalker-ish? Yep. I hope I’m not going to be jailed for that.

It would be nice to strike a small talk with someone you don’t know and enjoy it. It would be nice to hear new answers, new thoughts, new perspectives. It would be fun to know what movie he or she enjoys, what are the type of music he or she prefers, and the kind of people who he or she values or lets go of.

It would be fun to find comfort in knowing that you two might not meet again.

This actually reminds me of the movie, Serendipity, which I watched again a few days ago. But not in the romantic sense, though. I am the type who gives value to good conversations as much as watching great movies and eating the richness out of chocolates. Somehow, talking to a complete stranger who values good conversations takes the loneliness out of me.

I tried this many times already. And every time, it would bring back the comfort I can never find in conversations with friends and family. To a woman sitting with me in the front passenger seat of the jeepney. She talked to me about her child, and I, about being one years ago. And even though our chat was interrupted by the end of the trip, I felt good. I felt happy.

While waiting in line, an old man casually dropped a question which I, the bored one, replied to. He laughed and everything started.

I was also able to talk to a guy of my age. He seemed carefree and laid-back. We talked about the unimportant things, and I was surprised to know that the both of us were able to extract sensibilities out of them. We found ourselves laughing endlessly. It was one of the funniest days of my life. And now, he’s my boyfriend. :)

Weeks ago, I was wondering why I could not give the same level of reaction (be it happiness or disappointment) as compared to Jennie’s when we watch movies. She would cry. I would wonder why (even though I know the movie is sad).

Now I know: The reactions movies were able to extract from her, I got from people. :)

John Cusack and Kate Beckinsale in Serendipity

The Hotlist (Western Edition)

According to the amount of saliva wasted, here are the sexiest men of the West for me:

Jude Law
The accent. The stare. The smile. The after-sex look. What does one not love about Jude Law? O___o

Johnny Depp
The eccentricity. Everything else follows.

Hugh Grant
The accent. The just-got-out-of-bed look. The always out-of-place hair.

Penn Badgely
The body. The smile. The boy-next-door look.

Robert Downey Jr.
The Boss.

Bradley Cooper
The deep voice.

Orlando Bloom
Being Legolas.

1Cebu Expo

1Cebu showcases the best products of the province as well as some of the participating and neighboring municipalities, cities and provinces. Businessmen flock here and take this one-of-a-kind opportunity to expand their market and serve their customers better. Today is the last day of the 1Cebu Expo. Do not miss the chance to check out the different products and services available!

I’m sharing below a few snapshots of the 1Cebu Expo at CICC: