A: No-brainer tips on how to show love when receiving "not-so-nice" gifts

Oookay, days of slacking off are over. We are back, lovelies!

So many things happened during our hiatus. Some of them are “blog-worthy”, and some are just a total waste of my laptop battery. And just to name a few; haze in Singapore, my cousin’s first time in the lion city, the boyfie celebrated his 27th, the second time I donated blood, ala-television-drama-show events in my previous flat (Haha! Ooh those cheap monkeys!).

BUT in line with wanting to start fresh after a 3-months-too-long-pause in wring blog entries, let’s begin with September, shall we?

13 September 2013. Oh sweet Friday the 13th. This day is pretty special to me, oh wait, let me reword that, this day is REALLY SPECIAL to me. Because shawty it's my birthday! I have waited 360+ days for this. Haha! So many things excite me about this day; my small celebration with very special people, my time of relaxation, going out with the boyfie, and of course, GIFTS! There is but one thing about celebrating my birthday that makes me worry: trying to not break the heart of people who give me gifts that I totally do not like.

So yes, this blog, I would say is partly about lying and partly about not wanting to break anyone’s heart. I cannot be the only one who dreads a situation like thi, right? Right? So in order to show that you appreciate the effort that one has exerted to get you something on your special day – may it be something you like or something you just really hate -, here are some tips:

1. Smile and say thank you.

Simple. We are all taught (well at least I hope we all were) that we should always say thank you when someone gives us something, and this kind gesture should not exclude those moments when the item you got is not something you like. No matter how big or small, cheap of expensive, pretty or ugly a gift is, you should smile and say thank you. This is a no-brainer. If you didn’t know this one until now, then there is a nice place for you in somewhere not in heaven. Haha!

2. Try the thing on or show it to someone and brag about it

If you are given something that you can wear, TRY IT ON. It will make the person feel that you are very happy about his/her gift. If the item is not something you can wear, then you can try to show it to someone, try bragging about it. At least make your giver feel that you are proud about the gift.

3. Give that person a hug

Hhmmm maybe this is not too "powerful", but it wouldn’t hurt to show appreciation through hugging. At least I think.

4. Post the item on Facebook/Instagram/Twitter or wherever multimedia site you prefer

For most of us, our lives are almost completely showcased in every social media site there is. And what a pleasant way to say thank you to someone but to have whatever gift you got be posted on your Facebook, Instagram, Twitter or whatever account.

5. Use the item and show the person

I think this really is the best way to say thank you. Okay, you don’t like the item, but it’s not like you would need to wear or use it everyday. One day wouldn’t hurt. If you have plans to see the person who gave you the item you just love to hate, then try USE/WEAR/BRING the item. We all know that we like seeing a gift actually being used by the person we gave it to.

Okay, so these things are the ones that I do (let me be honest) when my love for a person is way greater than my opinion on the item he/she got for me. But do note that these may also be the same things that other people do when they actually GENUINELY like a gift. These are very common steps anyway. So don’t immediately assume that someone is doing all these steps on the item you gave him/her because he/she didn’t like it. There’s a big chance that he/she may really like it. Who would really know, right?

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Okay, so let’s look at the other end of the table. What if someone important or special to you is going to celebrate his/her birthday, and you want to give him/her something. How do you make sure that you will buy him/her something she would love?

And no, no, no, don’t think that just because you are very close to a person, you would instantly know what gift to give her. Even my mom, best friend, or boyfriend feel like it’s always a hit or miss when buying gifts for me. And those people KNOW me. Like REALLY KNOW ME. So don’t take that kind of risk.

So what to do?

1-10. ASK

If you are close to the person you plan to give a gift to, then the tendencies are, that person will be honest with you with what he/she wants for his/her special day. And if you are really close, you can even tell him/her how much budget you really have for a gift. Just like how I am with my friends – I ask them how much money they are willing to spend on me before I tell them what gift they can buy for me. Because I am spoiled like that! 

If you plan to surprise someone, then find a “medium”. Find someone who can help you sniff out details. People who can help give answers to questions like: What does this person want for his/her birthday? What would make him/her really happy? What item would ensure that this person wouldn’t lie to my face about liking the gift?

Wow. This is quite an entry for such a tiny topic. But I hope I am not the only one out who feels that these are the steps needed to be done to avoid breaking someone’s heart when you don’t like his/her gift, and making sure you buy someone a gift he/she would like. Some silly tips from a non-expert. :D 

Is this entry plain evil or is it really about trying to be nice. You tell me.

Hope you, lovelies, have a very nice day whichever side of the world you are. And happy birthday to all who are celebrating their birthday today! Mwah!

P.S. This blog entry may need further editing. I will do so later. Right now I have to prep and enjoy my day. J

My super pretty "basket" of flowers from my friends in the US, Qatar, and the Philippines! Oh I looove them so! My first birthday surprise. :) And yes, I genuinely LOVE the gift! :)

Spread the love!

- A!

A: SHE'S ALL THAT!

On my computer’s desktop is a file named “Sched_BLAAAAH” and inside that are scheduled topics until the end of May 2013. And for today, Bebi J and I agreed that I will write about my experiences as an Overseas Filipino Worker (OFW) at a very young age of 23. I thought it was a good topic. I would really want to share with y’all the lessons I’ve learned and the things I discovered about myself in this whole journey of trying to be independent in a foreign country. However, it is my best friend’s (bebi J’s) birthday week, and I want to take this time to share some of the discoveries I had about her through our years of friendship. Surprise, beeyotch! :D

I don’t remember how it all started. But I do remember that we weren’t close during the first few months of our freshman year in college. I remember sitting next to her inside one of the offices in the campus while waiting for other friends, but we wouldn’t really talk. We were block mates (being block mates basically means we were classmates in every subject we had) in first year college, but she wasn’t one of those people I really hung around with. It is also quite vague to me if we started becoming close at the latter part of our first year in college or if it was during our sophomore year. I just remember going to this place called “Harbour Square” with her and another friend, and I remember us laughing and just having a really good time. And then I remember going home and exchanging text messages with her, and then just feeling at ease, and wanting to share some more stories with her. And the rest, as people normally say, is history.

I have known bebi J for 9 years now and though that may not be considered long enough for me to even write an entry like this, I find those nine years enough for me to get to see so many sides of her. So without further ado... Jaz.

Nothing makes her happier than being with both her parents

I have shared way too many skype convos with her about her wanting to always be with both her inay and tatay (mom and dad). And it breaks my heart that sometimes, no matter how much she wants it to happen, it just can’t. And whenever I see her photos hanging out with her ‘rents, there is just this glow in her eyes that you don’t really see all the time. She loves them so dearly, and when they are apart, she misses them so badly. She couldn’t be happier when their trip back to Doha, Qatar was confirmed. And now, I know that beyond her smiling face in her photos is an even happier heart.

With her inay and tatay

With her inay and tatay

She is her tatay’s hero

I will not go deep into what the situation was, but from how she handled it, she showed me a whole different meaning of the word “sacrifice”. She was employed and she could see a quite promising future ahead of her through what she was doing before, but she sacrificed that opportunity to take care of her father. And there was never a time that she regretted that she did what she did. She knows her priorities, and it’s always family that comes first for her. She was there when her tatay needed a personal nurse, a companion, a stand up comedienne, a friend, and most of all, a daughter. And though it made her sad that she couldn’t get to continue what she was doing before, she knew that what her heart wanted was to be there for her tatay, and that just was enough.

Hahaha! Funny tatay!

Patience is one of her virtues

I have seen her become upset about something, but I have never seen her rave about anything. It’s amazing how she controls her anger, and how she just seems to be always calm and collected even when there is much to worry about. The only time I saw her “panic” was when we took too long at the salon (to have our hair done for an event that evening) and she still had to take an exam in the afternoon, and she was already 30 minutes late. English 2, bi? Haha!

Confidence? She’s got that!

My best friend, as she would put it, is on the “plus size of the fashion spectrum”, but you think she’d give a damn about that? Heck no! She knows it and she embraces it. And I love that about her! But one thing I love even more is how she proves to everyone that she is sexy and she knows it; by dressing how she wants to. She would buy these short dresses or skirts, or revealing tops, and wouldn’t give a single eff about what other people would say. I know some “free size” (including myself sometimes) people that couldn’t even work a simple black dress because they’re too worried about other people’s opinion.

She has a good voice

She just doesn’t want to admit it, but she sings really well. She played Effie White which was Jennifer Hudson's character in the movie “Dream Girls” for a presentation we did in our senior year in college. Fun times! The only problem is, sometimes, she just would be really conscious and shy about singing, and just would refuse to let her real voice out.

Water, sun, sand… and pool

Just like a typical student, she enjoys summer and semestral breaks. She would always try to convince us to go to their province for a couple of nights of sleep overs and also for some swimming bonding at the local resorts around their area. There was even a time we rented the pool of a motel near their place just to get to swim. I’ve lost count as to how many resorts we’ve already visited, but the most significant would be our first time together at the White Sand beach at Puerto Galera summer of 2007. 

Puerto Galera 2007

With some friends at a resort in Laguna, Philippines

Crazy

Oh she’s no angel. Wouldn’t be friends with her if she was anyway. We’re not proud that we sometimes skipped classes back in college, but I’d say it was worth it. Let’s all be honest, we all have our fair share of “I don’t feel like attending that class,” moments. And everytime we’d skip a class, we’d just hang out, it didn’t matter where, just as long as we were doing nothing, together. Haha!  We also enjoyed quite a number of beer bonding with many different sets of friends. We have shared so many first times in trying different types of booze and we had this night when we just did some crazy moves on the dance floor. She may not be a very big fan of dance floors and led lights, but she sure enjoys nights out with friends.

She is a really good friend

Our friendship, like what I said earlier, has gone through many ups and downs. And I am very blessed to have a friend like her who stuck with me and put up with all my crazy and stupid nonsense. She was always there to listen, and was always there to lend a helping hand. She never judged me, and would always forgive me (for being a spoiled a$$ b*&tch) even before I ask for forgiveness. She was there to support me and cheer for me, and she has many times, went out of her way to be there for me when I needed my best friend. She never kept a record of the wrong and negative things that happened in our friendship, but she kept track of all the fun and happy memories we’ve had.

2006

2007

2009

2009

2010

Thank you for spending 9 years of friendship with me. I wish you had an amazing birthday and that you have an awesome birthday week. I wish you plentiful of blessings and more birthdays to come! I’m looking forward to counting more years of friendship with you! Let’s make some more happy memories, bi!


Spread the positivity! Happy birthday week, bi!

- A! :)

J: 24! (Updated)

Today marks the 24^th year of my existence. It has already been 24 years since my mom was rushed to the hospital’s delivery room in Lipa City, Philippines. And, look at where we are now! Our family is now residing on the other side of the world, in a different time zone. That’s how blessed my life has been; I thank God and my parents for that, they have given me a life some people can only dream of.

Forgive my indulgence but I intend to talk about my gratefulness, dreams and aspirations in this blog entry.

I am more than grateful for all the efforts my family and friends are exerting to make this day extra special! And for that, I love them even more! I’ve had a very wonderful weekend with my family, I also had my hefty dose of retail therapy and most of all I am filthy rich with LOVE. I am one spoiled baby girl! ;)

Also, I am very touched and thankful for all my friends, colleagues and family who have overwhelmed me with their greetings and love.

I don't have the perfect life, I have major ups and downs in my 24 years of existence. But, I am just one lucky gal; having the kind of family that I have and friends that backs me up flaws and all. I may never be perfect, we may not be as wealthy as I would love to, I may not have the life I dream about yet, but I have my family, no less. We stick with each other, we go through hell together and then back to earth as a whole.

In my 24 years, I have to admit that I am still looking for my purpose or how I can make a difference to my family, to the community I belong, to my country, to the world. I know it’s a long shot but I aim to make a difference in the world, even in just a small way. I’ve always dreamt of being a humanitarian, to be one with UNICEF and UNESCO; to promote education and the right to live in a comfortable way with the 5 basic needs; shelter, clothing, food, means of transportation and security. I intend to be the best that I can be so I can inspire other people and who knows through my inspiration, I may be able to empower someone who will lead our country and inspire the world one day ;) I may lose hope and faith at times but I will always grab it back again and hold it for dear life, I always spring back! My hope and faith for humanity is the same, I will never lose hope that this world can still be a better place for the generations to come.

On a lighter note and speaking of dreams and aspirations, I would also love to travel and study fashion photography. Fascination is my middle name and I always want to explore further so I can acquire knowledge regarding whatever I am fascinated by, may it be the mega structures of different countries, their culture or how fashion designers work and how models make the designer’s dresses sell. I’d like to know everything about it.

So, that’s me at 24! Nothing’s really changed since I was 23, haha! I am still growing and I still have a long way to go. I am yet to fulfill my dreams and find my purpose in life but in my short existence, there’s one thing I am already sure of; I AM LOVED :)

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With all of that said, I’ve had what felt like a week-long birthday extravaganza! Lemme share with you what I’ve been up to during my birthday week ;)

I’ve spent the weekend with my parents and my cousin, kuya Lean, checked in at Four Seasons Hotel here in Doha. We spent a lot of time in the beach then in the Hydrotherapy pool! I love it, it’s a pool full of massaging jets and two pressurized showers that can massage the back! It’s a slice of heaven!! And then before we retire to our hotel rooms, we went out for a drink at the beach side. My parents are the best! I can never thank them enough ;)

Hotel Arrival



Swimming Galore!

Bare Faced!

Night Out! 



                                                                                                                   

Birthday Treats at the hotel!

(Jelly Beans and Tequila Sunrise + Heineken)





And, then we went shopping after checking out and I got loads of gift from my inay! And, another gift is on its way from Singapore thanks bebi A!! The days just keeps on getting better!

Wave of Gifts from Inay!

Then, April 1 came to town and I celebrated my day with my family. we had a simple lunch in a restaurant called Market by Jean-Georges and had what I would like to call the 'I SURRENDER!!' meal. I mean I love to eat, but this 3-course meal really filled my tummy! And then, we went on to find my temporary work out shoes, in preparation for next month's series!, while my Nike Free Run + (that I forgot to pack going here in Doha!) is being shipped from the Philippines. And, to complete this day a SpongeBob plush from my tatay!! Love this day!!

Birthday Lunch

Wave of Gifts (Part 2)

My Birthday Dress!! :)

The face of a very happy birthday girl!



I am a very happy, blessed and spoiled birthday girl!!

Spreadin' the love and birthday goodness!!

-J