♥ chapter: post-grad

i'm getting old- @ Tuesday, September 7, 2010

i haven't blogged for a while, mostly because of the moving stress and all. so couple of updates to myself:

1. i moved out of my old apartment. currently "homeless" and living off 4 suitcases. it isn't easy, but well, all the hard efforts trying to get rid of all my furniture stuff early has its perks. now as my friends try frantically to sell their stuff away (those that're going back to indo too), i get to sit back and relax. but still, i miss having a room of my own, and a place to put all my clothes. and my own bathroom :(

2. i celebrated my birthday last friday! i tried hard to book a nice, but not-too-expensive restaurant but it seemed that i went a little over the budget. i thought this new sushi restaurant, japonessa, serves sushi rolls around umi sake's price, but i guess it's slightly more pricey for something that tastes about the same. but nevertheless, birthday was great, and sober. first of all, david and my friends surprised me with a birthday cake around midnight when i was playing the sims. quite embarrassing to be caught playing that game, but well, it was a good surprise. then the next day, i had a nice lunch with my brother and david at the daily grill in downtown. after which, i headed to japonessa for dinner with my close friends and a round of karaoke at enkore. i also had some awesome gifts this year; my friends bought me a red longchamp tote which i really, really love. my brother's girl friend bought me a tiffany's passport holder, which was also something that i was secretly shopping for. and david bought me a prada continental wallet <3. so, overall, great, awesome, blessed birthday, only lacking alcohol. hehe.

3. i've been, well, injuring myself physically in different ways. perhaps it's from all the stress of having to move, so much that i've missed my period for about 2 or 3 weeks now, but first of all, i bit my inner lip and there are 2 huge canker sores now. then, i sprained my ankle after trying to jump out of bed with my blanket wrapped around my leg. recovering now, but... it's been a while since i get either of those. (i always try my best to stay away from any physical injuries 0=) )

4. with only 3 more weeks to heading back home, and a hawaii trip that has been canceled, i find a sudden urge to shop for more, more, more things. most major of all, i bought a 15" macbook pro which i'm so loving (and using currently). and then i bought an external hard drive from newegg.com because i know that thing'll cost a lot in asia compared to here. and a macbook cover because this little baby gets scratches very easily. and... guiltily, another pair of louboutin heels after i learn that it costs twice as much in indonesia. so, in essence, my wishlist should've been mostly crossed off by now. but i still feel the urge to buy other stuff, even though i can't think of anything else to buy.

so, that's all the updates for now. more to come in the near future.

with love-

crabs! @ Friday, August 27, 2010

crabs, crabs and more crabs! who would've thought that crabbing is, well, pretty easy? two nights ago (that was wednesday the 25th), my friends and i took off to mukilteo's ferry dock to catch us some dungeness and red rock crabs. we took off pretty late, at around 11.50pm, and reached wal-mart first to buy the crab bait (bacon), ropes to tie our baits on, and of course, some snacks to snack on while waiting for the crabs there. dani brought along two different cages, one that's a rectangular "one-way-entry" cage, and a fishing net style that you have to pull up every ten to fifteen minutes. once we reached the dock, we set up our baits and flung them into the sea. i'd say we were pretty noisy, and we might've "disturbed" some of the fishermen there, but who cares right? it's public property anyway.

the first try was pretty lucky. i caught a small crab using the fishing net (which we had to throw back in due to regulations), and dani and the guys caught a pretty huge dungeness crab. second and third tries were pretty bad, because the cage landed sideways and our net got tangled with a fisherman's line. then, we moved to an empty dock and started catching some real crabs :D some red rock crabs, lots of female crabs which we *illegally* snuck home. anyway, we ended at around 4.20am with seven crabs, and went home happy with our catch.

what we didn't realize was, we weren't supposed to store the crabs in water (we were supposed to use ice instead). by the time i got up in the afternoon, all of them were, well, dead. we tried to cook them, though i don't really dare to eat them, but, it was worth the experience!

with love-

100Q&As to pass the night away- @ Friday, August 20, 2010

i guess i'm always stealing ideas and stuff from sandra's blog, or her facebook ahahaha. i hope you don't mind, my friend :)

1. ONE OF YOUR SCARS, HOW DID YOU GET IT? a cut on my forehead as the surgeon tried to pull me out of my mom's womb (mom had a C-section. stupid surgeon.)
2. WHAT IS ON THE WALLS IN YOUR ROOM? my walls are completely blank now, cos i'm moving out in a week's time. hopefully my new room in indo will look much better hehe.
3. DO YOU SNORE, GRIND YOUR TEETH, OR TALK IN YOUR SLEEP? i snore when i'm super tired.
4. WHAT TYPE OF MUSIC DO YOU LISTEN TO? it ranges from indie to hip-hop to classic. depends on my mood.
5. DO YOU KNOW WHAT TIME YOU WERE BORN? i heard i was born at night, but i don't know when exactly.
6. WHAT DO YOU WANT MORE THAN ANYTHING RIGHT NOW? a getaway to hawaii or someplace nice :D
7. WHAT DO YOU MISS? my slim body. i need to lose some weight, i guess =/
8. WHAT IS YOUR MOST PRIZED POSSESSION? as of right now, the chanel reissue bag i proudly bought with my own salary money hehehe.
9. HOW TALL ARE YOU? 1.55m
10. DO YOU GET CLAUSTROPHOBIC? if i was stuffed in a cage, or put behind bars in an old prison, maybe.
11. DO YOU GET SCARED IN THE DARK? YES. big time.
12. THE LAST PERSON TO MAKE YOU CRY? david, i guess.
13. WHAT'S YOUR WORST FEAR? being left alone.
14. WHAT KIND OF HAIR/EYE COLOR DO YOU LIKE ON THE OPPOSITE SEX? dark hair with um, midnight blue eyes? wahahaha. brown's good enough.
15. WHERE CAN YOU SEE YOURSELF PROPOSING / BEING PROPOSED TO AT? at a nice villa on a tropical island? *daydreams*
16. COFFEE OR ENERGY DRINK? COFFEE for the winner!
17. FAVORITE PIZZA TOPPING? sausage, mushrooms, cheese
18. IF YOU COULD EAT ANYTHING RIGHT NOW, WHAT WOULD IT BE? molten lava chocolate cake *___*
19. FAVORITE COLOR OF ALL TIME? black and white. i can't even call them colors, i guess.
20. HAVE YOU EVER EATEN A GOLDFISH? goldfish crackers? yumm.
21. WHAT WAS THE FIRST MEANINGFUL GIFT YOU'VE EVER RECEIVED? a box of color pencils from my dad for my first day of school
22. DO YOU HAVE A CRUSH? not right now.
23. ARE YOU DOUBLE JOINTED? i believe, no.
24. FAVORITE CLOTHING BRAND? urban outfitters, talula.
25. WHO IS THE HOTTEST FEMALE/MALE CELEBRITY? i think george clooney is very hot, and um, for female celeb i'll have to go with scarlett johansson. did you see her in iron man 2?!
26. DO YOU HAVE A PET RIGHT NOW? sadly, no :(
27. WHAT KIND IS IT? -
28. WOULD YOU FALL IN LOVE KNOWING THAT THE PERSON IS LEAVING? i'll refrain myself from doing so.
30. SAY A NUMBER FROM ONE TO A HUNDRED: 2!
31. BLONDES OR BRUNETTES? after seeing how some blondes are here in the states, i'll go for brunettes.
34. HAVE YOU BEEN OUT OF THE USA? let me paraphrase, i came from out of the USA, into the USA, and leaving soon.
35. YOUR WEAKNESSES? fear of being left behind, shopping, laziness.
36. MET ANYONE FAMOUS? quite a few actually. my chemical romance, black eyed peas, dashboard confessional, etc. ah, the good ol' concert days.
37. FIRST JOB? academic tutor at shoreline community college. my first student was a nightmare.
38. EVER DONE A PRANK CALL? i might have, back in my early teens.
39. DO YOU THINK EVERYONE OUT THERE HAS A SOULMATE? yeah, of course.
40. WHAT WERE YOU DOING BEFORE YOU FILLED THIS OUT? farmville-ing, facebook-ing.
41. HAVE YOU EVER HAD SURGERY? minor eye surgeries for eye infection.
42. WHAT DO YOU GET COMPLIMENTED ABOUT MOST? i don't know. my eyes?
43. HAVE YOU EVER HAD BRACES? yes.
44. WHAT DO YOU WANT FOR YOUR BIRTHDAY? accessories!
45. HOW MANY KIDS DO YOU WANT? 2, an older son and a younger daughter
46. WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE? i'd like to guess that my mom named me after a royal figure. cos my brothers are named edward and william. but honestly, i don't know.
47. WHAT IS THE BIGGEST TURN OFF OF THE OPPOSITE SEX? abusive boyfriends, cocky attitudes.
48. WHAT IS ONE THING YOU MISS ABOUT HIGH SCHOOL? how the biggest problems i had were only "exams and boyfriends".
49. WHAT KIND OF SHAMPOO DO YOU USE? pantene's volumizing shampoo.
50. DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING? i try my best to write the way i like.
51. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LUNCH MEAT? smoked turkey!
52. ANY BAD HABITS? not ironing my clothes immediately after i take them out of the drier, postponing just about every chore once i get on the internet, tons.
53. ARE YOU A JEALOUS PERSON? i guess i am, from experience. it depends.
54. IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON, WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU? why not? heheh.
55. DO YOU AGREE WITH FRIENDS WITH BENEFITS? NO.
56. DO LOOKS MATTER? well, you have to know how to present yourself. cos how you look can represent how you are.
57. HOW DO YOU RELEASE ANGER? rant, cry, rant again, cry again. and then, i'll forget.
59. WHAT'S YOUR MAIN GOAL IN LIFE? to live life feeling happy, blessed and thankful always.
60. WHAT WAS YOUR FAVORITE TOY AS A CHILD? i get pretty bored with my stuff after a while.
61. HOW MANY NUMBERS ARE IN YOUR CELL PHONE? very limited. i only have the numbers of people who call me.
62.WERE YOU A FAN OF BARNEY AS A LITTLE KID? i didn't grow up with barney.
63. DO YOU USE SARCASM? when needed, or when i'm feeling bitchy.
64. MASHED POTATOES OR MACARONI AND CHEESE? mac&cheese *guilty as charged*
65. WHAT DO YOU LOOK FOR IN A GUY/GIRL? security, someone i can depend on, and someone i can communicate with.
66. WHAT ARE YOUR NAMES??? what?
68. WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE TV SHOW? CSI, anthony bourdain's show.
69. WHAT'S THE BEST WAY TO DEAL WITH YOUR ENEMIES? hmm, never really thought about it.
70. WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM FLAVOR? cookies and cream, vanilla with chocolate chips, stuff like that.
71. DO YOU HAVE ALL YOUR FINGERS AND TOES? of course! i take care of them.
72. DO YOU HAVE A COMPUTER IN YOUR ROOM? yeah, a laptop.
73. PLANS FOR TONIGHT? try to sleep earlier.
74. WHAT'S THE FASTEST YOU'VE EVER GONE IN A CAR? my cousin drove at around 120-130 mph on the cali highways.
75. DO YOU WANT EVERYONE TO ANSWER THESE QUESTIONS? well, up to them.
76. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO? nothing right now. but taio cruz' dynamite is stuck in my head.
77. LAST THING YOU DRANK? honey green tea.
78. LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE? albert.
79. THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE IN THE OPPOSITE SEX? height, looks.
80. WHAT DO U LIKE TO DO IN YOUR SPARE TIME? facebook, read blogs, magazines, online shopping.
81. FAVORITE THING TO HATE? girls who act cute, sluts.
82. FAVORITE MONTH OF THE YEAR? hmm. december?
83. WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE TYPE OF CANDY? fruity and chewy, like 'hi-chew'.
84. HAVE YOU EVER REALLY AND TRULY HAD A BEST FRIEND? yup.
85. WHAT IS YOUR HAIR COLOR? dark brown.
86. EYE COLOR? brown.
88. FAVORITE FAST FOOD PLACE? mcdonald's!
89. FAVORITE RESTAURANT? umi sake house, daniel's broiler.
90. DO YOU LIKE SUSHI? yes, yes, yes.
91. LAST THING YOU WATCHED? the news about the american airlines plane that was threatened by hijackers.
92. FAVORITE DAY OF THE YEAR? x'mas :)
93. PLAY ANY MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS? er, recorder? hahahaha. and percussions like the triangle, perhaps.
94. REPUBLICAN OR DEMOCRAT? after seeing how obama runs the country, i'm no longer a democrat.
95. KISSES OR HUGS? hugs!
96. RELATIONSHIPS OR ONE NIGHT STANDS? relationships, duh! would any self-dignified girl choose the latter?
97. WHAT WAS THE LAST THING YOU BOUGHT? iced honey green tea and popcorn chicken with rice.
98. DO YOU HAVE A LOW SELF ESTEEM OR A HIGH SELF ESTEEM? i tend to gear towards the low.
99. WHAT BOOK ARE YOU READING? none! hohoho.
100. DESCRIBE YOUR LOVE LIFE:i thought i'd learned a lot from previous relationships, but i guess there's always more to learn. very stable where i'm at right now.

after feeling a tad proud for having worked through these questions, i realize that there isn't an exact total of 100 questions. #29, 32, 33, 58, 67 and 87 are missing...

with love-

heels i'm ♥in- @ Wednesday, August 18, 2010

here are a few of the heels i'm totally in love with, a.k.a. those that i'd gladly starve and save up money for, hehe.

christian louboutin's lace-up oxford booties

giuseppe zanotti's chain detailed peep-toe pumps

salvatore ferragamo's gilia peep-toe patent pumps in amaranto red

with love-

music to soothe your soul- @

i've been into piano classics lately. perhaps the hot weather and lack of air conditioning in my room has played a part in the shift, because what can soothe you better than calming music to your soul?

with love-

life is gooodddddd- @ Sunday, August 15, 2010

oh, how wonderful life is as an unemployed! i get to wake up any time i want, sleep any time i wish, and do whatever i please. *contented sigh* and it doesn't matter if tomorrow's monday, or thursday, because every day is the SAME.

now that my friends are unemployed, and those in school are approaching their holidays, we've started planning what we want to do on our last days in seattle. steffie, david, dani and i have made a pact to be healthier, so we'll hit green lake for a jog as often as we can. a few times a week, hopefully *crosses fingers*. steffie and alika have also came up with a list of must-try restaurants. keith has planned some cool activities for us, like more boating, crabbing (catching crabs in the sea!) and horseback riding. and I have been begging my friends to go to hawaii with me because it's cheap around this time of the year. so we'll see which of these will be accomplished, which will not!

amidst all the fun, i still have some not-so-fun chores to do. such as packing. selling my furniture and stuff. hopefully i'll be able to make better use of my weekdays getting these done than idling around and spying people on facebook (a habit which i've, well, shamefully picked up).

oh, and i guess i forgot to blog about this, but my cousin, steffani (epi), visited me last weekend (aug6-9)! fun, fun times with her. she's my closest girl cousin out of all my female cousins from both sides from the family; she's almost like my very own little sister. well, her trip was quite sudden because she booked her flight at the very last minute, so i didn't really plan a lot of activities for her. most of the time, she tailed me as i hung out with my friends, and i took her sightseeing to pike place market, queen anne, UW... it was pretty sad that the weather was pretty awful as well. it had been sunny during the weekdays before she came, and it rained most of the days she was here. but well, at least i believe her culinary tour here's been great. let's see the list of restaurants/food haunts we tried. joey's at lake union, cafe campagne, piroshky piroshky, pike place's clam chowder, umi sake house, o'asian dim sum, molly moon ice cream and six seven. i guess you can imagine the amount of food we devoured, because.... it was insane. but nevertheless, i'm glad she had fun.

with love-

a tale of life- @ Friday, August 13, 2010

i found this on my friend lixi's blog, and by no means do i claim any credits for any of this content, but i thought it was really meaningful.

Alimento a la vida
After some time, one learns the subtle difference between holding a hand and chaining up the soul.
One learns that love doesn’t mean sex, and a partner doesn’t mean security.

And one keeps learning…
that kisses are not contracts and gifts aren’t promises.
One learns to accept defeat with the head up and eyes open.
One learns to build the paths of life “today” because the land of “tomorrow” is too uncertain..
and future plans always have its way to crumble down anyway.

And after some time, one learns that when it is too much..
even the sun can burn you from the inside.

So we learn to create our own garden and decorate our soul instead of waiting for someone to bring us flowers.

with love-