A.M.

4:30 - cellphone alarms. snooze#1.

5:00 - cellphone alarms again. snooze#2.

6:00 - finally I will get up. sit by the dining table. prepare coffee. eat breakfast.

6:30 - shower time. try on outfit#1. won't feel like it. try on outfit#2. won't feel like it too. wake up ate (when she's not out-of-town) with all my kaluskos. try on outfit#3.

7:05 - realize it's late and i have to settle for outfit#3.

7:15 - finally leave the house

7:20 - battle to get myself on board the crowded (understatement) MRT or wait patiently for a comfortable bus ride.

8:30 - arrive late at the office. ask how my mahal and artemis are and if they've had breakfast already. log on to my computer. open my email. wash my mug. check my email. reply to emails. deliver various requests. retouch photos. take photos. take similar photos. look for images. compose images. take calls. make calls.

P.M.

12:00 - lunch break. take a quick nap. visit the OAP website. marvel at and get inspired by how some people easily gets to do what they only want to do and make so much sense to the world for it. text mahal how the morning went for him and artemis.

1:30 - open my email. wash my mug. check my email. reply to emails. deliver various requests. retouch photos. take photos. take similar photos. look for images. compose images. take calls. make calls.

5:30 - pack up my things. play with artemis. scold artemis. hopes he understand me. prepares his food. plays with him a bit more. puts him to playpen. my mahal drives me home. sometimes takes out dinner and eats in the car (sometimes we eat before going home). listen to boys' night-out. get patient with the traffic. hold my mahal's hand. stares at the flickering car lights outside lance's window.

9:30 - arrives home. eats second dinner occasionally if i like the food. watches teleserye or whatever abs-cbn show is on.

10:20 - prepares for bed. plays vortex. doze off to sleep.

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4:30 A.M. - Routine starts again.
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Truth is - I am happy. I have all the reason to be - Dondi, family, friends, and a few enough cents. But truth is, also, I feel like I seem to have lost something about myself. Is it meaning? direction? passion that talks about long-ago plans and childhood dreams and goals?

Is there familiarity in these lines? I guess. These feelings come so occasionally. These are wake-up calls I guess - that I have to grow up a bit more again...

Maybe enough of the snooze button. Maybe it's time to get up to get the true things started.

* I apologize for using the title without permission or reference

Say, you have a business and you asked a newly acquainted friend, who you learned is a photographer by passion and profession, to shoot for you. You said that you need good photos that you can put in your website and use for other collaterals. And since your business had been operating for rarely a couple of months, all you could offer him for his services is an x-deal in the form of P2000 worth of GC sponsorship for an event the photographer friend was organizing. And since he was such a kind-hearted person. And because he just simply want to shoot away, he agreed.

P2000 worth of GC = how many number of setups; three (or four) shooting days.

So you got your photos. You've used them in your brochures. Flyers. And whatever collaterals you may have.

Then your business started to grow. You're getting more publicity.

You needed to send photos to this girl who was doing a web article for you. So you sent the photos by your photographer friend.

And you also sent them to this magazine publication doing a 1-page feature article on your, "say a spa," business.

WOULD YOU BE RUDE (understatement) AND TAKE CREDITS FOR THOSE PHOTOS? WOULD YOU RELEASE THOSE ARTICLES WITHOUT PHOTO CREDITS TO WHOM IT IS DUE?

Ahavia Spa just did it. Please note that one of the owners is a Multimedia Arts Graduate from La Salle. How can she not know about intellectual property rights?

I believe Ahavia Spa shall be charged accordingly.

PLEASE NOTE: All photos used in Metro Home's feature on Ahavia Spa are courtesy of Emmanuel Gonzales.

My apologies to You who doesn't want this post published. But you know me. I'm furious about people who take advantage of other people. This is about claiming your rights. This is about teaching them a lesson that they should've known in the first place. Maybe this is also a lesson learned for both of us. I love you.

http://www.whateverpeppersays.blogspot.com/2008/05/to-spa-or-not-to-spa.html

1. I've come to realise that my butt: is, well, OK.

2. I've come to realise that if I love someone: I should be more courageous enough to tell him. And be strong enough to stand by him.

3. I've come to realise that I need: to be more organized.

5. I've come to realise that I've lost: my atm card

6. I've come to realise that I hate it when: there are evil people around

7. I've come to realise that if I'm drunk: -- I sleep

8. I've come to realise that money: is having a hard-time keeping themselves

9. I've come to realise that my mother: and I aren’t the bestfriends type

10. I've come to realise that I'll probably always be: moody

11. I've come to realise that I have a crush on: Christian Bale

12. I've come to realise that the last time I cried was: just a week ago (it was a good cry though)

13. I've come to realise that my cell phone: needs a replacement even if it’s an orangeish motorzr because I think it’s broken already

14. I've come to realise that when I wake up in the morning: I don’t plan the rest of the day

15. I've come to realise that before I go to sleep at night: there are sometimes unsent text messages and unfinished prayers

16. I've come to realise that right now I am thinking about: the need to rest

17. I've come to realise that babies: are beautiful and never fail to make my day.

18. I've come to realise that when I get on blogger: i read more than I write

19. I've come to realise that today I will: have to finish editing this lousy bellydancing video

20. I've come to realise that tonight I will: write on my journal after two months

21. I've come to realise that tomorrow I will: look forward to one of the most memorable, most fun, most spontaneous, and most lovely Sunday

22. I've come to realise that I really want to: rest then do the things I truly want to do

23. I've come to realise that who is most likely to repost this is: hmm. Couldn’t think of anyone else.

24. I've come to realise relationships: is a continuous learning process; a series of risks; and a constant choice amidst changing circumstances

25. I've come to realise love: is the greatest thing one has to learn

...but suddenly I realized I actually do love you. I hope our love will make us more mature.

Two interments in a span of one week.

I've always believed in death as a natural, positve phenomenon. It's selfish to feel sad. It's selfish to feel bad. But as humans it's also natural for us to get too attached to the things and people around us. Letting go then becomes such a difficult task.

Me, personally, I'm OK. But playing the role of a shock absorber to for one of your closest friend (who's more like a sister to me whose mom died) and for your mom (my tita just passed away) - both in the same week...

...sometimes being strong for others can also be such a difficult task.