today...

... i was honored to have been invited to eat lunch with two of the people i respect most at work. i know how crazy busy they are, and yet they called me, set aside time, and treated me to a wonderful lunch. crazy amazing.

... i got to run errands that usually fall in between the cracks, including going to this out-of-the-way bank to finally close an account.

... i spent time "preparing" for the new job. translation: a bit of shopping. two dresses, both on sale. good job me!

... i witnessed an act of kindness inside the bus. the world is still an amazing place to be in.

yesterday, i went to work for the last time. tomorrow's my "official" last day at the old job. by saturday, i'll "officially" be employed by my new employer. and on monday, i'll be saying goodbye to the trike-fx-bus-mrt-long walk commute to work and will be saying hello to a trike-shuttle-cross the street. things are ending, and things are starting. but today, today was just perfect.

it's time to say goodbye

{biggest send-off sign ever!}

today marks the first day of my pseudo-unemployment. yesterday marked the last day i had to officially tender work for my present employer but since 6 hours was spent doing a lecture and 2 hours finishing up last-minute meetings and turn-overs i didn't even get to say goodbye to any of the people on my floor. at around 630 pm, after packing up the last of my stuff in a big recyclable bag, i bid adieu to the company which i called home for the last 363 days.

after all my countdowns (on FB, on my bathroom mirror, on text messages to good friends) i can't believe that THE day is almost upon me! my aunt asked if i had gone out to get new kick ass outfits (uhm no) and my friends are all asking if i'm excited over the move but, oddly enough, i've lost all the hoo-hah and i know feel oddly scared. thank goodness we had that orientation where i got to meet my "batchmates" and they're all cool and real and nice so i'm hoping that it's going to be all good. i'm keeping my fingers crossed!

the quiet i'm-slipping-out-now-and-you-won't-see-me-again-tomorrow thing notwithstanding, i did have a wonderful, intimate, and totally undeserved dinner party at gwapo boss' house last monday. while the rain was attacking the floor-to-ceiling windows of his gorgeous condominium mansion (yes, it's not a unit - it's bigger than my single detached home and it's floating hundreds of meters up in the air), we were inside partaking of yummy food (and chicken that oddly tastes like chicken joy!) and drinking champagne. his toast and jewel's toast were the kind that makes you all warm and fuzzy and these two amazing people loving me and my work (or so i'd like to think) are more than anything else all the random people in the office can do for me. i don't need quantity, i need quality!

funny thing though cause here i was being all sad last monday since meetings prevented me from spending time with my favorite subsidiary head and his two sidekicks and this morning i get this call from his secretary telling me that papa smurf wants to talk to me. so i was waiting on the line while i was scrambling to get my "work notebook" -- i was prepared to update him about the status of the turn-over i did with the other lawyer -- when it turned out he felt bad they never got to say a proper goodbye and would i be free for a super-dooper (okay - not so super-dooper anymore now that i've blogged about it, haha) quiet intimate send-off? oh wow. yes, even if it means driving all 30 kms to quezon city in traffic.

so fine, my ego may actually demand more than one send-off. seriously though, what's important is that i'm able to properly say goodbye to the people i loved from that company the most, and after monday's dinner and this prospective lunch with papa smurf and his crew, it'd be all i need.

random friday goodness

{so the picture has nothing to do with the post,

but admit it, it made you look twice, right?

this is an old picture from 2009 i think}

since my days aren't terribly exciting these days (translation: i basically spent the last three days at home), allow me to share with you random stuff which happened wednesday, thursday, and friday.

♥ while the e! channel could be fun if you fit it on random times of your day like when you're getting ready for work, it has very few shows which they rotate over and over again. this means i've basically seen the fashion police emmy edition ten billion times in a span of three days and i can actually speak the lines of all the hosts by thursday lunch.

♥ i had the bright idea of organizing my house -- so that i'd have something to show for the three days off from work -- and i ended up making things worse. i AM proud, however, that (1) i got the car washed; (2) i washed the seat covers; (3) i prepared a present for the HR manager of the new company who i'm wooing to volunteer with us at tuloy; and (4) i was able to convince my brother to come in, and to hopefully clean out his room so that i can (finally!) get some productive use out of it. that last part, we still have to see.

♥ i love atis so much that i will constantly press and press it in the hope that it will ripen with me doing that. so far, it hasn't worked; rather, it's just gotten totally squished and sad. yes, i am an impatient person.

♥ trust that the day your frustration reaches i-am-so-ready-to-give-up is the day that heaven sends you five billion signals, basically saying, "if you're still not listening with all of these messages coming your way, then you must be totally dead." okay, okay, i'm listening!

♥ probably since there's no real food at home (translation: i haven't eaten rice since forever), people said that i lost weight. maybe i should stay at home more often.

happy weekend, universe!

this is what happens when i don't have to go to work

{thank you for the warning}

first, a back story. i got the offer on a friday (which was a QC holiday) so by the time i actually saw the job offer and got to talk to my boss, i was a couple of days past the 15th and a couple of days before the 30th. translation: either i don't comply with the 30-day notice or i tender a more-than-30-day notice resignation. or i could opt to tender a 30-day notice and then spend a couple of days jobless. since (1) i won't do a less-than-30-day notice (after all, i teach labor law and this is one of the provisions that gets asked a lot) and (2) i can't afford not to work, even for a couple of days, i opted for the more-than-30-days notice.

which brings me to why i don't have to go to work: turns out, i have a couple of leaves (6.5 days actually) that i can consume as my terminal leave. and since being at home for an entire week doing nothing (yes, there's something to be done but it's so not me), i broke up my leaves so i could go to work (and not be so out of the loop, haha!) and have exaggeratedly long weekends. this week, my "weekend" began on a wednesday. coolness, right?

i was supposed to go to singapore (feeling rich, i know!) but i realized since it's not very prudent so i nixed that option. i was supposed to go to cabanatuan but i told my aunt i have to work on a couple of things that would require me to be out and about on weekdays. so yesterday, after puttering around the house for a bit (translation: finishing build-a-lot 2 on the PC), i showered and left at 10 to work on my errands. on the agenda: bank, have my portable dvd player repaired, and find the perfect small table for my new printer/scanner (since my desk is already tiny as it is).

who knew that finding a small table for the printer will be that complicated? in the process of looking for one, i ended up buying four rolls of wrapping paper, sticker paper, board paper for business cards i want to print out (yes, i have an inordinate love affair with paper), cute foldback clips with hearts, unusual cable ties with a bird that looks the the twitter bird, piles and piles of boxes (which i intend to use for my christmas presents), a new usb (i told myself i'm investing on my "sideline" by getting a usb that'll be exclusively have all of my lecture-related materials), and a chair (yes, a new chair, totally unplanned, i know!). still no table. so, while i scoffed at my friend's suggestion (who i dragged to go on a second table hunting expedition yesterday afternoon), i did end up plonking the printer onto its own box (which was actually a perfect fit for the spot - turns out a table wouldn't have fit there!) after fortifying it with a wood-backed corkboard i had since i was a freshman in college. as it's sandwiched between my desk and my bookshelf, the possibility that someone will see the totally inappropriate scanner/printer storage device is next to zero. i envision it'll stay there until (1) i get a bigger desk, (2) move my "home office" somewhere in the house, or (3) the box deteriorates. i'm hoping either 1 or 2 happens before 3 does. otherwise, i'll be in big trouble.

and as for that pic, i spied it in the washroom over at robinsons bf. while i was experiencing a desperate need to pee (TMI, i know!), i had to pause and read the signage, and ended up chuckling to myself. whoever cleans that bathroom is either crazy thoughtful or has had to deal with a clogged toilet way too many times. i'm thinking it's the latter.

(in case you were wondering, i washed my hands first then i snapped the picture.)

to papa smurf, with love

when my new job became final, one of the things on my agenda was to get my picture taken with this man. oh, he may not look much, but next to my boss and gwapo boss, he was one of the reasons that made the major pay cut worth it. he's the epitome of hard work, brilliance, fearlessness, and leadership all rolled into one and in my great desire to perpetually bask in his presence.

and you know what's even better? after he found out about my plans, he talked to me about it and told me that while he's disappointed that we couldn't work together on future projects anymore, he's sure that i'll be okay wherever i am. can i just say how my heart swelled with pride with that statement alone?

dear papa smurf,

i know you don't read this blog (although with your extensive network i wouldn't be surprised if you actually find this) and i'm too crazy shy to tell you this in real life but you're my hero, and you're one of the few people i look up to, and i hope that even when i'm gone you'll always think of me fondly, cause i know you'll always be my papa smurf.

with love,

rosa

to the best boss i've ever had

{i hope you'll forgive me for shoes that don't go with the outfit ...
i didn't have the energy to pack another pair of shoes!}

dear jewel,


if i have any complaint at all about working with you is the fact that notwithstanding the copious amounts of food you take in and two children (both of whom are amazing specimens of healthy, smart, and fun boys), you have all these wonderful curves and i look like spongbob next to you. that said, the only thing that isn't so happy with the impending move is i'd surely be working with a less fabulous, less amazing, and less kind boss. i guess you can't have everything.


i can still remember how our first interview was like. while the entire world philippines was listening to the manila hostage crisis, i was in your office and i couldn't believe that it seemed like you actually wanted me to work for you. funny how gay didn't give me a background (nor did i ask for one) before i actually went to the office to interview with you in person, so i was expecting the jfaustria i emailed to be this old heavyweight who wasn't cool or anything like that (uhm, now that i think about it, i had an image of your predecessor in mind! haha!) if only cause the title "general counsel" demanded someone squat and of a certain age. needless to say, "surprised" doesn't even begin to capture how i felt then.


i don't know if i told you how many prayers i offered then -- prayers you wouldn't find someone else cause i needed to tender in my 30-day notice first, prayers that you'd like me, prayers that you'd get the HR to increase the compensation a bit. and when all my prayers were answered, october 1 seemed so far away (especially with all the stuff i had to finish for the law firm) and then all of a sudden it was there and you were my boss and because you complimented my shoes (one of my favorites), i knew i would be in for one of the greatest experiences of my life.

thank you for taking a risk with me, the girl who loved labor law but was horrible at anything corp related. thank you for taking me under your wing and for making sure i shined. thank you for editing my output (which usually has a myriad of typographical errors and a spattering of grammatical errors) and for allowing me to send these out myself, even if there were times that your corrections far outweigh my own inputs. thank you for making sure that the BOD got to know me and for singing me praises and for being my number one supporter at work.

but more than the work-related stuff, thank you for being my friend. thank you for telling me that i can treat you like an ate since i don't have one and for living up to that promise, which includes being the recipient of sooooo many presents from you. thank you for sharing your thoughts with me, the good and the bad, and for not freaking out when i go through my emo moments and i text you long-winded stuff on a friday night. thank you for introducing me to designer's boulevard, that wonderful caterer where we order paella from, dr. jennifer, and to bootsie and yoshi. and thank you for being an example to me, both in your professional and personal capacities, that one can indeed have it all.

and as for that december 2010 agreement to raid your closet, well, i still have 3 months to go. who knows, a miracle may happen yet. ☺

in a couple of days, i won't be within hollering distance from you anymore, and i won't be able to sneak out to jollibee with you when there's nothing good in the canteen. i won't be part of the happy group that makes a lunch break trek to trinoma to buy shoes and clothes anymore. after a while, i won't be able to relate to c1, c3, bacood, bff, and orange eyes hirits anymore and we can't be indignant over some things together any longer. but, i do know that you and i will still be fabulous friends and you'll still text and email me stuff, and i'll text and email you stuff (there's a girl named mocha - mocha! - in my new office) and we can laugh and cry and be mean still. i know that because that's just who you are - an ate, a loyal friend, and the best boss i've ever had.

love,

rosa

♪♫♪ you get what you need ♪♫♪

i can't even remember now how it all started. maybe it was a bad day, or maybe it was when we were at the thick of a variety of things that weren't particularly happy. it could've been after my brother treated me after he got yet another promotion or it could've been after i found out that my friend who gets paid insanely well already was getting overtime and holiday pay on top of the pay she was already receiving. all i know is that i was feeling tired, frustrated, and poor.

always a bad combination.

so when a text message arrives from an old officemate telling me of an opening for a lawyer at this real estate firm which will pay me enough to get my roof of my house fixed, well, i felt it would've been downright dumb not to even try sending my resume. so i did.

for the record, i wasn't feeling very confident about it. after all, when i first started trying to get a corporate job after my work with the law firm, i almost always never made it past the HR interview. yep, it was horrible. so imagine my surprise when i got there and the HR manager took me straight to the SVP for my interview and how, at the end of our conversation, the SVP told me, "you know what, i like you."

and she was a girl. and i'm not always a hit with girls.

i had to send samples of my work (i have this bunch of work samples that i always send out cause i love them - a decision in a case, the gifts policy i drafted for a client, and a pleading in a labor case which i won) and it was a tense week before the HR manager finally called me and said that yes, they want me. i wanted to jump and scream and shout but something in that conversation stopped me short -- i was asking for her to send me a formal offer and she asked me what else would i like to see considering that the take-home pay they were offering me was a 65% increase over what i was presently receiving.

i was dumbfounded. so when i told my friends about the situation, all but one were unanimous in telling me that if the HR manager had acted that way, then there's a huge possibility that things would get even more complicated when i get in. oh, i insisted and insisted this was the right thing (yes, the 65% increase blinded me with greed!) and cited what would be the argument i'd use to shut people up whenever they'd ask why: tumutulo ang bubong ko.

incidentally, at the time i was waiting for the real estate company's decision, i had mentioned about the application to a friend and he told me -- as he always does -- to forward to him a copy of my resume since they had an opening in their legal department. since my resume had been recently updated, i forwarded it to him and thought nothing about it until i got offered the job by the real estate company and was given a july 31 deadline. i then followed up with him and he told me that he forwarded it to their hr and their hr forwarded it to the legal department so it would be up to the legal department if they'd call me or not. my initial thoughts: maybe it's a no-go.

apparently, i don't have the ability to predict the future: three days after real estate company offered me the job, they asked if i could come in for an interview. so i did and let's just say that while the salary wasn't 65% more than what i was currently receiving, it would still be higher than my current pay. and the non-cash benefits, well, the non-cash benefits were things that powerpuff girls were made of: sugar, spice, and everything nice, and a good dose of chemical x.

i spent an entire flight to cebu thinking about both jobs and while the second job trumped the real estate job on all fronts except the take-home salary, the real estate job was a sure thing.

those two weeks (i got an extension on the deadline since i was negotiating for some other benefits with the real estate company) were nothing short of hellish. all of a sudden, the things my friends were saying about the real estate company (i shouldn't go for it, the HR manager is a premonition of things to come, something good is bound to come sooner) were all fighting for attention inside my tiny little brain. i'm sigurista so if it were just a matter of certainty, i would've so gone for the real estate job. after all, the second company was this giant corporation with a giant parent company and giant sister companies and giant subsidiaries so i wasn't so sure that they'd accept someone (1) who didn't pass the bar on her first take (2) had barely a year of corporate work experience and (3) like me.

the notebook i carried around? oh, it was full of prayers and questions and charts (yes, i do charts comparing pros and cons when i'm worried) and got even riddled with more stuff after i sent the email to the real estate job turning down the job offer even with zero certainty that i was going to get the second job.

it was a tension-filled waiting period: the interviews were fine except that they were considering a number of other candidates. the test was easily scheduled but it was this complicated online thing that kept restarting (which made me afraid i was so screwing it up). the pre-employment medical check-up discovered i had an enlarged heart (all the more to love my crush with). they couldn't contact any of my references. but on the ferry between caticlan and boracay i received the text that would change my life forever.

you're in.

okay, this has been a long-winded post and i've yet to explain the title or the song. so here goes:

had i been stubborn, i would've accepted the real estate job in a flash. but in the end (which required major prayers, major patience, and major trusting in God's perfect plan), i got what i needed. and it isn't just the money, or the perks,or the benefits. having been accepted by this job and all the wonderful words people have told me after they've found out i was leaving affirmed the fact that i am good at what i do and i deserve the things that come my way.

in between the real estate job offer and the second job offer, i received this email from my gwapo boss. my previous bosses had all asked me to stay, MPC telling me that i was crazy to leave government work and the partners telling me i had so much promise in litigation to give up so soon, but this one letter, sent even before i had made a decision to move forward, was the letter that told me that the day i tool the LAE was the day i said yes to not just work as a lawyer, but to a vocation of changing lives.

Hi Rosa,

Now that you have been with our company almost one year, I wanted to give you some observations of how you've done with the Company and your possible future.

First, you have been very valuable to the Legal Department and to the entire company. Specifically, the work you participated in ... November 2010 and more recently in June and the governance processes that resulted despite challenging circumstances demonstrates your willingness to do the tough jobs and produce material results. Additionally, your work on labor issues ... has been very helpful. In fact, as one of your interests, specifically, your enthusiasm with labor issues can contribute tremendously in building upon a culture that has made [the company] a leading local company but will need help and guidance in transforming it into a regional player. Also, your work on the ... project illustrates your initiative and management skills in coordinating the info gathering and communication internally and with our external partners. Moreover, the professional and personal way in which you comport yourself and perform your work is an excellent model for other women and men in our organization. We need more examples of young professional women.

Second, for your professional development, working under the guidance of Atty Jewel, you will have no better mentor in the legal field. She's one of the best I've encountered and you are extremely lucky to be able to work with and learn from her. Third, as I know you are also interested in CSR, you have a lot of opportunity to initiate some projects; you are only limited by your imagination. Please begin to design and implement any CSR projects you may be interested in leading. I will ensure you get the necessary support.

Finally, we are in the process of building a great company. It has not been easy nor will it get any easier changing the way people think or act; that's the challenge of building something great. At the heart of all this are the people - and Jewel and I see you as one of the key people who can help lead this company into the future.

I know that we still have a long way to go to pay compensation that is market rates. Hopefully, with the professional freedom, development, and significant responsibility to lead your own projects, we give you compensate for some of the financial sacrifices you make when working for us.

Atty Jewel told me that you are considering another offer. As you are an excellent worker, I am not surprised that you are receiving offers. While it is a very personal decision for you, I can say that working for our company you will be contributing in an important way to the community but also to our company culture especially as it goes through a transformation. Atty Jewel and I hope you can help us with this daunting challenge, something both visionary and frustrating. If you do decide to leave, I wish you much success. And if you ever need help or a recommendation, I would be privileged to write one. In such a short period, our company has been lucky to have you. I hope you will continue with us for a long time and have patience with us as we move toward a brighter future for the company. Please remember my door is always open to you.

Thank you,

L

the old maid and the man who is not as amazing as he believes he is

para sa taong itatago na lang natin sa pangalang jo-bro,

hindi po ako nakatitig sa telepono ko at naghihintay lamang ng mga text at tawag mo. may buhay din ako, at masaya ang buhay ko kahit wala ko.

hindi din po ako libre para na lang lumabas tuwing mag-aaya ka. at kahit libre ako, hindi din ibig sabihin na pipiliin kong makasama ka. malay mo, mas interesting pang bilangin ang agiw sa bubong ng bahay ko.

hindi porke wala akong boyfriend ay gusto kong makipag-date sayo. ito na lang isipin mo -- kung si pilot nga na sukdulan ang kagwapuhan, hindi ko pinapansin ang mga text at tawag paminsan, ikaw pa kaya.

at kahit na naka mazda 3 ka na isa sa mga pinakagusto kong kotse sa lansangan, ibig sabihin winner ka na. yung kotse mo, winner; ikaw, may-ari lang ng winner na kotse. higit na madami akong kilalang naka-mazda 3 na mabait, magalang, at di mo kasing yabang.

kaya kung natarayan kita kahapon, wag ka na magtaka. ikaw ang nagpumilit pumunta, ikaw ang late dumating, at ikaw ang kung umasta ay parang hulog ka ng langit sa mga kababaihan. dahil ayaw naman talaga kitang pumunta, at ayaw ko ng late, and di ka hulog ng langit sa mga kababaihan, siguro maiintindihan mo na kung bakit ganun kalamig ang pagbati ko sayo.

malay mo, pag talagang last trip na, at ikaw na lang ang lalaki sa buong mundo, mag-bago din ang isip ko. pero, now that i've thought about it, hindi din.

grabbing a sick day from work

sometime over the long weekend marking the end of august, i got sick. it began with a throat irritation which turned into sore throat which turned into a cough which turned into a slight fever which reverted back into a cough and is now on its last stages known as "my nose may be running in the middle of the meeting so you'll have to excuse me if i'm gross". yep, i'm that person. but since the "flashy" (translation: the part that the big bosses see) part of our job in the office involves being prepared for the board meetings (not like i present, but you know, you have to be alive, alert, awake, enthusiastic(!) ready all the time ☺), getting truly sick was not an option.

and now that the subs where i serve as assistant corp. sec. are done with their meetings (and now that the stuff they need have been polished and sent, and the balls aren't in my court anymore), i can finally take a sick day. bless my boss, she didn't only approve of it, she encouraged it. after all, you can't have crazy lawyers spreading a virus around the office.

but this body of mine, i does know how to take advantage of a sick day. i woke up with a bum tummy (must be from eating all that bingo choco-orange cookies) and a nose that just won't stop producing slime. so, i must really be sick. fudge, and double fudge.

oh well. at least i'm at home.

♪♫♫ leaving on a jet plane ♪♪♪♫♪

ahhh... ormoc. it brings back memories of my first domestic trip. it was 2007, i had only recently passed the bar, i was majorly in love with this guy but sort of ended up dating his high school classmate, and i was on a high. to be thirty and on top of the world.

when i think of ormoc i think of the time when i brought a luggage so big someone thought i was sharing it with two other girls. i think of the time when i was surprised to see that there's such a thing as an andok's restaurant. and i think of the time when i majorly slipped and fell on my ass before hitting my head on wet concrete. was in embarrassing, yes, but at the same time, i had hoped it would be the perfect chance for the guy i was majorly in love with to come to the rescue. unfortunately, he didn't. hahaha.

in any case, what's up with all the ormoc memories? well, i'm bound for ormoc this coming november and *hopefully* i won't be spending a single centavo. you see, i'm bound to do a lecture for the ormoc chamber of commerce and since it's all about labor law, one of my greatest passions, then it's truly bound to be a blast.

remind me of how fun it was a little over a month ago, please?

cebu was more than a month ago, and as i was uploading pictures to my FB account for my friends, i was reminded of some lovely (yes, i'm entirely subjective) pictures i took while i was there.

while we were waiting for the boat, we decided to make our way to bantayan town and we chanced upon the end of the parade the school had to mark the end of nutrition month. apparently, all the pre-schoolers had a muse-and-escort thing going on and i fell in love with this chubby kid in pink who is THE poster child for a happy and healthy kid. the cuter part? when she saw me taking her pic, she even flashed me a smile! winner!

on our second day, we made our way to virgin island and this was the view from our side of the beach. our boatman said that years ago, a bunch of researchers rented the island to explore the possibility of oil (or some natural resource) and they built this hut where they stayed (or something like that). no sense to the pic really except the fact that i just love the variety of blues and greens.

it was virtually isolated ... exactly my kind of beach!

still, all vacations must come to an end, and this one did early sunday morning. i love how my new camera has this setting for you to easily take pictures from airplane windows. and, when i think about that and the new memories i've made with the new cam, i'm *almost* glad that i had a legitimate excuse to replace the old one.

i'm on a not-so-great mood right now -- i watched a rom-com and i'm feeling all why-am-i-alone-when-i'm-supposed-to-be-fabulous ... *sigh* but, it's all great. after all, all this a month ago, plus boracay less than a month ago ... and, guess what, possibly ormoc two months from now, so it's good, it's all good!

go away shopping monster

there we were, all set for corregidor when sun cruises called us to say that our trip had been cancelled. since we were all on our way to the meeting place anyway, we had to figure out what to do with our long weekend.

trust the shopping monster in me to rear its ugly head because within five minutes seconds, i thought of spending the day at 168.

glorious, glorious 168. it never disappoints.

[my prize for coming up with a replacement activity: hello kitty stamps

i've always wanted but could never justify buying]

[cheap accessories that fulfilled our respective wishes]

[new watches!]

we got there at around 11 and it wasn't until they were ready to close (at 7pm) before we finally struggled out with our packages. when we got to the condo, we compared with each other how much each of us had spent on getting our goodies and i couldn't believe that in spite of the money i had spent, everything fit in two tiny bags :(

then again, i did indulge on accessories (which don't take up much space) and pretty tape (yes, i am addicted to supplies). several times that long weekend, i recomputed how much i had spent and i still arrived at the same amount. boo, rosa, boo.

still - and this is my favorite excuse ever - if a little bit of money can still buy you happiness (albeit the temporary kind), then i'm all for it. saving money is highly overrated!

p.s. again - please don't be alarmed :) we all actually spent way below our corregidor trip budget so we ended up spending less than what we would've spent had our trip pushed through. and since the trip was planned, we had all saved up for it. so there.

attacking KFC's tower burger

you know me and kfc, we go waaaaaaaaay back. so while my relationships haven't exactly turned out to be long term, at least my relationship with this chicken place has withstood all kinds of test, major allergies to chicken included.

so you will understand why after i saw the commercial for the tower burger, i knew i just had to taste it despite all of the comments that i'd just end up sorely disappointed. you do, after all, have to take the good with the bad in relationships. that's just the way it is (so saith the expert, haha!)

a fellow kfc-lover and i then made a pact -- one day, we'd try it together. until then, we'd just have to satisfy ourselves with original recipe chicken (like that's a major sacrifice). so when our corregidor trip didn't push through and we were trying to figure out what to do with our monday morning, we miraculously found ourselves at kfc ordering, what else, the tower burger.

[now, if you see some jollibee stuff in the pics know that (1) our friends who got there first were already at jollibee and (2) yep, we at our tower burgers at jollibee!]

now if this burger was anything like double down, well, i knew i was going to be in for a treat. and if it at least approximated the crispy chicken burger thing, well, that would be great as well.

unfortunately while the box was promising (you know when things come in a box they must be the best the fast food chain has to offer, right? like big mac, or champ. yep, my food choices have clearly not improved with age!), the tower burger didn't exactly have me at hello.

in fact, it felt more like, uhm, hello, are you really there?

cause while it seemed it had all the ingredients for a good time, it didn't seem like it was up to giving me a great time. pretty much like being with a sulky friend at enchanted kingdom. in theory the happy part is supposed to overshadow the bad but in the end you can't get over the bad part. in this case, was it the lack of bacon (which so propelled double down to stardom, hands down)? was it the greasy and not-so-crispy hash brown? was it the paltry excuse for chicken? was it the substandard bread? i dunno really, but in the end, the chicken had too many sad friends that it was bound for failure.

of course when i started out, it didn't seem like it. i wanted to be all commando about it and just attack the thing like i was fighting japanese invaders (sorry, i was sorely disappointed by our trip not pushing through) but while it appeared massive in this picture, know it seemed ginormous only cause me holding onto the stacked burger was pushing out its contents -- you know like what too-tight underwear does to your lady parts.

eep, did i just say that?

in any case, it was a sad moment for kfc (and for me -- i KNEW i should've just ordered chicken which, incidentally, i did the following day, hahaha!). but, there's always unlimited gravy. and in my world, as long as kfc keeps on giving out free flowing gravy, well, it couldn't break up with me even if it tried ☺

sound of silence

my voice has virtually been non-existent since monday evening and while the lack of speaking voice should not have prevented me from writing (since they are absolutely unrelated), it sort of feels like being unable to speak in the real world has likewise hampered my ability to write here.

either that or i'm just a lazy cow.

in any case, allow me to regale you with pics taken of my attempt at parasailing. as i said before, it was an experience i absolutely loved, and no regrets having spent my hard-earned money for fifteen minutes of flight.

[ready]

[get set]

[go]

p.s. i so wish i took my camera up there with me as the view was absolutely spectacular! while tita celia took a video of me while i was up in the air and during my descent, the boat was pretty noisy and all she was saying was, "pababa na si roxanne" over and over again, which got boring after a minutes, haha! on the other hand, up in the air was absolutely quiet and being the talkative person i was, it wasn't long before i was chatting it up with God thanking Him not only for the blessings that manifested themselves in the weeks leading up to the trip but for the natural bounty below me.

p.p.s okay, fine, i also prayed to God that the rope won't break!