Lunch time, and I’m on a blogging break (because lunch breaks are expensive).  It’s très hot outside, perfect beach weather, I would say. Yet once again, I’m being a responsible tax payer, stuck here at work with a million things to do on my list.

So here’s today’s top 10. No particular category, just 10 things that I like at the moment.

from But It Does Float

• Kinfolk Dinners. I wish we have one here in Manila but there’s one in Toronto in June and let’s see if I manage to process my visa by then.
• Victorian Vader from Society 6
• Tim Barber Photography
• Calvin and Hobbes Mash-ups. Because a Lord of the Rings and Calvin and Hobbes Mashup is the coolest thing in the world.
• This work space that I want to set up at home.
• Jackie Bouvier’s and John F. Kennedy’s wedding pictures. Oh Camelot!
• Anthony Hopkins as Hitchcock? Awesome!
• So I’m still not over Ridiculously Photogenic Guy. I can’t help it. It’s the smile lines that got me.
• It’s like living in Bag End only in style. haha!
• How to dress like a tomboy. Aah comfortable shirts, shoes and chinos. Definitely my daily uniform.

oh and as a bonus:

Lourd de Veyra’s graduation speech for UP Mass Comm Batch 2012.  – in which he says “Dapat may maglabas ng ganyang slogan sa advertising, “BAWAL MAGING TANGA.” Nagtatampisaw tayo sa baha ng impormasyon.” and that pretty much says everything there is to say to today’s youth.

I’m supposed to be on a shopping fast but I ended up in SM North Edsa with my sister this morning, where the department stores are abundant with clothes and shoes and bags and accessories so cheap, I almost cried. So the shopping fast ended and I came home with a bag of clothes and an empty wallet. So much for saving up for “Autumn in Japan”.

But I had to pat myself on the back for not losing all control and buying everything in sight. Needless to say, I only bought the things I needed… (or at least I think I need). But I left behind a lot of things I still want to purchase and that’s what’s today’s top 10 is for. So, I like pretty things. I can’t help it.

1. Summer Dress – it’s been so hot these days I’d kill for some chiffon, cotton, jersey dresses that fleet and float with the wind. Something light and airy and will not stick to my ass.

from Ruche

from Madewell

2. Functional Tote Bag - i’ve been looking for the perfect tote bag these days. Leather, preferably, so it’s a bit more on the dressy side rather than on the shopping bag side. Longchamps are so passé. And the good ones are all expensive. So imagine my delight when I the perfect one in SM (too bad I didn’t get to take a picture). But I’m still 800php poor so I wasn’t able to buy it :( In the meantime, here are some pegs.

FluffyCo

Madewell

Asos

3. Long Drapey Skirts – maxi skirts are comfortable. I have one. In black. But black isn’t really the best color to wear when the sun is high and you’re roasting like a pig. At least roast in style, right? So bring them in yellow, peach, mint green, blue – even better when they come with pockets!

Zara

4. Scalloped/Printed Shorts – because denim shorts are too heavy and hot to wear. Of course there are pekpek shorts, but why would I want to display my poonanie for the world to see?

Need Supply

Madewell

5. Kimono Cover Ups – for the days when all I want to wear is a tank top but my man arms are to embarrassing too diplay, a cover up that’s light and breezy will do the trick.

Asos

Zara

6. Moccasins – my sister bought me Minnetonka Moccasins for Christmas but she bought them a size too big so I haven’t gotten around to wearing them. Plus in grey. I would really want them in brown (and in my size too).

Minnetonka Moccasin

7. Butter London Nail Polish in Artful Dodger – just because teal is more summery than puta red and black.

Butter London

8. Lip Balm/Stain – my lips are dry and they’ve become dark from the chapping and the chewing (yes I chew my own lips when I’m bored) so I think I need to do them a little bit of favor, yeah?

Revlon

Derma-e

9. Anti-aging shit – because this heat (and the stress) is giving me wrinkles and drying my skin like crazy. I’ve been guzzling water like a fish, and lathering on the lotion and the moisturizers but they don’t seem to be enough. Actually I think it’s because of the alcohol but I can’t quit that, can I?

Kiehls

Body Shop

10. Body Mist – not too sweet nor flowery. just the right kind of “just got out of the shower” smell.

Body Shop

And there you have it. My top 10 must have things (as of April 23, 2012) that I can’t afford to purchase. Anybody want to sponsor me?

Note to self. Must install Photoshop again so I can make proper collages. This list thing and just inserting images here and there is such an eye sore. And my oc-heart can’t take it anymore.

I’ve been working for this nifty, little online store for the past 2 years. I am/was employee #1 actually. Been with it while it was still just a small project of a digital advertising agency until it exploded into something else and became an independent company. In a matter of 2 years, we’ve expanded the business, tripled the revenue, and quadrupled the work force. August 2010 we were just 2 people (my boss and I) and now, we’re 80 people. And it’s been a crazy ride. A lot of heart/head ache, victory dances, tears, fist pumps, and shouting matches –like I said crazy, but not the least bit disappointing.

It’s a start up. So needless to say, policies, process, rules, structure, and other things you might expect from an established corporate -y environment do not exist in a start up business. And for some people, it’s amazing. But for most people it can be quite the hell you don’t want to be in. And everything can be summed up in just one word: STRESS!

So I’ve made up my own list of things that you need to know about working in a start-up. Maybe they’ll help you survive. Maybe they’ll make you want to stay away. But either way, these are my start-up realities and learnings.

1. You are the expert – it’s only logical that the bosses/owners will only get people they no longer need to train. people they think are capable of running their own departments, and able to make sound decisions for the company’s growth. they’re trying to build a business. of course they will only get people who can help them build it. so there’s no time nor space for training or mentorship (at least not in the first few months or years). you will be the mentor. you will be the one doing the training for your future teams. so it’s up to you to push yourselves to improve. to learn as much as you can about the business, about your job and kick ass at it.
2. Be Water, My Friend –  Bruce Lee couldn’t have said it better. Sometimes you have to do things that are beyond your skill level. Maybe you were hired as a Project Manager, handle IT projects and shit. Next thing you know, you’re closing financial books and processing new hires because you haven’t got a Finance and an HR manager. So you have to adapt fast. And learn even faster. Don’t fight it. Not only will you learn new skills (perfect for the resume), it also builds character and gives you a better feel for the company and how to manage it (or at least your teams).
3. People will always complain – (this one is for the managers, leads, supervisors, etc) exactly just that. They will complain about the aircon being too cold, the aircon being too hot, the internet speed, the tepid water in the pantry, the stale office smell, the noise, the lack of noise, the sun and sometimes about your shoes. And you can’t stop that. You just have to listen and be able to sort out the valid ones from the exaggerated. They will complain about you, most of all. So don’t take it personally.
4. Respect the company – start ups are pretty lenient. You can come in later than usual, in shorts and slippers, and pretty much spend the day looking up cute kitty videos on youtube – they almost let you do whatever you want. So don’t abuse it. So you can pretty much come in at whatever time you want? Awesome. But please don’t keep coming in at lunch time only to just put your bag down and then grab lunch 5 minutes later and basically be gone for the next 2 hours. Don’t eat up your network’s bandwidth by downloading torrents at work (other people are actually trying to work). And don’t come in at noon only to leave 4 hours later and without proper approval too. Start ups are pretty lenient. But when the owner and the board of directors get wind of how their employees are abusing that leniency then say goodbye to internet freedom, and say hello to salary deduction when you are late. One person’s self-entitlement can lead to other people’s blocked kitty videos.
5. Be prepared to work over time – without pay. Sometimes it’s as simple as “it’s in your contract”. Sometimes this is how companies get something in return for letting you come in at 11 in the morning, and 5 minutes late for your meeting. Sometimes they give you something back for having come in at work on Tuesday only to find yourself still at work 3 days later in the same pair of jeans. But don’t expect anything. If you’re needed to finish something, then you have to finish it. At the end of the day, it’s still your job to deliver. Now if you have to stay until 10pm at the office to finish it, then you have to. Re-assess. Maybe it’s your fault too. Maybe you spent the entire day watching cute kitty videos on youtube?
6. The CEO is not your enemy –  ok so maybe he can be quite an asshole. Asking you to stay extra hours without pay. Calling you in the middle of the night because his internet connection is quite slow. Maybe he’s pure evil. But at the end of the day you’re both working towards the same goal – which is to make more money for the company so you both will have more money. So no, he’s not your enemy! And it’s also wise not to make an enemy out of him.
7. Speak Up – remember item # 1: you are an expert! So there’s absolutely no reason in the world why you shouldn’t say what’s on your mind… even stupid things are ok to say, I guess. Start ups thrive on open communication, I think. Ideas are a given. But most people find it difficult to voice out their concerns outside of bathroom gossip. They shouldn’t keep it to themselves. If it’s going to help the company grow, then by George, go for it.
8. Beer – when it’s been quite a long day, nothing feels better than going out for a drink after work. Don’t talk about work. Just get to know the people you work with, their stories, etc. It’s easier to trust somebody you know – so get to know your co-workers.
9. Wear clothes you actually like wearing – no dress codes! So wear something you like and are comfortable in. Chances are you’re going to spend an entire day up to your eyeballs in work and stress and all that stuff – at least do it in style! And besides if you don’t like how you look, you’re going to be sully the whole day and that’ll effect your productivity. Trust me.
10. Actually care about the company and what it’s doing – this makes the difference. It’s a new company. It probably still doesn’t have a bonus scheme nor a pay increase matrix. You have to work long hours most of the time (often without over time pay). You have to suffer long meetings with your boss (even on weekends via Skype) and spend half of the time in that meeting arguing with him. There will be tons of meetings. And failures. And finger pointing. There will be loss. And heart break. So why stay? Because you want to see the company grow. You want to be part of that growth. You want to be the reason why there is growth. Because you can’t bear to see the company and the business fail. So you will give it nothing but your best and (sometimes) maybe sacrifice some things (like #8 and shower) – but you’re going to be ok with it. Because when you see the company and the business succeed and you know that you had something to do with it (even just a tiny bit) – it’s going to feel so damn good. Even better when you get a raise.

Start ups aren’t for everybody. And that’s ok. You have to be crazy to want to be in a start up environment, I think. :)

It’s 10 pm and I’m still in the office despite running a fever and having a clogged nose. We’re 2 hours shy of deploying the new version of our website and I’m stressed to the deepest recesses of my soul (oh yeah). I’m exhausted and my patience is running thin. So to cheer me up (actually it did quite the opposite), I just made a list of 10 things that I would much rather be doing right now.

10. Be the reason why Zac efron is laughing. 

9. dress up in a wedding dress, sit atop a musical instrument and have my picture taken with my head cut off the frame.  note to self: must wear underrated red shoes.

8. roll around on the lawn, with the sprinklers on. mouth open, optional. 

7. wear hipster-approved clothing (cardigan in this weather, perhaps?), sit on our front steps and play with my hair with a pensive look on my face. because playing with my hair is serious business. photograph: optional.

6. cover myself in gold paint and look fierce. 

image by Michael Oswald

5. be a passenger in the Titanic. 

4. wear matching skimpy shorts with my best friend (gender not specified: either one of them will do fine) and jog around the city in this heat. arm in arm.

3. be sexually active in high school, take drugs. and cry out for help. exactly.

2. Be in New York. 

1. And watch Dr. Who film.

as of posting (11:37pm) I’m still at work, nowhere near deploying anything and still overwhelmed by bugs. haha. i’d kill for some cupcake though. but i think i need to take a dump first.

i take no credit for any of the images above. all of them were taken from various posters on tumblr.com

I’ve always wanted to share my itineraries for when I go on trips because I really take great care in making them. I research extensively and budget my schedule accordingly – down to the last minute. But of course, life would always happen and my itineraries would be forgotten – as should be. As they are really nothing but mere suggestions. So what I will share now are the things one must not miss when one is in Singapore. Granted, some of these places I’ve never been too myself but have always included them in my itineraries in the 3 times I’ve been to Singapore. haha maybe next year.

1. Maxwell Road Hawker Centre – I think it’s one of the biggest hawker food centre in Singapore (if not the biggest) and has over 100 stalls. So needless to say, you will not run out of food options here. I suggest breakfast or lunch here so it’s not too crowded. Have some chicken rice or prata with curry and a glass of milo and then you’re good for the next few hours. This baby’s in Chinatown so after chow, burn the calories by walking around Chinatown.

2. The Buddha Tooth Relic Temple – still in Chinatown. And it’s beautiful (at least from the outside coz I never really got to go inside). There’s a dress code so make sure you’re skirt and shorts are not above your knees and you’re shirt has sleeves or else you can’t go inside. At the back of the temple, there’s a small area where you can find old Chinese men playing some sort of board game (checkers, Go, i dunno)

3. Universal Studios – actually there’s really nothing much to see in Universal Studios. The rides are pretty lame (except for Transformers and Battlestar Gallactica) but it’s worth going to just to see what it’s all about. Plus the little things are always amusing: like the street performers, the guys dressed up as Charlie Chaplin, Marilyn Monroe, etc. Just be wary that everything is expensive here – the food especially. One thing’s for sure in Universal, you will never run out of “Kodak Moments”.

4. Red Dot Museum – for the love of all things beautiful, you should go to this place. It’s quite amusing how they gave us a map, once we got in. The whole compound has more stores than displays in the museum but that’s ok. And the museum displays were actual working products, albeit designed not just for function but for aesthetics as well. Spend at least half a day here. We spent only 2 hours and we missed a lot of things.

4. Have your picture taken with the doorman at Raffles – and have a Singapore Sling while you’re at it :)

5. Haji Lane/Bugis – for your bottomless pit of pocket money. Don’t forget to bring a reusable tote for your shopping loot! Recently scored a fine looking satchel (not one of those Cambridge knock offs we can find here in Greenhills or in Facebook stores) for only SGD 29!

6. Chjimes Church – This was a pleasant surprise. It’s an old church restored to house pubs, restaurants and shops. The general look of the church has been kept and the courtyard home to pubs with happy hour rates, mexican restaurants and izakayas. Mostly expats come here considering it’s a pretty expensive place but worth visiting at least once.

7. Art Science Museum at Marina Bay Sands – ok. Marina Bay Sands in itself is woah-inducing. It’s big. It’s swanky. It’s shiny and it smells nice and expensive (that’s because everything in it is expensive). I didn’t get to go inside the Museum but I did take loads of pictures outside of it haha. But you should go, there’s always an interesting exhibit going on.

8. Orchard Road – shopping mecca! Check out Ion Orchard, the half-nekkid boys of Abercrombie and Fitch, the sex shops, the luxury goods in Takashimaya, of course there’s also H&M and Forever 21. Don’t forget to have a slab of ice cream sandwiched between wafers, ok?

9. Singapore Zoo/Night Safari – I’m not the biggest fan of caged animals but this zoo’s pretty cool. The animals have wide enough spaces. The animals seem well fed, and well taken care of. The white tigers and the polar bears were my favorites :) This place is huge! Spare a day for the zoo and then the night safari afterwards :)

10. Sentosa – I can’t remember much from when I went to Sentosa 5 years ago. I remember the aquarium which isn’t as impressive as Hong Kong’s ocean park but still quite cool. I remember walking around but I never got to to the man made beach since I just had half a day to spare. But don’t forget to try out the Luge Rides!

12. Esplanade – I actually prefer it at night when it’s empty of people and the lights are on coz it really is beautiful and offers a great view of Marina Bay Sands. The Makan-Sutra beside it also has a decent variety of food. Don’t forget to have some CHILI CRABS! One time I was there, in the underpass beside it, there was a group of kids dancing in public, just for fun I guess. They just had a boom box (yeah, a boom box) and they were taking turns street dancing. It was pretty cool :)

13. Last but not the least: GET LOST! Seriously. Ride the train and get off at a random station. You will be surprised at the things you might discover. Like this place here: It’s very youth-oriented and promoting art to get kids to stay off drugs and keep straight.

I still have a lot of things on my list (and I haven’t even gotten to the restaurants and the shops yet) like the National University Museum, the National Museum, The Science Centre, Battle Box (for the war and history buffs), Toy Museum, High Tea at Equinox Swissotel, Tony Tan Foodwalk, Go to Kappar Road and catch a free film (drive in style), X-Factor, Dempsey Hill, etc. But the ones above are I guess a must for every first time-Singapore visitor.

Have fun, eat a lot, and make sure you have enough money to spend (especially if you’re coming from the Philippines where SGD1=PHP 33 (at least) ). But if you don’t plan on shopping, you’ll be alright. Food is awesome and cheap!

It’s pretty easy to get around Singapore. Just know how to read a map and train signs. :)

I’ve been reading travel blogs lately (solesisters, justwandering, to name a few) and I was hit by an overwhelming feeling of sadness immediately after I’ve hit that x button on the right side of the tab (yey for tabbed browsers). Clothesline, side-swiped, train wreck of a sadness.

I’ve been to 3 places outside the Philippines. Just 3. Hongkong, Thailand and Singapore. Within the country I’ve been to quite a few (Pangasinan, Baguio, Ilocos, Sagada, Banawe, Quezon, Laguna, Cavite, Batangas, Palawan, Cebu, Bohol, Davao, CDO)- the operative word here being few. And every bone in my body is saying – nay, screaming: THAT’S NOT ENOUGH, BITCH! Yes, I can be pretty harsh on myself sometimes.

I’ve made a lot of lists over the past 27 years (well 7 since I only started making lists when I graduated) and most of them were list of places I wanted to go to and things I want to do when I get there. My lists are 7 years old (revised over the years) but essentially they still remain the same. I still want to live in a house with a blue door in Notting Hill. I still want to walk the streets of Prague. Maybe find a vampire or 2 in Romania (or not). And get eaten by mosquitos in Australia. I want to stay in Sagada for 3 weeks and just drink coffee and smoke a j, and read my books, get to know the people who come and go. And drink tequila in the middle of the day in Mexico.

San Cristobal, Mexico (image from National Geographic)

My passport is depressingly blank. And I’ve come up with a ton of reasons that prevent me from just packing my bags and get going.

1. I’m broke.
2. With my dad’s passing – my family kinda needs me to be with them right now.
3. Whatever money I’m making, it needs to go to the family fund. Being the breadwinner right now, I just can’t afford to spend my money on just myself
4. I have a job. And a demanding (and taxing one) at that.
5. Did I mention that I was broke?

At this rate, with all these excuses I would never get anywhere.

I’ve read about how some travelers just decided to leave their life. They sold their belongings, made their entire life fit into 2 luggage (some in just 1 backpack). And up they went, living their life continuously in transit. Not quite home, but definitely at home. Did that make sense? In my head, it did.  Live, they did.

And I keep thinking, “Can I do that?”

At this point in my life, I would honestly say no. I can’t. Not yet. I can’t quit my job. My family depends on me financially. Plus I love it (it’s a love-hate relationship actually but that’s a different blog post) I can’t leave my family indefinitely, we need to be together to keep strong. And these are not just excuses to not be able to do what I’ve always wanted to do. These are my realities.

So where does that leave me and my dreams? I don’t want to wait til I’m 40 before I can see the rest of the world.

But after much thinking (well not really, just about 5 minutes of emo and some tea), I’ve come to realize that there’s really nothing stopping me from doing what it is that I want. Just myself and my lack of creativity and my 10000000 excuses. I’m just lazy.

Maybe I can’t quit my job, sell my things and live a backpacker’s life. At least not yet. But that doesn’t mean I can’t take advantage of my 25-day leaves a year and use them? I keep saying that I’m broke but that’s my fault too. Just last weekend, I bought a ton of books and 2 dresses, and insisted on eating out for the most part of the holiday. And how much did that cost me? And I think my family won’t mind if I’m gone a few days to sort myself out instead of a few months.

I just need to get off my lazy bum, stop complaining and do something.

1. Save. – that pretty much sums up everything that I have to do. Cut back on unnecessary expenses. I have a lot of books that are still in their plastic wrapping so I shouldn’t buy more. I have clothes that I’ve only used once so I don’t need to buy new ones. I pretty much live in my sneakers and my boots so why do I need to buy that pretty black flats I know I will never wear outside the house anyway?
2. Start an Escape Fund (as the sole sisters would put it) – I can’t keep on dipping into my savings for whenever I want to travel. That’s not responsible (for me, at least, given my circumstances). I need to have a separate fund for this. Force myself to work towards a goal, and then reward myself afterwards. And this way, I don’t shirk on my responsibilities at home and yet still have money to do as I please (book the next flight outta here!).
3. Plan – I keep saying I want to go to this place and that. I keep checking flights whenever there’s an airfare sale. I read Lonely Planet articles and guides. And then what? Nothing. I stop at that. I’ve never really gotten around to making an actual itinerary. Plan my finances so I can budget. How much do I need to save? What’s my expected expense? When do I plan on going so I can plan my leaves for that. I used to just buy plane tickets on an whim and say “bahala na” after. But this isn’t sustainable if I want to keep doing this all the time.
4. Talk to my family – make them understand that I need this. For myself. For my sanity. They’ve never been bitten by the travel bug but they understand that I’m at this point in my life wherein I need to explode in a karaoke supernova (TM Ben Folds) and just be out there.

Just 4 things. 4 things that I need to do to get a taste of my dream. Maybe 2 weeks in Vietnam isn’t the same as spending 3 months hopping on trains and buses, exploring the Thailand countryside and then crossing the border to get to Myanmar. Maybe not. But 2 weeks is better than nothing. In 2 weeks, I can still have coffee with friends I’ve met on the road, exchange stories and maybe a few laughs. Have a beer by the beach and review the pictures I took of the architectural marvel I’ve been in just the day before. 2 weeks is enough time for me to see a part of the world. In 2 weeks, I can go rafting in Bontoc and see locals prepare Pinikpikan. In 2 weeks, I can stay in Ilo-ilo and then cross Dumaguete. In 2 weeks, I can taste as many Bicol Express as I want on my way to Donsol. A lot can be done in 2 weeks.

Maybe I’ll want more. Eventually the need to to quit my job and just cross countries in Europe will be harder and harder to curb. Eventually. But I’ll cross that bridge when I get there.

Right now, I’ll take what I can get. Anything to see the world outside of my 4 cornered room.

Who said you can’t have your cake and eat it too? Obviously he hasn’t taken a knife and cut himself a slice.

Haley from One Tree Hill (yes, I am totally in love with that show) once said “write down the things that you can’t say” so I will.

1. I miss my dad. Terribly. I try to keep it together for the sake of my mom and my sister who cry at the littlest things that remind them of my dad. I crack jokes. I try to change the topic. I refuse to dwell on it. And I get by, somehow. One day at a time. But stone cold walls only last so long and mine are crumbling. I miss my dad and I can’t make this dull ache in my chest go away.

2. I’m still confused. I just can’t figure out what I’m feeling right now. One minute I want “creme brulee” and the next minute I just want some simple “jell-o”. And I know wanting “creme brulee” makes sense and I really want it but there’s just something gnawing at the base of my spine that keeps saying that there’s something missing in that “creme brulee” and perhaps I’ll find it in “jell-o”. And to this I say, GAH! All the cliches, the rom-coms, the books, the old diaries – yep none of them are helping at all.

3. I can’t believe it’s still in my head. It doesn’t make sense. It shouldn’t matter at all. I’ve said time and time again that I’m over it. And truth be told, I am. It’s just that, every once in a while, I remember something and that sets me off once again. Why does it matter so much??? “…I still hear trumpets” said the song a friend of mine made me listen to. S is for Slowly, I always say (or at least my friend, Roncee would say).

4. I’m fat. Acceptance. Next stage: Diet.

5. I’m so excited for JAPAN! Goddammit. I know it’s still a couple of months away but I think I’ve pretty much narrowed down the places I really want to go to. Now to prioritize. And to decide whether we spend a day or 2 in Tokyo (we’ll be staying in Osaka). JAPAN! But I haven’t told my sister and my mom yet. I kinda feel guilty leaving them behind again, and spending so much money for this trip.. which leads me to the my next point.

6. Somehow, with my dad dying (him being the breadwinner) and my sister leaving her job in Canada to be with us during these difficult days – I’ve suddenly become the unwilling bread winner. And I’m too selfish for the position. As much as I don’t want to admit it, because it’s silly and it makes me to be such a terrible daughter – I feel quite uncomfortable with having to second guess all of my purchases and financial decisions versus before wherein I can do with my money pretty much anything I want. I don’t hate it. I just need to get used to it, I guess.

7. I think I may be burnt out.

I promise to post something light-hearted soon enough.

I usually make lists of things that I want to have/buy/purchase/receive for Christmas and Birthdays and other special occasions but I rarely make a list of things that I need to accomplish for the year. So I’m making one for this year just because I feel like my life needs to be pushed a little. They say putting it up online will add to the pressure and will help force you to accomplish it. And that I will do.

So 2012 Goals!

1. Clear Out My Credit Card Bill - the bane of my financial existence. Just when I thought I was about to finally pay off my debt, I spot a pair of shoes or a top or a book that I absolutely must have. And then without realizing it, I’m unable to pay off my debt in full and I’m a day late. So say hello to financial charges that add 1 more k to what you owe the bank. So no more financial charges, no more late payments. I’m almost done actually. I just need to pay off my purchases from when I was in Singapore last weekend and then I’m free (at least for the next few days).
2. Travel to at least 1 place I’ve never been to before – I have travel plans this year but all of them to places I’ve already been to. I’ve already gone to Singapore and Sagada the first 2 months of 2012 but they’re not new places. Sure there were new experiences – there will always be new experiences; but a new place is a different matter. And we’re talking about at least 1 here.
3. Get a Canadian tourist Visa – I have to stop putting this off. After this, it’s a different visa application altogether.
4. Buy a new computer – I think this one is happening this week. My 3 year old Compaq Presario is dying. The battery’s out of life and it keeps BSODing on me. I will never trust an HP laptop ever again. Same thing happened to my sister’s laptop and it’s only 2 years old. Psshaw.
5. Forget – For some reason there’s this one thing I can’t seem to forget. It happened so fast I hardly felt it but it had so much impact that I still can’t get over it. And I have to. Coz it’s stupid.
6. Remember - my dad.
7. Write More, Draw More, Take More Pictures – I say this every year but I really need to start doing it. Part of the reason why I get burnt out from work is because I constantly think about it. I don’t channel the stress right – I just drink it away. So I need to be more productive and do something I love (or used to love) doing at the same time.
8. Raise 500k. – For some reason I’ve stopped saving since 2011. I need to get back on track and make up for lost saving time. So yeah, 500k. I have no idea how I’m going to do that but I have to.
9. Invest – my dad has been trying to get me into UITF before he died. Never really listened to him. But when I was helping my mom with sorting out their finances, I saw how much he has earned from this and goddamn, I need to do it too.
10. Lost 20 lbs – tangina lang. I’ve never been this fat since 2005. So yeah. I need to exercise and eat healthy.

And there you have it. My 2012 goals.

Well since this will be the most depressing birthday I will ever have in this lifetime, I’ll just post my wishlist here in case there’s somebody out there who wants nothing more than for me to be a little bit cheery on my day.

Macbook Air. Travel Money. A Carry On Travel Bag. North Face Duffel with Wheels. Star Wars Headphones. Swatch Watch. Lonely Planet Books (Japan!). Star Wars Midsize Lego Watch (Stormtrooper). Neil Gaiman’s Eternals. Complete Set for Fables. Trip to Paris. CDG x Converse Jack Purcells (or just a new pair of Chucks). La Sardina with Flash. Kindle Keyboard 3G. Tickets to Canada. Complete Set for Walking Dead.

But really, any good book, a good back, a good pair of shoes or gift certificates are welcome. Haha!

I also welcome gifts in kind. Have coffee and cake with me :).

i made this, with my older sister in mind. freezing her buns off in Canada, she likes pretty things… pretty being “pretty practical”, “pretty comfortable” and “pretty awesome”. so if your sister is anything like mine, this might be just for her too.

1. Red Knitted Scarf (asos)
2. Wellingtons (hunter boots)
3. iPad (apple)
4. The Look Book by Erika Stalder (uo)
5. Friendship Bracelet (asos)
6. Amazing Grace Body Spritz (philosophy)
7. Minnetonka Kitty Suede Moccasins (madewell)

wouldn’t you want to be my sister? not that i can afford any of these but at least i’ve got good ideas! haha