Dear Ms. Spade

We act so silly at times that we buy the most frivolous things but sometimes, it's these things that inspire us.

I got this Kate Spade purple journal for a good (actually wonderful) price at 158 Designers Blvd. The phrase "BIG SECRETS, BRILLIANT IDEAS" is printed on its cover in gold. Most of the items are on sale and this one got a major discount so I bought it no matter how mundane an item it is. You guys might want to drop by. 158 Designers Blvd. is located at the ground floor of the new Eastwood Mall.

Dinner at Kitchen

scrumptious dinner at Kitchen, Greenbelt 3
L-R: Eric, Quino, Benedict, me

Today's the birthday of our beloved friend Raeywen. Death was quick to take him last year in a car accident which broke the hearts of all who love him. And as a way to celebrate the memory of a lost friend, Quino suggested a night out, something we hardly do nowadays. I hate to admit how I've become delinquent to the people I consider to be my second family. It's so easy to say "I miss you." or "Let's hang out one of these days." It's another thing to actually meet and catch up on each other's lives (Voxer messages and tweets not qualified as genuine human interactions in this context). We've already lost a friend to death and we are not getting any younger. So I grabbed the opportunity and showed up to our dinner at Kitchen in Greenbelt 3. 

Things are different now since we graduated college. Quino now works in a shipping firm and engages his interest in Fil-Hispanic heritage by contributing to a society magazine and conducting tours to heritage sites around Manila. Benedict is doing brilliantly well in a multinational cosmetics company. Eric is on his way to becoming a doctor. The three of them all work or live in Ortigas so we call them the Ortigas group. And I work in an international bank while trying to revive this blog. A lot more members of the group were absent that night but there are more days to come.

It was a fun night, the kind of fun you cannot ever share with anyone else.

Mac was also there that night.

Mac's order: rice topped with shrimps and bathed in crab fat sauce

my order: pasta in pesto sauce with tuyo (sun-dried fish) flakes

PS: Happy birthday Raeywen!

The 2013 List

Vacation's over and it's back to the wonderful life at the office for most mortals like me. I believe it was a good first day at work for the year 2013. I was not late in the morning and I got a half day off which gave me enough time to run some errands and have a good run at the oval to shake all that holiday weight. As I'm typing this entry, my body's yearning to lie flat on my bed and rest but my mind is still trying to come up with things to add on my 2013 List.

I've finally gone tired of New Year's resolutions since more often than not people, and that includes me, forget about them halfway through January. I decided to just come up of a list of things I would like to do or achieve this year. The roster has a wide variety of entries from travel to financial investments to charity work and even mundane things like a bag I've been so longing to buy. And every time I get to fulfill something on the list, the item's crossed out and I get bragging rights for it.

Let me share to you some of the items on my list.

1. PROJECT THAILAND

I am no adventurer. The people closest to me know that. I'd rather watch an old DVD than enjoy fresh coconut juice at some remote island paradise during summer. So this year, I'm going to drag myself to explore the world. And I'd like to take my family with me. Hopefully by November, we'll be able to fly to Thailand and make more unforgettable memories there.

2. BUY A GUCCI MONOGRAM MESSENGER BAG

Monogram bags are not my cup of tea but I guess it won't hurt to invest on one. Something small and subtle and really casual would do so I can bring it anywhere anytime.

3. LOSE WEIGHT

This will require a great deal of discipline from me. I really need to cut down on my rice intake. Less salt, more vinegar. And I need to add more vegetables on the list of the greens I can eat. Also, I plan to buy a complete running outfit which would probably motivate me to go to the oval at least twice a week.

4. VISIT A HERITAGE SITE

In grade school, we had field trips to The Walled City of Intramuros, Rizal Shrine, Aguinaldo Shrine, and other heritage sites in and around Manila but I could hardly recall how those places looked. I asked Mac if we could tour those sites again, just the two of us and play tourists. Oh that would be fun.

5. PAY IT FORWARD

I studied at Ateneo de Manila from grade school to college and owe my entire education to the university's scholarship program. I guess it is just right for me to pay it forward in whatever way I can. There were these piggy banks entrusted to scholars like me before we graduated college. We were requested to fill them up to fund the education of future scholars. Mine is still half empty. Clearly, I'm not good at saving money. But this year, I will fill this pig up and help another deserving student have an Atenean education.

And the list goes on. I believe that 2013 will be a good year and that most if not all of the items in my 2013 list will be marked done.

What's on your list?