The New Seven Wonders of Nature

YOU HAVE TO GO HERE.

and VOTE for Chocolate Hills in Bohol, Tubbataha Reef in Palawan and Mount Mayon in Albay. you got to register to be able to vote and please don't forget to click that verification link (sent to your e-mail) once you've registered, else, your vote won't be counted.

in case you don't know what these three look like, please take a look...



The Chocolate Hills, Bohol



Mount Mayon, Albay


Tubbataha Reef, Palawan



if a vote brings me to one of these places, i'll pour out all my votes to tubbataha reef.


beautiful. =)

the earth hour

on 29 March 2008, our shop will join the world as we literally "turn the lights out" for Earth Hour - an event that will fuel awareness on climate change and prove that when the people of the world work together, they can make a difference in the fight against global warming.

Earth Hour will take place throughout Singapore from 8 to 9 in the evening on Saturday night, 29 March 2008. WWF invites you to participate by shutting off lights for 60 minutes, organizing your own "lights-out" event.

join us for a romantic candle light dinner and lots of positive energy! =) see you at tanglin mall everyone!

ps.
had a 15-minute test last night at the shop. tealights in red glasses, so nice. =)

blogging is a slacker job

as per malu fernandez.

So let me continue, first of all I believe in the freedom of speech. By all
means say what you need to say. Unfortunately for most of the bloggers without
advertising you get paid nothing. If in fact you do get paid then hooray for
you. But blogging, aside from Perez Hilton and the other big time bloggers (you
know who you are) is for me a slacker job or a medium and pastime for lonely
people to connect. Unless you’re in bloody Siberia or in a Gulag prison, try
stepping outside your comfort zone and turn off the laptop or pc, you just might
find some real live people to talk to instead of typing away in cyber space.

"a medium and pastime for lonely people to connect." yes, i am lonely because i am 1,294 nautical miles away from my home country and blogging is my way to connect. so, malu, eff you.

i must say this malu fernandez has the nerve. hay, another soul to pray for.

5 things

1. wasted 30 minutes on facebook's ithink today. and this one's very interesting: "Everyone should come with a warning label." hmm, if i come with a warning label, mine would say "cry moderately." hahahah! what would yours say? (i have a boring life, e-mail me, i'd love to hear from you!)


2. went to singpost bulk center today to lodge our mail drop for 21,000 households in tanglin and orchard area. as always, i was so amazed with everything around there: trucks with all sorts of mail materials (magazines, bills, postcards, etc), construction worker-looking men in their overalls and boots, ay basta, major snail mail scene sa post office sa pinas eto! haha! i looked like a lost little cat there with my trusty trolley and three boxes of 21,000 postcards (which i designed myself by the way. yay!)


3. what is celine lopez going to do with her life now? may God bless her soul. (i won't bother about DJ montano since i don't think he has a soul in the first place.)


4. i am thankful to receive e-mails from random people reading my blog. some say i inspire them, some say i'm mentally ill. whatever they say, i am truly honored and humbled (even if humility is not my favorite value) to read such e-mails. believe me when i say that those e-mails are very inspiring for me as well. i do not write well (this is fact, not humility) but i am grateful some people grasp the thought of my entries. some don't but like i care. hahaha! serious na... in all honesty, i am just thankful, that's all. =)

5. karen's leaving for bangkok tomorrow. krysse is still in cdo (everyone, please pray for her brother's recovery). so it's just me and oue. in a three bedroom mansionette (sg's term for a 2-storey house). and then there's ken lee, the kid ghost who lives in our bathroom. oue insists his name is ken lee.

what a day!

my day was not unproductive after all until now cuz i'm facebook-ing like mad.

although it was my off, i had to go to the corporate office to do some admin shiz then i went to the shop to eat my first meal of the day, at 6pm! the donuts i had in the morning were not counted. it was raining as usual and i thought of treating myself to a nice hot thai rice porridge, She named it "sunshine rice soup" with fish and mushrooms. (in camiguin, it's plain old lugaw na may preskong isda from the neigbourhood fisherman and not from a packet that says "product of norway", the mushrooms, well, mushrooms pa rin kasi hindi ko alam ang tagalog ng mushrooms!) anyway, i settled myself in this kamiseta-like floral couch and steve, our french baker, was on the other floral couch across me, alt-tabbing between, i don't know, maybe asian porn and his french e-mails on his new laptop. i curled up like a fetus and read a book. the moment was so peaceful, so quiet, no customers, no phone calls UNTIL my monster of a roomate aka oue called and said he was starving. i got up and took bus 7, from tanglin road through orchard until dhoby gout mrt, my eyes were still on the book.

i settled myself in this little couch, this time a red one at tcc and continued to treat myself with hot liquids. i had my usual flat white fix while waiting for oue and continued reading my book. oue called and claimed "i'm here", i had to get up and scan the crowd, saw mtv vj utt (who was actually sitting next to my table. believe me, he looks better on tv!) but didn't find my beloved bedmate. the brat was somewhere else but "here".

we had big fat very meaty burgers and greasy fries for dinner. then we malled around plaza singapura where we had a little shopping, a dry run for our great bangkok race next month. oue bought sunglasses! i bought new shoes! and stockings! these stockings better save my now embarrassing stinky feet! i wasn't going to buy the ugly fine net but oue told me to do so because he couldn't stand the smell of my feet (i never in my entire life imagined that my feet would smell this bad, i swore off CLOSED shoes already and i live for tsinelas. i must love this so much even if it makes me wear boring black ballet flats!) so anyway, i bought stockings for the first time in my life! ew! yuck! kadurdur! then i bought three books at careefour's booksale, each were at five dollars. (earlier at the corporate office, this mall nearby had a booksale too, i bought one entitled "romancing the ordinary", a book about women and how we have seven senses, ladadi ladada....) i have to credit karen for this pretentious new "interest" of mine. rona is book buying. it's a good start to say that i am on the right track of my life. i'm not saying that those don't read are not on the right track (i know karen isn't though, hahah peace kar!) but i'm just sayingk reading is a nice way to spend my free time with than googling people.

speaking of which, i have got to stop googline people (which i did--the googling part, not the STOP part--before i started reading the book, i remember this is like meredith knitting in grey's anatomy when she decided not to date boys temporarily). so where was i? oh yea, i have got to stop googling people, ex lovers to be specific. its either you find out he turned gay or he's changed girlfriends four times already since he left you or he's still single or he's getting married. well, whatever you find out, this evil habit is pathetic and sad. i got to say i have a good, um, rebuttal, for that: it's human nature to be pathetic and sad. hahaha! (yes i like to argue with myself sometimes. at the end of the day i sometimes realize i am wrong but i always insist i'm right.) whatever. forget it, he.is.getting.married. (i can put all periods all i want, damnit!)

where did it start? why did i? why, Lord, why?

blame it to the movies. before sunrise. before sunset. shit on you!

ps.
don't get me wrong, i have recovered and moved on and i am happy. i'm just acknowledging the feeling "bitterness due to first love getting married". that's about it, nothing more. trust me, i know exactly who i want, not my first love, not even my last. =)

hay

today i'm off from work and I WANT TO WATCH A MOVIE, but what the fuck, everyone's working!

haaaaay, what a sad little life!!!!!

alright stop

collaborate and stop working!

i'm supposed to finish five a2-sized posters today to be submitted to the mall's marketing department (whose department head is so cute by the way--sometimes i think i'm drooling while talking to him! he's my only chinese crush because chinese boys are not my kind of! well except for my grade school crush named antonio tiu--god, i can't even remember how he looked like--i know his name sounds like confused spanish chinese kid but yep, he's chinese alright.)

this month we're on two magazines, wine&dine and timeout! so yay for us! i'm excited next month when cubes magazine comes out, we will be on a 4-page article. i am so anxious i cannot wait! =) then there's elle and singapore tatler and hopefully, on tv (this local channel wants to film at the shop! so double yay for us!)

last night i finally got to watch before sunset, a sequel to before sunrise (after oue's several attempts of stopping me from watching it). and boy did it remind me of my first love! haha! 13 days until our my 9th anniversary! i can vividly remember march 31, 1999, it was a wednesday.

so anyway, yeah, i need to finish these five posters by 8 and its 7:06 now. oue and karen called asking if i'm going home early. karen's home alone and oue's on his way with j.co donuts. ahh, i want donuts. i want to go home. like now because i don't think i'm making sense here.

now, my five favorite blogs of people talking about the shop.

1. this lovely lady who had breakfast and lunch at the shop on the same day. =)
2. and yes, we have a ken lee who did a nice review about the shop.
3. then there was a mother-daughter bonding sitting on table three. i was going to offer to take them their photos but the mom was so into it (their picture taking bonding) so i didn't bother going up to their table for a quick chat.
4. and we have a, ummm, i'm guessing, a japanese blog about the shop. i know the blogger though, i know her because she came down twice and she ordered the same drink, twice! if you know japanese, please tell me what she's talking about, even though i know they're all good things. (haha confident!)
5. and of course, last but not the least, our first online/blog review on hungrygowhere.com. =) (syet i have yet to put up the site's decal so they could finally post our photo in the review.... hay, so many things to do!)

we are getting there. i guess the hardwork is paying off now, little by little. i have yet to do hardcore marketing and public relations to let this baby stand on her own, then from there we can move on to our second shop. in london. yay! =)

one night

long day and i'm ready
i'm waiting for your call
cuz i've made up my mind
my heart aches with a hunger
and a want that you were mine
no, I can not deny
so for one night
is it alright
that I give you...

my heart, my love, my heart
just for one night
my body, my soul
just for one night
my love, my love
for one night
one night
one night

when morning awakes me
well I know i'll be alone
so dont you worry about me
i'm not empty on my own
for inside, i'm alive
that for one night
it was so right
that I gave you....

my heart, my love, my heart
just for one night
my body, my soul
just for one night
my love, i loved
for one night
one night
one night

unconditional what?

i received a very beautiful forwarded e-mail this morning from krysse and claire. it was so beautiful i got teary eyed while reading it. but at the end of the message, one line bothered me so much. so much that i was even thinking about it the whole train and bus rides on my way home.

unconditional acceptance.

tell me, how?

like patience, forgiveness, understanding, consideration, and most especially love, acceptance has its limits too.

now here's my favorite line:

To handle yourself, use your head.
To handle others, use your heart.

question though, what do you use to handle your heart?
my answer: your friends. (and maybe a bit of alcohol too! hehe! kidding!)

brrrr

it feels like i'm not in asia. it's so damn cold!!! and this is not even winter! i don't think i will ever survive in place where there's winter or anywhere that has a weather that requires you to wear thermal clothes, jacket, gloves, boots and the whole winter outfit she-bang. (although i'm really dreaming of experiencing at least one white christmas in my lifetime!) this cold weather now is fine for me, i have my jacket on and my hair is down, i think this weather is nice and sweet. =) i am even on my second glass of coke float! yay!

i cannot disconnect from the internet. i've been online since the minute i got up from my bed. i attempted to watch tv but the news says everyone is dying. i browsed karen's bookshelf to find a decent book to read but what the fuck i haven't even gone beyond page 11 of the zahir. i want to read a book but its a challenge. haha! think im going to watch a movie, before sunrise and before sunset. we have click but adam sandler's role reminds me of bom and he's starting to become exactly like him so its a bit depressing to watch. the devil wears prada reminds me of Her, so no thank you. i think i'll settle with the lovey-dovey chick flick, i think i can manage watching movies alone now, at home lang though, never in moviehouses.

so this whole day affair with my self is very interesting. this morning i didn't want to listen to any music but urban dub's keeping me company through the rest of the afternoon. i love this day! it's amazing how i can stop my world and let go of everything for a few hours. its 5pm already and i know i haven't done much today but i don't feel unproductive at all. i'm just resting, that's what i'm going to say. hmm, i wrote mother superior a very long letter and a couple of e-mails to friends i've lost in touch with. i have been reading blogs and looking at photos of my friends from all over. i have nothing else to say because i am thankful i have them.

times like these make me say that life is beautiful and easy. =)

what can you do for love?

today is my day!!!!!!

no calls or sms upon waking up! or should i say no sms or calls woke me up today! well it was a decision i made last night so i turned off my phone just before i closed my eyes to sleep. i had a good long disrupted sleep until 10:30am! wait, i actually woke up at ten and i was half-asleep half-awake when i turned on my phone. i couldn't help it, my boss must've been trying to reach me. true enough, i had two voice messages from Her, one from alfee, a couple of sms from my mother and this certain magazine, and a call from oue reminding me to go to the bank to change our mailing address. today i am not answering calls related to work, but She is an exception. i just cannot not answer her calls. bottomline, no call woke me up today!

i hate heavy rains. i curse singapore weather when it rains. but today, i'm in my pink jacket and sweat pants and savouring the cold breeze and cuddling myslef (oh that didn't sound right! haha! but you know what i mean, when its cold and you have a nice big warm blanket over you, you curl up like a fetus and make yourself feel warm. okay stop that didn't sound right again! haha!)

i have things to do today. personal things i have neglected because i'm just too busy or lazy to do it. one is to arrange shoes in the shoe rack. two, my laundry. three, cooking lunch for myself (bacon, eggs, and chorizo!!! aah! so good!) four, clean my room. and five, clean the house if i have enough time in the afternoon. (enough time cuz i need to work on our wine list! see i am still working even if i'm off, but no complains. =p ) six, hmmm, make myself a nice coke float with chocolate ice cream. and oh shit, seven, go to the bank to change mailing address. i thought the coke float is the culminating event and my day off treat to myself. =)

i'm home alone today and i hardly do things alone. i cannot live a solitary life but i'm living on one today. just for today and i like it. (the "solitary life" i got from claire cuz apparently the girl loves it although she says she's bored but she seems to be enjoying her new life in kamagong.) so yeah, i will cook lunch and eat alone. im glad tuni's keeping me company on ym kahit ginagago niya ako. hehe!

i think today is one of those days that i think about myself, just myself and no one is involve in it. i wanted to put on music but i decided to settle with the sound of the rain, thunder and the chirping birds. from the sound of their chirp, seems like they're pretty pissed off at the rain. haha! i am t**** (tuni, you know the word! haha!) but i feel relaxed and peaceful. not so happy but contented. my life has been on a fast rollercoaster ride and it got me so dizzy. today i'd like to pause and slow things down. just for one single day.

*******************************************************

i realize i used the word tired a lot. and i mean alot. i am so tired that i don't even notice myself saying it like its part of every sentence.

Wednesday, March 12, 2008
Rona, are you tired?


Thursday, March 13, 2008 - i am unbelievably busy and extremely tired
Sunday, March 02, 2008 - drained. exhausted. tired. dying.
Friday, February 15, 2008 - i am so tired because i work at least 12 hours a day
Saturday, January 19, 2008 - i am tired but i don't want to miss a thing at work.
Thursday, January 03, 2008 - i was so tired i had to sit with them and drink too.
Monday, December 31, 2007 - Its 3am and im dead tired.
Sunday, December 30, 2007 - i a super tired and i have to sleep cuz today might be my last day off until chinese new year.
Thursday, December 27, 2007 - I shouldnt be doing this cuz i am drained, exhausted and emotionally tired today.
Monday, December 24, 2007 - ...because if there's a more superlative form than "very tired" that would be the title of this entry.
- the tired-ness is going to be thrice as much as i'm feeling right now.
Saturday, December 08, 2007 - it was so funny even if everyone's tired and wanting to go home we still had the energy to enjoy the market list review!
Friday, December 07, 2007 - today i worked for almost 14 hours and i am tired, but happy tired.
- i am excited to get tired because this 'tired-ness' has a slight hint of fulfillment and it makes me happy. =)


so tell me, are you tired?

SOURCE: http://ronarons.blogspot.com/

Blogged by Anthony Scott

*******************************************************

okay, maiba naman tayo. like the title says "what can you do for love?" the entry title is inspired by krysse and mimi. the girls made a list of the stupid things a girl can do for love and obviously these things are based on their personal experiences (and their friends whom i know very well and heard the story firsthand. can i mention names? claire and karen, hi!!!!) i told them i'm making my own list too but i'm having a hard time putting up one because everytime i try to recall and attempt to write one incident, i'd always counter myself "yeah, it may be stupid now but it sure didn't sound stupid that time." shit, i was blinded. haha! =) hay, the things you do. now i narrowed down everything to just one and i believe this is the bottomline of it all.

the crazy thing you do for love:

1. make yourself believe that he loves you.

that alone makes you do stupid things. its either you give so much effort (pangkabuhayan showcase included) and you expect he does the same (not necessarily a pangkabuhayan showcase); or you don't exert so much effort but you still expect something from him. after all your circus acts and if everything else fails, you then opt to believe he loves you and you know deep down something is not right. and that's it, that's where you try so hard and do stupid things. and a few years later, you will laugh at yourself and say "ewww, yuck! shit on him! that lucky, lucky bastard!"

i'm telling you, there is no human relationship that does not have demands and expectations.

ps.
ewww, yuck! shit on them! those lucky, lucky bastsards!!!! ahahahha ang dami pala e noh? shit!

ps2.
after all is being said and done, i think it's my time to stop believing. i get tired too, you know.

cannot sleep

so i have the guts to stay up as late as 3am tonight because my boss said i'm off tomorrow. yay! =) i am unbelievably busy and extremely tired, hence me calling in sick yesterday. i want to rest and do absolutely nothing. i want to sleep the entire day and not think of work at all.

and someone is bringing me to the beach tomorrow if it doesn't rain. (sg weather just pisses me off! its so unpredictable it sucks!)

i have nothing to write actually, i just can't sleep yet. i tried closing my eyes but my mind's all over!

my life in singapore is a big beautiful surprise and i am loving every minute of its newness, even if it means of letting go of something you thought you could fix. seriously, i cannot be grateful enough. i am sweetly blessed by the One up above. =)

she keeps me warm at night - urban dub

The way that you flow like art
Making my breathing hard
You're touching me the right way
And made me feel home

She's keeping me warm tonight
Her kiss sets cold hearts on fire
Making me whole again
She made me feel whole

Our lips like poems
Under twisted sheets and flesh Come to me in silence
Cuz you need not once to speak
I'll cine right in you
Through streets of quiet wonder
We lie together in lonesome city
Enveloped by shadows and safety
You made me feel home

She's keeping me warm tonight
Her kiss sets cold hearts on fire
Making me whole again
She Made me feel whole, ooh

She's keeping me warm tonight
Her kiss sets cold hearts on fire
Making me whole again
She Made me feel whole, ooh

She's keeping me warm tonight
Her kiss sets cold hearts on fire
Making me whole again
She Made me feel whole, ooh
She Made me feel whole, ooh
She Made me feel whole, ooh

(of course my version is a "HE". yay!)

wow! i didn't know i can wake up (and blog) this early

good morning sunshine!!!!!!

amazingly i'm up as early as 7:30! =) yay! and i had a good sleep last night although i half-awakingly felt that i was tossing and turning because krys' blanket was too small for me!!! i had to sleep in her room because 1. karen relocated to our room, bringing all her pillows and comforter, 2. oue was sleeping on my bed but didn't want me to cuddle him, 3. krysse needed someone beside her for the night.

AND we had breakfast together! well, except oue cuz he had to leave as early as 5am for him to reach his office at 9. hahaha! we had sinigang na baboy (which i cooked yesterday for dinner) for breakfast and delicious steamed white rice! it's just rice, i know, but i like to make it sound like it is sooo delicious because it really is! hehe!

it's so dark, gloomy and cold today. i'd like to stay a little bit longer on my bed and just cuddle....... the comforter. how sad! haha! =p well the doctor said i need to rest since i am having early symptoms of flu so i guess it's just right that i rest for two more hours! hahah i'm so pretentious!!!!

okay, got to get up and work now. (god, im soooooo sleeepy!!!!) tonight is phantom night. why? because i just found out last night that karen and oue memorize the songs in phantom of the opera. tonight i will be the phantom and oue will be christine. karen and kryse are going to be, um, i can't remember. basta, we're singing tonight!!! woohoooo!!!! =) (goodluck sa kapitbahay namin!)

good old five things

i'm a loser i can't write proper paragraphs now.

1. pantyshorts girl is in manila now, taking over my place in my apartment in makati and going surfing in la union with my boys. i envy envy envy her for spending her first weekend in the philippines at the beach! anyway, bom, tina and i brought her to the airport and i'm surprised there were no tears. maybe because it still feels like she's on vacation and she's coming back in a week or two. i have a feeling in two weeks time i will start missing her terribly and i will call her crying and begging her to come back. hahaha! moments like this i am thankful i have a crazy busy job. i posted in multiply the farewell dinner photos. we had dinner at 7107 flavours at marina square and it was an all-star cast dinner. we were on a very long table and karen and i sang on the stage! hay cla, i know you are happy in manila now and i'm so excited for you. you deserve to be happy and have fun there! take care of yourself and my boys, especially you know who. haha! love you deep deep! =)

2. bom was here. period. hahahah! okay, i don't think this requires a 5-item story but i'm just glad to see him again. okay fine, i am very happy to see him again. four months is the longest time for us to be apart, as in physically and geographically apart. and i cannot believe i handled it pretty well (i think! haha!) so yea, i had the opportunity to get two days off (thursday and saturday) to at least take him around the island and just hang out with him. now to make the story short, bom was here for several job interviews, he was offered a job as a project architect, went back to the manila to tender his resignation and will come back here to work. bow.
















before i move on to number three... (photos here and here)

3. we will rock you (yes, the play in london!) is in singapore. i owe brian several treats: when i got the job, my first salary, christmast gift, and all his other libre, so i'm getting him a ticket too. and oh yes, this is going to be my birthday gift too. hahaha! mahal e, so parang all in one na sha! haha! shiiiit i cannot wait!!!!!! i memorize a lot of queen songs by heart but i have to re-memorize the others so i can sing along. i don't care if people will get annoyed and i know its unethical but damnit i am paying 160 dollars and i will sing if i want to! goodluck kay brian talaga! hahaha! =)

4. bangkok in three weeks! with oue! yahoooooo!!!!! i cannot wait!!!! =)

5. the shop is doing great! the business is increasing and we have regular customers who keep coming back for breakfast, lunch and dinner! we're already out in two magazines and three more are coming to print by april. last week, we had elle singapore and this week is a health, wellness and beauty magazine! next week we'll be doing out maildrop campaign (the postcards i did myself! yay!) with the help of singapore post and we'll be giving them out to 21,000 households. just imagine if that 21,000 comes down to the shop, wow talaga! =) sometimes i whine about having to waitress during lunch time but i think this is a good sign. having a slam during lunch is good because it means that alot of people are starting to know our shop and they are actually coming over to try out food. and take note, we haven't even advertised yet! i cannot wait for the second shop to open, i know opening another shop will be as crazy as the first one, but seriously, i just can't wait! =)

that's it for now. cuddle cuddle guys!!!! =)

taf ten

i wasn't going to blog for the next few weeks cuz i've been slacking at work last week and i have one million and one things to do the but i just can't help it. i just want to let it out...

i didn't know bb pilipinas organization doesn't screen candidates anymore.

TAF TEN KA KASI!!!!!

drained. exhausted. tired. dying.

period.

i swear to god i need a life. i am so desperate to watch a movie that alfin and i went to this 24 hour cinema where young kids (who think they're so cool) hang out at 3 in the morning! not to forget i have to wake up at 7 (assuming!) to get to work at nine and get off at six (this sentence makes me want to slap my own face!)

oh wait, i did have a life for a few hours yesterday morning. i had a breakfast date with claire at fullerton and i cannot believe how much bacon i ate!!!! the bacon wasn't as good as hungry hippo but it's still bacon, it's baboy and i'm craving for baboy for the longest time already. so yea, it was heaven! the breakfast was as nice as our conversation but until now the thought of her leaving is still not sinking in. i hope there's no tears involved this wednesday when i bring her to the airport.

katz, ferlyn and aileen are here and poor girls i couldn't take them out because i'm a loser.

okay, off i go to the airport now. i'm picking up bom. what can i do? the man missed me! ulol! haha! =)