All the while, I was working and on duty for my shift on Valentine's evening and likewise despite the colorful and crimson-infused environment, I had already set on a resolve that there is nothing worth looking forward to so I just decided to work my ass out just like how it normally is.
Though we are lucky to have some fun with the V-day activities executed by the support group of the management. Just minutes prior to my lunch break, I just found myself singing to this song, Love is All Around by the band Wet, Wet, Wet. I was discreetly humming to that tune when out of the blue, my immediate supervisor told me these lines that left me agape in disbelief:
"I heard your name mentioned before they played the song."
It was a song, yes. And while I was placed in a hotseat for like 30 seconds or so being asked if I have a boyfriend from a different department, I had to be swift with the clarification.
"Wala po akong boyfriend dito. Single na single po ako." (I don't have a boyfriend. I am very much single.)
For all you know, the person behind that surprise could be a girl too. Now, who would have thought that only those lovey-doves have the right to be giddy in delight? Aside from this surprise, the morning before, I actually gave out a fearless shoutout on my Twitter account (but that's not the controversial, scandalous one you think of, okay). I'd object because for today I got a slice of the cake too. And I have the right to be happy at that.
Since I am on soloflight working mode for Valentine's Day, I just decided to spend time browsing on my Facebook and Twitter account from where I found this video link in one of the Tweets I am following.
Seeing Divine Lee whip up yummy dishes in her posh kitchen not jest left my eyes and tummy in a gastronomic feast but left me with a rather strong conviction of pushing a plan back again. Resume to and take my cooking skills seriously -- another notch higher.
It's been a long time since I tried cooking for two. Yup, you heard that right. I used to cook for two. Being in the kitchen whipping up breakfast (in my pajamas) or even dinner (in either shirt and jeans or the usual smart casuals arriving from work) is one of the things that give me both relief and a sense of accomplishment. And these days being in auto pilot US timezone mode working in the night shift, I normally find myself up by 5am (I get to complete three hours or so of sleep, if I get lucky I get eight or nine) and in instances like that, these days, I would just find myself preparing breakfast again by myself.
They say the best way (not just to a man's) to the heart is through the stomach. I admit that I do miss cooking for two and I'd love to do it again; as I still believe that nothing beats that wonderful feeling of whipping and sharing a hearty meal. These days mom kept reminding me of that skill I have set aside. And since getting a job last year, I have been seeing myself shopping with mom for groceries and the whole kitchen-related stuff on times when I'm just home. I'd like to believe that I can probably take that "domestic goddess" title at least even during the weekend.
More than just a conventional belief that the art of cooking possessing that kitchen skill is just for ladies to have, the gesture is what I consider a real labor of love.
Happy V-day people.
Among the other things that I'm currently into again is scrapbooking. In one of my previous status posts in Facebook, this is one activity that I'll be venturing to this year. I used to own the same stuff two years ago which is now owned by someone else's (yes, I decided to give it away rather than to keep it -- for some reasons).
Since the last quarter of last year, I have been embarking firsts that I consider worth documenting. And those milestones grow more especially these months and days which prompted me to thinking that probably I should start doing it again.
And the little things that remind me of those milestones are starting to accumulate -- the same way with the joy each event is giving me now. I'd like to think that this time, this scrapbook will be mine to keep and won't have to be owned by if not handed over to someone else.
They're just piled. But all had been read.
Despite my busy schedule at work, I am trying so hard to squeeze in a few minutes if not an hour or a day to curl up with a good title in bed. I am aware that lately, I have been guilty as charged of not being able to indulge in one of my guilty pleasures -- or should I say my other love. Books that is.
Among my items in my to-do list is to read those titles that I have long been planning to devour in; and I'm on the hunt for good reads. And regardless of the time constraints, I purchased this book weeks ago buried beneath my pillow:
We are changed by what we read. Close that book and you are not the same person anymore. Because of what you read, your worldview -- your understanding, your compassion for others, your ability to engage intelligently with others -- has expanded a little. Books help us grow.
I first encountered the name of the inspirational speaker Francis Kong when I was doing transcriptions for MMLDC's Corporate Wellness lectures almost four years ago and his was the last topic that I worked on. The best was saved for the last one indeed as that talk sent not just me but mom and dad in laughter (because I decided to let them listen to it). I was mainly caught my his witty way of explaining things and values combined with a load of humor. I was even reading one of his books at that time
Ondoy was busy ravaging the country. And it's one trait that's evident in his books too.
My friend J on the other hand, is my exact opposite. Though he's also a book-savvy guy, he's allergic to these kinds of books hee..hee.. But I don't really mind him being vocal about it. Because as for me, given the job, schedule and often the stress that I encounter at work, I want and need a different diversion from all of it whenever I have the time (though nothing still beats conversations) and books are a surefire cure. More than just relaxation, it offers me time travels through my imagination. J actually recommended me the Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins and while I am not fully a sci-fi fan (save for Michael Crichton's Jurassic Park, Carl Sagan's Contact (which I had seen in films) and medical suspense novels) I think giving in and reading the trilogy won't hurt. I have read a synopsis of the book through Wikipedia and had seen a video clip of a particular scene of Hunger Games in his Facebook wall and I'd like to think that J was right -- I might be thanking him later on once I already have the book.
Now, if only National Bookstore will just have those books again, I won't mind spending a grand for it.
Just a short post, as I've said in my previous entry I'd be putting into black and white the things I love (in short, Valentine's posts) and because it's love season (yeah, mushy, I know) I decided to start it up with this one. The song Seasons of Love from RENT. Now, while I've been a bit of a fan of Broadway, I was not really familiar of this one before. Not until three years ago when I had to partake on an endeavor that involved this particular piece. While it gave me some heebie-jeebies, this song made me overcome one of my biggest fears too. I realized you'd really have to conquer a fear in exchange because you have a promise to keep. At first, I was just singing this for the heck of it but there was a time, I needed to get through the lyrics and well, I realized a lot of things about making the most of the 525,600 minutes that we are all blessed to have.
The musical was staged here in the country last year and will have a repeat again this month. Likewise, I knew some people who went through an immediate LSS with Seasons of Love (so I am not alone.) While they say it's not as awesome as how Broadway did it, I guess it won't hurt if I'd see a performance.
Now, if someone could go with me for that particular show.
And finally, it's time to flip the calendar for another month. And what else could people better associate February with but, well, Valentine's Day, right? Funny but it seems that a lot of us can't help but be early birds even on cheesy occasions like this. In an Audi showroom just near my employer's office building, I have seen red hearts on their doors as early as the third week of January. If they're that excited or exaggerated, I don't have an idea.
Anyhoot, I don't want to be a V-day grinch but I'd admit, The 14th has been a thing that I consider to be an ordinary day. While a lot of people had been planning how and where to spend that red-letter day, I've been meaning to play a joke that I no longer know what Valentine's Day is. Ordinary I tell you except for the fact that people literally paint the town red cradling the dynamic duo of massive (not to mention pricey) bouquet of roses and chocolates ( which like what I said I'll pass not unless I'd love another nerve-wracking bout with migraine). Though I'd like to think it's gonna be fun (even without a hunk for a date) given the lineup of our activities at the office. And given that hand-holding PDA-displaying couples are a normal sight, it's enough to think that everyday is Valentine's.
And since Valentino seems to still be hiding from nowhere, I'd just write about my other loves right in this blog. :-)
