shallow

on the way to dinner last weekend...

me: 'ei, wait... is this also what i was wearing the last time we ate there?  i remember from the picture it's brown... and then 3/4...'

friend: 'no... that one is black...'

me: 'it's just dark in the car... this is brown...  aw!  i think this is what i was wearing... brown, 3/4, then the neckline's high...'

companion: 'that's okay...'

me: 'eh?!  i seldom go there and then i'm wearing the same outfit?!' : }

well, i checked the pics...  my blouses are just similar but not the same... whew!

over dinner that time, i was trying to check in at foursquare...

friend:  'what do you get when you check in?'

me:  'in the U.S. you get discounts...  here you just get badges......'

companion:  'badges are enough for cynthia...'

me:  'haha...  yup...  i have so many badges already...  but i haven't earned a badge in a while...  i dunno where i have to check in to earn a badge again...  it makes me really happy when i get a badge...'

companion:  'you get happy when you get a badge only if you're shallow...'

me:  'haha...  i am shallow...  i have simple joys...  i really want to earn a swarm badge...  you get it when you check in someplace where 50 of you are checked in...  i'd really like to have that...'

companion:  'you know bucket list?'

me:  'yup...  haha...  that's on my bucket list...'

companion:  'it's a movie...  i didn't see it but they say it's good...'

me:  'me, too...  i haven't seen it either...  but the things you want to do before you die, on my bucket list is to make a moment cam drawing for every member of our clan...'

i really am shallow...  :"}

starting over

on the phone with a friend...

friend:  'i can't log in...  i'm being asked a security question...'

me:  'oh?  did you enter a wrong password?  it will ask if you repeatedly enter a wrong password...'

friend:  'no...  isn't the password <password>?'

me:  'that's what i know...  wait, i'll try...'

i was able to log in...

me:  'it's ok...  the password is correct...'

friend tried again...

friend:  'i'm still being asked a security question...'

me:  'really?  maybe you entered a wrong password earlier...'

friend:  'i don't remember my security question...'

me:  'aw!  i don't know it...  wait, why did you text me you don't have your card?'

friend:  'i left it at the other house...'

me:  'so?  why do you have to tell me?'

friend:  'i need it to log in...'

me:  'what?!  don't enter card details...  that should be optional...  all you need is your username and password...'

friend:  'it's asking so many questions...'

me:  'like what?'

friend:  'name, username, password, birthday...'

me:  'huh?!  you're signing up!  you're supposed to just sign in...  you already have an account!'

: }

poverty

overheard this afternoon...

father to daughter:  'why don't you have classes today?'

daughter:  'SONA...'

father:  'what?'

daughter:  'P-noy's SONA...'

father:  'huh?  what?'

daughter:  'State of the Nation Address of President Aquino...'

father:  'oh...'

i guess some people are too busy trying to make a living to keep track of speeches about supposed improvements to their lot...

there's a difference

friend's birthday dinner last night...  waiters came out with a cake and sang 'happy birthday'...

me:  'there...  she's now 50...'

waiter:  'she's 50 years old, ma'am?'

me:  'yes...  golden...'

waiter:  'she doesn't look 50...'

me:  'she looks 49?'  ; )

waiter chuckles:  'maybe around 45...'

dinner companion:  'no...  about 49.5...'

well, she looks younger than her age...  ; )

facebook official

i call a friend on her birthday...

me:  '♩ ♪  happy birthday to you
happy birthday to you
happy birthday, happy birthday
happy birthday to you  ♫ ♬'

friend:  'how come you don't have something on my timeline?'

me:  'huh?!  in facebook?'

friend:  'yes...  you didn't greet me in facebook...'

me:  'aw!  i called to greet you now and you're looking for facebook?!  i'm logging in nighttime yet...  i'm going to greet you there, too...'

friend:  'ah...  okay...'

it's not official until it's on facebook...  : }

think inside the box

logging in to facebook from a new device...  security check...  identify friends in photos...  two skips allowed...

aw!  there's this face box on a statue!  waaahhh!!!  skip!

ta-daaannnn!!!  another one on a poster!  ugh!  skip again!

good thing the rest were already of people i really know...  whew!

uhm, friends, let's make it a habit to tag accurately, ok...  it could help others not to get locked out of their accounts...  \m/

it's what you are inside

i have this loose, straight, sleeveless, ankle-length denim dress that i like to wear...  it's sort of my uniform already going certain places...

mom:  'you should throw away that dress...  it's so faded...'

me:  'i like it, it's so comfortable...'

mom suggests a similar dress...

me:  'i like the other one...  it has pockets in front, i don't have to bring a bag...'

mom:  'but it's already so faded, you look like a rag...'

me:  'i know i'm not so i don't mind...'

a diamond is a diamond even if you wrap it in trash...

\m/

; p

late and later

i went out of town a few days ago.  i took a plane and from the airport, proceeded to the van station.  i was there 2 p.m.  i was told, however, that the van is already full and i will have to take the next trip which is scheduled for 3 p.m.

me:  'aw!  one hour to go?  hmmm...  i'll just take the bus...'

i went to the bus station and there i was directed to a parked bus which i was told was already the last bus to my destination.  ei, good.  i was able to catch it...  : D

i entered the bus and was surprised that i was the only passenger inside.

and then the driver told me, 'we're leaving at 3:30 yet...'

me:  'aw!  i skipped the van because it's leaving at 3:00 and now i'm here leaving at 3:30?!'

the driver chuckles and tells me to just stay put and not transfer anymore...

me:  'yup...  lest i end up with a vehicle that leaves at 4:00...'

:"}

the wrong one

i saw a shirt print:

"Do the don't"

hahaha...


reminded me of:

"Regret for the things we did
can be tempered by time;
it is regret for the things we did not do
that is inconsolable."

-  Sydney J. Harris


but then i like to tell myself (uhm, i don't always listen though...)

just because you like it
does not mean you have to do it.
not all feelings should be acted upon.
we should not stop at what feels good.
it should also feel right.

<heartache>...  :'(

Luke 6:38

i know there was a transport fare hike last june so before leaving the house, i asked how much the fare is.  i was told P8.50.  ok.

i rode a jeepney and handed the driver P10.00.

he gave me P2.00 back.

me:  'manong, how much is the fare?'

driver:  'P8.50...'

me, handing the driver P1:  'you gave me P2...'

driver:  'i don't have change, that's why...'

me:  'oh...  you can have the P1.  it's ok...'

driver:  'you can have it...'

me:  'i don't want to underpay...'

driver:  'it's ok...'

me:  'oh...  thank you...'

i kept the P1 and then a while later i saw another passenger pay the exact amount.

me:  'manong, you already have change, right?  here's the P1...'

the driver smiled, took the P1 and gave me 0.50 centavos.

guess what, walking around the mall i saw P1 on the floor  ->  double what i rightfully returned!  i normally see only 0.10s and 0.05s!  every once in a while 0.25 centavos.  that's quadruple and even twentyfold!

what you do comes back to you  ->  increased and multiplied...  \m/

here's looking at you

i was walking and behind me, just a few steps away, was this guy...  after a while, he overtook me and, without any subtlety whatsoever, checked out my face...

eh?!

and then he slowed down and we were back to walking with me ahead of him...

a.  he didn't like my face
b.  i look better from behind
c.  i'm making much ado about nothing

;"}

reflect

at mass this afternoon, i was struck by what the priest said.  the christian way is to 'love your enemies.'  but the priest was saying the usual case is we are as good or even better to those who are good to us.  and to those who are not, we are not, too.  hmmm...  that is true.

now there are those who are good to everyone and there are those who are bad to everyone.  but if someone is good to others but not to you, maybe you should examine yourself  ->  how you are to that person.  you reap what you sow.

on my way

i call my brother's house...  my sister-in-law answers...

me:  'mamu, could you please check whether the gate is closed?  i'm not sure whether i was able to close it...'

sister-in-law:  'it's closed...'

me:  'oh, good...  i can't remember whether i closed it or i just drove off...'

sister-in-law:  'you're having a senior moment, huh!'

me:  'aw, yup...'

momentS...  :"}

good or bad

at the land transportation office yesterday, i was struck by a sign lying on a table that says, "System Hang."  i didn't know whether to take it as a reflection of the (un)reliability of the system or the pro-activeness of the employees...  \m/

anywhere, everywhere

this morning, i was someplace i go to regularly but not really often...  whenever i am there, i make it a point to drop by the church...  well, this morning, parking was full...  i circled the compound and saw a row of vacant parking slots  ->  reserved for certain personnel though...

i drove close to the guard and requested to park just a very short while.  i said i'll just say a prayer in the church then leave.

the guard declined.

i tried again:  'just one Our Father and then i'll go...'

no.

me:  'ok...  just a sign of the cross and then i'll leave.'

still a no.  but the guard directed me, with a smile, to a small side road.  he said i could park there.

me:  'aren't they gonna tow me there?  i've been tire-locked here before...'

the guard assured me it's ok.

i parked, ran to the church, said a short prayer then drove off.  i just continued my prayer at home.  the venue is immaterial anyway.  God is omnipresent.

sexist

i was walking this afternoon when i saw someone pointing to the other side of the street and telling his companion:  'there!  there's the [car] owner!  female!'

i have a feeling had the driver been male, gender would not have been raised at all.

why or why not

mom asks nephew about the acronyms on his class schedule...

mom:  'what does this mean?'

nephew:  '<blah-blah-blah>...'

mom:  'this one?'

nephew:  '<blah-blah-blah>...'

mom:  'how 'bout this one?'

nephew:  'sanitation...'

mom:  'no...  what do the letters mean?  just like NBA, national basketball association...'

nephew:  'i don't know...'

mom:  'you find out...'

nephew:  'why do we need to know?'

\m/