The Spookyhontas Diaries

Happy New Year, Everyone!

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I’m moving my blog to Blogspot and it’s here … http://spooksdiariespart2.blogspot.com/.  Drop by and please feel free to leave comments. 

Ok.  So I haven’t updated this since 4-5 days ago.  Things have been busy at work and on the home front so I found myself too lazy and too tired to literally lift a finger and type away.  Nakakapagod na itong work ko!  Some days I really wish I were a marine biologist instead.

I did reward myself with a bit of shopping last night at the Myer One VIP Shopping Night.  Di ko talaga ma-resist.  :o)  I’ve been really good though and did not go crazy, as I used to do whenever there are events like this.  In fact, when I told PJ what I bought, he said, "That’s it?"   He thinks that given the amount of time I spent in the store, and the fact that I braved the sale crowd, I should have scored some more.   My secret?  I’ve got my mind on very specific items for Christmas (remember my yummy Christmas treats post?) kaya everything else seems less desirable.  (So don’t get the impression that I’m actually a totally reformed shopaholic.)

Product Review

My favourite purchase from last night is … Dr. Feelgood from BeneFit.  (Yes, Benefit is slowly taking reign in my cosmetics and skincare drawer.)  You see, my face tends to act like an oil factory at this time of the year here in Oz.  (As in sobrang oily, parang gusto ko baguhin ang name ko to Canola.)  I told my Benefit SA about it and she patted some Dr. Feelgood on my face.  Dyaaaraaaan!!! Instantly, the oiliness and shine were gone.  So syempre I had to buy it. 

This morning, I put it on (just sponged it all over my face) and used a bit of Nars Orgasm/Laguna bronze/blusher duo, then applied Mac Select Sheer Powder and that’s it.  Went to work … then I’ve been busy all day and have not had time (and hardly ever do anyway) to touch-up or at least blot.  When I checked the mirror late this afternoon, there was no sign of oiliness, there’s still a trace of blush on my cheeks, and my face looked almost the same as it did this morning.  It’s soooo good!  I highly recommend it.

I can’t remember how or why but my meeting last Friday (with a top-level exec from my client) got sidetracked into the topic of shoes.  As in, how many pairs each one of us in the group has.  I was already rambling in my mind for a "decent" answer when Mr. Executive threw the question at me.  "How many pairs do you have, Rechelle?"

Gulp.  My answer: "Next question please."  Then a smirk. 

From past experience, me answering this question just always gets me in trouble.  My dad used to always look at my shoe rack and go, "Heto sana ang pang deposit mo sa bahay mo o."  So I figured, I’ll just stop counting.  That will save me from giving an accurate answer - or I can get away with IDontKnow quite easily.

Anyway, back to my Friday meeting’s side topic … the guys (three of them inc Mr. Exec) all had at least 12 pairs.  But they’re very quick to point out that they only use 4 out of these.  With the girls, 4 of us including me … the other two said they don’t know, the other one said she has about 60-70.   And me, well you can guess.  Maybe I’ll throw you a pair if you get it right.  But just be aware that by the time you give me an answer, the figure might have changed already.  Haha.

(The following post was meant to be published yesterday (14th) but it didn’t make it, so here it is.)

I FAILED MY DRIVING TEST.

There.  No intro, no warning.  I know if I take that approach, I’d be blabbering on and on and on about potential excuses why I did not pass, and mind you, I have a few.  Like, I’ve been sick since Sunday.  Another good one is, I’m under meds.  But really, whatever excuse I make, real or not, the point is I failed my test. 

But I’m taking the failure as a mature adult (seriously) and I’m more than willing to learn from it.  In fact after the test, I felt that I needed to fail for me to learn.   I need to take driving here more seriously than I ever did since attempting to drive here using my Pinas-honed driving skills.  This will sound like a kumpisal, but I acknowledge the fact that:

- I am kaskasera (I was speeding DURING my driving test.  Shunga ever.)
- I don’t check my blind spots and I’m driving an SUV (even if a small one), which makes it even worse.
- I don’t pay attention to road signs, eh ang dami pa naman dito.
- I do defensive driving, in true Pinoy fashion.  (Pero I don’t honk honk naman.)

Sobra akong tawa nang tawa after my driving test.  Not only did I know that I failed even before I was told so, I also knew that my Testing Officer could barely contain her disappointment.  Kulang na lang tumalon sya palabas ng kotse the moment she said the test is finished and I can park the car.  Natatawa ako na naaawa ako sa kanya.  She must have felt so unsafe with me behind the wheel.  I was so tempted to tell her that the car has more than one airbag for her, may side airbags din kase.  Pero baka kung sinabi ko yun, malamang pinahuli na nya ako sa pulis.  Natatawa din ako sa sarili kong kayabangan, more like over-confidence, at sa pagiging presumido ko masyado.  Kase naman, nakapag-drive lang sa Pinas for more than a year eh akala mo magaling na pagdating dito sa Sydney.

Whilst I was laughing at the situation and at myself however, it didn’t mean that I wasn’t taking this whole driving thing seriously.  Honestly, I now realise how inadequate my driving skills are, for me to
drive safely around here.  Madami pa akong kailangan matutuhan at
i-polish, which I am more than willing to go through para lang ako
maging matinong driver.

Kaya … goodluck to me! 

No more night
No more pain
No more tears
Never cryin” again
And praises to the great I Am
We will live in the light of the risen Lamb.

Click here to listen to the entire song.

Before you panic, no, the world isn’t coming to an end soon kaya ako nagsulat nito.  Not yet anyway.   I just missed Mama and this is the closest I get to her when I think of her.  Zoe and I know this song by heart, pati belting ng vocals memorised na namin.

This is Mama’s favourite song.  When her cancer recurred, she would listen to this song all the time.   In her room, in the hospital, in the car - laging may No More Night.  It seemed to me like this song was instrumental in making her accept everything.   

I was so bad at accepting "everything" that happened to her.  In the hospital, each time we were told of her prognosis (especially during the times that was really bad for her), everyone can put on a brave face except me.  Many times I’d go rushing out of the room because I didn’t want her to see me crying.  Mama is supposedly the tough one - she could make me eat my ampalaya just by staring at me when I was a kid, she could make me stay at home even when my parents have already said yes to a late-nighter with my highschool barkada, she’d watch Bam-Bam Bigelow  and other WWF stars on late Saturday nights, she would pick me up from UP every Friday afternoon and would eat a ton of fishball while waiting for me to arrive from my last class. 

Having had to see her fight cancer made me see her in a different light, that she wasn’t so tough at all and I wasn’t prepared for that.

When I went back to the Philippines in 2005, she was very happy about it and would tell all her bisita about it.  She spoiled me rotten every weekend I was home in Bulacan.  She would wait for me to arrive no matter how late on Friday nights, and she’d get dinner ready as soon as she hears the gate being opened.  Usually she’ll have some special ulam for me, something she didn’t share with the rest of her household (so while everyone else had fish and gulay for example that night, I’d be having morcon, sometimes lechon, menudo … basta, laging special).  She’d have breakfast with me on Saturday morning (if she didn’t go to church), then she’ll ask me what I want for lunch and/or dinner.  Pag sinabi ko naman na galunggong and kamatis, or munggo and tilapia, my favourite cousin TE would almost want to kill me, so sometimes I ask for crispy pata.  Come Sunday afternoon, maghahanda pa sya ng ulam for me to take back to Makati.  Sabi nga ng isang cousin ko, "Parang ikaw ang may cancer ah, Spooks."

On her 50th birthday, I sponsored her birthday wardrobe - which she was so proud to tell her hundreds of guests.  She would not let anyone - as in anyone - borrow those clothes even after the occasion.  I think it was "stolen" once though, kasi the clothes appeared in a picture worn by another tita - si Mommy.  (Meron akong Nanay, Mommy, and Mama.  Meron din akong Aunty na parang nanay ko din.  Meron din akong Inang, pero wala na rin sya gaya ni Mama.)

Anyway … madami pa akong kwento about Mama but honestly, it’s getting a bit too intense kaya stop muna ako.  Change topic. 

I’m sick.  Again.  Last time - which wasn’t too long ago - it was pharyngitis (sp?).  This time, it’s the flu.  And I hate the flu because it makes me feel all wussy and weak and cold and aching all over.

My doctor presribed Tamiflu, but told me I had the option of taking ordinary cough-and-cold meds as Tamiflu don’t come cheap (about 50 AUD for 10 caps).  PJ had reservations about buying Tamiflu (what if they are that expensive but don’t work? what do we know about this drug?).  I told him that if I can buy a shirt or a pair of shoes that cost more than a hundred dollars (and these are things I don’t need), surely I can buy Tamiflu.   When we got to the pharmacy, I still had to discuss it with the pharmacist to get a second opinion about the meds.  After a short discussion, I was sold.  I’ve taken 2 capsules since last night, and I’m already feeling lighter.  Still sick, but better compared to how I was like last night. 

Last night I also used Beconase 24-Hour Spray and this morning, for the first time after a very long time, I woke up without any feeling of nasal congestion (due to my rhinitis).  Did you know hayfever/rhinitis can cause sore throat?  I only found out about this recently (as in last night), so I intend to keep my rhinitis at bay because sore throats can be very bothersome. 

Anyway, stay healthy.  And in case you are feeling sick right now, I hope you feel better soon.  ;) 

This is a poster picture of cultural diversity in my workplace, and it just amazes me.  In this photo are some - just some - of my co-workers from all parts of the globe.

From Me, clockwise first row: PINOY, Greek (partly covered by me), Aussie (the one in the pretty dress),  Aussie (the bearded one), Vietnamese -New Zealander, Portuguese, Aussie (the lady with the sexy pose), Indian, Kenyan, from Papua New Guinea (I don’t know what they’re called), Aussie-Swede.

From Ms Aussie Swede, counter-clockwise: Taiwanese, German, Swiss, Indian, German, Scott, Irish (partly hidden), Russian, English, English, Dutch, Dutch. 

(Some disclaimer: Descriptions not 100% accurate.  Chances are, where the European origins are concerned, I might have mixed them all up.)

Do you have a Thinking Face?  Think about how you look like when you think.  As in thinking really deeply and seriously.  See? That.  That is your thinking face.  I got a couple of "paparazzi" shots three days ago while I was doing a workshop for a client, where there was a serious information overload and I felt my head was going to explode.  I think this is my Thinking Face.  Or then again, this could be my Pretend Thinking Face - I wouldn’t know from this shot although I know my head hurt that day.   

Me and my girlfriend’s theory is that you think your Thinking Face is somewhat pleasant or at least normal-looking, but in reality, your face is contorted and you are doing silly things with your face without you knowing it.  You squint.  You pucker your lips.  Or bite them.  Your mouth’s open.  Your left eyebrow is raised.  You are zoned out but smiling mischievously.  A lot of things that Your Thinking Face does without you knowing it.  Or maybe you simply look disgusted, or you look like you are about to throw up.  Just like how I looked in the pic.

I used to go around the office (back in Pinas) and just capture people’s Thinking Faces.  My fabulous friend E.D. wouldn’t realize that her reading glasses are almost already touching her lips while she works out her government accounts cos she squints too much.  My other friend J.G. would do a Zoolander Look while she tries to work out the managing director’s busy schedule. 

Another theory is that if you are aware of the "existence" of your Thinking Face, then you would make an effort to look pleasant while you’re thinking instead of looking like you’re constipated.  This awareness, hopefully, would save you from getting Botox later on in life, and would prevent you from looking silly, if at all that is something important to you.

Of course there is another layer to this theory which is … how your Thinking Face look depends on what you are thinking about.   

Just one last thing … whatever Thinking Face you have, don’t mumble - you know, that silly movement of your lips as if you’re speaking but you’re actually not.  Or an even better suggestion, don’t mumble and then start nodding your head cos you agree to what you are mumbling about.  That’s just creepy.