My name is IYAH and this is my cyberhome. I'm a cyber addict and I have alot of online accounts. I find interest in webpage designing and photo editing. I'm still a newbie btw. I'm a sucker for epic war/feel good/true-to-life/korean movies. I'm a full-time accountant, part-time student and a part-time chef. I love to cook and bake. I have a bag and shoe collection. Now, I'm collecting scarves! :) Dancing is my passion and I really miss hitting the dancefloor with my grooves! I love to sing but nah, I don't have practice anymore. I love helping people without asking anything in return. A simple "thanks" is fine with me. I easily fall in-love and get hurt. And since I'm a Taurean, I'm stubborn and I let it happen over and over again... You'll get to know more about me in this page...so, WELCOME TO MY LIFE :)
~May 10, 2008 - IYAH's 24th Pre-Birthday - Wild Water Rafting @ North Fork American River~
***~Who I Want To Meet~
I want somebody to share, share the rest of my life, share my innermost thoughts, know my intimate details. Someone who’ll stand by my side and give me support and in return, he’ll get my support. He will listen to me when I want to speak about the world we live in and life in general. Though my views may be wrong, they may even be perverted, he’ll hear me out and won’t easily be converted to my way of thinking. In fact, he’ll often disagree but at the end of it all, he will understand me. I want somebody who cares for me passionately with every thought and with every breath. Someone who’ll help me see things in a different light, all the things I detest, I will almost like. I don’t want to be tied to anyone’s strings. I’m carefully trying to steer clear of those things. But when I’m asleep, I want somebody who will put his arms around me and kiss me tenderly. Though things like this make me sick...in a case like this, I’ll get away with it...
"Real love is always fated. It has been arranged before time. It is the most meticulously prepared of coincidences. And fate, of course, is simply a secular term for the will of God, and coincidence for His grace." - Joshua Harris
After 5 months of sleeping, eating, laughing, traveling and doing alot of things together...my sister finally went back to Manila an hour ago. I feel sad knowing that it'll be months or perhaps a year before I'd get to see her again. But I'm glad too though that we were given the chance to become closer and to have one of the best sistah relationship there is. Sigh, I'll miss having BK Mocha Joe, McDo's Snack Wrap, Quiznos' Alpine Chicken and Mesquite Chicken and of course, our latest addiction...Starbucks' Iced Caramel Macchiato with extra extra extra extra extra extra caramel...LOL. Shux, wala nako kasama kumain ng mga to. :(
Well, we have to live our separate lives for now. I guess we have to chase our respective dreams on our own first. I hope that when we see each other again...we'll be better people...same old crazy sisters..but way prettier, smarter and ahem...richer! :)
I am not a patient person. I don't like waiting. And I don't like hanging questions. I like immediate actions and quick responses. Well, I'm just like that. I simply don't like my time being wasted.
That was the problem in my previous relationships. I demand attention and time. And if I don't get it, I get annoyed and that would cause small fights. Small fights that evolves to bigger and more complicated ones. Which by the way caused my past relationships to fail. More than being impatient, I was less understanding. I became possessive of the people that I love without me realizing that I was holding unto them too tight. That eventually made them want to slip and get away. I lost them and it didn't only happen to me once. It happened over and over again. I admit, I'm stubborn. And I never learned from the same mistake. Well, I'm a Taurean so I guess that speaks for that.
No wonder I was single for a long period of time. I guess that was God's way of making me realize my mistakes. Maybe He wanted me to change and mature for the one that He has prepared for me. I felt my patience being tested. I realized that I can't have what I want if its not meant for me. And if ever that it does, I can't have it all at once with just one snap of my finger. Just like in searching for the one. I admit I was already losing hope. Most of my friends are in long-term relationships and happily in-love. While I, on the other hand, is still waiting for an angel to drop down from heaven. Sigh. Its been a while since I felt my heart beating for a reason. I missed taking care of someone and being taken care of in return. I miss the sweet talks at night and the simple gestures that used to sweep me off my feet. I miss being blown away by the mere thought of him. I miss being in-love. Not until I met this guy who turned my whole world upside down...:)
He came at the time when I already lost interest in searching for the one. I was already tired of the thought of being rejected or taken for granted. I just devoted my time to church and work. One usual morning, this guy added me at Myspace and I was just like, "ok so here we go again". I was hesitant at first but still, a strong force made me accept his invitation and after that, we started exchanging messages there. Then came chat, phone calls and we finally met at LA 2 weeks ago.
I'm glad that I met up with him though "eyeball" wasn't my thing. Its like something was pushing me to do it..whispering to me that its all gonna be worth it. It was..he was. And he still is. I'm just so lucky to meet someone who is very sweet, romantic, thoughtful, funny, smart, God-fearing and of course, good-looking. He's just the whole package. Too good to be true. I can say that I'm the happiest and the luckiest woman in the world right now.
I am amazed by the many changes in me. Though I'm once again holding on to this so badly, I'm trying to understand our situation more. That I don't have to rush into things and just let God be in the center of our relationship. There would still be times that impatience would still haunt me though. But my growing love for him is nurturing me...teaching me to to wait and hope for the best outcome of all these. I have become a better person because of him. I'm glad to that I had to go through all those pain, hardships, sorrows, etc. coz had it all not happened, I wouldn't be as happy as I am right now. And I am praying that he is my answered prayer and that it will be a "happily ever after" for us. Please pray for us too.
Good things do come to those who wait patiently...:)
“The fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, patience.” (GAL 5:22)
Since I'm in-charge of our monthly food supply at home (including but not limited to buying and cooking), I made it a point that we don't repeat whatever ulam we just had in the previous weeks/month. So I made this Menu for the Month and posted it in our kitchen so I would know which ones to buy or which ones I should be cooking. I just cooked Sopas and Sinigang na hipon. And my sister already made the Saba & Sago for our merienda. So those will be taken out of the menu for the month. :) I love to cook. Its very very relaxing and therapeutic. :)
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Kisses Pillow and a giant Hershey's Syrup piggy bank...got them at IT'SUGAR, Universal Citywalk. Thanks ate for the piggy bank...I have to start saving up for my next LA trip. LOL! :) They're sooooo cute huh? :)
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After more than a year, I finally got a taste of my all-time favorite drink, C2 Apple Flavor Green Tea!!! Found 'em at this Filipino Supermarket yesterday. I'm soooooo happy! :)
I am back. After being away from my cyberhome for more than a week, yes I am back. :)
Last week was hectic. I was cramming for my exam from Monday to Wednesday and took the exam on Thursday noon. The night of the same day, my sis and I flew to Los Angeles for our most awaited vacation (and my birthday treat for her as well). We chose those dates because of the long weekend (July 4th holiday) and because my sister is leaving soon. Might as well spend the last long weekend together right? So yeah, we went to the very "posh" San Francisco International Airport (the AirTrain was just so classy!) and guess who were flying with us via United Airlines??? the WAYANS BROTHERS! Oh yeah...Shawn and Marlon Wayans, the famous brothers who starred White Chicks, Little Man and Scary Movie 1 & 2. They were with their older brother, Keenen and their kids. There were like 6 kids with them and because of that, they didn't acknowledge any picture taking. Too bad huh? My sister felt bad too. But I was able to take a short clip of Marlon while he was waiting for Shawn outside the men's bathroom. At syempre pasimple lang ako kasi nga ayaw nila. :( And I'll try to upload the video sometime this week. :)
Day 1 @ LA: We went to Hollywood Boulevard Walk of Fame, Beverly Hills (we bought this Celebrity Homes map and drove around the city using our GPS and found the so-called homes of Johnny Depp, Tom Cruise & Katie Holmes, Madonna, Lindsay Lohan and alot more), Rodeo Drive (we saw Kirsten Dunst there!) and ate at this fancy Italian Restaurant there which my sis and I forgot the name of (we misplaced the calling card haha...bad bad!). Then we went to the Hollywood Sign, Mullholand Drive (overlooking downtown LA), Universal Studios Citywalk then we wanted to go to Santa Monica Pier but we couldn't find parking so we ended to our last destination to watch the July 4th fireworks at Marina Del Rey.
Day 2 @ LA: BEACH HOPPING!!! We went to Orange County's Laguna Beach and Huntington Beach were we got really tanned (my sister got sunburn). There were lots of surfers in Huntington Beach..well, its the Surfing City of California thats why and oh yeah...we scouted out some hot bodies - both gals and guys! LOL. :) After spending so much time there, we went to Long Beach and played at The Pike's Gameworks (its just like Timezone but even better coz there are resto-bars inside and a bowling alley). It was a long and fun day but I even had a better time that night. Details will just follow. Hahaha....:)
Day 3 @ LA: We went to Anaheim and attended the worship service at 10:30am. We had lunch at a filipino restaurant nearby called Kalesa (I love the halo-halo!) and then we went to Disneyland! Yay! I finally enjoyed Disneyland this time coz there were no kids and I was able to ride the exciting and fun ones too! We left Anaheim at 6pm and went straight to the airport. Our flight was at 9pm and we got back to San Francisco at around 10:30. Finally got back home about 12mn. Then back to work the following day! :(
Watch out for the pictures. I will be uploading them plus the videos too very very soon. And of course, I still have a very exciting kuwento to share. Yay!!! :)
This American guy was featured at ADOBO NATION (a tv show hosted by JC Gonzales and 2 other girls) and shown at The Filipino Channel. Soooo hilarious. In fairness, he knows how to cook it. I'll also give him "A" for the effort in speaking in Tagalog (plus the mic! haha). Sangkutsahin is the word of the day! :) Enjoy!
This is why they say Google was voted as the company most wanted to be worked for...
We already knew that working for Google had certain advantages, but, believe me, this giant of the search motor takes the welfare of its employees seriously ... as shown by this decompression (stress) capsule that is impermeable to sound and light ...
Moving around: A slide allows quick access from different floors ... There are also poles available ... they are similar to the ones used in fire stations.
Food. Employees can eat all they want from a vast choice of food and drink.
Work Station: Each employee has at least two large screens. There are 4-6 'Zooglers' per office.
INOVATION: Large boards are available just about everywere because 'ideas don't always come when seated in the office' says one of Googles managers.
LEISURE. Pool tables, video games etc. are available in many areas.
Communication. .. On each floor, there are private cabin areas where employees can attend to personal affairs.
Technical Support: Problem with your computer ? No problem ... Bring it to this area where drinks are available while it is being fixed ...
Health: Professional masseurs (eusses) available.
REST ... This room provides massage chairs that you control ... while you view relaxing aquariums ... !!!
Ambiance ... There are many books in this library ... even some about programming !!
Two weeks ago, my officemate (who's training me right now) gave me a sandwich for breakfast. I asked what's in it, and she said it was chocolate. Curious of how it tasted..I tried it out. It tasted like Ferrero Rocher chocolate so I asked her what chocolate was that. That's how I met NUTELLA. ^_^
The week after, I went to the nearby supermarket and bought a pack of dinner rolls and a jar of ahem..Nutella. That was my breakfast at work everyday...for a week! And yes, I'm not yet sick of it. In fact, I even bought another jar for my "nutty" cravings at home. Yay! CALORIES! Tumaba nanaman ako. *sigh*
As I googled for Nutella, here's what I found out...
Nutella is the brand name of a hazelnut-based sweet spread created by the Italian company Ferrero in the 1940s. At the time, chocolate was very limited due to the Second World War.
Nutella®, in its original form, was first created in the 1940s by Mr. Pietro Ferrero, a pastry maker and founder of the Ferrero company. At the time, cocoa was in short supply because of rationing due to World War II, so chocolate was very limited. So Mr. Ferrero used hazelnuts, which are plentiful in the Piedmont region of Italy (northwest), to extend the chocolate supply.
The original version of Nutella® spread was called "pasta gianduja," pasta which means paste, and "gianduja" which is the name of a carnival character famous to the region, a character that can be found in the first advertisements for the product. This original form of Nutella was actually made in loaves and wrapped in tinfoil, so it could be sliced and placed on bread for mothers to make sandwiches for their children. But many children, as you could imagine, would throw away the bread and only eat the pasta gianduja! So Mr. Ferrero altered the product into a paste that came in a jar, so could be spread on the bread. This then ecame known as "supercrema gianduja," because it was a spread-able version of the gianduja. "Supecrema gianduja" was eventually renamed "Nutella" in 1964, with the origin of the word being "nut" and the "ella" giving it a soft ending.
In its home country of Italy, Nutella has become a cultural and social phenomenon. Many books have been written about it, and it is the core of a celebrated scene in the movie Bianca, by the Italian filmmaker Nanni Moretti, in which a character relieves his post-coital anxieties by eating from a gigantic Nutella jar
Most notably in Paris, crêpes with Nutella spread and sliced banana are considered a delicacy, popular with Parisians as well as tourists. They are sold everywhere in the streets, and the crêperies are often "decorated" with lots of full Nutella jars.
After religiously checking on the status of my last CPA exam (AUDITING and ATTESTATION) for two months (I took it last April 14), I finally got the result this afternoon....
I PASSED!!! :)
I passed my 3rd exam, one more to go...just one more and if I pass the last one, US CPA nako!
I'm just soooo happy. GOD IS SO GOOD. Thanks to everybody who prayed for me and please do continue praying for me...that I pass my last exam. Last na to...yay..can't wait! :)
Too bad I wasn't able to take the "before" pictures of this office. The previous Payroll Administrator was just so messy. There was like a mountain of unsorted papers that I had to organize and file. There were tons of junk that needed to be thrown away. And after all those cleanings and stuff, the place looks more like an "office" now.
But the work doesn't stop there. They'll be setting up new filing cabinets for the confidential and medical files of the employees. I have to pull out all the medical and confidential files in each of the employees' files and place it there. Currently, there are 5 shelves (with 3 rows) inside this office where all employees' files are kept, including the terminated ones. All kinds of reports from January to date - pay check register, tax register, system updates, union reports - are in those shelves as well. I didn't take a picture of it anymore...sorry.
I have my own printer and "production" area. I even have my own stock of supplies as well. (I have like a mini supplies store in my office) I used to have a fax machine here also. But since we're going techie, we are trying to eliminate the "old-style" way of faxing. Now, all the fax documents go straight to my email. Cool huh? :)
They said their going to put some chairs and plants (?) inside for the visitors. Hahaha. Yup, I never ran out of people coming inside my office. My phone rings every once in a while. My mailbox never ran out of snail mails/packages from the "outside world". In short, I'm one of the busiest people in our company. I don't have privacy at all! :(
Oh and did I mention that aside from having my own first-aid kit and "survival" kit, the emergency exit is in my office? Haha. Told yah, my office will never ran out of people coming in. :)
what would you do? or with whom do you want to spend it with? is there any particular happening in your past that you would want to go back into ...just for one more day?
I started reading For One More Day by Mitch Albom where the main character in the story actually spent one more day with his mom who already passed away several years back. Why did that happened and how it happened? That I still have to find out.
I was trying to ponder on my past and think about where and when to spend that "one more day" or with whom. But I can't think of any. Probably because I didn't regret anything that I did or said in the past or probably because one day just wasn't enough for me. I don't know. One thing I know for sure is that I miss my mom, my brother and all my friends in Manila that if I could just go home for one day, I would do that. But nah, one day isn't enough for all that so I don't think that would count. :(
So how about you, how will you spend that "one more day"?
My dad and I were already walking from the office to the subway station when he suddenly felt that his phone rang. He held his pockets and checked his bag but his phone wasn't there. Then he remembered that he was charging his phone in his office and forgot to unplug and get it. Since we were already halfway to the subway station, he told me to go ahead and that he'll just catch up. So he went back to the office and there he saw a missed call from his older sister who lives in Chicago. He called back and then he got a very very bad news.
My auntie, Tita Violy, (my dad's younger sister) died last Monday in her sleep. It was so sudden and too tragic. We were shocked with what happened because we never heard her get sick...or get too sick for that to happen.
She's a nurse in Chicago and works on a night shift since she also takes care of my grandma who lives with her. She has two kids, one is a nurse in Canada and the other one is still in high school. That day, when Jovy (my cousin) got home from school, he was trying to wake up his mom for her to get ready for work (this is like an everyday thing to them) but she never woke up.
This is like the 3rd death in our family (father side) within a year. Last December, my grandaunt died because of cancer (forgot what kind of cancer it was) and weeks after my cousin died because of lupos. And now it was my auntie...just months after.
I was devastated when I heard my dad cry. She (my auntie) was his closest sibling. And they really look alike too. I may not be close to her (I only met her like 3 times in my entire life) but she has always been nice to us and never failed to kept in touch thru phone calls. I also remember receiving birthday gifts from her (money or gift cards). She was just too nice and thoughtful. She will really be missed. :(
My dad flew to Chicago this afternoon. He filed for leave from work and will be staying in Chicago for a week. He asked if I wanted to come. I would want to but the air fare is just too much plus I still can't file for a leave from work since I haven't been with the company for 6 months. Also, I have an upcoming exam to prepare for. I'm cramming...again. :(
I'd like to take this opportunity to thank those who extended their condolences to our family especially our officemates and my friends back in Manila who heard about it. Thanks for all the sympathies and warm thoughts. We really appreciate it. :)
Two weeks ago, my officemate (who's training me right now) gave me a sandwich for breakfast. I asked what's in it, and she said it was chocolate. Curious of how it tasted..I tried it out. It tasted like Ferrero Rocher chocolate so I asked her what chocolate was that. That's how I met NUTELLA. ^_^
