Happy Birthday, Teenage Dream :)

A few weeks back, I don't know what came to my mind and asked James about his favorite character, was it Superman or Batman? He immediately responded with "both :)" and I blurted out I'll have something for him when his birthday comes. He said he can't wait; and from then on I kept thinking what could be the bestest Superman/Batman gift. I started with ballers, cap, tshirt, watch, cake, pillows- name it, I could have possibly thought of it too! Until one day, I was at the mall and saw an artshop, "Cool." I thought.  Then Superman and James came into mind. *hint*

1 week in the making. I was constantly in touch with the artist, I'd email him once in a while, I specified how I wanted it to look and how special and personalized I wanted it to be.

His birthday came, September 4, 2011. I have my gift wrapped nicely. But there's no way I can give it to him personally. I bet he was spending his special day with his family. Well, I can wait :)

Monday, September 5, 2011. My most awaited day. I'll be seeing him again! Even convinced my parents to go with me ( I feel the support, really ) Arrived 30 minutes earlier than their practice time. We were at the parking lot, oops, James' car was not yet there. I asked manong guard if I can watch the team train. " Bawal po mam, dapat may kakilala sa loob or manggaling mismo sa player na pwede pumasok " I told him my friends usually watch and they just leave their id's. "Try nyo nalang po ulit mamaya mam"

Cause we're good followers, Mama and I came back past 4pm. Now I'm not just talking to one but two manongs. We worked our charms out and Mama even said "Sige na sir, galing pa kami Laguna, nandito lang ako para suportahan anak ko" ( awwww mama's superb!) Manong # 2 then asked for my name, I said my name, he said he wants my full name,  "James knows me by that name po and just tell him about the Superman gift" Manong #1 said we follow Manong #2.

While we're patiently waiting for Manong and James, the Azkals are coming! My heart beat faster than ever. I was just sitting on the stairs when Manong returned and said "Di na daw po pwede lumabas si James mam eh" " Aww sayang naman po kuya :( "  Just when I stood up, I saw James, running, to where me and mama were. When he saw me, I greeted him and then he hugged and kissed my cheek. *tsup* ( be still, dear heart, keep calm. ) "Happy Birthday, James. Here's my gift for you, you said you like superman right? So there, you are my Superman. Can you open the gift now?" Before he opened the gift, he read my lil note first. When he saw what it was, "Awesome. Yeh I like Superman" "We came all the way from Laguna just to give you that" " Awesome, thank you" My mama then started to talk: "I'm the mom and I'm a fan of you" in which he responded " Hi Tita" with matching hand wave ( so adorable. can you just call her Mom instead of Tita? lmao) He reached out his hand and was about to kiss mama but mama was so shy!

Of course I asked for a photo. Don't asked me how I felt. Words can't explain it.

Before I went home and said goodbye, he hugged and kissed me again. *tsup* (1000000000 points for katwoman! :D ) "I'll tweet you later James" "Yeh sure :) "

Bottomline is, GOOD THINGS REALLY COME TO THOSE WHO WAIT. And I thank you manongs for making it possible, and you, James Joseph Younghusband for being so appreciative and all. 

"Let's run away and don't ever look back"

Happy RNiversary!

Before lunch of Aug 27, 2010, my friend called me to inform that the nursing board exam results were out. And i can still remember how I reacted-- denial.

Me: "Weh di nga? San mo naman nakuha yan?"
Emma:"Eto oh may website"
M: "Akin na nga ung link" and as i clicked on that link i can feel my heart racing. "Sh*t kat, eto na yun, make or break day" Pag open nung window, Ctrl + F: "BAT WALA UNG PANGALAN KO?!" Scrolled up sa home page, boom! Result pala ng Accounting ang binigay sakin. So malamang wala talaga dun yung pangalan ko. I informed my friend about that cause we're still on the phone so she gave me another link. "Oh eto try mo, baka yan na yun" Sa isip ko, Lord please, do a miracle, sana makita ko ung pangalan ko.

Link! Click! Ctrl + F: Prayers answered! My name is there! And ang bilis ng emotions ko, naiiyak na nanginginig na di makapaniwala na sobrang saya. Mixed emotions. Tawag agad sa best friend para ipaalam na sa wakas, R.N. na kami; na pagkatapos ng 4 na taon at ilang buwan na pagsusunog ng kilay, nakuha rin namin ang 'tagumpay' ;) Pati Mama ko umiiyak sa tuwa, and si Papa, nakasmile ng wagas. Ang sarap sa pakiramdam,  I know I made them proud. Kulang nalang ipagsigawan na "Anak ko yan RN YAN!" And besides hindi naman sila masyadong masaya kasi may tarpaulin pa talaga ako sa bahay. :)

A year after that, asan naba tayo ngayon? Employed? Misemployed? Underemployed? Siguro karamihan satin nasa call center or volunteer nurse o di kaya nag- aaral ulit. Siguro napapaisip rin kayo minsan, was it really worth it? Sa dami daming nurse dito sa Pilipinas, kelan pa ba tayo mabibigyan ng chance?

My dear batchmates, mailap man ang pagkakataon satin sa ngayon, hindi naman siguro tayo habangbuhay  na Rest Nalang. Naniniwala ako na darating din ung chance natin at at the right time, siguro for now kailangan muna natin mag venture sa ibang bagay para malaman natin kung san tayo dapat. Habang hindi pa tayo nasa ospital, mamamaximize natin ung iba pang talento at abilidad na meron tayo. Diba nga Nurses are flexible? Kahit san mo ilagay, pwede ;)

At wag kayo magpapadala sa mga negative comments ng karamihan. Mas mabuti ng may trabaho na marangal at nakakatulong sa pamilya kesa sa tambay nalang. Wala mang allowance kasi volunteer, ayos na rin basta alam mo nakatulong ka. Core value of Nursing? Care :)

Proud padin ako na ikabit sa dulo ng pangalan ko ang mga letrang R.N.

Mabuhay RNs of Batch 2010! To God Be The Glory.

Love for Art

Got nothing to do on a Saturday night. I recently found out my cousin knows how to do a nail art and she made me one! :) Looks nice noh?:)

The Legacy Will Live On

WCQ Leg 2 Philippines vs Kuwait: July 28, 2011. I have to admit. I'm really not a football fanatic.. not until the Phil National Football team aka Azkals were making their name into the mainstream. I fell in love with the players first and then fell in love with the game.

Suddenly I found myself going to their m&gs whenever my sched allows me to, buying my fave Azkal's jersey. Raping my wallet and buying tickets for their home matches.

And then the WC dream came on. Round 2. It was a 3-nil during the first leg but I was pretty sure that they will bounce back.

Buying tickets was already a challenge and going to Manila for their game is tougher! There was a typhoon. I was really praying for the rain to go away while I'm off to travel, luckily when my feet landed at Vito Cruz, the sun was smiling brightly! I dropped of my bestfriend's condo and to my surprise, the sneak peek of their game is airing. A loooooooooooooooooooong line of people still trying to score some tickets, people wearing white, i said to myself "THIS IS IT!" I met my friends at Jollibee, glad they're wearing white too to show support. We're all stoked! Smiling like fools.

Rizal Stadium. Ahh. I can hear the drums! Each beat makes me more excited. I think my system went crazy that night. First agenda: FACE PAINT! I wasnt able to have one during their game against Sri Lanka so I really planned that a face paint is a must! We spent 30 minutes there just standing and waiting for it to be done. And just a couple of minutes before I heard the fans screaming since the Azkals bus is coming, it rained. *Good sign! If it RAINS, its FOUR! ;)  


We walked our way to the entrance, kala ko walang pila, I thought wrong! :)) From that long line of people wanting to watch the game, these players really had brought football era here in our country. And everyone's patiently waiting for their turn to come in. When we already found our seats we happily took turns of capturing the beauty of the stadium, cheering our faves, (I for James, Ely for Neil and Rhea for Anton ).

And as the game started, we were all giddy. Crowd was great. Every attempt made by our players makes our heart thump even more. Add to that the almost goal made by a Kuwaiti, it just hit the pole of the goal. hihi. Every move took our breath away. First half was almost ending including the stoppage time. "Kahi 1 goal lang, please" and poof! we just saw the ball made its way to the opponent's goal! CROWD WENT WILD! No exaggeration, we were teary eyed. :') That feeling was entirely surreal. We stand a chance! We firmly believe!

During the 15 min break, Posible and NOYPI were played. Ang sarap sa pakiramdam that everyone's proudly singing HOY! PINOY AKO!  Even in typing this, i get goosebumps. What more during the actual game.

Second half started. 3 more goals Azkals and we have it! But luck seemed to be on the Kuwaitis' side. Game ended at 2-1 in favor of Al Azraq. 5-1 for aggregate. Our friends hugged each other. The people standing beside us who became an instant friend also gave as a warm smile. Not bad team. Nice try.

Truth be told, I really admire our team, the way they tried to keep possession, defended and made attempts. I don't take is negatively as this is already the start of something bigger. As they say, each setback is a preparation for a come back. Maybe WC isnt for us now. Maybe in 4 years time. But if there's one thing that I'm certain of it's that Azkals are here to stay; their legacy will live on and most importantly, I/ We Still Believe.

Game's highlights: When Shrocky scored the goal, everyone went wild. NO exaggeration we're teary eyed. HAHA. Unexpected kasi eh :D During the 15min break, crowd's singing NOYPI. Ang sarap sa pakiramdam! :) And lastly, handshake with Manong Chieffy ♥ And that 'hi' and smiles from aly schrocky anton and angel ♥

Katwoman’s Fact of Life 101

If you set an appointment, be mindful enough to advise people right before hand if you can make it or not. At least have some respect. Don’t keep them waiting for nothing. Your time is precious and so are theirs. 

A Pocketful of Piso

I hope we all have a pocketful of piso. Oftentimes we don’t mind such coin with a ‘small’ value.  But I know you all heard the saying “Hindi mabubuo ang isang libo kung walang piso” which is entirely cliché yet true.

My friends, I just wanna share what I experienced last Saturday. On our way home, a middle aged adult man approached my dad as we were about to ride the car. “Sir pahingi naman po ng barya pang kain”. Mama immediately searched for some coins in her pocket but all she have was merely 2 pesos. Upon seeing that, I know it can’t buy him any food so I got my wallet, opened it and gave him P5. He was very thankful, I saw it in his eyes, I felt it in his smile. “Sir, salamat po” then bowed. Such a polite gesture. And when our car started moving I observed how he looked like, how he moved. He’s wearing a loose t-shirt, really dirty slippers and he somewhat seemed ‘special’.  Someone who needs special level of care. I am just amazed on how this man was so courteous even if he has some sort of mental incapacity.

It just broke my heart seeing him that way. In my mind  I was thinking, what if we were the only ones who  are willing to help. Let’s admit it, not everyone has an open heart to reach out. These special people are unfairly judged and that what makes us hesitant to help.

I will never stop reminding you people, especially those who have shelter and family to begin with, and a job/career, who are able to satisfy both their needs and wants:  I hope we can be somehow selfless and share a bit of our blessings to the less fortunate.  Those ‘coins’ are literally ‘barya lang’ to those who are fortunate enough and it doesn’t hurt to give some, especially to those who really need help.

And I wish everyone of you will have a pocketful of piso na puno ng puso.

Godbless. J                                                                              

The Second Time is Sweeter

I've been calling Ticketworld for several days now just to confirm what time they'll start selling for  2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil. PHLS vs KUWAIT.  They said it will start by 10am, this Saturday, July 16.


So i set my alarm to wake up really early and make sure, I'll have tickets for some good seats. I called them exactly 9:55, ticket selling still not allowed since it has to be 10am on the dot. I waited. 10am came. BOOM! ALL LINES ARE BUSY! But I did't mind, i kept on pressing the dial tone and redial for 25 mins.


My friend on the other hand was on ATC, she texted me telling "Ang haba ng pilaaaaaaaa!" Sabi ko, mag intay lang siya for 300 ticket slots. Then just when I was about to give up dialing their phone number, Papa insisted to do it for me so I can prepare and meet up my friend. On his 2nd dial, ticketworld rang. YEY!


I immediately asked if there's still P300 tickets, wala na daw. Only the P2k tickets and P200 tickets are left. There are 8,000 tickets will be sold at PhP200.00, 4,950 tickets will be sold at PhP300.00, 2,600 tickets will be sold at PhP2,000.00 and 1,200 tickets will be sold at PhP3,000.00 .. 


And so the 4950 tickets and 1,200 tickets are all gone in less than 30 minutes?! ANYAREH?! :))


I still consider myself lucky kasi we're able to reserve 3 tickets. Doesnt matter where we are seated, what matters most is that we'll be there as the Azkals hopefully make another history :)

The much awaited ticket :D

Me Mae and Ely's :)

AND THIS IS HOW I FEEL :

Extremely!

See you there Friends :)

Not Shiny? Still Pretty :)

Nail polishes are always in. They never get out of style and with the colors you choose, you show your personality. Yung totoo, ang hirap kaya pumili ng right shade, right color pag namimili ng nail polish :p cause you have so much to choose from!

Last month, Etude House was on sale, and I bought its newest product, Matte Nail Polish in Baby Pink! It comes with a glossy bottle and since its matte based, it’s different than your usual shiny polish. It dries easily on your nails and appears to be opaque and strong hued.  I like it a lot since it’s unique and gives my nails a ‘clean’ look.  I think I should also give credit to the color since it made my hands and feet fairer.

Here’s what it looks like!

 Taken with a camera flash :D

See it up close:

I used a top coat here just to ‘secure’ the polish J

From what I saw at Etude, it’s available in yellow and blue! If you're going for the simple yet sophisticated look, this one's best for you ;)

The Verdict?

Hooray for the Matte Nail Polish! I believe it's here to stay J

Working Girl Na. Me Already.

I don’t know if I can still call myself as a fresh graduate. I had my college diploma March of 2010. Took the Nursing Licensure Exam and passed it, I had my license come September.  I spent most of my time attending various seminars and trainings and still I got no call from hospitals I submitted my resume into. After the seminars and trainings were done, I find myself at home, ‘useless’. 

And so I decided to grab whatever opportunity will come my way. Luckily I’m in.  At first it was hard. It’s not the usual stuff I’ve been used to. It’s a totally different world. First of all, I never imagined myself working there cause It’s really not my thing. Second, it’s routinary! I hate things being monotonous, I want variety and challenge.  But who am I to resist such offer when others are having a hard time finding one?

The Perks of having a job? You obviously know the answer/s to that. Of course you have the MONEY MONEY MONEY.(Chaching! Chaching!)  Dyahe na kasi humingi sa parents ng allowance eh, considering I’m 21, and a professional. And with money comes happiness cause I get to buy things I want and need, I get to treat my parents out.  I’m able to support orgs and watch football games ;) It gives me the sense of independence!

On the other hand, since it’s my money that I’m earning, sometimes I’m hesitant to splurge. Kuripot ba? Hehehe. I keep track on my expenses.  I make sure I stick to my budget plan ( it’s hard but I have to) I keep away my atm card whenever I’m out so I won’t overspend. J Ganun pala talaga pag sarili mo ng pera, hanggat maaari, ayaw mong gastusin, yung sapat lang na pera para makapasok ng trabaho at makauwi lang sa bahay ang gusto mong ibawas dun sa pinaghirapan mo.

• Adjustment Phase

1. Grave yard Shift.  I’m used to this though. But sometimes, when there’s isn’t much to do, I tend to EAT a  lot. *Insert unwanted fats here :)) Then rest my ass the whole shift except for 2breaks and 1 lunch. On weekends, I make up for the loss hours of sleep.  I hardly have a time for exercise (uh oh..)
2. People are people. You know the driving force in working is not just the pay slip but also lies with the people you’re working with. I am just lucky enough to have my wave mates around. Some already gave up but some chose to stay.  And I don’t know what to do if ever they won’t be around anymore L It’s not that I have a separation anxiety but because those people keep me sane.

                Since I’ m a newbie, I still make mistakes. Cmon it’s only been 2 months since I started on the actual work! It just hurts me when I hear the more experienced people laugh at my mistakes, make me feel stupid when I ask questions, and when they INTENTIONALLY make you feel UNWANTED and the ‘you are not welcome’ vibe.  Hello, nung nag start ba kayo, perfect nyo na to? Oh di kayo na.  

Still..

This katwoman is here to stay.  I’m just starting and I don’t even have to prove to those people who I am and what I got. I'll just do my thing and put my best-est shot,  always :)

Azkals: 07-03-2011

 As we all know football is currently making its mark in our country. And it's not surprising that suddenly everyone talks about our Philippine National Football Team aka Azkals. :) They've been through a lot and still working hard to make the country proud.


Yesterday was their 2nd leg match against Sri Lanka. And mind you, ang hirap bumili ng ticket for this game. First day palang, the 200 and 300 tickets are already sold out, and that was just 10am! And i really want to watch the game live, I can't let this pass! So i decided to buy this VIP ticket instead.

We went at Rizal by 130 pm. I saw Jerry Barbaso selling Azkals mag. Yun agad ang bumungad sakin, eh I was starstrucked so I just said, "Mamaya nalang po Kuya"  :)) Suddenly, we saw lots of people having their face painted with Philippine flag or anything that has something to do with the Azkals. I immediately asked my bestfriend to check the other side of the stadium for the face painting area, and meron ding binebenta na azkals cap, ang cute! Sobra :) On our way to the other side, I saw a guy selling a fan.  Ang init kaya kahapon so kailangan namin yun (Though i already have a fan.. I'm just giving myself some excuse to buy one hehehe )

When we arrived sa face painting booth, ang daming tao. Blockbuster ung pila. Tapos biglang nagka commotion.. presenting.. the Azkals bus :D Beep beep! I handed over my camera to bezchum and asked her to take some pictures :D Here's my favorite shot:

It's James Younghusband people. Woot woot! (my ovaries are exploding!!) Keep on telling myself to calm down, its not the first time I'm seeing James in flesh ;)

Back to the face paint thing, I just decided not to have one, line's crazy and the face painters cant handle us. Then we saw another face paint booth! It says there that its FREE! But once we got close to the ad, its free if you're gonna buy something from them. Eh di hindi narin free yun, you sort of paid for that narin, right?:) 


We end up to go inside nalang. Our place is at VIP area, the only difference we have from the 200 and 300 tickets is the shed. Yun lang. Pero mas maganda view nung 200 and 300 kasi mababa eh, mas kita ung players. Just took a few pics of the field then after few minutes, here comes the goalkeeper, Neil Etheridge and i swear my eardrum was broken because of the screams! He's a big guy, suitable for a gk position :)

A few more minutes and  here comes the team! OMZ there goes my baby! #7 IN THE HOUSE YO! Even if we're so far from the field and they seem like ants to me, I know its James! Aside from the #7, I just know. :) Ganun talaga pag girlfriend. You have this extraordinary sense that its him! Charot :D

Spot the #7! :D 

Kick off started by 330 pm. I can't even explain how it feels watching the game live, right before your eyes. You can see how much they really defended the ball,  awesome footwork. Umulan pa! And the crowd went wild when it rained. Wet and Hot players on the field. ME GUSTA. Haha.

Every cheer, *insert clap here* PILIPINAS! Every shout para sa name ng player na nagdedefend ng bola, bawat sigaw para kay james pag natutumba  or pag sya na ang titira (sorry bestfriend kung nabasag ko ang eardrum mo, di ko sinasadya XD ) was worth it. 

We're almost there. Go AZKALS. We Believe :)

Check this out for the game's review: 

http://sports.inquirer.net/6509/world-cup-dream-on-for-the-philippines-next-foe-kuwait

For you, my furry friends :')

My family is really fond of cats and dogs. As they say, "nasa pamilya ang pagkahilig:" I grew up having pets around me. And i just cant understand why some people don't have a heart and hurt these creatures? Aren't we created as rational beings to take care of them?

I can see drivers intentionally hitting up on stray cats. Even kittens. Cats that obviously have wounds because a human being poured hot water on them, or you can even see scars, idk what these people use to hit them. I just can't imagine. Good heavens. That cat/kitten has a life. They can't talk, but I'm sure they feel hurt too. Wala na ngang maayos na tirahan, sasaktan pa. Stray dogs who are stoned, hit, who are being captured and sold to dog-eaters. Or stray animals captured by the barangay and are subject to tambucho killing. :(

It just breaks my heart knowing that this is really happening. I have 2 cats and 2 dogs. Actually I had 3, the other  died due to old age, his name is Gelo; and for 2 straight days I can' stop crying. Same thing goes whenever I see dead cats on the street or poisoned cats or worse, cats that are shoot to death.

Seriously, what's going on in their minds? Did these cats and dogs do you harm? They don't deserve it! They don't deserve your cruelty. They need your love and compassion. Imagine, if the heavens will go crazy, and these animals will have their power over us, do you think you'd love to be stoned, hit, ran over by a car/tricycle/van? And what will you feel if you're shot/poisoned/cut your tail or if you're to inhale carbon monoxide and die?

"Always put yourself into another's shoe"  doesn't apply to human alone. Let's be cautious and conscious of our actions. I'd tell you this, if I was only born rich, or if my family belongs to the oligarch, I'd really adopt all cats and dogs at PAWS and give them nice shelter and decent food.

Currently PAWS need our support. They have limited resources and not so many volunteers. They need our help. If only I have all the means to help them, even to rescue stray cats and dogs, I would. The least I can do is to save up for them every month and buy cat and dog foods for them.

For the students, how about P10/day? Then let's all meet up by December and spend our Christmas holiday with PAWS. That's the best gift you can ever give! :)

I am only one but if we'll do this together, I know we can succeed. Please do take time to visit their website at
http://paws.org.ph/site/543/default.aspx .

Thank you so much and God Bless your good hearts. :)

Etude House: Aloha Henna Fix Proof Mascara

I've been an eye make-up fanatic for such a long time. I adore beautiful peepers. The problem is, i really dont know how to make my peepers look that great. So i just stick with mascara. No eyeliner no eyeshadow at all. Can someone with  a good heart teach me how?:)

Any, Etude House went on sale last week! Kudos to you if you harassed this store just like what I did :))
Its a Korean brand of cosmetics. Very nice packaging combined with  reasonable prices. Upon entering, i slightly went crazy cause I cant choose what to buy. Good thing the saleslady was very friendly. She told me to try their new line: Aloha. Then she offered me this  Henna Fix Proof Mascara.

This has 2 variants, one makes your eyelashes longer and the other will make it fuller. What i bought here is
Aloha Henna Fix Proof 10 Mascara: Super Fix. And when it says SUPER, it lives up to its name.

Perks:
- It's very eye catching
- It doesn't smell like rugby. lol.
- It stays all day.
- Waterproof!
- Dramatic eyes yet it feels so light! :D
- I can't even throw the box cause its so summer! Definitely a 10!

Believe me when I say it's waterproof :) I tried removing it with water, I end up having red skin around my eyes lol :)) So what can you do to take this off before sleeping? You should buy Lip and Eye Remover, also from Etude. Here's what it looks like :

This is oil based i think cause the blue won't mix with the white one. Gently press the cotton into your eyes and presto! mascara is gone :D  It smells good too, you can never go wrong in buying this one :)

For any questions, don't be shy to ask me :) Stay pretty, ladies ;)

Tetra

I met these girls back when I was in 3rd year college. I was part of the 'pilot' class so they say. I was really hesitant then to make new friends because they've known each other since our freshmen days (except for Em) . But i think it was destined! Cause i just found myself  joining them during lunch and break time. And Em and Af even became my groupmates!

Every nursing student knows this, you're solid with your group, cause you're with them every single time, you do the hard things together, you get through the excruciating Grand Cases and Case Presentations, you celebrate every successful hardwork, you stay up late,  and how closer can you get if you're also in the same class right? ;)

I cant even remember how we came up with 'Tetra'. It just came out randomly. Cause we call each other silly endearment terms, we have our own version of Powerpuff Girls! Me as BERTO (Butterup) Em as BLOSSOM, El as BEBOLS (Bubbles) and Af as Professor X. HAHAHA. :)) If ever the powerpuff girls will have their 4th member, that will surely be Af's character, for now, she'll be professor :p

We also have our own version of TELETUBBIES. And forgive me for saying this tetra, i know you're gonna read this, *don't kill me please!  The characters will depend on our age; with Tinky Winky as the oldest (Af) and Po as the youngest (Me).

We may come off as happy-go-lucky and 'we-don't-care-whatever-it-is-that-you're-thinking' but I'm proud to say that we were all able to conquer the board exam and we are Registered Nurses. (Cheers! Its our R.N.niversarry on Aug! :D )

Thank you so much Tetra, it has been a wonderful friendship and we're gonna make more happy memories :) Me loves you three :)

Lunch Date at ATC. A day before my birthday 06-11-2011 :)

Twinkle and Shine

An undiscovered star's being unnoticed doesn't make it less of a star. It goes on to shine. Feeling invisible? Just keep on shining, star. ★