on mary grace, friends and leaving

before anything else, lemme point out that mary grace is not a person. it's one of those cafes where freshly brewed coffee and mouth-watering baked goodies are available. but what set it apart from the typical cafes is its homey ambiance. i really love their artsy tables and home-like interior! it is this very homey concept that also makes this place a perfect spot to unwind and catch up with friends. and so i didn't wonder why this cafe was chosen as the venue for my so-called reunion with two of my good friends in the office who happened to be my former classmates in graduate school as well--- Kriz and Cookie. actually it was our first get-together after grad school. we never really had the chance to hang out prior that because we were busy making sense of the career that we chose. teehee. anyway, i'm glad that we pushed through with our plan of having a reunion last December 23.

a slice of heaven (forgot the name, sorry)

with friends (Cookie [L]; Krizz [center])

we had a good two-hour talk about our favorite professors, classmates and other memorable experiences in school. we laughed over our booboo's and even the challenges that we faced back then. this was the first time that we got to have a heart-to-heart talk again and i fervently hope that this wasn't the last. but then again, i know it's gonna be difficult now since Cookie has resigned already and i'm on my last month here in the office.. boohoo.

looking back, it's funny because we have planned on the said get-together for so long. but it's just during that time that we decided to really have it since Cookie's last day in the office would be on the next week.oh well, that's life, i guess. sometimes, we do things at the last minute. people say the good things, do the good things and make it up to you when you're already leaving...they just realize your worth when your other foot's already out the door. hmmm,just like when i disclosed my plans of resigning, my colleagues started telling me how they feel about working with me, and that i'm very talented and i'd be very successful in the future. of course it's flattering but come on, i would've appreciated it more if they told me about how they feel during my heydays as a Quality Specialist. but just like what i said, that's life. you only realize the person's worth when you're close to losing them. and that sucks!

500 days of summer

Indeed, this movie is unlike any other love stories 'coz in the first place, it is NOT a love story. It chronicles instead the harsh realities of one-sided love or more commonly and painfully called "unrequitted love," the most ruthless among all kinds of love.

"The boy fell in love, the girl didn't" storyline may be something something new in the reel world but not in the real world. There has been people who have had their share of Tom's love-turned-sob story. At one point, they have loved or will love a person who could never reciprocate the love that they have given or will give. That despite their efforts of making them happy and doing everything to make them stay, the love of their life can't just feel the same about them.

I especially love the confrontation part towards the end. When Tom and Summer met again and the former asked the girl WHY she said that she didn't want to be in a relationship with anyone but is now married. Then, Summer responded with the most heartbreaking answer that I've ever heard...

" I knew with him what I wasn't sure of with you..."

Boohoo.

That simple line has really been seared to my memory. I really felt bad not just for the Tom in the movie, but to all TOMs in the world. Love could really be a blessing to some but it could also be a curse to people who love people that can't love them back. I just hope, that just like Tom in the movie, these TOMs would learn to move on and find their Autumn. ^^

***

Tom:This is lies. We are liars. Think about it. Why do people buy cards? It's not because they want to say how they feel. People buy cards because they can't say they feel or are afraid to. And we provide the service that let's them off the hook. You know what? I say to hell with it. Let's level with America. Or at least let them speak for themselves. Right?

"Most days of the year are unremarkable. They begin, and they end, with no lasting memories made in between. Most days have no impact on the course of a life." (Narration)

Summer: Well, you know, I guess it's 'cause I was sitting in a deli and reading Dorian Gray and a guy comes up to me and asks me about it and... now he's my husband.

Tom: Yeah. And... so?

Summer: So, what if I'd gone to the movies? What if I had gone somewhere else for lunch? What if I'd gotten there 10 minutes later? It was - it was meant to be. And... I just kept thinking... Tom was right.

Tom: No.

Summer: Yeah, I did... I did. It just wasn't me that you were right about. =[

***

valuable vid

can't help but share this...if you love Desiderata, you'd probably love this as well..




xo,

gifts for keeps

a tweet coming from one of the celebrities that i'm following on twitter goes like this:

"What's the best gift that you received last Christmas?"

So I started enumerating off the top of my head the gifts that i did get. I realized that I could not just give one answer because I had received a lot of meaningful and wonderful gifts during the season. Some of them weren't even part of the wish list that I created but they still made me really happy last Christmas! And, since I also received equally wonderful gifts during my birthday in November, I decided to include them as well on the list of gifts that truly made a mark and touched my heart. But please don't get me wrong, I didn't pick those presents because I don't like the other ones. You have to note that I always appreciate whatever present's given to me especially on special days. The gesture just goes to show that the person remembered me on that day. However, we must admit that there are only a handful that we consider really special. Because unlike the usual shirt, bags and other nifty stuff, they seem to symbolize something. And sometimes, they represent us (do i sound defensive now? hehe).

Here now is the list of the presents that I gush over these days:

1. Vessels of Honor. It's a booklet containing inspirational words and messages that you can reflect on each and every day of the year. It was given to me by my dangat, Joy, on my birthday on November 8. Every morning, before I start working, I make it a point to take a look at the piece of wisdom embedded in each page. Below is a picture of the November 8 message:

2. The Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Do-It-Yourself. I've always loved to write. Much as I love twitter and, of course, blogspot, I miss pouring my thoughts on paper. I miss using the pen as a medium for self-expression as well so for my birthday, I gave myself a present in the form of the said journal. Each page helps you reflect on certain aspect of your life and enables you to envision yourself in the future. Everyone would really just love it since writing on each page is like writing your life story.

3. Inspire by BENCH. This perfume was given by my good friend, Melai, for my birthday. Aside from the person who gave it to me, what made this gift extra special is the fact that you are helping women with breast cancer by just purchasing the item.. Thank you pangga for this special gift. It truly is inspiring!

4. Origami. Our department, Development and Quality, has been emphasizing on creativity and establishing change. Hence, my very creative teammate gave us origami papers as presents. She said it's a way for us to express or enhance our creativity. She also gave us a link to different paper designs and i'm gonna try them real soon! This is a very unique gift that's why I just love it!

5. Who Moved My Cheese? This book about CHANGE was given by another good friend, Cookie, a week before her last day at work. It's indeed a treasure since it gives you tips on how you could adapt to change. Right now, I'm contemplating on the BIG changes that I'll be dealing with some months from now.

6. High-definition life. This is what I received during our "exchange gifts" in the department. It came from my boss who described me as a driven individual or someone who's very keen about her future. Haven't actually read it though but browsing through the pages, reading its preface and some excerpts convinced me that it is indeed a good read. So now that I'm done with Who Moved My Cheese? I could start with the book.

7. Aviator Shades. A post-birthday present from our pup, Leeyow. He's the puppy that we sold a week after my birthday. I was so depressed that time that my partner and I decided to buy something to remember him by. I decided to buy myself a nice pair of sunglasses which is a bit pricey compared to regular ones. I always use it to remember my dear pup.

8. Wedge shoes. I would've bought a pair of gladiator shoes but when I saw this pair, I fell in love. It was indeed love at first sight so I crossed out gladiator shoes in my bucket list and had this one instead. They look so good in jeans and I just feel so pretty wearing them, hehe. I consider them special since it's the first pair of stylish shoes that I bought in my three years of stay in my current job. . .

9. Watch. I've always loved wearing watches since like other people who are always on the go, I'm always conscious of the time. So when my partner's sister came home from abroad and gave me a very chic watch, I was just ecstatic! It's actually a bracelet watch perfect for special events. But because I loved it so much, I use it at work everyday! What makes it extra special is the fact that it was the first gift personally handed over to me by tartie's sister.

10. Coffeemaker. Thanks to my tartie, I could tick this off my wish list. I've always wanted it but never really had the chance to buy it. I was so suprised when she handed it to me since she had convinced me enough that she didn't get me a Christmas present. And so now, I enjoy my morning coffee even more since it comes from something that I had out of love. (shoot, was not able to take a pic pala, hehe..)

11. Family. I guess it's a no-brainer if I say that my family is, has always been, and always will be the best gift given to me. Our simple get-together during the holiday really made the last days of the previous year and first two days of the new year very memorable. My sister abroad and my brother in the province were able to witness the said reunion as well and I'd like to thank modern technology for that. Also, I get to spend time with my second family, Shey's family. Shey amd I are just so happy that everything's falling into place. My family knows about my extra-ordinary relationship and so does my partner's family. I was so elated to finally meet Shey's sister as well. It was a happy new year indeed!

***

These gifts are indeed worth treasuring that's why I decided to blog about them. I know that items #1 to 10 would wear out in time so it's good that I have them here. This way, I could always look back and relish the happy memories that these things bring. And of course, along with these gifts, I could also remember the people who gave them. . .

"Every gift which is given, even though small, is in reality great, if it is given with affection."