It's been a long, long while.

A lot has been happening these past few weeks/months but I haven't bombarded this place with the nonsense in my head. I don't know why, actually. Probably because I'm having way too much fun with everything, despite the fact that some of the things that's happened actually tore me into pieces. I don't know, maybe I've finally learned to see the good in it even though it hurts.

So what has happened these past few weeks/months? Let's see…

• I've FINALLY been to Boracay.
• And I actually went snorkeling!
• And banana boat-ing!
• Although I didn't get a tan.
• But the Boracay sunset…ohmygod, it really is as pretty as everyone says it is.
• I went hotel-hopping. Mind you, these are not cheap ass hotels you find along Malate or something.
• I've managed to "dump" all the people that I don't want and need in my life, including the people related to them.
• I had a major falling out with my dad.
• But we're okay now. I think.
• I got a full-time online job.
• Brianna started and ended her summer class with flying colors.
• My friends now know how crazy I get when I'm in a relationship.
• I'm in a relationship.
• But not without a falling out that almost led to a "break-up" even if we weren't really together yet that time.
• Brianna celebrated her 3rd baptismal anniversary.
• My laptop died on me in the middle of a hectic week at work.
• Which led me to get a Mac. Which seems to be eating me up alive with every simple command that I can't figure out without the help of my brother or the Internet.
• I've started reading books again.
• I'm actually planning to buy a car.
• And to get life insurance. As in legit planning, with quotations and loans and stuff.
• I've achieved my weight goal and I'm actually maintaining it.
• I've enrolled Brianna for this coming school year.
• I hung out in a Starbucks branch all by myself after a really, really, REALLY long time. I think the last time I did that was in college. It was so refreshing, I want to do it regularly.
• I got a new pair of glasses that makes me look like a hipster, according to a friend.
• I failed to finish the #100HappyDays project which bummed me out…but not quite.
• A lot of items on my wish list/bucket list have been ticked off, thanks to my wonderful new boyfriend who just keeps on granting everything on my lists. I'm not going to elaborate on what the items are/were but he's been doing that since we first saw each other again last September and I can't stop thanking him for it. I mean, it takes a lot of effort (and money) to get some of the things done (of course, a lot of them are easy and free) but I never heard him complain.
• I might have found the perfect dress for my friend's wedding this November.
• Brianna told me that I'm "very awesome", which is probably the best entry here.
• Which I tweeted. I don't tweet as much, too, so there goes constantly documenting my life online.
• Also stopped reading my Twitter timeline/browsing through my Instagram feed 509375894072101948578461807492 times a day. It's oddly refreshing.

I guess that's everything. I don't know how to get everything out and I am not doing one post for each item so I made a list. It's not chronologically arranged or something. I just wanted to take note of how exhausting but at the same time, exhilarating the past few weeks/months have been for me. The short-term memory loss that general anesthesia has given me will probably wipe my memory clean by the end of the first half of the year, might as well document what I remember now.

I am quite thankful for how everything is turning out. Despite the many, many, many disappointments, I feel that everything is falling into place. How can I not be grateful, right?

Summer.

Yes, I know, it's too late for a summer post but there's summer next year so technically this post is 9 months early for summer.

Anyway, if you know me well enough, I am not much of a traveler. I've been out of the country once when we visited HongKong last December for my sister's 18th birthday and I've never been off Luzon, domestically speaking. Add that to the fact that I am a boring traveler and you get the reason why I didn't go to any trips this summer but that doesn't mean I don't want to enjoy summer. It just means I have a different way of enjoying summer.

If you ask me, my dream summer vacation has got to be to go to a beach. It doesn't have to be in Boracay or El Nido. I'd be good in visiting a small resort in Batangas. It's nearer and it's way cheaper to go there which is really, really, really important for a single mom like me.

Also, I should only be with a special someone, with close friends or both. It's not that I don't want to spend summer with my daughter or my family but I get to be with them most days of the year. I want a weekend off from all the responsibilities and just have fun with friends.

Lastly, it should be a trip where there are no physical activities involved. No partying, no cliff diving, no surfing, no shopping, no nothing. I don't want to be physically tired. Besides, the reason why I'm going on such a trip is to unwind and get my much-deserved R&R. Any physical activity is never relaxing so they're off the list. I just want to lie on my back, by the beach, with a cold beer on one hand and a cigarette on the other.

I'm pretty easy to please so there's nothing really special about my dream summer vacation. How about you, what's your dream summer vacation?

You would probably think I'm a boring ol' prick.

I don't enjoy (most people's definition of) travelling. There, I said it. I don't know why, though. I love being inside a car and stopovers and all those things that come with travelling - well, except packing and unpacking - but I do not know why I don't like the whole idea of it.

A friend said that it's probably because I haven't been on enough trips but when I thought about it, I've been going on an average of 4 trips per year since 2009 so that cannot be it. Don't get me wrong, though. I'd be glad to accompany you anywhere you'd want to go (especially if you pay for everything), I just won't go diving off cliffs or go shopping with you, for that matter.

If we're going to the beach, just leave me at a bar or by the shore with a few cans of beer and a pack of cigarettes. If we're going to a shopping destination, leave me at a cafe with a book (or an e-book reader), another pack of cigarettes and coffee and be on your way. I mean, I wouldn't want to spend a year's worth of savings to go on a two-week trip that will tire me out in the end. If I wanted to tire myself out, I'd find more projects for me to work on.

Okay, now that I think about it, it's more of "I don't enjoy most people's definition of vacation" than travelling but you get what I'm saying, right?

BPI online banking, you stressed me out.

Okay, I know that this isn't true because I won't be stressed out over something if I don't let it stress me out but I just want to blame BPI online banking right now, okay?

I booked a flight to Coron this morning with the hopes of getting cheaper tickets for almost a week's worth of vacation next year with my beloved friends. I am supposed to pay for it until 11:59pm today. It's only 10:35pm and I am giving it up just because I don't want to stress myself over it anymore.

I followed all of the instructions that this page has given me with regards to enrolling Cebu Pacific to my account but after 4 hours of sweat and throbbing temples, the online banking site still tells me that I did something wrong. I talked to 2 phone bankers about it. I complained about it for a good 15 minutes each - di pa kasama yung 10 years na paghintay ko na may mag-take ng tawag ko - and they both told me the same thing. I followed every damn thing but the website doesn't seem to agree with paying for the trip.

Now, I am settling with the fact that the trip to Coron is somewhat postponed for me. I hope I do get another chance to score really cheap tickets for that same trip with my friends. If not, well, I'm booking for another date. Di lang naman yun ang petsa na pwedeng umalis next year e...

Or I might have that much money to spare, then I won't need the seat sale (Law of Attraction, let's do this!).

Either way, I am NOT using the BPI online banking website to pay for it. Di ko deserve ang stress.

Travelling with Zalora

The family is planning an out-of-the-country trip for my sister's debut at the end of the year but being the excited little thing that I am, even without the plane tickets yet, I can't stop thinking about what I need to bring to the trip. Naturally, I went online window shopping to give me an idea of what I need to bring. I ended up in Zalora and here are some of my travel essentials picks from their boutique:

1. This Tokidoki Terryl 2-set trolley is a mommy-baby must-have, if I may say so myself. When going out of the country for 3-5 days definitely calls for a lot of clothes, especially if you travel around December because of the cold weather and all the shopping you will most probably do on your trip will definitely call for a roomy luggage. In this case, the luggage is sort of a buy-one-take-one thing because the bigger luggage comes with the "baby luggage".
2. A luggage tag has become a necessity now so you can quickly spot your luggage. This vintage travel agency-inspired Colulmbia retro luggage tag will do the job. I mean look at how pretty it is. You won't miss your luggage with this.
3. My laptop will definitely need a nice home for the trip and I thought that this Santorini laptop case from Plains and Prints will do the job. It can even become a makeshift purse, if you have clothes that will match your laptop case.
4. A shopping bag is definitely a must-have for out-of-the-country trips. I mean, you need one for a quick trip to the mall, what more to a place where you can get stuff that you can't see in the Philippines, right? This Flink Eiffel foldable shopping bag looks sturdy enough to handle all the shopping Brianna, Bry and I will most likely do.
5. This resort tote bag by Jacinto & Lirio, in my opinion, is the best bag to bring to a trip. Why? The reason is simple: Look at its color. It's all summer-y and bright but look at the material in which it is made. It can be used during a rainy day without having to worry about getting the things inside of your bag wet. It is the perfect accessory to cheer you up in a gloomy weather.
6. I always tend to forget to bring a pair of slippers whenever we go out of town but with these super comfy and super pretty Flexflop foldable slippers, I'm pretty sure I will never forget to bring it (even if I'm just going to the loo).

Zalora offers all of these items and more on their online shop, http://zalora.com.ph and all of the items in their website are subject to these services:

For discounts, just type Aletotski0 (Aletotski[zero]) on the coupon option on the checkout page to get a 5% discount on your purchase.

Realization over the 5-day weekend

I only have one realization over the 5-day weekend...

Shampooing my hair once every 3 days with the 2 days washing it only with conditioner makes it smoother and more manageable.

Yeah. That's the only realization I have over the 5-day weekend.

Baguio Trip 2011

We were supposed to go to Baguio during the end of August to welcome September celebrants' birthdays but a the typhoon then hit Baguio the day of our departure so we had to postpone the trip. Everyone was pissed because we already have packed for the trip. So when our "sponsor", Ate Ly (who works with Philip Morris) told us we have a hotel to stay in - 2 huge ass suites at The Manor, Camp John Hay - for the September 24 weekend, all of us got ecstatic. But we all packed just a few hours before our trip just to be sure since it was gloomy the day before our trip.

We all met up at our place since the coaster we rented was just a few blocks away. We left at around 4am with everyone barely awake. Had the usual breakfast stopover along NLEX and then our journey to Baguio began.

Us, in the coaster. Ate Ly, Stacey, her yaya Agnes and Aling Lisa were in the E150 in front of us.

We got to Baguio 8 hours after because we had to take Marcos Highway, instead of Kennon Road for safety purposes. Plus the coaster was having a hard time going up. We headed to Camp John Hay right away for check-in at The Manor and late lunch at Dencio's, Camp John Hay. We had to "sneak in" our hotel rooms because of technicalities but we all made it inside without anyone trying to stop us.

While waiting for the others at the second floor "balcony" of The Manor.

After resting, we passed by the Wagwagan to check-out if they had boots and jackets - which they did but they didn't look wearable...yes, I'm maarte when it comes to ukay-ukay. I keep having the thought that I might get some skin disease when I wear something I bought from ukay-ukay - and then we went to SM Baguio for some grocery-ing and Teriyaki Boy dinner. We kept the first day low key because we were all super tired from the trip and from the "insomnia" we all developed the night before the trip.

Here's Brianna and I taking over the king size bed. They can't do anything because the baby cannot sleep on the couch. We shared the bed with Trish, though.

The obligatory mirror shot. I was trying to hide my tummy. I failed miserably.

I was surprised to know that they didn't have any airconditioning unit in the hotel - which was obvious to everyone except me because I'm clueless like that - and that they had their windows open all the time to keep the room chilly. I'm sorry but I ain't the brightest.

Anyway, the next morning, we decided to drop by the Botanical Garden for some photos and then went to St. Vincent's for mass. Then off to Mines View for much-needed shopping, Baguio style. I bought Brianna, Bry and me matching white Baguio shirts because I'm pa-cute like that. Also got this awesome knife-disguised-as-a-cross-pendant necklace and a dream catcher. I wanted to get a chopping board and a couple of Igorot displays for when I get to have my own house but didn't. I'd get them when I get my house first.

Taken at The Manor lobby before leaving for the Botanical Garden. I like this pic even if it's against-the-light and it looks like a test shot.

By the Botanical Garden signage. Kuya Greg, Kuys and myself are not in the photo because we were taking it.

St. Vincent's Church. This is where I got to taste Baguio's strawberry taho which, I think, didn't taste good.asd

Before shopping, Brianna and I took a photo with Mines View's star, Doglas. Look at my brave little girl, holding Doglas' hairy ear.

Lunch at the Slaughterhouse at downtown Baguio which had the best ulams ever! We then went back to the hotel to rest again - grabe yung weather, super nakakatamad - when we decided to pass by the designer depot just a couple of steps away from The Manor. I got a pink Segue bag that I want to bring everywhere if only it will match with every piece of clothing I own and Trish got her Nike bag. Also got Brianna a zebra print with pink accent dress. Dinner at Yellow Cab at Camp John Hay then grabbed a few beers with Kuys, Reg and Ate to end the night.

Shopping at the Designer Depot.

Fog was super thick at our side of Baguio but my baby has been sweating non-stop we had to remove her sweater and her beanie. Ikaw na balat-mayaman.

We had to get home by Monday morning because Pedring was on his way to Baguio that afternoon. So we did. We just passed by Mines View and Good Shepherd for some last-minute pasalubong-and-walis shopping then we're on our way. Got the biggest scare of my life (so far) on our way home: ZERO-VISIBILITY. There wasn't any rain yet but the fog was sooooo thick. The Victory Liner buses were overtaking us and flying to the unknown while we ran on 10kph because we didn't know where to go. I clutched on to my seat for a good 30 minutes until the fog disappeared only to come across a much thicker fog a few minutes before we reached to foot of the mountain. That was the most stressful trip home I had to endure not because I was scared for myself but I was scared mostly for Brianna.

We got to Pangasinan unscathed, though. We had late lunch at KFC Urdaneta then we're on our way again. Upon reaching SCTEX, we heard that the storm reached Baguio already. Was thankful the storm didn't reach Baguio before we got to the foot of the mountain or else we'll be stuck up there 'til now. We got to Manila, again, 8 hours after we left Baguio.

It was generally a fun trip. I thought I'd get so depressed by the weather and the boyfriend not being there but I didn't. I guess it really is all in the mind.

Hope we go back to Baguio again some time soon. I love the weather up there plus the scent of pine trees. Actually, I kinda want to live there. But I am not deciding until I get to visit Davao.

(Pampalubag-loob)

Well, I guess not pushing thru with the Baguio plan is a blessing because there was a landslide on Kennon Road. I read over Twitter. So, there.

What I hate most about a trip is having to unpack.

What I hate even more is having to unpack WITHOUT GOING ON THE DAMN TRIP I'VE BEEN EXCITED ABOUT FOR A WHOLE MONTH!

Even more so when I HAD TO BE ALL BITCHY TO MY BABYDADDY ABOUT HIM NOT BEING ABLE TO GO WHEN IN THE END ALL OF US WON'T BE ABLE TO GO.

Damn this storm. Mina ruined the long weekend.