goya chocolates: level up!

my chocolate cravings are very seldom and are limited to the dark and minty varieties.  i am neither a fan of a favourite brand.  my tastebud’s simple and uncomplicated.

you can probably imagine the joy i felt when i encountered the re-packaged and improved version of our all-time favourite, goya chocolates!!! my kuya used to brag about his experience touring the goya fun factory back in the day.  being the chocolate lover that he is, the tour left him breathless and in awe of the abundance of chocolate! my personal memory of goya chocolates rest with the football and egg-shaped chocolate candies i used to buy from a sari-sari store nearby.  i wish goya-delfi foods will continue producing the classic varieties.

goya’s dark chocolate bar is really good, though, not as bitter as i would want a dark chocolate to be.  the bar is of the right thickness and richness.  the packaging is simple yet with actress, kim chiu’s face on it, it will surely be a come-on! a bar is sold for P19.50 each, a truly cheap treat!!

i had my fill today because i finished two bars!

The big move.

December 9 marked the beginning of a new phase in my career.  I have taken the opportunity to move to a different unit and to go beyond my comfort zone.  This opportunity will afford me a better pay, diversity in work, greater responsibility, and wider network.

Though, I have to admit that I’m really scared to my very core.  I guess this is how it feels to be in an unfamiliar place.  What keeps me still sane is the financial aspect of my new job.  That will always be my springboard and leverage.

I would really like to write and describe more my new responsibilities, fears, and apprehensions, but my better judgment dictates otherwise.  I will hold those off until I am fully immersed with my new role and new team.  I believe I owe them and myself that much.

Though, there’s still that ounce of doubt lingering in my head, I am confident that I have made the right decision. 

10-10-10: happy birthday kuya!

this entry is a birthday tribute of sort to the best brother i could ever have.  we were born 4 years apart.  we share the same birth sign and have been on each other’s good side ever since we were kids.

my kuya has always been  mature for his age.  our parents brought us all up to be like that, but he’s unusually responsible even when he was young.  he’s a favourite among my uncles and aunts.  my maternal grandmother, nanay alos, wouldn’t let him out of her side and him, likewise.  my kuya is this special because he simply is.  we are not biological siblings but we never felt otherwise.  we even look the same, mind you!

my late father had said numerous times how lucky he was to have been blessed with a son, like him.  in fact, he couldn’t ask for anybody else.  kuya has our father’s patience and perseverance while he shares our mother’s unfailing will and determination.  my kuya has taken on most of my papa’s roles when the latter’s eyesight deteriorated. he has grown more wise and strong over the numerous trials, challenges and blessings our family has gone through.

thus, it took us some time before we have accepted his decision to finally have a family of his own.  little did we know that this will bring enormous joy to the entire family, especially to my parents.

my kuya tab has continued to live by my parents’ upbringing and life-learned lessons.  my niece is always reminded of her lolo and lola’s teachings because these made us who are now.

i salute this man, i call my kuya. to more wonderful and blessed years ahead, happy, happy birthday, my dear kuya tab!

fun personality test: what shape best describes you? (part 3)

credits to www.personalityquiz.net

the long wait is over! final part of the personality quiz is here!

analytical trustworthy self-assured

your momentary sensitivity represents that which is of high quality and durable. consequently, you like to surround yourself with little "gems," which you discover wherever they are overlooked by others.  thus, culture plays a special role in your life. you have found your own personal style, which is elegant and exclusive, free from the whims of fashion. your ideal, upon which you base your life, is cultured pleasure. you value a certain level of culture on the part of the people with whom you associate.

romantic dreamy emotional

you are a very sensitive person. you refuse to view things only from a sober, rational standpoint. what your feelings tell you is just as important to you. in fact, you feel it is important to have dreams in life, too.
you reject people who scorn romanticism and are guided only by rationality. you refuse to let anything confine the rich variety of your moods and emotions.

dynamic active extroverted

you are quite willing to accept certain risks and to make a strong commitment in exchange for interesting and varied work. routine, in contrast, tends to have a paralyzing effect on you.  what you like most is to be able to play an active role in events. in doing so, your initiative is highly pronounced.


so, which personality type are you? 

after re-reading all 9 types, i think that i am the professional-pragmatic-self-assured type.  the traits are described under this personality type characterize me personal strengths and outlook in life.

fun personality test: what shape best describes you? (part 2)

credits to www.personalityquiz.net

continued from 09oct10 post..

down to earth well-balanced harmonious

you value a natural style and love that which is uncomplicated. people admire you because you have both feet planted firmly on the ground and they can depend on you. you give those who are close to you security and space. you are perceived as being warm and human. you reject everything that is garish and trite. you tend to be skeptical toward the whims of fashion trends. for you, clothing has to be practical and unobtrusively elegant.

  professional pragmatic self-assured

you take charge of your life, and place less faith in your luck and more in your own deeds. you solve problems in a practical, uncomplicated manner. you take a realistic view of the things in your daily life and tackle them without wavering. you are given a great deal of responsibility at work, because people know that you can be depended upon.  your pronounced strength of will projects your self-assurance to others. you are never fully satisfied until you have accomplished your ideas.

peaceful discreet non-aggressive

you are easy-going yet discreet. you make friends effortlessly, yet enjoy your privacy and independence. you like to get away from it all and be alone from time to time to contemplate the meaning of life and enjoy yourself. you need space, so you escape to beautiful hideaways, but you are not a loner. you are at peace with yourself and the world, and you appreciate life and what this world has to offer.


three more personality types remaining. can't wait much? ",)

  
  

fun personality test: what shape best describes you?

credits  to www.personalityquiz.net

this is a 3-part post of fun personality quiz.  which color and shape best describe me?  keep reading as i will reveal my test result at the end!

careful playful cheerful
you love a free and spontaneous life. and you attempt to enjoy it to the fullest, in accordance with the motto: "you only live once."
you are very curious and open about everything new; you thrive on change. nothing is worse than when you feel tied down. you experience your environment as being versatile and always good for a surprise.

independent unconventional unfettered
 you demand a free and unattached life for yourself that allows you to determine your own course. you have an artistic bent in your work or leisure activities. your urge for freedom sometimes causes you to do exactly the opposite of what expected of you.
your lifestyle is highly individualistic. you would never blindly imitate what is "in"; on the contrary, you seek to live according to your own ideas and convictions, even if this means swimming against the tide.

introspective sensitive reflective
you come to grips more frequently and thoroughly with yourself and your environment than do most people. you detest superficiality; you'd rather be alone than have to suffer through small talk. but your relationships with your friends are very strong, which gives you the inner tranquility and harmony that you require. you do not mind being alone for extended periods of time; you rarely become bored.


getting curious? please do read on!

ondoy: a year after

we were fortunately spared of the wrath of the rampaging floodwater which devastated huge portions of metro manila last year.  we were not even aware of what was happening around until we received a call from my sister who was stranded in edsa on her way to quezon city for a company-sponsored csr activity.  the downpour was not even that hard  as far as i can recall.  apparently, the continuous downpour brought the immediate rise of floodwater and the overflowing of water channels and dams.  of course, the rest is history.

except for the inconvenience me and my siblings had after the water receded, we will always be grateful to the lord and mother nature for affording my family the safety we’ve had, considering that we will be through much a few weeks later on.  little that we know, that my father will pass on a month after.

the tragedy of ondoy left a lot of families homeless and hopeless.  our family is no different.

we will forever remember ondoy as we do our father’s memory from this year on.

pride and prejudice.

 

i do not frequent movie houses much so i resign myself to uploading and syncing old movies to my itouch.  last month, i posted an entry about pretty woman.  admittedly, i like chick-flick movies because the stories are generally light and feel-good. though i try to stay away from  the cheesy ones—those i really can’t stand.

aside from pretty woman, the film version of jane austen’s pride and prejudice, which starred keira knightley and matthew macfayden, is also a mainstay in my itouch. i first fell in love with the story when i downloaded the audio book and had it playing over and over.  it was my sister who introduced and hooked me to the film version.  it was much farther on when i read the book.  the book and audio book are the same except that the latter is more alive and transports you exactly in time.  the film, on the other hand, is a fusion of everything! it’s a visual feast with wonderful actors bringing to life the classic lines that are very distinct of jane austen’s novels.

a classic romance novel transcending social borders and time.

gelatissimo.

my friend, opalyn, and i usually frequent this place after a late-friday-afternoon lunch.  the thing i like about gelato shops around, is that they give out free taste to your heart and tastebuds’ content.  i do not go for the overly creamy flavours because they are a bit too much for my palette.  among the variety of flavours gelatissimo has, i always come back for the fruity ones. the more sour the blend is, the better it is for me!

aside from the fruity flavours, i also like the green tea variety.  price per scoop is p110.00, about right i think, for a cupful of smooth and yummy gelato.  the service is great considering that it takes a person, an average of 10 minutes, before an order is placed.  my tip though, is to make a beeline for the lady server because she scoops a generous heap of your chosen flavour!

 

photo taken from gelatissimo greenbelt 5.

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paradox.

paradox, as defined in buzzle.com, is a statement, which at first glance, appears to be false, but on further reading, it seems to contain an element of truth.  they say that paradox is an important ingredient of poetry and literature.

i sometimes equate paradoxes to tasteful sarcasm.  those, when used, sound very witty!  i’ve looked up the net for most common and interesting paradoxes there are:

• i must be cruel to be kind. – william shakespeare (hamlet)
• what a pity that youth must be wasted on the young – george bernard shaw
• this is the beginning of an end.
• please ignore the notice.
• deep down, he is really shallow.

 we may not be aware but paradoxes are fairly common even in our vernacular.  i wonder if it is the same as our “salawikain” or “kasabihan?”  either way, paradoxes truly make our literature colourful, flowery and more interesting.  the incessant play of words tickle the fancy of those hearing it.

family: support system you can rely on.

my family is again being tested for its strength and reliance on each other because of the recent diagnosis of my uncle’s condition.  he is my mother’s younger brother.  my daddy jessie, as we fondly call my uncle, is a big man with a boisterous and infectious laugh.  he has this weird sense of humour that we all so fond of.  however, we seldom hear that now because of his condition.

the physical examinations have been ongoing for a few months now but his condition has only become clearer recently.  there’s a huge change in his appearance because of sudden weight loss and change in stance.  he’s become less agile and often times resigned to bed.  this has taken a toll in his family.  mine feel the most of what they are going through now considering that we’ve been in the same situation barely a year ago.  my mother, who has taken upon herself to be at his brother’s aide and side all the time, is feeling so low lately.  she’s the same way when she took care of their youngest sibling six years back.

we all hope and pray to remain firm with resolve to stick with each other in this trying time.  daddy jessie and his family lent their shoulders when my family was struggling with my father’s passing on.  we hope to be their strength as well.  there is strength in number and family counts the most.

octoberfest!

october has finally arrived! my birthday month is now officially a thing of the past.  and as expected, it went without the surprises i’ve been conjuring in my mind.  lol!

the “ber” months, i think, are the super months of the year. not only because it officially ushers in the onset of christmas, but most of my friends and family members’ birthdays fall in these months.  my beloved kuya will be celebrating his on the 10^th! before when we were young, my parents used to have a joint celebration for our birthdays.  but we grew up and when he moved down south for work and eventually with a family of his own, we ended up having separate birthdays.  it worked the best especially because my niece, his daughter, is so crazy about birthday celebrations.  it has become a treat for her than for us celebrants. 

birthdays and the christmas season are not the only reasons for festivities during the month of october. the much-awaited octoberfest has its culminating events lined this month.  i’ve had the chance of joining one of their gigs about four years ago.  it was fun and of course SMB was overflowing!

as the “ber” months are coming, the events and festivities are rolling continuously.  can you imagine the excitement as november and december draw near? fun-fun times ahead!