Imelda Marcos at her prime.
From DavidByrne.com :

 At some point as first lady, Imelda began to feel that she could help Philippine interests by charming world leaders into seeing things her way. “Handbag diplomacy” she called it — as she liked to imply that to solve a problem, she could bypass President Marcos and just grab a handbag and hop on a plane with some of her assistants. It sometimes worked! There was, for example, an Islamic-backed insurgency rising in the south of the Philippine archipelago, and she thought that a leader in that part of the world, Qaddafi in this case, might help pull the plug on that support if he saw things her way. Apparently he did — the funding stopped and the insurrection lost momentum, and she later described him as a pushover, a mama’s boy.
 
Someday you're gonna realize
One day you'll see this through my eyes
By then i won't even be there
I'll be happy somewhere
Even if i can't

I know
You don't really see my worth
You think you're the last guy on earth
Well I've got news for you
I know I'm not that strong
But it won't take long
Won't take long

Chorus

Coz someday, someone's gonna love me
The way, i wanted you to need me
Someday, someone's gonna take your place
One day I'll forget about you
You'll see, i won't even miss you
Someday, someday

But now
I know you can't tell
I'm down, and I'm not doin' anyway
But one day these tears
They will all run dry
I won't have to cry
Sweet goodbye

Chorus

Coz someday, someone's gonna love me
The way, i wanted you to need me
Someday, someone's gonna take your place
One day I'll forget about you
You'll see, i won't even miss you
Someday, I know someone's gonna be there...
Someday...
 
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There's something about the weekend that makes me restless.  Perhaps it's the hot and humid weather.  Or the fact that there's nothing much to do.

So last Sunday when the temperature rose to almost 37 degrees, I just decided to have my already short hair cut even shorter.  I didn't want to drive to my usual salon because of the heat, so I went to the nearby beauty parlor where I had my foot spa instead.  I was not a regular client so I didn't know their hairstylists well.  I noticed that they charge cheaper and that made me kinda happy.  I then asked for the senior hairstylist, the most expensive of the lot...

To my surprise, the senior stylist turned out to be.. well, in her senior years.  I didn't show her how surprised I was but I still gave her the benefit of the doubt.  Maybe she's very experienced in the field of hairstyling.  Maybe she's attended seminars abroad to know the latest trends in hairstyles.

Well after about fifteen minutes,  I had an '80s look.  

I still didn't show my disappointment and in my nicest, friendly smile, I asked her to snip some more here and there, just to have a more updated hairstyle.  

Now I can't wait for my hair to grow longer.  Then I'll go back to my trusted hairstylist.  Scorching heat or not.

 
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Birthday Doughnuts
I took the afternoon off yesterday to personally pick up my son Migs from school.  Why? Because it's his birthday!  I was planning to take him to the mall, buy him something, maybe a shirt... but he requested that we just go to Paseo de Sta. Rosa, which was just a few blocks away and eat at Jollibee. 

While we were eating I noticed that he badly needs a haircut and I told him we'd go to the barbershop afterwards.  He didn't want to.

"My hair is fine.  Tita said it looks good on me.  My classmates also think my hair is nice.... even the girls..."

"But what about your teachers?"

"Well... Miss Jude said my hair looks good on me... but she said that according to the student handbook... it's not."

So we made a compromise to keep his hair this way for until a week.  Next weekend, I'll bring him to the barbershop.

Yes, my favorite (and only) son is slowly having decisions of his own.  Coz I didn't realize, he's now eleven.

Happy birthday sweetie.  Momma loves you.

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He had the usual birthday ice cream... but asked for doughnuts instead of cake.  Peculiar.
 
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Today, I just met up with a former dormmate of mine.  We haven't seen each other in over 20 years, thanks to Facebook we were able to reconnect our friendship.  So you can just imagine how excited I was to meet her.  We set our meeting time to around 6 pm in Makati, which was around 30 minutes drive from my office.  I left the office about 4:45 and what do you know, I arrived in Makati at 5:10.

Naturally, we talked about everything, mostly dorm and college life.. and oh, her lovelife.  Colorful indeed.  Wait 'til she hears mine. This is definitely not the last time we'll be seeing each other.  So, 'til next time, Marian!
 
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With all the heartaches and pain I'm going through, it wouldn't hurt to think positive everytime.  So this is what's in mythoughts:  "positive, positive, positive, positive, positive..."

With matching song pa. ...But it's an old and slow song, it makes me even sadder.  I think this is a bad idea.   Next time I'll look for a more upbeat tune.  For now, let me just sit and mope.

Through the Rain
(Mariah Carey)

When you get caught in the rain with no where to run
When you're distraught and in pain without anyone
When you keep crying out to be saved but nobody comes

And you feel so far away
That you just can't find your way home
You can get there alone
It's okay, what you say is

I can make it through the rain
I can stand up once again on my own
And I know that I'm strong enough to mend
And every time I feel afraid I hold tighter to my faith
And I live one more day and I make it through the rain

oohh.. oohh...

And if it keeps falling down don't you dare give in
You will arrive safe and sound, so keep pressing on steadfastly
And you'll find what you need to prevail
What you say is

I can make it through the rain
I can stand up once again on my own
And I know that I'm strong enough to mend
And every time I feel afraid I hold tighter to my faith
And I live one more day and I make it through the rain

And when the wind blows, as shadows grow close don't be afraid
There's nothing you can't face
And should they tell you, you'll never pull through
Don't hesitate, stand tall and say....

I can make it through the rain
I can stand up once again on my own
And I know that I'm strong enough to mend
And every time I feel afraid I hold tighter to my faith
And I live one more day and I make it through the rain

I can make it through the rain
And stand up once again
And I live one more day and night
I can make it through the rain
(Yes you can)
You will make it through the rain

 
 
I'm already in my 40s but I can say that there's still plenty of things I haven't done, or experienced.  This is why whenever there's a chance to do something new, I grab it.
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I was strolling at the mall one day and passed by an alley with a blind massage parlor.  I haven't had a massage in hmm.. a year?... so I immediately took the chance and had a good massage.  It's not that expensive, and since it's not a spa, I didn't have to take my clothes off - just went inside, got down on the bed, paid the receptionist after, then left.  Very straightforward.  Not time consuming at all. 

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My 3 toenails are now healing!  These toenails which have been 'dead' for about 3 years now (thanks to tennis) seem to be cured - the black portion is gone but it left some white stuff which is good enough coz I could cover them with nail polish.  And the big toenail is thickened but I think it will be fine in a few months.  What a relief!  So to celebrate that, I went to the parlor last weekend to have a pedicure, at last.  I usually do my own pedicure because I'm too embarrassed to show my toenails to the pedicurist.  But now, not anymore!  So off I went to the parlor but you know these ladies, if you ask them for a pedicure, they will offer you more services, for a fee of course.    And being very gullible, I ended up with not just a pedicure but a foot spa to boot.  I realized that soaking my feet in the warm water was very soothing.  Then came the scrubbing which then I had some sort of a problem.  I was so ticklish that I could not stop myself from laughing!  Good thing the lady doing the foot spa was very nice, but I think she was actually amused because I told her that this is my very first time to have a foot spa and pedicure.  So after about an hour, my feet were so clean and soft to the touch, I didn't want to walk at all.  Gaad, it felt good.

 
I am so in the mood to listen to jazz music today.  Makes me feel relaxed and soothed.  Just right for the state of being I am currently at. 

This is the jazz radio station I recently discovered online.  Love it.
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Happy Chinese Lunar New Year!!!
The Dragon Dance in the malls.  Ang-pao.  Eng Bee Tin Hopia.  Tikoy.  The fireworks.  It's that season again.  And what would Chinese New Year be without the horoscope forecasts.  So here they are, beginning with my year of course.  Oh, but before that, the year overview first:

YEAR OVERVIEW  

The year of the Metal Tiger brings the energy to begin activity and the determination to follow projects through to the end. Business ventures and endeavors that have started slow, especially those started last year, may pick up speed this year. There may be a lot of opposition and negative vibes from rivals, however. This year will be filled with confrontations, adventure, and many wild parties, with frequent positive and negative highs and lows. It’s definitely not going to be a peaceful year. Your best bet is to always have faith and believe in miracles, as making the impossible possible can happen.

HORSE  

An extremely cheerful and optimistic creature, Horse can be a refreshing breeze in times of trouble. She’s rather slapdash and happy-go-lucky, however, so don’t expect her to stick around for long periods. She seeks adventure, the thrill of the journey, the breathtaking spotlight, the sound of laughter at wild parties. To tie her down could make her very sad. Love to her is a gamble, with many moods, many changes and a lot of fiery passion.

What’s in store for you in 2010

Overall Luck

Aside from Dog, you may have more luck this year than the other zodiac animals. There may be many positive opportunities in store this year, and to add to all the goodness, you’ll enjoy your endeavors. You’ll have a wonderful year with practically no unfavorable months. Go ahead and pursue your dreams, your goals, your ambitions! It’s the perfect time to get off the side bench, warm up and get on centerfield. Adventure will call every so often, so always take caution with you, as you tend to get that reckless streak in all the excitement.

Love Luck
This is a lucky year for you in all of life’s aspects, including love! You are a cheerful and optimistic creature, and that’s a great attitude to have, especially if love was unkind to you last year. The good thing about you is you don’t lose hope so easily. This year promises many social events and adventurous escapades, which are perfect for meeting other bachelors or bachelorettes. On the outside, you’re brimming with exuberance, which could also be a façade for a few insecurities. Don’t be afraid to show a lover your vulnerable side. Single Horses may have more luck this year than married ones, as singles have more freedom to roam and play. Still, married Horses may have their share of luck, but their popularity may leave little time for private life, which may be the number one cause for conflict in their married life.


 
Happy Valentine's Day.  To set the mood for this occasion, here are snippets of some of the most romantic movie lines. 
***
'Wish someone told me "I love you" yesterday.  But there was none.

'Wish someone gave me even just a Valentine's card yesterday.  But there was none.

'Wish someone sent me flowers yesterday.  But again, there was none.

So I just picked some roses from my garden.  And what do you know, the flowers somehow perked me up.