Just Grin And BEAR It

Meet the Lurkers of my profile. They can be moody and restless at times but one thing for sure, they can provide a warm hug and cuddle if you want to. Just don't get too close to them or they'll tear you to pieces. Just smile and wave instead.

Hiro is born and bred in Singapore. Chicken rice is his favorite staple and spits mashed potato to the full. Very inquisitive and curious, he wants to be the centre of attention all the time. He's a sweetie and ramps with a silly grin which makes him all the more endearing.




jR is of Malaysian descent. A spoiled brat, he travelled to the UK atop my Boblbee backpack much to the delight of the passengers and flight attendants. Understandably, he is always seen wearing his winter gear as he's still not settled with the gray british weather. Although he sports a grumpy look on his face, he is also the most lovable of all.


And Tabby! A shopaholic, he came from a quirky shop called "Clinton Cards" bearing an expensive price tag. And knowing his affluent background, he tends to be the "bully" of the three. He is ginormous and super cute! But don't be deceived by his cuddly nature coz he can be a tyrant too!

Right guys, enjoy your five minute of fame coz come winter, you'll be hibernating again.

Helluva Movie

You know I can't smile without you
I can't smile without you
I can't laugh and I can't sing
I'm finding it hard to do anything
You see I feel sad when you're sad
I feel glad when you're glad
If you only knew what I'm going through
I just can't smile without you.

This song is still playing in my mind over and over again. Who would've thought that a monstrous looking devil, literally, is also a softie by heart? cheesy, to put it bluntly.
Sorry, just watched Hellboy.

Pulls Out Some Punches

I treated my family to a luxury shopping at the mall one day after coming home for a much needed R&R.

"Sky's the limit" I told them sheepishly as I saw one of my cousins scampered to the jean's department looking like a headless chicken and too excited to fill up his shopping basket.
My shoe-fetish aunt was holding four pairs of shoes on one hand and another three pairs on the other.
My mom was on the kitchen department choosing utensils in different styles.
The sales ladies were doing what they do best: following them around.
While I just sat on one corner fiddling with my phone.

"What a sight" I thought.

After what seemed like forever of creating havoc in the mall, we headed straight to the counter where all the purchases have been piled and handed out my card.

"Ay naku! ilang pwet na naman kaya yan?" I blurted out as I went for a little walk just within the department while the cashier was still punching the keys and checking out the purchases.

I came back after a few minutes, and signed my card.

As we head home, my mom said: "You know what, the sales ladies asked me if you're a Japayuki?"

"A what?" I said. "why did they asked you that?"

"Because they heard you saying ilang pwet na naman yan, you're wearing shorts pa, so they thought you are."

At that time, I found it funny at how such an innocent remark and a silly joke can make such an impact to them and turned me into one I'm not. But thinking about it now, I can't help but feel sorry for the sales ladies and their derogatory remark to such term. They seemed to assume quickly that I am one because of my comment and the way I looked. It just shows how shallow their understanding of the word "japayuki" is. Discrimination to the highest level!
If only they knew that I'm a nurse and cleaning a patient's a** is part of nursing care in the UK (and Singapore's) standards of care, they would've shut up.
If only they knew the things that we do here are sometimes not pleasant, they would've understood.
If only they knew that earning those grand pounds is also equivalent to a sometimes hard life here, they would've been more sympathetic.
But then again, as evidenced by the the looks on their faces and their tiny giggles, they won't understand because like some others, they are prejudiced.
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You can't tell the wide difference of being a nurse here in the UK (and Singapore) as compared to the Philippines unless you can experience it yourself.
As a nurse in the Philippines, I wasn't directly involved in patient's care because there were midwives who did it for me. I wasn't wiping patient's behind because relatives do it mostly. All I did was charting, meds, charting, rounds, and charting again. For five years. Boring.
I was grateful to have worked in Singapore where my nursing care was honed to perfection. I was thinking of quitting the first time because the workload is too much. A far cry from the laid-back Philippine nursing. But I lingered and learned and I must say, that here in my current unit my nursing techniques are imitated but never equalled, he,he,he...
The silly joke "ilang puwet na naman yan" wasn't really coined in the UK. My friend in Singapore started it when he was thinking of buying his son a playstation as his birthday gift for him.

"Hmmmm, siguro mga tatlong puwet lang yan," that's what he said as we all burst out laughing.

And so, it has been a byword eversince.

Me? a japayuki? only to my husband.

Little Treasures

Apart from me ;) these items are Jobert's little treasures. He will defo give up his life for these little beauties anytime come hell or high water. All his life, Jobert have been collecting original DVDs and action figures and overtime too, he has hoarded a massive array of DVDs in different genre and "little people" with characters. Tucked in between these videos is the movie called "Salo" by Pasolini. Honestly, this is the most disgusting yet controversial film I have ever seen in ages. I can't bear to watch it in one sitting because almost every sequence of the film induces vomiting and I literally, vomitted. I can't watch it again though. The film is just too sick for me. I'm not surprised why the director was assasinated after doing this film.
These attractive action figures are also his collection. What you see here is just part and parcel of what he actually have in total. Somewhere in the attic, are the most coveted original collections of Japanese action figures.
These collections are worth a fortune and his overprotectiveness for all these is justified.

Awful August

I have always been a sun worshipper all my life. I am just one of the lucky few that doesn't get burned easily. So imagine my joy when my favorite dose of sunshine was beaming it's rays on me as I perched myself on a wooden chair outside Starbucks sipping my favorite Strawberries and Cream while watching a shirtless Jobert topping-up his tan and enjoying his cappuccino. Ah, the pleasures of summer!
But those endless rays that I wish to keep forever have long since gone only to be replaced by ferocious downpours that seemed like gatecrashers to me. It's not yet your time tiny raindrops, why so soon? I haven't missed you at all because you are here forever blocking my little sunshine.
I am now confined in my bed, feeling miserable and down with a cold.
Pathetic I know but we only have two weeks of summer this year. But I'm still hoping that before August ends, my elusive sun will still come out.

Maternal Notion

The notion of being a mom came across my mind one day. The thought of rearing a daughter with intellect, beauty and virtue seem too good to be true. However, the satisfying dose of retail therapy, the constant eating-outs, the undisturbed late lie-ins, and the frequent romantic breaks, drove me away from having a little one for the moment.
Until recently, a friend of mine entrusted her cute little princess to stay with us for a day. I was filled with so much joy that I find myself shopping for baby clothes and stuffs.
The day she was with us was fun-filled. She's less than a year old and already, she has a mind of a brat---sweet, that is. She ate a lot of strawberries and drank milk like there's no tomorrow. There was a blast of kiddie channels in the living room where, normally, only BBC resides. Both our bedroom and living room were a mess with her always agitated state. By mid-afternoon, we were already exhausted. I wished to God that she will at least have a kip even for a few minutes but she didn't. Instead, she had an expected-but-hope-you-can-get-away-with-it-poo that all hell break loose! Jobert had proclaimed himself allergic to "nappies-with-poo-in-it" all of a sudden so I have no choice, nice.
The culmination of the day was a much deserved bubblebath to which she mostly enjoyed. I drizzled a bottleful of burt's bees baby bubble and had some of our little blue whales swam around her and gave her a tiny tickle. She was a handful I must say!
But still, that didn't put me off from breeding a beautiful one, one day. She of course, will inherit her dad's principles and intellect and her mom's charm and values.
We have already created a name for her---one that resembles the name of fairies and goddesses but until our GCS becomes perfect and have made a wild decision to "create" her, her name will remain a guarded secret for the time being ;)

Beau Papillon

Je suis en effet.

04.08.08

I tried my hardest to be strong and apathetic by refusing to open the card my colleagues gave me even with too much persuasion. When I reached home however, I opened it, read and was overly touched yet fascinated by my friends' sweet messages. Just then, tears flow, first slowly, and then they were just unstoppable. The liquified feelings that caressed my cheeks revealed what I truly felt. I missed them all!
I am known to be a hardcore at work and can be a b*tch in STAT doses but I can also be a real softie PRN. And that PRN is today---the "end of an era".
I love my workplace and the beautiful people that lived in it but when things are getting too familiar and uninteresting, people are getting too close, tasks are merely routines, and caring has become meaningless, I guess, it's time for me to go..... to stay.