More Tag - 25 Random Facts About Me

I used to think that this whole tag business was confined to the blogging world, but lately several of my friends on Facebook have tagged me with this 25 Random Facts tag. I figured it was time to do the tag and tag back. I remember already doing a 10 Random Facts tag here a few months back, but I figure that since I'm doing this one for my FB network, I might as well post it for my blog buddies to feast on as well. As for tagging my 25 - already done that... but you're free to grab the tag if you want to do it, too.

At the very least, it will get my mood up... I hope. It's not easy settling back into real life after being oversaturated by the sight of beautiful places - post-travel blues.

Copy. Paste. Share your 25 and tag 25.

1. I am currently suffering from serious post-travel blues at the moment. Coming home after a great trip is always a bit of a let-down.

2. I love my Body Balance classes at the gym and am thinking of doing serious yoga one of these days.

3. I was almost cast as Nova Villa and Freddie Webb's little girl in the sitcom "Chicks to Chicks" when I was five - only I suffered from a serious case of stage fright when I saw the studio lights.

4. My latest driving credits include country driving at 120 kph for at least 200 kilometers from Konojup to Armadale. Yes, granny driver Claire now knows how to zoom-zoom down the highway, yeah!

5. I love the beach and the ocean at any season, not just to swim but to simply watch the world go by. It's my recovery room. I just visited some of the best beaches I have ever seen this weekend... I wish I could have stayed at any one of them forever.

6. I have become a bit obsessive about facial sunblock since I moved to Australia. I need a supply!

7. I still have no idea what I will be doing a year from now, where I will be doing it, and whether or not what I will be doing will lead me to home. It's quite an experience living from one day to another...

8. I miss my spur-of-the-moment coffee dates with the Five O'Clock Club or my other girl friends at Starbucks. But I'm glad that I have new friends here to share coffee with when I really need it.

9. I can spend an entire day doing absolutely nothing important. I'm a professional time-waster!

10. I don't like taking risks in anything and always like going for the "sure thing." So it's nice when circumstances sometimes force me to be a bit more spontaneous - which is what this year is really all about.

11. I have more regrets that are tied to the things I didn't do rather than the things I have done. I'm hoping I can reverse that ratio as the years go by - because it would mean that I'm actually learning to live my life rather then continuing to hedge my bets.

12. I am a cynical romantic. I believe in happy endings and forever, but I'm also very pragmatic about the whole romance process and tend to keep my expectations low. Yes, I subscribe to the gospel of "He's Just Not That Into You!"

13. I haven't gotten past running 4 kilometers for the past few weeks and here I am hoping I can do a 10 kilometer run by April. ASA PA AKO!

14. I hate change. I like security and certainty and making plans - which made me a little square stuck in a deep rut for a good long while. But, thanks to my new moves, times are changing. I've come a long way, baby!

15. I have been in one major car accident (a school bus wreck when I was five - I got windshield glass in my forehead) and am crossing my fingers that I have reached my quota for a lifetime.

16. I used to cry over my patients and thought I'd gotten over it after residency - but apparently, there are still some patient stories that can pull me towards the brink of doing so.

17. I would like to be able to see a good deal of the world before I die. I would like to be able to see a huge chunk of Australia before I go home (if I decide not to settle here). I love to travel!

18. I have an addiction to pulp fiction - bestselling romance novels and murder mysteries being on the top tier.

19. My top 3 comfort foods used to be ice cream, premium chocolate, and cheesecake. These days it's my pork rasher adobo or Woodies roast chicken in spicy Mang Tomas lechon sauce. Tastes like home!

20. I rarely watch TV but when I do, it's more likely to be a crime show or procedural. I love mysteries - probably the influence of all the Nancy Drew I read when I was in 3rd grade.

21. I used to read the encyclopedia for fun. What a nerdy kid! Thankfully, I outgrew THAT eccentricity.

22. I've been meaning to learn more constellations for years, but for some reason I've never gotten around to spotting anything other than Orion (which for some odd reason, people here call the Saucepan).

23. If I ever get married, I'd rather elope and then spend all the moolah we saved on a big wedding on a major travelfest of a honeymoon - maybe somewhere in Europe... Venice comes to mind.

24. One of my biggest dreams is to have a house by a beautiful beach someday. I would love to be able to wake up to the sound of the ocean and a sea breeze every morning!

25. Since the start of this year, I've been trying to work my way out of the box and live my life from experience to experience, triumphs and heartaches included. So far, it's been a very interesting ride - and I'm glad I've finally decided to take it.
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The Alphabet Tag

My blog buddy Marj sent me my first meme of the year, and I figured I'd take a break from contemplating my status as a figurative "dumb blond" by playing along.

(Who am I kidding? I love doing this!)

So... here's the ABC of everything about me.

A. Attached or single?
Do I even have to answer this question?

B. Best friend?
Isa, who became my friend in college, and is the most collected, together, and serene person I know. She's the perfect foil to my scatter-brained, flustered, hyper self. I miss her heaps.

C. Cake or pie?
Cake! Cheesecake, mudcake, shortcake...

D. Day of choice?
A perfect day on a perfect beach.

E. Essential item?
My iPod. Mobile phones are a dime a dozen, but I'd be devastated if I lost my iPod!

F. Favorite color?
I love blue, but I find my closet is currently stocked with different shades of pink. How did that happen?

G. Gummy bears or worms?
Gummy bears!

H. Hometown?
Manila

I. Favorite indulgence?
A full body massage at In Sense spa (which I haven't had since I got here!)

J. January or July?
January. July always brings nasty weather - whether it's in Manila or Perth.

K. Kids?
Hope so!

L. Life isn’t complete without?
Quality alone time.

M. Marriage date?
I stopped giving myself a deadline years ago!

N. Number of magazine subscriptions?
None.

O. Orange or apple?
Apples

P. Phobias?
I don't like heights.

Q. Quotes?
Don't really have one.

R. Reasons to smile?
There are heaps! It's just a matter of looking for them. :)

S. Season of choice?
Fall, in a place where the leaves turn. I love the colors of autumn!

T. Tag 5 people -
Raymond, Sonny, Jean, Pepper, and Marlowe

U. Unknown fact about me?
I can drink half of a 750ml bottle of Absolut Vodka and still be (somewhat) lucid by the end of the night.

V. Vegetable?
Sun-dried tomatoes (yes, I know it's technically a fruit, but humor me.)

W. Worst habit?
Jeez, I have to pick one? They're all terrible! Erm... nail biting to the point of bleeding. (Gross, I know...)

X. X-ray or ultrasound?
Huh?

Y. Your favorite food(s)?
Dessert. Any kind. To my detriment.

Z. Zodiac sign
Taurus (and I'm a textbook one).

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Rickrolling Down Memory Lane

It's a testimony to how much time I've been spending on-line these days that I've been a victim of the Rickroll too many times for me to keep track of.

Not that I've minded it too much.

While many perpetrators of the latest huge internet prank are probably too young to remember Rick Astley's heyday, the sight of the hiralious dance steps, the big hair, and the high-waisted pants evoke in me a feeling of nostalgia. (Admit it, people, you all used to wear your hair and your pants this way, too!)

I was ten years old when Rick Astley's big voice first hit the Manila airwaves. At the time, I was just beginning to discover the joys of having my own set of cassette tapes to play on my own Walkman. Unfortunately, it was the late 80's - hardly a dignified era for the pop music scene.

While I did experience the tail-end of the New Wave music era, 80's pop music got its hooks into me pretty well. My preferences at the time ran to the ever-present Madonna, Debbie Gibson (whose songs I used to sing to with a hairbrush in front of our full-length mirror), Bananarama, Kylie Minogue, the Jets, and New Kids on the Block (I dare my elementary and high school classmates to deny their devotion to these guys!).

And, of course, there was good ol' Rick, whose songs I still - to my shame - know the lyrics to to this day.

Most music junkies have memories associated with the songs they grew up to, and for me Rick Astley's songs are no exception.

Those familiar big band vocals and distinctive Stock, Aitken, and Waterman beat brings to mind my first-ever trip to Baguio (My "Hold Me in Your Arms" cassette was among the few we took on the trip, and we played it whenever our car radio could not pick up broadcasts from any station); the silly dance-aerobics presentation we had for our fifth grade PE class (for which we used one of his songs), and, yes, watching quintessential Rick-Astley-wannabe Roderick Paulate singing and dancing to "Together Forever" on TV with my mom at home.

My musical tastes have broadened, matured, and hopefully improved over the past 20 years. But I confess there's a secret place in my present-day iPod for Rick Astley's greatest hits - as well as many of those old 80's pop ditties I grew up to but should have sent to some forgotten place to die. And, yes, believe it or not, there are days when this playlist still gets exclusive playtime while I am negotiating exasperating Manila traffic. Yes, singing and bopping to kitschy 80's pop music makes me less inclined to shoot the other traffic-causing idiots on the road.

I second this motion: given the influx of 80's acts into the Manila concert scene and the huge exposure he's getting from the Rickrolling phenomenon, it's high time someone brought Rick Astley to Manila. If I'm here, I just might splurge on a ticket and watch him do a live Rickroll - no tricks required. What can I say? I'm a fan, albeit a closet one (but not anymore! *LOL*).

To convince the skeptics and as a treat to the closet fans who are just dying to admit it, I'll leave you with the internet video sensation that has caught the world by storm - Rick Astley's "Never Gonna Give You Up." That is, if you haven't been a victim and seen it for yourself! Won't this be awesome seen live?



On the other hand, if you're not up for a dose of Rickrolling fun - you should check out this great Muppets video instead.

Enjoy!

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Mix Tape Tag

photo by Angel Baby 9000

Jet thought up this really great music meme that I, a musical junkie, simply could not pass up.

Music has always been one of my enduring addictions, right up there with chocolate, books, stargazing, and nailbiting. I blame it on having grown up singing by my aunt's piano - and practically everywhere else. In any gathering, you will always find me by any person playing a musical instrument - or by the videoke machine. I know an absurd number of songs by heart - a fickle trick of the memory that completely deserts me when I am trying to memorize medical facts.

I've been collecting music since the good old days of cassette, pre-BASF days, when it used to cost P45 a tape. I used to give my friends mix tapes on a regular basis, back in the days of the double cassette deck and I would have to copy tracks from one cassette tape to another. Some two decades later, the advent of MP3 files and CD writers has made my life so much easier. I always like sharing bits and pieces of my eclectic music collection to uninitiated friends - which is precisely why I simply cannot resist this tag.

Here's what we do.

1. Choose 19 of the songs you like best, regardless of artist or genre.
2. Put them all together in a CD.
3. Make 5 other copies.
4. Post your playlist on your blog.
5. Choose 5 people and share your playlist with them. Also, send your playlist to the one who tagged you.

Okay, this is going to be a tough one. I am simply incapable of choosing 19 songs I like best of all-time... there are just so very many of them in my collection - all of which I really do listen to. Besides that, their position on my I-love-this-song chart varies depending on my mood or what I feel like listening to for the moment. So I'm going to have to do this quickly - otherwise, I'll end up changing my choices here and there and will probably end up never posting this!

Presenting... dr_clairebear's 19 picks for mix tape sharing - what I feel like listening to - at least for tonight. (Aren't you glad I'm not in a campy 80's or 70's disco mood?) :)


Side A - Pretty Songs for Reflective Moods

Violet Sky - Keri Noble
Lullabye for a Stormy Night - Vienna Teng
Sweet Chariot - Charlotte Martin
Send Me a Song - Celtic Woman
Gravity - Sara Bareilles
Back Where We Started - Tina Dico
Fire Sign - David Berkley
Ghost - Indigo Girls
Time - Sarah McLachlan

Side B - Happy Songs To Drive To

Those Sweet Words - Norah Jones
100 Years - Five for Fighting
Fools Like Me - Lisa Loeb
Midnight Bottle - Colbie Callait
Everything - Michael Buble
Little Superhero Girl - Corrinne May
Do I Need a Reason - D' Sound
Breathe - Michelle Branch
Bliss - Alice Peacock with John Mayer
Glorious - Natalie Imbruglia


I tag Ris and Woobie (whose musical grab bags I'm curious about), Linc (who I know by now does not do tags, but I also know has an 80's playlist of maudlin' songs on his About Page - so it's worth a shot), Manggy (who likes Sarah McLachlan, so must have some pretty music in his collection. And he has a closet love for pop, too!), and Lis (who gave a pretty lengthy recommendation list over here which I have yet to mine).

Guys, please email me your email addresses so I can send you my playlist link. I would burn this for you in a heartbeat, but I don't trust our snail mail system. But it's negotiable. ;) You can reach me at dr[dot]clairebear [at] gmail[dot]com.

(Jet, hope you don't mind I reworded the meme a little, just in case Big Brother is watching. :))

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Book Cutting and the 123 Book Tag

Marjie tagged me with this book meme, and I couldn't resist.

The game goes:
1. Pick up the nearest book of at least 123 pages.
2. Open the book to page 123.
3. Find the fifth sentence.
4. Post the next three sentences.
5. Tag five people.

It's sort of like that book cutting game my friends and I used to play when I was younger. You get a book, ask a question, open the book to a certain page, and whatever was on that page is supposed to answer your question. It was one of the more popular ways of forcing Fate to give you a definite "sign."

My book-at-hand is something related to my previous post. I recently unearthed it in our bodega (storeroom shed) while I was looking for my board exam reviewers. I bought it a few years back, during my last year in medical school, when I was grappling with the dilemma of what I should do next with my life.

Finding myself at that same point right now, I brought the book back inside the house and have been meaning to read it again. With everything that's been going on here these past few days, I haven't gotten around to it yet. This tag seemed a good way to start.

My book? Stomie Omartian's "Just Enough Light for the Step I'm On: Trusting God in the Tough Times." The excerpt on page 123 as specified by the tag follows - but I'm breaking one of the tag rules and going over three sentences.


"What originally seemed like the end became a new beginning. But new beginnings don't happen without something ending.

"Major life changes can be scary. But if we don't cling desperately to the old life, the new experiences can be exciting as well. Trying to keep things from changing only makes the process miserable. It's far less upsetting to just let the old go and walk step by step with God into the new life He has for us."



I kid you not. This was really the excerpt based on the tag rules. Considering my most recent mind-boggling questions about my life, I can't help but think that there must be something to the whole book cutting thing. A coincidence? Maybe. After all, that is really what the book is all about. Or maybe it's God's way of giving me a few answers in a roundabout way. Who knows? Regardless of what is more true, I got the message.

But I digress. :)

Since this is a book tag, I'm tagging two voracious readers I know will have books within reach - Ris and Megamom. Anyone else who wants to do some book cutting of their own is very welcome to participate. Enjoy!

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Meme: I Tag...

yummy cheesecake photo by ^-^liz

My Yahoo mail inbox has been telling me that I have 73 unread messages for quite some time now. Having nothing better to do, I decided this morning to sift through my mailbox and start throwing my electronic dead mail away. In the deluge of forward mail, I found some of my favorite kind: the about-you-survey.

I know, I know - it's silly, self-indulgent, and a hiccup of my on-line exhibitionism. But you know what they say about idle minds and devil's playgrounds and all that... I can never resist these things. Besides, this brings back memories of elementary school, when they would make us answer these personality tests at the beginning of the year (for what purpose, I still have no idea).

I'm making this a tag for anyone who wants to participate. But I am tagging, in particular, my blogging friends: Penguin and Pepper, and my regular reads Lis, Linc (though I'm not sure you do tags - hope you make an exception), Marjie, and Ris.

I AM... currently sitting in my clinic waiting for 3:30 so I can get out of here and hit the beach.

I WANT... to be rich enough to travel the world without having to worry about my retirement fund.

I HAVE... no definite long-term plans in life.

I WISH... I could eat anything and everything i want without having to exercise to maintain a passable shape.

I HATE... white nights when I stay up wondering if I really like where I am in my life and if I may
have missed my crucial turn in the road.

I FEAR... becoming the old lady ambu-bagging myself in the charity ward (because no one else will)

I SEARCH... for the perfect cheesecake. But seriously -- I am looking outfor that person who will see through me and love me without my having to starve myself into
a great body.

I WONDER... if things in this country can ever get better.

I REGRET... not giving my phone number to this boy I met and liked way back in high school because I think that
completely changed the whole schema of my romantic life and turned it into a barren wasteland.

I LOVE... living by the sea.

I ALWAYS... like to argue for the sake of arguing.

I AM NOT... as tough as I appear to be.

I DANCE... as gracefully as a pregnant elephant.

I SING... impromptu concertos in the shower regularly and at acoustic bars with open mic on demand.

I CRY... over happy endings.

I WRITE... fan fiction and drivel -- a huge amount of it -- for which I will never get paid.

I WON... 3rd place at my mom's office singing contest when I was 11 -- singing and dancing to Laura Brannigan's "Name Game." It was one of the most mortifying moments of my life.

I AM CONFUSED... about what the world is coming to. Are people really determined to hasten the end of the world as we know it?

I NEED... to figure out what I want to do with the rest of my life!

I SHOULD... start getting some serious exercise.

THE LAST THOUGHT YOU GO TO SLEEP WITH IS... "Oh, God... tomorrow is another day!"

Your turn!
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Iska Memories

this great photo is by Marlon Hacla on Flickr

The main pitfall in attempting to study at home is my own lack of emotional quotient. The concept of delayed gratification (i.e. getting on the internet after I finish covering my scheduled material for the day) is something that simply flies out the window when temptation is too tantalizingly nearby.

I admit it, I am losing steam. I just want to get this exam over with. Not that I am ready for it, mind you, except maybe to flunk it big time. So, if I suddenly stop blogging on this site indefinitely and seem to have fallen off the face of the blogosphere, you can assume the worst.

But... I digress.

Thanks to my internet addiction and lack of focus, I've decided to answer this UP Centennial Meme I picked off my old friend Peng's page instead of trying to decipher my notes on colon cancer. Yes, like many other blogosphere wanderers, I'm a bona fide Iskolar ng Bayan from the University of the Philippines - from college in Diliman to medical school in Manila.

To other fellow Iskos and Iskas in the blogosphere, I'm sure the following questions will bring back a truckload of happy memories.



mga isko at iska, sagot na!

To commemorate our centennial year...
University of the Philippines

1. Student number? 95-22806

2. College? College of Social Science and Philosophy, Diliman. College of Medicine, Manila.

3. Ano ang course mo? (What did you Major in?) BS Psychology. Doctor of Medicine.

4. Nag-shift ka ba o na-kick out? (Did you shift majors/Courses or were you a kicked out of your College)? No. I was the quintessential goody two-shoes all the way.

5. Saan ka kumuha ng UPCAT? (Where did you take your entrance examination?) Far-away Math Building in Diliman, on a Sunday afternoon.

6. Favorite GE subject? (General Education classes) Humanities I; but PI 100 comes a close second because of our quirky professor who brought us to Mount Banahaw.

7. Favorite PE? Social Dance - despite the fact that there were only about 3 boys in our class, our teacher used to wear her jazz panties and tights Superman style, and it meant having to cut lunch short to commute to the gym by 1pm.

8. Saan ka nag-aabang ng hot guys/girls sa UP? (Where do you hang out to check out the hot babes/dudes?) At ISSI, while working as Registration Assistants in Diliman - we used to check the registration forms and return Form 5's to fellow students after they paid their tuition. Which means this was a semestral thing. All those periods in between? Seriously long dry spells.

9. Favorite profs? (Favorite Professors?) Dr. Nilo Ocampo (PI 100), the late Dr. F.G. David (Psych 160 - Neuropsychology), and Professor Sto. Domingo (Psych 118 - Field Methods)

10. Pinaka-ayaw na GE subject (least favorite General Education class)? Science Technology and Society - a completely useless waste of time.

11. Kumuha ka ba ng Saturday classes? (Did you sign up for Saturday classes?) No. Wednesday classes, though, yes.

12. Nakapag-field trip ka ba?(Did you join any field Trips?) Twice to Mount Banahaw for PI 100 and Psych 108, and to Taal and Anilao for Humanties II.

13. Naging CS ka na ba or US sa UP? (Were you ever a College Scholar and or a University Scholar) A few semesters.

14. Ano ang Org/Frat/Soro mo? (What Organization/Fraternity/Sorority were you a member of?) UP Pre-Med Society, The Philippine Collegian (for one semester), ICTUS, Psychology Association, Phi Lambda Delta Sorority (in the College of Medicine)

15. Dorm, Boarding house, o Bahay? (Did you stay at a dorm, boarding house or did you live at home during college? ) Mostly I commuted from our house.

16. Kung walang UPCAT test at malaya kang nakapili ng kurso mo sa UP, ano yun? (If you had your way, what was your dream course/major?) Creative Writing - which was actually my second course on my college application... but I passed Psychology, and the rest is history.

17. Sino ang pinaka-una mong nakilala sa UP?(Who did you first meet at UP?) You know what... I cannot for the life of me remember. :)

18. First play na napanood mo sa UP? (First play you watched in UP) Paulit-ulit na Pagguhit ng Bilog... or at least, I think that was the title of it. Great writing.

19. Saan ka madalas mag-lunch? (Where did you usually eat lunch?) At the PMS tambayan. But my favorite lunch was the Chicken Roll from CASAA and the porkchop that used to spill off the plate from Chinatown - also in CASAA. Best fishball stand? Mass Comm. Best Isaw? The one near Kalayaan.

20. Masaya ba sa UP? (Was it fun in UP?) Most definitely! My world really opened up when I went to Diliman. And besides, that's where I learned how to drink. *evil grin*

21 . Nakasama ka na ba sa rally? (Did you ever get to go to a rally?) Once in Diliman for a tuition fee increase protest, and of course I was there in my medicine whites at EDSA Dos.

22. Ilang beses ka bumoto sa Student Council? (How many times did you vote for Student Council elections?) You know, I'm not sure. But I'm sure I did a couple of times at least.

23. Pinangarap mo rin bang mag-laude nung freshman ka? (Did you ever aspire to graduate with honors when you were a freshman?) I was a girl who had plans of going to medical school in UP, too. Enough said.

24. Kung di ka UP, anong school ka? (If you didn't go to UP, what school would you have gone?) Probably De La Salle University, as part of their first BS Human Biology (straight medicine) program. I seriously thought about it after I passed the screening, but in retrospect I'm so glad I decided not to save up on a couple of years and turned it down.

In the spirit of fun and being a fighting Maroon, I'm tagging on-line buddy Manggy, my going-south mentor Chino, batchmate, Raymond, and Megamom for this one. And any other UP grad who feels like taking a walk down memory lane is free to answer this meme and link back!
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Meme: Drop Your Entrecard

Cardiogirl tagged me with this nifty little meme going around for Entrecard users. (To Cardiogirl: many thanks for the little plug!) I'm going to take you on a trip around my personal blogosphere to the Entrecard users whose blogs I read. But before that, here are the instructions for this meme started by Sam Freedom.

Simple Entrecard Meme Instructions

1. Read these instructions twice;

2. Drop your EntreCard at this site;

3. Drop your EntreCard at the 5 EntreCard users’ sites listed below;

4. Choose 5 other EntreCard users;

5. Copy these instructions to your own Entrecard meme article and tag (link) those 5 people;

6. Include a link to the Entrecard meme article of the person who tagged you;

7. Link to the original article “Sam Freedom’s Drop Squad - the First Entrecard Meme Known to Bloggers“;

8. Notify the people you choose that they’ve been tagged;

9. Comment below so even passers-by can drop their card at your site, too (it shows you are active and will likely return the favor)

10. (optional) IF you tag your blogs, use both “entrecard” and “entrecard meme” as tags so that others can find them AND so that we can find them all later as this grows. (If you don’t know what tagging is, don’t worry.)


Here are the people I'm tagging for this meme - all of them fellow Pinoys:

Prudence and Madness - a fellow medical doctor on the journey, she blogs by the adage, "Because doctors are human, too." She also has a very informative medical blog linked to this one.

Pulse - Em Dy is a lady doctor, too, but her blog shows that it is not impossible to have a real life outside the hospital. Her food reviews are right on the money, too! :)

So Far, So Good - Ian blogs on a very wide range of topics: medicine, social issues, being Filipino, entertainment, life. Here is another doctor who hasn't let med life suck him into its black hole.

Nappy Time Adventures - Ris is a young Filipina mom who writes candidly and eloquently about the challenges of being a mom and keeping herself.

So Marjienalized - a twenty-something Filipina based in the States blogs about anything and everything that strikes her fancy.

Enjoy reading them... and don't forget to find your way back here after! :)


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More Meme: 12 Months Tag

Oh, goodie, a meme I can do under 20 minutes...!

I've currently exiled myself to the apartment in order to get away from the Evil Being who Takes Away Study Time (a.k.a. The Internet Blogging Monster). I really had to get started studying and have been at it all morning. As a reward for my hard work, I have decided to get some internet time at the internet cafe on the ground floor of the apartment building.

I've given myself one hour. And I've already consumed 15 minutes, so I better get at it.

Here's a tag my friend and mentor, Megamom sent me. :)

The rules are:
1. Mention the person who tagged you and create a link back to them.
2. Copy-paste the traits for all the twelve months (see below).
3. Pick your month of birth.
4. Highlight the traits that apply to you.
5. Tag 12 people and let them know by visiting their blogs and leaving a comment for them.
6. Let the person who tagged you know when you’ve done it!


I am a May-born baby. :) And I am, strangely enough, a textbook May-born almost to a T.

MAY: Stubborn and hard-hearted. Strong-willed and highly motivated. Sharp thoughts. Easily angered. Attracts others and loves attention. Deep feelings. Beautiful physically and mentally. Firm Standpoint. Needs no motivation. Easily consoled. Systematic (left brain). Loves to dream. Strong clairvoyance. Understanding. Sickness usually in the ear and neck. Good imagination. Good physical. Weak breathing. Loves literature and the arts. Loves traveling. Dislike being at home. Restless. Not having many children. Hardworking. High spirited. Spendthrift.

Friends know I have a short fuse and a long memory, and once I have an idea, I tend to dig in. I hate change. I love to travel. I love music and literature. But, while I can occasionally be an impulsive shopper, I am generally super kuripot! (Probably a hold-over from not having had an allowance until college... an long and interesting story for another time.)

I can't think of 12 people I can tag off bat! My tag list: Raymond, Lala, Pepper, Doray, Manggy (though his blog doesn't seem to have room for it - it's too full of his sumptuous creations), and Honey (who just might be too busy for it right now, but never mind :)).


-------

The Twelve Months

JANUARY: Stubborn and hard-hearted. Ambitious and serious. Loves to teach and be taught. Always looking at people’s flaws and weaknesses. Likes to criticize. Hardworking and productive. Smart, neat and organized. Sensitive and has deep thoughts. Knows how to make others happy. Quiet unless excited or tensed. Rather reserved. Highly attentive. Resistant to illnesses but prone to colds. Romantic but has difficulties expressing love. Loves children. Loyal. Has great social abilities yet easily jealous. Very stubborn and money cautious.

FEBRUARY: Abstract thoughts. Loves reality and abstract. Intelligent and clever. Changing personality. Attractive. Sexy. Temperamental. Quiet, shy and humble. Honest and loyal. Determined to reach goals. Loves freedom. Rebellious when restricted. Loves aggressiveness. Too sensitive and easily hurt. Gets angry really easily but does not show it. Dislikes unnecessary things. Loves making friends but rarely shows it. Daring and stubborn. Ambitious. Realizes dreams and hopes. Sharp. Loves entertainment and leisure. Romantic on the inside not outside. Superstitious and ludicrous. Spendthrift. Tries to learn to show emotions.

MARCH: Attractive personality. Sexy. Affectionate. Shy and reserved. Secretive. Naturally honest, generous and sympathetic. Loves peace and serenity. Sensitive to others. Loves to serve others. Easily angered. Trustworthy. Appreciative and returns kindness. Observant and assesses others. Revengeful. Loves to dream and fantasize. Loves traveling. Loves attention. Hasty decisions in choosing partners. Loves home decors. Musically talented. Loves special things. Moody.

APRIL: Active and dynamic. Decisive and hasty but tends to regret. Attractive and affectionate to oneself. Strong mentality. Loves attention. Diplomatic. Consoling, friendly and solves people’s problems. Brave and fearless. Adventurous. Loving and caring. Suave and generous. Emotional. Aggressive. Hasty. Good memory. Moving. Motivates oneself and others. Sickness usually of the head and chest. Sexy in a way that only their lover can see.

MAY: Stubborn and hard-hearted. Strong-willed and highly motivated. Sharp thoughts. Easily angered. Attracts others and loves attention. Deep feelings. Beautiful physically and mentally. Firm Standpoint. Needs no motivation. Easily consoled. Systematic (left brain). Loves to dream. Strong clairvoyance. Understanding. Sickness usually in the ear and neck. Good imagination. Good physical. Weak breathing. Loves literature and the arts. Loves traveling. Dislike being at home. Restless. Not having many children. Hardworking. High spirited. Spendthrift.

JUNE: Thinks far with vision. Easily influenced by kindness. Polite and soft-spoken. Having ideas. Sensitive. Active mind. Hesitating, tends to delay. Choosy and always wants the best. Temperamental. Funny and humorous. Loves to joke. Good debating skills. Talkative. Daydreamer. Friendly. Knows how to make friends. Able to show character. Easily hurt. Prone to getting colds. Loves to dress up. Easily bored. Fussy. Seldom shows emotions. Takes time to recover when hurt. Brand conscious. Executive. Stubborn.

JULY: Fun to be with. Secretive. Difficult to fathom and to be understood. Quiet unless excited or tensed. Takes pride in oneself. Has reputation. Easily consoled. Honest. Concerned about people’s feelings. Tactful. Friendly. Approachable. Emotional temperamental and unpredictable. Moody and easily hurt. Witty and sparkly. Not revengeful. Forgiving but never forgets. Dislikes nonsensical and unnecessary things. Guides others physically and mentally. Sensitive and forms impressions carefully. Caring and loving. Treats others equally. Strong sense of sympathy. Wary and sharp. Judges people through observations. Hardworking. No difficulties in studying. Loves to be alone. Always broods about the past and the old friends. Likes to be quiet. Homely person. Waits for friends. Never looks for friends. Not aggressive unless provoked. Prone to having stomach and dieting problems. Loves to be loved. Easily hurt but takes long to recover.

AUGUST: Loves to joke. Attractive. Suave and caring. Brave and fearless. Firm and has leadership qualities. Knows how to console others. Too generous and egoistic. Takes high pride in oneself. Thirsty for praises. Extraordinary spirit. Easily angered. Angry when provoked. Easily jealous. Observant. Careful and cautious. Thinks quickly. Independent thoughts. Loves to lead and to be led. Loves to dream. Talented in the arts, music and defense. Sensitive but not petty. Poor resistance against illnesses. Learns to relax. Hasty and trusty. Romantic. Loving and caring. Loves to make friends.

SEPTEMBER: Suave and compromising. Careful, cautious and organized. Likes to point out people’s mistakes. Likes to criticize. Stubborn. Quiet but able to talk well. Calm and cool. Kind and sympathetic. Concerned and detailed. Loyal but not always honest. Does work well. Very confident. Sensitive. Good memory. Clever and knowledgeable. Loves to look for information. Must control oneself when criticizing. Able to motivate oneself. Understanding. Fun to be around. Secretive. Loves leisure and traveling. Hardly shows emotions. Tends to bottle up feelings. Very choosy, especially in relationships. Systematic.

OCTOBER: Loves to chat. Loves those who loves them. Loves to take things at the center. Inner and physical beauty. Lies but doesn’t pretend. Gets angry often. Treats friends importantly. Always making friends. Easily hurt but recovers easily. Daydreamer. Opinionated. Does not care of what others think. Emotional. Decisive. Strong clairvoyance. Loves to travel, the arts and literature. Touchy and easily jealous. Concerned. Loves outdoors. Just and fair. Spendthrift. Easily influenced. Easily loses confidence. Loves children.

NOVEMBER: Has a lot of ideas. Difficult to fathom. Thinks forward. Unique and brilliant. Extraordinary ideas. Sharp thinking. Fine and strong clairvoyance. Can become good doctors. Dynamic in personality. Secretive. Inquisitive. Knows how to dig secrets. Always thinking. Less talkative but amiable. Brave and generous. Patient. Stubborn and hard-hearted. If there is a will, there is a way. Determined. Never give up. Hardly becomes angry unless provoked. Loves to be alone. Thinks differently from others. Sharp-minded. Motivates oneself. Does not appreciate praises. High-spirited. Well-built and tough. Deep love and emotions. Romantic. Uncertain in relationships. Homely. Hardworking. High abilities. Trustworthy. Honest and keeps secrets. Not able to control emotions. Unpredictable.

DECEMBER: Loyal and generous. Sexy. Patriotic. Active in games and interactions. Impatient and hasty. Ambitious. Influential in organizations. Fun to be with. Loves to socialize. Loves praises. Loves attention. Loves to be loved. Honest and trustworthy. Not pretending. Short tempered. Changing personality. Not egotistic. Take high pride in oneself. Hates restrictions. Loves to joke. Good sense of humor. Logical.
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Meme: 10 Second Interview

I just sent off my last post and realized just how downbeat (understatement!) my past few posts have been. It's been an unusually morose past few days for me blogging-wise despite all the holiday cheer supposedly going around.

So in order to pick up the mood (not to mention the silliness quotient) of my blog a bit, I've taken a page off my Facebook application "10 Second Interview" and decided to share some of my answers here. Anyone who wants to play and blog about these questions, too, just post a comment and add your permalink to it. :)

On with the interview!

I wish I were a character in... Heroes. And before you ask, I'll answer: hands down, I want to be Peter Petrelli. (I also want Peter Petrelli... er, but we weren't talking about that, were we?)

How many songs do you have on your iPod? Over 2500 (7 days worth), and the library is still growing. You can see the weird mix of music I like to play on my iPod on my LastFM site over here.

What would your olympic event be? Sleeping. i would seriously rock at sleeping.

What was your worst fashion mistake? All Povedans in the house will unanimously say it was our high school uniform!

Milk chocolate, dark chocolate, or white chocolate? All chocolate, any chocolate, CHOCOLATE!

What's your dream job? Any job I am paid to travel.

I can't believe I lost my... 4 days old Tungsten E2 PDA at the PGH ER!

What's the latest gadget you've bought? please see above.

When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up? A best-selling pulp-fiction novelist - who wants to be literary? Show me the money!

How do you like your coffee? I take sweetheart coffee - lots of sugar and lots of cream.

When do you normally go to bed? Whenever I can.

Would you rather have a fast forward or instant replay button for your life?
Definitely fast forward. I'm not very good at waiting.

In retrospect, do you wish you had studied harder or had more fun?
HAD MORE FUN!!!!


If you have other interesting questions to meme about - tag me! :) As I said, I love this sort of thing. :) There, I feel marginally better. :P
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