foreign languages.

I'm in a state of being a person with a daily routine. Wake up. Prepare for work. Go to work. Work, work, work. Go home. Sleep, sleep, sleep.


I'm in the mood to do something else with my free time.


You know what I think? I think it's high time for me to learn a new language. I'm old enough--no, even too old not to have!--to know at least one foreign language, and it has a lot of advantages.


Like what? Well for starters, it will help you communicate with people who live outside the country, especially if and when you go to their place. To meet new people and jive with them!


I already have a few languages in mind: Spanish, French, Korean.


Especially Korean! Sometimes it's tiring to read all the subtitles while watching their soaps or movies. It's as if you're reading a book. And I feel frustrated when there is a very big moment and all I did was to look at the words at the bottom of the screen instead of looking at the scene.


I have learned a few words and phrases in the Korean language. Just a little. I already know how to say "Hi! My name is Maybelle." That kind of stuff. I don't know how to spell it though.


Maybe next time I can write down some of the phrases that I will be learning here.


This will be fun!

boyfriend issues.

Last week I ate Shawarma Rice with my boyfriend at the mall. I am crazy for Shawarma Rice and Mocca Shake these days and I wanted to share it to him.

While I ate and he waited for his Shawarma Rice to be cooked, I was talking about something to him. The topic? I couldn't remember now, but I could still remember its importance because I was trying to give him very specific details.

I was in the middle of talking when he abruptly stood up and left me on our table. I stopped talking then, shocked.

When he came back, I teased him about what he did. I laughed, and he looked embarrassed (I guess). Then I did a few scenes to mock him more. In the middle of my "fit", he said, "Uli na ta na."

What he said seemed to put more gas into the very big flame in front of him, a bonfire. I was in my acting element that I even did crying sounds. I laughed so much because his face was so unreadable. I couldn't figure out what he was thinking.

I turned my hurtful experience to a laughing matter.

Yeah, how very savvy of me.

inevitably awkward.

Upon going home today from the Post Office, I decided to ride the PUV. It's cheap, you know.

All was well until we passed the Colon intersection. A couple also hopped in to ride the jeep that I was in. They sat opposite me. Time passed, and we also passed a few blocks until we reached USC. I was just minding my own business when I happened to glance at the couple. I noticed that the girl had pretty eyes. Probably because she was wearing eye makeup.

I wanted to check the accompanying guy out. So I tried a quick glance. I looked at his shorts, which had paint residue all over it. How untidy of him, I thought.

Then, as if Fate mocked me for being so "usisera", I looked up and the guy also happened to glance at me.

It was as if a light bulb flashed at the top of my head. I know this guy!

Then I had second thoughts if it was really him. He just looked at me for one millisecond. So I tried to scan my memory if he has a twin brother or so. He has none!

I thought, Maybe it's just somebody who has the same features as the guy I knew. That would explain the cold shoulder. Again, I pushed the thought away. No, this is him. I was positive this time. Because of his shorts. That has paint.

The guy I knew was an artist.

Being myself, I did not call his attention. I think it's my "disorder" not to say hi until the other person will do it first.

Since then, I had this nagging, uneasy feeling at the seat across mine. Questions and thoughts swim through my head.

Grrrr...when will they step down from the jeep?


Are they going to ride all the way to Lahug?? That would be a hassle!


Is he trying to catch my eye?


Who's the chick? His girlfriend?


Ugh! This is so uncomfortable!


I'll just look for some change, pay the driver, say "lugar lang!" and hop on another jeep.

You know what I did? Nothing! I just stared at the buildings and vehicles that we passed by as if nothing has happened.

It was not until we reached CDUH that they stepped down from the jeep and I was able to breathe a sigh of relief.

I thought to myself: Why am I like this? I am supposed to be an educated woman (?) and I was supposed to handle the situation the mature way.  And I keep scolding myself for being...me.

Then I screamed at myself in silence for picking the cheaper option to go home. Which was absurd! I wanted to kick myself. Hard.

The thing is, this always happens to me when I see people I know. I always doubt if they will acknowledge my presence or not. Do I look like royalty? I would hardly say I am. But that's what I think at the back of my mind.

It's the feeling of denial, rejection and shame for saying hi to someone who does not even know you. It gnaws on your self esteem. And I hate to feel that way.

So rather evoke a blank expression than feel embarrassed after an awkward moment. Right?

Oh, and by the way. The guy that I know? We had a "past". :)

Lie To Me

I'm not saying that you do. It's a title of a Korean Drama that I just finished watching.

It's a typical Korean love story with a man and woman. The thing that I like in this drama is I just love the main actors. They do play the characters quite well. And they have this really good chemistry.

Of course, even though it's a typical love story, it also has a twist. The main story started with a single lie that branched out into more lies. It got more complicated when the guy's business was involved.

Also, the guy has a past that made it more entertaining to watch. His ex-fiancee came back to Seoul after three years, so this caused his feelings to resurface and that got him more confused. There were only two options: should he go back to his past or leave the past behind?

In the end, all was well. He chose to be with the female main character and eventually proposed to her. And everybody lived happily ever after.

Sounded like a fairy tale? Well, I do think all of us had thought about that. Of course, us women want the perfect guy with all the qualities that we want him to have.

As what the main characters have mentioned in the drama, the "five-point set" has the main qualities that an ideal man should have, and they are: handsome, responsible, knowledgeable, good background, and has good manners.

The problem is, have I found him yet?

Now that's my part of the story.

The thing that I have realized while watching this show is that, sometimes, you don't really get what you want deep inside until you go for it. You may or may not get the perfect person that you want to be your partner in life.

But what makes it perfect is if and when you discover the little things. The quirks and all. It will make your life harder and easier at the same time. If you accept these, then you're one step closer.

Closer to what? Now that will be your part of the story.