Doppelganger?

I was not going to blog about this since this only happened once and so long ago, but because it happened again, I guess I should share this, also in time for Halloween.

Disclaimer: I don't really believe in these things. I'm actually the most rational person you'll ever know.

1995 - Way back in grade school. A classmate claimed to have seen me at the school quadrangle. He called me but I ignored him. I was in the library the whole time this happened.

2012 - Just last week. I decided to work from home one day. An officemate saw me sitting at my cube and she even tried to talk to me but I ignored her. Another officemate asked my seatmate in the afternoon if I went home already and she claimed to see me earlier. My seatmate denied seeing me of course, since she knew I was working from home.

So what do you think of this? I hope what happened is just a figment of their imaginations. :)

Yes, I'm Actually Trying to Lose Weight

You read that right.

Inspired by myself losing a few pounds (7-10 lbs, not really sure) without doing much effort for the past 1 1/2 months - the effect of having to commute to Makati from QC every weekday for work, plus eating only half a cup of rice during lunch, with more ulam and sometimes a banana - I have decided to make a more conscious effort to get to a healthy weight.

So here comes Carbtrim. Seeing Chico Garcia and Delamar Arias post photos of their food and Carbtrim on the side, I found myself thinking about trying the product. I've seen a few blogs here and there of people trying it, some attesting to the efficiency of the drink.

So today, I bought three, yes, 3 packs of Carbtrim. One in apple flavor, and the two in lemon. I just tried the apple variant a while ago and it actually almost tastes like regular iced tea, just with a faint, bearable aftertaste.

I drank the tea before eating dinner. Took half a cup of rice and fish just in case it was true that the drink will make you feel full quickly. True enough, just after a few mouthfuls, I felt full, although I started out a bit famished. Halfway through my meal I actually wanted to stop eating, but I didn't because sayang naman yung food.

Some would say that maybe I felt full because I drank liquid before eating. Trust me, I already tried with drinking a full glass of water before eating, but it was not really effective for me.

So, Carbtrim. You can buy this at leading supermarkets and drugstores. I bought mine at Mercury Drug. It comes in a box of six sachets, for Php144/box. A bit steep for those in a budget.

Before trying out this product though, if you have serious conditions or if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, please consult your doctor first. :)

Confusing Treatment of Grass Residences Security Guards to Visitors

I went over to my boyfriend's family's condo unit after work to unwind, relax and have dinner. 

I was expecting a warm welcome from the security guards at the gate, since they already knew me because I went there quite often. Disappointingly, when I got to the gate, the guard asked me what unit I was going to, and if I was a visitor. After which, he told me to sign a log in sheet, asked me for an ID, and gave me a visitor's pass. 

I was carrying with me two huge paper cups of apple juice, plus the food I bought, which was heavy, and they had the nerve to have me wait at the gate while they confirmed if my boyfriend, who is in the unit, knew me. It took a few minutes to do that since they had to radio the guard at the condo, that said guard had to go up to the unit, and personally talk to the owner. After that, they had me go to the building, and surprise of all surprises, another guard had me log in to a piece of paper. Just. Wow.

A few questions popped to mind:

1. What is the freakin' use of the condo lobby if not for the visitors who wait for the person they are visiting?

2. What exactly is the use of the visitor's pass I obtained at the gate, and the log in sheet at the gate, if another log in sheet was waiting for me at the condominium door?

3. What is the freakin' use of the receptionist at the lobby of the condominium? Maybe Grass should just have her fired since the security guards already has her job covered.

4. Why the eff do I have to leave my ID at the gate, where it can get lost or wet from the rain, when there is a reception area at the lobby where visitors can leave their IDs? The guards couldn't even find it when I was leaving the area.

5. What the heck do the guards think they are guarding? I mean, I would understand if it's an office building, but a condo? Where people live and actually have visitors often?

6. And finally, what was the admin thinking???

Anyway, I asked the guard if there was a permanent visitor's pass since I go there often. Besides, I can't always leave an ID with them every freakin' time I visit. He said no. Hassle.

And so I'll just not go there again until they fix their "security" issues.

Nail Polish Review: Klik

Been looking for cheap and small-bottled nail polish when I saw these at Landmark a couple of days ago.

I think this is a local brand. Each bottle costs 16Php only. I tried the red one just today with Etude House Real Matte top coat.

I thought it would be bright red but it turned out to be dark. I like it though, looks sophisticated enough to wear at work.

The polish has a nice consistency and dries quickly but as is my issue with other local nail polish brands, the brush is awful.

Nails of the Day: Etude House Matte Real

Matte goodness.

Yesterday I bought Etude House's Matte Real top coat. It costs 198Php - a bit steep for my wallet but I couldn't resist.

First I tried it on Bobbie Lush (Regular), but it got ruined so I had to repaint my nails. I used Bobbie Vodka On Ice (Glaze). A few hours later, I got bored so I did a french tip using Bobbie Kohl (Regular).

The top coat was easy to apply, it can do with just 2-3 strokes and it dries out fast.

Nails of the Day: Grey with Glitters

Yesterday's nails were ruined today because I did the laundry, so I re-did my manicure. The same style, but different colors. I used the following:

Bobbie Vodka on Ice (Glaze). This is a light grey colored polish. Easy to apply.

Bobbie The Big Bang (Glaze). Glitters. :)

Of course, always use a base coat to protect your natural nails and a top coat to protect and prolong the polish.

Nails of the Day: Nude with Glitters

So this is a pretty classic style of nail polish, except for the glittered one. I used 3 nail polishes to achieve the look of the ring finger nail, and 2 nail polishes for the rest.

Bobbie Italian Nude (Regular). This has a light pinkish-brown tone to it. After applying a base coat, I had to apply 2 coats of this polish so that it covers the entire nail.

Bobbie I Do (Glaze). This is a sheer glittery yellow color. When used alone, one should apply 2-3 coats to achieve the color you see in the bottle. I used only 1 coat of this just to give the manicure a yellowish shiny tinge.

Bobbie The Big Bang (Glaze). Here come the glitters. I'm absolutely crazy about glitters right now, but so as not to overdo it, I only apply it to my ring fingers' nails.


I applied a top coat to protect the nail polish, especially the glitters.

Hope you liked it! :)

Our Lost Dog and our Manipulative, Extortionist, Dognapper Neighbor

Our Wacky when he was a bit younger. Ain't he adorable? <3

 

So today, our dog, Wacky, the friendliest of our dogs (only barks/yelps happily when he sees us, doesn't even bite strangers), somehow got out of our gate without us noticing. 

I only noticed that he was gone when I was on my way out of the house in the afternoon to go to my job interview. Somehow no white dog came up at me and tried to lick my pants.

Since I didn't want to risk being late for my interview, I left without looking for him, knowing that he would return when he gets hungry and just wait outside the gate until one of us comes back.

To my dismay, when I got back home, he wasn't there. I thought it was a lost cause since this wasn't the first time he got lost (a person from the street next to us kept him in their backyard, lied about seeing Wacky when my brother asked if he's seen the dog. My brother didn't believe his lie since a security guard saw that Wacky was taken by the same person, so he called out, "Wacky!" That's when our dog came out of the house/gate of the person who took him.)

It so happens that my sister went home earlier than I did and she immediately went searching for Wacky. When she passed by this house near the baranggay hall, she heard a familiar yelp, and sure enough, there was Wacky.

Wacky was chained and the person who caught him even put a padlock on the chain. Imagine the weight the dog had to carry for the whole day. When my sister asked her to release the dog, she didn't want to give Wacky back. Their reason was "baka mangagat" (he might bite) and "bawal ang nakakalat na aso sa daan" (dogs aren't allowed to stray).

One, they wouldn't have been able to put him on a leash if Wacky bites. He is a big dog and you can't just chain him if he bite. Two, I often see the same dogs astray in our street. Why didn't they catch those dogs?

Maybe she wasn't sure that my sister was one of the dog's owners. She even called a "baranggay tanod" to have the "problem" settled. This "tanod" then proceeded to side with the neighbor, that my sister should "tubos" (give ransom) so that they would release Wacky. They freakin' wanted to EXTORT money from my sister to give us back OUR freakin' dog.

As far as I know, nobody but the dog pound has the right to catch and confine stray dogs until the owner comes and takes the dog. They don't even ask for a fine for the first 24 hours the dog stays with them. So why was this neighbor and "baranggay official" asking for money from my sister?

I don't understand how these people can be so cruel. I would understand if they weren't our neighbors because then they would have no idea who the owners of the dog were. But our gate being a screen gate, one could see our dogs whenever one passes by our house, even from afar. It's impossible that this neighbor doesn't pass by our house when she goes to the grocery.

It was also obvious that the dog knew his owner, since he was looking at her the whole time she was there, seemingly asking her to take away the chain that was holding him back.

Anyway, when they realized that my sister wasn't leaving them without having the dog with her, they finally let Wacky go. My mom was very angry and she was actually planning to call the police if the neighbor didn't let up.

When Wacky came home, I sensed his relief to see his owners. My mom then bathed him to somehow calm him down since what happened was very stressful to a dog.

NBI Clearance at Robinson's Otis

I needed an NBI clearance for job application purposes so I went and got one. Other blogs said that Robinson's Otis was the best place to get an NBI clearance.

I reached Robinson's Otis at 6AM. There were already a few people waiting there. At around 7AM, the security guard had us lined up. I was expecting that they would let us in by 8AM.

8AM went by and still we haven't been asked to go inside the mall. The taho vendor kept telling us that the process will actually start at 10AM, by the time the mall opens. Some of us thought it was just a ruse so that we would buy from him.

But true enough, they only let us in at 10AM. By that time we were already exhausted from the heat outside.

The NBI Clearance Center was at the 2nd floor of the mall. They had us sit on the chairs used for Sunday mass while we filled up the application form.

Second step was the payment, which was P 115.00.

The third step was the having our fingerprints and photo taken. They already used biometrics so it was a breeze. However, they were still using a webcam to take photos.

Fourth step was to wait for the NBI clearance. I only waited for a few minutes before being called to get mine.

Waiting for the mall to open actually took longer than the actual process of getting the NBI clearance.

Apparently, the center at Robinson's Otis is only open from 10AM to 7PM. One can actually come there at a later time (around 8-9AM) and still be one of the first 50 persons.

Some tips:

1. Bring a pen. Honestly, I cannot figure out why some people (like the one beside me) could NOT bring a pen when applying for an ID. He brought a pocket book but he did not bring a pen. What's wrong with you? LOL.

2. Bring water, food, a fan, and hankies. There's a drugstore and a coffee shop that opens earlier than the mall but it would be better to bring your own food so that you wouldn't have to leave your place in the line.

3. Only 1 valid ID is needed. I don't know about the other centers though. I only used my birth certificate, and I didn't even have to show it.

***Update***

Due to the NBI's system upgrade (more like a downgrade), I got a hit when I applied for clearance this year (2014). It took a week before I got mine.

Also their encoder sucks. She didn't even let me check if there were wrong spellings in what she typed in.

Oh and the old man whose task is to print the documents? He asks for Php 5.00 from each person and gives them a measly small brown envelope - which by the way goes unused since most people bring their own plastic cases. No receipt. NBI (and BIR), maybe you can check on this?

Team Santiago vs Team Tulfo

So I just heard about the brawl that happened earlier at NAIA 3 among Raymart Santiago's group and Mon Tulfo. I know, late.

Anyhoo, I searched for the footage of this fight and it was clear that Raymart started it, even if their camp says different. In the heat of things, maybe they didn't realize that someone was already taping their performance.

If I were to take sides, I would take Tulfo's. Why? He was only doing his job as a columnist/reporter and this is what he gets. After all, it was a public place. If I were him, I'd also take photos/videos of an actress lashing out on an airline employee.

Raymart, if Mr. Tulfo did give the first punch, where is your bruise to prove it? He's a big guy, and even for his age, I think if he threw a punch, it would be a hard one. And if he did punch you first, it would be a natural reaction for someone who's cellphone is being taken away from him by somebody he doesn't know, is it not?

And Claudine, since you were very concerned about your children seeing such violence, why did you partake in it? It was clear in the video that you had a shot at punching Mr. Tulfo and you took it. Enough drama.

For those who want to watch the actual footage of the brawl, here it is:

You can also watch the GMA 7 interview here.

French Mani in Black, Etc.

So today I tried three different manicures.

First was the Christmas-y glittery green Bobbie Lush with Bobbie Candy Cane as top coat. Yes, I love Bobbie Candy Cane, that I try it with every nail polish color. Heh.

Since I'm not really a "green" person, I tried Caronia Cashmere (my sister's). It's a nice color for morena's like me. :)

But then I got bored and wanted to try french manicure. I tried applying Chic Love Orchid on the Caronia Cashmere but it was a mess. Sorry, no photos.

I gave up and had the idea of a black and clear french mani. First attempt! Surprisingly, my mani on the right hand looks better than my left. Heh.

Crazy About Nail Polish

...And I'm back. After a few weeks on hiatus, I decided to do an entry due to boredom. And due to someone who cussed me in the comments (which I marked as spam in Disqus immediately) in one of my SmartBro entries.

I don't know what his/her problem was, I'm not even affiliated with Smart. Oh well. Maybe he didn't understand English, since he didn't get that I've had my account disconnected because of unsatisfactory service. I've already blacklisted him.

Anyway, what I really came here for was for these:

Caronia Tahiti Brown and Bobbie Candy Cane (which added the glittery effect on my ring finger)

San San Blush Pink and Bobbie Candy Cane

Bobby Kohl and Bobbie Candy Cane

The past few days I've been cray-cray about nail polish. All of them are actually old nail polish (the Bobbie ones are my sister's LOL), except for the Caronia Tahiti Brown which I bought just last week.

I love the effect Bobbie Candy Cane has done to plain colored nail polish, and my favorite is the one I'm wearing now (3rd photo).

Quick review on the Bobbie nail polishes: Even though these are already a few months old, they haven't thickened yet unlike other nail polishes I know, Plus they dry easily once applied. The brush is too thick for me though. I took longer to clean up than the actual application of the polish. :p

The Burger Project

My friends and I met up yesterday to eat at The Burger Project in Maginhawa Street, near Teacher's Village, in Quezon City.

What's special about this newly-renovated burger place is that you can create your own burger and name it as well.

To order, you have to get a form (my friend, Yugs, calls it an "application form") from the cashier and you tick the items you want.

If you're too lazy to concoct your own or don't want to experiment, they also have their own "designer burgers", which I can't list herw because I was too hungry to take a photo of the form.

They also have basic side dishes - fries and onion rings among them - but my friends Jons and Krista attests to the yumminess of their mozzarella sticks. Sadly, those weren't available when we ate there.

Of course, there are also beverages. There's your basic softdrinks, soda float, and their milkshakes. Jons does not recommend the blueberry shake though, because it tastes like ube. We don't like their whipped cream because it tastes a little sour.

The Burger Project also has a special burger every month which they call "Burger of the Month". For April, it's the "Monzztarella Burger".

Sorry I didn't get to take photos. Hehe.

You can find The Burger Project at Maginhawa Street, a few steps near Cha Dao. :)

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Update on SmartBro WiMax: I finally got the waiver of pre-termination fee and got it disconnected. Yay!

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Sun Cellular Prepaid Unlimited Internet Registration Glitch

Currently using prepaid internet from Sun, and I think I discovered a glitch in their system.

Whatever you do, do NOT register twice, because I don't think their system checks if you are already registered - and your credit just gets wasted.

Being a fairly new feature, I hope they fix it soon.

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SmartBro WiMax: Final Review

Finally some good news: the Pre-Termination Fee (PTF) for my SmartBro WiMax has been waived! After almost a two-month wait, I can have it disconnected for good without worries. And they have also submitted a request for Monthly Service Fee (MSF) reversal - which I actually don't need, but thanks anyway. :)

I would like to thank Angie (she didn't give me her surname) from Customer Care for handling my request.

Freedom!

Smart Has Sold My Account To Their Trusted Collecting Agency

I can't believe this. In the middle of negotiating about the waiver of my pre-termination fee for the Wimax internet connection I have stopped using on the 3rd week of December 2011, Smart has went behind my back and sold my account to a collecting agency. And here I was waiting for them to process my request and reply to my email messages.

They already called the house this morning and my brother was the one whom they talked to and they said that they were a collecting agency.

Now I know who the freak is calling me up during office hours without even texting first if he/she should call. Different numbers starting with 0948110- ring my cellphone without any hesitation at all. However, I don't answer numbers not in my phonebook, so best of luck to you bastos people out there. I'm not hiding, just at least have the decency to text first diba? I reply naman e. Plus I answer as soon as you let me know who you are and why you need to talk to me, through text or email. Bastusan kasi e.

Anyway, I sent an email again letting them know that I know that my account is with a collecting agency already, and I cc'd my contact at the NTC. Smart, just disconnect my account already and I will gladly pay for my ***USED*** balance, that is, 2 weeks from last December 2011.