Why Job Hunt?

Some of you might be wondering why the hell I've been searching for part-time jobs when I can just simply enjoy the perks of being an undergraduate or in my case as a DLSU student, a "soon-to-be-waiting-to-graduate".

Once I finish my final term in DLSU, which will be in less than a month, I will have approximately 2 months to bum around until I march on stage and receive my (fake, the real one gets delivered to your home) diploma. So, with how light my schedule is right now, especially since I'm done with my 200 hours of internship and I only have 3 relatively easy subjects (2 electives: Finsure & Finesba; 1 minor: Greatwk)), and those 2 months of bumming, I thought it'd be the perfect opportunity to get a part-time job! That way, I'd get to...

1) Make use of my free time. Like I said, this term's schedule is pretty light, so I have time to be busy. I have 2 months of idle time before I graduate and I know applying for jobs after I take my US trip will take time, so might as well be efficient.

2) I want/need money. In order to support my "luxurious" lifestyle, I'd need money. And well, the money I owe my dad keeps piling up cause of my continuous use of my credit card (that damn little devil. The credit card, I mean! Such a temptress). Btw, I pay for my stuff using 50% of my allowance, hence, the debt.

   2a) For clothes - I love shopping!! If you're my boyfriend, you know how much I love to go shopping. Impulse shopping most of the time. He gets annoyed :|

    2b) For food - Well, since I've been broke, I can't anymore afford eating at my favorite restaurants without being treated. So, yeah. :(

    2c) For trips - I love going out, so in order to do so, I'd need money!! I'm currently booked for Cebu next year, I don't know how I'm gonna pay for it... I don't have pocket money too. (what sad life..)

    2d) For gifts - Christmas is just around the corner and I can't afford gifts this year cause of my debt </3

3) I need to be more responsible. I think this has been my issue lately. I'm 21, I should be responsible enough for my own actions. By getting a job, I'll be trained to

    3a) Be punctual - He he, this is really something I should work on. My OJT taught me to be on time for work, even for an 8:30 call time. So getting a job should help. Right?

    3b) Handle money - I guess you could call me unwise when it comes to spending money. For a finance student, I shouldn't be. I should know how to save and invest. So by getting this part-time job, this should train me to properly allocate my money. SAVE AND INVEST (repeat till successful)

    3c) For my full time job -  my part-time job should also serve as training for me (work attitude-wise) once I've gotten a full-time job.

     3d) Be more responsible - in general. Need I say more?

4) I want to be independent. Growing up, especially as an only child, I guess I was somehow always "protected" from the real world. I think it's time for me to learn to walk (baby steps!) on my own, to make mistakes & learn from them. To taste the "real world" and challenge myself to be independent. Not only financially. And, I still refuse to be called spoiled. I pay for my stuff, remember. My parents are just lenient. :)

And lastly...

5) I think I'd enjoy the job! Especially if it's the job I'm eyeing right now, I think I'm perfect for it! :) once I'm 100% sure I got it, I'll blog more about it ;)

What do you think? Know of any more part-time jobs you could suggest? :)

Blog Changes

If you've noticed (if you haven't, you suck btw! :p), I've changed my layout!

It's simpler and less colorful. I noticed I always tend to go all colorful and young during my first layouts (blogs, multiply, etc) then tend to opt for a "more mature" one by choosing my favorite - black with of course, pink! It wouldn't be me if there wasn't any pink, right?

I tweaked a little with the layout's codes and whatnot. It's still undergoing some minor changes, thinking of adding an "about" or "disclaimer" page to share my blog's main uhm, objective, and incorporate what I wrote on my first blog entry.

I've got some blog entries lined up, just have to find time and inspiration to actually compose them. So yeah, hope this "minimalist" change is for the better! :)

Daily Dose of Life: One

It's sad how some things have an expiration date.

I tweeted about this yesterday after hearing about several couples breaking up for personal reasons. Coincidentally, later that day, I was also engaged in a conversation with a friend of mine who said he sees his newly started relationship coming to an end sooner or later as their future living situations would get in the way of what they wish to last. As much of a realistic person that I am, there are times when I'd like my faith and optimism to intervene, so I replied to him by saying something like, "Why think of your relationship as something that will end? You don't go into relationships thinking it'll have an expiration date. You'll never know, what if you guys can work things out?" I mean, yeah he's right, realistically or even statistically, long distance relationships don't work out. It requires effort, patience, understanding, loyalty, and even money. But what if it does work out? Then you passed out on that opportunity; you allowed yourself to let go of something special without even putting up a fight.

I guess at some point some things don't really last. Cake doesn't last long, clothes get worn out, shoes get broken, money gets spent, gadgets depreciate, relationships end...(you get the picture)... not all things we want can last forever. It's a sad reality. But doesn't mean we can't prolong the end credits from rolling, right? Cake should be refrigerated, clothes, shoes and gadgets are to be taken care of, money can be saved or reinvested, and relationships need to be strengthened.

Endings, no matter how they turn out may still be sad. It's a tragedy that Romeo and Juliet died without knowing what could have happened to them if only Romeo didn't try killing his self first. Allie and Noah's love for each other surpassed every trial and even died hand in hand beside each other, but that was still, uhm, romantically sad(?) (well maybe for me, I teared up!). But most of the time what matters is the story (that they once found a love so great) and the life lesson we get from that experience (uhm, don't be stupid and drink poison? or freaking text Romeo about your plans!). Not so much the ending. Just like what I told my friend, "if it were to end, at least she was able to make you feel happy and loved at some point in your life." Well, what I'm trying to say is, whether something will end or not, just make sure to make the ride worthwhile to avoid regrets.

Maybe these endings happen for a reason, maybe the things we want (at that time) unfortunately aren't what God wants for us. Maybe we're meant for something bigger, better. We just have to try and take risks until we find something that could (would) last.

Sources:
Google images

Just Like The Good 'Ol Days ♡

After that fun Friday spent partying in Fiamma, we planned on going again the next week. At the same time, one of my friends who recently graduated, Megann, was offered a free table that came with an open bar! My college friends were going as well, so through Megann, I was given a table and open bar stubs to give to them. What a fun night, giving away drinks to everybody - felt like it was my birthday party once again! Aside from that, all my high school friends (except Shelley, who's now residing in Australia) were present!! That rarely happens, even on special occasions, so it was great to see everyone (even those not so into the partying scene, and those who are always missed) get together and have a great time.

All Zobel girls represent!! My barkada + Gail's

Chino and his friends, and Ate Riza of Fiamma

Sheng finally showed up, last saw her during summer! Bora`11 crew - "Marc Nelson"

Boyies: Ej, Rc, Chino

Couples

Some of my college friends! Zal, Kim, Val, Gail, Nicole

Girlies - Megann, RoseMae, Monica, Nina, Alyssa (me), Sheng, Kaye, Carissa, Bianca

After Fiamma, we headed to Resorts World. Chino and I have been of legal age for months now, so we decided to finally become members.

I was a casino newb, so we tried our luck with the different slot machines. We played for only P100 each, got a few credits but lost all anyway. At the end, I said, "THAT'S IT?? What a waste of money!" Haha so I guess, you won't see me gambling my money away!! Heck, I'd rather go shopping!!!

After playing in the casino, we met up again with my friends who were in UCC, then before heading to Carissa's condo in Newport, we discovered a good lighting spot to take pictures!

When we got to Newport, we chatted, laughed, watched TV, and stayed up late (like 6am late) - just like the good 'ol days (high school days!) whenever we'd sleepover (only now we have our cars to get us anywhere and condos to sleep in!). Those are the simple joys I missed!

So much stuff!!

After that, we went to BF to have really late lunch at Chicken Charlie around 3pm, then headed home.

Oh the weekend that was ♡ hopefully our next complete get together won't take months, girls!

Photo credits:
Kaye Torres & RoseMae Rubio

The Inevitable

(For GREATWK class, our professor asked us to make a comic analysis on a page of our chosen comic book, I would just like to share what I wrote, in realization of life and death. Disclaimer: I do not really read Calvin and Hobbes, what I wrote here (descriptions, etc) is just based on the few strips and research I've read.)

Calvin and Hobbes is a comic strip based on the everyday life of Calvin, a 6-year-old boy, who embarks on various adventures with Hobbes, his inanimate stuffed tiger, who Calvin treats as his best friend, companion, and “partner-in-crime”. Throughout the comic strip he is perceived to be very young, playful, mischievous, and full of curiosity in the different things in life. For a six-year-old, Calvin shows his intelligence through his deep and interesting conversations with Hobbes, his parents, and classmates. Hobbes, on the other hand, is seen as someone who’s a more mature version of Calvin, someone who guides him and at the same time, serves as his friend. In the comic strip, the readers are also brought into the story by the numerous experiences Calvin and Hobbes share. In spite of the seemingly child-like stories and adventures of the comic strip, Calvin and Hobbes, it is said to have political, social, and environmental implications.

A specific story I would like to make a comic analysis on from the comic strip, Calvin and Hobbes, is the Raccoon Story. In this story, Calvin and Hobbes found a sickly raccoon that they wished to get better. Calvin calls on his mom to help the raccoon, and was asked to prepare a restful place for the animal. They took care of the raccoon overnight, only to find out that the animal did not make it the next day. Calvin was in tears after finding out, and the scenes show the child’s emotional side with regards to the death of the raccoon he just met. The strip ends by Calvin, a six-year-old boy, trying to grasp the idea of life and death and by telling Hobbes not to leave his side.

What struck me most about this episode of the comic strip is how the writer conveys Calvin’s sensitive side, despite him being a care-free child. It also shows his innocence when it comes to the facing the reality of life and death. For a child who’s so dynamic, it must be hard for him to accept this sad reality.

Personally, I have not read a lot of comic strips, but most of what I have read did not express this much emotion that affected me. Upon reading this, I ended up teary-eyed, as I put myself in the place of Calvin. Being someone who loves animals and pets, I have encountered Calvin’s experience with death a couple times before. Some were even worse, but I had a very similar experience with this episode, so I was able to relate well.

Death is a serious and life-changing experience for everyone, especially for young ones like Calvin. It being inevitable, or part of the life cycle, does not necessarily make it easier for us to accept. How the author depicted what Calvin’s mother told him, “how we should accept death even though it is something we do not understand, and to just do the best we can with the knowledge we have”, is possibly the best way one can do to ease the pain we experience when dealing with this kind of situation. In the story, they had done everything they could do to help save the raccoon’s life, but it was still time for him to pass away, so all they could do is just to carry this experience and move on with life. This is something we should all learn from. We cannot stop death from taking our loved ones lives, but before it’s too late, we should make sure to do everything we can to show how much we value and care each other, before the inevitable happens.

Sources:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calvin_and_Hobbes

http://www.progressiveboink.com/archive/calvinhobbes.htm

Darling, I'm Just Here To Party

Friday night was amazingly fun!

It started out with family bonding over dinner. My cousin, Ana, was finally able to tag along! We didn't know where to have dinner so I chose a place we haven't tried yet - Zuni. The place looks fancy shmancy, and their menu is somewhat pricey, but the ones we tried were definitely worth the price!

For starters, aside from their warm, tasty, and crisp-on-the-outside-soft-on-the-inside complimentary bread and butter, I had this Tomato Prawn Bisque. It was creamy, flavorful, and contained lots of shrimp bits in it, so it satisfied me!

For my main course, I wanted to have pasta but then I saw that the price for their surf and turf was unbelievably cheap (compared to others, of course), so I was tempted to try it. The dish, Wagyu Beef Topblade and Black Tiger Prawns (the dish's name itself is already a win!), did not disappoint, as it had 3 slices of steak and around three pieces of jumbo shrimp. It came with vegetables and potato cake (something like mashed potato) and sauce that goes well with the dish.

The restaurant offers a wide variety of dessert, but being a chocoholic, I ordered Chocolate Mousse Layered with Pistachio Meringue. The dessert was okay and not as sweet as expected, so I guess it'd be perfect for those craving for chocolate yet do not want to feel high on sugar.

After our interesting conversations during dinner, we took pictures first before I met up with friends at Crocodile Grille in Greenbelt 3 then to Fiamma!

DRESS: zebra print one-sided dress from Cotton On // SHOES: nude wedges from Charles & Keith // BAG: black shoulder bag with ribbon from Zara // ACCESSORIES: gold chain necklace with blue tassels from Bedazzled Accessories // gold bangle and gold star connector ring both from Forever 21

Last time I've been to Fiamma was during my 21st party last August, so it was fun to hit the place again and have so Fresh Fridays fun! I finally got to claim my free drinks, yay! The night til early morning was spent dancing for hours and mingling with friends. 'Til next time!

Happy Shopping Sunday!

I got invited by my blogger friend, Megann, to Trendsetter's Bazaar last Sunday. I've always wanted to check out those online shops selling in bazaars up north but never got the chance to cause I'm lazy and I refuse to pay the entrance fee, so it was cool to have been invited to attend a free bazaar event (yuck, newb much?!).

My fave = Cocoa Rocksalt Cheese

Megann and I arrived at Rockwell a little past 11, so we decided to satisfy our Happy Lemon craving first since it was still early. I was so happy I finally had my fave cocoa rocksalt cheese fix after months! :) and as expected, it did not disappoint! This simple drink really does bring joy!! :) Megann and I just spent time catching up on what's going on in our lives, since we only hang out once in a while.

Us trying to imitate the Happy Lemon girl

We then had our own outfit photos taken. It was my first official outfit photo to be taken by one who knows all the angles, lighting, and whatnot (Chino, better observe and learn!) and I asked to be taught how to pose, since I'm awkward to be shot in public (and I only have one signature pose!) so it was fun!

TOP: hot pink eyelet top from Pink Manila // black spaghetti strapped top from Forever 21 // BOTTOM: black bodycon skirt from Zara // SHOES: pink suede sandals from Zara // BAG: black shoulder bag from Coach // ACCESSORIES: gold star connector ring from Forever 21 // black and gold fox ring from China (gift by boyfie c:)

Then finally it was time to head to the bazaar wherein Chino and sister, Isay, and our friends, RC, Carissa, Ej also followed. When I entered, I felt like in shopping heaven! It's not my first time to check out bazaars, I'm a regular at Cuenca! But this felt different! The shops offered all the accessories, clothes, bags, and shoes you could think of. Sadly, I only went home with a pink silky-material skirt from IHeartMatilda, a dark blue tassel and chain necklace, and feather ear cuff both from Bedazzled Accessories. I saw lotsa cute and interesting buys (especially rings) but I didn't feel like spending my moolah on them. But there's this pink blazer I saw (I'm dying to own one okay!) which was quite pricey (but all blazers are anyway). I was thinking of getting but never got the chance to go back for it. So now I'm kinda regretting not going back for it :(

With Chino's tall sister, Isay

After the bazaar, Chino, Isay, and I went around the mall and ate at Cibo. It was my first time to try the Spinach dip, and to my surprise it was really good! It had a hint of cheese in it, which complemented the dip. My pasta was so-so, it lacked taste for me :( the pizza, on the other hand, tasted good. We headed to my house afterwards and had a few games of Monopoly Deal before they had to leave in time for us to go to mass.

Spinaci Zola

Spaghettini Alla Pescatora

Praga Bianca

After mass with my family, mom and I went to Festi. I finally got to buy the shoes I've been eyeing! I'm super duper in love with it, so I'm finding every chance to wear it!! :) hihi. Plus the mall was on sale so I got a black top from PRP!

So after this shopping day, I'm really really really (I know I've said this before, but I'll really try) not to shop anymore! St. James bazaar is in a month or so, and so many foreseen expenses when December comes, so I gotta save up!!