100 Truths Tag

This is a long tag! Thanks Beth! Atlast I've posted it! Lol!

001. Real Name: Allena Cruz
002. Nickname(s): Ally, Tibang (hahaha! That's my name in the province!)
003. Age: 26
004. Horoscope: Aries
005. Male or Female: Female
006. Elementary: Mt. Matutum Christian School
007. Middle School: -----
008. High School: San Lorenzo Ruiz Academy of Polomolok
009. College School: Mindanao State University, Notre Dame of Marbel University
010. Hair color: Black
011. Long or Short: short
012. Loud or Quiet: quiet when sleeping. lol!
013. Sweats or Jeans: Jeans!
014. Phone or Camera: phone
015. Health Freak: after getting sick last year? yes! i should be!
016. Drink or Smoke: don't drink. quit smoking
017. Do you have a crush on someone: Yes
018. Eat or Drink: of course!
019. Piercings: yes. one on each ear lobes
020. Tattoos: None
021. Social or Anti-Social: i'd rather socialize
022. Righty or lefty: Righty
023. First piercing: Ears. i can't remember when.
024. First relationship: I was 15.
025. First Best Friend: Annabelle
026. First Award: a medal (bible school) :)
027. First Kiss: My first boyfriend
028. First Pet: a dog
029. First Big Vacation: Tupi South Cotabato.
030. First Love at first sight: My boyfriend in college
031. First Big Birthday: 18
032. First Surgery: None
033. First sport you joined: basketball

This or That
034. Orange or Apple juice: apple juice
035. Rock or Rap: rock
036. Country or Screamo: Country
037. NSYNC or Backstreet boys: Neither
038. Britney spears or Christina Aguilera: Christina Aguilera
039. Night or Day: Day
040. Sun or Moon: Both are important
041. TV or Internet: TV
042. Playstation or xbox: none
043. Kiss or hug: Both
044. Iguana or turtle: none.
045. Spider or bee: neither
046. Fall or spring: i just wish we have both seasons here in the Philippines! lol!
047. Limewire or iTunes: iTunes
048. Soccer or baseball: Baseball

Currently
049. Eating: no
050. Drinking: no
051. Excitement level: low
052. I’m about to: sleep
053. Listening to: Nora Jones - Don't Know Why
054. Plan for today : sleep. will go to work early tomorrow
055. Waiting for: the love of my life??? lol!
056. Energy Level: Low
057. Thinking of someone: no
058. Want kids?: Yes!
059. Want to get married?: Yes!
060. When?: When a sane man proposes! lol!
061. How many kids do you want: 2
062. Any name on the mind: I haven't figure out yet
063. What did you want to be when you were little: singer/newscaster
064. Careers in mind: singer
065. Mellow future or wild: a little bit of both
066. Something you would never try: Drugs
067. When do you want to die: When I'm ready
068. Lips or Eyes: Both
069. Romantic or Funny?: both
070. Shorter or Taller?: i don't know what you're asking
071. Protective or Caring?: both
072. Romantic or Spontaneous?: Both
073. Nice Stomach or Nice Arms?: Geez! i'm getting fat! lol!
074. Sensitive or Loud?: Both
075. Hook-up or Relationship?: Relationships
076. Trouble Maker or Hesitant?: Hesitant
077. Muscular or normal: normal
078. Kissed a stranger: No
079. Broken a bone: No
080. Lost glasses or contacts: never needed both
081. Ran away from home: Yes!
082. Held a gun/knife for self defense: No
083. Killed somebody: No
084. Broken some one’s heart: yes...
085. Had your heart broken: many times! lol!
086. Been arrested: Never.
087. Cried when someone died: yes
088. Liked a friend more than a friend: yes

Do you believe in
089. Yourself: yes
090. Miracles: Yes
091. Love at first sight: no
092. Heaven: Yes
093. Santa Claus: No
094. Tooth Fairy: No
095. Kiss in the first date: No
096. Angels: Yes

Answer Truthfully
097. Is there 1 person you want to be with right now?: No
098. Are you seriously happy with where you’re in life now?: Not really. Still looking for love
099. Do you believe in God?: Always
100. Post as 100 truths and tag your friends - Scottz Princess, Mystique, Ranran, Bill, Rosilie

Enjoy!!!

Thank God For The Rain

Today is my rest day. I thought about working today, but the cool weather changed my mind. It has been raining for 3 days now and I'm loving it! On my previous post, I have been whining about being deprived with sleep because of the summer heat.

According to the Philippine weather forecast, this rainy days will go on this week due to Intertropical Convergence Zone. It will be best that we have our umbrellas handy at all times!

I just thank God for the rain. It always leave me calm yet sluggish most times . I might get more sleep later after watching a movie. I'm such a sleepy head, aren't I? lol!

Avoid Heat Stroke This Summer!

It has been excruciatingly hot this past few days! As one of those who live in a non-air conditioned apartment, I am suffering from sleep deprivation! Lol! This is part of the year that I obviously don't like much unless I get to enjoy a summer getaway!

Here are some favorite summer photos of mine!!!

With former colleagues at Pundakit, Zambales

Ally at Boracay Beach

The heat is definitely on! I bet most of you out there have different plans to enjoy this time of the year!

Just a friendly reminder though, please be careful when having fun under the sun. Don't be a victim of Hyperthemia or most commonly known as heat stroke.

Definition

According to Wikipedia, hyperthemia is an acute condition which occurs when the body produces or absorbs more heat than it can dissipate. It is usually caused by prolonged exposure to high temperatures. The heat-regulating mechanisms of the body eventually become overwhelmed and unable to effectively deal with the heat, causing the body temperature to climb uncontrollably.

Signs and Symptoms

Nausea, vomiting, fatigue, weakness, headache, muscle cramps and dizziness.

How to prevent heat stroke

• As much as possible, wear something light and loose.

• Wear a hat or be safe under your umbrella (ella, ella, ei! Lol!).

• Avoid doing strenuous exercise during daylight hours in a hot weather.

• Drink plenty of liquids. (Don't wait til you get thirsty) Drink at least 1 cup every 15 minutes.

• Avoid alcohol, caffeinated drinks, or heavy meals.

Let's all be safe while we enjoy the summer! Let's avoid heat stroke!

Failon Arrested

ABS-CBN's news anchor and radio commentator Ted Failon was arrested at 12 midnight yesterday for tampering evidence and failure to immediately report to the police about the shooting of his wife, Trinidad Etong.

Failon's wife has already been declared dead last night after being comatose for hours because of the gun shot on her head which was allegedly reported as a cause of Trinidad's suicide.

This tragedy has brought controversy since Failon is one of the most respected public icon here in the Philippines. Failon had ordered his maid and houseboy to clean the bathroom where his wife was found covered in blood. Hence, speculations were aroused. All of the people who were at home at the time were arrested and are being questioned about the tragedy.


Investigations are still ongoing. The inconsistencies of Failon's statements added to the stir of doubts. He remained one of the suspects of the crime along with all the people who were at home during the incident.

Going Out On A Date

I'm going out on a date tonight. It's actually a group date! My friends from Pampanga are coming over to see me and they bring along a guy who's pretty persistent on seeing me personally.

Just so you know, I really suck in going out on a date alone with a guy. So it is indeed a good idea that our friends are coming with us!

I can't resist my friends, so wish me luck guys! Lol!

Missing a friend.........

I chatted with a friend a few days ago and learned that she was already in Denmark. She arrived there 2 weeks ago. Too bad, we haven't seen each other before she went abroad. Wendy has been one of my closest friends. I have known her when I worked in Pampanga. She used to take me with her when she goes home to one of my favorite spots here in the Philippines- Baguio City. I just love it there!

Me and Wendy used to do crazy things together just for the fun of it! And we also have a lot of dreams! She's more creative! Since she already experienced touring some neighboring Asian countries, she has a lot of stories about her experiences on those tours. Sometimes I envy her determination. She even wanted to experience European cruises and she wanted me to go with her! Lol! She's such a dreamer! But then, when she got pregnant and decided to stay in her province, we never got the chance to talk that much anymore. We haven't even seen each other for a year now. Good thing there's this virtual world where friends can still get connected. We can catch up with what's going on with each other's life through emails and chats!

crazy photo of me and Wendy

I just miss Wendy! I hope she would be able to reach her dreams for herself and for her baby.

Happy Birthday Windy!!!

A wonderful friend is celebrating his BIRTHDAY today. I wish for him a life full of happiness and blessings from the Almighty because he soooo much deserve it.

To Windy of Windmill On The Hill, THANK YOU for being such a GREAT friend! For your birthday, here is a version of your favorite song by the Late Elvis Presley - Love Me Tender. This time, sung by Nora Jones. I hope you like it since the video has pretty Anne Hathaway in it with all the kissing! Lol!

HAPPY HAPPY BIRTHDAY WINDY!!!

Whining colleague

A colleague has been whining about her weight and actually doesn't do anything about it! She eats almost every hour! I always kept reminding her about her diet plans but she just ignore me. I'm already growing tired of her rants, sometimes I cut her off when she starts her usual rant! I get a little rude to her sometimes but I really can't help but show her that I am already getting annoyed! One of these days, I might as well ask her to read some diet pill reviews so she can choose which diet pill would suit her. And that loosing weight would be effortless for her. It will greatly help if she won't be such a voracious eater!

Birthday Photos at DAMPA

Taaddaaaann!!! Here are the pictures during my birthday at Dampa!!!

Quelly, Me and Mystique on our way to Dampa

The Girls and The Boys

And the yummy sea foods!!!

More pictures!

I had fun with them that day! Thank you Michelle, Czarina, Quelly, Kuya Jon and Rael for being there on my special day! Love you guys!!!

Thank you Lord for the satisfying meal that day!!! Burrrrp! Excuse me! Lol!

Summer Is Almost Over...

Summer is almost over, yet I never enjoyed it! Not even had the chance to go swimming on this time of the year! And then here comes the unexpected rainy seasons because of the typhoon hitting the country lately! Phew! I never got the chance to wear my swim wear, eh? Too bad, now that I have trimmed down a little bit, I wouldn't have the chance to flaunt my "quite" toned bod! Lol! I thought I'd still be needing weight loss pills just to lose weight but fortunately, not eating that much lately helped! I just have to do some exercise to further lose weight. Who knows? I might still get to go swimming by the end of this summer!

Time To Vote!!!

Yeepeee! Time to cast your vote now! I did an entry for Lainy's contest: Sharing A Piece Of Me To The Virtual World. If you think I deserve to get some piece of the great prizes at stake, then do vote for me. Lol! And just so you all know, today's my birthday! I'd consider your vote as birthday gift and would be sooo much appreciated! Hahahaha!

Unhealthy Lifestyle

I used to prepare packed lunch before going to work. I haven't done it for weeks now. Well, I'm back to being me - stubborn! Lol! I even go to work with an empty stomach. I just content myself with more than 2 cups of coffee before my scheduled lunch. I know, it's not healthy and I actually lose some weight, which is what I really wanted! So basically, when it's time for me to take my lunch, I am by the time starved. I just hope I won't end up having ulcer with this lifestyle! So help me God! My colleagues even asked if I'm taking an appetite suppressant since I don't eat that much when I go with them after work. I just tell them that I really don't have the appetite to eat.

I actually would love to bring sandwich on my work station but then food is not allowed in the operations. We will get reprimanded and worst, will get suspended if we were caught eating while at work. So the only solution to this is to eat breakfast before going to work, right? I just wish I won't be too lazy to wake up early!

APRIL 8, 2009

I just turned 26 years old today! Yeah right! I'm now officially on the beginning of my LATE 20's! Michelle said that statement earlier today! It doesn't scare me though. I'm even excited! I wonder what's in store for me this year! Whatever they are, I hope it's better and brighter! Lol!

I was searching through Google for relevant post about turning 26 today and I stumbled upon the website Marc And Angel Hack Life where the author posted about 26 Life Lessons Learned by Age 26. The post really made me think over my life and how I lived it. I definitely can relate to the 26 Life Lessons listed on that post. I also want to share what I read. Thus, here's the list:

1. Being an adult can be fun when you are acting like a child.
2. Love has nothing to do with looks, but everything to do with time, trust, and interest.
3. Laughing, crying, joy and anger… All are a vital. All make us human.
4. The greatest truths in life are uncovered with simple, steady awareness.
5. Greed will bury even the lucky eventually.
6. Bad things do happen to good people.
7. Paving your own road is intelligent only if nobody has gone exactly where you are going.
8. Uncertainty is caused by a lack of knowledge. Hesitation is the product of fear.
9. Time heals all wounds… regardless of how you feel right now.
10. Most of the time what you are looking for is right in front of you.
11. Your health is your life.
12. Chance is a gift, so act on chance when given the opportunity.
13. Kindness and hard work will take you further than intelligence.
14. People deserve a second chance, but not a third.
15. Marry your best friend.
16. Take lots of pictures. Someday you’ll be really glad you did.
17. Money makes life easier only when the money is yours free and clear.
18. Carelessness is the root of failure
19. Your actions now create memories you will reminisce and talk about in your elder years.
20. Stepping outside of your comfort zone will put things into perspective from an angle you can’t grasp now.
21. Motivation comes in short bursts. Act while it’s hot.
22. Purposely ignoring the obvious is like walking backwards toward the enemy.
23. Taking ownership of failure builds the foundation for success.
24. First impressions are completely worthless 50% of the time.
25. Personal glory lasts forever.
26. If you never act, you will never know for sure.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME AND TO THOSE WHO ALSO CELEBRATE THEIR BIRTHDAYS!!!

Cheers!!!

Confidante...

One of my colleagues always confide to me about his husband's attitude towards her. According to her, the husband kept telling her that she's not pretty and that she's fat. At first, I empathized with her and even get a little furious about how her husband treat her. After more than 2 months of knowing her and hear her rant about her husband most of the time, it gets a little annoying already. There are times that I doubt her stories.

She actually puts the blame of her gaining too much weight to her husband. She said he make her feel depressed that's why she eat a lot. Well for me, she's giving him all the reasons to treat him the way he does. I talked to her and told her to watch what she eat. I even advised her to lose some weight and joked to her about Colonix scam so she will lose 10-20 pounds without too much effort! She just laughed at me and basically never took my advise seriously. Well, it's all up to her anyways. I've done my part as a friend who listens and give advises.

Music Monday - Unwritten

It's Music Monday! Since my birthday's coming up, I want to share a song that I really love this year. It's a song called Unwritten by Natasha Bedingfield. I hope this song could also make you guys feel confident about yourselves. Our life is what we make anyway and let's make sure we live it to the fullest!!!

I am unwritten,
Can't read my mind
I'm undefined
I'm just beginning
The pen's in my hand
Ending unplanned

Staring at the blank page before you
Open up the dirty window
Let the sun illuminate the words
That you could not find
Reaching for something in the distance
So close you can almost taste it
Release your inhibitions

Feel the rain on your skin
No one else can feel it for you
Only you can let it in
No one else, no one else
Can speak the words on your lips
Drench yourself in words unspoken
Live your life with arms wide open
Today is where your book begins
The rest is still unwritten, yeah

Oh, oh

I break tradition
Sometimes my tries
Are outside the lines, oh yeah yeah
We've been conditioned
To not make mistakes
But I can't live that way oh, oh

Come join Music Monday and share your songs with us. One simple rule, leave ONLY the actual post link here. You can grab this code at LJL Please note these links are STRICTLY for Music Monday participants only. All others will be deleted without prejudice.

I love rain...

It's pay day and I'm planning to buy my groceries today. I'll be seeing a lot of those bar code scanners today that look like those of Symbol LS2208. And of course, that same queue on the cashier that I'm sure I can handle since today is still my rest day from work.

I actually have a lot to do for myself today. One of those is visiting the salon to get my hair done. It's been damaged for months and I've been ranting about it but keep it as it is. Too stubborn! It's time I have to do something with it because who knows? I might meet the man of my dreams sooner! Lol!

We're still experiencing rainy seasons this past few days when it's supposed to be summer. I don't care though! I love rain rather than feeling the heat of the sun!

A Birthday Wish Tag

I'm turning another year old sometime this April. Phew! I'm turning 26 and yet I'm still single. I had an exchange of text messages to some college friends yesterday and I found out that all of them got married and already have kids of their own. I'm the only one left single to my surprise! Geez! That quite scared me! Lol!

Uncle Che and Bill tagged me but it took me so long to have this tag posted on this blog. I apologize for that my friends and I thank you so much for this tag. I actually planned to have this posted on my actual birthday but I changed my mind. I decided to post it today!

The rules:
1. I have to make 10 wishes and
2. pass it on to 10 friends.

Here are my wishes:

1. After battling with Tuberculosis this year, I wish to have a healthier life ahead!
2. I wish that my mom will also become a member of Iglesia Ni Cristo
3. Pursuing my passion - singing.
4. Good health for my mom and brothers.
5. To earn more from blogging and from work as a call center agent.
6. To have my own guitar and laptop.
7. I wish for the global economic crises to end.
8. To have my own business so I can go back to Mindanao with my family.
9. To continue being a good follower of God.
10. I wish that God will give me the right man for me in time.

I'm tagging:

Ranran
Mystique
Polly
Zorlone
Lerma
Mize
Anne
Jena Isle
DorothyL
""rare*jonRez""

The Architect...

My half brother Charlie, is an Architect. Well, I got that information from my Dad. Me and Charlie didn't have the chance to talk so I didn't get the information about his profession first hand.

I am still hoping for the day that I can really spend sometime with my half siblings. I want to know how their life was when growing up without our Dad's presence as well. I bet most of you already knew about my Dad being a philander. I have nothing against what my he has done since I am the product of his extramarital affair with my mom.

All I really wanted was to get to know my half siblings. I heard that Charlie has gone to Saudi Arabia to work as an architect there. Was he one of those who help plan for the construction? Or was he the one who's in charge of the industrial products? Lol! Just curious about how he lived his life, you know?

After my father's death, Charlie never came to visit us anymore. I wonder how he is now.

It's pretty obvious that I long for my half siblings' attention! I admit I do. I really hope they would at least heed my longing to bond with them.

Movie Review - The Illusionist

I watched the movie The Illusionist the other day. It's a movie set in the 1900's in Vienna where a famous Illusionist, Eisenheim (Edward Thornton), during that era used all his magic powers to win the love of his life, Sophie, the Duchess von Teschen (Jessica Biel).

Eisenheim was a son of a cabinetmaker, a peasant. When he was still a boy, he came across a magician who showed him magic tricks and then suddenly vanished along with the tree right before the boy's eyes. From then on, Eisenheim got obsessed with learning different magic tricks by himself.

He met the beautiful young girl, Sophie and fell in love with her. Because of their social differences, there love was forbidden and eventually they were forced to set-apart.

Eisenheim left the village and traveled the world and eventually went back to Vienna as a great magician and was named The Illusionist. He met Sophie in one of his performances and realized he was still in love with the Duchess. At the time, the Duchess was about to marry the Prince Leopold who was going to be the next emperor and has a history of abusing women.

Eisenheim did mysterious magic tricks just to free Sophie. At first, I thought the story was tragic but it actually ended happily!

The movie is definitely unique and I was really impressed on how it was portrayed! It was worth my while!

Take on YES! feature about Willie

I had the chance to read YES! magazines' feature about Willie Revillame's wealth a few weeks back. The magazine has indeed earned a lot for featuring Willie since this particular issue has been sold out since December. It has brought a buzz to the nation. Willie's story is a typical rags-to-riches and I'm pretty sure he has inspired a lot of Filipinos.

The houses are really awesome. One of the mansions has an infinity pool and all of the which have expensive outdoor furniture. He also showcased his extravagant cars and yacht which will really make you say "WOW!".

No doubt his hard work has paid off! Phew! How I wish I could live in a house like his! Lol!

one of Willie's mansions

The Daughter of The Mistress...

"Are you the daughter of the mistress???", this is the English translation of a 6-year-old boy's interrogation at me on my dad's wake one night. I was in a corner of the memorial chapel playing my guitar when all of a sudden I heard his voice asking that question with such sarcasm. He took me by surprise and I really didn't know how to address his query. Good thing, my half brother was behind him at that time and he asked the boy to go with him somewhere. Maybe he had a word with that boy but I really didn't care.

Who wouldn't talk about the mistress and her children on that wake, anyway? We actually don't know most of those people who came since they did not come to sympathize with our grief. Of course they only cared about the first family's feelings. Our presence there only made the situation awkward.

My father had a heart attack here in Manila. That was 8 years ago and I was 17 years old. We were in Mindanao when my Dad's colleague called my mom and informed her about my Dad's comatose condition in Makati Medical Center. After 3 days, we left for Manila by plane and immediately went straight to the hospital.

My 3 half brothers greeted us in the hospital lobby. It was our first time to meet 2 of my half brothers, Pula and Relly. Charlie does frequent visits in our house when our Dad was still alive. All three of them glared at me and then Charlie elbowed Pula and Relly and said, "I told you, Katrina and Ally definitely look alike!" He was referring to their youngest sister. She wasn't around when we arrived. They said she has to run some errands and also have to attend to her baby.

I was overwhelmed with grief when I saw Tatay in the ICU. He was lying there, so still but breathing with the help of the tracheal intubation. Remembering that moment, I still couldn't believe that it was really happening. We were crying in the ICU and talked to Tatay. We were told that he could still hear us so I asked forgiveness to him and held his hand.

Tatay died around 12 midnight that same day after the Extubation (removal of the tube) was performed by the doctors. Both families agreed to have the life support removed since, as advised by the doctors as well, Tatay wouldn't survive anyway. Aside from that, we can't afford to pay the increasing hospital bill.

That night, I met my half sister Katrina. She was hysterical that night in the hospital. Everyone in her family were really concerned about her. I never had the chance to talk to her that night. She wasn't allowed in the morgue because she looked like she will breakdown eventually. She looked so frail so one of my half brothers decided to take her home. I thought to myself, she and Tatay might have had a strong father-and-daughter bond. I envy her for that.

The next day, both families talked about the hospital bill. My father lived his life as a labor union consultant and never saved money when he was alive. We also discovered that he never even enrolled himself for an insurance. Maybe nobody told him about what is term life insurance or he just didn't bother getting himself one when he was alive.

My mom didn't have enough money and really couldn't think clear as to how we could contribute from the hospital expenses to the burial. The only thing that we could think of was to have my college plan encashed so that we could give our share. I wasn't worried about my college tuition that time since I was studying at Mindanao State University where College Educational Plans are worthless because we get to pay cheap tuition. Both parties agreed to that and I signed the papers in the hospital since our contribution will cover most of the hospital bill.

My father's funeral service was of course done here in Manila and most of the people who came were the 1st family's relatives and friends. We only knew my father's colleagues and they were the ones who helped us during our stay here in Manila.

I can't help but notice the glares of those who didn't like our presence. Although the first family treated us well, there's still that underlying gap between both families and I just can't ignore that. I was actually counting the days for the burial so that we can go home after that and be back with our normal lives. We were never comfortable during the wake.

My mom was so depressed that time. She seldom eat and most of the time slept in a bench at the corner of the memorial chapel. She will just give us money so that me and my brothers could eat somewhere. You just can't imagine the agony we felt during this time of our lives.

At the day of the burial, me and my Mom went back to my father's colleague's house to get some of our things. It was a 4-hour ride from Caloocan where the funeral service was set. I didn't know that my mom didn't plan to go back for the burial so I went with her. When we got there, my mom just cried her heart out and there was nothing I can do but wait until she decides to go back. We went back but that was after the burial. I actually understood why my mom did that although she never told me the reasons. The situation could have been awkward if she was also there at the burial.

A day after my father was buried, my mom has somehow come to her senses. She thought about the educational plan that we were about to get encashed and decided against it. She thought I might still need it in the future. She said that she will just think of another way to contribute which she did but wasn't enough to compensate how much the educational plan should have covered.

That's when me and my half siblings grew farther apart. Maybe they thought that my Mom and I couldn't keep our words. We promised to give something and in the end just take it all back.

I never saw anyone of them for years now. I send text messages sometimes to our eldest brother Relly just to ask how they were doing. There were actually times that I tried to reach out to them but they always have excuses not to see me. Well, at least I tried.

Sometime this year, I once texted Relly and learned from him that Katrina is also working as a call center agent and that her company is just beside where I am working. I asked for her number but Relly didn't give it to me. Maybe she didn't want to hear from me and didn't want to see me at all. I felt bad about it but there's nothing I can do. It would have been fun if I get to spend sometime with her and get to know her.

I'm the daughter of the Mistress and I don't have a problem with that. I just hope that my half siblings would accept that fact and give us a chance to talk to them one day. I still hope to see them. I always want to get close to them and get to know them even more.