Sunday, October 24

a shoppers dream come true.

I was ecstatic when my mum had revealed what my graduation gift was: shopping spree on a week trip to hong kong! Perfect timing I thought. I so needed a break from work and technically I haven’t had a post-grad vacation… (I started working already when I still had 2 months left for school). And I have always wanted to go to hong kong!

Over the years, I was always promised that one day my mum would take me with her on one of her scheduled hong kong trips. Yearly I waited… but it was always a case of either my parents not wanting me to miss classes in school or not having enough funds to support both me and my mums knowingly excessive shopping needs. So then, my mum would go and leave for HK with my hand-written wish list/ bilin in her pocket. After weeks, even months or so... she comes home with luggage’s filled with hong kong goods and I’d be tearing those supots open the moment they’re laid on my bedroom floor.

It’s a blessing that me and my mum has almost the same taste for clothes, bags and shoes… unique, trendy, hip, stylish AND as much as possible… cheap. :) if it’s expensive it should be a classic item, something that you can wear over the years or will never go out of style… putting your money to good use. Having a shopaholic as a mother- I was taught well. And hong kong being the “bargain-hunters glitzy shopping haven” (home to my mum), is my ultimate dreamland!

This morning at the office… after submitting my application for leave yesterday, I found out I have only been allowed for 5 days. I worked on convincing my supervisor to have my upcoming weeks’ 2-day-off switched, landing on the next 2 days after my pre-approved vacation leave… I pleaded and charmed (the latter probably didn’t help much since my supervisor’s gay), but to my luck… it was done!

I’m not working for a whole week and I’ll be shopping in hong kong! :D


 

Saturday, October 23

my crack-like addicition to drama.

dating & relationship auto-biography.

Currently, I feel like i'm living an episode off of the movie bridget jones' diary. I know I should have never gotten involved with somebody at work in the first place. This relationship has been a series of melodrama-train-wreck since the beginning. I had all the big warning signs.. emotional threats paired with red lights.. and like a bee to a honey, i went ahead and dove in. Even craved for more. I somehow found this whole rollercoaster ride and the drama to that effect, indeed very appealing. And in like most of my relationships, i'm out of it before the story ends.

But not this one, i'm stuck in this story. How can I take time to break away when I spend 9 hours of my dailies at the workplace, and he happens to be there. I feel watched everyday, and that every move i make counts for something. Are we suppose to talk and still hang out on lunches? like nothings happened. Or am i suppose to act aloof and stay away to validate this event? that would pain me. I wanna be able to co-exist with him, but at the same time I don't wanna be expected to act a certain way when he's around. And most importantly-- I AM IN DIRE NEED OF SPACE. But when I do that, when I try to stay away and focus on my work, I see him with this sad-hurt-look on his face and it eats me up inside. I could've written the word "guilty" all over my forehead.

I can't commit. I can't get into something where everything is comfortable and stable- that scares me. And in a psycho-sick-way i think i do get myself involved in relationships i know are bound to end from the start. Either that or I run away when things gets too serious, or too "good" fot that matter. Carrie much? Well, this is the drama of my life. The climax and the plot? It's not exactly sex and the city. It's less fun, and more mind-boggling. I'm stuck on a loop: a viscous one.

flashback.

Say for example, let's try to go a few pages back-- I was dating this guy 2 years ago.. we went on and off for almost a year. Right at the beginning this relationship was a goner for me- I knew he was serious right from the start. I remember this one incident at that time, when everything between us was pretty much new.. he invited me over to his place for dinner with his friends..

"It's just my closest friends, I just want you to meet them" he says.

So he picked me up, we arrived at his front door.. and almost 20 smiling faces awaits! (some people from his office were also there). We worked our way to the living room where all these people were looking at me, and with big-wondering eyes-- "Siya ba si monique? kaya pala ha.." a few whisphers and compliments here and there (i mean don't get me wrong, i liked all of them- and i was overwhelmed and flattered with all the attention)..
I was sitting in the middle of the room feeling like an unwrapped birthday present waiting to be opened.. in my head-- I was thinking:

Please don't be asking me questions like- "kelan pa naging kayo?", "anong nagustuhan mo kay _____?" or even worst (and i prayed hard that nobody would even dare ask this question)- "anong theme song nyo?" please god please.

Prayers granted. They're cool. They basically just tried to humiliate him by telling me some of his unforgettable high school and pre-adoloscent stories.

I was just beginning to enjoy my time, when his MOM appeared out of nowhere and started serving us dinner.. "Oh Monique, this my mum pala.." as he looked back at her with a grin. I on the other hand, pasted the widest most mabait angelic smile on my face, the one i have practiced infront of the mirror for years (specially made for moments like this), while trying to disguise my shock and freaked-out-look at the same time. ang hirap nu'n ha!

Seriously, before i even got to finish my food. My commitment-phobe-nerves got the better of me. I looked around, saw how i was surrounded by all of his closest friends.. the fact that I already was introduced to his mom, which for me was too early in the relationship. There wasn't even a relationship yet to begin with. I know it is and has been a "filipino custom" to introduce the guy before or when he makes you ligaw.. but if you haven't figured out by now, i'm not very traditional. I ONLY intoduce a guy to my parents when I am certain that HE IS (don't worry i'm not gonna make you puke by saying "the one"), let's just say unless i'm somehow sure I wanna hold on to that one. Which rarely, almost never happens.

It hit me- i'm the girlfriend here. All this people think I'm his girlfriend now. I'm in a relationship? I am sucked right at the bosom of the most important people in his life. So i freaked out... and felt my air passage tighten. I literally could not breathe! Kidding? not. I stood up and walked my way out of the door.. i went to this sari-sari store near his house, bought myself a yosi and tried to suck and breathe the air out of me. Smoke in, smoke out. He of course had followed me outside, and asked me what was wrong..

"Wala lang." I shrugged. "So i'm your girlfriend na pala, i didn't know. " He had this embarassed-as-if-to-blush-smile on his face. - "Eh, you know how it is.. people assume" Hell yeah, if you introduce me to your mother infront of everyone else, EVEN I THOUGHT i was your girlfriend for a second there!

We tried to hold on to it. But for almost a year, he never did got me to commit. Until he gave it up. He no longer had the strength to try and pull me into the reality of how a real relationship is and should be. I'd always back off and run away. But it all turned out well.. we ended up friends (that's a department i'm certainly good at). Being the one person who knows me best, relationship-wise (or should i say the lack of it).. I now run to him for advice, or when i just need his help to try and rationalize my complex, out-of-this-world thoughts about dating and everything that goes with it.

here's the review.

Let's sit back, relax, and blame my parents shall we? There is no way I couldn't have done this to myself right? This MUST be some psychological result from childhood.. something I brought with me as a souvenier from "dysfunctional family land".

Right now, after yet another failed attempt.. i have to again work my way out and head to the door. I'm guilty of so many things. I know it's unfair and selfish of me to even start something i know deep down i'm not gonna be able to finish.. knowing what my problem is, why do I even bother?

It's the drama. I live for it.


 

Monday, October 18

to an end.


You get caught up in a moment, dazed in laughter and the joy within every second you spend. It's an escape, a freedom to not care about the world or about the people around. Consequences are nothing but a blur, your actions are mere causes of such strong impulses-- thoughtless and drastic at times...

It was an escape for me as it was for you. I was running away from falling in love and you.. longed for something new.

I thought I loved you. I thought I did.. but then I realized, I never really knew love.. I never knew of accepting or of holding on. All I knew is you came to me and I loved the everyday happiness that you bring. I guess I wasn't ready for more.. I didn't know what I was asking for. You have a past that you can't change and i have a future that I can't give up nor let go of. We are too different. I am too different. You can't run with me towards what's to come if you'll always have something to look back on-- I wasn't sure if I wanted to be a part of that.


Maybe if I had loved you enough.. maybe if all this had been real.