Soap Opera Life

Yes, I admit it. I used to be a soap opera addict. As a child I would watch what the other women in the house were watching. Cable TV was not a big hit until the late 90's after all so people were mostly left to the mercy of local TV.

I remember watching Anna Luna and Mara Clara. I used to love half days in grade school so I could go home early and watch the afternoon soaps. Judy Ann Santos as Mara was constantly abused by Gladys Reyes as Clara for years. At some point I got tired of cheering for Mara to fight back and thought of just cheering for Clara to save myself from being sad and hurt with the character Mara. Other soaps I remember having followed are Pangako Sa 'Yo, Sana ay Ikaw Na Nga and Kay Tagal Kang Hinintay. I remember that we had night class during the time Pangako was soaring in the ratings. My friends and I would try to catch a few sequences now and then in the TV in one of the org rooms in school after night class whereas we had a teacher who looked a lot like John Lloyd Cruz during the time of Kay Tagal.

There were plenty of other soaps I did not particularly follow or like but I remember catching from time to time one way or another. The soaps I remember are: Agila, Yagit, Eredero, Verdadero, Mirasol Del Cielo, Gintong Kristal, Kadenang Kristal, Criselda (starring who is now Francine Prieto but was then a little girl close to my age), Del Tierro, Valiente, Mula sa puso, Esperanza, Mia Gracia, Gulong ng Palad (a short remake in the late 80's starring Marianne de la Riva still with Bamba as her child) among so many others.

Once cable TV arrived in our home, I followed The Bold and the Beautiful. Brooke Logan is one character I sometimes liked and sometimes despised. American soaps tackle subjects such as incest, divorce, sex and drugs more openly than Filipino soaps.

I also followed Sunset Beach in the late 90's. And among foreign telenovelas the following: Marimar, Betty la Fea, Endless Love (Autumn something with Johnny, Jenny and Andrew), Lovers in Paris, Full House, Save the Last Dance and a favorite of mine: Irene.

In all these soaps, I cheered for the protagonists, disliked the antagonists (though sometimes understood where they were coming from) and hoped for justice to prevail in the end. I did not bank on ever being or feeling like one of the soap opera heroines in real life. But now, I feel as though I were inside the boob tube instead of on the couch watching for the drama to unfold.

In the office where I work right now, It's as if I were casted (without my prior knowledge or permission) to play the role of the martyr heroine. I am there doing my best and just minding my own business but then there are people who are trying to make my life harder or to cast me in a bad light. Some observers to the scenario are of the opinion that the women who seem prejudiced against me are simply jealous. These women have apparently casted themselves as the wicked step sisters in the real life soap. The wicked steps are all sugary sweet when the bosses are around. They are almost kind to me when other people are watching. They put so much effort in pretending to have no animosity towards me but it is still apparent to smart people that it's all an act.

I don't have a clue as to why the steps would be nice to other girls my age or close to my age but not to me. I don't deal with them outside work so they don't know me all that well to be able to formulate a judgment on my character. At work, I treat them as I treat the others. I am civil, if not cordial, and friendly. I help out when asked or even without being asked and I'm generous with my smile so it's impossible for them to say I'm a snob. No one can think of one objective reason for why the steps are acting like wicked step sisters. However, those around me have come to a general conclusion: "envy".

Envy is a funny thing. Especially what a friend of mine calls "feminine envy". My friend, who knows the steps as well, is of the belief that the steps are insecure or otherwise threatened by me. I have a hard time believing that because why in the world would they feel that way? The steps are a decade or almost a decade older than I am. They are established (or at least to 3rd parties and others) in their fields and have more money than I do. I can't imagine being envious of a girl a decade younger than I am no matter how pretty she is. A decade is a decade. A person a decade older or younger belongs to a different time, a different context. The playing field is not the same. I can understand envy between those belonging to the same age group but not that of someone much older to a younger girl. The steps have already been where I am now. They don't have anything to be insecure about. I am not there to unseat them from whatever thrones they feel they occupy. I am not there to take anything away from them. I am just there to do my own thing and be my own person.

Hell, I come to work with almost no make-up (does powder or lip gloss count?) and in simple clothes (no, I don't wear skirts like the one in my user profile pic here to work). I am not at all vixen-y and it's not my fault if a few males here and there at work (or outside) think I look okay and start courting me. And if I'm thinner than they are or better shaped, haven't they realized that it's because 1) I have not given birth yet and 2) I go to the gym and work my butt off to have the body I want!

I've never acted as though I were better than anyone else. I am not perfect and I don't claim nor aspire to be perfect. I am me. I can appreciate other girls who look good especially if they worked hard to achieve their hot bodies. I know my place. I know and trust my friends. I don't go around worrying that this friend will like me less just because someone else came along and became close to him or her. I am not selfish. True friendship is not about holding your friend back or preventing him or her from making new friends.

One of the steps, in my assessment, feels threatened because a male higher than us in the office food chain, Raymond, spends more time with me at work than with her and gets along great with me. Raymond and I really do have to work together as we collaborate at work a lot so it's not our fault if step sis 1 feels that she doesn't have Raymond all to herself anymore. Secondly, step sis has been around for a decade and should, theoretically, be self-reliant while I am new and need more guidance (theoretically). Moreover, is it again my fault if Raymond does not see me the same way the steps do, if he gets along with me well and if we can be friends aside from workmates? Since when is it a crime or a sin to be liked and to make friends? Some have said that perhaps step sis 1 romantically likes Raymond. Well, It's none of my business what she feels for Raymond and he for her but let me just point out this itsy bitsy detail: Raymond is married.

I've been told time and time again that I am optimistic, that I see the world with rose-colored glasses. Perhaps. But then again, that is probably the main reason why I am taking the martyr approach to all these. I am doing my best not to lose my temper, to stay nice even when they're not, to forgive the things they do or say to me and about me, to stay focused on just doing my best no matter what they do or say. Mind you, being nice is a whole lot harder than just retaliating or fighting back. There are so many times when I have a hard time fighting the urge to fight back. I am often just reduced to tears as I choose to just forgive them, let go and carry on.

I'm not known for being meek. To the contrary, I'm known for being feisty and a defender of the oppressed. But in this case, I take the path I know Jesus would have taken if he were in my shoes. It's so damn hard to act Christ-like but I know in the end I won't regret having taken this path. I pray that I won't lose my temper, that I would always remember to do what Christ would do in any particular situation. I believe that God would always have my back, that any setbacks are temporary and are aimed at a greater goal in the future, that God would not let those who behave like villains triumph over those who choose to act as Christ would. I trust God to do the fighting for me in His own way, in his own time.

As with any soap opera, the villains will not triumph in the end. Justice will prevail. I have faith, I have hope. I have friends who love me. I have myself. Yes, I will make it through this.

Christmas in August

Christmas is four months away but I already started listening to Christmas songs in my ipod this morning. I just couldn't help it. I love the Christmas season. Everyone's nicer and chirpier. I wish we could make the cliche` true: make everyday Christmas in our hearts.

I believed in Santa Claus until I was nine. I probably would have gone on believing longer if not for my classmates who chided me for being nine years old and still believing in Santa. So, one day in January when I got home, I casually lay a trap to discover if indeed it's really our parents who play Santa Claus. As I was having my snack (I think), I made small talk with my mom and then as we were engrossed (or at least she was) in our chitchat, I casually dropped a line meant to discover if she really was Santa Claus. I told my mom the gift she bought me was nice. I made sure to specifically describe Santa's gift to me that year. With her guard lowered, my mom actually acknowledged what I said. So then I go "A-ha! Busted!" and that was the end of Santa for me. My mom 'fessed up and freed herself from additional yearly "Santa" gifts.

Christmas remained my favorite time of the year even after that little Santa Claus expose. I love lazy holidays, merry making, giving and receiving gifts and simply letting go of past hurts officially and giving love instead. If Christmas could come more often than once a year, I would make it do do.

I know it's only August but as early as now, I already have a Christmas wish list in my mind. Now, I'm writing it here in this space in case I forget it later on.

If I could have material things for Christmas, what would I want to have? Well, here's a listing of what pops into my head when asked the said question:

1. The brand new i-mac (tiger)
2. A Sony DVD handycam
3. An Iphone
4. Lotsa lotsa Powerbooks giftchecks
5. A bunch of new coats and office wear that are girly but will keep me warm
6. Spa treatments of my choice
7. Any gift certificates!!!!!!!
8. Lotsa Hello Kitty cute stuffs
9. Lotsa Archie Comics
10. A Charms and Crystals Rose Quartz or Blue Agate bracelet.


If I could have non-material gifts, what would I want?

1. To publish my own anthology/collection of literary works
2. The gift of being kind, hard working and optimistic all the time.
3. Good health and happy, stable lives for myself, my family and all the people I care for.
4. WORLD PEACE!!!!!!!!!



I could update this and make it so much longer but I guess that's the gist. Well, an early Merry Christmas!!!!!

Rolling with Roles

Growing up, I didn't really have role models in my family. Sure, I looked up to my parents but I always knew I didn't want to be exactly like them. They're just from a different breed and a different time than I am. I didn't have any one role model. I would usually take a page from several people and come up with my own plan for myself.

Somewhere in my college years and especially when I entered law school, I nearly fainted withs surprise when it became known to me that to plenty of my uncles and aunts and other relatives and family friends, I was the girl they were marketing to their pre-teens and teens as a role model. That was really flattering (and at the same time funny) at first. I, the Ice Princess, being marketed as a role model?! I could roll laughing.

Eventually, I learned to take the role seriously because apparently, it was no laughing matter. Some of the teens and pre-teens took things seriously and turned to me for advice and "mentoring", so to speak. That is no laughing matter. Pre-teens are especially fragile. They are still at the stage where they are discovering things about themselves and learning what they can do, what they can't and what they want to do with their lives. Any advise taken seriously could have lasting effects and could be a tiny seed planted in their minds and hearts.

Now, the role of being marketed as role model to family feels like second nature to me already. I have grown accustomed to giving advice and all. I have also learned to factor the alleged "role" in my daily life. In making decisions, especially major ones, I often stop and pause if the same decision is something I would advice one of my cousins or nieces to do if they were in my situation or if the decision I'm contemplating would ruin the alleged model role. I realized that taking the "role" to heart not only helps others but it also provides me with parameters I need as well as guidelines to keep close to me.

I once told a second cousin once removed who told others I'm her idol that she should aspire to be better than me and that being better than me is not hard to do. In my eyes, role models are not meant to be put in a pedestal or worshiped. Instead, they are just meant to set a standard one should aspire to go beyond.

I did not expect to become a role model to family but it happened. Instead of thinking it's such a drag (as I have probably once or twice felt), I choose to see it as a blessing. I'm thankful I'm not the one who can help provide guidance instead of being one who needs the same desperately. I do hope I'm living up to the role. I'll do my best not to let anyone down, including myself.

Backtracking A Bit: Delving Into The Childhood of the Ice Princess

With all my talk about trying to find my place under the sun in law school, it seems to have been taken for granted that I grew up with the good necessary to make it in that place called law school. Well, that's not entirely true.

I was a very shy little girl. I was mostly with adults and seldom with children my age. I guess that plays a part as to why up to now I get along better with people older or younger than me rather those within my exact age group. I'm usually happier either being the take charge Ate or the little spoiled baby.

I was not very good at games as a child. For one, I was not allowed to play on the streets. Two, I had no children my age to play with save for when I was in school. Even as a child, I preferred quiet pastimes. I would rather read a comic book or watch television. I was also good at games where imagination was used. When I started having cousins close to my age over for play dates, I would often be the casting director laying out the scenarios for other make-believe game. Sometimes we would be a bunch of runaways evading the clutches of the evil Kapre or the evil guwardiya sibil. Sometimes we would be orphans. It was always one scenario after another. We all took a name for the day every play date. We were really taking playing make believe to the hilt.

Though I'm a girl, I was also fond of playing cars as a child. I even had a bunch of toy guns. I had lots of toys and I had my imagination. Everything just sprang to life. Every doll had a name, a personality as far as I was concerned. The living room could transform anything I want it to be when I was playing: a sari-sari store, a house, a jungle.

Outside my comfort zone, I was really shy as a child. I bet most of my grade school teachers wouldn't have guessed that the shy Ice Princess will ever go to, much less survive, the rigors of the dog eat dog world of law school. Even in high school, I was still quiet and shy. I was starting to crawl out of my shell by then but man, was it as slow crawl (think: the tortoise). In fact, I used to shake uncontrollably whenever I had to speak before a crowd. I had the worst case of stage freight.

I slowly emerged from the cocoon as a butterfly but every now and then, and usually when I least need or expect it, I still get stage freight. I guess the shy little girl will always be a part of me. The butterfly will always have the memory of the little caterpillar she once was.

When I chance upon my schoolmates in high school, they often claim to be amazed at my transformation. They say I'm now so hip, so confident. One of my high school friends even told me the Johnson's commercial that went 'the baby is now a lady' fits me to a T.

Most of the people I met only in college or in law school have a hard time believing I was ever shy. They think I was born the rah-rah, stickler for equality, confident girl I appear to be nowadays. Well, the superstructure is always simple but underneath it is a dirty base.

It was not easy nor quick to evolve into who I appear to be now. And there are still days when I wonder if I really had evolved at all. I still feel vulnerable sometimes. I still doubt my decisions now and then. I don't know everything and I know I never will. I guess I just learned how to be graceful about it all as time went by.

I was bullied as a child by other children who were better at street games and who couldn't pick on anyone but someone their own age who had no prior dealings with children. It was not easy but I managed to turn things around and use that experience as a guiding principle on how I live my life. It helped mold me into a feminist, a person who likes to believe she stands up for equality and for the rights of those around her. I hate seeing other people be bullies in any way even now that I'm an adult. I do my best to help give the underdog a boost most of the time.

As a pre-teen and a teen, I was more interested in books than in soirees and boys. Some of my classmates (remember: I went to an all girls school) used to make fun of that. They were dating, had boyfriends and were popular. I was not a geek (no glasses, no braises, OK looks) but neither was I the belle of the ball. Well, things took its natural course and after a few years the tide has shifted.

I finished school, got a job and was free to do what I wanted. I was making my own money, I had the time and the means to do what I wanted with my appearance and I was of age to date whoever I wanted. Meanwhile, some of those classmates of mine did not get to finish college, got pregnant out of wedlock, looked frumpy when they reached their twenties and did not know what to do with their lives.

I remember a day when I was clad in a tube dress (but I wore it with a jacket!) and heels and was walking along a popular mall during coffee break in the office. I ran into two of my classmates in high school who were so proud of their popularity with boys back then. We traded stories a bit and it was revealed: I was done with school, was starting a career and as they told me, I looked good (I think they said something like sexy or so) while they were both mothers, did not finish school and really did not have a clue as to what career to pursue.

I never thought that day would happen when I would run into the so-called popular girls who belittled studying hard and gave more preference to partying and boys and be affirmed that I had made the right choices in high school. There were times when I wanted to attend parties but I had to study for big exams. There were suitors that I chose not to entertain because I knew I was not emotionally or otherwise ready for a commitment. I admit there were times when I thought: was I missing out? Are high school boyfriends, plenty of memorable parties to look back to and a social life to boast off really necessary at that point in my life?

I attended a handful of parties, I had a social life though not in any way as extensive as that of the so-called popular girls and I did have several telebabad sessions with boys my age in high school. That was enough for me then. And you know what? I'm glad I made the decisions I made. I'd rather be reaping the benefits now instead of having advanced them in high school.

The World of Law School: Recitation

For those who enjoyed Legally Bonde I and II and those who watch The Practice, Ally McBeal, and other shows as much, being a law student (and eventually a lawyer) seem so glamorous and interesting. Well, we only see the superstructure there.

Underneath the superstructure is a dirty base. Being a lawyer is not at all about power dressing (though being able to carry that off is a big plus) and passionate speeches (though the same may be necessary now and then). Being a law student is not a walk in the park all the more.

Being a law student could push one's sanity and self-esteem to the limits. Uh-huh. No kidding. You would never be the same person again after law school. Sure, that's not to be taken purely in the negative. There are definitely perks and pluses as well but that's one cold, hard fact: one cannot go through law school and not evolve in a way you never thought was possible.

How does recitation in law school differ from recitation in the undergraduate level? Well, more often than not, a student is graded this way in law school: 50% Final Exams, 50% recitation. Hence, the average grade in recitation almost always determines one's fate in that particular subject. Also, recitation in law school is every class day. Hardly does any law professor lecture. Instead, the socratic method is appled.

The socratic method is a true test of strength. Every subject, every class day the socratic method is applied. Professors would usually randomly pick one class card from the bunch and the name picked gets to recite. How long or how short varies. It could be for the entire period or it could just be for one question. Older professors are somewhat more predictable as they conduct recitation alphabetically. If one's surname starts with L for instance, she doesn't have to worry until the recitation reaches those with the surnames starting close to her letter (unless of course, the professor decides to skip or a lot of people are absent).

From experience, I can definitely say that it is practically impossible to feel 100% ready for recitation. For one, the readings are usually so voluminous. Tons and tons of cases, books etc are assigned per subject per class day. Even if one finishes the assigned readings for a particular class day, the professor could easily decide to ask questions that are not in the said readings. A professor could ask questions from previous lessons or worse, from previous classes. Memory retention and the ability to think on one's feet are definitely musts. A law student should always be prepared for the unimagined.

I have had so many memorable recitations in law schools. Really. I've had greats one, so-so ones, funny ones, crazy ones, bad ones and embarrassing ones. You name, I probably have done it. Ha-ha.

There was one recitation in statutory construction when I was asked what a tiger is. I answered (with matching choreography depicting a big object): "Sir, a tiger is a big, big cat." Oops. I didn't mean to phrase it that way but before I could polish my act and pretend to be older than the kid I was, the thing has already slipped out. That particular statement elicited laughter. The laughter still echoes in my ears up to now.

Another time, I was seated in the back row and could not hear the question of the elderly gentleman professor. I apologized and asked him to repeat his question as I was hard of hearing. The professor's reply? Well: "Is that so, Ice Princess? Then you should have a husband like me because we are in the same boat. I am also hard of hearing."

Another professor, in the middle of my recitation, suddenly blurted out that I should marry an Italian. I don't know where that came from. Perhaps I looked like I love spaghetti?

One semester, I had a class that ran smack lunch time. I had straight morning classes as well and hence, had little chance to have a snack. It so happened that I was given by an "admirer" a box of polvoron right before my lunch time class. My seatmates and I in the backrow were all hungry so I offered my polvoron. We are all discretely sneaking in bites of polvoron during class when of all days, the elderly professor chose to call all of us in our row, one at a time. Speaking was impossible, not to mention risky as one could choke over polvoron, but we somehow made it. Looking back, that was a funny incident. It just wasn't funny when it was my windpipe that could have had polvoron in it as I tried to swallow the food real fast while attempting to speak.

In one of my Labor Law classes, the professor was looking for someone to recite on the rights of household helpers. She swept the seat plan with a glance and called me. The professor said I look like I have plenty of maids. Ha-ha. As if. Do I come across as Imeldific? Well, I don't have her shoe collection although on a side note, one suitor once told me bluntly he aspires to be the next Marcos and he thinks I'll make a great Imelda.

The same Labor professor once reprimanded me for smiling in class. She said:" Ice Princess, you have a very nice smile but you should not smile in class as it distracts the others." After what she said, I was no longer sure if the professor was reprimanding me or complimenting me.

In my other Labor law class, I was the Flavor of Labor. I was the professor's favorite person to call for recitation. Once he discovered I existed (this did not happen until the fourth week of the semester or so), not one meeting went by that I did not recite. It was already March when he apparently got tired of calling me every meeting and making me a subject or object or what-have-you in the recitation of my other classmates.

One time, when a male classmate was reciting the professor was asking him what it would take for him to do something or give up something. I was minding my own business when the professor told my male classmate: "Not even for Ice Princess?" or "Not even if it was for the Ice Princess?"

Oh well. I survived that semester. During the last day of class, the professor said before leaving the room:"It's over, Ice Princess". Hmph. Well, it's over for him. Ha-ha.

Another professor told me I'm making his class a stand-up comedy because I was always laughing constantly in his class. Well, his class to me was like watching a movie. I wanted to bring popcorn and eat the same while watching his antics if not for the odds that i would get called for recitation myself.

One professor forgot to call me one semester. He thought he had already called everyone in class at least once and he was about to start round 2. My classmates, desperate, all protested and said we cannot go to round 2 because Ice Princess still hasn't been called. The professor, young and all at that time, was surprised. He had no choice but to call me. He did not look at me the entire time I recited. I was standing the entire period but not once did he look at me. I bet he memorized how the wall looked then because that was only where he looked the entire recitation.

Another female professor seemed to have it in for me. She seemed to abhor me right from the start and I don't even have a clue why. Suffice it to say, that semester with her was hell on earth for me. I knew, she knew, everyone knew I was not the weakest link in class but she clearly just didn't want to affirm anything I did or said. Somehow, by God's grace, the semester ended uneventfully. The professor though did not release our grades until the last possible second.

It is impossible to be prepared for recitation all the time. Stuff happens in life. Work, sickness, problems, brown outs, etc etc. However, there is no excuse for being unprepared in recitation. One can only either miss class and cross her fingers that her card does not get picked otherwise she risks a failing grade for that session OR one can still bravely show up for class, pretend to be prepared while listening to the lessons and PRAY hard that Harry Potter's invisibility cloak protect his or her class card that period.

Personally, I go for the latter option. I'm not big on absences. I only absent myself when I'm really ill. I'd rather brave class and take the risk of getting called when I'm unprepared. That way, I still learn something from the day's lesson. I just pray hard that I don't get called for questions I cannot answer. Oftentimes, especially when I really have a valid reason for being unprepared (read: something other than sloth), Harry Potter's invisibility cloak is lent to me. The risk is actually fun if one survives. Of course, if one's luck doesn't smile on her that day and results in a failing mark for the day, the risk did not pay off.

After a recitation, a student either feels affirmed and validated (yey! all my hard work paid off), forlorn (why did that one miserable question, the only one I didn't know the answer to, had to be asked?), caught (Harry's invisibility cloak is fiction), crushed (I studied all all night but still, I messed up. Why? Why?), embarrassed (why did sir have to say that?), mad or simply numb. I had a friend whom a professor referred to as having a voice like that of a cockroach. Ouch.

All in all, the Socratic method builds character. It tests fortitude, the ability to think on one's feet and to stay calm under pressure. On the other hand, it's somehow akin to being whipped and flagged at times. The red marks may heal in time but sometimes, they leave a mark be it visible or not. Let's just say that I do not regret having gone through what I have gone through, welts and all. But it is not something I would advise others to go through themselves unless it is really their calling to be a lawyer. If I am to be given a million pesos to go through all that again, I would have to pause and think. I don't think putting my self through that ordeal again is worth just a million pesos. If the offer is a million dollars, I might have to think harder.

HARRY POTTER

I have been a potterhead for the past seven years. That's right. It was year 2000 when I first discovered the first Harry Potter book. Four Harry Potter books are already in print by then and I gobbled them up, one after the other in a short span of time.

I was merely curious at the start. I had heard a few people talking about the series and debating whether or not it was a children's story or not. I gave the first book a try and I fell in love with it.

Harry Potter is an endearing character. He is the every day boy with an extra-ordinary past and an interesting future. I was hooked on the series big time.

The fifth installment came in 2003. I had reservations at National Book Store but due to some mix up, I was unable to get my hard bound copy during the first day of the book's release in Manila. I was so upset then. I managed to find a copy of the book and devoured it nonetheless.

Book 5 is dark. I was sad when Sirius Black died. However, I did not anticipate that book 6 is even darker. Albus Dumbledore died and it was a shock. Book 6 was released in 2005 and that time, I got my reserved book on time. Whew.

Book 7 was released July 21, 2007. I purposely blocked off the entire day and allocated all my time to reading the final installment of the series. I got my reserved copy at half past seven in the morning. The moment I got home, it was all read, read, read for me. I only paused for an hour when my mother called me for lunch. I finished the book the afternoon itself. It was bittersweet for me. A tad sad that there won't be any Harry Potter book to look forward to anymore. Seven years is a long time. It's been seven years since I first discovered Harry Potter's world and I've been yearning for one installment after the other since. Harry Potter and my excitement for the next in the series has been with me through different stages in my life the past seven years. I can say it has helped keep me sane during rough sailings. Harry Potter and his world have always been bright spots in my life.

I can never read enough of my Harry Potter books. I often reread parts of each book in the series. I must have read book 7 around five times by now.

I've also watched every installment of the movie version, the latest being the fifth book. It was shown just before book 7 was released. Sadly, the movies don't do justice to the books. I definitely prefer the books to the movies, as it is in most movie adaptations of popular books.

I used to have this software in my palm pilot called sorting hat. You just have to enter personal details such as hair color, eye color, birthday and initials and the soft ware would sort you into either Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff or Slythierin. I was sorted into Gryffindor, to my delight. Most of the sortings done to other people I know are also rather accurate. My friends and I used to adore that software some years back.

For me, Harry Potter is not just a children's story. It is an amazing story of life, love, death, sacrifice, friendship, carrying on and trust. It talks of a world within our world, something each of us has in some way. I just love the Harry Potter series. For those who haven't read the books yet, it's never too late to get hooked. I think you'll have an interesting journey with Harry and his friends. I did.

Of Coffee and Cakes

It's been raining cats and dogs all day in the metropolis. It's been cold and mostly dreary with the sun peeking now and then for brief periods. To cap a cold, rainy day, I prefer to think of pleasant things such as coffee and cake.

Having an acidic tummy, i should avoid coffee. This I find hard to do. I love coffee save for the times when I'm twitching in pain during a bad acidic attack. I love caffeine. I love the smell of brewed coffee. I enjoy ripping open a sachet of equal and stirring it in my brewed coffee.

I used to be an avid fan of Starbucks. A tall cup of latte, non-fat, decaf used to be a staple in my diet. I cut back the past year due to my acidic attacks (apparently decaf does not mean totally caffeine-free and sometimes my turbulent system still gets affected) and also because I was trying to scrimp and pinch.

Right now, the penny saver Ice Princess favors cheaper coffee such as Dunkin' Donuts brewed coffee. It smells wonderful, tastes great and is simply good for the purse. Dunkin' should give me a permanent discount card for this promotional bit. Ha ha ha.

Aside from Starbucks and Dunkin' Donuts, I also love the coffees in UCC Vienna Cafe. The way they prepare coffee is different from the other coffee shops and it reflects in the output. The ambiance at UCC is simply delectable as well. Sure, it's not cheap but then again, when does good ambiance, good service and terrific coffee come cheap?

Gloria Jean's Coffee is another of my favorites. It's not as crowded as Starbucks but the coffee is just as good (if not better). Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf is another popular coffee shop that I actually like. My father himself prefers Coffee Bean to Starbucks.

Figaro and Seattle's Best are okay with me but I can't say I love them. I particularly find the hot coffee's of Seattle's Best bland even after I piled on the cream and sweeteners.

Baaang Coffee is more known for it's free wi-fi and as the popular hangout of movie stars and wanna be movie stars but their coffee there is okay. Their hot chocolate is good, too.

Fleur de Lys is another place I like. I love the cups they use to serve coffee there. It has a very Luke's Diner (Gilmore Girls) effect to it. The full cream milk they use with their coffee sure gives their brew the extra punch it needs. The cakes in Fleur de Lys are also worth coming back to. I haven't tasted a cake there that I didn't enjoy from start to finish.


Speaking of cakes, I've always been a Marie Antoinette cake lover of some sort: "Let them have cake!" I could do without the main course as long as there's cake afterward. During the times when I would go on a diet, I would save my calories and fat allocations for cakes. I even discovered the wonderful world of sugarless cakes along my voyage as a cake-lover. Not one birthday of mine also passed by without a birthday cake. I simply am Miss Cake.

I love chocolate so naturally, I enjoy most chocolatey cakes. I love Red Ribbon's chocolate cake. I also love Red Ribbon's Chocolate Mousse cake. I have a secret that I'll share here though. I don't like the lowest layer of the mousse too much. I enjoy the mousse more. When I was in Hong Kong with my father some years back, I would always eat the mousse at the buffet table every dinner time. I was Miss Mousse.

I also like ube cake. I recently discovered not too many people like ube cake but I grew up liking ube in almost every way: ice cream, cake, halaya, puto bungbong. I also like blueberry cheesecake mostly except when the canned blueberry used is too sweet or artificially flavored. Same goes for strawberry cheesecake.

Speaking of cheesecake, I once got to eat a blue/strawberry cheesecake minus the fruity top. Apparently, the restaurant cannot find canned blueberries/strawberries at that time so they baked the cheesecake minus the fruity top. It was delicious nonetheless.

UCC's cakes are also good. I love the Toblerone and the KitKat flavored cake as well as the oreo cheesecke. Yum.

The cakes offered by Starbucks and Coffee Bean are also tasty, save for being so expensive.

I love the mudpie in Sweet Inspirations. That is, except for the sugary white icing on top which I conveniently shove away the first chance I get.

It's funny that with most of the restaurants with specialties, it is actually their deserts that I remember more. For one, Alfredo's Steakhouse. I remember Alfredo's for their yummy cakes that are artistically plated. I don't remember the flavors but I do remember that one of the yummy cakes had ice cream inside it and chocolate syrup around. Another specialty restaurant that I remember fondly for their deserts is the Old Spaghetti House. I simply adore their mudpie there. It also has ice cream inside it.

For sugarless cakes, I love the strawberry cheesecake of Arte's Cafe. A box costs an arm and a leg but I dare say every bite is worth it.

Aristocrat Bakeshop is another cake lover's heaven. Their chocolate cake is to die for as well as their torta de los reyes. Again, their cakes do not come cheap but hey, I'm just here to write about yummy cakes and not to give advice on how to find cheap ones.

Near the place I work, there's this little cake called refrigerator cake that I look forward to eating again. Maybe tomorrow? I don't know. I hope soon.

I can't possibly end this piece without mentioning Kopiroti, may latest pocket-friendly, mouth watering coffee favorite. Kopiroti is known internationally, especially in Asia they say, and their coffees are delightful. Cheap, too. Plus they come in this lovely glass mugs. Their kopibun, a yummy coffee flavored bread, is also worth trying. I have a feeling that Kopiroti will continue to ascend up the popularity charts in Manila.

I'm sure I could write a longer piece the next time I write about coffee and cakes. That's how much a coffee and cake lover I am. So, what about my acidic tummy? Well, that's why I always have my antacid with me.

Microcosmic Ice World

I'm going to have to interrupt my long and winding never ending Ice World stories to write about something that happened much recently and other related stuff. I'll resume my Ice World stories soon, on and off. It's going to be a novel if I'm going to tell all.

I currently work in an office that used to be dominated by males but is now starting to be controlled by females. Only a handful of employees are males. The top bosses remain to be males but their days are numbered. It's a woman's world now there. Soon enough if any of the last remaining males resign, it's going to be an all-girl's office. Maybe then I can laugh out loud and say I've come full circle and returned to my all-girls roots in grade school. Only thing is, I don't think that is the best case scenario for the office I work for. It's probably among the worst case scenarios unless they manage to get rid of the garbage and manage to snag a few more keepers for the long haul. Well, let's see how things turn out.

I actually like the office in general. I didn't expect to end up there much less to actually like it there but well, here I am. I'm really thankful that I made a handful of real friends there. I joined the workforce thinking I'm there to work and not to socialize. If I make a few real friends along the way, well and good. If not, I already have lots of family and friends anyway.

I've always been more a reactive person than anything. I start of with a blank slate on people, save for a few that I have strong feelings for (either an affinity for them or a feeling that we won't get along) from the get-go. Then I take it from there. I end up liking, disliking or not caring at all about a person based on how they treat me, other people around us and how they manifest their principles in life. My personal opinion is always subject to change without prior notice. I never permanently dislike a person. My heart melts so easily and I can never stay mad for long.

In the office, my heart has melted so many times repeatedly for differently people who have made it so difficult to like them. Really. For one, there's this girl Victorina. Victorina is annoying when she speaks, for one. Her voice is not at all soothing to the ears. Plus her manner of speaking defeats that of the most horrible socialite ever. She's not exactly all nice either. She always wants her way and does not know how to take a hint or how to deal with someone who says no. She orders me around, barges inside my room uninvited and even once used emotional blackmail to get me to accompany her to lunch when no else wanted to.

I honestly don't like Victorina, with her I'm -the-queen-and-you're-all-peasants ways and her whinny, bossy tone. However, I'm also the only one who genuinely felt pity for her when everyone else hated her, kept mocking her and mimicking her behind her back but were all cheery to her face. I don't know if the girl is really the idiot she seems to be or if she's just numb and good at playing dumb. Either way, my mixed feelings for Victorina gets in the way most of the time with us. I so much want to be her real ally and to be there for her and help her be the best she can be but whenever I reach out, I just get burned over and over again by her ungentle, bragging, bossy ways (imagine this: she asks questions but doesn't listen to answers. She actually asks questions only so she could use the same as her opening to brag about something she has, will have or will do. It's a one-way conversation all the way. She always has to be the star, always has to be the center of the conversation). I dislike her but then again, I have sympathy for her. I don't know when I could manage to be perfectly Christ-like and manage not to be affected by her bossy, self-centered ways and just be the friend I know I could be in a way better than the rest in our little office.


Aside from Victorina, my wicked step sisters are also rather villains in the the office. Apparently, the two girls who are around a decade or so older than I am hate girls who are younger and who they perceive to be threats to them one way or another. I don't know if it is some cosmic accident that I fit the mold of the girl they dislike to a T whereas more annoying characters such as Victorina don't. Imagine that. Ha. I guess being a mouthy, bossy braggart does not necessarily equate to being a threat or to being an object of envy.

The two wicked step sisters have made it clear to me from the start that they don't want to be my best friend. They've excluded me in every possible way. It didn't bother me because as I said earlier, I'm in the office to work and not to socialize.

Lately, even doing just that, work, is being challenged by the wicked steps. I've done my best to stay out of their way and to be cordial when our paths crossed. I did not do a snitch when I could have cried and lamented to a big boss around here why I don't talk to the steps often enough. I was the one reprimanded for my lack of social relations with the two steps when the real reason behind that was simple: they're not nice and they drive me away all the time. Being a reactive person, I find it hard to resist being friendly and chummy with a person so nice and cordial. Well, the steps are the exact opposite: they're vain, envious and fickle.

I don't want anyone else to know that they're giving me a hard time, if I can help it. I don't want to make them look bad before anyone else even if I know they won't bat an eyelash before selling me to the devil the first chance they get. I just don't want to be mean to them even if I find myself reduced to tears privately sometimes whenever they do something not nice. I just don't want to stoop down to their level. I also haven't lost hope that maybe, just maybe, niceness would rub off on them eventually.

I don't hate them despite everything. I don't understand why they have to waste time and energy hating me when none of it would make them prettier, younger or richer much less nicer and the epitome of a good Christian. From where I stand, they're supposed to have more that I do: knowledge in our line of work, a wealth of experience, money and stability. From where I am, their grass is supposed to be much greener. They've been through where I am currently. They've done being a twenty something a decade or so ago. Unless they feel they haven't made the most of their days as a twenty something, they have nothing to regret. Just like I have nothing to regret about my teen years despite the embarrassing moments and tears.

Just last Friday, wicked Step 1 wrote me such a horribly nice note that was oozing with insincerity. Her nice words made me sick. Before I knew what I was doing, I had ripped her note into tiny shreds and I was on my way to the loo. The scene ended with me watching the shredded pieces of her insincere note get flushed down the toilet. Doing that gave me much satisfaction. As a nicer boss told me, I gave her note what it deserved.

I felt a little guilty about what I did. Though no one else would ever know, especially wicked Step 1, I still feel a little bad. She was not nice to me but maybe I should not have given her note the "royal" treatment the way I did.

The office is a microcosm of the world out there. You can be the nicest, most hard working person and still be treated like crap. For now, I'm just keeping the faith. I'll do my best at work and try to be as nice as I could be. I don't know why I'm taking the martyr route for now when I'm usually a fighter for equality and fair treatment. Perhaps I just want to do it like Christ. I just want to be nice. It won't be easy but if anyone can do it, why not Miss Mary Sunshine with the Ice World? Hope springs eternal.