Robin Scherbatsky and I

I've just finished the whole seven seasons of How I Met Your Mother and I think a lot would kill me for this, but I love Robin Scherbatsky! Somehow I find myself relating to her character, aside from being absolutely gorgeous (jk!), we share a common insight on parenting: we don't like to have children.

I will be judged when I say this, but I don't like my parents. I love them, but I don't like them. They provided me everything that I needed growing up. However, they also think they own me and they never hesitated to make that a known fact - that parents own their children and they can do whatever they want with them. Robin shared the same history, with her dad naming her as his "junior" despite obviously being a girl.

Thinking about it, I know where Robin's fear of having children stems from:
- the idea that she herself would become the controlling parent that her father is;
- that her father would also claim ownership to her son/daughter, being the "root" of the tree;
- that her tomboyish nature won't ever fit as a maternal figure; and
- that she never felt that having a family was her source of her happiness.

Of course, there's the whole idea of taking care of another one's life and being responsible for it, knowing that she herself cannot put herself together well enough, which, I also think is caused by her parent's disapproval of her.

During the past seven seasons though, a lot of other ideas came to play for Robin: Lily and Marshall's new family, Ted's determination to find "the one", and her undeniable chemistry with Barney. All her life, she knew she didn't want to have a family yet when she found out that she can't have children, she just wasn't as sure anymore. J.K. Rowling once said in her speech, "There is an expiry date on blaming your parents for steering you in the wrong direction; the moment you are old enough to take the wheel, responsibility lies with you." and here is where Robin is having a hard time with. The thought of turning her life around is tempting, but she's scared that she won't make it work and is having second thoughts about leaving her past ideals behind.

Anyway, I am looking forward to how this series would end, it captures a lot of informative twenty-first century psychoanalysis for the mid-20's and early 30's working class and how they cope up with relationship, career, and societal issues in their lives. And yeah, I love Barney, he's Awesome! :D

P.S. Yep, nag-away nanaman kame ng nanay ko, thus, this blog entry.. XD

Diosdado "Dado" Banatao, Father of Semiconductor

Been reading and researching about Diosdado "Dado" Banatao since watching his Bottomline interview with Boy Abunda last Saturday. He's said to be the Father of Semiconductor and the Filipino Bill Gates, a multi-billionaire Filipino technopreneur in Silicon Valley. Despite of his low profile, he's rumored to be even richer than Henry Sy or Lucio Tan. His life story and philosophy is really inspiring, having described working for Meralco "not exciting enough" and "didn't pay much" for a hard job as an engineer when he was offered a job there as a newly grad in Mapua. What I loved most was his dedication to learning and humility to serve and help the poor. He says that education is the key to poverty eradication, and because of that, one of his philanthropic efforts is to send poor engineering students to college. Indeed, he's a true Filipino we should all be proud of. :)

Cute looks from HauteLook..

Another website I've been checking out is http://www.hautelook.com. Whenever I'm buying a new dress for a wedding, I find myself sticking to the same styles over and over. I found some nice looks that might give me more ideas on what to look for next time:

I just love the first look, it's at $98.00 $245, from Eva Franco, her designs are just divine. This is from her Summer 2011 collection. Check out at http://shop.evafranco.com. I wonder if it would fit me well? Hmm..

... is that the same dress?!?.. maybe it's the first model, not the dress, I like after all.. XD

Some cute dresses from Pixie Market I want to have.....

Cute print & design. Darn, I also want the shoes! Can you make them my size?

They call this "Tulip dress". Nice silhouette, isn't it?

I've been wanting to have an asymmetrical or mullet type skirt, thinking if I could pull this one off.. hmm

For more dresses, visit http://www.pixiemarket.com

Just one thing, I think their models are way too thin.. and a lot of dresses seems to just look good because they are the ones wearing them! hahaha. But I like their designs. I've been seeing some ads on facebook and I can't help but to browse them from time to time. I wish I can buy some new dresses from there, if they just weren't so expensive.. sigh. :-|

Holy Week Silent Retreat at Tahilan Study Center

So I attended a silent retreat at Tahilan Study Center last April 5 to 7 and guess what? I've had my first communion, meaning I have to make myself to do confessions every month! :P I am such a crybaby these days, I cried during the mass, I dunno why :'( just too many frustrations in my life right now, I guess. I'm blaming all the 2012 wedding celebrations! LOL.

Anyway, I attended several talks during the retreat. One of which is about the nine human virtues, or good habits that builds character in us. Is it just me or I haven't heard of these before?
[1. Prudence
2. Justice
3. Temperance
4. Fortitude]*
5. Fraternity
6. Loyalty
7. Cheerfulness
8. Order
9. Poverty

*four Cardinal virtues

I listed down four virtues I really have to work on. (1) Temperance; (2) Fortitude; (3) Order; (4) Cheerfulness. Sometimes I feel my job brings out the worst in my virtues. Sigh, Or is it just me again? Hmm..

Looking at the things I jot down in my journal during the retreat:
(1) To contain my temper when I feel like shouting/ don't know what to do with my tasks;
(2) Less facebook time, study when I have time and learn more about technologies to be more up to date;
(3) To organize my time, money, and relationships better; and
(4) Be happy even with setbacks.

I cannot help but lack concentration :( My mind is fixated on some things I couldn't fix, and it's ridiculous :/ Can't help but just try new things that might get focus back. :/

Btw, I enrolled in swimming lessons at Ace Water Spa! :D I do hope I learn to swim. I'm excited!

EDIT: my daily message from God, how coincidental, right ;)

Just Ain't Gonna Work Out

.. been listening to this since yesterday (c/o Vince's recommendation Mayer Hawthorne, ganda ng falsetto noh?).. now that's a nice song to sing when you want to break up with your bf/gf. haha :)

Brands I Love

Shopping is every woman's therapy after a week-long battle at the office. We all want to pamper ourselves, and with all the products out there to help us to solve our simple problems ranging from personal to household must-haves, being brand-conscious up to a certain degree is a prerequisite to being a smart shopper.

I personally just got into shopping a few years back when I got to earn my own money to spend. In fact, I only had my Body Shop, Healthy Options, and SM advantage card last year. In line with that, I just want to share some of the products I find these days that I just cannot live without:

Skincare:
- Cetaphil mild cleanser
- Jason tea tree oil, shampoo and conditioner (from Healthy Options)
- Burt Bee's pore minimizing green clay mask (from Beauty Bar)
- S.O.S. Clindamycin Phosphate for pimples
- Body Shop shower gel
- Modess Cottony Soft sanitary napkins
- VMV powder & foundation
- Bioessence rejuvenating toner, scar reducing cream, and sunblock gel
- Gatsby oil control film

Clothes (Big sizes)
- ForMe pants (fits well for my size)
- Wacoal or Marks & Spencer underwear
- Payless shoes & socks (the ONLY place I can buy shoes my size)

Services:
- Freshaire salon for my hair dyeing needs (allows me to color only the regrowth of my hair)

My shopping philosophy is to splurge on the basics for skincare, healthcare and food and do away with the unnecesarry expenses like movies, bags, accessories, and trinkets. Maybe if I earn more and if ever I live on my own the next few years, I'll add some household and kitchen brands on this list as well :)