When I Went Loco in Ilocos

My Favorite Things

In random order: 

1. Writing, which is why this blog was born; which is why I took up journalism in college; which is why nearly all my professional experience had something to do with either writing or rewriting; and which is why I loved it when Jyego would write me little notes (just to say thank you or sorry) when he was growing up.

Kuya Jyego with cousin Stephanie Claire

2. Escapolar, my mother's maiden name, because it sounds like scapular, a religious item that Catholics usually wear around their necks for protection. Jyego wears one.

3. Aguila, my paternal name, because it is associated with the eagle, a symbol of power and nobility.

4. Leo, my zodiac sign, my birthday being July 23. Cheers!!! I am a true-blooded Leo so I had the symbol tattooed just below the back of my neck. Many references say Leos are the most dominant of all the zodiacs. I cannot agree more! Depending on the person I am dealing with, this trait can be my ally or my foe.

5. Dogs, especially the larger breeds of Labradors or Golden retrievers. I once bought a Dalmatian and named her Storm. But she was so rowdy (maybe she was living up to her name) I ended up giving her away to a neighbor. I doubt if I could ever do that to a Lab.

6. Movies, whether in film releases or downloads. I am such a sucker for action-packed (MI flicks!!!) and feel-good (yeah, Bollywood included) types.

7. Books, for which I have a dedicated post in this blog.

8. Music, from ballads to country to pop to disco to rock (but not heavy metal) to rap to R&B to alternative to OSTs.

9. Junk food, my guilty pleasure! There were even times when I would eat chips with rice. :))

10. Soda, the culprit in my belly letdown. Now that I think of it, I realize I might have drunk more soda than plain water all through these years! Seriously. Gotta live healthy now!!!

11. Fast food, because they are relatively cheap and tasty.

12. Bacon, best eaten with rice, bread, or pancakes. Bacon is my to-die-for food (actually, tuna also is).

13. Brown, topping over pink or purple in my list. Dark/chocolate brown, to me, is oh-so-lovely.

14. Hello Kitty, remembering the pink raincoat I used to wear in grade school.

15. TV, yeah, like a couch potato.

16. Aircon, the lower the temperature, the better.

17. Prayer, which is always soothing to the heart and mind, whether it is a prayer request or a prayer of thanksgiving. There is so much impact in prayers.

18. Tissue Paper or Handkerchief, a must-have every time I go out. Admittedly, I am a Cleaner kind of OC, so I need these essentials in order to keep myself (my hands, most especially) always feeling clean.

19. Alcohol (the DISINFECTANT, not the drink), which goes along well with item/s #18.

20. Thank you and Please, or 'magic words' as elders in my family would say. When Jyego was around six years old, a balikbayan relative gave him something for pasalubong. In return, Jyego said "Thank you." Then he blurted out, "Anong sasabihin?" My balikbayan aunt was puzzled. It turned out Jyego was waiting for her to respond with "You're welcome." Kids, hahaha!

21. YM/FB, which are helpful in my social, professional, and personal life.

22. Sleep, with 18 hours as the longest personal record I have ever set, would you believe??!?!! That was during my call center days when I made the huge mistake of choosing the dreary graveyard shift. Outside of the call-center scenario, though, dozing for hours serves as my therapy for stress. It almost always works.

23. Yoga mat, which Richie bought for me at the height of my "I-need-to-be-fit" crusade. I have yet to actually practice yoga, so I mainly use it to work on some core routines.

24. Basketball, thanks to years of following the PBA and NBA. Because of my love for the game, I even dreamed of being a sports commentator once just like Joe Cantada (You don't know Smokin' Joe??!?!? Go Google).

25. Boxing, another sport I love watching. I used to cheer for Manny "Pacman" Pacquiao until I decided I've had enough of his "laban-natin-itong-mga-Pilipino" proclamations. I just don't buy that kind of stuff anymore.

26. Volleyball, especially UAAP-affiliated women V-leagues.

27. Spas/Massages, another indulgence that I try to keep (read: pag may budget lang) because of their therapeutic effects. I like it best when steam bath or sauna facilities are available for use as I've noticed that my hair and skin tend to glow with them.

28. Dental floss, because I just find it annoying when something gets caught in between my teeth. It's gross but it feels so frustrating not to be able to take it out with the tip of my tongue (#sorryforbeinggraphicaboutit), and toothpicks are no good either.

29.Five- and ten-peso coins, because their being heavy to carry in my wallet is compensated by their being easy to drop in a coin bank. Hahaha, ang babaw lang, but still every penny saved is a penny earned.

30. Rosary, which I always carry in my bag.

31. Instant food, such as noodles and other microwaveable edibles. Imagine if there were no Lucky Me pancit cantons . . .

32. Cheese and cheesecakes, oh they're heavenly!

33. Powder (baby, talc, or face), as I do have an oily face, unfortunately.

34. My Baby-G watch and Crocs and Nike footwear, all gifts from Richie.

35. My eyeglasses, which I got from Starfinder. Very affordable frames, such as those that I got, start at P500.

36. Pens, in different colors and hues.

37. Cellphone or cell phone, which I really can't live without. Kaya ang gastos ko sa load. :( What's worse is while a number of people are into smart phones nowadays, I got stuck with those keypad types (buti sana kung BB eh LOL!!!). In fairness, though, the calculator and alarm clock features in even the oldest mobiles come in very handy.

38. Chocolates, such as M&M (plain), Mars, Twix, and even Fibisco chocolate mallows.

39. Mefenamic acid, for my perennial dysmenorrhea episodes. I have such a low threshold for pain that I once stayed overnight in a hospital and was administered intravenous drugs to suppress my pain. It was that bad.

That's it, folks! :)

Ps. I have to include this in the list: My TOPIA work station, where I spent the last three years but will have to give up soon as the company ceases operations on August 31, 2012 . . . As they say, all things do come to an end.