Tell Me Your Song

I was not originally tagged to do it (I guess my friend Salve is tired of tagging me because I seldom do what I’ve been tagged to do, and on the only one occasion that I did a tag I even changed the rule and failed to tag someone else (rolling eye emoticon here). But, in fairness to ME, that was back when I still did not know I could get out of this little blog of mine and become friends with other bloggers (yeah, I was THAT slow). I thought, "who should I tag? I don't know of anyone who would play along!"

I guess I've changed because now, I can think of more than 10 friends who I can tag. I just don't know the rule as to how many I could tag, so I simply named two friends at the end.

Anyway, as I was saying, I wasn't asked to do this. I just stumbled upon it in one of Salve's friends' blog, which is also now my friend (yeah, I'm a friend grabber, hehehe). I loved the game so much, that I hinted at my new-found friend, Sonnet, that I want to do it. Mercifully, she got the not-so-subtle hint and she tagged me. (Wink emoticon here)

So here I am, doing a tagging game even if I was not asked, bullied, coerced, or forced to do it. But of course, like I usually do, I again broke some rules. But don't worry. I’ve been breaking some little rules for as long as I remember, and this one wouldn’t cause my banning in the blogosphere. I hope. (Another wink emoticon here.)

Here’s the rule: Answer the questions with song titles (your fave songs or songs that you like to play most of the time). No side comments please. Let the song titles explain your answer.

[The rule I broke: Not all the songs listed here my favorites. I researched some! Hehe! ]


1. How am I feeling today? Bluer than Blue by Regine Velasquez

2. Where/when will I get married? Quando, Quando, Quando by Engelbert Humperdinck

3. What is my best friend’s theme song? Wonderful World by Louis Armstrong and Breakaway by Kelly Clarkson

4. What is/was highschool like? Sana Maulit Muli by Regine Velasquez

5. What is the best thing about me? Honesty by Billy Joel

6. How is today going to be? Waiting by Mariah Carey

7. What is in store for this weekend? There’s a Kind of Hush by Karen Carpenter

8. What song describes my parents? Endless Love by Lionel Richie

9. How is my life going? Constant Change by Jose Mari Chan

10. What song will they play at my funeral? As I Lay Me Down To Sleep by Sophie B. Hawkins

11. How does the world see me? A Ray of Sunshine by George Michael

12. What do my friends really think of me? Wind Beneath my Wings by Bette Midler

13. Do people secretly lust after me? Maybe by Sheryn Regis

14. How can I make myself happy? The Voice Within by Christina Aguilera

15. What should I do with my life? Follow you Dream by Sheryn Regis

16. Will I ever have children? Little Girl by Christina Aguilera

17. What is some good advice? Tell Him by Celine Dion and Barbra Streisand

18. What does everyone else think of my current life? Isn’t it a Wonder? by Boyzone

19. What type of men/women do you like? Honesty by Billy Joel

20. Will you get married? I Do by 98 Degrees

21. Where will you live? The Town I Love so Well by Ronan Keating

22. What will your dying words be? Lift up your Hands to God by Gary Valenciano


Ok. I’m tagging Tam because she might think it’s fun and Salve because I know she's gonna do it! Hehehehehe!

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Check out my other blogs:
Brainteaser
Photo.Graphic Thoughts
Taeng ni Ayat

Autumn in Summer

.

It’s summer; the sun’s smiling brightly

But autumn reigns inside me.
Like a tree who just lost a leaf
Inside me, there is grief.
I am a vast sky on stormy nights
Forsaken by the moon, bereft of stars.

Help me feel I am no tree
And you are not a leaf;
You are a river, and I am a creek.
From different springs, we came together
To flow side by side
But the time has come that we must travel apart.

I flow on by, as I know you would.
Have faith, let us both believe
We will entwine somewhere, someday again.
And when we each reach destiny’s ocean
Trust that we will be one water again, my friend.
Until then..

.
For my good friends, Chie, Jing, and Tayns who have left this summer: Jing to join her husband in Canada; Tayns to pursue her MA in Japan, and Chie to seek a greener pasture in Qatar. Good luck to all of you. I am deeply saddened that we must live far from each other, but you are always in my heart. Don’t forget I am just a click away. I love you.

Written at the Relaksasi Spa @ Park Square I while waiting for my turn. The music is calming, and the scent is soothing to the soul.
.

Missing Tayns

Salve and I joked about going places and doing stuff when Tayns has left. We joked about not missing her at all when she’s already in Japan, frying her brains figuring out the pro-forms of the Japanese language. But everything we said to this effect was just that — a joke.

Now, barely two months since she left, we are already missing her… the girl whose smile can brighten up a room.

It’s not easy when one of your best friends is miles away. Our only consolation is that she is there living her dream. It’s not everyday that you get bestowed with a scholarship… by the Japanese embassy, no less.

Salve speaks...

Finally, Salve has spoken. Hehehe Let me copy&paste her testimonial here so you'd have something to read kasi di pa ako nakakasulat. I'm sure she had quite a laugh penning this...


The perpetually poised woman, yeah, Sherma. Kahit late na sa usapan, kailangang may count ang bawat step, nakataas-noo, may angle ang face, naka-emote ang eyes at... ay, natisod!`Yan, `di kasi tumitingin sa dinadaanan.

When I first heard her name, my impression was, Baka may foreign blood `to, or baka Persian siya. But I was wrong, of course. She’s a hundred percent Pinay. And I had quite a laugh when I learned the etymology of SherMa.

Sherma is a very talented writer, smart, a fighter. If she believes and knows she’s right, she’ll fight for it. She had never surrendered in any battle. Other people might think she’s a snob, but if you know her alam mo na may kabaitan naman `to kahit paano. Puwede mong ilagay sa emergency key ng phone mo ang number niya. `Pag nag-SOS ka, she’ll make a way to be there for you.

She’s also a perfectionist. Hindi sa kanya puwede ang 'puwede na' — something that might irritate or make other people raise a brow at her. But when you spend a lot of time with her, you’ll get the hang of it.


Hayyyy! There... you've got a picture of me — from the horse's mouth, no less. Hehe

Yummy(not!) ice cream

Me (center) and the rest of the gang... eating Elaine's weird-tasting ice cream (choco crumble? Ewww!) on Elaine's last day in the office as fulltime employee.

Patsy, Gary, Elaine, Jing, me (siempre), Jhen, Lorien, Chie and Ryan. Manong Ricco took the photo...

Some friends

Got a call from Celestine tonight. And Salve has been sending me "unimportant" text messages lately. Since I was busy with work and school requirements, I didn't pay attention to Salve's "irregular" activities. Only to find out from Celestine na may niluluto silang kontra sa akin! Wanna know what it is? Let me rip from Celestine's blog her entry which she ripped off from this blog... Ang gulo! Basta, ganun yon! Yung orange na comments, kanya.

Ripped from http://celestine_tines.blogs.friendster.com/celestines_weblog/

TO SHERMA: ADDITIONAL BOOKS FOR YOUR LIST
I have taken the liberty of posting Sherma's blog entry regarding her so called "Challenge." In it she dared herself to read less than 20 books in a year. Since I am not so impressed with the number as well as her list; I believe as her friend it is my sworn duty to add a couple more. And Sherma in case you get all worked-up please include Salve to your ire 'coz I have sought her opinion on this as well... and she wholeheartedly agreed with me.
Now, where am I? Ah yes the blog entry... I ripped off her blog and added a few of my well-founded and heartfelt comments.
________________________
SOURCE: http://dwickedangel.blogspot.com/
Wednesday, February 08, 2006

The Challenge
I’ve always labeled classic literature as boring. (this statement only reinforces your conclusion about your illiteracy! hehehe...) Somehow, works in this genre fail to make me want to read on until the last page. I’m not sure if it’s the language used or the milieu in which these works were written, but it’s a real effort for me keep going.But even with this difficulty, I believe I ought to read the classics, if I want to be truly “literate.” Salve and Celestine, who were extremely surprised when they learned I got through high school without reading a single novel by William Shakespeare, Nathaniel Thorton, and the like, think so, too. They’ve been encouraging me to read the works for as long as I can remember, giving me pointers on how to get through, if not enjoy, them. And when I survey Salve’s collection of the “oldies,” somehow I feel compelled to read each one of them.

I did attempt to, several times. But each time, I always ended up dropping whatever classic work I was trying to drum into myself, before I even get to Chapter 3.

So I devised a way for me to coerce myself into reading these “unreadables” — by employing the punishment-and-reward strategy. (You dare label the classics as, ugh I can't even write it let alone think of it... You philistine!)

Here’s how it goes:

Challenge: By the end of 2006, I should have read all the books listed below (classics and non-classics alike). You call this a challenge??? It does not even exceed 20... Nah!! Definitely NOT! Let's include a couple more.

Rationale: The challenge would give me the chance to finally get acquainted with the characters that graced the pages of classic English literature. Toward the end of the year, I'd likewise be able to find out how disciplined I am: If I pass this challenge, then I'd know I have enough discipline to see me through greater endeavors; However, if I fail this one, then I'd know I lack self-discipline. I would then be able to design measures to discipline myself. (You don't need this challege to find out if you're disciplined or not. You already are. Take my word for it - disciplined bully that is!)

Classics
To Kill a Mockingbird (Harper Lee)
Mythology (Edith Hamilton)
Emma (Jane Austen)
The Scarlet Letter (Nathaniel Thorthone)
Adventures of Tom Sawyer (Mark Twain)
Wuthering Heights (Emily Bronte)
Paradise Lost and Paradise Regained (Milton)
Adventures of Oliver Twist (Charles Dickens)
The Prince and the Pauper (Mark Twain)

Non-classics
The Partner (John Grisham)
The King of Torts (John Grisham)
Obstruction of Justice (Perri O’Shaughnessy)
The Last Promise (Richard Paul Evans)
Lean Against the Wind (James McKarns)
Eleven Minutes (Paulo Coelho)
Da Vinci Code (Dan Brown)
The Prince of Tides (Pat Conroy)
The Chamber (John Grisham)
Angels and Demons (Dan Brown)

(hmmm... this is not a challenge girl. Some of the titles you have listed can be read in one seating. NOPE! DEFINITELY NOT)

Reward: Buy myself the white gold necklace I really want without feeling guilty.

Punishment: Treat Elaine, Chie, Jing, Salve and Celestine to lunch or dinner - you call this punishment this is a reward for you! You should be so lucky! (Am still thinking whether I should include Lorien or not). And more important: refrain from bullying these five (or six, I haven’t decided yet) imps for a whole month. (Now this is punishment. You, stop bullying for a month? haha! It's like you trying not to breathe! To quote Hermione Granger "it's in your blood!")

Rationale: These girls definitely won’t let me off the hook if I fail the challenge. Hence, they’d be keeping an eye on me. Knowing that, I’d of course persevere. Likewise, for an innate bully like me, having to go against my nature, even just for a month, would kill me. I'm sure I won't last a month without doing some bullying spree.So there’s the challenge. We’ll see how I’d fare. (Looking forward to the promised free food! I can already taste our victory!)

_________________________

ADDITIONAL READINGS:
Twelfth Night (William Shakespeare)
Shogun (James Clavell)
Things Fall Apart (Chinua Achebe)
100 Years of Solitude (Gabriel Garcia-Marquez)
The Color Purple (Alice Walker)
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings (Maya Angelou)
Pride and Prejudice (Jane Austen)
Nicholas Nickleby (Charles Dickens)
Womenagerie (Jessica Zafra)
Coming Home (Cristina Pantoja-Hidalgo)
Canterbury Tales (Geoffrey Chaucer)
Jonathan Livingston Seagull (Richard Bach)
Tale of Genji (Murasaki Shikibu)
The Last of the Mohicans (James Fenimore Cooper)

So Sherma, take heed and READ the books. I promise you won't regret it. Maybe by then, Salve and I will deign to acknowledge that you have become slightly literate. Hahaha! I feel so wicked and I absolutely love it! >:-) And in case you're wondering if we really do love you, the answer is unequivocal YES. We're doing this for your own development. Salve and I look at it as social work for the less fortunate such as yourself.;-)


[Hey guys! I need to have a say on this!!!! 'Kala ko ba a "couple" lang? Bakit ang dami naman! Harap-harapang dayaan 'to! Please remember that before this clallenge, I have read but five classic books in all of my 27 years on earth — Jose Rizal's Noli Mi Tangere and Mi Ultimo Adios, Edgar Allan Poe's The Cask of Amontillado (A short story), Ernest Hemingway's (can't remember the title...) and something else I can't recall now. And now I'm gonna read 10 in just a year! And you still think it's no challenge at all?! Sige na mga friends, baka naman pwede nating pag-usapan 'to?

TEKA NGA PALA! How dare you bully me? I'm the bully here. Since when pa binu-bully ang isang bully? Hehehehehehe —Sherma]

Of friendships and goodbyes

Yesterday, Jing asked me a question I would rather not answer if I had my way: “Are you and Elaine leaving?”

Had Jing been anything less than a friend, it would have been easy to dodge her question. It fact, doing so would have been the safer route, given her position in the office — the little president, as we would often tease her. But as fate would have it, she is a good friend, too. Considering our relationship with her, I thought opting to be mum on the subject when she had asked me about it directly would have been an insult to our friendship.

So I gave her the answer she deserved — a direct yes.

I didn’t expect saying the words out loud would hurt so much. I only had to think of the friendship we (Elaine, Chie, Patsy, Manong Ricco, Ryan, Jing, and sige na nga, Lorien) had, and the happy moments we shared, and already I’m being persuaded to hang on, still. I only need to think of the improvements we could still contribute to the magazine, and already I’m thinking of giving things another go. But we had been doing both in the past four months, hoping that things would change for the better. But we had hoped in vain.

So maybe it’s time to leave. On my part, I can already see my performance slowly deteriorating. I no longer have the zeal to make miracles. I already find it hard to wake up in the morning to get to work. The signs are all there, staring everyone in the face; only a blind person would fail to notice them.

So yes, words of goodbye, amidst hopes of a better environment somewhere in the wilderness, are soon to echo in the four corners of the office. Elaine may do the honors of being the first in the group to utter them. I may still have to stay around a while longer to set our commitments in order. In fact, I may still be celebrating my birthday here next month. Just whether it would be a happy or a sad celebration, I don’t know. At the moment, I don’t even think I care.

(Not so) pathetic valentine

I don’t know if the gods devised it to doom me, or to save me from the humiliation of not having a date today, but the article I’ve been writing since yesterday afternoon (Feb 13) got screwed up not just once, but twice, so that I ended up re-writing the whole thing three times.

I was halfway through the article yesterday afternoon, when we decided to go home. I saved the article in a diskette, so I could continue writing at home. But as the file was being saved, something happened and the PC shut down. In short, walang na-save sa diskette. I found out after restarting the PC that neither is there a file in the hard disk. Tsk. Tsk.

That isn’t all. When I got home, I started reconstructing everything. I was almost done when I stopped, shortly after midnight. I saved the file in my PC as well as in a diskette. But when I got to the office this morning (Feb 14), the file couldn't be retrieved. Kakaloka...

So I had to re-write the whole thing for the third time. It took me so much time to (re)do it so that I, together with other loveless creatures in the office, had to work OT.

So you see, the gods gave me a valid excuse for not going out on Valentines Day: “I was busy.”

But who the heck am I kidding? If truth be told, I got left out. No one asked me for a date, and on Valentine’s Day at that.

Which got me thinking: Why is it that when you’d deeply appreciate to have someone to ask you out for a date, your phone would be silent but for the messages and calls that have nothing to do with romance? [Not that I would have gone out: I made it a rule not to date on Valentine’s Day itself. I just thought it would have been nice to have someone to turn down, di ba? (Oooopppps! Sorry folks. That’s my wicked and sour-graping self talking. Don’t mind her. Hehehe)] And why, on days when you’d rather stay curled up cozily in your bed, someone would be calling you thousand times, almost begging you for “dinner,” “a stroll,” or whatever they term it? Crazy, isn’t it?

Anyway, we (Elaine, Chie, Lorien, Manong Ricco and I), the office’s loveless gang, worked overtime today. Elaine and Chie Chie thought it was pathetic. But Manong Ricco had these comforting words to offer: “Mabuti na ‘to kesa naman umuwi kayo sa mga bahay n’yo, at maging obvious sa lahat na wala kayong date.”

Oo nga naman! Things could have been worse, di ba?

Besides, we did have a great time in the office naman, doing — nah, not just plain work (ano kami, martir?) — but dyarrraannn — picture taking!

So as millions of lovers were whispering sweet nothings to their partners over candle-lit dinner (or whatever romantic things they did) we were crazily holed up in the office… romancing a digi-cam.

Now, who could say we are [not] a bunch of losers?


Interesting trivia: Would you believe I wrote this blog entry while trying to reconstruct that screwed up article I’m talking about and that it took me only 10 minutes to write this one (compared with the agonizingly long hours I spent for the screwed thing which is even much shorter than this)?

And for the record: After my whining about me being dateless and all, let me set things straight, lest I’d be thought of as some mababaw kind of girl: I really don’t mind. V-day is not for lovers alone. And love isn't just about romance.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Congratulations, Celestine

Received some good news from Celestine (T-tayns) last Thursday: she got accepted to the Japanese Scholarship sponsored by the Japanese embassy. Like her other good news, which I would not elaborate here for fear of being beaten to death, this one failed to surprise me. Our common friends and I knew all along that she would be accepted; it was only she who wouldn’t want to expect. Sure, it’s wise of her not to hope, but I dare say it was quite obvious she’d make it. So why not hope… and dream?

But it’s just so like her to be humble. (Unless you downplay her beauty. She'd fight you tooth and nail if you'd tell you're better looking than she is. Her battlecry is: “According to my mom…”)

Knowing how hard she worked to get accepted to the scholarship and how much she really wanted to further her Japanese studies, I can only be happy for and proud of her.

So, congratulations, Tayns. You deserve it!



NOW TAYNS, moving on to your other “issue,” tell me: any news yet?

Why do I see you grinning? You mean, ala pang progress?

Puwes, eto lang masasabi ko sa’yo (let me borrow this phrase from Elaine): “Hay Naku!”

For someone who’s got sky-high IQ, you are a little dummy in that department, my friend. So am I [dummy, that is], but at least I fair better! And that gives me the right to be exasperated with you. After all the figuring out you tasked me to do!? Hah!



OKAY, going back to the scholarship thingie… I found my book on Transformational Grammar. You might need it. Just give us a shout if you can’t put 2 and 2 together when you start doing your thesis on... ano nga 'yon? Japanese pro-forms? 'Di ka naman nagpapakamatay, ano? Hehe...

I’m sure you can do it. ‘Kaw pa?!

Still, Salve and I will just be here, always ready to give you a hand. On one condition though: you'll have to let us bully you anytime we feel like it… Nyehehe. [What do you say, Salve?]

Lorien's "nose-bleed" antics

For the record, it is not for lack of important things to put on the white board that I started tallying Lorien’s well-done and palpak deeds. I had thought cataloguing Lorien’s kapalpakan would be an effective means to reduce her sablay antics; that by doing so, she would no longer be running around asking people questions like (to Elaine) “Ate Lai, gusto mo ba, yung iced tea mo, malamig? and (to me) “Ms Sherma, pwede na po ba akong umuwi?” thirty minutes after I had told her she could go home.

Brilliant the idea might have seemed at first, but I am now about to concede that it’s not working. Lorien’s “screw you” points have surpassed her “very good” points (6–4). And just this afternoon, when I blurted out: “Pwede ka palang manganak ng caesarian hanggang five!?” (meaning up to five times); Lorien knowingly answered: “Oo naman! Mama ko nga e, madaling araw!”

God! Kung 'di ka ba naman duguin sa ilong!


PREGNANT women out there! Now you know what to do: Make sure you don’t go on labor beyond five pm, lest you'd find yourselves being refused by the health professional on duty, saying: “Naku, ma’am sorry po, bawal na pong manganak after five! Balik na lang po kayo bukas!”

Re: Elaine's Blog

Elaine finally reported for work, after almost three weeks of absence. She's been here for five hours already and ALL she was able to do is, well, update her friendster blog. Tsk tsk...

I ripped it off (with her permission, of course) so I could show you just how mean she is.

From http://moonlightandbutterfly.blogs.friendster.com/moonlight_butterflies_and/

back to the asylum
after almost three weeks of no-show at the office, am finally back (much to the chagrin of sherma lou, though she's insisting that they have missed me and my being a bully). two hours into my post and i soon realized A LOT had happened during my absence, which made me even more convinced that sherma lou's lying about missing me and all — and i just so know it's killing her to have to tell me that she was missing me just so she'd sound like a true friend (and it beats the hell out of me why she has to do that, when we both know we're just pretending to like each other. hahahaha!). [just to show i've got manners, hehe —sherma]

either because the people at the office consider it a pressing matter to catalog lorien's good and bad deeds for the day or for lack of something more important to put in the whiteboard, sherma lou is now tallying lorien's usefulness around the office and her being a pain in the ass, which is a more common occurrence than the former. and as of the moment, lorien (aka our "boss”) has two "very good" points and two "screw you" points.

one-eighth of the same whiteboard has been allotted for the quote of the day, which i think should be renamed as ate chie's corner, simply because it would be her famous lines that are sure to stamp ownership on that space ("mah goodness!"). [January 13 entry reads: “Ano’ng oras ang 3pm?”; January 20 entry reads: "Pinaghintay lang nila ako ng matagal! Ayan, lumamig na tuloy ang ice cream ko!" Both courtesy of Chie —sherma]

another innocent whiteboard has been degraded to show the gazillion bloopers those loonies do in a day. only sherma lou and ate chie's names have figured out in the list so far and am just wondering why patsy's pagiging innate na sablay doesn't earn her the top rank in the list. sherma lou reckons patsy hasn't committed whiteboard-worthy kasablayan yet cos she's so busy with work. and that's exactly a big blooper already! (peace, fatutsi! na-miss kita!)

and speaking of patsy the great, she's really freaking me out. as arno put it, para siyang lesbian stalker. i'd let her own words speak for her: "elaine, na-miss kita. mamya na tayo mag-usap. i'm just happy that we're breathing the same air, standing on the same ground..." patsy, sinasabi mo rin ba yan kay ian?!

quoting the first part of this entry: "two hours into my post and i soon realized A LOT had happened during my absence..." A LOT OF LUNACY, i must say. makes me think whether it was a good idea to have reported to work again, instead of just asking lorien to submit my resignation letter ; ) [Didn't I receive a text message from you telling me that you MISSED us? Come on, elaine, you love the chaos we create in the office as much as we do. hehe. And, would you believe my day is no longer complete without you (and Chie, Lorien and Patsy) pestering me? You guys are the most effective stressor known to FAME. I'm now beginning to love my cortisol-filled life. Thanks to you... —sherma]

Friendster testimonials

Tama ba namang kung anu-ano ang pinagsasabi (o pinagsusulat) ng ilan sa mga alang kwenta kong friends tungkol sa akin sa kanilang testimonials? Masagot nga.

From Celestine

“One of the deranged escapees from Mandaluyong.” (We escaped together, didn't we? Hehe…)

“She always seems to have someone she can’t see eye to eye at work. Still, she insists that she is in the right and when you listen to her rant about this person, you'll somehow find yourself agreeing with her. Too bad if you're the person all her ire is directed upon 'coz just one look (from her) will shrivel you dry with no hope for resuscitation.” (Yup, yup… It’s nice when you’re able to make your oppenent crumble by merely giving him or her a deadly look.)

“She tells everyone she's a full time bully and I have to agree; no truer words were ever spoken.” (Hey, you failed to mention that a person must meet a set of criteria to qualify for my bullying spree. I don’t prey on the weak, remember?)

“Perpetually late, unless you threaten her with dire consequences.” (That’s only because I don’t want to be the one to wait…)

“She has a way of smiling that let's everyone know that she knows something about you that she is not telling.” (I’m smiling right now. Why kaya?)

“Self-confessed weirdo.” (Everybody has a weird side.)

“Gifted writer and intellectual heavy weight.” (Wish ko lang…)

"All in all, she is one of my closest friends na hanggang ngayon ay pinag-iisipan ko pa kung kelan nag-umpisa. All I know is, nung freshie kami, Salve and I thought she's one of the upper classmen... d sya nakasama sa block dahil late enrollee sya." (It’s not my fault late enrolee ako. Late ko natanggap admission letter from UP. Waaa!)

*Celestine is one of my closest friends (since my college days pa). She’s the most kikay in our group. She says her greatest talent is “smiling.” But I beg to disagree. She is the only person in the group who pursued Japanese (besides Salve and Jayson — kumusta na kaya ang lalaking ‘yun?) Wait! Come to think of it, ako lang pala ang hindi Nihonggo speaker sa grupo. Apat lang tayo, di ba?).

T-tayns is straight laced (super) and frank. A loyal friend. She and Salve are among the very few who's got my permission to tell me upfront when I’m making an ass out of myself, which, thankfully, very seldom happens (‘coz I don’t let them know when I’m up to no good. Hehe…)

I love her to bits… respect her a lot.

From Elaine

Working with sherma lou (why can't everybody get my name right? It's just S-h-e-r-m-a. There's no Lou, Lyn, or whatever pa! Hay naku!) reminds me of andrea's story, as chronicled in "the devil wears prada." You see, andrea has an "impossible" boss (the editor of a famous women's mag, miranda priestley) — impossible to deal with, makes impossible demands, impossible to please. In fact, impossible could very well be her middle name.

And that's sherma lou for me. She's also an "impossible" boss — impossible not to make fun of, impossible not to bully, impossible not to be a bitch to, impossible not to be the butt of my jokes. see, it's just like andrea's story. she's andrea and i'm miranda. (Honey, that's only because I let you. Hehe)

(hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha! i know i'm mean and you can't do anything about it! :) (Go, mean girl!)

*Elaine is one of the best writers Health and Lifestyle ever had. Pretty young thing she is, but don't let her looks deceive you. She's one big bully. Next to me, that is.

Her job description reads: "To stress out Sherma Lou to the max." And mind you, she does a good job of it. Way beyond expectation. All the time.

She must really love her job.

From Patsy

"Jhann aka Titasherms is my constant breakfast buddy, lunch buddy, withdraw buddy, toothbrush buddy, merienda buddy and sir buddy (Haha! Corny mo!)" (I look forward to the day na hindi na corny si Patsy. But then again, she would cease to be who she is. So, sige na nga! Go na lang).

"Anyway, she is oh-so Health & Lifestyle because she definitely adds life to my living (FYI: Adding Life to Living is our magazine's tag line). She is like a drug sometimes she makes me so high with her sablay antics (e.g. the glass door, remember?). Nevertheless, I still love her because even if shes a mean girl and even if I already denounced her as one of the founding members of The Chums, she's always there to listen and give sound advices." (I don't remember ever applying to be part of The Chums.)

"She is also a biatch like me and that just makes her more lovable. Hehe! I am looking forward to more of our sablay experiences!" (With you around, everything just goes sablay... Peace Patsy! Luv yah...)

*Patsy is well-loved in the office. She's fun to be with, especially with her sablay antics and her brand of logic (see my previous posts to get a feel of her logic). At eto pa, would you believe that her only reason for taking up advertising is... well, "Advertising" ang name ng street nila. Laugh trip talaga! LOL.)