Shell Partners with Volvo Trucks Towards Road Safety

Whenever I’m on the road and I see huge trucks transporting flammable products, I get paranoid. You’d usually hear me telling the cab driver to slow down whenever we pass them, reminding me of scenes from my favorite action movies where they explode and destroy everything nearby.

You might be reading this and thinking I’m joking. No, this is something serious. You might think that road accidents where gas tanker trucks are involved only happen in the movies or in other countries. But, there are 2 known explosions that happened in Cavite (news article) and Zamboanga del Sur (read here) that might change your mind to take this seriously.

Back in May, the United Nations (UN) has declared the years 2011 up to 2020 as the Decade of Action for Road Safety, with the goal to raise awareness and make our roads and streets safer for everyone, wherever we are in the world.

And, in line with this move by the UN, the leading provider of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), Shell Gas Philippines, Inc. teamed up with Civic Merchandising, the exclusive distributor of Volvo Trucks, for the re-fleeting of their primary and secondary hauling and delivery trucks. And this partnership marks Shell Gas’ adherence to the highest benchmark in secure and more efficient delivery of their products to their consumers.

During the media briefing a few days ago, Shell Gas unveiled the Volvo FM truck, the first Volvo LPG truck and a very reliable transporter, that they'll now be using for their local and regional transport operations here in our country.

From the press release, here are statements from the general manager of Shell Gas (LPG) Philippines, Inc., Ramon del Rosario, regarding this new partnership with Volvo:

“With an uptrend in the demand for hazard-free products, Shell Gas (LPG) Philippines’ latest initiative underpins its resolve to deliver safe, reliable and high quality liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) to its consumers. Our partnership with a global brand like Volvo will directly benefit medium to large-scale manufacturing companies and other industrial consumers who will be assured of best in class products and services,” said Ramon del Rosario, general manager for Shell Gas (LPG) Philippines, Inc…

“Shell Gas (LPG) Philippines supports the campaign to build a road accident-free culture in the Philippines.  LPG consumers can be confident that Shell Gas (LPG) Philippines always puts a high premium on safety and will always be committed to finding new ways to boost the safe delivery of our products,” said del Rosario.

The Volvo FM truck boasts of its superior technology in its machinery that should ensure safer navigation of these Shell Gas (LPG) tankers on our streets.

I hope that this move will also initiate other companies to take the issue of road safety seriously and educate their crew and ensure no reckless driving will cause further accidents in the future. It’s truly one of the scariest accidents in the world, claiming over 1.3 million lives yearly according to the reports from the UN.

Stay safe everyone, especially when you’re the one behind the wheel.

Flowers are Forever…?

I can count using only my fingers the few times I received flowers as gifts from friends and past lovers. Not that they’re not thoughtful or anything, but they are very aware of the fact that I don’t like flowers.

Okay, we’ve got flowers in our garden. I do like roses, tulips and carnations in particular. But, I just don’t enjoy receiving them as gifts. I’ve always preferred to give and receive personalized gifts. I feel like flowers are what you’d usually give to someone when you can’t think of anything to give them. Plus, they’re not everlasting.

HOWEVER, though I don’t like receiving them, the few times I did in this lifetime, I truly appreciated. Here’s a photo of one of the most memorable flowers I received:

What made these flowers special is the story behind the whole giving thing. This ex-lover woke up really early, sneaked out while I was fast asleep, and bought me these flowers. We were always together so my lover had to figure out how to buy me something special without me noticing. I was touched as the flowers even came with my favorite breakfast – pancakes. ^_^

As much as I’d want to share more about what happened with our relationship, I’d rather not. All I can say is this - it was one of the great

Bili, Bili Kayo Dyan!

For the sake of those who can’t understand the Tagalog/Filipino blog post title, “Bili kayo dyan” can be translated to “Come and buy…”. It’s a phrase usually used by barkers at bargain stores or markets to invite prospective buyers to, well, come and purchase something. :)

A few posts ago, I wrote about our soon-to-be opened new businesses here at home (post here). And last weekend, it was official. My nanay’s sari-sari store is open!

 I took this photo on the first night of opening of her store.

As you can see from the photo above, it’s truly a sari-sari store. She’s selling various items ranging from shampoos, laundry bars, canned goods, up to packed sugar, and even candles!

Good thing I helped her with the inventory of everything she’s selling. There were like 5 items on there that were not priced correctly. *LOL* I’ll be encoding and printing out the price list for her.

Her main market are those who come to the resort across our home. As expected, because of Typhoon Falcon, sales dwindled ‘cause there were no people going to the resort for a swim. Plus, most people preferred to stay at home.

Aside from those items you see on the photo, she’ll also be selling sandwiches by next week. Back in Navotas, we used to sell flying saucer sandwiches and they were a hit. Don’t know what those flying saucer sandwiches look like? Here’s a photo I borrowed from here:

I know they’re going to sell like pancakes here, too, once we have them available. I’m even going to help nanay come up with different variations of this sandwich.

Goodbye, Typhoon Falcon!

This past week, 2 typhoons hit the Philippines – Egay and Falcon. Between the two, the latter caused the most damage and was the scariest. I remember being awakened by the strong winds banging on my room’s glass windows. I prayed it won’t be another Ondoy.

Back in 2009, when typhoon Ondoy hit our country and caused major floods and devastation everywhere in Metro Manila and nearby provinces, I was in Cebu. I only watched in horror as news TV channels report about the flash floods and heavy rains people in this region were experiencing.

I was so worried for my family. First off, we live in Malabon, one of the areas in Metro Manila which is known to experience the worst when typhoons and heavy rains hit our country. Heck, there are even barangays here where they suffer from floods when the tide is high, even when it’s not raining!

When I called to check on them, I was relieved to know that they were all safe and sound, and that our area here in Malabon didn’t even get flooded. It was really good news for me and for everyone here in Dampalit.

For your information, our roads were reconstructed in 2008, a few months after the floodgate in Navotas was inaugurated (photo from here).

Before, we used to get hip-high floods in front of our house whenever there’s a typhoon. There are fishing pens (palaisdaan) here in our area, so it’s just expected that whenever we get heavy rains, they overflow and cause floods on our streets.

During the construction of our roads here in Dampalit, as shown above, we had to endure long walks to and from our houses. But, trust me when I say that people who live here are the most patient group of humans I’ve met. I guess it’s all because of what they’ve gone through, suffering from deep floods for decades!

Now, we only got ankle-deep flood in front of our home. The area here that had it worst was Merville. You’ve probably heard about that place on TV as we saw news crews all set up when we passed by the entrance to that compound last Thursday night.

A Chef in the Family… Soon!

The love for eating and cooking runs in the family. We all love being in the kitchen. We’ve ventured in food businesses before. And, so, it was just expected for one of us to truly make a career out of it – my li’l brother Kenneth.

Yes, although he’s already 23 years old, I still consider him my baby brother. :)

I just had a conversation with him and our nanay before I started this post. In about nineteen (19) days, Ken will be starting his culinary dreams in Global Culinary and Hospitality Academy in Timog, QC. He’ll be taking up the Grand Diploma in Professional Culinary, Baking and Pastry Arts. Woohoo!

I’m so proud of him. I truly am. And our parents are, too. Even though he decided to keep his nursing scrubs in the closet and set aside his Nursing license, our nanay is all out in support for this new phase in his life.

Not all of us are as lucky as my bro. I hope he knows that. At 23, I was still enjoying a wild, crazy life. It was only when I turned 30 that I realized what I really wanted to do in life. And so I envy Ken in a way ‘cause he already knows what he wants to accomplish in life at a very young age.

I’m really praying he’ll be successful in the food and beverage industry. He’s genuinely passionate about cooking. He’s also pretty skilled at it, especially in baking, so I truly believe he’ll go places, literally, as an aspiring chef.

So, I hope you’d join us over at Certified Foodies as he shares his journey to being a full-fledged chef. We’re all very excited! Can you feel it?! ^_^

Ken with Chef Terence, a renowned chef who shares his knowledge at Global Academy.

Bucket List # 11 – Travel Solo… ?!

Back in April, I read a series of posts from Pinoy Travel Bloggers’ Blog Carnival. Their topic? Travelling solo.

(click the photo above to read the whole blog post)
I was amazed by the stories shared by all the travel bloggers
who participated in this blog meme. They inspired this post.

I love me some me time. Don’t get me wrong, I love hanging out with my close friends and family. But, I appreciate my solo time when I get to relax, do whatever I want and just be carefree.

 One of the many ways I amuse myself when I’m alone… take nasty or funny photos of me.
And this is the most decent one I could post. I’m weird like that. *lolz*

Travelling alone, though, sounds pretty scary to me. I've always travelled with companions, mostly my family. And I enjoy being with others because at least, when I get lost, I'm not alone. *lolz*

My last trip was with my mom, bro, aunt and a family friend. It was a 5-day "amazing race" vacation where we went to Pangasinan, Vigan, Pagudpud and Baguio. None of us were familiar with our first 3 destinations so it was truly an adventure. Well, at least for me.

I admit, I'm not what you'd consider an outdoorsy, adventurous type of girl. I do enjoy discovering new things, but I usually go for what others have already experienced. I guess it's that paranoia or the obsessive-compulsive in me that keep me from putting myself out there, all vulnerable and clueless.

I did get a chance to travel alone for a very brief moment. My very first plane ride happened late 2004 when I flew to Cebu all alone. I tell yah, I was a bit nervous. No, not because of the plane ride. Okay, a little because of my fear that it'll crash and we'd all die. But, it was more because I didn't know what to expect.

After that, I flew about six more times to and from Cebu. And I’m hoping I’d get to fly to somewhere outside the country soon.

Okay, that trip can't really be considered travelling solo 'cause someone was waiting for me in Cebu who lived there almost all her life, so I was in good hands. But, the experience of going through the boarding process at the NAIA airport, riding the plane alone, waiting for that someone at the Mactan airport with that bit of fear that she might not show up, for me, was very memorable.

I guess that's why I really wanted our trip last December to push through. I wanted to experience the thrills of traveling again. I did my research, taking note of places we should visit, dishes we should try. And we didn't hire our own transportation. We took buses along the way.

I completely enjoyed that trip even though we were in and out of each destination quicker than we anticipated. I had 4 of my loved ones with me who were all game to take that crazy short adventure with me.

Must. Shop. ASAP.

I have a dilemma. I need to shop… BADLY!

Okay, this isn’t a post about me admitting I’m a shopaholic. It’s just that after I lost about 30 pounds since last year, I haven’t had time yet to shop for new clothes.

The pairs of pants/jeans I’ve been using before the weight loss are too big on me now (woohoo!). I only have 3 pairs of jeans that fit me fine, 2 of them are starting to be too baggy for me even after I know I gained a li’l wait over the past 2 weeks.

 You see how big I was?! This was taken in 2009. Eekkk.
And that blouse is too loose now.

Most of the blouses I have in my wardrobe are also too loose on me. I don’t like how they fit me anymore. Good thing I still had my blouses from when I was a few pounds lighter.

I’m hoping my nanay and I could go shopping for new clothes by July. This month is just too hectic for me, even with an assistant.

Quick Update #5 – Meet My Assistant

Since I’ve been really busy lately with my offline and online tasks (blogging included), and joining events I get invited or sign up to, I’ve wanted to hire an assistant at my icafe who’d cover for me permanently when I’m off to somewhere. But, the main reason why I needed one is so I can focus on finishing everything on my to-do list and on my money-making ventures.

Let me tell you how I hired my assistant. I didn’t get a chance to put up a sign that I’m hiring. His mother just happened to see the construction at our house and asked if we’re in need of a helper. She recommended that I hire her youngest son.

My back was up against the wall, I tell yah. I sympathized with her stories and I ended up hiring him unprepared. *LOL*

Let’s just call him Mario. Here’s a photo I took of him while he was editing photos for printing (yes, I already taught him that!).

Left with no choice, I told his mother that I want him to start by June 1st. Good thing my friend Badeth, who also owns a computer shop, asked me if she can “borrow” and train him for a couple of days while her family and one of her assistants are in Boracay. So, when I had to ask him to start 2 days earlier, he was ready.

So far, I already taught him how to print photos and documents, scan images, laminate stuff (that’s one of my new services!), fill up the reports (I check it every night!), etc. I told him I’m going to teach him more in the next coming days.

Right now, he’s enjoying the typing tutorial app I had him use to help him improve his typing skills. He’s only been with me for almost 3 weeks, but his typing is quite better now! He’s truly a fast learner. And, oh, he’s only 18.

A New Business Opening Soon!

My mother has always been a business-minded woman. Aside from her work as a Public Health Nurse, she has ventured into a ton of other businesses. But, still, we can’t imagine how she managed to send me and my bro to a private school from kindergarten to high school AND send us to college ALL BY HERSELF.

We have opened up a bakery, a carinderia, a mini-pansitan store, a parlor, billiards hall, sari-sari store, an apartment building and a clinic, to name a few. She managed all of them by herself, with assistance from some helpers we hired who turned out to be crooks and mostly would pocket sales from our businesses. That’s the main reason why my mother decided to quit and so we haven’t had any business since we moved here to Malabon.

Well, that is aside from my computer shop. She proudly tells people it’s MINE. Yes, in a way, it’s my own business, but she helped me by financing half of the expenses of buying new computers after my partnership with someone didn’t work out last year. However, I still call it our family’s business. I do manage everything and handle the finances and expenses of the shop, and I pay for our electricity, and phone plus internet bills. Still, I consider it OURS.

A few months ago, my mother decided to open up her own business – a clinic and a small sari-sari store. I’m guessing that the reason she decided to do that is because she knows she now can count on me and my brother to help her manage the family business.

Here’s a photo of the signs outside her clinic:

 (My mother’s a family planning consultant and the STD coordinator of their
health department. And, yes, we’re pro-RH bill.)

It’s still undergoing construction, mostly painting and setting up of the clinic. We already have the gates put up and the cabinets; metal grills and tables are already finished.

 

Where the clinic is now used to be our parents’ bedroom. So, though she would’ve preferred to change the flooring to Pergo or something more homey, she decided to stick with the tiles that were originally there.

Promotional Items for Inexpensive Advertising

When I attend parties or events, one thing I always look forward to receiving is some kind of souvenir or something to remember the occasion by. I even had a collection of pens, mugs, shirts, etc., and I kept them all in boxes when we were still living in Navotas.
This love of collecting memorabilia has continued on now that I’ve started joining blogger events. And my favorites are these promotional key chains. Yes, I love key chains! I’ve got a whole bunch of them and these 2 are the ones I use now.

If you ask me, giving away souvenirs like these, engraved with your company’s logo or new product’s name is a pretty inexpensive marketing strategy. The name recall and the subtle advertising do pay off, especially if you decide on a promo item that’s made to last.
I’ve actually used this promotional strategy when I gave away goodies to my customers back in November and December last year. I printed out promotional gift tags and cards with my business’ name on it. And after those giveaways, I observed that there were more customers coming in. Here’s a photo of the gift tags I printed for my Halloween giveaway:

And when you talk about promotional items, you can never forget about Branders.com. I’ve read about them online and they’re the world’s largest online seller of promotional items, perfect for those companies who are looking for a simple yet effective way to market their company and/or their products.
When you join their site, you get to choose from over 5,000 promotional items like mugs, pens, eco-bags, shirts, key tags/chains etc. And they also offer competitively low prices.
Once you’ve selected a promo item, just add your logo and preview the outcome using their patented Design Studio technology. And once you’re done with that, you can get a price quote that’ll be locked for 30 days.
Oh, by the way, right now (as of June 15th), when you sign up, you can get a sample for free! What a treat!
I chose this black mug and used their Design Studio to add Certified Foodies’ logo. Nice, eh?

Branders.com’s site is also very user-friendly so, in a jiffy, you can come up with your promo/souvenir item mock-ups for your proposals to your boss. Go check out their site for your promotional items needs! :)

Welcome, Marcel!

If you’ve been following my blog, you might know already that we’ve got 3 dogs (Stacie, Levi and Choco) and 2 cats (Maui and Orange) in our home.

Top, L-R: Stacie (half labrador), Levi (no, he doesn’t normally look like that…
his gums were just too dry LOL), Choco; Bottom: Maui and her son, Orange

And, just a few days ago, we welcomed someone new to the family. Meet our schweenie MARCEL!

 Marcel feeling a li’l tired during his first night with us

He is half Shih Tzu and half Dachshund so he’s a very small puppy. But, don’t let his size fool you! He’s a crazy, funny, wild, noisy, playful, sweet little one!

 He’s so fluffy, I’m gonna dieeeee!!

Marcel hasn’t made friends yet with our cats. But, he’s starting to get along well with Orange, who, by the way is Levi’s best friend now, surprisingly. We even see Orange sleeping closely beside him! So cute!

Going back to Marcel, I hope Maui starts to like him, too. She’s pregnant again, so it might just be the hormones that’s keeping her from letting Marcel befriend her. *LOL*

Gift Idea: Scrapbook Pages!

Ever since I learned how to design in Adobe Photoshop, I’ve always enjoyed giving out personalized cards to friends during special occasions. And it was just back in 2008 when I learned that most of those cards are considered as digital scrapbook pages.

 One of my early layouts before I knew about digital scrapbooking

I never was into scrapbooking before. But, after I learned that there’s a vast resource of digital scrapbooking tools, elements and papers out there that I could use, I got hooked!

 A digital scrapbooking freebie mini kit made by my friend Grace

When I first found out about digital scrapbooking, I think I downloaded like over 10GB of files. They were all just so pretty and I always get this feeling that I’m going to need them sometime soon. *LOL*

I find digital scrapbooking easier because, well, I don’t need to buy actual papers, ribbons, eyelets, etc., to design scrapbook layouts. I can go all creative and crazy on my scrap pages. I also have full control over everything. No need to worry about some elements not sticking well or getting glued on the wrong place (yes, that has happened to me a ton of times *LOL*).

What I love about digital scrapbooking is that after designing my layouts on Photoshop, I can save them on my hard drive then print them later. I can print multiple copies of it if I need to, like for holiday greetings (for New Year, just like the one pictured on the right), etc.

If you want to see if you have a knack on designing scrap pages, you can download freebies from my friend Grace’s blog Digital Retouching. She’s an awesome designer and her creations are just too cute and pretty for words. :)

Starbucks Bans Smoking Nationwide

In a move to comply with the new Smoking Ordinance Republic Act Section 5, No. 9211, effective on June 27, 2011, a Monday, Starbucks stores all over the Philippines will be smoke-free. That means there’ll be no more smoking areas at any Starbucks store. Yes, they will be imposing a no-smoking policy at their branches nationwide.

Checking the Facebook page of Starbucks Philippines, you’d see a mix of reactions from smokers and non-smokers alike. Most smokers are mad because they can no longer hang out at Starbucks to puff a ciggy or two. A ton of avid Starbucks customers though, smoking and non-smoking, showed their support towards this move.

I shamefully admit that my smoking habits returned. Yes, I’ve been smoking again for months now. And I know I must stop this immediately ‘cause this nasty habit is not really doing anything good to me. With that said, I’ll be sharing my opinion on this move by Starbucks banning smoking at their stores as a smoker and one of their frap lovers.

I completely support Starbucks in their move to ban smoking at their stores. Why? Because, c’mon. Smoking is BAD for our health. And Starbucks is actually a place for coffee lovers, not for smokers.

I see a lot of families or kids hanging out with their parents at Starbucks and I can only imagine how much all the smoke around them could endanger their health. Remember that secondhand smoke is actually more fatal than what the smoker inhales. I wouldn’t want to encourage anyone, even my worst enemy, to start smoking. Really.

I love Starbucks’ Frappuccinos, especially Java Chips and Mocha. So I definitely will go back for their coffee.

How Do I Accessorize?

Back in my younger years, I considered myself as someone who had fashion sense. I usually would drag my mother to shop with me for new clothes, accessories and shoes. I loved mixing and matching them to fit my mood or the party or event I’m attending.

I never really was into buying anything expensive so I don’t own any signature clothing or any item that’s worth more than Php 1,500. My nanay and I would frequent Divisoria for additions to our wardrobe, something I really enjoyed doing with her.

But, lately, I see myself sticking with simpler looks. Not that I’ve lost my fashion sense, but now, I go for what’s comfortable. I know, I know, there are fashionable things I could add to my look that are still as comfy as I wanted, but you’d usually just see me looking like this:

I love hoop earrings. They’re the only accessory I truly love wearing ‘cause they don’t always get in the way. *LOL*

Here’s my favorite collection of earrings. None of them cost more than Php 200. I’ve got a few more hoop earrings, mostly smaller, which I usually end up wearing when I go out.

I also sometimes go out with some extra accessory on me, like this:

That’s about it. *LOL* In fact, I only have 2 necklaces in my accessories box:

I also have a couple of bracelets in there that I wear like once in a blue moon. I’m not really comfortable wearing them ‘cause I usually keep forgetting I’m wearing bracelets. In fact, my mother stopped buying them for me ‘cause I already damaged like 3 bracelets she gave me before as gifts. Even my ex-partners/lovers know how clumsy I get so they know better not to buy me bracelets as gifts. *LoL*

Karaoke World Championships now in the Philippines!

Ever since I started watching American Idol, especially during audition episodes, I've always said that there are far more better singers here in the Philippines than in the US. Call it patriotism or whatever, but I'm just glad we have Karaoke World Championships (KWC) Philippines here now so we can show them that we Pinoys have more amazing and talented singers here that the world has yet to discover and hear.

Last May 28th, KWC Philippines gathered bloggers for a night of singing and partying over at their headquarters in Quezon City. The event was led by two highly amusing and talented hosts, Ana and Jayson. They cracked us up the whole night! And they're amazing singers, too, belting out those high tunes like there's no tomorrow.

After a short introduction, we were then presented more information about KWC Philippines and what they're aiming to accomplish.

 

 They showed us the amazing talents from all over the world.
And some of ours...

Jin then went on and told us about the goals of KWC Philippines. They are as follows:

1. To JOIN the 2011 Karaoke World Championships in Killarney, Ireland and every year thereafter.
2. To have a male and female Filipino contestants WIN the KWC.
3. To HOST the KWC in the Philippines.

KWC Philippines is the officlal partner of Oy KWC Organization in Finland. Now, through KWC Philippines, amateur singers can audition and get a chance to rule the KWC competition in Ireland this year.

The KWC Philippine Trials has started on May 30th, and will continue 'til July 9th, Mondays to Saturdays, from 1pm to 6pm at the KWC Daily Trials venue at 1081 EDSA, Balintawak, Quezon City.

To know more about how to join, visit KWC Philippines' website at www.kwcphilippines.com.

Electrolux Dynamica Announces Doom of the Broom Winners

On May 12th, me and other bloggers who joined Electrolux Dynamica's Doom of the Broom bloggers contest were invited to the culminating event where the winners will be announced and awarded. I wasn't really expecting anything so when it turned out that I wasn't included in the roster of winners, I was okay since a couple friends of mine won.

The event was also to introduce us to their new line of vacuum cleaners - Electrolux Dynamica. When I actually saw it before I joined the contest, I knew I HAD to get one of those.

I love the very sleek design. Looks like a razor from the photo below.

It's lightweight and easy to use. No need to go back to the old walis tambo. They actually showed us how efficient the Electrolux Dynamica is in cleaning. It can even pick up bigger pieces of dirt or trash. Heck, it can even pick up paper clips and pins, which they demonstrated during the event.

It only weighs 1.6kg, but is very powerful. I've seen it work with my own eyes, which bummed me out more for not winning one. *LOL* The cyclonic action of this handy vacuum cleaner makes it very effective in cleaning dirt and dust easily.

It comes with a one-liter dust/dirt container which you can easily detach for cleaning purposes. And storing the Dynamica is easy-breezy as it's not as bulky as the old vacuum cleaners we used to have.

I wish I won a Dynamica for my computer shop. It's really hard to clean the whole place. I also get tired easily 'cause of everything I need to take care of at the shop.

Can People Really Change?

Once a cheater, always a cheater.
That's gotta be one of my most overused reminders when I give advice to friends who have been cheated on by their partners. I guess it all boils down to trust. For me, once that's broken, you can never get it back completely.
But, this post isn't really about cheaters. I've already written about my thoughts on this on a previous post (Read: your cheating heart). This post is mostly about CHANGE so let me ask you this...
Do you honestly believe that people can change?
If you asked me 5 to 8 years ago, I would've said "No". Yeah, I had major trust issues back then, which is the main reason why I didn't let anyone get close enough. But, now, I have a completely different view on the capacity of people to actually change for the better.
You might be wondering why I changed my mind about my beliefs. I believe I'm more mature now and I am a perfect example that people CAN change.
I honestly believe I've been through many changes the past year. And I feel that I'm a more caring friend, a more loving daughter, a better sister. Some of the major changes in me that I've observed are these:

 (photo from here)

I used to have trouble trusting people. That is why I only made a few friends in the past. I thought there's really nothing wrong with that 'cause,  at least, I've filtered out those who don't really deserve my time (yeah, I know... what a snob! LOL).
But, in the past year, I came to realize that people aren't always what they seem... and I mean that in a good way. I'm so glad I've met a couple of new friends who are now dear to my heart. I believe that when you give them a chance, some people can surprise you.

I was afraid of commitment. After my last relationship that lasted for 5 years, I realized I can actually be in a long-term relationship. I didn't trust myself before that I can love someone that deeply. I felt like I easily give up on people.
I've learned to let myself fall truly, madly, deeply in love and not hold back. And it felt good. I can still remember how awesome it was to love and be loved as much as I experienced in my last relationship.
I know, that didn't work out, but I don't believe it was because of my commitment issues. We broke up because of some other issues we couldn't work out after 5 years of being together... issues I don't really want to dwell on anymore. I may be pushed to tell you over bottles of beer, Tanduay Ice or tequila shots. ^_^

 A photo taken during one of our drinking sessions almost a decade ago.

I used to be a party-all-day-all-night type of gal. My friends and I would usually get together every other day to drink, laugh, sing videoke and share crazy stories 'til the wee hours of the morning.
Now, all of us have changed. Some did because of their new responsibilities like having kids, being married and handling/managing their business. But, I think it's mostly because we realized we're not getting any younger.
I mean, it's still okay and fun to hang around with friends and empty a couple bottles of beer or alcohol. But, now, we know our limits. I know my limits. I don't party as much as before. I prefer more intimate moments with friends.