The World of Second Chances

Of Gold Stilletos and Green Flats

November 16, 2010

Life & Love

Some women are just drawn to wear high heels. And why not, it’s chic, trendy and sexy; never mind if one gets tired legs or aching heels. Corporate or office girls are the usual fanatic of stilletos. I wonder how they beat the time during rush hours when the lift is full and they have to resort to using the stairs on their way to their office floor.

I used to have gold stilletos that I used at the wedding of my friend. It took me a month to learn how to wear it and walk effortlessly. The stilletos made me taller by three inches and it was just the perfect shoes for my gown. After the wedding, I gave away those gold stilletos because I knew that I would never be comfortable wearing those.

I love flat shoes because I feel like I’m just wearing a pair of slippers. The comfort of flats is undeniable specially if you’re a busy careerwoman who’s always on the go. My green flats is a hand-me-down from my sister-in-law. It’s true that your thrash could be another person’s treasure because her green flats are just too fashionable and comfortable; things that she never appreciated when she was still the owner.
Congrats to Manny Pacquiao!

November 15, 2010

Life & Love

Need I say more?

I am just too happy that one of my favorite celebrities brought home another victory and pride for the country.

Congratulations, Congressman Pacquio!
Survivor

November 9, 2010

Career, Finance & Product

Dear Friends,

You know how much my heart aches for what happened to you. The decision to let you go is beyond our captain’s control. The captain, no matter how much he tries to put up a brave front, is still human. He, just like you and me, is vulnerable these past few days.

There are things that are beyond our control and it’s painful to let precious people go. Do we get trapped in this self-pity or do we start to walk out with dignity? The future may be bleak for now, but trust me, anyone who has faith in God and himself has a promise of a brighter future.

Cheer up! Vaya con Dios!
Calamansi as Deodorizer

November 2, 2010

Life & Love

I am neat freak when it comes to my kitchen. I hate to see greasy pans and plates, too. Instead of forever nagging the helper to improve her dishwashing skills, I decided to find ways on how to remove the grease from the pans and plates.

Calamansi is a good deodorizer to remove the fishy smell on the pans and plates. It also serves as a good grease buster.
My Favorite Celebrities

October 19, 2010

That’s Entertainment

Note: List is not in order.

1. Dr. Vicki Belo- Vicki’s aura never fails to captivate me. She has that aura of an 18-year old girl; vulnerable and sweet. She seems to be a good friend and a cool mom. Her achievement in the field of aesthetic surgery and dermatology is something to admire on her. Her vulnerability when it comes to falling in love is what most of her detractors has always been highlighting about her. With or without Hayden Kho, this lady will shine and hopefully, her true night-in-shining armor will come.

2. Amalia Fuentes- You can mistaken her as a member of the royal family once you see her old Sampaguita pictures. Her beauty is just elegant and aristocratic. Much more, she is a responsible daughter and a generous sister to her brothers. On the downside, never underestimate this beauty because she can be very vocal about her feelings; thus emitting venomous words against her enemy.

3. Shalani Soledad- There’s much more to being just a pretty face; a cross between Cristine Reyes and Sunshine Cruz. She is the unassuming ex-gf of no less than the current Philippine president. What is admirable about her is her low profile. She doesn’t need any publicity to win; the people are just hypnotized on her.

4. Miriam Defensor Santiago- Call her lunatic, call her menopausal and for sure, this lady wouldn’t care! She will lash her tounge at her enemy, speaking in straight English. She’s a fighter, sometimes perceived as a trapo but let’s face it, most of what she say is true and the lady is not afraid of exposing the truth. She may not be an eye candy in the senate like the beautiful Loren Legarda but her strong presence can be felt whenever she enters the hall: a serious face, calculating stares…ah, her co-senators are just waiting for her next speech.

5. Susan Roces- She is the face that refreshes. Nobody saw her furious in public until she hit ex-PGMA her famous line,”You stole the presidency not once but twice!” I associate Susan with Boots Anson-Roa; their beauty is timeless. They can be sweet and strict and the public will forgive.

6. Manny Pacquiao- He was just a struggling boxer when I first came across his name on the sports section of my favorite tabloid. The man worked hard to achieve whatever he has today. He didn’t steal, he is not corrupt–his riches are the product of the many arena fights that he worked hard for.

7. Sen. Juan Flavier- he was very effective when he was still DOH secretary. He was the only DOH secretary that was so popular to grade school kids. It must be the height? Joke po!

8. Rosa Rosal- I like her for her involvement in charity. She found her true calling and that is to help people.

9. Vivian Velez and Carmi Martin- There’s limited info about these ladies on google. From what I read, Vivian is now happily married to a foreigner while the still very single Carmi has finished a degree in Interior Designing. I admire these two ladies for their whistle-bait figure. Both ladies posses an aura of confidence and class.

10. Vilma Santos and Nora Aunor- I was not even born yet when these two women became a big star. How many of their contemporaries are still active today? Or how many of them are still remembered today? Longevity in showbiz is what I admire in Vilma and Nora. From being an “artista lang,” Vilma is now a politician. Her “kumareng” Nora has her shares of misfortunes but she manages to bounce back after each fall. Much more, her Noranians love her no matter what.
Wart Cautery

October 19, 2010

Career, Finance & Product

How much does wart cautery cost in your place? I got mine for 300 pesos (US$ 6.5) for first 20 pieces of warts and an additional charge of 8 pesos (US $ 0.17) for each succeeding wart at the Facial Treats in Bulacan. Not bad. In fact, it’s very cheap. The attendant who did my facial was also the one who cauterized my facial and neck warts. She’s very skillful and fast (and she’s a beauty, too!)

Do I hear somebody say “Eeewww, Iris has warts!”

Duh! Almost every body has warts. Mine was not even obvious unless you examine my face under a magnifying lens. I want to achieve a youthful skin and I’m obsessed to always have a smooth skin.

Three days after the cautery, the affected skin has dried up and nobody even noticed that I had a cautery.
My Nine Year Old Shoes

October 14, 2010

Career, Finance & Product

Jazz. That’s the brand of my 9-year old shoes. I bought it in 2001 for US$ 24 in Olongapo City. It’s cheap, it’s durable, it’s high-quality and it’s not imported. Jazz is manufactured in Marikina City and it’s a common knowledge here that Marikina produces cheap yet high quality shoes. I wonder why this brand of shoes didn’t make well in the Philippine market; I don’t see any Jazz shoes anymore.

Here’s the history of my Jazz shoes. In December 2001, I decided to buy a new pair of shoes for the company Christmas party. You see, Christmas party in Wistron is quite extravagant as compared to the other companies in SBMA. When you say extravagant, you’ve got to dress a little to fit in for the occasion. With PhP 2,000 (US$ 43) in my pocket, I went to a mall along Rizal Avenue and there I saw this black high cut, a semi-boots, and it was even on sale! I wear a size 7 and the shoes on display was my size. The leather was soft on the inside and the sole was light for a semi-boots. I bought it for the Christmas party then.

The major weakness of Jazz shoes is its wooden heels; it has a tendency to loosen after years of using. In 2002, I had a minor bus accident because of this. Just when I was about to step down the bus, the right heel of my shoes was disintegrated and so I fell to the ground while the bus was slowly running. I suffered from minor bruises. My mother told me to throw away my shoes but I thought, the leather was still good, I could have the heels repaired instead. So I had it repaired.

In 2004, the sole of my Jazz shoes had some cracks so my socks always got wet during the rainy season.Again, I sent my shoes to the shoe repair shop for a much needed “change sole.”

Up to now, the leather does not fade; thanks to Kiwi shoe wax. This pair of shoes has been my companion during company events, job interviews, dinner dates, movie dates, family affairs…etc. If I were to compute for its depreciated value after 9 years, would you believe that it is now a negative 600 pesos? (-US$13)

Maybe I am wrong in assuming that Jazz shoes are no longer available in the market. I’d love to buy three new shoes from them.