World Cup, etc

My days have been filled with futbol matches and work as usual. I really, really enjoy the world cup games because the energy is just so different from the regular matches of course. There's so much passion, sacrifice, and emotions that come come into play. Plus the level of skill is just magnificent and a joy to watch. The last match that left me breathless was Argentina vs. South Korea. Insane amount of talent the Argentinians have. It was pretty clear the South Koreans were intimidated.

I have been counting down the days till the end of the month for two reasons. July marks my birthday and second, it is the start of FW10 season..which means business review again. In fashion retail, we divide the seasons to Spring/Summer and Fall/Winter. In terms of months, it's Jan-June for SS and July-Dec for FW. I have been pushing hard to reach my sales plans for the season but sometimes situations are beyond your control. It is just excruciating to have to explain to top management why the numbers are so, however justified the reasons may be. But I guess you do what you can and that's really all we can promise. I still have a week and a half to go so I'm not giving up!

I am quite happy though that I've achieved an important goal for the year which is to get promoted. Yay! Not bad at all. I am aiming to get everything on that list so there's more to cover for me.

I have been seriously eyeing this pair of shoes at Rustans but I am biding my time till the End of Season Sale next month. Just hoping that no one buys it before then.

Universe willing..

I lost the post I was writing so maybe the universe was telling me it was crap. Anyway, major issue # 1: Impending birthday which I would like to sleep through if possible and wake up the next morning 25 again. Major issue # 2#: What is up with all the unsolicited relationship advice? The problem seems to be that I am not in one. Thus, giving people license to dispense advice. Major issue # 3: Figuring out what I must engage in AW ( After Work). You see, I have lots of interests, I am fascinated by the philosophies of yoga and kabbalah, I love foreign films, and I have taken to eating very healthy food lately. How I am supposed to condense all my interests into one unifying activity is beyond me.Major issue # 4: I really must stop checking work emails from home. This webmail stuff is totally throwing me off course.

Time to kick start

Gosh this feels so strange. I haven't visited my site in a long time. I guess there wasn't anything to say. It's been a whirlwind past couple of months and I can't even say it's slowing down already. Anyway, my sister is still in Vietnam but it feels like she's just nearby coz we YM and text so much. I still miss her though. It's hard to fill in her "big sister" shoes. Speaking of shoes! I'm so excited about my new project! Well one of the many, I suppose. Check out the DC kicks here on my site. They're a steal for P3200. I hate to sound like a TVC. But seriously, these are great gifts for the holidays. How's everyone doing??

Out of the closet

Sometimes you think that you're stepping out of your comfort zone, but really, you aren't. Have I really? Well I lived away from home for about a year, but my parents supported me financially the entire time. So does that count? Maybe it does, but it could have been more meaningful if I had tried to support myself. I realize that all the things I have done in my life was a result of my "searching." You know that empty feeling that while you have "stuff", what does it really mean to have them when you didn't work for them? I was never satisfied and I wanted to really give something back. To put it simply, I was looking for my purpose.

Recently I've had a few surprises at work, both good and bad. I think I've said this before but the work that I do is something I love and I feel lucky that I wake up in the morning to do the kind of work I do. It hasn't been a completely smooth run and I think I only realized recently that I needed a change. I needed to grow. Well as usual, the universe cooked up just what I needed, at the right time, and the right place. I've been given the opportunity to welcome a new challenge. I'm still waiting to see if this is really what's meant for me. No worries for me. I trust that things will happen if they should.

Age age go away

I don't know when I started getting uneasy whenever I was asked my age. Maybe at 26 I started feeling "over the hill" so to speak. Now, I can consider it downright rude when someone asks my age. It's not that people have ever accurately guessed my age, it's just that maybe I'm not where I thought I would be at this age. Which begs the question.."why am I still single?'" Yep I'm putting the question out there. The universe should answer in kind, this is driving me crazy really.

Hairy story

"All your searching ends when you find yourself"

How many times have we heard the line, or even said it ourselves..that we need to "find ourselves." I just have to add a funny anecdote about a movie, where one character -- apparently inspired by Gwyneth Paltrow, was told.. "Oh Honey, you just need to look under the nearest man." The truth does hurt sometimes. So why am I saying this? It has something to do with my hair. See, the thing is I have naturally curly hair and I fought it for years. I've tried every treatment and procedure that promised soft, straight hair. I used to think, if I just go to the right salon, the right stylist, and buy the right products, I will have the hair that I've always wanted. But I only ended up frustrated, tired, broke and still searching.

So as a last resort I thought, why not just go with the natural? I grew out my hair, had it colored and got the right cut. As someone who can be a resource person for all matters concerning salon hair treatments, I'd have to say, I have never been happier and more satisfied.

Today I went to work with bangs and straight hair. I had a salon treatment during the weekend and my hair was blown out as a result. It's funny how much attention my straight hair had gotten. The reviews have been mixed. Some girls loved the hair and said I looked younger. One girl felt sad when she thought I had ditched the wild mane. But what was more striking to me was when one of my officemates said that the "new" hair was nice, but she liked my curly hair because it was more me. As a matter of fact, I couldn't agree with her more. I promptly assured her the straight hair was only temporary, and that I would have my curly locks back in no time. Like I said, all the searching ends when you find yourself. And that goes for hair too. Haha.

Rollin with the punches

I felt the need to resurface after that sinfully long holiday break. Actually, it wwas a little too long. Physically I am well and rejuvenated but I guess emotionally I've taken quite a beating. Something that had dragged on for 2 years has now gone on its final curtain call. I realize that it's fitting that this happened during the start of the year so I can let go of all the baggage. I need to purge myself of all the bad stuff and let the great stuff into my life. I'm tired, sad, a little bit regretful but it's all part of the cleansing process to deal with this now.

Something tells me I'm ready for that 2nd tattoo which comes 2 years after the first. I waited to feel that need, and it's back with a vengeance.

Well here's to a rockin' 2009.