Highway to Happy

BUTTER FACE

n. A girl who is hot, except for her (but her, butter) face.

"If J.Lo had her face torn apart by wild dogs, people would call her a butter face."


*my brother will definitely make good use of this term. can't wait to share it with him. (giggles)

I’ve been planning to make this post months ago; or maybe even terms ago. The obvious delaying is due to my inability to organize what I really want to write about. All I know is that I want to devote a space here for two guys. That is, aside form the entry I made about hunting girlfriends for both of them.

Last weekend, I came across an old woven pink box with paper flowers on top. I smiled at the sight of it. Actually, I almost chuckled. Who would have thought that it was from Vlad and Dex? Yes, those two guys, I don’t know who specifically, picked an extremely girly box and used it for my palanca letters. But that’s not the surprising part.

I was surprised by their gesture.

I know it was their way of giving back, since I was the one who prepared their last- minute palanca box when they had their retreat. Like how Vlad put it, one good turn deserves another. But still. At that point, based on how I knew them and the depth of our friendship, it was one bigtime surprise.

I can still pinpoint the first time I “talked” with Vlad. It was a day after our qualifying exam. He asked me if I already had the books we need for the next term. I said, yes. That was the first of the many conversation we had; some are nonsensical; others really profound and private. Nevertheless, I learned a lot from him. I mean, aside form lame jokes and sarcastic remarks. (for those who are skeptical, yes, that’s possible. Hehe) And if there’s one thing I won’t forget about him, it’s that instance I confessed to him about an argument I had with the boyfriend. Rather than asking if I was okay, he asked how not okay I am. It was a one- liner message, but it showed genuine concern.

With Dex, though, it was a different case. I can’t remember our first encounter. Perhaps, I just knew him because of Vlad. I had quite a bad first impression of him but he was able to prove me wrong along the way. If I remember it right, there was even one phone conversation we had when I mentioned not being able to imagine having that talk with him, based on how I knew him months before. I guess, looking back, it was the ACPACI thing that brought us closer. That was when we had our first serious talk; about religion, relationships, family and the rest of that sort. Right then, I knew, he’s someone I can run to for conversations- easy and difficult ones, alike.

I was able to develop different friendships with both guys. Different, but both the kind I would want to keep. It might take some effort, though, because both aren’t in SGV; Vlad is part of Unilever, while Dex is in P&G, Singapore. I’m just hoping regular texting and facebook updates would do the trick. So that, somehow, I’ll remain comfortable texting them after having a really tough day, and they’ll remain the kind of friends who would bother calling just to ask if I am okay- or how not okay I am.


P.S. the title is a direct quote from Vlad's letter.

I’m detached from my world right now. My officemates (wow, I feel such a grown- up) are having a good laugh watching the late comers do their “BOX OF SHAME", while I’m just sitting here, quietly wishing for the clock to work its magic and turn twice as fast. Don’t get me wrong, though. I’m not that bored and unhappy. I’m just hiding all the giddiness inside, because, in a few hours, I’ll be seeing him again. =)

Lately, people throw at me questions like, “di pa ba kayo nagsasawa?, exciting pa din ba?. And the worst, “di ba parang magkapatid na lang kayo?” (like, duh? Hehe)

Seriously, I don’t get why they even wonder about those things. There never was an instance I felt sick of our relationship, of us. Difficult times, there were many. But dull, exhausting days, there were none. It was never humdrum. I mean, how can it be? We shifted from highschoolers to responsible college students. He’s having his review, while I’m starting out as a yuppie. So, in all sense of the word, there’s no place for boredom in our relationship.

I must admit, though. We no longer share the bliss of a new found love; the sparkle of all the firsts. But what we share is something deeper, something steady. We are no longer up there, in cloud nine, thinking that nothing else matters. And yes, that’s a good thing. Many might argue, but trust me on this one: you can’t forever separate your relationship from the rest of the world. There might be instances, especially during the first couple of months, that you want to be selfish and just savor every minute of being together. That’s healthy. But if you continually do that, it won’t work out. Needless to say, I’m not for the “you and me against the world” kind of set up. By “world”, I mean the people who matter to both of you and not just the general public.

I guess, to some extent, that also contributes to our staying this long together- with all the enthusiasm and excitement in place. We never limited our story to what’s just happening with US. And with everything going on, as I’ve said, how in the world will our life be monotonous?

A few more hours, a couple more audit cases, and I’ll finally see him again. Five days of not being together are too long to endure. I badly need a dose of him.=)

the first real life trap out there isn’t about getting the wrong job. It’s about a dire search for a dream job that doesn’t exist. The reality is, we are not supposed to run after our dream job the first time, or the 2nd or the third. It’s about digging deep, thinking hard and realizing what your dream career is, which, for the moment, might require you to take a job that’s seemingly less than what you aspire for.

the keys are setting a goal, staying focused and starting somewhere; and usually, that means starting from the bottom of the barrel. But hell, it’s about establishing a career (and a life.) besides, nothing easy is ever going to be so sweet, right?

(written while i'm having my training in SGV. further explanations not needed.)

i've been planning to post about a loooot of happenings lately but my mind is too freaking disorganized to write about each of them separately, so i'll just post them in random.

1. im absolutely releived that i surpassed the board exams in one piece and with those 3 sacred letters attached at the end of my name. it was, yet, the most difficult thing i had to go through. but at least, 6 months of torture and 2 gigantic tupperwares of books later, it was over! finally!

2. last night, i went through my "college memory box" and i re-read a letter from Margot. everything she wrote there came true (graduating on time, passing the board exams, etc.) except for... our HK TRIP! arrrghh! we were supposed to leave right after the exams but monster AH1N1 attacked! so yeah, it was frustrating! soulmate, let's HK next summer!

3. it's my 8th day in SGV today and so far i'm having a really good time. i can seriously see myself establishing a career in this firm. and before you raise your eyebrows, im not part of te audit team. i'm with the tax group. so yeah, it will be manageable in the future. and by future... mmm.. you know what i mean. =)

4. my parents celebrated their 25th anniversary last month. =) i really admire them for staying affectionate and loving after all these years. i feel safer knowing that it still exists, you know? the forever thing.=)

and of course, this entry wouldnt be complete without me thanking my ever- dependable boyfriend. he had been there through every anxiety attack, every tantrum, every hassle, every unbelievably happy day.. just about everything! he even stayed with me and margot every night in starbucks while we reiview, just so he could walk us back to our place at midnight. sometimes, even past that. and now it's his turn to go thourgh the hell-ish and shaky 6- months of torture, i'll be there for him in the same way he was, and still is, here for me. i love him the greatest and im proud of him everyday..=)