Babies... Babies Everywhere

Kimmy and I dorking around

And so I'm back from my 4 days trip back to my hometown, Bacolod City. It was supposed to be a break and also a business trip but instead, it turned out to be a trip full of meeting new babies.

First of all, I met Angel's nephews: Kimmy and Kalen. Then I got to meet Mimi's new brother, King. Lastly, I was able to play with Jake, Tricia's baby boy, before I headed back to Manila.

This then struck me as how things are gonna be from now on. Before, we used to talk about boys or anime or books, now my friends and I talked about babies. Especially the babies in our lives. And while I just sat there listening to their stories, I couldn't help but think to myself how much we've all matured.

Jake, Mimi and I 

Each of my best friends were talking about the babies in their lives and kept comparing one over another while I sat and ate my food in silence. I didn't know how to butt in. Although I've had my fair share of baby stories, I didn't want to occupy the time I have with my friends with these stories. I'm more interested to know how my friends have been after all these months. Even if that meant sitting through a whole lunch listening to them talk about babies.

Mimi, Jake, Tricia, Me, Angel
Friends since High School

Well, that's one thing about me which you'll never hear about.

Don't get me wrong. I like babies. But they're not exactly my favorite. And I don't have any plans of having one at all. This has long been my decision which people think is stupid. But I have decided strongly against it.

I'd rather have a new dog.

Going Home For A Break

stressed out

After a few months of non-stop writing/working, my body suddenly decided to give up. Ever since the incident happened last November, I have focused all of my energy on working. Even during Christmas Eve and New Year, I was working my butt off. It was the only way I could stop thinking about the crap I went through.

Well, anyway. That's until I experienced total body malfunction. Since December 24, I have been experiencing a weird bowel movement. It would go on and on for several days and even came to a point I couldn't eat anything 'cause I would run to the comfort room in the middle of the meal. I thought it was finally over last January 2. But it came back a few days later.

My friends are getting worried and they keep telling me to go to the Doctor. I'm just too lazy to go to the doctor instead of waiting when I could get some work done. And besides, whenever I think of going to the doctor, the symptoms stop. So it really leaves me confused. I have lost weight ever since December (I hope I have). But even if I'm not so sure of this, I can feel it.

One of my closest friends, Cristel, mentioned that I might be stressed out already. Working for me right now is an addiction. Whether if I'm home or if I go out, I always have my laptop with me and be in Coffee Bean so I can use unlimited WiFi. But for these past two days, I have not brought my trusted companion out. I have to take a break.

After several hours and days of deciding whether or not I should go home (to Bacolod), I finally agreed to go because my dad offered to buy me my plane ticket. While I will be doing a "little" work in my 4 days stay at home, I will also be going out a lot with my friends.

One of the scheduled trips I have with my friends is the USLS Sportsfest which we will be watching with Mimi, a Korean dinner, a mini-reunion with my College friends, and some hanging out with guy friends. I hope by the time I get back to Manila, I have already recovered and I can revert back to the old me who can write 50 articles a day without feeling sick.

Wish me luck guys... And Bacolod friends, see you tomorrow Jan. 18-22!

Ponzi, Inc.

I must admit, I have gotten hooked to one Facebook game application which has caught my fancy. Ponzi, Inc. is not your typical game like Farm Town or Restaurant City. Unlike other games, Ponzi, Inc. allows you to do your normal routine while still enjoying the game when you get back to it.

In Restaurant City or in Cafe World, when you are away and do not get back in time after your task has been done, the food spoils and you lose money. You need to log back in after a specific number of minutes so that you can still keep playing the game efficiently. But with Ponzi, Inc., you don't need to. Even if there is still a disadvantage of having tasks expire in Ponzi, Inc., they're not like the other two games where they are more frequent.



I have been playing Ponzi, Inc. for about three weeks now and I am enjoying every minute of it. I have reached a high rank already and currently am in Level 21. This morning I just discovered I can earn a portion of my friends' earnings by setting them up on a pyramid.

With Ponzi, Inc., you are your own boss and you are running your business. You choose which tasks you do and you do them depending on when you want to. Ponzi, Inc. has earned 5 stars from me and I will keep playing it until I don't get bored.

MyFoodTrip.com

Have you ever experienced an instance wherein you want to eat something yet you don’t know if that place is good or not? Or even an instance where you are stuck in the middle of some place and would like to know if you can trust one restaurant will be good value for your money? If this is you and you have a laptop and internet connection, then head on over to MyFoodTrip.

There are now several online directories of restaurants you find in Metro Manila. And sometimes, you can even find listings of some restaurants you can find all the way south! But what makes MyFoodTrip different from the rest of those websites is that you can always trust the write-ups in the website. This is because they have been written by well versed bloggers enough to make your next trip memorable. In addition, you can find all sorts of information about a certain restaurant and pictures of the food in the site.

As a blogger, I believe that we are the people who are “in the know” of things. We know when something is going to happen, what is happening, and where it is happening before other people even do. And because of this knowledge and this opportunity to be the first on the scene, bloggers have a role to let other people know about them. They express it through videos, photos, or even words.

With MyFoodTrip, all the best food critics and bloggers can be found discussing all their favourite restaurants and even some of the worst you can find. You can trust that these are all honest opinions and real experiences because bloggers do not get paid for giving a good review of a restaurant. So there is no way bloggers will fool anybody by saying they had the best meal if in fact, they had the worst.

And because MyFoodTrip is only providing links to the best bloggers in town, you can be sure you can rely on the bloggers to tell you about the food quality of a certain restaurant. Remember, we don’t get paid. So why would we lie?

Umm.. Where’s my free food? [jk!!!]

Visit http://www.myfoodtrip.com/ now. They even have their own Facebook account.

A Parody in Tomas Morato

A Parody in Tomas Morato
by: Trixie F. Torralba

I walk back to the place which has captured my heart
Just months after it has been badly broken apart
Seasons have passed and new things have begun
But I'm still left in the same place I was gone

It all seems so strange and new
While I'm in this place, I’m reminded of you
New as it may, the ghosts I still see
Of a past that used to belong to you and to me


These flashbacks are haunting, dancing, taking stage in my sight
While I'm left astray in the cold of the night
Calling me back to that place I belong
Was it in your heart or the place I avoided for so long?

Take me back to that time
Of a past which used to be so mine
It hasn't been that long
But now it all feels so wrong

Calling me home, back to those days
Can't look back now, don't even recall some of my ways
Places that used to be our own haven
Seem so different now that you've forgotten

But even if these ghosts still remind me of you
I just smile to myself knowing I’m over you
I know for a fact this much is true
The feelings are gone, yes my dear, all the hurting is through

2009 Year End Credits

As 2009 nears to an end, it is only customary for people to make their New Year's Resolution. And ever since I can remember, I have been against it for many, many years. In this case however, I plan to make a thank you message instead of a resolution. Resolutions never take place anyway, so why not thank the good and bad things that happened to you instead? In a way, this is my first ever Year End Credit to all those who have been a part of my 2009:

After Dad got out of the hospital, we ate at ClawDaddy

January- Nothing much happened in January. I was still deciding what I wanted to do. And in that month, my Dad had to be admitted to the hospital. It was also the month I got my hair rebonded at Univers Kaizen, Mall of Asia. I also was able to get a postpaid mobile number with under my very own name.

Golden Mount, Thailand

February- Highlight of my year ever: my trip to Bangkok with my girlfriends, Angel and Denise. It was the first time my dad ever allowed me to out of the country with just my friends. Nothing bad happened to us and I discovered I loved Bangkok! Also, I was able to talk to my dad to let me join Culinary School.

March- To date, this is still the last time I rode the public bus. Lol! Anyway, this was the month Culinary School started. I enrolled in AICA [Academy for International Culinary Arts] and became a schoolgirl once again. I met some new friends too! I was able to change my laptop from Acer into Compaq and it was the month Mimi had a field trip. It was the best!

AICA Batch 22

inside the locker room

Holy Week in Punta Fuego

April- While I had a memorable Holy Week at Punta Fuego, this was also the month of bad events. First of all, I started getting cuts from class, Kaice [my 9 year old dachshund] got sick and almost could not walk, and this was also the month I started dating again. Didn't work out though, after a month since we both wanted different things. Also, this is the month I encountered my first car engine trouble. My A/T Honda Civic 2001 would not move. And it was in the middle of an intersection. Needless to say, I had to get help from our driver.

May- Nothing big happened this month. Except probably for the school requirement that I had to go through 150 hours of immersion. I got mine at New Orleans, Bonifacio High Street. Sold my Holga and ActionSampler.

Cleaning up after class

June- Now here, this is the month that changed everything. I started dating a new guy who I became serious with. Too bad though, I was the only one who felt that way.

July- My birthday month! I turned 23 this year. My theme song for my birthday was 'Real' by Plumb. Went to Antipolo and Subic. Started becoming doubtful about school. Former President Corazon "Cory" Aquino dies.

Singing onstage to Kitchie Nadal's Wag Na Wag Mong Sasabihin

August- My dad's birthday at Subic. Stopped school, bought Suki, her new black labrador, and went back to the company business.

September- Went to Lago de Oro and Laguna with the family. This is the first time I tried wakeboarding/kneeboarding. This is also the month I stopped working at the office and became a full time freelance article writer working at home. At the same day I quit, Ondoy struck Metro Manila. But I finally found the right job I want to do.

Kneeboarding was more like it...

October- The month drama started. Went to Bacolod for Masskara. First time in my entire life I was dragged in to see the real Masskara celebration. Because of this, I remembered why I didn't like to go to the Plaza during the fiesta: big crowds. Hated it! Another bagyo hit Metro Manila and my car was almost hit by a piece of tin roof which was flying around. Went to Subic with the family to escape the blackout. Got to try Go Kart.

November- got my heart broken REALLY bad, decided to make a real blog, had my hair dyed RED. went out with friends to a Vibe event again [first time after I went M.I.A. with Vibe for a year].

first hair dye with Beautybrick

night out with my girls

December- Suki started her obedience training. This is also the month my dad allowed me to go to Lago de Oro with only Angel and Christina. Enjoyed our road trip. Overcame fear of eating frog legs. And I attended a Photography Workshop.

with Sai

Well, that has been my 2009. And with all the lessons I learned this year, I can only hope for more better things to come in 2010. It has been one hell of a ride which I hope you, my dear reader, will still be a part of in the years to come. Join me for another year full of fun, adventure, and all things Trixie. Happy New Year and See you in 2010!

Would like to thank:

Angela Gabrielle P. Consing, Samantha Denise F. Hilado, Christina Maria Cecilia M. Sayson, Cristel Marie D. Segovia, Liza Mae C. Valencia, Patricia Frances S. Monfort & Jake Monfort

Marianne Tan, Chielo Manzano, Joel Tesoro, Norman Granados, and all of AICA

Bubot, Ronnie, Nang Aloha, Dad, Kuya Nikki, Kuya Richie, Sheila, James, Shaina Torralba

Jesna Lem, Jenniferlyn Ruego, Hannah Barreta, Mark Sabobo, and all of my friends in USLS-HM

and to you, whoever you are, thank you for reminding me that I am only human and that I can be capable of loving someone this much..