My week

It wasn't the worst.

But it wasn't good.

Here's what put my panties in a twist:
1. Stupid people. They make my job harder and cost me a nice bonus. They make me want to buy a steel toe stiletto and stick it up their hoo-hahs.
2. Food. I eat like it's going to get up and run away.
3. Change. It's great but it causes a lot of stress in the beginning.
4. Power Week. Because every gal loves to be bloated.

Here's why I can still smile:
1. Good coworkers. They remind me that not all people are stupid.
2. Working out. I feel like I'm gaining some control b/c I'm making a real effort to have a healthy lifestyle.
3. The Man. We both had a bad work week but he still makes me laugh. A lot.
4. No More Power Week. All humankind should be thankful for that one. I was ready to start whoopin' some as$.

It's that time of year again!

Well, not really. But I need something to look forward to and get me through tough days.

In case you didn't know, I've been working 7:30am - 6:00pm for the past seven work days. And three times this week, I've worked out from 5:30am to 6:30am. Did I mention that I haven't lost any weight and, in fact, gained? That's always fun and encouraging.

Anyway, guess what I booked this week? MY TRIP TO HAWAII!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'm trying my damndest to make this an annual tradition.

One of my closest friends is getting married in October and I'm in the wedding. I finally took the time to book our tickets to Hawaii. I'll be there for seven days and The Man will be there for four. It's his first time visiting Oahu (he's been to The Big Island and Maui) and I want to take him to all the places that I've been able to see - the Polynesian Culture Center, the Ihilani Resort, Diamond Head, and of course, Waikiki beach but that's a given because we're staying there. Any other suggestions?

I am so excited. I don't know how I'm going to afford it. I took a fat pay cut with the plan that I will earn it back two fold in a year or so. *Rocking back and forth, sucking my thumb.* I really really really hope that will be the case! Anyhow ...

Bought the tickets, reserved a room at a three-star hotel and Mama Lu is on her way!

Almost makes up for the five pounds I've made friends with and now won't go away.

The Man is a-movin' in

The Man brought over some of his shi.. stuff today.

I thought I could handle it with a smile. I thought I would be a nice person. After all, I want him to move in.

But it was hot. And I had just vaccuumed earlier. And his boxes were heavy and dusty. And there were more than I expected.

Thankfully, The Man has a good sense of humor. And was in a good mood. He saw my stink-eye and pretended not to notice. Then when it got stinkier, he exclaimed with only a hint of sarcasm, "Somebody needs a hug!" And gave me a big ol' dust-filled hug.

It's only just some of his stuff. He still has his clothes. And furniture.

So we put a little over here ...








And here ...









And then some of it in the garage ...








And I've been promised that there's plenty more to come.

Let's evalaute: I'm the youngest of three but I've had my own room since I was a toddler. I shared a room for two years in college and learned to share a teeny tiny space with a stranger.

But it appears I've unlearned all of that when I moved into a house by myself.

It will be OK. I know it will be OK. The Man's great, he's been a part-time roommate and we're just readjusting. (Are you thinking about the bathrooms and the dishes? Because I am.) No seriously, I know it's going to be so much fun and a great turning point in our relationship. I think I'm just a little out of sorts seeing not-my-stuff strewn around the house.

One of the bonuses to his stuff moving in on my (soon-to-be "our") territory is that I have a nice stereo surround sound system for my TV.










Well, it's actually his TV. But now it's "ours" right?

Sweet.

Is Britney the new Whitney?

I know, why should I give a hoot? But I do. I read People magazine and am shamelessly up on current celebrity events.

I caught the Britney/Matt Lauer interview and thought, "What the hell happened?" I don't mean the weight gain because that's no biggie. (Remember how cute Britney was with her sausage curls when she was pregnant the first time?) But oh man.

Pregnant and former pregnant ladies: I thought you weren't supposed to color your hair with a bun in the oven. Am I mistaken? The Brit-Brit was so ... frosty. I miss her dark hair with blonde highlights. There she was, completely bleach blond. With thick kohl eyeliner and frosty pastel eyeshadow. And the short skirt. And platform shoes. And the push up bra paired with a too low shirt. I was taken aback.

Three years ago, she was on top of the world. She was beautiful, had a killer figure and could do no wrong. She could dance, sing (I think) and was just an awesome entertainer. Admittedly, I was envious because how unfair is it that she had a beautiful face, a perfect body, was funny and filthy rich? But no matter what, the girl can make a good dance song. So I like her. Especially when she and Justin broke up. She laid low and gave me a chance to miss her and her catchy jive music.

Now ... she's still super duper rich but she smacks of the Whitney/Bobbi syndrome. I know I don't have to explain myself. Just think about it. Except, of course, Bobbi had a little bit of money and a shred of talent.

I hope she make a comeback. But it ain't looking good :(

"I rock rough and stuff with my afro puffs ...

... rock on, wit cha bad self."

OK, so I didn't have an afro. But I did rock the permed hair.

You didn't believe me, did you?

It's that time ... my ten year reunion. Even though I'm not the first in my blog family to talk about this, it's still a tough choice.

Reunion, or not to reunion?

I know I'm echoing the same sentiments of most people when I say that if I would have wanted to keep in touch with my classmates, I would have done it. And I kept in touch with less than a handful. But I'm curious to see how we all ended up.

I came from a school that was in a middle- to low-income area. There were many bright kids but we just didn't have the resources to make us flourish or to help the kids that had potential but just didn't know it. (Do not MAKE me get into the whole California High School Exit Exam. Well crap, it's my blog so I will say this. It is true that it is a bias exam and many low income kids do not have a chance to pass it because, for the most part, they are receiving a mediocre education. Granted, you aren't doing them any favors by letting them skate by. However, if they made it to senior year, then they have a fighting chance. But you cannot give all youth the same exam - many are ESL or just haven't received the best education possible. To expect them to regurgitate every subject they learned from ninth grade is ridiculous. Universities don't even ask that of its students! I would put money on it that the schools in wealthy areas are taking the time to prep their students for this exam while the kids in poorer areas are expected to fend for themselves. OK, I'm getting off my soapbox now.)

I hope my classmates have succeeded. I hope they are happy with their lives and making a positive impact in their communities. I just don't know if I want to see or hear them talking about themselves. Yes, a person can change a lot in ten years. But if I found them annoying back then, is there any chance we will have changed so much that we'll get along like the best of buds? Maybe. But not likely.

I may go if we have a casual event (I hear it's going to be at Dave & Busters) where I can blend in a public place and duck out without anyone noticing. But if it's at hotel and a black tie affair, I'm going to pass.

Like my perm? I bet my hair was crispier than a KFC drumstick.

Life change

The Man is going to move out of his place because his roommate's fiancee wife is moving in. So The Man will be moving in with me at the end of August this month.

"SAY WHAT?"

Oh no, don't get me wrong, it's good news. I love The Man. I'm open to sharing my personal space with him. We just didn't expect it to be so soon.

He's concerned about my parents - he doesn't want to piss them off. I told him that I would be ticked off if he rented an apartment, kicking down $1,000, just because of that. It's sweet, actually. He respects my parents and wants them to see him in the best possible light. They are reserved, with very old-fashioned values, and don't want their baby living in sin. After all, I am a virgin (shut up, I hear you laughing.)

Then something popped into my head and I started to worry. Since I tell him darn near everything, I knew I could be honest with him. I told him to please not pop the big question before he moves in.

"WHAT THE F- DID SHE JUST WRITE?"

Before you think Lulu done lost her mind, hear me out. I didn't want a proposal just to prevent my parents from being upset. I want to be asked because of love, not fear. If he asked me before he moved in, all I would think is that it's only because of my parents and my reaction to a question like that would probably not be the ideal.

So that's that.

The Man is moving in. Heaven help us, between my bathroom phobia, his muddy work boots and my hatred for the snooze button, we are in for quite an adventure. But I'm looking forward to it.

You best believe that I'm keeping my three (two clothing and one shoe) closets, though.

My trip summed up in one entry

I promised I would write more about my vacation when I had pictures. Come to find out, there isn't much more! Oh well. I've borrowed some from the internet to aid in illustration.
Why was this my best vacation to the Philippines? Well, there are a few factors. First, I've learned what to expect. For instance, after three visits, I knew that there might be some bucket showers, "different" toilet facilities and potentially lots of 'skeeters. And there's that teeny tiny fact that a few of my relatives may call me fat. Let's steer away for a minute about how that can really ruin a trip.
I have ranted and raved to my mom about how being called fat is mean, hurtful and just plain rude. She knows and has actually defended me when I've been so floored by an insult that I forgot to reply. No, it wasn't all of my relatives, maybe four or five at most (I have a LOT of relatives so that's barely any.) But it only takes one insult to negate the 10 compliments you received prior. And even though my mom defends me, she has tried to persuade me that it's a cultural difference, and that to my relatives in PI, it isn't an insult, just a comment. Like saying, "You have a booger in your nose." Well, sad to say (or not), I'm Americanized. It. Is. Not. The. Same. It was such a relief to not have to deal with that crap from anyone this time around.

Another plus was that, for the most part, our living accommodations were nice. We had a couple of sketchy places but overall the places we stayed in, especially my cousins, were very comfortable. And guess what? Barely any mosquitos. Thanks be! While I don't recommend this resort for overnight trips, it is a great place to go for a day trip:

Dhio Endheka Resort

I also spoke up to my mom prior to this vacation and let her know that I wanted to do fun stuff. In- and outdoors. Maybe it's because I've held steadfast about not visiting for five years but my mom heard me. That's probably why I got to go swimming with whale sharks, hiking, parasailing, island-hopping, sailboating and stay at a resort island.
You may wonder why I would have to tell my mom this. After all, I said I was pushing 30, right? If you're Filipino, you can skip this paragraph. If you're not, here's the answer: I am at the mercy of my mom and dad when I go to the Philippines. They speak the language, they are the closest to our relatives, they know the country. I wouldn't even know how to book a hotel or plane ticket while in the Philippines. Scratch that. I do but I wouldn't know how to do it without getting ripped off. It would also be a lot harder to know what kind of tourist-y activities were available. And worthwhile. Not to mention, when in the Philippines, you are with your family all the live long day. This place is the epitome of the word, "family." I was with them the entire time. That means sleeping in the same room, sharing a bathroom, and basically going everywhere together. My parents were my roommates for a week and a half. (The only reason it wasn't for all two weeks is because I spend four days with The Man.) Remember when I addressed this very subject? HA! Not a chance. Sure, the hotel rooms are inexpensive. But then I would be the spoiled American cousin! How's that? Well, when I stayed at my cousin's house, she put the three of us in one room. Even though there were seven bedrooms, she put us in one. And it made perfect sense. It was the only other bedroom with air-conditioning. In that sweltering heat, I was more than happy to share with my parents. Maybe it's because I don't live with them anymore but we didn't kill each other! In fact, other than my dad giving me his cold, we all got along just fine. When we stayed at a resort, the three of us stayed in one room again. Why? Because my cousins and their kids, all sixteen of them, shared two rooms with no air-conditioning. How could I dare ask to be in my own room? No, my relatives aren't poor but they couldn't see wasting money on additional rooms when eight to a room was snug but doable?
So, besides doing outdoor stuff, I got to do all the pampering I wanted. It was Spa Heaven for me! Whether it be right or wrong, the American dollar goes very far in the Philippines. In two weeks, I had one hot stone massage, three regular massages, three spa manicures and pedicures, my hair trimmed, and permed my eyelashes. In addition, I paid for my mom's two massages, her facial and a mani/pedi for Mother's Day. All of these treatments, collectively, cost about $200. Seriously. For instance, when I got my lashes permed at a posh salon, it cost $6. And y'all know how much I love pedicures/manicures. I had them 2x a week!
The best part of my trip was that I got to know my cousins, nieces and nephews a lot better. I adore them! Sure, I talk about the few tactless ones but overall I have really wonderful relatives. Family that are selfless - they made sure that someone picked us at the airport (several times), secured our accommodations, helped us with transportation, negotiated our trips for us, and checked in on us almost daily after work. A lot of them bent over backwards helping us plan our trips and making sure we had a good time. My cousins showed me around, made sure that I got to see the shopping areas, parks, hang outs and dance clubs. Since most of my cousins are in their late 30s/early 40s, I know they were only doing the latter because they thought I would enjoy it :)
Five years is a long time to not visit. Many of my nieces and nephews have grown up so fast. I saw my relatives and I realized how important it was for me to stay connected to my dad's family. While many of them are doing well for themselves, almost all of them aren't able to come to the U.S. If I don't make the effort to stay connected, it won't happen. I respect that some people don't want to go to the Philippines. It can be rough and one hellish experience just like any other vacation. But I've been blessed to have a wonderful time. There's talk about a reunion next year. If so, I'll be there. I wouldn't miss it for the world.

Me with my nieces (and one baby nephew held by my cousin.)

I believe in fairies

A married couple in their early 60s were out celebrating their 35th wedding anniversary in a quiet, romantic little restaurant. Suddenly, a tiny yet beautiful fairy appeared on their table and said,

"For being such an exemplary married couple and for being faithful to each other for all this time, I will grant you each a wish."

"Oh, I want to travel around the world with my darling husband" said the wife.

The fairy waved her magic wand and - poof! - two tickets for the Queen Mary II luxury liner appeared in her hands.

Then it was the husband's turn. He thought for a moment and said, "Well, this is all very romantic, but an opportunity like this will never come again. I'm sorry my love, but my wish is to have a wife 30 years younger than me."

The wife and the fairy were deeply disappointed, but a wish is a wish... So the fairy waved her magic wand and - poof! - the husband became 92 years old.

The moral of the story:

Men who are ungrateful bastards should remember that fairies are female.