A Handful of Disney pics

My second look at Disney. Some things never change: Joseph equals tote bag forever. He was lugging around that humongous Ralph Lauren bag all day...well, all week!!. It was giving me a headache.

I like the one in Anaheim better. Gosh, there were so much people, we have to wait for a ride for 50 minutes. Yeah, while waiting for a Fast Pass. Omar in Jaksonville and Vince in Miami kept on pushing us to go to south florida...but your Highness wasn't up for the 9 hour trip. Nevertheless, Orlando was fun. The vacation was worth it. We just wished we went to Miami in style. Paris and Nicole style.

Day 5 in Florida

From the minute Joseph learned that I was in town, he booked a ticket to Florida for us. He's on leave for two weeks so we're spending a week here in Florida.

Anyway, it's one legitimate vacation that I'm guilty of having. We mostly lounge the whole day, watch TV, drive around and shop in malls. They have a great outlet mall which has Banana Rep and Gap. Our blood was like laced with E when we saw the discounts. Haha. I need some clothes because I didn't bring that much. I was hoping I get lucky with the Scramble and then I'll fly out after three weeks. Well, it looks like I'm staying for a while.

I met most of Joseph's family. Well, I met the rest since I got to know them when we first got in the US. They are one heck of a family. His mom is already here, so that's an extra. She was cooking us homecooked Filipino meals the whole time. Gosh, the sinigang was so good. Even the adobo I kinda miss. Two weeks in the US...hmmm...I guess I don't have that much of an excuse.

Its hard not to think of my career when on vacation, so I keep on thinking of the ways I can get back to my feet, my strategies for the coming weeks and my battle plan for the next month. I am contemplating about taking another test (but the $600 fee keeps stinging me on the ass), applying for research and clinical observership (but the living costs also is something to consider) or going back to the Philippines. The last option remains an option this time.
Anyway, I have to days to go here in FL until I face the music in New York. Good to hear that spring weather has finally came. I hope I get the motivation to jog since 515 59th Ave is just two blocks from central park. I miss Fitness First though. But for now, I have to make this work.

We're going to Disney tomorrow...woohoo! I'm excited. I'll be taking lots of pictures!!



Oilyness is next to povery. I'm impoverished anyway...so, bring it on, sebaceous glands!!

Weekend in New Jersey

After a week of pure disappointment, I went to New Jersey to visit my friend back in Grade school. New Jersey isn't much of a place to go to but what the heck...I miss my friend and she's excited to introduce me to her new hubby.

So, I woke up a little late this morning because Joseph and I went drinking the night after. Last night was my first night out in New York. Nothing fantastic happened....we just went out and had some drinks in a bar in Chelsea, mostly catching up and having a good time. First time to check The Scene. I figured I didn't miss it THAT much.

Oh, backtrack before that. Jeffrey, Cindy, Alex and I went out to have dinner in Republic in Union Square. We then had a chocolate drink and fondue on the same street. After checking out the sale books in Strand, Jeff and I waited for Joseph to come while Cindy and Alex went home.

Anyway, that's news for everyone....I didn't miss the New York scene. I guess its part of growing up (getting older is definitely the operative word here...I refuse so), just like my diet: cutting down on soda and rice...because my love handles aren't handles anymore. They're starting to be love blobs now. So, I'm ditchin' the carbs. Everybody needs to grow up. But I'm not liking every second of it.

So, yeah...today I went to New Jersey. The damnest place in the world. Even St. Loius has character and Novaliches, too. (Yeah, its that bad.) We went to eat at Minado--enough reason to go to Jersey because the one in 34th street closed down already--and pigged out on Japanese food. But, I hate the fact that my sweater smells like teriyaki after. My friend Astaire was in the hosting mode. We went to West New York, Jersey Garden Mall and Liberty State Park. Our little excursion was good if it wasn't 26 fuckin' degrees outside. Man, my fingers were frozen after a few minutes spent on open air. It was freezing. The wind was strong and it was hitting us with icy breeze all throughout the day. Well, in gist, the temp was getting to my nerves makes me feel giddy for supposedly fun travel photos, so instead, I have these lousy ones:





Then, I met my friends hubby. Ray = Nice bloke. He's a relationship guy and he looks good too. I'm happy they found each other. He talks a lot for someone straight but I guess that's a plus. Straight, but not boring. We heard mass, had dinner in this Mexican restaurant he was craving about (overrated but then, I guess I wasn't THAT interested with dinner...thanks to Minado) and then drove around New Jersey. What stick to my mind: Tom Cruise came from the same neighborhood as Ray's. Cool huh. They went to the same high school: Glenridge. But not the same year. Well, I dunno why do I have to spit that trivia out.


It's Monday tom. I have to go back to work. Well, not work work. But work for work. I bet you know what I mean.

One Day More

In less than 24 hours, my fate will be decided. God's will be done. It will be His voice if He really wants me to stay here or to go back to our country and do what is needed to be done. Tomorrow, the NRMP website will open for the Scramble. To tell you honestly, the rest of my guns are not yet in place. I have to yet acquire a fax machine and print hard copies of my files. I need a person and another phone line. I'll be trying to fix these in the next hour after doing this blog entry. So far, I told my contacts that I will be "scrambling" for a residency position tomorrow. And tomorrow it shall be done.

Shucks, I feel excited, scared and elated. I finally have answers after lulling in career limbo for sometime. It was fun, though, I really had a good one. Last year was fun too. I did not make any money but I traveled a lot and met someone special. Now, it will be a different ballgame. Career and finances are on the frontline. It will be interesting, I bet and it will commence in another decade of my life.

I'm turning thirty in two months. I had some resolutions in mind that I plan to pursue:
1. Establish a bank account. Be firm with decisions about money and follow the new mantra for the decade: Save, save, save. But then, I do not plan to deprive myself. I just plan to save at least a certain amount a month just to keep up with a good AND working bank account.

2. Read a hundred books before 40. Any material of fiction, business, medicine...about anything will do. It will be another bank for me to keep. A bank of knowledge until I have the courage and inspiration to conjure up a book. Ten books in a year? I think I can do better than that though. Ok, I'm moving it up to 300 by the time I reach 40.

3. Keep my waistline down to a 29. Actually, I adjusted my eating habits. No soda and less rice. I try to exercise everyday and keep away from alcohol. Smoking is another story...it will take a while before I kick it out of my system. But, yes, I am trying.

With respect to a fellow blogger, I would like to share his blog to rest of the world. The blog http://coconuter.blogspot.com puts this one to shame. Monster's ink seems like a blond cheerleader blog compared to this one and I think, every Filipino should read this one. I picked out this blog from a forum and I've been hooked ever since. I thought, at first, that it was just a picture/travel blog from a handsome, young Filipino but when I watched his interview with ABS CBN and read the articles in the site, I was definitely moved. And the guy has a character. And a great intellect to boot. I am proud that he is Filipino. Actually, reading his blog makes me think my life all over again. Why do I really want? Why do I have to keep pushing myself to train and work in the US? Will everything that I seek for would make me happy?

In a recent movie from Will Smith called The Pursuit of Happyness, the main character ponders on a line from the Declaration of Independence. It goes "...blah,blah for justice, equality and the pursuit of happiness". He continues to ask how their forefathers know that happiness is something you pursue. And happiness can never be realized but something that is only pursued. True. I think this proves that Maslow's hierarchy of needs is true. Human nature aspires for the top and being on top in not enough for there are heights unconceivably far and we, as dreamers, still want to soar to those heights.

Its good to be back in NYC. Jeff lives two blocks behind the Time Warner building (shown below) where I use their Borders store as my own private library