I'm sitting in a cafe in park slope blogging through my iPod touch because I can't wait till I get home tonight to share such exciting news! So I've been mad chanting for a cheap apartment and despite us not getting the last one I shared with you guys,I'm happy to report that we found another one and it is MOST DEFINITELY under all our budgets. My room is more like a small storage room/Taft ave dorm room than an actual room but I don't effing care! I am so stoked to have found something so soon after that last disappointment. This is now a 4 bedroom apartment which brings Andy back in the mix. It's two blocks from the train too which is always a plus. I am so excited I can't quite contain it. I'm typing on this stupid itouch keypad just so I can share the news isn't that enough to tell you how excited I am?! Since I'm already in the area I think I'll check out Beacon's Closet for some thrift store shopping. All for of us are having dinner tonight at Andy's to discuss rent and house rules to make sure we're all on the same page. I know I shouldn't jinx it with all this blogging about it but I can't help it!! AAAH!!!

Okay, the typing is getting real difficult specially with my fat thumbs. Just wanted to drop a line. I took photos and video using Mica's camera and I will share as soon as she sends the file to me. Weeeeee!!!!

The weather, I mean.

I have got to stop complaining how cold it is because I'm running out of adjectives to tell you Manila people how freaking freezing it is out here. I keep saying its cold out then days like today happen when it's 15F degrees out (that's 12 degrees below zero darlings). It's only going to get worse as we get into the middle of winter. I was running late for work and was unable to fully dry my hair before I went out. I was out in open air for a total of about 15 mins and when I got to the train, sat down and began pulling my hair back into a ponytail, I thought I had twigs in my hair only to realize that my hair had stiffened. Potek, nagyelo na ang buhok ko sa lamig tsong! Kari's winter lesson 1: wag lalabas na basa ang buhok.

The Hot Man came back to the restaurant today. I stood near his table and kept stealing glances like a doofus. He saw me, smiled and waved. I could've died. He's just sooooooooo hot. Uuuugh.

So I'm lending Rann my Flip for the weekend. Why? Because my uber talented friend (and one lucky bastard) is heading to Washinton DC in about two hours to play for the Aloha Ball for President Elect Barack Obama on Sunday. Yes! My Flip will be in the same room as the future leader of the free world. I am so jealous! Sabi ko kay Rann pag nakilala niya, ipahawak man lang nya sa presidente masaya na ako.

I'm checking out apartments with Mica tomorrow so I'm sleeping soon. Nyt!

Hindi ko pala nabanggit kahapon na hindi namin nakuha yung apartment. The landlord ended up choosing someone else so me, Mica and Benny are apartment hunting once again. I guess we're meant to get a better (and cheaper?) one. Craigslist is once again my morning and evening routine.

A US Airways plane headed to North Carolina took off from LaGuardia today and ended up landing in the Hudson River. Why? Because of them damn birds that's why. There were no fatalities, just a lot of very wet people who barely enjoyed an hour through their plane ride. It's weird seeing the tail end of a plane sticking out of the Hudson River on TV. It's like watching a movie (did anyone see Accidental Hero?) and knowing that I AM IN NEW YORK. Yeah boi. Manhattan is such a small island compared to the rest of America but in movies, great world catastrophies always happens in New York. Remember Cloverfield? Armaggedon? Men in Black? War of the Worlds? I am Legend? The Day After Tomorrow? and it goes on and on and on...

Lake Bell came back to the restaurant today to order takeout. I acted like a teenage idiot, running to the front register to greet her. I gave her free tea while she waited for her sandwich and was mouthing to Lily, "LILY!!! THAT'S THE GIRL I SHOWED YOU IN THE MAGAZINE!!!"

One customer got my nationality right today. She couldn't help herself and really asked me, "Where are you from originally?" When I told her I was Filipino, she looked at her date and went "See?! I TOLD you!" turns to me and goes "You sound just like my friend! She works at this restaurant in SOHO. You should go. You sound just like her!"

Right.

So I will actually go to SOHO just to hear another pinay talk like me? Sure.

It was only a few months ago that I realized that we do have an accent to the americans. I've always been under the impression that I spoke pretty decent english compared to how HappySlip mimics her mother. Well, according to Jammi, I speak like a palengke slut. (Jamila, I will never live that down)

Usually, when conversing with friends, I find it fairly easy to do so in english. But when talking to non-pinoy people, which forces me to completely express myself without a lick of tagalog, I lose all my ability to find the right words and sound like a child who speaks in fragments and sometimes, (the horror!) nababarok ako. Ewan, buti nalang exotic yung itsura ko, papasa yung kabarokan ko. To them, it may pass as an endearing foreign quality.

O sha. Wala nanamang ka-kwenta kwenta tong pinagsususulat ko.

Bibili nalang ako bukas.

Ang sarap ng Stella shet.

Today sucked at the restaurant. We had two tables over lunch and just a few more over dinner. We had a sh1tload of deliveries though. The weather has been pushing people to stay indoors rather than eat out. Stupid winter cold. Ugh.

I've rediscovered Shop It To Me. I signed up a few months back but never really browsed through any of the email updates I got. Now that I'm in search of a new coat, I've been looking at the old emails I've deleted. I want a new coat and tall black leather boots. I almost went on a splurge shopping spree during my break but I reminded myself that I will be paying for rent + security soon so I left before I saw anything else that might want.

I'll end this nonsensical post with a song that's been on a loop on my iPod. Been listening to it for the past few days and it makes me want to throw my hands in the air in the subway, start bobbing my head and just go bomp bomp bomp. Ignore the video, doesn't it make you want to dance?

Magtatagalog ako sa susunod na isusulat ko para lang mapraning ang isang taong nagbabasa pala nito pero hindi naman nakakaintindi ng tagalog. Kung magcocomment kayo, tagalugin mo na rin. JORDAN! sinabi ng wag mo ng basahin ito, wala ka rin namang maiintindihan. Matuto ka kasing magtagalog e.

I want to remember this feeling.

If and when it happens again, that I end up reverting back to the depressed state I once was in, I would like to remember this time. I feel so happy. I feel so alive. I feel so blessed and at peace. I can only remember two moments in my life that I felt like this and both times I was involved with someone. This time is a more special time in my life because I can say I was happy because of me. Just as I was telling my mom before with much jubilation, "Ang hirap-hirap ng buhay ma, pero ang saya-saya. Ang sarap ng naghihirap." Ang saya-saya talaga! I own every WIN, every triumph in my life. Being in-charge of my own happiness has left me so empowered. Every morning I wake up with one thought, WIN AGAIN TODAY.

I want you, yes YOU, to do the same in your life. No matter how much sh1t you have to go through today, tomorrow and the days to come, I'd like you to own your triumphs and embrace the struggles. You will sleep better at night, I promise you. You have the capacity to turn even the worst day into a better one tomorrow. WIN! WIN! WIN! Get up and gooooo!!!!

Ok, so enough motivational talk.

Today was slooooowwww...The only highlight of my day was the return of our very hot venezuelan regular. He's apparently been in Florida since we last saw him. He was chatting with Lily and Paul at the end of the restaurant but stopped in mid-sentence just to wave at me from the other end and said "Hello! How are you?" Shempre kinilig ang lola mo. Paul must have noticed the attention because he kept on sending me out to his table to serve him, obviously pimping me out so we get a fatter tip. Lily and I now refer to him as the hot man.

Paul: Who ordered the avocado salad?
Kari: The hot man did.

Lily: Who paid the check?
Kari: The hot man did.

Michael: Who's the hot man?
Kari: C'mon, look at the table and tell me you can't tell who the hot man is.

I'm working the whole day tomorrow. I hope he comes for lunch. Whee!