What my name means--http://www.paulsadowski.com/Numbers.asp

Freaky but every detail is almost true. :) hehe. :) Try it and be amazed! hehehe :) (I opted to use my nickname because I rarely use my full name. hehe)

http://www.paulsadowski.com/Numbers.asp

You entered: Thea Fuentebella Alberto

There are 22 letters in your name.
Those 22 letters total to 84
There are 10 vowels and 12 consonants in your name.
 
What your first name means:

Greek

Female

Goddess; godly. Also as abbreviation of names like Althea and Dorothea. The mythological Thea was Greek goddess of light and mother of the sun, moon and dawn.

Your number is: 3

The characteristics of #3 are: Expression, verbalization, socialization, the arts, the joy of living.

The expression or destiny for #3:
An Expression of 3 produces a quest for destiny with words along a variety of lines that may include writing, speaking, singing, acting or teaching; our entertainers, writers, litigators, teachers, salesmen, and composers. You also have the destiny to sell yourself or sell just about any product that comes along. You are imaginative in your presentation, and you may have creative talents in the arts, although these are more likely to be latent. You are an optimistic person that seems ever enthusiastic about life and living. You are friendly, loving and social, and people like you because you are charming and such a good conversationalist. Your ability to communicate may often inspire others. It is your role in life to inspire and motivate; to raise the spirits of those around you.

The negative side of number 3 Expression is superficiality. You may tend to scatter your forces and simply be too easygoing. It is advisable for the negative 3 to avoid dwelling on trivial matters, especially gossip.

Your Soul Urge number is: 1

A Soul Urge number of 1 means:
Your Soul Urge is the number 1. With a Soul Urge number of 1, you want to lead and direct, to work independent of supervision, by yourself or with subordinates. You take pride in your abilities and want to be recognized for them. You may seek opportunities to display your strength and usefulness, wanting to create and originate. In your desire to manage the big picture and the main issues, you may often leave the details to others.

The positive 1 Soul Urge is Ambitious and determined, a leader seeking opportunities. There is a great deal of honesty and loyalty in this character. If you possess positive 1 Soul Urge qualities, you are very attainment oriented and driven to success. You are a loyal friend and strictly fair in your business dealings.

The negative side of the 1 Soul Urge must be avoided. A negative 1 is apt to dominate situations and people; the home, the spouse, the family and the business. Emotions aren't strong in this nature. If you possess an excess of 1 energy, you may, at times, be boastful and egotistic. You must avoid being too critical and impatient of trifles. The great need of the 1 Soul Urge is the development of friendliness, and a sincere interest in people.

Your Inner Dream number is: 11

An Inner Dream number of 11 means:
You dream of casting the light of illumination; of being the true idealist. You secretly believe there is more to life than we can know or prove, and you would like to be provider of the 'word' from on high.

The most simple things matter

A loving stare and a genuine smile are all I need to make this day memorable. :) Naks! Of course this one is truly a special day since Nixlove just celebrated his 25th, and it's exciting to see us growing old together. Yes, the lovefull is back with 'mushier' entries! hehe :)

Anyway, Nixlove cooked the yummiest, experimental pasta I've ever tasted, we had the tastiest cake today, and sang our hearts out..thanks to his mom's magic sing. :) loodidoo didooo. :) Last year we had dinner at Italianni's Glorietta and for obvious reasons, we did not dare do a repeat. :)

I'm so glad Nix loved the polo shirts I gave him.:p It was a great day..to be with him and his family. :) But my favorite part was the long drive home. :) We were quiet most of the time, but there were seconds of lovefull moments. :) You know those moments when you just stare at each other and smile. And you know both of you are thinking of the same thing. :)

And today, Oct 29, is our 39th month together. :) And every day, my belief that I made the right choice last July 29,2004 is just getting stronger :) Every passing day proves that we're on our way to being together forever. :)

Erap has a new fan. hahaha :)

Some of my previous blog entries related how funny, how tiring, or how exciting are my coverages about Estrada. And after getting an answer from him (addressed to yours truly) about two weeks ago, I finally have a photo with the former president. (Well, not really just us. hehe) :)) Yikee!

Seconds after Pres GMA, thru Press Sec Ignacio Bunye, announced the approval of executive clemency for Estrada on Thursday, the desk editors tasked me to get the reactions of the Estrada family. And I took the assignment by heart. After all, I've been covering Estrada since my day 2 at the job and have since 'bonded' with his family. Jinggoy and JV are my usual interviewees and they admit hating me because I was from INQUIRER.net, whose parent company is Phil Daily Inquirer, which they also blame for the downfall of their father. Still, they were nice. Every quote was a story already. Jinggoy, who was in Geneva for a conference, was unusually nice when I talked to him yesterday.

Today, while waiting for Estrada get down from his resthouse-detention in Tanay, Rizal, I stayed at JV's (but he was very busy, did not even grant interview) office and once in a while went outside the city hall, where hundreds of Erap supporters gathered. It was heartwarming to see all those supporters, and you know that some of them went there not for money. Indeed, Erap was the father of the masses.

It's been a really tiring day (I worked from 8 am to 10 pm! that's not new anyway hehe). I had to (again) engage in a word war wih guards but the coverage was really worth it. :) It was another historic day for me, and of course for the rest of the Filipino people. I now have more to tell my grandchildren later on. ;)

And yes, I would rather talk about my experiences than discuss my take on politics. 'Politics' is such an ugly word. Sure, Estrada and Arroyo both gained from the pardon. I don't care, really. It's nice to be happy. And everyone;s happy. hahaha :)

PS: (photo by John Javellana, who is now an intern of Reuters. Thanks John!) :)

Yoko Ono becomes a journalist

This photo was taken during a press conference at the Glorietta mall a day after the explosion that took the lives of 11 people and injured over a hundred. And although I'm such an addict for coverage photos, I did not have the heart to take pictures of myself and my media friends during that traumatic, tiring coverage.

Thank you, however, to JJavellana, a former photography intern of the Philippine Daily Inquirer. Meron na akong remembrance! hahaha :) Kahit mukha akong Yoko Ono (which is not a bad thing at all since Nixlove is my John Lennon haha) at haggard sa picture (mahangin sa labas.haha) at may backpack effect pa, parang si Dora The Explorer. hahaha :)

 

I need some debriefing

Call me an overacting, depressed reporter if you want but I think I need some debriefing. No, I don't need some session with a psychiatrist. I think I just need some outlet to let it all out. (And I think it's what this blog is all about. hehe)

After the tiring and depressing coverage of the Glorietta 2 explosion, it finally dawned on me: I could have been there, I could have been killed. Worse, my loved ones and friends could have been there and would probably be gone by now. Fortunately, I know none of the fatalities and injured persons I wrote about.

Post-blast investigation results show that the explosion was an "industrial accident." The diesel tank located at the basement, which was the seat of explosion, also "did not follow the standard cylindrical structure of a gas container." And yes, funny as it may seem, methane gas from the septic tank made the explosion bigger.  My editors would jokingly call it an explosion caused by one big fart. (See related story here: PNP: Accident in Glorietta becoming more and more likely) 

How many more diesel tanks are there in Glorietta? Or in any other mall? I think I would have to stay home more nowadays. I intend to keep safe, although my job provides the contrary. hehe.

I got hold of post-blast pictures only today and they really scared me. I know I've been to Glorietta 2 before because I usually take the walkway from our office (Rufino Plaza) to Glorietta. But I never thought I've been to Glorietta 2 many times.

See that 'Must Have' sign? That's where I used to shop in Glorietta 2! Near that shop were boutiques where I usually shop too. Had I been there that fatal day, I could have fallen all the way down, or I could have been thrown somewhere else, and I would end up either bloody, in a daze, or lifeless. And I would not be here blogging.

Of course, a lot of people I know have also been in Glorietta. And don't should we feel lucky?  I am just so thankful that I was given the chance to live and I hopefully would have a thousand or million days more.

Oh well.

I think I will be posting more pictures (courtesy of the PNP and Bureau of Fire Protection) soon. I want my much needed rest now. :)

More links: Metro Manila cop chief: ‘Bomb theory hard to sustain’ 
                    Trillanes won’t cooperate with PNP over blast claims--Razon
                    Solon throws in another 1M for arrest of mall bombers

Glorietta blast coverage

I was about to eat my lunch when the day desk editor called and was panicking when he told me that an explosion happened at Glorietta. And much as I wanted to panic too, I merely stayed calm. I immediately got out of the Crame press office, left my just-to-be-eaten yummy lunch and took the MRT.

Fifteen minutes later I was at Glorietta 2, and as usual engaged myself in a brief word war with security guards. Hohohoho hahaha while I tried to get to the other side of Glorietta, with all luck..my heels broke. So I went to SM and bought a pair of cheap flipflops to get me through.

Finally arriving at the area moments later, I saw how the Glorietta 2 entrance was reduced in rubble, and all those shattered glasses, and the cadavers yet to be brought to the morgue. Sure, this one was a very memorable coverage for me. It was I witnessing yet another part of history unfold.

But it was really devastating. I held back tears. I knew I had to work. I knew I had to do away with emotions. I knew I had to accept that this world is cruel.

Although I had the by-line for the top story, the most-read and most-emailed story of the day, I was not happy. I was not happy to witness what I would like to call an act of evil. Whoever did this, either enemies of the state or those from the state themselves, only one name suits them: evil. Very very evil.

I've covered all sorts of news stories--from shabu raids, rallies and fire incidents to Congress sessions and Arroyo speeches. And today, obviously, was the most devastating of all. (Imagine seeing cruelty for 8 long hours. I wish I could get a good sleep tonight.)

But the dust have yet to settle. Tomorrow is yet another day, and for the first time, I am not complaining that I have to cancel my day off. :)

---------

Click the titles to view stories as posted in INQUIRER.net.

(UPDATE 19) Mall bomb blast kills 8, hurts more than 100

PNP, AFP on red alert in Metro after Makati blast

List of dead and injured in Glorietta blast

Search and rescue operations at mall end

3 Makati hospitals get bomb threats after mall blast

INQUIRER.net special site:

You are.. :)

My sunny sky,

my favorite high,

my bed so warm,

my port in a storm,

my sweetest gift,

my emotional lift,

my best friend until the end;

My inspiration,

my destination,

my shining light,

my day and night,

my heart healer,

my anger chiller,

my pain reliever,

my spring fever,

my gem so rare,

my answered prayer,

my heart and soul,

my life made whole,

my merry go’ round,

my “up” when I’m down,

my best chance,

my last dance,

my best shot,

my energizer,

my appetizer,

my morning sun,

my evening fun,

my dancing partner,

my heart’s gardener,

my source of laughter,

my ever after,

my heaven-sent for who I am meant.

My burning desire,

my soul mate,

my sweet fate,

my dream lover,

my confidence, my reason why..until I die. J

 

- David Weatherford, Chicken Soup for the Couple’s Soul   

Advance Happy Birthday myNixlooooooove! :D Oh, did I just say I love you? :)

To the moon--AND BACK. :)

I'm supposed to sleep now (it's already 1:00 am and staying up this late when I know I have to monitor the 7 am news means I will be doomed tomorrow hehe.) but I saw a friend's blog (Hi May! hehe) and she mentioned the "Guess How much I love you" book Sam McBratney and Anita Jeram, a children's book which really brought me tears. :) I'm just sooo inspired again to blog. :)

Read this:

Little Nutbrown Hare, who was going to bed, held on tight to Big Nutbrown Hare's very long ears. He wanted to be sure that Big Nutbrown Hare was listening.

"Guess how much I love you," he said.

"Oh, I don't think I could guess that," said Big Nutbrown Hare.

"This much," said Little Nutbrown Hare, stretching out his arms as wide as they could go.

Big Nutbrown Hare had even longer arms. "But I love YOU this much," he said.

Hmm, that is a lot, thought Little Nutbrown Hare.

"I love you as high as I can reach." said Little Nutbrown Hare.

"I love you as high as I can reach," said Big Nutbrown Hare.

That is quite high, thought Little Nutbrown Hare. I wish I had arms like that.

Then Little Nutbrown Hare had a good idea. He tumbled upside down and reached up the tree trunk with his feet.

"I love you all the way up to my toes!" he said.

"And I love you all the way up to your toes," said Big Nutbrown Hare, swinging him up over his head.

"I love you as high as I can HOP!" laughed Little Nutbrown Hare, bouncing up and down.

"But I love you as high as I can hop," smiled Big Nutbrown Hare - and he hopped so high that his ears touched the branches above.

That's good hopping, thought Little Nutbrown Hare. I wish I could hop like that.

"I love you all the way down the lane as far as the river," cried Little Nutbrown Hare.

"I love you across the river and over the hills," said Big Nutbrown Hare.

That's very far, thought Little Nutbrown Hare. He was almost too sleepy to think any more. Then he looked beyond the thorn bushes, out into the big dark night. Nothing could be further than the sky.

"I love you right up to the MOON," he said, and closed his eyes.

"Oh, that's far," said Big Nutbrown Hare. "That is very, very far."

Big Nutbrown Hare settled Little Nutbrown Hare into his bed of leaves. He leaned over and kissed him good night.

Then he lay down close by and whispered with a smile, "I love you right up to the moon - AND BACK."

That explains my relationship with my mom. :) She filled me with love and I eventually grew up with so much love to give. :) When I say I love you to her, she'd say she loves me more. And I'd say I love her MORE. Then she'd say she loves me MORE than MORE. And that game never stopped. :)

Nixlove and I also play this game. :) He now knows how to play my language game. hehe :) So when I'd jokingly ask him to rate his love for me from 1 to 10 (10 being the highest) he'd say (he must say! haha) 11. :) Or more. :) And so I learned what Googolplex is. :) One day he just said I love you Googolplex times. Then I googled what Googolplex is and it turned out to be the largest number in the universe, actually bigger than infinity. :) Yet, I told him, "I still love you more." :)

Yes I love them very much. My mom and Nixlove :) I love them so much like Big Nutbrown hare loved his little Kiddo. I love them to the moon AND BACK. :)

(And someday, when Nix and I already have our little Nutbrown hare, I know I will say only this: I love you to the moon AND BACK. :)

:)

Funny funny :)

FILIPINO SIGNS OF WIT: (snagged from Tetch's wordpress blog. :) ) 
 
The sign in a flower shop in Diliman called Petal Attraction; 
a 24-hour restaurant called Doris Day & Night; Barber shop called:
Felix The Cut; a bakery named Bread Pitt; fast-food place
selling ‘maruya’  (banana fritters) called Maruya Carey. Then, there are Christopher
Plumbing; a boutique called The Way We Wear; a video rental shop
called  Leon King Video Rental; a restaurant in the Cainta district of
Rizal called Caintacky Fried Chicken; a local burger restaurant called Mang
Donald’s; a doughnut shop called MacDonuts; a shop selling ‘lumpia’ (egg roll)
in Makati called Wrap and Roll; and two butcher shops called Meating Place
and Meatropolis.

Smart travelers can decipher what may look like baffling signs to 
unaccustomed foreigners by simply sounding out the ‘Taglish’ (the 
Philippine version of English words spelled and pronounced with a
heavy Filipino such as, at a restaurant menu in Cebu ‘We hab sopdrink in
can an in batol’ [translation: We have soft drinks in can and in bottle].
Then, there is a sewing accessories shop called Bids And Pises 
[translation: Beads and Pieces –or– Bits and Pieces].
 
There are also many signs with either badly chosen or misspelled
words, but  they are usually so entertaining that it would be a mistake
to ‘correct’ them like…….

In a restaurant in Baguio City , the ’summer capital’ of the
Philippines : ‘  Wanted: Boy Waitress’; on a highway in Pampanga: ‘We Make Modern
Antique Furniture;’ on the window of a photography shop in Cabanatuan : ‘We
Shoot You While You Wait;’ and on the glass front of a cafe in Panay
Avenue in Manila : ‘ Wanted: Waiter, Cashier,Washier. ‘

Some of the notices can even give a wrong impression, such as, a
shoe store in Pangasinan which has a sign saying: ‘We Sell Imported Robber
Shoes’  (these could be the ’sneakiest’ sneakers); and a rental property
sign in  Jaro, reads: ‘House For Rent, Fully Furnaced’ (it must really be
hot inside)! Occasionally, one could come across signs that are truly
unique–if not altogether odd. City in southern Philippines , which
said: 
‘Adults: 1 peso; Child: 50 centavos; Cadavers: fare subject to 
negotiation. ‘
 
European tourists may also be intrigued to discover two competing
shops selling hopia (a Chinese pastry) called Holland Hopia and Poland
Hopia, which are owned and operated by two local Chinese entrepreneurs,
Mr. Ho and Mr. Po respectively- -(believe it or not)! Some folks
also ‘creatively’ redesign English to be more efficient ‘The creative confusion
between  language and culture leads to more than just simple unintentional
errors in syntax, but in the adoption of new words,’ says reader Robert
Goodfellow, who came across a sign …..House Fersallarend’ (house for sale or rent). Why use five words when two will do?

:D

Erap and havaianas

Today I woke up early (uncanny! hehe) and since I was in holiday mode, I wore a plain blue shirt, pants, and my havies to work.

Hohoho hahaha I later went to San Juan to cover Erap's visit to his Ma in San Juan Medical center--in my plain shirt and flipflops. hahaha. Nagmukha akong yagit. And now I know why my mom gets mad when I don't dress up for work.

Anyway, let me just brag: wala iyan sa damit. Because had I been in my real working clothes, I would not be able to get a soundbyte from the former president himself. (Thank you to my really comfortable  slippers, it wasn't hard for me to chase him.)

Yes, my list is now (well, almost) complete! I was able to corner Cory Aquino for a rally interview last year, I already experienced Fidel Ramos' wrath towards pressing reporters in Camp Crame, and now Erap. (I tried asking Arroyo several times as she passed by during Crame programs but she's such a snob.)

I've been to many Erap coverages before but today was really special. :) I was able to ask him face to face, I less than a meter away from him and he addressed his answer to yours truly. (Close na kami! haha) Although his sons JV and Jinggoy and son-in-law Beaver Lopez had been my sources for 'reactionary' stories, I was still star-struck. haha :) You can't really say I was awe-insprired. I can only say I was happy. :D

Maybe too much work (on second thought maybe none of it..you know the feeling that you are useless because nothing is happening in your beat) almost brought disenchantment about my dream job. But things have gotten better now (thanks to the 14th month bonus I will be getting this payday haha kidding). :) I now feel excited again. :) And so I was able to write a lot of stories today!! :)

Click them to check out the stories. :)

Estrada: What Pardon?

Palace stunned by De Venecia's move, says Puno

Estrada to ask court for 3-day pass to visit Ma

Other stories:

Truck driver killed in Pasig road spat

Terror threat in Mindanao remains high--NICA

Eksenang press office

If you think journalists and reporters are serious all the time, you're dead wrong. :) So on a slow news day and a holiday like today (yipee double pay!!) we get really crazy. :)

------------------------------

Thea Alberto (INQUIRER.net): Huy ginawa niyo na ba yung sa Task Force Usig kahapon?

Aris Ilagan (Manila Bulletin): OO lumabas na yun sa akin. Front page.

Cecille Suerte Felipe of Phil Star: Di Bale Faeng (his monicker), wala namang nagbabasa sa inyo. Tsaka kami naman number 1 according to surveys.

Alcuin Papa of Philippine Daily Inquirer (laughs): ay hindi na ako magsasalita, pero basta kami..

Cecille Suerte Felipe of Phil Star: Number 1 kayo kapag kayo ang nagpasurvey. hahaha.

Thea Alberto of INQUIRER.net: Ganun? Basta kami most read lagi. hihi.

Christine Roque of NBN 4 (government-owned network): Basta sa amin walang nanonood. haha.

Benjie Liwanag of GMA7 dzBB: (eating) (Hindi ko maalala sinabi ni Kuya Benj. hehe)

----------------------------------

Who should you thank today? :)

If last week Japanese volunteers revived the lost art of giving embrace, I think we Filipinos must revive the lost art of sending out our Thank You's. :)

Well, here's my Thank You list. (Can this just serve as my christmas gift? mwahaha)

    My teachers. Of course I wouldn't know what ABC's are and I wouldn't realize that the earth isn't literally round if my patient teachers weren't alive. I wish I still know the name of my nursery teacher. :p hehe. I think all of my teachers from La Consolacion College and UP Los Banos deserve some Thank You from their sometimes diligent but most of the time sleepy student. hahaha. :) Thank you for the praises, the reprimand, and all the challenges. Special thanks to Mam Teya Tirol (my thesis adviser) and Sir Cardona who shares my passion for reading and friendship. :)

   My gradeschool and highschool buddies. Although I have not seen some of them in years, I know the friendship is just there. :) And it's always a comfort to know that they're just around...just a friendster click away. :) hugs :) We'll someday bring the old days back. :)

   My college roommates and dormmates. For someone who owned a bedroom all her life, sharing a room (and a house) with strangers is a nightmare. Thank you, however, to my roommates who managed to keep up with my weird sleeping habits (teeth grinding and snoring. haha!). Special mention to Ate Len, Sarah, Bons, Val, Pam, Ate Kresta, Jamie, and KP who either shared midnight oatmeal bowls with me or joined me in hell-week studying nights. :) I miss LB dorm days! :)

   My UP Sibol brods and sisses. Because of UP Sibol, I learned that ketchup does not really hurt a plain white shirt. Talk about org finals! haha :) And to strip is better than to quit (haha, just kidding.) Although I failed to be always there for UP Sibol, I know I will be able to give back to them someday. Someday, diba Batch Kaizen? :)

   My UPLB Perspective Family. My first family in UPLB. With them I learned the true meaning of friendship..and sarcasm. hahaha! Aside from helping me accept criticisms from annoying [p] readers, UPLB Perspective gave me a glimpse of what I really wanted to be. And yes, for all those sleepless presswork nights over tasty bread and cheezee spread and happy videoke gimiks, I will forever be thankful. :)

   My media family. Work will never be fun without these people! Thank You to all my editors (all heaven-sent, promise! haha) at INQUIRER.net for all the guidance, the tips, and the every day bloopers. haha :) My INQUIRER.net co-reporters for the ym chismisan and for the after-meeting gimiks. :) And my beat and coverage friends who never failed to inject a laugh in work-stricken days. :) Iskoopan na! :)

   Nixlove's family. Although I have yet to become formally a part of the Masakayan family, I know I already found the best future in-laws in the world. :) Thank you for always being warm and for making me feel at home. :)

   My family. With the Fuentebella family, it's all about love at the end of the day. For all the wacky get-togethers and for all the memorable growing up years, I know Thank You will never be enough. Lolo Mama and Lolo Papa, thanks for taking care of me all these years. You are the best grandparents in the whole world. :)

   Padingtun, my bear-son. I don't care if people see me silly when I tell them I have a son, a cuddly, big bear named Padingtun. After a long tiring day, Padingtun serves as my therapy. :) He is my huggable baby and he keeps me happy. And he gives me a chance to be a mother. :) 

   My mom. Celia Fuentebella is the strongest woman I know. :) And although we share a love-hate relationship (like most mothers and daughters do), I will forever be thankful she's my mom. And if I'd live another life and get to choose my next mom, I would still pick her. :) Love you mommy!

   Nixlove. If everything else fail, I know I'd still have you....and you'd still have me :) You are the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, my calm after a storm. You know that I will always be here for you. :) For the love-filled years and more love-filled years to come, Thank you mylove. :) Family hug. :)

So there goes! :) Being thankful made me happy. Join the gratitude fever now! :)

(From Ate Sara's blog:)

Join the rest of Metro Manila in reviving the lost art of saying thank you.

Come to the SM Mall of Asia on October 20, Saturday, and see live THANK YOU performances by Hale, The Dawn, Cynthia Alender, Reggae Mistress and upcoming bands. Let's all come together to thank one another on National Thank You Day! :-) (For tickets, please contact Alma Buenviaje at 0917-5344624)

Visit www.thankyoudayphilippines.com for more details about National Thank You Day.

Either they're getting married or breaking up

My college batchmates and high school buddies are either getting married or breaking up. hahaha. And I'm nothing in between. Well, I'm more bent on the marrying stage. haha :)

Of course I envy those who already settled down (congrats pam and aiza!). I heard they will be having babies soon and probably if I don't know how hard child-rearing is, I'm a real mother by now. haha :) But since I want to make sure that my child will have a bright future, I will wait until Nix and I get married..and the baby will come after we've totally enjoyed the honeymoon stage. mwahaha ;)

I am not in any way near the breaking up stage like some of my closest friends and for that I should be really filled with gratitude. I should be thankful that Nix is patient enough to keep up with my moods, rants, paranoia, and fickle-mindedness. hihi :) Mylove :)

Anyway, I'll stop blogging for now. I'm sleepy.