here, there

Free at last from credit card debt

Sigh of relief. From $2,400 end of October 2006 to $0 end of March 2007 – 5 months of debt payments.

How did I do it with my start-up salary?

I only went out 1x a weekend as much as possible. Much to my roommate’s annoyance, stuck to Irish pubs full of undergrads and skanky bartenders for my night life. Brought food from home to lunch. Ate at home and met friends for drinks only. Took cabs 4x only the entire winter. Monitored expenses on a daily basis (super granular). Froze my gym membership. Used the office landline more than my mobile phone. Limited IDD calls to the Philippines. Brewed my roommate’s coffee ;)

And the kicker, federal tax refunds.

Managed to go to Los Angeles, San Francisco, DC, Chicago and DC again for vacations. See Avenue Q. Show out of town guests the NYC nightlife. Tip appropriately (though 1 waitress in the UWS will vehemently disagree). Buy a pair of expensive boots. My first digital camera. Sue my landlord and win. Get my bi-weekly mani and pedi. A haircut. Maintain my weight. And smoke.

Labels: credit card debt

I found "the one".

I found the most annoying close minded Republican Catholic in the world. He thinks the Muslim religion is just wrong. He supported the Iraq war but now he wants out of it – dude, finish what you started. He is a member of some Catholic knighthood – holy cow, this one is hardcore. He believes the Philippines was converted to Catholicism through love (so that’s another word for colonization) unlike what the Muslims did in Turkey – oh God, has he not heard of the crusades. Oh, because he is a trader, he wants to buy me a purse. On top of that, he kept looking at my breast area. When he proffered his opinion on Catholicism in the Philippines, I nearly choked on my food. We had dinner at some swanky restaurant in UES but I completely lost my appetite from listening to him. I told him he was dead wrong , was completely upset and almost lost my cool.

He looked like Bill Pullman but I wanted to sock his face.

My best ever Valentine's Day

My best Valentine's was the last one with my then boyfriend of 5 years back in 1999. We broke up 9 months later so there's no causality there.

It was so different and special from our 4 other Valentine's dates so much so that at the end of it, we both acknowledged that it was the best Valentine's date we had.

I think it was the long and quiet walk we took to walk off our dinner through a gated subdivision that was peaceful and calm. Which we hardly do in Manila. And we were talking about nothing and just rambling on with whatever topic that came to our minds.

Against the backdrop of a relationship where we fought quite often because I was a spoiled brat and we were running around trying to strike a balance with my expectations and what he could deliver. I forgot how lucky I was that this relationship started with love at first sight and we got together so easily without any effort because we just fell in love the minute we set eyes on each other. I don't know what triggered it but right after we got together, I went into girlfriend mode - I wanted to become a girlfriend and he a boyfriend so he had to do this and do that.

Even now, I am still amazed how long he tolerated my behaviour and I figured, it must be love.

So that Valentine's night was special because we were just enjoying each other's company and remembered that we just really got along so well together and can talk about mundane things and not be bored.

I do wish him, his wife and his 2 children well - he knew how to be into a relationship and I didn't. Except for that last Valentine's Day .

So, a toast to the man who taught me an important lesson on relationships.

Labels: My best ever Valentine's

An anti-Valentines poem

http://www.antivday.com/forum/about95.html

My Valentine’s Day Wish
By Andrea A.


On Valentine’s Day I wish for many things
A bouquet of roses…. a diamond ring
But there is on thing that will come to pass
The glorious day that I kick cupid in ….his diapers.
Oh yes I wish for many things, but alas I do not care
My most sadistic wish is to shave off all of cupid’s body hair.
Do I hate Valentine’s Day? Oh, yes with intense anger.
My final wish…my final dream is to bring back the….
ST VALENTINE’S DAY MASSACRE
So give thanks to Valentine’s Day, for true love will never quit
As far as I’m concern, I don’t give a #@&*!!!

Labels: Happy Valentines grinch

Shakira's hips

This is her live performance at 2007 Grammys. Wa-how. Makes me wanna ... take belly dancing classes.

http://www.justjared.com/2007/02/11/shakira-grammys/

My first encounter with an i-banker

I saw this on someone else's blog (http://newyork.craigslist.org/mnh/m4w/274660657.html
and copy-pasted the text in case the link expires) and my God, it sounded like my ex who is an i-banker too. Within a month of meeting him, he offered to take me shopping (WTF is wrong with my clothes and shoes). And planning vacations together that I can't afford. And all of this within a month of meeting him!

Since this doesn't happen in Cambridge, I thought maybe he really, really likes me and he is soooo into me. He seems so persistent and adamant that we start dating exclusively within 2 weeks of meeting each other.

After 2 guys who didn't reciprocate as much as I wanted them to, I thought, hmm, it would be nice to be with someone who is sure about me and who really, really liked me. Adoration is hard to resist, no? And maybe he had the ability to gauge long-term compatibility better than I and he saw something that I didn't.

So lessons learned ...

If an i-banker offers to do all of these for you, don't think you're special . No, you're not. No, don't even think that they must really, really like you that they want to do these things for you. Reality check #1 is: most i-bankers can't stop spending. Reality check #2 is: c'est pas grave donnez resources which you have alot (that's intuitive). Reality check #3: i-bankers close deals relentlessly and persistently and quickly.

And of course, I should have not given into vanity, hormones, ..., loneliness and the end of my subscription in Match with nothing to show for. And caved in to dating fatigue and ceded my own judgment for happily ever after right this New York minute.

So we broke up. He wasn't good at decompressing after work.

He is not a bad person - though I wish he would voluntarily return my favourite lucky job interview skirt.

Exotic, Rich, non-jaded Investment banker - Lets start with a drink :) - 30 (Union Square)

---

Hopefully I stand out from the million of other ads here...

OK about me..

I'm over my ex and ready to test the dating waters of NYC. I'm on here
because honestly I'm just curious..I have very low expectations but
want to see how this system works...also I'm a bit bored of my social
scene, tired of meeting women from work, in bars and clubs. I just
want someone normal and fun.

I'm a very high profile Investment Banker in the city I've worked
really hard over the past six years and lead a great life. I have a
great apartment overlooking Central Park (just bought it), two nice
cars and a driver to drive me around but its all missing something -
YOU

..A suite at the Mandarin Oriental or Hotel on Rivington (a getaway in
the city). A facial and massage at the Ritz Carlton (Central Park of
course)..Private tour of Bergdorf (Courtesy of Amex). Maybe some Shoes, Maybe a
necklace, Maybe some La Perla, Maybe a dress..dinner at Daniel or
Per-Se..table at Tenjune (its all about being current) or Bungalow or Butter
on Monday nights.... we can do this most nights...I have but I need
someone who doesn't care about this but still enjoys it - someone lovely

I'm 30, charming, fun, funny, handsome, 5'10, black hair, brown eyes,
very fit, athletic (ran the marathon) and exotic.

Lets meet for a drink or ten (on me) and see where that takes
us...nothing to lose..

Write me back soon. Hope to hear from you soon.

Ciao

P.S - I am really not cocky at all. The writing is meant to standout,
I'm very laid back and chilled out in person...

Labels: Dating an i-banker

Back to the gym

After nearly 6 months of dodging and lying to Boston Sports Club so I can back out of my gym membership, I went back to the gym and upgraded my membership to passport.

I guess summer's here.