jane's addiction

i was caught off guard, to say the least.


there had been days  when i've been a bit impatient with how things are going with our relationship. several times, Z would  make playful references to our married life, but the proposal never came. i mean, honestly.  i went halfway around the world to meet his family (and i fell in love with them) check that. what do you think is next?

 maybe it is too romantic to ask for, but i do want to be proposed to.

i was never asked the first time.  look at how that one ended. 

this time i want it to be real.  i want to be asked the question.  i want a ring.  it does not have to be a  huge ___ diamond ring, but a simple ring that symbolizes his intentions and feelings. 

i got that on memorial day. romantic my prdelka, it may not be hollywood romantic, but for me, it was sweet the way it was.

 
i thank you God, for being so good to me, because yesterday, you answered my prayers.

Z had something  romantic in mind, but being that I was sick, it sort of messed up his grand scheme of proposing to me. 

but it came, and i would not have it any other way





memorial day for me and Z will truly be memorial.

 

  bruce and i zipped down to AC this weekend for some fun.   the objective was to spend part of the day  with Z, and spend  most of my evening to see No Doubt in concert at The Borgata.
   unfortunately,   mother nature kinda ruined my plans so i slept most of the afternoon in pain.
   I went to the concert with D, Z's housemate who has a great taste in music, fun, and a total player.  we also went with N, a former housemate of theirs.   we got to the venue at 6:30pm.  the line was already long and we heard there were people in line as early as 4:30. the concert didn't start until 8pm.

  tainted windows, with taylor hanson and james iha.  they were good, though i was more excited to see no doubt.  anyway, i'm kinda glad i wore heels that night (though it did mess up my dancing and jumping around), because being that i am short, at least i saw the band onstage.  i had a brush with a burly guy who had the nerve to cut in front of me, into the second hour of the concert.  i gently poked him by his back and asked "are you gonna be there in front?!"   i guess he kinda got the message and moved to the right so i can have my view back.  heck, i did not pay the money to see his nape fat!

  anyway, the band IS AWESOME!!!   gwen is gorgeous and funny and just amazing on stage.  i now have gwen as my inspiration to get my butt back in the gym and shape up, seriously. i will work hard to lessen ze flabs .

  and tony. sigh.  i  just love  tony.

  after about 10 songs, i said goodbye to D and N.  i've had my fun, and i decided to drive off early to avoid the traffic.  headed back to Z's place to spend some time with him.  we saw part of the  diary of a  mad black woman on cable.   

  i left AC early this morning.  took a nap and called up my student for help on my project for grad school.  after 3 hours, the project was done, and now my task is to submit it and face the chaos that i have made in my apartment.

  i look forward to a new week, and the next time i get to spend with my fave czech boy.  i'm thinking a strawberry picking date would be nice.

  have a great week!
      

  my lolo used to say that the most joyful and most important christian celebration is easter.  he said it should be bigger than christmas.

  me :  why lolo?

 lolo :  because anybody can be born, but only Jesus rose from the dead.

 

  and so, this year, true to my lolo's advice (one of the many)  i went all out for easter celebration.  by all out, i mean i cooked.  Z came over Saturday evening so we can both go the Sunday service at my church.

 in the kitchen i tried my hand at two new recipes :  braised lentils with chorizo served with a slice of goat's milk as garnish.   for  easter lunch i made lancaster country slow cooker pork roast and sauerkraut on boiled potatoes.  yummm.

 czech boy liked both dishes, but liked the cocka (choch-ka), the lentils  better. as cook, nothing brings me more joy than to see another person enjoying the food i prepared.  Z was very appreciative so  i am more motivated to cook for him.

    after lunch, i suggested we take a peek at skype to see if his family from CZ are online.  and they were :)).    the pleasant surprise was, his whole family were in his parents house so we got to video chat with all of them, even the kids.    after the chat with his parents, we called and had  video chat with his uncle's family, my host family on my trip to CZ last christmas.    we are both very happy to have had the chance to chat with them, this time Z was translating for me.  i wish my mom is also hooked up at home so we can video chat with my grandparents and cousin and my two brothers.

   things are cooking up relationship-wise.  with God's grace, we might be preparing for a party when and if my mom can visit me this summer. 

   time to really shape up and burn more fat. 

 

 

 

 

  

I had an encounter with a rude regular ed kid. 

my kids put her straight.

 

at the end of period 2, i stood by my doorway to shoo away my period 3 students as i got ready for period 3.   a couple of sophomore girls stood a couple of feet in front of me and one of them was giggling and pointing at the kids in my class room.

 

see, i have a special ed classroom, and i have very few students in each class.  the biggest class i have is a class of seven. 

every now and then some mean spirited "regular" ed kids would pass by, look from the outside and make fun of my kids, because they are in the "ED" class.

 

this really pisses me off. 

it's not like they are much smarter than my students.  i bet you some of my kids are probably better than some of them.

 

anyway, so i got miffed so i asked, "can i help you?"

mean girl  :  (distorts her face even further)  what you screamin at me for?  get out of my face.

me :  i'm not in your face.

mean girl :  get the fuck  out, i'm not scared of you.

me : i'm  not asking you to be scared of me. 

mean girl:  don't scream  at my face.

 she proceeds talking to her friend referring to me with "F this"  and "F her"

me :  you're still here, you get out of my door way.

one of my kids from last year, pacified me and said it's not worth it, the same mean girl got her ass kicked last week, by a boy.  i listened and chilled.

I caught one of my kids to identify the mean girl because I was about to write her up.  I had a hunch who she was, but i needed to be sure.

my student confirmed it.  and asked me what happened.  i told him the story.

three minutes later, a bunch of my kids came storming in all riled up.   a couple other kids, who are not my students, but i'm friendly with came too, all vowing to beat up mean girl.

i laughed it off and told them not to get in trouble on my behalf. 

a couple more came in.  same story.

 

at the end of third period, one of my homies delivered mean girl, who at this time, looked as meek as a lamb,

homie 1:  go say it.

mean girl :  i'm sorry for cursing you out.

me :  do you really mean it?  are you sincere?

mean girl :  yes, (some lame excuse as to why she was laughing) and i never apologize.

me :  okay.

homie 1 :  see, ms. A, i told you i got your back. 

me :  thanks, homie.

   situations like this make the stress of almost choking some of my kids who are difficult, all melt away.

  Thank you God, for my kids.  They may be difficult, but I love all of them, just the same. 

   for real.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

    yesterday, in the midst of two major grad school projects, i prepped myself for church.  this time i went solo, as Z is in his own house.   so i got to church early enough to get a parking spot on the street. 

    as usual, it was a great service.  i had thought of joining the church's theater ministry, but with this week's sched, and with my looming midnight deadline, i couldn't stay another hour in church  (our service lasts about 2- 2 1/2 hours). 

   i made my way out as inconspicuously as i could.  i got to bruce and was about to open the door when one of my church mates called out.  i don't know many of the members yet because i am pretty new, but i have seen this guy before and he even sat next to me once.  anyway, he came nearer and asked me for my number.  i thought "oh well, maybe he was the one assigned to get to know me since I signed up to become a new member of the church.  so i wrote down my name and number on the piece of paper that he provided.  then he asked for my address.  he said he wants to send postcards to his friends.  so, okay, i  wrote that down too.  he kept on talking and talking about his vacation (which was on august) so I started feeling a bit strange. So i told him I'm gonna go already and then he went on about how he wanted to tell me how pretty i looked.

 

this is me : (eyes getting bigger by the millisecond, a look of panic and discomfort on my face)

uhm.  okay, thanks.  that's nice.  God bless you.

 what got to me was how i reacted.  i was totally rooted on the spot, and i couldn't even think of something funny to say.

 i was blushing scarlet my entire ride home.

i got so shaken up, i called the boyfriend right away, via Skype video chat of course...

 and the reaction of my czech boy?

Z :   "ohh, i like it.  (all smiles).  i knew this was going to happen, i was just waiting for it."

 me :   wow.  thanks.  (sabay kunot ng noo, and haba ng nguso)

Z:  next time ask him for his number and tell him your boyfriend wants to have beer with him. 

  sigh.  guys. 

   okay, siempre na flatter naman ako, pero hello sa simbahan ba?!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

   and now it's spring.   it has been quite a long winter and i have had enough of it, honestly.

  incidentally, spring also marks the last and third trimester of this school year.   i am teaching writing strategies to my high school classes and we are well under way into finishing their 5 paragraph essays.   if you ask me, i am a bit impatient or unsatisfied with the slow pace and the decrease in the material  that we have covered in class, but it's okay.  as long as the learning is going on, quantity should take a backseat over quality.

  as for grad school, i really shouldn't be spending my time blogging as i have two major requirements due this weekend.  ahhh, the procrastinator in me.   it's amazing that it's already month 6 of my program.  i'm halfway, baby!!!

 and for the cherry on top -- i found me a church.  i've been going to this church for several weeks now, and let me tell you, it just keeps getting better.   i feel energized and inspired going to, being in, and leaving church every sunday.  and through the week, i catch myself reviewing in my head the sermon of our highly energetic, entertaining, and  humorous pastor.  i am grateful that God led me to this place that I can worship and share prayers with fellow Christians.  Z has gone to a couple of services and PJ also visited when she came over two weeks ago.  i am thinking of volunteering my services and energy to their theater ministry.

health wise, i am enjoying spin classes in my gym.  i wish i can discipline myself to stop eating so much.  i have gained a few pounds and i am psyching myself for bikini season in the summer to motivate me enough to burn as much fat as possible.   i've been on the fat zone and i do not want to go back to that, not if i can help. 

 

i went to my first beer-fest in Atlantic City last weekend.  i had fun, but going to the bathroom for a pee break was such a hassle.  a drunk little irish lady told me to wear "depend"  next year.  

i'll post pictures as soon as beer david sends them my way.

 

let me get my butt back to work now,

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

i have been bothered by an issue, which in hindsight, i shouldn't even have to deal with.
one of my many friends told me that bad friends do you a favor by showing their true colors.  they make the job easier by making it clear for you what values they beleive in, and what values they can live without.

i suppose i was taken aback by the fact that this friend had to think about something so automatic, in terms of human relations and well, propriety. dare i say girlfriend code?


and yes, i can tell you that had the tables been turned, i wouldn't even have to think about it. 

sigh.  people can and will disappoint us.

my  comfort and strength lies in the truth that God never had, and never will.

and for my friend, i hope it's all worth it. 

i've been going to my real gym for more than a month now, and it amuses me to note how rich in wiritng material possibilities this place is.

before i got serious in changing my lifestyle, i went to an all women's gym.  the arrangement worked out pretty well, but i foud myself looking for a more rigorous workout. 

cut to my NYSC.  this gym is serious.  for a considerable amount of money, i signed up and decided to make my membership really work.  i was excited to go to all the different classes i wanted to go, i like the machines, and hopefully, i can muster the courage to use the weights too.

my eagerness and happiness was put off balance for a while when i have observed the dynamics between men and women in the gym.  man!  my gym seems to be a hook-up place!i felt so self conscious for a while.  i guess i was real slow at catching up.  the deal breaker came when, in one of my dorky moods, i donned my charcoal colored aquaman t-shirt and my usual workout pants and sneakers.  some snotty ladies in the lockers gave me disapproving  looks.  hey i didn't really come to the gym to make "porma" no!  when i got to the main floor, some of the guys gave their initial once over looks and then proceeded  to go on their business.

i looked at the women in the gym and realized how well dressed and well made-up the majority of them are.  i almost fell off my stationary bike at my discovery. 

 

the more i paid attention, the more things became clearer to me.  a lot of these women actually put on make-up before working out.  wow. they wear cute, coordinated sporty outfits and --- push up sports bra.   

 jane told me not to go overboard, but it may be a good idea to choose cuter and more feminine workout clothes in the future.

 

and that i did.

no worries, i still don't put on make-up before i work out.

 

 

 

 

 

 

<  despite starting week1 of my  Digital Media and Educational Applications class this month, the weekend proved to be a great one.  Of course the sunny weather and a slightly less cold temperature helped in pepping up the weekend in the jersey area.  

  i tortured as usual.  we're learning about africa these days.  i can't complain because i never really had the chance to study much about african nations in school.  social studies has been my strongest subject in school so it was a treat for me to study with V.  

 after almost a three hour session, i went to the gym to sweat it out a bit. 

the good news is, i'm starting to make my way back into my old clothes again.  gaining those pounds over the last month, i couldn't even button my pants!   now they fit better, but i still have quite a belly and some fat that can and should be melted off. 

 i need a whole new post about the gym.  one day soon i will. 

 anyway, so, i spent an hour and a half in the gym.  according to the machines i burned a total of about 500 calories, so it worked for me.  i used the stairmaster, "climbed" 33 floors (that's about 15 minutes).  then i burned about 300 calories on the cardio- elliptical machines for another 30 minutes.  took a shower, got another cup of coffee and went to the mall. 

well, i had a fabulous time there and i scored me some colorful  tops ready for spring. i also got me a  pair  of purple skinny jeans                                                                jeans  :     $13.50 

i can't wait to have it hemmed and wear it.  i also treated myself to a new silky night gown.  in silk leopard print.  fierce. 

                                                         floral top :    $  19.80

                                                             slip set :  $ 14. 80

this is jane's doing. 

all these goodies i scored at forever 21, by the way. 

since i was having a ball already, i went to Macy's' and got some cute intimate wear.  and a corset.  which i'm wearing now.

let me tell you.  it makes a big difference.  somehow i enjoyed walking the hallways today. tee-hee. 

i went shopping again on  sunday, but at a different mall.  i suppose i was too tired to even bother looking for clothes so i ended up with just three items from H&M.  a couple of cotton knit sweaters and a printed long sleeved top.

after this, i went home and did my homework like a good student should. 

i can't wait to wear my new clothes!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

i had a great weekend.  much better than the previous one when i spent most of it in bed, asleep most of the time.

my system seems to beat this virus that gripped me drowsy most of last week.  i guess it was also a relief that another graduate class is finished, and the new one begins today.  wow, this is already my 5th class.  7 more to go and i'm done, together with all my wonderful classmates who have been nothing but helpful and selfless.  FSO EMDT October '08  batch-- we truly rock.

on to simple pleasures...

Z came over for the weekend.  he was down with something last week too.  good thing this weekend was on the mild side so we were able to go to the mall and to my local ikea.   i got me an 5 quart aluminum pressure cooker for $24.  Not bad at all.   Then off we went to Ikea to look at bunk beds for Z, who wants to maximize the space in his bedroom.  too bad the boxes won't fit in bruce. 

in other news, i've been getting in touch with his family more frequently via Skype.  just over the weekend, his dad had skype installed, so there's another family member of his in my buddies list :) .  i think i better learn a few more czech phrases so i can talk  with them more.  i need to get past "how's the weather there?" 

how i wish my mom is tech savvy and can get skype too.

i put my cooking skills to the test with my new pressure cooker.  i cooked a batch of czech beef goulash.  the first time i tried cooking goulash, the meat wasn't so tender, and I am an  impatient cook, so i finally got me a pressure cooker to cut down my cooking time.  well, let me tell you that my goulash was a hit with my favorite czech boy.  

the best compliment a cook can get is a an empty plate and a big smile on the diner's face.  i now have three czech dishes up my sleeve.  on to my next kitchen adventure.

a high school, friend sent me a link to a recipe for the best chocolate cake ever.  i'm keen on starting this project, but i need to get me  an electric mixer as well as some baking pan.  the only experiment i've tried on baking was to make a carrot cake one thanksgiving years ago.  i guess it's about time i clean  the oven.

don;t worry, i'm not getting overly domesticated.  in fact, i'm on my way to the gym after tutoring today.  time to burn some blubber.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

don't blow your nose too hard. you just might find everything in sight spinning like crazy. it would be nice if you were on a ride or something, but it isn't so when you're all alone in the bathroom at 6 in the morning.


i've been feeling under the weather since wednesday of last week. i thought it was just my allergy, so i didn't think anything of it. i forged on with my routine, even going to the boxing and kickboxing classes. by saturday morning i felt worse.
i woke up the usual 5 am and started my breakfast of cold oat bran and granola. being the impatient multitasker, i turned on the TV. but wait, i thought i could squeeze in one more thing. and so i went to the bathroom and decided to put on the avocado seaweed mask on my face. and so there i was masticating my breakfast, setting the green gunk on my face while i watch mtv3. somewhere in the middle of my breakfast i had the urge to blow my nose and i went to the bathroom.


i blew my nose and then everything went spining like a crazy spiral. i almost fell on the floor, but i grabbed on to the sink and closed my eyes real fast. dizzy. dizzy. scared. where's my phone? it's in my bedroom. too far. opened my eyes. everything spinning still. dizy. dizzy. dizzy. i felt cold and afraid.

after a few minutes i groped my way back to my bedroom and called up Z. what, no 911? what can the bf, who lives 130 miles away, do to help me? why didn't i call the ambulance?


because i had green gunk of my face, that's why. i didn't want to freak out the paramedics, nor do i want to be known as the girl who was so sick her face was green. as in ugly kangkong green.


Z would've come and played nurse, but he is sick too. so we just skypped most of the weekend, our two sick selves comforted that at least we can video chat between these chats i slept most of the weekend.


now i'm back in school and during my break i went to see the doctor. she says i have a virus that's been going around. she's seen several patients having the same symptoms. she didn't want to give me antibiotics right away so she said to just fight it off and wait 'til wednesday. if i don't feel better by then, i should call her again.

i am sitting here in my quiet classroom, being lulled to sleep by the hum of the heater.  it is bright and sunny outside, but cold. 

when i woke up at 3:30 AM, i was excited to go to work and welcome the kids to a new day, for this is the first day that our OIC sits in his office.  a  lot of teachers were moved to tears watching Mr. Obama take his oath.  I fought them back because I didn't want my kids to make fun of me, but oh my heart swelled with pride and hope.   On a personal level, this is the first time that I have prayed for the President of my country, and I prayed that Mr. Obama would always consult the number one Adviser up there in heaven, for this is the only way that our country can succeed.

 

on a lighter note, i've been watching the videos of my classmates and i am both amazed and amused by their creativity!  one of my buddies interviewed max headroom. tee-hee.  his video is hysterical.

 on other developments, there are talks and whispers of a date to the altar.  but baby steps dear reader, we're taking our time on this one.  z is getting more and more nervous about the number of people who might make their way to our celebration, and for a quiet and shy guy like him, this is pretty daunting.  i told him he's lucky we're not back home, tee-hee.

 

 

 

in this freezing temps can be a challenge, so i decided to post and chronicle the goings on the past few weeks.

grad school is still taking up a lot of my time.  my classmates and teachers are the best part of school.   i'm doing a course called corporate training and motivational development.  so far we had to create a survey for a training class and produce a prodcast interview.  i'm still a noob in imovie, but i can see its potential on my future projects.   apple is really way better than PC. 

in other news, eversince i packed on several pounds this hibernation season, i signed up for a year's membership at my local new york sports club.  this gym kicks ass!  it's the real deal.  i can't wait to go ot my first kickboxing class tomorrow.  i also signed up for a trial  personal training session and i think that will be next week.  meanwhile, to avoid looking like an idiot in the gym and avoid the risk of injury and permanent damage ot my morale, i just kept to using the elliptical cardio cross trainer.  I went to my new gymfor the first time on wednesday and i went on this machine for 25 mins.  when i woke up yesterday morning my lower body felt so sore.  last night i went on it for  30  minutes, burning 310 calories, and boy i felt good.  now my mindset is this "it takes half an hour of semi-misery on this machine"  to burn that tiny bag of lil bites brownies i like to munch? 

 

 

 

     forget that.  gimme some gum.

     so far i've been doing the half hour workouts since monday, but i inted to go to curves in the morning fro my circuit training, and then go to NYSC for some evening cardio.  we'll see how that plays up.   i woke up at 5:45 this morning and believe me, that's late for me already.  i didn't go to curves this morning, but i will go to NYSC after torturing R and O tonight.

   i'm a zeytinia groupie.  i think i go to this food store about twice a day.  they have the best salad bar and they made me a big fan of soup.  so far my fave has been the red cabbage salad, mushroom, chicken and asparagus salad as well as a little bit of avocado salad.  yum.  for soup, my faves are the shitake-tofu miso soup and their good ol' chicken noodle soup.  did i mention their coffee trumps starbucks? 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

(inspired by Steve and Liza Hards)

 It  has been a year of blessings for me and my loved ones.

The last Sunday of January  was a pivotal  day in my life.  I have come home to Jesus and I have accepted him as my Lord and savior. Things have never been the same again.

The rest of the winter months winded down with much warmth.  With a new full-time job as a Special Ed English teacher at DMHS, indeed God has planned some new adventures for me.

The heart of Spring was celebrated with a reunion with my  closest high school friends : Lubs, Candy, PJ and Aileen.  We met in South Beach and enjoyed a girls only weekend  cruise to the Bahamas.

A sweet reunion with my dear, dear pal Amy.

For my birthday, I learned how to ride a bike, thanks to my able and patient instructor, Zibee. Now my Bruce has a little two wheeled brother,  Jack.

The summer months were spent playing with the wonderful kids fromEMS, the best summer camp in our side of the woods.  

A chapter of my life was peacefully closed.

On August 26, a miracle was born to close friends, Steve and Liza.

September saw me welcoming a new batch of students in Room 236.  It also gave me the opportunity to work with and get to know a sweet young lady, Victoria,   and her loving family.
Richard and Olivia continue to amaze me.  

 I officially  became a student at Full Sail University on October 2.

A visit from Diane that same month.

In November I met the first of Zibee’s family, Marek.

Meeting Marek paved the way to December…

And what a  perfect way to end this  blessed year -- Christmas with Zbyszek’s family in the Czech Republic.


I thank God for all the blessings that He showered on me.  I thank God for my family, friends and students.  

I welcome the new year holding the hand of the man who I hope and pray  to be with me this year and beyond.  

 


 

wow, 'tis been a while.

the only reason that keeps me from writing on this blog is my school.

the past few days i feel i am more of a student than i am of a teacher.  honestly,  i remember what i have to do for "work"  when i'm the shower, i'll have one of those lit light bulb moments of what i can possibly do with my students today to keep them from killing each other.

as a tutor, i've been very busy as well.  with 2 of my kids having their midterms this week, they literally want me to study w/ them at any time  that i am free.

it is tiring to study, stressful at work because my big kids are already in holiday mode.

my tutees always energize me.  i am so blessed to have this unique opportunity to spend time with V, R and O.  Just amazing how smart and thoughtful they are.  i love their moms.  they continue to do a good job at raising them.  i am deeply inspired to be  moms like them -- someday when God blesses me with my own child.

Z spent his birthday in a quiet fashion.  bless him for keeping me focused and relaxed with my school work.   we went to my neighborhood japanese restaurant where he drank a huge ass  34 oz. mug/pitcher of  sapporo beer. 

 he got me an exercise thingy that anchors on the door frame.  it's called iron gym.  it's like a monkey bar.  pretty hard to do, but nice to hang once in while as i typed away, yet another paper.

 i'm gonna get ready for gym now.   will be back to report maybe tomorrow. 

   you all have a wonderful day and God bless you. 

*ikatlong buwan ko na sa grad school, at wala pa rin akong ideya tungkol sa thesis ko.

* malapit nang mag-isang taon mula ng nagbukas loob ako sa Diyos at araw raw nagdarsal na sana maging mabait na ako.

* malapit na ang kaarawan ni pilar, moonshine, mahal, at ni eva. 

* dadagsa ang balakubak mula sa langit. ihahanda ko na ang aking pala at botas.

* lilipad ako papunta sa europa, por de beri pers taym.

* sana huwag akong maligaw at maiwanan ng eroplano ko.

* hahasain ko na ang aking charades skill.

* i-eempake ko na ang aking grass skirt at palayok ng tinola.

* nah.  i'll just be myself.  i'm sure it will be okay.

 

  just a quick one.

 i really do. 

 i was on the phone with my mom last night, letting her know of my plan to visit Z's family and spending Christmas with them.

 whew.

M's trip, it seems, have put so many things in perspective. 

i'm ready.

hopeful.

excited.

but most of all,

thankful for all the blessings God has given me.

Yes Lord, I get it.

 

 

this weekend, i met Z's first cousin M.  he came from C R for a visit.  naturally, i was a bag of nerves before i met him.  M is Z's first family member that i met, so this is pretty major.  

it seems timely that the topic of this post happened this historic day.