CROSSED-OVER: NEW IN 2011 & 2012

For two reasons, I would like to post here my recent purchases & acquisitions:

     (1)  I reeeeeeeeeeeally love these items. And if I could, I would incessantly rave about 'em all day. But of course, I hafta work. And eat.

     (2) I’m not really the materialistic type. I mean I am not so much into buying clothes, or accessories, or appliances. Ever since I started working, the only use I have for my dispensable income was to buy me food. FOOD! Different kinds – cheap, expensive, healthy, junk, sweet, spicy, Asian, Western, and so on. It was my only guilty pleasure then. Thus, month after month, the fate of my hard-earned salary would be just a big joyful burp!

           Recently though, and with this I mean ‘in the past few months’, I started to buy tangible things. Ergo, those that I would not masticate or that would not perish after 24 hours. 

To be honest, I am missing my eat-outs. But, having physical evidences of my hard-earned money which everyday reminds me of my hardwork, is not too bad, I realize. 

So, ladies & gentlemen, without further ado, please allow me to present to you the fruits of my labor:

 1. DALAWANG MUKHA NG PAG-IBIG - first solo album of Ebe Dancel (frontman of the disbanded Sugarfree)

Remember my previous post about wanting to buy this? Despite my overflowing zeal, I was not able to get one for a long time because the Odyssey stores I visit don’t have it. Until finally I was able to find one copy in Odyssey - Gateway, Cubao. P350. Mind you, the last time I bought a record was almost a decade ago. It was when I saw this eponymous album of Sixpence None The Richer in a novelty shop somewhere in the countryside. Without batting an eyelash, I paid for the cassette. And the only record I bought before that was an (also eponymous) album of Wheatus. It was to replace an exactly the same album that I got for Christmas 2000 (or 2001?), but which I broke a few months later.

I love music a lot but I am such a cheapskate. Haha.

2. BLUE JACKET – Top & Bottom (Php500.00), Fashion Market, Market! Market!

I was in Market! Market! looking for a costume for my Dec 3, 2011 dance gig when I entered a shop called Top & Bottom (Haha.. I know right?), and got distracted by this. It was like love at first sight, or a holy epiphany, I don’t know which one describes the moment better. I felt like the whole room zoomed in right to the jacket and then came a heavenly glow. *smile* The storekeeper approached me and said, “Ayan Sir, bagay sa inyo. Naka-sale na yan Sir, P500 na lang,”. More heavenly glow. *smirk* It was on sale! So I reached for my wallet right away, only to find out that I only had 300 bucks.*frown*

But the jacket was on sale!

I reached for my wallet again. This time I slipped out the devil. Cha-ching! And then I skipped out of the shop, swinging the bagged jacket, singing Tra-la-la. *grin*

Rockin' my blue jacket in our night out at Garage 88

3. iPHONE 4S – via Smart Plan 2K subscription, Smart Wireless Center, Greenhills

Now I can create screenshots

To all my purchases, it's in this one that I felt the guiltiest. It felt like I just killed a thousand ants by burning their anthill down. Or stole my imaginary brother’s share of hotdog from his plate while he was looking away. Or, or... or holding off on giving alms to that beggar because I want to do something else with my money. Or the pisngi of Juday. The legs of Jopay. The nunal of Ate Guy. (I know, I'll stop now.)

an Apple in my hands

and it comes with a personal assistant

It wasn’t technically a spur-of-the-moment purchase because I thought about it a million times. I calculated and re-calculated if my budget would permit. And yet, I just felt guilty. Maybe because it was my first time to subscribe to a mobile plan. And thinking about mobile plans only reminded me of my ex-colleagues in Citi who are rich, and thus they have all the right to have a mobile plan. Then I was haunted by the thoughts of my cousins who weren’t able to go to school. Blarg!

But anyway, I can happily say that this phone is POWER! It is monster technology, designed to give humanity ease. And I am so lucky to be able to own one. Damn that guilt.

4. NAVI PLANNER – ~P500-ish, National Bookstore, Market! Market!

I am a planner, thus I need a planner. No further stories. No conflicts. No dramas.

it comes with discount coupons... YAY!

 

5. RISK MANAGEMENT BOOK by Michel Crouhy, et.al - via Amazon.com 

I have been very interested in having a deeper learning in my career so I googled the best reference books out there. This one is the most recommended, or so they say. Yay! Now I can expand my expertise in my role! There is one problem though, the book is not available here in the Philippines. *frown*

Lucky for me, technology and commerce are already very advanced these days. You may purchase a book offshore and get it in a couple of weeks! With or without the help of the devil. Actually, I am posting another entry on the step-by-step process of purchasing goods offshore. But let me just give you a foreword, the actual book costs ~P745 while the shipping fee costs ~P1,145. I know right! Let’s just skip discussing that bit so we can remain being happy. *grin*

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Well, technically these here aren’t fruits of my salary, but still, they are recent acquisitions of mine and I would like to include them in the roster.

AMERICAN GODS by Neil Gaiman – After I read Anansi Boys, I instantly fell in love with Gaiman's writing techniques. Or more accurately, to his humour.

Too bad I can’t find other Gaiman readers, Gaiman in book sales, or pre-owned Gaiman that can be purchased online. So I listed down "American Gods" as my wishlist in our office exchange gift. Thank God, my manito(?) granted my wish.


When I acquired this one though, Gaiman turned up in all places. My officemate turned out to be a big fan and she knows people who have copies of the books. Another officemate has a complete (electronic) collection of Gaiman's works.

BRACELET (GAP) – I don’t care if Ryan Gosling told Steve Carell “Not the GAP. Not the GAP” in Crazy, Stupid, Love. This one is really classy-looking. Imma wear it everyday!

By the way, I got this one as a Christmas gift from my boss. It's soooooo shall. Yah, it's so-shall 'cause it's from GAP. Haha corny. Anyway, this reminds me, I really should've bought those pearl earrings I saw in Davao. I thought it would look good on my boss. However, I had this rule about not giving people articles of clothing as gifts because they might not like it, and your gift will just end up as a display in the recipient's wardrobe or as a new gift to the recipient's relatives. (By the way, this is an empirical rule based from personal experiences, so yes, the rule has to prevail)

MONSTER CAP – It was really sweet of my cousin to get me this. I bet she spent a lot of time thinking very hard what is it that I like. Also, it is heartwarming to think that she purchased this despite her tight budget. She currently works in the mall, packing purchased items at the cashier area; and at night she attends her evening classes. God, please bless my cousin, Christine. I hope she will finish her studies and achieve what she wanted to have in life. 

REED DIFFUSER – Now there is a story behind how I got this one. But to cut it short, I got it through luck.

Oh. That's quite short. I'll tell the whole story anyway. We had this meeting in the office which involved raffling of certain items. The reed diffuser was one of the items, and it was the only one I'd been eyeing. However, there's one problem, I wasn't eligible to join because I was one of the facilitators in the meeting. :(

So anyway, I talked to my seatmate (who was eligible to join the raffle) and asked her that if she wins the reed diffuser, she'll give it to me. She nonchalantly agreed. And lo and behold, she won the item! Haha. I love you, Lady Luck! And thanks, Maye Asiatico. Now my dirty room smells clean. :)

P.S. The reed diffuser functions like a room perfume. Just like incense sticks or scented candles, yes.

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Whew! That's a lengthy post. To cap, I just hope I get to purchase more items this year. Keep posted. :)