Roses and what they say

Long ago, people use flowers as a tool for communication. Though this is no longer practiced, the tradition is still very much alive during special occasions such as birthdays or Valentine’s Day.

So if you plan to send flowers to someone this coming Feb. 14 then you better choose right. For roses, here’s a list of their meanings… (as taken from rose-gardening-made-easy.com)

• Red Roses – stand for romantic love. If rose buds, it means first love. If in full bloom, it means “I’m still in love with you”
• Yellow Roses – formerly symbolize jealousy however, it is now more prominent to mean friendship, happiness in the home, and repentance.
• White Roses – stand for purity, innocence, loyalty and sincerity.
• Pink Roses - stand for beauty, elegance, joy and admiration.
• Orange Roses - symbolize great achievements in one’s life.
• Peach Roses - convey appreciation and gratitude.
• Purple Roses – stand for eternal true love.
• Black Roses - symbolize death and sorrow.
• Bouquet of white and red roses  – stands for a sincere love.
• Bouquet of pink and red roses – symbolizes romantic partnership.

Well, those are the meanings of different roses. But if you don’t want to give roses and would like to opt for other flowers, check my short list below… (meanings taken from pioneerthinking.com)

• Azalea - take care of yourself for me
• Baby’s Breath – everlasting love
• Camellia – admiration
• Carnation  – affection, fascination
• Dandelion - may your wishes come true
• Gardenia – you’re lovely
• Iris – faith and hope
• Lavender – devotion
• Marigold – comforts the heart
• Orchid – love, beauty, refinement
• Petunia - your presence soothes me
• Primrose – I can’t live without you
• Spiderflower – elope with me
• Sunflower – loyalty
• Sweetpea – goodbye
• Tulip – fame, charity, compassion, “believe me”
• Violet – modesty, a chance at happiness
• Viscaria – will you dance with me?
• Zinnia – friendship and remembrance

Now’s your chance if you’re shy. Pick those flowers right and let them express what you have inside. Good  luck! 

Be delighted with Dutche

Valentine’s Day is getting near so chocolates are invading the town again… And in case you want to indulge in its sweetness without spending too much, check this:

Dutche is a delightful chocolate perfect as a gift or as a comfort food. This is best recommended to children of all ages whether they have a sweeth tooth or none.

Dutche offers a wide variety of chocolate goodies to all. From chocolate covered cookies to rice crispies, dark chocolate, white chocolate and even strawberry candies. In fact, they even got Belgian chocolates!

At an affordable price, you can already give a Dutche chocolate to your loved-one. With its nice container, who would have thought that it doesn’t even cost a hundred bucks. Very nice, right?

Well, Dutche chocolates is available at all SM malls. I’m not sure if they have in other malls, just check.

Three Love Stories: The Meeting

Previously…

“Maybe through this, I’ll be able to forgive not only him but also myself…

And perhaps, blogging all these would help me stand tall again.

After all, I’m just like every one of you. A girl who believed in love and gave her everything. ”

 

I can barely recall the exact date and time when Y and I first met. All I could remember is that it was somewhere in June 2006. First or second week perhaps…

I was a fresh graduate on my first job. A young and hopeful underpaid employee in a BPO company. But of course at that time, I wasn’t aware of being underpaid. All that matters was to make an impression and to have a successful career. My dream of being in the corporate world has become a reality.

There was a number of newbies like me in our company so we were not really familiar about the ‘tenured’ ones. Four of us were fresh graduates and you could tell that we are all really excited about our jobs.

As part of being a newcomer, I was introduced to the instant messenger named Skype. It’s the tool being used in the company to communicate with each other. I immediately registered and added my new officemates. I studied the interface of this messenger as I was busy chatting with my ‘batchmates’. Then, I caught sight of a visitor…

A man wearing purple long sleeves and black slacks entered the room. He  might not have been that interesting if not for his straight above-shoulder length hair and big black eyewear. I secretly looked at the bright lights at the ceiling to check if they are really on. When I almost blinded myself and was sure that the lights are working, I controlled myself from snickering.

I gathered myself, immediately looked away and concentrated again on chatting. From the corner of my left eye, I saw him stopped on the work station beside mine. He took a seat and opened the computer unit in front of me.

A few moments later he leaned and moved closer to me. He asked…

“Do you have Skype?”

I nodded and gave him my user id. However, he held out his keyboard to me as if motioning me to type it instead.

I moved a bit closer.  Enough for him to have a whiff  of my perfume. Feeling awkward of our distance, I quickly typed my user id and went back in front of my desktop.

A request for a new friend add popped up. I accepted it. Then, a new message came.

“ ® Gud AM… Hop U have a fyn day… God Bless..  ™ “

Polite as I was, I replied to his greeting. After that, another message from him came, introducing himself.

“I’m Y” his message read. I looked at him and saw that he was extending his hand. I took it. He shook my hand firmly and gave it a gentle squeeze. He repeated his introduction so I gave my name.

“Jane,” I said. Then, we both focused again on our computer monitors.

Another message from him came apologizing for not introducing himself earlier. He said he was shy. I pondered on it for a second. From the way he’s dressed up, he exudes too much confidence. The way he walked brings tension to the air. The word shy doesn’t seem to suit him.

What happened next, I’m not really sure of.  I have no record how our conversation went except that he kept on sending me wrong Polish messages that day. What’s certain was that I found him funny that time. I’ve always wondered “does too much work and stress bring big hideous eyebags that people tend to conceal them with huge eyewears?”

Yet, at the same time, I also found him intriguing. Who is this man in this office? Why does he dress like that and why did he pretend to be shy? He could just simply say “Hi” and introduce himself. Also, why do I get the feeling that I have to follow the ”tenured” ones when they told me to be careful and not to trust him that easily?

To be continued…

Presenting the 1st International PyroMusical Competition

Watching fireworks are enjoying but surely it is more enjoyable if you are watching a showcase of different fireworks exhibitions.

So, treat yourselves to a magnificent show on the First International PyroMusical Competition here in the Philippines. This will be held on February 14, 21, 28 and March 7 and 14 at the Esplanade fronting Manila Bay.

Nine different countries from across the globe will be competing with each other. Two teams representing their countries will be performing every Sunday. Below is the schedule:

February 14 - Australia

February 21 - U.K. and China

February 28 - France and Japan

March 7 - Singapore and Malaysia

March 14 - U.S.A. and Philippines

So what are you waiting for? Buy your tickets now! Tickets are available at the following prices:

VIP w/ dinner – P1,500.00 (php)

VIP – P500.00 (php)

Gold – P300.00 (php)

Silver – P150.00 (php)

General admission – P100.00 (php)

Don’t miss out this grand event! This would be a nice Valentine treat to your loved-ones. Besides, watching fireworks is best enjoyed if you have some company.

This First International PyroMusical Competition is brought to you by Platinum Fireworks Inc. in partnership with SM Mall of Asia. For availment of tickets you may call Ticketnet and TicketWorld.

Three Love Stories: Y Him – A Preface

Previously…

“Me: … Dahil si Y ang last, siguro naman mas enjoy ang story niya.

Jane: Yan ay kung kakayanin mong i-blog ang story namin ni Y.”

 

Message from the blog owner:

Because I was able to read the entire diary containing Y’s story, I have decided to resign from blogging about it and return the diary to Jane. BUT. No need to worry. It does not mean that you won’t be able to read the story anymore. Instead, I have asked (even begged) Jane (who was hesitant) to do the blog posts then just email them to me for posting. After all, it’s her story. It’s  “THEIR” story. It would be best to learn it straight from her. Why did I do it? You’ll learn why as you read along…  So from this part of the series, Her Maldita-ness is temporarily signing-off… Adieu!

_________________________

Whenever I look back on the three (or two since Z was never my boyfriend) relationships I’ve had, it has always been hard not to evaluate. What was the reason for the heartaches. Why did I cherish a simple event. What lesson did I learn.  What were the things I should have said and done…

In the alphabetical order, Y always comes in between X and Z. But in this series, he was introduced after Z.  This was not only because of a special request but also due to a very relevant and valid reason. Of the three of them, he was the last one I met.

To tell you honestly, I was never attracted to Y. He was not my type of guy. My first impression with him are usually of these adjectives: presko, maangas, and bolero. To sum it up, for me, he is a boastful and sweet-talker guy.

When we started to become close, a lot of people asked me, “why him?”  I expected them to wonder since as I’ve said, I never really liked him. During those times, I usually answered, “Ok naman siya eh. He is responsible and sweet. Magkasundo naman kami”  With that, they would no longer follow-up.

Yet, as I think about the question now, I can no longer come up with a nice answer. Somehow, I am not certain if the answer I used to give before is still relevant to our situation now.

Well, I’m not writing this to talk about what we have now. What I’ll be telling you about in the next blogposts is what we used to have. A story created in a blend of different emotions. How a simple online chat conversation grew into something sweet that I thought would last forever.

So, bear with me. I am not a good blogger nor writer. However, I’ll tell you this story about Y with all my heart. I’ll narrate them to you as though everything is happening right before your eyes. Let me re-live everything even if I have to laugh and cry again. Even if old wounds would open. I believe this is how it should be… Maybe through this, I’ll be able to forgive not only him but also myself…

And perhaps, blogging all these would help me stand tall again.

After all, I’m just like every one of you. A girl who believed in love and gave her everything.    

To be continued…

My Top Ten Favorite 2009 Google Logos

We have always been entertained by the different logos that Google has for every occasion. So,  because I was really amused at the logos, I’ve decided to post my 2009 favorites and rate them too.  (Btw, thanks to Google logos I was able to copy the ones I missed)

Here’s the Top Ten… For 1st place, I picked…

The Philippine Independence Day Google logo. For me it was the best since it was able to incorporate the Philippine flag in its official logo. Bravo! And… Mabuhay Google!

For 2nd place…

I chose the Sesame Street Google logos. They really made me look forward to looking at Google everyday that time, guessing who would be the next Sesame Street character in the logo. These logos appeared on Google last November 2009 (probably first week) to commemorate Sesame Street’s 40th anniversary.

For 3rd place…

Tied at 3rd place are the discovery of water on the moon (November 2009) and Perseids meteor shower (August 2009).  I really love these two logos the shooting stars and the moon appear so natural.

For 4th place…

Tied at 4th place are Igor Stravinsky’s birthday Google logo (June 2009) and Giovanni Schiaparelli’s birthday logo (March 2009). These two logos are really very colorful and attractive.

For 5th place…

 

Tied at 5th place are Mary Cassatt’s birthday logo (April 2009) and Nikola Tesla’s birthday logo (July 2009). Both of these logos are really nice, aren’t they?

For 6th place, I picked Hans Christian Orsted’s birthday logo. The creativity for this one is really impressive.  This was shown worldwide last August 2009.

At 7th place, I chose Galileo Galilei’s birthday Google logo. It amused me that Google was able to incorporate the telescope in their logo.  This was shown worlwide last August 2009.

 

At 8th place, I picked Jackson Pollock’s birthday Google logo. This logo really got me curious why it’s like that. It was when I discovered that I had to hover my mouse on the logo to know why. Anyway, this was shown last January 2009.

Another tie for the 9th place are the New Year’s Day Google logo(January 2009) and the Earth Day Google logo (April 2009). Both of them are really cute and very environmental.

Last but definitely not the least is the Charles Darwin’s birthday Google logo at the tenth place. This shows the evolution theory, I believe. Anyway, this was shown last February 2009.

Well, I may not have chosen as my top ten some logos but I’ve decided to include them too. Here they are…

Shown above are the other Google logos.

Above (right): The invention of bar code (October 2009)

2nd row (from left to right): Google’s 11th birthday (September 2009) and Halloween (November 2009)

3rd row (from left to right): Samuel Morse’s birthday (April 2009) and Valentine’s Day (February 2009)

 

These logos were shown during the Christmas week of 2009.

Well, we hope to see more of Google’s amusing logos these 2010.

Cheers!

Happy 2010!

Goodbye 2009 and hello 2010…

From my family to yours…

May you all have a fruitful and better 2010 ahead…

Three Love Stories: Jane’s interview about Z

Previously…

“There’s no chance for us Z. We’ve had our chance before but we didn’t take it. Maybe masyado tayong naduwag for the consequences. Or maybe, we treasure each other too much that we’re afraid that we might hurt each other too”

Well, I’m back again. Whew! Nabitin ako sa kwento ni Jane at ni Z ah. So as always, i-chit-chat din natin ulit itong si Jane about kay Z. Nakakaintriga kasi na bakit ganoon ang ending. Akala ko pa naman… Oh well, let’s start.

Me: Ang ikli naman ng kwento ni Z. Yun lang ba talaga yun?

Jane: Yup. Hindi ko naman kasi naging bf si Z. So, walang gaanong kilig moments kaya napabilis ang ending.

Me: Akala ko kasi nag-confess ka ng feelings mo sa kanya. Yun pala it would be the other way around in your ending. By the way, didn’t you have a chance to do it?

Jane: Ang daming chances pero di ko ginawa eh. Saka there’s this thought that I might scare him away.

Me: Then, bakit ganoon ang ending mo for Z?

Jane: Kilala ko si Z. Matalino siya. Alam kong alam niya na minahal ko siya. So, I created an ending wherein he admits that he knew about it all along.

Me: Kung ganoon, bakit di mo binigyan ng chance si Z sa ending?

Jane: Like I’ve said before, I want Z but I don’t intend to make him mine. Besides, it seems that he’s too late already. He will just make my life more complicated.

Me: Paanong complicated?

Jane: Malalaman mo yan sa kwento ni Y.

Me: Answer me honestly. Do you still love Z?

Jane: If I say I don’t, it would make me a hypocrite. But I suggest that you re-phrase your question with “Do you still love him like you used to?”

Me: Sige nga. Do you still love him like you used to?

Jane: Not anymore. I can’t deny that there’s still a tiny amount of love for him lingering in my heart. But it’s not as strong as it was before. I was able to erase Z when X came. Love doesn’t fade and so does my feelings for him. Though, it became weaker because there’s nothing to nurture it. Only memories of unrequited love.

Me: Ok. Medyo na-tensed naman ako sa usapan. Hehehe… Balik tayo dun sa ending. Bakit nga pala biglang nagkape si Z? You mentioned sa’kin dati na di siya nagkakape then bakit ginawa mo ganun?

Jane: It’s to emphasize my point that people change. Alam ni Z na minahal ko siya for almost my entire life and yet he played dumb about it. Meaning he lived up to his decision of ignoring it. Tapos bigla na lang nagustuhan na niya ako just because of what his gf said. That’s quite shallow for me.

Me: May point ka dyan. Pero yung kiss sa dulo, does it mean anything? Does it mean na hindi susuko si Z and will still pursue you?

Jane: Nope. It just means that he finally had the courage to admit his feelings but at the same time he’s letting go too.

Me: Awww… Pansin ko ang haba ng ending ni Z. And puro seryoso yata ang story tone nina X at Z. Ganoon din ba ang kay Y or mas matindi pa?

Jane: Well, it’s for you to find out…

Me: Asus… para namang showbiz ito! Hahaha… Dahil si Y ang last, siguro naman mas enjoy ang story niya.

Jane: Yan ay kung kakayanin mong i-blog ang story namin ni Y.

Me: Oo naman. Kaya yan! Hindi naman siguro ako ma-MTRCB noh…

Next: The Story of Y