This time, it's serious

At left is my new goal body--glorious Jessica Alba's trim and toned physique. OK, so I don't intend to get that toned because I kind of like being a bit soft, but I'm gonna try to get as close to it as I possibly can. I figured if there's any time to do it, it'd better be now, because it's all downhill from here. Haha. It'll be harder to get this figure when I hit my 30s, after I get kids, etc. So enough is enough, it's time to whip my body into shape!

The workout part is fine. If I had enough time, I'd be in the gym two hours every day! It's the food that's killing me. While I'm not going to totally deprive myself of the bad stuff, I do have to cut back significantly. My evil eating habits have become so normal to me that I can hardly tell what "bad" is anymore. Case in point: my conversation with Marie yesterday...

Marie: (Distraught) It was so bad...I had these chips and I ended up eating half a bag at 11:45 pm last Friday. Half a bag of Doritos! And it was midnight!
Me: (blink blink) Umm...that's how I normally eat...
Marie: Oh...

This midnight snacking--on junk food, no less--has got to stop. The everyday sweet treats have got to go. And my body's been telling me that I need to get more fruits and veggies in, pronto. (My body's been telling me a lot of things--mainly: Slow down!--but that's an entirely different entry.) I've quantified my goal already in terms of weight and measurements. Strangely, my waist is smaller but I'm heavier. I guess it's coz I've been lifting weights. I told H that when I reach my desired weight, I would keep going if I was still not satisfied. We're negotiating my minimum weight though because he doesn't want me to get too skinny. (As if! I've never been skinny in my life! Haha.)

Wish me luck! And let's plan a beach trip in two months. Haha.

Photo c/o this site.

I'm tired of this When Harry Met Sally bullcrap.

I'm tired of people thinking that I can't possibly be just friends with a person of the opposite sex. I don't understand why people automatically assume that whenever I have a new guy friend, one of us (most of the time, they assume it's the guy for some reason) is bound to like the other in a romantic way. Can't people take the malice out of it and just believe that there is such a thing as a platonic relationship? Can't two individuals who get along splendidly be viewed, not as male and female, but simply as people?

It's possible for two people to connect without being attracted to each other. I've done it. Many times over. It just sucks that no one seems to believe me.

Hair today...

...blonde tomorrow? Haha. I've been meaning to color my hair (as light as I can go) for ages, but it'll have to wait. I think I'd rather redo my room before splurging on something kikay.

I just found this "before" pic of me in a press kit. It was taken pre-bangs at an event at Embassy gilid. This luxury Italian brand put up a "bubble" in one of the fields at the Fort...it's the event where I got a little sloshed. Haha. The "after" picture is post-haircut and post-Bintan, so I have a fresh tan. I look so tiny! Or maybe I just have tall friends...

Left: With Miguel (yes, Miguel, we were in the press kit!) and my nearly straight, bangs-less hair--my side part was on the left; right: with Rene, in our matching outfits (our bottoms were almost matching as well), and my tousled, "banged-up" hair--my side part was on the right (P.S. My own relatives didn't recognize me this day!).

I swear, deep down, bloggers are narcissists. Haha.

My first Indian wedding! Day 2: Welcome to Bollywood

Woke up the next morning in time for the buffet breakfast, but Jo and I spent a good half hour just lying in bed, recapping the night's events and just catching up. Apart from meeting really awesome people and being exposed to such a beautiful culture, these kwento moments, I think, were among the highlights of the trip; reconnecting with one of my dearest friends was part and parcel of the whole wonderful experience. As Ia was asleep, I guess Joey and I felt that it was completely safe to talk about stuff we normally wouldn't talk about in front of other people. (Now guess who felt totally punk'd when they found out that Ia was actually a light sleeper?)

At breakfast (which was pretty much brunch as it was past 10:00 am), Jo went nuts over they DIY Nasi Lemak, apparently one of her absolute favorite dishes. Our game plan: Stuff ourselves at brunch and wait 'til dinner to eat again at the buffet! (Can you say "ka-cheapan"? Haha.) Avin was at breakfast, and he was with the other dude we were to spend the rest of our stay with, Yogi. I later discovered that he's my Indian counterpart--he doesn't drink!

We ended up hanging out with them the whole day at the beach. At some point, Ia headed back to the room to nap. Jo brought her disc with her, and we challenged the boys to a game of Ultimate. And who beat the 6'1" man and his speedy teammate? That's right, two sweet little girls! It was 4-2, baby! And of course we had to tell everyone about it! Haha.

Top: Ice, ice baby: Yogi and me savoring the feeling of having ice cubes melt in our hands. Bottom: Rishi being such a pimp! Haha. With Jo, Teri, and Jacq.

I left the beach a little earlier than the others as I had to attend practice. Here's one thing that amazes me about Indian weddings: the amount of preparation, and the effort that people lovingly put into it! Rewind to a few weeks before:

Mads: Tisha, can you dance for Tash's wedding?
Me: Sure!
Mads: Great!...Can you choreo?

Hahaha. Mads had asked me to choreo for another wedding before, so I kind of knew what to expect. I had to choreo this Indian song mixed with Shakira's Hips Don't Lie. First practice was at Mads's house; the next one was at Mahesh's, where there were bottomless margaritas!

Top: Sexy Mads teaches Teri (in her office finery) the steps. Bottom: How can anyone memorize the steps when everyone's downing these things? (Random conversation re the flavored sugar on the rim of the margarita glass: Me: Where'd they get this from? Jacq and Teri: The can says Bed, Bath and Beyond. Me: Huh? Baka naman bath salts 'to!)

There were so many other people there that night, practicing the skit. "Is every wedding this...elaborate?" I asked. "Normally there's a skit or dances," they explained. "This is the first time we're doing a skit and dances." Tash and Sunil must be really special! I was so in awe at everyone's willingness to actually participate. You could never get my guy friends to act in a skit for my wedding, much less attend numerous practice sessions!

Back in Bintan, I ran to practice (which I was unwittingly late for). Mads had put the fear of god in everyone...she was quite stressed out and I didn't want to cross her! So I waited patiently in the sidelines while they ran though the skit. Arrun (who played Borat in the skit--hilarious!) pointed out that we were wearing matching outfits...

My shirt, which Rene got from Disneyland, has a picture of Cinderella's coach on it. And it says: "Sorry, I'm taken. But I have two evil stepsisters." I love it!

I intended to get a good nap in, but strangely, I wasn't able to sleep too well the whole time I was there. Before we knew it, we had to get ready for the Engagement Party that night. The attire: Indian formal. Tash, such a sweetheart, had given me a sari from India. She didn't want me to worry about the complexities of draping it, so she advised me to have Mads, an uber-talented designer, turn it into a dress. I so loved what Mads did with it (and so did a lot of other people). She even gave me a bindi to match! (It covered my built-in bindi. Haha.)

Front...and sexy back.:) (If the second pic looks familiar, it's because it's my current profile pic!) We clean up nice, huh? Haha.

It was a super fun night, made more hilarious by Jo's little, uh, blooper (sorry, Jo, I couldn't help but laugh). The presentation was a success...

From top: Karis as Mads and Mads as Tash, pre-weight loss! Me (in the long-sleeved top) in action. The boys doing their thing--it was hilarious when they had to raise a drink and Yogi had a carton of milk in hand. The family performs. (Photos from Jo)

It was a two-hour extravaganza, telling the love story of Tash and Sunil (beginning from their birth!) And it ended with the cute couple performing a dance routine--so Bollywood!

Again there were free-flowing drinks that night, but Jo was still a bit traumatized by her blackout moments the night before, courtesy of a deadly shot, so she pretty much laid off the alcohol. We spent the rest of the evening just dancing, laughing, and taking photos with Borat!

From top: "I like!" Borat with a monobrow! Arrun (out of "costume"), Ia, Joey, and me.

Again, more photos in my multiply!