i won $40!!!

And look at me, shouting to the world as if $40 is huge, LOL! In my money blog, Issa's Dollar Earners, I posted last May about the generous contest that Yenny was running. The first prize was $100 and the second prize was $40 (that's me! hehe). Yen gave $200 in total prizes -- so generous of her huh?? =) So, what's my plan for my prize? Probably go food-tripping and eat lots of scallops, lobsters, crabs and shrimps with Labsie! YUM! =) Or maybe, I'll just add the $40 to my wedding stash fund. Hehe!

FIRST times.. and more kissing facts!

Want to know me a bit more? Then read my dNeero survey answers below! It lists a lot of my FIRST times.. ;-) Had so much fun answering the survey! I wish they'll add more "first time" questions. Hehe! As for kissing facts, continue scrolling down the post. Most of the kissing trivia amazed me, LOL! This is part 2 of the kissing facts list, by the way.

KISSING FACTS
1. Two out of every three couples turn their heads to the right when they kiss.

2. A simple peck uses two muscles; a passionate kiss, on the other hand, uses all 34 muscles in your face. Now that’s a rigorous workout!

3. Like fingerprints or snowflakes, no two lip impressions are alike.

4. Kissing is good for what ails you. Research shows that the act of smooching improves our skin, helps circulation, prevents tooth decay, and can even relieve headaches.

5. The average person spends 336 hours of his or her life kissing. Wow, 336 hours?? YUM! ;-)

update on our life and some quirky kissing facts

THE UPDATE
On the wedding plans: Not much happening, hehe! We have booked the church (St. Francis Parish), almost all hotels in Davao (hahaha!) for the wedding reception, the florist (c/o Sophia's Spring Flowers), and wedding planner (Events by Ria) months ago. The GOOD news: almost all the legal and church paperwork are done. We'll get our marriage license on June 24, yippee! =) We finished the Pre-Cana seminar too! For all the how-tos on wedding paperwork, visit our wedding blog at Solito-Elbanbuena.info -- so much hassle if you do it yourself like we did! Whew! The BAD news: I still don't have a wedding gown (got gowns for the entourage already) and Labsie doesn't have a tuxedo yet. We are badly in need of an affordable tailor!!! If you know one, please let me know. Thanks!

On my Physician Licensure Exam review: aka medical board exam review, hehe! I ditched the review given by our school and instead just went on self-review. I am on my fifth subject (7 more to go, mostly clinical subjects) with 6 weeks to go. Migod!!! And here I am blogging!!! o_O Exams will be on August 9-10, 16-17. If you're a prayerful person, please pray that I'll pass (so that I may serve the Filipino people already, hehe) and also all the other examiners. As they say, studying is nothing if prayers are lacking.. We need prayers guys! Libre checkup, promise! Hehe!

On Labsie: aka my fiance' =) He's a tech trainer already!! Whee!! He applied for the position when their company announced an internal hiring thinking he'll get a regular work schedule. He previously worked the 2am shift for more than 6 months so when an 8am-5pm job opened, he grabbed the chance. Unfortunately, being a tech trainer does NOT mean having a regular sked at all =( At times he had to work for more than 12 hours (from 430am to 5pm) coz he's the only trainer with the new skills that has to be disseminated to the rest of the workforce. Poor Labsie! I just hope his sked will become regular before it takes a toll on his health. With the rainy weather we have plus his lack of sleep and long work hours.. Sigh!

KISSING FACTS

1. Ever wonder how an “X” came to represent a kiss? Starting in the Middle Ages, people who could not read used an X as a signature. They would kiss this mark as a sign of sincerity. Eventually, the X came to represent the kiss itself.

2. Talk about a rush! Kissing releases the same neurotransmitters in our brains as parachuting, bungee jumping, and running.

3. The average woman kisses 29 men before she gets married. [I only kissed one!!! LOL]

4. Men who kiss their partners before leaving for work average higher incomes than those who don’t. [Labsie, read this!]

5. The longest kiss in movie history was between Jane Wyman and Regis Tommey in the 1941 film, You’re in the Army Now. It lasted 3 minutes and 5 seconds. So if you’ve beaten that record, it’s time to celebrate!

brand loyalty

I have been loyal to only two brands in my life: Globe (mobile phone provider) and GMA-7 (the Philippines' number 1 TV network). I have been with Globe since my college days, about 10 years ago. While I became addicted to GMA-7 about 8 years ago. As for other things, like clothes or shoes, anything goes with me. As long as it's pink, it fits me and I can afford it -- I will buy it. Branded or not. How about you? Does a product's brand influence your buying habits?

coping with rising gas prices

Current gas prices in the market are outrageous these days! I went out yesterday and LO! Except for diesel at P48-49, all other gas prices are at P51-53 levels!!! I can still remember when it was at P30+ and still, people were complaining. Gahh!! Anyway, Filipinos are now asking the lifting of oil tax by the government so the gas prices will be cheaper. The Arroyo administration is amenable to that and is currently studying the proposal. Apparently, the USA also has a similar project. Guess rising gas prices is really a BIG problem even in developed countries!

FIT!!! =)

happy birthday to my big bro!

No, he's not my elder brother -- I'm the eldest! =) I call him my big bro coz he's BIG! Bigger than me, our younger brother, even bigger than our father! Hehe o_O Happy 26th birthday Ya! God bless you always and may you have many more birthdays to come! =)

credits: Jeann

Barack Obama is the 2008 Democrat presidential candidate!

The big question -- should Hillary Clinton concede?? On the day of Barack Obama's confirmation as the Democratic party's presidential candidate, Senator Clinton (in her own "party") said she won't be making decisions that time, i.e. she won't concede and run as Obama's running mate YET. In a speech to supporters in New York, Hillary Clinton said it had been “an honor to contest these primaries with him” and declared that she was “committed to uniting our party so we move forward stronger and more ready than ever to take back the White House this November.” Guess this means she'll eventually be Obama's vice presidential candidate =)