Olay + DFA’s “Show me the Money” + Imee’s Birthday


My bad, I was supposed to blog about the Olay Event, but my photos are on my other computer. So I need to re-import them or send them over this computer (I will need the professional services of DH for this hehe). Or I could “borrow” Daphne’s photos hehe. Ok I’ll just lift photos from her album and credit her for em 😀 I also want to congratulate Daph for being the Olay Ambassador. She wore Joey Samson for the night and was sooo glamorous!!! Anyway, Olay came out with their new and improved Total Effects 7 which includes 7 professional anti- ageing treatments– all in one bottle. I’ve been an Olay user since Daphne introduced the brand to me. I haven’t really looked back ever since. It’s a great moisturizer for my skin. *Whoa I feel like the star of some cheesy midnight infomercial haha*

Anyway, Daph, along with the other Olay ambassadors, were asked to invite a friend to take the Olay challenge, and I was Daph’s pick 😀 *yay!! I felt like I won the lottery right there haha* I was asked to undergo a free professional anti-ageing facial treatment specially formulated by Dr. Jade of Health Matters. It was a fun experience– a facial spa if you will (haha did I mention it was free? hellooooo Mrs.T= freeloader *snicker*) I’ve been to my dermatologist almost religiously and have realized the importance of keeping my skin free from acne and small pimples, so I became a candidate for this treatment by Dr. Jade 😀 Don’t ask me the technicalities of the facial spa, but I do know that collagen was included– topically applied *nothing invasive*. My skin felt soooo good and so smooth afterwards. I was thinking that I was already loving this treatment and would probably come back for it if I win the lottery *err… if I even get myself to buy a lottery ticket haha*. Anyway, the Olay team basically documented (video) my treatments. After the treatment, I was supposed to answer questions which pertained to the anti-ageing facial treatment that I had just undergone. They compared this treatment to that of Olay Total Effects 7. It was actually a pretty interesting experience. And daunting– because I was interviewed without any prepping of what questions were going to be asked. Yes, it was an impromptu Q&A– documented!! I pretty much clammed up haha *as expected*.

On the Olay event itself, an affair held at the Rigodon of the Peninsula which was well attended, they showed the video clips, and pitted that against Daphne, who was using Olay the whole time *of course she wins– she does have fantastic skin!!!* . It was a pretty cool little video remembrance– one that I’m sure my kids would be embarrassed to watch coz Mommy made a complete fool of herself hahaha* Ok, so there was my real 2 minutes of fame right there *muwahaha pathetic!!*. (all Olay event photos taken from DaphneP‘s photo album– thanks D! :D)

Anyway, oh my Gawd, gossip time *it’s gossip about me! hahaha*. So I arrived at the Olay event, and I temporarily “parked” myself next to a baghag friend of mine, who happened to sit next to this middle-aged lady (I’m sorry but I don’t know how else to describe her. You already all know how inarticulate I am when it comes to descriptions). I was introduced to her by my friend, who introduced me as a “journalist” who writes about bags. Anyway after about 5 minutes of chatting with my friend, this middle-aged woman haughtily told me that the table I was in, is “not the press table.” Anyway, she continued rather rudely to state that my seat was supposed to be reserved for her friend, who would be livid if she found out her seat was taken. It turns out later, that this woman she referred to– the one whose seat I supposedly sat on, was the nicest woman ever, even asking me back into the table, to which I graciously and politely declined. I was already settled in the next table, in the presence of real beauty– Gloria Diaz and her lovely daughter Isabelle Diaz as well as the magazine biggies… haha ok so I reckon I was seated in the “press table” (Mel from Metro Mag, Jane from K Mag, Sari from Lifestyle Asia). Meanwhile my friend was wishing she had moved to our table– she had to sit next to that rude lady (who turned out to be a member of the press– a more *ahem* “senior” one hahaha…. I guess that night she wasn’t press, but was “society”! Aw crap so much for my social climbing skills– I couldn’t even get to her hahaha!) I had to tell this story because it was too much of a misadventure not to share. I can’t imagine how some people can still be so rude. (Or maybe she was already jaded, or having a bad day, but no matter– no reason to be rude). I love a little humility here and now because I get to tell you hags about it 🙂 *The Misadventures of the baghag :D* But hmm… I should actually be flattered that she categorized me as a member of the “press” because I’m not really part of the “press” in the first place hahaha. Wait. You mean I am a legit “journalist”?! *Scratches head* Hehe… 😀

Oh and here’s the silver lining. Taking abuse from someone may not be good, but taking loot home from Olay? Yes please!!Open the box and you have THIS!!! Thanks to Annie, Anna and the rest of the Olay team (P&G peeps), I won’t worry about my Olay supply 😀

Here we were at the end of the night, taking photos 🙂L-R: LizaIlarde-Cuenca of TravelLife (with a Prada), MelCuevas of Metro (with a Balenciaga), Olay ambassador and model DaphnePaez, Mrs.T (with Fabio and Fabiola– forgot to tell you, Fabio acquired a girlfriend last November 1 haha), JaneKingsu of Kris Mag, and Anna of P&G.

Ok. Now let’s move onto my new DFA story. Yes, I went back to DFA today. Today was the day I was supposed to pick up my new passport– the machine readable one. The pickup time was anywhere from 1pm to 4pm, so I decided to arrive much earlier this time– I was there by 12 noon. Natch I knew there would be a line. But no I didn’t think that there would be that many people. Well wrong again. There was a LOT of people waiting already. Eeps. I would wait for my passport without grumbling this time. After all, I was already on the homestretch, right? No point in bitching and moaning about a long line yadda yadda. At around 1pm, we were told via megaphone by a security personnel that the passports which were originally scheduled for release today, November 12, would “PROBABLY NOT BE AVAILABLE FOR PICKUP”. Why? Because their “Machine was broken and there was a delay. But there are some passports that got issued. So we might as well take our chances.” Great. In the very words of my friend Patrick Uy in regards to delays like this, “What do you expect, island time!” Lovely. But we’re no technologically backward country. We are “improving” already– having insinuated that our country is still technologically backward would negate the whole purpose of issuing machine readable passports. Oh crud, this is real fabulous *NOT*! We have friggin’ substandard pieces of junk that issue our passports. There is no backup. Hence the backlog. And there I was, having arrived early enough because I had “worked” so hard to earn my new passport, even though I was seriously not looking forward to staring at my passport photo because I looked like I had hepatitis. The area around my eyes were sooo yellow that a taxicab’s yellow paint pales in comparison. Oh yeah– the best part *not* was, I could not longer retake that photo because do remember that I only had Php 1,000 in my wallet at that time *ugh I cringe at how pathetic I was that day hahaha*. My passport fee was Php 750 (I had opted for the 7 day expedited processing… which is completely pointless now). Then the passport photo there at the site was Php 150. Obviously I could not afford a retake. Worse is, I didn’t bring my face powder with me– at least I could’ve evened out my skin tones with it if I did have it, before having taken that photo. Tsk. Nasty. Anyway that’s the only time I laughed. After the personnel mentioned that there’s that chance that some passports would’ve been issued, I decided to wait it out. Again. There I was in one corner waiting it out with another lady who was harping about having come all the way from Batangas just to get her passport. (Batangas is what, a good 2 hours away by car?). I realized one thing in the process. If I had paid Php 250 extra for expediting the processing and others did too, are we getting a refund? Because I think we deserve a refund. The poor woman had to commute all the way to Manila to get the passport and she is probably leaving empty handed! I began to get real upset. Another woman was harping about how the DFA peeps “couldn’t” tell her what’s really going on with her application. She applied during the transition period– from regular passport to the machine readable type. And guess what, she applied since last SEPTEMBER! Umm hello, it’s already November… And still NO passport. The system is already so ridiculous, I said. Then my name got called. I thought, oh! I got my passport? Was I THAT lucky?
When I approached the window, I was given a “love letter” which was then stapled onto my claim slip.
Ok now I was royally upset, so much so that I actually crumpled that love letter. “We regret to inform you that your passport which is scheduled to be released [sic] today Monday 12 November 2007 will instead be released in the afternoon of Wednesday 14 November 2007 in view of technical difficulties we are encountering in the printing and personalization of the machine readable passport. We seek your kind understanding and we wish to apologize for whatever inconvenience the delay in the release of your passport may have caused. Passport Division” Oh and get this, the other people who were there today, were picking up their passports which were supposed to have been released last November 9.

*Screeeeaaam!!!!* I had wasted 2 hours for nothing. I’m all the more pissed because the lady whom I was with, didn’t get hers either. And there might be no refund for the extra fee we paid. Ok… I did mental calculations. If there were 50 of us (out of 250++) who paid the extra Php 250, where would that fee go if we weren’t refunded the amount? That’s a good Php 12,500 too! Hmmm… Bah. I have one extra day to brood over this *hahaha obviously I have a lotta time on my hands to concoct ideas on where the unrefunded money will go*. Meanwhile feel free to tell me where YOU think the money will go. *Muwahahaha methinks it will go to the mechanic who will fix that crappy machine hahaha*

Apres the depressing day at DFA, I passed by Rockwell to get some things at the bookstore. I also passed by Matisse and saw these lovely bags. They’re by this Vietnamese brand, Ipanima. Relatively inexpensive for a well- made bag. The bags start at Php 6,000++. Check it out. Matisse is at the ground level of The Rockwell Power Plant Mall (across Tyler/ Beauty Bar).

Sigh… It’s been a loooong day, but thankfully it still ended on a rather high note despite that DFA downer (ugh I will hafta go back again in 2 days!!! The passport better be there or else I’ll seriously start an uprising there hahaha…. Helllooo Passport revolution!). I’m full from a wonderful dinner thrown for Imee Marcos. *woohoo thebaghag social climbs yet again!* It was her birthday and we joined her and her family (complete too!) and friends for dinner at Cafe Juanita. The food and the place was lovely. It’s got that boho feel to it– kinda like a clean, air- conditioned Segunda Mano (second hand/ vintage shop). I didn’t get to take photos of the food but I will definitely be going back. For those who are interested in Cafe Juanita, it’s located at #2 United Street Corner West Capitol Drive, Barangay Kapitolyo, Pasig City. (From Makati, turn into Robinsons Pioneer, then turn right to Pioneer Street. Go straight til you hit Jollibee, where you will turn right. That’s United Street already. The restaurant is on the left).

P.S. To the anonymous comment poster: I totally agree with you. I read about the suicide story of that little girl who just decided to end her life out of frustration from her impoverished life. I was reduced to tears. I cannot imagine the pain she went through and the feeling of hopelessness that she had. Thank you for suggesting donations and help to people like her. A few days ago, my friends and I were already planning to donate to the PGH (Philippine General Hospital) children’s ward for Christmas. If there are other children’s charities that have not been helped much, please do let me know about them. We really do want to help, especially the children. They’re the most innocent victims of poverty. That story was really quite an eye opener for me too. Here we are, harping about how other people have it good because they are rich and can afford to drop cash without even blinking, and we often neglect to think that we are already lucky, that there are people out there who have it so hard. (My DFA experience made all that so real. You should try getting your passport the way I did and you will feel what most people feel– the hardship, the suffering, but they rise above it all still and continue to have hope). We must never take our lives for granted. We must never compare ourselves to those who have it better. Because the grass will always be greener on the other side.

xx
Mrs.T

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  1. Hola from Madrid! I have been an avid lurker from your blog and I have decided its time for a comment. You have a great sense of humor and you made it seem like waiting so long was no big deal at the passport place because you made friends. I went to the Philippines in the past to visit some old relatives and my there is no traffic rule or regulation there. I certainly am sympatico to your situation and I would have been rude already at the government office. Its interesting to note that you had made opposing mention of a rude lady at a party you attended and how you had despite your anger kept your composure at that institution when that was right in itself for you to become rude. Good on you.This is a commendable post like your other one. There should be more people like you who treat people right.

  2. Hey Missy, I agree with you……. grass is always greener on the other side…. you made me realize how lucky I am today…. Thank you….

  3. Kindof funny you lumping your DFA story, postscript on poverty and the Marcos family altogether. I know you hate politics but I just had to point out a very interesting contrast in your writing. Nothing more and no malice intended =)

  4. I love Miss Daphne’s gown. She is so beautiful! Was Ms Gretchen there at Olay too? She is also Olay model if I’m right!

  5. ok, so DFA may not have heard of redundant infrastructure however, don’t they have the contact numbers of each applicant? maybe they can contact people so they will not have to waste a trip to the DFA. if the Nov. 9 releases were done on the 12th and so on…ok, maybe they SHOULD invest in a disaster recovery set-up so in case something happens to the production system, it would be business as usual. Yes, it will entail some cost but shouldn’t we invest in technology to make things better in our country?

  6. psst you are insane but commendable for how you handled that whole dfa thing. i would have lost my patience a lot earlier than you. but i’m not surprised either.

    i just wanted to add to what s.bocobo said. i know you very well and i know for a fact that you are one kind person. you are kind to everyone. as in everyone. from vips to your staff to drivers and maids. i always tell you, you mom and dad raised you well. so just ignore those people who are rude and pick on you.

    dop

  7. Dear Mrs. T,

    I know my comment is super late, but would like to ask how long you waited for your new passport? Diba for expedited applications, it’s only 7 days? How long did the “7” days extend to? Am going to apply for a renewal soon, and I’m trying to decide whether to go and brave the long lines for the expedited process (if the long lines and long wait are worth the trouble for the supposed expedited process) or just go for the pick-up service (supposedly no long lines, just looooong wait). Thanks in advance! 🙂

    S

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