1) while i was on my way out of the mrt station early this evening, a girl collapsed. while her 2 companions were dragging her to a chair, curious bystanders were already closing in, taking a look. i went to the ticket counter and told the attendant to send their medical or first aid team and she told me that their first aid people were on the other counter. what the ****! so my voice went 1 notch higher and fortunately, the attendant got back to her senses and sent the guard with the first aid kit. didnt know what happened after that.
2) im trying to make my written report for 204. as expected, ive only done 4 sentences. di bale, pinapalakpakan naman yung video ko =). my classmates might have sensed the sleepless nights that i've spent for that simple video. we might have really impressed yuzon because he was generous with compliments after our report. even told us to present it to congress. naks! syempre joke time lang yun.
3) sezy dezy's buying a laptop. huwat? necessity? sige na nga
4) ate's curious about my last entry. haha jusko, basahin ang paunang salita. that was written 2 years ago.
5) im loving my new phone and the simple joys that it brings. radyo sa opisina at boses ni yoda.
6) yey! maayos na ulit ang tv namin. im now updated with whats happening around me. the newest season of beauty and the geek is starting. jovito salonga is resigning from rhosig (if rhosig is found liable in the death of chris mendez). malapit nang matapos ang deal or no deal. the father of dindin palma went to nbi to formally ask for their help in investigating the case.
7) mag-isa ako umuuwi ngayon. my constant pauwi-mates are in plc.
8) why did we ever push for that exit interview program? we're now officially flooded with interviews. hay....good thing good looking people are resigning every now and then =)
9) high school is really fun. no matter which school you went to. the experiences are almost the same.
10) christmas is getting near. im excited to see christmas lights and hear christmas songs once again. hmmm...ano kaya magandang panregalo?
11) hindi ko na nakikita si beatles crush :(
12) on a serious note, chris mendez was such a huge loss. i just finished watching "probe" and one segment featured his death. more than the things that marvic leonen was saying, i was more concerned with his mother and his brother. probe interviewed his brother and he was recounting the pain seeing chris' swollen arms and bruised body. i could feel his mother's grief. the weeping during the funeral was really hearthwrenching. sayang. another soul lost from such senseless death. another shattered dream. sayang. kahit mukhang suntok sa buwan, sana man lang magkaroon ng hustisya sa pagkamatay nya.
Wednesday, September 05, 2007
Wednesday, August 08, 2007
two years ago...
this is exactly how i feel. :p now, i could only smile at the thought
"I am a masochist. I hunger for pain. I inflict pain in my heart hoping that this could either heal me or at least numb me.
After more than a year of being apart, I have not totally healed. Im still hurting. I know that we could not be together and if given the chance that I will be forced to choose to be with him or not, I think I will choose not being with him. But why am I still hurting.
Iam hurting because i have not totally let go. I am hurting because I am still bitter. I am hurting because there was no closure. I am hurting because we ended up in a standstill. I am hurting because everything seemed so vague and it ended up abruptly. I am hurting because I misread him. I am hurting because there were no apologies. I am hurting because there were no explanations. I am hurting because he seems to be happy with her while I m here all by myself. I am hurting because I thought that he cares for me and would be sensitive of my feelings but it seems like he is not. But more than anything, I am hurting because I was wrong about him. "
"I am a masochist. I hunger for pain. I inflict pain in my heart hoping that this could either heal me or at least numb me.
After more than a year of being apart, I have not totally healed. Im still hurting. I know that we could not be together and if given the chance that I will be forced to choose to be with him or not, I think I will choose not being with him. But why am I still hurting.
Iam hurting because i have not totally let go. I am hurting because I am still bitter. I am hurting because there was no closure. I am hurting because we ended up in a standstill. I am hurting because everything seemed so vague and it ended up abruptly. I am hurting because I misread him. I am hurting because there were no apologies. I am hurting because there were no explanations. I am hurting because he seems to be happy with her while I m here all by myself. I am hurting because I thought that he cares for me and would be sensitive of my feelings but it seems like he is not. But more than anything, I am hurting because I was wrong about him. "
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
all is well
its over. finally, im done. i just finished reading book 7. fine! i wont write anything about the story so as not to spoil the excitement of those who are still reading it.yeah, its a good book. harry's saga had a good ending. but the epilogue was too good that it bordered to 'cornballism'
reading the last book was really quite an experience. its not for the frailhearted. ok, i might be exaggerating but, hey thats how it was for me. i was into tears after reading just a few chapters. the 'escape' to the burrow was really a page-turner, and so was every part of their journey. i think that the start of the battle at hogwarts was a bit funny though. well...
finally, its over. all is well.
harry potter fans, no more book launching to look forward to. no more anticipation. gone were the days when we would ask about reservations at national or powerbooks or fully booked. we all have the complete set now, nesting in our bookshelves waiting to be summoned again. accio, book 1!
------------------------
its also over. after 5 long years, my phone, together with my sim, finally gave up. just like my hypothesis about harry and voldemort, the 2 tried to outlast each other. but here, both gave up. so im back to my pre-cellphone days. i dont know when would i buy a new one but im sure not in the next few days. it actually feels quite good not to have a phone =) no distractions
Wednesday, July 18, 2007
despedida
huuyy, picture daw. tingnan nyo, si pinky tsaka si mau lang nakatingin.
o ayan, may energy na sina dangs at nanie. kaya lang etong kamay ni mau, panira.
o eto na talaga
eto ang despedida ni pinkee aka blue aka mara *wink wink* evil grin*
hulaan nyo kung anong paboritong kulay nya.
see you around pinks!
Tuesday, July 10, 2007
Wednesday, July 04, 2007
sabado sa cubao
we had our surprise party for dez last saturday and im glad the gang was complete. we had dinner at bellini's where olie took nice shots and coffee at gj where he took more nice shots. we had our usual 'presentation of gifts' and laughed our hearts out at the special gift from the 3. artistic abilities were put to test with the scrapbook making contest which, of course, lala aced. we stayed there until the crew told us that they were about to close.
after a looooong prodding, lala finally agreed to take us to pasig where we drank and talked till morning. peer pressure worked for kim that time so we had free breakfast at jollibee. but it was only 530 in the morning and breakfast wont be served until 6. nice! so we waited again and after some time, we finally had breakfast.
it was a nice way to spend the weekend. after about a year or 2, we were again complete. and we had nice photos to remind us about the fun that night =)
tinedyer
may crush ako ngayon. noong lunes, nakasabay ko sya sa fx at magkatabi kami sa likod. kaya lang, ginawa nya akong tigapaypay. hmpf! kakainis kasi si mamang drayber, hindi inaayos ang sasakyan kaya ayan tuloy, ang hina ng aircon sa likod. magmula yata cubao hanggang makati, hindi ako tumigil sa kakapaypag.
anyway, mabalik tayo kay crush. hindi sya gwapo. hindi ka magsesecond look dahil sa mukha nya kundi dahil sa get-up nya. laging naka-jeans at naka-rubber shoes. hindi sneakers ha, yung rubber shoes na mukhang pangbadminton. tapos madalas na naka-batik na shirt at naka-backpack. tapos naka-earphones. ironically, ayoko kay jake cuenca pero narealize ko kamukha pala nya. argh!
una ko syang napansin nung makatabi ko sya sa sasakyan. pagkatapos yun noon ng UAAP championship between ateneo at ust. may hawak kasi syang inquirer na nakabandera sa sports section ang pagkapanalo ng ust. sabi ko sa isip ko, uy nagbabasa sya ng dyaryo. medyo maayos ang suot nya noon, jeans at shirt na may collar. tapos napansin ko ang buhok nya, buhok beatles. sabi ko, hmmm kakaiba. kasi sa pila, ang mga lalaki, nakaMakati get-up: plantsadong pantalon, plantsadong long sleeves at makintab na leather shoes. eh syempre ako, i have an eye for people who dare to be different.
tapos ayon, lagi ko syang nakakasabay sa pila pag medyo late na ako. pero lately, maaga na ako pumapasok kaya hindi ko na sya nakikita. kaya natuwa ako noong lunes. hindi ko nga napansin na nasa likod ko pala sya. nakita ko na lang sya noong pasakay na ako at sya ang kasunod ko. hay, kilig! gusto ko tuloy kumanta ng...
love, love, love
there's nothing you cant do that cant be done
nothing you cant sing that cant be sung
nothing that you cant say but you cant learn how to play the game
its easy........
all you need is love
all you need is love
anyway, mabalik tayo kay crush. hindi sya gwapo. hindi ka magsesecond look dahil sa mukha nya kundi dahil sa get-up nya. laging naka-jeans at naka-rubber shoes. hindi sneakers ha, yung rubber shoes na mukhang pangbadminton. tapos madalas na naka-batik na shirt at naka-backpack. tapos naka-earphones. ironically, ayoko kay jake cuenca pero narealize ko kamukha pala nya. argh!
una ko syang napansin nung makatabi ko sya sa sasakyan. pagkatapos yun noon ng UAAP championship between ateneo at ust. may hawak kasi syang inquirer na nakabandera sa sports section ang pagkapanalo ng ust. sabi ko sa isip ko, uy nagbabasa sya ng dyaryo. medyo maayos ang suot nya noon, jeans at shirt na may collar. tapos napansin ko ang buhok nya, buhok beatles. sabi ko, hmmm kakaiba. kasi sa pila, ang mga lalaki, nakaMakati get-up: plantsadong pantalon, plantsadong long sleeves at makintab na leather shoes. eh syempre ako, i have an eye for people who dare to be different.
tapos ayon, lagi ko syang nakakasabay sa pila pag medyo late na ako. pero lately, maaga na ako pumapasok kaya hindi ko na sya nakikita. kaya natuwa ako noong lunes. hindi ko nga napansin na nasa likod ko pala sya. nakita ko na lang sya noong pasakay na ako at sya ang kasunod ko. hay, kilig! gusto ko tuloy kumanta ng...
love, love, love
there's nothing you cant do that cant be done
nothing you cant sing that cant be sung
nothing that you cant say but you cant learn how to play the game
its easy........
all you need is love
all you need is love
minsan...
aalis na si blue. magreresign na din si green guru. si henyo gustong lumipat. si kulot naman, nasa puso talaga ang paglipad. si kanang-kamay, naiisip na din ang pag-alis. sa tingin ko, pati sina prinsesa at pintasera din. sabi ni dory, nalulungkot siya kasi paunti-unti nang lumiliit ang kulto. ako man nalulungkot.
naaalala ko ang mga panahng pinag-uusapan lang namin sa hapag-kainan ng j5 ang pag-alis. at bago pa man namin mamalayan,isa-isa na naming tinahak ang landas upang harapin ang mga panibagong hamon ng aming kanya-kanyang buhay.
sabi ko nga kay dory, ganoon siguro talaga paglipas ng panahon. hindi maiiwasan ang pagbabago na minsan ang kaakibat ay pagsasarili ng mga magkakaibigan.
kasabay ng paglawak ng ating mundo ang pagbuo ng mga bagong samahang magiging bagong kaagapay sa pagtahak sa buhay. at ang magiging batayan nga ng magandang samahan ay ang kakayahang mapanatili ang ugnayan. totoo nga, ang mahalaga ay hindi ang patutunguhan kundi ang mga karanasan at ang mga kaibigang nakasama sa paglalakbay.
ngunit ngayon, kay bilis maglaho ng kahapon
sanay's huwag kalimutan ang ating mga pinagsamahan
at kung sakaling gipitin ay laging iisipin
na minsan tayo ay naging
tunay na magkaibigan
---minsan, eraserheads
naaalala ko ang mga panahng pinag-uusapan lang namin sa hapag-kainan ng j5 ang pag-alis. at bago pa man namin mamalayan,isa-isa na naming tinahak ang landas upang harapin ang mga panibagong hamon ng aming kanya-kanyang buhay.
sabi ko nga kay dory, ganoon siguro talaga paglipas ng panahon. hindi maiiwasan ang pagbabago na minsan ang kaakibat ay pagsasarili ng mga magkakaibigan.
kasabay ng paglawak ng ating mundo ang pagbuo ng mga bagong samahang magiging bagong kaagapay sa pagtahak sa buhay. at ang magiging batayan nga ng magandang samahan ay ang kakayahang mapanatili ang ugnayan. totoo nga, ang mahalaga ay hindi ang patutunguhan kundi ang mga karanasan at ang mga kaibigang nakasama sa paglalakbay.
ngunit ngayon, kay bilis maglaho ng kahapon
sanay's huwag kalimutan ang ating mga pinagsamahan
at kung sakaling gipitin ay laging iisipin
na minsan tayo ay naging
tunay na magkaibigan
---minsan, eraserheads
Thursday, June 28, 2007
si che
nagsimula ang lahat sa yahoogroups ng klase namin.
meron akong isang kaklase, humihingi ng syllabus sa prof namin. at ang pangalan nya, che guevara. hi klasmeyt!
una kong naisip. astig ah! rebolusyonaryo ba ang mga magulang nito at since guevarra ang apelyido nila, ginawa na nilang che ang first name ng anak nila or is it just pure coincidence?
anyway, inacknowledge syempre ng prof ko ang pagkarebolusyonaryo ng pangalan nya and he said he's happy to have a revolutionary in the class and was asking which among che's ideas he likes most?
unfortunately, hindi nya kilala si che =(
so may isang myembro ng grupo (mula sa dating klase ni sir) who was kind enough to share some info about che. at syempre what can i share, eh di pop info hehe ang pelikula ni gael garcia bernal na motorcycle diaries. :p
at ngayon lang, sabi ni klasmeyt, mukhang magpapalit na sya ng email kasi kinikilabutan na sya kapag naririnig na nya ang pangalang che guevarra.
klasmeyt wag! pero panindigan mo paggamit mo sa pangalan nya haha (just kidding)
============
grabe kapitalismo no? igigisa ka sa sarili mong mantika. naforesee kaya nina mao at che na gagamitin ang mga mukha at imahe nila hindi sa paraang gusto nila kundi sa paraang gusto ng mga nilalabanan nila? inakala kaya nilang makikilala ng mga ordinaryong kabataan ngayon ang mga imaheng ito bilang mga mukha lamang sa tshirt?
hay....
(ang mga imaheng ito ay mula sa internet)
meron akong isang kaklase, humihingi ng syllabus sa prof namin. at ang pangalan nya, che guevara. hi klasmeyt!
una kong naisip. astig ah! rebolusyonaryo ba ang mga magulang nito at since guevarra ang apelyido nila, ginawa na nilang che ang first name ng anak nila or is it just pure coincidence?
anyway, inacknowledge syempre ng prof ko ang pagkarebolusyonaryo ng pangalan nya and he said he's happy to have a revolutionary in the class and was asking which among che's ideas he likes most?
unfortunately, hindi nya kilala si che =(
so may isang myembro ng grupo (mula sa dating klase ni sir) who was kind enough to share some info about che. at syempre what can i share, eh di pop info hehe ang pelikula ni gael garcia bernal na motorcycle diaries. :p
at ngayon lang, sabi ni klasmeyt, mukhang magpapalit na sya ng email kasi kinikilabutan na sya kapag naririnig na nya ang pangalang che guevarra.
klasmeyt wag! pero panindigan mo paggamit mo sa pangalan nya haha (just kidding)
============
grabe kapitalismo no? igigisa ka sa sarili mong mantika. naforesee kaya nina mao at che na gagamitin ang mga mukha at imahe nila hindi sa paraang gusto nila kundi sa paraang gusto ng mga nilalabanan nila? inakala kaya nilang makikilala ng mga ordinaryong kabataan ngayon ang mga imaheng ito bilang mga mukha lamang sa tshirt?
hay....
(ang mga imaheng ito ay mula sa internet)
writer's block
hindi ako makapagsulat ng maayos lately. bat kaya?
ok fine, makapal lang talaga ang mukha ko. feeling ko writer ako and im having that writer's block. yeah right, as if naman ang galing kong magsulat before eh, no?
pero dati naman nakakapagsulat ako ng [feeling ko] maayos ah. tapos dati kahit ordinaryong pangyayari lang sa buhay ko, nakukwento ko ng maayos. hanggang sa pinakamaliit na detalye ha. natutunan ko to sa 199.1 eh. thick description baga. kaya na-appreciate ko ang ginawa namin sa paper namin kay aquino. ikwento mo ba naman ang mga pangyayari sa edsa dos. at hindi lang basta kwento ha, dapat mailarawan mo din kung anong nafifeel mo sa oras na yun, kumusta ang environment, ano nangyayari sa paligid habang nakikipag-usap ka sa kaibigan mo, at marami pang iba. eh ilang araw yun di ba? so ayun, kaya kung magkwento ako [noon], hay maiimagine mo kung ano talaga nangyayari. pero ngayon, huhu...
ay, isang hypotheses ko nga pala. pumupurol na ang memory ko. di ba sabi nga nila pag hindi mo laging ginagamit ang utak mo, pumupurol ito? feeling ko nangyayari sa akin ngayon ang epekto nito.
argh, feeling ko nadevelop ko to sa dati kong trabaho (gosh, blamestorming, thanks vhang hehe). pero feeling ko talaga kasi pag naiiinis ako dati sa mga taong tanong ng tanong, ang sagot ko hindi ko alam. kung may kausap akong hindi ko gusto, i would pretend na hindi ko alam ang itatanong nya. magaling akong magtanga-tangahan. eh syempre di ba, to cut the inquiry and the conversation, eh di magkunwari ka na lang na hindi mo alam. hanggang yun nasanay na ako sa kaka-"hindi ko alam", madalas tinatamad na ako mag-isip kaya eto tuloy, wala na ako maisip. hay...bad karma. haha
hopefully, tumalas ulit ang aking memory at utak in general sa aking pagbabalik-eskwela. i welcome all those cerebrally-stimulating activities. go, pasulatin nyo ako, paisipin nyo ako ng malalim, tanungin nyo ko ng mga bagay na pag-iisipan ko talaga. yung tipong hindi ka makakatulog pag hindi mo maisip ang sagot. or yung 1 linggo mong pag-iisipan kung papaniwalaan mo ba sya o hindi. invoke the spirits! ay mali, ano na sinasabi ko.
eh paano na yan, ngayon pa lang disillusioned na ako sa solair. hay pero sabi ko nga, 2 saturdays pa lang ako pumapasok. let's see...
ok fine, makapal lang talaga ang mukha ko. feeling ko writer ako and im having that writer's block. yeah right, as if naman ang galing kong magsulat before eh, no?
pero dati naman nakakapagsulat ako ng [feeling ko] maayos ah. tapos dati kahit ordinaryong pangyayari lang sa buhay ko, nakukwento ko ng maayos. hanggang sa pinakamaliit na detalye ha. natutunan ko to sa 199.1 eh. thick description baga. kaya na-appreciate ko ang ginawa namin sa paper namin kay aquino. ikwento mo ba naman ang mga pangyayari sa edsa dos. at hindi lang basta kwento ha, dapat mailarawan mo din kung anong nafifeel mo sa oras na yun, kumusta ang environment, ano nangyayari sa paligid habang nakikipag-usap ka sa kaibigan mo, at marami pang iba. eh ilang araw yun di ba? so ayun, kaya kung magkwento ako [noon], hay maiimagine mo kung ano talaga nangyayari. pero ngayon, huhu...
ay, isang hypotheses ko nga pala. pumupurol na ang memory ko. di ba sabi nga nila pag hindi mo laging ginagamit ang utak mo, pumupurol ito? feeling ko nangyayari sa akin ngayon ang epekto nito.
argh, feeling ko nadevelop ko to sa dati kong trabaho (gosh, blamestorming, thanks vhang hehe). pero feeling ko talaga kasi pag naiiinis ako dati sa mga taong tanong ng tanong, ang sagot ko hindi ko alam. kung may kausap akong hindi ko gusto, i would pretend na hindi ko alam ang itatanong nya. magaling akong magtanga-tangahan. eh syempre di ba, to cut the inquiry and the conversation, eh di magkunwari ka na lang na hindi mo alam. hanggang yun nasanay na ako sa kaka-"hindi ko alam", madalas tinatamad na ako mag-isip kaya eto tuloy, wala na ako maisip. hay...bad karma. haha
hopefully, tumalas ulit ang aking memory at utak in general sa aking pagbabalik-eskwela. i welcome all those cerebrally-stimulating activities. go, pasulatin nyo ako, paisipin nyo ako ng malalim, tanungin nyo ko ng mga bagay na pag-iisipan ko talaga. yung tipong hindi ka makakatulog pag hindi mo maisip ang sagot. or yung 1 linggo mong pag-iisipan kung papaniwalaan mo ba sya o hindi. invoke the spirits! ay mali, ano na sinasabi ko.
eh paano na yan, ngayon pa lang disillusioned na ako sa solair. hay pero sabi ko nga, 2 saturdays pa lang ako pumapasok. let's see...
Monday, June 25, 2007
a different kind of break
I’ve been attending classes for 2 weeks now and I could say that it’s a refreshing way of spending my Saturdays. The first Saturday was nice, despite the heat due to a sudden current interruption. Expectations were set and Im excited with writing papers again. But the second Saturday was disappointing, from classmates who ask non-related questions just for the sake of reciting to lecture notes that look like they were just ripped from the internet, Im starting to think that my undergraduate classes were more profound. Im hoping that in the next few Saturdays, the lectures and class discussions would turn out...better.
===================
me and my friends from work went to the beach last sunday to have our huling hirit sa tag-ulan aka SOAP girls annual outing (ako pinakabagong myembro) aka ina's pre-birthday celebration aka pakikipamista sa san juan.
it was a welcome treat from the piling stress at work. everything went fine except for the hellish traffic flow and the dizzying traffic instructions from people in san juan (tama ba?).
and aside from swimming, what do you usually do when you go to the beach?
.......pig out and take a lot of pictures!!!!!
the unbearable lightness of being
this is the layp!
===================
me and my friends from work went to the beach last sunday to have our huling hirit sa tag-ulan aka SOAP girls annual outing (ako pinakabagong myembro) aka ina's pre-birthday celebration aka pakikipamista sa san juan.
it was a welcome treat from the piling stress at work. everything went fine except for the hellish traffic flow and the dizzying traffic instructions from people in san juan (tama ba?).
and aside from swimming, what do you usually do when you go to the beach?
.......pig out and take a lot of pictures!!!!!
the unbearable lightness of being
this is the layp!
Sunday, June 03, 2007
online quiz
its time for those online quizzes once again =)
one of my friends from work was asking me if i believe in dreams because she was having repeated dreams about something and she's afraid that it might one day happen. i said that in my case, my dreams are most of the time the opposite of what happens so im not really the type who would allow dreams to affect my life. but i think that dreams are interesting so i took a dream test to find out what my dreams mean. and according to the 41-item questionnaire:
You're a Mastery!
The Dream Interpretation Test
Brought to you by Tickle
You're dreaming about maximizing opportunities and achieving well-deserved success. This means that in some area of your waking life, you are adequately prepared and things are working out just the way you want.
uy talaga? feeling ko hindi masyado
one of my friends from work was asking me if i believe in dreams because she was having repeated dreams about something and she's afraid that it might one day happen. i said that in my case, my dreams are most of the time the opposite of what happens so im not really the type who would allow dreams to affect my life. but i think that dreams are interesting so i took a dream test to find out what my dreams mean. and according to the 41-item questionnaire:
You're a Mastery!
The Dream Interpretation Test
Brought to you by Tickle
You're dreaming about maximizing opportunities and achieving well-deserved success. This means that in some area of your waking life, you are adequately prepared and things are working out just the way you want.
uy talaga? feeling ko hindi masyado
Monday, May 28, 2007
world wide web
i got this from ala paredes. google-ing one's name =)
and no, its not about narcissism, its more of plain curiosity. its just a matter of wanting to know if i exist in the world wide web.
and so i typed in, lxxx xxxx pxxxxxxx. result: 2 hits haha sige na nga. courtesy of j5 days pa yan ha.
fast forward to 2007. sa kabilang bahagi ng mundo, may tao din palang gumagawa nito.
he types in: pasaraba. his motivation? he wants to connect to his relatives in the far east.
you see, our surname is a unique one. kokonti lang ang may ganitong apelyido sa buong mundo. kaya kung sinuman ang lumabas sa net na kaapelyido ko, malamang iisa ang pinanggalingan namin.
thats why my family was really thrilled when we got a mail from my cousin whom ive never seen since birth. the family moved to the states when they were still kids. the parents come home once in a while but they (the kids) never had the chance to come back and visit.
eerr..there was one time pala when he almost met my older siblings. his ship docked in subic but too bad, they didnt get the schedule right. so sorry na lang.
i worked in the armed forces for 3 years. yearly, we participate in bilateral wargaming exercises with US troops. pero sorry pa rin, hindi kami nagkita.
buti na lang may friendster, na sa tingin ko ay parang NSO sa lawak ng database. lahat yata ng tao may record dito.
anyway, im really happy for the gift of the internet and friendster. brings long lost relatives together.
and no, its not about narcissism, its more of plain curiosity. its just a matter of wanting to know if i exist in the world wide web.
and so i typed in, lxxx xxxx pxxxxxxx. result: 2 hits haha sige na nga. courtesy of j5 days pa yan ha.
fast forward to 2007. sa kabilang bahagi ng mundo, may tao din palang gumagawa nito.
he types in: pasaraba. his motivation? he wants to connect to his relatives in the far east.
you see, our surname is a unique one. kokonti lang ang may ganitong apelyido sa buong mundo. kaya kung sinuman ang lumabas sa net na kaapelyido ko, malamang iisa ang pinanggalingan namin.
thats why my family was really thrilled when we got a mail from my cousin whom ive never seen since birth. the family moved to the states when they were still kids. the parents come home once in a while but they (the kids) never had the chance to come back and visit.
eerr..there was one time pala when he almost met my older siblings. his ship docked in subic but too bad, they didnt get the schedule right. so sorry na lang.
i worked in the armed forces for 3 years. yearly, we participate in bilateral wargaming exercises with US troops. pero sorry pa rin, hindi kami nagkita.
buti na lang may friendster, na sa tingin ko ay parang NSO sa lawak ng database. lahat yata ng tao may record dito.
anyway, im really happy for the gift of the internet and friendster. brings long lost relatives together.
Saturday, May 26, 2007
syet celeb!
before, it was theater
now, its blogging
haha my sister is making waves. she was featured blogger of the week in inquirer. wala lang, not really a big deal but she is my sister so its a big deal for me haha
read more here
now, its blogging
haha my sister is making waves. she was featured blogger of the week in inquirer. wala lang, not really a big deal but she is my sister so its a big deal for me haha
read more here
Wednesday, May 23, 2007
changes
Evolution is an imperfect and often violent process.
A battle between what exists and what is yet to become.
Amidst all these, morality loses its meaning
The question between what is good and evil becomes one simple choice, survive or perish
----- HEROES
-------------------------
wala lang. feel ko lang baguhin template ko. Nawala tuloy ang mga links ko =(
A battle between what exists and what is yet to become.
Amidst all these, morality loses its meaning
The question between what is good and evil becomes one simple choice, survive or perish
----- HEROES
-------------------------
wala lang. feel ko lang baguhin template ko. Nawala tuloy ang mga links ko =(
Monday, May 14, 2007
boredom
boring din pala pag walang ginagawa. =)
this is my realization after having 2 whole days of well...idle time.
i used to love these moments. but now, man, its tiring! nakakapagod matulog! nakakabore kumain ng kumain! nakakabobo manood ng tv maghapon! (syempre pagkatapos bumoto)nababato na ako!
----------------------
excited na ako sa pagdating ng martes. im looking forward to having my nose and ears bleed. at least, even for just a week, my dream of getting a feel of how it is to be an atenean will be realized. syet, ang babaw ko! haha hmmm....tingnan nga natin.
---------------------
yey! estudyante na ulit ako! im going back to up this june. this time, seryosohang pag-aaral na ito. sayang naman ang tuition pag bumagsak or nag-drop ako. oble, namiss kita! namiss ko ang kasimplehan ng buhay up. namiss ko ang kayabangan ng mga tao dun. pero ang pinaka-namiss ko, ang pag-iisip ng mga taong nangangarap baguhin ang mundo.
after the exam, of course, i prayed that id be accepted. sayang naman ang 300 kung hindi ako pumasa no. at syempre, nakakahiya din haha
i was asking myself why i would still want to go back to up. bakit ko gugustuhing bumalik sa unibersidad na may bulok na facilities? pwede naman akong maglasalle lalo na at P100 lang naman ang pagitan ng tuition per unit. pwede din naman akong mag-ateneo kung magtitipid lang ako. (thinks: pwede din kaya akong mag-aral abroad?)
aside from the yabang reasons, i realized that what i like most about up is the kind of thinking it instills in its students. kaya ang rason ko kung bakit gusto kong bumalik sa up? gusto kong magrecharge! gusto kong ibalik ang idealism na unti unti nang nawawala sa akin! sure this may not help me climb the corporate ladder fast but this is the thing that will drive me to do better. so sana, marecharge ako =)
this is my realization after having 2 whole days of well...idle time.
i used to love these moments. but now, man, its tiring! nakakapagod matulog! nakakabore kumain ng kumain! nakakabobo manood ng tv maghapon! (syempre pagkatapos bumoto)nababato na ako!
----------------------
excited na ako sa pagdating ng martes. im looking forward to having my nose and ears bleed. at least, even for just a week, my dream of getting a feel of how it is to be an atenean will be realized. syet, ang babaw ko! haha hmmm....tingnan nga natin.
---------------------
yey! estudyante na ulit ako! im going back to up this june. this time, seryosohang pag-aaral na ito. sayang naman ang tuition pag bumagsak or nag-drop ako. oble, namiss kita! namiss ko ang kasimplehan ng buhay up. namiss ko ang kayabangan ng mga tao dun. pero ang pinaka-namiss ko, ang pag-iisip ng mga taong nangangarap baguhin ang mundo.
after the exam, of course, i prayed that id be accepted. sayang naman ang 300 kung hindi ako pumasa no. at syempre, nakakahiya din haha
i was asking myself why i would still want to go back to up. bakit ko gugustuhing bumalik sa unibersidad na may bulok na facilities? pwede naman akong maglasalle lalo na at P100 lang naman ang pagitan ng tuition per unit. pwede din naman akong mag-ateneo kung magtitipid lang ako. (thinks: pwede din kaya akong mag-aral abroad?)
aside from the yabang reasons, i realized that what i like most about up is the kind of thinking it instills in its students. kaya ang rason ko kung bakit gusto kong bumalik sa up? gusto kong magrecharge! gusto kong ibalik ang idealism na unti unti nang nawawala sa akin! sure this may not help me climb the corporate ladder fast but this is the thing that will drive me to do better. so sana, marecharge ako =)
Saturday, May 12, 2007
sabado
1130 ng umaga.
nakaupo ako loob ng cubicle. nakatingin sa pc. kakatapos naming pag-usapan ang plano kung paano isasakatuparan ang pagrerevise sa isang manual. nagawa ko na din ang report ko. hmm...ano pa ba kaylangan kong gawin?
makapagbasa nga muna ng news.
http://www.inquirer.net. ay boring ang news.
ah, magbabasa na lang ako ng matinong article!
http://www.haringliwanag.pansitan.net
opening site....
smartfilter.
the site you requested is blocked.
please contact your system administrator for site review.
HUWAT! putik, natunugan na ng ISD ang aking libangan! hay, pano na ang periodic dose of wisdom ko? huhuhu
Kainis! Blocked na sa ofis ang blog ni jim paredes. sad face...
nakaupo ako loob ng cubicle. nakatingin sa pc. kakatapos naming pag-usapan ang plano kung paano isasakatuparan ang pagrerevise sa isang manual. nagawa ko na din ang report ko. hmm...ano pa ba kaylangan kong gawin?
makapagbasa nga muna ng news.
http://www.inquirer.net. ay boring ang news.
ah, magbabasa na lang ako ng matinong article!
http://www.haringliwanag.pansitan.net
opening site....
smartfilter.
the site you requested is blocked.
please contact your system administrator for site review.
HUWAT! putik, natunugan na ng ISD ang aking libangan! hay, pano na ang periodic dose of wisdom ko? huhuhu
Kainis! Blocked na sa ofis ang blog ni jim paredes. sad face...
Tuesday, May 01, 2007
maligayang araw ng paggawa
alas-tres na ng madaling araw pero gising na gising pa rin ako. bakit hindi? walang pasok bukas dahil araw ng pagdiriwang ng mga manggagawa sa buong mundo.
pagkatapos ng 4 na taon ng pagtatrabaho, ano ang dapat kong ipagdiwang?
-----------
dahil ipit ang lunes sa dalawang araw na walang pasok, halos walang tao kanina sa opisina. tahimik! masaya haha minsan lang kasi maging tahimik sa opisina. madalas maingay! ewan ko ba, ang lalakas ng boses ng mga tao dun. malalaman mo kung ano ang pinag-uusapan nila ng nasa kabilang linya ng telepono. feeling mo tuloy nakikipakinig ka kahit hindi naman. tsismosa!
------------
ina and i were talking about mikaela fudolig's speech this afternoon. she responded to the forwarded email i sent to the group, with a note that reads: i guess the idea is not just for UP people but for every Filipino youth.
she said she had goosebumps while reading the speech. well, who wont? as usual, we had one of those (pa)profound discussions about idealism, adulthood and life. i dont know why but whenever we chat, we usually end up discussing about serious things in life.
told her that i loved the speech because its so young and so idealist. i remember that i once read an article written by a parent who has a kid who graduated from ateneo. she (or he, i couldnt remember if it was a father or a mother) noticed how the valedictory speech seemed like a rhetoric. she was a bit disappointed because she didnt see the youthful idealism that she expected to see from a person who is fresh from school and who is supposed to have fresh perspectives about the world. and she was asking, was an expensive atenean education worth it? i dont mean any offense because i know that there are a lot of idealist ateneans out there, who might be more idealist than me, but that article just came back to my mind while reading mikaela's speech. maybe if the mother could read mikaela's article now, she wont lose hope in the youth.
anyway, ina and i were talking about how idealism, in a way, gradually wears off during adulthood (at least in our experience). when youre fresh from college, you have these dreams about making a change, about holding on to the values you learned from college, about living a principled life, about defying the norm in the interest of truth, about serving your country, serving the people who sent you through school, about giving back to society. but as you work and live in a dynamic environment wherein people's minds are not as easy to understand and couldnt be explained by a single theory, you learn about a new concept, that of compromise. as you meddle with people who 'have been there', you learn that somehow, you need to reorient yourself in order to survive, that somehow, you have to sometimes 'relax' your personal rules a bit and you'll have new sets of principles. and as you immerse yourself longer, you slowly realize that the idealism is waning, that youre becoming more pragmatic. not that its a bad thing but sometimes, the guilt is there.
she was telling me that this kind of idealism is peculiar of up. that in la salle, people were more self-absorbed. that social consciousness is not a norm. i couldnt react because i dont have any friends from la salle aside from her and cams. and she said she also does not have friends from up aside from jen, dangs and me. and so we appreciate the interaction, the exchange of thoughts, the sharing of perspectives.
sometimes i feel shame for myself. nahihiya ako sa nakababatang sarili ko. i always dream about change and talk with my friends about making a change but it ends there. i always talk about wanting to volunteer for some NGO but that remains unrealized up to now. i dont have the bravery that mikaela is talking about. i cant defy the pressure to lead a comfortable life. im not making new roads. im not a trailblazer. im just a part of the mob, the majority who walks through the clean, cemented path built before me.
maybe its maslow's hierarchy of needs working here. maybe not. maybe using maslow is just a good justification of my actions but the truth is im on my way to failing my younger, idealist self from its dreams. i dont know. maybe. i hope not.
i really want to go back to school now.
pagkatapos ng 4 na taon ng pagtatrabaho, ano ang dapat kong ipagdiwang?
-----------
dahil ipit ang lunes sa dalawang araw na walang pasok, halos walang tao kanina sa opisina. tahimik! masaya haha minsan lang kasi maging tahimik sa opisina. madalas maingay! ewan ko ba, ang lalakas ng boses ng mga tao dun. malalaman mo kung ano ang pinag-uusapan nila ng nasa kabilang linya ng telepono. feeling mo tuloy nakikipakinig ka kahit hindi naman. tsismosa!
------------
ina and i were talking about mikaela fudolig's speech this afternoon. she responded to the forwarded email i sent to the group, with a note that reads: i guess the idea is not just for UP people but for every Filipino youth.
she said she had goosebumps while reading the speech. well, who wont? as usual, we had one of those (pa)profound discussions about idealism, adulthood and life. i dont know why but whenever we chat, we usually end up discussing about serious things in life.
told her that i loved the speech because its so young and so idealist. i remember that i once read an article written by a parent who has a kid who graduated from ateneo. she (or he, i couldnt remember if it was a father or a mother) noticed how the valedictory speech seemed like a rhetoric. she was a bit disappointed because she didnt see the youthful idealism that she expected to see from a person who is fresh from school and who is supposed to have fresh perspectives about the world. and she was asking, was an expensive atenean education worth it? i dont mean any offense because i know that there are a lot of idealist ateneans out there, who might be more idealist than me, but that article just came back to my mind while reading mikaela's speech. maybe if the mother could read mikaela's article now, she wont lose hope in the youth.
anyway, ina and i were talking about how idealism, in a way, gradually wears off during adulthood (at least in our experience). when youre fresh from college, you have these dreams about making a change, about holding on to the values you learned from college, about living a principled life, about defying the norm in the interest of truth, about serving your country, serving the people who sent you through school, about giving back to society. but as you work and live in a dynamic environment wherein people's minds are not as easy to understand and couldnt be explained by a single theory, you learn about a new concept, that of compromise. as you meddle with people who 'have been there', you learn that somehow, you need to reorient yourself in order to survive, that somehow, you have to sometimes 'relax' your personal rules a bit and you'll have new sets of principles. and as you immerse yourself longer, you slowly realize that the idealism is waning, that youre becoming more pragmatic. not that its a bad thing but sometimes, the guilt is there.
she was telling me that this kind of idealism is peculiar of up. that in la salle, people were more self-absorbed. that social consciousness is not a norm. i couldnt react because i dont have any friends from la salle aside from her and cams. and she said she also does not have friends from up aside from jen, dangs and me. and so we appreciate the interaction, the exchange of thoughts, the sharing of perspectives.
sometimes i feel shame for myself. nahihiya ako sa nakababatang sarili ko. i always dream about change and talk with my friends about making a change but it ends there. i always talk about wanting to volunteer for some NGO but that remains unrealized up to now. i dont have the bravery that mikaela is talking about. i cant defy the pressure to lead a comfortable life. im not making new roads. im not a trailblazer. im just a part of the mob, the majority who walks through the clean, cemented path built before me.
maybe its maslow's hierarchy of needs working here. maybe not. maybe using maslow is just a good justification of my actions but the truth is im on my way to failing my younger, idealist self from its dreams. i dont know. maybe. i hope not.
i really want to go back to school now.
Thursday, April 12, 2007
kiddieland
second stop, ang destinasyon ng mga bata at mga pusong bata. ang lupain ng mga hayop na cute, prinsesa, prinsipe at kastilyo. yay!
mukha ba akong excited?
pati bintana ng tren, hugis tenga ng daga =)
goofing around..
mabuhay ang mga musikerong pilipino! manong, itayo ang bandila ng pilipinas! nakakatuwa palang marining ang "bahay kubo" habang tinutugtog sa bansang banyaga.
now, this is really freaky. how would you react if you hear merlin speaking in...uhm...cantonese?
its really weird man! pare, nakakabangag!
still goofing around =p
mukha ba akong excited?
pati bintana ng tren, hugis tenga ng daga =)
goofing around..
mabuhay ang mga musikerong pilipino! manong, itayo ang bandila ng pilipinas! nakakatuwa palang marining ang "bahay kubo" habang tinutugtog sa bansang banyaga.
now, this is really freaky. how would you react if you hear merlin speaking in...uhm...cantonese?
its really weird man! pare, nakakabangag!
still goofing around =p
Monday, April 09, 2007
on hiatus
grabe, nasa ika-labingtatlong araw na ko ng bakasyon at nasasanay na ko sa buhay na walang ginagawa! parang hindi na ako marunong mag-isip, magsulat at magtrabaho! hahaha sarap ng buhay!
biruin mo, inabutan na ko ng lunes sa pagpupuyat pero eto at wala pa kong balak matulog dahil wala pa ring pasok bukas. yahoo!
------------
isang taon na pala akong wala sa afp. bilis talaga ng panahon. buti na lang at minsan hindi ako logical mag-isip dahil kung hindi, siguro andun pa rin ako. buti na lang napikon ako at naibigay agad ang ginawa kong resignation letter dahil kung hindi....naku babatukan ko na sarili ko haha
pero ok lang din. madami akong natutunan at nakilalang bagong mga kaibigan. syempre kaakibat ng kalungkutan ang mga kasiyahan sa buhay. salamat afp...
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sa kauna-unahang pagkakataon, nakapagbyahe kami ng mga magulang at 2 kong kapatid sa labas ng bansa (too bad for you kuy haha). and what do you get when you have a hyper mom, a hot-tempered father and 2 cool sisters? a fun (mis)adventure! here are some of the pictures:
biruin mo, inabutan na ko ng lunes sa pagpupuyat pero eto at wala pa kong balak matulog dahil wala pa ring pasok bukas. yahoo!
------------
isang taon na pala akong wala sa afp. bilis talaga ng panahon. buti na lang at minsan hindi ako logical mag-isip dahil kung hindi, siguro andun pa rin ako. buti na lang napikon ako at naibigay agad ang ginawa kong resignation letter dahil kung hindi....naku babatukan ko na sarili ko haha
pero ok lang din. madami akong natutunan at nakilalang bagong mga kaibigan. syempre kaakibat ng kalungkutan ang mga kasiyahan sa buhay. salamat afp...
-------------
sa kauna-unahang pagkakataon, nakapagbyahe kami ng mga magulang at 2 kong kapatid sa labas ng bansa (too bad for you kuy haha). and what do you get when you have a hyper mom, a hot-tempered father and 2 cool sisters? a fun (mis)adventure! here are some of the pictures:
eto sinasabi ko...(asan ako? photographer ang tawag sa akin)
uy grabe, nakangiti tatay ko. excited din haha
hindi ko rin alam kung bat may ipis eh. ay ndi pala sya ipis...
sa bibig ng pating
dikya ba ika mo? o eto..
opo mga kaibigan, lumabas ang karuwagan ko. duwag ako! sa tayog ng ferris wheel, sa sahig ako napaupo haha
tanawin mula sa cable car
Monday, January 29, 2007
lunes na naman
makalipas ang pitong buwan, muli na namang nabuo ang grupo namin nina sezy dezy at kimtot. kim had an interview somewhere in ayala so we decided to meet up for lunch. oh, i miss being with those two. sayang, kulang ang oras.
kim wants to quit her job. odezza wants to do the same. a year ago, i had the same thought.
kim has been doing the same job for more than 3 years. Odezza is doing the same thing for 10 months. I for 7 months.
kim says she wants to quit because ayaw na nya. odezza wants to quit because she doesnt want the commitment her job requires from her. i left my former job because i was so frustrated with so many things that time.
kim says she wants to quit even if she havent found a new job yet. odezza looked for a job first before she quit. i left my job with no assurance that i could find a replacement instantly.
i dont know why i am sharing this. it looks like an introduction of a more profound thought, right? but sorry to disappoint you, this entry is indeed pointless :p
i just wanted to write but i dont have the clarity of mind to even compose a nice entry. argh....
----------
its only monday but i feel like its the middle of the week already and its so weird that almost everyone at work felt the same. maybe we just had so much work today.
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life's little blessings. waking up in the morning. walang pila sa fx. light traffic. cool breeze. busy yet light atmosphere at work. having a good laugh. being with friends you rarely see. receiving your tax adjustment. reading an inspirational mail. upuan sa mrt. getting home safe. hay...life is good.
kim wants to quit her job. odezza wants to do the same. a year ago, i had the same thought.
kim has been doing the same job for more than 3 years. Odezza is doing the same thing for 10 months. I for 7 months.
kim says she wants to quit because ayaw na nya. odezza wants to quit because she doesnt want the commitment her job requires from her. i left my former job because i was so frustrated with so many things that time.
kim says she wants to quit even if she havent found a new job yet. odezza looked for a job first before she quit. i left my job with no assurance that i could find a replacement instantly.
i dont know why i am sharing this. it looks like an introduction of a more profound thought, right? but sorry to disappoint you, this entry is indeed pointless :p
i just wanted to write but i dont have the clarity of mind to even compose a nice entry. argh....
----------
its only monday but i feel like its the middle of the week already and its so weird that almost everyone at work felt the same. maybe we just had so much work today.
----------
life's little blessings. waking up in the morning. walang pila sa fx. light traffic. cool breeze. busy yet light atmosphere at work. having a good laugh. being with friends you rarely see. receiving your tax adjustment. reading an inspirational mail. upuan sa mrt. getting home safe. hay...life is good.
Tuesday, January 09, 2007
Home Alone on a Monday
For the nth time, im left alone in this tiny apartment. My sister is somewhere in Batangas for a retreat so i had to endure two nights of sleeping alone. Random thoughts run through my mind and here's a peek:
- Naiiinis ako sa bagong telenobela nina Kim and Gerald (or Gerard?) because it will (a) make me stay up late just to catch Maging Sino Ka Man or (b) make me loose my patience and go to bed right after ive had my dinner. I mean, tama na ang Deal or no Deal at Super Inggo na pampatay ng oras habang naghihintay kina Bea at John Lloyd. One hour of mediocrity is enough for me to have dinner and wash the dishes so having another 30 minutes of nonsense (not that Maging Sino ka man is full of sense :P) is just so....argh. Frustrating.
- I had a full day and i LOVE it! Namimiss ko na kasi ang mga madugong araw sa J5 kung saan puro rush ang trabaho. So having a super duper busy day after days of idleness is a welcome thing. Its actually a good way of starting the year.
- Little blessings in life. Nice sleep. Waking up in the morning. Buying a pair of shoes without knowing that it is on sale. Free sumptous snack because of a coworker celebrating her birthday. Being told that you look good. Catching a feel good movie. Light traffic on your way to work. Free chocolates. Mail from friends. Good music. Aaahh...life is good.
- Naiiinis ako sa bagong telenobela nina Kim and Gerald (or Gerard?) because it will (a) make me stay up late just to catch Maging Sino Ka Man or (b) make me loose my patience and go to bed right after ive had my dinner. I mean, tama na ang Deal or no Deal at Super Inggo na pampatay ng oras habang naghihintay kina Bea at John Lloyd. One hour of mediocrity is enough for me to have dinner and wash the dishes so having another 30 minutes of nonsense (not that Maging Sino ka man is full of sense :P) is just so....argh. Frustrating.
- I had a full day and i LOVE it! Namimiss ko na kasi ang mga madugong araw sa J5 kung saan puro rush ang trabaho. So having a super duper busy day after days of idleness is a welcome thing. Its actually a good way of starting the year.
- Little blessings in life. Nice sleep. Waking up in the morning. Buying a pair of shoes without knowing that it is on sale. Free sumptous snack because of a coworker celebrating her birthday. Being told that you look good. Catching a feel good movie. Light traffic on your way to work. Free chocolates. Mail from friends. Good music. Aaahh...life is good.
Monday, January 08, 2007
foto.larawan
mga larawang matagal naghintay ng pagkakataong maipakita sa blog na ito at ngayon ay nabigyan ng pagkakataon.
pagkakaibigang hindi nagtapos sa unibersidad at nagpatuloy sa trabaho.
pagkakaibigang nagkaroon ng bahagyang pagbabago.
tara na, byahe tayo....
aaahhh...kape tayo
Tuesday, January 02, 2007
Happy New Year!
A survey to start the year...
What did you do in 2006 that you'd never done before?
Go out of the country!
Did you keep your new years' resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I cant remember them.
Did anyone close to you give birth?
Ate Raquel
Did anyone close to you die?
No.
What countries did you visit?
Thailand! Ill never forget that place. Lots of interesting and shocking stuff.
What would you like to have in 2007 that you lacked in 2006?
Direction. Hefty sum of money in my bank account (grin)
What date from 2006 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
A lot.
February 7, when my sister left for Saipan;
March 25 when I gave my resignation letter to my former boss and we had a short but emotional talk wherein I almost cried. Hay, im such a cry baby.
March 27, when I went back to my old school, shared the little things I know about learning in grade school and learning for life and seeing young hopeful faces actually listening to what I was saying and my teachers smiling.
June 1, first day of (new) work.
November 25 when my sister came home for vacation and I spoiled her moment because we were 2 hours late.
December 25 because its going to be the first, among the many Christmases that we will be having without my sister in the country. We’ve celebrated Christmas away from each other but its really different this year.
What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Getting out of my comfort zone.
What was your biggest failure?
Not keeping my promise to myself to start saving.
Did you suffer serious illness or injury?
Nope. Hopefully not in 2007 and 2008 and 2009 and so on.
What was the best thing you bought?
That P280 pants from Divisoria.
Whose behavior merited celebration?
Mommy and Mimi.
Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
Not counting the politicians and the regents who voted for the tuition hike in UP? Ang mga lalaki sa buhay ko, ang tatay at kuya ko.
Where did most of your money go?
Food I guess…
What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Gala’ out of the country!
What song(s) will always remind you of 2006?
In my life
Nobela
Compared to this time last year, are you:
i. happier or sadder - happier
ii. Thinner or fatter - thinner
iii. Richer or poorer – poorer
What do you wish you'd done more?
Read books…and write.
What do you wish you'd done less of?
Working.
How many one-night stands?
Nein. None. Wala.
What was your favorite TV program?
Amazing Race! Wanted to join that one.
Grey’s Anatomy.
Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
Nope. I don’t want to hate people.
What was the best book you read in 2006?
Oh no, this is not right, I only read one book in 2006. And it is not even a real book! Pathetic. The answer is none.
What was your greatest musical discovery?
None.
What did you want and get?
A new job; changes from my monotonous life
What was your favorite film of this year?
Happy Feet!
What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
Oh I prepared Rigatoni with Bolognese sauce which came out looking funny but tasted good. JI turned 25.
What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Hmmm…boylet? (evilgrin)
A volunteer job.
How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2006?
Oh I lost my estudyante get up and made a lot of effort to look more corporate because of my new job. I still couldn’t get used to it L.
What kept you sane?
My sister.
Regular movie dates with my officemates..
Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
I got hooked on Chad Peralta but it is slowly wearing off.
What political issue stirred you the most?
Coup d’etat
Who did you miss?
Ate.
Sezy Dezy and Kimtot
J5 friends.
Who was the best new person you met?
Cant pick one. I met a lot of good people this year.
Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2006:
Don’t wait to let things happen, make them happen. Live your life now.
What was the nicest thing someone told you about yourself?
That Im a nice person.
The most touching experience you've had this year?
Got a big hug from my cousin’s son. He is 13 and he couldn’t walk by himself. He couldn’t talk and only communicates through grunts. Im not sure if he remembers other people’s faces. I think I only saw him thrice. He came during my uncle’s wake carried like a 4-year old kid. And when I came to kiss him, he hugged me real tight and I felt like that was one of the most sincere hugs I’ve ever got.
What did you like most about yourself this year?
I became more sociable.
What did you hate most about yourself this year?
I worry too much about being an adult instead of just living it lightly.
Quote a song lyric that sums up your year:
You gotta be cool
You gotta be wise
You gotta be stronger!
Was 2006 a good year for you?
Yes but challenging.
What was your favorite moment of the year?
January 25.
What was your least favorite moment of the year?
February 7 and December 9. Hay, I hate goodbyes.
Where were you when 2006 began?
Nasa kalsada at nanonood ng mga nagpapaputok.
Who were you with?
Mommy, Daddy, Ate, Mimi and Manang Ateng
Where will you be when 2006 ends?
I don’t know. Let’s see where life will bring me.
Who will you be with when 2006 ends?
My family.
Do you have a new year’s resolution for 2007?
Yes.
Save more.
Go back to school.
Read more.
Give to charity.
Eat healthy.
What was your favorite month of 2006?
January.
Did you lose anybody close to you in 2006?
Nope.
Did you miss anybody in the past year?
Yes. My sister.
What was your favorite record from 2006?
Kami nAPO muna..
How many concerts did you see in 2006?
None, not even one of the UP fair concerts.
Did you drink a lot of alchohol in 2006?
Barely. I only had small doses of alcohol in January, Mae’s birthday, and twice in December.
Do a lot of drugs in 2006?
Never although we wanted to try Marijuana haha
You do anything you are ashamed of this year?
Don’t think so.
How much money did you spend in 2006?
I don’t keep a record of my finances.
What was your proudest moment of 2006?
march 2006.
What was your most embarrassing moment of 2006?
Couldn’t remember. Wala yata.
If you could go back in time to any moment of 2006 and change something, what would it be?
December 29, 2006. Sana hindi na lang ako nagparelax. Putik, nasira buhok ko!
What are your plans for 2007?
Go back to school.
How are you different now that the year has ended?
I think I matured a lot and ironically, i realized that im childish in many ways.
What are your wishes for the new year?
That its gonna be a happy year and that changes do not come as often as they did in 2006. But if they still do, I wish that I still have the strength to face them without worrying too much.
What did you do in 2006 that you'd never done before?
Go out of the country!
Did you keep your new years' resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I cant remember them.
Did anyone close to you give birth?
Ate Raquel
Did anyone close to you die?
No.
What countries did you visit?
Thailand! Ill never forget that place. Lots of interesting and shocking stuff.
What would you like to have in 2007 that you lacked in 2006?
Direction. Hefty sum of money in my bank account (grin)
What date from 2006 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
A lot.
February 7, when my sister left for Saipan;
March 25 when I gave my resignation letter to my former boss and we had a short but emotional talk wherein I almost cried. Hay, im such a cry baby.
March 27, when I went back to my old school, shared the little things I know about learning in grade school and learning for life and seeing young hopeful faces actually listening to what I was saying and my teachers smiling.
June 1, first day of (new) work.
November 25 when my sister came home for vacation and I spoiled her moment because we were 2 hours late.
December 25 because its going to be the first, among the many Christmases that we will be having without my sister in the country. We’ve celebrated Christmas away from each other but its really different this year.
What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Getting out of my comfort zone.
What was your biggest failure?
Not keeping my promise to myself to start saving.
Did you suffer serious illness or injury?
Nope. Hopefully not in 2007 and 2008 and 2009 and so on.
What was the best thing you bought?
That P280 pants from Divisoria.
Whose behavior merited celebration?
Mommy and Mimi.
Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
Not counting the politicians and the regents who voted for the tuition hike in UP? Ang mga lalaki sa buhay ko, ang tatay at kuya ko.
Where did most of your money go?
Food I guess…
What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Gala’ out of the country!
What song(s) will always remind you of 2006?
In my life
Nobela
Compared to this time last year, are you:
i. happier or sadder - happier
ii. Thinner or fatter - thinner
iii. Richer or poorer – poorer
What do you wish you'd done more?
Read books…and write.
What do you wish you'd done less of?
Working.
How many one-night stands?
Nein. None. Wala.
What was your favorite TV program?
Amazing Race! Wanted to join that one.
Grey’s Anatomy.
Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
Nope. I don’t want to hate people.
What was the best book you read in 2006?
Oh no, this is not right, I only read one book in 2006. And it is not even a real book! Pathetic. The answer is none.
What was your greatest musical discovery?
None.
What did you want and get?
A new job; changes from my monotonous life
What was your favorite film of this year?
Happy Feet!
What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
Oh I prepared Rigatoni with Bolognese sauce which came out looking funny but tasted good. JI turned 25.
What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Hmmm…boylet? (evilgrin)
A volunteer job.
How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2006?
Oh I lost my estudyante get up and made a lot of effort to look more corporate because of my new job. I still couldn’t get used to it L.
What kept you sane?
My sister.
Regular movie dates with my officemates..
Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
I got hooked on Chad Peralta but it is slowly wearing off.
What political issue stirred you the most?
Coup d’etat
Who did you miss?
Ate.
Sezy Dezy and Kimtot
J5 friends.
Who was the best new person you met?
Cant pick one. I met a lot of good people this year.
Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2006:
Don’t wait to let things happen, make them happen. Live your life now.
What was the nicest thing someone told you about yourself?
That Im a nice person.
The most touching experience you've had this year?
Got a big hug from my cousin’s son. He is 13 and he couldn’t walk by himself. He couldn’t talk and only communicates through grunts. Im not sure if he remembers other people’s faces. I think I only saw him thrice. He came during my uncle’s wake carried like a 4-year old kid. And when I came to kiss him, he hugged me real tight and I felt like that was one of the most sincere hugs I’ve ever got.
What did you like most about yourself this year?
I became more sociable.
What did you hate most about yourself this year?
I worry too much about being an adult instead of just living it lightly.
Quote a song lyric that sums up your year:
You gotta be cool
You gotta be wise
You gotta be stronger!
Was 2006 a good year for you?
Yes but challenging.
What was your favorite moment of the year?
January 25.
What was your least favorite moment of the year?
February 7 and December 9. Hay, I hate goodbyes.
Where were you when 2006 began?
Nasa kalsada at nanonood ng mga nagpapaputok.
Who were you with?
Mommy, Daddy, Ate, Mimi and Manang Ateng
Where will you be when 2006 ends?
I don’t know. Let’s see where life will bring me.
Who will you be with when 2006 ends?
My family.
Do you have a new year’s resolution for 2007?
Yes.
Save more.
Go back to school.
Read more.
Give to charity.
Eat healthy.
What was your favorite month of 2006?
January.
Did you lose anybody close to you in 2006?
Nope.
Did you miss anybody in the past year?
Yes. My sister.
What was your favorite record from 2006?
Kami nAPO muna..
How many concerts did you see in 2006?
None, not even one of the UP fair concerts.
Did you drink a lot of alchohol in 2006?
Barely. I only had small doses of alcohol in January, Mae’s birthday, and twice in December.
Do a lot of drugs in 2006?
Never although we wanted to try Marijuana haha
You do anything you are ashamed of this year?
Don’t think so.
How much money did you spend in 2006?
I don’t keep a record of my finances.
What was your proudest moment of 2006?
march 2006.
What was your most embarrassing moment of 2006?
Couldn’t remember. Wala yata.
If you could go back in time to any moment of 2006 and change something, what would it be?
December 29, 2006. Sana hindi na lang ako nagparelax. Putik, nasira buhok ko!
What are your plans for 2007?
Go back to school.
How are you different now that the year has ended?
I think I matured a lot and ironically, i realized that im childish in many ways.
What are your wishes for the new year?
That its gonna be a happy year and that changes do not come as often as they did in 2006. But if they still do, I wish that I still have the strength to face them without worrying too much.
Friday, November 03, 2006
FX Scene
Its 815 in the morning. Cubao-based Makati-bound people queue patiently for their oh-so-longed-for ride. When the FX entered the parking lot, the first 10 who were in line scrambled like ants welcoming the god-like manong driver who can save them from the misery of tardiness. They found their way in, and settled for the 30 to 45-minute ride to Makati. Some brought out their MP3s and marked their personal boundaries with their earpieces, others silently prayed with their rosaries, others plunged into the abyss of their own dreams, and others, like me, silently observed them. It’s an amusing scene indeed, watching these corporate beings, donned with powersuits, resisting the urge to drool and fall into deep slumber. They immitate the actions of stuffed toy dogs found in cars, constantly nodding while keeping their balance. Some get back to their senses with a sudden jolt caused by a hole on the road, others by the sound of their phones, while others just couldn’t be disturbed by anything.
And then I heard a song from the radio, and I had a duet with Peabo Bryson, but of course in silence. I was singing in my mind and looking blankly at the person in front of me, without any intention of infecting him with the melodious tone of the song. Suddenly, he woke up, raised his head, and sang in a gentle tone “we had a once in a lifetime, but I just couldn’t see, until it was gone… if ever you’re in my arms again, this time ill hold you much better, this time we’ll never end.” He looked at my direction, and in surprise, I looked away.
And then I heard a song from the radio, and I had a duet with Peabo Bryson, but of course in silence. I was singing in my mind and looking blankly at the person in front of me, without any intention of infecting him with the melodious tone of the song. Suddenly, he woke up, raised his head, and sang in a gentle tone “we had a once in a lifetime, but I just couldn’t see, until it was gone… if ever you’re in my arms again, this time ill hold you much better, this time we’ll never end.” He looked at my direction, and in surprise, I looked away.
Thursday, October 26, 2006
Sur(reality)
This is the second morning that I woke up with a weird feeling. Like everything is so unreal. I didn’t expect that something like this would happen. I never dreamt of talking about this with someone so close to me. So this is growing up?
I’ve cried about this. We’ve cried about this. We talked about this, yet, I still feel weird.
This is not the first time that I’ve dealt with this kind of story. But its different now because I’m so affected by it. I was not able to sleep the first time I heard it. I was thinking about it all night long, yet answers do not clearly come to my mind. I was trying to think straight knowing that this was the right thing to do. Yet, the understanding and acceptance also engulf me, and sometimes, overrides the rational mind I’ve been trying to empower.
Aaahh…life. Maybe I just have to deal with it. One part of me says I want to but the other says I don’t ...
I’ve cried about this. We’ve cried about this. We talked about this, yet, I still feel weird.
This is not the first time that I’ve dealt with this kind of story. But its different now because I’m so affected by it. I was not able to sleep the first time I heard it. I was thinking about it all night long, yet answers do not clearly come to my mind. I was trying to think straight knowing that this was the right thing to do. Yet, the understanding and acceptance also engulf me, and sometimes, overrides the rational mind I’ve been trying to empower.
Aaahh…life. Maybe I just have to deal with it. One part of me says I want to but the other says I don’t ...
Big Bang
Pagkatapos ng mahaba-habang paglalakbay…nope! After 100 years of solitary confinement in the recesses of my blog-less world, im back to say hi to this blog. Im sorry if I have abandoned you for the past nine months. Many things have changed since February. Yeah, you must be thinking that the more I should have written, but ironically, I could not write. I think im just too overwhelmed with various emotions that I find it too hard to conjure which words exactly define how I feel and what I think. Now I’m writing, not because I’m so ok but because I’m too shocked. Ok, maybe I’m exaggerating, or maybe I’m not.
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I can feel it now. The emotional stress is slowly seeping though my veins. This is what ive been waiting to happen. The feeling of becoming, the feeling of reality.
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I can feel it now. The emotional stress is slowly seeping though my veins. This is what ive been waiting to happen. The feeling of becoming, the feeling of reality.
Wednesday, March 01, 2006
before sunrise
for those who fell in love with jesse and celine back in 94...
Daydream Illusion
Limousine eyelash
Oh baby with your pretty face
Drop a tear in my wineglass
Look into those big eyes
See what you mean to me
Sweetcakes and milkshakes
Im a delusion angel
Im a fantasy parade
I want you to know what i think
I dont want you to guess anymore
You have no idea where i came from
No idea where we're going
Launched in life
Like branches in the river, flowing downstream
Getting caught in the current
I carry you
You carry me
Thats how it should be
Dont you know me
Dont you know me by now
ito ay bunga ng matiyagang pagtranscribe habang pinapanood ko ng pang-hindi-ko-na-mabilang na beses ang before sunrise. salamat sa aking fellow before sunrise addict na si dezas para sa mga corrections.
Daydream Illusion
Limousine eyelash
Oh baby with your pretty face
Drop a tear in my wineglass
Look into those big eyes
See what you mean to me
Sweetcakes and milkshakes
Im a delusion angel
Im a fantasy parade
I want you to know what i think
I dont want you to guess anymore
You have no idea where i came from
No idea where we're going
Launched in life
Like branches in the river, flowing downstream
Getting caught in the current
I carry you
You carry me
Thats how it should be
Dont you know me
Dont you know me by now
ito ay bunga ng matiyagang pagtranscribe habang pinapanood ko ng pang-hindi-ko-na-mabilang na beses ang before sunrise. salamat sa aking fellow before sunrise addict na si dezas para sa mga corrections.
Tuesday, December 20, 2005
pasq 2005
pagkatapos ng mahaba-habang paghihintay ng masasakyang taksi, papuntang diliman, nakarating din kami nina dez, ava at vhang sa up upang makiisa sa buong sangkaupihan sa taunang pagdiriwang ng lantern parade.kakaiba ang lantern parade ngayong taon. madaming booths sa buong acad oval. may booth ang bawat college kung san nandun yung lantern nila, meron ding booth para sa pagkain, at meron din namang mga tiangge. yun nga lang, masyadong malaki ang oval kaya nagmukhang kulang at magkakalayo ang mga booth, at nagmukhang konti ang up population para tumao sa mga booth.
ang saya ng parade kahit mejo masakit sa paa at sa batok dahil sa kakahanap ng magandang posisyon. favorite ko ang parol ng wind mula sa college of fine arts. yan yun, yung nasa lower right. pero mas masaya ang fireworks display! yun nga lang, masakit din sa batok tsaka mabaho pagkatapos.
at nung gabing yun, parang lahat positive. ang saya ng mood, ang ganda ng fireworks, ang ganda ng buwan at first time kong ma-appreciate ang carillion. (tama ba spelling?). para itong isang malaking pigurin na nag-eemit ng light. at ang buwan, ang ganda ng pagkakaposisyon sa gitna ng mga ulap. parang tagpo sa isang painting.
ang saya ng pasko...lalo na kung madami kang pulburang naamoy, pakiramdam mo ang saya ng mundo. sana araw araw pasko.
Tuesday, December 13, 2005
going down memory lane
agreeing to see ultraelectromagnetic jam was one of the best decisions ive made in my life. weeks before the concert, i was still hesitant to say yes because of some things at work but what the heck, i said yes ayway. and im glad i did.
im an eraserheads fan since i was in high school. when my classmates were going crazy over nick carter and the backstreet boys, i was drooling for ely buendia and the eraserheads. when they announced on NU that they were disbanding, i was one of those who got sad and really disappointed. when zach and joey were interviewing raymund and buddy, waaa gusto ko talagang umiyak!
im not an artist and i might not know music from its technical side but i say that the music of eraserheads is really good. eraserheads was one of the few local bands i have respect for because they proved that they were really musicians and not just a bunch of angry, repressed youths who just wanted to have some attention from the public or some band who think that shouting peace and producing eardrum-splitting sound would make them real rockers and artists. you could see the evolution of their music and the focus of their songs. their songs changed from mundane concerns of the youth (love interests, friendships, being "high" hehe, etc) into more mature and profound issues. its just too bad i think that many of the fans did not cope with the progression of their songs until they reached the point when many were already losing grasp of them and when people could not relate anymore with what they were saying (singing).
buti na lang, may ultraelectromagnetic jam! ngunit sayang, bawal ang camera. my friend's camera was confiscated so i did not take the risk to take pictures during the concert. 
i took this photo of the stage after the performance na.
the concert was good although some of the performers were not (evil grin). south border's version of my favorite 'with a smile' was too pop, even orange and lemons'.
i went wild with the crowd when i saw ely and the other guys in the monitor, talking about being eraserheads. you could see that the crowd still has that respect (or idolatry) when they gave marcus adoro that standing ovation when he played base for paolo santos. i thought they will have that sort of "rendezvous" and play one more time, together, for the crowd but, i was wrong. i hope they'd do that, at least before they die (hehe ugly).
anyhow, the entire experience was great, even if the ending came so sudden na parang bitin yung dating ng concert. it was nice to relive those glory days when eheads was still reigning over all the stations. mabuti na lang at nakasama ako sa isang henerasyong napasaya ng eraserheads. i really hope the four of them could play wonderful music once again.
Friday, November 18, 2005
a night of total magic and --- evat
i went to see harry potter last night! yeah, harry potter himself, not the movie (well, in my dreams). i was so excited that i even had this picture taken. i felt like a kid about to see her favorite cartoon movie. haha (please dont throw stones or popcorns at me).
everybody seemed to have a single destination that night. parang lahat ng tao sa gateway paakyat sa 4th floor. And the queue for the tickets was really long that night. its a good thing that we bought our tickets a week before. saved us the stress of having to wait for minutes just to get good seats.
i was so giddy that night. i was hoping that the movie would turn out great because there were some apprehensions at the back of my mind that it would just be...mediocre.
the movie was made for kinds and not really for the book aficionados. it really focused on the triwizard cup and neglected some of the details that may have had big impact on the overall story. it is a good movie i think for people who did not read the book but a bit short and incomplete for people who know the book. one major spoiler i think was the lack of a portion showing the quidditch finals between scotland (or ireland) and bulgaria, where scotland (or ireland) won but krum got the snitch. isa pa namn yun sa inaabangan ko.
nevertheless, natuwa namn ako sa movie. the great effects made up for the lapses. i love the festive mood during the quidditch world cup. kaya lang hindi pinakita yung ibang mascots, especially the veelas whom i wanted to see.
my other favorite scene in the film was the arrival of the durmstrang and beauxbaton students (although the description was a bit different from the book). and krum was so damn goodlooking! he was not supposed to look that way... and, he got to deliver 2 lines, one was when he talked to rita skeeter and the other was when he said goodbye to hermione, with the matching good bye wave. haha funny
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after the movie, we headed straight to the food court to have our dose of carbohydrates and fats. at aba, nakakagulat na ang presyo ng mga pagkain sa fastfood. side salad is still 20 bucks but chili rice already costs 25, plus 10% tax. at ang bacon mushroom melt ay 100 pesos na. grabe...
krismasi mood
i saw this small cute christmas landscape display in gateway last tuesday which gave me that bittersweet feeling about christmas. excited and happy with a bit of nostalgia...hay
Thursday, November 10, 2005
idle moments
i feel sick. its only thursday and theres one day more before the week ends. i wanna sleep yet i cant. i need to stay awake for the next six hours. its just a good thing that i brought my sister's camera though.
Wednesday, November 02, 2005
creepy holiday
the news of deaths of people i know and "hardly know"has brought that sad and creepy feeling to me.
friday night. master ram died.
saturday. deza's lola died.
tuesday. tess' mom died.
but the death which brought me with an unfathomable abyss of sadness was dumbledore's death. waaaa....wala na si dumbledore. at isa pa, nakakalungkot naman ang love story nina harry at ginny. ang ikli lang ng panahong pinagsamagan nila. si harry kasi eh, gagaya gaya kay spiderman. haha
i cant wait for book 7!!!
friday night. master ram died.
saturday. deza's lola died.
tuesday. tess' mom died.
but the death which brought me with an unfathomable abyss of sadness was dumbledore's death. waaaa....wala na si dumbledore. at isa pa, nakakalungkot naman ang love story nina harry at ginny. ang ikli lang ng panahong pinagsamagan nila. si harry kasi eh, gagaya gaya kay spiderman. haha
i cant wait for book 7!!!
Saturday, October 29, 2005
eulogy for a master
i, together with some of the few people left here in the office, got the news just a few minutes ago. master ram is gone. and it made me sad.
i am not really fond of the old people here in the office. but master ramirez is different. he always has that smile plastered on his face. and that laugh, ang nakakahawang "tawa". he is the master of supplies. he is the master in that small kingdom just below the stairs, where all the office supplies come from. he is like an oil refinery, always ready with coupons for people who need gas.
master ram has a big heart. too bad he died from it. he is like a (grand) father to us. when things were going sour between EPs and researchers here, he understood us. he was mature enough to point out that respect is the primordial thing needed for our differences.
but what i remember most was this image of him, in his athletic shorts and sweaty shirt, panting while walking, because he could not cope with the pace of the regular joggers. its the image of an old man, trying to remain healthy.
its been three weeks (or more) when we received the news that he was at v. luna because of heart problems. we were planning to visit him there but then, we heard that he was already transferred here in the camp so we assumed that he was ok. but still, there were plans of visiting him, none of which pushed through.
and now he is gone. there is none to visit anymore. just his remains.
goodbye master!
i am not really fond of the old people here in the office. but master ramirez is different. he always has that smile plastered on his face. and that laugh, ang nakakahawang "tawa". he is the master of supplies. he is the master in that small kingdom just below the stairs, where all the office supplies come from. he is like an oil refinery, always ready with coupons for people who need gas.
master ram has a big heart. too bad he died from it. he is like a (grand) father to us. when things were going sour between EPs and researchers here, he understood us. he was mature enough to point out that respect is the primordial thing needed for our differences.
but what i remember most was this image of him, in his athletic shorts and sweaty shirt, panting while walking, because he could not cope with the pace of the regular joggers. its the image of an old man, trying to remain healthy.
its been three weeks (or more) when we received the news that he was at v. luna because of heart problems. we were planning to visit him there but then, we heard that he was already transferred here in the camp so we assumed that he was ok. but still, there were plans of visiting him, none of which pushed through.
and now he is gone. there is none to visit anymore. just his remains.
goodbye master!
i love friday nights (or do i?)
its friday night and its already 10:05 in my watch. and guess where i am....in the office? right! ive been working for 13 straight hours now and im slowly feeling the exhaustion engulfing my body.
but its ok. i havent done this in a long while. and besides, its the start of a long weekend tomorrow. yey! hmm...what'll i do?
get a massage? probably finish reading harry's 6th year in hogwarts? eat a lot of junk foods while watching reruns of simpsons (thanks avs for the info)? run to my brother's place in the mountains of antipolo and play with my nephew? update my blog? organize my photos? work on a budget for my christmas gifts? clean the house?
aaahh... i wanna do all of these. but for now, i need to get home and get some sleep.
but its ok. i havent done this in a long while. and besides, its the start of a long weekend tomorrow. yey! hmm...what'll i do?
get a massage? probably finish reading harry's 6th year in hogwarts? eat a lot of junk foods while watching reruns of simpsons (thanks avs for the info)? run to my brother's place in the mountains of antipolo and play with my nephew? update my blog? organize my photos? work on a budget for my christmas gifts? clean the house?
aaahh... i wanna do all of these. but for now, i need to get home and get some sleep.
Tuesday, September 06, 2005
sentimyento ng isang mananaliksik
paano mo mamamahalin ang isang institusyong pilit sumisira sa iyong hangaring makapaghatid ng mumunting pagbabago sa lipunan, o kahit man lang ng konting kaayusan. paano mo iinintidihin, na kahit na anumang pagpipilit ang iyong gawin, ay sadyang may mga taong walang hinangad kundi ang maisulong ang pansariling kapakanan. paano mo pipiliting tanggapin sa iyong sarili, na unti-unti ay nalalamon ka na ng kaisipang "sadyang may mga bagay na mananatili na lamang na ganon..."
ngayon, iisipin mo, sana hindi mo na lamang naiiintidihan ang mga bagay-bagay upang sa gayon ay hindi mo ito problemahin o sana isa ka na lang sa mga taong walang pakialam upang sa gayon ay hindi ka mahirapan. sana....
ngayon, iisipin mo, sana hindi mo na lamang naiiintidihan ang mga bagay-bagay upang sa gayon ay hindi mo ito problemahin o sana isa ka na lang sa mga taong walang pakialam upang sa gayon ay hindi ka mahirapan. sana....
Friday, August 12, 2005
kapag umuulan at tinatamad ka
picture this...byernes ng hapon. maginaw dahil umuulan sa labas. wala ang boss mo. walang tao sa opisina maliban sa iyo at sa dalawang kasamahan. walang nakaatas na trabaho sa yo. ndi mo alam kung paano mo uubusin ang oras mo. nahihilo ka na sa maya't mayang pagtingin sa orasan. dalawa at kalahating oras pa bago mag alas singko. offline ang mga kaibigan mo sa ym. ayaw mong magbasa ng artikulo sa peyups dahil senti mode ka. anong gagawin mo? di ba parang masarap ang pakiramdam na tumitipa ka sa keyboard ng iyong computer? at bubuksan mo ang iyong blog para magpost? masaya di ba? kaya yan ang gagawin ko ngayon. itatransfer ko ang mga dati kong entries na nakapost sa isa kong blog na balak ko nang idelete pagkatapos. nice...
Thursday, July 21, 2005
bad times, good times
With the Imago sort-of-chant-song (ahh..nakalimutan ko title!!!) playing in the background, I could not stop my other self from coming out. Slowly I begin to tap the keyboard, not to start writing our big boss’ opening remarks, but to start compiling words for my journal. I don’t know where this will go, but Im writing because I just feel like writing.
Life has been good to me as well as to people around me for the past few days. I think this is nature’s way of rewarding me after a month of worries, exhaustion and sleeplessness nights.After a month in the hospital and occasional moments of bringing paranoia to us, my Dad can now walk! Yey! My mom and us kids were like parents na nagbabantay sa bawat kilos ng kanyang anak. Every development was like a reason to celebrate…nung ndi na (sabi nga ni mommy) garfield ang eyes nya, nung mejo nagagalaw na nya left arm nya, nung mejo nakakapag close-open na sya at nung mejo nakakapaglakad na sya with some alalay. Pero ngayon, nakakapaglakad na sya talaga mag-isa sa tulong ng isang mahabang piraso ng kahoy. He looks like an ermitanyo but he definitely can walk now! Sayang nga lang yung wheelchair na binili haha
And since my parents and I are now staying at my brother’s house in Antipolo, l now have the time to bond with my sister in law and my nephew. Grabe nakakatuwa na sya at lagi syang ngumingiti pag nakikita ako. Sipsip sa tita ninang.
After a month din, nagkita-kita kaming tatlo nina Sezy Dezy at Kimtot yesterday. Grabe namiss ko bonding moments naming tatlo…endless panlalait or pag-aanalyze sa relationships ng mga tao sa Starbucks, congee sa chowking, kain sa KFC, at wala lang. Hoy , may utang pa kayong lunch/dinner/gimik sa min ni Lala ha.
And after centuries of waiting, na-upgrade na PC ko. XP na sya! Ngayon, ndi na nya klangan ng installer para makapagbasa ng flash disk at salamat, ndi na masyadong sasakit ang ulo ko sa paglalagay ng animation sa mga presentations ko.
Hoys is leaving for Singapore next week. After years of trying for different universities abroad, she has been awarded with a scholarship by the National University of Singapore. Kudos to you Hoys and good luck!!! Dapat magtop ka sa class ha. Tsaka pag nag-Singapore kami, dapat sagot mo in-country expenses namin. Hehe
Zina has a new phone. Ganda! Grabe, kami na lang ni Ava ang ndi nag-a-upgrade. Now you can answer your Jimimimi’s call in an instant. Ndi mo na kailangang maghalungkat sa bag mo para maghanap ng mouthpiece.
After three years of not looking at any socio book or readings, nabasa ko na naman ang isa sa mga words na lagi kong nababasa sa mga readings at naririning kay sarah raymundo: panopticon. Haha grabe, ang bobo ko na. Kung dati feeling ko ang dami kong alam at ang aking bokabularyo ay napupuno ng mga salita at konseptong mejo intellectual, ngayon puro acronym at abbreviation na lang ang laman nya. haha thanks to cris. buti na lang may blog. naalala ko tuloy 142(or 140?) class ko kay raymundo.
I love life. Will i love life more kaya if i have a lovelife? haha nevertheless,i love life and the pains and joys that goes with it
Life has been good to me as well as to people around me for the past few days. I think this is nature’s way of rewarding me after a month of worries, exhaustion and sleeplessness nights.After a month in the hospital and occasional moments of bringing paranoia to us, my Dad can now walk! Yey! My mom and us kids were like parents na nagbabantay sa bawat kilos ng kanyang anak. Every development was like a reason to celebrate…nung ndi na (sabi nga ni mommy) garfield ang eyes nya, nung mejo nagagalaw na nya left arm nya, nung mejo nakakapag close-open na sya at nung mejo nakakapaglakad na sya with some alalay. Pero ngayon, nakakapaglakad na sya talaga mag-isa sa tulong ng isang mahabang piraso ng kahoy. He looks like an ermitanyo but he definitely can walk now! Sayang nga lang yung wheelchair na binili haha
And since my parents and I are now staying at my brother’s house in Antipolo, l now have the time to bond with my sister in law and my nephew. Grabe nakakatuwa na sya at lagi syang ngumingiti pag nakikita ako. Sipsip sa tita ninang.
After a month din, nagkita-kita kaming tatlo nina Sezy Dezy at Kimtot yesterday. Grabe namiss ko bonding moments naming tatlo…endless panlalait or pag-aanalyze sa relationships ng mga tao sa Starbucks, congee sa chowking, kain sa KFC, at wala lang. Hoy , may utang pa kayong lunch/dinner/gimik sa min ni Lala ha.
And after centuries of waiting, na-upgrade na PC ko. XP na sya! Ngayon, ndi na nya klangan ng installer para makapagbasa ng flash disk at salamat, ndi na masyadong sasakit ang ulo ko sa paglalagay ng animation sa mga presentations ko.
Hoys is leaving for Singapore next week. After years of trying for different universities abroad, she has been awarded with a scholarship by the National University of Singapore. Kudos to you Hoys and good luck!!! Dapat magtop ka sa class ha. Tsaka pag nag-Singapore kami, dapat sagot mo in-country expenses namin. Hehe
Zina has a new phone. Ganda! Grabe, kami na lang ni Ava ang ndi nag-a-upgrade. Now you can answer your Jimimimi’s call in an instant. Ndi mo na kailangang maghalungkat sa bag mo para maghanap ng mouthpiece.
After three years of not looking at any socio book or readings, nabasa ko na naman ang isa sa mga words na lagi kong nababasa sa mga readings at naririning kay sarah raymundo: panopticon. Haha grabe, ang bobo ko na. Kung dati feeling ko ang dami kong alam at ang aking bokabularyo ay napupuno ng mga salita at konseptong mejo intellectual, ngayon puro acronym at abbreviation na lang ang laman nya. haha thanks to cris. buti na lang may blog. naalala ko tuloy 142(or 140?) class ko kay raymundo.
I love life. Will i love life more kaya if i have a lovelife? haha nevertheless,i love life and the pains and joys that goes with it
blogger at blogspot
this blog was created minutes before my meeting...and this blog officially welcomes me to blogspot. yey!
Tuesday, July 19, 2005
mesmerizing cebu
I was in Cebu last March 10-12.. Our stay was supposed to be longer if we followed the original plan. But last minute changes in the schedule forced us to let go of our original plan and settled with the Saturday departure.
The night before the departure, I still was busy with office work because I had to finish all my tasks for the workshop plus the other urgent commitments our office has to attend to. In one day, I was able to finalize the opening and closing remarks, do the invitations, prepare the admin brief, prepare the templates and prepare a briefing on the DPG. Well the workshop preparation things were not really that hard but we were not ready for that DPG presentation yet. At around 6 I think, we were told to prepare a briefing for the following morning so we all were forced to work overtime. I stayed until 9 and left my bosses to finish the job. Talking of a model employee here! Bwahaha
But I really had to do that because I had to get up at around 130 because theyre gonna pick me up by 2. Its just a good thing that I packed my things the previous night so I didn’t have much preparation left. I was ready for bed by 10 but I cant catch my sleep. So I ended up watching the TV and taking a nap by around 1230 and getting up by 130. Im not even sure if I was really able to sleep. I just had my eyes closed but I think I was still awake.Anyway, I got up at around 130 am, had my nesvita, took a bath and rechecked my things. And by 215am, my sundo was ready to pick me up. Maj Bajao, Jen and Zina were already in the car when they picked me up. I had the biggest bag.. no…Zina had the biggest bag but my bag was more stuffed than hers. Anyway, we picked Ava up and we got lost because we took a right turn in the wrong street. After that, we picked Lucy and Barbie and Tin. Barbie was his usual paranoid self. He was already calling the driver at 2am. And our flight is at 530am! Anyway, we transferred cars because we cant fit into the FX so we used Lucy’s car instead.
We also had a slight tampuhan because Zina suddenly had her plans changed. I was so pissed because I thought all our plans will go well. She had apparently promised Jimi that she’ll be back by Friday and they have plans for the weekend but hey, we all planned for this way before. So there, I was totally pissed. I usually talk a lot when we travel together but that time, I was silent, I was not talking. I wanted them to feel that I felt bad because we had a plan and it seems like were not gonna stick to that. When we were near the airport I think, she changed her mind due to peer pressure. Hehe (Peace Zins!)
330am. I think we arrived at the airport around this time. We checked in and waited at the departure area for about 2 hours. While waiting, we took pictures and ate donuts. Jen was retelling her experience in Singapore and we all chatted about things.
515am. We boarded the plane. We even had our pictures taken at the tube and at the plane. In my 23 years of riding planes, this is the first time that I had my picture taken inside because we usually had our pictures taken only at the airport. Its fun though haha makes one feel like a real tourist.While we were on board, Maj Bajao was the first to notice that the sun was already rising. We looked at the window and there for the first time, I saw a very nice sunrise. It was a picturesque beauty but I was not able to capture it because I thought I could not use my camera onboard. It was such a beautiful sight. I could see the horizon divided into an orange and bluish/grayish shade. Ang ganda talaga!
645am. We landed at Mactan International Airport. The airport is ok and bigger than the usual provincial airports. Well, maybe because its an international airport right? Anyway, when we were claiming our baggage, Basilio was already there and he was wearing his usual evil grin. Argh!! Ava, Zina and I immediately looked for the PAL ticket office to had our return trip rescheduled for Saturday. We did not have to pay the 200 rebooking fee if that Basilio listened to us. Anyway, rescheduling was not that of a hassle anyway and we paid less than the expected 400 fee. And it took us just about 5 mins.When we were done, the van was already waiting for us. Barbie and all the other guys went ahead. Only Maj Bajao was left and volunteered to accompany us.
The first sight that greeted us was the Marcelo Fernan Bridge. The sight from there was so good. It was so beautiful. You could see the blue water and Mactan bridge from afar. I was just so thrilled by Cebu.The trip to the hotel took us about 20 minutes. Since it was Thursday, we got to experience the usual workday traffic and sight of Cebu. The traffic was like Manila. It was bad that the vehicles are not moving, plus the fact that the drivers there were worse than here. As in walang patumangga. Anyway, we arrived at the hotel and had breakfast. The food was good but it was not the usual breakfast food. Its like a breakfast and lunch food. My impression of Cebu was already OK but it was ruined by the service given by the Golden Peak hotel. They allowed us to check in earlier than the usual time but they haven’t got the rooms ready yet. When we went it, the room was a mess. Beddings were scattered everywhere, the CR was dirty and the room did not smell good. We were so pissed that we immediately went to Basilio’s room to complain. Anong ginawa nila? As member of the advance party, they were supposed to arrange everything, the hotel, the conference venue, and everything. And for the hotel management, they should not have allowed us to check in early if they do not have clean rooms yet. As usual, Basilio had his lousy excuses, but, what could I expect. He said that they had nice rooms because they flew in earlier. Duh, who was he fooling?
After we freshened up a bit, we headed for the workshop venue. People were already there. We arrived late and yet we did not start right away. Instead, we started so late. The workshop was fine. But during lunch time, Lucy insisted to show his personal presentation so we went out. Zina and I explored the place and had our pictures taken at the bahay ng anay-like object infront of the CENTCOM GHQ.
I got teamed up with Maj Bajao. He was one of our favorite officers because he is one of those who belong to the rare species of brainy but modest people in the armed forces. He already had a PhD, got himself a teaching job both in UP and University of Makati pero walang kaere-ere sa katawan. He does not brag about his achievements and the best thing about him is he knows how to communicate with us. I had a little chat with him and I had a realization that is not only us who have frustrations at work and in the government in general. Frustrations about the government are not a monopoly of the people who chose armed struggle, or those who are apathetic about the government or those in the private sector. Frustration about the government and the service are also shared by those who are themselves working in the service.I think they even have more frustrations because they see the real picture. They have an inside view and a first hand experience of what is happening in the government. They know the flaws, they know the weaknesses, they are aware of the stupidity, they see the harshness and they also experience power play.When I asked Maj Bajao on how he handles all his frustrations about the government, he just said that he picks the good ones. He said that he picks the good apples and separates them from the rotten ones and from there, he gets his inspiration. What a nice attitude.
After work, we decided to go out. But we went to the hotel first, had our dinner and got some sleep. We all agreed to meet up at the hotel lobby by 7 I think. But before that, we were woken up by the receptionist at the lobby telling us that our van was already waiting for us. So we rushed to the lobby but there was no van waiting for us. So we had to wait for another 30 minutes or so.While waiting, Zina was having problems with Jimi. Jimi did not want her to extend her vacation and was making tampo. Of course, the ever loving Zina was thinking about him. After a few minutes, Zina was already crying over the phone and I guess explaining the situation to Jimi. I also had a sudden tinge of guilt because it is us who asked Zina to extend her stay. But I just reasoned out that we had this planned long before. And after a few more minutes, they were already ok
We had our dinner at one of the SUTUKIL stalls near Mactan shrine. It is one of those stalls where they sell fresh catch and have those cooked for you. It was like those stalls in Talipapa in Boracay but more expensive. The place was not fancy yet the food was good. It was even a bit malansa and mosquitoes were swarming everywhere. But, we enjoyed our food. We had sinigang na isda, which they call tinola I think. We had some oysters, seaweeds, chicken, and grilled fish. There was nothing extraordinary in the preparation but all tasted good. The sinigang was like an ordinary sinigang prepared at home but the fresh fish made it tasted so good. The oysters were so yummy and the chicken was do delicious. Hmm…im getting hungry just remembering all those.
After dinner, we had our pictures taken at the shrine and with the lapu-lapu monument. Too bad my camera was running out of batteries. I bought an eveready at the sari-sari store but it could not satisfy the voltage requirements (EE people, correct me here) so all our pictures at the shrine were blurred. Having no more sights to see there, we went to mountain view. It was like a trip to baguio ride. The roads were steep and narrow. But the air was filled with a scent of blossoming flowers lining up the road. The flower was white, bell-shaped one which looks like yellow bell, only bigger. The experience was so relaxing and creepy at the same time. It is like in those horror movies wherein you smell something different in the air. Maybe if I was that superstitious then I may have believed that the smell came from something else.Arriving at the view deck was so great. The ambience was so romantic and the view was so great. It was like youre in another dimension where you are above all else and you could see the whole of Cebu.When we arrived, there were couples sitting at the benches lined up there. But we were so thrilled by the sight and we could not contain our emotions so we could not help but appreciate the beauty before our eyes, well, loudly. So after a few minutes or seconds perhaps, the couples moved away. We were laughing the whole time because we again were able to prove our ‘bitchness’ and our being inconsiderate. Anyway, we stayed there for about 40 minutes or so. We stargazed and got ourselves deeply mesmerized by the lights of Cebu. They were like scattered shatters of gold that were radiating glittering sparks of light. The sight was truly splendid that I wanted to capture it in my mind and in my heart. Well, I tried to capture it with my camera but the battery wont just allow it. But I still was able to capture it though not as perfect as I wanted it to be.
The following morning, I woke up early. Ava and I were ready done by 730 but the other girls were not ready yet so we waited for them. After a few more calls at the lobby, we went downstairs ahead of them. Maybe Basilio was so pissed at us again haha, he thought of going ahead at the venue and will just buy breakfast for us. Well, that is a rather late realization but still a good idea because we had 2 vans naman.
We arrived at the conference venue before them. We even waited for I think 20 more minutes before they arrived. While having breakfast, one of the officers was asking us why we did not go to Waterfront when he already made some reservations and told Basilio about it. We were so angry at Basilio because he did not text the officer even if that was the only thing that he had to do. Kaasar!The end of the workshop was ok. The participants did not have a regular ourtbrief because Barbie came in when the participants were still having their discussions on the output. So we finished earlier than expected. Since Jenny and Tin were scheduled to leave that same afternoon, we had our things packed that morning already and just left them at the van. But the others had to changed clothes so they went to BOQ. Having read Basilio’s mind, we really insisted on having one of the girls come with us. But that pathetic bastard obviously had other plans so he kept on insisting that she go with them. But of course, we did not give up so he lost.
Maj Bajao rode with us and that afternoon, we had the happiest moments of our stay in Cebu.We left at the conference venue at around 1 and needs to be at the airport by 5 so we really had to be quick in our tour. First stop was UP Cebu.UP Cebu was a small campus. Its just like a single college in Diliman. But just like in Diliman, there were weird looking people scattered in Tambayans. We had our pictures taken with Oble who was fairer than his counterpart in Diliman. Second stop was a side trip to the provincial capitol. It was where Gloria was sworn for her presidency during her reelection.
After that, we headed immediately to Taboan market. I expected that there would be a lot of danggit but I did not expect that daing there would be that much. There were a wide array of daing: danggit, pusit, tinik and other fish whose names I do not even know. And the presentation was even good. It was not like those markets where flies are swarming everywhere. It is a tourist market. One thing I could not forget about the market were the streetchildren there. Yes, just like in Manila, there are also streetchildren in Cebu. The previous night when we were at the restaurant, they were asking for bread in Bisaya. And I had another encounter with them at the market. Of course, when they were asking for money, they had those kaawa-awa faces painted on. But knowing that it is just a coning strategy, I ignored them. One was asking Tin for some money but she refused. Usually, streetchildren here in Manila would just go away and murmur things about you. But I was surprised about one of the streetkids there. When Tin refused, she answered back, raised her voice and told Tin that she promised to give. It was a new experience for me hearing somebody pleading for help yet so demanding. I mean giving them alms is an act of your own choice and she does not have the right to get angry and raise her voice just because we did not give her money. Maj Bajao talked to her in Bisaya and I think threatened her but the little girl would not just back off. People.
After that, we headed straight to Shamrock. I bought just Otap because I was planning to buy dried mangoes at the 7D factory. But too bad that when we arrived at the factory, they greeted us with “Wala ng dried mangoes”. Life is a bitch! Since we are pressed with time, we were not able to go back at Shamrock rather we headed straight to the airport. Traffic was bad but at least we saw some funny sites.
It was still a long ride so we still had the chance to stop by at the lechon stalls and bought puso and the famous lechon Cebu.We were at the Fernan bridge by around 530 0r 540 so we really had to rush. But we did not expect something adventurous to happen. Maj Bajao told the driver to stop at the middle of the bridge and have our pictures taken with one of the pillars of the bridge which had markings on it. So there, we stopped, had our hazard signs put on, got cursed by passing vehicles because we were causing a slight traffic and got our pictures taken. It was a wonderful experience. I think there really is something about adventure and breaking the law. Sabi nga ni sir, minsan lang tayo manggago sa Cebu. Maybe, if stopping at the middle of the bridge was allowed, the experience would not have been that great. It would have been just another stop at a tourist spot.
After that, we headed at the park just below the bridge and had a 10-minute foodtrip. The place was clean and full of students and locals just hanging out. It was a perfect place for cheap and clean fun. We could see both Mactan and Fernan bridge from below, barges and boats passing and the sun slowly setting. It was such a relaxing site.Since we were rushing, we did not have time to prepare for a food trip so we ate with our bare hands. But the moment was so exciting and happy that all of us did not worry about our dirty hands anymore. We just opened our puso and dig into the lechon before us. Ang saya ng moment na yun. We again had our pictures taken while eating puso and lechon and we had fun the whole time. After maybe 8 or 10minutes, we rushed back to the car and headed straight to the airport.Ah, parting is such a sweet sorrow. Until the last minutes, we were still convincing Tin and Jen to extend their stay and join us but they just could not. So there, we said our goodbyes and again prepared ourselves for a long trip to the resort.
We met our foster family near SM. The parents are both engineers who took part in developing the resort. They seemed to be a nice couple. Their children were nice too. So after a few exchanges of pleasantries, we started our long journey to the resort. The journey was tiring. It was almost a three-hour ride wherein almost half of it was pure rough road. It was really tiring.We arrived at the resort at past nine.
The resort was nice. We were expecting just a tiny resort with a nice sea front but what we saw was an exclusive beach club. We were just so thrilled that we already wanted to head straight to the swimming pool.We settled first at the cottage and changed into our swimsuits. I think it was already past 10 that time yet we did not mind our tired bodies and went straight to the pool. We felt the coldness of the water when we showered. I was shaking so I immediately dipped myself in the pool. The pool was nice and had 2 slides and a Jacuzzi. The slides and the Jacuzzi were off but our foster mom talked to the admin and had the Jacuzzi put on for us. Too bad naunahan kami nung isang grupo. It was around 12 when we had dinner. We had a simple dinner of fried fish, sinabawang isda, and chicken but they were all delicious.Zina had a sudden attack of headache and nausea so she only ate a little. And since we were sharing in a single plate, I had to finish the rice I got for 2 people. But its ok because I was hungry anyway. After dinner, we showered and went to bed. I was last to shower so I went to bed at past 2 already.
We woke up at around 7 or 8 the following day. Zina was feeling good already so we went around and explored the place. The beach was not that good after all. It was a bit rocky, maybe it was for snorkeling and not for sunbathing.We had coffee at past 8. Maj Bajao and our foster dad were already at the videoke machine and were already hitting on some songs and some bottles of beer. Although the videole bar was at a separate cottage from the canteen, we could still hear their voices. They were singing the whole time we were eating our breakfast.The breakfast was oh, so good. We had danggit, longganisa, grilled fish, baby octopus, sinabawang isda, plus ripe mangoes.
God, vacation life is so good. We digged into everything and ate our heart out.After the hearty breakfast, walked a little and stayed at the beach. Then we changed into our swimsuits. We went to the pool first and to the beach after. We weren’t able to swim at the beach thought because the floor was so rocky. We just went kayaking instead. We finished at around 1. We immediately bathed, changed into our traveling clothes packed our things and headed for lunch.Maj Bajao told us that they would prepare whole chicken for lunch but I did not expect that they will serve the chicken whole. We were laughing when we saw it because we were not expecting a whole chicken served before us. Whole as in they just removed the head and the feet and that’s it. They did not chop it into pieces. But it tasted so good and the meat was so soft. Again, we ate our heart out. We just had to control ourselves because we need to reserve some space for the fruits and we still needed to gulp the juice and eat the meat of one whole buko. Having lunch was gluttony in action.We finished lunch at past 2 and considering the long drive back, we were again rushing. Too bad, the other car broke off so we had to leave our foster family at the resort and went ahead.
Exchanging goodbyes and gratitudes are both a happy and a sad moment. We were happy that we’ve met them, had the chance to mingle with them and enjoy the moment with them. But it was also sad that we had to end that happy moment because we had to face reality and head back to the airport to catch our flight. It was sad that we had to end sharing a part of our lives with them and had to preserve our moments with them as part of our lives and another addition to our memory boxes.On our ride back, we were all silent. Maybe because we’re all sleepy but im sure all of us were thinking about the experience. Taking a vacation is good not only because of the beach and of the food but because of the time it gives you to escape from your daily routine. Vacation gives one the time to take a break from the normal life and detach oneself in order to reflect, think and free the mind from usual worries. It is some sort of a refreshment from a long journey at the dessert that you want to preserve it.After breaking some traffic rules, overtaking and cursing, we arrived at the airport at past 6. We were just so lucky that our flight was delayed. We started boarding at 730. While the plane was taking off, we were all bidding goodbye to Cebu. As I see the tiny dots of light slowly disappearing, I already feel nostalgia for the place, for the people and for the experience. It’s the hardest part of taking a vacation, leaving. Even if youre still at the airport, you could feel the sadness in your heart because you are leaving a place and the people you’ve met and the culture you’ve live with even just for a few days.
The night before the departure, I still was busy with office work because I had to finish all my tasks for the workshop plus the other urgent commitments our office has to attend to. In one day, I was able to finalize the opening and closing remarks, do the invitations, prepare the admin brief, prepare the templates and prepare a briefing on the DPG. Well the workshop preparation things were not really that hard but we were not ready for that DPG presentation yet. At around 6 I think, we were told to prepare a briefing for the following morning so we all were forced to work overtime. I stayed until 9 and left my bosses to finish the job. Talking of a model employee here! Bwahaha
But I really had to do that because I had to get up at around 130 because theyre gonna pick me up by 2. Its just a good thing that I packed my things the previous night so I didn’t have much preparation left. I was ready for bed by 10 but I cant catch my sleep. So I ended up watching the TV and taking a nap by around 1230 and getting up by 130. Im not even sure if I was really able to sleep. I just had my eyes closed but I think I was still awake.Anyway, I got up at around 130 am, had my nesvita, took a bath and rechecked my things. And by 215am, my sundo was ready to pick me up. Maj Bajao, Jen and Zina were already in the car when they picked me up. I had the biggest bag.. no…Zina had the biggest bag but my bag was more stuffed than hers. Anyway, we picked Ava up and we got lost because we took a right turn in the wrong street. After that, we picked Lucy and Barbie and Tin. Barbie was his usual paranoid self. He was already calling the driver at 2am. And our flight is at 530am! Anyway, we transferred cars because we cant fit into the FX so we used Lucy’s car instead.
We also had a slight tampuhan because Zina suddenly had her plans changed. I was so pissed because I thought all our plans will go well. She had apparently promised Jimi that she’ll be back by Friday and they have plans for the weekend but hey, we all planned for this way before. So there, I was totally pissed. I usually talk a lot when we travel together but that time, I was silent, I was not talking. I wanted them to feel that I felt bad because we had a plan and it seems like were not gonna stick to that. When we were near the airport I think, she changed her mind due to peer pressure. Hehe (Peace Zins!)
330am. I think we arrived at the airport around this time. We checked in and waited at the departure area for about 2 hours. While waiting, we took pictures and ate donuts. Jen was retelling her experience in Singapore and we all chatted about things.
515am. We boarded the plane. We even had our pictures taken at the tube and at the plane. In my 23 years of riding planes, this is the first time that I had my picture taken inside because we usually had our pictures taken only at the airport. Its fun though haha makes one feel like a real tourist.While we were on board, Maj Bajao was the first to notice that the sun was already rising. We looked at the window and there for the first time, I saw a very nice sunrise. It was a picturesque beauty but I was not able to capture it because I thought I could not use my camera onboard. It was such a beautiful sight. I could see the horizon divided into an orange and bluish/grayish shade. Ang ganda talaga!
645am. We landed at Mactan International Airport. The airport is ok and bigger than the usual provincial airports. Well, maybe because its an international airport right? Anyway, when we were claiming our baggage, Basilio was already there and he was wearing his usual evil grin. Argh!! Ava, Zina and I immediately looked for the PAL ticket office to had our return trip rescheduled for Saturday. We did not have to pay the 200 rebooking fee if that Basilio listened to us. Anyway, rescheduling was not that of a hassle anyway and we paid less than the expected 400 fee. And it took us just about 5 mins.When we were done, the van was already waiting for us. Barbie and all the other guys went ahead. Only Maj Bajao was left and volunteered to accompany us.
The first sight that greeted us was the Marcelo Fernan Bridge. The sight from there was so good. It was so beautiful. You could see the blue water and Mactan bridge from afar. I was just so thrilled by Cebu.The trip to the hotel took us about 20 minutes. Since it was Thursday, we got to experience the usual workday traffic and sight of Cebu. The traffic was like Manila. It was bad that the vehicles are not moving, plus the fact that the drivers there were worse than here. As in walang patumangga. Anyway, we arrived at the hotel and had breakfast. The food was good but it was not the usual breakfast food. Its like a breakfast and lunch food. My impression of Cebu was already OK but it was ruined by the service given by the Golden Peak hotel. They allowed us to check in earlier than the usual time but they haven’t got the rooms ready yet. When we went it, the room was a mess. Beddings were scattered everywhere, the CR was dirty and the room did not smell good. We were so pissed that we immediately went to Basilio’s room to complain. Anong ginawa nila? As member of the advance party, they were supposed to arrange everything, the hotel, the conference venue, and everything. And for the hotel management, they should not have allowed us to check in early if they do not have clean rooms yet. As usual, Basilio had his lousy excuses, but, what could I expect. He said that they had nice rooms because they flew in earlier. Duh, who was he fooling?
After we freshened up a bit, we headed for the workshop venue. People were already there. We arrived late and yet we did not start right away. Instead, we started so late. The workshop was fine. But during lunch time, Lucy insisted to show his personal presentation so we went out. Zina and I explored the place and had our pictures taken at the bahay ng anay-like object infront of the CENTCOM GHQ.
I got teamed up with Maj Bajao. He was one of our favorite officers because he is one of those who belong to the rare species of brainy but modest people in the armed forces. He already had a PhD, got himself a teaching job both in UP and University of Makati pero walang kaere-ere sa katawan. He does not brag about his achievements and the best thing about him is he knows how to communicate with us. I had a little chat with him and I had a realization that is not only us who have frustrations at work and in the government in general. Frustrations about the government are not a monopoly of the people who chose armed struggle, or those who are apathetic about the government or those in the private sector. Frustration about the government and the service are also shared by those who are themselves working in the service.I think they even have more frustrations because they see the real picture. They have an inside view and a first hand experience of what is happening in the government. They know the flaws, they know the weaknesses, they are aware of the stupidity, they see the harshness and they also experience power play.When I asked Maj Bajao on how he handles all his frustrations about the government, he just said that he picks the good ones. He said that he picks the good apples and separates them from the rotten ones and from there, he gets his inspiration. What a nice attitude.
After work, we decided to go out. But we went to the hotel first, had our dinner and got some sleep. We all agreed to meet up at the hotel lobby by 7 I think. But before that, we were woken up by the receptionist at the lobby telling us that our van was already waiting for us. So we rushed to the lobby but there was no van waiting for us. So we had to wait for another 30 minutes or so.While waiting, Zina was having problems with Jimi. Jimi did not want her to extend her vacation and was making tampo. Of course, the ever loving Zina was thinking about him. After a few minutes, Zina was already crying over the phone and I guess explaining the situation to Jimi. I also had a sudden tinge of guilt because it is us who asked Zina to extend her stay. But I just reasoned out that we had this planned long before. And after a few more minutes, they were already ok
We had our dinner at one of the SUTUKIL stalls near Mactan shrine. It is one of those stalls where they sell fresh catch and have those cooked for you. It was like those stalls in Talipapa in Boracay but more expensive. The place was not fancy yet the food was good. It was even a bit malansa and mosquitoes were swarming everywhere. But, we enjoyed our food. We had sinigang na isda, which they call tinola I think. We had some oysters, seaweeds, chicken, and grilled fish. There was nothing extraordinary in the preparation but all tasted good. The sinigang was like an ordinary sinigang prepared at home but the fresh fish made it tasted so good. The oysters were so yummy and the chicken was do delicious. Hmm…im getting hungry just remembering all those.
After dinner, we had our pictures taken at the shrine and with the lapu-lapu monument. Too bad my camera was running out of batteries. I bought an eveready at the sari-sari store but it could not satisfy the voltage requirements (EE people, correct me here) so all our pictures at the shrine were blurred. Having no more sights to see there, we went to mountain view. It was like a trip to baguio ride. The roads were steep and narrow. But the air was filled with a scent of blossoming flowers lining up the road. The flower was white, bell-shaped one which looks like yellow bell, only bigger. The experience was so relaxing and creepy at the same time. It is like in those horror movies wherein you smell something different in the air. Maybe if I was that superstitious then I may have believed that the smell came from something else.Arriving at the view deck was so great. The ambience was so romantic and the view was so great. It was like youre in another dimension where you are above all else and you could see the whole of Cebu.When we arrived, there were couples sitting at the benches lined up there. But we were so thrilled by the sight and we could not contain our emotions so we could not help but appreciate the beauty before our eyes, well, loudly. So after a few minutes or seconds perhaps, the couples moved away. We were laughing the whole time because we again were able to prove our ‘bitchness’ and our being inconsiderate. Anyway, we stayed there for about 40 minutes or so. We stargazed and got ourselves deeply mesmerized by the lights of Cebu. They were like scattered shatters of gold that were radiating glittering sparks of light. The sight was truly splendid that I wanted to capture it in my mind and in my heart. Well, I tried to capture it with my camera but the battery wont just allow it. But I still was able to capture it though not as perfect as I wanted it to be.
The following morning, I woke up early. Ava and I were ready done by 730 but the other girls were not ready yet so we waited for them. After a few more calls at the lobby, we went downstairs ahead of them. Maybe Basilio was so pissed at us again haha, he thought of going ahead at the venue and will just buy breakfast for us. Well, that is a rather late realization but still a good idea because we had 2 vans naman.
We arrived at the conference venue before them. We even waited for I think 20 more minutes before they arrived. While having breakfast, one of the officers was asking us why we did not go to Waterfront when he already made some reservations and told Basilio about it. We were so angry at Basilio because he did not text the officer even if that was the only thing that he had to do. Kaasar!The end of the workshop was ok. The participants did not have a regular ourtbrief because Barbie came in when the participants were still having their discussions on the output. So we finished earlier than expected. Since Jenny and Tin were scheduled to leave that same afternoon, we had our things packed that morning already and just left them at the van. But the others had to changed clothes so they went to BOQ. Having read Basilio’s mind, we really insisted on having one of the girls come with us. But that pathetic bastard obviously had other plans so he kept on insisting that she go with them. But of course, we did not give up so he lost.
Maj Bajao rode with us and that afternoon, we had the happiest moments of our stay in Cebu.We left at the conference venue at around 1 and needs to be at the airport by 5 so we really had to be quick in our tour. First stop was UP Cebu.UP Cebu was a small campus. Its just like a single college in Diliman. But just like in Diliman, there were weird looking people scattered in Tambayans. We had our pictures taken with Oble who was fairer than his counterpart in Diliman. Second stop was a side trip to the provincial capitol. It was where Gloria was sworn for her presidency during her reelection.
After that, we headed immediately to Taboan market. I expected that there would be a lot of danggit but I did not expect that daing there would be that much. There were a wide array of daing: danggit, pusit, tinik and other fish whose names I do not even know. And the presentation was even good. It was not like those markets where flies are swarming everywhere. It is a tourist market. One thing I could not forget about the market were the streetchildren there. Yes, just like in Manila, there are also streetchildren in Cebu. The previous night when we were at the restaurant, they were asking for bread in Bisaya. And I had another encounter with them at the market. Of course, when they were asking for money, they had those kaawa-awa faces painted on. But knowing that it is just a coning strategy, I ignored them. One was asking Tin for some money but she refused. Usually, streetchildren here in Manila would just go away and murmur things about you. But I was surprised about one of the streetkids there. When Tin refused, she answered back, raised her voice and told Tin that she promised to give. It was a new experience for me hearing somebody pleading for help yet so demanding. I mean giving them alms is an act of your own choice and she does not have the right to get angry and raise her voice just because we did not give her money. Maj Bajao talked to her in Bisaya and I think threatened her but the little girl would not just back off. People.
After that, we headed straight to Shamrock. I bought just Otap because I was planning to buy dried mangoes at the 7D factory. But too bad that when we arrived at the factory, they greeted us with “Wala ng dried mangoes”. Life is a bitch! Since we are pressed with time, we were not able to go back at Shamrock rather we headed straight to the airport. Traffic was bad but at least we saw some funny sites.
It was still a long ride so we still had the chance to stop by at the lechon stalls and bought puso and the famous lechon Cebu.We were at the Fernan bridge by around 530 0r 540 so we really had to rush. But we did not expect something adventurous to happen. Maj Bajao told the driver to stop at the middle of the bridge and have our pictures taken with one of the pillars of the bridge which had markings on it. So there, we stopped, had our hazard signs put on, got cursed by passing vehicles because we were causing a slight traffic and got our pictures taken. It was a wonderful experience. I think there really is something about adventure and breaking the law. Sabi nga ni sir, minsan lang tayo manggago sa Cebu. Maybe, if stopping at the middle of the bridge was allowed, the experience would not have been that great. It would have been just another stop at a tourist spot.
After that, we headed at the park just below the bridge and had a 10-minute foodtrip. The place was clean and full of students and locals just hanging out. It was a perfect place for cheap and clean fun. We could see both Mactan and Fernan bridge from below, barges and boats passing and the sun slowly setting. It was such a relaxing site.Since we were rushing, we did not have time to prepare for a food trip so we ate with our bare hands. But the moment was so exciting and happy that all of us did not worry about our dirty hands anymore. We just opened our puso and dig into the lechon before us. Ang saya ng moment na yun. We again had our pictures taken while eating puso and lechon and we had fun the whole time. After maybe 8 or 10minutes, we rushed back to the car and headed straight to the airport.Ah, parting is such a sweet sorrow. Until the last minutes, we were still convincing Tin and Jen to extend their stay and join us but they just could not. So there, we said our goodbyes and again prepared ourselves for a long trip to the resort.
We met our foster family near SM. The parents are both engineers who took part in developing the resort. They seemed to be a nice couple. Their children were nice too. So after a few exchanges of pleasantries, we started our long journey to the resort. The journey was tiring. It was almost a three-hour ride wherein almost half of it was pure rough road. It was really tiring.We arrived at the resort at past nine.
The resort was nice. We were expecting just a tiny resort with a nice sea front but what we saw was an exclusive beach club. We were just so thrilled that we already wanted to head straight to the swimming pool.We settled first at the cottage and changed into our swimsuits. I think it was already past 10 that time yet we did not mind our tired bodies and went straight to the pool. We felt the coldness of the water when we showered. I was shaking so I immediately dipped myself in the pool. The pool was nice and had 2 slides and a Jacuzzi. The slides and the Jacuzzi were off but our foster mom talked to the admin and had the Jacuzzi put on for us. Too bad naunahan kami nung isang grupo. It was around 12 when we had dinner. We had a simple dinner of fried fish, sinabawang isda, and chicken but they were all delicious.Zina had a sudden attack of headache and nausea so she only ate a little. And since we were sharing in a single plate, I had to finish the rice I got for 2 people. But its ok because I was hungry anyway. After dinner, we showered and went to bed. I was last to shower so I went to bed at past 2 already.
We woke up at around 7 or 8 the following day. Zina was feeling good already so we went around and explored the place. The beach was not that good after all. It was a bit rocky, maybe it was for snorkeling and not for sunbathing.We had coffee at past 8. Maj Bajao and our foster dad were already at the videoke machine and were already hitting on some songs and some bottles of beer. Although the videole bar was at a separate cottage from the canteen, we could still hear their voices. They were singing the whole time we were eating our breakfast.The breakfast was oh, so good. We had danggit, longganisa, grilled fish, baby octopus, sinabawang isda, plus ripe mangoes.
God, vacation life is so good. We digged into everything and ate our heart out.After the hearty breakfast, walked a little and stayed at the beach. Then we changed into our swimsuits. We went to the pool first and to the beach after. We weren’t able to swim at the beach thought because the floor was so rocky. We just went kayaking instead. We finished at around 1. We immediately bathed, changed into our traveling clothes packed our things and headed for lunch.Maj Bajao told us that they would prepare whole chicken for lunch but I did not expect that they will serve the chicken whole. We were laughing when we saw it because we were not expecting a whole chicken served before us. Whole as in they just removed the head and the feet and that’s it. They did not chop it into pieces. But it tasted so good and the meat was so soft. Again, we ate our heart out. We just had to control ourselves because we need to reserve some space for the fruits and we still needed to gulp the juice and eat the meat of one whole buko. Having lunch was gluttony in action.We finished lunch at past 2 and considering the long drive back, we were again rushing. Too bad, the other car broke off so we had to leave our foster family at the resort and went ahead.
Exchanging goodbyes and gratitudes are both a happy and a sad moment. We were happy that we’ve met them, had the chance to mingle with them and enjoy the moment with them. But it was also sad that we had to end that happy moment because we had to face reality and head back to the airport to catch our flight. It was sad that we had to end sharing a part of our lives with them and had to preserve our moments with them as part of our lives and another addition to our memory boxes.On our ride back, we were all silent. Maybe because we’re all sleepy but im sure all of us were thinking about the experience. Taking a vacation is good not only because of the beach and of the food but because of the time it gives you to escape from your daily routine. Vacation gives one the time to take a break from the normal life and detach oneself in order to reflect, think and free the mind from usual worries. It is some sort of a refreshment from a long journey at the dessert that you want to preserve it.After breaking some traffic rules, overtaking and cursing, we arrived at the airport at past 6. We were just so lucky that our flight was delayed. We started boarding at 730. While the plane was taking off, we were all bidding goodbye to Cebu. As I see the tiny dots of light slowly disappearing, I already feel nostalgia for the place, for the people and for the experience. It’s the hardest part of taking a vacation, leaving. Even if youre still at the airport, you could feel the sadness in your heart because you are leaving a place and the people you’ve met and the culture you’ve live with even just for a few days.
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