with a smile

the first time i heard about it, i doubted if its gonna push through. but still, i wished that it really will. all the gossips, which kept on changing every now and then, were dealth with cynicism but still, i kept hoping. i even registered in the marloboro redlist even if i wasnt a smoker.

then aug 30 came.

a few minutes after 8pm, the numbers 10:00 were flashed on the screen, ticking. countdown na! sigawan ang mga tao, akala 10 seconds pero putik, 10 minutes pala to. ang tagal! haha ganunpaman, sinakyan na din ng mga tao. what is 10 minutes compared to 6 long years of waiting for the fab four este eheads to perform together on one stage. pagdating ng last 10 seconds on the 7th minute, sinabayan ang countdown. 10...9...8...7...6...5...4...3...2...1...zero woohooo pero syempre after nun, 6 minutes pa. at pagdating ulit ng last 10 seconds for that minute, chant na naman ang mga tao. that thing went on until finally, on the last minute, on the last second, pagdating ng zero, nagdilim ang stage. wooooooo wala kang makikita kundi ilaw ng mga cellphone, video, camera at kung anu-ano pang tech gadgets na dala dala ng mga panatiko para marecord ang kung anumang mangyayari sa gabing yun.

tapos biglang may lumabasa sa screen. ang mga katagang SA WAKAS (pasintabi sa sugarfree) and a flash of eheads images after that. maya maya, nagliwanag ang stage, putik, andun ang apat! lahat ng tao sumisigaw, nakataas ang mga kamay, nakatawa, nakangiti, ewan ko lang kung may naiiyak. i was shouting at the top of my lungs! its true! its true! haha hindi pa rin makapaniwala eh.

si ely syempre nasa gitna. nakaputi. may sukbit na gitara sa balikat. naka aviator shades. ang ayos ayos ng itsura. medyo pumayat. pero ang ayos ayos! si buddy, nakawhite coat din. pag nakaharap ka sa stage, nasa bandang kanan si buddy. ganun pa din ang itsura, hindi ngumingiti haha. si rayms, nasa likod, with the drums, naka-itim na shirt. syempre hindi suot yung red-rimmed nyang shades. im not sure pero im assuming naka chucks sya. ayos! si marcus, nasa left side ni ely. syempre ang haba na ng buhok, naka itim din. at hindi ko din alam kung naka boots ba sya or sneakers. isa sa mga naiwang palaisipan sa kin ng concert na yun.

first song was alapaap. syempre intro pa lang, wala ng ginawa mga tao kundi sumigaw. when ely went,

"may isang umaga, na tayo'y magsasama"

the crowd went wild. as in deafening noise from everyone and everywhere. the group is performing! walang makakatalo dito! except for the great april boys of course na muntik nang maging isa sa mga dahilan para hindi matuloy ang concert because the 4 just cant let the opportunity of seeing the april boys reunion concert pass. (sowee.bad girl)

going back. after the first line, naging chorus na ang kabuuan ng kanta. nung chorus na, biglang may fireworks sa stage. sosyal! pagbanggit ng huling linya at huling nota mula sa gitara at keyboards (jazz nicolas shared the stage with them)may fireworks ulit! sosyal ulit! pagkatapos ng fireworks, sigawan ulit ang mga tao. nag-aantay kung anong sasabihin ni ely. mangungumusta ba. magha hi. pero wala talaga. mga tao na nangungumusta sa kanila. sumisigaw. nagchachant ng "group hug. group hug, group hug" pero wala talaga. walang ad lib. tugtog lang talaga.

sumunod ang ligaya. sembreak. hey jay. kamasupra. harana. in between the songs, habang sila nagpapalit ng gitara (after every song sila kung magpalit ng gitara), ang crowd sumisigaw ng group hug, group hug, group hug. pagdating sa fruitcake, nag adlib si ely. ang sabi, "dahil malapit na ang pasko", sabay banat ng, there's a fruitcake for everybody, tapos kanta na ulit. with the crowd. lahat naman ng songs nila, kinanta with the crowd. haha

pagdating sa toyang, nag adlib ulit. ang sabi, kumusta?
tapos kanta ng, they try...
crowd: to tell us we're too young
ely: they try...
crowd: to tell us we're too young
ely: they really tried
crowd: *laughter*
ely: to tell us we're too old
crowd: *more laughter*
ely: to old..to really..be bold
crowd: woooooo
ely: bahay namin, maliit lamang
crowd + ely: pero pero pero malinis to, pati sa kusina.
hanggang natapos ang kanta.

sumunod ulit ang kailan. wag kang matakot. kaliwete. shake yer head. wag mo ng itanong. with a smile. (sorry hindi ako sigurado sa pagkakasunod sunod)

after the 2nd to the last song. sigaw ulit ng group hug ang audience. si ely, napatigil. akala namin may ihihirit. pero wala pala haha kanta lang ulit.

pagkatapos ng lightyears, umupo si ely. yumuko habang nakahawak sa nakatukod na gitara. ang audience hindi alam kung pano magrereact. i was thinking if he did that because he got so emotional because of the things happening to his life lately? was that in remembrance of his mother? naiiyak ba sya? or just a prelude to a punchline? tapos bago makapag react ang audience. nagdilim ang stage. at nagflash ng 20:00 sa screen. ok, 20-min break.

syempre ang audience, reklamo na naman haha 20 minutes, ang tagal! pero ok lang. sige lang. masaya naman ang first set. parang sa kanilang apat, si raymund yung pinakamasaya. sya yung pinaka energetic. nagtataas ng kamay para pumalakpak. nambato ng drumstick. nambato ng bote ng tubig. tayo ng tayo. bigay todo sa paghampas. mabuhay ka raymund! ely at one point shook his head so hard kaya natanggal yung shades at napunta sa audience. ely looked so haggard.

after 20 minutes, the crowd was getting impatient. ang tagal naman ng 20 minutes! tapos a few minutes more, people went to the stage. and you could hear people asking, bat may babae? bat may babae? then somebody talked,

"ako nga po pala si buddy, sya po si raymund at yun pa si marcus. kasama po namin mga organizers and ely's sister, si lally". that time i was wondering if this is a comedy act and if these people were impersonators. when i saw them on screen, i thought, wow, that guy really looked like buddy. and then he said that theyre asking the crowd to listen to what the organizers have to say.

then ely's sister talked with a quivering voice. thanking the crowd and explaining that because of his brother's poor health compounded with the death of their mother and the many things happening lately, they had to rush him to the hospital. he was asking for the audience's understanding and bidding everyone to have safe trip home.

the organizer took the mic after and thanked the crowd and again asked the crowd to understand that because of what happened, they had to cut the concert short. he also enjoined everyone to pray for ely and allot a few minutes of silence. and the crowd really went silent. as in silent. maybe that went for about 2 or 3 minutes. nobody was talking. it was just pure silence.

then the organizer again thanked the audience. And wished everyone to travel and drive home safe. Tapos bumaba na sila sa stage. And everyone just clapped. Syempre may mga humihirt pa ng, “kayong 3 na lang! tugtog pa kayo!”

it was a bit surreal. the entire concert was really, how would you call it, one-helluva-night? A drama. One moment youre so happy, the next moment youre sad. Parang linya ng heartbeat sa ECG machine. Ang emosyon ng tao minsan nasa peak, tapos pagkatapos ng ilang sandali, nasa baba na. From the very start until the end. Mula sa mga bali-balita na hindi maconfirm. Tapos nung maconfirm, biglang nagback-out. Nung may sumalong sponsor at nagbenta na ng ticket at nung turn ko na sa pila, biglang nagdown ang server at hindi ako nabentahan. Nung may ticket na ko at araw na ng concert, biglang umulan sa QC at nag-overtime pa klase ko. Paglabas ko ng klase ng 430 ng hapon, parang bagyo sa lakas ang ulan. Pagdating ko sa Ayala, wala akong makitang taxi. Pagkasakay ko ng taxi, ang traffic naman. At nung sa wakas mapanood ko sila, hindi natapos.

Lalo tuloy nabitin ang tao. An hour after that, we were talking about what could have been the perfect finale for that. Magpapadala kaya sila sa "group hug" chant? o sabay sabay silang magbabow at magwewave goodbye? O basta bigla na lang magdidilim ang stage at magfaflash ng salamat sa screen? Ano kaya last song nila, minsan o para sa masa o pare ko? Ano pa kaya yung mga kakantahin nila? Another 15 songs pa kaya o onti na lang? Ang dami pa nilang hindi nakakanta!

And with the fact na hindi natapos ang concert, magkakaroon pa kaya ng part 2? Hope not for that would be an overkill. Or pag nagkaroon, same tickets pa rin hehe kantahin nalang nila kung ano yung hindi nila natapos.

anyway, whatever happens or will not happen, sapat na sa kin ang mapanood ko silang muli na magkakasamang tumutugtog. anyway, 15 songs na din yun. Kinantana nila ang with a smile at narecord ko pa.

it was all worth it. kahit na hindi ko nadala ang camera ko to document the event. the 1,339 patron ticket was soo cheap compared to the happiness that one great night gave me. kahit siguro murahin ako in the face ng mga taong nang-aaway sa kin on that night, ngingiti pa rin ako at sasabihan ko ng peace! i havent been to an open air concert (except for the up fair) and im glad that the first one is just so great. the sound. the lights. the fireworks. the quality of the video on screen. the crowd. and the BAND. just right. no exaggerations. just music.

salamat incubus na nagfront act haha

salamat ERASERHEADS!

waiting

august 22
friday night
7:55pm
netopia sa farmers
pc # 52
*sound of keyboards being tapped*

waiting for my sister.
we're going to study together later.
but she still has some work to do so i have to wait for her for a few minutes.
i dont want to eat alone. have to wait for her.
so i came here. and rented a pc.
and opened yahoo.
and downloaded my 207.2 readings for tomorrow's class.
also visited my multiply account.
and added joanne as a contact. a fellow eheads fanatic.
im done downloading the readings.
dont feel like chatting with friends in ym.
dont have anything else to do now.
but write.

===========

about two weeks ago
around the same time
national book store
robinson's galeria
*sound of cash register closing*

was waiting for my friend.
was going to have coffee with her and talk about our favorite topic.
*wink*wink*
was looking at the books. looking for something interesting.
my eye caught a photography book. good thing it wasnt wrapped.
*thinks that whoever thought of wrapping books that are for sale is a jerk for how would you know if a book is worth buying if you dont get to see whats inside?* sige nga!*
browsed through it.
*sigh*wanted to take pictures again*hoping to have more time for that*
finished browsing it. returned it in the rack.
walked though the aisle. then turned to the next one. until the next one. until the next one.
went to the fiction section. saw haruki murakami's books. remembers her own copy of after dark. thinks where it is now.
thought of buying another title but its a bit pricey.
decided not to.
then saw another title. from another author. another asian author.
read the synopsis. hmm not bad
got it and paid for it.
waiting by hai jin

=============
wala lang
ayan 810 na
andun na siguro kapatid ko
makaalis na nga

is it worth dying for?

the title doesnt have any connection with the content of this post. except for the reason that i actually have the time to write non-school stuff such as this because its a holiday!

everythings been a bit of crazy lately. like an emotional roller coaster. one moment, everythings working out just fine but before you know it, reality kicks in. and its kinda stressful. masakit sa ulo!

thats exactly how i feel and think about people these past few weeks. ang labo! does it confuse you now? i assume there are knitting eyebrows slowly forming but dont think really hard because i dont have a deeper thought. i just want to write to unleash some of the things occupying my mind. because everything and everyone's simply...vague.

the fragility of human life

i dont really know your story. all i know is that youve been together for 5 years now. he came from a long relationship. i dont know about your story.

his family didnt like you at first because youre way older than him. but through the years, youve managed to charm them with your kindness. somehow, his family has learned to love you. and things have been going along pretty well.

though he might not have nagged you about it, he wanted to have a child. both of you are not getting any younger and his parents have been anticipating for another grandchild. this time from him.

he's in a deep dilemma because he didnt plan it. he said they started as flings. the thought of having a new challenge excited him. yet years after, it grew into something more serious. now,another life is involved. that of their unborn child.

unlike you, she is more demanding. she wants to have him,legally. she wants marriage. but she is not desperate. if he doesnt want to, its fine with her. but she has voiced out her preference.

he's been accompanying her to her pre-natal checks. he cried when he first saw the ultrasound image of their child. he cried because of too much joy. and too much guilt.

he's been thinking of you whenever he is with her. the thought of you being alone in the house feeds his guilt. he can no longer afford to be mushy with you because his conscience bothers him.

he doesnt want to decide now because he cant. youre leaving and he doesnt want you to ruin that plan because of depression. he plans to tell you once you leave.

he doesnt want to live with her just because of the child. akthough the idea is not that bad after all.

for now, he's thinking of just leaving the both of you. maybe out of cowardice. or maybe out of bravery.

but the turn of events over the weekend have been so unreal. seems like the heavens have made the decision for him...tragically.

now, no one knows where you are. last friday, maybe you were even excited when you boarded that ship. happy to go home and pay a visit to your loved ones. but nature has been cruel.

you are not in the list of survivors. we dont want to think that you didnt make it. now, we can only pray that ypu are on a shore somewhere. you dont deserve such a cruel ending. not in your lovelife. not in your life.

up checklist

i dont usually post these kind of stuff in my blog but because its the height of UP's centennial celebration, ill allow myself a little indulgence.

galing kay ava, in line with the peyups centennial hoopla, ilan sa mga sumusunod ang nagawa nyo nung nasa UP pa kayo? =P


[ ] Worried about getting bullied by fratmen or getting killed in a riot.
[ ] Got bullied by fratmen or was killed in a riot.
[ ] Witnessed a riot.
[X ] Watched the Oblation Run.
[ ] Made friends with a teacher
[ ] Was tricked as a freshman into attending a rally / prayer meeting.
[X ] Wore red or black on one of those wear red or wear black days
[ ] Wore red on Valentine?s Day.
[ ] Wore black on Valentine's Day.
[ ] Celebrated a birthday at Mang Jimmy's.
[X ] Learned UP Naming Mahal
[X ] Was an RA (registration assistant) or SA. (SA AS 101)
[ ] Lied or begged to an RA for a slot in class.
[ ] Participated in a there's-only-one-more-slot-are you-feeling-lucky?
[X ] Jogged around the campus (FOR THE LOVE OF KAMASA)
[X ] Visited the Vargas Museum
[X ] Knew at least one xerox lady, manong, or technician by name. [OO NGA, counted
ba si Manang Pilar, ung nasa Pilar-Herrera Hall]
[ ] Attended university level graduation.
[X ] Got an activist for a teacher
[ ] Watched a La Salle vs. Ateneo UAAP game.
[X ] Watched a UP vs. any school basketball game
[X ] Studied in CASAA.
[ ] Studied in McDonald's or Jollibee Philcoa for one full night and bought just one regular-sized drink.
[ ] Studied along Katipunan.
[ ] Studied along Katipunan and affected by the mannerisms of a stereotypical Atenean.
[X ] Watch a play that's not required for Comm III (DAMI NITO)
[X ] Went stargazing. (SA SUNKEN, HABANG KAUSAP ANG MGA TIBAK)
[x ] Ate in Chocolate Kiss, Tea Room (in CHE) or Chateau Verde
[ ] Struck up a conversation with a taong grasa
[ ] Wrote to/for the Collegian
[ ] Seriously pondered about the identity/ies of the people described in
Eksenang Peyups.
[X ] Went to the chapel. [OO NAMAN, LALO NA NUNG NAG MATH17 AKO]
[x ] Got a pebble stuck in your shoe/slippers while walking in Sunken
Garden .
[ ] Cut class with your block to watch a movie. [pwede ba to tambay?]
[ ] Had a Voltes V for a teacher.
[ ] Took a class under Joseph Palis.
[ ] Lied to the transcript lady to get a transcript earlier than the
standard 3 months.
[X ] Went to a Freshman-only concert.
[ ] Subsisted on just streetfood (fishballs, half footlongs, kwekwek,
squidballs/rolls, mais, dirty ice cream) for a day.
[ ] Learned how to smoke. [tried but never learned]
[X ] Went on an out-of-town trip with blockmates or orgmates. (MADAMING BESES)
[ ] Fell in love
[x ] Actually read the book you keep borrowing from the lib.
[ ] Played cards during your free time.
[X ] Dressed in business attire [comm III & interview sa org]
[ ] Sumabit sa jeep.
[ ] Got sung to or sung to someone in class during Valentine's day.
[x ] Watched the Lantern Parade
[x ] Helped out a total stranger.
[ ] Helped out a total stranger because he/she was hot.
[x ] Learned to stay awake for more than 24 or 48 hours straight [sa socio
199.1][ ] Got bullied by fratmen and feeling cool wannabe people who were actually losers.
[ ] Took Wednesday and/or Sat classes WILLINGLY
[ ] Volunteered for the pahinungod. [wanted to]
[X ] Ate "tasteless white sauce" pasta from cock-a-noodle-doo.
[ ] Got a boyfriend/girlfriend.
[x ] Took time to read the vandalism in the CR
[x ] Watched a sexy art film for any GE class. (pila balde)
[x ] Got held up or pickpocketed. [sa katipunan]
[x ] Felt depressed because you were not as good academically as you were
in high school.
[x ] Did a last minute paper (ALWAYS)
[x ] Had spent a lot for 1x1 ID pictures.
[x ] Got exempted from final exams
[ ] Got exempted from a final exam but still took it.
[x ] Attended a varsity pep rally.
[ ] Watched LIVE AIDS, Androgyny, Maskipaps or any well-known variety
show.
[ ] Promised to quit smoking.
[x ] Got into at least one (org- or council-sponsored) adventure race
[ ] Knew where the best restrooms are on campus.
[x ] Joined an org.
[x ] Allowed yourself to make mistakes.
[ ] Went to the gym in spite of having no PE class just to ogle varsity
players/cute boys. [nye, ang layo]
[x ] Took summer classes
[x ] Admired the Oblation.
[x ] Made a video for a project.
[X ] Had a crush on a teacher.
[ ] Had a teacher who had a crush on/tried to court you.
[ ] Attended your ROTC Bivouac.
[ ] Faked sickness to get an absence excused.
[ ] Got your car scratched by one of those "Kuya bantayan ko kotse niyo"
kids.
[ ] Took a PE class where you had to pay for tuition (i.e. sportsclimbing,
ten pin bowling, scuba diving, etc).
[x ] Went to school in your crappiest yet most comfy clothes.
[ ] Learned how to use the Bayantel pay phones.
[x ] Participated in school activities.
[ ] Caught the UP Pep Tryouts.
[ ] Dated someone from UP.
[x ] Rode an IKOT and TOKI.
[X ] Found a tambayan.
[ ] Went drinking at Sarah's.
[ ] Learned how to beg for a higher grade.
[ ] Used your 6 allowable absences wisely
[ ] Lived in a dorm.
[ ] Volunteered to be beadle or go-to guy for your group / class.
[ ] Had the worst schedule.
[ ] Realized that there really is just one coconut tree on the sunken
garden
[ x] Not used up all 6 allowable absences
[x ] Ate in ISSI, Treehouse, Mama Thai's and other more obscure cafeterias.
[x ] Ate food Aristocart-style [once, yung sa eng]
[ ] Is active in your org.
[X ] Attended an ACLE.
[X ] Got as many app forms as you can during the job fair.
[X ] Learned how to cram. [learned...and mastered!]
[x ] Sold tickets for (or watch) an org-sponsored movie premiere. (OO NAMAN, CHOCOLAT YATA ATBP)
[ ] Saved money to Xerox all of your seatmate's notes.
[ ] Had accidentally seen a make-out session.
[x ] Slept in class. [sa sts]
[ x ] Finished a homework/assignment/paper in the Shopping center or
Philcoa. [MADALAS SA CSSP COMP LAB AT NAPAPAGALITAN NI ATE ROSE DAHIL SA KAINGAYAN]
[ ] Had mountains of "unused" sample exams and/or old testaments.
[X ] Resolved to be "better this semester"
[ ] Slept during a test.
[X ] Had groupmates from hell [kaya ako naincomplete!]
[X ] Learned how to work with groupmates from hell
[ ] Perfected the art of parking on campus.
[ ] Had a bad encounter with one of the guards on campus
[X ] Developed a love for sisig. [gloria's sa casaa]
[X ] Practiced those UP cheers in the first meeting for PE class.
[X ] Looked at microfilms in the library or poked through archives
[X ] Reserved a classroom, AVR, etc. for a class or org function.
[X ] Attended the UP Fair.
[X ] Went to a library other than your own college's to research. [pati
social work at women studies]
[ ] Lost a perfectly functioning umbrella [
[ ] Used consultation hours properly.
[ ] Went to the Guidance Office for real, heart-to-heart guidance.
[ ] Went to the infirmary
[ ] Attended class with a hangover
[x ] Drink beer or alcohol while inside UP grounds
[X ] Walked all the way to Philcoa or Katipunan from UP
[ ] Buy frogs from NSRI or a Bio department.
[ ] Maxed out on the 6 allowed unexcused absences but DID NOT drop.
[ ] Got invited or pursued by a sorority or fraternity.
[X ] Wore slippers to school.
[ ] Had a professor who smoked in class.
[ ] Got diagnosed by the Infirmary as pregnant or infected with STD.

maligayang sentenaryo up

isandaang taon na ang nakalilipas nang magsimula kang humubog ng mga kaisipan at pagkatao ng mga kabataang tinaguriang pag-asa ng bayan. isandaang taon na ngunit pinipilit mo pa ring maipagpatuloy ang paggampan sa iyong pangunahing layunin sa lipunan. sa gitna ng maraming pagbabago, nawa'y patuloy kang maging inspirasyon upang ang hangaring mapabuti ang pansarili at panlipunang kinabukasan ay makamtan.

final destination

It started in Sagada but ended in Galera. All these plans about traveling together as a group is indeed challenging especially with people who have classes during weekends or who are saving their leaves for other travel plans (fine, you can charge me with both). You’ll have problems with schedules, finances, leaves, etc etc. But we hurdled all that, and settled for a cheap, accessible and relatively near out of town getaway --- sa isla ng Puerto Galera.

Ive never been to Puerto Galera so (my other self and) I was excited about the trip. But wait, seems like the mighty hands of destiny wont allow us to have a hassle-free trip to that island so it summoned the ghastly winds and a low pressure area was born. We were supposed to leave at the break of dawn of Saturday but by Thursday night, a friend adviced us that the center of typhoon Cosme is in Galera. Wow! Pero hindi pwede, kailangang ituloy to! This would be the most opportune time to go there especially with the latest occurrences in Henyo’s life. Naks! So despite the discouraging weather forecast for the weekend, we decided to go.

We stayed at Dory’s house in Las Pinas Friday night. We were watching the news but the weather reports were not very friendly. So we slept trying to come up with an alternative plan but came up with none. Bahala na si Batman!

Saturday morning came. Wow, it was so calm. It was a bit cloudy but the weather was just fine. And we were sooo happy.

But, there was one problem. We didn’t know where to get airconditioned buses going to Batangas port. So we had to take an ordinary bus first going to the bus terminal somewhere right after the expressway (didn’t get the name of the place). There we took an Alps bus going to the pier.

We got to the port at around 830 and after a quick survey of the ticket prices offered, we opted for MV Brian and bought a round trip ticket. Departure time was at 0830 and even if it was already past that time, the crew still assured us that we could still take that trip. Hmmm…pano? So off we ran to the boat passing quickly through the baggage checks.

When we got to the boat, we found out why. People were already hysterical because the departure time was delayed for more almost two hours. And people dont know why. They were threatening to disembark if we wont leave in the next few minutes. Finally, one personnel came and he explained that the trip was delayed because they were still securing permits. Talking about service..

After about 30 minutes, we sailed. Naks! It was a calm trip. Despite the typhoon in Pangasinan at that time, the weather in Batangas was ok. The sun is up, no strong winds and the sea is calm. Perfect! Or so we thought until we reached the open sea.

Grabe, we thought we were gonna die. Ok, im a bit exaggerating here but maybe some people in that boat were thinking that we are indeed. The first few minutes were scary because aside from the big waves, you have to deal with passengers shouting at every “bump” of the boat. Imagine turbulence in air. Or imagine being in a small roller coaster in the sea. Or how about Enchanted’s Rio Grande in an open sea. The waves were so big so everytime we crash into them, whoops, splash! And since we were at the front portion of the boat, wow, kami ang sumasalo sa tubig. Sometimes they would turn off the engine because if we don’t, we might indeed CRASH. After maybe 30 minutes, the passengers were already silent but you could sense that everyone is really tensed and is praying silently. I was both praying and singing in my head, with one hand holding my bag and the other gripping my seat. I would hold my breath whenever I see big waves coming our way. There was also this point when I was just waiting for one really huge wave to come and would turn the boat upside down.

Anyway, that roller coaster ride went on for about an hour. We were supposed to dock in White Beach but because of the big waves, we docked somewhere else. No one wanted to sit beside us in the shuttle, which was a jeep, because we were soaked. Really drenched in saltwater. Hay, I swore to myself that I will never go back to that place until next summer.

To balance things out, we found a cheap room. P1,500 lang. So we fixed our things first, checked which ones got wet and which ones didn’t. Got a shower to remove all the salt which already dried up and clung to our skin. After that, chow time! I was actually hoping for a seafood feast but we ended up having an ordinary Manila lunch. Buti na lang masarap ang pagkain. Or maybe we were just so exhausted and hungry and just happy to be alive kaya appreciative kami sa pagkain.

Dory was craving for that Galera ice scramble so we walked the entire stretch to look for one but there was none. What we got instead were new buys. Dory, Henyo and my other self bought beach outfits while the real me just settled for a new pair of shorts. After that, we wanted to swim already but the waves were still big so wag na lang. We opted to have our skin painted with henna.

After the henna, malaki pa rin ang alon so whats the best thing to do? Photoshoot! So we acted like lunatics and model wannabes by the beach: running, posing, and doing stunts.

After about 100 years, kahit malaki ang alon, sinuong na din namin. Ay ni Henyo lang pala. Dory and I sat by the shore, settling for the smaller waves. After maybe 20 minutes, we went back to our room because we were already trembling. Ang lamig!

Then its dinner time! We had fish, and squid, and chicken kebab, and rice, and water. Dami no? We even had a slight altercation with the cashier because we ordered for an eggplant which came after we cleared all our food. Syempre we didn’t want to pay for it so she came to our table and insisted that we have to pay for it because we ordered it. When we refused, she told us to talk to the manager. I told her to call the manager. And she did but apparently, the manager was wise enough to know what customer service is so the cashier didn’t come back to us and sent the waiter instead to give the bill, which now excludes the eggplant. Ang alamat ng talong, bow!

My other self was so longing to dance after that but because of that argument with the cashier, we opted to leave and walked to find a decent place to dance. So we walked, and walked, and walked, and walked, but found none so we ended up in the place where we started. But this time, the place was full. All seats were taken so we waited for quite some time to get settled.

I don’t know what the place is called but it seemed to be the party place in the entire White beach. I guess the main attraction were the gay waitresses who looked like real girls (at least some of them) and dressed in really short shorts or micro minis. Mahihiya kang ipakita ang pata mo  They even had “brighter future” than most girls do.

Anyhow, we gulped down a pitcher of Mindoro sling while chatting with our waitress named Sam and taking pictures in between. S/he said s/he’s from Malate and goes to Galera every summer or whenever there’s an event. That night, s/he and her/his fellows danced like the PCDs.

It was a typical summer night at the beach. There were a lot of groups having fun. We sat beside a big group of yuppies who seem so hungry for one summer hurrah. There was also this couple, a foreigner whose hands keep on working its way to every part of his girl’s body. There was also this guy who just keeps on dancing. Wherever you see him, he’s dancing.

It took another pitcher of the famous sling and an order of that Margarita slush-like thing before my other self had the guts to go to the dance floor to do her thing. My real self stayed at the table with dory and was just happy taking pictures of people having fun at the dance floor. It wasn’t long before we realize that we were already drunk. We were supposed to answer the call of nature and had to go back to our room but we noticed that hey, asa bangka pa ba tayo? Bat gumegewang ang paligid?

Anyway, we survived that drunk journey to our room and back to the beach were we just kept on laughing and making fun at our state. Henyo came to drag us to the dance floor where we danced and jumped and laughed and jumped and danced. We just stopped when we noticed that hey, this area is transforming into something else. Hehe

We had instant coffee after that (brewed is available not until 5am) and went back to our room. But the night is not about to end yet. My other self was walking when she suddenly stopped and stooped and you know what happened next. As to Dory, she was shouting ahn neyong ha seyo (sorry for the possible mistakes in spelling) to a group of Koreans who were having a drink downstairs. What a night.

The next morning, my other self had this headache. Dory took pictures of Henyo sleeping. My real self wanted some more sleep but had to wake up. Henyo woke up last.

Breakfast was ok. The tapa was makunat and the coffee was instant but we need nourishment. We still have a long way to go. We were deciding the best way to leave the island because we don’t want to go through another experience of that sort. One is enough.

It was 945 and the boat is about to leave at 10. But when we reached the pier, hala, si boat nasa laot na. But it was ok because the waves were still big. Coast guards were also very visible at that time. Other boat companies cancelled their trips and it was only the mighty (mighty-han) M/V Brian who sailed through the stormy sea.

So from there, we took a tricycle to the town proper. Astig mga tricycle. Inaakyat ang bundok. And the view from the mountains was much better than from the beach. Langit ito. From the town proper, we took a 1 ½ hour jeepney ride to Calapan. The jeepney ride was in itself an adventure because people were literally adorning the jeep, asa loob, sa side, at sa ibabaw. And then one last tricycle ride and we were at the Calapan port! Hayy… sa wakas.

Supercat, our saviour, was at the pier waiting for us. We had lunch first, and banana chips and corn chips while waiting for boarding. Good thing the pre-departure area had an air conditioning system. Hayy…

Then it was time to board. And it was time to go. And after a few minutes, it was time to pray again! Jusko, hindi pa pala tapos ang roller coaster ride. Walangyang mga alon yan! We could feel the ferry jumping through the waves. And whenever it tilts to the left or to the right, we go through the same routine of grabbing our seats and praying and hoping that we’re not gonna die at that very moment. Gusto kong mamatay ng may kabuluhan at hindi dahil sa pagkalunod. Hay… all we wanted was to have some moments together and have fun pero bat ganun.

Anyway, we survived all those. Despite how rough the sea was, we made it! Walang makakapigil sa taong gala hehe

misadventures

this is ariel with a capital a, without the diamond ring and the exaggerated outfit.
just an ordinary employee

reality bites

the pain is back.

a year ago, everything was fine. we were a team. solid. unbreakable. we had fun with each other's company. life was not perfect but its ok, we had each other to turn to anyway. last year, we faced villains together. but now, its different. it seems like we have become each other's nemesis.

one misunderstanding grew into a serious fight. the plethora of emotions clouded judgments. each had its own version of the story. each had its own version of the truth. both may have been saying the truth but the ego and the pain may have been stronger. and so each had an interpretation of its own.

now, its getting ugly. its hard to see traces of past friendship. ignoring each other is a norm. pretending that you dont see each other has become a mechanism for survival.

and thats so painful.

knowing that the smiles that you give could be returned with a blank stare. realizing that the person whom you considered as a friend doesnt see you as one anymore. it hurts to recognize the fact that youre no longer needed in their lives.

somestimes, the question is still there. why does it have to reach this point? why does it have to resemble this childish kind of misunderstanding? taking sides, either you're with me or against me.

getting used to this needs more time. but there's still that tiny bit of hope that one day, it will get better. restoring the friendship to what it was before is an illusion. but hoping for civility is not a dream.

meanwhile, thanks for the friendship.

si erap

so birthday pala ni erap ngayon. iba dapat ang isusulat ko pero umiinit na naman ang ulo ko dahil kasalukuyan ko syang pinapanood sa tv. ang kapal ng mukha! yeah, this government is shit but that doesnt erase the fact that his government was shit too! putik, akala mo kung sinong pagkagaling galing na presidente! argh, politicians! mga poncio pilato. ang hilig maghugas kamay! kainis! even if i dont see a significant improvement in this government, hindi ko pa rin pinagsisisihan na nagpakaloko ako sa kakarally at kakalakad ng ilang kilometro nung college para lang mapatalsik sya. kapal!

with wings

just this week, they were talking about aviation in 'good times'. mo has this fascination with airplanes and everything about aviation thats why they talked to an airline pilot, whom they named bob, in the show.

bob has been a pilot for 25 years already and is probably working for an international airline company now. they asked him trivial things like which airline has the prettiest flight attendants (british air, sia and jal), do they really get to sleep with them (a lot of girls are attracted to the uniform), which domestic airport is the hardest to fly to (naga and all those with short runways), etc etc. and yeah, pilots do have a distinct way of talking. like theyre breathing into the mic or eating their words.

just thought its nice to share some more trivia here too =)

- pilot's food are prepared separately not because theyre too choosy or they have different food preferences. they do this for security reason. para pag nalason yung isa, may isa pang magpapalipad ng eroplano. and this is a fact.

- mo was asking if in long flights, do pilots really fly the plane the entire time. not really. a captain's work is crucial during take off and landing. but while cruising, its the first officers who take over. dito na natutulog ang mga kapitan. and airplanes now are smart. you just plot your destination and the plane will go on 'auto pilot'.

- may multo din daw sa mga eroplano. there was this story about a flight attendant who talked to a lady who was requesting her to relay some message to her husband. when the flight attendant relayed the message to the husband, the husband said that his wife is indeed on the same plane but she was in a casket. scary.

- flight attendants are like restaurant waiters so try to be nice to them, always. come on, they carry your heavy luggage(which you should have checked in)and place it in the storage bin, they smile at you even if they feel shit because they havent had a decent meal yet, they flush the toilet because you dont know how to, they were reprimanded because you filed a complaint against them for calling your attention when they saw you using your cellphone in fligt, plus many others. but the most important reason why you should always be nice to them, they could have had their sweet revenge on you without you knowing it ;)

- some pilots prefer female flight attendants not because of what youre thinking but because theyre more caring and detail oriented. pag ang lalaking flight attendant daw pinakuha ng tubig, bibigyan nya si captain ng plain tubig. but if the flight attendant is female, she's gonna ask if he wants it with ice or just the plain thing. pero pag bading daw minsan may lemon pa =)

- female flight attendants could go to work even without a cent in their pockets. hatid sundo kasi sila.

- a lot of aircraft accidents are caused by miscommunication between the pilot and the control tower. hindi magkaintindihan dahil sa ingles thats why they have to undergo an intensive training in english.

- the black box is colored orange ;)

thats all folks. will update this pag may naalala pa ko.

ooops...i did it again

the first time i did it, i was reading a pocketbook with my earphones neatly tucked in my ears. upon reaching north ave stn, the speakers were blaring with reminders that the first coach is reserved only for senior citizens, pregnant women and those who are traveling with kids. syempre nagbingi-bingihan ako. excuse me but i didnt take that round trip just to get off at north ave and take another risk of not grabbing a good seat for a 30-minute train ride to taft. the guards know this modus operandi so they still have to check the trains for hard-headed passengers like me.

of course i know this too so i pretended like i heard nothing. i was comfortably seated but on my peripheral vision, i was looking at the approaching guard. and he stopped in front of me. still i didnt look up.

guard: maam, for pregnant lang po dito.
me (looking up): pregnant ako (trying hard not to laugh)
guard: pregnant kayo? (nakangising aso)
me (seryoso look): oo
guard: (no more dialogue; walked away na nakangising aso)
me: whew! (mukhang i still have to work on my lying skills hehe)

then last friday, i did it again. but this time, i was pretending to be asleep, still with earphones tucked in my ears. upon reaching north ave, the guard was waking me up (mahirap gisingin ang taong gising)

guard: maam, maam, last station na po.
me: kunwari kakagising
guard: maam san po kayo?
me: taft
guard: maam san po kayo sumakay?
me: cubao
guard: maam dun po sa kabila yung sakayan
me: para sa pregnant to di ba?
guard: aah, pregnant ba kayo?
me: (tingin ng masama sa guard)

then the guard walked away.

grabe, im getting used to this. i wonder what other alibis or antics could i use next time. hehe

of exams, corruption,and generals

for security purposes, i was advised to hide this post

of exams, corruption, and generals

i was in the midst of wracking my brain just to come up with decent answers for my exam when i received this text from eyva

"uy pare, co ung maj gen barbieto sa news n may corruption case? Nkta ko lng ung ticker tape sa ch7. c barbie ba un?"

so i googled his name and saw this news item from inquirer.net "Major General Barbieto and the Ombudsman"

MANILA, Philippines - Last week, the Office of the Ombudsman or dered the suspension of Maj. Gen. Jose T. Barbieto, commanding general of the 4th Infantry Division based in Camp Edilberto Evangelista in Cagayan de Oro City. Barbieto, along with a non-commissioned officer, Staff Sgt. Roseller Echepare, were suspended for six months pending the investigation of a complaint filed by army officers. The complaint alleged that the general and his sergeant extorted money from applicants desiring to enlist in the Army without undergoing the regular examination procedures. Payments of P25,000 to P30,000 were demanded with Echepare allegedly serving as the collector for Barbieto. Incidentally, the Army recently announced that it is recruiting 3,000 new soldiers this year in line with the plan to create six additional battalions.....At one time, he headed the AFP delegation to the Mutual Defense Board meeting in Honolulu, Hawaii."

So i texted eyva and said, syet! sya nga!

MGEN BARBIETO or Barbie as we call him is one of our bosses back when I was still working for the AFP. He was Deputy J5 when MGEN GARCIA (yes, the controversial general who also faced corruption charges) was J5. So you see, im not new with bosses whom i see in the news because of corruption charges.

I could not remember how i felt exactly when i learned about MGEN GARCIA's case. I remember though that we were supposed to have a meeting on that day wherein he was supposed to be the Chairman. The attendees were all generals and because he didnt show up, my immediate boss, who was a mere Major, chaired the meeting. Astig!

Anyway, I remember that we were all shocked upon learning about it. I think it was a Navy officer who told us about it and so I ran to the library to look for THE news clipping. And i felt goosebumps because I didnt know that he would be capable of doing such thing. Yeah, we hear about corrupt officials in the news everyday but I didnt expect that I would be working closely with one of them.

And learning this latest news about some official I know who is actually facing corruption charges is quite frustrating. Its a shame that he is facing corruption charges but the actual nature of his charges is what makes it more frustrating. I mean, what on earth is he thinking asking peniless soldier wannabes for thousands of pesos? Isang heneral na nagmistulang fixer sa LTO.

Sometimes, the military is such a funny organization. They are just so addicted with protocols, and structures, and proper decorum but they couldnt follow just a simple command: do not steal.

of batnas and watnas

im trying to come up with answers to my nosebleed-inducing exam and im tempted to give out-of-the-box responses. we're tasked to raise 6 possible issues based on the case given and i can only think of 3. so here are the other 3:

issue 1) bat masyadong mahilig si sir sa issue? madami kaya syang issue sa buhay?
issue 2) bat ndi ko sinagot ang exam na to, malaking issue sigurado ang grade ko.
issue 3) pwede bang mabuhay ng walang isyu sa buhay?

waaa ang corny ko. hmpf! time for esoteric stuff

die bar

the results of the 2007 bar is out. tina passed. yey! may libreng notaryo na ko haha
aside from her, i saw one other blockmate who made it: amylaine.
and aside from them, i also saw familiar names who made it: bulseco, nina de leon, philip yap and jordanne chan.
congratulations and please help make the philippine justice system work more efficiently.

pag ang kanin naging bigas, may bumayo

i just saw the questions for my final exams in one of my subjects and i think that my bone marrow or whichever system of my body which produces blood needs to work doubly hard because im suffering from an extreme case of nosebleed. we are given 48 hours to formulate our answers on this but since i have work on monday, i only have 24 hours to do magic and come up with not only intellectual but also legally acceptable answers. ive read the case twice and i dont think i want to read it again, just yet. so let me talk of a topic more serious than my other entries yet less brain wracking than my exam.

let me write about rice. yesterday, we had a speaker from the international rice research institute who talked about the effects of out-labor migration on rice farming and gender roles in selected provinces in luzon. among other things, she found out in her study that out-labor migration helps rice production since remittances from migrant workes provide economic aid for their family members who are engaged in rice farming ergo they have more money to buy farm equipment, fertilizers, herbicides, pesticides, etc. also, out-labor migration empowers women because they have an increased role in decisionmaking mostly on matters concerning household and farming operations.

the current shortage on rice supply is not part of the presenter's study but since she was representing irri, she was asked the ever famous question, "bakit kulang tayo sa bigas? dito pa pala natuto ng rice farming and thailand at vietnam pero bakit tayo pa ngayon ang nag-iimport sa kanila?" the presenter wittingly said, "thats also the same question we are asking ourselves in the institute and hopefully we could find an answer to." she also shared about this hypothesis they had in the institute about the country's archipelagic nature as a reason of our difficulty in producing a supply of rice adequate for the country's population.

i dont want to contest that. i do not have the scientific knowledge and experience on the study of rice production so i just cant contest that. besides its just a hypothesis. but coming from a family of farmers, i have my own understanding of the problem.

we dont have enough rice because our farmers are just not capable to do so no matter how they want to. farming is not a very profitable business. from the tilling of the soil (which in some provinces are still done with a plough and carabao just like the one they did in amazing race asia), to seedling preparation, to rice planting and up until the harvest season, a relatively huge capital is needed for the equipment, labor, fertilizer, pesticides, herbicides, etc. an ordinary farmer who do not have an alternate source of income could not possibly finance all these expenses and would thus be forced to resort to loans from owners of agricultural supply stores and rice millers.

during the rainy season, farmers would normally face a serious problem on how to earn back their expenses since 1) typhoons would have destroyed their crops or 2) they have harvested a substantial quantity of palay but they cant sell it at a decent price. in our case, we have only started using treshers and dryers a few years back but before, when mechanized farming was just dream, i remember our palay transforming from gold to grey then to black because they are stored wet. because of the constant raining, there's no way for us to dry them so theyre placed in the stock room until the mighty sun comes out. if we're in no luck, we could see roots sprouting from these palay seeds in just a few weeks or they would just rot. so what would an ordinary farmer do? its either he prays really hard for the sun to come out or sell some of it at a low price. if still, the sun doesnt come out, sorry na lang, sell and sell and sell at a low, lower, and lowest price. fyi, you cant mill palay and turn it into rice without drying it first. so what does this mean for the farmer: lugi. poor farmer.

but during summer season, farmers would not have much problem in earning back their expenses since there's less typhoon and drying is easy. but then again, you would not want to sell your palay just yet. the laws of the market tells you so. there's a lot of supply so buyers, normally the millers, would buy your palay at a low price. so you have to wait until there's less supply and the buyers would be willing to buy your palay at a higher price. or if youre a big time farmer, you might want to have your palay milled and sell it as rice which normally allows you to earn more. but as ive mentioned earlier, if youre a normal farmer who dont have an alternate source of income, you have to sell it because you need the money to pay for your debts and you need money for your day to day expenses. and also, higher prices of rice does not necessarily mean high because the buyers (normally the millers) would tell you that they couldnt sell it in manila at a higher price because people would rather buy the cheaper rice imported by the government than our locally produced rice. ang saya di ba? so what happens to the farmer? sorry na lang ulit, mas mura kasi ang bigas na ini import ng gobyerno eh. during the summer season, farmers earn back what they spend on rice production (farming to milling) but they wont have that much profit to 1) sustain them until the next harvest season and 2) to pay the debts theyve acquired during the rainy season.

so what happens? the cycle continues. ordinary, small time farmers get more loans from rice millers until they have so much debt that they are forced to make their lands as collateral which, in many cases, they lose ownership of. or they sell it. or if theyre quite lucky, they would have kids who would work abroad and in such case, the result of the study mentioned above would apply. they could adapt mechanized farming which would allow them to relatively control their losses due to natural phenomena. and if theyre more lucky, they could even become millers. otherwise, kawawang magsasaka. sorry na lang, ang galing mag-isip ng gobyerno eh. they would rather spend on importing rice than helping our local farmers improve on their farming techniques. and if the governments of vietnam or thailand decide to cut the quantity of rice that theyre exporting to other countries to ensure that they would have rice sufficient for their people, our own government would urge its dear people to cut down on their rice consumption. putik! mahal na mahal talaga ng gobyerno ang mga tao and theyre quite creative, thinking out of the box. pinagdadiet na lang ang mga tao kesa tulungan ang mga magsasaka. para bang pag kulang ang libro, sasabihin ng gobyerno, bawasan nyo na lang ang pagbabasa nyo.

and now, people are asking why dont we have enough rice. funny.

here comes the sun

Here comes the sun, here comes the sun, and I say it's all right

ive been flooded with this song for these past few days. last week, i watched "bee movie" and i liked it. i liked the story, the colors and the song, which happened to be this one.
and last wednesday, or was that tuesday, i was watching american idol (which i dont normally watch) and they were doing beatles. brook did this song, with her matching yellow flowy dress.

Little darling, it's been a long cold lonely winter
darling, it feels like years since it's been here
Here comes the sun, here comes the sun and I say it's all right

i was such a mess last week. it started from the long weekend that i had doing nothing. im no longer familiar with long periods of idleness despite my initial excitement over it. i thought i was gonna enjoy having long hours of sleep, watching dvds all day and munching in between but i was wrong. ok, i enjoyed it the first 2 days but the succeeding days were just so boooring that i was longing for it to be over. so i was happy when sunday came. but my sister and i had some sort of dedma moments. argh, ano ba. monday was ok. tuesday: boredom about the monotony of life naman ang drama ko. wednesday, the boredom was still there buti na lang dangs had this magnificent idea about us trying out for _____. thursday was better. and friday....

Little darling, the smiles returning to the faces
Little darling, it seems like years since it's been here
Here comes the sun, here comes the sun and I say it's all right

today is friday. this morning, i had to take my old route going to work because i had to go to makati. i was quite excited about it because i was hopping that im gonna see beatles guy. and i did! yihii...so high school

Sun, sun, sun, here it comes...
Sun, sun, sun, here it comes...
Sun, sun, sun, here it comes...
Sun, sun, sun, here it comes...
Sun, sun, sun, here it comes...

i was smiling sheepishly while walking towards the terminal. i was in my bright yellow top, black slacks and shiny green doll shoes. but when i got there, the usual queue of people waiting for fx was not there. instead, there were a few fxs waiting for passengers. i walked towards the white one who's first in line, checking out if the front seat was still empty. and then i saw him! biglang naging malinaw ang mata ko haha too bad, someone was already seated beside him. but i know he recognized me. he glanced backward when i hopped in the car. and he glanced twice which just made my day =) i swear i was grinning during the entire ride.

Little darling, I feel that ice is slowly melting
Little darling, it seems like years since it's been clear
Here comes the sun, here comes the sun, and I say it's all right It's all right

i noticed that he is sporting a shorter hair now.

hunk-a-doodle-doo

we have this photowall at work which features pictures taken by whoever is interested in kodakan. it was my boss' brain child devised to track our progress in the field of kodakan. our co-workers were supposed to vote for the photo that they like most without knowing who's photo was it. but being the 'insecure' newbies that we are who hate competition, prinsesa and i thought that it would be better to just have a gallery instead. no voting. no anything. just a plain gallery for people to look at. and anyone can join regardless of the camera they own. even pictures taken from phones with cameras are accepted.

and our first theme is .....HUNK! a photo of whoever (or whatever) we think epitomizes HUNKness. grabe, ang tagal magsubmit ng mga tao! (me included) i couldnt see anyone who embodies my ideals of what a hunk is. wala akong makitang lalaki na mahaba ang buhok, nakasalamin, nakasandal sa puno sa may sunken, may hawak na libro sa isang kamay at yosi sa kabila (the yosi is just for the artsy farsty nerd look but in reality ayoko ng amoy yosi), tapos nakatingin sa kawalan. tipong pinag-iisipan yung nabasang linya sa libro. hindi ko din nakita ang hunks nung minsang magbadminton kami malapit sa abs. nakita ko si ewan mcgreggor dahil pinanood ko ulit ang moulin rouge but that wont count. i dont have a us visa so i cant go and see ethan hawke and johnny depp. hindi ko alam kung san ang gig ng bamboo sa ndi ko makunan si ira cruz. i was about to go to london for prince william but then again, i woke up from my dream and saw gael garcia bernal so i took my camera, but i woke up again, and this time its real haha. i was about to give up, almost tempted to post oblation's picture in the gallery pero buti na lang nakita ko to.



not my ideal hunk pero pwede na. saw him in manila cathedral, taking pictures. when i first saw him, i said to myself, what a wonderful wor....err mali. hehe sabi ko sa sarili ko, pwede na. but then again, he and his companion might have noticed that i was secretly taking their pictures (kaya blurred) kaya medyo naconscious ako. at na-shy. so i stopped playing paparazzi. but the yearning to take a good picture of him was still there. and it was so strong. so i did the unthinkable. i asked for permission. and took his photo (with his friend). haha (medyo makapal mukha ko pag hindi ko talaga crush). at first he was hiding his camera so i told him, in a nice way, "no, what i really want is to take a picture of you with your camera". feeling nya ha. so that's the story behind this blurred picture.

this morning, more photos were added to the gallery. aside from henyo's brandon boyd picture (yes she managed to sneak her slr inside araneta), there was also jen's disneyland picture with gabby eigenmann, and dory's picture of tito jun. so far, yun pa lang. hope more people will post their pictures in the next few days.

bisita iglesia

habang nag-aalmusal kanina, nagkayayaan kami ng kapatid ko at ng housemate namin na magbisita iglesia. plinano naming puntahan ang mga simbahan sa manila dahil bukod sa magkakalapit ang mga ito, maganda pa silang kunan ng litrato.
una kaming nagpunta sa simbahan ng san miguel sa malacanang. bago makarating dito, isa palang mahabang lakaran ang kailangan mong pagdaanan mula st. jude. mabuti na lang at marami ding taong naglalakad kaya hindi ramdam ang pagod. at buti na lang at maraming puno sa loob ng malacanang kaya hindi ganon katindi ang epekto ng sikat ng araw. nakakainis nga lang at ang mga guwardiya sa malacanang ay masyado yatang praning at ayaw pakunan ng litrato ang mga gusali doon. hello, kung alam nyo lang. may dala akong bomba haha
pero nakakatuwa, may nakita akong pangalan ng isang kainan sa loob, STEAK OF THE NATION ang pangalan. hmm...dito ba kumakain ang mga buwaya sa gobyerno kaya feeling nila steak ang kaban ng nation?
pangalawa naming pinuntahan ang st jude. dahil masyado kaming napagod sa paglalakad papuntang san miguel, minabuti naming sumakay sa mga modified tricycle patungong st jude. pero bago yan, eto muna ang nangyari
kapatid ko: manong, magkano hanggang st jude?
drayber: 5o maam
kami: ha?
drayber: singkwenta po, kayong tatlo na dun
kami: mahal! (sabay alis)
drayber: (pasigaw habang naglalakad kami) 40 na lang maam
kami: tuloy pa rin sa paglalakad
drayber: (pasigaw ulit) 30 na lang maam, 30 na lang
kami: (about face!)
natutuwa talaga ako sa simbahan ng st jude. napakaaliwalas. madaming openings, maliit lang, tsaka ang lapit mo sa altar. at higit sa lahat, madaming tindang pagkain sa labas. :P mahal nga lang pero sige pa rin. lafang!
pangatlo sa listahan ang san beda. sa kisame naman ng simbahan ako natutuwa. natutuwa ako sa mga paintings na nandito. para kang nasa sistine chapel. parang gusto mong magdasal ng nakatingala na lang kesa nakayuko. at syempre, paglabas mo, madami pa ring nagtitinda ng kung anu-ano. kakanin, mangga, ubas na 70/kilo (weird ang presyo), panali sa buhok, prayer book, pamaypay, at kung anu-ano pa. nakakatuwa talaga mga simbahan sa pilipinas, parang palengke sa labas.
pang-apat sa destinasyon ay ang san sebastian. dito ako pinakanahirapan sa pagkuha ng litrato. ang dilim sa loob, pero ang silver na retablo ay napakatingkad. basta, wala akong magandang kuha nito.
sa ikalimang simbahang pinuntahan namin, lumipat na kami ng quiapo. at bago kami nakarating dito, napadaan muna kami sa bilihan ng debede at napabili ng mga sumusunod: across the universe, alvin and the chipmunks, love in the time of cholera, atonement, martian child, etc. gusto ko pa sanang bumili ng there will be blood, august rush at no country for old men pero pinigilan ko ang sarili ko dahil nagtitipid ako sa mga panahong ito.
isa pang medyo hindi ko kinakaya sa quiapo ay ang underpass. may nadaanan kaming 2 mag-ina, yung 1 nasa bungad, yung 1 nasa kabilang hagdan, na parehong dala dala yung mga anak nilang maysakit. halos hindi mo matingnan dahil sa awa at disbelief. biruin mo, nakahiga sa hagdan, mga batang siguro ay teen-ager na (bakas sa mukha) pero dahil sa sakit at sobrang kapayatan (kasintaba lang yata ng wrist ko ang legs nila) ay mukhang 6 0 7 years old sa liit. grabe, parang nakakaguilty na ewan. biruin mo, palakad lakad ka lang, gumagastos sa kung anu anong bagay samantalang ang mga taong ito ay walang perang pambili ng gamot para sa mga anak nilang sobrang seryoso ng sakit. iisipin mo tuloy, wala ka bang kwentang tao dahil inuuna mo pa ang mga mabababaw na bagay at luho mo kesa tumulong sa kapwa mo? hay...
anyway, wala namang bago sa quiapo. madami pa ring tao. pero mas madami ngayon ang naglalakad ng paluhod. at syempre sa labas, andun pa rin ang mga nagtitinda ng kung anu-anong halamang gamot.
pagkatapos nun, intramuros here we come! dumiretso kami sa manila cathedral. dito, medyo nailang ako sa pagkuha ng litrato. pano kasi sa may altar, may imahe ni hesukristo na may pasang krus tapos may dugo dugo pa ang katawan. para tuloy akong wala man lang paggalang dahil ang mga bagay na ito ay dapat dinadasalan at hindi kinukunan ng picture. parang medyo offensive din pag nakikita mo ang mga turista na kung magpakuha ng picture sa loob ng simbahan ay para lang nasa isang tourist spot at hindi sa isang bahay panalanginan. pero ganun kasi talaga tingin nila eh, lalo na kung hindi sila katoliko. naisip ko, ganito din siguro nararamdaman ng mga buddhist monks kapag kinukunan sila at ang mga templo nila ng mga turistang walang pakialam kahit kasalukuyang nagdadasal ang mga mongha. at dito, may nakita akong 1 lalaki na may mahabang lens, syempre natuwa ako. nagpapaka paparazzi ako pero hindi ko sya makunan ng maayos habang kumukuha sya ng picture. kaya naglakas loob ako at tinanong kung ok lang na kunan sya ng picture. may kasama pala. hehe 2 tuloy silang nakunan ko ng picture.
panghuli sa pinuntahan namin ang san agustin. yung ibang tao, pati sa libingan ni miguel lopez de legaspi, nagdadasal. at nagsasign of the cross sila pag nakikita nila yung rebulto. naku, akala nila santo din sya. hehe gusto ko tuloy lagyan ng karatula, HE IS NEITHER A SAINT NOR ONE OF THE MEMBERS OF THE HOLY TRINITY NOR ONE OF THE APOSTLES/DISCIPLES OF CHRIST. SYA AY ISANG KASTILANG MANANAKOP LAMANG.
anyway, the whole experience was fun. although its tiring to say the rosary in every church that you go to, hindi naman sya ganon kabigat. the cross of going through 7 churches, reciting the rosary and the station of the cross is nothing compared to HIS cross. tsaka hello, may food trip, sightseeing at foto trip naman on the side. para tuloy akong nandaya kasi hindi ako masyadong nahirapan. tsaka i didnt do it solely for the atonement of my sins. andun pa rin yung pleasure, yung indulgence. hmmm...

ilang tulog na lang

just a few more days and the sem is over. wohoo!
i havent touched my camera in days (except for today) because of demands from school (translation:papers and exams here and there). and thats too bad for somebody who's in the first stage of learning the art of kodakan hehe. but just 1 more paper and 1 more exam, and its over! happiness.
my last shoot was my nephew's graduation. junior nursery graduation.
hirap kunan ng mga bata! they keep on moving and running around the place. so the end result, a lot of blurred and dark shots. sadness.
still managed to capture some moments though.

beautiful life

i went to ateneo's trendwatcher series earlier where the book "leading philippine organizations in a changing world" was launched. i think this is the 4th time that ive been in a book launch. my first was domingo landicho's erap book, the second was that walden bello's book (i forgot the name) and the third was randy david's nation, self and citizenship (which is a collection of his "public lives" articles).

masaya talaga mag-attend ng mga ateneo-hosted activities. parang nagiging mahinahon ako. its like having a force which tells you to smile, relax, modulate your voice, talk softly, talk in english (nosebleed), take a positive look at things because life is so good! they have this way of talking which makes even the worst situations look ahmm...ok. their voice has a calming effect on me. parang bawal ang debate sa floor. hindi ako sanay! haha im used to professors who cant stop swearing even if theyre in class. i can still vividly recall kung gaano kalutong ang mga mura ni gerry lanuza. o ang mga "f*cking americans" ni walden bello. im used to listening to professors who get so emotional when talking about the country's affairs, professors who make you feel like you want to join the neps after listening to them, professors who talk so passionately that you could feel the pain and frustrations as if they were yours. si randy david lang yata ang mahinahon magsalita. yes, most of the things that you could hear from them are the imperfections of the world but those are the very same things that inspire you the most.

i was telling my boss about my observations and she was telling me that its how they really are. she was also noting how they use words. so neat. she was also telling me this parents meeting she went to. and in that meeting, they were talking about an average teenager's concerns. it was shared that an average high school atenean's concerns dont coincide with that of the average filipino high school student. if an average filipino thinks about studying well in order to help his family in the future, an average atenean would think of how to get to the next year level. and the parents were talking daw how they realize that their children are so sheltered.

i dont have any close friend from ateneo so i dont know how they really are but the few ateneans that i know of are really nice. and yeah, they talk softly.

panik

kaylangan ko na magpanik! 5 araw na lang, kaylangan ng ipasa ang paper. pero hanggang ngayon hindi ko pa alam ang focus ko. how's that? this is the most delinquent state ive been in my student life.

sa wakas

tulad ng unang album ng sugarfree, sa wakas.
sa wakas nakita ko na sya. nahawakan.nadama.nakalikot.nasubukan.
sa wakas narinig ko ang tunog nyang handog. ka-tsak.
sa wakas nagagamit ko na sya.
sa wakas.

anticipation

tomorrow is a special day. im gonna see my, well, how should i call it...latest splurge? kagabi pa lang napanaginipan ko na sya. actually, up to this very moment, i still dont know what prinsesa bought me. si C o si N?

dont you remember you told me you love me baby

sorry if youre expecting a mushy read but the title has nothing to do with this entry. im just tired of the random notes title so i decided to place the song which is playing on my mind instead. people here at home were watching juno earlier, that song was in the movie, and it stuck on my mind.

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im enjoying labor-management relations. we were discussing negotiations and collective bargaining in class for 2 sessions now and its just fun and refreshing to know its dynamics. this afternoon, we had 2 exercises in class, 1 was the oil price setting, the other was still on jessie.

the oil price setting was the very same exercise my professor did when he attended the kennedy school of government in harvard. it mainly involves 2 developing countries which supply oil to a third country. to help determine a good price for each of the 2 countries, a matrix was provided (there were only 3 options for the prices) showing how much would each of the 2 countries earn if it would sell its oil for a specific amount.

we were divided into 2 main groups, each group represents one country. each country was further divided into 3 main oil players. i was 1 of the oil playes in country b. so the exercise went like this, we were to set oil prices monthly, without knowing how much would our counterpart would sell theirs. t he objective of the exercise is to earn as much as you can for your company but make sure that you dont put your competitor out of business.

if both would sell their oil for $10, both would get a $5 profit each. if they sell at $20, they would get $8 each. if they sell at $30, they would get $11 each which is the highest profit possible, because $30 was the price ceiling set. if you sell lower than your counterpart, you'll earn at your counterpart's cost.

it was fun. negotiating blindly. hoping that your counterpart would get your message. both of us started with $10 which was fine, then we went to $20 which was better. then from there, our individual interests surfaced. we were both suspicious of each other so we didnt go for the $30 price. the pricing went crazy. i was dropping hints that i wanted both of us to earn big so i was setting my price at $30 but she keeps on setting hers at $10 so i kept on losing and she on winning. in the end, my self vision that ill never be a good businessperson was strengthened. i lost haha i only earned $52 against my counterpart's $79.

and what did my professor said? it showed our potential opportunistic behaviors haha and that behavior is something that we have to throw into the rubbish bin if we want to become negotiators.

the 2nd exercise was on jessie. its actually from an earlier assignment. its about this teacher, jessie, who teaches physics in a catholic school who suddenly changed his religion. but before that, he knows that he needs to keep his catholic religion as a precondition for continuous employment. so when he changed his religion, the school had to terminate him.

this time, dez and i were to represent jessie. and we had to negotiate with the school authorities to keep jessie's religion and his job. and what's our best agreement? keep jessie's religion and job but he has to follow the school's regulations when it comes to religious practices. he has to keep his opinions neutral and must not prophesize to his students. nice...

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i was telling dez earlier that im realizing that i actually like conflict. but let me clarify that. i dont like conflict per se, what i like is what happens before and after the conflict, how people manage to handle conflict. you may ask, but conflict dont really end, right? which makes it more interesting =) still not making sense? basta...
blame it on marx and his conflict theory. or maybe blame it on my radical professors from cssp. or maybe blame it on me for romanticizing the idea of conflicting interests.

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every saturday, i go on abstinence. i abstain from eating lunch because i dont have the time to eat. see, i have work till 12 nn and i have class at 1pm. and i use the 12nn -1pm period for travel. so having a decent lunch is really a challenge for me, in which, i have been consistently failing. so earlier this night, dez and i went on a food trip. we decided to treat ourselves to a feast! a P244 eat-all-you-can buffet at kamay kainan in trinoma. god, its soo good to eat. and what did i have? let me enumerate them for you.

plain rice.nilagang baka.a lot of kare kare.papaitan.sinigang na hipon.crispy pata.sinigang na isda.ginataang kuhol.sisig.arroz ala cubana.lumpiang shanghai.manggang hilaw.lechon kawali.pipino salad.grilled oyster.tempura.pusit.liempo.kaldereta.friend hipon.
and since i still have sore throat, i couldnt have ice cream and so much sweets so i only settled for buko pandan.

after that, a big BURP....

ang edsa, bow!

in emile durkheim's elementary forms of the religious life, he mentioned about the importance of religious rites and symbols. these rites are regularly done to reaffirm collective morals and beliefs in the minds of all members of society. This is important because people, if left to their own for a long amount of time, the beliefs and convictions of individuals will weaken in strength, and require reinforcement.

this makes me think, if there's one good thing brought about by our crazy political situation now, its the fact that people remember edsa 1. imagine 2 or 3 years earlier, when everything was relatively peaceful, no one gives a damn about edsa. aside from the usual flag raising ceremony done by government officials and the activitists' commemoration of edsa 1 through protest actions for a current issue at that moment, edsa 1 anniversary would just be an ordinary day. walang pasok kaya ang mga tao nasa bakasyon.

but look at the edsa anniversary now. yes, there are a lot of people who are still oblivious to what has happened 22 years ago and are still clueless as to why the people power monument was erected near white plains (or was that corinthians), but at least now, there are more people who either went out of their comfortable homes or cut short their out of town trips just to be with other people who are calling for a change in the present government. at least there are more people who are realizing the power that lies in their hands and are willing to take accountability/responsibility in the future of this country.

i was watching mornings in anc earlier and the hosts were talking about their personal experiences in edsa 1. 2 of the hosts didnt really have personal participation in the event since they were too young to participate. tj manotoc on the other hand was so young and was in the states during that time but remembers his mother being very active in all the anti-marcos rallies due to very personal reasons. it was just ricky carandang who was physically in edsa.

back in edsa 1, i was 4 so obviously, i was oblivious to what was happening in our country. but in edsa 2, i braved the long walk from the university avenue to ortigas because i felt that thats what i have to do at that time. i remember that going there was caused by a mixture of a sense of idealism and adventure. but the feeling of uncertainty about the future was also there. imagine walking out of class for 2 days just to be in edsa and learning from the university's bulletin boards that you could continue doing that until erap resigns. what if he didnt step down? what would have happened?

i guess feelings of uncertainty are always there to test our character once in a while. there are always situations when youre put on a crossroad and while you may dread being in that situation at that particular moment, sticking to our principles and values would always lead us to the right direction. if we would allow ourselves to be on the safe side, to be hindered by our cowardice, nothing will happen. if people were frightened of the tanks in edsa 1 or if us, the youth, were frightened by the uncertain future facing us in 2001, we might still have erap in the office. and while im not very happy with what his successor is doing in malacanang now, im still glad that i was one of those who forced him to step down. now, we as a nation are still faced with another crossroad. and im hoping that soon, i could muster enough courage to make a choice and stand for it.

a mighty heart

i dont cry in movies as much as i used to. but a mighty heart proved that i dont have a strong heart when it comes to movies with a lot of heart. (hindi naman hearts day ngayon)

the movie focused on marianne pearl's struggle when her husband was kidnapped in pakistan where both of them were doing interviews after 9/11. both were journalists.

the movie itself was not excellent. but i was just so moved by how marianne handled the situation. upon learning that her husband was beheaded by his kidnappers, of course she got mad. but during her interview with cnn, her courage was admirable. despite her grief about her husband's loss, she was still objective about the situation. no remorse against the pakistani people because like her, they also lost their loved ones to terrorists. and terrorists are not exclusive to pakistan. wherever there are poor, there would be potential recruits.

most of the time, emotion clouds our judgment. its perfectly understandble. but people who are able to think rightfully despite their personal struggles are just admirable.

still on juno

diablo cody just won the oscars for best original screenplay. ellen page didnt get the best actress trophy.

last night, i saw this korean movie (jenny and juno) which was so similar with juno. also saw the screenwriter's blog and was supposed to ask if juno was based on this korean movie. too bad, her comment section was only limited to team members. tsk tsk

how cheesy can one get

i went to see juno with two of my classmates last saturday and it was great. didnt really had an interest on this movie until i read one of its reviews in inquirer. im glad curiosity didnt kill the cat (ok, stop rolling your eyes now)

the plot is actually simple. its about this teenage girl who got pregnant. at first, she thought of having it aborted but eventually opted to continue the pregnancy and just give the baby for adoption. but with the nicely written and well thought of script, the refreshing humor, the interesting characters and the great soundtrack, the movie was an awesome watch.

its not one of those movies about teenage girls getting pregnant who would want their boyfriends to marry them once they get to know their condition, or cry buckets of tears when their boyfriends wouldnt want to marry them, or who would get physical, verbal and emotional beatings from berserk parents when told about their kid's pregnancy and that her boyfriend wouldnt want to marry her.

juno experienced neither of those. well, for one, the guy who got her pregnant is not her boyfriend but her best friend Bleeker (although they eventually became boyfriend-girlfriend at the end of the film). two, she's no ordinary teenager. at least in the most ordinary sense of the word. she's a tomboy, likes grungy music, a smartass and has an interesting family - a dad who's a former military man but whose real purpose in life is to fix airconditioners, stepmom who works as a 'nail technician' and is obsessed with dogs but cant have one since juno's allergic to them, and a half sister who didnt deliver a even a single line.

one of my favorite scenes was the talk with the parents. it was really interesting watching their reaction. they were so damn casual! it was as if they were just talking about somebody else's condition and not their kid. no shouting-match, no hysterical mom, no violent dad, no tears. just plain, casual (yet serious) conversation about juno's plans. after the talk, yes they were bewildered about the news of juno's pregnancy because they were expecting that juno would tell them something else like maybe an expulsion from school or drug problems. but at least, they knew that juno initiated the sex part. these are parents who really know their kid. hehe

another favorite was when vanessa was asking mark (the adoptive parents) on which paint color to use for their baby's room. its a classy joke but having a big dilemma on choosing among the two colors (cheesecake or mustard) which didnt really have a big difference was just so funny for me.

it was quite touching when juno had an outburst when she learned that mark (the adoptive parents) was planning on leaving vanessa. it was then that she cried buckets of tears. and it was then that she became just an ordinary teenager asking her dad why people cant stay together forever. shows how painful it is facing the fact that your some of your childhood fantasies do not really become adult realities.

anyway, i think that everyone who has a thing for great non-pop movies should go and see this.

the lines are really smart and the delivery was perfect that when juno told bleeker "you're the cheese to my macaroni", i didnt barf.

p.s. this is the film's opening song.

All i want is you by Barry Louis Polisar

If I was a flower growing wild and free

All I'd want is you to be my sweet honey bee.

And if I was a tree growing tall and greeen

All I'd want is you to shade me and be my leaves

If I was a flower growing wild and free

All I'd want is you to be my sweet honey bee.

And if I was a tree growing tall and greeen

All I'd want is you to shade me and be my leaves

All I want is you, will you be my bride

Take me by the hand and stand by my side

All I want is you, will you stay with me?

Hold me in your arms and sway me like the sea.

If you were a river in the mountains tall,

The rumble of your water would be my call.

If you were the winter, I know I'd be the snow

Just as long as you were with me, let the cold winds blow

All I want is you, will you be my bride

Take me by the hand and stand by my side

All I want is you, will you stay with me?

Hold me in your arms and sway me like the sea.

If you were a wink, I'd be a nod

If you were a seed, well I'd be a pod.

If you were the floor, I'd wanna be the rug

And if you were a kiss, I know I'd be a hug

All I want is you, will you be my bride

Take me by the hand and stand by my side

All I want is you, will you stay with me?

Hold me in your arms and sway me like the sea.

If you were the wood, I'd be the fire.

If you were the love, I'd be the desire.

If you were a castle, I'd be your moat,

And if you were an ocean, I'd learn to float.

All I want is you, will you be my bride

Take me by the hand and stand by my side

All I want is you, will you stay with me?

Hold me in your arms and sway me like the sea

random notes...na naman

i have a report on wednesday, a paper to submit on that same day and a report on saturday. and what am i doing at this very minute? updating my blog. sweet!
but im doing my slides on the side =) yep, procastination is my guiding philosophy.

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while i was on my way to work last saturday, i heard this song from the radio.

Goodbye, my almost lover
Goodbye, my hopeless dream
I'm trying not to think about you
Can't you just let me be?
So long, my luckless romance
My back is turned on you
Should've known you'd bring me heartache
Almost lovers always do

syempre natawa na lang ako no. how timely.

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im so excited...about my slr. *wide grin*

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gusto kong manood ng "across the universe".

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excited na din akong mag fair. at kunin ang centennial planner. at magsaya. at makibalita sa mga college friends. at kumain. at uminom. at matulog. hay....

G5tv Video Music Awards at the PLC

this is the first time that PAL hosted the G5 christmas party. and being the holder of many "best performance" awards from the past G5 christmas parties, expectations were really set so so high which spelled P-R-E-S-S-U-R-E for us. but it was ok, we could handle that (fighting spirit lang ang tawag jan)=)

anyway, we started preparing as early as september when we had our photoshoot with olie (see previous entries for some of the photos). back then we were planning to have an america's next top model theme. but later on, after a number of brainstorming sessions, the theme became MTV's VMA. so the tiring, fun, exciting dirty work ensued, coupled with a little tampo session among organizers in between. but even if the PLC was far from looking like the Palm's Casino in Vegas, everyone still had a blast. all's well that ends well =)

with Mr Bautista in the gigantic tv


gimme gimme, gimme more...

ficture ficture


kunan ng picture ang stage!

isa pa!

o buong grupo naman

finally, nakapagpapicture ng kumpleto sa giant tv =)

sweeney todd

bloody. gory. brutal. gothic. dark.

i finally went to see sweeney todd tonight. i got curious about the movie after i read the review. i dont know but the thought of someone killing people so casually (while singing at that) and feeding them to unsuspecting people later is just different. ok, not so different. fine, its because of johnny depp!

i see sweeney todd as a movie about revenge. its about this ordinary barber who was sent to jail by a nasty judge (see: prof snape, bellatrix and wormtail were also there). his wife, who eventually got mad, was raped by the same judge while his daughter was locked ala-rapunzel. so when he got out of prison, guess what he wanted to do...you got it! yes, he wanted revenge! and its revenge that he got. too bad, it backfired on him. so the moral lesson is, dont. =)

the movie was full of blood. it's like a musical kill bill for me. the grotesquerie of it. blood spilling from the throat of todd's victims. or seeing the ground (human) meat coming out of the grinder. its really nauseating. or imagine eating a delicious meat pie and suddenly realizing that its made of human meat. argh, thats cruelty defined.

but it was also fun because its like watching a horror film, covering my eyes with my jacket and peeping while waiting for him to cut his victim's throat. i cringe everytime there's a scene like that, which was a lot. we were seated beside a group of college guys and they were doing the same. haha naghahampasan nga lang.

if in case you wanna see the movie, dont bring meat pie baon. you wont eat it. believe me =)

depp was really good. he deserve that best actor award. the review said that his voice doesnt sound that good in the film but it is perfectly fine for me. it doesnt sound far from how ewan mcgreggor sang in moulin rouge or antonio banderas in evita.

bagong taon

ang lungkot

‘Di mo lang alam
Naiiisip kita
Baka sakali lang maisip mo ako
‘Di mo lang alam
Hanggang sa gabi inaasam makita kang muli

Nagtapos ang lahat sa di inaasahang panahon
At ngayon ako ay iyong iniwan
Luhaan, sugatan, ‘di mapakinabangan
Sana nagtanong ka lang
Kung ‘di mo lang alam
Sana’y nagtanong ka lang
Kung ‘di mo lang alam

Ako’y iyong nasaktan
Baka sakali lang maisip mo naman
Hindi mo lang alam
Kay tagal na panahon
Ako’y nandirito pa rin hanggang ngayon para sa’yo

Lumipas mga araw na ubod ng saya
‘Di pa rin nagbabago ang aking pagsinta
Kung ako’y nagkasala patawad na sana
Puso kong pagal ngayon lang nagmahal

‘Di mo lang alam
Ako’y iyong nasaktan
Baka sakali lang maisip mo naman
Puro s’ya na lang
Sana’y ako naman
‘Di mo lang alam
Ika’y minamasdan
Sana’y iyong mamalayang hindi mo lang pala alam

‘Di mo lang alam
Kahit tayo’y magkaibigan lang
Napapaligaya lang sa tuwing nagkukulitan
Baka sakali lang maisip mo naman
Ako’y nandito lang
Hindi mo lang alam
Matalino ka naman

Kung ikaw at ako
Ay tunay na bigo sa laro na ito
Ay dapat bang sumuko
Sana hindi ka lang pala aking nakilala
Kung alam ko lang ako’y masasaktan ng ganito
Sana’y nakinig na lang ako sa nanay ko

‘Di mo lang alam
Ako’y iyong nasaktan
Baka sakali lang maisip mo naman
Puro s’ya na lang
Sana’y ako naman
Isang kindat man lang
‘Di mo lang alam
O, ika’y minamasdan
Sana iyo’y mamalayang di mo lang pala alam
Oooooooo

Malas mo
Ikaw ang natipuhan ko
Di mo lang alam
Ako’y iyong nasaktan

---up dharma down

sa wakas! tagal ko ding hinanap to. laging out of stock.

pasko na

after our dance practice last thursday, henyo, prinsesang labandera, right hand ni green guru, and jen (kalimutan ko code mo) and i went to dinner at buendia. we passed by makati ave and got a bit disappointed by the christmas lights on the street. kulang sa kislap. but when we got to buendia and got out of the car, putik, ang lamig! damang dama na ang kapaskuhan =)

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deck the halls with boughs of holly

fa la la la la la la la la

tis the season to be jolly

fa la la la la, lala la la