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

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

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)

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...

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!

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

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.

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

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 =(

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 =)

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...

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.

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

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...

-------------

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

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.

----------

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.

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.

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

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.

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.