Good Times, Bad Times (And Things In Between)

2007-04-27T11:13:00.000+08:00

April 26, 2007

Let These Pictures Tell Half Of My Story

Since I’ve been gone for so long, I figured posting very lengthy paragraphs will bore everyone to death. So here, instead of just writing about what’s been happening to me since November, I’m posting pictures (and I mean LOTS of pictures so be patient while it loads) and will try to write as minimally as possible so this won’t end up like another novel.

Let me start with the day I left San Diego in November 2006. I was set to meet my ship (my new command) at sea, since they’ve started deployment two months earlier while I was still in Mississippi. Literally, running after the ship was no small feat at all! It took me four plane rides, three days stuck in a foreign country, four days stuck in another ship, and a helicopter ride just to get to the USS Benfold! But everything was a great adventure for me, so I wasn’t really bothered by the inconvenience of it all.

From San Diego, I flew to New York…then to London…then to

Bahrain

, where I spent three days in the hotel room SLEEPING because I had no liberty buddy to go out with and my body clock was still messed up. From there, I flew to Fujairah, a very desert-hot city in the

United Arab Emirates

. Our plane flew just above Baghdad, which I found very exciting, so I took a shot of the plane’s trail as seen in the picture.

At Fujairah, we boarded the ship called the USNS Spica where I met some new friends (of course!) who donated some clothes to me since I lost my entire seabag on my journey. It turned out that my seabag got mixed with another flight, so I’ve been living on donations for a week! They gave me socks, uniforms, undershirts, sweatpants, etc. and I was really touched by how they treated me so well, even though I was a complete stranger! I would have loved to stay longer with them, but after four days it was time for me to FINALLY (the last step!) meet the USS Benfold! I was excited as ever, I’ve been waiting to get there for months! The transfer was the best part of all---we were flown by a helicopter from the flightdeck of the Spica to the flightdeck of the Benfold. Complete with all the safety gear, here’s how I looked like…and oh, I couldn’t contain my excitement, hence the smile that almost tore my face apart.

The Ship. My first command, fresh out of bootcamp. New people, new experiences, new everything! It was not everything I expected it to be, but I carried on well. Week after week I realized I was turning into a real sailor---I worked hard until my feet couldn’t walk no more, sacrificed sleep because of duty and working hours, tested my patience because of different kinds of people I had to put up with, tolerated discomfort caused by very limited sleeping space, and most of all…fought depression caused by being out to sea for so long without seeing land for forty-something days straight! But well, though life on a ship isn’t as glamorous as I thought, I still found ways to enjoy each day…reason why I’m still alive and never thought of jumping overboard! Hehehe…

Of course, part of being in the Navy is getting a chance to see the world! And during my four-month deployment I was lucky enough to see three new places, though I should have seen more but our port visits to Dubai, Hongkong and

Singapore

were cancelled. But anyway, here are the places we’ve visited from November to March:

Bahrain. We went there twice, and even got to spend Christmas there. Unfortunately, I had no chance of attending mass because it is a Muslim country, all they had were mosques that overflowed with people at 5 pm everyday. Gold was abundant, though not at all cheap since the exchange rate that time was almost $3=1BD. Food was new to me, but since I eat just about anything, I tried this beef dish that smelled like someone who hasn’t taken a bath in years! I don’t exactly remember what it’s called, and though the smell was really repugnant, I still ate every bit of it…at nabusog naman ako.

Malaysia. This is my favorite of all the places we’ve visited during deployment. My money was stretched a long way, I ended up buying lots of pasalubong for my family! There’s a Chinatown in Kuala Lumpur, much like our version of Divisoria, where shoppers will go gaga over designer bags, shoes, wallets…all at a very cheap price! I also visited the Petronas Towers, one of the tallest twin towers in the world, and was completely awed at the architecture. Just being at the foot of the towers sent me the shivers, especially at night when the towers were lit like candles in the dark!

Hawaii. Our final stop before finally heading back home to San Diego. My dad joined us this time, and in three days we were able to discover Pearl Harbor, go to the Dole Plantation, experience an underwater tour, walk along the beaches, attend a Luau (Hawaiian dinner + cultural show), and go shopping of course. I bought Mai-Mai a pink ukulele which I displayed in her new Hawaiian-themed room. (Pictures of her new room later on in this entry.)

The Homecoming. The ship finally pulled in to San Diego on March 13. Since this was my first deployment, I was among the many giddy neophytes who got overly excited with our return. I don’t remember sleeping well the night before, for all I had in mind was hugging Mai-Mai when we get back.

Fast-forward three days later, I went home to Fresno to spend my 2-week leave with my family. It was the best of times. Having everyone around, though we just spent most of the time at home, reminded me of how blessed I am that I have a great family waiting for my return.

The vacation was short, but well-worth it. Let these pictures show you the fun that we had during the few days that we spent together:

Mai-mai and Bokyo having their little brother-sister moment when we went hiking.

On top of Fresno.

Todo emote!

Group picture! Andaming pamilya ang sumama!

Mahilig kami sa costume! (At Old Town @ Clovis)

Isa pang pag-emote.

Pictorial namin ni Barok. Hehe!

Barok and his flying carpet.

Finally this. Even before we bought our new house, I already volunteered myself to be the home’s interior designer. And because I was really serious about the big project at hand, I prohibited my parents from buying furniture/fixtures while I was on deployment for fear that what they will buy will ruin the theme that I had in mind. As a result, they’ve been living with nothing while I was away, save for the essentials like the basic bed, sofa, and dining tables.

So when I got back from deployment, you could just imagine the excitement of everyone that finally, our house would turn into a home…with color and design. I brought home pieces from the different places we’ve been to, so our house now is so multi-cultural that every room presents a different theme!

Here are the before and after pictures of our house. Come tell me what you think!

Living room. Ethnic theme, I guess.

Dining room. Native Philippines ang theme.

Breakfast table.

Mai-mai's and Lolit's bedroom, Hawaiian-inspired so notice the grass bed skirt, the bamboo window blinds, and the pink ukelele.

Bokyo's and Barok's bedroom. Eto naman Army ang style.

Mom's and Dad's bedroom, my favorite section of the house! I gave it a Japanese theme, and the effect was beyond what I expected!

Here's our little "jamming corner", where all the musical instruments are. The draperies at the background are all from Bahrain. Nice pieces!

At eto naman kami ni Mari, at the end of the day kami pala ang walang bedroom kaya dito na lang kami sa sofa natulog. Share na lang kami...dahil sanay naman na kami sa masikip na higaan sa barko!

2006-11-03T05:07:00.000+08:00

November 2, 2006

We Made It!

So many exciting things have happened in the past four months that I’m at a loss over what angle to write from the experience. My sister and I just graduated from boot camp, moved from one state to another, received further training, and are now at our ultimate duty station, all set and ready to sail the seas and see the world! It seems like a year though, for we had so much going on everyday---give me one more month and I’m sure it’ll feel like a lifetime.

On one hand, as everyone is eager to know, boot camp is so much fun despite the fierce treatment we received from our division commanders, and the retarded rules they made us obey each day. Training was like Amazing Race and Fear Factor rolled into one: we ran miles, shot real guns, entered a gas chamber, jumped off a tower into a pool, fought fires, rescued casualties from an attacked ship, moored a ship…all that without the comfort of 8-hour nightly sleep.

Our days would start at 4am, followed by physical training and whatever was in the plan of the day. There were bunk and locker drills, personnel and uniform inspections, marching drills, even academic classes and tests too! We even had to stand 2-hour watches (duty) at night which cut on our sleeping time, therefore adding fatigue to our already dog-tired bodies.

There was an infinite number of rules to conform with, I thought it was Martial Law all over again. No talking. At all. No Hollywood baths---shower was for 5 minutes only (and that’s for all 40 females sharing one undivided bathroom.) No singing. No running your fingers through your hair. No plucking your eyebrows. No contact lenses (the visually challenged are issued the same thick-rimmed, outlandish eyeglasses that hang over the entire face.) No shampoo (use body wash for your hair.) No second servings in the meals. No sleeping nor yawning nor resting your eyelids. No walking in the center of the aisle (squeeze yourself beside the wall.) No sitting on chairs with back rest. None of this, none of that…everything just had some kind of rule attached to it!

So where is the fun in that?

It’s in the adrenaline rush. Triggered by boot camp stress. I enjoyed how I was always in a constant motion, tired yet unwilling to give up. It made me alert and conscientious of all my actions. It also felt good to learn and try new things, especially those that I thought only muscled gigantic men were skilled at.

On the other hand, I’ve drawn some personal reflections from the experience. (If you haven’t noticed yet, it’s my habit to break down life into chewable pieces, then savoring whilst mulling over each bite.) One, the less baggage you have, the easier it is to move on with life. And by this I don't mean bulky bags, but our attachments to worldly things and comfort. For two months, I was deprived of things I thought I needed to survive--my laptop, my favorite clothes and accessories, my shoulder-length hair, my afternoon nap, my midnight snack, lotion, movies...but as the weeks passed by, I realized I was still up and breathing, and worrying less. My created needs weren't necessary after all. Detachment from these seemingly petty things served as an exercise for the bigger things that will come my way.

Two, the environment you have within you weighs more than what is around you. Life could still be pleasant even with a chaotic situation such as boot camp where you get punished, yelled at and cussed at. As long as you carry an interior environment of happiness and peace, it does not matter whatever happens on the outside. You possess an interior life which nobody else could mess up with.

Finally, I learned that even if you think you are strong, capable, and certain of yourself, you will always need people to get you through the other end. I wouldn't have passed my final PFA or completed Battle Stations if not for the motivation and helping hand of the people I trained with, for on the last week of training, my leg started to deteriorate. I woke up one day not able to bend my left knee, which scared me to death because that meant I wouldn't graduate. But because of my division helping me through, I passed the final challenges of boot camp...and on our graduation day, was even given the Military Excellence Award for being the top sailor of our batch.

It still thrills me up to now. It's simply unbelievable. But rather than give the credit to myself, I always pass on the recognition to my division. They helped me succeed; they pulled me back on track. And I can never stop thanking them for all that they've done. Truly, victory is sweeter when you share it with someone else.

So there goes the story of my first two months in the Navy. After boot camp in Great Lakes, Illinois, we flew to Meridian, Mississippi where we trained some more. But unlike boot camp, it was more laid-back and our freedom was restored. It was like a college atmosphere, since all we did was to learn about our jobs. I've made quite a bunch of friends in Mississippi, too! And you'd be surprised at how many Filipinos there are...majority just migrated to the US like us!

Right now, there's a sense of fulfillment dwelling in me. I've done so much in five months, grown older and wiser, and met new friends I know I'd keep for the rest of my life. The emptiness I've been suffering from migration has chipped away, and I'm starting to recognize the happiness that I've always felt back home.

It's been a year now since we moved to the US, and I should say that things are a lot, lot better. I have no regrets. I have no qualms. I just feel blessed for the way life has turned out for us. ;-)

****

I will be going out to sea for a few months, so I might not be able to blog again. Please bear with me, but I will have pictures of the places we'll visit when I get back! I'm surely going to miss a lot of holidays when I'm gone, so let me greet you all an early Happy Thanksgiving, Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, Happy Valentine's Day, and Happy Graduation (to my batchmates and blockmates). Until next time!

2006-06-10T10:52:00.000+08:00

June 10, 2006

Atten-shun!

At the time of this writing, I am one day away from welcoming a new life. One day away from giving salutes, standing at attention, pushing myself to physical limits I've only seen in movies...one day away from embracing a totally different world that is the US Navy life.

One year ago, this was just joke that my sister and I laughed about. I knew back then that joining the military was as impossible as winning the lotto. I mean I didn't even have the stamina to jog for 30 minutes nonstop nor the courage to enter an environment where majority are men. But life's full of surprises, or so they say. Now our joke has turned into reality. I am joining the military.

The next few months will be an ordeal for sure. Boot camp will change my sister and I from being morons to persons with direction, dignity, and a lot of valor. We'll be yelled at, insulted, made to run miles and locked in gas chambers, all in hopes of toughening us as sailors. There would be no internet, no cellphones, no other form of personal comfort, and most of all, no family to hug and run to when you feel like giving up. I might not even see my family for years should I get assigned in Japan or the Middle East. I am honestly scared to face all these, but I'm not turning back now...because this is the best way that'll lead me to the goals I've always wanted to pursue. At the same time, this will be the helping hand that I've always wanted to give my family.

I will be back online though, after 2 or 3 months. And at my return, I'll load you with stories from bootcamp and hopefuly, pictures of my sister and I wearing the great white Navy uniform.

Pray that we'll survive, okay?

I will see you all soon. ;-)

2006-06-10T10:21:00.001+08:00

June 9, 2006

Pictures From The Past Week

Lolit, Mari, Me and Claire (our new friend!) at Knott's Berry Farm.
We proudly braved all the daring rides, including Silver Bullet, Riptide and Supreme Scream!

Celebrating Dad's birthday and my birthday (in advance) at some Chinese buffet.
Majority of the eaters were Filipinos! Don't you think our culture eats a lot?

My brothers trying to change their identity. They used black stockings
to morph into a completely different creature. I couldn't stop laughing!

Mai Mai with her pre-school class. The kids are so adorable
that again, I'm wanting to become a preschool teacher!

2006-06-10T09:42:00.000+08:00

June 7, 2006

Sol Patrol

It's finally getting hotter here in California. The weather has warmed up drastically, therefore people everywhere have started wearing clothes that'll make your jaw drop: tube tops, halter tops, backless tops, shorts that you'd mistake for panties. Minsan tuloy, ikaw pa ang O.P. kung naka t-shirt at pants ka. But I care not. I survived living near the equator all my life without having to wear less. So even if that's what people call stylish or cool, I'm never going out of the house wearing those. One could still look sophisticated and sexy without showing too much skin anyway. Perfect example? Lea Salonga.

Anyhow, the other day I was on a hunt for a one-piece balck swimsuit that I'd like to use for some serious swimming. But to my disbelief, I found NONE after cheacking out the great malls in Fullerton and Cerritos! I went ot five different malls in all, and all they hade were 2-piece bikinis and one-piece swimsuits that were either exposing the sides or plunging the neckline. How is one supposed to swim with those? I figured the manufacturers decided to phase out traditional swimsuits for nobody buys them these days anyway. Most women buy swimsuits to look good in the beach and not for some serious swimming anymore.

Bad, bad, bad.

2006-06-02T16:17:00.000+08:00

June 2, 2006

Googling Myself

After this season's American Idol, its creators concocted another talent show on Fox, called So You Think You Can Dance, where another set of Hollywood hopefuls are outdoing each other thru what else? Dancing. I'm not sure how this show's going to fare, but I'm definitely not enjoying it, especially after having watched its first two pitiful episodes. My whole hour of watching was consumed by scandalous auditioners: a flabby woman in a shrinked and still shrinking tank top exposes her boobs as she tries to imitate J.Lo, another lady painted with heavy mascarra vomits with dignity onstage after attempting her dangerous moves, a half man/half woman performs as a cabaret/cage dancer...it's reality show gone wild!

But while I'm here ranting about how extreme that show has been, it won't be a shock that it has received a growing number of viewers since its pilot episode last week. I think people are finding it entertaining, and not upsetting at all. But why? Is that what we call entertainment these days, seeing people act like it's okay to excrete shit and expose boobs in public?

It's not right, something's just not right.

***

I was trying a little Google search about myself today and found a lot of other people named Pepay and a lot of shocking information about those Pepays, too! To estimate, I think there are more than a hundred (or thousand?) of us Pepays lurking in the world, but here are four outstanding scoops I've gathered about my counterparts:

I learned that one Pepay was working as a GRO, and that she once kept a blog but I didn't read on, because I couldn't handle things like that.

Another Pepay was caught in a real-life hostage drama in a school building, but was luckiyly spared her life and lived happily ever after.

Then there is also a Pepay who was loathed by every single person in her department because she is a mean lady, and in the long run was told by one colleague that "I will never step down to your level!!!" (with lots of exclamation points thereafter)

Finally, there is a Pepay whose lover dedicated an entire blog to her, adorned it with poetry and sweet vows and love songs. (I almost thought I had a secret admirer, haha!!) But later on I realized that that Pepay was an entirely different person, because the picture didn't look like it was me.

No wonder I get mixed reactions when I tell others my name...Pepay has been associated with these types of people!

Anyway, since I've been writing about a lot of Pepays already, I might as well share with you this chant that enemies from childhood have teased me with as I was growing up. (Oh yes, I had enemies when I was young!)

To the tune of the last line in Pen Pen De Sarapen:

Pepay, tinapay, malunggay, pilay, monay!!!

(Infinitely repeated as kids gather around like
I'm some bonfire that they needed to put out.)

Ah, childhood!

2006-06-02T13:59:00.000+08:00

June 1, 2006

Gunting at Apoy

Pwede na siguro akong magtayo ng Beauty Parlor. Hindi biro.

Kahapon, nanay at tatay ko naman ang napagdiskitahan kong bigyan ng make-over. Dahil nagsasawa na sila sa itsura nila, at ako rin, dahil nagsawa nang makita ang kanilang namumuti at di-maikom na buhok, muli kong inilabas ang aking Beauty Parlor Set na nagmula pa sa Pilipinas at tuluyang pinabata ang aking mga magulang. Tabas dito, tabas doon, kulay dito, kulay doon...hanggang ito ang kinalabasan ng nanay:

Ayos ba? Medyo ilang oras din naming sinikap na makuha ang istilong iyan! Kinabahan pa ako nung umpisa, dahil baka masobrahan ng gupit, pero dahil sa pagtitiwala ng lahat, lumakas din ang loob ko sa paghawak ng gunting. Haay, ang saya!

***

Kahapon din naman, ipinagdiwang namin ang birthday ng tatay. Kami-kami pa rin ang naghanda, pero ngayon meron na kaming totoong cake. At wala nang nilagang spageti. Hehe.

Pero nagkaron kami ng kaunting sakuna sa kalagitnaan ng pagluluto: biglang nagliyab ang oven habang bine-bake yung manok. Wala namang nasunog at nasugatan, pero dahil sa pagkataranta, agad-agad na lumikas ng bahay si mommy, Mari, at Lolit, kahit na kakapiranggot lang ang apoy sa kusina. Hindi ko tuloy napigilang mapatawa. Sunud-sunuran sila papalabas ng pinto sa pag-aakalang sasabog ang bahay, samantalang isang buhos lang ng tubig, napatay na ni daddy yung apoy! Ay, ang sakit ng tiyan ko pagkatapos nun!

Ito nga pala kaming lahat ulit, pagkatapos ng munting sakuna:

2006-05-30T07:02:00.000+08:00

May 29, 2006

A Video, A Tag, And A Book Read

For a moment there, I think I lost interest in blogging because I discovered that there's such a thing as YouTube where anyone anywhere could post his own video for the whole world to see! I may be too late for this discovery, but I still signed up and for the past week, I have edited three videos in a row! Filming is such an addictive past time that right now, I already have a list of projects in mind, including an ambitious documentary of our family history.

Here's one video I made using Magix Movie Edit Pro 10, featuring our San Diego trip last weekend. But I couldn't convert the file to MPEG, hence the pixelated graphics. Enjoy the short clip anwyay!

***

I was tagged by Momel!

Instructions:
1. The tagged victim must come up with 8 different descriptions of their perfect lover.
2. Needs to mention the sex/gender of their perfect lover.
3. Must tag 8 people to join this game and leave a comment on their respective sites announcing that they've been tagged.
4. If tagged a second time, there's no need to post again.

My answers:

Gender: M

Descriptions:
1. I want someone who would tolerate my crazinees with books and would agree with me in saying that bookstores are the best places on earth. Haha, nerd!
2. I want someone I could easily tag along in my future around-the-world explorations and wouldn't easily run out of ATPs should we climb a volcano in Guatemala, search for black pearls in Polynesia, or cycle among rice paddies in Vietnam.
3. I want someone to watch Broadway shows or horror films with, WITHOUT getting bored.
4. I want someone who'll never be afraid of telling me that I'm being arrogant, selfish, vain, evil...someone who'll correct me without damaging the relationship.
5. I want someone who, even after 50 or more years of marriage, will still care for me with the same intensity as our first year of being together.
6.I want someone who knows when to stop talking and when to start listening, and someone I could talk to without embarassing moments of silence.
7. I want somebody with a shipload of humor to balance my demure existence.
8. Finally, I want somebody who believes in God and believes in the power of prayer.

Here are my tagged bloggers:

1. Ate Ivy
2. Cy
3. Adel
4. Lux
5. Chari
6. Marifel
7. Maricel
8. Sedricke

Okay, you are not forced to do this, but I'd be glad if you will.

***

I finished reading 100 Years of Solitude today, and it took me a hundred years of struggle to get to the last page of that novel! Sheesh...I won't say I liked it. It was boring, confusing, and too intellectual for me to take. First, the characters are given almost the same names which made it confusing; second, Garcia's vocab is so high-falluting; third, you had to look deeper for meanings and symbolisms to fully appreciate the story. That, I must admit, is what I hate about literature.

The only thing that kept me holding on to it was that people everywhere are saying that it's a must read, that it's a book the whole human race shouldn't miss, and that it's earned a Nobel. But I really don't see the point. Sorry na lang sa fans.

2006-05-20T12:31:00.000+08:00

May 19, 2006

Sa wakas tapos na rin ang sem na ito. Pero sa buong buhay ko sa kolehiyo, ito talaga ang pinaka-naiiba sa lahat. Una, napakadali ng pag-aaral (yung finals namin kanina parang quiz lang). Pangalawa, ako yata ang pinakabata sa lahat ng klaseng napasukan ko. Halos lahat ng mga kaklase ko may mga asawa't anak at apo na. Pangatlo, wala akong masyadong nakilalang mga bagong kaibigan, puwera dun sa isang Pilipinong kaklase ko sa English. Ganun na ba kahina ang social skills ko? Pero di bale na, babawi na lang ako ulit sa susunod na pasukan.

2006-05-15T15:55:00.000+08:00

May 14, 2006

Bye Jack

It’s over for Jack and me. After three months into this crazy journey of pain and reward, I finally took off my hat and waved goodbye to the net that fished me out of the sea of unemployment. I’m no longer the elfin drive-thru girl working 2-10 pm daily; I’m no longer the co-worker with the limited vocabulary of si, no, and gracias.

I stopped working four days ago, and my decision to quit my job wasn’t out of dislike for my colleagues nor fury towards difficult customers. Right before I started my “career” as a fast-food employee, I already knew that I won’t be staying for long. I had my mind set on greater goals other than flipping burgers and cooking fries. I had to leave this soon because I need the rest of the month to prepare for that higher goal, to condition myself for that new life that I’m bound to take on my 20th birthday.

This scattered dropping of clues might puzzle you, but I’ll explain more in another entry. For now, let me share with you some insights/things I’ve learned from my first work experience here in the Land of Milk and Honey.

1. Fast-food chains are breeding grounds for robots. You follow the same routine every day, say the same words to each person in line, and see and smell the same food prepared in the kitchen. You don’t have much room for growth because you don’t get to exercise you creativity and don’t get to practice a higher level of thinking. Therefore, I made the conclusion that it's always best to return to academia, to EARN that diploma before collecting your paycheck. Doing so will bring greater rewards and satisfaction, and money in the long run.

2. But while that is the reality behind hamburger stands, I dare say that fast-food crew members are one of the most obedient, resilient, and physically strong human beings on the face of the earth. They won’t complain over colossal orders. They easily bounce back when atrocious customers condemn them for strands of hair dwelling in their salads. Most of all, they could stand eight hours a day without sitting down and could carry gallons of ice and heavy boxes of ketchup and hotsauce without breaking down.
3. Just because I already found my perfect set of friends back in the Philippines doesn’t mean that I have to shut my world to other people. I learned to step out of my own little circle to appreciate the other people around me and I realized that there is beauty in each person that we meet.
4. You don’t have to speak the same language to connect to other people. It’s the things left unsaid that creates the ties of friendship. In my case, the fact that we share the same hidden irritation for picky eaters, the same hidden impatience towards those who take forever to decide on a meal, the same hidden disgust over those who couldn’t clean up their own mess, the fact that we share the same human feelings make the relationship take on a different level.
5. Fast-food restaurants are a subculture on its own that needs appreciation and respect. People working there are not merely flipping burgers and cooking fries, they’re feeding a family, paying their rent, and saving money in hopes of going back to school. Some of them are not educated, but that doesn’t give us reason to threaten them when they make mistakes. Let us treat them with more love, that’s what they need.

Three months is a relatively short time, but truly, I've learned that much which will last forever.

2006-05-15T15:52:00.000+08:00

May 12, 2006

Wala Lang

While having lunch at school today, Mari and I spotted a group of Meteor Garden-looking teenagers flailing their limbs to that Ricky Martin Loca remix. Probably rehearsing for their Dance class finals, they reminded me of Rainier Castillo and his flapping fish-out-of-water dance. The memories of Philippine entertainment are haunting me!

2006-05-15T15:46:00.000+08:00

May 6, 2006

Thank You Rock and Roll!

Tonight I had the chance to watch a live theatrical performance of Grease, that 50’s smash hit Broadway musical that put me into an if-highschoolers-half-a-century-ago-were-that-wild- then-what-more-today type of thinking. You know, all that booze and Marlboro and making out and skyrocketing ego, and all other horrific teenage behavior that’s driving every parent crazy. But I love Grease, despite the wild convention of the Rydell kids. It’s from Grease that I started appreciating the music and the dance of the oldies, and from Grease that I started devouring the energy that is rock and roll.

I watched the stage play with my three sisters who are likewise theater-lovers and my parents who tagged along. Not in Broadway though, but in my college’s Burnright Center Theater. It’s amazing when I think of it for a community college to stage performances and own facilities like that. Talagang namangha ako. Theirs were props and stage designs much like a Repertory/Trumpets performance back home! They had a real Greased Lightning buick onstage, and a baby orchestra plus conductor creating music the entire night, to think that this is only a college-level activity! Even more, each actor had his own micro-lapel that blended with his skin tone, a luxury that only professional thespians in the Philippines could enjoy. Ibang klase!

As for the quality of performance, well it was laudable, save for the latter part when the actors started getting tired from all the twisting and turning and mooning and skakin’. Danny Zuko started losing his singing voice in You’re The One That I Want, which prompted my four-year-old sister to say, “Ate Majo, parang hindi na sila magaling.” That little critic, always finding angles to lambast. But no matter, it was a good performance still---and right now, I’m still high with the music.

2006-04-20T03:19:00.000+08:00

April 20, 2006

Crib

As promised, here are some pictures of our new home! It might look Better-Homes-And-Gardens-sy, but it's all the effect of lighting and shooting angle. (I was trying to be a photographer here! Haha.)

My dad and my brothers did a great job moving furniture around. Since this is America, there aren't any kanto boys or sarge to ask help from. We had to do things on our own that even I was not spared from lifting the sofa and hardwood cabinets! But we managed, despite broken speakers, scratched walls and injured toenails.

What I love most about moving into a new place is being able to decorate. Interior design has always been the essence of my existence, though I can't imagine why I chose to pursue Biology in college. I just love the entire creative process of it that I once gave our previous house a facelift while my parents were away for 4 months! They were thrilled, sort of.

So we did a little decorating for this house and effect was awesome. We added vases with flowers and lamps with soft light and carpets and baskets and frames and side tables and it's just wonderful how everthing was pulled together. I love staying at home even more.

Anyway, ours wouldn't have been a home if not for the generosity of our friends, titos, titas and neighbors. They gave us every imaginable object in our house today that it would be like walking into a museum whose collections could be traced back from where they came from.

The Veloria family would like to thank you so much, especially the Umali family, for breathing life into our little space...from the deepest recesses of our hearts.

2006-04-20T01:25:00.000+08:00

April 16, 2006

Usapang Bertdey

Yesterday was my mom's birthday. Like what we traditionally do, we put up a little family feast at home; however, unlike past celebrations, we the offsprings were in full charge this time. From the budget to the menu to the food preparation (and left-over consumption!) I and my five siblings joined forces to give our mothergoose a night she deserves.

Mai-Mai and Lolit, ages 4 and 11, baked biscuits and cupcakes which actually doubled as the birthday cake. Seen above is the improvised cake they made by planting candles on the little yellow muffins. Barok (13), though a rascal he is, whole-heartedly washed the dishes that kept on piling up due to our unending cooking needs. Bokyo (16) made the chicken gravy, Mari (18) bought the salad, chicken, ice cream, drinks, etc. while I cooked pasta and ruined it by forgetting to add ground beef to the sauce! Therefore I ended up serving a soupy spaghetti or nilagang spageti as my mom teased.

Anyway, we all had a wonderful time last night and I personally was ecstatic within knowing that despite the simplicity, the family is still together celebrating life and enjoying each others' company.

I am surely going to miss this togetherness when I leave this June.

2006-04-11T03:14:00.000+08:00

April 10, 2006

Kunwaring Collage

Can't Believe It's Real!

I am a sucker for love stories. I read romance novels (to the horror of my mom!) and watch cheap, romantic comedies a lot, probably out of my sublminal desire to experience the other side of life. Haha. But of all that I've read and watched, one story struck me the most---the story of Jeff and Marga. Found it through one of my blog-hopping sessions and couldn't help a widespread grin...this happened in real life!

2006-04-08T14:05:00.000+08:00

April 7, 2006

Enumeration (again)

I have little chunks of everything to say (with so little time), hence this type of entry.

1. The hardest thing about living in another country is that you miss out important gatherings such as this and it's appalling to know that all of your friends are going to be there and all you could do is wait for the pictures and die of envy at the stories that they have to share.

2. We finally moved in to a new apartment and it's a miracle how the empty little space was transformed into a liveable crib in just a few days, without us purchasing any furniture! A million thanks to our relatives, new friends, and junk finds from neighbors! We really appreciate your generous donations. I'll be posting pictures of our new home in another entry.

3. I'm too bored of wearing jackets, turtlenecks, and practically heavy layers of clothing. The weather here hasn't warned up a bit, and it's undeniably stressful for me to take a bath every morning. Sometimes I'm even tempted not to take a bath at all, but my conscience is killing me, as if it's a sin not to hit the shower.

4. My sister Lolit won Best Performer in our city's recent Talent Show Challenge and has another contest in Las Vegas in July and a guest performance in some coronation night for a Filipino community here in California. 'Yan ang Pinoy!

5. I finally found my hatest movie of all. There's this (take note!) horror movie, The Haunting, starring the very dear Catherine Zeta-Jones which is so horribly made you'd mistake it for comedy. My family and I were really laughing out loud watching the movie on a supposed scary-movie-night, because the effects and the story were pathetic---even a four-year-old wouldn't find those fake roots growing from the bed or that ceiling growing its own mouth frightening. What a waste of resources.

6. I've made the conclusion that there are lots of great Filipino blogs out there that we all should go check out. Filipino blogs from Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao, Australia, Canada, US, Hongkong, France, etc. I've stumbled upon a few of them last week and couldn't wait to read more!

7. Things may really be difficult for us here these days, but I'm really thankful that I have a family going through all these with me. We've been closer during the last five roller-coaster months, seeing each other in a perspective we've never seen before. It's amazing. Thank God for the family. I couldn't ask for more.

2006-03-30T04:42:00.000+08:00

March 29, 2006

Enumeration

1. Meron din palang mga pulubi sa Amerika. Two weeks ago at work, a grubby-looking young man came up to my cash register to buy whatever he could with the few pennies he had at hand. First impression told me that he was a beggar--he wore soiled, tattered and faded clothes. He had uncut fingernails packed with soil underneath, his face greased with some substance that didn't fairly give off a pleasant smell. Out of pity, I gave him a cup for a refillable drink, although it's illegal for us to give away free merchandise. Wala namang nakakita eh.

2. I just received my first month's paycheck and was surprised that it was a little higher than what I've expected! Enough to help my parents pay our rent. I could finally testify to what other people say: here, you really reap what you sow.

3. School has been a breeze for me. I've been collecting A's in my classes (hehe), contrary to my borderline grades in U.P. For this reason, I think I have greater chances of getting into UC Berkeley or some Ivy League in the future--my ultimate dream!

4. I recently hoarded all the Gabriel Garcia Marquez novels from the public library. Talk about my book lust. I am currently reading One Hundred Years of Solitude and Love in the Time of Cholera at the same time!

5. I really miss everyone back in the Philippines and I still cry at night, pondering on what I've been missing. It's too difficult for me to move on!

6. It's already 1:32 pm and I should be walking now to work but I haven't fixed my bushy hair yet. Time surely flies fast when your online, huh?

2006-03-19T10:09:00.000+08:00

March 18, 2006

Mi Abuelo

Madalas ako ang tiga-gupit ng kuko ng lolo ko. Dahil matanda na siya at mahina na ang mga buto, hindi na niya kayang gumamit ng nail-cutter o yumuko para abutin ang sariling paa. At dahil ang kuko at ang paa ay ilan sa mga pinakamaduduming parte ng katawan ng tao, masasabi kong isang pagsubok ang trabahong iniatas sa akin.

Makapal, nangingitim at manilaw-nilaw na ang mga kuko ng lolo ko. Halos ayaw nang kumagat ng nail-cutter sa tigas, at tila nag-calcify na ang mga ito sa katandaan. Subalit sa kabila nito, isa-isa ko pa ring hinahawakan ang kanyang mga daliri at isa-isa itong nililinis na parang mamahaling dyamante. Walang pandidiri, walang halong kaartehan dahil sa mga daliri niya nakikita ko ang siyamnapu’t tatlong taon ng pagsisikap, paghihirap, kalungkutan at kaligayahan, at pagmamahal.

Hindi perpekto ang lolo ko. Naninigarilyo, minsan mapagmataas, kulang sa pag-unawa, at matigas ang ulo. Pero lahat naman ay may kahinaan, hindi ba? Ayun nga lamang, mahirap nang baguhin ang ilang mga bagay kapag ito’y nakaliakihan na. Kaya ngayong 93 na siya, bitbit pa rin niya ang kanyang bisyo at kapaitan ng ugali.

Ngunit ganoon pa man, isa siyang mabuting ama sa kanyang mga anak, at tapat na asawa sa aking lola. Ang kuwento nga sa aming mga apo, ipinaglaban niya ang pag-ibig niya sa lola ko sa kabila ng kagustuhan ng karamihan. At kahit na maraming tukso sa probinsya nila noong panahon, ni minsan ay hindi niya pinagtaksilan ang kanyang asawa at limang anak.

Hanggang sa pagpanaw ng lola ko halos sampung taon na ang lumipas, napatunayan kong mahal na mahal talaga siya ni lolo. Taon-taon ay umuuwi siya sa Pilipinas para bisitahin ang kanyang puntod, at hindi kalian pa man dumapo sa kanyang isipan ang mag-asawa ng iba.

Mahal ko ang lolo ko, at utang ko sa kanya kung bakit ako nabubuhay ngayon. Hindi ko man masabi dahil may kahinaan na ang kanyang pandinig, ipinaparating ko sa kanya sa pamamagitan ng paggupit ng kanyang mga kuko. Simpleng gawain, subalit malalim ang kahulugan.

Sana’y nararamdaman niya.

2006-03-19T10:02:00.000+08:00

March 17, 2006

Hala, Sige!

Hindi na ako nagtataka kung bakit 90% ng mga Kano ay obese. Sa nakikita ko ngayon, e talaga naman palang katakot-takot sila kung kumain! Lumamon, kung tutuusin. Madalas sa pinagttrabahuhan ko, large combo ang ino-order nila. At pag sinabing large, tinalo pa ang Go Bigtime ng McDo at Jollibee—dahil ang large drink dito, sinlaki na ng 1.5 litrong bote ng Coke. Nakakalunod! Pero may mga taong sadyang hindi naku-kuntento, at kadalasan ay naghahanap pa ng Extra Large!

Minsan, imbes na matuwa ako dahil sila ang bumubuhay sa mga fastfood chains, hindi ko mapigilan ang maawa sa kanilang kalagayan. Sila kasi yung mga taong minsan lang makatikim ng tunay na pagkain. Dahil masyado silang abala sa pagttrabaho, wala na silang panahon na magluto. Ayan tuloy, puro sila burger, fries, hashbrown, at kung anu-ano pang produktong fastfood na ibinabad sa mantika. Sino ba naman ang hindi lolobo sa cholesterol?

Pero sabi nga nila, nandyan naman ang lipo.

Hala, sige! Ipahigop ang taba!

2006-03-06T14:47:00.000+08:00

March 5, 2006

Mind Your Own Burger

I am finally productive and earning! After 3 months of painstaking job hunt, I was offered a position at a nearby Jack in the Box. I’m almost three weeks in it already and am finding it suspenseful, knowing how harsh some customers could really get.

Anyway, it’s maddening how comfort-oriented some Americans are. Every meal we prepare is tailored to their whims. They always have a say on how their burgers would end up---well done, no onions, no mayo, no pickles, no tomato, plain bread…I even took an order of a cheeseburger without the bread! Sometimes I wonder why they need to bother us so much when they could take the ingredients out themselves. I mean, it wouldn’t hurt them to dissect their burgers on their own. Or to take out the pickles or scoop out the mayo. But still they won’t do it. We have to do it for them, which is annoying because it’s adding to our already pressure-cooker job. Tsk tsk.

The Language Barrier

When we first moved into this country, I never thought that language would be a problem for me, fairly because I believe my English is quite okay. But now that I’ve started working, language is one of my greatest struggles. The Spanish language to be precise.

I was never aware of it, but California is indeed a hotspot of Mexicans and other tongues of that sort. Therefore in my workplace, I am the only non-Spanish speaking species. My current dilemma: communicating with them has become an extra challenge for me. Everyday I go to work armed with only a handful of Spanish words that I know---si, no, gracias, and hola so most of the time we act pantomime, like charades without the scoreboard. It’s awful. What should have taken me a few seconds to say, I spend five minutes acting out and it’s driving my workmates crazy.

Imagine yourself in my situation, how would you tell somebody through action that you needed a refill for the coke tank? Or that the fries are already soggy? Do you wiggle your body or draw figures in the air? How? This is way too complex than I thought!

Time to digress. Here's a picture which my brother took of Mai-Mai in her Hershey's Kisses pose. I love it!

2006-02-14T15:56:00.000+08:00

February 14, 2006

My Oh My!

Usually during Valentine’s Season, I’d receive a polite invitation for a date—either from a friend or from some acquaintance in need of romantic activity. But I’ve never said my “yes” to anyone ever. Not even to the guy I’ve been crushing on for two years. I’ve mastered the art of planting excuses, from “I’m watching over my five siblings tonight” to “This is the only time I’ve got to tidy up my room.” My friends pester me for this but I’m incorrigible. And I do this not because I’m playing hard-to-get. The reason is far simpler than that: I’m totally clueless about the entire dating business.

Call me obsolete, but I never really learned how to conduct myself in a dating situation. Everything’s just too problematic for me. What clothes should I wear? And make-up? I don’t even know how to apply make-up! What sorts of things do we talk about? Politics, the weather, Britney Spears? If he talks too much, will I ever muster my patience? If on the other hand he blends with the furniture, how do I get him to speak up? How about the food, won’t he be terrified with my intense appetite? What if he gets too mushy and tries to kiss me or holds my hands? Should I slap him or shout for help?

So you see, going out with another person ALONE isn’t really my idea of fun. I worry too much that I might not even make it out our front door alive. So if somebody asks me out again next time, he might as well know what to expect. Either I’ll be out on an urgent errand for my mom or I have an infectious disease that he wouldn’t want to go down with.

2006-02-06T08:10:00.000+08:00

February 5, 2006

Finding My Own Crowd

Through my pre-college years, I would always be named a Model Student in school. I’d earn good grades, be a class officer, land writing jobs in our school newspaper, compete in some sports tournaments and be credited for my refined behavior. Name it—I’ve done everything in the right and confident way. For this reason, I became every teacher’s dream. They treated me like their most-prized possession and I savored every moment of it.

But after quite some time, I realized that I was missing belongingness. Despite the limelight, I found myself outside the circle trying to conform, trying to fit in. My being exceptional in school denied me the acceptance into the "cool crowd." Back then, the popular people were the troublemakers and I was motivated to belong to that little society. Nothing would stop me.

In my junior year in high school, I had a Chemistry teacher—Miss Ceredon—whom everybody loathed. She was a friendly-looking lady with brilliant eyes and pink chubby cheeks, but the sweetness of her appearance was the opposite of the bitter classes that we had with her. She’d give us 500-point quizzes on lessons we haven’t even tackled and would deduct 100 points from our score if we didn’t spell her name correctly. I won’t say I didn’t hate her. Like the rest of the class, I found her too much to handle. The only thing that set me apart from the rest of the students was that being a Model Student, I managed to hate her in a not-so-obvious way.

Yet, I was still determined to belong. One day, weeks before the school year ended, I did something for a change. It was my ticket to the "cool crowd." Miss Ceredon was then busy scribbling notes on the board. With her back to us, I tore a crisp sheet of paper from my notebook, drew a mean caricature of her which emphasized her round chubby face, proudly signed my name on it, and passed it to the yawning person seated next to me. It wasn’t a perfect drawing, but it was good enough to send the entire room (the "cool crowd" included) roaring in laughter. I couldn’t have been more contented. My mission was accomplished.

Humiliating her in front of the class wasn’t part of my plan. I only wanted to show my classmates that I too could be as naughty as they are. But to my surprise, my artwork made its way to the teacher’s table, like some dried autumn leaf swiveling slowly to the ground. Alarmed by the growing uproar, Miss Ceredon noticed the page on her table. She reached for it, brought it to her chalk-dusted face, and stopped breathing at what she saw. She stared at the paper intensely that she could have drilled holes on it. Her fingers trembled like an earthquake, her skin flushed out of blood. Then without uttering a word, she turned to my direction.

I will never forget how she looked at me that day. Her face wore an empty expression which I was left to figure out. Her eyes were cold, lips were flatly sealed. Whether she was disappointed or furious or both, I could only guess. But I felt stupid. I have just hurt somebody who respected and trusted me much. For the first time in my life, I did something horrible in exchange of the glory, and I admit that I wasn’t happy at all.

My guilt was unbearable. For the next few days, I tried writing a letter of apology. I managed to compose one, but never succeeded in giving it to her. Shame was eating me up. Up to now, that letter is hidden in my treasure box, with all the guilt waiting to pour out.

After that incident, Miss Ceredon never spoke to me again. The year after that, I learned that she resigned from her post. Now, five years later, my foolishness is only magnified. Coolness, as it turned out, isn’t measured by the number of troubles that you make, but by the confidence that you have of yourself. I was so driven to conform to a society that never really existed that I ended up offending another.

Today, in my heart, I’m still sorry for what I’ve done. I still do well in school, but I have stopped dreaming about fitting in that "cool crowd." I now have found my own circle and there, I need not exert effort to be accepted. I just need to be me.

Gameshow Stampede

We don't have TFC subscription but here I am, extremely appalled even without the TV coverage, about the gruesome death of people at Ultra. I could not imagine how a gameshow anniversary could have ended up as a death trap for many. What a total irony. But rather than voicing out an opinion, I could only ask, will the Philippines's poverty ever end?

2006-01-13T13:54:00.000+08:00

January 12, 2006

Another Look-Alike

We found this ad in one of the magazines lying around the house, and the kid on the page looks just like my sister! That’s another celebrity look-alike for our family! *grin*

Anyway, I’m finally going back to school tomorrow. I feel like a first-timer for it’s been 10 long months since I took some time off. Can’t wait to ace my classes. Hahaha.

2006-01-06T06:29:00.000+08:00

January 6, 2006

Life in Eight Weeks

Been an insanely rough two months: trying to regain my footing after leaving behind my wonderful life in the Philippines. Kicking off with a clean slate. Making difficult decisions. And above all, getting used to the absence of the people that I love. (By the way, that send-off party was the biggest gathering of the people that I love ever!)

While there’s quite an amount of drama these past few weeks, I still have my share of blissful things going on. Small things to say the least, but which are helping me savor this American journey.

California Theme Parks. So far, I’ve visited Disneyland and California Adventure. Two places where I forgot all of life’s contradictions. The mere fact that I’m just a drive away from those places, I sure am going back soon.

La Mirada Nature Parks. Somewhere in L.A. County is La Mirada City where we’re currently settled. Not as thriving as the rest of L.A. though, but here we get to enjoy nature in its pristine beauty. These parks have been our sanctuary, and most of the time I just like to lie on the grass, appreciate the vastness of the sky, putting the whirlwind of activities behind me.

The Public Library.
I have this lust for books. So put me in a library where every week there are brand-new collections and up to FIFTY books are allowed for check-out each day and you’ll have me behaving like a puppy. La Mirada has just that!

Talents. Might seem unusual, but these past few days, I’ve been performing a lot. Not in big-scale events though, just family gatherings. Been playing the guitar and been singing with the microphone too! Indeed, our moving to the US has caused us to come out of our shells. Mari and Lolit have been singing (with Lolit invited as a guest performer at some Christmas concert), Bokyo’s dancing (!), Barok’s on his violin, and little Mai-Mai’s doing a lot of sashaying and singing as well!

Mexican Food. I never really paid attention to Mexican food until we came here. On almost every major street, I see a Taco Bell or Green Burrito store! You guess. I now eat a burrito for breakfast. A burrito for lunch. And a burrito for dinner. I’m loving it! Match that with guacamole chips dipped in sour cream and my so-called diet is totally ruined.

I think I just have that to say. More will be added to this list, given the time I’d be spending in this new country. So keep me company as I retell my good times, bad times (and things in between)--the US edition!

Cheers to everyone out there!

2005-11-03T00:01:00.000+08:00

November 2, 2005

Pre-Departure Outbursts

Too much. This is too much. Because of the US Embassy's overly strict immigration rules, I found out that only a few of my present belongings are qualified to enter my baggage. These are my photo albums, letters and souvenirs which I've accumulated throughout the years, personal documents, laptop, and five pieces of clothing. That's it. I had to toss out my other clothes for fear that they're all fake. Even my shoes. Or bags.

To my horror, I also have to reformat my laptop because of my unregistered XP, which meant that my installed pirated softaware too, all have to go!My harmless 700 plus MP3 songs are facing the same fate as well. Worse still, I'm forced to leave behind my amassed piano sheets because they'd deport me for bringing photocopies to their country! They'd still find a way to locate those forbidden materials no matter how wittingly I try to hide them. Now, am I not so unfortunate?

Like other Filipinos, I don't have the luxury of buying all original materials, reason why I resort to buying pirated ones or photocopy bulks of books, even if it's against the law. So the more I dig into my possessions, the more painful it gets. I really feel awful for leaving parts of myself behind.

2005-10-31T23:29:00.000+08:00

October 31, 2005

Limang Araw Na Lang

Akala ko malabong mangyayari ang lahat, pero totoo na pala ito. Sa Sabado na kami aalis papuntang Amerika. Bumaha man ako ng luha, tuloy na tuloy na ang aming pagma-migrate.

Nakakalungkot.

2005-10-24T15:31:00.000+08:00

October 24, 2005

She's Blogging!

I found the link to Jessica Zafra's blog. Check this out:

http://www.twistedbyjessicazafra.blogspot.com

2005-10-22T23:07:00.000+08:00

October 22, 2005

My Wish Is Your Command

I’ve attended quite a number of funerals and burials this year, and I can’t help being fascinated with the ceremonies I have witnessed. I’ve seen funeral rites of different types of people and this has inspired me to “plan” for my own memorial service should death come knocking on my door.

Do I give you the creeps? Don’t worry, this entry is not some premonition. I just realized that planning for my last rites could be as exciting as planning for a party! Reality is, we’re all going to die sooner or later. And in sending off a loved one to heaven, it’s best to give him/her an organized, very solemn, and tearless-if-possible goodbye. Atleast, that’s what I want.

So how exactly do I want this to happen? I haven’t touched on the details yet for I, too, am a bit held-back when death is talked about. But surely, I want a marching band, two white horses pulling a rectangular carriage (where the casket is to be placed), two people to command the horses (in full gear, please), lots of flowers, doves to be freed, white balloons to let go, and a pipe player in French army costume to play anything but a sad song.

In short, in Heritage Park in Fort Bonifacio! They offer all these and a lot more which will leave you feeling that dying isn’t discouraging at all!

* For my family, don’t take me seriously. I know this will cost us loads of money!

2005-10-17T00:01:00.000+08:00

October 18, 2005

Cebu! Cebu!

I just got home from my first vacation for the year: a weekend get-away in Cebu! We only had three free tickets from Mabuhay Miles, so I was the lucky one chosen by my parents to tag along. I was their baby for the trip!

One night was spent in Plantation Bay, where all the villas/cottages are surrounded by water! Because of the water everywhere, they offer the most irresistible water activities: para-sailing, jet-skiing, surfing, scuba diving, and...kayaking! That one I finally got to try with my parents!

Weird though, but they even cater to Underwater Weddings! Would-be husband and wife are dressed in wedding attire and prepped up with complete scuba gear too! Guests are seated under-water; vows are "said" underwater; exchange of rings and contract signing are done underwater; and when it's time to kiss the bride, the couple will just remove their oxygen tube from their mouth and voila! You've got a couple from under the sea.

Food there was HEAVEN. Everything was teasingly delectable that I had to taste a little of everything. I never got to know the names of what I ate, but I know that I needed to exercise in exchange of the calories that I've gained.

It was indeed a short stay, not enough to go around the city to see what there was to see. But my micro-experience fairly speaks of the Queen City of the South. We were able to pass by stores of wooden guitars that come in all sizes, a hint that Cebu makes the best guitars in the country - be it classical or acoustic. Also, from Cebu comes the cheapest of accessories - ranging from 5 to 10 pesos a piece, whereas in malls they are sold at a stunning 250-300 pesos! As a result, my mom and I made two trips to those stalls and bought bulks of trinkets in all lengths and colors!

Another thing I've noticed is that Christianity is very much alive in Cebu. (It makes sense, because Cebu's the site where Christianity was first introduced in the Philippines). The Basilica de Santo Niño was overflowing with praying people, although no mass was being celebrated. In the adjacent town square, people were reciting the Holy Rosary in unison. With that I was terribly mistaken that less people are worshipping God these days.

I was disappointed, however, that the famous Magellan's Cross is not how it looks in the postcards from National Bookstore. The place was a disaster - plastic cups and leftover snacks everywhere;the ceiling above the Cross was dark with cobwebs that one could no longer decipher what was painted on it; stench coming from nowhere enveloped the air; beggars and stray children are on the loose which frightened the herd of tourists posing for pictures. Should you see that place, you'd fathom if that was a tourist spot at all. Hope they'd do something about it.

But despite that negative side, Cebu still manages to attract tourists, especially the Koreans. There seemed to be a mass exodus of Koreans in Cebu! No matter where I turned, there they were. Wow Philippines talaga!

2005-10-10T22:47:00.000+08:00

October 10, 2005

Fortyssimo

Last night, Tahilan celebrated its 40th anniversary as residence and study center and it was one of those nights I wished would never end. The event went with a Broadway theme, so the entire building was decorated as such. It transported me to New York / L.A. because the place was creatively set-up: red carpet entrance, ''outdoor'' screen, show posters on the walls, Hall of Fame (with very familiar people on it!), Hollywood dressing room, etc! Above: me, Joanne (from highschool) and my sisters got so excited that we had to try on the wigs on exhibit!

There was a short program for us and towards the end, my sister Lolit (above, second from left) sang her favorite Broadway song called Nothing, from A Chorus Line. It was the first time she sang with a real pianist accompanying her and I must admit that I was very impressed. In fact I was really humbled and knocked-off the ground, for I have always belittled her talent in singing. It was The Lolit last night which reversed all my thoughts. She sounded much like the younger Lea Salonga; one man even came up to her and predicted that she'd be an international star! Well, from now on, I am my sister's number one fan!

2005-10-08T00:28:00.000+08:00

October 7, 2005

My Own Template. Finally.

Watch out for my improved blog lay-out! I will begin posting as soon as i finish setting-up the links. Thank you.

Happy Birthday to my brother Bokyo!

2005-04-11T08:08:00.000+08:00

April 11, 2005

And Another Death

Early yesterday morning while taking a shower, I was thinking about the people who have recently passed away. It's still a shock that they - Sherly's mom, Tito Lito, Tito Boy's dad, Kuya Kim, Ate Sarah's baby, and the Pope - all died one right after the other, within the first quarter of the year.

I could have never been any gloomier until my mom, as I stepped out from the washroom, told me that another person just died too. Sgt. Tan, our driver for a few months, had perished in Samar after being ambushed by the merciless and blatant group that is the NPA.

This reminds me of my uncle who suffered the same fate in 1985. I wasn't born then yet, but I remember the gory details of his death through my relatives' narrations. His eyeballs were taken away, his body massacred. The NPAs left him lifeless, without even a hint of charity or compassion. With those stories, I began to develop a hatred for the NPAs. Now that Sgt. Tan is dead, I'm starting to hate them more.

Ironic, isn't it? Instead of the painful acceptance that comes with the death of a loved-one, it was my anger and cry for vengeance that started to cloud over. Yet I realize, there's nothing physical that I could do in return. And even if I had the power to fight back, God would never be happy about it.

I once read from Gracia Burnham's book the reason why some Muslims are seeking retribution. They're trying to get justice for everything bad that has happened to them - especially for the AFP's atrocities against Islam. Their logic is simple. But when you reflect deeply on it, you realize that it isn't right. You don't win justice by killing more people. They are, sad to say, just complicating the entire scenario. Is that something which they could not understand?

The answer to when all the perils in the South would end, I could only guess. What I'm sure for now is that while the NPAs (and the Abu Sayyafs) continue seeking their so-called "justice" in the wrong way, more soldiers will be killed. Fatherless children will soon be statistics and - who knows, I might even be one of them.

The Busiest Days of My Life So Far

In MTC Academy (where I study Medical Transcription), my classmates are either doctors, nurses, pharmacists, medical technologists, or physical therapists. My professors are all doctors. Our lectures cover Oncology, Cardiology, Surgical Procedures, IT, etc., which, on a normal basis, are studied for 6 months. But since I chose the HyperTrack schedule, I will be breezing through those in 2 months!

More or less, do you get a picture of how my life is right now?

Why All These?

People are noticing my sudden "busy-ness", "groggy-ness", and rush. The reason behind everything: we're migrating to California soon. So while I have 2-3 months left before finally leaving my homeland, I have all these preparations which include:

1. studying medical transcription (to earn while studying)

2. studying the basics of haircutting (so that we need not spend $10 for a haircut)

3. driving (no more jeepneys/tricycles there)

4. selling my clothes, books, lab paraphernalia, etc. (i couldn't bring them all)

5. cooking (of course!)

6. communicating effectively (i need it badly)

7. reaching the people who i haven't spoken to/seen for a long time

8. searching the internet for scholarships

9. thinking of what things to toss into my moving-out box

Well? I guess this entry leaves you enough material to read until my next blogging session. Until then!

2005-04-02T16:15:00.000+08:00

April 2, 2005

Vacation?!

I thought I'd be having the entire summer for myself. I thought I'd be free from the bondage of studying for two whole months. I thought I could now hit the beach or learn something un-academic. Unfortunately, I thought wrongly. In a few days, my life will be in a hurly-burly again because I'll be studying Medical Transcription, which will run 12nn-9pm, from Monday to Friday.

And the pressure on me (and on my sister too) is even greater. We have to prove to the academy's administration that we deserve to be in that program - a class composed entirely of medical and allied medical course graduates. Given the little medical background that I have, I'm in for a lot of supplementary reading for sure. How's that for summer?

The perks of the program? There are a lot, I have to say. So even if it robs me of two months of rest, I'm not fussing much about it. One thing: after completion of the program, I already have a career, with a starting salary of PhP8,000/month. Second: medical transcriptionists need not work in the office - they could earn at home, provided they meet deadlines and have internet connection. Third: there are no licensure exams whatsoever. Fourth: there is no age limit for transcriptionists...you could go on transcribing for the rest of your life - no forced retirement as long as you're competent! Fifth: the job opportunities will never regress! For as long as patients (in the US particularly) continue consulting physicians, transcriptionists will always have work to do. Sixth: Transcriptionists work with computers, something which I enjoy doing as well.

If It's God's Will

The Holy Father, according to the news, is dying. So is my uncle who was in a car wreckage a few days ago. And just last month, three other people who are close to me (or somewhat close to me) died. It depresses me to no end that those people are gone forever...and that sooner or later, the Holy Father and my uncle will follow too. But as my mom says, if it's God's will, then let it be.

If there is one thing that surfaces when death is in the picture, I should say it's my fear. I know, we've been told only to be afraid of God and not of death. But no matter how many times things are explained to me, I still fear, even for my own death - because of the pain of leaving the loved ones behind. "Moving on" is something which I've never really learned to master, reason why I admire people who move forward as if nothing tragic has happened to them.

Now that the Holy Father and my uncle are still both fighting for dear life, I could only pray as much. And in this prayer, i'm including that I and the others who share the same fear be given the strength to accept everything in God's beautiful plan.

2005-03-21T12:57:00.000+08:00

March 21, 2005

An A to Z of Anything

Another sem is finally ending. Hallelujah!

Before, the probelm was PDA...now it's TDA (technological display of affection). What's up with all those sex videos?

Cramming never really works for me.

Dad's encouraging us to form a band like The Corrs, and he wants to call us The Curse.

Everyone's screaming for ice cream.

Forget BS Bio if you want a normal life.

Given a special wish, I'd ask for height.

Help me choose: violin or drum lessons for summer?

I love Manny Pacquiao, no matter who knocks him down.

Jokes matter. They are an antidote to a super-stressed brain.

Keep your senses alert at all times...even inside the safest places on earth.

Long nails are indeed difficult to maintain.

My mind, like fireworks, could be very brilliant - but without lasting effects.

Next letter please.

Our bedroom has reached its maximum filth level and nobody's doing something about it.

Professors could be really mean at times.

Quit key-locked diaries. Start blogging.

Remember this: 10 hugs a day make a person emotionally stable.

So many places to visit this summer yet so limitted money to spend!

The best thing about this semester: I had no Plant Taxo to worry about.

Under stressful conditions, I end up becoming more productive in my work.

Veins hold 50-60% of the total blood volume. So what?

Waking up is still my greatest weakness.

Xylose...xiphoid...xiphisternum...just a few of the new x-words in my vocabulary.

You're beautiful. We all are.

Zoo lab exam tomorrow, so I should be studying now.

2005-02-27T00:26:00.000+08:00

Love-Struck

Not me, but my brother.

He is so smitten by his batchmate's charms that he's starting to act differently now. Well atleast, he's starting to behave and to make some good impressions. He started to clean his antiqued-by-dust bedroom; he cooked sisig and pancakes to satisfy our growling stomachs; and most of all - he just made amends with my other sister by dancing waltz and other ballroom dances with her. Although he danced with my sister mostly to prepare for his prom, it was nonetheless a sweet gesture.

But in spite of all these humanitarian acts of my brother, I am still not totally at peace. Because I realized that my brother is already coming out of his shell. He's starting to have his crushes, which in time would lead to his courtship of girls. And after some years of going steady, he'll eventually propose and get married and have his own family!

I may be exaggerating but really, being his older sister, I realized that I haven't spent some good time with him, even during our childhood. Ours was always a day filled with skirmishes, hatred, etc. We never bonded much, like how a brother-sister should be. And now that he's starting to shift his interest to another girl, I'm even less sure that we would fill the gap that we've created.

So now you know why I myself do not want to get involved in a relationship yet. I am still too serious re-linking the "cleaved bonds" in my life. Hehehe.

Labor-Struck

I'm featuring my sister for the second half of this entry. Like my love-struck brother, she's been doing a lot of good deeds lately. However this time, it's not that she's in-love (how could she, she's only three years old!). Whatever her motives are, they don't matter anymore. She's a kid anyway.

Here's a glimpse of how saintly she has become for the past few days.

tying her own shoelaces

sweeping the floor, without complaints

washing the dishes, even if she doesn't reach the floor

2005-02-07T14:09:00.000+08:00

Balik-Lungga

Sa wakas may bagong entry na naman ako. Siyempre, mga bagong kuwento tungkol sa mga araw na nagdaan. At para mapadali ang lahat, magbibigay na lang ako ng recap:

1. Marunonong na ulit akong mag-puyat. Dahil sagana sa exams ang mga nakaraang araw, umaabot na ako ng 3am bago matulog!

2. May inampon kaming dalawang Koreano. Pero umalis na sila. Wala lang.

3. Nagmistulang bodega na ang kuwarto namin ngayon dahil sa sobrang kalat. Ang masama pa dun, puro gamit ko ang nakatambak.

4. Umatend ako ng kasal dalawang linggo ng nakakaraan. Dahil sa probinsya naman iyon, sinabi ng nanay ko mag-casual attire na lang ako: pantalon at t-shirt. Aba, aba! Pagdating sa simbahan, Silver Wedding Anniversary pala iyon ng police chief ng Laguna! At bigatin ang mga bisita: mga heneral at kung sinu-sino pang nagsisitaasang opisyal ng gobyerno! Dahil sa sobrang hiya ko, doon ako sa gilid ng simbahan pumuwesto, kasama ng mga nanghihingi ng limos. Hehehe.

5. Muntik na akong masaksak ni Syaza nung nag-field trip kami sa Los Banos. Bigla kasing lumusot sa butas ng bag niya yung kutsilyong dala niya...habang ako'y nakaupo at siya'y nakatayo. Buti hindi ako tinamaan. Edi sana...

6. Speaking of Syaza, birthday niya ngayon. HAPPY 18th BIRTHDAY!

7. Parang gusto kong sumali sa Dance Idol ng ABS-CBN. Kaya lang mahiyain ako eh.

8. WILLPOWER lang talaga ang mabisang panlaban ng antok ko. Walang epekto ang kape, mas nakakatulog ako. Ang coke naman, sobrang acidic. At lalong hindi rin naman uubra ang mani, dahil ito'y nakakapag-tae. WILLPOWER lang talaga.

9. Mula ngayon, pwede na rin akong tawaging Santa Pepita. Ang kyut diba? Salamat kay Ron sa kanyang matagal nang ideya.

2005-01-09T18:46:00.000+08:00

Hail! Another Filipino Champion!

I don't know if many of you know. But I have just learned today that a Filipino kid won CBS's Star Search 2004. Much like American Idol, Star Search aims to come out with one grand champion for the season. Only this time, the judges have a better role than to lambast the finalists - they grade them. They give them stars.

In the not-so-recent championship, Mark Mejia, from San Diego, CA triumphed as the Junior Singing Champion. How amazing that kid really is! I watched his special segment at ASAP Mania today and oh boy! His voice sent me The Shivers. He sang a couple of songs with Bituin Escalante, Vina Morales, Geneva Cruz, and a couple of other divas whose names I have never learned of.

Anyway, according to my preliminary research, Mark is only 11. But he was 10 when he won in the finals in May. When the songs were tallied that night, he received the perfect 20 stars from the judges. The home audience supported the judges' decision. And with 38 stars in total, he walked home with the royal US$100,000! Now that makes me bow some more!

One remarkable truth about that kid: he dresses so well. All the pictures that I have searched online show him donned in very neat outfits - always in a coat and a tie. He looked so respectable with his composure, too. And because his height doesn't seem to reach even my shoulders, I have come to call him as the Little Adorable Man.

I confess I was never really a fan of singing contests before. But now, after all the singing sensations popping out like mushrooms out of the tv screen, I am getting hooked to it...and further hooked because I realized that so many Filipinos are indeed talented, and they deserve our appreciation.

So to Mark Mejia, and to the other Pinoys who have made us proud all over the globe, I send you my cheers and applauses and yells and support!

CONGRATULATIONS, Mark!

2004-12-30T11:21:00.000+08:00

The Night I Felt Like A Criminal

Paalala: Sa ilalim ng ating Saligang Batas, ikaw ay may karapatang magbigay o hindi magbigay ng ano mang salaysay, manatiling tahimik/magsawalang kibo kaugnay ng pagsisiyasat na ito, ikaw ay may karapatang sumangguni na naaayon sa sarili mong piling abogado upang ikaw ay gabayan sa lahat ng sasabihin mo dahilan sa ang lahat ng ito ay maaaring maging panig o laban sa iyo sa alin mang hukuman dito sa Pilipinas.

After fully reading and understanding that statement, I wrote down my own claim at the Police Station, with hands freezing cold and knuckles trembling, and half my conscience telling me that I was at fault.

What took me to the station was an event that I'd never forget for my entire life. It was last night at around 8pm, on my family's way home from Pangasinan. I was driving our van, which is obviously too big for me, when the first shock of my driving life happened. A blue Toyota Corola drove past my front into the U-turn slot, hitting me (or I hitting them) on the side bumper. Thank God it was nothing serious. Nobody was killed nor bloody. Both parties just went home with damaged vehicles.

However, it was the damage to myself that was serious. I felt like a criminal, most especially when two menacing figures came down from the other car. A lawyer in his 60's and the driver - his son in his late 20's, both looked like they were ready to sue me for the wreckage.

Luckily, I was allowed to remain inside the van to recover from the trauma. My dad did all the talking and debating. He defended me despite our petty fight a few seconds before the accident occured. The annoying this was, despite the negligible damages, we still went through a tedious process before finally being allowed to go home. Police took pictures of the scene and pictures of the van with me inside, as if we were to be reported on tv. And at the police station, I was asked to answer a list of never-ending questions and to sign a document certifying that I was willing to "continue the fight". What the heck, I thought. Why opt for a battle when it could be settled peacefully? Where's the spirit of Christmas and New Year there?

In the end, we all gave up. My mom used her ad misericordiam skills in talking the lawyer into a friendly agreement. He must have pitied my crying sister so he agreed to let it all pass.

In the end, the lawyer and my dad turned out to be from the same province. And his son, just like me, has never been into a dilemma before.

In the end, I realized that my dad was teaching me a lesson. He was teaching me not to become the weakling that I am. He was teaching me to overcome my very emotional attitude with confidence and strength of spirit. Specifically, he was teaching me to push back my tears into their glands because they weren't needed at that moment. He was teaching me not to feel like a criminal despite all the police intervention that was going on. He was teaching me that it's all right to commit mistakes, as long as you use all these to help you become a better person.

But most of all, he was teaching me that to teach my future children, I need not nag or scold them or punish them for their errors. Words teach little, but examples teach the most.

2004-12-13T20:04:00.000+08:00

Album Reviews

For the record, my dad and I bought three original music cds in a single trip to Odyssey Makati. We spent what could have been a month's worth of baon even with the apparent fiscal crisis. But it's Christmas anyway, so it keeps my guilt feeling away. Here are the cds and my personal review of each in a rundown:

Seal Best 1991-2004

As the album title suggests, this is a compilation of Seal's greatest hits within the thirteen years of his musical life. I am actually not a fan of his. I never cared about his music, and I only knew one Seal song: Kiss From A Rose. But because my dad plays the tracks nonstop, I'm beginning to reconsider.

Seal is indeed The Voice. He has an impressive and powerful voice which magnifies the emotions embedded in his songs. Like most black singers I know, he sends his hits to the top even without the publicity/advertisement. Because he has The Voice that could do wonders, he makes it to the top even just through the people's word of mouth.

The album Seal Best 1991-2004 is a two-disc package of R&B hits, with the second disc all in acoustic format. So far, I've enjoyed Kiss From A Rose (original and acoustic versions), Killer, and Walk On By. His other songs are indeed new to me, but they have the same soulful substance anyway. Not bad for your 500 pesos.

Kitchie Nadal

Kitchie's self-titled album is almost in everybody's Christmas wishlist. Why wouldn't it? Her album's a great bargain for any Pinoy Pop Rock fan like me. She has fourteen songs in it - mostly hit makers. Her songs Breathe, Same Ground, Huwag na Huwag Mong Sasabihin, and Run are my personal favorites. Her album cover too, is so cool! I was thinking I could pattern my next blog template from her album layout.

One thing about her album: it highlights her honest talent. She wrote 80% of the songs in her pile, she plays the guitar, she sings effortlessly (i couldn't pick up where she gets her voice), and she did the lay-outing and designing of her album cover! All that plus her really beautiful face! Oooh...I really love Kitchie! No wonder she's gone this far within a few years in the industry.

More on the vocal aspect...she sounded a lot like a foreign artist. Much like Natalie Imbruglia, Jewel, and the Cranberries' female vocalist. Her accent was crisp and so her words came clear. And in all her songs, she knew how to stir the listener's sleeping emotions. Bravissimo...really.

Lea Salonga The Christmas Album

Lea just did it again. She sent the audience satisfied with her December 8 concert at the Araneta Coliseum. But unlucky for me, I was not able to witness her Christmas magic, therefore I have her album.

However for the first time, a Lea Salonga album disappointed me. Not because of her voice (that will never happen)...but because of the tracks in it. The Christmas Album does not contain the all the songs in her concert repertoire. In fact, it was just a republished version of her 2000 Christmas Album. Because I was such in a hurry the night we bought it, I was not able to check the cover in full detail.

The album, it turns out, is a 12-track collection of purely Christmas songs - Pasko Na, Sinta Ko, Sana Ngayong Pasko, Even Santa Fell in Love, The Christmas Song, etc. (except for one: The Gift, which she did in duet with Michael K. Lee). It does not include the duets she with Ogie Alcasid, Christian Bautista, Erik Santos, and her husband Robert Chien at her concert. Now I wonder if I'd still listen to the cd as much as I do now, once the Christmas season is over.

But I'm still guilt-free as of now. It's a Lea album anyway. Her The Gift version is already stand alone track, and I wouldn't exchange it for another version ever. It is the perfect antidote for Piolo Pascual's earlier version. Lea just seems to bring back the song's meaning that Piolo took away.And yeah...her version of Twelve Days of Christmas with The Company and MPO is truly a Christmas treat.

2004-11-29T14:11:00.000+08:00

What Bio Has Done To Me

Ever experienced studying so hard that every fact, every equation, every specimen on your book just sinks into your brain and enslaves you and rips your mind into shreds and all that you want to do is to chop your head open to replace your shrivelled brain cells? It's always been that way for me, whether I'm awake or not. And that's a really pathetic part, because my studies play with me, even in my dreams.

Last semester, in one of the the nights when I was reviewing for a Plant Anatomy exam, I woke up scared and trembling...because I was being chased by a group who happened to be Aristolochians - people (or plants?) whose appearance is blatantly menacing. They were warriors wearing armored suits, concealing their thick hairy integuments. I even saw a red substance flowing from one the armors. But my point is: there are really no Aristolochians! There are no Aristolochians from a country named Aristolochia! My dream just made it up for me. Aristolochia, in fact, is just a harmless little plant whose "anomalous growth" we were observing in the lab. My dream invented the scare!

On another night, I woke up seeing glowing writings on our ceiling. Written in a glowing hot pink ink was the royal chemistry equation: the Henderson-Hachelbach (whatever the spelling is) equation. But when I rolled my eyes a second time, the writings were gone.

And just two nights ago, when I was sleeping in the hospital where my brother was, another bizarre dream: I was actually studying in a certain Balanoglossoid University! Ack! What a name! Again, there is no university named as such! Balanoglossoid is but a prechordate animal, which I've read in my Comparative Anatomy book.

These things are really messing up my peaceful dreams, I swear.

2004-11-26T16:55:00.000+08:00

To go with the flow, I also placed a little tagboard in my sidebar. Please feel free to say anything everytime you drop by. Thanks!

2004-11-25T18:07:00.000+08:00

Dream No. 7

Someday I'm putting up a day care center, and so as to attract the kids, I'm building a colorful place like this:

A gate made of giant colored pencils!

Thanks Marlies for the idea!

And then of course inside there would be a reading corner, a drawing corner, a sleeping corner, an eating corner, a dressing corner, a puppet show corner, a playing corner, an artwork display corner, a parents' corner, a drivers' and yayas' corner, etc. I want to have a corner meant for a particular purpose. I wonder how many walls my day care center would have!

2004-11-20T09:45:00.000+08:00

Out of School...Not.

Okay, just a quick entry before this internet connection terminates. Contrary to my previous post, I am back to school again...studying my physics, zoology, and biochemistry. My dad figured that I'd be more secure if I continue the semester, so he pushed me to go back to school and face the doom of the future. Only this time, I'm having a 13-unit load instead of the tough 19 units. I didn't take plant taxo, physics lab, and p.e. to keep me sane while I'm dealing with my out-of-school plans.

But yikes! My first two days of school were horrible! I could not connect with the lectures being flashed on the walls. I found myself daydreaming on my seat instead of copying the notes in my notebook. In my Zoo lab, I kept on floating from one table to another without really knowing what to start with. It felt like that world was not MY world...

What is happening to me?

2004-11-09T10:28:00.000+08:00

The Why of the Sudden Leave

Welcome to Day One of my toxic-free life.

In the next five months, while most people are absorbed in grueling university endeavors, I will be working/studying in a psychiatric hospital ward and in a kiddie foundation. Specifically, the AFP Medical Center and the Kythe Foundation. Well, not because my family's running out of money to send me to school, and definitely not because I got kicked-out from my course. But I'm doing this because I needed the clinical exposure and the work experience to add to my resume - for my approaching employment in 2005, and other matters, which I'd rather reveal as the months pass by.

Of course I'd still finish college. I just needed to interrupt my education for a while to give way to something more urgent.

Sigh. I feel so grown-up for planning my future this way!

The Negative Effects

For every decision taken, there are risks involved. And some of them could really turn out to be really disapproving. My temporary "withdrawal" from UP has caused me to formulate these realistic yet negative outcomes:

1. Because of sufficient sleep and less stress, I could become fatter.
2. Because my brain will take a vacation from scientific thinking, I could become dumb.
3. Because there will be no regular allowance, I couldn't leave the house for reasons other than work.
4. Because I will not be seeing my friends often, they might forget me forever.
5. Because I will be less busy, my parents might send me to impossible errands more often.
6. Because there would be no 7:00am class, I might become too lazy to wake up each morning.
7. Because I will be missing 8 subjects (4 lectures and 4 labs), I might not be able to graduate on time.

It worries me whenever I review this list. It even makes me wonder whether I made the correct decision or not. But well, I'm already here. I already made the decision. The only thing left to do now, to counter the negative thoughts which constantly run through my head, is to keep repeating these words to myself:

"PEP, YOU'RE SACRIFICING THESE THINGS FOR A GREATER CAUSE: YOUR FAMILY."

And then hopefully, my anxiety would stop troubling me.

2004-11-04T01:15:00.000+08:00

The Viera Launching

Last Wednesday was my second "public exposure" since I started my Synchro "career" in October 2003. Based on the feedback, the spectators were thrilled. And the advertising agency which hired us was so impressed that they promised to contact us again for future projects.

Unfortunately though, the camera that I brought malfunctioned early, so my friend was not able to take pictures of the actual performance. What I have now are the only two pictures (uneven in size, sorry!) which my camera was able to capture. Atleast you'll have an idea of how entertaining we looked like.

From left to right: Angel, Rolaine, Me, Pilar, Lucille, Mari, Steph, Ida

This is us with Coach Reina (in pink) and Dr. Mascardo (in white).

Logically, we used waterproof make-up and waterproof hair-firming chemicals for the show. And becuase we were so scared that our head-dresses would fall off, we secured them with tons of hair pins on our heads. True enough, we made our final bow without ruining our do's, however, it took me days to bring my hair and my face back to its normal condition.

As for the swimsuits, we had them custom-made by a designer. Each was worth a couple of thousands, but Panasonic sponsored us, so we didn't pay single peso.

And yeah, we were also given a talent fee!

Goodbye Pussy Cat!

No Taxo. No Physics. No Biochem. And most of all...no Zoo,all because I won't be enrolling this semester at CAS. After much thinking and risk-calculation, I've decided to go LOA to accomplish what I call a "greater and mysterious task".

When I would be coming back to UP, I am not yet sure. It might not even happen. But whatever the case would be, I shall be forever grateful for everything that has happened to me during the entire school year and a half.

2004-11-01T13:35:00.000+08:00

Like my new template? I'm not really a beatles fan, I just found this design really cool. Thought it's a lot better than Nemo.

I'll post the pictures from the Viera show and the Halloween party real soon.

2004-10-24T19:52:00.000+08:00

Kitchen Disaster

Lagot ako.

I have just come out of our kitchen and I get this feeling that my family's not going to enjoy our dinner tonight. Because I did the cooking, it was a total fiasco again.

First, the vegetable dish that I cooked tastes bitter and salty at the same time; and the green leafy vegetable that was supposed to look fresh when served now looked so wilted.

Second, the boneless bangus turned out durog and too oily! Poor fish! Served in a platter, the bangus looks more like a lechon flesh according to my brother. But as for my dad, it looks more like SCRAMBLED EGGS. The crispy fish skin, which is my sister's favorite, would not separate itself from the pan, so when I was trying to take the fish out, it literally undressed before my eyes! Nag-bold yung isda sa kawali!

And to add to these terrible dishes is my ruined version of Tocino. As usual, I burned it. What I hoped would save my face form further embarassment instead became the finale to my unearthly cuisine. The smell of burning carbon filled the kitchen and when I checked the covered pan, I saw black pieces of meat instead of red! Fortunately though, I was fast enough to turn off the stove, and was able to save some pieces of the Tocino.

Lagot talaga ako.

Anyhow, babawi na lang ako sa after-dinner meal. I prepared home-made pizza, and I assume that it would be EDIBLE this time around.

You Are Never Safe Anywhere

There has been a series of burglaries and sungkitans in our village during the past few days which keeps me from sleeping soundly at night.

Just recently, the third-floor occupants in our building were robbed of their audio-visual showcase. Our neighbors living in the building adjacent to ours were robbed of stereos inside their cars.

And just this morning, my friend Dianne was robbed a great deal! The thieves broke into their house 1:30 in the morning and took with them their cellphones, electric guitar and amplifier, and wallet containing her parents' ATM cards, her UP Form 5A where 2 subjects were already enlisted and her UP ID! You bet she really went crazy about the Form 5A and ID, for those two are what UP students call their "precious".

Well the thing is, I find it really impossible how thieves still managed to enter our village when we are already surrounded by soldiers and military police. Given that this is already a military camp, why would anyone still dare to enter such a secured place?

Is the security system insufficient?

Or, are the people inside involved in the felony?

Could be.

Either way, action needs to be done...before it happens to us.

Extra Nonsense Talk

I was checking the calendar this afternoon and I noticed that in a few days, I'll be going back to school again. Oh no. I'm not yet ready. But I am excited to dissect a cat.

Wala lang.

2004-10-23T08:54:00.000+08:00

Buhay Mayaman

Ang sarap palang maging mayaman kahit isang araw no? Walang problemang iniisip, aatupagin mo lang ang pagre-relax, pagpapaganda, pagkain, pagtawa, basta, mga bagay na hindi kelangan ng masyadong effort.

Kahapon kasi, nasa Rockwell na naman kami. Siyempre, tulad ng dati, nandun kami para lumangoy ng lumangoy. Grabe. Pakiramdam ko nga sobrang maskulado na ko. Hay. Ang laki na ng braso ko. Pwede na kong maging Amazona. Pero hindi iyon ang kuwento ko.

Ayun nga, nasa mala-hotel na Rockwell kami. Aba...ang mga tao dun, walang ibang ginagawa kundi mag-sun-bathing, umupo, kumain, mag-swimming, mag-gym, bonding sa barkada, at mag-spa. Puro sarap ng buhay.

Nakaka-inggit diba? Hehe. At dahil nandun na rin naman kami, at LIBRE pa, sinubukan rin namin ang gumamit ng sauna. Jologs mang pakinggan, pero kahapon lang talaga ako nakapasok sa mala-oven na kuwarto ng sauna. Siyempre, dahil first time ko, namangha ako ng husto. Jologs talaga. Pero di bale, nawalan naman ako ng 3 lbs. dahil pinagpawisan ako sa init.

Paglabas ng women's spa, dumerecho naman kami sa gym, pero hindi para maglaro. Wala lang. Naghahanap lang ng alam-mo-na. Pero laking gulat ko na may mga bintana pala yung ilalim ng pool na pinag-lalanguyan namin. Ibig sabihin, nakikita ng mga nag-g-gym yung mga stunts namin sa ilalim ng tubig! Astig! Parang aquarium!

Teka, wala na yatang patutunguhan ang entry na 'to. Magpa-plug na lang ako ng show:

VIERA TV launching by Panasonic

October 27

time: di ko sigurado

Rockwell

Special Performance:

Synchronized Swimming Team (kami yon!)

PS: I will just be posting pictures for you to see after Wednesday.

2004-10-20T09:09:00.000+08:00

Text Mo, Sagot Ko

My mom's involvment in her weekly radio show has been bringing us a lot of laughter. Since she started announcing to the public her cellphone number, people have been texting her and calling her for pieces of advice -- sometimes beyond her expertise!

You see, my mom's a psychologist, which means she's counseling people and helping them with their intra and interpersonal relationships. Which also means, she talks about family life, parenting, leadership, stress management, and EQ, among others. Therefore, other matters apart from those are not her field.

Take these examples:

1) From a certain "Fil of Makati": "Ma'am, paano po ba ginagawa ang Virgin Coco Oil? Tinatakpan po ba o hindi? Please reply."

Ahem..ahem..my mom knows nothing about concoctions. She's not an herbal sage or some sort!

2) From a certain "Ed of Pampanga": "Ma'am, naka-witness po ako ng patayan dito, ano po ang gagawin ko?"

Common sense tells me to call the police! Why waste your credits on calling a psychologist who is miles away? Whew.

Sometimes, I tell myself, because of the convenience of text messaging, people have stopped thinking for themselves. They rely on others too easily that they forget that they have minds of their own. Sad to say, but really, some people are becoming dumb because of technology.

Hello people, let's wake up! God gave us minds, so use it. Don't let it rust in your head. Take it from someone who knows. =)

2004-10-18T21:19:00.000+08:00

Will Anyone Still Care To Read?

Finally after three months and a couple o' days, I found time to open my blogger account. It's a strange feeling I've got here, feels like I'm a newbie trying to familiarize with blogger. It even took me a few tries to get my password correctly! Stress.

Now I wonder if my past blog readers are still keeping track of my rubbish notes. The stat counter doesn't help me either. It has NOT increased dramatically in figures! Could it mean that people have abandoned my poor site? Oh my. This should not be happening.

I am therefore planning to do a blog make-over. But knowing my limitted skills on html tags and disorganized design ideas, I don't think I'll ever even move forward. Erase the plan.

What I need to do, well, atleast what I could do, is to just begin posting more entries and start visiting the others' as well so that they could return the visit! I'll let them know that I've come back, and am still alive!

Supermodels Galore

I've never felt so midget in my entire life as today! Here's the story.

This afternoon, my sister and I went to the Rockwell Sports Center to train for our October 27 performance. I was wearing the usual shirt and denim outfit, plus an orange rubber tsinelas, to make my life easier in preparing to dive into the pool. Little did I know that the sports center I had in mind was far more elegant in reality! People getting off their cars and going into the lobby were all donned in formal outfits, as if it were an Awards Night or a Courtesy Call with some high-ranking official. My sister and I kept asking ourselves, "Are we in the right place"? Yes, we were.

Later on inside, we were further amused. It was not like the other sports clubs that I've been in. Rockwell's was more like a five-star hotel, or even better. So as my sister and I went down the plight of stairs, we were suddenly trapped in a crowd of tall (double my height), and beautiful people. They were all putting on make-up and were getting ready for a rehearsal. My! Even the guys looked all so handsome!

However, despite my musings, I suddenly felt like shrinking. For as we descended the stairs and walked through the crowd, heads started to turn our way...one by one. Their eyes, oh! They scanned us from head to foot. I saw a handsome man doing the eye language and it turned me off! Maybe he thought we were lost? Or that he has never seen anyone so inappropriately dressed-up! I tell you, those few seconds of shall I say "dog walk" instead of "catwalk" was the most "I-wish-I-were-invisible-moment" for me.

The story doesn't end with the moment I got to meet my teammates and our coach. For tomorrow, we shall be going there AGAIN. Only this time, I am armed with a powerful weapon: once somebody does the same thing, I shall lift my head really HIGH, raise my brows, and strut my butt in an intimidating way. Hehe. Evil plan.

2004-07-28T11:08:00.000+08:00

Mai-Mai's Make-Over

This is another one of those Mai-Mai entries, primarily because I haven't thought of anything interesting to post yet. With all honesty, I haven't been going online for the past month (except of course for research purposes) because of my very tight schedule.

Yes kids. I have been busying myself with un-academic activities: synchro, publishing articles for a SciTech magazine for children, aerobics (hehe), and helping my mom create a group of peer volunteers here in our camp, to name a few. Sadly, I am involving myself with too much extra-curriculars that I have become lenient with my studies. Yikes.

Anyway, I am enjoying.

**entry proper**

Last weekend, I decided to be a little creative with my sister MaiMai. With her permission, I got a pair of scissors, a beauty kit (which includes a hair spray, apron, curlers, parlor brush, and other parlor products), and a nice comfy chair, and I trimmed her deranged hair down, making her believe that she'll look like a princess afterwards.

Being the little kikay that she is, she agreed to have her picture taken as well.

Go on, spot the difference...

Mukha na siyang tao diba?

2004-06-14T00:28:00.000+08:00

Bloggers Unite!

2004-06-13T05:57:00.001+08:00

My Little Moment

Dim room. The only light was coming from the antique lampstand. Richelle was positioned on the piano. Then...

One...two...three!

Happy Birthday to you...

My heart melted. At that instant, tears began crowding my eyes. And as some familiar people walked into the spacious living room from behind a huge cardboard, my tears started flowing nonstop - I was being surrounded by my Tahilan family, each of them holding a lit candle for me to blow.

I am turning 18 in two days, I remembered.

One by one, people came out in a single file, whispering Happy 18th Birthday to my ears. They wore the biggest and brightest smiles that I've ever seen while I was too dumbfounded and tongue-tied and disoriented and stirred. But what prompted my tears the most was seeing my family - all seven of them - coming out from behind the board. They were wearing outfits which they only normally wear on special occasions, and they too, clutched white candles for me to blow.

I wasn't expecting them to set foot on Tahilan, most especially my Dad and my brothers who seem allergic upon hearing that I go there regularly for my confession and recollection. And I wasn't even expecting a bash as surprising and as special as that knowing that I won't be having anything on my birthday, due to financial matters.

It was really overwhelming to receive such attention because I only see those and-there-was-light-plots on tv. I should say that the people behind it (Mari, I know you played the BIGGEST ROLE) acted so professionally that I didn't even notice they were up to something. I was VICTIM-ed. Haha. But it was great!

After that "grand entrance", they made me sit on a special chair in the center front/front center of the room. Either way, it was facing a mini-stage with the huge innocent cardboard as their backdrop. Carly emceed the hilarious get-together which included a comical dramatization of my recent exploration: synchronized swimming. With teeming creativity and guts, Doojie and Kim did a synchronized sequence to the tune of Blue Danube Waltz, with a wavy white blanket used as the pool water. It was perfect for a Broadway presentation! Complete with goggles and improvised nose clips, they sent the audience chuckling nonstop. I cried even more.

There was also a song rendition from Mitzie, complete with four back-up singers (all members of the Tahilan staff). Then came my sister Lolit, who was supposed to sing a duet with MaiMai, and she sang our favorite Broadway song Nothing. It was so sweet, I was again touched, therefore, that meant more tissue for me.

Adding a cultural touch to their presentation, an eight-membered team played Angklung instruments, with Richelle conducting in front. Amazing.

And to complete the birthday surprise, they gave me a homemade card (modelled like a micro swimming pool, complete with fake water, tiles, and salbabida) where 18 beautiful things about me were written in strips of paper. Some of which included:

effective speaker: inspired many girls in the mini-conference

and

long lost twin of Heart Evangelista

What compliments! They make me blush...

Anyway, THANK YOU TAHILAN FOR LOVING ME. And of course, thank you mom, dad, mari, bokyo, barok, lolit, and maimai for this pre-birthday surprise. You all deserve some online recognition.

Haaayy...sana palaging bertday.=)

Birthday Greetings

Tomorrow, June 14, SIX other people I know are turning a year older with me. So the following people, HAPPY BIRTHDAY too!

Janina Orosa
Fatima Canada
Bishop Javier
Bon's sister
Paul (ni Meg)
Limbwizit

2004-05-28T09:07:00.004+08:00

Beyond the Screen

The other night I was viewing the pictures of my parents' US trip and I chanced upon their Universal Studios Hollywood photos. Arrrgghhh! I was thrilled with what I saw! There was an incredible array of rides, shows, movie sets, and attractions -- all beyond our imagination!

SHREK 4-D: where you see, hear, and actually FEEL the action right from your own seat!

*Shrek's extra dimension, according to my sister, included a full sensory ogre smell, real bugs right on your seat, and liquid (most likely urine) squirting inside the studio!

The fake Hollywood scene

Up-close with Frankenstein

MaiMai, the Kid of the Year

Doom of the Dead

Blast Zone with SpongeBob

Truly nothing beats this movie sutdio and theme park, not even our own Enchanted Kingdom! In fact, EK's just about a hundredth fraction of this legendary amusement park! Which makes me wonder, when will I ever go back to that place where my favorite movies come to life?

I could only guess.

Speaking of the Screen...

For the nth time, our tv set broke down. The sad part is, nobody wants to admit the fault. But the most depressing effect of all -- we won't get to watch much of the worthy films on screen. Oh no. Life without TV? I can't imagine!

So last night, instead of sneering at the annoying Melissa Ricks of SCQ and applauding Allen Pineda in MMK, I sat by our dining room table and obliged myself to write something worthy for the mini testimony that I would be giving during a seminar this weekend.

Wish I could minimize my "uhms" and "errs" this time.=)

2004-05-23T18:46:00.000+08:00

Pep's New Mission Statement

The priest's homily was very timely. In today's mass, he was talking about not giving up when "our future seems unclear." Many times during his homily I felt like God was really trying to tell me something...something about my career. And I felt that stronger as the mass ended:

I AM NOT GIVING UP ON MY DREAMS, EVEN IF THINGS NOW ARE SO DISCOURAGING. I WILL BE A GOOD DOCTOR. I KNOW I WILL.

And so tonight I'm explaining this to my parents again. After dinner perhaps. Hopefully this will make them happy, hopefully this will stop them from persuading me to study nursing instead. And hopefully in ten years' time, I'd see them fulfilled and happy just like how fulfilled and happy I am right now.

Life Without Water

This is horrifying. The entire village is deprived of water supply for three (or four) days now! So imagine us conserving our water reserve even to the last drop,imagine us using mineral water in toothbrushing, and imagine our toilet bowl overflowing with grime and stench! Eeew!

Ho-humm. Luckily it rained hard today. Therefore I was able to properly scrub the filth off my skin. Astig maligo sa ulan! Tuloy-tuloy ang buhos ng tubig! Hahaha!

What I'm Reading

My friend Aatz lent me this book, Human Cloning and Human Dignity by the US President's Council on Bioethics. It sounds heavy with all the medical science involved but the first few pages proved it wrong. This is one of those accounts which every Bio major should read. Haha.

Last week I was into Dan Brown's controversial The Da Vinci Code. Well yeah, the thrill and the mystery were there. The suspense is superb and the plot really interesting but halfway into my reading, I realized that it was poisoning me. Hehe...therefore I stopped reading Da Vinci. Moreover, the way Brown depicted Opus Dei was very inaccurate. In fact, the opposite is true!

Well I don't intend to discredit Dan Brown. My only intention here is to warn the readers to critically evaluate the information contained in Brown's work of fiction. It may be a bit far-off, but I think that his book is excessivly fictional that it puts our faith at risk. Really.

Anyway, PEACE to all Dan Brown aficionados. =)

2004-05-22T22:54:00.000+08:00

Another Mean Show On TV

Some highschool friends who migrated to the US emailed us about a new show airing in the US...

In this new reality show, the best singers are sent home while the gang of hopefuls (those with more guts than talent) remain and compete for the the New TV Singing Senstaion title. Weird, eh?

And to my surprise, our very own LA LOPEZ was one of the hopefuls! He actually audtioned, perhaps seriously affected by the Filipinos' lack of support in his singing career. Sadly he didn't make it to the final 12, thus confirming that he somehow has talent which we just can't seem to appreciate.

Decisions, decisions.

I'm not pretty sure if I'm making the right decision. But on Monday, I'm getting my transcript of records from UP, good moral character, and honorable dismissal as well. Yes, I'm transferring to another school with another course --nursing. But when I think of the things and of the people that I'd be leaving, bumibigat ang loob ko. Seryoso.

Basta, bakit ang gulo ng isip ko. Hindi ako makapag-decide. Parang ngayon, inuuna ko yung emosyon. Tsk tsk. Pero kung tutuusin, pinaka-pangarap ko talaga ang pagiging doktor. Kaya lang nabe-brain wash na ako ng mga taong nakakasalamuha ko. Parang lahat sila dini-discourage ako. Hindi na daw praktikal ang pagme-med. Bakit pa daw ako magpapakahirap dito. Paglumipat daw ako, hindi na ako masyadong magpupuyat sa pag-aaral. Hindi ko na daw iiyakan ang Chem. Hindi na daw ako stressed-out sa polusyon ng Faura. Hindi na daw ako mai-irita sa dami ng tao sa MRT at LRT. In short, mas dadali ang buhay ko.

Isa pa, pwede naman daw mag-nursing at magtrabaho sa Amerika at kumita ng dolyar. Hindi daw ako magsisisi doon. Kasi wala pa daw nurse na nagsisi. Ewan, ang gulo. Pag-nandun na daw ako, kaya ko nga bilhin yung dream house ko...yung may swimming pool. Wow. Pati yung dream car. Wow. Napaka-materialistic ng reasons.

Kaya eto ako ngayon, medyo nabubulag sa kung ano ba talaga ang dapat kong sundin. Iniyakan ko nga ulit ito kanina eh, habang nasa party ako ng pinsan ko. O diba. Pinaandar ko na naman ang pagiging emosyonal. Pero hindi ko kasi napigilan yung luha ko, lalo na nung sinabihan ako ng tita ko ng, "Wag ka munang susuko." Kasi ngayon pa lang inaamin ko sumusuko na ako eh...kaya nga mabilis akong nakapag-desisyon na aalis na ako ng UP.

Hay. Meron pa akong buong araw ng Sunday para mag-decide. Ipag-pray niyo ako please.

2004-05-14T21:52:00.001+08:00

Konting Tiis Na Lang

Hay salamat. Mababawasan na ng konti ang mga problema ko. Sa loob ng apat na araw, pahinga na ulit ako mula kay Chang. Wala nang Chem 18. Wala na rin Comm3. Pagdating ng Martes, "malaya" na ulit kami. Ang saya sigurong mabuhay ulit ng normal, no?

Hmmm...audition!

Kahapon pala nasa abs-cbn kami nila ron, mika, mathet, adel, nikki, rj, wy-nona, and karla. ininterview namin si maoui david, yung blue-tailed mermaid sa marina. astig ang bait niya. hindi suplada, pramis. pinasundo niya kami sa audience entrance, tapos pinapunta niya kami sa dressing room niya. kinuwentuhan niya kami ng buhay niya, kung pano siya naging artista, kung ano yung dream role niya, kung bakit niya gusto si Hero, kung bakit kulay blue yung kaliskis niya, atbp. sobrang naaliw ako. ayan tuloy, parang gusto ko nang tanggapin yung offer sakin ng abs-cbn. hehehe..biro lang. walang offer. pangarap ko lang yun.

pero in fairness, sadyang marami pala ang may "pangarap" na ganito. sa audience entrance pa lang, medyo madami nang nakapila for auditions. marami sila dun na bihis na bihis...nagsisi-kapalan ang make-up, malalaking mga hikaw, mga buhok na pina-relax or pina-rebond, at hindi mawawala sa get-up nila: mga damit na sobrang revealing. eeeeewwww. bakit kaya ang hilig-hilig nilang magtipid ng tela? hay, sa totoo lang (sorry sa mga tatamaan) para silang papunta sa japan. hehehe.

pakiramdam ko nga dinadaan lang talaga nung iba sa LAKAS NG LOOB ang pag-audition e. marami kasi sa kanila (based on previous stories) wala namang talent or star quality. FIGTHING SPIRIT lang talaga. dahil sa matinding kagustuhan na lumabas yung mukha sa tv, lahat gagawin nila para lang matanggap ng abs-cbn. in a way, nakakabilib din. mahirap naman talaga kasing humarap sa tao nang wala kang "ibubuga", diba?

kaya personally, saludo na ako sa lahat ng nag-aattempt at nag-attempt nang mag-audition. sana tulad din ng sa kanila ang confidence level ko. =)

2004-05-14T21:52:00.000+08:00

Konti Na Lang

2004-04-24T13:13:00.000+08:00

Yesss! I get to blog this time. Poor me, my school work ate me up for the past week. Arrrgghh! I've been intensely trying to absorb too much educational discussions and I should say that this was never my idea of a summer vacation. This is so unfortunate - for while my siblings are having all the rest and the food and the movies that they want, I am to be seen on my study table pathetically reading up on lectures and writing lab reports. My friend says this is an inhuman way to spend summer. I definitely agree.

Anyway, these are the pictures from Chari's Wackiki Party last Friday. Haay. It's so fulfilling to look back on the 150% success of the night, partly because I helped her set some things up for her big night. I did the design of the Hawaiian invitations for her...and surprisingly, we've received positive feedback about it. Yippee, which makes me think, I could sideline on this business too. Hahaha...

hawaiian fools

wacky hawaiian fools

invictus at play

meet the sprouties

the debutante and me

new friends

And because we didn't sleep the entire night, because we were too animated in creating pyramids in the pool and singing our lungs out with the videoke machine, we were all bogged-down on our way home:

...it really feels great to have been with them again.

****************

Tonight, I'm attending another friend's debut. Yippee. And in three days, I'll be seeing my dad, my mom, and my two other sisters again. Another yippee. I can't wait to hug and kiss them all...and I can't wait to narrate to them how I handled the four-month-life-without-parents in a peaceful way.

Nothing impedes my euphoria now. Not even that burdensome Chem. Haha.

2004-04-13T17:55:00.000+08:00

Whatta Summer

School starts tomorrow and there's not quite an improvement in our sked, to think that this IS a summer term. It's unfortunate that we don't even have a proper lunchbreak! Awww...I won't be able to eat well. I guess I'll just live on sandwich for a month.

Chari's Debut

Finally, my best friend's turning 18 tomorrow. And I am more excited than she is. I get this feeling that I'm the one turning a year older! Anyway, she's holding a Hawaiian-style debut on Friday, somewhere in Antipolo. Therefore I will not attend my classes on Friday, whatever consequences this decision might bring. Haha! I'd rather party in my Jasmine Trias-inspired outfit rather than spend my precious time absorbing Chem and Comm lectures.

Another Artista's Blog

Just a few minutes ago I stumbled upon Maxene Magalona's blog. Her entries are not as impressing as Ala's though. But I added her to my links, because she's pretty. I love her. Hehehe...in fact I've been admiring her beauty for years now but hey, NOT IN A LESBIAN WAY!

2004-04-07T14:27:00.000+08:00

A Smuggler's Cave Right Inside Our House

After some painstaking strategies I finally got my brothers to clean their rotten rooms. Haha! The trick, ladies and gentlemen, was to confiscate their Pokemon cards.

Yesterday morning, I found them locked up in their room, doing what my mom was always irritated with --they were playing with their royal collection of Pokemon cards, without even eating breakfast and gargling some mouthwash. Worse, their room was such a dreadful sight! It was further uglified with their socks, soccer shoes, toys, CD's, frog bones and decaying insects, and empty bottles of Gatsby styling gel scattered everywhere! Their room looked more like a smuggler's cave to me.

So there I was, fuming with anger and bitterly tired of repeated "Clean up!" and "Don't let your food wait!" But they wouldn't listen, and they teased me instead with their slow cruel smile. Consequently, without calming down I kicked their piled-up Pokemon cards on the floor and confiscated what I was able to pick up. I didn't hand it to them until evening, when they finally took a bath and miraculously cleaned their nostalgic room. Hay. It was such a relief to have seen sunlight pour in through their bedroom window. I was such a relief to have seen them act more humanly this time.

And so I think they need to be rewarded for their skill. They think so, too. Therefore tonight, we shall be watching the first and second installments of LOTR, because we have been deprived of the opportunity to watch it when it was shown on the big screen. Hehehe! My brothers had it all planned out --we'll start at 6pm so we could end at 12 midnight. Yay.

2004-04-06T18:09:00.000+08:00

Me, the Melancholic (but in a positive way)

For the past few days, I've been doing the things which I've never had the time, the energy (and partly, the money) to do before. Thanks to this two-week academic vacation, my plans of doing the things which really make me happy are finally cropping up: unlimited sleep, sessions with my strings, movie marathons, whole-day hang-outs with friends, reading books aside from Campbell and Chang, and of course, cleaning our house.

Undeniably, I love cleaning the house -- and a general cleaning at that. As I have mentioned, it is one of the simple things which make me exceptionally pleased. At home during my spare time, I do most of the general tidying from the artsy foyer to the grubby toilet without a hint of kaartehan. *bow* I dust and sweep and scrub the place ala-Cinderella in one uniform direction (learned from my mom). After which, I redecorate our home's interior with anything that tickles my creative eye.

Perhaps it is out of my repugnance for dirty and disorganized surroundings that I developed this ardor for cleaning. Hahaha! With the melancholic temperament* that I'm born with, I always want to see things in their proper order -- neatly labeled in their proper bottles, boxes, or shelves. In fact, I have my own closet arranged in an oh-so-organized manner. Tops of the same color go together (arranged from the lightest to the darkest hue), and so with the pants and skirts. Then I have my pang-bahay meticulously folded and piled up gently so as not to disarrange the other clothing. As for the undergarments and socks, I have them all settled in an empty fish bowl inside my closet, for easy track down and added decorative accent. You bet, my sister found the fish bowl bizarre, but why bother? Atleast it gives my closet a more welcoming appearance.

Going back to cleaning, it is indeed one activity which allows me to become practically myself. Wearing my most rugged outfit and unkempt hair, I am able to move around freely, without considering the hassle of trying to look pleasant for everyone. Because nobody watches me scour the bathroom tiles and the toilet seats, there is no need to be overly prim and proper and decent-looking. In there, I could act as rowdy and sloppy as I want without being told to act femininely. It still makes sense, doesn't it? Because scrubbing done in a sophisticated mode is as good as not having scrubbed at all.

Being myself also means being able to sing for as long as I want, without my nasty brothers demanding me to shut up. While cleaning, I could liberally vocalize for they will be forced to tolerate my voice, unless they want to do the cleaning themselves. Knowing how lazy those boys could sometimes be, they'd offer up anything just to avoid the housework. Well this time, they’ve got to bear with my awful voice! Hehehe.

More importantly, the best thing about my dusting-sweeping-scrubbing routine is that it permits me to think real. With all the crap that is being fed to us by the media, we are left with no ideas of our own. As the great vj ala accurately puts it, "We let the media do the thinking for us". How miserable.

By temporarily barring the external hurly-burly, I am able to reflect deeply, to generate my own ideas, and yeah -- to ponder upon the decisions which I have made and are about to make. Needless to say, it exercises my tainted psyche.

================

*Some interesting trivia:

People are born with either of the following temperaments: choleric, sanguine, phlegmatic, or melancholic.

Choleric people are the leaders, the daring, the bossy, and the straightforward horde.

Sanguine people are bubbly, excessively cheerful and loud, teeming with ideas yet they find it hard to materialize them.

Phlegmatic individuals are the peaceful and laid-back group, often with the "I don't care" attitude.

Finally, melancholics are deep, organized, and perfectionists. I am one of them. Hehehe! But I am partially sanguine and choleric too.

Ikaw, anong temperament mo?

2004-04-03T18:14:00.000+08:00

Haha! After six tedious hours of figuring out blogger templates, I have finally put everything into one piece.

Welcome to my new blog!

2004-04-02T19:46:00.000+08:00

Whew, I think am doing great here in blogspot. Oh well, things are still under construction...but I'm blogging something interesting as soon as I straighten out everything..

2004-03-31T19:35:00.000+08:00

Test post.