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!



 

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!



 

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. ;-)


 

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!


 


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.