I am trying to blog again. years after I wrote my last. I don't really know why I stopped, but now I am finding more reasons not to start writing again.
For one, my most ardent reader, my biggest fan is gone, leaving me thinking if my life is worth writing about, again.
So I will take small steps, baby steps, and see where this will take me.
A friend once asked (I don't remember exactly what his question was, but it was to this effect...): "What will make you happy, or make you feel fulfilled or successful?" Without batting an eyelash, I told him: " Ever since Daddy passed on, I cannot see how I can ever feel fulfilled, be successful or truly happy, knowing that a big part of me is now missing, someone who has been the biggest influence, supporter and mentor."
So I take things slow now. One day at a time. Small steps. Baby steps.
Thursday, July 14, 2011
Saturday, January 10, 2009
I'm stuck at twenty-five.
Yesterday afternoon, I was having an animated conversation with a colleague while we were eating shing-a-ling at my desk. She was telling me about her experience working in a convent school and the disappointing yet hilarious instances when she had to deal with the quirks of her boss. Somewhere along the conversation, the topic centered on age. She mentioned that at her age (39) she often feels and sometimes thinks or acts like she’s still 18. Then she asked me, how about you what age are you in? I thought for a second and said, “I feel that I’m stuck at 25.”
Now that I ponder why I said that, I realize that I really am stuck at 25. While my looks would defy that statement to the hilt, my mind says a different thing.
Some proof that I still am 25…
- I still get surprised or amused when I hear of former classmates/schoolmates who get married or have a child.
- I still enjoy playing computer games and can last one whole weekend in front of my laptop running the lives of my SIMS™.
- I still like playing pranks on people or fooling around with my friends. I still laugh heartily and without care in the world if something is really funny.
- I still feel that there is so much to learn in the world especially in terms of the career path I’ve taken. Thank God I have a boss who likes to teach as much as I like to learn.
- I’m still irresponsible and impulsive when it comes to handling money and still feel that it’s not the most important thing in the world.
- I still feel emotionally unequipped to have a child.
- I still laze around the TV even if there are stacks of dirty dishes on my sink.
- I still sleep late even when I get migraines from lack of it.
- I still enjoy junk food and put in as much fat and salt in my diet.
- I still enjoy the company of twenty-somethings, who make up my circle of friends at work.
- I still get a pimple every now and then.
- I still look at each day as a fresh new start, an opportunity to make a big difference (which I sometimes do not dare take).
But then again, no matter how many times I tell myself I am 25, these things happen to my days:
- My joints ache when I wake up to a cold morning.
- I pay bills and shop for grocery to run my household.
- The government takes out 32% off my paycheck for taxes.
- The songs of my teens are now classics, and some have been revived by new singers.
- Two of my nephews are teenagers now, one will be a high school freshman by June.
- My younger sister is 30 and her little one is now a year old.
- My laughlines are more pronounced and I see more grey hair on my head.
Maybe time did pass, I just refused to acknowledge it. Hoping that by doing so I can believe that the decisions of my past will not permanently engrave my future.
And now at thirty-five, I'd like to believe that I still have plenty of future left. I can feel it in my bones (which go creak on a cold morning).
Monday, December 15, 2008
A Night of Freeloading
In early December, my office friends and I decided to have a fancy Christmas dinner as a way to reward ourselves. By fancy, we meant splurging on buffet at a five-star hotel. The first choice if of course Manila Diamond since Mark’s dad works there and so we have a better chance of getting a discount. On December 11, we went through with the plan but sadly, Ela and Enny couldn’t make it because of previous engagements. So Pia and I braved the Ortigas-Makati-Manila traffic in order to get to Manila Diamond where Mark was already nearing unconsciousness because of hunger.
When we arrived, Mark was already having his soup and soon after his dad called, looking for him. The General (Mark’s Dad) then came to sit with us over dinner, much to Mark’s disappointment. But when his dad started ordering different dishes straight from the kitchen, we were all thankful that he was there with us.
The menu theme for Thursday night was Spanish so most of the food fare were sumptuous, spicy and flavorful. We tried sampling everything but we had to leave room for dessert. Good thing we did because the cakes and pastries were heavenly! We even tried asking the chef if they can sell us whole cakes, but sadly, they don’t do that in their hotel.
Much later, Mark’s mom came, done with her spa treatment. They stayed for a while and when they said goodbye, they left us with a special treat… dinner is free! We thought that we were just getting a good discount but Mark’s dad footed the bill.
After dinner, we did a photo op at the hotel lobby. Manila Diamond has a very interesting Christmas tree so we thought of taking our pics with it.
We capped the night with coffee at Starbucks Magallanes. We were all feeling dizzy while making our orders and we all thought that it was probably from all the food we ate earlier. It was not even 12am then but we were feeling sleepy already. Pia attributed it to age, Mark from being tired from work, and me from having late nights for more than a week. Soon after we said goodbye and took separate rides home. It was weekday after all and there’s still work the next day.
It is always great being with these two, even if i have to be the "bridge" all the time.
When we arrived, Mark was already having his soup and soon after his dad called, looking for him. The General (Mark’s Dad) then came to sit with us over dinner, much to Mark’s disappointment. But when his dad started ordering different dishes straight from the kitchen, we were all thankful that he was there with us.
The menu theme for Thursday night was Spanish so most of the food fare were sumptuous, spicy and flavorful. We tried sampling everything but we had to leave room for dessert. Good thing we did because the cakes and pastries were heavenly! We even tried asking the chef if they can sell us whole cakes, but sadly, they don’t do that in their hotel.
Much later, Mark’s mom came, done with her spa treatment. They stayed for a while and when they said goodbye, they left us with a special treat… dinner is free! We thought that we were just getting a good discount but Mark’s dad footed the bill.
After dinner, we did a photo op at the hotel lobby. Manila Diamond has a very interesting Christmas tree so we thought of taking our pics with it.
We capped the night with coffee at Starbucks Magallanes. We were all feeling dizzy while making our orders and we all thought that it was probably from all the food we ate earlier. It was not even 12am then but we were feeling sleepy already. Pia attributed it to age, Mark from being tired from work, and me from having late nights for more than a week. Soon after we said goodbye and took separate rides home. It was weekday after all and there’s still work the next day.
It is always great being with these two, even if i have to be the "bridge" all the time.
Sunday, November 30, 2008
Dinner @ Kabisera
Spent Friday night with old friends at Bonifacio High Street. We gathered to celebrate Minnie and Princess' birthdays which fall in November. Princess chose Kabisera sa Dencio's at B3 which was perfect since I live about 10 minutes away from the place.
Now the trouble was getting there from Ortigas where I work. I of course chose to ride with Annie and Tonton while I told Lyndon to go straight to BHS since he will be coming from our house in Pasig. Traffic that night was terrible; it took us almost 2 hours to get there much to the chagrin of everyone who were there on time.
After dinner, the group decided to have a nightcap at Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf. Being partial to my favorite coffe shop, I excused myself for a few minutes and with Annie in tow, we proceeded to buy Dark Cherry Mocha (for me) and Toffee Nut Latte (for Lyndon) at Starbucks. More jeers and cheers later, then it was time to pack up.
I found it funny that as we were walking to OT's car, Rex was complaining that it was already too late...man, it was only 1:00AM! And earlier, after dinner, Jon's eyelids were already dropping saying he's too tired - this at 11PM! Do I see signs of aging from the younger ones in our group (by younger, I mean younger by months)?
As usual, I took some pictures for posterity...
Saturday, November 29, 2008
Kira Isobel turns 1!
We had a blast at my niece's first birthday party last November 22. The theme was Mexican Fiesta, and my sister Dionne and bro-in-law Joven put much of their energies (and dough) to make sure that all guests will have a great time.
For Issie, i made a short AVP that was shown during the party. It features her monthly celebrations and some milestones of her first year.
More about the party on Issie's multiply site and Dionne and Joven's blog.
For Issie, i made a short AVP that was shown during the party. It features her monthly celebrations and some milestones of her first year.
More about the party on Issie's multiply site and Dionne and Joven's blog.
Bora Diaries
Prologue
We planned it in August, me and 2 of my closest friends in the office. But when the date of our vacation drew near, Mark had to back out because of work responsibilities. Pia and I decided to go through with the plan – a 4-day holiday in Boracay. It was my first trip to the famous beach getaway so this blog about the experience is inevitable. I am writing while sitting at our favorite spot, and elevated veranda on the beachfront. This is where we took our meals, chilled out, drank wine, and talked about everything under the sun (during inebriated and sober moments) for the past 3 days. It’s our last night in Bora and while we miss people at home, we can’t help but wish the night will be longer.
Day One
Our flight was at 6:30AM and so I had to be in the airport by 5am, but Lyndon is such a freak, he woke me up at 3:30 so we can leave our place at 4am. Since the airport is only about 20 minutes away (sans bad traffic) from our place, we were there super early and had to wait a few minutes before Pia arrived. We still had plenty of time before boarding so we decided to grab some coffee first. Good thing the airport has a Kopi Roti stall so we had a perfect cup of brew before we got ready for our flight. A quick hug from Lyndon then Pia and I proceeded to gate 131. When I saw our ride (52-seater propeller plane) I felt a tight knot in my stomach since I’ve never been on a small plane. But the flight was smooth (except for a few airpockets and 6 noisy Koreans behind our seat) and we touched down Caticlan airport after 45 minutes.
Efficient and courteous staff from our hotel readily carried our luggage and led us to the van that will bring us to the ferry boat. 10 minutes after, our boat was taxiing towards the beaches of Boracay. Another 5-minute van ride and we were at the hotel. We chose La Carmela de Boracay because the rates were affordable and it was right on the beach. But we had to wait for almost an hour before we could finally check-in since there were a number of guests who came ahead of us. We also had to request for another room because the one given to us was quite small and the terrace was right across the new building being constructed.
That afternoon, we decided to make the beach wait and walked to find a nice place to eat breakfast. We settled on Mango Ray, a beach front restaurant that served tapsilog (beef strips, fried rice and eggs). After breakfast we went back to our room for a quick shower and some sightseeing. We then returned to the hotel to grab lunch, which we hardly touched being still full from our big breakfast. This was when we found our favorite spot. After lunch, we went back to the room because Pia had to finish some work that has to be sent to the office before the week ends.
We stayed at our favorite spot for the rest of the afternoon and when the sun was out we decided to avail of the buffet dinner the hotel was offering. It was Mongolian night, and frankly, I did not enjoy it, one bit. So we just took pictures instead.
After dinner, we again went sightseeing. The different resorts were already in a festive mood and a number of tourists have already found their party place for the evening. I didn’t realize that we’ve already walked about 2 kilometers until I felt my legs getting stiff and my butt starting to ache; it was as if I was on the treadmill for an hour without taking a break. We decided to rest first before and chose Zucchero Café to grab something to eat before heading back to the hotel. I had a Banana Strawberry smoothie while Pia had Banana Split. I was the one craving for Ice Cream but I couldn’t find a single store selling our product. After our sugar dose, we walked back to the hotel. As we approached the lobby we asked if there was still massage service available and good thing there was. 10 minutes later, 2 masseuse were knocking on our door. The experience was heavenly! We both slept like babies after having the massage.
Day Two
We woke up at 8am, but was able to get out of our room past 9am. Good thing breakfast was still available. After breakfast, we went back to the room to shower and change, this time putting on swimsuits and gobs of sunblock. Since the sun was at its hottest, being almost lunchtime, we decided to check out the hotel’s internet shop first. Me to check on emails and visit facebook, Pia to email some work stuff to the office. When I opened my YM, my former boss and mentor was on-line so I typed a quick hello. We ended up chatting on YM for the rest of the morning. We had to say goodbye because it was already lunch time for me and dinner time for him (he’s now living in the US with his family).
After lunch, we headed for the beach. Despite my initial dislike for saltwater, I had a great time swimming, errrr wading in the waters. The temperature was just right and the weather as great. When we went back to our beach beds, Pia decided she wanted another massage and called on one of the old ladies offering their services to tourists along the beach. When it was time to pay for the massage, Pia realized she only had 20 bucks on her so she ran off to have her bigger bills changed. It was then that she told me about Cerealicious, a cute stall right beside our hotel. I then decided to give it a try.
While waiting for the “Jumango” (a cold cereal concoction with mangoes, milk, honey cereals and strawberry syrup) I ordered, another customer – a tall Caucasian lady – asked me if I were “Filipinnish”. I said yes and she complimented me on how my hair is so dark and shiny, and asked if my curls were natural. We chatted for a while as I tried to explain to her why her “chocnut” shake does not contain any nuts at all. She again approached me while I was happily digging into my ice cold cereal, and started chatting with Pia and me. We learned that she came from Germany and that her name was Claudia. Her husband Piant and her just came in that morning from Taal Lake and after Boracay they will be going to Negros, the third leg of their tour. She was surprised to learn that it was my first time in Bora when Manila is just an hour away. She and her husband have been coming back to Boracay for the past few years even if they have to travel thousands if miles and several hours just to get there. She was quite a chatterbox and was so inquisitive about Filipino culture. She also has an easy laughter and while we don’t understand some of the things she is saying, we can’t help but laugh with her. Before she left, we asked if we can take a picture with her as a souvenir of our pleasant conversation.
After sunset, we proceeded to our favorite spot where our dinner was served. The menu wasn’t too pleasing for Pia so she ordered a few more add-ons to our meal. Later we ordered a bottle of red wine and the night began to get better. Our conversation centered mostly on work, family and relationships; our topics varied from the most trivial to the most significant aspects of life and honestly, it was the best conversation we had. Now I realize, there’s nothing like a good bottle of wine to loosen our tongues and liven up our spirit. But that doesn’t mean I will trade our regular coffee sessions for red wine – that is another major life choice altogether. When we were ready to call it a night, we found ourselves finishing off our third bottle of wine. To this day, we both cannot remember how we got from the hotel lobby to our room. All we remember is taking a picture along the way, and then our hotel room door was right in front of us. Amazing.
Day Three
We woke up a bit late the following day and since we were both still hungover, we decided to take it slow. We had coffee in our room and spent plenty of time just lazing around. That morning, we didn’t make it to the prescribed time for breakfast at the hotel so we stepped out to look for another restaurant that would still serve us breakfast at 11am. Luckily we found Paraiso Bar, another beachfront resto that has a “make your own breakfast” menu. We had beef tapa (again), eggs and bacon with rice. Yummy! Plus they serve brewed coffee in a tall mug – a big plus factor for me.
After breakfast, we went off to buy “pasalubong” at d’mall. I was able to buy all my pasalubong in one store, since I’m not really the type who would canvass the area first before buying anything. Pia on the other hand happily trotted from one store to the next.
Since we were already tired from walking, we rode a tricycle back to the hotel. It was past 2PM already but good thing, the hotel restaurant still served us lunch, which we didn’t touch much, being too tired or too full from the cold not-as-good-as-starbucks coffee drink we grabbed along the way.
After the late lunch, we went to see the nearest tattoo artist and got ourselves henna tattoo just for kicks. Pia picked a butterfly figure which she had tattooed on her back while I found interest on a group of Chinese characters that was supposed to read “No Satisfaction.” We both thought it was perfect for us, since the phrase says a lot about our Bora experience, and even more about how we see ourselves in the present.
We had to wait a couple of hours for the tattoo to dry so it was almost sunset when we decided to take another dip at the ocean. The weather was a bit cooler, it being late in the afternoon already. It was then that we saw “them.” Much to my horror, there were little silver fishes swimming with us. Sure, it was the ocean, and as Pia said “this is their home!” but I just can’t feel comfortable knowing that there were living things moving underwater while I waded in the waters. Pia was laughing while I freaked out.
At dinner, I went back to our room to get dressed and get the half empty bottle of wine from the previous night. We again settled at our favorite spot. Since it was still too early to drink, I decided to start writing this blog as Pia went to the hotel’s internet shop. When she returned, the hotel was featuring 3 fire dancers by the beach to entertain the buffet diners. It was quite amusing but towards the end the dancers started making mistakes, one even burned his scarf while dancing. All in all, it was still amusing to watch.
After our second bottle of wine, it started drizzling so we had to find another area to occupy. Good thing our server for the night, Jay was very attentive and while we ran to the nearest shelter, he carried all our belongings and let us settle in the restaurant’s veranda where we had a roof over our head and a great view of the beach. The restaurant is supposed to be closed for the night but they allowed us to stay there for as long as we wanted. I then started playing some music with my laptop, much to Pia’s delight – I never realized she’s such a music maniac that she knows the lyrics of most songs I have in my file. However, the rain started pouring and I was afraid that my dearest treasure (my laptop) will get wet so I had to place a sarong over it. After we finished our last glass, we decided to head back to the room and settle for the night.
When we got back to the room, Pia realized that she hasn’t had her fill for the night so we tried calling room service to order 2 more glasses of wine. But much to our dismay, we couldn’t get through the phone line so I walked to the hotel lobby to place our order. Soon after, our order arrived and Pia happily plugged in her Ipod and soon we were singing along with the tunes.
I didn’t realize it was almost 2am until I started feeling lightheaded from sleepiness. I didn’t dare finish my half-filled wine glass and gave the rest to my roommate who was still up and about after our very long day. But sleep won me over so I just climbed up my bed and tucked myself under the covers. Next thing I know, the sun was up and we had to start packing our stuff for check out time.
Day Four
Pia wanted to make the most of the beach hence we stepped out of our room early so we can have breakfast and take another dip in the water before packing. I decided that I didn’t want to swim anymore and would just stay on the beach to take some pictures. We ate breakfast by the restaurant veranda and as we looked out, we saw how beautiful the scenery was. Since it was low tide, the beach was even bigger and the ocean was shallow even if you have walked quite far from the shore. The sun was also shining brightly, a stark contrast from the previous night’s rain. The view, the weather, the backdrop was just fantastic. Sadly, in a few hours it had to end.
We had to go back to our room because check-out was at 12 noon. I realized that I still had to buy a few pearl earrings before we go home but I was already low on cash so I told Pia to go ahead while I went to the nearby ATM. When I got back to the hotel, I decided to sit again at our favorite spot for one last time and ordered myself a mango shake. I sat there for about an hour…drinking in the whole experience of the past four days.
It was then that I realized, I should be giving myself more moments like these. I’ll be 35 in January and I just shudder at the thought that I’ve never allowed myself this luxury in a long, long time.
After checking out, we parked our luggage at the hotel desk and went out to get lunch. We settled at ARIA, where we had tomato and basil pizza and a marinara pasta. Pia wasn’t feeling well; she started feeling whoozy when she went back to our room after her swim, and so she didn’t enjoy lunch as much as I did. After lunch we looked for a pharmacy so she can get meds for her vertigo, a bad thing to have when we are supposed to be getting on a plane in a few hours.
We again took a walk around d’mall and looked for a few more things to take home. Pia found a nice bead necklace at Nothing but Water and a couple more items at a nearby store – the vertigo did nothing to stop this shop-a-holic from getting a good bargain. We took another tricycle ride home and stopped a while to take a picture of an amusing sign we saw earlier.
We only has to wait a few minutes before our ride to the airport came. As briskly as we were brought there, we were whisked off to the Caticlan port for the ferry ride. Reaching the Caticlan Airport, we were informed that there’s going to be a major change in our flight back home. Since the airlines was experiencing delay since morning, our flight (which was last one, out of Caticlan) will not be allowed to depart anymore since it will be too dark already by the time our plane is ready. Instead, they will shuttle us by bus to Kalibo (a good 1 ½ hour ride) where we will be allowed to board a plane back to Manila. Now, this is bad for me, I never liked long drives, especially if we will traverse unfamiliar rough roads in the dark. But then again, we had no choice. As a service recovery effort, the airline provided us with dinner, but it did nothing to appease the other passengers. Pia on the other hand was ultra cool, amusing herself with listening to the passengers screaming at the airline personnel. I don’t know if it was the anti-vertigo drugs she took, but I didn’t detect a hint of displeasure the whole time we were waiting for the bus that will take us to Kalibo.
It was almost dark when the bus arrived and as we settled in our seats, Pia put on her headphones and slept. It was then that I started feeling nauseous, being cramped in my seat and with the driver maniacally maneuvering the bus to our destination. It didn’t help that the bus was playing a gory movie where there was blood and human parts at every scene. I tried sleeping but the constant honking of the bus driver – perhaps to get people and other vehicles out of the way – didn’t help me any.
Just as we stepped out of the bus, our plane was ready for boarding. We landed in Manila a few minutes after 9PM, 3 hours delayed from our supposed arrival time. Since Pia wasn’t feeling well, I told her to go on home while I waited for Lyndon at the airport lobby. A few minutes after, Lyndon arrived and we headed home.
It was a Sunday night, and the next day I will be reporting back to the office. Back to my old life, back to my real life.
Epilogue
My tattoo has now faded. My tan beginning to disappear. But I’ve found a new favorite place on earth.
Other arms reach out to me, other eyes smile tenderly
Still in peaceful dreams I see the road leads back to you
Bora, no peace I find…
Just an old sweet song keeps Bora on my mind
We planned it in August, me and 2 of my closest friends in the office. But when the date of our vacation drew near, Mark had to back out because of work responsibilities. Pia and I decided to go through with the plan – a 4-day holiday in Boracay. It was my first trip to the famous beach getaway so this blog about the experience is inevitable. I am writing while sitting at our favorite spot, and elevated veranda on the beachfront. This is where we took our meals, chilled out, drank wine, and talked about everything under the sun (during inebriated and sober moments) for the past 3 days. It’s our last night in Bora and while we miss people at home, we can’t help but wish the night will be longer.
Day One
Our flight was at 6:30AM and so I had to be in the airport by 5am, but Lyndon is such a freak, he woke me up at 3:30 so we can leave our place at 4am. Since the airport is only about 20 minutes away (sans bad traffic) from our place, we were there super early and had to wait a few minutes before Pia arrived. We still had plenty of time before boarding so we decided to grab some coffee first. Good thing the airport has a Kopi Roti stall so we had a perfect cup of brew before we got ready for our flight. A quick hug from Lyndon then Pia and I proceeded to gate 131. When I saw our ride (52-seater propeller plane) I felt a tight knot in my stomach since I’ve never been on a small plane. But the flight was smooth (except for a few airpockets and 6 noisy Koreans behind our seat) and we touched down Caticlan airport after 45 minutes.
Efficient and courteous staff from our hotel readily carried our luggage and led us to the van that will bring us to the ferry boat. 10 minutes after, our boat was taxiing towards the beaches of Boracay. Another 5-minute van ride and we were at the hotel. We chose La Carmela de Boracay because the rates were affordable and it was right on the beach. But we had to wait for almost an hour before we could finally check-in since there were a number of guests who came ahead of us. We also had to request for another room because the one given to us was quite small and the terrace was right across the new building being constructed.
That afternoon, we decided to make the beach wait and walked to find a nice place to eat breakfast. We settled on Mango Ray, a beach front restaurant that served tapsilog (beef strips, fried rice and eggs). After breakfast we went back to our room for a quick shower and some sightseeing. We then returned to the hotel to grab lunch, which we hardly touched being still full from our big breakfast. This was when we found our favorite spot. After lunch, we went back to the room because Pia had to finish some work that has to be sent to the office before the week ends.
We stayed at our favorite spot for the rest of the afternoon and when the sun was out we decided to avail of the buffet dinner the hotel was offering. It was Mongolian night, and frankly, I did not enjoy it, one bit. So we just took pictures instead.
After dinner, we again went sightseeing. The different resorts were already in a festive mood and a number of tourists have already found their party place for the evening. I didn’t realize that we’ve already walked about 2 kilometers until I felt my legs getting stiff and my butt starting to ache; it was as if I was on the treadmill for an hour without taking a break. We decided to rest first before and chose Zucchero Café to grab something to eat before heading back to the hotel. I had a Banana Strawberry smoothie while Pia had Banana Split. I was the one craving for Ice Cream but I couldn’t find a single store selling our product. After our sugar dose, we walked back to the hotel. As we approached the lobby we asked if there was still massage service available and good thing there was. 10 minutes later, 2 masseuse were knocking on our door. The experience was heavenly! We both slept like babies after having the massage.
Day Two
We woke up at 8am, but was able to get out of our room past 9am. Good thing breakfast was still available. After breakfast, we went back to the room to shower and change, this time putting on swimsuits and gobs of sunblock. Since the sun was at its hottest, being almost lunchtime, we decided to check out the hotel’s internet shop first. Me to check on emails and visit facebook, Pia to email some work stuff to the office. When I opened my YM, my former boss and mentor was on-line so I typed a quick hello. We ended up chatting on YM for the rest of the morning. We had to say goodbye because it was already lunch time for me and dinner time for him (he’s now living in the US with his family).
After lunch, we headed for the beach. Despite my initial dislike for saltwater, I had a great time swimming, errrr wading in the waters. The temperature was just right and the weather as great. When we went back to our beach beds, Pia decided she wanted another massage and called on one of the old ladies offering their services to tourists along the beach. When it was time to pay for the massage, Pia realized she only had 20 bucks on her so she ran off to have her bigger bills changed. It was then that she told me about Cerealicious, a cute stall right beside our hotel. I then decided to give it a try.
While waiting for the “Jumango” (a cold cereal concoction with mangoes, milk, honey cereals and strawberry syrup) I ordered, another customer – a tall Caucasian lady – asked me if I were “Filipinnish”. I said yes and she complimented me on how my hair is so dark and shiny, and asked if my curls were natural. We chatted for a while as I tried to explain to her why her “chocnut” shake does not contain any nuts at all. She again approached me while I was happily digging into my ice cold cereal, and started chatting with Pia and me. We learned that she came from Germany and that her name was Claudia. Her husband Piant and her just came in that morning from Taal Lake and after Boracay they will be going to Negros, the third leg of their tour. She was surprised to learn that it was my first time in Bora when Manila is just an hour away. She and her husband have been coming back to Boracay for the past few years even if they have to travel thousands if miles and several hours just to get there. She was quite a chatterbox and was so inquisitive about Filipino culture. She also has an easy laughter and while we don’t understand some of the things she is saying, we can’t help but laugh with her. Before she left, we asked if we can take a picture with her as a souvenir of our pleasant conversation.
After sunset, we proceeded to our favorite spot where our dinner was served. The menu wasn’t too pleasing for Pia so she ordered a few more add-ons to our meal. Later we ordered a bottle of red wine and the night began to get better. Our conversation centered mostly on work, family and relationships; our topics varied from the most trivial to the most significant aspects of life and honestly, it was the best conversation we had. Now I realize, there’s nothing like a good bottle of wine to loosen our tongues and liven up our spirit. But that doesn’t mean I will trade our regular coffee sessions for red wine – that is another major life choice altogether. When we were ready to call it a night, we found ourselves finishing off our third bottle of wine. To this day, we both cannot remember how we got from the hotel lobby to our room. All we remember is taking a picture along the way, and then our hotel room door was right in front of us. Amazing.
Day Three
We woke up a bit late the following day and since we were both still hungover, we decided to take it slow. We had coffee in our room and spent plenty of time just lazing around. That morning, we didn’t make it to the prescribed time for breakfast at the hotel so we stepped out to look for another restaurant that would still serve us breakfast at 11am. Luckily we found Paraiso Bar, another beachfront resto that has a “make your own breakfast” menu. We had beef tapa (again), eggs and bacon with rice. Yummy! Plus they serve brewed coffee in a tall mug – a big plus factor for me.
After breakfast, we went off to buy “pasalubong” at d’mall. I was able to buy all my pasalubong in one store, since I’m not really the type who would canvass the area first before buying anything. Pia on the other hand happily trotted from one store to the next.
Since we were already tired from walking, we rode a tricycle back to the hotel. It was past 2PM already but good thing, the hotel restaurant still served us lunch, which we didn’t touch much, being too tired or too full from the cold not-as-good-as-starbucks coffee drink we grabbed along the way.
After the late lunch, we went to see the nearest tattoo artist and got ourselves henna tattoo just for kicks. Pia picked a butterfly figure which she had tattooed on her back while I found interest on a group of Chinese characters that was supposed to read “No Satisfaction.” We both thought it was perfect for us, since the phrase says a lot about our Bora experience, and even more about how we see ourselves in the present.
We had to wait a couple of hours for the tattoo to dry so it was almost sunset when we decided to take another dip at the ocean. The weather was a bit cooler, it being late in the afternoon already. It was then that we saw “them.” Much to my horror, there were little silver fishes swimming with us. Sure, it was the ocean, and as Pia said “this is their home!” but I just can’t feel comfortable knowing that there were living things moving underwater while I waded in the waters. Pia was laughing while I freaked out.
At dinner, I went back to our room to get dressed and get the half empty bottle of wine from the previous night. We again settled at our favorite spot. Since it was still too early to drink, I decided to start writing this blog as Pia went to the hotel’s internet shop. When she returned, the hotel was featuring 3 fire dancers by the beach to entertain the buffet diners. It was quite amusing but towards the end the dancers started making mistakes, one even burned his scarf while dancing. All in all, it was still amusing to watch.
After our second bottle of wine, it started drizzling so we had to find another area to occupy. Good thing our server for the night, Jay was very attentive and while we ran to the nearest shelter, he carried all our belongings and let us settle in the restaurant’s veranda where we had a roof over our head and a great view of the beach. The restaurant is supposed to be closed for the night but they allowed us to stay there for as long as we wanted. I then started playing some music with my laptop, much to Pia’s delight – I never realized she’s such a music maniac that she knows the lyrics of most songs I have in my file. However, the rain started pouring and I was afraid that my dearest treasure (my laptop) will get wet so I had to place a sarong over it. After we finished our last glass, we decided to head back to the room and settle for the night.
When we got back to the room, Pia realized that she hasn’t had her fill for the night so we tried calling room service to order 2 more glasses of wine. But much to our dismay, we couldn’t get through the phone line so I walked to the hotel lobby to place our order. Soon after, our order arrived and Pia happily plugged in her Ipod and soon we were singing along with the tunes.
I didn’t realize it was almost 2am until I started feeling lightheaded from sleepiness. I didn’t dare finish my half-filled wine glass and gave the rest to my roommate who was still up and about after our very long day. But sleep won me over so I just climbed up my bed and tucked myself under the covers. Next thing I know, the sun was up and we had to start packing our stuff for check out time.
Day Four
Pia wanted to make the most of the beach hence we stepped out of our room early so we can have breakfast and take another dip in the water before packing. I decided that I didn’t want to swim anymore and would just stay on the beach to take some pictures. We ate breakfast by the restaurant veranda and as we looked out, we saw how beautiful the scenery was. Since it was low tide, the beach was even bigger and the ocean was shallow even if you have walked quite far from the shore. The sun was also shining brightly, a stark contrast from the previous night’s rain. The view, the weather, the backdrop was just fantastic. Sadly, in a few hours it had to end.
We had to go back to our room because check-out was at 12 noon. I realized that I still had to buy a few pearl earrings before we go home but I was already low on cash so I told Pia to go ahead while I went to the nearby ATM. When I got back to the hotel, I decided to sit again at our favorite spot for one last time and ordered myself a mango shake. I sat there for about an hour…drinking in the whole experience of the past four days.
It was then that I realized, I should be giving myself more moments like these. I’ll be 35 in January and I just shudder at the thought that I’ve never allowed myself this luxury in a long, long time.
After checking out, we parked our luggage at the hotel desk and went out to get lunch. We settled at ARIA, where we had tomato and basil pizza and a marinara pasta. Pia wasn’t feeling well; she started feeling whoozy when she went back to our room after her swim, and so she didn’t enjoy lunch as much as I did. After lunch we looked for a pharmacy so she can get meds for her vertigo, a bad thing to have when we are supposed to be getting on a plane in a few hours.
We again took a walk around d’mall and looked for a few more things to take home. Pia found a nice bead necklace at Nothing but Water and a couple more items at a nearby store – the vertigo did nothing to stop this shop-a-holic from getting a good bargain. We took another tricycle ride home and stopped a while to take a picture of an amusing sign we saw earlier.
We only has to wait a few minutes before our ride to the airport came. As briskly as we were brought there, we were whisked off to the Caticlan port for the ferry ride. Reaching the Caticlan Airport, we were informed that there’s going to be a major change in our flight back home. Since the airlines was experiencing delay since morning, our flight (which was last one, out of Caticlan) will not be allowed to depart anymore since it will be too dark already by the time our plane is ready. Instead, they will shuttle us by bus to Kalibo (a good 1 ½ hour ride) where we will be allowed to board a plane back to Manila. Now, this is bad for me, I never liked long drives, especially if we will traverse unfamiliar rough roads in the dark. But then again, we had no choice. As a service recovery effort, the airline provided us with dinner, but it did nothing to appease the other passengers. Pia on the other hand was ultra cool, amusing herself with listening to the passengers screaming at the airline personnel. I don’t know if it was the anti-vertigo drugs she took, but I didn’t detect a hint of displeasure the whole time we were waiting for the bus that will take us to Kalibo.
It was almost dark when the bus arrived and as we settled in our seats, Pia put on her headphones and slept. It was then that I started feeling nauseous, being cramped in my seat and with the driver maniacally maneuvering the bus to our destination. It didn’t help that the bus was playing a gory movie where there was blood and human parts at every scene. I tried sleeping but the constant honking of the bus driver – perhaps to get people and other vehicles out of the way – didn’t help me any.
Just as we stepped out of the bus, our plane was ready for boarding. We landed in Manila a few minutes after 9PM, 3 hours delayed from our supposed arrival time. Since Pia wasn’t feeling well, I told her to go on home while I waited for Lyndon at the airport lobby. A few minutes after, Lyndon arrived and we headed home.
It was a Sunday night, and the next day I will be reporting back to the office. Back to my old life, back to my real life.
Epilogue
My tattoo has now faded. My tan beginning to disappear. But I’ve found a new favorite place on earth.
Other arms reach out to me, other eyes smile tenderly
Still in peaceful dreams I see the road leads back to you
Bora, no peace I find…
Just an old sweet song keeps Bora on my mind
Sunday, October 12, 2008
Nine Months After
Spent last night with my closest friends, celebrating Rex’s birthday at their beautiful home in Cainta. The night started with a wonderful dinner cooked by OT’s mom. We feasted on Karekare, Pork Barbecue, Bopis, Stuffed Squid and Pancit Lucban. Dessert was a choice of ice cream (not our brand, so I didn’t choose that) or leche flan. No booze for me last night so I had San Mig Coffee instead (2 sachets in one cup).
After dinner, the boys proceeded to the backyard while the girls started looking up pictures in Annie’s laptop. We then figured that we don’t have any new pictures and decided that it’s time we take new ones. So, the photo shoot started.
After dinner, the boys proceeded to the backyard while the girls started looking up pictures in Annie’s laptop. We then figured that we don’t have any new pictures and decided that it’s time we take new ones. So, the photo shoot started.
Prior to the photo shoot, Annie felt like primping us a bit since she thought we would look pale in the pictures so she brought out her make-up paraphernalia and started working on Princess and me. The shoot was a lot of fun because as we were trying to find the best shot (one that would win its way to Annie’s friendster profile) we ended up having candid shots that looked totally ridiculous!
Towards the end of the get together, we all joined the boys at the backyard and looked up Minnie’s website featuring Anton’s tae kwon do practice. Don’t mess with the kid, he’s got great potential in the sport. More jeers and funny anecdotes followed then we called it a night with an agreement to meet again the following week, this time at Chuck and Princess’ home in Paranaque.
I can’t believe it has been nine months since we last saw each other. So much has happened in each of our lives since January and yet we are the same comfortable bunch. Not much has changed – Chuck and his quest for unemployment, Princess and her baked goodies, OT and her easy laughter, Rex and his color change after a bottle of beer. Minnie and her baby hair, Jon and his stories about Anton and Gian. Tony and his “sociable” ways, Annie and her healthy eating habits, me and my red lipstick.
Put it all together and you will find a group of friends who appreciate and take pride in each other’s accomplishments, who have learned to accept each other for all their eccentricities and shortcomings; a cast of would be’s and wannabe’s, haves and have nots, can do and cannots at different phases and aspects of life. But most important is how, because of years together, they give a delightful sense of comfort, similar to an new t-shirt the you wore proudly all the time, and even as years passed - despite the tears and the holes - you refused to throw it away; you later turned it to a favorite nigh shirt, one that gives you the most comfortable slumber.
Saturday, October 11, 2008
Issie
Found this site and tried it on for size...
Create Fake Magazine Covers with your own picture at MagMyPic.com
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
I'll Always be his Baby
Let me tell you about the man in my life.
A not-so-tall, dark and handsome man who has touched my life in enormous ways.
He has a great sense of humor and can carry a good conversation any time.
He is a great friend, a sensible advisor and a staunch critic - depending on what you need him to be at a particular moment.
He likes to paint, loves to cook and enjoys reading. Saying that we share the same interests would be an understatement, because we are in many ways, alike.
He has a profound understanding of life, much of which was derived from experience and then some from commom sense. Life lessons he eagerly shares to those who are willing (or needed) to listen.
He is a prayerful soul and a faithful servant of the Lord. A trait I struggle to emulate every single day of my life.
He has other women, sure. One he calls “Ne”, the other Sweetheart, and still another, his Bunso.
He would often call me Honey. But I love it most when he calls me his Baby.
Let's celebrate your next together. But for now, Happy 67th Daddy!
A not-so-tall, dark and handsome man who has touched my life in enormous ways.
He has a great sense of humor and can carry a good conversation any time.
He is a great friend, a sensible advisor and a staunch critic - depending on what you need him to be at a particular moment.
He likes to paint, loves to cook and enjoys reading. Saying that we share the same interests would be an understatement, because we are in many ways, alike.
He has a profound understanding of life, much of which was derived from experience and then some from commom sense. Life lessons he eagerly shares to those who are willing (or needed) to listen.
He is a prayerful soul and a faithful servant of the Lord. A trait I struggle to emulate every single day of my life.
He has other women, sure. One he calls “Ne”, the other Sweetheart, and still another, his Bunso.
He would often call me Honey. But I love it most when he calls me his Baby.
Let's celebrate your next together. But for now, Happy 67th Daddy!
Friday, June 13, 2008
this is for my dad, but you can read it if you want to...
Many years ago, I had a notebook where I wrote down little things I remember about my dad. Each item started with “I remember when…”
I intended to put them in little pieces of paper, put it in a jar and give it to him as a gift. My dad delights on little things his kids make for him. Too bad, I cannot find the notebook now so I will make an attempt to recreate what I wrote down many years ago.
I remember when…
You always drink cold water after you brush your teeth, and form an “O” with your mouth after you chug down a glass of water.
You bend your knees when you fix your hair on mommie’s “tokador” because the mirror is too low (I wonder why you didn’t just sit on a chair?).
You love playing pranks on your kids like the time you came home wearing a gorilla mask or the time you placed a poop paper mache on the bed.
Your heart broke when Digger got lost and drove around the neighborhood for more than an hour hoping to find him (I was pretty sure you were crying the whole time)
You give me a special massage every time my legs ache when it’s cold.
You rub my neck with Vicks and wrap it with bandanna when I have sore throat.
You pour your coffee on a saucer when it’s too hot to drink, then place it back in the cup when its a bit cooler.
You like eating pan de sal with butter and coco jam and would willingly make one for us when we eat breakfast together.
You let the one seated beside you in the car lead the morning prayer as you drive us to school in the morning.
You drove us around Makati during the holidays so we can see the Christmas lights and decorations of office buildings.
You tuck me and Dionne in every night and make us into little “sumans,” and pat us to sleep while singing “meme”
You and mommie speak in English everytime you talk about the little kids (and you thought we didn’t understand! Hahaha!)
You hire janitors in school so I don’t have to carry my bags when I go up the stairs.
You don't tell on me when I have stale uneaten sandwiches in my bag because you know Mommie would go ballistic.
You like recreating drawings you find in the encyclopedia (mostly skeletons) because you thought we would probably need it for some school project.
You make most of my projects for art class and always had your art work placed on the bulletin board because of high marks (as if my teachers believed I made it myself!). My favorite was the horse you made out of corkboard. That was the best!
You brought in a truckload of old newspaper (which you bought from a junk yard) so that our class would win the newspaper fund drive. We did, and got a swimming holiday for a prize.
You were a local heartthrob in my school and most of my teachers had a crush on you. They even gave you a pet name – James Bond.
You watch basketball every Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday night. And the TV was off limits to all of us. We only had one TV those days and so we all secretly wished all basketball players would perish so we can watch other shows instead.
We drive as far as Greenhills to rent movies for our betamax, and you rented Dynasty and Falcon Crest so you wouldn’t have to follow it on TV.
You make us take a tablespoon of honey before going to bed, saying that it will make us sleep well.
You use the brown bag technique everytime we get hiccups and is quite successful in “catching” our hiccups in the bag.
On New Year’s Eve, you take us to Roxas Boulevard to look for the biggest and loudest “torotot.”
You make me wear headphones on New Year’s eve so I won’t hear the firecrackers.
You give us nicknames which up to now I wonder where you get. Bandangera, Burakda, Buleleng. I was “Bandang” for many years.
You make the trip to the drug store quite exciting because of “Horlicks.”
You come home, open your attaché case and its filled with beginner bras which you bought from an officemate (imagine, instead of Mommie, you were the one who bought me my first bra!).
You make it a point to be in every school presentation and once I was disappointed when you didn’t watch my performance as Jane of Aza. Later that night, you explained that you had to go to an important meeting.
You like giving other people rides in your rickety Volkswagen beetle which has seen better days.
………………………………………..
I have daddy to thank for having the best childhood. Looking back, I see myself laughing most of the time. We thrived on Daddy’s jokes, and flourished on his words of wisdom.
There is still so much I remember and all those memories – while simple and irrelevant to most – make me realize that I have a dad:
who is funny but serious about his role,
who is handsome but knows how to make fun of himself,
who is weird but uniquely charming,
who is thoughtful and giving,
who is prayerful and humble,
who is nurturing but teaches independence;
who can win the “Best Dad on Earth” award – hands down.
Happy Father’s Day Daddy!
I intended to put them in little pieces of paper, put it in a jar and give it to him as a gift. My dad delights on little things his kids make for him. Too bad, I cannot find the notebook now so I will make an attempt to recreate what I wrote down many years ago.
I remember when…
You always drink cold water after you brush your teeth, and form an “O” with your mouth after you chug down a glass of water.
You bend your knees when you fix your hair on mommie’s “tokador” because the mirror is too low (I wonder why you didn’t just sit on a chair?).
You love playing pranks on your kids like the time you came home wearing a gorilla mask or the time you placed a poop paper mache on the bed.
Your heart broke when Digger got lost and drove around the neighborhood for more than an hour hoping to find him (I was pretty sure you were crying the whole time)
You give me a special massage every time my legs ache when it’s cold.
You rub my neck with Vicks and wrap it with bandanna when I have sore throat.
You pour your coffee on a saucer when it’s too hot to drink, then place it back in the cup when its a bit cooler.
You like eating pan de sal with butter and coco jam and would willingly make one for us when we eat breakfast together.
You let the one seated beside you in the car lead the morning prayer as you drive us to school in the morning.
You drove us around Makati during the holidays so we can see the Christmas lights and decorations of office buildings.
You tuck me and Dionne in every night and make us into little “sumans,” and pat us to sleep while singing “meme”
You and mommie speak in English everytime you talk about the little kids (and you thought we didn’t understand! Hahaha!)
You hire janitors in school so I don’t have to carry my bags when I go up the stairs.
You don't tell on me when I have stale uneaten sandwiches in my bag because you know Mommie would go ballistic.
You like recreating drawings you find in the encyclopedia (mostly skeletons) because you thought we would probably need it for some school project.
You make most of my projects for art class and always had your art work placed on the bulletin board because of high marks (as if my teachers believed I made it myself!). My favorite was the horse you made out of corkboard. That was the best!
You brought in a truckload of old newspaper (which you bought from a junk yard) so that our class would win the newspaper fund drive. We did, and got a swimming holiday for a prize.
You were a local heartthrob in my school and most of my teachers had a crush on you. They even gave you a pet name – James Bond.
You watch basketball every Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday night. And the TV was off limits to all of us. We only had one TV those days and so we all secretly wished all basketball players would perish so we can watch other shows instead.
We drive as far as Greenhills to rent movies for our betamax, and you rented Dynasty and Falcon Crest so you wouldn’t have to follow it on TV.
You make us take a tablespoon of honey before going to bed, saying that it will make us sleep well.
You use the brown bag technique everytime we get hiccups and is quite successful in “catching” our hiccups in the bag.
On New Year’s Eve, you take us to Roxas Boulevard to look for the biggest and loudest “torotot.”
You make me wear headphones on New Year’s eve so I won’t hear the firecrackers.
You give us nicknames which up to now I wonder where you get. Bandangera, Burakda, Buleleng. I was “Bandang” for many years.
You make the trip to the drug store quite exciting because of “Horlicks.”
You come home, open your attaché case and its filled with beginner bras which you bought from an officemate (imagine, instead of Mommie, you were the one who bought me my first bra!).
You make it a point to be in every school presentation and once I was disappointed when you didn’t watch my performance as Jane of Aza. Later that night, you explained that you had to go to an important meeting.
You like giving other people rides in your rickety Volkswagen beetle which has seen better days.
………………………………………..
I have daddy to thank for having the best childhood. Looking back, I see myself laughing most of the time. We thrived on Daddy’s jokes, and flourished on his words of wisdom.
There is still so much I remember and all those memories – while simple and irrelevant to most – make me realize that I have a dad:
who is funny but serious about his role,
who is handsome but knows how to make fun of himself,
who is weird but uniquely charming,
who is thoughtful and giving,
who is prayerful and humble,
who is nurturing but teaches independence;
who can win the “Best Dad on Earth” award – hands down.
Happy Father’s Day Daddy!
Sunday, June 08, 2008
it's out there
I had an "aha! moment" this morning during church service. What I heard from our preacher today wasn't entirely new to me but I sure realized many things because he put them into words.
Today's life lesson was about wealth. Claiming it, growing it and sharing it with others.
Abundance can be one's own if he makes a decision to claim it. All of us has access to unlimited wealth and the only difference is not all of us have decided to take the necessary steps to own it.
God wants all of us to succeed in life. If success meant having enough money for oneself and for sharing, that is exactly the state God wants us to be in. Like a good father who wishes only the best for his children, God has given each of us the equal amount of opportunity to become the best person we can be.
At the end of the session, we were given a fake 1000 peso bill in which we are to write down our financial goal. We had to write the exact amount of money we want to earn and a time goal when we want to attain it. I am yet to write my own. A part of me wants to write down a plausible enough goal because I am scared to take the challenge. But another part tells me that I can achieve the seemingly impossible.
My wealth is out there. i just have to learn how to get to it.
Today's life lesson was about wealth. Claiming it, growing it and sharing it with others.
Abundance can be one's own if he makes a decision to claim it. All of us has access to unlimited wealth and the only difference is not all of us have decided to take the necessary steps to own it.
God wants all of us to succeed in life. If success meant having enough money for oneself and for sharing, that is exactly the state God wants us to be in. Like a good father who wishes only the best for his children, God has given each of us the equal amount of opportunity to become the best person we can be.
At the end of the session, we were given a fake 1000 peso bill in which we are to write down our financial goal. We had to write the exact amount of money we want to earn and a time goal when we want to attain it. I am yet to write my own. A part of me wants to write down a plausible enough goal because I am scared to take the challenge. But another part tells me that I can achieve the seemingly impossible.
My wealth is out there. i just have to learn how to get to it.
Saturday, June 07, 2008
sorry, i had too much wine...
I just looooooove long weekends! Monday is a holiday so in effect, i have three days off.
This morning, I woke up at 7AM because I forgot to turn off the alarm. Spent the entire morning tinkering with my laptop and playing freecell. I planned to do a general cleaning of my apartment but my loyal helper (aka Lyndon) was still sound asleep. We started cleaning at around 2PM after we ate a late lunch and now I'm quite satisfied that our place is spic and span.
Tonight I finished a bottle of red wine, in between net surfing. Tomorrow I'd go to church then face two hamper-full of dirty laundry. Maybe I'd clean the bathroom while the laundry's churning.
I haven't planned anything for Monday. Oh, the refrigerator repairman might drop in. Maybe I'll just veg out in front of the TV or spend the whole day with my SIMS.
Hooray for long weekends!
My life is boring, but I'm loving it!
This morning, I woke up at 7AM because I forgot to turn off the alarm. Spent the entire morning tinkering with my laptop and playing freecell. I planned to do a general cleaning of my apartment but my loyal helper (aka Lyndon) was still sound asleep. We started cleaning at around 2PM after we ate a late lunch and now I'm quite satisfied that our place is spic and span.
Tonight I finished a bottle of red wine, in between net surfing. Tomorrow I'd go to church then face two hamper-full of dirty laundry. Maybe I'd clean the bathroom while the laundry's churning.
I haven't planned anything for Monday. Oh, the refrigerator repairman might drop in. Maybe I'll just veg out in front of the TV or spend the whole day with my SIMS.
Hooray for long weekends!
My life is boring, but I'm loving it!
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Crossing my fingers
Lately, I’ve been hanging out regularly with a couple of new friends who love coffee as much as I do. The irony of it is that we became closer after both have been transferred to other SMC businesses. We call ourselves the “Secret Council” since we share a lot of those when we are together. A night out with them can give you hiccups (not to mention gas) because of the hilarious moments we have when we’re together. I’m just glad I found new friends even after our work unit was trimmed down from 67 to 19, and after most, if not all of my closest friends in the office have either resigned or moved to other SMC businesses.
I’ve often boasted to many that I’ve stuck it out in SMC for four years (a record-breaker for me) because of the people I work with. I constantly hear people complain about the politics within the organization and had I been younger, my impulsive nature would jump on to the next available job elsewhere. Just to digress a bit, I got 3 job offers in a span of a week, all of which I turned down without batting an eyelash and this is probably why I am writing this blog; to document my feat! Haha!
I’ve talked to ex-SMC employees and while their new jobs pay higher, they still long for the unique culture of San Miguel. There are days when you are neck deep in deliverables, trying to beat the deadline while at the same time lacking the resources you need to get through. But there are also days when you can bask in the tranquility of day to day tasks that can wait on you while you spend a few minutes – sometimes exceeding 15 – at the upper mall (a.k.a. yo area).
I do experience the politics within, or witness the internal inequity, and I also feel anxious whenever some changes are implemented. But I’d like to say I found my home in SMC. Work has become more than just a way to get some dough every 15th or 30th. It has become a learning experience, an advocacy and a roller coaster ride rolled into one. Also, the familiar faces I see everyday from the time I enter the sliding doors make me feel comfortable.
More importantly, SMC is where I learned the most about myself and what I am capable of becoming. Thanks largely to the bosses I’ve had because they saw something in me that I myself cannot bring to acknowledge.
While I know that life doesn’t end after San Miguel and that there are greater opportunities outside, I still wish I can say for sure that this is where I will retire. So like everyone else in the organization, I just have to accept the fact that change is very much a part of the San Miguel culture. I just have to hope that when the next tide turns, I won’t be washed off to shore.
I’ve often boasted to many that I’ve stuck it out in SMC for four years (a record-breaker for me) because of the people I work with. I constantly hear people complain about the politics within the organization and had I been younger, my impulsive nature would jump on to the next available job elsewhere. Just to digress a bit, I got 3 job offers in a span of a week, all of which I turned down without batting an eyelash and this is probably why I am writing this blog; to document my feat! Haha!
I’ve talked to ex-SMC employees and while their new jobs pay higher, they still long for the unique culture of San Miguel. There are days when you are neck deep in deliverables, trying to beat the deadline while at the same time lacking the resources you need to get through. But there are also days when you can bask in the tranquility of day to day tasks that can wait on you while you spend a few minutes – sometimes exceeding 15 – at the upper mall (a.k.a. yo area).
I do experience the politics within, or witness the internal inequity, and I also feel anxious whenever some changes are implemented. But I’d like to say I found my home in SMC. Work has become more than just a way to get some dough every 15th or 30th. It has become a learning experience, an advocacy and a roller coaster ride rolled into one. Also, the familiar faces I see everyday from the time I enter the sliding doors make me feel comfortable.
More importantly, SMC is where I learned the most about myself and what I am capable of becoming. Thanks largely to the bosses I’ve had because they saw something in me that I myself cannot bring to acknowledge.
While I know that life doesn’t end after San Miguel and that there are greater opportunities outside, I still wish I can say for sure that this is where I will retire. So like everyone else in the organization, I just have to accept the fact that change is very much a part of the San Miguel culture. I just have to hope that when the next tide turns, I won’t be washed off to shore.
Sunday, March 30, 2008
Happy 65th Birthday Mommie!
We gave Mommie a surprise party for her 65th birthday. Together with my sisters, we went behind her back and became thieves (had to steal her old pictures from her "baul") and liars during the four weeks that we prepared for her party. Somewhere along the way we were getting nervous that she was smelling something cooking but the surprised look on her face during the party told us that we were successful.
Seeing her face light up that night when she saw all her friends and closest relatives in one room was worth all the trouble we went through. We were even able to bring in one of her brothers who had a stroke a couple of years ago. All her friends from her former work were there too. We invited a rondalla band for entertainment, played games, gave out prizes and fancy souvenirs and listened to testimonials from friends and family. There was even a video greeting from my dad, my brother and his family in Texas. One of the highlight of the evening was an AVP we prepared for her. It somehow sums up the woman that we call Mommie...
At the end of the party, our emcee (my best friend Annie) called her on stage. I never realized my mom was a good public speaker (it really is in my genes-hahaha!) until she began -- impromptu mind you -- telling the guests how thankful she is for her kids (ahem ahem!). What struck me most was when she said, "natupad ko ang mga pangarap ko dahil sa mga anak ko" (I realized all my dreams through my kids). She went on to say that she may not have realized her personal aspirations because of marriage and family, but the achievements of her children makes her feel that she actually did.
Since we were little, my siblings and I have known her to be a disciplinarian who would never allow her children to get into trouble. She is straightforward, a bit prudish and and one tough woman. She tended to all four of us while Daddy was working abroad. She brought us up emphasizing that education will be our best tool to have a better future.
I've never know my mom as an emotional woman...but that night, I saw tears of happiness in her eyes and heard her speak about her children with much pride in her voice.
I am thankful that we cooked up this party for her, because in a way, we were able to thank her for the many years that she dedicated to us.
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
Duh.
Ten minutes before midnight, I’m at the living room tinkering on my computer, thinking of something to write about. Nothing comes to mind except the thought that it’s been 21 days since my last blog.
I wait.
And wait.
And wait some more.
“think about your day!”
“how about your weekend?”
“anything special happened on valentine’s day?”
“hmmmmm, how about the week when a healing priest came to your office?”
“your sister, write about your sister!”
“any thoughts on Lozada’s testimony?”
“you like Coffee Prince, right?”
“what is the essence of being a woman?”
Oh crap. I’m out.
I wait.
And wait.
And wait some more.
“think about your day!”
“how about your weekend?”
“anything special happened on valentine’s day?”
“hmmmmm, how about the week when a healing priest came to your office?”
“your sister, write about your sister!”
“any thoughts on Lozada’s testimony?”
“you like Coffee Prince, right?”
“what is the essence of being a woman?”
Oh crap. I’m out.
Sunday, January 27, 2008
Making Miracles
We attended the first session of The Feast today and the topic was "How to be a Miracle Worker". It was the 4th of the 24 Building Blocks of the Champion's Life. Bo Sanchez talked about the 5 ways to create wonders in one's life.
Bo first mentioned that in Latin, the literal meaning of the word miracle is "something wonderful." These days we just associate "miracle" with "magic" or an occurence that is incredible and "out of this world." But if we revert to its original meaning, it is safe to say that we can always create miracles in our life. Having "something wonderful" happen to you can even be a daily occurence, if you will it to happen.
At one point in my life, I felt that I was neck deep in quicksand and any movement I make will make me sink even deeper and eventually take the living daylights out of me. I am talking about the time I left home and decided to be with Lyndon. I made a decision out of stubborness and pride and it severely affected my relationsip with my parents. It was a difficult time because not only were we financially unstable, we were also hurting my family really bad. I made some choices that I thought were right at that time, until the difficulties started pouring in. I was in a rut. We were deep in debt and living from paycheck to paycheck. I didn't know how to get out. There also came a point when I had to swallow my pride and move in with my sister, we just couldnt sustain living on our own anymore.
Those were dark days too because we had to abide by the rules of the household and animosity was beginning to broil. I was dying to move out again but my circumstances prevented me.
I was in a deeper rut. I never blamed the Lord for what was happening in our life because I knew perfectly well that my choices led me to where I was. However, I didn't also bother lifting a finger to ask for God's help. I told myself "I brought myself here, I'll bring myself out."
Then one day, Lyndon decided he would attend Bo's church service. We were being invited by his brother for so long but we never gave it a thought. He came back from the church service a different person. Soon after I started attending too. Little by little I came to realize that God has a better plan for my life. He doesn't want me to be in the mess that I am in. In fact, He wants me to be successful and achieve all my dreams.
Blessings then started pouring. For one, Lyndon got a permanent job. At 40, he was beginning to be desperate about the possibility of getting a full time job. I got retained amidst a major restructuring in our company with a promotion to top it off. We were able to move to a nice apartment building that fits our requirements and was within our budget. Most important of all we have been forgiven by my family and things are better between us.
My life today isn't all perfect. There are still days when I struggle. There are still moments when I blame myself for the mistakes of the past. There are still aspects of my life that need correcting. But I am better. I am healing and I'm learning to love myself more and more. I'm beginning to create miracles in my own life.
Bo first mentioned that in Latin, the literal meaning of the word miracle is "something wonderful." These days we just associate "miracle" with "magic" or an occurence that is incredible and "out of this world." But if we revert to its original meaning, it is safe to say that we can always create miracles in our life. Having "something wonderful" happen to you can even be a daily occurence, if you will it to happen.
At one point in my life, I felt that I was neck deep in quicksand and any movement I make will make me sink even deeper and eventually take the living daylights out of me. I am talking about the time I left home and decided to be with Lyndon. I made a decision out of stubborness and pride and it severely affected my relationsip with my parents. It was a difficult time because not only were we financially unstable, we were also hurting my family really bad. I made some choices that I thought were right at that time, until the difficulties started pouring in. I was in a rut. We were deep in debt and living from paycheck to paycheck. I didn't know how to get out. There also came a point when I had to swallow my pride and move in with my sister, we just couldnt sustain living on our own anymore.
Those were dark days too because we had to abide by the rules of the household and animosity was beginning to broil. I was dying to move out again but my circumstances prevented me.
I was in a deeper rut. I never blamed the Lord for what was happening in our life because I knew perfectly well that my choices led me to where I was. However, I didn't also bother lifting a finger to ask for God's help. I told myself "I brought myself here, I'll bring myself out."
Then one day, Lyndon decided he would attend Bo's church service. We were being invited by his brother for so long but we never gave it a thought. He came back from the church service a different person. Soon after I started attending too. Little by little I came to realize that God has a better plan for my life. He doesn't want me to be in the mess that I am in. In fact, He wants me to be successful and achieve all my dreams.
Blessings then started pouring. For one, Lyndon got a permanent job. At 40, he was beginning to be desperate about the possibility of getting a full time job. I got retained amidst a major restructuring in our company with a promotion to top it off. We were able to move to a nice apartment building that fits our requirements and was within our budget. Most important of all we have been forgiven by my family and things are better between us.
My life today isn't all perfect. There are still days when I struggle. There are still moments when I blame myself for the mistakes of the past. There are still aspects of my life that need correcting. But I am better. I am healing and I'm learning to love myself more and more. I'm beginning to create miracles in my own life.
Sunday, January 20, 2008
Celebrating Brokeness
Just got back from church service and today is one special day because I was able to bring my sister to "The Feast." I've been bugging her to join us every Sunday because I know she will be blessed by the encounter.
A couple of days ago, I texted her and asked if she could come with me and she gave me a half-baked yes when she said "sana magising ako" because she knows that we normally attend the 7:30 service. This morning, I woke up a bit late (9am) and a few minutes later she was already knocking on our door. We both attended the 10AM service.
It was heartwarming because I've been praying for this for so long. I've been wanting her to attend because I know that there are so many things she wants to resolve in her life. I can see what she is going through and it breaks my heart that I cannot do anything to alleviate her situation. All I could offer is to lead her towards finding her faith again, and making her realize that there is Someone she can always come to when things are tough. I personally cannot change her circumstances, but all I can do is lead her to Someone who can.
The topic of Bo's talk today was all about "Celebrating Brokenness." He talked about how we tend to respond to our weaknesses in different ways. Some people take flight (by being angry and bitter), some fight it (by burying weakness in an addiction), while others fantasize (by covering it up and pretending that everything's on the up and up). The best way however is to feast;to celebrate one's brokenness by acknowledging it, sharing it with others, asking for help, blessing others with one's weakness and accepting other people's weakness as well.
Bo's talk also featured a video of a preacher who was born without arms and feet but he is able to take care of himself, and he continues to touch the lives of other people through his preaching. After watching the video, all of us had the same thought in our minds..."Who are we to complain?"
I know my sister thought the same and I truly believe that she was greatly blessed by the experience. We both had tears in our eyes while we were singing our praises and gave each other the warmest hug after.
I asked her to come with me again next week and this time she readily said "YES."
A couple of days ago, I texted her and asked if she could come with me and she gave me a half-baked yes when she said "sana magising ako" because she knows that we normally attend the 7:30 service. This morning, I woke up a bit late (9am) and a few minutes later she was already knocking on our door. We both attended the 10AM service.
It was heartwarming because I've been praying for this for so long. I've been wanting her to attend because I know that there are so many things she wants to resolve in her life. I can see what she is going through and it breaks my heart that I cannot do anything to alleviate her situation. All I could offer is to lead her towards finding her faith again, and making her realize that there is Someone she can always come to when things are tough. I personally cannot change her circumstances, but all I can do is lead her to Someone who can.
The topic of Bo's talk today was all about "Celebrating Brokenness." He talked about how we tend to respond to our weaknesses in different ways. Some people take flight (by being angry and bitter), some fight it (by burying weakness in an addiction), while others fantasize (by covering it up and pretending that everything's on the up and up). The best way however is to feast;to celebrate one's brokenness by acknowledging it, sharing it with others, asking for help, blessing others with one's weakness and accepting other people's weakness as well.
Bo's talk also featured a video of a preacher who was born without arms and feet but he is able to take care of himself, and he continues to touch the lives of other people through his preaching. After watching the video, all of us had the same thought in our minds..."Who are we to complain?"
I know my sister thought the same and I truly believe that she was greatly blessed by the experience. We both had tears in our eyes while we were singing our praises and gave each other the warmest hug after.
I asked her to come with me again next week and this time she readily said "YES."
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
The Gifts of '07
I guess I'm a couple of weeks late in writing this blog but then again i haven't found the time until now.
Last night, a tragedy happened. Lyndon left his brand new cellphone in the taxi. He called me up just before he stepped out of the cab so we knew exactly where he left it. It was barely 4 days old and friends who saw it said it was a good buy... well, now its a good bye (pun intended hahaha)! He was feeling so down that i had to tell him to just pray for the guy who got it, and hope that he be blessed by having it. I couldn't believe i told him that, PRAY i mean...but one of the greatest gifts '07 brought was the gift of prayer. I re-discovered prayer when we started attending The Feast in March'07 and since then, i started appreciating again the powers of faith and humility.
Aside from the above (and to further veer away from the sad story of the lost cellphone), let me make a list of the gifts (or blessing) i received in the past year. In no particular order, here it goes...
Last night, a tragedy happened. Lyndon left his brand new cellphone in the taxi. He called me up just before he stepped out of the cab so we knew exactly where he left it. It was barely 4 days old and friends who saw it said it was a good buy... well, now its a good bye (pun intended hahaha)! He was feeling so down that i had to tell him to just pray for the guy who got it, and hope that he be blessed by having it. I couldn't believe i told him that, PRAY i mean...but one of the greatest gifts '07 brought was the gift of prayer. I re-discovered prayer when we started attending The Feast in March'07 and since then, i started appreciating again the powers of faith and humility.
Aside from the above (and to further veer away from the sad story of the lost cellphone), let me make a list of the gifts (or blessing) i received in the past year. In no particular order, here it goes...
- A new apartment that's big enough, nice enough and near enough (to my office and my sister's house).
- A promotion that rewarded my hard work and added a few more cash to my pocket
- A church service to attend that reinforces my faith and allows me to appreciate God's presence in my life (add to that, a roster of great preachers)
- A stable job for Lyndon that improved our finances and boosted his self confidence.
- A week-long vacation in Cebu with my mom that allowed us to rediscover each other and improved our relationship
- A great boss (also a great friend and confidante), who allows me to soar as high as she believes I can
- Great friends who despite my shortcomings are ready to forgive and (hopefully) forget
- A best friend who has memorized and adapted to my quirks and remained to be one of my biggest fans.
- My dad who roots for me in every endeavor I take and loves me beyond measure and understanding
- My family who's always fun and funky, and all the good that comes with it.
- Kira Isobel who at less than 2 months old is gearing up to be the next darling of the family
- Wifi connection that allows me to hook up (through YM) with old friends who have been out of touch for years
- The opportunity to stay in my job amidst the horrors of restructuring
- TV fare that allows me relax on weekends or after a day's hard work
- Jef and his squeals of delight when he sees me, and his great big hug to boot
- "Tulisans" who remained to be good friends outside the walls of HOC
There's got to be more than what I listed here, because '07 was one good year for me...but the challenge has always been seeing that one moment, one person or thing as a true blessing.
Maybe I'll challenge myself this year, at the end of each day, I will write down one blessing that came my way. And by then end of '08, I would have a longer list.
I can't wait!
Monday, January 14, 2008
Quintupled!
Turned 34 last week, and thus far this is the most number of times that I threw a party. Well, not really a party, just simple get togethers with friends and/or family to remind me that i'm well into mid 3o's. Jeez!
On my birthday, i took a vacation leave from work so i can spend the whole day tinkering with my new laptop and finding my way again through the world wide web. Got myself a broadband connection and hooked up with old friends through YM. I also cooked a simple dinner with Lyndon and Jen, and gave away spaghetti to the neighbors.
Went back to work the following day, feeling lightheaded because I was on line until 2am. Kisses and hugs from everyone who greeted me and had a fun lunch with Annie, Ayen, Mike and my boss. Odd group, but it turned out well. That afternoon, I ordered pizza and pasta for my officemates, my way of "giving back," having feasted on other people's birthday treat for the past 12 months.
Celebration #4 was with my mom and the whole family. We had dinner at Dencio's in Banawe and feasted on everything that would cause elevated cholesterol count. There was a live band, much to my mom's dismay: "too noisy, i can't hear myself think!" ...mom's thoughts probably. When the rest of the family left, Lyndon, Jen, Fel and I stayed a while for the music and a couple of beers then we headed home. I wanted to get a caffeine fix at starbucks but Lyndon insisted we head on home because he needed to commune with the toilet. Shucks!
Finally on the 13th, cooked dinner for my friends who came over and saw our apartment for the first time. We chose Sunday because it was also Annie's birthday the day before so we had to allow her to celebrate with her family.
5 celebrations for my 34th...how i come i don't feel celebrated? :D
On my birthday, i took a vacation leave from work so i can spend the whole day tinkering with my new laptop and finding my way again through the world wide web. Got myself a broadband connection and hooked up with old friends through YM. I also cooked a simple dinner with Lyndon and Jen, and gave away spaghetti to the neighbors.
Went back to work the following day, feeling lightheaded because I was on line until 2am. Kisses and hugs from everyone who greeted me and had a fun lunch with Annie, Ayen, Mike and my boss. Odd group, but it turned out well. That afternoon, I ordered pizza and pasta for my officemates, my way of "giving back," having feasted on other people's birthday treat for the past 12 months.
Celebration #4 was with my mom and the whole family. We had dinner at Dencio's in Banawe and feasted on everything that would cause elevated cholesterol count. There was a live band, much to my mom's dismay: "too noisy, i can't hear myself think!" ...mom's thoughts probably. When the rest of the family left, Lyndon, Jen, Fel and I stayed a while for the music and a couple of beers then we headed home. I wanted to get a caffeine fix at starbucks but Lyndon insisted we head on home because he needed to commune with the toilet. Shucks!
Finally on the 13th, cooked dinner for my friends who came over and saw our apartment for the first time. We chose Sunday because it was also Annie's birthday the day before so we had to allow her to celebrate with her family.
5 celebrations for my 34th...how i come i don't feel celebrated? :D
Thursday, January 10, 2008
Happy Birthday to me!
Got myself wifi connected today. Maybe I will have more chances to blog now; been absent for quit a while.
Got myself a new laptop as well, as a long overdue gift to myself.
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