la-ba-da-mi-la-ba-ngo

some days ago, i have expressed my disgust in the laundry system in this building. you don't have the liberty to wash your clothes as often as you want because the washing machine is common for all the tenants in the apartment. if you're not lucky, someone is using the machine. if you have the worst of luck, someone leaves his clothes on the machine - FOR HOURS!

yesterday, i felt my dirty clothes were ready to eat me up if i didn't wash them then. i went home early, all energized to do my laundry. i was home at around 6:30, but somebody left his clothes in the machine. the clothes were sitting there for so long! other tenants put his clothes somewhere, like a hamper, just so they could wash their clothes. after they used the machine, they put back his clothes in the machine.

i didn't want to remove his clothes. there were briefs and all! didn't want to touch those... how irresponsible of him. argh.

so to put it short, i wasn't able to wash my dirty laundry. i was waiting by the stairs for the owner of the darned clothes but he didn't come. frustrated and all, i left him a note: "next time pls don't leave your clothes. i've been waiting for hours." and i slept with hopes of waking up early the next day and finding his clothes gone.

it's against the house rules, btw, to remove someone else's clothes. and it's also against the house rules to leave your clothes rotting in the machine for hours. he disobeyed the second, i disobeyed the first when i woke up this morning. using a sandwich bag as hand protector (aka gloves), i removed his clothes, briefs, socks, and all, and put them in a big plastic bag. and with heart full of glee, i washed my clothes - at 7am! so much for having a good relaxing weekend.

here's the laundry area at the basement. the machine at the left is the washing machine, and the one at the right is the drier. the plastic bag on top of the drier is where i put the mystery man's darned clothes. n.b.: sira ang drier so pahirapan din magpatuyo ng damit. how bad could it get? it sucks. this is our terrace. we (with jan, shine) star-gazed here last weekend, stayed up late and watched the stars and talked about religion, science,our dreams, our personalities, movies, and all sorts of topic under the stars (literally :D)


this is the terrace now: with my clothes hanging on a makeshift clothesline. ask me how i made the sampayan. i cut a strong plastic bag into strip, tied them into knots to make them form a long line, and tied them on the rails of the terrace. voila! sampayan! the sun's good and i bet my clothes will dry in a few more hours. unlike in the past weeks - clothes dry in days! because it's too cold and there are no sampayans!!! it's really a pain - no more!


some notes for background:

• the apartment owners provided us with around 10 pcs of hanger.
• we bought additional hangers at 3CHF for 4 pcs!
• there are no sampayans in the houses. there are available sampayans in the basement but don't want to leave my clothes there.
• is it bawal to sampay in the terrace? i have no idea, but i did it just the same. getting desperate here. hahaha! if there's a will there's a way!
  

learning to like...

bahnhofstrasse

is like orchard in singapore. it's an array of shops, shops, and more shops. all shops close at around 6pm though. even on weekends!

one of the narrow shopping streets... and more uphill/downhill eskinitas paved with cobblestones - all adorned with shops. :)

churches
great church interior... this was where we had my first Sunday mass here as well as the Assumption mass.

Church of Our Lady of Lourdes - under renovation. the parish priest is one of the kindest priests i've known... very approachable and friendly.the filipino choir! felt very at home when i saw these filipino speaking people. we heard that the reason they had an english 6:30pm sunday mass was there is a big number of filipino mass goers in this area.

entrace - yiha solo pic
diskuhan
this place is called zic-zac, did not enjoy it that much because music's quite old, cigarette smoke is trapped in the enclosed area, and may mga weird na tao... that probably includes us. was a good dance anyway :)

alak

mabait ang amo ko. wala akong masasabi sa kanya. isa sya sa nagpaparamdam sa aming tatlo dito na kabilang kami sa grupo (susme parang dear charo lang ito). lagi syang nakangiti sa amin at laging handang tumulong sa lahat ng pagkakataon.

kahapon, inimbitahan nya kami sa isang party. waw, parang sosyal, party! hehehe, at wala raw kaming dahilang hindi sumama. dala na rin siguro ng hiya dahil maganda naman ang turing nya sa amin, sumama kami ni janise. si shine, naglaba. hehe. hindi napilit.

bakit may party? tanong ko sa kanya. wala lang, sosyalan lang. susme. sige. sama na kami. pahabol nya, sumama na rin kayo sa korean restawran para sa hapunan bago mag-inuman. sige. para na rin hindi kami maligaw sa sosyalan. nag-aabang pa lang kami ng tren, susme, mamatay-matay na kami sa ka-OPhan ni janise dahil 4 silang lalaki na iba-ibang lahi. makukulit sila. di naman siguro kami ma-OP kung naiintindihan namin yung mga pinagtatawanan nila. ganito ang pangyayari hanggang dinner. may mundo sila, may mundo rin kami ni janise. mahaba ang gabing ito, naisip ko.

pagkatapos ng hapunan, pumunta na kami sa wine bar. waw! d-vino ang pangalan nung bar. at naturalmente, wine daw ang nararapat na inumin dun. ayos. naaalala ko ang pag swirl swirl sa wine glass bago mo ito inumin. napapanood ko ito sa discovery pero 'di ko ginawa. nakakahiya. hahaha! dumarami na ang tao. patuloy sila sa pag-uusap. ayos lang, patuloy rin kaming nag-usap ni jan.

nakakarami na kami ng inom. naka 6 na baso ata kami (6 na bote ng alak, at lahat may parte sa bawat bote). sumuka ako sa banyo. dalawang beses. walangya, matapang din pala ang alak... mistulang juice nga lang naman sya, sabi ni janise. tuwing balik ko ng upuan ko galing suka, hala, ngiting ngiti ako sa kanilang lahat. ganun ako malasing. mayumi, nakangiti lang, mahinhin. hahaha!

maya-maya pa, napansin kong kinakausap na nila kami, at ang daldal na rin namin ni jan. hala, tuwang-tuwa naman kami sa mga usapan. super belong naman kami diba?! feeling close, brushing elbows. haha! mababait naman pala sila. hanggang sa dulo, talagang hindi na kami na-OP. salamat sa alak.

ang beso-beso dito ay beso-beso-beso. hahaha! 3 halik sa pisngi imbis na 2 lang. o diba, hanggang sa beso-beso-beso e kasali kami! bongga! mistulang sosyal! hahaha. nag-enjoy ako. hindi ako nagsisising sumama kami dahil maganda syang pagkakataon na makakilala ng ibang tao, makakilala ng kultura ng ibang lahi, at mapatunayan sa sarili ko na hindi naman pala sila aloof sa mga asyanong tulad ko. yun nga lang, umuwi akong bangag.

kaninang umaga, tinanong ako ng amo ko kung nag enjoy ako. sinabi ko ang totoo. sabi ko nung una, hirap kaming makisali. pero nung huli, masaya na kami. sabi nya, natuwa syang nakihalubilo kami at nakiride sa mga joke nila.

ang alak. bow.

p.s. dito nga pala, parang hindi uso ang pagpapakilala sa mga dayo sa grupo. hindi rin uso ang pag-entertain kagaya sa pinas pag may porenjers, parang todo asikaso tayo diba? sa team pag may bisita, special treatment. dito hindi ganun. parang responsibilidad mong magpakilala sa grupo at responsibilidad mong makibilang sa kanila. yun lang.

ang alak. bow.

happy betdey!

it's my birthday! maraming maraming salamat sa lahat ng bumati at nakaalala sa isang insignificant na nilalang na tulad ko. i needed those lalo't malayo ako sa sibilisasyon ngayon. waw maarte lang.

kagabi, nagkwentuhan kami ni jan hanggang mangawit ang mga panga namin. ewan ko. di lang talga nauubos ang mga kwento namin. hehehe. pagdating mga 12:00 am, birthday ko na! ayan, di ko maintindihan kung paanong naging horror ang moment na to at nagtakbuhan kami pabalik sa kwarto. susme. tama bang maging gabi ng lagim ang birthday ko?!? hahaha great laughs!

who says you can't be happy on your birthday even though you are in a foreign world? as i always say, when you are away from your home and family, everybody in your circle becomes an instant beloved family member :)

here's my surprise birthday party, i feel so honored and blessed because i was joined by my two lovely guests, jan and shine (in pyjamas and all! bongga!)



it was a feast! there was pasta (cooked by shine!), pizza, cake, left-over adobo, apple juice, balloons (pumped [waw] by jan!). what more could i ask for?! and birthday messages from my family and friends. at humahagulgol ako at 2:30AM. :)) horror, drama, comedy ito. susme!

the foody!

the coop picha!

the choclate cake!

the balloons!

it was a grand day! very, very special. oops, weather check: drizzling... wenongayon?! i'm happy!

8 post meridien

view from my window at 8pm. yes, 8pm :) won't probably last long since summer is ending.
they say it'll all be just rain, rain, and more mighty rain. where's the fun there?
i have never been a fan of rain and anything that's wet.
all i want is the nice, warm sunshine... and clear, blue skies! yay

eat bulaga

wow, buhay na naman ang blog ko. kasi naman may mga bago akong kwento. :) masaya diba?

laundry setup: there is one washing machine and one drier per building. syempre kung may naglalaba na, di ka pwede sumingit, so medyo based on luck ang kapalaran ng mga maruruming damit mo - kung lilinis ba sila or hindi sa araw na ito.

swerte ang mga damit ko kagabi. pagkagaling ko sa basement para magdry ng mga damit, aakyat na ako sa 3rd floor nang may makita akong parating na mga anaps. ayaw kong may makasabay paakyat sa 3rd so kumaripas ako ng takbo para lang makaiwas sa tao.

pagdating ko ng 2nd floor, hala akala ko 3rd floor na!!! mega open naman ako ng door ng may door, pasok ako, hala nakita ko sila waaaah! mga anaps na walang tshirt. susme. naglalaptop ang iba, yung iba nakaupo lang, ganyan. nakatingin lang din sila sakin. siguro sa isip-isip nila sang lupalop nanggaling tong babaeng to. hahaha...

oh well, dahan-dahan akong umatras, sinara ko ang pinto nila at kumaripas ulit ng takbo paakyat sa unit namin. ano ba yan. ganun na lang? bulagaan na lang sa bahay ng may bahay? hehehe! the best! sorry mga kuya!

swiss miss

location: zurich, switzerland

ang unang sumagi sa isip ko ay, ang swerte ko naman... kung 'di dahil sa project ko e 'di siguro ako makakarating dito. pero ngayong nandito na ako, parang nakakadalawang-isip. hehehe.

parang nasa tagaytay ako. ganun ang lamig nya - summer ito. maraming nagyoyosi, siguro para uminit ang mga katawan nila. waw. at lalamig pa sa mga araw na darating.

parang laging tanaw ang mga bulubundukin na dating nakikita ko lang sa drawing ng lata ng alpine. susmiyo.

saturday, fresh from my night flight, pumasyal kami sa annual street parade nila. ito yata ang dinadayong event nila. wild sya. maraming tourists na nagkalat sa kalsada, halos hubad na ang iba, karamihan lasing, wala sa sarili, bangag. ganun. party mode ang lahat. na-shock ako.

sunday, pumasyal kami sa ballenburg kasama ang teammate naming si loli at ang jowawa nyang si joachim. they're super kind and accommodating. masaya ang trip. yung ballenburg, bale yung mga lumang structures (bahay, barn, at kung ano pa mang building) dito na i-dedemolish para sa road expansion, nipre-preserve nila at tinatayo ulit sa ballenburg. so naging na syang museum. parang intramuros ganun.

masaya naman ako dahil ok yung bahay namin, ok ang mga kasama kong sina jan at sunshine. ok naman din sa office dahil yung mga dating nakaka-chat ko lang e may mukha na sila ngayon. nasasalubong mo, nakakainteract, nakakajoke-an mo ganun. ok naman so far.

siguro kung merong di ok, ito ay ang pakiramdam na pinagtitinginan ka. ayaw na ayaw ko ang tinitingnan ako. kasalanan ko bang umitim ako, at lumiit? hehehe.

ayaw ko rin na maagang nagsasara ang mga mall. as in mga 6pm, yung iba 8pm. grabe. samantalang sa sg, hala sige mag mall ka hanggang kulaniin na ang singit mo, ok lang.

yun lang. wala lang. hehe.

gula-gulanit

kawawa naman, walang pambili ng pajamas.
nabili ko pa sa baclaran ang pantulog kong itong.
murang-mura, 3 for 100PHP. mantakin mo, 1SGD lang. hay.
presko ito - dahil manipis.
kapag tumapat ako sa araw, kita na ang silhouette ko.
waw. silhouette talaga.
parang mali ang salita.
para kasing pang sexy lang ang silhouette!
so sasabihin kong, "aninag na ang binti ko"
wenongayon yung sira?
masarap pa rin isuot!

what it only means

i don't mind falling badly
it could only mean one thing:
i will stand up gracefully
and be there eventually with Him

losing interest

when someone loses interest in something, it gets bad. it will get bad.
you wake up each morning and you realize you don't look forward to certain things. it will get bad.
when you withdraw from something you really, really like, it will eventually turn out for the best. but initially, it will get bad.
when you see a pattern forming, it sometimes seems to be leading to something dim. it will get bad.
you try to swallow it in any way possible, but you just can't... makes you puke... it will get bad.
you start to sigh - the way you sighed before when things were like hell. it will get bad.
when you find yourself standing still amidst everybody else's pompous jumps, you realize life gets dull. it will get bad.
it makes you beam like elmo before but now, the very sight of it makes you glare. if looks could kill, it will get bad.
when you start concocting these crappy negative thoughts in your brain, you will end up being a crazy witch. oh, it will get bad!

i will not forget

it was mother's day yesterday. the very best i could do was send my mom an sms and call her in the afternoon. it was just a regular chika, like any ordinary weekend where i'd call her and gossip like a teenager.

when i was a little girl, i used to make hand-made niceties for her on mother's day. mostly hand-made cheesy cards. it always made her cry. no matter how cheesy or corny the contents were, the cards never failed to make her cry.

todo effort, i would prepare to make the card in advance and on mother's day, i would shyly give it to her, or probably leave it on a spot where she would easily find it. decors galore! colors, glitters, cut-out papers, hala, sige mistulang art class ito.

i also used to jog with my lolo during mornings. he would urge me to pick flowers so i could give them to mom as a present when i get home. there was also a time when i crafted one of her photos so it would appear 3d. it still stands on our piano, collecting dust, but the lady in the photo is just as pretty. i wish i had her pwetty looks ;) especially the overly tangos nose. yup ako lang ang pango sa amin! haha! fine.

and then i thought today. sms and phone call? is that the best i can do?

i sent her an email. i told her that now that i'm all grown up, i will not forget that she is my mother, I will not forget that i love her, i will not forget all the sacrifices she did for us, i will not forget to thank her each day of my life, I will not forget that I should be a better person each day because that's what she wants me to be - and it's the right way to be!

yup, i'm still cheesy. yup, i know she will still cry when she reads the email. we are licensed to be cheesy when it comes to our moms. if it's for mami, it's not cheesy at all. ;p

paru-paros

i seldom buy hair clips - even if i tie my hair in a half pony tail everyday. i have 2 yellow clamps now and they're starting to break :( time to say goodbye to the yellow clamps :(

saw these cute shokshoks at the grocery earlier today. hehe, mailagay sa punda kong bulaklakin. para lang akong nasa hardin. it's cute!

sa kaitaasan

view from carslberg tower, sentosa. last week was my first time to get
to the tower. cc and maria and i had a great 360-degree view of the
sentosa vicinity from the top of the tower.

I love the wonderful clouds. i love the way the sky seemingly meets
the water. i love the way the white sand peeks from the sea. i love
the richness of the color of the trees.. lush lush! great view :)

anong itsura kapag bangag?

pagkatapos manood ng mini concert, uminom ng kaunti, mahilo sa taxi,
at magsuka dahil nakainom, anong itsura ng isang tao?

i love...

it's your time to shine

if there's one thing i learned today, it's the fact that i have the right to shine on my own sweet time. i can be mad if i wanted to, shout if i opted to, glare if i wished to do so. because the spotlight is on me at this very moment and i am the star! this is my show and that's how i want the script to run. i could probably act like a self-centered, spoiled little girl who's waiting to be babied and pampered and loved and all. nothing new? i'll tell you what's new. it's the reality that you have these rights too and you deserve to be angry too sometimes. and you could be the star too. i will just be the extra when your shining moment comes. oh, i was the extra a few minutes ago. you were a wonderful star! a very cute star! i loved doing the pampering hihi! another thing i learned? there's no return key on this thing. hehe so they are all contained on a single paragraph. eek ugly!

frogging

they sell these poor creatures in shengshiong. yep, they're big, big frogs - leaping and croaking and all. if in pinas, you have to cave into the muddy rice fields to get hold of them, here, you could conveniently sort of "frog" for it from this plastic container and bring it home and cook it.

(ehem, do you frog for frogs the same way you fish for fishes?
would a conversation sound this way:
char1: wacha doin'?
char2: i'm froggin'. you? wacha doin'?
char1: i'm fishin'.
char2: fine.
char1: fine.
waw ganyan talaga mag-usap? ang aarte.)

i don't think i could eat it. one arte expression for it would be: eew.

even if it tastes like chicken, i don't think i can try it.

ok, maybe i will. one of these days. if there's a challenge... and the prize is good. if the prize is this something i have in mind, i'll do it.

excuse the arte-ness. eew.

eew.

pampa

katulad ng ina ko, mahilig akong magpapahid ng kung anu-ano sa katawan ko. hahaha! maka-arte lang ba.

heto't, masdan ang mga bago kong kakikayan.

pampatanggal daw ng peklat ng pimples
libre lang ito sa nabili kong clinique 1-2-3. nagsale kasi, so nagpabili ulit ako kay ahngel. ang cute ng freebies. sinliit ng langgam. hihi. meron akong 2 annoying na peklat ng pimple sa muka, tingnan natin kung eepek itong free na ito hehe.

pampatanggal daw ng wrinkles malapit sa mata

gas, parang ang tanda ko na ah. hehe, talaga namang intensive! susme, sabi parang natatanggal nya ang wrinkles. pero sabi ng titser ko, wala naman daw talagang way na matanggal ang wrinkles. hahaha. ay, libre lang din ito. 'di ko pa nasusubukan. saka na pag matanda na ako. bwahaha, bukas na yun siguro.

pampabango daw ng katawan
ayan, gaya-gaya lang ako, minsan kasi, naamoy ko si jan mabango ang pabango nya. pakopya lang ng amoy hehe. mabango sya pramis! tamang-tama nag-aya si kuya bumili ng pabango sa mustaps kahapon. i like!

pampabawas daw ng dryness ng hairs (waw plural talaga!)
2 linggo na siguro ako twice nagsha-shampoo ng buhok. isa sa umaga, isa sa gabi. di ko alam kung bakit. sa saliksik ko, masama pala ito dahil ang shampoo ay parang detergent na panglaba or panghugas ng plato. maaaring tinatanggal nya ang dumi ng buhok, ngunit it also strips off the natural oil of the hair. waw. since di ko maiwasang maligo sa gabi, sabi ng internet, pwede raw ihalo ang 1 tbsp ng baking soda sa 1 cup warm water as replacement sa shampoo. mild ito compared sa shampoo. sa gabi, baking soda, sa umaga shampoo. subukan natin. :) ito ang favorite kong item sa mga nipost ko today :)

awww i miss my mami, my kikay buddy.

on disappointment

why do people get disappointed?

maybe they expect too much and when they don't get what they are hoping for, it gets sour.

maybe they do not expect too much, but they hope that, at the very least, something they deserve will happen. and others may be just too insensitive to give what people rightfully deserve.

maybe they just choose to shut up when they get hurt because they don't want others to act in a certain way - just because they were told to do so. maybe they believe that people who are people do things the right way based on their judgment, and not because they are scolded.

maybe because they are promised of something good and the promise just rots and resurrects, then rots and resurrects again, and rots some more and resurrects again and again... and sometimes it just gets too tiring. promises aren't supposed to behave this way. it's a shame.

maybe because there is just a thing called difference among people, and some differences could never be settled. never. and the thing called acceptance will never be applicable. difference will not cease to exist. it just won't. i feel sorry that it's true.

some things are meant to be simple. i like simple things. but some things remain too complicated for the rest of your life. hehehe. i am disappointed.

reconstructs damaged hair in 1 minute

look what i found lying on the fertile land of watson's...

i hope this will remedy my dry hair. it says "reconstructs damaged hair in 1 minute". wow ambisyosa. hehe.

it's a good buy. it's on sale at $6. usual price is $10++. i will try it tomorrow morning and if it's worthy of my shrieks of joy, i'll hoard. if i can't hoard, i'll panic buy. duh.

i am a stage sis

congratulations to my baby brother, Engineer Erwin Dexter Aldaba Camacho!

we are so proud of you and we love you!

the sleepless nights of studying are over... 30 minutes, is that considered sleepless? ;)

the long walks in recto searching for a book-binding shop are just specks of good memories now... and i'll gladly walk the long mile with you again if i had to.

the callouses you got from writing your unreasonably long reports are mere evidences of your hard work... and they're just callouses!

i called him at 9:00 am today, i asked for the results, "kumusta?" he said, "hulaan mo". that was the sweetest phrase i heard today. :)

sa tuwa ni ate, nagpakain ako ng simple breakfast sa office. susmiyo stage sister lang ito.

life is good! blessings are in abundance! indeed, i could not ask for more. :)

here, marvel at the name of my baby brother... the baby is now an engineer bwahahaha!

please be careful of my heart (halu-halo)

dahil medyo bad trip ako kanina, dinaan ko na lang sa chibog ang init ng ulo ko. at dahil 'di ako pwedeng kumain ng masasarap na pagkain, healthy pa rin pero nag pig-out ako. oink oink. bwahaha! no pictures... bad trip ako e.

what's for dinner?

1/2 cup of oatmeal in milk, milo, and honey
1/2 cup lang dahil parang nauumay ako sa 1 cup

1 slice of bread
i realized sa isang buong araw, i consume 4++ slices: 2 for breakfast, 2 for merienda, 1++ for dinner

1/2 can of ayam salmon with mayo
hmm, nung nakita ko sya sa grocery, attractive sya. it's a different story when i tasted it. lasa syang tinapa. ewan, di ko type.

a bunch of grapes
yep, leftover from last week's kilo pa ito. don't worry, firm pa sila, masarap pa rin. maganda ang grapes na ito. and umm, this is the last batch yay! i'll miss ya grapey!

orange juice with milk
eeew ba? masarap sya promise :) 50% orange juice, 50% milk. try mo. hehe!

good luck tummy! :)

pissed

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARGH! IT WAS TIRING! WHOEVER SAID WOMEN DON'T HAVE SENSE OF DIRECTION?!? SO WRONG!

I'M SO EXPLODING RIGHT NOW!

pasensya na if it seemed that i threw it all on you. it was not my intention.

it's just that i'm so PISSED. BIG TIME.

i'm ok now.

thanks for listening.

i'm ok now.

kakain na lang ako ng oatmeal. at ubas. at tuna. sheesh.

my lolo taught me how to read

i love to read. although i'm not a mad book collector, i own a few worth-keeping books (according to my standards, that is), and when i read them, i let my soul, not just my eyes, wander through the pages.

i don't like neat books. i don't actually care for my books. or let me put it this way, i am not an oc when it comes to my books. the best i could do is cover them with plastic wrap - at least the ones left back at home - and then proceed to reading them like crazy. i fold the corners of the pages instead of using bookmarks. i don't mind having fold marks at the sides of the book. i believe the more i physically abuse my book, the more it serves its purpose. hehehe. a book is not a book if it is neat and shining and new. wear-and-tear is an evidence that it was read page by page.

reading a borrowed book is another story. of course, i won't abuse borrowed books hahaha!

reading. it brings me back to how and when i learned to read. i was 4 (or almost 4 maybe) years old. i have very vivid memories of my lolo sitting with me, with a paper and a pencil, drawing symbols which later on evolved to letters.

letters, as my lolo said, when put alongside with other letters, form words. you'll just have to put the sounds together too. i think i remember the first word was "cat". and the rest was history.

as a 3rd grader, i loved reading nancy drew and hardy boys books. fiction books were not necessities at our home that time, so the library was a haven for me.

during 4th grade to early high school, i felt i grew up with the sweet valley twins, high, and university girls. francine pascal always started describing how identical the twins looked, and then will follow with the line "but that's where the similarities end". hehe.

and there were the sweet dreams books. hahaha! light kissing scenes were the ultimate kilig moments!

and then from college up to present, i appreciate various authors. i especially like coelho and grisham today, but i don't have my own preference. if a review says this book is good, i read it. if someone recommends it, i read it.

what's a perfect setting? hmmm, probably by the beach! on a hammock! reading a good book. :)

again, it all comes back to thanking my lolo - for teaching me how to read. :) yey!

please be careful with my heart (oats, tuna, fruits)

what's for dinner?

oatmeal, a can of tuna, and apple and grapes with honey and milk

getting more difficult to swallow for the past nights... but i'm striving hehehe :)

please be careful with my heart (oats and grapes)

what's for dinner?

a cup of oatmeal, as usual...

and a bunch of grapes...
what's left of the grapes? tangkay...

want to hear a grape story? hahaha. lunch time: janise, marco, and i are strolling along the country roads of suntec. waw naman. we saw these grapes at sale for only $3.50 a kilo. kung ano lang ang maisipan, hala sige bili ng tig-iisang kilo.

aanhin ko naman ang isang kilong ubas? ewan ko. dinner ng isang linggo? bwahahaha!

online

susmaryosep. everything is done online. online banking, online tax filing, online dating, online pets, online orders, online reservation, online booking, online voting. name it, the "online" technology can make it happen.

have you ever heard of online inuman? astig! hahaha! or pathetic? haha!

friday night, all alone, with ice-cold beer in the freezer, a can of pringles...


susmiyo, sige complete with online videoke! ang kainuman ko ay si janise over ym! mygas! nice no? :) may cheers pa kami!

* kuya said sol tastes good. i say it tastes just as bad as any other beer. good thing there's pringles to ward off the unpleasant taste.

please be careful with my heart (atay on a friday)

what's for dinner?

i am alone on a friday night. no dinner/night-out with friends or kuya.

i walked out of the office after a rather loaded week. janise and i bought liver (and some other stuff) from carrefour. yes, i am a copy cat, it's a friday, and i would love to have what janise is having tonight - liver steak.


is it a heart-friendly meal? i have no idea but what the heck... it's a friday! and i miss my momma's liver steak!

please be careful with my heart (crap)

what's for dinner? crap. consider it a break from the healthy pact hehehe. ang bilis. not that i craved for junk food, it's just that we still have pata in the freezer and we hate to see it rot to death.

so cook it kung cook it. fine. period.

crispy pata crap...

paksiw na pata crap...

crap? yes, but it sure is one yummy piece of crap.

next week, no more junk food. i promise.

please be careful with my heart (wheat bread, tuna, banana)

what's for dinner? a slice of wheat bread, a can of tuna, and one banana. not so yummy, but my heart says yumyum. hahaha! i obey to my heart's desires. bwahaha!

please be careful with my heart (berries and oats)

what's for dinner? oatmeal and strawberries :) sounds like comfort food to me - and it tastes even better. :)

this is a cup of oatmeal with a tablespoon of milo and honey. i heard oatmeal can do wonders to the cholesterol level of the body... and so i try!

and what's left of the bunch of strawberries? looks heavenly still. luscious!

i love strawberries!

please be careful with my heart (prelude)

here's an attempt to make a series of posts on how i try to take care of my heart. hanep.

lately, i feel that my heart seems to skip another beat. ayos.

there is also a slight difficulty to breathe, like there's something heavy on my chest. wushu.

at rare occasions, i stay up awake, ever conscious of how my heart seems to palpitate. weeh.

my nape! omygas! it hurts sometimes! wow.

and i'm not joking. and there's a vision that my heart is engulfed by this massive block of gooey fat. and of course from all the fatty food i take. and i love fat! and i may have taken the thought for granted, but i do abuse my buddy body. and shucks. and now i feel the age drenching my body. oh, and did i mention i have no, if not little, form of exercise for the past few months?

i'm dead soon if i continue doing this vicious crap.

together with kuya, i now try to eat a healthy diet, especially for dinner. we started the venture last night... nawa'y hindi ito ningas kugon ;) hari-nawa! i call it the please be careful with my heart series. waw. ta-ta!

time heals all wounds

nagsimula ang lahat kagabi, masaya akong pauwi dahil natapos na naman ang lunes. :) iniisip ko pa kung anong lulutuin ko, kung anong gagawin ko sa gabing yon.

nasa mrt na ako. bahagyang siksikan at standing ovation ang drama ko. nakatingin ako sa sandals ni ate local dahil, gash, pareho kami ng sandals. halos ngitian ko sya at sabihing, "hi, we have the same pair of sandals". wow friendly. pero hindi ako friendly, kaya nilunok ko na lang ang katuwaan ko.

may kakwentuhan si ate. masaya silang nag-uusap. maya-maya, lumipat sila sa gilid ko. si ate, kanina pang pagewang-gewang kasi hindi sya nakahawak. nakatalikod sya sa gawing kaliwa ko.

napatingin ako sa bintana, "uy, umuulan" naisip ko. biglang nag-accelerate si mrt. nawalan ng balance si ate. napa-atras, ARAY! ilang segundo ang lumipas bago ko na-realize kung anong nangyari: na halos natadyakan nya ang paa ko! "ouch!" sabi kong malakas. waw sosyal. ouch daw.

'di ako makaisip. gusto ko nang umiyak sa sakit. may dugo na nag-ooze. clueless sya, pero siguro nafeel nyang may laman syang natapakan. humarap sakin, sabay sabi with a long and lasting smile, "did i step on your foot?"

ang cute nya. mahinhin. pero gusto ko syang sabunutan sa mga pagkakataong yun. nevertheless, i smiled back, "yes, it's bleeding."

she was extremely sorry naman. parang gusto na nga nyang kainin sya ng lupa sa kahihiyan. napatawad ko na sya. pero masakit ang ginawa nya sa akin. hanggang ngayon, dama ko pa ang kirot. waw.

so, ano kayang itsura kapag natakong kang so violently?
waah, i just did my toe nails! gusto ko pa naman ang kulay, tan!
pasensya puro gore! hahaha morbid.

ganyan lang ang buhay, kung hindi ka dinadamba ng aso, natatakong ka lang. hahaha! ang saya diba!

ang lumipas na Holy Week

being away from home makes some things seem different. i didn't feel the holy week coming because the holy week here is just one of those ordinary weeks. more than anything else, everybody here was excited with the good friday holiday. we get a day off. good? yes.

abstain? i didn't abstain from meat, at the very least. made me feel guilty. whatever happened to the good old high school days when meals would consist of fish and mongo during fridays? whatever happened? i guess i just didn't put in as much effort. why, because nobody was watching? :( guilty, no abstinence in any form for me during the lenten season.

last march 16, jan and i attended a recollection c/o lingkod. i wasn't hesitant. i grabbed the opportunity because i know i badly need some good time with Him. we got lost on our way to the venue. it was a very funny moment. very funny, very weird, very everything-i-can-think-of.

getting there was the best part. i was embraced by kind people, good music, yummy food, wonderful talks, and the quiet time i was yearning for. everything was so magnificent i felt i didn't deserve any of it, and yet He made me a part of it.

the same circle of people invited us to be part of the visita iglesia and stations of the cross last maundy thursday (i miss my mom and our own way of visita iglesia). pics of some of the churches:

Church of St. Bernadette

St.Theresa Church

Our Lady of Lourdes Church

good friday came and as a very faint effort to abstain, we had sardines for lunch and another round of fish for dinner. it was kind of ironic pa rin kasi, kinagabihan, kuya and i did our solid meat groceries for saturday and sunday. haha. susme, tipak tipak na baboy ito. haha.

saturday was spent in silence at home.

we heard filipino mass for easter sunday. it was overwhelming to see a good number of filipinos. it was also nostalgic to hear the songs in filipino. wow, touching talga. i missed the filipino songs. :) and of course, the mass was said in filipino, including sermon! a hundred rounds of applause for the vietnamese parish priest for effort. ;) very great!

that concludes the holy week that passed by in such a haste. medyo kulang... kulang ako sa effort! haha. i therefore conclude, kulang talaga ako sa effort. argh.

lobo

i have been attacked by a dog. susme aatakihin ako sa puso. i was walking from our place to a nearby grocery. may 2 aso. yung isa, nasa loob ng gate while the other was outside. they seem to be talking, chika-chika ganyan.

paglampas ko sa kanila, the one outside the gate ran towards me. ay sus! ina-attack nya ako! i was so afraid! akala ko kakainin nya na ako! waaah!

i recalled that if a dog attacked you, stand still. himalang nakapag-isip pa ko ng mga panahong iyon. ok, i stood still. he stopped too... only, dinamba nya ako! waah! niyakap nya ako at kasing tangkad ko sya when he stood up. susme ang higpit ng yakap ni doggie! waaah! takot na takot ako! di ako makapiglas!

konting lakad ko, susunod sya at yayakapin nya ulit ako. i was waiting for a big juicy bite any minute, but it didn't come. mukang he just wanted to play and hug me... pero naman! that is not the way to play! ang dog na yon ay stranger, at sinlaki ng lobo! waaah! di man lang ako niwarm up ni doggie! damba agad waah!

so i wailed like a crazy girl, "noooo! waaah!" but no rescue came. this game played on for about 15 minutes. susme. i saw a cab passed by but maybe the driver thought i was just playing with the dog. waaah!

di ko alam kung anong nakita ni doggie at nagtatakbo sya palayo. waaaah! nanakit ang ulo ko. akala ko aatakihin ako sa puso. i swear. waaaah!

i took a different route pauwi, nanginginig, bitbit ang groceries ko, amoy aso, mamasa-masa ang pants dahil basa ang paws ni doggie. wawa ako. ako at ang lobo.

heto ang muka nya, beware... nangdadamba sya. (hindi sya yan, kamuka lang. nahanap ko lang sa internet yan)

tidbits of wisdom

we are subscribed to tfc. salamat sa tfc. somehow, we get connected to pinas.

in between shows, they air reflections by fr. jerry orbos. i love them. he gives a mere 3-minute talk but he sure knows how to strike the heart.

here are two thoughts that i try to keep in mind (or at least how i remember it):

* * * face the light * * *
if you have insecurities, fears, leave them behind you. search for the light and face it. light may mean God, or maybe the truth. if you turn away from the light, all you can see is your shadow - and it isn't a pretty sight. leave the shadow of fear behind you, seek for the light, and just face it steadfastly!

* * * travel light * * *
it is difficult to travel with an excess baggage - grudges, negative thoughts, hatred. yes, it is difficult, but it may be more difficult NOT to entertain these elements. we could always try, though. do you know why angels float and fly? it's because they don't carry grudges and negative feelings. makes sense :) oh, i so believe in angels! at the very least, i would like to strive to feel and think like them!

the one with the pitcher

a couple of years ago, i was watching this episode of friends (can't provide an accurate episode and season number, sorry) and i saw this water pitcher. aliw! :) we have an exact same pitcher back at home! i remember my mom bought it from dapitan. i haven't been there but i heard it's just a street full of nice and cheap ceramic goods.

what are the odds? it's so amusing :)

ang parada at ang diskuhan

masaya ang 2 nakaraang weekends ko. sa parehong okasyon, kasama ko si janise at si vange. mababait sila. fwends ko sila. masaya akong kasama sila :)

feb. 16 - ang gabi ng parada.

chingay parade ang tawag nila dito. mailaw, extravagant, matao, pinagkagastusan - yan ang masasabi ko sa paradang ito. nakakaaliw dahil may 2 grupo ng pinoy! walang mamahaling float pero nakakatuwa! kasi naman, nakabahag sina kuya... siguro ifugao ang nirepresent nila. yung isang grupo naman, mga batang nagtinikling. magaling, magaling, magaling! kumpara naman sa ibang nagsayaw, magaling talaga ang mga tiniklers. wow.

para lang itong pista sa nayon kasi bumili kami ng mga street food! ang sarap! mais na may butter, kung sa pinas ito, may cheese powder pa ito! bumili rin si janise ng parang kropek na korteng pretzel ng auntie anne's, at pink na cotton candy (na mas malagkit kesa sa usual na cotton candy sa pinas). masarap lahat! chicha lang habang nanonood ng parada!

'di na namin natapos ang parada dahil nagutom na kami. big time! so pumunta na kami sa glutton's bay para magdinner. the usual... hokien mee aka pansit with hipon. at dahil 'di pa nakakatikim si vange ng buntot-pagi (ang tumurok sa puso ni steve irwin), umorder din kami nyan. yum. masarap lahat!

it was a good night. :) more pics HERE

feb. 22 - ang gabi ng diskuhan. tila nabitin kami sa chingay, nag-organize kami ng night out. mag ministry of sound daw ang mga girls. invite invite, nauwi rin sa aming 3. hehe. wow. ang mga girls, nagbihis at nag mekap! ang lalandi! hehehe pinahiram pa ako ng blouse ni ahngel. siguro naisip nyang manang ang mga damit ko bwahaha!

ayan, dance dance kami dun! maganda dahil maraming mga dance floor na iba-iba ang theme. at hulaan kung saan nag-enjoy ang mga lola! sa 80s! bwahaha ang tatanda ng mga kasama namin dun pero dun pinakamasaya! susme. wala naman kaming damoves. mga pasway-sway lang ang kaya kong sayawin.

nag-enjoy rin kaming panoorin ang nagli-lips to lips na magboyfriend na espanyol. ang cute nila. punong-puno ng pag-ibig. hehehe. ang cute!

ganito na pala ang diskuhan ngayon. disko pa rin ang gusto kong tawag, ayaw ko ng "clubbing" wow. tapos, masikip! malilikot ang mga tao! haha! magagaling silang magsayaw! naaliw na akong panoorin lang sila.

masaya ang gabi. di masama at malayong ulitin namin ito. :) ang gabi at ang disko. wow.

what is a good bath?

a good bath is starting it all with cleaning the bathroom. brush the off-white surfaces, wipe the dust, strip off all (or maybe not ALL at all) that is impure.

a good bath is shampooing your scalp and hair twice. i don't know why i like it. maybe harmful, maybe not... after all, phoebe's shower song goes...

"lather, rinse, repeat
and lather, rinse, repeat
and lather, rinse, repeat
as needed."

a good bath is getting a handful of conditioner and letting it sit on my damaged hair for a long time, say 15 minutes - trying to get the tangles relax a bit.

a good bath is splurging on a good shower gel, preferably raspberry scent. bubbly is good, bubblier is better (obviously?) hehe. cleanse all over from neck to toes!

a good bath is washing off the bubbles with warm, warm water, and then having a good and long and thorough body scrub. let them seep if they can! hehe.

a good bath is scrubbing the face too, and then cleansing with a good, mild soap. time to (somehow) get rid of the facial pest i call white heads.

a good bath is rinsing everything off! squeaky clean! that's how i like it. warm, long-running water makes me feel reborn. :)

a good bath doesn't happen everyday. it is actually a luxury for me because i am limited to a 30-minute shower everyday - a short-cut version is more appropriate for the daily baths.

a good bath is superb... i just had one today. and i'm all good :)

pag nanalo ako (part 2)

the day after the toto draw. everybody's question was, "nanalo ka?"

i received a message from ahngel last night: "di ako nanalo" hahaha talagang mega abang ito sa jackpot!

so 12 midnight, kuya checked the winning combos. i was half asleep. but i heard him say we didn't win. only had 4-numbers and two 3-numbers. dunno if we have a prize for that.

and so the thought bubbles burst... back to reality. back to work!

pag nanalo ako...

there was a toto frenzy at the office yesterday. toto is like lotto in the philippines. i don't know why they call it that. :)

the jackpot was 10m sgd. who wouldn't want to take chances when the prize at stake is that great? single bet costs only 50 cents, which is like 14 php.

kuya and i joined the wagon. at around 6.45 pm yesterday, we tailed the queue. it wasn't that long and the pace was good! kuya spent a good 40 sgd. his reasoning was: you should increase your chances! i wasn't that daring. i only placed a 10 sgd bet. my thought was: if you will win, you will win! there was a lotto winner in pinas who purchased just 1 ticket, and yet he won!

and then more thought bubbles... pag nanalo ako, anong gagawin ko?

... in any order ...

* magpasalamat sa blessings
* go back to pinas. definitely :)
* magbigay ng nararapat sa mga tunay na nangangailangan
* invest and let the money work for me and my family
* travel - to hawaii first and the rest will follow
* spend time with friends and family
* buy stuff - magluho nang tamang level lang

sa mga oras na mataas ang jackpot, everybody conspires perfect plans in their minds. :) 'di masamang mangarap. hmmm... ang pangarap kong jackpot.

subalit, ngunit, datapwat... i read from someone's ym status: "i think everybody should get rich and be famous and do everything he ever dreamed of so he can see that it's not the answer to happiness" ~ bill gates.

i'm not a lucky gal. i remember only 3 instances when i won via chances:
1. blender - spi christmas party raffle
2. approx 2k php - casino
3. center piece and a koi fish - during michie's wedding, my chair had the winning sticker so i got to keep the center piece + koi.

so the jackpot bubbles might remain as mere imaginary bubbles. hahaha. good luck sa lahat ng tumaya!

pustahan

pustahan

i come to work before 9. i leave before 6. life is simple. :)

yesterday, kuya asked me to wait for him so we could go home together at 6.30. i said i didn't want to wait for him.

kuya: sabay tayo uwi 6.30.
caths: huh?! sayang ang oras! e 6.30, dapat nasa bahay na ko nun!
kuya: ano ka! di mo kakayanin!
caths: pustahan?
kuya: sige! dinner sa jologs
caths: sige!
kuya: 6.30 tatawagan kita dapat nagsususi ka na ng gate sa main door ha!
caths: sige!

ok, i know it was semi-suicidal. why?

a. i have to allot 15 minutes to walk at a normal pace from the office to city hall. any time less than 15 minutes, i believe i have to sprint.
b. i have a 13-minute mrt ride from city hall to kembangan
c. and another 5-minute walk from kembangan station to the house.

why did i ever agree to a 30-minute bet? i just wanted to run i guess. and i wanted the adventure. so i ran like a madman. crazy girl. i almost made it.

at exactly 6.30, my phone rang. i was at the entrance gate of the apartment and not at the main gate of our house. crazy girl. i ran like crazy and it will still cost me a jologs dinner. crazy girl.

twilight and mist

Music: James Horner
Lyrics: Brock Walsh

As evening fell, a maiden stood
At the edge of a wood.
In her hands lay the reins
Of a stallion.
And ne'er I'd seen a girl as fair,
Heard a gentler voice anywhere.
Whispered, "Alas..."
She belonged, belonged to another.
Another forever.
Yes, she belonged to the twilight and mist.

http://www.angelfire.com/il2/sjsquared/twilightandmist.html

i so love this piece from legends of the fall. the lines of the song (yung iba tama, yung iba sounds like lang hehe) just popped into my head this morning.

i love legends of the fall! hindi dahil yummy si brad pitt (at ang puwitan nya). kundi dahil super effective ni papa anthony hopkins. he's so galing. :) lalo na nung na-stroke na sya. sobrang heart-breaking yung scenes na hindi na sya makasalita at may-i-write-sa-chalkboard na lang ang communication nila. hanep. galing.

while others don't like the morbid may-i-take-my-brother's-heart-and-keep-it scenes, i love it. i love how the everly-habang-hair, landicious girl captured the hearts of 3 the brothers.

tristan (brad) is the second son of anthony hopkins and he was everybody's favorite despite being the prodigal son. i love this line, or something like this from the eldest son: "i obeyed all laws; man's and God's. i obeyed them all, but they all loved you more, tristan" may hinagpis. i lab it! i so love it i have to see it again!

remembering the good old friends

27th, spent time with my college buddies, riche, ecel, and mauie. we had a simple teriyaki boy dinner, pictorials in salcedo park (?), and a round of drinks in riche's place. too bad baby z wasn't around when we spent the night there. great to see you, girls! you look gorgeous! absent si liza :(

28th, met maricor for dinner at sentro (with the overly asim yummy sinigang and gg in olive oil and garlic). wow, maricor was blooming! with the skirt and the high heels. ako'y unano :) hihihi. we had hot choco at cafe bretton and scouted the new gb5 (may pictures pa! o diba!). good laughter. missed ya!

30th, after shopping for media noche goodies, kuya and wawin dropped me off tonette's place. i brought coffee and we had great fun just laughing and being silly and talking light. as much as i want her to be my sis-in-law, hmm... will just have to wait and see :) thanks for sharing a late night laugh!

more pics here :)

remembering tarlac [dec 23-25]

fresh from bohol, salt water and all, we headed straight to tarlac to spend the christmas with tito danny. we did some last minute shopping at moa and arrived at tito danny's crib at around 12 midnight. what a house... it was huge... and scary... maybe because of the dim lights? maybe because it's an old house?

tito danny welcomed us with open arms. also, the christmas lights in the garden were all blazing with joy. thanks, tito danny for the warm greetings! and the warm food awaiting us. yummy paksiw na bangus, paksiw na baboy. yummy food at 2am!

the next day, we prepared for the noche buena and the 9pm mass - which was said in kapampangan. hihihi. i learned from sonny (house mate) that only the evening sunday mass is said in english. the rest is in kapampangan :) interesting. this is the first time we heard mass as a complete family. it feels odd having a "dad" figure around. odd but warm, odd but good, odd but great actually! :)

25th felt a lot like christmas because there were children every now and then asking for aguinaldo from tito danny. there were lots of food on the table. aha, but one thing i noted, there was no christmas tree inside the house. yahuh, no christmas tree but tons of christmas lights outside :) and kwitis!

we headed back home on the evening of 25th it was a weird way spending christmas night. baybayin ang nlex. hahaha! it was a good christmas season - spent with the new family member, tito danny. :)

more pics here :)

remembering bohol [dec 21-23]

we just got lucky we made it to the 9:15am flight. we arrived at the airport at around 8am, hehe so much for being prompt! we were allowed to board anyway, but the dad and son pair who got there a few minutes after us were not allowed to do so... so sad and sorry for them :(

we landed on tagbilaran airport and we were welcomed by the van driver who was the tour guide at the same time. :)

first stop was loboc river for the sort of lunch cruise. lunch was not that exceptional but we were hungry and it was good food just the same. notable sights in the loboc river lunch cruise: green but clean water, lush and rich trees surrounding both sides of the river, acrobatic children diving from trees, energetic children's choir, and just the relaxing atmosphere... everything's worth a spot in my memory :)

we also visited the usual tourist attractions: blood compact site, haven of tarsiers, a giant python's nest (where we actually went inside the cage and touched the python for good luck), souvenirs shop, the old church (name?), and of course - chocolate hills, which was not so chocolate-y at that time... more of green... errr grass hills then? :)

and then it was check-in time. paragayo resort wasn't located in the beach front, which was also good because it has an extremely peaceful atmosphere. not a 5-star ambience but it has a garden/gazebo as the main attraction and it is here where we met some interesting characters.

trevor - is the canadian guy who was travelling alone. i am inspired to someday travel all by myself. wouldn't it be great and adventurous?! trevor is pretty talkative for a guy. hehehe. he's a nice guy. we had some interesting conversation with him.

tita nenette and abbie and shobe - mom and daughters tandem who, like us, are relaxing in bohol. they come from cebu. tita nenette is a funny, interesting lady. she has the gift of healing and umm, she sells beauty products which are her own formulations from the jungles of basilan (no joke!). :) we tried her body scrub and toner and moisturizer... and the products seem good. might actuallly get a 2nd set! she calls her products ascend in honor of the ascension of the blessed virgin mary. how can you not try such a product? :) plus they seem to be good-hearted people.

kuya wasn't impressed with the short beach front. but for me, i get excited with any body of water hahaha! so beach it is at, yes, 1:30pm after lunch on the 2nd day. me = negrita. as always. the sand was white, not as fine as boracay or puerto though. good beach :) and there were sea creatures even in shallow water! how neat!

it was my first time to see a starfish. wawin and i brought it to shore but the lifeguard barked at us to bring it back to the water. ok, ok, i'm sorry starfish! i am a good creature and i didn't intend to kill you... awww so sorry.

and on the third day, we had to fly back home. flight was delayed for 2.5 hours because of bad weather. all in all, the overpriced (hmmm, bad agent!) trip was good (nothing is so special about the food though). it was a great time spent with ma, kuya, and wawin. :) i lab it!

more pics here :)

no cinderella

on my way home yesterday at dhoby ghaut mrt station

i was going up the concrete stairs

my right shoe got stuck on one of the steps

and my right foot was bare when it landed on its next step

my my... almost lost my balance there!

i stepped back to get the shoe but it didn't come off right away

well, it did after some time

hahaha! so embarrassing!

darned shoe, it's a wonder how it got stuck in the first place

hey, my name's not cinderella

my name is caths :)

ang paang sumabit... tsk tsk kahiya-hiya

home and tears

20th of december, we landed on manila. after weeks of grand anticipation for the home-coming, we were finally home. we were waiting for wawin at the arrival area. there was a fence where the relatives waited for their balikbayan loved ones. i swear, i held back tears seeing all the crowd awaiting for the ones who had to sadly go away from home.

they were standing under the sun at noon, some with banners, most on tiptoes, eyeing the return of something good. they were the ones left back at home and they are the ones who welcome back their beloved ofws. it was a heart-pinching sight.

i have been away for less than a year and i'm drowning with nostalgia. what more for those who have been away for years and years and years? gasping... for precious life-giving air that can only be found in manila... yes, however filthy and polluted it is, it is home and home is home sweet home (4 homes in a sentence) :)

1st of january, wawin sent us off. i kissed him and hugged him lightly. we were never affectionate (more of harutan than affection) so hugs never lasted for more than 5 seconds. there was also a two-minute limit to vehicles sending off the fliers so not much was said but good byes and take cares. but i had to cry. i just had to. i didn't want to look like a big cry baby when he had to go so i held back as much as i can and dabbed my eyes super discreetly - up to the time we had to check-in.

it's hard to leave wawin alone. mom now stays with tito danny in tarlac and visits wawin once a week. i completely understand that the mommy days are somewhat over since she has dedicated all the days of her life to us in the past: nursing us and doing everything possible to have us finish our education... now, we are no longer kids and her mission has been accomplished with grace, even exceeding the what-is-only-needed benchmark. now is her time to shine and be happy and feel good about herself. time to find what she never had with my papa. and i salute her for everything and congratulate her for the new glory that is now in her heart and hands. :)

but still wawin is alone until he finishes board exams. after that we're hoping he could be here with us. we were so closely knit when we were growing up so it must be somehow hard, or maybe just different, for him. not for long i hope. :) he's 20 anyway and we'll be together soon... * crossing fingers and toes.

and we're back

happy new year!