12.31.2009

the yearend meme

What did you do in 2009 that you'd never done before?
Ah, here's an easy one. For our 25th monthsary in October I sent a bouquet of roses to Andrea; i was in cahoots with her officemates. I'd never sent her flowers before, and well. That went rather well. :) Also - hiked up a mountain in April! Pinatubo was AMAZING.

Did you keep your New Year's resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I've only been successful in keeping one New Year's resolution and I got it right after only so many years, in 2008, when I managed to keep myself off cigarettes. I have to renew that, since we're looking at a rather eventful year, so. Yeah let's do this! :)

Did anyone close to you give birth?
Oh college friends Jopai and Alloy had a lovely boy this year ♥

Did anyone close to you die?
This year's a year for deaths. Cory Aquino's death in August was rather important to me.

What countries did you visit?
Oh, stayed put for the most part, then went to some parts of RP when the weather was ok. Visited a few beaches, hiked up a few mountains, went to Iloilo, etc.

What would you like to have in 2010 that you lacked in 2009?
Oh man. TIME. I'd like to have more time to do everything! Energy's not a question, I'm pretty sure, but I'd really love to have ALL THE TIME IN THE WORLD - for the elections, for the Read-Along, for my family, for Andrea, for my friends - there's a lot to give, really.

What dates from 2009 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
July 23, which was the date of Andrea's accident (oh god never scare me like that again, Universe); Sept 26, which is my brother's birthday and well, we all remember Ondoy; Nov 23, which is 1ce's birthday and unfortunately also the date of the Maguindanao massacre :(

What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Keeping it together :)

What was your biggest failure?
I think to some degree I've been absent from family events like weddings; I have yet to master the gentle art of striking a good balance and pacing myself. Maybe 2010's that year.

Did you suffer illness or injury?
Middle of the year I had a brief thing involving coughing and colds, but apart from that, none too many. I am thankful :)

What was the best thing you bought?
Oh this year was full of gadget purchases - there's Panda my pink netbook, this E71, and well, Andrea's latest gadget-present :)

Whose behavior merited celebration?
Oh, hands down, it's Andrea. :) This year has been pretty tough for her mostly -- there was the Accident in July that I have yet to write about and process myself, and a few other personal issues -- but really, I've never seen anyone get over adversity so positively and gracefully :) I love you, you inspire me ♥

Close runner-ups: Both my siblings, who graduated from elementary and college early this year, and are in the middle of important life changes :)

And as always, my team, with whom no task has been insurmountable. ♥

Whose behavior appalled you and made you depressed?
Oh, well there's that. People have their reasons to hold onto grudges; I don't have them. :)

Where did most of your money go?
FOOD. Haha. Well, there's the rent and FOOD. :)

What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Skins and Glee. :)

What song/s will always remind you of 2009?
Oh my god, this. Party in the USA by Miley Cyrus and The Call by the Backstreet Boys (don't ask)

Compared to this time last year, are you:

a. Happier or sadder? Happier
b. Thinner or fatter? Fatter (hahahah is this a valid question)
c. Richer or poorer? Richer :)

What do you wish you'd done more of?
BEACHING. Haha. Partying. Reading and writing.

What do you wish you'd done less of?
LOL worrying. Dreaming of work. Also: Drinking.

How will you be spending Christmas?
Spent the eve with family, playing uno stacko and pusoy dos with my siblings while drinking red wine. Spent christmas day at work :)

Did you fall in love in 2009?
Oh, over and over, with the girl I always see first thing in the morning :)

What was your favorite TV program?
for TV, we have Katorse and Lipgloss. LOLLLLL, no, I loved Glee and Skins !!!

Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
Ah, no. Hate's a strong word, I love everyone in my life right now :)

What was the best book you read?
This year, definitely Joan Didion's The Year of Magical Thinking :)

What was your greatest musical discovery?
PASSION PIT. OMG PASSION PIT. <3

What did you want and get?
Ahaha plenty :) New friends! New books! :)

What did you want and not get?
I can't think of anything. Life's been good.

Favorite film of this year?
Kimmy Dora, HANDS DOWN! :D (Yes, it trumps 500 days of Summer)

What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
Oh three days ago, I turned 25. Spent it with family, eating all day and taking lots of pictures. It was classic and awesome.

What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Oh, wow. I just wish we'd had less deaths, you know.

How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2009?
Flood-ready. Haha.

What kept you sane?
My girlfriend. My fabulous workmates. :) Twitter! Haha :)

Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
Oh jeez. I have the biggest crush on Lily Loveless, ngl.

What political issue stirred you the most?
The Maguindanao massacre. The series of calamities. Ladlad getting disqualified in the elections. The run-up to the May 2010 elections.

Who did you miss?
Oh, as always, mom.

Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2009.
Love what you do and do what you love. The rest would come easy. :)

Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.
Nodding my head like yeaaaaaah, moving my hips like yeaaaaahhhh ♥

The most touching experience you've had this year?
We did a Read-Along at the Philippine School for the Deaf in Pasay and they prayed by singing Lead me Lord in sign language. Sight had me in tears.

What did you like most about yourself this year?
My endurance and flexibility.

What did you hate most about yourself this year?
My inability to pace myself properly LOL

Was 2009 a good year for you?
At the end of everything - yes, it was. :)

twenty-oh-nine, you were mine

Oh 2009 was such a year, wasn't it?

So. It's officially the last day of the 0-something years; let's do this yearender thing, shall we:

Jan 2009
Watched: Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist
Bought: Panda (A pink Acer Aspire One, my first real possession, after my cellphone)

February 2009
Watched: Lipgloss -- 18:56 POTA TINAKONG! best lipgloss moment everrr See also: Summary of Lipgloss Season 2 ender, in twitter.
Watched: You Changed My Life (John Lloyd/Sarah G!)

March 2009
Lost: Francis Magalona, 44; USB drive, 2 years old.
Went to: Crystal Beach in Zambales.
Saw/Flailed over: Bleighton Rolling Stone photoshoot
Feature family-related significant milestone: Wy's elementary grad
Feature media obsessions: Tegan and Sara (The Con! Nineteen!), Azure Ray (Sleep! Displaced!)
Read: Joan Didion's The Year of Magical Thinking
Wrote: A season of formers, which took all of six months, sans editing.

April 2009
Went to: Pinatubo, Bataan tryst for holy week, Laiya with le familia and Andrea
Things I discovered in 2009 that I'd love to have more of in 2010: Skins!
On the news: Failon wife shooting
Survived also: Andrea's Thailand trip
Feature family-related significant milestone: Krista's university grad
Feature media obsession: Rachael Yamagata, Elephants... Teeth Sinking into Heart (OMFG HEARTBREAKING.)
Wrote: Footnotes to a Mixtape, which is set in an all-girls high school basketball team and is actually to Barbie's music from the buffet table (Belinda Bye-bye, Shiny Red Balloon, etc); Displaced, which reeks of failed stalkery.

May 2009
Went to: My father's hometown, Iloilo, Manila Ocean Park
Feature media obsessions: Bloc Party (Signs, Sunday, This Modern Love), Broken Social Scene (Superconnected, Anthems for a 17-year-old girl, I'm still your fag), Lady Gaga (I wanna take a ride on your disco stick haha), Katy Perry (Thinking of you ♥)
Watched: 30 rock
Classic sabaw moments: Maggi MySabaw, Literal version of Total Eclipse of the heart

June 2009
Read: Joshua Ferris' Then we came to the end, Letters to a Young Poet by Rilke
Feature family-related significant milestone: End of lease, maginhawa apartment, Wy moving out of the house and into the Pisay dorm
Feature sabaw moment: Getting stuck in a tricycle in shopwise amidst a downpour
News: AH1N1, ANC Leadership Forum
Watched: Hole in the Wall (TV), Pineapple Express, Tropic Thunder
Feature media obsessions: Third Eye Blind (The Background, Blinded, God of Wine), Passion Pit (Sleepyhead, Eyes as candles, Little secrets), Sexmusic.tumblr, a moment with Lily Loveless on Twitter - the zenith of my fangirling, this skins gif:


Lost: Michael Jackson, RIP.
Feature event: k1 reunion

July 2009
Feature media obsession: Counting Crows (the entire August and Everything After album = HEARTBREAK), Explosions in the Sky, Au Revoir Borealis
News: SONA 2009
Significant milestone: Epic move to Ate Adelle's room
Things I learned so much from but would rather not go through again in 2010: Andrea's accident (never again EVER)
Watched: Harry Potter 6
Lost: Tara Santelices

August 2009
Lost: Former President Corazon Aquino, RIP
Feature media obsession: Anberlin (Breathe, Retrace, Breaking -- off their "New Surrender" album), the paper raincoat (Brooklyn Blurs! ♥), something corporate (konstantine)

September 2009
News: Palanca Awards -- LOL ELIZA ♥
Blast from the past: High school reunion
Feature milestone: 24 months/2nd anniversary ♥ ♥ ♥
Watched: Kimmy Dora (HANDS DOWN THE FUNNIEST MOVIE THIS YEAR), Temptation Island, 500 days of Summer (which I liked)
Things I learned so much from but would rather not go through again in 2010: Ondoy
Things I discovered in 2009 that I'd love to have more of in 2010: Glee!

October 2009
Lost sleep over: PLANTS VS ZOMBIES; see also: Maps of dams.
Watched: Dr Horrible's Sing Along Blog, Techyromantics
Read: Blue Bloods, End of the Alphabet
Plotted: The Surprise.
Wrote: Mnemonics (Arguably the best thing I came up with this year.)
Feature media obsession: Mazzy Star (Fade into You)
Significant milestones: Haircut, Comelec registration, Andrea winning the Gig book contest - ♥

November 2009
Lost: 57 people in the Maguindanao massacre
Feature media obsession: Party in the USA, Kings of Convenience (Gold in the Air of Summer)
A rare moment of sentimentality: The Art of Precarious Photographs
Bought: A red Nokia E71.
Read: Anne Lamott's Bird by Bird, Erica Jong's Seducing the Demon, Joan Didion's Slouching Towards Bethlehem.
Watched: KATY PERRY LIVE OMFG. ♥

December 2009
Bought: A present . ♥
Partied: Inquirer's anniversary party on the 9th; editorial party on the 22nd.
Feature media obsessions: Augustana (rediscovering Boston off their All the Stars and Boulevards album - ♥), Something Corporate (She paints me Blue off their "North" album makes me feel like a giddy 17-year-old boy with a crush, ffs), John Mayer (Edge of Desire off the "Battle Studies" album - JFC HOT), Paolo Nutini (Rewind, off the These Streets album), Sara Bareilles' Gravity remix in her Careful Confessions album; Jack's Mannequin (What Gets you Off in their Glass Passenger album - JFC HOT), and that piano version of Sleepyhead by Passion Pit *swoon*
Significant events: Christmas, New Year with the family ♥ turning 25.

Well, that was strangely cathartic, and I know I missed a LOT of things, heh, pardon my memory. We're gearing up for a big 2010 - be safe guys! Happy New Year! :)

ETA:
THE MASHUP TO END ALL MASHUPS, 2009:

12.25.2009

christmas, 2009.

My parents agreed to come for me yesterday, but then our pickup truck chose that moment for its yearly breakdown. Last year, I remember the engine conking out on Skyway, while we were paying the toll. So, definitely luckier this year that we were still in the Inquirer parking lot when it happened. LOL. Ended up taking the 16-year-old (!!!) Lite Ace from somewhere along C-5, where my uncle and his family were spending Christmas. Ah, family.

Speaking of that, this was what I got them for Christmas (yes, all of them):



LOL. My family = adorbs, GOD. I left around noontime and by the time I was in the office, this was already up at Krista's tumblr. LOL FOREVER. Don't you just love family?

Anyway, spent most of last night hanging out with the sibs, playing uno stacko (27 LEVELS! WTF CRAZY!) and cards until about 4 a.m., while playing an assortment of Taylor Swift, Lady Gaga and Katy Perry songs; Party in the USA was also on loop for some time. Heh. I was drinking Dad's red wine, for the lack of anything resembling alcohol in the house (Maybe New Year's, then.)

All in all, Christmas well-spent. :)

12.14.2009

a present to end all other presents

Oh man, this Christmas rush is precious. Nothing says Christmas like these aching limbs. :)

*

So the other day I was walking along Mascardo when I saw these children running around carrying kittens in their hands. No, really, I mean, a kitten in each hand. So that's four children with EIGHT kittens. Or maybe more. Judging by how they were running, I suppose it's a catnap or something.

When I was a kid, we couldn't find kittens we could steal. This is sad, of course.

*

I am praying for you.

*

So I finished (after ten yearrrsssss) Anne Lamott's Bird by Bird and man it is AWESOME. Which is not to say I am back to writing, because I'm not LOL. Instead, I am reading another writing guide-book-whatever, and it's Erica Jong's Seducing the Demon. Yes, she's that girl who coined the phrase, zipless fuck. It will be amazing, I KNOW.

*

Here, have a panda:



OH MY HEART MY HEART ♥

*

Also: GUYS! You know what you should do this season when you have enough time off for it:

REWATCH GLEE 1 to 13.

*

This entirely nonsequitur entry is brought to you by... the present that will end all the others. (smile)

11.25.2009

when you do not have enough words for this rage

We are no longer who we were before Monday. Even in the annals of political violence in the Philippines, there have been no parallels to the slaughter that occurred on the lonely road to Shariff Aguak, Maguindanao on November 23.

52 unarmed civilians all, the majority of whom were media professionals, the victims were enroute to perform basic functions in a civilized democracy: the Mangudadatu women were to file certificates of candidacy; the lawyers were to provide legal advice; and the journalists were to bear witness on behalf of the public and to report on an important event without fear or favor. - Statement of GMA Network on the Maguindanao massacre


Here's the Inquirer's partial list of victims.

We haven't even entered election season properly, and yet here it is. I've never seen so many journalists killed in a single day in all my years of monitoring killings among media workers.

It is chilling to know that somewhere in this country, there are people who could do such savagery. Fifty-seven people. Who does something like that?

11.12.2009

work and play, together

I am reading Anne Lamott's "Bird by Bird", as generously loaned to us by Kat during last night's Amazing Book Swap with Eliza and at 6750 Starbucks. Whew. That was a fun time, gals. Should do it again. I love listening to girls gush about books - although I have to admit I'm a ridiculously slow reader and this really does fill me with much shame. I am still in the middle of A.M. Homes' "Music for Torching" because I've been finding it quite difficult to read about the couple at the center of things, and yet I am completely in love with her language. Just saying.

*

Incidentally, today is also my mother's 12th year death anniversary. Which is important to me because this marks a sort of border. I was twelve when she died. Next year, I will have spent more years without her than with her. All daughters must remember these sorts of things.

Anyway. Last night my sister texted to inform me that there's a small get-together in the house today with food and all. I won't be there for the nth time. Every year I sit down to do something like a memorial post of sorts for Mom on this day I always start by asking myself, Where the F was I last year?

So I'm doing myself a favor, though this won't be evident until this day next year: Today I am reading another book about writing. This morning I woke to the sound of the girl I'm totally in love with fixing her breakfast. I am looking forward to getting to the office and working with people I like. I just realized I play Plants vs Zombies because it makes me feel like a child -- unlike banks and billing statements and meetings, which make me feel old/my age (and which I do a lot of also).

And I really really like pandas.

Anyway, that being said, I hope everyone's having a swell Thursday. ♥

11.02.2009

the art of precarious photographs

i. The case for not taking photographs: They are always there

Here, one sees: Two definitely drunk girls, faces beside each other, so close their cheeks nearly touch. I remember when this was taken: On the very first night we went out, the one where we end up closing the establishment at 4 a.m., with too much alcohol in our veins and nicotine in our lungs. In another, one sees: A lukewarm can of beer half buried in the sand. In another: Someone sprawled by the beach, mid-afternoon sun painful on skin. In another: The careless laugh of someone looking the other way. In another: Someone passing between the camera and the subject by accident, mouth formed in the middle of the word “Oops.” In another: The silhouette of a boy lighting a cigarette.

Here, one sees: The smile of someone on the receiving end of a surprise. Over here: The eagerness of a hungry diner, seconds before the utensils touch the plate. There: The soft color of flowers reflected upon the face of a lover. Over here: The closed eyes of someone intently listening to music. There: The split-second before fingertips touch. Here: That moment before waking.

The thing about photographs is that they are always there; they care little about notions of pasts and presents. They’re just there to say, once upon a time, this was here – people wore these clothes, these horrible haircuts and pants and shoes; people used to be this small and thin; people still felt this way, thought this way – were this way.

That people change is not my problem, neither is the fact that certain changes cause certain sorts of photographs to cease production; though it cannot be helped at all, how it’s always the permanent snapshots of things now gone that get me, always (See also: An ID photo of my mother, 12 years younger, had she been aging all that while).

Photographs do little for efforts toward forgetting, but then again, why would anyone in the midst of such efforts even stray into these albums? When they say it’s by accident, the cardinal rule is to not believe anything they say and hit them hard.

ii. The case for not taking photographs: Because sometimes, the memory of it is enough.

Because I have long resigned myself that it will never come again. That sometimes there is no take two. That sometimes when something is over, it just is.

iii. The case for not taking photographs: Because sometimes, it is better to not leave any trace of it.

Because perhaps all of it should stay between you and me. Perhaps secrets are better kept in the absence of evidence. Perhaps the Polaroid of you in my head is the best I’ll ever have.

*

iv. The case for taking photographs: They are always there

How many times have I heard people say: It was windy when we met and I fell in love with a snapshot of you and your windswept hair across your face, the dainty fibers casting all those pretty shadows. I have kept that picture all these years, in a secret pocket of my wallet; or, My screensaver is that blurry shot of you dancing, the other night.

Or: You and me, we look good together against a backdrop of itchy-ticklish bermuda. Or: I take a photograph of you every day, while you’re sleeping. Or: I know I don’t live here anymore when you always take your camera out on weekends I come to visit; I have a special smile for these rare photographs you take.

Unless it’s the sort of thing you do for a living, photograph people in horrible situations (and even then, unless it’s your sort of thing to hang them around the house for constant viewing), chances are when you look at people in photographs they are smiling; to a degree, it’s comforting, this way. If it’s the last thing I’ll take of you, I’d rather you be happy. (If it’s the last thing of us together.)

v. The case for taking photographs: Because sometimes, I can’t have enough of you.

Because on some nights I stay up and think about this particular smile; on other nights, that particular gesture. Sometimes, when I close my eyes, it’s not dark I see but you, and it is nice, this permanent Polaroid behind my eyelids.

vi. The case for taking photographs: Because sometimes, it’s all there is.

Sometimes, wherever I look, there you are, and oftentimes, I can hardly breathe.

*

vii. The art of precarious photographs

Sometimes I wish I (never) took photographs of us (in the first place).
Sometimes I wish I was (not) around for photographs (in the first place).

*

I take photos of you half to capture that moment, half to be able to relive it at will: The sight of you standing on top of an air vent or biting into a chicken enthusiastically or covering your face as you laugh; you against a backdrop of feathery clouds and bright blue skies. We move so fast and sometimes there are moments we miss, moments that go by so quickly we barely have time for process, moments we want to have lasted a few moments longer.

(You’re always the moment I want to last forever.)

a list of things

things that are bad for me:
+ plants vs zombies - can burn hours without you knowing it
+ facebook - contains photographs new and old

things that are good for me:
+ livejournal - i am in love with my new layout
+ tumblr - a happy place

today we went to my mother's grave. i overwrote my mother's name with golden pentel pen. totally the highlight of this vacation. that and my cousin mark's awesome adobo.

10.31.2009

santi



This morning, I woke around 6 a.m. to the sound of howling winds; as expected, Typhoon Santi passed over Metro Manila quickly, but not without its promised strong winds (we were under Signal No. 3 as of last night) and some rain. A few minutes later, power went out. We assumed the winds had toppled some important electric posts.

Opening the window around 10 a.m., we saw a curious sight: The neighbor's roof was full of styrofoam boxes. We're still wondering where they came from.

Right now it's still quite cloudy, and we're still on our toes re: strong rains tonight. Since Ondoy last September, it feels like we're on eternal storm watch. You know something's up when you connect to the Internet for the purpose of getting weather updates on Twitter, the latest satellite map from Pagasa and a status update for dams in Luzon - in that order.

*

On other news, I'm looking forward to visiting my mother's grave tomorrow; will be praying for good weather.

Also, all this news calling for Comelec to extend voters' registration -- I think, on the upside, at least A LOT of people are looking forward to voting on May 2010? Just a thought.

10.28.2009

summary of this day

or, alternatively, a last ditch attempt at responsible citizenship

today, 3 days before voter registration deadline. by virtue of missing the 2007 midterm elections and the 2007 barangay elections, i was deactivated as a voter, therefore i need to reactivate myself if i want to vote in may.

so.

6 a.m.: alarm goes off. i get up, fix coffee, take a bath, get dressed, head out.

6:45 a.m.: arrival at makati police headquarters (ayala extension, beside makati fire station) for police clearance. i need this because i don't have an ID that has my new makati address on it (i've been living in makati since july 2007 - 2 years, 3 months. At least 6 months of residence before May 2010 makes anyone eligible to vote in an area, fyi.) i pick up a form, fill it out, submit it to the manong on duty. i am ninth in the queue. this makes me very happy.

9 a.m.: time served/processed.

9:20 a.m.: time processing ends.

9:40 a.m.: time police clearance received.

*

the makati comelec office is on the second floor of the makati fire station, fyi. however, when i got there, i was told that they were no longer releasing forms and that i should head to glorietta 4.

so i did.

*

10 a.m.: time of arrival, glorietta 4.

2 p.m.: time of registration end. (including an hour-long lunch break, that i spent in my seat, reading.)

*

madali lang magparehistro. mabilis lang siya dahil organized kahit napakaraming tao. kudos to the policemen who were actually very helpful. :) kasalanan ko na i waited this long to make up my mind about where to vote, pero di ba, konting tiyaga lang, voila! walang singitan, walang sigawan.

pwede!

*

this afternoon in glorietta while i was waiting in line in Step 2 (when you already have your form), this girl from UP who has already finished her registration process was walking around helping people fill up their forms. she says she's paying it forward. it's a shame i didn't get your name, but girl, mabuhay ka! :)

10.27.2009

geocities is dead

long live geocities! d. oct 26, 2009

i discovered geocities in 1999, when i first started dabbling into web publishing. my very first website was a compilation of musings. i was fifteen. i used ms paint and netscape navigator's composer (mirc. icq. 15-hour-per-month postpaid internet accounts. edsamail.) i feel so ancient it hurts haha.

i've got everything backed up in CDs strewn all over the place - the website i put up for my high school friends (1999), ajss (2000), yeba (2001). 5 versions of my personal website, including one that housed all of my submissions for my erotica class (!!!).

from this day onward, they are now inaccessible, save for the yeba websites, which i moved to my personal domain a few years ago.

sigh. i'm actually quite relieved that my earlier efforts at webdesign are now off the internet -- i didn't have the heart to erase them, but they were absolutely hideous LOL. but yeah, i loved them dearly, and now they're gone. (except in CDs, which i think i will unearth later tonight in a bout with nostalgia.)

geocities, it's been quite a ride. thank you!

10.25.2009

things that have been eating my life so far

1) last thursday, we marked 25 months together, and thinking it should be a milestone, i sent flowers and cake to her office address, in conspiracy with her immediate supervisor and other officemates.

i must say, for somebody who absolutely sucks when it comes to surprises, that one went pretty well. to wit:



(photos taken from Becky's facebook. thank you so much!)

2) plants vs zombies. enough said.

3) onslaught of typhoons, floods, natural calamities. at the work front, it's been pretty hectic since ondoy hit the country on sept. 26. fact: i've spent the past few weeks dreaming about maps of rivers and dams. once, i dreamt someone was asking me about the location of the ambuklao dam, and i woke up with "itogon, benguet" on my lips. i kid you not. sometimes, i take my job way too seriously.

4) glee. gossip girl.

i miss my words. a lot. lately it's been all about relief drives and dams and the Read-Along (incidentally -- another Quill award this year. yeah.) i wish i had more time to sit down for fiction, but lately, idk. words and i are just NOT friends.

and i've been spending far too much time singing an old song by the backstreet boys with my workmates. not that *that*'s a bad thing, but, you know. i mean, just this evening, in the aftermath of a rather splendid night out with them, we were operating on very little sleep that we ended up just laughing ENDLESSLY over, um, virtually nothing. idk, but what's up with that? :) it's awesome, really.

as for other things. wait, there are no other things. unless of course we're referring to pandas. in which case: PANDAS ARE AWESOME, OK?

9.21.2009

supposing,

it's all been said before:
girl stumbles upon girl's journal; girl stalks girl;
girl finds common friends; girl tries to get closer; girl asks girl out to group dates;
girl asks for girl's cell phone number; girl texts girl every single day,
keeps up with the randomicity,
wakes up early to catch girl's texts as she walks out of their house in the morning on her way to work, something about the blueness of the sky, or the sound of birds;
texts every 4 p.m. to remind girl to breathe; (every 4 p.m. - it takes only so many days to form a habit)
texts every night to ask about girl's day;
keeps up with girl's journal; tries not to overanalyze.

supposing, it's all been said before:
how girl falls in love with girl--
it's the slightest gestures,
the off-topic questions,
the sparkly flashes that make their way between the words.

it's all been said before, how we got here, but i guess it's always worth re-telling:
one night, i started writing love letters again, after a long time.
you were a moment's message away, but the distance was there, more than ever before; it was august. at the time i had no idea how close i was to breaking.
(i should have known, actually, granted i was writing letters again at the back of marlboro labels; that night there were ashes on the floor from one too many fags)

it's no secret, how four years prior to that day, septembers had been particularly filled with a sort of dread. (i wouldn't call them mistakes; just that i remember them pretty well.)
the night before the morning after, i slipped
into bed alongside you, holding your hand under the sheets, trying to watch tv.

supposing it can be said then,
that the rest of it's history, well, let me put it this way, instead:
the day after and the days after that are more than i could ever have hoped for
to contain within a heart this small.

i guess in the end that's all i really want to say.

8.17.2009

monday dorkage

oh wow, it's been quite a while since i last sat down and just dorked. heh. felt good. maybe a change in layout is due around here, in the first place (it has been raining like crazy, and it's hardly summer anymore, yeah?). but in the meantime, i added december 2006 and january 2007 in the old blog backup and right now, i'm looking at coding a pretty prolific year. \o/

on other news, the girlfriend's lj is looking pretty ~sweet today. YEAH.

still, on other news: i am digging anberlin's new surrender album. god i thought i've moved on from this kind of music, but. heh. don't judge me.

8.01.2009

Corazon Aquino, 76.

I hope that history will judge me as favorably as our people still regard me, because, as God is my witness, I honestly did the best I could. No more can be asked of any man.

On June 30, 1992, the traditional ceremony of political succession will unfold at the Luneta. The last time it was done that way was in 1965. I shall be there with you to proudly witness the event. This is the glory of democracy, that its most solemn moment should be the peaceful transfer of power.

Maraming salamat sa inyong lahat at paalam.


-Corazon Aquino, in her last State of the Nation Address, July 22, 1991.


photo from CoryAquino.ph

*

I have no words for this grief.

I woke this morning around half past seven to several messages containing the same news: Former president Corazon Aquino, icon of democracy and People Power, is dead. She was 76.

Upon getting the news, I went to work with my coffee in tow to get further ahead with captions. On Thursday, a few of my co-workers headed to Tarlac to visit the Aquino Museum to get a few photographs of Mrs Aquino. We agreed to finish captioning them ASAP. This was last night.

By 3:18 AM this morning, she was dead.

The fact is, we saw this coming. It was not sudden in any way; it was a year-long battle with colon cancer, after all. A few days ago we were even shaken by false news that the much beloved former president was dead. And honestly, I don't think any Filipino has been prayed for this hard ever.

But then, perhaps nothing could have really prepared us for this eventuality.

A few hours ago, I was watching the live sky patrol of Cory's hearse being transported from Heritage to La Salle Green Hills, where the public could view her until 4 a.m. tomorrow. Her hearse traversed Edsa slowly, as funeral hearses are wont to, and surprisingly, all the other vehicles gave way, which is just the rarest thing, and I think it's rather safe to assume the people driving behind Cory's hearse weren't grumbling but were rather proud to have been part of some informal entourage.

It just goes to show, what the Inquirer said in its editorial on Cory ("Eternal Flame" via inquirer.net) is true: "Unity is a rare thing in our country; we have it now; and adding to the feelings of grief is the wistful realization that it took the passing of Cory to reunite a divided nation."

President Aquino's passing marks the passing of an era -- if not the starkest mark of it. I will remember this as one of those distinct moments when I felt I aged significantly. I was born a year after her husband Ninoy Aquino was assassinated on that tarmac; in other words, right in the middle of an angry nation slowly inching toward a breaking point. God only knows what would have happened, had this country not seen a woman of Cory Aquino's strength and courage, or People Power altogether.

As a person working in the media industry, I feel like I owe Mrs Aquino for this freedom of expression that the Philippine press is currently enjoying. I have no words for the weight of this feeling -- of responsibility, of gratitude -- and to use a phrase I've seen somewhere, we can only use such small words for feelings so enormous.

There was an interview on ANC a while ago, where the interviewee says something about how we as Filipinos have been looking at symbols too long, and that maybe her death wants to tell us, Maybe it is time to look inside ourselves.

I think it's a challenge, and I think it is time to take it.

I think it's going to be a very interesting 2010 Elections.

7.09.2009

whew july?

+ i don't know where june went, honestly. *shrugs*

+ though judging from my compiled twitter updates over at lj (hehehe) i think the following sums up what i think ate up most of last month:

- adobe cs3 and GIFPARTIES involving the children of skins. to wit:

eye!sx ftw!

- my sister giving up the apartment i've kept since summer 2004. the end of an era.

- aH1N1

- rilke's letters to a young poet.

- rain.

- the prescott twins (of course)

- pagasa getting it all wrong. all the time.

- my brother moving into pisay dorm and HIGH SCHOOL. us having to haul encyclopedia sets into his room.

- LIPGLOSS ♥

- third eye blind

- andrea's new hair ♥

- BLOCK REUNION!

- lily loveless on twitter (hihi)

- father's day

- old planners

- michael jackson, RIP

- saguijo

- annual midyear sickness FTW

- that gossip girl photoshoot. lord.


anyway, my lj was actually quite helpful. as long as i kept my twitter compilations ~private lol to keep from spamming other people's f-lists. hehe. but all in all, having written nothing notwithstanding (actually this is not true; i've written quite A LOT in june, it's just, ~irrelevant.) -- june seemed like quite a good month.

+ note to say: GOD I LOVE PASSION PIT. and BON IVER. and this NEW ROOM -- well, of course, i'd love anywhere so long as i go with you. ♥

5.27.2009

wtf wednesday presents

woke this morning to news that the california supreme court has upheld proposition 8 in a much-awaited vote tuesday, a move that successfully reinstates the gay marriage ban in the state.

apparently, the court says, the people have the final say on the matter, and until these californians change their minds about proposition 8, the ban stays - or at least, until the time they decide to change their constitution AGAIN. fortunately, the court upheld the marriages that occurred when it was still legal in california - that's 18,000 couples, and well, at least that's a relief. but still.

obviously, i'm not too happy about this AT ALL. come on, california, i thought you were on OUR side. and come on, i thought your country has already elected a black president, aren't you supposed to be over this already?

*eyeroll*

oh. wait.



better? (god, naomi has the best eyeroll ever, i tell you)

and it's not only naomi who doesn't like it, btw:



yup, i think blair is so pissed she's going around throwing her bag, of all things.

ps. on the bright side, i'm loving how my favorite buffy girls eliza dushku @ElizaPatricia and amber benson @amberbenson are totally rallying against prop8 on twitter (along with another favorite, kat dennings @officialkat). seriously girls, my heart swells.

5.12.2009

ilioilo weekend recap

that was perhaps one of my longer weekends with the parentals and the siblings. by the grace of my boss's leave-granting powers (hehe) i found myself with four straight days off from work, which began on friday and ended yesterday. and yes, were those four jampacked days or what.

destination: iloilo

we left manila onboard a philippine airlines (PAL) flight that left around 4:30 on friday and arrived around an hour later in iloilo's new airport.

i've never really been to iloilo via plane in recent memory, much less ride planes and be in airports that often; in fact, the last time i was in iloilo was four years ago and we took the pick-up truck all the way from cavite to guimaras via the nautical highway (read: ro-ro). and i think that was the year i also last used an airport haha (in a flight to cebu and from tacloban). go figure, that was the year i also graduated, and let's just say it was one of those blissful (unemployed) in-betweens. hahaha.

so imagine my glee to find the airport relatively not congested and those trolleys really nifty. haha. and also, a(h1n1) what? i expected more people to don masks, and yet there were none. i also looked for a thermal scanner btw... also none. but i guess depende sa airport? anyway i think that was the centennial airport. i was lugging along my all-purpose backpack that contained this laptop and it was effin heavy, btw.

note: the airport has free wifi for 30 minutes. other than that, you have to load something. and oh, i saw CHR chair leila de lima, i think she was boarding a plane to cagayan de oro. and at the risk of inappropriateness, she was *hot*.

anyway (clears throat)

auntie had a reservation in a small inn in downtown iloilo called city corporate inn. the place was nice and clean, nothing too fancy, though it had tv and hot water (a must if you're traveling with my dad) and there's wifi in the lobby, which the siblings took advantage of to keep their mafia wars activities in check even during the vacation (DORKY I KNOW).

we had difficulty finding something that was still open for dinner at past 8; it was a friday night and yet the streets were unbelievably empty (i'd find out why the following night). anyway we settled for jollibee -- oo nagpunta ng iloilo para mag-jollibee hahahah.

we checked out the following morning to have breakfast in nearby mang inasal (oo nag-iloilo din para mag-mang inasal HAHAHA) and then headed off to delgado st. where my auntie digay, my dad's cousin, lives. (a wifi hotspot too, since her husband uncle nonong is practically the tech-savviest person i know hahaha) and they have CATS! TWO OF THEM! hihi.

then hied off by cousins to walk through downtown. at 2 effin pm hahahah oh sun i missed you! have i mentioned how the weather was lovely and how it was so unexpected since originally we were expecting the weekend to be rather rainy? anyway, thanks universe!

so the cousins and us siblings with auntie headed to the provincial capitol by foot, then entered museo iloilo.





and then we rode public transport to gaisano to have (drumroll) la paz batchoy in, well, la paz. HAHAHAHA we are such cliches.



which was, really, awesome. Deco's = awesome. and if the photos are awesome too, it's because they were taken by kuya arnel, ate tintin's husband. his cam is awesome and so is he heheheh :)

anyway.

we checked into nearby Four Seasons hotel right behind their house on Delgado for the night. a bit more flourish here, if i may say, with really heavy curtains and fluffy colourful comforter and a nice spacious bathroom which sadly did not have hot water come morning BOOOOO i swear it was 5 a.m. and auntie was furious AND freezing.

but before that, that night, while i was taking advantage of the awesome wifi at the Deco's branch at the ground floor of the hotel (i think i saw more Deco's branches than jollibee and mcdo combined), we received word that the espanolas were coming right over in full force to take us out on a "night out" - wy included. hahaha.

we headed to a place they called "Smallville", which really reminded me of Eastwood, even larger than, i think. and i was like, So this is why the streets are empty at night - everybody's here! :) we had coffee and cakes at Coffee Break, which is cheaper than Starbucks by a mile, which does make it more awesome. actually, i didn't see starbucks anywhere, and needless to say, i did not really miss it with coffee break around hehehe.

this one was on ate lala (espanola, the same one behind the calayan rail? awesome birdwatcher, the girl is) and the conversation = awesome. just how much? to wit: there's that's entertainment talk c/o ate tintin, short wave talk c/o ate lala, scorpio nights 2 interviews c/o indaycel, whose brand new hubby kuya ronnie looks like yul servo but more gwapo, and banats from ninya and kuya pabs and everyone else. nyahahaha. oh wylo's poor innocent twelve-year-old ears. (scanning database hahaha)

anyway, we turned ourselves in at past 11, anticipating a loooong day ahead - and it was a REALLY long day, mingling with about a hundred people who share, at one point or another, a surname. seriously.

to wit:



i'm telling you, that really old man in the foreground is 97 years old. in three years, we're having a centennial and it would be AWESOME. anyway.

for more camwhorage, see:




we headed to auntie gingging and uncle cyrus in tigbauan that night, 19 people in four families aboard a rented jeep, and everybody went for a swim in a nearby beach while we got lost hahahah anyway. le fam and i spent the night at le mer mar (i have no idea how to spell this) and we went for a swim very early the following morning. as in 6 a.m. early hahaha compliments of my father, who all woke us up at 5:30. the sun was gorgeous and the water was so still. we were planning to go to guimaras, but then, collective tanders-ing commenced and we stayed put instead.

our flight back to manila was due at 8 pm and so we headed out to iloilo city early from tigbauan, detouring for a bit to uncle glenn's for dinner before going to the airport. when we got there, we were informed by a PAL official that the flight we had booked had been rescheduled to two hours earlier and that they had sent an email last April 15 to inform us about it.

wtf.

you don't go changing people's itineraries via email, for crying out loud.

we explained that it must have been a mistake, that it was our manila-iloilo flight on friday that had been rescheduled to two hours earlier - someone called home on May 7 to tell us that our manila to iloilo flight the following day had been rescheduled from 6 pm to 4 pm. it was krista who got that phone call. curiously, the person from PAL also told her to check dad's email because they had sent word re: resched of manila-iloilo flight.

the email never came. so good thing then that someone had bothered to call, right?

so anyway, out of prudence, auntie had checked and double checked for a possible resked of the return flight as well - this was a day before the flight out of manila, four days before the flight out of iloilo and MORE THAN 20 DAYS AFTER THEY HAD REPORTEDLY SENT THE EMAIL NOTICE. so yeah no info provided, everything was in its right course, ho-yay yada-yada...

up until that moment we were supposed to check in the luggage, which was when they told us, "Ah, we sent an email. Didn't you get it?"

HELLO. I SENT AN EMAIL DIDN'T YOU GET IT. that's professional and efficient.

but yeah, all things taken into consideration, the PAL guys found us five seats on the 8 pm flight, which was the last flight out of iloilo, btw. we sat in separate seats, but it was okay. thank universe for small mercies.

so anyway i'm back in one piece and returning to the real world in 3...2...

(scouring for more photos in a bit.)

4.30.2009

this lack of update is brought to you by

the fact of the matter is i am utterly disgusted disappointed by my lack of updates since the rain started pouring, considering how my sister graduated over the weekend. she was fourth in her batch of molecular biology and biotechnology students - the same batch that had one of the eighteen summa cum laudes in the entire diliman system. so, not bad really, considering, and i therefore conclude i am mediocre. hahahaha. no, seriously, my sister is brilliant.

so anyway, since coming from that weekend off and surviving the rainy stretch of days with andrea in bangkok -- she's back now teehee and right now we're obsessing about that camella commercial and how she looks EXACTLY like that kid -- well, after that, i've been suffering dysmenorrhea (oh to be a woman at this point in time) and about up to *here* with Read-Along work, so what's new. heh.

i hope adam lambert bumps danny gokey off the American Idol stage and that the skies clear up before our clan reunion on the weekend of the 9th. thanks universe. xoxo.

4.22.2009

nineteen



come home! :)

photo taken last month in zambales, c/o ruthie ♥

4.14.2009

you make a girl insane

i've always had reservations about writing something set in an all girls high school basketball team because it scares me to think about how it could trip a lot of real chords unintentionally, but then again, aren't we all about tripping chords everywhere?

footnotes to a mixtape
~3800 words, to barbie's music from the buffet table.

4.13.2009

laiyeah! (2009)

or, alternatively, the third and last of a series

this one here's for the graduates. :) 2009 being dual-grad time for krista and wy, i dragged le familia to laiya for some sun, sea and sand on black saturday, capping off holy week's three-part beachineering tryst all over the place. hehe. this was also drea's first beach outing with my family (yay!).


saturday's outing was in balai sa laiya in san juan, batangas. the drive was surprisingly short and relatively unmarred by holiday traffic, much unlike our six-hour bataan trip on thursday. we left the cavite house at quarter to 6 and arrived at the beach around 9, with auntie on the wheel and i navigating from the backseat with dad on the passenger seat. krista and drea were dozing off; wy was listening to taylor swift on his psp (seriously).

the place was surprisingly deserted on a black saturday when we got there, much unexpected really. i had prepared myself for jampacked beach resorts in nearby batangas, since i figured this was where everybody else would be trooping, what with its proximity to the metro, but lo and behold the shore was clear and quiet.

and so, we camwhore.




krista and wy wanted to rent snorkels and life vests, and so we did. actually, the life vest rental was a good idea because the waters got deep not too far out. the snorkel mask was good for small fishy viewing (ika nga ni wy, "minnows" - whatever).





as previously mentioned, the beach was unusually unpopulated, and the resort had only a few people in it aside from us. we actually got to play billiards for a few rounds - this was how un-peopled the place was. and we loved it.

around noontime, drea remembered that she brought her zips with her, so she showed us a few moves:


as expected, type ni wy ang zips:


here he is pictured trying to play zips under the shade. ka-arte. heheh. anyway, drea says wy is a fast learner - much faster than i am, at least. hehe.


anyway, buffet lunch served by the place was awesome - we had grilled tuna, caldereta, stew, rice and singkamas with bagoong and mangoes for dessert (yum). their dining area was located on the second floor, amidst trees. dining was al fresco, and the summer breeze went perfectly with their mangoes and the drying salt on our skins. teehee.

let it also be noted here that you could come up anytime and fix yourself coffee or tea here and drink it while lounging in their rattan recliners or their egg-shaped duyan. double teehee.

by noon, we'd almost had our fill of the sea, it was time for some tanders timeout by our cabana:


regaining our strengths in the afternoon, we figured, maybe it was time for jumpshots:


but then, some jumpshots are not meant to be:


(sorry, natawa talaga ako dito hehehehe)


(buti pag anino lang pinipicturean parang magkaka-body size lang kami nina krista at drea. WAHAHAHAHA.)

we went home around 5:30p.m. but by then we'd already been caught into the outpour of vacationers into manila. we had dinner on slex and reached metropolis alabang around 9-ish. drea and i boarded a bus home to makati since auntie was too tired to drive all the way to makati then back to cavite hehehe.

all in all, a good beach trip. actually, a good series of beach trips, at that. hehehe. my shoulders hurt from sunburn and sleeves are currently some form of punishment, but hey, it's all good.

summary of expenses: P750/pax daytrip rate in balai sa laiya. covers entrance, welcome drinks (we had mango juice), the cabana, buffet lunch, one light snack (they delivered sandwiches, fish chips and juice to our cabana and we ate them by the beach - pwede na rin) and of course, the bottomless coffee. covers as well free use of junior billiards table - which wy enjoyed immensely. rental of life vest, P100/day. rental of snorkel mask, P100/day. pwede na rin. if you're not really looking for a pool (kasi sadly they don't have one) this resort deserves two thumbs up. :)

4.10.2009

temptation island, bataan edition!

or, alternatively, bataan tryst 2009

for a while there, i thought this trip would not happen at all, but after several last minute arrangements, from reservations for the trip to recruitment of participants to surfing sulit.com for van rentals, we got there anyway. it was Maundy Thursday.

so now, presenting...


hahaha. actually, this picture lacks two beachineers, but i couldn't resist putting the title on the sand space. it was begging for it! hahaha. the beach we headed to was bataan white corals in morong (P300/head entrance fee, cabana for 10 @ P1,500), but this photo was shot on the opposite shore.

after much haggling, the final number of beachineers reached 10 on d-day, and we left makati at 5 a.m. holiday traffic doubled our estimated travel time, so we reached the resort around 11:30 a.m. the sun was already high, we were already starving, and sorry to say their restaurant service was a disappointment, but no matter. we wanted to get sunburnt so we hit the water as soon as possible, appendicitis be damned.

we rented a banca (P100/head) to get to the opposite shore. it was supposedly better for beaching, since the shore we left was full of jellyfish, but after a bit we started feeling stings anyway. ah, jellyfish, what to do with you. anyway, when the water starts stinging, you know what to do:


jumping shots, of course. (props to fran k for this one) hehehe. actually, i am in this picture - i'm the left-most one, and yes, i didn't know i could jump this high before this shot, either.




pardon the ridiculous camwhorage, minsan lang naman, wag nang pumalag, oki?


(really, this photo's filename is "woohoo-nakuha-sa-anggulo.jpg")

that trip to the other shore had time limit, sadly, so we had to head back to the resort after an hour. tumambay na lang at dumalife sa kanilang seawater pool. and yes, the water was salty. very.



and then somebody suggested beers by the seawater, and so i said, what the hell, why not?

ito dahilan kumbakit maskuladong bading yung result ko eh.
and then the sun started its descent, hence the golden hour when everything the sun falls on just looks golden:



i know they look exactly the same, but then again, minsan lang, pagbigyan na please.


we left the resort after sunset, after wrestling with their clogged communal shower and then we trooped to SBMA to have dinner. we were hoping for Gerry's but then it was full and the waitlist had at least 14 sets of people ahead of us. so we went somewhere else, and their service was thankfully quick.

we reached makati around midnight. all in all, everybody pitched in P1,000 each for the resort, the van (P4,500 with gas), the toll fees and the driver's food. not bad, eh? anyway, that certainly deserves a repeat. so ano guys, next week ulit? hehe.

endnote. some photos taken by drea. postcrossprocessing mine. drea's attempts (as seen on facebook) do look better. ahehehe.

4.07.2009

to pinatubo and back!

or, alternatively, of course the title of this post deserves an exclamation point

My legs still feel like lead today and there’s a healing gash on my left knee to remind me of where I was on Sunday.


Believe what everybody else is saying - the Pinatubo crater *is* breathtaking – on both the literal and literary senses, but clearly, this is getting ahead of myself. This photo was taken at around half-past 7 in the morning of Sunday, and that morning started five hours earlier, at 2:30 a.m., which was the time we left ParaƱaque for Pinatubo.

Being a novice trekker, I was quite nervous of the whole climb-thing, what with rumors that some people trekked for THREE HOURS to get to the crater. Add this to the fact that I am naturally afraid of heights, I figured the worst that could happen is that the guide would have to carry me through half the trip. Oh dear.

We got to the starting point Pinatubo Spa Town around 5:30 a.m., proving how Ate Maricar’s driving and direction skills could never really be underestimated. But if you think that’s early, consider that when we got there a van full of people had already arrived there first.

We boarded a 4x4 jeep around 6 a.m. We paid the package price of P1,250/head, which included the jeep, the guide and shower time after. We had water, we had trail food (oh Growers Nutribar, why had I met you only now?), we had cameras (easy-to-carry digicam ones, I think, would be far more practical than the bulky DSLRs). I wore my worn Mojos with socks – yes I knew they were bound to get wet in the several streams along the way, but if you’re pretty prone to injuring yourself on rough surfaces (more on this later), you’d be better off with covered feet.

Anyway, the 4x4 ride took about an hour. I think it was really supposed to take an hour and a half, but boy did our driver really cut half an hour from that trip with those mad driving skillz hahaha.


Anyway, when they said the hiking trail would be full of rocks, they weren’t joking. As previously mentioned, I was a novice hiker, and when I looked at the trail, I was like, if I were to walk for three hours in this I would *die*. Or have to be carried for half the trip. Whichever comes first.

But then, it turns out the hike would only take about 20 to 30 minutes. Apparently, they had shortened it for the summer, since this path we took, aptly named Skyway for the speed with which you could course through it, was accessible due to the nice weather. A good thing, generally.


Because if it were any more traumatic I’d swear I’d never go back EVER, but then, it wasn’t so bad, so really, I’d do it again. =) Anyway, this was what greeted us when we got there:


Movie-scenic, I thought. Like something snatched out of Lord of the Rings or something. Thanks to the Ates for dragging us along:



Sulit na sulit ang pagod. Actually, the hike through the rocks, negotiating with the streams was easier than getting through the steep stairs. Oh god, the steep stairs were what got me, really. Laglag talaga ang baga ko, damang-dama ko ang bigat ko, etc.

Anyway, happier times on the way down to the crater: (this flight of steep stairs would be such a bitch later, when it was time to climb it on the way home)


Pagkababa dun, sa sobrang ganda parang tinatawag ka na ni Lord: (haha)



Eto mga kasama ko, unaware:


And of course, we swam:




(Me: Nay bakit me bubbles?
Naychona: Nak, kasi bulkan ata yung ilalim eh.)


We were first on the crater, and we left when people started pouring in like crazy. The shore was pretty short, and things were bound to get pretty crowded so we decided it was time to hike back to square one.



As I’ve said the hike back up the steep stairs earlier was such a bitch; we had to stop three times along the way to catch our breaths. (Actually, kami lang pala ni Ate Chona. Go figure) While I was busy fixing my lungs, Andrea was busy taking splendid pictures:



Sabi ko nga, parang Lord of the Rings lang.

On the way back, my knees were already relatively weaker than when we began hiking that morning, and during one of them moments of weakness I accidentally brushed my left knee forcefully against one the bigger rocks. Hence, a gash. Which hurt, really. Hehe. Parang bata lang eh, umuuwing may galos. Napansin na nga ng mga nakasalubong naming hikers who were only on their way up at 10 a.m. (ang init na nito, we could only imagine) na my knee was bleeding. But no matter.


Anyway, ito pala yung sinakyan naming 4x4 with kuya and our guide:


Sa pagod, we actually managed to doze off in the 4x4 kahit super tagtag. Haha. Ako nagigising pag nauuntog so I figured, to hell with trying to sleep. By this time I was already hungry anyway so I thought of that instead.

I’d like to note here that the shower facility at the Spa was pleasantly surprising. The fee for the shower, turns out, includes locker use and use of other stuff like plastic bags (simple but really convenient), alcohol and swabs (for wounds like mine), soaps and fresh towels. Plus points talaga na hindi nabasa yung towel na dinala namin from home.

Anyway, we ate at SM City Clark because it was convenient and we were starving. I think it was only a little past noontime, and we were not really too keen on going home and so we headed to:


Oo me ganito pa, panalo!


The place was pretty much still under construction, and the entrance fee was in the form of a “donation” (to be determined by visitors, of course).

Wala pang chocolate hills, etc. pero meron nang Rice Terraces. Meron ding mga huge rock formations tulad nito:


They bullied me into climbing. It was really scary. Hahaha. Panalo me band-aid eh. We left and visited Ate Maricar’s relatives. Kapampangans are really awesome cooks, btw. Thank you thank you!

We arrived back in Casa at midnight, after having crepes for late night dessert at Rockwell and buying the latest Maxim issue at 7-11. Ho-hum. Hahaha. Talagang in passing lang eh.

It was a long day, tiring but we’d do it again in a heartbeat!

Summary of expenses: P2,5k all-in with transpo, gas, toll, food, etc. But only because we had the best financial managers ever. =)