because this is our 8th and i'm more than happy

Tye-mela'ne, a’maelamin...

I wasn't a big fan of surprises, yet life holds millions of unexpected twists and turns.

I certainly didn't expect you.

But if life's surprises come falling down like the way you did, I sure don't mind getting one every single minute.

A blissful 8th anniversary, Pangga...You're another proof in my life that God does whip up miracles.

(26 November 2006)

ho-hum-dee-dee-dum

Today, as well as the past week, has been boring. Not that I'm complaining (because the last time I complained, I got what I wanted and it kinda sucked). Let's just say it's so hard to pass time doing nothing. Well, not exactly nothing – I surf the net while pretending to be busy. Again, I don't mean it as if it's a bad thing. Months of crunch time are now over, so I'm grateful for the peace and quiet I have now. Yehey!

---

I'm missing Ginger and Clapton again. Yesterday was a happy day as I didn't come to work due to that excruciating monthly pain. So sis and I lounged around the house and played with the pups. Of course, we took the opportunity to finish watching the first 12 episodes of Lost Season 2. We were planning on finishing the remaining episodes, but because work calls the following day (for me), we were forced to stop. Sad, sad.

---

Last Monday's KATHA Songwriters' Night was a bang. Conspiracy Bar was jampacked. And Noel Cabangon rocks!!! Can't wait for Dec. 11 (it's Christmas-themed. There'll be a big Christmas pageant, and I get to be a reindeer. Yes, I'm kidding, but it'd be swell if it were true! Haha!) Seriously, if you're interested, do drop by and be amazed at the many talents we have here on our shores. (This is shameless plugging.) I wish to upload the videos of our performance, but I don't think I should: Uploading would take up lots of bandwidth, which would spell ISD trouble for me; then, there's IPR.

---

Francis is posing a threat to my songwriting/poetry writing career. He's now composing his own lyrics (the new composition we performed recently at the KATHA event). And I must say his recent work is brilliant! So I must be prepared and more cautious. I should think of ways to outdo him.

So Francis, I know you're reading this, don't come to me for help with your syntax issues. Hahaha! Naah, I'm proud of him. Very much! Way to go! Here's to more word romancing! Teehee!

And because he's now into free verse, let me segue to this fantastic short letter/poem by e.e. cummings. He wrote this for his father when he was just, get a hold of this, SIX YEARS OLD!?!?!

FATHER DEAR. BE, YOUR FATHER-GOOD AND GOOD,
HE IS GOOD NOW, IT IS NOT GOOD TO SEE IT RAIN,
FATHER DEAR IS, IT, DEAR, NO FATHER DEAR,
LOVE, YOU DEAR,
ESTLIN.

Man, the guy must be such a nerd, and I'd give anything to have his brains and his pen. Hahah! But really, he's such a brilliant poet. Magnificent, awesome, genius! And did I say he's brilliant?

So I should work on my e.e. cummings creations now. --poof--

we got new babies and my sis is now an engineer!

Yep, yep! I got a new reason to want to go home early every day. We have two cute pups at home, loitering around and chasing each other and littering our terrace with their tiny droppings! Hahaha! I don't mind cleaning up after them, really. They're soooo adorable!

Nap time after playing and eating a lot!

Meet Clapton (the cream one) and Ginger (the chocolate brown pup). They're so hyperactive (especially Clapton) and I always get a kick whenever they would rush up to me and lick my feet! And when they're really hungry (they eat a lot), they'd jump at my feet as if begging for food. Teehee! So, so, so funny! I miss them already. And you won't believe how protective I can get. Whenever I hear one of them whimper, I'd rush to see if something's wrong. Like the other night, they each went a step down our terrace stairs and couldn't go back up, I had to carry them back to their "territory". And early this morning (as in 3:30am), I heard one of them crying out. I got alarmed by this crashing sound so I really bolted out of my bed, only to see Ginger trapped in this narrow space between my room and our terrace. It took the contortionist in me to get her out of there. I got so worried!

Yay, I could go on and on about these two babies of ours, but I'm afraid I might bore you readers to death. Hahah! Sorry, I just can't help it. It's been more than ten years since we last had a dog (now we have two soon-to-be doggies), and about two years since my beloved Netherland Dwarf rabbit, Gimli, passed away. I do hope to post lots of Clapton's and Ginger's photos in my flickr site soon.

By the way, thanks to my Pangga for suggesting such cool names inspired by the band, Cream – (Eric) Clapton and Ginger (Baker). Another dog and it'd be Bruce (Jack Bruce, that is). Oh yeah, and Ginger Baker (the human one) rocks!!!

Thanks also to my sis, Erma, for making the ultimate sacrifice – giving up her old pair of slippers just so the pups can have new toys to play with.

----

Congratulations to my sis, who's now a new Chemical Engineer!!! Thank the Lord for guiding her during those crucial (not to mention mind-bending) days of review and exam. And come next Monday, she'll be another JG Summiteer (she'll be working at Petrochem)! Now we can look forward to more gift certificates! Hahahaha! Can't wait for her first-pay treat! Harhar! (I'm so full of exclamations here! Yay!) (Oh no! No one would be left to look after Ginger and Clapton! Oh dear...)

there we go again

Another copycat....tsk, tsk, tsk...and it's so strange that Toni Gonzaga seems to always be in the picture (literally; please see previous entry on this). My, oh my!

and all went cold

Wahahahaha! Bliss, bliss, bliss. Our 3-day, 2-night stay in the City of Pines proved to be very, very rewarding. Man, I'm still in vacation mode right now. Thursday found me, Francis and his sis, Sugar, on the road to Baguio. A few hours from our destination, it rained. We were expecting it'll be colder because of the downpour, but to our surprise, the cold was bearable (compared to last February).

En route to paradise

Friday afternoon, Francis and I met with Mari-an, my "predecessor". Had a long, fun chat and a long list of itenerary, thanks to you, Mari-an dear. (And because of that list, we had a hard time deciding where to go! hahaha!)

Friday morning photo op at Milet's place (she's Francis' and Sugar's godsistah)

With Mari-an at SM Baguio

Dinner was at Vocas (located on the top floor of La Azotea Bldg. on Session Rd.). The place is fantastic! Lots of artworks that are really cool. Kudos to Kidlat Tahimik!

A sweeping shot of fabulous Vocas

Saturday morning was spent taking more photos in Maryknoll Sanctuary. It was a day communing with nature ang getting exhausted from quite a long walk. But because we're in Baguio, getting tired does not necessarily make your sweat glands work overtime. In fact, our sweat glands went on vacation, too!

Welcome me!

Maski ako malilito....hahaha!

Lunch found us at Little John's at Mile Hi Complex in Camp John Hay. Their tapa's yummmmmy! And their chocolate fondue is superb! It had us craving for more, more, more... A little after that, our small group headed off to Tam-awan Village. We failed to go there last Feb., and so we made sure to drop by and feel the mountain air. True enough, it's a quaint village that offers more artworks and more nature-tripping. Due to my insistence, and the intriguing fact that one can see South China Sea from this place, we went on a small hike. Though we weren't really able to locate the exact place where we can say hello to the sea, we had so much fun taking in the view and being shutter-happy. Want proof?

The brady bunch

When we got back to lower grounds, we were treated to a couple of Igorot performances. And whaddaya know, I was able to spot this cutie who looks like Matsumoto Jun (that cute guy in Gokusen). That makes him my official Baguio Boy Crush. Hahaha! Francis says he's got big teeth, but who cares! My mom says he's cute, too. Harhar!

Performance level!

This is a zoomed-in shot of BBC with his two front teeth.
And he's looking at my cam! Wahaha!

Come early evening, Francis and I went our own way and had dinner at 5o's Diner. Because we ordered the wrong food (we were soon to learn that the resto's specialty are pizzas and shakes), we tried to satisfy our hunger at Café By The Ruins. It wasn't a grand fare, really. Just two cups of hot choco and a plate of mango crepe. Mind you, we still can't get Little John's fondue off our head...and so we made a plan to have lunch there again before we say tah-tah to Baguio.

Froth, froth

We dreaded the next morning, simply because we're a few hours away from leaving that cold, cozy place. Still, we forced ourselves to wake up early just so we could do some last-minute shopping. And with the many plastic bags, we hurriedly made our way back to Little John's tapa and fondue. Terrific!

The gastronomic tapa...

...and the fantabulous fondue!

Then it was goodbye... Thank the Lord typhoon Paeng didn't find us there. We left at 1pm and was back in hot, chaotic Manila by around 7:30pm.

Long and winding and foggy road...

How I would love to spend many of my days in Baguio....

P.S.
Many thanks to Milet for the wonderful accommodation everytime we're up there!

Oh, and do drop by my flickr site for more photos (as of this moment, I'm still not done resizing the whole lot!) I'll also be uploading some more goofy ones in my multiply site. Heehee!

she will miss us, i'm sure

Taken during our EK shoot early this year

Been partners with Mems for about 6 months. And now she's moving on to greener pastures (of the cosmetic world!).

We'll definitely miss her and her food tripping and her vast knowledge of the 80s Pinoy stars and her infectious laughter.

We'll miss her. Period. (Just like missing Sonee. And Abby, who's now trotting England and being oh-so-Brit. Haha!)

To Memshhhh, nawa'y wala ka nang makitang kandila at kurtina sa Avon. Hahaha!

when the going gets tough, the tough goes to some place cold

My absence from the blogosphere this past few weeks only means one thing: work is raping me. This, therefore, calls for escapism. And there's no better place than Baguio – Baguio sans the tourists, so I can feel as if I really live there. So I can feel human again, and not a slave to the whims of clients.

Taken last February

Been craving for Baguio for quite a while now, and finally, the plan is slowly materializing. Baguio, Baguio, Baguio. Such a haven where I can unwind as if no deadlines exist. And of course, I can finally take Beren with me for photos galore (and my tripod, too!).

Man, I deserve this trip. Tickets na lang, lilipad na 'ko.

P.S.
It's exhilirating to hear Francis' composition (the song Did It Ever included in Gary V's latest album, Relevance) being played on air! We heard it on RT on the way home from a gig in Conspiracy last Monday night. Yeeehaaa! Go buy the album!!!

dead print society

I read in a friend's blog that Google recently came up with Book Search, which allows you to download the pdf file of a dead author's book....

I weep, for is this the signal of print's death? Let it not be...

the tale of the broken window

I got terribly scared out of my wits.

Last Sunday morning, at about 5 to 10 minutes before the clock struck 3am, I was awoken by the sound of paper being punched (yes, punched). Instinctively, I looked up the broken glass window above my bed only to see the newspaper I used to temporarily cover the hole removed, and a hand groping for the handlebar. I tried to think fast. Should I scream for help? I didn't, and just settled to pretend I'm having coughing fits, so loud it hurt my throat. That was enough to scare the man away. But I know I had to do something to really make sure he knows that someone busted his attempt at robbery (?). So after about 20 seconds of paralysis, I opened my lamp, went straight to my mom's room and told her what happened. She immediately looked for a better way to cover the gaping hole of my bedroom window (thanks to rascal kids for breaking it). Still terrified of what just took place, I hurriedly secured the large cardboard with lots of packaging tape. Then, my mom rushed to check if all doors in the house are closed. She also instructed me to keep my flourescent light on, never mind if I'm used to sleeping without lights. And because of that incident, I was forced to wake Francis up to tell him what happened. We talked for almost an hour, a good thing since I never wanted to go back to sleep after that disturbing incident. But of course, I had to let him sleep and myself, too. Thus, I resolved to change my sleeping position and face that window, just in case the creeper strikes again (I pray not!).

Come Sunday, we asked our ever-reliable carpenter to fix the window by placing this plank and securing the handlebars. So even if that means having a dark room (I admire the morning sunlight whenever it seeps through that window), I'm fine with the temporary fixture, just as long as I don't see anymore groping hands. And thank the Lord for making me a light sleeper. Otherwise, I would've woken up to see not only a hand.

And so these days, all of us in the house get all jumpy and paranoid whenever we hear a little thug on the roof or just a mere scratch at the gate. It's better to be jumpy than sorry.

just what type of girlfriend am i?

With almost 8 years of being together, there still are things that Francis don't know about me. He knows I can be weird sometimes (?), but the other day, he just learned how weird his girlfriend can really get...

Me: Ga, ang weird ko ba talaga?
Francis: Oo.
Me: Alam mo ba talaga how weird? Minsan kase pag feel ko gayahin yung dramahan sa pinapanood ko, ginagaya ko talaga. As in emote ako. Like the other day, nung nanonood ako ng ****, madrama na naman. So nag-internalize din ako tapos umiyak. So pano na yun pag mag-asawa na tayo, kakahiya makikita mo ko ng ganun?
Francis: Hahaha!
Me: Tapos minsan nang-gagaya din ako ng fight scenes.
Francis: Nire-reenact mo?
Me: Oo. As in sword fight scenes. Haha!
Francis: Okay lang yun. Kame rin namang mga lalake ganun, lalo na pag may magandang move sa basketball.
Me: Basketball yun. Hindi elves fighting Uruk-hais!
Francis: (with a disbelief look on his face).....hahahaha!

So if anyone of you reading this suddenly decides to stay away from me, I will understand. I'll just practice my swordfighting on you.

vanishing point

Tell-tale signs that I'm REALLY drowning in workloads and that I REALLY need to get away from it all ASAP...

1. My table is no longer a table but a pile of papers and magazines.
2. My computer desktop is as cluttered as my table.
3. I no longer sift through my mailbox to discard junk emails.
4. The 6-foot bulletin board that separates me from the rest of the world is cluttered, too, with project brief forms, printed e-mails, and other sheets of doodled paper. So cluttered you'd think it's a scary mural of white sheets.
4. I am besieged with the urge to just lie down, that my body seems to feel this sudden desire even if I'm aboard an FX. And I don't simply mean that I doze off on the way home. It's this weird bodily reaction I can't even explain.
5. Nasty colds get hold of me. I have sneezing fits that it embarasses me.
6. I have "now-you-see-it-now-you-don't" blog entries.
7. I make this list.

music as mag:net

It's uplifting to do something worthwhile even if it's once in a lifetime.

A couple of years back, when UP Music Circle was just starting out, we were given the chance to sing at an event for cancer-stricken kids at Cravings, Katipunan. Which now makes me wonder how those kids are -- are they still struggling with the disease or are some of them already "home"?

And last July 29, the org celebrated it's 8th anniversary with a cause. It has been a night of good music, reunions, and purpose. Our band (Ice Cream Assassins, the alumni RockEd was pertaining to) had a great, great time!

Makes me real proud of UP Music Circle. To music and beyond!

P.S.

Thanks to Arbie for sharing the link above. And to RockEd, too, for recognizing the org's efforts.

what is so difficult with being original?

I am greatly disturbed. This is strangely alarming...


Why is it so hard for us to come up with original concepts? WHY, WHY, WHY???

another reason to get lost

First, it was Matthew Fox, Josh Holloway and Ian Somerhalder....


...then, Rodrigo Santoro comes along.


Can I just hyperventilate now?

jampacked

Duurgh.....This week is going to be a veeery looong week for moi. Got three consecutive shoots lined up and Francis is in Puerto Galera for a field work. He'll be back this Friday, but that seems so far away...Sucks.

Being this busy (and lonely....yaaaah! cheesy me!) makes me want to escape to Baguio all the more. Well, I have to finish stuff first before I head up there. And Francis has to be back from his out-of-town assignment.

As if I'm being taunted/haunted by that charming place, my former officemate Mari-an, who's presently Baguio-based, dropped by today for a visit. Baguio, oh Baguio. What did you do to me?

Hay, hay. I'll shut up now. Can't think of anything to write. Kapoof.

return of the freak

"Home is behind, the world ahead,

And there are many paths to tread,

Thru shadow to the edge of night,

Until the stars are all alight,

Mist and shadows, clouds and shade

All shall fade, all shall fade."

-- Sung by Pippin in Return of the King

The long weekend found me sleeping, watching TV, doing some writing jobs, worrying about Francis (but he's back on his feet now, thank God!), and....*drum rolls* watching (again) Return of the King. Woooohoooo!

I've long wanted to re-watch at least one of the three LOTR installments, and I never found time (shame on me) until yesterday. Since sis and mom went on a shopping spree at 168, the TV was all mine to hoard.

I never get tired of watching PJ's widescreen adaptation of Tolkien's epic. And even until now, my fave scenes in ROTK never fail to give me goosebumps and yes, tears: Arwen's vision of her son with Aragorn, the lighting of the beacons of Gondor, Gandalf and Pippin riding to help Gondor's men against the menacing Nazguls, Pippin singing for Denethor while Faramir's army are heading for a suicidal attempt in reclaiming Osgiliath, the sounding of the battle horn of the Rohirrim upon their arrival at Pelennor Fields, the Pelennor Fields battle, Eowyn slaying the Witch-king of Angmar...I could go on and on and never get tired.

Sometimes, I laugh at myself whenever I catch me mouthing the dialogues! I know I'm getting kind of scary here, but I really love the feeling of being so perpetually engrossed in something as awesome as this epic.

Now I just have to make time for the FOTR and TTT. Mwahahaha!

Oh, and does anyone know where I can buy the extended version of ROTK? I already have the extended ones for the first two parts. For anyone who could point me to where I can find one, Hantalye!

the day rage almost ate me up

There are moments when you just want to break down and throw pillows at the wall just to express rage. But there are also moments when, at the height of that anger, God uses His word to soothe the raging storm in you.

That’s what Psalm 27 did to me. During that day when I was so bursting with hatred brought upon by a very problematic project and aggravated by another incident that happened that night I went home from work (it involves this ruthless jeepney driver who intentionally hit on the breaks and almost inflicted serious injuries on this unsuspecting girl), it’s very humbling to know that He knows every bit of rage I was feeling that time. Upon opening ODB to that night’s devotion, I knew He’s unravelling some answers for me. The devotion’s title? Facing Your Enemies. To say it has been timely is an understatement. It’s a miracle, if I may say. And at that very moment, I was again reminded to take my raging feeling to Him and let Him do the rest. Because really, hatred is a two-edged sword, and hate is a feeling I dislike very much. So I took everything to God in prayer and soon enough, I was sleeping like I’ve had the best day of my life.

Vindication came the following day (let me not talk about how it exactly came to me). What can I say…”If you are facing enemies, God will use His Word to help you.” Indeed.

P.S.

Please pray for Francis’ fast recovery – he’s been having recurring fever the past few days and we’re suspecting dengue. He’s had his blood tested this afternoon and the doctors said there’s nothing alarming to really conclude it’s dengue (thank the Lord!). He’s in for another blood test tomorrow just to be sure. I just hope and pray it’s just a simple case of flu…

elements of weightlessness

90/60, 78, 94. Only the last of these numbers is normal--and that would be my blood sugar. All the rest, my BP and *gulps* weight go below the normal scale. I'm THAT frail!?!?! And that's all the blood that remains in my frail body? Am I still human????

This means, I better work double time in gaining weight and I really, really have to sleep earlier than 12mn. Lest, I become a living dead.

***

There really are some people who, in order to please others, would make living a hell. Well, not really living but working. They don't care if what the client wants is illogical, much more wrong grammar, for as long as they follow what they want.

It's just sad that the quality of work suffers simply because some people like to kiss arse. It's as if they worship clients and are programmed to follow whatever they want, never mind if the subject and the verb don't agree (for instance). What's even sadder is that since you don't want to be associated with such erroneous work, you just force yourself to shut up and not brag about that particular piece of work that you slaved for, not wanting to risk your reputation as an artist or a writer.

What boggles me more is, why do (forgive the term) ass-kissing people like these make a challenging job one heck of a difficult one for me and my team? Why do they have to act like programmed machines churning out faulty revisions from their clients? Why do they have to cause my disillusionment?

It's very, very sad. Depressing even, to think you can do your best without other people boxing you in, only to find out that wouldn't really happen. And to think it's just a simple case of correct grammar or appealing layout.

Darn it. Is this the price you pay just so other inconsiderate people get more commission?

all in a day's work

Last night, after feasting on our fave meal at Chef d'Angelo, Francis and I were relieved to get out of the rain and onto a Cubao-bound bus--our usual route from Ortigas. Of course, the driver took his time and waited for more passengers to fill in every nook and cranny of the bus. But just when it was about to cross Ortigas Avenue, this guy from the very backseat (where we're seated), who doesn't look any sober, suddenly pleaded everyone to spare him some money for his fare; that he's doing an OJT sans allowance; and that he just badly needs money to go home. Rarely do we encounter things like that, so I got quite alarmed. I nudged Francis and told him we oughtta step out of the bus because I'm feeling "that feeling". But we remained seated. Five minutes have passed. Then the guy pleaded again, this time with an impatient tone. No one dared to give him what he wanted. I'm beginning to feel really uneasy because things like that could get out of hand. Just when we were about to get out of the scene, the now impatient guy made his way to the aisle, promptly introduced himself, and continued lamenting that he really, really need some money so please, please, please. Apparently, the guy's out of his mind. Why in the world would you have to introduce yourself and give a short educational background if you're just begging for money? It would've been sincere if he wasn't acting that weird.

At that moment, I had this urge to just run the guy down and flee from whatever bad is about to happen. I've been in a scary situation like this years ago, and it cost me my mobile phone and a bit of sanity, so you can just imagine how distressed I was. The moment the man went back to his seat, Francis and I hurriedly made our way to the door, paid our fare, and stepped out into the drizzle and onto EDSA (very near the Santolan MRT station, to be precise). We felt a big relief. Like I wanted to scream with relief. Never mind if we had to stand there for almost half an hour just to get another ride, and never mind if we wasted 20 bucks for not even 2 miles of travel. As long as we're far away from that scary guy, who I believe would do something stupid if nobody really gives him what he wanted. What if he's a holdupper? I never, EVER, want to encounter such ruthless beings again IN MY LIFE. NEEEEEEVEEEER!!! Thank God, indeed, that we were able to get out of such a terrifying situation.

***

Now on to happy things. I think I'm presently on the verge of getting addicted to another Korean-novela series. I'm not really a huge fan of Asian series shown here on our shores. It's just that I choose what show I let myself get hooked in and after Full House, this show (Love Story in Harvard, which had its pilot last night) is probably the next...

...which means that, I have something to look forward to every night. But with the semi-unpredictable schedule I have at work, I have another reason to hate doing overtime work...like now. Humbug!

i'm a little scary. cool!

You Are a Little Scary

You've got a nice edge to you. Use it.

How Scary Are You?

Haha! Now that's a different news. But it's nice to know I got a nice edge. The thing is, with some inefficient people pestering me at work, and they actually spoil my day, I don't think I'm willing to use that nice edge of mine.

I prefer that they see me as scary. REALLY scary. Rawr.

P.S.
Thanks to my sis. I stumbled upon this link in her very outdated site.

P.S.S
I think my home page is finally blocked here at the office forever. Makes me want to puke now.