once

When I heard the second song performed by Glen Hansard in the movie (that original song he sang that night when he first met Marketa Irglova's character), I knew I would fall in love with the movie and the soundtrack. And I did. I still am.

Go watch it!

(The video above is the signature song of the movie. And I love it!)

photos are up!

Yipeee!

Just saw the multiply account of Tivona Beach Resort owned by Ms. Trina Belamide. Nice to see that Ms. Trina posted most of my photos there!

Thanks a lot, Ms. Trina! (And thanks again, Chad!)

Here's another Tivona site. I do hope they upload my photos there, too!

(Tivona Beach Resort is in Laiya, Batangas.)

i'm really sorry, but i just have to do this at this unholy hour...

To my best guitarist,

It had been an impossibly crazy day at work. I was on the verge of losing my marbles, so to speak.

But the thought of our big day and a never-ending with you kept me from strangling people and sending their heads rolling (as morbid as that may sound).

And for that, thank you.

Love,
The No. 1 groupie you'll ever have

of being a fledgeling photog and venue hunting

To keep myself from quitting my day job, I have decided to really engage in other worthwhile activities that would advance my career in writing and/or photography. Thank the Lord for opportunities that keep me sane. Anyway, two weekends ago, Francis and I headed to Laiya, Batangas to shoot Trina Belamide's (the composer) resort, Tivona. Thanks, Chad, for pitching me!

Chad as the impromptu stylist

It was a great challenge for me to be doing portrait shots, as I'm confident to shoot only landscapes and travel shots. But it has been a good learning experience; and I realized that I need to equip myself with more camera gadgets (TTL flash and/or lights). Those will follow as soon as the wedding's over. Or better yet, as soon as I have extra-extra-extra cash to shell out. Or, someone sponsors me. Hah! I'll be posting some of the photos as soon as I get the permission to. Haha! In the meantime, the extra photos I took are already up on my flickr. And here are some non-serious photos.

***

After a weekend at the beach, Francis and I went to Antipolo to check out possible reception venues.

The Mango Farm garden

The Mango Farm was the first destination. The place was nice, but the wedding package was a bit pricey, since the price is fixed regardless of whether a couple is availing of all the package inclusions or not. And the package doesn't include the bridal car yet!

Jardin's Paradiso. We love it!!!

So off we went to Jardin de Miramar.

I fell in love with the place the first time I saw it on their website. And the actual venue didn't fail my expectations. Add the fact that Francis and I were impressed by the package they offer. I initially wanted the Plaza area, which used to be open on both the left and right sides and was made charming with white drapes. But another venue, Sevilla, was constructed right beside it, lending Plaza only open on one side. This made us consider other venues within Jardin. Paradiso proved to be worth it, what with an open garden matched with a mini water falls and a charming gazebo. And when we asked Ms. Tet, the woman in charge of the place, what would happen if the reception gets rained on, we were happy to be informed that they reserve a backup venue (the Plaza or Ylang-Ylang; with roof, of course) just to be sure, with no additional costs. Mosquitoes are also nothing to worry about, as they fumigate the area three days before the event, and they place anti-mosquito plants on the day of the occasion. With such wonderful service, and throw in Hizon's as the caterer, we were tempted to book the venue on the spot. But we have to be careful and wise in choosing the perfect reception place, so we're still to check out other possible venues in the QC and Intramuros areas. But Jardin is the perfect spot, so far.

Prepping for the big day is getting more exciting! (More venue hunting photos here.)

li'l kid on a field trip

At Sky in Baguio, July 2007

Here I am again feeling like a 6-year-old, all excited about another Baguio trip. Though this will be the first time for me to go to my fave place without Francis (it sucks). Nevertheless, there are still reasons to look forward to the trip, three of which are: (1) it's going to be an escape from all the fatal stress from work; (2) it's the Panagbenga Festival, which means lots and lots of street dancings and photo ops (I just have to really wake up early and not be contented to watch the festivities on TV despite being in Baguio already--this happened a few Panagbengas back, to Francis' dismay); (3) it's in Baguio. Period.

Baguio really comes in good timing. I think it wants me to go back and again. I don't really mind.

Speaking of Baguio, Francis surprised me when he mentioned about relocating there. We were starting with the wedding planning last night when we came to the topic of where we'd be living as a married couple.

I wasn't prepared when my fiancé told me he's considering relocating to Baguio. At first I was scared. I mean, there's no doubt about it that I love the place. But what would happen to our career then? And besides, I'm really not ready to live in a place that far away from my family.

But now that I think about it, the prospect excites me. Like what Francis said to me last night when I asked him about leaving our jobs, I can always go full-time freelance and he can find a new job there in the Baguio mines (hehe), and then maybe we can apply for gigs at Ayuyang Bar...

My heart skipped a beat thinking about the possibility. Oh, Baguio...

Maybe. Hmmmmmmmm...

contemplating on a lost friendship

Asthma cripples me. It’s this silent enemy that sneaks up on me in the primary form of a nasty cold. Then it morphs into this mid-sized monster that sucks the air out of my lungs.

When I first got acquainted with it, it didn’t hide its ugly face from me. Head on, it attacked me, showing no mercy, leaving no space in my lungs for air to circulate in. But as years went by, it began to show pity on me; and for a number of years and attacks, it became considerate enough—warning me when it wants to impose its power on my frail body. That way, I came to know how to equip myself and prepare for its subtle attacks. Simple tools like a hot cup of water mixed with Vicks vaporub are enough to alleviate its fury. For years, we coexisted peacefully.

Now I don’t know what happened, or what I did, to make that harmonious coexistence disappear into thin air. When it visited me a couple of months ago, it appeared to no longer recognize me as a friend. It showed no mercy. And this time around, it acted the same way—sinking its fangs into my heaving chest, leaving me sleepless as I gasp for air.

***

I’m not really afraid of dying. What I’m afraid of is the manner of my demise. I don’t want to meet my death in the sea/ocean, drowning. If I’m going to die, I want it to be quick—I want death to just glance at me and be done with its job. I don’t want it to stare at me and smile as it takes my last breath away. Having asthma is just like that—like drowning in the middle of a vast sea. You slowly descend into the sea floor while you’re still slightly conscious—still able to take in the eerily silent view of slowly swimming fishes and seaweeds dancing to the tune of your slow death. That’s why I pray that if I were to die, let it not be by the sea or by asthma.

***

I have yet to figure out how it all came to be like this again. What have I done? What have I not done?

Francis told me that it’s most likely because of work-related stress. That, I do not deny. Work has been fatal lately. I wasn’t surprised at all when Francis advised me to resign if I think I need to. That decision has yet to be seen, though I’m afraid I’ve already been considering that option lately. And such realization breaks my heart. I just hope that I would not have to act on that decision, and instead consider other options that would not lead me away from the printed word.

For now, I excuse myself from such thoughts. For now, I have to figure out how to appease this silent enemy of mine, so that by the next time it pays me a visit, we can just both sit down to a cup of hot chocolate and be re-acquainted like old friends.

so many, many things

There's a lot of things going on in my head right now--a lot of things I want to write about. But I'm in no mood to go into details about these things.

This is stress taking over. Aaaaarrghssh!

Anyway, seems like I have a lot of catching up to do in terms of hoarding the blogosphere, like:

1. pictures from Bubbles' shower party....
2. ...and ultimately, her wedding photos
3. updates on the preparation for the Big day (this will be a short entry, as there' not much to write yet)
4. another Baguio trip due this Feb, with office pals and I'm crossing my fingers, with my fiancé (who, btw, is currently in Bora for an assignment--this time, it's a real OB; he has another assignment there that would fall on the Baguio trip. Bleh!).
5. things getting crazier by the minute at work, which led me to consider outside options, which in turn gives me heartaches
6. puppy updates, and that a few weeks from now, they'll all be given away. I miss them already.
7. a lot more that I can't remember

So because I don't seem to be making any sense, I deem that I not pursue writing about these things in detail. I need a visit from the muse.

P.S.
I'm thinking plum and champagne and lime. Hmmm...

The Million Dollar Question Answered in Baguio

He's now officially my fiancé!

Thursday afternoon, Francis excitedly told me that he was asked by his boss to go to Baguio for a day to do something work-related. Though it seemed crazy to go to Baguio for a day trip (I already did that months ago), I still got excited nevertheless. So we planned to leave for Baguio come 12mn of Friday so we’d be there by 6am Saturday. Then, come late Saturday evening, we’d be on our way back to Manila.

We were going on a daytrip to Baguio for an official business. Francis said so.

BUT HE LIED.

The Roadtrip
I never liked the idea of going on a day trip to Baguio. I’ve already done that for a writing assignment, and it was an insane trip. For me, the majority of the day trip would only be spent getting there—that’s double the time you’d be actually spending touring the place. The only reason why I agreed to that assignment was because it’s Baguio—beautiful, marvelous Baguio.

Francis proposed that to make the day trip less exhausting, we’d leave Manila at midnight so we’d arrive there in the morning the next day. Then on that same day, we’d just take the late-night trip back to Manila. That way, we’d have enough time to enjoy the place without tiring ourselves to death. Practical enough, I thought.

Since there’s still work to do that Friday, we went home first to Francis’ place to have dinner and freshen ourselves before going to the Victory Liner terminal. Fifteen minutes before eleven in the evening, we were on our way to Cubao.

It was weird lugging only my camera bag and a shoulder bag for the trip. Whenever we go to Baguio, I always have big bags with me. But the fact that this particular trip was just like going to a mall here in Manila thrilled me.
The six-hour travel was extraordinarily cold. Francis and I, and I bet most of the other passengers as well, were trying our best to catch some sleep despite the very cold air conditioning. I actually had a really difficult time snoozing, because I've been losing sleep lately. Being a doting mother to our newborn puppies is a difficult job. That road trip gave me the break I needed, never mind if two stopovers managed to interrupt my attempt to get a good night’s rest.

The Buildup
A few minutes before 6am, the glittering lights that dot the mountains of Baguio greeted us a good morning. Upon alighting from the bus, the mountain air embraced us with its very cool (literally) welcome. Because we assumed that it’s still too early for any restaurant or fast food to be open for business, Francis and I decided to kill time taking pictures and chatting in the cold at the bus terminal. “Let’s catch breakfast at 7am,” Francis said. That was the first itinerary for the day. I checked the time—it was just fifteen minutes past six. Still feeling drowsy from lack of sleep, I was not able to control dozing off on Francis’ shoulder. And finally, after 30 minutes that seemed like hours, we got up from our seats and hailed a cab to The Manor in Camp John Hay.

A few years ago, Francis went on a ten-day assignment to Baguio. That trip introduced him to the wonderful but a bit pricey buffet breakfast at The Manor. Therefore, with that sumptuous buffet still in his mind, Francis declared The Manor to be the breakfast place for us. “He must have a hefty budget for this trip,” I thought.

A while ago, when I asked him about budget concerns (definitely, he was given enough money just for himself; I was worried that we’d be spending a lot in this daytrip, when we should be saving for another Baguio visit for the Panagbenga festival), he assured me, saying he’ll take care of the extra expenses. All I need to do was pitch in whatever amount I can. Fair enough deal.

The sun was still slowly making its way to the sky when we settled ourselves at a table. It was a perfect breakfast, what with the splendid garden view and the many choices to satisfy our gastronomic desires. Not wasting any precious time, Francis helped himself to rice, pancit, pork steak, bacons, buttered veggies, champorado (chocolate porridge), baked potatoes, and some fruits. Meanwhile, I busied myself with bacon, waffles, champorado, mango slices, a bowl of cereals with milk, two servings of sunny-side-ups, and a piece each of blueberry and cherry croissants. I don’t normally have coffee (due to health reasons), but that beautiful morning made me order for a cup. Actually, it’s also because I needed it to keep me awake.

I’ve never had a beautiful breakfast like that in a long time. The place was relatively quiet, except for a little chatter of some hotel guests. And there was a bonus for my camera (aside from the photographic food on our plates): two birds were happily pecking away crumbs of bread from the empty plates that the waiters hadn’t collected yet. “This is a perfect morning,” I said to myself.

While enjoying our fare, I was telling Francis of my plans to bring my mom and my sister to Baguio before we get married. Then came the talk of spending our honeymoon there in Manor. Other small talks about sketchy future plans occupied us.

Happily satisfied, we took a stroll before proceeding to our impromptu plans for the rest of the day. But I had to remind myself that half of our stay in Baguio would be devoted to his work. What were we there for but his weekend work assignment, right?

“Matagal ba yung gagawin mo for your work? (Would it take long for you to finish your work?),” I asked, worried that it might eat up the rest of our short stay.

“Mga two hours. May pinapatignan lang sa akin na establishments (About two hours. I just need to check out some establishments),” Francis replied—to my relief. After strolling a bit more while taking pictures of the place, we sat down to rest. Not too many guests were loitering around the hotel’s garden. But because the area where we were was getting a bit crowded, we decided to transfer to another less occupied spot. While walking to get there, a Japanese man approached us and asked if we can take a picture of him with his family. I happily obliged and was rewarded with their sincere thank you’s. Sitting down on a pavement at this curved corner separating the garden from the cliff, we proceeded to take some more pictures. And because I wanted a decent picture of me (worthy of a profile pic)  wearing my newly acquired (and current favorite) flat suede boots, I asked Francis to take more photos.

“Sandali lang, may props ako para dyan (Wait a second, I have props for that pose),” he declared while rummaging through his backpack.

“Props?” I asked surprised. “Ano yan, buri hat? (What’s that, straw hat?)” I added laughing.

Then, everything happened so fast.

The Proposal
The last thing I remember was that I was reeling. When I saw Francis in front of me, kneeling down with a ring in his hand, mouthing the words “Will you marry me?” I felt like I was falling. I was so dumbfounded and stunned and shocked, I had to ask him if what’s happening was real.

“Toto, totoo ba ‘to?! (Toto, is this for real?!)” I asked him more than five times (Toto is one of his pet names at home). And when I finally realized that what was happening was not a product of my imagination nor my lack of sleep, I blissfully replied, “Yes! Kailangan pa ba itanong yan? (Yes! Do you really need to ask that?)” Hugging him tightly, I still had to make sure that all that was not just a very happy dream (as cheesy as that may sound). Finally, I was able to convince myself that what was happening is true. The oversized ring on my right hand (we had it resized the following day) smiled at me with winking eyes. And as much as I wanted to shout with glee, I can’t—up until now, I’m a bit hoarse. I just managed a suppressed scream while trying to figure out who to call first to break the very wonderful news. Of course, my mom and my sis were the first on the list. It was so nice to hear them laugh and gasp with me in disbelief. Then it was my friends’ turn to hear the news (sorry, my dear pals, for ringing you that early!). I was like an insane little girl pacing here and there, alternately making calls and hugging my former-boyfriend-now-fiancé Francis.

After the shock, Francis told me about all his plans leading to this proposal—how he conspired with: my office pal Mari-an, who helped him find the perfect place in Baguio to propose; our college friend Sheryl, who used her "connections" to help Francis find the perfect engagement ring; our long-time friend Ate Jha-jha for some important advice; and other friends who he consulted with—most of them my friends, too. He met with several of them in secret, telling me he’d do some work-related errands when in fact, he was already on his way to meet these friends of ours for some “planning session”. Now I’m left to wonder if they really are my friends—how dare they conspire against me?!? Haha!

But of course I can’t complain. Who would, if the conspiracy leads to such a beautiful revelation like this?

I have to give it to Francis—he’s so good at pulling off surprises like this. But what he doesn’t know is that he’s the biggest surprise that I received. And for him, I only have God to thank…

To all our friends who helped make this moment come true after 9 years, THANK YOU SO MUCH!

Now it’s time to upload all those pictures that tell the rest of that magnificent day’s story.

P.S.
Yes, there really was no official business assignment. It was just one of those many lies that Francis made up so he can get down on his knee and “beg” me to say “yes”. Hahaha!

Photos here.

pen and paper issues

Thanks to Sam, Cinds and Mari-an
for these purty notebooks!

Christmas brought me three shiny, cute notebooks. It must be a way of telling me to sit down and write again. Pen "cryptic" lines of poetry and submerge myself in the beauty of free verse. I'm afraid it's been a long while now since I've written a decent line or two. I should really jumpstart the new year with at least one set of decent syntax.

---

The New Year brings a new challenge in my career life, something I never expected. I thought all along that IT was solely mine for the taking; apparently, I was wrong. But I should not even be feeling bad about this challenge. I should not cringe and then turn my back to it. A new year calls for a new strategy--face up to the challenge and tackle it head-on. No room for being a coward now. Fight, fight, fight!

cheers

A very Merry Christmas to everyone!

Amid the merry-making, let us not forget the real reason behind the celebration--that He came to this world for the sole purpose of saving us.

Huggles to everyone!

when our house almost caught fire...

On this late Friday night, as I was walking home from work, I can't help but hear the silence that envelopes the streets of our subdivision. It was deafening, and definitely peaceful than the chaos that woke me up this morning.

A big fire was already raging right at the back of our house, and I had no clue. In fact, I was somewhat pissed at the noise that roused me from a mere 5-hour sleep. But something told me I need to get up and see what was happening. The first thing that came to my sleepy head was "Could there be a fire?", and I was hoping I'd find something less frightening than that.

It was a little past 7am. There it was, licking the early morning air. Right across our house, our neighbors were already running like headless chickens trying to carry as many items they can save. Yet I was there dumbstruck. When unbelievable things like this happen, I freeze for a couple of seconds, then I move. First things first: I need to call my mom. So I ran back to the house, straight to my room and grabbed my mobile to start dialing. In my other hand was the landline as I called Francis. At this point, I still hadn't realize the horror of what was happening, until, in the middle of dialing phone numbers, I heard an explosion. Then it hit me: since the fire was just at the back of our house, with a half-done firewall as the only protection we have, debris on fire could very well fall on our roof and consume the house in minutes. I was screaming on my mobile--screaming for my mom to please hurry and pick up and tell me what to do. Three, four, seven rings. No answer. Then Francis was on the other line, and by this time, I was in hysterics, finally realizing that I am utterly helpless in this situation. So helpless I was screaming and crying and panicking like I never had.

Yet I had to try and pull myself together--salvage whatever rational thinking was left. I remembered Mommy firmly reminding us years ago that in case a fire breaks out, we are to first save this one important brown hand bag that contains all important documents. Adrenaline rush made me run as fast as I could to my Mom's room, reached for that precious bag and handed it to one of my aunts who was outside waiting for me. Our other relatives and neighbors were telling me to secure the dogs so they could go inside our house and bring out things that needed saving. But my two dogs were both agitated by the commotion around them, and I didn't know how to secure them or where to hide them.

Ginger just gave birth to five pups.
I need to save my dogs.
I need to hide them some place in the house so I can let the people in and help me bring out our appliances.
I'm worried that they might bite anyone who gets inside the house.
I need to save the pups, but was also worried that Ginger might attack me.
I need to contact my mom.
I need to save our things.
I need the fire to stop.
Oh Lord, help please.

I think that for a number of minutes, I was just running in and out of the house like a madwoman who had no idea what to do. What can I save? Rushing back to my room, I frantically grabbed my camera bag, laptop and the bag I used the previous night. Handed them over to my aunt. Went back to the house again. Clapton followed me and I had to shoo him outside. I can't let him get trapped inside our house in case the situation gets worse. I was standing, running, looking around for things to save. My aunt was screaming at me to get out of the house.

I've never felt so helpless in my life.

When I finally rushed out, she dragged me to their place, which is a few blocks aways from ours. I was still trying to reach my mom. Still, there was no answer. Their office phone just kept ringing like her mobile. Then I decided to call Francis again, and was told that he already left to go to our place. Handing my phone to my cousin Charmaine, I felt my chest was about to explode. I was a few blocks away from our abandoned house. I abandoned our house without saving anything except for the things I was able to carry. Finally, my cousin was able to reach my mom, and I had to grab the phone from her so I can tell my mom to please come home now because there's a fire. And as I was looking at our place from my aunt's veranda, I could not help but breakdown, sobbing. Was I to just stand there and watch our house burn to ashes?

My aunt wouldn't let me go back. Why wouldn't she let me go back? Is our house already on fire? I need to save my dogs! I need to save whatever I can!

But I just stood there, shaking and almost blacking out. I had to be forced to sit down while I was dialing my sister's number. I never took my eyes away from our house, and I was somehow relieved to see the firefighters on top of our roof hosing down the flames. My sister picked up, and I told her what was happening in between sobs.

My aunt, my cousin, and this very kind old lady were all telling me to calm down, the fire's now under control. Loud firetruck alarms could be heard from all directions, and that's when I knew God answered my pleas.

Minutes after that went by in a whirl. I only remember going back to our house to check if there was anything amiss inside. It was like reclaiming something you almost lost. And when I touched the windows that were inches away from the fire, with only an unfinished wall in between them, I was shocked to feel they were quite hot. The fire was that close to consuming a home we've lived in for more than two decades now. Losing it not only means losing all the material possessions we have. It's like watching this big, yellow monster gobbling up all precious memories I have ever since I was four years old. And I think memories are more important than a TV set or a component or a DVD player.

Francis arrived, and my aunt made us stay at their place while we waited for my mom. Ten minutes or so elapsed, I saw my mom in front of our house, and I ran. She told me she sprained her right ankle trying to get home as fast as she could. I worried about her, that's why when I saw that the situation was already in control, I called her again to tell her to calm down and be careful on her way home. Hearing her cracking voice was enough to make my knees shake. I told her she needs to relax, that our place is safe now. Knowing she has a heart problem, I can't let her panic. Nothing compares to the sign of relief on my mom's face when she saw our house still standing like it should, and not a pile of black coals.

Thankful that we still have a house slightly scathed by the raging fire (our water pipe leaked because of the heat), we can't help but also feel sorry for one of our relatives, my mom's cousin and his family--their house was badly damaged. Our neighbor's roof, meanwhile, was turned to ashes. We also learned that five houses burned down. All these happened a few days before Christmas.

Those excruciating minutes all seem like forever now. That terrifying moment in my life now seems like a very bad dream floating in the horizon. It's a nightmare that anyone would want to wake up from. And I praise God for shaking me back from such a horrific dream. Indeed, He is our Saviour.

P.S.
Please utter a word of prayer to those who became victims of this tragedy.

at the end of a long day...

...it's just amazing to realize that lately, we're more in love. And that is such a serendipity.

she's sure to come back

I hate saying goodbyes. I'm not keen on it. But I'm expecting that she'll be back by next year. Our department will be waiting for her.

To Pat: Thanks for the friendship. I really appreciate everything, and I shall definitely miss you. You're one of those people in Special Pub I've grown to be close with. Hay. Basta, you shall be back. I just know it. And it won't be because of someone else, but because you'll miss us to death and you'll surely want to come back. When you do, let's hit Tagaytay again (or the beach since it'll be summer!). Hahahaha!

Have a safe trip and enjoy your temporary stay in NY. Do keep in touch, aiyt? Muah! God bless you always!

(Here are pics of our despedida gimmick for her.)

Peter Jackson's back?!

Image from www.thehobbit.cc

Seems like things are looking good for the much awaited The Hobbit movie! Peter Jackson is finally directing it! AND! LOTR in 3D is cooking up! Read more of the wonderful, wonderful news here.

WOOOOOHOOOOOO!

time to journey back to Narnia

Image from www.product-reviews.net

Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy.

Or should I say, "Oh prince, oh prince, prince."

I have just seen the trailer of The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian (it's actually the fourth book; they skipped the third one, The Horse and His Boy, because I presume they found it a bit of a drag, too, like my sis and I did).

More battle scenes, more mature roles, more complex characters. And dear Caspian is going to give Peter a run for his prettiness. Teehee!

bend it, baby!

Image from www. sironline.com

As an anniversary gift, Francis got me a new toy: a Lensbaby 2.0! Sweet!

I can't really express how happy I am for a new "baby". But as soon as I get the hang of this new toy, I'll definitely go in a shooting craze.

Sample shot. Teehee!

Thanks a lot, Pangga! You really are sooper-dooper the best! *huggles*

P.S.
Special thanks to Pat E. and Cos for the help you lent Francis. How dare you conspire against me!? Hahaha!

an idyllic monday

Pretty daybed at Sonya's Garden

Rarely, if at all, do I describe Mondays as idyllic. But the 26th was different. I went on leave, Francis did too, and we headed off to Tagaytay to celebrate nine years of a blessed relationship.

Monday morning, I woke up to the ringing phone at 8:30. I knew it was Francis beating me to be the first one to greet "Happy Anniversary!". I had to give up. He always wins even in our monthsaries. A little chit-chat and we hung up. I dozed off--proof that these days, I'm having a hard time waking up earlier than 9am. Haha! Anyway, I had to remind myself that that was a big day, so I jumped out of bed at 9:30 and went about my morning rituals. Come 12nn, I can hear Francis turning off his car engine in front of our house. Said my see-you-later to my two loving dogs then we were off to catch lunch somewhere on the way to Tagaytay.


Market! Market! was the chosen luncheon place. It was Kenny Rogers, to be more specific. After satisfying ourselves with Solo B, we headed straight to Tagaytay. I was actually worried about the weather because the previous days brought a heavy downpour. Though it wasn't totally sunny, we're thankful that our prayers were answered: the sun peeked every now and then.


We saw the cloudy sky of Tagaytay at around 4pm, and we immediately proceeded to Residence Inn Zoo--a usual destination every time we're in the area. Took a lot of pictures, of course. And when it was finally getting dark, we headed to the famous Sonya's Garden.


Tucked in Buck Estate, it took us about 5 minutes or so to reach the place. Though it was drizzling, Sonya's didn't fail our expectations. I've already read a couple of reviews about it; a former colleague of mine was even highly recommending that we visit it for a date. The moment we entered the dining room, we knew we made the right choice. And what a sweet coincidence that we were the only guests for dinner (perhaps it was a slow day due to the rain; and it was a weekday).


I've also read about the set menu that they serve, and the reviews are good. But as they say, the proof of the pudding is in the tasting. Indeed, the food is superb. The 560 tag (plus 100 service charge) per head is well worth it. For starters, it was a hefty serving of green salad with lots of garnishing. Now I am not a fan of green salad. In fact, I don't eat it at all. But I told myself that I might as well try this for the first time. And with Sonya's Secret Salad dressing, I became a convert. I even had two servings! Then came the freshly baked bread with four choices of homemade dips: anchovies, pesto, white cheese, mushroom paté and tapinade. After that, the main course was up: pasta with two choices of sauce--sun dried tomato and chicken cream with mango. The latter is heaven! I can still savor it in my mouth! There's also black olives, mushroom, capers and salmon belly, which is also gastronomic. By this time, we were already in love with Sonya's. But of course, there's still dessert, and for us, it was a slice each of chocolate cake (yummy because it's not too sweet), caramelized sweet potatoes and sweet banana rolls. And the drink? Bottomless dalandan juice and a cup each of tarragon tea. Man, we were so full and sleepy.


Before hitting the road for coffee, we strolled for a while to check out the garden, and it is indeed enchanting. The scenery would've been better had we visited at an earlier time. Still, there are no regrets, because that only means more reasons to come back (we will, actually!).


Photo ops, photo ops, then we were on our way to Starbucks to cap off the night. After an hour of unhurried conversation, we were hitting the road home.

Nine years of being together is something we'll always be proud of; and we know this is only the beginning...

(More photos here!)

when i'm at lost for words on our 9th

Looking forward to gazillion more hilarious moments
with the best musician there is on the planet and beyond!
Happy anniversary, Pangga!

I can be an a**hole of the grandest kind
I can withhold like it's going out of style
I can be the moodiest baby and you've never met anyone
Who's as negative as I am sometimes

I am the wisest woman you've ever met
I am the kindest soul with whom you've connected
I have the bravest heart that you've ever seen
And you've never met anyone
Who's as positive as I am sometimes

I blame everyone else, not my own partaking
My passive-aggressiveness can be devastating
I'm terrified and mistrusting
And you've never met anyone
As closed down as I am sometimes

What I resist, persists, and speaks louder than I know
What I resist, you love, no matter how low or high I go

I'm the funniest woman that you've ever known
I'm the dullest woman that you've ever known
I'm the most gorgeous woman that you've ever known
And you've never met anyone
Who is as everything as I am sometimes

You see everything, you see every part
You see all my light and you love my dark
You dig everything of which I'm ashamed
There's not anything to which you can't relate
And you're still here

the eve of our 9th

...is spent trying to beat deadlines. Though I cannot complain, really. These are blessings. But maybe in the succeeding weeks, I'll slow down a bit. Honestly, it really gets exhausting working after a day job.

I'm also a bit worried about tomorrow's weather. For the past few hours now, I've been logged on to PAG-ASA's website monitoring typhoon Mina. But it looks like God's answered our prayers. She's now nearing Isabela. I just pray that it'll be a bright, sunny day tomorrow for the whole part of Luzon.

I'm really excited about our anniv. First, because I get to be with Francis for a whole day. Second, it's an out-of-town daytrip that he promised me (he knows I badly need to unwind away from the city). Third, there'd be lots of photos to upload, which also means that among those photos is a potential profile pic. Fourth, I get to have my haircut the day after tomorrow. I've been procrastinating on having my hair chopped because Francis begged me to skip it until after our anniv.

So, so...I really need to finish writing some stuff so I can have my "beauty rest", as Cindy puts it. Plus, I have yet to prep my garb for tomorrow. I just hope I don't pass out freezing in Tagaytay, what with the dress I plan to wear. Ho-hum.

Advanced happy 9th to us, Pangga! I'm sooooo proud of us! Let's not forget to thank Him!

Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann!

Kamina, Simon and Yoko. Gurren lagann!!!
(Image from http://giapet.net)

Back in college, I was greatly hooked on animé. In fact, I was so hooked I made it a subject for my undergrad thesis, the title of which is: Animé Attack: The Effects of Japanese Action/Adventure Animation on Children's Behavior and Its Relationship with Children's Literature. I zeroed in on three prime time animé in GMA 7: Fushigi Yūgi, The Vision of Escaflowne and Dragon Ball. I remember crying over my thesis because I was so afraid I would not beat the deadline, which meant not graduating on time. But I did. And I was even surprised to have scored a sweet grade for my undergrad dissertation.

Sadly, it's been years now since I was last hooked on animé shows. But because of my ever-reliable supplier of TV series, dear friend Cos, I am again addicted to another one: Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann.

Cos is right. The 27-episode series is engaging. The fight scenes are awesome; the characters are lovable; the lessons are valuable. Never mind if there's that ubiquitous hint (just hint?) of perversion prevalent in most action-adventure animé.

I have yet to finish 10 more episodes before I see it over again.

Now I miss those animé days. Guess I better do some catching up.