Pasko na, Pasko na!

May mga parol nang nakasindi,
May mga parol nang nakasindi...

At ang lamig, ay lubhang matindi...

HUH?!

Naginternet ako sa isang place near Astoria.
Aba! Korean ba naman ang characters sa buong screen.

Ros: "Pwede ang ilipat n'yo ko sa alpha numeric characters?"
Attendant: "Wala pong ganon e. Pero pag punta n'yo naman po sa site, english na."
Ros: "Ha?! E pano kung may ise-save ako, etc."
Attendant: "E wala pong ganon e."
Ros: "This is ridiculous, nasa Pilipinas tayo!"

DUH?! KOREA BA 'TO?

Nakikinig ako sa radio...

Reporter: Kakasagap lang namin ng balita na isang barko ang natumba at tuluyan nang lumulubog ngayon. Ito'y isang MV Brian na namula sa Puerto Galera at patunggo mismo sa Batangas Pier. BLAH BLAH BLAH... Sa katunayan, may mga pasahero daw itong ilang foreigners at... BLAH BLAH.

Pinoy, wala? Not worth mentioning?

Missing Blog Moments

Once again, nawawalan na nang saysay ang aking blog.
Di naman sa wala kong adventures na maiku-kwento...
Tinatamad lang talaga.

Romantic Comedies

I just saw two romantic comedies in one day. Akala mo walang magawa.

First, "The Break-Up" starring Jennifer Aniston and Vince Vaughn.
Nakakatuwa naman... guys should watch this. Bittersweet ending.

Second, "Failure to Launch" starring Sarah Jessica Parker and Matthew McConaughey.
Walang kwenta! Why does this guy keep on getting stuck with stories about him meeting a girl out of a bet or a job?

Starting Today

Too strong for too long (and I can't be without you baby)
And I'll be waiting up until you get home (cause I can't sleep without you baby)
Anybody who's ever loved, you know just what I feel
Too hard to fake it, nothing can replace it
Call the radio if you just can't be without your baby

-Be Without You
Mary J. Blige

IOM 2006

Last September, I participated as a staff member of the Imaging Our Mekong 2006 Technical Workshop. It's a fellowship program for journalist of the different countries in the Mekong region. We spent the whole month devoted to our new friends from Cambodia, China, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam.

I wanted to write a full-blown entry on this but all my efforts of chronicling this event has been poured over the 80-page written documentation I prepared. Pictures at konting kwento na lang ang kaya ko.

Here's the IOM staff, from left to right:
Tita Nancy who takes care of administration and finance, Ate Yas (6mos pregnant) is the head of everything, Kara, Ate Rin and I

Here I am with the Filipino facilitators--Kuya Jay, Jing and Agay. We hosted a dinner in our suite one night and we had an impromptu traditional/wacko dance.

Here we are at Casa Manila in Intramuros.

Below is the team from Thailand: Pinay facilitator Riza, fellows Bo and Nu, and translator Pat. They made a story about Filipino cockfighters. Incidentally, Pat had his Masters in UP CMC Broad Dept, kaya tawag namin sa isa't isa ay schoolmate.

The ouster of Takshin also happened while they were here in the Philippines. They taught us how to say "Takshin, Get Out!" in Thai. It's "Takshin, OOK PAI!!!" Kaya pag may magjo-joke ng corny o kaya pag nag-aasaran, sasabihin lang "Ook Pai!"

Syempre aside from the lectures and the production schedules, we also had a lot of recreational activities. Here we are at Enchanted Kingdom. From left to right there's Lao translator Tou, partly hidden is Burmese fellow Ah Doi, me, Tita Nancy and another Burmese fellow Ko Ko Gyi.

We also played a lot of badminton, here in Manila and in Davao. Here I am with Lao fellow Lay. Kunwari mga champion! hiniram lang namin sa cabinet ng isang place na nilaruan namin sa Davao. Hehe.

We also had many dinners, one of which was a concert in Matina Town Square in Davao featuring Popong Landero. It was a Wednesday night kaya onti lang ang tao, parang private party tuloy. Popong invited the fellows to dance on stage.

Marami pang kwento! It's fascinating to meet so many people with so many cultures. I especially enjoyed the dinners I spent in their rooms, eating their "oh-so-spicy" noodles and fish, talking about their families and their work. I was in another region for one month. Now, we're all back to our countries, back to our jobs and our own realities. But for the one month we were trapped in the IOM World, I was pretty sure nobody wanted to leave.

CPA Momon!

Congrats Mymie!
Also to the 2006 batch, 100%! Go UP!

Wisdom Tooth

Grabe, para kong nabunutan ng tinik...
Nabunutan nga ko, dalawang ngipin nga lang! Haha, corny!

Share ko lang:
Isa s'yang painless procedure! As in hindi s'ya dapat katakutan. Thanks so much to Dra. Aurie! Dalawa lang kasi ang tinanggal contrary sa press release ko na apat.

Ang tooth sa lower right, nakahiga, as in horizontal. So ang ginawa, nilagare ang ngipin tapos hinila. Sa taas naman, medyo slanted at naka-baon na parang may hook ang isang paa ng ngipin. Ito naman pagkatapos ako lagyan ng anesthesia, e tinulak-tulak ng mala-screwdriver na gadget.

As for the left side na walang ginalaw, tama ang tubo ng ngipin sa lower part, at for some reason ay wala akong wisdom tooth sa upper left. Either daw nag-migrate to be a regular tooth or natanggal na for some reason when I was younger, or talagang wala pa s'ya at sa susunod pa magpaparamdam.

Nakakaloka lang kasi super namaga talaga ang fez! Square talaga ang mukha ko. Sabi ng mom ko, kamukha ko raw yung dati kong cheeks nung bata pa ko na parang nakalaylay. May picture ako ng mukha ko at ng mga ngipin ko pero hindi ko na gustong ipakita dito. Hahaha.

Hindi rin ako nahirapan kumain! Mas marami pa nga akong nakain kaysa sa mga regular days e. Kung saan-saan din ako pumunta, as in right after the surgery! One week after, I even went to Pagadian.

Ngayon ay nag-aadjust pa rin ako sa bagong configuration ng ngipin ko. Nakaka-panibago lang kasi gumagalaw pa ang parts ng gums na hiniwa. Kailangan ko na rin sanayin ulit ang jaw ko, kasi for the longest time hindi ko na s'ya ma-fully open.

Hay... buti tapos na. Problema lang ngayon e wala na kong pera.

Yikes!

Hala! Friday the 13th!
Ngayon pa naman ako magpapa-tanggal ng 4, as in 4, kong WISDOM TEETH!

Mamaya na yon! 1pm hanggang 3pm akong nakanganga.
May ice cream na sa bahay. Maraming yelo!

Wish me luck!

5

A day of thanks for the 5.
A day of promise for the rest.

Thanks Mym. I promise.

Welcome back to me!
I've been away from the internet for two weeks. Tambak na ang e-mails ko at miss ko na rin ang blog ko.

Oh well... busy ako sa pagkikipagkaibigan sa mga international visitors ng Pilipinas through the Imaging Our Mekong Fellowship. Now, I have friends from the Mekong region: China, Cambodia, Burma, Laos, Thailand, and Vietnam. Sosyal!

Saka ko na lang iku-kwento ang mga escapades namin.
Pati ang mga pictures. Hehe...

JASMS

I passed by JASMS-QC today... Napatigil ako sa gitna ng EDSA.
Wala na. Giniba na.

Goodbye...

Mountain, where we rolled around in our gala uniform, played almost every sport and had our class pictures

Love Garden, where we had our first communion, saw a snake caught by Mang Pabling, almost ate a leaf

Mr. Montero's version of Mt. Rushmore, a JASMS landmark

War Toys' Cemetery

Preschool Playground, where I always go back and play, where I got my first injury running down the slide

Gym, where I learned ballet, led the national anthem, had classes

My volleyball court, where I spent most of my afternoons training, and which I called my home for 3 years


Hindi ko na alam sasabihin ko.

I don't want to forget...

Ghostwriter... Leni, Jamal, Alex, Tina, Gaby and Hector

Babar

"Ako si Miem!"

Texas bubblegum

Pong Pagong at Kiko Matsing

Fanta and Slush

Peter Pan and Trapp Family Singers

Coney Island Ice Cream

Bulag na mamang nagbebenta ng ice buko sa Teacher's Village

A&W Rootbeer Float

The Wonder Years

Doogie Howser, MD

98-102

I don't understand.
I've been doing it for 60 days now...
still with no great results.

Do I need to be more disciplined?
Am I doing things wrong?

Maybe it's true that it's hardest for the last 10-15.

I just find myself lost...
I'm getting desperate.

Do desparate situations really call for desparate measures?

Davao and Kidapawan, not once but twice!

Shiyet... ang corny ng title... pero sige na.

Went to Davao and Kidapawan for the past two weeks. I'm tired...
Some random thoughts dahil ayoko nang karirin ang pagku-kwento. Hehe...

1st trip, August 11 to 14
There's no smoking in Davao! Hmm... clean air! Sarap!
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May nakasabay kaming mga Herbalife agents sa airplane. Bigyan daw ba ako ng leaflet?! Ibig ba n'ya sabihin I have to lose weight! Pucha! At ayon sa leaflet n'ya, I'm 13 lbs over my ideal weight. Kainis...
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Ang galing ng mga taxi drivers, sakto kung magsukli.
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While in Kidapawan we stayed at AJ High Time Hotel na kung saan nung nakaraang araw lamang ay may nagpasabog. Kamusta naman 'yon!? Pero sabi ng van driver, "Wag kayong matakot sa mga pasabog, normal lang yun."
-----------
We had dinner at Matina Town Square, their version of Eastwood. We had coffee at Blugre (read: Blue Gray). Natawa lang ako kasi nakalagay sa mga chalk board nila:

Coffee of the Month: Durian Gatchpuccino
Drink of the Month: Durian Larcepuccino
Dessert of the Month: Durian Cheesecake

Hello?! The last time pumunta ko, yun na ang nakasulat, and that was in 2004! Tapos natawa pa ko sa Gatch and Larcepuccino, pangalan daw ng mga may-ari. Hehe.


2nd trip, August 18 to 21 (Mas Eventful, hehe)
Overweight ang baggage ko papunta with all the equipment. Anyway, nagawan ko naman ng paraan. (I made the mistake of texting Momon: Overweight ako! Ang dami tuloy aberya sa pag-check in ng bags!)
-----------
Dami kong nakitang artista sa flight namin... Kadayawan kasi kaya may show siguro sila sa Davao. Jolina, Christian Bautista, Nikki or Star in a Million, Niña of Pinoy Big Brother Teen Edition and Angel Locsin. Daming nagpapa-picture sa kanila. Dami ding mga media crew na super sa pag-flash ng kanilang media ID. As if.
-----------
Bumili kami ng Suha... kay VIRGIE! So sikat.
-----------
I walked around Davao alone to meet with my college friend, Rica. Feeling independent. Wahaha. Ang saya nung nag-meet kami, pumunta pa kami sa factory ng Durian candies, kaya yun mas masarap ang mga naiuwi ko. Mas okay din ang suha na nauwi ko this time around, at friends na kami ni "Long Hair" and nagbebenta sa stall ni Virgie.
-----------
May bruhaha pa ako sa airport, nang-abala pa ko. Kasi nga overweight ang bags ko, (ayan di na ako) plus may suha pa. I had to find someone na onti lang ang dala tapos sabay kami mag-check in para ma-off set ang baggage weight problem ko. Then, I asked the officer to put a fragile sticker sa bag ko na may camera. Tapos... gusto ba naman n'ya na ilabas ko ang mga camera at lahat ng equipment at ihand-carry ko raw! Waaahhh! Na-delay pa tuloy kami, kakahiya sa pinakiusapan ko. Buti na lang super bait s'ya.


-----------
Kaya nga after these two trips... dito muna ako Manila. I'll be back in Davao on September.

The Magic of Disney

I can still remember how I watched the Little Mermaid for seven consecutive days.
To this day I can still sing "Belle" (with all the dialogue) from Beauty and the Beast.
I always almost cry when I hear "Feed the Brids" from Mary Poppins.
And I will always be proud that our very own Lea Salonga voiced for Princess Jasmine and Mulan.

That's why finally... I understood why the young ones like High School Musical so much.

Whereas I was completely disappointed... I could just picture myself loving it at their age. It's just that I had so high expectations, ones with basis. I marked it on my calendar, checked for the countdown, and patiently watched the film even if it made me crazy because of the chipmunk voices of the two female leads. Belle, Jasmine, and Ariel didn't have those voices!

But when I saw a young girl in Kumon singing "Breaking Free" quiet loudly I may add... and just this morning when I heard a young boy singing the same tune while playing basketball... I finally understood.

They've found their Belles and Beast, Ariels and Erics, Aladdins and Jasmines.
High School Musical, you're okay.

Some thoughts...

Looking for Manila Bureau Manager
I'm taking on a new job as the Bureau Manager for the Manila bureau of KNN. New things to do and to learn... more challenges and more happy moments. The real issue at hand is the fact that I need a partner for this... so this is actually a shout out to all those interested to have a freelance job for three months. Let me know.

I want a Chihuahua!
I never had a dog, or a pet... na talagang feel na feel ko na pet ko s'ya. I've had fishes before pero wala lang... andyan lang sila. Now, I want to have a dog... a chihuahua to be specific. Seryoso! Ang mahal nga lang, pero ready talaga akong mag-alaga. Hindi lang ready ang bulsa ko.

2005 UP-CMC Yearbook
Our yearbook will be released this coming Saturday... nakaka-excite na hindi. Hindi ko maintindihan. Hindi nga lang ako makaka-punta para kumuha, sino kayang pwedeng kumuha ng akin? Ang dami pang issu tungkol sa resibo. Rrrr!

Suspended Na Naman?!

What's up with these class suspensions? Konting ulan lang wala nang pasok agad.

Naaalala ko dati... ganun din kalakas ang ulan, may hangin din naman at may posibilidad na magka-baha pero may pasok pa rin kami. Di ba nga hinahangin-hangin na ang lahat sa 4th floor tuloy pa rin ang lesson. Basa na kayong lahat papunta, naka-pila na ang mga payong n'yo sa labas ng room, pero may klase talaga.

Naiintindihan ko na kailangan walang pasok ang mga bata... pero high school at college?! Grabe!

Kung ang iniisip naman nila ay baha, sa palagay ko OA pa rin. Medyo nalinis na kasi ng MMDA ang mga kanal kaya di na gaanong bumabaha ngayon. Panay gutter-level na lang, na obviously kaya naman. Dumaan nga ako sa España kahapon, malakas ang ulan pero walang baha.

Sa totoo lang... yung mga bata rin yung kawawa kasi babayaran din naman nila yung hindi nila pinasok na mga araw. Sana mas maging discriminating naman sa pagsu-suspinde ng klase.

Bakit ba ko apektado dito... di naman ako estudyante?!

Curses!
May UTI yata ako.

It's so freaking annoying!

Sige... water therapy. Sana gumaling ako.
Help!

ang saya... nakita ko na rin yung name ko.
sa totoo lang di ko na ine-expect na lalabas pa yun kasi di ko naaabutan ang letter r sa mga nauna ko nang nakitang commercials. parating ibang letter.

tapos kanina, hinding-hindi ko inaasahan... ayun na s'ya. with the dramatic music and images, and heartfelt words of thanks.

These guys just make me so happy.

Kahit paulit-ulit na ang mga usapan, nagki-kita, nage-email, nagte-text, nagbabasa ng blog ng isa't isa... wala pa rin kayong kupas, Avogadro 4! Hanggang sa susunod na pagkikita!

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PS

Na-publish na yata 'tong mga pics na 'to sa halos lahat ng Avo blogs... Hehe.

That's the spirit!

Wimbeldon 2006 - Men's Finals

Parang repeat ng French Open nung una. Tambak si Rafael Nadal... kaibahan lang, hindi na s'ya nakabalik... panalo si Roger Federer.

Some random thoughts and pics...

Panalo ang Nike. Kitang kita ang Swoosh sa shirt, head band, wrist band, shorts, socks.

Astig din yung mga padapa-dapa ni Nadal.

Ang coat ni Federer with his personalized logo. Parang hindi masyadong bagay sa shorts.

Grabe na sa pagpupunas si Nadal,ang bagal mag-serve!

Nanood pa si Manolo Santana, last Spanish to win Wimbledon. Ang comment n'ya kay Nadal, "He is the best Spanish player, since me!" Hehe.

5 languages pala kayang salitain ni Federer. Cool!

That's it for Wimbledon this year.

Wimbeldon 2006 - Women's Finals

Galit na talaga ako kay Amelie Mauresmo. ROAR!

Natalo si Justine Henin-Hardenne (2-6, 6-3, 6-4). Hindi gumana ang kanyang super one-handed backhand. Wimbeldon na lang sana ang kulang n'ya sa Grand Slam titles... hay.

Ang totoo, dati pa ko may namumuong kainisan kay Mauresmo. Nag-umpisa 'to nung talunin n'ya ang isa ko pang paborito na si Martina Hingis sa Australian Open. Dito nag-umpisa ang downfall ni Hingis.

At lately, talagang sinusubaybayan ko na si Henin-Hardenne. Sabi nga sa isang PDI article na nabasa ko, dying breed na daw ang mga kagaya ni Henin-Hardenne sa mundo ng women's tennis ngayon. Wala nang lugar para sa mga "finesse" players, hindi na nila kakayanin ang mga "power" players. Pinasimunuan kasi ng Williams sisters, sunod na ang mga Russian giantesses.

Kaya bilib ako kay Henin-Hardenne. She is the exception to the rule. 5'5" lang s'ya, hindi nagga-grunt, naka-relo, naka-cap, may sleeves, minsan may collar pa. Naka-white or pale pink kahit hindi Wimbledon, clean looking! Ang ganda ng thigh at forearm muscles n'ya! At s'ya ang perfect combination ng finesse at power with her killer one-handed backhand.

Hay... next year na lang ulit.

Federer vs. Nadal naman tonight. Hindi ako decided kung kanino ako kakampi.

Naa-addict ako ngayon sa mga sumusunod:

Page-exercise

Wimbeldon... Go Henin-Hardenne!

Jeopardy

TV Guide

Limewire

Pagtawag sa mga hotlines

Pagbo-blog kahit walng matinong sasabihin. Kainis!

Pinoy Boxers, World-Class Boxers!

Saw the Pacquiao-Larios bout today (who didn’t?!) and got fed up with all the commercials. Business is business, gotta make money.
So, while waiting for the match, I made a project out of the commercials na lang. Wala lang, trip.

Ang hindi ko lang nakuha is yung Ginebra San Miguel and Nestle.
Yung Alaxan Gel ni Jinky, hindi rin pinalabas.

Here are some pictures of the fight. Ito ang talagang dapat na pinapanood, Ros!

All praises ako kay Larios... laging nakangiti at tinanggap n’ya ng maluwat ang pagkatalo n’ya. Wawa naman talaga s’ya. Sa totoo lang, nalulungkot ako after every boxing fight na napapanood ko. Nakaka-awa talaga yung mga talunan. Naiyak nga ako nung natumba si Erik Morales nung last fight nila ni Pacquiao. Wawa talaga.

Nonetheless, I’m happy for the Pinoy boxers. And I’m happy that we can show the world that we can host a word-class fight in our country.

Ang Bisikleta ni Ros

After 22 years... marunong na ako mag-bike!
Hindi ko ma-explain... Ang saya saya ko.
Napaka-simple lang di ba? Pero malaking bagay 'to sakin.

Akala ko talaga mamatay na kong hindi marunong magbisikleta. Minsan, naiisip ko na parang kakulangan na hindi ako marunong mag-bike kasi nga kapaluob na sa buhay ng isang bata ang matuto magbike, di ba? Parang right of passage s'ya sa totoo lang... may fear na sesemplang ka, na mababalian ka ng buto, magkakasugat, susubsob ang mukha mo... pero haharapin mo yun kasi gusto mong malampasan yung phase na yun.

Mga 12 years na siguro nung huli akong nag-try, naaalala ko pa ang mga eksena sa isip ko. Sa totoo lang, may takot pa rin sa dibdib ko nung nag-aral ako ulit last week. Grabe, takot na takot talaga ako. Isang parte sakin, hindi umaasang iba ang kalalabasan ng pagsubok kong matuto ngayon. Pero gusto kong isipin na mas matapang na ko ngayon... at mas determinadong matuto. Dagdag pa na talagang handa akong ibigay ang pagtitiwala ko sa nagturo sakin, alam ko kasi na di n'ya ko pababayaan. Pero kasabay ng pag-alalay n'ya ang paniniwala rin n'yang kaya ko talaga. Hindi n'ya ko hinayaang matakot at dumepende sa kanya. Kaya naman alam kong kahit wala na ang kamay n'ya sa mga hawakan, hindi s'ya nalalayo.

Hay... hindi pa rin ako expert, at kailangan ko pa ng maraming practice.
Matagal pa bago ko mag "no-hands".

Congrats MYaMi!!!

YES!!! Panalo!!!
I almost missed the game, akala ko Thursday pa. Congratulations, Miami Heat!

And congratulations to Momon... alam ko naman na deep inside you, umasa ka pa rin! Bahala na s'ya sa entry n'ya na sure akong magiging puno ng analysis, drama, at mga dinadamdam ng isang tunay na fan! Click here na lang.

My Miami Fan

As I'm writing this entry, the Miami Heat is leading 40-35 against the Dallas Mavericks in the 4th game of the 2006 NBA Finals. Watching the games is now part of my role as Mymah.

Dahil nasa review si Momon, I have to watch the games for him. And at the precise moment the game ends, I have to text him about the results... not before it ends, and not way after. Hindi rin dapat magsend ng text kung humahabol ba... or malaki ba ang lamang. Final result lang, that's it.

Unfortunately, after the first two games lost, and the very close third game... Momon has given up hope. Meron s'yang bracelet na Miami colors, and just recently, nasira ito. Para sa kanya, senyales yon na talagang matatalo ang Miami. Hindi rin pwedeng ma-overexcite pag leading ang Heat kasi baka mahabol pa.

Kaya naman as his supporter, more than the Miami Heat's, I can't say, "Hindi... kaya pa yan!" Hindi ko rin pwedeng sabihin, "Tama ka. Wag na tayong manuod." So I just listen to his analysis, his rantings, predictions, rationalizations (may sense o wala), and his requests for me to comfort him.

Please... Miami Heat, manalo kayo. Para sa Mymah ko.

Find your Favorite!!!

Grabe!!! It's so meant to be. I was just blog hopping, I saw these blog things and looked for something that's nice to put on my blog. I tried this one....

Nakakaloka!!! I just answered the question, white chocolate wasn't even on any of the questions. Most were about how I feel when drinking coffee, where do I want to drink my coffee, etc. Tapos ito yung lumabas!

And this is actually my favorite! Ask anyone who goes to Starbucks with me. I've been having this drink since the start of the year. Although, I'd prefer ICED, kasi wala namang frap nito sa Pinas e.

White Chocolate Mocha Frappuccino

One of a kind and forward looking, you're the first to introduce a wacky new trend to your friends. And even if your ideas seem weird, they get adopted pretty quickly.

What Flavor Frappuccino Are You?

Gosh... I've found my favorite! And I think the description matches. We're really meant to be.

Venti Iced White Chocolate Mocca for Mym...

Unfair

Nadisappoint na naman ko.

I’m a big Kapamilya fan, alam n’yo yan. I watch TV all the time. Last Sunday, I watched the finale of Star Circle Summer Kid Quest. Quintin won. Hay... I just couldn’t understand it.

Believe me, I have nothing against Quintin, I think he’s cute, I think he’s talented. Pero para sakin si Mika ang dapat na nanalo. Mika was leading all through out the competition, and it’s a very convincing and well deserved lead. Kahit sa mga forums, si Mika ang gustong manalo ng mga tao: Mika – 45.76%, Quintin – 20.34%.

I’m just hurt for Mika na they had to sacrifice her para lang hindi masabing hindi “luto” ang laban, kasi nga kapatid s’ya ni Angelica. Na-sacrifice din s’ya para hindi predictable ang result. Grabe... I’m so hurt! Naaawa ako sa bata. What would she think now?! She knows that she’s the best, everyone thinks and tells her so... pero bakit hindi s’ya ang nanalo?

This is not the first time na ginawa ‘to ng ABS. Frankly, I’m sick of it! Kahit naiintindihan ko (to the extent of my studies and work) na maraming factors kung bakit iba ang result... hindi ko pa rin magets kung bakit laging ganon. Alam ko rin naman na in part deserving din naman ang mga nanalo... pero... hindi ko lang talaga magets. Paulit-ulit!

Star in a Million, Season 1: Erik and Sheryn
Search for a Star in a Million, Season 2: Tata and Kris
Cupids: PawEl and MhyZel (although kay PawEl ako kampi)

Pero sige... ano pa bang magagawa ko? Ewan ko ba.
Iisipin ko na lang na kadalasan naman na mas sumusikat ang hindi nananalo.

Kumare!

Happy birthday to my best friend, Rhea!

Love ya!

Funny Miscommunications

Just last night Mon and I watched the Da Vinci Code in Shangri La Cineplex. As we were getting tickets sabi ng attendant:

Attendant: Ma’am ilang taon na po sila?

Huh?! Gulat na gulat talaga ako. Matagal ko nang pinapangarap ang moment na ‘to: na mapagkamalang under 18 pa rin! Pero hindi ako prepared. So sa sobrang gulat, sabi ko:

Ros: Ahh... 18. (Shiyet!?!)
Attendant: Kailan po ang birthday n’yo?
Ros: August 1, 1983
Attendant: So hindi ka 18? Over 18 ka na.

Oo nga naman! Wahahaha! Mukha tuloy akong sinungaling.

Momon: Over 18 na yan, may driver’s license na yan e.
Ros: Ay, oo... twenty two pala.

Pero natuwa na talaga ako at hindi ko na maitago ang aking kilig. At dahil ayoko nang mapahiya na mali ang sinagot ko... nagpakapormal na lang ako at sabi ko:

Ros: Do you need to see and ID?

Sabay bigay ng license ko. Pero hindi ko na talaga naitago ang kasiyahan ko na pinagkamalan pa akong under 18. Yes!!!

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Last March, Kuya Gen went home to get Matt to bring him to America. Syempre kasama sa quick vacation n’ya ang mga dinner and drinks with cousins. So, we had dinner at Terriyaki Boy sa Libis. Kasama rin namin sa dinner si Kuya Leo, Ate Monet and Bea, pati na rin ang mga ibang cousins ni Kuya Gen. Meron pa s’yang special guest, si Mac Cardona. kapitbahay kasi n’ya si Cardona sa US at kalaro din sa basketball nung bata pa sila.

So anong nangyari?

Si Ate Monet kasi ay Executive Assistant ni Gabby Lopez (CEO of ABS-CBN, in case you don’t know, hehe). Earlier, before Cardona arrived kinukwento ni Ate Monet na si Mr. Lopez daw ay laging binibigyan ng front row tickets sa mga concerts and shows. Minsan daw hindi s’ya nakakapunta kaya si Ate Monet na lang ang gumagamit or pinamimigay n’ya sa iba.

Nag-commence na ang usapan sa mga ibang bagay. Dumating na si Mac at tuloy tuloy nang nakipagdaldalan na kay Kuya Gen, as in wala na sialng pakialam samin. Kami naman, usap usap pa rin. E ang lalakas ng boses namin nila Bea at Ate Monet. Bigla kong sinabi:

Ros to Ate Monet: Uy... bigyan mo naman ako ng tickets!

Pero iba ang sumagot.

Mac (biglang lingon): Oo ba!

Natigilan ako. Long enough para malaman n'ya na di s'ya ang kausap ko.

Ros to Mac: Ah... oo! Ikaw rin!

So much for my first few minutes with a UAAP star na talaga namang nasubaybayan ko... and now rising star of PBA. Hehehe! Buti na lang naka-recover din kami pareho sa blunder namin, at umusad naman ang gabi ng matiwasay.

Hanggang ngayon wala pa rin akong ticket to PBA at kahit ano pang show na hindi dinaluhan ni Mr. Gabby Lopez. Wahaha!!!

Summer Finale

We’ve waited too long for this vacation: Puerto Galera, the second time around. We’re wiser, and we’re ready to make the most of what the place has to offer. Usapan... after this trip, we’ll be ready to explore other places.

Beach Hopping
Hindi kami sumakay ng diretso papunta sa White Beach kasi ang tagal ng aantayin namin. Instead, sumakay kami ng papunta sa Sabang. Kaya tuloy nagkaron kami ng mini-beach hopping experience. Nakita namin ang Sabang Beach, Big and Small La Laguna Beach, Coco Beach at Puerto Galera town. From the town, sumakay kami ng tricycle papuntang White Beach.

CM 4, Our Home
Sakto at binaba kami ng tricycle kung saan kami nagstay last time. Sa aming pinakamamahal na VM Beach Resort, Room CM4. Marami pa kaming arte sa paghahanap ng room na may ref, umabot pa kami sa kabilang dulo. Pero in the end... dahil thankfully at hindi maka-let go si Ben, nauwi din kami sa dati naming room. It just feels so much like home to us.

My braids and Ate Lydia
In the afternoon, nung di na gaanong mainit, lumabas na kami. Nagpa-braid ako kay Ate Lydia. Grabe... ang sakit pala magpa-braid.

Aninuan Falls
Si Ate Lydia na rin ang naging tour guide namin papuntang Aninuan Falls. From White Beach, bumili muna kami ng lulutuin namin for lunch, tapos nag tricycle to Aninuan. After that, nagstart na ang aming paglalakad. May onting stopover lang kami sa bahay nila Ate Lydia para kumuha ng kanin. From there, it was about a 45-minute walk paakyat sa bundok. We crossed the Aninuan River 9 times on the way up, each time building up our anticipation for the falls. Nakakapagod... grabe ang pawis at nakakahingal. Nakakatakot din kasi madulas at di stable ang lahat ng bato pero it was all worth it. We were not disappointed!

Tama lang ang lalim, malamig at sobrang linis ng tubig. May part na mababaw at may part din na malalim. We also had lunch there... si Ate Lydia ang nagluto. It started with chips and my special dip for appetizer. For the main course, we had grilled liempo, tilapia, kamatis and onion, and for refreshments we had chilled Dalandan Soda. We also had apples for dessert. Hay... ang sarap kumain sa tabing ilog.

The hike back was a lot faster pero napagod pa rin kami kasi ang init na. When we got to our room, nagshake muna kami sa VM tapos nag-nap for 2 hours or so.

Banana Boat... Banana Falls.
Our next adventure would be on the banana boat. Scary lang kasi naikwento ni Ate Lydia na nung isang araw lang ay may nabalian sa pagsakay sa banana boat. Nyikes!!! So may onting kaba kami.

Ang highlight ng banana boat adventure any ang “hands-free” ni Bennet! Sa kalokohan n’ya at kagustuhang gawing roller coaster ang banana boat, at dalhin biglang lumiko ang boat, nahulog tuloy s’ya mag-isa! Wahahaha!!! Bago tumama sa tubig, dumausdos muna s’ya sa tapakan na banana, na nakataas pa rin ang kamay at sumisigaw pa rin. Naaalala ko pa ang eksena na parang slow-motion sa utak ko.

Mindoro Sling and Marlboro Lights
Nung gabi... nagpakabaliw kami at tinodo na ang kasiyahan. Mindoro Sling! Si Rhea at Vincent, natulog agad, hmpf! Pero kaming tatlo... nagpa-hulog hulog sa sand, at ang dalawang non-smokers ay nakaubos na halos isa’t kalahating kaha. Nahiga pa kami sa beach at muntik nang matapakan ng cheerleading team. Pag-uwi namin, maximum level na ang english at volume, maraming nang sinasabing maaring pagsisihan paggising.

Goodbye Galera
The next day, we took a last dip and left Galera with heavy hearts. Di muna siguro kami babalik... maraming pang beach na naghihintay sa amin! Pero Galera will always hold a special place in our hearts. Thanks for welcoming us with open arms.

The Seafood Capital of the Philippines

Just last weekend I visited the Seafood Capital of the Philippines, Roxas City, Capiz!

Ay grabe... ang ganda don! Ang linis at malilibot mo ang mga magagandang lugar na tricycle lang. We went there to train the Capiz Bureau of the Kabataan News Network. Pero di rin kami pahuhuli sa paglilibot.

Here's us outside the old house of President Manuel Quezon. Hindi pa masyadong na-develop as a museum ang place pero the current owners who are descendants of the president were kind enough to let us in and show us the place.

We also went to the adjacent town of Pan-ay. Binisita namin ang simbahan. Dito matatagpuan ang pinakamalaking bell sa buong Asya at ikatlo sa buong mundo. Umakyat kami syempre se bellfry. Grabe, ang tarik at may mga paniki! Pero ang ganda ng view sa taas. Muntik nga kaming di maka-akyat, buti na lang pumayag ang pari.

Ang sarap kumain! Dalawang gabi kaming nagdinner sa beach. Kumain ng inihaw na pusit, barbeque, halabos na hipon, inihaw na scallops! Yummy! Fresh na fresh! It's not called the Seafood Capital of the Philippines for nothing.

Pero ang pinaka-enjoy ay ang mga nakilala kong mabubuti at masasayahing mamamayan ng Capiz. Ang babait talaga nila. Thanks so much sa pagtangap at pag-alaga n'yo samin!

Left side: KC, Gil and Bureau Manager Alex
Middle: Noel and Janus
Right: Rhoan and Zen

Babalik ako! Grabe... ang ganda ng Pilipinas.

Magayon!!!

We spent our Holy Week exploring the Bicol region. Pinakamalayo ko nang napuntahan sa South Luzon before this trip is Camarines Norte. Now, I can proudly say that we’ve conquered the Bicol region! Hehehe.

With 3 drivers, and a total of 28 hours on the road, with all the curves—the most extreme called “Bitukang Manok” because of its similarity to the intestines—and all the mountains of rich forestry, we had an adventurous and relaxing time.

Pero pinakamasaya ang pagtanaw namin sa Mayon Volcano. True to its name which is derived from the Bicolano word “magayon” which means maganda, it’s really a breathtaking sight. Sabi nila, swerte raw pag nakita mo ang tip ng Mayon kasi most of the time natatakpan ito ng ulap. AY! Ang swerte namin! Kasi the whole time na nandon kami, nakikita ang tip.

Of course binisita rin namin ang Cagsawa Ruins. Ito ang church na natabunan noong sumabog ang Mayon. Naiwan na lang ang belfry at bubungan ng dormitory.

Hay... ang ganda ng Pilipinas!!!