I'm Under Construction

STATUS: Light and Shade

2011-12-30T02:28:00.001+08:00

He will paint the light and shades
The colours and the trees
He will climb the steepest hill
Believing what he sees
He will lay down on the ground
Beneath the old oak tree
He will sleep forever
If you try to set him free

[Chorus]
Sail on the wings of a cloud
Where to, well nobody knows
And cry, cry if you want them to see
Die every day to be free
Be proud to wear the colours that you call your own
Be loud, speak out when you want the world to know
Be strong, hold the flame for everyone to see
Be real, if you want to love.

He will paint the endless sea.
A mystery to me
He will reach out for the sun,
Not dreaming what he sees
He will fall down on his knees
Angel touching ground
Takes him to the other side
Sweet love is coming down.

[Chorus]

Light And Shade by Fra Lippo Lippi

The 54th Grammy’s

2011-12-29T13:09:00.002+08:00

The 54^th Grammy’s is just aroundthe corner, to be aired Feb 12 8/7c on CBS. I know some of us are excited aboutthis since this is the most respected award giving body in the United States, thoughsome says that this caters to older demographics. Anyways, the Grammy’s is alsoa grand music gathering attended by all music royalties and the here and nowstars. Now let’s get the run-down and know if your faves are on the list, I’vegot my bets!

Record of the Year

1. Rolling In The Deep

2. Holocene

3. Grenade

4. The Cave

5. Firework

My bet:

RollingIn The Deep

Adele

PaulEpworth, producer; Tom Elmhirst & Mark Rankin, engineers/mixers

Track from: 21

[XL Recordings/Columbia Records]

Firework

KatyPerry

MikkelS. Eriksen, Tor Erik Hermansen & Sandy Vee, producers; Mikkel S. Eriksen,Phil Tan, Sandy Vee & Miles Walker, engineers/mixers

[Capitol]

Album Of The Year

1. 21

2. Wasting Light

3. Born This Way

4. Doo-Wops & Hooligans

5. Loud

My bet:

Adele

JimAbbiss, Adele, Paul Epworth, Rick Rubin, Fraser T. Smith, Ryan Tedder & DanWilson, producers; Jim Abbiss, Philip Allen, Beatriz Artola, Ian Dowling, TomElmhirst, Greg Fidelman, Dan Parry, Steve Price, Mark Rankin, Andrew Scheps,Fraser T. Smith & Ryan Tedder, engineers/mixers; Tom Coyne, masteringengineer

[XL Recordings/Columbia Records]

Song Of The Year

1. All Of The Lights

2. The Cave

3. Grenade

4. Holocene

5. Rolling In The Deep

My bet:

RollingIn The Deep

AdeleAdkins & Paul Epworth, songwriters (Adele)

Track from: 21

[XL Recordings/Columbia Records; Publishers:Universal-Songs of Polygram/EMI Music Publishing]

Best New Artist

1. The Band Perry

2. Bon Iver

3. J. Cole

4. Nicki Minaj

5. Skrillex

My bet:

Nicki Minaj

Best Pop Solo Performance

1. Someone Like You

2. Yoü And I

3. Grenade

4. Firework

5. F***in’ Perfect

My bet:

SomeoneLike You

Adele

Track from: 21

[XL Recordings/Columbia Records]

Best Pop Duo/Group Performance

1. Body And Soul

2. Dearest

3. Paradise

4. Pumped Up Kicks

5. Moves Like Jagger

My bet:

Body AndSoul

TonyBennett & Amy Winehouse

Track from: Duets II

[Columbia Records]

Best Pop Vocal Album

1. 21

2. The Lady Killer

3. Born This Way

4. Doo-Wops & Hooligans

5. Loud

My bet:

Doo-Wops& Hooligans

BrunoMars

[Elektra]

Best Dance Recording

1. Raise Your Weapon

2. Barbra Streisand

3. Sunshine

4. Call Your Girlfriend

5. Scary Monsters And Nice Sprites

My bet:

BarbraStreisand

DuckSauce

DuckSauce, producers; Duck Sauce, mixers

[Downtown Records]

Best Dance/Electronica Album

1. Zonoscope

2. 4x4=12

3. Nothing But The Beat

4. Body Talk, Pt. 3

5. Scary Monsters And Nice Sprites

My bet:

Body Talk, Pt. 3

Robyn

[Interscope Records]

Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album

1. Duets II

2. The Gift

3. In Concert On Broadway

4. Music Is Better Than Words

5. What Matters Most - Barbra Streisand Sings The Lyrics Of Alan And MarilynBergman

My bet:

Duets II

TonyBennett & Various Artists

[Columbia Records]

Best Rock Performance

1. Every Teardrop Is A Waterfall

2. Down By The Water

3. Walk

4. The Cave

5. Lotus Flower

My bet:

Walk

FooFighters

Track from: Wasting Light

[RCA Records/ Roswell Records]

Best Rock Song

1. The Cave

2. Down By The Water

3. Every Teardrop Is A Waterfall

4. Lotus Flower

5. Walk

My bet:

EveryTeardrop Is A Waterfall

GuyBerryman, Jonny Buckland, Will Champion & Chris Martin, songwriters(Coldplay)

[Capitol Records/ EMI/ Parlophone; Publishers: EditionPink Music/Hanseatic Musikverklag, Opal Music/Upala Music, Universal MusicPublishing, Woulnough Music/Irving Music]

Best Rock Album

1. Rock 'N' Roll Party Honoring Les Paul

2. Wasting Light

3. Come Around Sundown

4. I'm With You

5. The Whole Love

My bet:

WastingLight

Foo Fighters

[RCA Records/ Roswell Records]

Best R&B Performance

1. Far Away

2. Pieces Of Me

3. Not My Daddy

4. Is This Love

5. You Are

My bet:

Far Away

MarshaAmbrosius

Track from: Late Nights & Early Mornings

[J Records]

Best Traditional R&B Performance

1. Sometimes I Cry

2. Fool For You

3. Radio Message

4. Good Man

5. Surrender

My bet:

SometimesI Cry

EricBenét

[Reprise]

Best R&B Song

1. Far Away

2. Fool For You

3. Not My Daddy

4. Pieces Of Me

5. You Are

My bet:

You Are

DennisBettis, Carl M. Days, Jr., Wirlie Morris, Charlie Wilson & Mahin Wilson,songwriters (Charlie Wilson)

Track from: Just Charlie

[Jive Records; Publishers: Nephew Wirlie Music, PacificCoast Pirate Publishing, P Ty Music, Escribir Publishing, Mammas PebblyPublishing]

Best R&B Album

1. F.A.M.E.

2. Second Chance

3. Love Letter

4. Pieces Of Me

5. Kelly

My bet:

F.A.M.E.

ChrisBrown

[Jive Records]

Best Rap Performance

1. Look At Me Now

2. Otis

3. The Show Goes On

4. Moment 4 Life

5. Black And Yellow

My bet:

Look At Me Now

Chris Brown, LilWayne & Busta Rhymes

Track from: F.A.M.E.

[Jive Records]

BlackAnd Yellow

WizKhalifa

Track from: Rolling Papers

[Rostrum/Atlantic]

Best Rap/Sung Collaboration

1. Party

2. I'm On One

3. I Need A Doctor

4. What's My Name?

5. Motivation

6. All Of The Lights

My bet:

Party

Beyoncé& André 3000

Track from: 4

[Columbia Records]

I Need ADoctor

Dr. Dre,Eminem & Skylar Grey

[Aftermath]

Best Rap Song

1. All Of The Lights

2. Black And Yellow

3. I Need A Doctor

4. Look At Me Now

5. Otis

6. The Show Goes On

My bet:

All OfThe Lights

JeffBhasker, Stacy Ferguson, Malik Jones, Warren Trotter & Kanye West,songwriters (Kanye West, Rihanna, Kid Cudi & Fergie)

Track from: My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy

[Roc-A Fella; Publishers: Very Good Beats/Hip Hop Since1978]

Best Rap Album

1. Watch The Throne

2. Tha Carter IV

3. Lasers

4. Pink Friday

5. My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy

My bet:

Lasers

LupeFiasco

[1st & 15th/Atlantic]

Best Compilation Soundtrack For Visual Media

1. Boardwalk Empire: Volume 1

2. Burlesque

3. Glee: The Music, Volume 4

4. Tangled

5. True Blood: Volume 3

My bet:

Burlesque

ChristinaAguilera

[RCA Records]

Producer Of The Year, Non-Classical

1. Danger Mouse

2. Paul Epworth

3. The Smeezingtons

4. Ryan Tedder

5. Butch Vig

My bet:

RyanTedder

For:

Brighter Than The Sun (Colbie Caillat) (T)

Favorite Song (Colbie Caillat Featuring Common) (T)

I Remember Me (Jennifer Hudson) (T)

I Was Here (Beyoncé) (T)

Not Over You (Gavin DeGraw) (S)

#1Nite (One Night) (Cobra Starship) (S)

Rumour Has It (Adele) (T)

Sweeter (Gavin DeGraw) (T)

Who's That Boy (Demi Lovato Featuring Dev) (T)

TheSmeezingtons

For:

Doo-Wops & Hooligans (Bruno Mars) (A)

If I Was You (OMG) (Far East Movement Featuring SnoopDogg) (T)

Lighters (Bad Meets Evil Featuring Bruno Mars) (T)

Mirror (Lil Wayne Featuring Bruno Mars) (T)

Rocketeer (Far East Movement Featuring Ryan Tedder of OneRepublic) (T)

Best Short Form Music Video

1. Rolling In The Deep

2. Yes I Know

3. All Is Not Lost

4. Lotus Flower

5. First Of The Year (Equinox)

6. Perform This Way

My bet:

RollingIn The Deep

Adele

SamBrown, video director; Hannah Chandler, video producer

[XL Recordings/Columbia Records]

Best Long Form Music Video

1. I Am...World Tour

2. Foo Fighters: Back And Forth

3. Talihina Sky: The Story Of Kings Of Leon

4. Beats, Rhymes & Life: The Travels Of A Tribe Called Quest

5. Nine Types Of Light

My bet:

IAm...World Tour

Beyoncé

EdBurke, Frank Gatson Jr. & Beyoncé Knowles, video directors; Beyoncé Knowles& Camille Yorrick, video producers

[Columbia Records/Music World]

Now who’s yours?

Courtesy of: http://www.grammy.com/nominees#content

I guess you don't want to go there

2011-12-29T01:05:00.001+08:00

I guess you don't want to go there
Then lets not go there
Here is fine with me as long as you're happy
Let's stay here and watch the sunset together.

I guess you don't want to go there
At least your here and free
It seems everything is okay and beautiful
Don't leave yet.

I guess you don't want to go there
The hesitance made me reluctant
I should just live it now
And leave it at that, untarnished.

A letter to one who might've gone away

2011-12-19T01:14:00.001+08:00

I want you so bad that i want everything to be perfect,
I don't know how to act
I don't know how to respond
I don't know how begin
I don't even know how to end
'Coz i ain't perfect.

You are everything i expect you to be,
Who is charming
Someone to care
Somebody to love
The one i'll respect
And that's all i can give you and more.

As Soft As Your Voice

2011-12-10T01:33:00.001+08:00

Your voice is as sweet as cotton candy,
It may sound cheesy but it's true
I never really believed in love at first sight
But damn i love you the first time i heard your voice.

Distance between us halted this throbbing heart
Just yearning, slowly beating
Waiting and lavishing each second
You could be mine soon.

I know i should not dwell on this
I know it isn't gonna last
I know someone's going to be hurt
I know exactly what's gonna happen.

And it kills me, as soft as your voice.

Kaboomerang!

2011-12-03T08:19:00.001+08:00

I'm never going to be caught unguarded again,
It just hurts me more than the reject.
You should have told me,
I hate the prolonged agony.

Haha, this thing I do to myself is such a funny thing,
I'm ashamed of me!
What do I really want?
What is it that will really make me happy and contented?

This broken self is helpless,
I feel and look so ugly.
Truth be told, im so fake!
I'm a mix of frankness and lies.

Boom!
Now that's for you!
Kaboomeranged back to me.
This is such.

Forgive me

2011-11-27T02:42:00.001+08:00

You are the perfect definition of someone that I couldn't have.
You are so pure and succulent.
I'm too damaged to sink into you and lavish my desire.
I cant taint you, I shouldn't, I musn't.
I'll just have to look at you.
Brush my fingers over you hair and be mesmerized by your beauty.

Forgive me, i'm damned.
Forgive my intention.
Forgive the inhibition.
Forgive, for I am not forgiving to myself.
Forgive me.

'11 Christmas Wishlist

2011-11-04T23:58:00.000+08:00

Uh oh! It's that time of the year again! What would you want this Chrismas? Everlasing love? Good health? Safe and complete family? Or gadget galore. Hmmmm, since this space in the cyberworld is just an extension of me, I'd say Gadgets Galore!!! I know that is too materialistic of me but there are just too many good stuff now than ever before! haha. Last year I asked for a Sony VAIO but my sister's HP pavilion came. I asked for a Sony Bravia then we had a JVC Musee. Oh no Kenneth Cole watches for me but this cheap Link watch turned some heads! Nokia N8 or iPhone 3Gs, Apple won! Now with iOS5, it's sweet but tad slow. And lastly, Altec Lansing spreakers was downgraded to my reliable Coby iPhone/ iPod dock which is on sale! haha. This year is a domination, a craze, a fad for Apple products. Though rivaled by Samsung/ Android, loyalists still lives on, and I believe I want to be one of them. starting the list is an upgrade left by the late Steve Jobs...

1. iPhone 4S

Who wouldn't want to upgrade to a 4S now? Tell me? I want to meet Siri and I want to bond with it now! haha. Months before, the rumored iPhone was 5, and everybody got it wrong. Jobs left us with a sweet upgrade and it's his memorial resting on our palms.

iPhone 4S. Starts at PhP 30,000

2. MacBook Air

Another Apple stunner! Again, who wouldn't want this! A perfect marriage of Art and Science. A melodious blending of Style and Power. Three words, I, Want, You!

MacBook Pro. Starts at PhP 43,000

3. A Micro Four Thirds (MFT) digital camera

Damn, I'm still in need of one! My iPhone just won't do it at night! These sleek cameras crops what DSLRs can achieve in an image. Advantage: small in size so you can snap anytime, anywhere, candidly perfect. Disadvantage: Image size, in terms of area is lessened (cropped), but hey, who needs pictures that wouldn't be on a billboard anyway.

Olympus PEN E-PM 1. Starts at PhP 21,500.

Panasonic Lumix DMC GF3. Starts at Php 25,800.

I know this is quite a short list, but they're all that I need and want this Christmas. Santa please grant me one, preferably the MacBook Air, if it isn't asking too much. Prettty, pretty please!

Happy Holidays everyone!

Credits to: Apple.com, Panasonic.com, OlympusAmerica.com and Wikipedia.

A Simple Life

2011-10-31T01:44:00.000+08:00

Wishing life is simple as it were before
Free from clutter, free from unfinished duties
Nothing to think of but my life alone
Wishing now that i am small, dreaming.

But life itself is complicated
Simple cannot define life, never
Living came before me, before us
And it will continue and won't turn back.

Cleaning up a mess can be done
But what if they are too many and too messy
I bet you won't know what to do or where to start
It'll leave you comatose.

Missing my old young me, prude and self righteous
I'm too multi-faceted now
I don't even recognize my other selves
I'm confused, surrounded but alone.

I usually sleep awake, constructing
Planning in my inner peace, a slice in my pre-slumber
And when i dream i grab the achievement
But life's not a dream, reality lives.

I can't breath now

2011-09-23T11:38:00.001+08:00

Sleepless nights will haunt me
I don't know what to feel
The fear of the unknown kills me
And the fear of knowing jolts me

This one, i brought to myself
Aren't I in the same boat again
I should've known better
I know better

Hellos and goodbyes
Acceptance and rejections
Regrets and moving on
Am i ready for this?

I feel the pain
I smell the sorrow
I can't breath now
Lord help me

Nothing

2011-09-12T00:06:00.000+08:00

I know that you know theres something about the way i look at you. You dont shut me off. In a way it hurts coz i knw you care, somehow. But it meant nothing to you, nothing, nothing. Fuckin shit, nothing!

The One Who Listens (A September Prayer)

2011-09-01T22:01:00.002+08:00

I never really thought I belived in God,
but I found myself saying this over and over in my head,
"He won't judge us from what we have, but what we have become for him."
Have I reached a new low?

Frustrations ate me recently,
and it did chew up my confidence and constant shield.
I normally shove these to the side and come out unaffected,
but it did made my gait quiver, but then I let go.

What have I got to do but to move on,
and be the best that I can be.
No pretensions,
though with little apprehensions.

There is a greater being that has held this world before us.
I am not sure if God really looks over us, guiding us.
Though that, I know leaving this world would be meaningless,
if not offering our selves to a greater sense.

With that, I take this prayer,
as a reflection of my acquaintance to myself,
and to God as my re-recognized god and friend,
when no one else is there to listen.

Magellan's Cross: The Cross within a Cross

2011-08-20T09:39:00.003+08:00

"This Cross of Tindalo Wood Encases the Original Cross Planted By Ferdinand Magellan On This Very Site, April 21, 1521."

These are the words engraved on a marble plank mounted on the foundation that erects the Magellan's Cross, so apparently the original cross is inside the wooden cross we see right now on the site. Truly, the cross within a cross.

This site is just off Church of Santo Niño de Cebu, about 5 meters from the church gates, and accross the Cebu City hall (correct me if I'm wrong).

Housed in a concrete structure, it is as well believed that the true cross may have been destroyed and was and is not really "in" the present cross vessel.

The structure that houses the cross

The stonework and steelwork is a beau

"The Cross of Magellan" plaque, circa 1941

The marble plank I was talking about

I was not really 'wowed' by the site until I took this (lol)

Hope to visit more of these historical sites! Go and explore the Philippines!

For more info and info credits: Wikipedia

Church of Santo Niño de Cebu: Oldest Church in the Philippines

2011-08-19T15:21:00.002+08:00

This is another PhotoBlog of the churches I've been to. It was our last day in Cebu City (June 27, 2011), and we just had to visit the oldest church in the Philippines. I can't miss this one, this is like the mother of all Sto. Niño churches all over the archipelago.

Formally known as Basilica Minore del Santo Niño, founded in 1565 by Andrés de Urdaneta, an Augustinian priest. The style is obviously in baroque, with Muslim, Romanesque and neo-classical features, made with coral stones. The church was elevated by Pope Paul VI to a rank of minor basilica in 1965 and still remains under the Order of St. Augustine.

The church convent houses the image of the Santo Niño which is considered the oldest religious relic in the Philippines. This was the image that Magellan gave to Queen Juana as a gift during the baptism of King Humabon and his wife Queen Juana on 1521.

Architecture by Fr. Juan de Albarran

The grandiose facade

Below the horizon

The unknown structure in-front of the church

In twilight

The church is made of Coral stones

Light of a Million Mornings

Me lighting a candle

Next post, The Magellan's Cross.

Info credits and for more info: Basilica del Sto. Niño website and Wikiedia

STATUS: Time To Let Go

2011-08-18T20:27:00.001+08:00

I don't see the smile you used to give to me
I don't see the same look in your eyes
I don't know why it's happening to us
I'm losing you forever so fast

It's hard to keep the pieces of a broken heart
There's no mending, there's no brand new start
Oh maybe I just have to face the truth
I'm losing you and there's nothing I can do

Maybe it's time to let go, it's time to move on
It is the time to forget what we have shared
I just have to learn gettin' over all the days
We used to say "I Love You"
I love you

Tomorrow is a lonely day that I must face
To try and get back on my feet would be a waste
For how can I truly live without your love
A life without you is not a life at all

Maybe it's time to let go, it's time to move on
Maybe it's time to forget what we have shared
Is it easy for you gettin' over all the days
We used to say "I Love You"

There are many questions
Left in my mind
I can't find the answers
Why oh why
But I know it is true, it is time to let go

It's the time to let go, it's time to move on
It is the time to forget what we have shared
I just have to learn gettin' over all the days
We used to say "I Love You"
I love you

Time To Let Go
Sung by: Sarah Geronimo feat. Mark Bautista

Charlie Estevez is Immortal

2011-08-12T21:39:00.000+08:00

In a land where vampires are remotely seen, travelling at least, came forth an immortal. His identity lies within his dark past, dating centuries old. Living a mortal's life in the urban, not knowing he's been given this gift.

Immortality. Charlie Estevez is Immortal.

Please visit and read my other blogsite, Charlie Estevez, Immortal. charlieestevezimmortal.blogspot.com

An excerpt from the blog:

Still sweating and wobbly, Charlie gasped for air. He opened his eyes and a blurry vision stood infront of him. He backed down, submitting to his weak knees as he refocus his eyes. He then gasped.

He gasped not in terror but in awe of beauty and amazement.

The man in his daydream reached out his hand to him in a white knitted sweater and plaid khaki shorts then said, "Come on Charlie, hold my hand."

Charlie hesitated but the voice, the eyes, the mouth, the angular face of the man seduced him. He held out his hand and the man hepled him up.

"There is so much I wanted to tell you." the man said in a most endearing way.

Again, please visit and read my other blogsite, Charlie Estevez, Immortal. charlieestevezimmortal.blogspot.com

Thanks!!!

Floater

2011-08-08T22:29:00.000+08:00

I can't get you off my mind
I'm addicted to the fact that you're not here
That i am needing you from afar
That you always fill my fantasies

I don't know if this is healthy
But if it really isn't then screw it
I wanna drown into your coke
And stay there for the love of God

Truth is that i can't think right this time
I just gotta let you know
You drove me crazy once
And that once is picking up

Do i need a shrink, hell yes, but i won't
You unintentionally did this but don't end it
Let me float in this mess
I'm too busy too to look on.

STATUS: Someone Like You

2011-07-29T17:47:00.001+08:00

I heard
That you're settled down
That you
Found a girl
And you're
Married now

I heard
That your dreams came true.
Guess she gave you things
I didn't give to you

Old friend
Why are you so shy?
Ain't like you to hold back
Or hide from the light

I hate to turn up out of the blue uninvited
But I couldn't stay away, I couldn't fight it.
I had hoped you'd see my face and that you'd be reminded
That for me it isn't over

Never mind
I'll find someone like you
I wish nothing but the best for you too
"Don't forget me", I begged
"I'll remember", you said
"Sometimes it lasts in love
But sometimes it hurts instead."
Sometimes it lasts in love
But sometimes it hurts instead,
Yeah.

You know how the time flies
Only yesterday
It was the time of our lives
We were born and raised
In a summer haze
Bound by the surprise
Of our glory days

I hate to turn up out of the blue uninvited
But I couldn't stay away, I couldn't fight it.
I had hoped you'd see my face and that you'd be reminded
That for me it isn't over.

Never mind
I'll find someone like you
I wish nothing but the best for you too
"Don't forget me", I begged
"I'll remember", you said
"Sometimes it lasts in love
But sometimes it hurts instead."

Nothing compares
No worries or cares
Regrets and mistakes
They are memories made.
Who would have known
How bittersweet this would taste?

Never mind
I'll find someone like you
I wish nothing but the best for you too
"Don't forget me", I begged
"I'll remember", you said
"Sometimes it lasts in love
But sometimes it hurts instead"

Sometimes it lasts in love
But sometimes it hurts instead

Song Title: Someone Like You
Lyrics By: Daniel Dodd Wilson/ Adele Laurie Blue Adkins
Sung By: Adele

Tomorrow and Again: A short story

2011-06-28T22:33:00.000+08:00

A young lady was sipping her coffee on a rainy afternoon. Apparently, she's waiting for someone. She's holding her cellphone, texting, then after a while she received an SMS. Her eyes became sad and weary. He's not coming. According to the message, he's working on something that's urgent.

The young lady paid for her drink and went out of the coffee shop, then opened her umbrella for the rain. She was almost going to get a taxi but she felt like riding the train. She walked on the pavement that leads to the terminal.

Upon reaching the station she queued for a ticket then hopped onto the next train. It is raining, still. Everywhere she looks on is wet as she sat near the door. Suddenly, she felt slight shivers, a tear fell off her left eye. The young lady turned her cheek the other way, to the window, away from her fellow passengers. Past the buildings, through the glass window, she saw herself and her boy happy. But at the back of her mind, she isn't. She's insecure and doubtful. Reminiscing their time together kept her senses right, that there's something wrong or missing.

Then she came back from the daydream. She unknowingly passed three stations from her destination. She had to go back. Immediately, she stood in front of train door to get out at the next stop. The door opened, several people tried to get in while she's alighting. Then a familiar face came into view, he was rushing to the door, holding a girl, with his in her hand.

She's beautiful, comparable to her. The young lady stood before the two, the boy is in shock, as well as the girl. Then the sound of the train door went on, signaling that it is closing. The boy, with the girl, head to the door but the young lady held his upper right arm, tight. They came to a halt.

The young lady asked, as the train rumbles away, "Who is she?"

Hums from the train zooming away answered her, then silence. Dead silence deafened her. The girl looked away, the boy looked down. The young lady is still looking at the boy, then to his and the girl's hands, holding each other, finger over another finger over another. Then her eyes went to her own hand that's holding his boy's arm, then back to his face, trying to make eye contact. Then the boy broke his silence, and said, "I'm sorry."

The young lady was surprised with herself, she did not cried, not a tear. She felt like a different woman. Another train is coming. She immediately replied, "If you love her, then tell me so I know you won't be needing me anymore. If she's the one, then I'll let you be. I'll just go on, alone."

The boy is dumbfounded, but slightly shrugged his shoulder as people start to swarm in for the next train. The young lady let go of his arm. The boy and the girl went on to the train door, past her, as it opens. The two went in, she didn't turned her head to look on. The sliding doors went shut and left. A tear fell off her right eye now, then she closed both of it. With the train rumbling away she stepped back.

Then she found herself opening her umbrella and about to get a taxi. She hesitated, looked on to the pavement then raised her right hand. A taxi stopped, she hopped in and looked at the coffee shop that had just gave her her much needed warmth, thinking, 'I'll just ask him out tomorrow, again.'

End.

Manila Cathedral: A Basilica for the Blessed Virgin Mary

2011-06-23T17:37:00.002+08:00

The Philippine's rich history depicts not only independence but also the rise from a fall. A perfect example of this is the Manila Cathedral. This is the second, and last, place of worship that we visited on Independence day.

Formally known as the Manila Metropolitan Cathedral-Basilica or the Cathedral-Basilica of the Immaculate Conception, a Minor Basilica of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Manila located in Intramuros, Manila. Erected in 1954. Completed 1958. The cathedral's history dates back to 1581, 6 constructions, 1 typhoon, 1 fire, 4 earthquakes and 1 bombing. The old structures are destroyed but the church withstood the fall. The basilica is in Neo-Romanesque style.

The tower in contrast

By Architect Fernando Ocampo

Famous saints sculpted in Roman travertine stones

A perfect venue for weddings

Inscriptions on the tympanum of the main door

The Portal by Italian A. Monteleone and F. Nagni

Stained glass by Galo Ocampo

Light seeping through the iron wrought grills

Rays of light over the bronze carvings on the church's main portal

Fray Juan de Uguccioni designed the Cathedral Dome (not in the photo)

The magnificent facade

Awesome structures like these, with historical value and cultural relevance are all over our archipelago. Visit one, you'll see, you'll be transported back in time and be amazed and proud!

Info credits: Wikipedia and Manila Cathedral website.

San Agustin Church: Wedding Capital of the Philippines

2011-06-23T16:05:00.004+08:00

The Philippine Independence Day (June 12th) brought back so many things apart form the history and culture of the Filipinos. It did brought us back in time, a blast from the past, courtesy of our very own world renowned places of worship. First of which is the UNESCO World Heritage site, designated in 1993 under Spanish colonial church classification, the San Agustin Church.

Founded by the Augustinian Friars (Order of Saint Augustine) in 1571. The beautiful Roman Catholic church, in baroque style, is located in Intramuros, Manila. Erected in 1586. Completed in 1607. Apart from being known as the "Wedding Capital of the Philippines", it is also known for it's museum that is open for the public, but for a fee.

Here are the pictures that I took during our travel.

The facade to die for

By Architect Juan Macias

The church and the museum

Charming contrasts

A Trompe-l'œil ceiling by Italian C. Alberoni and G. Dibella

The second, and last, church during our walk in Intramuros is the Manila Cathedral, until the next post!

Info credits: Wikipedia and San Agustin Church website

STATUS: If You Could Read My Mind

2011-06-19T12:31:00.001+08:00

Everyday I realize a feeling that I cannot hide from you.
My friend, if you could read my mind.
Everyday I'm hypnotized everytime you look and smile at me.
I see the heaven in your eyes.

And everyday's a special day,
And every place a special place,
With you my friend,
When I'm with you.

If you could read my mind,
If you could only see the signs.
I'll be yours from now,
Just take this heart of mine.
I will be your everything and more,
I could be the one you're looking for.
For all we know my friend, for all we know,
If you could read my mind.

I never thought that fairy tales, wishing wells or happy tales come true.
But they do, everyday with you.
Everytime I'm feeling blue all I have to is think of you,
And then, you'll fill my heart with love I never knew.

I'll never waste a single day,
With you I'm always all the way,
With you my friend,
When I'm with you.

If you could read my mind,
If you could only see the signs.
I'll be yours from now,
Just take this heart of mine.
I will be your everything and more,
I could be the one you're looking for.
For all we know my friend, for all we know,
If you could read my mind.

When problems get me down,
Only you can make the day end right,
When I'm with you.

If you could read my mind,
If you could only see the signs.
I'll be yours from now,
Just take this heart of mine.
I will be your everything and more,
I could be the one you're looking for.
For all we know my friend, for all we know,
If you could read my mind.

If only you could read my mind.

Song: If You Could Read My Mind
Lyrics by: Christian Martinez
Sung by: Sarah Geronimo

Are you really gonna hurt me this way?

2011-06-11T09:56:00.000+08:00

Are you really gonna hurt me this way?
I know i have hurt you but do you have to do as you may?
The rain is falling,
As my tears go rolling.
You've made your point, i get it.
Sorry, as i've said, you've earned it.

We've been together too far back for this to come between us,
This won't break us.

But why is it taking this long?
Are you teaching me a lesson?
How can i learn something that i think i already know?
How can you teach something you don't want to do?

I hope this isn't anything more than this foolish misunderstanding, 'coz more would mean something that could take me to the edge.

You Animal!

2011-05-17T03:31:00.000+08:00

I was out last night just to walk off the boredom
Then you came out of nowhere
Lust and fear came into me
I lit my cigarette to hush this pounding heartbeat
But still it heightened
You looked at me, walked past me
I didn't turned my head to see you go
I don't know why, maybe i forgot how to
But your image lingered
And where did you came from?
Are you just from around?
Damn, i want to see you again
But somewhere else where i could just snatch you
And show you what you did to me.

You animal!

Start Your Own Possibilities

2011-05-10T16:41:00.000+08:00

I know it hurts and it's been a while,
The endless possibility has just ended in a snap.
Cries are created by the clouds in your trial,
Tears like rain, flooded, left you trapped.

It seems there's no sun for tomorrow,
And efforts don't seem to do any good now.
When "when all else fails" came to a sudden flow,
Armed with nothing but pride in sorrow.

You seek inside you to find a new light,
In the unearthened travesty of life and death.
With blank emotions hovering after missing the bite,
Trying to regain your sanity, self and strength.

You'll stand tall amongst the grief of uncertainties.
You'll rise above you're hidden insecurities.
You'll show weakness and use it's unknown qualities.
You'll quit the sorrow and start your own posibilities.

It may not be now but it's boiling inside you,
Whispering, taunting to build your character.
The true meaning of winning is coming into view,
And after all this you'll come out stronger, better.

What have I got to do?

2011-05-06T21:33:00.000+08:00

What have i got to do when it's all this hazy
When all i see is me without you as my baby
Will i make a move and hold you this close
If the truth is deadly and will hurt you the most

What have i got to do when i'm all tied up
When all this emotion consumes me as a trap
Will i succumb to this madness for satisfaction
If in the end neither of us never really won

What have i got to do to make me know me
When i, myself, won't look at me to disagree
Will that time come wherein i'm ready to hold a heart
If up until now i'm still this unsure and abrupt

What have i got to do to ease the moment
When i'm in the edge of giving you you're torment
Will you forgive me and flee in grace and sorrow
If all you want is to reap what you have dearly sowed

What have i got to do when it's all over
When the heavens takes charge as the terminator
Will it be a blessing or a ghastly resurgence
If it should bring peace or another hazy trance.

What have i got to do when i can't say the word that my heart wills, 'coz if it must be told it has to now.

Lovin u makes me mute.

2011-05-03T13:35:00.000+08:00

See i cant kiss you
I cant even be with you
Ur like a forbidden fruit
Lovin u makes me mute

Ur taste always make me wonder
If its possible to mix oil with water
Coz baby i wanna jump into you
You make me feel this is true

I am hidin under the covers
Doin undercover
You wont see my desire
That i want us to set on fire

See i cant kiss you
I even cant be with you
Ur like a forbidden fruit
Lovin u makes me mute

I dont want this to end
But i dont want this bend
People knows this is wrong
But my feeling for you is this strong

Ur like a forbidden fruit
Lovin u makes me mute.

This Song's for You

2011-04-03T14:37:00.000+08:00

I can't think of any ways to thank you, so this song is for you.
Yes it's just a collection of words but they are meant for you.

A friend, a sister.
A girl who won't let you falter.
A leader, as it may seem.
A member of the team.

She's a wildflower, in the urban, growing.
Wandering and sifting through, observing.
All knowing but lost.
But never forgetting the cost.

Stern, rigid and frigid, that's her style.
Caring, thougtful and warm, it's in her all the while.

Saying she always understands is an understatement.
She'll find a solution in your most trying predicament.

Your leaving gave me separation anxiety,
Jolted my usual and familiar gaiety.
Somewhat, i'm happy but sad,
But moreover, thankful, gleefully tad.

It's your time to fly, soar,
Glide, never fleeting.
Exposed, bare to the core,
Show them your meaning.

The world is a jungle, and your world is a hidden falls,
Both untouched on a certain degree.
Explore, but be weary of the walls,
Watch you back, let your faith see.

Hi, hello, goodbye,
Our memories, definitely one for the books, right?
Hi, hello, goodbye,
And write our history, intertwined, tight.

PRAY FOR JAPAN

2011-03-16T15:25:00.000+08:00

PRAY FOR JAPAN

How to help?

Click here for Japan Relief (Yahoo! News). Donate if you can.

Thank You!

I'm not happy...

2011-03-06T21:39:00.001+08:00

I'm not happy because I'm blinded.

I'm not happy because the joke was on me.

I'm not happy because I've been betrayed.

I'm not happy because I've been disrespected.

I'm not happy because I've been played.

I'm not happy because I've been lied to.

I'm not happy because I've been lied about.

I'm not happy because I just can't believe it.

I'm not happy because all of this was you.

I'm not happy because I just lost a friend.

Scheme Master

2011-02-27T15:32:00.000+08:00

You scheme so well you might as well get it as a job
The way you run around pouring your tears
Littering the town of the salts you've collected
Saying how a loser you are, fraud.

I was dead guilty, dead wrong
I admit my shit and there is no much expalnation for that
I had my reasons, and for me they are damn big
But shit, you had your way in this world.

You had me fooled for the superficial truth
That crazy thing your in just disgusts me
But i dont care, im out of this
Now it's just you, scheme master.

STATUS: Jar Of Hearts

2011-02-20T11:04:00.002+08:00

I know I can't take one more step towards you
Cause all that's waiting is regret
And don't you know I'm not your ghost anymore
You lost the love I loved the most

I learned to live half alive
And now you want me one more time

And who do you think you are
Running 'round leaving scars
Collecting your jar of hearts
And tearing love apart
You're gonna catch a cold
From the ice inside your soul
So don't come back for me
Who do you think you are

I hear you're asking all around
If I am anywhere to be found
But I have grown too strong
To ever fall back in your arms

And learn to live half alive
And now you want me one more time

And who do you think you are
Running 'round leaving scars
Collecting your jar of hearts
And tearing love apart
You're gonna catch a cold
From the ice inside your soul
So don't come back for me
Who do you think you are

Dear, it took so long just to feel alright
Remember how to put back the light in my eyes
I wish I had missed the first time that we kissed
Cause you broke all your promises
And now you're back
You don't get to get me back

And who do you think you are
Running 'round leaving scars
Collecting your jar of hearts
And tearing love apart
You're gonna catch a cold
From the ice inside your soul
So don't come back for me
Don't come back at all

And who do you think you are
Running 'round leaving scars
Collecting your jar of hearts
And tearing love apart
You're gonna catch a cold
From the ice inside your soul
Don't come back for me
Don't come back at all

Who do you think you are?
Who do you think you are?
Who do you think you are?

JAR OF HEARTS by Christina Perri
More lyrics: http://www.lyricsmode.com/lyrics/c/christina_perri/#share

The 53rd Grammy Big Winners

2011-02-15T22:14:00.001+08:00

Though I failed to watch it live via sattelite, I will be seeing it this coming Sunday. Apart from knowing who won what, the Grammy Performances are always to watch out for. Artists tend to do insane, over the top and classy performances during the big night! Last month, I made some predictions and I got almost all of them right! I'll give you guys a rundown.

Record of the Year
My Bet: Empire State of Mind by Jay-Z feat. Alicia Keys or Need You Now by Lady Antebellum
Winner: Need You Now by Lady Antebellum

Album of the Year
My Bet: Recovery by Eminem
Winner: The Suburbs by Arcade Fire (oh, ok... this album critically raved)

Song of the Year
My Bet: Need You Now by Lady Antebellum
Winner: Need You Now by Lady Antebellum

Best New Artist
My Bet: Drake
Winner: Esperanza Spalding (who? lol)

Best Female Pop Vocal Performance
My Bet: King of Anything by Sara Bareilles
Winner: Bad Romance by Lady Gaga (after all it was featured in Gossip Girl...)

Best Male Pop Performance
My Bet: Half of My Heart by John Mayer or Just The Way You Are by Bruno Mars
Winner: Just The Way You Are by Bruno Mars (go Bruno! go to REHAB!)

Best Pop Performance By A Duo or Group With Vocals
My Bet: The Only Exception by Paramore
Winner: Hey, Soul Sister (Live) by Train (ok, ok, but I believe Glee did the Paramore cover first! lol)

Best Pop Collaboration With Vocals
My Bet: California Gurls by Katy Perry feat. Snoop Dogg
Winner: Imagine by Herbie Hancock, pink, India.Arie, Seal, Konono No 1, Jeff Beck and Oumou Sangare (whew!)

Best Pop Vocal Album
My Bet: The Fame Monster by Lady Gaga
Winner: The Fame Monster by Lady Gaga (who went to the show "in" a cocoon!)

Best Rock Performance By A Duo or Group With Vocals
My Bet: Radioactive by Kings of Leon
Winner: Tighten Up by The Black Keys

Best Rock Song
My Bet: Radioactive by Kings of Leon
Winner: Angry World by Neil Young

Best Female R&B Vocal Performance
My Bet: Bittersweet by Fantasia
Winner: Bittersweet by Fantasia

Best Male R&B Vocal Performance
My Bet: There Goes My Baby by Usher
Winner: There Goes My Baby by Usher

Best Urban/ Alternative Performance
My Bet: F**k You by Cee Lo Green
Winner: F**k You by Cee Lo Green

Best R&B Song
My Bet: Bittersweet by Fantasia
Winner: Shine by John Stephens, songwriter John Legend and The Roots

Best R&B Album
My Bet: Wake Up! by John Legend and The Roots
Winner: Wake Up! by John Legend and The Roots

Best Contemporary R&B Album
My Bet: Raymond V Raymond by Usher
Winner: Raymond V Raymond by Usher

Best Rap Solo Performance
My Bet: Over by Drake or Not Afraid by Eminem
Winner: Not Afraid by Eminem

Best Rap Performance By Duo or Group
My Bet: My Chick Bad by Ludacris feat. Nicki Minaj
Winner: On To The Next One by Jay-Z and Swizz Beatz

Best Rap/ Sung Collaboration
My Bet: Empire State of Mind by Jay-Z feat. Alicia Keys
Winner: Empire State of Mind by Jay-Z feat. Alicia Keys (wohoo, at least Alicia did win something)

Best Rap Song

My Bet: Empire State of Mind by Jay-Z feat. Alicia Keys

Winner: Empire State of Mind by Jay-Z feat. Alicia Keys

Best Rap Album

My Bet: Thank Me Later by Drake

Winner: Recovery by Eminem

Best Short Form Music Video

My Bet: Bad Romance by Lady Gaga

Winner: Bad Romance by Lady Gaga

For a complete list of winners click here!

Should I, or should i not?

2011-02-11T21:12:00.001+08:00

My knees went weak
I saw you out with someone else
I thought you don't wanna go out
But here you are, sipping coffee
My heart's pounding
Feet wobbling
Flushed with fear, i hid

Should i or should i not make a scene?
Should i or should i not accept the negative feat?
Should i or should i not just walk up to you and ask?
Ask what the hell is happening!

But i didn't, i am walking away
Angered with fear, i retreat
Thinking that there is an explanation
That there is this so called "trust"
That still resides in my heart, in my mind

But moreover, there is this inkling of a karma
That not too long ago i was in the same position
As you, with someone else
Sipping bub
And more...

Well i think i'll just let it go
Should i or should i not?

I miss you, but i don't want you

2011-02-11T15:44:00.000+08:00

Oh how i miss you but i dont want you
Do i just want your touch
Your kisses
Your body
Or do i just want to be with somebody?

I lie awake at night, thinking
Thinking about us, about what we used to do
The times we had shared together
Even when we're apart
I know we had it then

At times i wonder is there a regret on some point
Or am i guilty of being afraid to fall
Or am i just not into that thing called 'us'

Saying i'm not ready is an understatement
A reduced fact that i'm just not that into you
But still, a fact

Though that, i still miss you
Your tender touch
Your kisses
Your body
And yeah, that thought of what might have been

Powerless

2011-02-10T08:20:00.000+08:00

This time i wanna let go
My cup is full
I just want to break out of this
Scream out loud and just let loose.

I wanna be free like an angry bird
Run, like hell is claiming me
Escape the wrath of the unnerving
I'm leaning into disturbia.

I need to cry out loud but my throat wont let me
I wanna unearth this yearning but the gods wont let me
I tried to start the fire but the storm wont let me
I am on my way out but these chains wont let me.

I just cant.
I am super but i am powerless.

STATUS: If This World Were Mine

2011-01-31T20:17:00.001+08:00

[Alicia]
If this world were mine
I would place at your feet
All that i own
You've been so good to me
If this world were mine, oh
I'd give you the flowers, the birds and the bees
And with your love inside me
That'll be all i need
If this world were mine
I'd be there to give you anything, oh

[Jermaine]
If this world were mine
I would make you a queen
With wealth untold
You could have anything
Girl, if this world were mine
Yeah yeah yeah
I'd give you each day
So sunny and blue
And if you wanted the moonlight
Girl, i'll give you that too
Oh, if this world were mine all mine
I'll give you anything
Oh baby your my inspiration
And theres no hesitation
When you want me
Honey just call me

[Alicia]
Oh baby your my consolation
And theres so much sensation
When im in your arms honey
When you squeeze me, oh

[Both]
The things that you do
Ooo ooo ooo ..
The things that you do
Ooo ooo ooo ..

[Jermaine]
Every sky would be blue
As long as your lovin me, baby
[Alicia]
Oooooh, when im in your arms
Life is so wonderful, my love

[Both]
Oh oh oh ..
Give me pretty lovin baby
Give me pretty lovin darlin
Keep on lovin me, baby
Oh oh oh , you know i need you darlin
You know i need you honey
Keep on lovin me, baby
And the world would be yours
Yeah yeah yeah .. Baby
And the world would be yours
Yeah yeah yeah .. Oh

If This World Were Mine sung by Alicia Keys and Jermaine Paul, written by Marvin Gaye

History of Philippine Architecture

2011-01-21T18:06:00.000+08:00

I can still remember that moment in my freshman days, when I looked through that glass covered window of room 202 Roque Ruaño building. It’s drizzling then, kind of cold and bored, when suddenly I’ve been warped into another place and time. I think it was Hispanic or something. But yes, of course, it was my imagination. Like a glimpse of the past as I gaze at the façade of the University of Santo Tomas main building. Then I started to wonder why it looks so grandiose and like it has a story to tell. Then I told myself, definitely it has a history.

Philippine Architecture started way back from Malay’s migration to the Philippine islands. Compared to what we have right now, our architectural heritage reflects varied foreign influences.

To clearly picturesque the turning points of architecture in our country, let it be known that this is classified according to successive periods in our history: the Pre-Colonial, the Spanish Colonial, the American Commonwealth and the Modern Contemporary Times.

It has been always said that we already have our own flourishing culture before the Spaniards came to colonize us, and I firmly believe that. Our Malay tribal ancestors had their “Bahay Kubo”, a steep-roofed, one- or two-roomed hut raised on steep posts over the ground or shallow water. Throughout the archipelago, the rural native huts depicts a typical look but have marked dissimilarities. These dissimilarities depend on where they are located. A good comparison is the two types of native huts, the low-land and the high-land.

Low-land huts, like the Yakan tribe hut, are well ventilated, suitable for humid climate. On the high-lands, especially in Cordillera region, their huts are well insulated for the region’s cold climate. One of the several known tribal huts is the “Torogan” of the Maranao tribe, because it is designed for the royal family, thus, ornamentation and elaborate details are taken into consideration.

Low-land Nipa hut (Batangas Province)

High-land Nipa hut (Mountain Province)

Torogan hut of the Maranaos (Lanao, Mindanao)

Ornamentations on a Torogan hut

The arrival of the Spaniards in 1571 brought in Christianity. The demand for chapels began to spurt due to the conversion of the locals into Roman Catholics. At first, locals built chapels using bamboos and nipas, much like the native nipa hut.

The concern for stability, literally, has been raised to make sure that the church can withstand calamities such as storms or earthquakes. Educated friars then designed churches according to the prevailing style at that time, the Antillean Architecture. Obviously, the design is not suitable for a tropical country, like ours, so our Filipino and Chinese master builders revised the design according to climate and funding. A typical colonial church is built with a belfry, friar’s house or office, a convent and a walled forecourt.

San Agustine Church (Paoay, Ilocos Norte)

San Agustin Church (Intramuros, Manila)

Nuestra Senora de la Asuncion (Santa Maria, Ilocos Sur)

Miag-ao Church (Miag-ao, Iloilo)

Noticeably, the style that tremendously influenced most of these colonial churches is the Baroque style, a style that implies motion. At that time, schools and hospitals were also built and some of them also follow the Baroque style as exemplified by University of Santo Tomas, Ateneo Municipal, Colegio de San Juan de Letran and Hospital de San Juan de Dios.

University of Santo Tomas main building (Espana, Manila)

Ateneo de Municipal (Intramuros, Manila)

Colegio de San Juan de Letran (Intramuros, Manila)

Hospital de San Juan de Dios (Pasay)

With the churches, schools and hospitals, residential and commercial buildings were also built. These structures are called “Bahay na Bato”. The structural format of this is an integration of bahay kubo. Bahay na bato is built from refined wood on the main storey and concrete on the ground storey. It features shelled (capiz) windows and well ventilated rooms, and to add, a tiled roof.

Bahay na Bato (Sorsogon)

The coming of the Hispanic culture also brought in the Military Architecture, as depicted by the fortifications built all over the archipelago. The most famous is the walled city of Manila, the Intramuros, which inside it resides the foremost military outpost during the Spanish reign, the Fort Santiago.

Intramuros: The Walled City (Manila)

In the same location, we are freed by the Americans from the Spanish regime led by the 1887 Philippine Revolution.

Compared with the Spaniards, the Americans brought in educational and government system. In line with it, they brought the Greek and Romanesque style. Buildings raised at that time resembled the said styles as seen in the Palma Hall of University of the Philippines, the Government Post Office Building and the Legislative House.

University of the Philippines Palma Hall (Quezon City)

Post Office Building (Manila)

Legislative House (supposed to be the National Library) (Manila)

With the American rule firmly established in the islands, the military government invited Chicago based architect and town planner, Daniel Burnham to develop the City of Manila. It then became the “Burnham Plan” which identifies the City of Manila as uniquely European city in the tropics, but it was stopped by Manuel L. Quezon to make way for an irrigation system funding. He then found the summer capital of the Philippines, Baguio.

At the turn of the century, commercial and residential districts are established and flourishing. The Eclectic Style rose as a mixture of historical styles, examples of this is the Regina building along Escolta. Art Noveau broke out, such as the Uy-Chaco building along Calle Rosario, as well as the Casa de Ariston in Calle Barbosa, Quiapo. In the mid 20’s until the eve of World War 2, Art Deco was the “In” architectural style. The most notable example of this is the Metropolitan Theatre along Plaza Aroceros.

Regina Building (Escolta, Manila)

Uy-Chaco Building (Calle Rosario, Manila)

Metropolitan Theatre (Plaza Aroceros, Manila)

The aftermath of World War 2 left nothing but destruction. This led to rebuilding. The architectural style that prevailed at that time is the International Modern Style, a style that uses simple straight lines.

By 1970’s, a new form of architectural style emerged, a style that we truly can say ours, the Filipino style. Bahay Kubo and Bahay na Bato became the popular motifs for inspiration, the perfect example of this is the Batasan Pambansa.

Batasang Pambansa (Quezon City)

By the 80’s, with the world, Post-Modernism architecture took its reign, and up to this day, it prevailed.

The history and culture of the Philippines is greatly reflected in its architectural heritage.

The late national hero for architecture, Leandro Locsin, said, “The Philippine Architecture is an elusive thing, because while it makes full use of the modern technology, it is a residue of the different overlays of foreign influences left in the Philippines over the centuries: the early Malay culture and the vestiges of earlier Hindu influences, the more than three hundred years of Spanish domination, the almost fifty years of American rule, the Arab and Chinese influences through commerce and trade over the centuries. What resulted may have been a hybrid, a totally new configuration which may include a remembrance of the past, but transformed or framed in terms of its significance today. As a result, the Philippines have become an architectural melting pot, uniquely Filipino with a tinge of the occidental.”

________________________________________________

This was my report some years ago when I was still a sophomore Civil Engineering student at UST. My professor and fellow classmates were surprised with this presentation since we should be researching and reporting something related to our major. I guess math, cement and critical thinking bored me. My intuition guided me to architecture. I'm such an artsy.

P.S.: Clicking on the pictures redirects you to the sites where I've found these photos (my thanks to the admins of those sites, especially the bloggers. The text was done on research.

The 53rd Grammy's!

2011-01-08T22:28:00.000+08:00

The 53rd Annual Grammy Awards is just around the corner! It is exactly 36 days, 13 hours, 19 minutes and 26 seconds before it happens on the 13th of February 8PM (ET/ PT) on CBS (Just don't know which local television network will air it). The moment I knew that the nominees are out I immediately browsed their site just to find out that Alicia Keys is not nominated! Damn, is there some kind of technicalities on why her album The Element of Freedom and her songs were not recognized. Like were those not released in the period wherein the Grammy committee will be choosing? Upon scrutinizing, I found out that she was not really nominated, because it is released within the eligibility period for the 53rd Grammy's, which is September '09 to August '10. Too bad, I'm in love with Love is Blind, Try Sleeping with a Broken Heart, Unthinkable (I'm Ready), Love is My Disease, Put It In a Love Song, This Bed and Almost There (an MJ remake). Anyways, here's a list of the major awards and my predictions... no make that "my bet".

Record Of The Year

1. NOTHIN' ON YOU
Track from: The Adventures Of Bobby Ray
B.o.B Featuring Bruno Mars

2. LOVE THE WAY YOU LIE
Track from: Recovery
Eminem Featuring Rihanna

3. F*** YOU
Cee Lo Green

4. EMPIRE STATE OF MIND
Track from: The Blueprint 3
Jay-Z & Alicia Keys

5. NEED YOU NOW
Lady Antebellum
Track from: Need You Now

My bet: Empire State of Mind or Need You Now

Album Of The Year

1. THE SUBURBS
Arcade Fire

2. RECOVERY
Eminem

3. NEED YOU NOW
Lady Antebellum

4. THE FAME MONSTER
Lady Gaga

5. TEENAGE DREAM
Katy Perry

My bet: Recovery

Song Of The Year

1. BEG STEAL OR BORROW
Ray LaMontagne, songwriter (Ray LaMontagne And The Pariah Dogs)

2. F*** YOU
Cee Lo Green, Philip Lawrence & Bruno Mars, songwriters (Cee Lo Green)

3. THE HOUSE THAT BUILT ME
Tom Douglas & Allen Shamblin, songwriters (Miranda Lambert)

4. LOVE THE WAY YOU LIE

Alexander Grant, Holly Hafferman & Marshall Mathers,

songwriters (Eminem Featuring Rihanna)

5. NEED YOU NOW
Dave Haywood, Josh Kear, Charles Kelley & Hillary Scott, songwriters (Lady Antebellum)

My bet: Need You Now

Best New Artist

1. JUSTIN BIEBER

2. DRAKE

3. FLORENCE & THE MACHINE

4. MUMFORD & SONS

5. ESPERANZA SPALDING

My bet: Drake

Best Female Pop Vocal Performance

1. KING OF ANYTHING

Sara Bareilles

2. HALO (LIVE)
Beyoncé

3. CHASING PIRATES
Norah Jones

4. BAD ROMANCE
Lady Gaga

5. TEENAGE DREAM
Katy Perry

My bet: King of Anything

Best Male Pop Vocal Performance

1. HAVEN'T MET YOU YET
Michael Bublé

2. THIS IS IT
Michael Jackson

3. WHATAYA WANT FROM ME
Adam Lambert

4. JUST THE WAY YOU ARE
Bruno Mars

5. HALF OF MY HEART
John Mayer

My bet: a toss between Half of My Heart and Just The Way You Are

Best Pop Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocals

1. DON'T STOP BELIEVIN' (REGIONALS VERSION)
Glee Cast

2. MISERY
Maroon 5

3. THE ONLY EXCEPTION
Paramore

4. BABYFATHER
Sade

5. HEY, SOUL SISTER (LIVE)
Train

My bet: The Only Exception

Best Pop Collaboration With Vocals

1. AIRPLANES, PART II
B.o.B, Eminem & Hayley Williams

2. IMAGINE
Herbie Hancock, Pink, India.Arie, Seal, Konono No 1, Jeff Beck & Oumou Sangare

3. IF IT WASN'T FOR BAD
Elton John & Leon Russell

4. TELEPHONE
Lady Gaga & Beyoncé

5. CALIFORNIA GURLS
Katy Perry & Snoop Dogg

My bet: California Gurls

Best Pop Vocal Album

1. MY WORLD 2.0
Justin Bieber

2. I DREAMED A DREAM
Susan Boyle

3. THE FAME MONSTER
Lady Gaga

4. BATTLE STUDIES
John Mayer

5. TEENAGE DREAM
Katy Perry

My bet: The Fame Monster

Best Rock Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocals

1. READY TO START
Arcade Fire

2. I PUT A SPELL ON YOU
Jeff Beck & Joss Stone

3. TIGHTEN UP
The Black Keys

4. RADIOACTIVE
Kings Of Leon

5. RESISTANCE
Muse

My bet: Radioactive

Best Rock Song

1. ANGRY WORLD
Neil Young, songwriter (Neil Young)

2. LITTLE LION MAN
Ted Dwane, Ben Lovett, Marcus Mumford & Country Winston, songwriters (Mumford & Sons)

3. RADIOACTIVE
Caleb Followill, Jared Followill, Matthew Followill & Nathan Followill, songwriters (Kings Of Leon)

4. RESISTANCE
Matthew Bellamy, songwriter (Muse)

5. TIGHTEN UP
Dan Auerbach & Patrick Carney, songwriters (The Black Keys)

My bet: Radioactive

Best Female R&B Vocal Performance

1. GONE ALREADY
Faith Evans

2. BITTERSWEET
Fantasia

3. EVERYTHING TO ME
Monica

4. TIRED
Kelly Price

5. HOLDING YOU DOWN (GOING IN CIRCLES)
Jazmine Sullivan

My bet: Bittersweet

Best Male R&B Vocal Performance

1. SECOND CHANCE
El DeBarge

2. FINDING MY WAY BACK
Jaheim

3. WHY WOULD YOU STAY
Kem

4. WE'RE STILL FRIENDS
(Kirk Whalum &) Musiq Soulchild

5. THERE GOES MY BABY
Usher

My bet: There Goes My Baby

Best Urban/Alternative Performance

1. LITTLE ONE
Bilal

2. F*** YOU
Cee Lo Green

3. ORION
Carolyn Malachi

4. TIGHTROPE
Janelle Monáe & Big Boi

5. STILL
Eric Roberson

My bet: Fuck You!!!

Best R&B Song

1. BITTERSWEET
Charles Harmon & Claude Kelly, songwriters (Fantasia)

2. FINDING MY WAY BACK
Ivan "Orthodox" Barias, Curt Chambers, Carvin "Ransum" Haggins, Jaheim Hoagland & Miquel Jontel, songwriters (Jaheim)

3. SECOND CHANCE
E. Debarge & Mischke, songwriters (El DeBarge)

4. SHINE
John Stephens, songwriter (John Legend & The Roots)

5. WHY WOULD YOU STAY
K. Owens, songwriter (Kem)

My bet: Bittersweet

Best R&B Album

1. THE LOVE & WAR MASTERPEACE
Raheem DeVaughn

2. BACK TO ME
Fantasia

3. ANOTHER ROUND
Jaheim

4. WAKE UP!
John Legend & The Roots

5. STILL STANDING
Monica

My bet: Wake Up!

Best Contemporary R&B Album

1. GRAFFITI
Chris Brown

2. UNTITLED
R. Kelly

3. TRANSITION
Ryan Leslie

4. THE ARCHANDROID
Janelle Monáe

5. RAYMOND V RAYMOND
Usher

My bet: Raymond V. Raymond

Best Rap Solo Performance

1. OVER
Drake

2. NOT AFRAID
Eminem

3. HOW LOW
Ludacris

4. I'M BACK
T.I.

5. POWER
Kanye West

My bet: Over or Not Afraid

Best Rap Performance By A Duo Or Group

1. SHUTTERBUGG
Big Boi & Cutty

2. FANCY
Drake, T.I. & Swizz Beatz

3. ON TO THE NEXT ONE
Jay-Z & Swizz Beatz

4. MY CHICK BAD
Ludacris & Nicki Minaj

5. LOSE MY MIND
Young Jeezy & Plies

My bet: My Chick Bad

Best Rap/Sung Collaboration

1. NOTHIN' ON YOU
B.o.B & Bruno Mars

2. DEUCES
Chris Brown, Tyga & Kevin McCall

3. LOVE THE WAY YOU LIE
Eminem & Rihanna

4. EMPIRE STATE OF MIND
Jay-Z & Alicia Keys

5. WAKE UP! EVERYBODY
John Legend, The Roots, Melanie Fiona & Common

My bet: Empire State of Mind

Best Rap Song

1. EMPIRE STATE OF MIND
Shawn Carter, Angela Hunte, Burt Keyes, Alicia Keys, Jane't "Jnay" Sewell-Ulepic & Alexander Shuckburgh, songwriters (Sylvia Robinson, songwriter) (Jay-Z & Alicia Keys)

2. LOVE THE WAY YOU LIE
Alexander Grant, Holly Hafferman & Marshall Mathers, songwriters (Eminem & Rihanna)

3. NOT AFRAID
M. Burnett, J. Evans, Marshall Mathers, L. Resto & M. Samuels, songwriters (Eminem)

4. NOTHIN' ON YOU
Philip Lawrence, Ari Levine, Bruno Mars & Bobby Simmons Jr., songwriters (B.o.B & Bruno Mars)

5. ON TO THE NEXT ONE
Shawn Carter, J. Chaton & K. Dean, songwriters (G. Auge & X. De Rosnay, songwriters) (Jay-Z & Swizz Beatz)

My bet: Empire State of Mind

Best Rap Album

1. THE ADVENTURES OF BOBBY RAY
B.o.B

2. THANK ME LATER
Drake

3. RECOVERY
Eminem

4. THE BLUEPRINT 3
Jay-Z

5. HOW I GOT OVER
The Roots

My bet: Thank Me Later

Best Short Form Music Video

1. AIN'T NO GRAVE / THE JOHNNY CASH PROJECT
(Johnny Cash)

2. LOVE THE WAY YOU LIE (EXPLICIT VERSION)
Eminem & Rihanna

3. STYLO
Gorillaz, Mos Def & Bobby Womack

4. F*** YOU
Cee Lo Green

5. BAD ROMANCE
Lady Gaga

My bet: Bad Romance

For a full list of nominees please click: http://www.grammy.com/nominees

STATUS: Impossible

2011-01-06T17:54:00.001+08:00

It's impossible
It's impossible to love you
If you don't let me know what you're feeling
It's impossible for me to give you what you need
If you're always hidin' from me

I don't know what hurts you
I just, I wanna make it right
Cos I'm sick and tired of trying to read your mind

It's impossible (impossible)
Oh baby it's impossible for me to love you, this way
It's impossible (impossible)
Oh baby it's impossible
If you makin' it this way

Impossible to make it easy
If you always tryin' to make it so damn hard
How can I, how can I give you all my love, baby
If you're always, always puttin' up your guard

This is not a circus
Don't you play me for a clown
How long can emotions keep on goin' up and down

It's impossible (impossible)
Oh baby it's impossible for me to love you, this way
It's impossible (impossible)
Oh baby it's impossible
If you keep treating me this way
Over, over (over and over)

Impossible baby (impossible, impossible)
If you makin' it this way, this way
Oh baby, it's impossible
If you're makin' it this way

Impossible by Christina Aguilera featuring Alicia Keys

STATUS: Sometime, Somewhere

2010-12-31T21:54:00.001+08:00

We speak but the words we say mean nothing.
We smile but the smiles we give are wanting.
We look upon each other's eyes, no spark
No glow, no real signs, but we both know
This is all for show.

Until that sometime, somewhere,
We could show the world we have each other
Sometime, somewhere we need not hide out feelings,
We just keep on believing that we both have the time together
Sometime and somewhere,our lips would be free at last
You say the words we've hungered to say.
And we won't have to worry, we smile we won't say sorry
One look and we have cast our fears aside.
Sometime, that sometime will turn to forever, for all time.
Somewhere, our somewhere would not be just one place,
But everywhere.

Until that sometime, somewhere,
We just have to be content with stealing glances
Somehow, content with saying nothing,
Smiles that are always wanting.
Though deep inside it hurts
Because we know that our love, like love,
Is what it is, it's what we got
Our love, like love will have to wait
Until that sometime, somewhere.

Sometime, Somewhere by Basil Valdez

P.S.: emo before the year ends... Happy New Year everyone... at last I can say I just don't love you anymore, but I'm still in love...

Six Mountains, Two Years

2010-12-06T08:08:00.002+08:00

Six Mountains, Two Years.

One Island, Three Regions.

One Goal, To Conquer.

I made a list of the mountains I have summited for the last two years! All of these are from Luzon, and almost all of them are breathtaking. I'm planning to conquer Visayas, or even Mindanao in the coming years! What's on my list? Guiting-Guiting and Dulang-Dulang! For now I'll share a picture and some specs on my climbs and hope to inspire some readers too!

Mt. Pundaquit's summit

Mt. Pundaquit traverse to Anawangin Cove

Date: January 2009

Location: San Antonio, Zambales

Jump-off point: Brgy. Pundaquit, San Antonio, Zambales

Who I'm with: Chase, Fhiley, Welmar, Benjo, Che, Kiko, Julius, Cocoy and Dr. Nick (with 2 of his men)

Days away: 2.5 days and 2 nights

Side trip: None

Remarks: Anawangin Cove is stunning. The trail is not that established. Super hot trek since the mountain slopes are mostly grassland. There's a river part in the trail, try trekking on summer days, it will be dangerous to cross the river since it mimics rapidss on rainy days. There's a pyramid-ish hill you'll see while on the summit towards the cove.

Extra Info.:

LLA (summit): 14 53'59" 129 94'24", 464 MASL

LLA (cove): 14 52 41 120 04'04", 0 MASL

Days required / Hours to cove: 1 day / 4-5 hours

Specs: Minor Climb, Difficulty 3/9, Trail Class 2

Mt. Pinatubo's crater

Mt. Pinatubo

Date: May 30, 2009

Location: Central Luzon

Jump-off point: Brgy. Sta. Juliana, Capas, Tarlac

Who I'm with: Chase, Fhiley, Welmar, Ellaine, Jhim, Sharon, Tyron, Mich, Benjo, Che, Matt, Bong and Dr. Nick

Days away: 1 day

Side trip: None

Remarks: We went there on a bad weather. Foggy as it may seem but the sulfuric water brought the majestic aura of the crater. A very easy trek.

Extra Info.:

LLA: 15°8'35"N, 120°20'54"E, 960 MASL

Days required / Hours to crater: 1 day, 45 min 4x4 + 2 hrs hike

Specs: Minor climb, Difficulty 2/9, Trail class 1

Mt. Pulag's summit

Mt . Pulag (Ambangeg Trail)
Date: August 20 - 23, 2009
Location: Benguet, Ifugao and Nueva Vizcaya

Jump-off point: Ambangeg, Kabayan, Benguet
Who I'm with: Chase, Welmar, Benjo, Che, Kiko, Stephen, Will and Melo
Days Away: 4 days and 3 nights
Side trip: Baguio City
Remarks: Beautiful in a different high. You'll experience being above the clouds, literally. It is super cold, especially at night and super moist! Just look at me, I feel like a New Yorker. The grasslands are vast and charming. you'll experience different floras along the way, mossy forest, grasslands, etc. The almost 5 hour trek from the ranger station is stunning in itself. I almost caught myself lying on the log with no one in front of me or behind me for like 30 mins, in the trek, thinking of retiring.
Extra Info.:

LLA: 16°34'58"N 120°53'15"E, 2922 MASL (#3)

Level and days required: Level 3, 3-5 days

Hours to summit / Days required: 4-5 hours / 2 days

Specs: Major Climb, Difficulty 3/9, Trail class 3

Mt. Daguldol's summit

Mt. Daguldul
Date: January 16 - 17, 2010
Location: San Juan, Batangas
Jump-off point: Brgy. Hugom, San Juan
Who I'm with: Chase,Welmar, Benjo, Che, Hubert, MJ and Julius
Days away: 2 days and 1 night
Side Trip: Laiya Beach
Remarks: A very refreshing trek, you'll start off and end at the Laiya Beach. It was damn foggy! Beware, there are dogs around and they took our rice, yeah, uncooked! What would the dog do with it, unless that dog was trained to get stuffs from campers by someone...
Extra Info.:
LLA: 13°40.380N 121°19.160E, 672 MASL (+ 672 m)
Days required / Hours to summit: 1-2 days / 5 hours
Specs: Minor climb, Difficulty 3/9, Trail class 1-3

Mt. Gulugod-Baboy's campsite view

Mt. Gulugod - Baboy
Date: June 12 - 13, 2010
Location: Anilao, Mabini, Batangas
Jump-off point: Philpan Dive Resort, Anilao, Mabini
Who I'm with: Chase, Fhiley, Welmar, Benjo, Che, Julius, Cocoy, Paul, Brenda and Tats
Days away: 2 days and 3 nights
Side trip: Snorkeling @ Anilao
Remarks: Has a very nice campsite if not for the cow dungs, lolz. The campsites are vast. We trekked this mountain on independence day, hence the Freedom Climb! The trek started of with a concrete road then a trail under a scorching sun. Indeed, a very hot trek that got the best of me, hehe. Don't wander too far, you might get lost in the trail 'coz there are many of them.
Extra Info.:
LLA: 13°42'55"N; 120°53'43"E; 525 MASL
Days required / Hours to summit: Half-day / 1-2 hours
Specs: Minor climb, Difficulty 2/9, Trail class 1-2

Mt. Batulao's summit

Mt. Batulao
Date: November 28 - 29, 2010

Location: Nasugbu, Batangas

Jump-off point: Evercrest Golf Course, Nasugbu

Who I'm with: Chase, Welmar, Dhel, Bong, Rex, Tiff and her sister and friends

Days away: 2 days and 1 night

Side trip: Tagaytay

Remarks: Another refreshing trek. It is super windy once you reach a formidable altitude heightened at the summit! Campsites are everywhere!

Extra Info.:

LLA: 14.0408 N 120.8011 E 811 MASL

Days required / Hours to summit: 1 day / 2-4 hours

Specs: Minor climb, Difficulty 4/9, Trail class 3 with 60-70 degrees assault

Other info from: www.pinoymountaineer.com

Am I that immature?

2010-12-03T14:29:00.000+08:00

I was told that my posts are kind of immature, in a sense. Like I am using my raw talent in these petty love posts. Yeah, it was immature and I guess I am till now. I like sharing bits and pieces of me that I want everyone to see, and sometimes I share posts that I myself don't like. I kind of live by the moment, it goes the same as I share or blog by the moment. I sometimes have an idea that don't pass by this website. And, sometimes, too, I post the lamest things and hopes someone pulls it up and actually like it. I'm not telling that pleasing readers and getting extra hits is my not my sole purpose, 'coz it was and still is, and it instills sharing myself and I like it.

In connection to this immature thing, while I was heading home from work the other day and I thought, am I that afraid to have a commitment? I can't be that person that only likes a one-nighter, I just can't! And I can't be that over-superficial kind of guy, I just can't! Am I still looking for the one? WTF?!? That is just so cheap. And oh that question! Am I even looking? WTH?!? And oh that question too! Just yesterday I bluntly judged someone of being immature and now I'm struggling with my own maturity. The hell.

Am I too critical?

Flower Penchant 2

2010-12-03T14:18:00.000+08:00

During our, Cathlab mountaineers, recent exploits in Mt. Batulao, Nasugbu, Batangas (exploits? lol), I've collected several photos of their native flora, and part of these (a very large part!) are their flowers. Several of these are weeds but I came across some which I haven't seen before. But if that does not interest you at all just check the natural beauty. Feast your eyes! (lol)

The Pinkies are climbing up the Rockies

Orange, am I?

Pink me, White you

White me, Pink you

Flower Cones

Hide and Seek

Sun Daisies

Antannegate

Mother and Daughter

My Pad, My Home

Touch me if you can...

Fruits of Lore

I know you know what I am and capable of...

Overlooking the Evercrest Hills

And as they always say, it comes in threes.

Touch me if you can... 2

Oh brother! Is the sun too hot?

An Army standing tall

Date: November 29, 2010.
Location: Mt. Batulao, Nasugbu, Batangas, Philippines

'10 Christmas Wishlist

2010-11-12T23:26:00.001+08:00

Here I go again, dreaming. But what's wrong with it when it is so sweet and free. Last year I dreamt big and lost the gadget wars. A recap, I wanted a camera phone, specifically SE C903, but I got Nokia's flagship N95 8GB (which is better by the way), then an iPod touch, the Nikon SLR D60, Technomarine Geneve watches (UF6 Magnum and BlackWatch) and finally Champagne Gold VAIO SR490 by Sony. And what do you expect, I received/ bought none! haha. Like what I've said on that post, it's just a wishlist.

This time I'll be more realistic. And I want these!

1. Since I love blogging, writing and surfing on-the-go, this is a must-have!

Sony VAIO W Series. 19,350 PhP.

2. Our TV is so outdated! High Def in LCD is so in!

Sony BRAVIA EX400 (32in). 21,242 PhP.

3. This is what I really need right now. My good old Swiss and Fossil is dying.

May it be the classic type...

Kenneth Cole New York Two-Tone Gunmetal Chronograph. 10,105 PhP.

The simple...

Kenneth Cole Reaction Round White Stitched Watch. 2,795 PhP.

Or the bold... smartphones, tablets and cameras aren't the only bunch which are going touch.

Kenneth Cole New York Digital Touch Screen Watch. 7,654 PhP.

4. Who wouldn't want a full-touch smartphone? These things keeps me up at night and sends me to a daydream as well, gotta have one of these!

If it's for the 12-megapixel camera... (preferably the dark grey one)

Nokia N8-00. 23,000 PhP.

If it's for the Apps Galore...

Apple iPhone 3GS 32GB. 26,000 PhP.

5. Lastly, I currently have a thing with speakers. If you know what I mean...

If I do have an iPhone or iPod...

Altec Lansing inMotion Kick. 5,590 Php.

And for our desktop PC, a nice combination I may say.

Altec Lansing Expressionist Plus. 4,300 PhP.

Or this stunner...

Altec Lansing Expressionist Bass. 5,590 PhP.

Whew... I'm so full right now... aren't these gadgets so tasty?

For a full range of specs and other products, see:
Sony Style, Nokia, Apple, Kenneth Cole and Altec Lansing.

I'm a loser baby.

2010-11-12T13:27:00.000+08:00

While everyone else is falling in love I was failing to hopelessness.

My inclination to finding a great love prevented me from looking for one.

Caught myself looking in a wrong place, a time or two.

Moreover, it was a bad timing.

Over and over again, I doubted longevity.

I'm a loser.

Pier Roxas lost 8 days of his memory.

2010-10-25T21:25:00.002+08:00

I came accross this ad in the daily The Philippine Star Fashion and Beauty section about the new Nokia N8 (which I want) with Smart Gold and how you can help bring Pier Roxas' 8 days of lost memory with 8 clues at hand. The contest is called Project Gener8! I love making stories and I love the phone so I said to myself, why not try making and sending one! Right on! So here I just want to share the story I did today! Enjoy!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Pier Roxas lost 8 days of his memory.

Pier was a spy for an underground agency for years now, and he is doing a very good job. He is definitely an asset. He embarked on a mission, his biggest to date, spying on a Church leader based in Subic and eventually assassinating him.

After slumbering at his agency’s office somewhere in downtown Manila he headed out to start what is needed to be done. This is the day 1 of his mission, the preparation and on the 8th day he will kill the leader.

He immediately gathered logistics as he started his 2nd day in Subic. Good thing he’s got GPS, though it was not his first time there, he needs to know the place well.

Day 3 marked Pier’s movement on the case. He disguised as an executive for a law firm. He was nearing the Church leader, inch-by-inch through attending a symposium for an Ad Congress that will happen on Pier’s 8th day in Subic. He took a photo of his subject.

Pier didn’t waste any moment of his precious time, apart from assassinating the leader he needs to acquire vital information. Without the world’s knowledge, Subic housed a headquarters for intelligence on oil reserve export and hoarding, a very profitable venture. Surprisingly, in South, Manila houses a competitive market for intelligence and it was assuming its control, head on.

Pier managed to set a business meeting with the leader on the 4th day regarding policies over the forthcoming Ad Congress. A close encounter is what he needs, and what he really need is the leaders thumb mark and he achieved this through his touch screen handheld.

He needed a replica of the leader’s thumb mark so he sent it to his head offices email through his wireless device. He again gathered logistics on the 5th day, changing his disguise as a tourist then unwind in a cheap bar in downtown Subic later that night.

That night he met Georgina, a tourist, a gorgeous young lady in floral pink looking for a good time. They did have a good time.

On the sixth day, Pier woke up in a motel, sober but with a nagging headache, and found that Georgina has left already. It was 12 noon and he hurriedly went to his hotel, took a bath and went to the site for the conference for a little familiarization. Delegates must be housed in an expensive hotel, a day before the conference, near the site where the Ad Congress will happen. The Church leader will address a speech on economy and debt. That night he went back to the cheap bar to see if Georgina is there, but to no avail.

On the seventh day, Pier on his new hotel room changed his disguise into a hotel boy and rounded the hotel discretely. He was looking for the Church leader’s room and found it. Now he is all set.

The deadline for the treaty signing for the underground oil reserve export and hoarding is 12 midnight, the day of the conference. He headed to the post office to receive his package, the thumb mark replica. The treaty signing can be done anywhere; a touch screen tablet is given to a high official. Saying yes to the treaty needs a thumbprint on the tablet, as a signature. Once signed, or when the deadline comes, it will send a signal containing the needed information to the headquarters and the tablet will deactivate and will be useless. Pier has to make sure the signing will happen and knowing the Church leader, he will not sign it. The tablet will arrive 12 hours before the deadline and he must intercept it. Pier waited patiently for the next day.

The 8th day, at exactly 12 noon the courier came into view and delivered the package, in person, to the Church leader in the hotel coffee shop. The leader has to prepare for his speech and head on to his hotel suite then marched to the Ad Congress. Everything must be swift; Pier in an exec suit, immediately found his way in the hotel suite using a duplicated electronic key, moments after the leader has left. He took the package and opened it but he was startled by a figure standing in front of him. Georgina said, “I knew it, they are only using you Pier.” Pier smiled and said, “This is my job.” “They will get rid of you after this, you’ve done so much, you know too much, you are a liability to them, “she added. Then the window slide open. Georgina is in an angle wherein no one can see her except Pier. Pier was puzzled because his mentor showed up and said, “Hand me the tablet.” Georgina was puzzled too but instinctively went for the tablet. Pier’s mentor knocked out Georgina then carried her out of the suite room, leaving the tablet in the room, imprinted with a fake thumb mark. Pier was told by his mentor to finish his job, by killing the Church leader. He then zoomed to the Ad Congress thinking of what Georgina said, and why does his mentor have to show up.

He paused for a minute, and ran off, leaving the job undone. His mentor immediately trailed after him upon knowing this. Pier reached a vacant lot where his mentor found him. “I guess you have to die now,” then they engaged in a fist fight with Pier receiving a good punch on his face, leaving a deep bruise. Then a car screeched past the mentor, almost running over him. Georgina is on the wheel, Pier went in as the car zooms. The mentor went for his gun and fired twice but failed to stop them.

Pier and Georgina drove past the streets of Metro Manila for hours and decided to park inside a mall’s premises. Pier paid for the parking ticket. And when Pier is just about to go out of the car he received an SMS on his GSM smart phone, it says, ‘8RENEG’. Pier then went into a trance, seizure and deep sleep. He dropped his cellular phone and wallet. Georgina got worried and don’t know what to do, she picked up the cellular phone from the car floor and read the message. She somewhat understood what happened, she immediately deleted all contacts on the cellular phone and removed the SIM card. She left Pier in the car and brought a Smart SIM card then went back and drove off to nowhere. It was almost midnight, Georgina stopped in a pier along Roxas Boulevard, she thought long and hard. Pier is still in a deep sleep. She almost kissed Pier on the neck but it landed on his collar leaving a lipistick mark before dropping him off in desperation. She drove away, fast.

Pier woke up with a painful bruise on his face, he can’t remember what happened, and all he could recall is he was supposed to be buying his mother a gift for her birthday. He searched for clues, he lost his wallet, got a lipstick smudge in his collar, he’s got a parking ticket dated yesterday, an electronic key of a hotel, a Smart Gold SIM and his Nokia N8. Upon checking his cellular phone, his old SIM card was removed. He tried the Smart Gold SIM card then turned on the phone. He then learned that his mother’s birthday was already 8 days ago. And furthermore, he doesn’t have any contacts on his phonebook. “Was I mugged after hooking up with a prostitute?” he asked to himself.

Pier Roxas lost 8 days of his memory.

He went home, and though he wants to alleviate the worries of his family he can’t, because he couldn’t remember anything.

Later that day, his brother accompanied him to the hospital and when he is about to get checked up for the bruise on his face and unusual lost in his memory he received a text from an unknown number that says, ‘GENER8’. Then in an instant he remembered everything even the gorgeous woman who is standing across the hall, smiling.

End.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

You can join the contest too! Try these links!

www.nokia.com.ph/pierroxas

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www.twitter.com/pierroxas

I still don’t know what to do

2010-10-21T16:53:00.000+08:00

I’ve been feeling weird lately.

This thing has been bothering my confused mind, and heart, for quite some time now.

Should I not feel this towards you?

This isn’t surprising at all but it does puzzle me.

‘Till when can I stand this uncanny feeling that consumes half of my idle time?

Is this what I need?

Is this even real?

I can deny this, for all I care, but I’d be fooling myself.

I couldn’t believe time would come I’d come across this, with you.

It’s not far off but it never occurred to me that I’m still able, after all this and that.

It’s even near impossible.

I had my share.

I thought that was it, but no!

I have to connect the dots, collect the pieces, cross the labyrinth.

I must decipher this to clearly set the markers.

I don’t want to cross the border if it’s still blurry on the other side.

Because doing so would make me a fool.

Furthermore, I wouldn’t want to bother you and waste your time.

Testing the waters would be a total disrespect.

It’s unhealthy, not a work of a gentleman.

Ties could be broken no matter how tight they’re sewn.

I don’t want to risk it, for now.

Hope I’ll figure this out soon, ‘coz if I don't I might accidentally send unwanted signals.

Those would be the unsure but clear signs of could be and would be.

Though I’m good at hiding, I’m bad at lying.

So there, I still don’t know what to do.

STATUS: Invisible Man

2010-10-08T19:26:00.001+08:00

You can hardly wait to tell all your friends
How his kisses taste sweet like wine
And how he always makes your heart skip a beat
Everytime he walks by

And if you're feeling down
He'll pick you up
He'll hold you close when you're making love
He's everything you been dreaming of, oh baby

I wish you'd look at me that way
Your beautiful eyes looking deep into mine
Telling me more than any words could say
But you don't even know I'm alive
Baby, to you all I am is the invisible man
Oh, you don't see me baby

You probably spend hours on the phone
Talking 'bout nothing at all
It doesn't matter what the conversation
Just as long as he calls

Lost in a love so real, and so sincere
And you'll wipe away other's tears
Your face lights up whenever he appears

I wish you'd look at me that way
Your beautiful eyes looking deep into mine
Telling me more than any words could say
But you don't even know I'm alive
Baby, to you all I am is the invisible man
Oh, you don't see me baby

I see you all the time baby
Huh, the way you look at him
I wish it was me, sweetheart
Boy, I wish it was me
But I guess...

I wish you'd look at me that way
Your beautiful eyes looking deep into mine
Telling me more than any words could say
But you don't even know I'm alive
Baby, to you all I am is the invisible man
Oh, you don't see me baby

Invisible Man performed by 98 Degrees, written by Steve Kipner, Sean Hosein and Dane Deviller.

Flower Penchant

2010-10-08T14:02:00.000+08:00

I have a penchant in taking photos of flowers, I dunno they look so good in pictures. They are like models always readily posed for a snapshot. Of course they look so good in Macro mode with the blurred background and all, coinciding with the aperture and white balance, those sort of things that i kind of understand, but not completely. But the thing that catches me about these are the colors. I'm mystified by the variety of reds, yellows and blues. These photos were taken when I had a vacation in Northern Mindanao (CDO/ Iligan/ Bukidnon/ Camiguin). Dig in!

In the Limelight

Race to the Top

Among the Beauties

Yellow Me, Yellow You

Bloody Red

Pink Flora Salad

Soft Beauty Rising Above the Thorns

"My Home" -Black Ant

Sunflower Galore

Purple Frenzy

Scourned Survivor

As Pure As White

The Pink that Bloomed the Best

Almost There

Tres Marias

"C'mon Brother, do the deed!"

Strikingly Gorgeous

You and Me Against the World

Deym!

2010-09-24T08:47:00.002+08:00

Damn! I failed to contradict what has already been planned, I'm here in CDO now. haha. As opposed to what I've said on my last shout out that since I wanted to make tipid, I just can't! I had to 'coz the seats have been booked and bought na pala! And check-in is required! There, so I'm here in the City of Golden Friendship for 6 daays and 5 nights! So far, I've just been to SM CDO, Limketkai Center and Robinson's with Anna and Jun. Later, we'll be with Bevs and Ches on-board to Iligan City, Bev's town. Our itinerary? CDO-Iligan-Camiguin-Bukidnon, whew! Sana kasya budget ko!!! This wll be a lot of fun, it should be, sayang ang leave!!!

Things to achieve:
1. Learn how to make a good photo using a DSLR in manual setting.
2. Budget well my money.
3. Have fun.
4. Be not a pasaway.
5. Be safe.

P.S.: May ma-i-uuwi ba akong pasalubong? Sana meron!

Wake me up when September ends...

2010-09-04T21:51:00.001+08:00

"Whatcha Say?"

It's September again, my birthday month, and I've been constantly reading this horoscope section of The Philippine Star. Hoping for a nice and helpful insight to my life. Hoping as well that it would be useful, in a sense. I've been broke for the last month, so now I'm making sure that I won't be this month and for the months to come. I think I've learned my lesson. So, having said that, first on my list is scratching my Cagayan De Oro trip this coming 23rd to the 28th. I won't sustain fun and excitement on those days if I'm broke. I don't think 5K would do. I'm not rich, I just look like one. lol. Kidding aside, if Bevs or Ana would read this blog you know my plan now, and I'm ready to be killed. If only it's three days. hayz! Moving on, 2nd on my list would be lesser taxi ride, unless there's an emergency like on-call, etc. So, wake up early Godfrey! Lastly, have this mentality that every peso is important. Like a five-peso coin wouldn't worth five Pesos if it wasn't for 1-peso coin. But the problem is you've got to have five of them. Right? :-) Anyways, that should be a basic in everyone's brain who's not that well off, I just sometimes forget that mentality. So, give me my change will you!

Oh yeah by the way, I've been working on my other blog site. Got that vampire fever again! I've been trying to finish a story about a vampire/ immortal, something like that. This one's kind of fresh, out of the box! So check it out, though I only had 2 episodes for now. Link: charlieestevezimmortal.blogspot.com

Later, I'll continue reading Anne Rice's the Vampire Lestat!

Much later, I'll be sleeping with a broken heart.

P.S.
It's been a long time since I've blogged this naked without the colors of imagination, words and mask of emotions... I hate it.

The Greatest Love Story

2010-08-21T01:34:00.002+08:00

I want to write the greatest love story
The kind of story that started with serendipity
Tested by tragedy
Then ended in forever

We were young then
Never knowing of this mad world
Magnetized, enticed
No one could tear us apart

Time and tide rocked the love
Trust was doubted
Alienation arose
Indifference broke us

But love is love
It found its way back
We reminisced and saw the beauty of what we had
That kept us into eternity

But then...

All I have is our love story
The kind of story that started with a dream
Confused with false hopes
Then ended with reality

STATUS: Nananaginip Ng Gising

2010-07-30T13:50:00.002+08:00

Hindi karapat dapat ang isang katulad ko
Na umibig at mangarap na ako rin ay mahalin mo
Tanggap ko na magkaiba ang ating mga mundo
Kasalanan bang umibig sa isang katulad mo

Kalimutan ko na lamang ba dahil 'di ko dapat
Na ibigin ka

O bakit ba kay hirap tanggapin
Na ang katulad mo ay di ko kayang abutin tila binibiro ko lang ang
Aking damdamin at para bang ako'y nananaginip ng gising

Pinilit kong mabago ang nararamdaman ko
Inalis kita sa isipan ngunit ako ay nabigo
Pag kasama ka nabubuhay ang pag ibig ko sa iyo
Pinipigilan ko ngunit nangungulit ang puso ko......

Kalimutan ko na lamang ba dahil 'di ko dapat
Na ibigin ka

O bakit ba kay hirap tanggapin
Na ang katulad mo ay di ko kayang abutin tila binibiro ko lang ang
Aking damdamin at para bang ako'y nananaginip ng gising

Nananaginip ng Gising by Sarah Geronimo

This. Is. Love.

2010-07-12T23:36:00.003+08:00

I cried the pain away last night
ironically, I left you but the tears was on me
I never meant to fly away
but I have to

Now all I do reminisce us, together
though the more I remember the good
the more I miss you so bad
and all I'm left is your picture, in my head

Hearing your voice makes me sad all over again
but it fuels my soul to regain faith in us
I'd be coming back
back in your arms again

But now the feeling still consumes me
there isn't any good in goodbyes
but it made me realize one thing
this must be love, this is love

I so miss my baby

We Are!

2010-07-01T00:41:00.004+08:00

I'm not saying we are, but we are.
We share something I can't label.
I honestly don't know what to call this.
I'm just saying, that, we are.

Hate it when when I get jealous,
'Coz it doesnt mean a thing.
I just feel all guilty and shit,
'Coz there's no reason at all.

We would fight and bite our heads off,
But that's us, I guess.
Because at the end of the day it's still us,
Loving, unrequited or not.

Sometimes I cry,
Sometimes I don't.
But most of the time I wonder,
Are we more than just friends?

All I know is we have loved and that's all.

A Letter To The One

2010-06-27T12:01:00.004+08:00

When will you come around to sweep me off my feet? To hold me? To caress me? To tell me that evrything's going to be okay, though it isn't, but I believe you anyways.

I have been hoping for you, not waiting, really! I have sacrificed enough for you to see my goodness. I have done so much for you to be proud of me. I'm so ready.

Can't wait to walk with you on the beach.
Talk with you over coffee.
Trek with you over a hill.
Take beautiful pictures of the nature with you.
Watch a romantic flick with you.
Eat good food with you.
Plan things with you.
Talk about family, our families.
Talk about the future, our future.
Talk about settling down.
Talk about babies.

For now I'll be fantasizing this:
Slow walking as tears roll down my cheeks. I hear a violin's serenade with the oceans wave at the background. People around me are smiling, glistening in white and yellow. Everything is stunning. As i look look up you held my hands then our eyes locked. Perfect.

But it's still a fantasy until you come knocking at my door.

I keep on coming back, I keep on looking back

2010-06-25T21:26:00.004+08:00

Clueless and hopless, that's what I feel when you're gone.
'Coz when you leave, you really leave and you take with you a part of me that spins me to the cliffs.
But you do strange magic.

You're always at my doorstep when I'm almost at the edge.
You're there to make me fall all over again, like I always did.

I keep on coming back, I keep on looking back.
I don't know what's best for me, but you're the best kind of drug I'm addicted to.

Just can't move on, and afraid to let go.
Could it be that I'm the real reason for this inconsistency?
Do I need to change me?
Update me?

Then I thought, why not upgrade 'Us'.
It'll either work or crash and burn.

So I hope next time you leave then come to my doorstep at night I won't look back so I won't come back.
'Coz I'm done.

Sometimes, you'll just get what you need!

2010-06-23T00:45:00.003+08:00

As the grey sand brushes off your calves I'm sure you were smiling. Heart thumps at greater heights as skyscrapers hover the view. It must've been serene. God knows how much I want to be there, by your side, feeling your angst, the concentration, the dedication. But you can't always get what you want. So, just give.

Sagada Visit (Day 3 & 4)

2010-06-20T23:39:00.010+08:00

Continuation......

April 3, Black Saturday, I was kind of excited for this day, we were going to see the Bomod-Ok falls or the big falls as other locals say. Some of the tourists say there was this “small falls” and it isn’t great at all, like a waste of time, anyways we weren’t going there. And moreover, we were told that were going to see vast terraces too, so the excitement builds up! The itinerary for today supposed to be falls in the morning and Mt. Ampacao in the afternoon, the latter is kind of not feasible, but anything is possible. The day started with a call, a guy spoke to Arlene asking us to come with them to Bomod-Ok falls. Call time is around 9AM. We immediately dressed up and packed for the trip. We met Mr. Paul and his wife Ms. Brenda at the tourist info booth together with the other two couples. We were eight then and started to go for a ride to the falls. The trek started with a hundred-step stairs down to the Fidelisan village where their native language is Kankana-ey. While going down you’ll notice the vast terraces they’ve created for rice cultivation. Along the way we saw a gold mine. I never knew there were gold mines in Sagada! The sun began to pierce through my skin creating what we call... sweat! It was scorching hot and we ain’t got any shade. The fun trek seems to be unavoidably becoming an “alay lakad” (a suffering, lol) because of the sun’s heat, but thanks to the beautiful terraces, they made it all worth the slight agony. Who am I to complain? I’m having fun at the same time and Chase, Mar, Arlene and the others seems to be enjoying the view too! After like an hour, we passed by what looks like a monkey bridge leading to somewhere over the mountain of what seem to be a valley. There’s an urge for me to run to the other side of the bridge like when I’m riding a tricycle, I almost always wanted to jump. Psycho! Anyways, were now seeing trails of water, we are nearing the big falls!!! Big rocks abound the valley, and a hut took its post, were looking at the Bomod-Ok falls. The falls was, yeah, big but noticeably thin. Our guide told us that that because of the weather, humidity, etc. this is what the falls became, then it was massive, he says. After being clouded with that fact I realized that there are a lot of people there, like you would be side by side with a stranger. I immediately took picture of the falls and the area and took out my cigarette and lighted it up, stress released. I sat on a rock where people around is swimming on the pool, I don’t mind getting wet, but I’m not in the mood for swimming. I was looking for them and found Mar sitting against a big rock giving him shade; apparently he’s having some kind of headache. And I found the two ladies looking for some action... massage from kids. The funny thing is the child that massages Chase is in his birthday suit. The kid was bullied by one of the guys around to put his pants on. I got curious if the kids were really good in massaging so I tried it while eating buko ice drop. I was a bit disappointed, I don’t know, maybe I’m not into massages. Haha. But Chase and Arlene enjoyed it. Pierre, one of the kids, was Chase’s favourite. On our far left was Mar, getting massage from three kids and seems to be enjoying it, oh well. Enough of these massages, I want to get something to eat! We went back but taking a different route, it seems we passed by a different village but still with rice terraces. Again we stopped by a house to eat halo-halo with elbow macaroni, haha, and by the way, there was this one cute little girl who kept on saying hello to everyone passing by. So cute in red, I want to squish her. Lol. The vast terraces and ended up in a community gymnasium where they sell “Palamigs” (cold beverages). We were having problems with our guide at that time; he did not told us earlier to contact our van back home along the way knowing there isn’t any signal in the gymnasium. I was about to go back to the rice field and catch a cell signal but luckily one of us got a Smart line that surprisingly got a signal. This is not publicity, I’m a Globe subscriber. Lol. While waiting for our ride home they were chit-chatting and I was looking over the village’s simplicity and provincial-beauty. Then I felt tired. All I wanted to do is eat good food and rest for the next adventure. The ride back to the town proper was kind of gloomy for me. We ate at the Yoghurt house with Mr. Paul and Ms. Brenda. The food there is scrumptious I tell you!!! I got chicken, again, Chase and Arlene got pasta and salad and Mar got chicken too, I think. All were good, they look good and tastes good. A highly recommended resto! Next stop, our inn, we’ve got to freshen up!

The plan to summit Mt. Ampacao was really cancelled out, we kind of ran out of time and we would not want to be in the wilderness when the sun sets. So what do you do when you have nothing to do? Shop!

First, we headed looking for the Civet Cat coffee Dr. Rivera was requesting from Chase. We saw it but the hell it was expensive. From what I remember it was 1200php per pack of what I believe is only 150 grams or so. And to think it is a collection of cherry beans pooped by a forest cat. Lol. But these Civet cats only choose the finest fruits of the cherry tree. They only eat high grade cherries so when they poop the beans you’ll get are the best coffee cherries, selected by nature itself. Whew. We failed to try it since the coffee shop already stopped brewing for the day. Oh well at least we got what we wanted, thanks to Arlene.

I bought woven table runner, a souvenir shirt, tea leaves, neck purse, a map, etc.

Upon returning to our inn we decided to check out the Echo Valley, just a 15 minute walk off of our place. Mar bailed out on us, he seems to be tired or maybe fantasizing about next day. Haha. We headed to the Echo valley but to our dismay the gates we’re already closed. We just opted to check out the Church of St. Mary the Virgin. It was pitch black dark inside the church and the only light we see is the torch coming from the outside. It was nearing dusk. Arlene wants to stay to attend the late mass. Chase and I went back to the town proper shops to buy ‘pasalubongs’ (take-home) for our fellow cathlab staff. With us together emo mode arises! While waiting for Mar and Arlene to join us for dinner, Chase and I ate grilled hotdogs on the sidewalk. Upon meeting up with everybody we just decided to try yoghurt from the Yoghurt House. I personally wouldn’t wanna go home not trying the infamous yoghurt from the said resto. Again, Chase absolutely didn’t like it which, again, I did! It was getting late and we have to walk home so we started the ‘night trek’ a good 15-minute walk to our inn. I kept on thinking what’s in store for us tomorrow. Here’s what: Bontoc, Banaue Rice Terraces, Bayombong, Nueva Viscaya, as designed by Mar to visit a princess. Quite hectic right? In my calculation this is not possible without stress. but we can’t just scratch this! If April 1 is my day and April 2 is Arlene’s day and April 3 is Chase’s day, definitely April for is Mar’s with no questions asked! So there, I slept with qualms.

April 4, Easter Sunday, we woke up like robots to catch the 9am bus to Bontoc. We hadn’t eaten any breakfast; I bought some snacks from a store near the jeepney terminal to fill me up. Chase bought some suman (rice cakes) which I prefer not to eat for some reason. Then she remembered that we did asked the people from yoghurt house to reserve us like 4 packs of cookies for today, since they had their stocks emptied the night before. We like ran the whole stretch in fear being left by the jeepney. Oh well, the jeepney’s engine started and we left on time. The road is quite winding, and there were several points where the walls of the mountains roads were carved by massive erosion. Quite creepy I tell you. And you can tell that the road we are taking is under construction on many sites, there were bridges under construction as well. We as well passed dry terraces. Finally a bus stop, I mean a jeepney stop, it was friggin cold there and foggy. At the town proper we hopped into another vehicle, this time a real bus. While on the road, I felt like I’m in a foreign land, it is cold and what makes it more foreign is the man beside me, a Swiss national. His name was... I forgot, He’s something years old, around forties I think. He was going to Banaue as well. He’s been travelling all over the world for the last six months or so as I remembered him talking about his escapades in Palawan, Vietnam, parts of Europe, etc. He said that the nicest place he’s been to is Vietnam, it’s cheap and beautiful. Furthermore, he said that here in the Philippines it is quite expensive to travel compared to our Southeast Asian counterparts. But he was quite surprised to get a room for only 200php in Sagada and was teasing me for getting a room cheaper compared to our 250php per night. I asked what does the room comprised; he said there were a bed, an end table and a desk lamp. I boasted of course and knowing that he failed to charge the batteries of his handycam (which he metioned earlier as he record the view to Bontoc) told him that I had all my gadgets charged. Haha. Anyways, he was like an aeronautical engineer of some sort and our conversation went long and reached to pharmaceuticals. He told me that he was so surprised that when he bought medicines in Mercury Drug, back in Manila, it was way too much of a mark-up compared to the medicines sold on an upscale pharmacy in India. Evidently, it is known that India is a big manufacturer and exporter of pharmaceuticals. Not much of a debate, but he said that he would probably settle in India for a while since coming from a divorce and resignation he doesn’t have all the money in the world, he has to live within his means and live cheap in the country of India.

After the long talk with Mr. Swiss, we arrived at Banaue. We took another van to the viewpoint to see the majestic rice terraces. It was truly majestic, though we haven’t really seen the best of it. The van driver said that the best view of the terraces is way up to the mountains; we can like see it but costs more and time. Since we are in a time-sensitive itinerary we got contented for what is in front of us. We had pictures with the local geriatrics. Lol. You can take or have pictures with them in their Igorot costume. You can give them any amount for that moment.

Again, since we are in a time-sensitive plan we took another jeepney to Solano, I think it is in Nueva Viscaya already. We had lunch before hopping in the jeepney except for Mar, he was promised a feast from a princess in a mansion. Anyways, this trip was the worst trip I had been to in this 'trip'. It was damn too dusty and humid and long. We reached Solano by 2PM; we were fetched there by Mar’s friend Apple, the princess. The ride to Apple’s abode is swift and awkward. Then we were welcomed by a gas station, possibly owned by Apple’s family. We had a splendid after-12 lunch/ merienda, and I completely forgot what the food was. Haha. Anyways, they were so hospitable; they even offered to bring us to the bus station for Manila. Anyways before dusk came our bus for Manila came, we were like chance passengers and stayed between the bus aisles, It was okay for Mar, Chase and I since we experienced this before, but for Arlene who travels in reservations this is a no-no, but she’s a cowgirl at heart! There, we rode the bus standing, sometimes sitting on our own luggages. Mar was the most resilient one; he stood for hours while watching movies shown on the bus. A very long ride indeed.

We arrived safely. I can’t remember what I’m thinking at that time. We did have dinner on one of our stopovers but I felt empty. All I know is that I want to go home, eat my mama’s home-cooked food and sleep. I bid goodbye to everybody and waved for a taxi.

Thanks Arlene for doing this with us!
Thanks Mar for swaying the pests away!
Thanks Chase for constantly reminding me!

Wake of the Aftermath

2010-05-16T16:58:00.005+08:00

I'm at the wake of the aftermath. Steel arrows and sawed swords carved through magnificent shields. I feel the burning wood beneath me, the charred arcs and stables. I'm parched as I rest my head on the stone ruins, too tired to take another step to look over the horizon to seek remorse. Mirages, hazy pictures surrounded my view. But I see you. Still as valiant as ever. Armour never scourned, unparalleled, steadfast. Your stronghold is as guarded as the shade of a sequoia. I fought to be under that shade, under that breadth but was bolted off. Stunned. Still I walked over to see you clearly, with your eyes wide shut you half faced me. I lurked over the pebbled greek fences, they were fragile. Fragile enough to fall me off. I did fell, over and over again and stumbled upon this oasis that replenished my thirst. I rested, rested well but not my heart. I hear you heartbeat, not simultaneous with mine and all I could think of is you and me, gapped. I guess all I can do is wait for you to catapult a massive metal ball through that stronghold and let me through, or better yet, come out.

Too Much is Bad!

2010-05-15T20:05:00.005+08:00

Over the past few months when the sun's heat heightened to a collosal 37-ish degrees, which one can describe as death rays, we lived a not-so-normal life! Imagine yourself getting iced in your office with your nose hurting because there's only 4 of you in the laboratory and it frigidly cold! Then you go out to smoke, a-360-degree turn of a weather! I think one of my hairstrands just fell off. And you wished you hadn't went out to treat yourself with nebulization. Fact it is, we've got global climate problems, and it is inevitable, we can't do anything about it anymore, it is progressing. It is part of the cycle, maybe it is evolution. It is the earth, the Gaia. But, there is always a but, we live in this beautiful yet disgusting world and we kind of controls its age. It is aging you know and we are just speeding it up with our usage of fossil fuels which in turn gives off extra greenhouse gases. Greenhouse gases are good to maintain life in earth but to much of those (carbon dioxide, methane, cfc's, etc.) are dangerous. Like the saying goes, "Too much of something is not good". Well, definitely! You know what to do, save energy, save water, save the trees. But we play a small role here, the bigger part is in the hands of the multinational corps which controls fuel harvesting, cultivation, burning, etc. and the other companies who doesn't really care about the environment, really. The trees will save us! Like in the Lord of the Rings, lol! Miraculously it's around 32-ish degrees since yesterday, I hope it stays at that level so we won't have to wake up here in Metro Manila at around 3AM sweating. That's for us who doesn't have home air-conditioning! Well, blah, blah! This surge of heat is the the culprit why my immunity level got low. Flu, Flu, Flew! And yeah my smoking. When will I stop? Blah.

STATUS: Taking Chances

2010-05-15T16:23:00.002+08:00

Don't know much about your life.
Don't know much about your world, but
Don't want to be alone tonight,
On this planet they call earth.

You don't know about my past, and
I don't have a future figured out.
And maybe this is going too fast.
And maybe it's not meant to last,

But what do you say to taking chances,
What do you say to jumping off the edge?
Never knowing if there's solid ground below
Or hand to hold, or hell to pay,
What do you say,
What do you say?

I just want to start again,
And maybe you could show me how to try,
And maybe you could take me in,
Somewhere underneath your skin?

What do you say to taking chances,
What do you say to jumping off the edge?

Never knowing if there's solid ground below
Or hand to hold, or hell to pay,
What do you say,
What do you say?

And I had my heart beating down,
But I always come back for more, yeah.
There's nothing like love to pull you up,
When you're laying down on the floor there.
So talk to me, talk to me,
Like lovers do.
Yeah walk with me, walk with me,
Like lovers do,
Like lovers do.

What do you say to taking chances,
What do you say to jumping off the edge?
Never knowing if there's solid ground below
Or hand to hold, or hell to pay,
What do you say,
What do you say?

Don't know much about your life
And I don't know much about your world.

Taking Chances written by Kara Dioguardi and David Stewart

The Sagada Visit (Day 1 & 2)

2010-04-30T19:53:00.000+08:00

March 29, Monday, though not all set but we’re off to Cagbalete Island, Quezon for the Holy week. Mar already did our itinerary for the getaway, but Chase had apprehensions about our destination and the fact that there’s only three of us going really frustrates her.

March 30, Tuesday, it has been decided, Sagada is the place to be. We chose this destination to repent, to have silence and to lavish on nature. No itineraries were made! Isn’t it fun to go somewhere without any plans or whatsoever, it’s kind of exciting. And knowing we’ll be away from the stressful busy life of the metro for quite some time, four days to be exact. Chase asked Arlene to be our fourth wheel to break the triangular obscurity, just kidding. Gladly she did say yes, though she’s really not an outdoors person. It’s like the three of us were thinking of an outdoor adventure involving hike all that and she’s like travel, travel, travel. But she has been told to bring some hiking stuff. Later that eve, Dr. Rivera had coiling with Fhiley as scrub nurse; she should have come with us. Anyways, we got our bus tickets reserved for Baguio after going off from work; don’t want to be a chance passenger.

March 31, Wednesday, I got off from work around 2 in the afternoon. I had a power nap before preparing my stuff. And that’s exactly the problem; I wasn’t really keen on packing my things in one sitting. I tend to be stressed quickly. There it goes, my backpacking spirit just went off, and I was not in a backpacking mood so went looking for my sports bag and its handy partner. Why not travel in style. I got my sports attire on then Chase called up, she wasn’t on a backpacking mood as well, then I guess there are two of us then, or so I thought. I arrived early in Victory Liner Caloocan. There were too many people I may say. Though I’m not really surprised since it is holy week and people crusade out of the metro for reunions, travel or mainly just going home to their families. Our bus leaves at 12:50 AM the next day, soon enough Mar showed up with his hiking gear, as outdoors as possible as ever, then Arlene was in sight as well with her Jansport backpack and a small hand-carry. I was like, “How the hell did all her stuff squeezed in?” Well admittedly she packed a little on the low, and all along I thought I did the same thing. Then finally Chase, who did sprinted from Bulacan, came with her hiking backpack, full, and matched with a pair of girly sandals. lol.

April 1, Maundy Thursday, we went off to Baguio around 1 AM. Though I had a power nap still my body clock says I have to be asleep at this moment. It was a good 6 1/2 –hour travel, it was long but it wasn’t really stressful. I woke up in Baguio city and greeted it with a smile. After getting off the bus we headed to the town proper so we can buy extra stuff for our travel. We stopped by the town church to ask for blessing. I wasn’t really thinking about being hungry because I was sleepy but of course I am! We had our breakfast in Chowking before heading to the bus terminal for Sagada. We missed the earlier bus trips to Sagada, and we are now waiting for the return trips. It was a long damn wait. At that time we called up Ms. Karen of the Sagada Home Stay where we’ll stay for the holy week. We only got a room for 3, but still we got it reserved, getting cramped up in a room is better than spending the night looking for a place. It was hard to get a place reserved; everywhere in Sagada is fully booked. It was almost 12 in the afternoon when we set off for Sagada. It was a bumpy ride and we made friends along the way. The aisle seats were occupied so it’s hard not to meet a people or two. It was again a long, long bus ride, and this time it is quite stressful. I fell asleep many times because I kept on waking up on Arlene’s loud bumps on the window. lol. Poor girl, I handed her my jacket as her pillow. At last we saw signs that we are nearing Sagada, rice terraces and stuff. More than that there are signs that it’s nearing dusk. Damn, we’re still on the winding road and it’s nearing eve, I’m dead hungry and tired. Still, an hour took for us to finally get to Sagada town proper. It feels like we’re on a summiting a table mountain.

Finally, Sagada! We jumped off the bus under the night’s sky, dark and quiet. Not so many people are around, we are at the town proper and there isn’t much going on. We immediately looked for our place, the Sagada Home Stay, it is way up the hill. Going there is kind of going through a dark alley but there isn’t any alley, if you know what I mean! Gosh, it is really up the hill! While we are walking up the stepped hill, all I could think about is that we’re going to see a good view from our room tomorrow morning and, oh yeah, food! We stumbled upon a nice looking house, this is it, we knocked and asked for Ms. Karen, and there she was! She welcomed us with a sleepy smile and helped us up to our room. There was one bed and a giant cabinet. We immediately stuffed the cabinet with our things, jacket and all that and the hell, there was a small cockroach! lol. Downstairs, is really homey, a living room, a full kitchen and a dining table for a family, very nice! Anyways, since we are so hungry we went out first before we do the unpacking. We started looking for a place to eat and the thing on our mind was the Log Cabin that we saw earlier that eve before reaching our place. We were excited and all since it looks like it’s a nice place to eat in and there were foreigners inside, it must be a good place. But to our dismay, every table is reserved, earlier or the day before. That is just.... oh well. Since we really have no choice, and I personally have no plans of cooking our own food, we opted for Strawberry Resto just across the street after like 3 to 5 houses, and tried their baked chicken, it was good. The strawberry shake was good too, for me, Chase didn’t like it at all. After the dinner we went back to our place and took showers. I showered the almost 18-hour travel, minus the waiting, away with a hot, hot, hot water! Gosh, heaters are heaven sent! After cleaning up we prepped our bed, oh wait, there’s four of us. Though none of us are obese, we just ain’t going to fit in that bed! One slept on a mattress just below and beside the bed. Who was it?!? lol. I personally slept my worries away, I don’t know about them.

April 2, Good Friday, we did put our alarms on to wake up early but we are just dead tired. But we are there to explore and experience so our outdoors spirit lifted up from the bed to freshen up and bathe in the morning’s sunlight, well not literally. Mar, surprisingly cooked breakfast for us! Pancit canton and corned tuna, if you call them cooking, they’re instant! lol. Anyways, our first stop Lumiang-Sumaguing Cave connection! Sounds exciting!

It is said that the spelunking would take 5 hours, I was like, “Wow, there should be a lot of things inside to take that long!” And yeah, there are. We paid like around 1,200 PHP for the guides who mistakenly thought we would want to walk from the town proper to the Lumiang cave entrance; it was a 45-minute walk. Well the walk pumped us. Upon descending the cave entrance there were several people below, kids, oldies, families and we were welcomed by a lot of hanging coffins, but to my opinion they weren’t really hanging coffins, something like piled coffins on the cave wall. Obviously they were tampered, sad but inevitable. They weren’t preserved and I won’t be surprised if there weren’t any mummified dead inside each and every coffin. Or could it be that they are decayed or something, there were reports that mummified dead of the Mountain Province are slowly decaying because of the climate change. My take on this, well if that is the case then it is really unavoidable, but this isn’t only a hunch, there was a time that people (natives or visitors) really don’t care and people there nearly failed preserving our culture. Enough of this, lol! Going back, at that time only a handful of people are going to go spelunking. Our two guides, forgot their names, started lighting up their gas lamps. Upon looking down the cave I said to myself, “Where the hell will we start spelunking.” It was like a large crooked hole that when somebody stepped over the edge we won’t be seeing him/ her anytime soon, maybe in the afterlife. And it was damn dark! When all the lamps were working we took our first take, though a wedge crack. I tell you, this part of the spelunking was my favourite! We went through holes, we rappelled, we went through holes, we slid through hedges, we went through holes, and did I mention yet that we went through holes??? Sometimes it is challenging, but fun is the word to describe the feeling! The first sign of water is the area that they call the Altar, past that is the Rice Granary, this is, if not the first, is the most obvious rock formation that we saw. Water moulded the rock beautifully. Next, we went up and found ourselves on the Dance Hall. There were a lot of bats there; I felt like a vampire again... lol. Anyways, again, there were vandalisms there, so sad. Next to that we saw the Light from Heaven, just a hole from the cave ceiling. And behold the massive rock formations! We have to be on our bare foot since it’s slippery. There was this Frog Pool, the Tunnel, the Palace, the King’s Curtain and the infamous CR. Haha. That one’s not a joke, a rock formation was called after a comfort room, well it’s more like a shower stall to me. But seriously they were beautiful, but don’t expect it to be like stalactites or stalagmites because they aren’t minerals, they’re merely water formed rock something. There’s a point where we aren’t going any further though it looks like there’s still a trail, not really a trail, but an entrance to something deeper and could be colossal, or I might just be fantasizing of something more. After that we rappelled back to the point where the cave is going up, we are nearing the exit and it is getting smellier. Obviously it’s bat poop and urine, this part is disgusting, it was not near earthy because I can stand and earthy poop, but this? I’m climbing with my hands on the icky rocks! Well finally the long filth was gone, I can see the light! We exited the Sumaguing cave with a smile of exhaustion! Three things welcomed us outside, the scorching heat of the sun, a souvenir shop, where I bought birth stone key chains for my family, and the Sagada halo-halo... with elbow macaroni! Mind you, it’s their specialty. An automobile fetched us from there to our place; we were so hungry for real food and at the same time filthy! We had to freshen up before eating good food.

We went to Masferre for our lunch, there’s nothing special about the food there but the place is kind of special since there’s like a photo museum there displayed on the restaurant’s wall. The pictures depicited the old Ifugao’s people, their culture, traditions and being in one with the nature. They are all shot in a very artistic way, awe-inspiring, classic. FYI: It is prohibited to take pictures of the pictures! After the lunch we did mini-shopping, whatever that means. Next stop, Danum Lake.

We met up with new people for this adventure. In truth, we kind of need more people to cut the ride expenses into almost half. Good thing a group of two needs four individuals to complete them. We gladly joined the group! You can actually have the people there in the Tourist Info booth be informed that you would want another group to go with you all to cut the expenses, just leave your number there. There were like 11 of us (I honestly don’t remember their names now) and everybody is friendly. It was decided that we’re going to eat dinner there at the lake since there’s a slim chance that we would see the sunset judging from the skies at that time. The guides suggested this, they asked us to buy a live chicken and some veggies and rice, and that they will serve Pinikpikan. Pinikpikan?!? Upon arriving at the lake, several groups have already settled, some were like about going home. There were like 60 people around, gathered, taking picture, having fun. We had our pictures taken by the muddy lake. I didn’t expect that we would see a chocolate coloured lake, kind of disappointing, but in pictures they were great looking! The guides started making the Pinikpikan and the hell shocked us, or just me, they tortured the chicken in a very grave way. They started off by hitting the head of the fowl, then kept on beating it over and over and over until it vomits itself out. Imagine that. Major torture! I feel for the chicken, I almost don’t want to eat anymore but there came a time when we were all hungry. The preparation, the ritual, the cooking was so long, it took almost four hours cooking the Pinikpikan. During the cooking session, one of the guides we fondly calls Kuya Kim started an American Bonfire to alleviate the growing winter wind. We knew from the start that we would do a boodle fight, but with 30 plus people, this is something I haven’t experienced before, a good 10-meter boodle fight. First, the grass was lined by a green plastic cut in a long rectangular form, and then the red rice were lined across it. FYI: Only red rice is served in all of Sagada. Afterwards the vegetables (all I could remember is the Baguio beans, and oh yeah the sayotes), then the chicken. The viand was Tinola-like. Apart from the chicken, there was this pork meat they called “Etag”, they say it is salted pork, a local ham. It was scrumptious, but what made the food a winner is the fact that the Baguio beans tastes like heaven. So fresh! After the meal, the leader of the guides confessed that this is the first time they held a bonfire-dinner with a very large group of people, and they said it was kind of hard and at the same time rewarding since they shared their traditions with us, and we gladly took it. Something happened at that dinner and it's kinda off to disclose it here, maybe a formal article would do, it is about being a SMART TRAVELLER. We called it a day afterwards; we went home, cleaned up and slept the silent night away.

To be continued...

STATUS: Melt Away

2010-03-31T20:12:00.004+08:00

You come to me with a casual flow
And suddenly, my defences start to go
When you talk to me in that sensual tone
It envelops me and I lose my self control

And baby, I just melt away
Fall like rain
Everytime I see your face, I go off
I just want to break it down
Anytime you come around
Baby I could melt away in your arms

Imagining that you're taking it slow
And so tenderly
Till the feeling overflows
When you look at me I go soft and give in
And I can't conceal that I'm slowly weakening

And baby, I just melt away
Fall like rain
Everytime I see your face, I go off
I just want to break it down
Anytime you come around
Baby I could melt away in your arms

You and me in a cloud of reverie
Spin around inside my head unendingly
Thoughts run wild as I sit and rhapsodize
Pretty pictures of what I'd do if you were mine

And baby, I just melt away
Fall like rain
Everytime I see your face, I go off
I just want to break it down
Anytime you come around
Baby I could melt away in your arms

And baby, I just melt away
Fall like rain
Everytime I see your face, I go off
I just want to break it down
(You and me got a typical thing, you and me got a typical thing)
Anytime you come around
Baby I could melt away in your arms

Melt Away by Mariah Carey.

2:30 am

2010-03-28T02:30:00.002+08:00

It's 2:30 in the morning and I still can't sleep. Thinking of why can't we be? Tears roll down from my eyes, drenching my pillow as I look up to the sky. Then I thought, you might be looking at the same star that I'm seeing now. I hope you're thinking of me too. But it is too much to ask 'coz you've got somebody to think about, to care about. But I sure do know that somewhere deep inside there is a small part where I dwell and that's enough. And sometimes I feel, though it may not count as missin', that you think of me too. With that I'm happy. :-D

Jaded

2010-03-26T02:34:00.003+08:00

We talked yesterday, how you went about your day.
That you were so happy, about your damn baby.
All I do is listen, as your eyes glisten.
My heart's torn, like a freakin' moron.
But you musn't see it, and I wouldn't admit it.
I was happy though, reminding my feelings shouldn't grow.
But I guess I already fell, 'coz my day isn't swell.
It's too deep, my emotion, though you never showed affection.
How the hell did I fall, when you haven't given any reason at all.
Tell me how, I need to know now.

For me to understand me, so I can shake it off me.
For me to understand this, so I can try gettin'off this.
For me to stop understanding you, so I can get over you.

But you wouldn't care, I bet you won't even dare.
So today if you'll tell me your whereabouts, I'll listen and won't try to get out.
'Coz I'm here whenever needed, like a rag doll, jaded.

Just To See You Smile

2010-02-22T21:52:00.003+08:00

When you smile,
Everything becomes okay.
When you smile,
The damn pain just goes away.
When you smile,
Heartaches' nothing but a grain.
When you smile,
Suddenly it halts the rain.

A lovely day it seems when you're around.
Your welcoming smile lifts me off the ground.
Such a perfect day when I see you here.
Hope tomorrow's the same, I yearn it dear.

The feeling I'm in is so consuming.
An electric shock, now I'm shivering.
Can't take it no more, I got to have you.
I won't take a no, that'll make me blue.

And now the day ends and you have to leave.
Knowing my love is all I have to give.
Wait for tomorrow, it will be a while.
Wait for tomorrow, just to see you smile.

When you smile,
Everything becomes okay.
When you smile,
The damn pain just goes away.
When you smile,
Heartaches' nothing but a grain.
When you smile,
Suddenly it halts the rain.

The Construction Halted

2010-02-11T14:58:00.004+08:00

I find myself hopless of the situation I am going through

I can't find the words to describe how I'm feeling

Am I afraid? Am I regretfull? Am I ashamed?

Am I stupid? Or am I all?

I try to find strength from deep inside me

I tried to pull some from what I can do

But who will be there to help me?

Who will be there when everything's through

As these tears drop from defeat from my own doings, I ask myself

What have I done? I know what!

Why did I? I sure don't.

I can't turn back the time.

All I can do now is face reality as it is

Work it out. Manage it.

I can only do so much anyways

I'll be in the pits but I'm still on the race

My pace will be the same

The fire is still the same

But it won't be the same

Because the construction halted.

What I felt was nothing

2010-02-05T09:44:00.003+08:00

When will I wake up whilst the dream I'm in is the one that I yearn?

Can I open my eyes now to face reality, in color, while there's music in my ear?

Is it possible for me to walk away when every part of me is magnetized?

But what I feel is nothing.

What I felt was nothing.

STATUS: Dragon Days

2010-01-29T04:45:00.006+08:00

Like a damsel in distress
I'm stressin' you
My castle became a dungeon,
'Coz I'm longin' for you (longin' for you babe)
Feelin' strong for you
You're my knight and shinign armor
See your face in a silver moon
Oh, over the lagoon

Chorus:
And it feels like, dragon days
And the fire's hot
Like the desert needs water
I need you alot
Dragon days
I need to be saved I'm missin' you
(and the days drag on and on)

Desparate for you baby
Do you know what that means?
(It means I feel like)
I feel like an addict must feel
When he fiends
In an act of desparation
I get lost in my dreams
('Coz like a)
Lady in waitin', I'm waitin' for you
(Like a)
Like a prisoner tied over alligator waters
(Waiting for my) prince of paradise to come and
To tkae me away
From these... (tick tock)

[Chorus]

Don't you wanna play?

D-R-A-G-O-N days
Got me D-R-A-G-G-I-N
'Coz I want you babe
And I need you baby

[Chorus]...

-------------------------

Written and Sung by Alicia J. Augello-Cook/ Alicia Keys

The year that was...

2010-01-15T01:46:00.007+08:00

Year 2009 has been a very big year for me. Very colorful, very exciting. Intense, I may say!

The year started with a traverse! This is my first time to summit a mountain! Mt. Anawangin it is! As first timers goes, "it was exhiliratingly fun and tiring!" It wasn't my first time in Anawangin, but a traverse is not pump boat ride. As it goes, a pump boat ride is not a traverse! Read The Many Facets of Anawangin Cove. That's for January.

Come February is my (and my co-batchmate Fhiley) probationary period as a Cathlab nurse. Apart form the 3-month training is this 6 months on probation status wherin I will be on my own but watched and evaluated for regularization. The feeling then was kind of nervous while excited. Excited to see my name on the board and nervous because I might do something stupid!

My good old friend from Highschool came home from Saipan in March. We went out on a gimmick in Greenbelt and ate at Red Crab and partied 'till eve in Ice Bare where it is prohibited to smoke, damn! Anyway's it was a fun night!

April marked the start of the Cathlab staff practice for the PSCCI Fellowship night dance off rivalring all the participating Cathlab staff dancers in the Metro. The theme was Disco Inferno! Our line up of disco medley: Last Dance, Carwash, Single Ladies, Burn Baby Burn, I Feel Good, Play That Funky Music, etc. We converted our Recovery Room into a dance floor! This month, we also discovered another getaway, Nagsasa Cove. Also in Zambales as its cousin Anawangin cove is. Equally attractive, though Anawangin is majestic but nearly commercialized. Nagsasa on the other hand is serene, lonely, lovely, nearly placid, quiet, private, and has secrets. BTW, our trip back to Pundaquit is freaking scary! To cap off April is the SLMC summer outing held in Ocean Adventure, Subic.

May was the month of Science and Artistry! The Philippine Society of Cardiovascular Catheterization and Intervention, Inc. held the annual scientific convention. This was the 16th and it was held in Crowne Plaza Manila. It was a two-day conference (live cath, lectures, Q and A, case pesentations and dance presentaion for the Fellowship Night). We failed to bag the top price because of technicalities, but hey, we are second and we know we won the popularity votes that night, I've never been so applauded in my life 'till that day. hehe. After that is the after party at Tagaytay dubbed as Tagay-Tagayan sa Tagaytay! We visited Mt. Pinatubo later on this month. truly majestic and truly cloudy! It was always drizzling there. Though the volcano won't be erupting anytime soon, there was a moment, that time, that marred my excitement during the trek. Our guide said that it was unusual for us to climb on that rainy day, and moreover, it is usual to have a 2 or 3 small quakes a month. So it's a slim chance, but still! BTW, there are still indegenous people there, the Aetas. FYI, at the latter part of 2009 people died while speeding up on a slope on their way up to the crater. Sad. Scary.

June was a busy month. Work, work, work! I have to prove my worth as a nurse and it was my 5th month evaluation as well.

July marked our sixth month probationary period. Thankfully, I was regularized! Lucky Me! As for the celebration, hmmmm I have to save up for next month.

August was set for Mt. Pulag alone! This is the much coveted climb of the year! Mountain specs: 16degrees34'5'8"N 120degrees53'15"E, 2922+ MASL. Climb specs: Type -Major, Difficulty -3/9, Trail -class 3. This mountain is located between Benguet, Ifugao and Nueva Vizcaya. The trek was long and interesting, you'll start off on the mossy vegetation then the pine trees then the grasslands. It was freezing there during the night, one of us got sick! But everything's worth it, you'll have this unexplainable feeling once you're up there and all you could think about it how to document this and upload the pictures you took in facebook for everyone to see how beautiful the Philippines is. whew!

This month is my Birthday month, September! So i treated myself with a dose of an island... Boracay! It was off peek and the sun was as well off peak! It was cloudy, rainy but definitely not gloomy beacause we partied for two nights at the Summer place where I met my Boracay flame. On the latter part of this month is when the typhoon Ondoy strucked Luzon and pooled the metro with water and mud. It was devastating, but knowing us we can survive anything! Though still it was a dark part of the year. Many lives were claimed. FYI, we were stuck in SLMC cathlab the day Ondoy strucked.

October was welcomed with a triple treat! Jon's, Mark's and my birthday bash at our birthplace, Bamboo Grande! As usual, we drank the night away!

This month is the start of get-togethers. This is a November-must get-together, reunion at the Cemetery with my family! We can't miss this! And later that month is the JayVie FaEl SarGo annual meet-up. Another dark part of the year that could equal the Ondoy tragedy is the Ampatuan Massacre, this tragedy is saddening and full of anguish.

December parties started off at Dr. Posas' abode where I ate my favourite paella and baked lasagna and coke-wine. Then trailed to Club Manila East for the SLMC Cathlab Christmas Party that was so successful despite of the technical glitches! We had sumptuous dinner, presentations, games, awards, gift-giving, drinking, cash-giving, swimming, people throwing, dancing, more drinking, stripping, more drinking, vomitting then sleeping. I had a Michael Jackson impersonation that night, right before I slipped and fell on the tiles. Then ithe month was capped off with The Alcantara clan's christmas reunion. So much for gift-giving! I almost gave everyone a gift, except for those who I don't see very often.

I've learned so much this past year, work-wise, inter-personal and about my own self as well.

This year also taught me that you'll eventually lose good friends but you'll gain equally good ones too. People who stays are usually the true ones! People who gave up and went away could be just fed up, miscommunticated or just found new exciting ones. Communication is important, therefore I am guilty.

For sure, 2010 is another year of hellos and goodbyes.

Love's Many Faces

2010-01-04T21:48:00.003+08:00

I Love You.

A warning.
An aplology.
An interruption.
A plea for attention.
An objection.
A justification.
A reminder.
A trap.
A blessing.
An expression.
An assurance.
An affirmation.
An outburst of emotion.
A disguise.
A vacuum.
A revelation.
A way of saying nothing.
A way of summarizing everything.
A surrender.
An opening.
An end.

Which one is yours?

(penned by someone else, sent last Nov. 12, 2009 at 1PM)

A Million Thanks To You

2010-01-02T23:12:00.003+08:00

Thank you for everything

Thank you for trying

Thank you for understanding

Thank you for the compromise

Thank you for believing

Thank you for the truth

Thank you for the feeling

Thank you for being you

Thank you for the love

Thank you for letting me

Thank you for making me

Thank you for giving me

Thank you for the ride

Thank you for the hello

Thank you for the goodbye

Thank you.