Christmas in the Philippines is a big thing. The moments the months have -ber in the end, malls would play endless Christmas carols. By the time the actual day comes, I'm already sick of "give love on Christmas day."
If I were home, I'd have been hardly home attending Christmas parties left and right. And I would have had a nice little orange envelope containing the Christmas bonus and a pay slip that contains my 13th month pay. Traffic would have been terrible already, with the usual one hour trip taking two hours. At some point, I might have gone, "bah-hum-bug Christmas." But at least it's bah-hum-bug Christmas at home.
I can't even feel that the day is only three days away. The last few days have been spent cooped in Dorus attempting to write an essay but sidetracked by How I Met Your Mother episodes on the net. The essay has not come to life yet, but at least I'm halfway through HIMYM season one. What an achievement. Hurrah. Bah.
I miss Christmas at home. The food, the people, the gifts. I miss making my nephews and nieces guess what they would receive for Christmas. And they always get it right! Books! And my line, "aaaah... but you don't know which book! that is the surprise!"
There is still three days to recapture the spirit. I can only be happy that I have a great family here who misses home as much as I do. I can only be glad that we can find home in each other. Most of us have never been away from our families for Christmas, and this will be a challenge to us all.
Now, I know for sure... Christmas is REALLY about the family. It is remembering that more than 2000 years ago was a family made holy by a definitive yes by the woman despite facing the consequences of conceiving without a husband. By a definitive yes by the man despite the fact of being ridiculed for taking a woman pregnant not of his child. It is all about believing and of sacrifice...
2008-12-22
2008-12-15
Christmas around the corner
Ah yes... capitalism's most favorite holiday!
The Pinoys have picked out the names of who their babies will be for the Kris Kringle for our Christmas celebration before we part ways for our respective Christmas celebrations. Maricar had a great idea of each of us preparing for a wish list to make sure we get exactly what we want.
So what do I want?
1. A black fedora hat. I really like how it looks on me. :)
2. A pair of girl and boy earrings. Am starting a collection.
3. A winter coat up to the knees that is really warm.
4. Leather gloves
5. Black leather boots
6. iPod with 8GB or up memory
7. 50-300mm Nikon camera lens
8. a waterproof camera bag
9. a waterproof 10kg backpack
10. a one way ticket to Netherlands and a one year residence permit for my husband ;p
11. two round trip tickets to Greece for me and jan
12. Christmas with my entire family (jan, my mom, siblings and pamangkins) with roasted pig and ice cold Coke
13. a RP topic that I will love doing and will mean something somehow
14. a photographic memory to remember everything that I read and I hear in class
15. World Peace. seriously.
16. the fuzzy, warm feeling of Christmas. the sincere, genuine feeling of gratitude that Christ was born to live a life worth looking up to.
I am also willing to accept sincere bear hugs and a genuine wish of Merry Christmas. ;p
The Pinoys have picked out the names of who their babies will be for the Kris Kringle for our Christmas celebration before we part ways for our respective Christmas celebrations. Maricar had a great idea of each of us preparing for a wish list to make sure we get exactly what we want.
So what do I want?
1. A black fedora hat. I really like how it looks on me. :)
2. A pair of girl and boy earrings. Am starting a collection.
3. A winter coat up to the knees that is really warm.
4. Leather gloves
5. Black leather boots
6. iPod with 8GB or up memory
7. 50-300mm Nikon camera lens
8. a waterproof camera bag
9. a waterproof 10kg backpack
10. a one way ticket to Netherlands and a one year residence permit for my husband ;p
11. two round trip tickets to Greece for me and jan
12. Christmas with my entire family (jan, my mom, siblings and pamangkins) with roasted pig and ice cold Coke
13. a RP topic that I will love doing and will mean something somehow
14. a photographic memory to remember everything that I read and I hear in class
15. World Peace. seriously.
16. the fuzzy, warm feeling of Christmas. the sincere, genuine feeling of gratitude that Christ was born to live a life worth looking up to.
I am also willing to accept sincere bear hugs and a genuine wish of Merry Christmas. ;p
2008-12-09
a hundred days in europe
I just realized that December 8 is my 100th day here in Netherlands.
Well... I know a hundred days isn't really a year, but it's almost as much of a milestone.
A hundred days! It feels so ironic that it is also the day when I finally felt the pangs of loneliness. Enough to make the tears come. i let it flow then shake it away, no use in denying emotions. yes, it has been a hundred days away from home, a hundred days away from jan, a hundred days of listless sleep, a hundred days of uncertainty... that is looking at it from the half-empty glass perspective.
But it is also a hundred days of many beautiful, wonderful things:
* of my first autumn -- the experience of the nature's dying, like the phoenix that explodes in mesmerizing fire before it turns to dust. yet knowing that there is a rebirth.
* of my first snow and hail -- snowball fights with bare hands. as the ice hits you or another, it is punctuated with child(-ish, -like) laughter. while autumn is the vibrance of color, the somberness of white is transfixing.
* of beautiful friendships forged -- my pinoy mafia keeps me sane. will definitely miss the old batch who have always been so accommodating of our barging in the headquarters. to my new friends from all continents who have taught me so much about the world much bigger than what i have known. my first american thanksgiving to happy halloweens, from standing up against poverty to transformations. i never in my life dreamed education can be this interesting!
and so much more in those hundred days! from cooking and finally finding out for myself that there is a vortex in the laundry machine that sucks out half of a pair of socks and gloves leaving my closet with three unpaired socks and gloves... nights of singing and dancing and watching other people get wasted... to pining and wishing for those comfortable warm hands... to just realizing every day of my life that i am alive and tingling with all sorts of emotions, be it sadness or happiness.
the first hundred days and triple more ahead here in europe. looking forward to the joys and pains of what is to come! well, not so much the pain, but i have to be realistic here. 2008 is almost gone and 2009 is coming. i may not be raring to go at the moment, but i'm ready. ;p
Well... I know a hundred days isn't really a year, but it's almost as much of a milestone.
A hundred days! It feels so ironic that it is also the day when I finally felt the pangs of loneliness. Enough to make the tears come. i let it flow then shake it away, no use in denying emotions. yes, it has been a hundred days away from home, a hundred days away from jan, a hundred days of listless sleep, a hundred days of uncertainty... that is looking at it from the half-empty glass perspective.
But it is also a hundred days of many beautiful, wonderful things:
* of my first autumn -- the experience of the nature's dying, like the phoenix that explodes in mesmerizing fire before it turns to dust. yet knowing that there is a rebirth.
* of my first snow and hail -- snowball fights with bare hands. as the ice hits you or another, it is punctuated with child(-ish, -like) laughter. while autumn is the vibrance of color, the somberness of white is transfixing.
* experiencing europe -- a dream come true! i thought that europe will just forever be a vision from books and movies and now i am here! and there is still so much more of it to see.
* of beautiful friendships forged -- my pinoy mafia keeps me sane. will definitely miss the old batch who have always been so accommodating of our barging in the headquarters. to my new friends from all continents who have taught me so much about the world much bigger than what i have known. my first american thanksgiving to happy halloweens, from standing up against poverty to transformations. i never in my life dreamed education can be this interesting!and so much more in those hundred days! from cooking and finally finding out for myself that there is a vortex in the laundry machine that sucks out half of a pair of socks and gloves leaving my closet with three unpaired socks and gloves... nights of singing and dancing and watching other people get wasted... to pining and wishing for those comfortable warm hands... to just realizing every day of my life that i am alive and tingling with all sorts of emotions, be it sadness or happiness.
the first hundred days and triple more ahead here in europe. looking forward to the joys and pains of what is to come! well, not so much the pain, but i have to be realistic here. 2008 is almost gone and 2009 is coming. i may not be raring to go at the moment, but i'm ready. ;p
2008-12-05
LP36: Eksayted! (excited)
Iilang buwan na rin akong delinkwente sa aking paglahok sa lingguhang litratong pinoy. kasalanan na rin siguro ng pansamantalang pag-alis sa bansa para mag-aral sa netherlands.
at di ko na kayang matiis pa ang tikisin ang lumahok sa litratong pinoy dahil sa temang eksayted. masaya nga talaga ang makita ang niyebe sa unang pagkakataon. sa sobrang tuwa ay di na nagsuot ng angkop na kasuotan para di lamig. kelangan makunan ng larawan ang pagbagsak ng yelo sa bubungan ng tirahan ng mga mag-aaral.
kaya ayan... namumulo na ang mga daliri sa paa dahil nakatsinelas lang. pero di bale... kakaiba talaga ang tuwa na naramdaman sa araw na iyon na nakakita ng niyebe sa unang pagkakataon. at sa bawat araw na may niyebe... patuloy pa rin ang pagkamangha. :P
2008-11-24
hail and snow!
the last two days have been pretty exciting for me even if i just stayed indoors most of the time.
i heard a mild tap-tapping at my door as i was cleaning my room. when i opened the curtains... ta-daaaah! ice falling from the sky.
so being the ignorant asian that i am thought it to be snow. i opened my window and staring out of their windows were regina, tom (canada) and patchar (thailand). to tom, it was nothing new but for the asians, it was magic!
it was a bit quick, but then sometime in the afternoon, it was a longer one. i finally buzzed for regina because such a moment called for a photo op. and photos we took! despite looking like we just got out of bed (oh... we did just get out of bed)., we didn't care! it was fun!
i thought that hail was just a fluke because most of my friends who've lived in europe told me that it never really snows in the netherlands. most of the time winter is just wet and rainy.
but the fates would have it that i tick off another box in my things to experience before i die... it snowed! for real this time. with snowflakes that just melt the moment they hit your hand. and it fell quieter and prettier than hail. the flakes don't fall straight down, but kind of hover here and there in the air before they hit the ground.
i wanted another photo op and buzzed regina's floor but no one was answering. despite being ungloved, i decided to take a look at the outside world.
there ya go... i wasn't the only excited one. the indonesians were going around town taking pictures of the snow too. it's great to know that somebody feels as excited as you are at that same moment. like an invisible bond holds you together at that moment.
so with all courage, i decided to go out and take photos outside. eyob peeped out from his room and i forced him to come out of his den and join me. then ruth (american) and nick (german) peeped out of their rooms, and i asked them to come out.
and when you have big kids like us all together in a snowy day, what do you get? snowball fight!!! the fight ensued. just a few snowballs and my ungloved fingers were already numb. nick was kind enough to lend me his gloves to thaw them out, but it had a high price. he hit me in the face, the back, the head. and of course, he just had to stuff ice on my shirt. tsk-tsk!
mel saw nick from her room and jumped out of the window and joined in our fun. wheee!
i heard a mild tap-tapping at my door as i was cleaning my room. when i opened the curtains... ta-daaaah! ice falling from the sky.
so being the ignorant asian that i am thought it to be snow. i opened my window and staring out of their windows were regina, tom (canada) and patchar (thailand). to tom, it was nothing new but for the asians, it was magic!
it was a bit quick, but then sometime in the afternoon, it was a longer one. i finally buzzed for regina because such a moment called for a photo op. and photos we took! despite looking like we just got out of bed (oh... we did just get out of bed)., we didn't care! it was fun!
i thought that hail was just a fluke because most of my friends who've lived in europe told me that it never really snows in the netherlands. most of the time winter is just wet and rainy.
but the fates would have it that i tick off another box in my things to experience before i die... it snowed! for real this time. with snowflakes that just melt the moment they hit your hand. and it fell quieter and prettier than hail. the flakes don't fall straight down, but kind of hover here and there in the air before they hit the ground.
i wanted another photo op and buzzed regina's floor but no one was answering. despite being ungloved, i decided to take a look at the outside world.
there ya go... i wasn't the only excited one. the indonesians were going around town taking pictures of the snow too. it's great to know that somebody feels as excited as you are at that same moment. like an invisible bond holds you together at that moment.
so with all courage, i decided to go out and take photos outside. eyob peeped out from his room and i forced him to come out of his den and join me. then ruth (american) and nick (german) peeped out of their rooms, and i asked them to come out.
and when you have big kids like us all together in a snowy day, what do you get? snowball fight!!! the fight ensued. just a few snowballs and my ungloved fingers were already numb. nick was kind enough to lend me his gloves to thaw them out, but it had a high price. he hit me in the face, the back, the head. and of course, he just had to stuff ice on my shirt. tsk-tsk!
mel saw nick from her room and jumped out of the window and joined in our fun. wheee!
it was a really, really wonderful experience. wet but very enjoyable and exciting and something that will make me smile a lot when i remember it.
i just hope it doesn't snow everyday so i don't get used to it. it would be great to be excited by it everytime it happens. LOL.
for now, this is how i feel...
2008-11-17
howard was right
when studying, don't have pictures on your table.
there weren't any pictures on my table, but there are photos on facebook. i reviewed some photos from the philippines... and boy, was that a bad idea. apart from taking time from studying (which has been terribly neglected since the beginning of term 1b), it made me miss people at home, especially jan.
i really don't want to go to the path of longing for home. i am still constantly excited by the thought of being in europe, of fulfilling this lifelong dream. this morning, i took an hour going home from church because i decided to take a detour by the lake and boy, was autumn beautiful! the shower of leaves was absolutely magical and charming. i would never had experienced such a moment in the peens... but it would have been more magical to have my husband with me at that moment...
i've been experiencing so much and doing so much here in europe. and so much of it can not be captured by words or pictures, no matter how i try. i feel like a grown-up and a child at the same time. so it makes it difficult to share with jan and i don't want him missing out on my pruning and growing... neither do i want to miss out on his.
the weekly revelries at the ISS are always enjoyable, but like all parties... it leaves me feeling empty when i go back to my room on my own. i should have had jan with me... and seeing and hearing about the exciting things happening makes me miss him more, wishing for him more and more.
sigh.
i do not feel lonely. not at all. i am glad that the pinoy mafia enjoy each other's company, enough for us to keep (in)sane from all the emotional stimulus we are all experiencing.
it could be the weather really... because the thoughts of home come more frequent now. while i enjoy winter dressing, i have always been a tropics lady who enjoys the sun kissing her skin. and every day has been getting colder and colder that my skin sometimes gets numb. and maybe that's why the emotions are stirred more. it calls for warmth that the body does not get. and i mean that warm fuzzy feeling... lol.
sigh.
there weren't any pictures on my table, but there are photos on facebook. i reviewed some photos from the philippines... and boy, was that a bad idea. apart from taking time from studying (which has been terribly neglected since the beginning of term 1b), it made me miss people at home, especially jan.
i really don't want to go to the path of longing for home. i am still constantly excited by the thought of being in europe, of fulfilling this lifelong dream. this morning, i took an hour going home from church because i decided to take a detour by the lake and boy, was autumn beautiful! the shower of leaves was absolutely magical and charming. i would never had experienced such a moment in the peens... but it would have been more magical to have my husband with me at that moment...
i've been experiencing so much and doing so much here in europe. and so much of it can not be captured by words or pictures, no matter how i try. i feel like a grown-up and a child at the same time. so it makes it difficult to share with jan and i don't want him missing out on my pruning and growing... neither do i want to miss out on his.
the weekly revelries at the ISS are always enjoyable, but like all parties... it leaves me feeling empty when i go back to my room on my own. i should have had jan with me... and seeing and hearing about the exciting things happening makes me miss him more, wishing for him more and more.
sigh.
i do not feel lonely. not at all. i am glad that the pinoy mafia enjoy each other's company, enough for us to keep (in)sane from all the emotional stimulus we are all experiencing.
it could be the weather really... because the thoughts of home come more frequent now. while i enjoy winter dressing, i have always been a tropics lady who enjoys the sun kissing her skin. and every day has been getting colder and colder that my skin sometimes gets numb. and maybe that's why the emotions are stirred more. it calls for warmth that the body does not get. and i mean that warm fuzzy feeling... lol.
sigh.
2008-11-14
sleepless in den haag
the sandman may have forgetten to pass by the ISS for the last few days. many of the students have been suffereing from the lack of sleep lately for various reasons. the cause of my sleeplessness has been a reuniting with dorm room internet. i'm starting to think this may not be a good idea after all. i've been indulging in my guilty pleasure of brainless reality tv for the past week.
however, tonight is a different reason for me. my mind is so alive right now. it often happens when the moon is full, because i am the moon's fool. she's toying with my thoughts, whispering sweet nothings.
tonight luna tells me, "i let you taste some of your dreams. relish it. be free."
however, tonight is a different reason for me. my mind is so alive right now. it often happens when the moon is full, because i am the moon's fool. she's toying with my thoughts, whispering sweet nothings.
tonight luna tells me, "i let you taste some of your dreams. relish it. be free."
and i do feel as free as the bird from that photo i took on a nine o'clock setting sun during my first weeks in the netherlands. and i do feel that i am having a taste of my silly little girl dreams now that i am here.
silly little girl dreams like wearing coats and boots and sweaters which would have been crazy to do back at home (but i do miss wearing flip-flops to anywhere). silly little girl dreams like seeing europe and discovering if it is as pretty as i see in the pictures and read in the books (it is but it has made me appreciate home more). silly little girl dreams like seeing what autumn is all about, and walkin on a pile of fallen yellow and orange leaves and seeing trees die a little each day knowing they are just asleep and are waking up in a few months (but i miss the regularity of sun up and sun down).
dreams can come true not necessarily in ways you imagine it to be.
there are the realities that pinch once in a while. cleaning the room, doing laundry, cooking meals. things that aren't going to happen by themselves. there are days i hate it terribly, and there are the days when i just grin to myself and realize... "dang... independence, you taste a bit funny sometimes!"
there are the realities that actually bite you hard. readings, papers, exams. and i would go, "oh yeah... that's what i came here for. better do those things too."
then there are life's little surprises. if you are just open enough, it can be quite beautiful.
maybe it is premature to say it only two and a half months into the program, but i have been constantly amazed by the people in the school. the multicultural set-up makes ISS doubly exciting. there is so much to learn and discover just by talking to people! that's not even talking about classes yet. i am always genuinely excited to engage with people everyday.
i love the mix of the pinoys i am with. we are as surprised as everybody else at how well our sisterhood (sorry boys, we outnumber you!) is.
i love the other friends i already have made and wish to get to know them better. this is the kind of globalization the rest of the world needs! to remain steadfastly faithful and in-love with who we are, yet embracing the Otherness of the others.
i can not ask for a better way to discover the world.
i feel so blessed right now. :)
(but then it would be absolutely perfect to have my husband here too. my quiet, stoic jan to offset all the restless energy i have right now. LOL.)
2008-11-08
i used to only read you in books...
mr. organ grinder.
you just made my trip to prague all the more memorable. tee-hee! too bad you did not have a real monkey with you. but nonetheless, it was great to see you out of the story books i used to read as a child and into reality.
you just made my trip to prague all the more memorable. tee-hee! too bad you did not have a real monkey with you. but nonetheless, it was great to see you out of the story books i used to read as a child and into reality.
2008-10-31
tired. happy. excited.
tired. i have not had good sleep in the last two weeks. make that my entire stay in the netherlands, but the last two weeks were the worse. i have never studied this much for an exam, ever.
happy. working for something that never guarantees success has taught me that sometimes you just have to be happy with the process. and i think i have worked hard enough to learn and understand what was taughti n our classrooms. whatever grade i will get will never ever measure whatever knowledge i have been blessed with the last two months.
excited! off to prague tomorrow. i have always dreamed of traveling the world. crazy wanderlust. if only i can see every nook and cranny... well i can but i just can't afford it. and tomorrow, i get to go off to another adventure. yipeeee!!! dreams come true... little by little. but they do, they do.
aaaahh. i have a song in my heart. yipee. :D
tired. happy. excited.
tired. i have not had good sleep in the last two weeks. make that my entire stay in the netherlands, but the last two weeks were the worse. i have never studied this much for an exam, ever.
happy. working for something that never guarantees success has taught me that sometimes you just have to be happy with the process. and i think i have worked hard enough to learn and understand what was taughti n our classrooms. whatever grade i will get will never ever measure whatever knowledge i have been blessed with the last two months.
excited! off to prague tomorrow. i have always dreamed of traveling the world. crazy wanderlust. if only i can see every nook and cranny... well i can but i just can't afford it. and tomorrow, i get to go off to another adventure. yipeeee!!! dreams come true... little by little. but they do, they do.
aaaahh. i have a song in my heart. yipee. :D
2008-10-27
maligayang kaarawan mahal ko
hindi magandang ideya ang pakinggang ang jazz mix na gawa mo habang nag-aaral. nang marinig ko ang tinig ni julia fordham, may lalim ang lungkot at tumindi ang pangungulila. alaala nuong simula natin... patambay-tambay sa 1710 habang nakikinig kay julia. maraming kuwentong dala ang kanyang tinig. di lang sa atin kungdi maging iyong kasaysayan...
maari namang itigil at palitan ng iba pa na mas masaya. mas makakatulong sa pag-aaral. pero pinili kong yakapin ang nararamdaman. isang pag-papaalala na ikaw at ikaw pa rin.
alam mo naman na malikot ang mata ko. at di ko pinalalampas ang mga kuwento. totoo, may kilig, may tuwa. ngunit hinding-hindi nila maibibigay ang kapayapaan na naibibigay mo kapag ang ating mga palad ay nagkakadaupan. kapag nariyan ka lang sa tabi at tutok sa computer. kapag katabi sa pagtulog. payapa. yun ka. masayang kiligin paminsan-minsan, pero alam mo naman kapayapaan ang gusto kong hangtungan.
dahil hindi ko maipapadama ito sa pamamagitan ng hawak at yakap... ito na lang.
salamat at sinilang ka. dahil sa iyo, payapa buhay ko. :)
2008-10-23
super amigos
It's actually study recess at the ISS right now. This means we are given a week to study for the upcoming exams. I'm quite glad the Pinoy Mafia decided to take a trip to Prague after the exams and not before because my reading backlog is horrendous. All these partying and making friends are really getting in the way of studying. Oh wait. Studying is getting in the way of studying and making friends.
Anyways, today was dedicated to finishing my Global Politics paper. Thankfully, I have submitted it already. I just want to be rid of it so I can move on to other things. I also received good news that my Economics group was able to get a 95% on our exam. Yey! We could have gotten 20 if we really thought out the last question more. But I can not be more than happy with the results given we only had two meetings on it.
After I was done with my paper, I decided to watch a documentary showing at the ISS. It would have take a precious two hours of study time, but it seemed to have an interesting premise.
Super Amigos is a documentary on five masked men. From the left to right of the picture is Ecologista, Super Animal, Super Barrio and Super Gay. Fray Tormente is missing from the picture. Each one have their own advocies. Two of them were actual wrestlers.
Ecologista advocates for the environment. It showed him walking 500 miles for eight days, using a basket for his purchases leaving the plastic behind at the super market, giving yellow cards to those buying natural christmas tree and making a christmas tree out of junk.
Super Animal and his sidekick Super Animalito fighting against bullfighting. They have had protests during the bullfighting season, attempts to meet with city councilors to remove bullfighting. I think he is still in quest to reach 50,000 signatures from Mexican voters. So if you know anyone from Mexico, tell him or her to sign!
Super Barrio helps people who are being evicted from their homes. He has helped people get together to stand up for their rights to shelter. What he said during his interview was quite moving and beautiful. I can't repeat it now, but I can't help but be moved and feel good about fighting for justice.
Super Gay is obviously one who fights for gay rights. In the movie, the culmination of his cause was the participation of more than 100,000 people in Gay Rights Parage. Love his pink spandex. His interview with a mother was also quite moving, though disturbing. Such violent forms of homophobia should be stopped.
Fray Tormente is actually a priest in mask. He is a real wrestler, who from his earnings from fights, was able to put up a shelter for boys. There he also teaches them wrestling. I find it a refreshing way to approach the priestly ministry. If only more priests can be that interesting and progressive. I do wonder how his Bishop is approaching his way of preaching.
I don't know if this movie can be downloaded or viewed online. Though if you have the budget, I saw buy it and support documentary makers and independent film producers. But I do recommend this movie to everybody.
The treatment was quite creative as it was presented in a comic book manner. There was a lot of animation and the music jived well with their characters and the presentation. I agree with Risa when she said she like the way how their characters were developed. Bits of their lives and histories were shown in the movie too. When they had their epiphanies to be fighters for the rights of others.
This is one movie I would like to show to the Filipino youth. It would be something that may get them interested in social justice.
So yun. Here ends my break for study. If you can find it, watch it!
2008-10-16
parang college
dahil nangingibabaw na naman ang extra curricular activities ko kesa sa pag-aaral. kaloka. kahit pa may paper ako na due na in a few days, wala pa rin akong nagagawa. 1500 words lang naman, pero lola ang research na kelangan gawin. di na puwede ang bola bola dito! hahay.
masaya kagabi kasi nagpintura lang kami ng bed sheet para sa banner sa stand up take action event namin bukas sa school. eepal ako sa harap ng maraming nasyonalidad ng iba't-ibang bansa para hikayatin na magsalita laban sa kahirapan. kaloka. kahit nung college, di ako umepal na hosting churvalu. behind the scenes lagi. pero sige na lang. kumapal na mukha ko sa mga nagdaang taon. at marami na rin akong natutunan kay toni gonzaga sa kakapanuod ng big brother. charing.
wala lang. masaya ako. sana okay ang execution bukas. marami kaming naghirap para dito. nakakatuwa ang teamwork kahit pa multicultural kami. sana ganun kadali ang united nations. harhar.
yun lang. bow. nagsasayang ng oras na dapat nakalaan sa research. tigang sa internet. hehe!
masaya kagabi kasi nagpintura lang kami ng bed sheet para sa banner sa stand up take action event namin bukas sa school. eepal ako sa harap ng maraming nasyonalidad ng iba't-ibang bansa para hikayatin na magsalita laban sa kahirapan. kaloka. kahit nung college, di ako umepal na hosting churvalu. behind the scenes lagi. pero sige na lang. kumapal na mukha ko sa mga nagdaang taon. at marami na rin akong natutunan kay toni gonzaga sa kakapanuod ng big brother. charing.
wala lang. masaya ako. sana okay ang execution bukas. marami kaming naghirap para dito. nakakatuwa ang teamwork kahit pa multicultural kami. sana ganun kadali ang united nations. harhar.
yun lang. bow. nagsasayang ng oras na dapat nakalaan sa research. tigang sa internet. hehe!
2008-10-11
sunny day
the last two days the weather was just wonderful. the sun was out and it wasn't that cold.
yesterday, after i finished with my temporary residence permit activities, i rushed to the schevinengen supposedly so i can read for class. supposedly.
i ended up just watching the surfers make do with the tinny waves and people walking their dogs or playing with their kids. as i walked the length of the beach, the sound of the waves soothed my spirit. though schevinengen looked nothing like suqui beach, it sounded so much like it. suqui beach was where i would usually go for some alone time when i was a volunteer in mindoro. i couldn't help but be energized. like i was a battery fully charged. the sea has always been my friend and it was a good one yesterday.
as i walked i couldn't help but notice that the birds were pairing up. mating season! there were a couple of swans floating by. then a pair of pigeons pecking out. and gulls flying in pairs.
then i loved the sight of the sun dancing on the waves. that made me feel good the most for some reason.
today... even if i just spent a few minutes outside, it also made me feel good especially since i did not feel the need to wear a jacket. a rare moment these days, and one i wanted to abuse but then classes had to start. bummer. tee-hee!
i just hope for more sunny days ahead before winter finally comes!
yesterday, after i finished with my temporary residence permit activities, i rushed to the schevinengen supposedly so i can read for class. supposedly.
i ended up just watching the surfers make do with the tinny waves and people walking their dogs or playing with their kids. as i walked the length of the beach, the sound of the waves soothed my spirit. though schevinengen looked nothing like suqui beach, it sounded so much like it. suqui beach was where i would usually go for some alone time when i was a volunteer in mindoro. i couldn't help but be energized. like i was a battery fully charged. the sea has always been my friend and it was a good one yesterday.
as i walked i couldn't help but notice that the birds were pairing up. mating season! there were a couple of swans floating by. then a pair of pigeons pecking out. and gulls flying in pairs.
then i loved the sight of the sun dancing on the waves. that made me feel good the most for some reason.
today... even if i just spent a few minutes outside, it also made me feel good especially since i did not feel the need to wear a jacket. a rare moment these days, and one i wanted to abuse but then classes had to start. bummer. tee-hee!
i just hope for more sunny days ahead before winter finally comes!
2008-09-29
dang it.
am so behind my readings. and no matter how hard i try, i can not understand our political science readings.
gah.
pero ang gwapo nung international relations committee head kanina. sayang alis na sa december. (oops, may multiply nga pala mister ko.)
kababawan. pagbigyan ang ngarag.
2008-09-25
BONFIRE!
ONE BIG FIGHT! GO ATENEO!
siguro, pakiramdam ni chris tiu ngayon yung pakiramdam ni oliver wood nung nanalo sila ng quidditch cup.
maierhofer... ewan ko na lang sa iyo.
casio... you will forever be my favorite lasalle player.
pero, ATENEO!!! win or lose, it's the school we choose. At masayang manaloooooo!!!
to my dear eco professor, pasensiya na. mahal kita, pero you're not my number one priority. haha!
i love you jai. i love you eric. i love you nonoy. i love you jobe. i love you chris. so happy for you! so happy for me.
aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!
2008-09-23
ano ba mahalaga sa buhay?
classes o championship?
may clash sa eco class ko at ang pagpanalo ng championship ng ateneo sa thursday. yes, i am that confident. so ang tanong... will i skip class and watch the game or will i go to class, makinig sa tanders pero poging kong sri lankan prof pero di nauunawaan ang nagaganap dahil iniisip ko na ang bumabagsak na blue and white balloons habang binubuhat si tiu at iba pang graduating players?
malinaw naman ang sagot di ba.
pero bad trip pa din. misteryong nanatili ang laptop ko kung bakit ayaw tumanggap ng internet. peste.
2008-09-21
admu-dlsu
yeeeessssssssss!!!
i lab you nonoy. i lab you jai. i lab you eric. uh... sige na nga, i lab you ryan at rabeh. hehe! i lab you ateneooooooo!!!
WAMBIGPAYT! ONE BIG FIGHT!
admu-dlsu
yeeeessssssssss!!!
i lab you nonoy. i lab you jai. i lab you eric. uh... sige na nga, i lab you ryan at rabeh. hehe! i lab you ateneooooooo!!!
WAMBIGPAYT! ONE BIG FIGHT!
2008-09-12
updates
internet: none. the freakin' internet connection still won't work wheter with wi-fi or cable. what the hell is wrong? it is frustrating and irritating because most of the readings for class are online. i can access to the library but it is closed on weekends.
classes: we started yesterday. i like all my professors. they all seem to be very kind in the sense that they are trying to make it easy for everyone. all the ones i took were the intermediate even if i did learn some of them in college. that was ten to twelve years ago, so i bet i forgot everything now.
netherlands: i was already able to go to amsterdam and rotterdam for free because it was an official school or course activity. some of us did stay behind in amsterdam since the field trip was done by 4PM. there were actually only eight of us, but it was nice to see amsterdam on foot and not just on a boat.
i'd have a more decent story if only i had decent internet. hay naku.
i do have some photos on my multiply page (a link is on the sidebar) and facebook page. i actually have to update facebook now because some international friends prefer that to multiply. oh well. :D
classes: we started yesterday. i like all my professors. they all seem to be very kind in the sense that they are trying to make it easy for everyone. all the ones i took were the intermediate even if i did learn some of them in college. that was ten to twelve years ago, so i bet i forgot everything now.
netherlands: i was already able to go to amsterdam and rotterdam for free because it was an official school or course activity. some of us did stay behind in amsterdam since the field trip was done by 4PM. there were actually only eight of us, but it was nice to see amsterdam on foot and not just on a boat.
i'd have a more decent story if only i had decent internet. hay naku.
i do have some photos on my multiply page (a link is on the sidebar) and facebook page. i actually have to update facebook now because some international friends prefer that to multiply. oh well. :D
2008-09-10
frustrated
i still dont have internet connection in my dorm. and i'm the only one who does not have. either by cable or wifi. the tech support already memorized my password because they have been trying to figure it out. and the only thing they can come up with is it's because i'm using vista. heck! a lot of people are on vista as well, and their internet is working fine.
the irritating is i cant get to watch UAAP. the main reason why i even got a credit card is so i can subscribe to tfc so i can watch the games and maybe ateneo grab the championship. but nooooo. gah.
and i have not talked to jan for days. who has not changed even with the distance. texts me every two or three days. and usually for official notifications. hehe! but yeah, i'm missing the dude.
thank God things have been pretty busy so far. and i have not time to mope. classes start tomorrow and i have not read anything yet. i dont have the readings and have to search the library for that. gah. i have a few hours to try. but all the nerds seem to have gotten the books out. :(
anyway, i'm enjoying the yogurt, muesli, salad and sandwiches. my meat intake is considerably lesser.
but mehn, i went out a couple of times and the damage is often 12-13 euros. it hurts like crazy when i convert it to peso.
but i'm fine and having fun so far. i feel like i'm 20 again. ;p
2008-09-04
how apt
my dailyOM horoscope couldn't be or feel more apt than this.
Present Sense, Future Success
Leo Daily Horoscope
Present Sense, Future Success
Leo Daily Horoscope
It might be easier for you to handle your business affairs with greater ingenuity and acumen today, which might be because you recognize that by being organized and forward-thinking, you are much more likely to achieve your goals. Having a concrete plan for what you wish to accomplish could be one way for you to combine your real-world savvy with your hopes for the future. Making a list of the things that you not only know you have to get done but also that you wish for today might help you attain this end. You might find, for example, that thinking more carefully about your life situation, noting the things that you immediately need to attend to, and then doing a little more research into how you can broaden your resources can give you more ideas about how to do the things that you have always wanted to do.
Merging our know-how with our greater aspirations helps us to think not only about what we can do today but also about what we are able to achieve in the future. When we frame our goals in this way, we are much more likely to see that what we do in the present allows us to manifest greater abundance later on. It is not only being organized that counts but also setting the intention for our growth, development, and evolution that factor into the equation. Letting your dreams guide your actions will lay the foundation in which you can better enhance your life beginning today.
What do you think?
united colors of iss
the afternoon was an interesting trip to the open market. basically, it's just the netherlands version of our palengke, but closer to mindanao's taboan. open market days are MWFSa, but fridays (vrijdag) and saturdays (zaterdag) are busy with people.
love, my classmate from Ghana who has gone in and out of NL for the last six years, was kind enough to give us a tour. us meant andrea and john from canada (one from vancouver, the other toronto), lola from nicaragua and myself. the five of us alone already represented four continents, the opposite ends of the color spectrum and the height range of 5'3" to more than six feet.
the tram station from the centrum to the groete market was absolutely gorgeous. i can't describe it as i'm terrible with architecture and i don't have a photo to prove it. but it was beautiful. even john says so.
we rode the busy tram, with the middle school kids on the way home from school. i forgot which street we went down in, but we just had to cross the table to get to the open market. and lo! tiangge! coats, shirts, shoes, electronic gadgets! so many stuff.
having too many companions really made it hard for me to look around, so i just went straight to what i came for. fruits. i also wanted to buy vegies but love told us it would be better to buy from albert heijn because it stays longer than those from the groete market. so.
i ended up with a euro worth of carrots. which is a lot! good for a couple of weeks, i would think. but i intend to make it my junk food for studying. i also bought grapes and kiwi which i split with lola. i really had no idea how to eat a kiwi or what it tastes like fresh. but hey! 50 cents for 5 pieces is good for me. it costs P100++ in the philippines, noh! i also had to buy chicken and pork for the welcome dinner for our late pinay classmate (we pinoys are too nice. i might not have thought about it if the others didn't tell me. haha!), as well as garlic. finally i was able to get salt and also some apple juice. but dang... sugar still eludes me. the one that i found was too big and i didn't have a container for it. so.
all-in-all it was a pretty good experience. more than the trip to the open market, it was actually the interaction with the others that i enjoyed. it was my first trip with non-pinoys, and that is always exciting. i really find these people interesting!
love, my classmate from Ghana who has gone in and out of NL for the last six years, was kind enough to give us a tour. us meant andrea and john from canada (one from vancouver, the other toronto), lola from nicaragua and myself. the five of us alone already represented four continents, the opposite ends of the color spectrum and the height range of 5'3" to more than six feet.
the tram station from the centrum to the groete market was absolutely gorgeous. i can't describe it as i'm terrible with architecture and i don't have a photo to prove it. but it was beautiful. even john says so.
we rode the busy tram, with the middle school kids on the way home from school. i forgot which street we went down in, but we just had to cross the table to get to the open market. and lo! tiangge! coats, shirts, shoes, electronic gadgets! so many stuff.
having too many companions really made it hard for me to look around, so i just went straight to what i came for. fruits. i also wanted to buy vegies but love told us it would be better to buy from albert heijn because it stays longer than those from the groete market. so.
i ended up with a euro worth of carrots. which is a lot! good for a couple of weeks, i would think. but i intend to make it my junk food for studying. i also bought grapes and kiwi which i split with lola. i really had no idea how to eat a kiwi or what it tastes like fresh. but hey! 50 cents for 5 pieces is good for me. it costs P100++ in the philippines, noh! i also had to buy chicken and pork for the welcome dinner for our late pinay classmate (we pinoys are too nice. i might not have thought about it if the others didn't tell me. haha!), as well as garlic. finally i was able to get salt and also some apple juice. but dang... sugar still eludes me. the one that i found was too big and i didn't have a container for it. so.
all-in-all it was a pretty good experience. more than the trip to the open market, it was actually the interaction with the others that i enjoyed. it was my first trip with non-pinoys, and that is always exciting. i really find these people interesting!
2008-09-02
overwhelmed
by the mini-united nations.
i just came from my orientation with the entire 2008-2009 batch of students at the institute of social studies. there are 200 students from 50 countries in that one auditorium. wow. there are people from uganda, ethiopia, sudan, egypt, canada, united states, indonesia, pakistan... and so on and so forth. simply amazing!
and truthfully, i'm quite intimidated by the intellectual level of the people i will be with. gah. i'm not just intimidated, i'm really scared. quivering in my boots scared. i'm not sure if good intentions and a good heart will get me to the finish line like it always had in the last thirty years of my life. however, i am here and i will work as hard as i could (why, i will even bring reading materials to study on the train WHEN i visit camille in france!).
i mean, it's exactly that diversity of cultures that drew me to the ISS in the first place. the professors in the institute are impressive and they seem very supportive of the students. but i know that i will be learning as much from my classmates' experience as well. there is a student activist in ethiopia and we know how difficult the situation is there. another one comes from the most volatile region of uganda. another one is a canadian who has worked in kenya. it's so rich in diversity! imagine the tons of information that could eventually guide me into the direction i want to take as well. i really feel i know so little about my work and i may not have enough to share. which makes me feel a whole lot better about our country compared to theirs. but comparing wouldn't really get us anywhere, right? there will always be somebody better or worse that our situation. so.
gah.
i definitely have to work doubly hard than i intended to. but if i just take this really seriously, i know there is much to reap.
i'm in europe! and studying in europe's premiere social development institute. how cool is that? way cool! how scary is that? way scary!
kaya natin to, pinas!
i just came from my orientation with the entire 2008-2009 batch of students at the institute of social studies. there are 200 students from 50 countries in that one auditorium. wow. there are people from uganda, ethiopia, sudan, egypt, canada, united states, indonesia, pakistan... and so on and so forth. simply amazing!
and truthfully, i'm quite intimidated by the intellectual level of the people i will be with. gah. i'm not just intimidated, i'm really scared. quivering in my boots scared. i'm not sure if good intentions and a good heart will get me to the finish line like it always had in the last thirty years of my life. however, i am here and i will work as hard as i could (why, i will even bring reading materials to study on the train WHEN i visit camille in france!).
i mean, it's exactly that diversity of cultures that drew me to the ISS in the first place. the professors in the institute are impressive and they seem very supportive of the students. but i know that i will be learning as much from my classmates' experience as well. there is a student activist in ethiopia and we know how difficult the situation is there. another one comes from the most volatile region of uganda. another one is a canadian who has worked in kenya. it's so rich in diversity! imagine the tons of information that could eventually guide me into the direction i want to take as well. i really feel i know so little about my work and i may not have enough to share. which makes me feel a whole lot better about our country compared to theirs. but comparing wouldn't really get us anywhere, right? there will always be somebody better or worse that our situation. so.
gah.
i definitely have to work doubly hard than i intended to. but if i just take this really seriously, i know there is much to reap.
i'm in europe! and studying in europe's premiere social development institute. how cool is that? way cool! how scary is that? way scary!
kaya natin to, pinas!
2008-09-01
meet spot
he's my new familiar which i coerced jan to give me so i can take him with me so i can practice my witchcraft to use while conjuring ideas for papers and such for school.
he's already had quite an adventure. he met jack (who i like as well) who was a fellow pinoy's familiar as well. they like the same color palette.
he also enjoyed the wonderful in-flight entertainment of klm. we were able to watch four movies and played several games, plus learned a few dutch words as well.
when we finally got to netherlands and was on board the train, i was finally able to take a picture of the two of us since we were wearing the same skin that day.
yes, i do have terrible eyebags. the in-flight enterntainment was too addicting that i did not get any sleep. and i only got 3 hours sleep for each night previous to my flight. so yeah... i've got panda eyes up to now. spot still has his nice brown beady eyes.
we didn't get to see a lot of windmills. just a couple on the way to leiden, but i didn't notice any more after that.
getting to kortenerkaede, the street of our school, was a chore. with 37 kgs of luggage to tow along, it was absolutely hellish. but we made it and the filipinos from the previous batch met us and fed us with adobo and sinigang sa miso. mmmmm.... anything would have tasted good as i was sooo hungry! even if the airplane food was delish. the last meal was too light.
finally, we were able to settle in our rooms. the school actually had welcome food packs for us. yey! because i was so thirsty. and it fed me for breakfast. or else i wouldn't have known where to get anyting to eat.
spot got to inspect the closet and the bed before he snoozed on me. hmph.
he's already had quite an adventure. he met jack (who i like as well) who was a fellow pinoy's familiar as well. they like the same color palette. he also enjoyed the wonderful in-flight entertainment of klm. we were able to watch four movies and played several games, plus learned a few dutch words as well.
when we finally got to netherlands and was on board the train, i was finally able to take a picture of the two of us since we were wearing the same skin that day.
yes, i do have terrible eyebags. the in-flight enterntainment was too addicting that i did not get any sleep. and i only got 3 hours sleep for each night previous to my flight. so yeah... i've got panda eyes up to now. spot still has his nice brown beady eyes.
we didn't get to see a lot of windmills. just a couple on the way to leiden, but i didn't notice any more after that.
getting to kortenerkaede, the street of our school, was a chore. with 37 kgs of luggage to tow along, it was absolutely hellish. but we made it and the filipinos from the previous batch met us and fed us with adobo and sinigang sa miso. mmmmm.... anything would have tasted good as i was sooo hungry! even if the airplane food was delish. the last meal was too light.
finally, we were able to settle in our rooms. the school actually had welcome food packs for us. yey! because i was so thirsty. and it fed me for breakfast. or else i wouldn't have known where to get anyting to eat.
spot got to inspect the closet and the bed before he snoozed on me. hmph.
2008-08-24
how i found out that i got the scholarship
july 4. around 3 in the afternoon. i was at the office, jan was at home.
through SMS
anj: gusto mo manuod ng wanted mamaya?
jan: sige. may letter ka from netherlands embassy.
me to giovanni, myofficemate.
anj: ack! giov! may letter na daw ako sa embassy!
giov: uwi ka na!
anj: wala pang six. teka, teka. tawag na lang ako sa bahay. dun muna ako sa kabilang room tatawag ha.
i call jan using the landline. i'm nervous and excited at the same time.
anj: bakit mo ako tinext na may letter ako sa embassy! hindi na ako mapakali ngayon!
jan: iniisip ko nga kung ite-text ko nga sa iyo o hindi e.
anj: dapat di na lang! di na ako makaisip ngayon. buksan mo na lang yung letter for me.
jan: ha, buksan ko?
anj: oo buksan mo na. bilis! makapal ba?
jan: relatively.
anj: dali, buksan mo naaaaaa!
jan: (intentionally being slow) punitin ko or yung maayos na bukas?
anj: punitin mo na! yung pinakamabilis na paraan para mabasa ang sulat.
jan: binubuksan ko na. di ko na punitin kasi sayang envelope. am lifting the flap...
anj: bilisan moooo!
jan: maraming mga papel...
anj: ano baaaaa!!! basahin mo na!
jan: the letter is from the embassy of the kingdom of netherlands, 26th floor equitable tower...
anj: i don't care where it's from! read it to meeeeee!!!!!!
jan: ang sumulat ng letter ay (name of the dutch woman)
anj: jan caminaaaaaaa, ano ba!!!
jan: dear ms. (my full name) resurreccion, i have the honour of imforming you...
i do not hear anything anymore. start jumping up and down to the next room screaming, "aaaaaaahhhhh!!!"
giov sees anj jumping up and down. "congrats, anj!"
after jan reads entire letter, i ask if the movie will push through later and instructs jan to bring the letter to SM.
i call my mom, my sister, my brother and YMs a couple of friends, sents an SMS to a few others before i realized..."teka! baka pinu-punk lang ako ni jan? baka di totoong nakapasa ako sa scholarship. i should see the letter first before i start telling people. kakahiya naman kung punkd lang to!"
when the office clock struck 5PM, i go home, scold jan for texting her about the envelop and find that there is a letter from the embassy and the they do have the honour of informing me fellowship grant.
i was not punkd by jan. malakas lang talaga mang-asar asawa ko. :D
through SMS
anj: gusto mo manuod ng wanted mamaya?
jan: sige. may letter ka from netherlands embassy.
me to giovanni, myofficemate.
anj: ack! giov! may letter na daw ako sa embassy!
giov: uwi ka na!
anj: wala pang six. teka, teka. tawag na lang ako sa bahay. dun muna ako sa kabilang room tatawag ha.
i call jan using the landline. i'm nervous and excited at the same time.
anj: bakit mo ako tinext na may letter ako sa embassy! hindi na ako mapakali ngayon!
jan: iniisip ko nga kung ite-text ko nga sa iyo o hindi e.
anj: dapat di na lang! di na ako makaisip ngayon. buksan mo na lang yung letter for me.
jan: ha, buksan ko?
anj: oo buksan mo na. bilis! makapal ba?
jan: relatively.
anj: dali, buksan mo naaaaaa!
jan: (intentionally being slow) punitin ko or yung maayos na bukas?
anj: punitin mo na! yung pinakamabilis na paraan para mabasa ang sulat.
jan: binubuksan ko na. di ko na punitin kasi sayang envelope. am lifting the flap...
anj: bilisan moooo!
jan: maraming mga papel...
anj: ano baaaaa!!! basahin mo na!
jan: the letter is from the embassy of the kingdom of netherlands, 26th floor equitable tower...
anj: i don't care where it's from! read it to meeeeee!!!!!!
jan: ang sumulat ng letter ay (name of the dutch woman)
anj: jan caminaaaaaaa, ano ba!!!
jan: dear ms. (my full name) resurreccion, i have the honour of imforming you...
i do not hear anything anymore. start jumping up and down to the next room screaming, "aaaaaaahhhhh!!!"
giov sees anj jumping up and down. "congrats, anj!"
after jan reads entire letter, i ask if the movie will push through later and instructs jan to bring the letter to SM.
i call my mom, my sister, my brother and YMs a couple of friends, sents an SMS to a few others before i realized..."teka! baka pinu-punk lang ako ni jan? baka di totoong nakapasa ako sa scholarship. i should see the letter first before i start telling people. kakahiya naman kung punkd lang to!"
when the office clock struck 5PM, i go home, scold jan for texting her about the envelop and find that there is a letter from the embassy and the they do have the honour of informing me fellowship grant.
i was not punkd by jan. malakas lang talaga mang-asar asawa ko. :D
2008-08-22
ninoy
it's a day late, i know.
i'm too busy to write a long entry. but i just want to say, idol ko si ninoy. even if i was just five years old when august 21, 1983 happened, it has left an imprint in my mind.
truly, the filipino is worth dying for. and more truly, the filipino is worth living for.
salamat, ninoy. salamat sa pagpapakita na dapat mahalin ang pilipinas.
i'm too busy to write a long entry. but i just want to say, idol ko si ninoy. even if i was just five years old when august 21, 1983 happened, it has left an imprint in my mind.
truly, the filipino is worth dying for. and more truly, the filipino is worth living for.
salamat, ninoy. salamat sa pagpapakita na dapat mahalin ang pilipinas.
2008-08-21
LP#21: mithi
sa pagpasok ng taong ito, sa halip na paputok ang salubong namin (at dahil na rin bawal ang paputok sa davao), nagtungo kami ng aking ina at kuya sa labas ng bahay at nagsindo ng walong kandila. bawat kandila ay may kahulugan. nakalimutan ko na kung ano ang ibig sabihin ng bawat kulay, pero meron duon para sa kalusugan, karera, pangarap, spiritwalidad at kung anu-ano pa.
bawat dila ng apoy ay binibiyak ang kadiliman ng gabi. isang tahimik na pagbati sa pagdating ng taon. sa aming mga puso, pag-asa ng mas magandang bukas.
isa sa mga hiling ko, matiwasay na pagsasama ng aming pamilya at ng magiging bagong pamilya. isa pa ay makakuha ng scholarship para mag-aral sa ibang bansa. mabait ang Panginoon, pareho ko silang nakuha.
kung tunay, wagas at makakabuti ang mithi... mapagbigay ang Diyos. yan ang isa sa mahahalagang aral na natutunan ko. :)
2008-08-20
i can spread the news now
Back when I was new in Assisi, I thought it was the end of my dream of traveling to Europe given my social development worker salary. Yet it was something I was willing to let go at that time, because I felt and somehow knew that I have been led to Assisi by something greater than me. Choosing Assisi meant letting go of many things I thought I wanted to do. One of those dreams was traveling to Europe. I really thought that would take a backseat until I was old and gray. I even wrote an entry about it back then. Check out the second entry.
...
What do you know? It was actually working for Assisi that made this dream into a reality. :)
Like Tatit, I have been accepted to a scholarship to the Netherlands. Same scholarship, different school and program and city.
Dreams do come true.
God has continuously shown and given me his generosity.
Wow.
You can just imagine the jumping about that happened in our office as the letter was being read to me by Jan (this story deserves an entry in itself)!
If a thesis is what it takes to get to Europe, then by Jove, I will do it!
...
And so the question I have been asked constantly... “paano si Jan?”
First of all, Jan has been supportive from the very start. It wasn’t like the scholarship just happened after the wedding. The interest arose when a former officemate sent me the website to a school. This was early 2007. I sent my application early November which was before the proposal. I got my acceptance letter December. I applied for my scholarship March. The whole time, Jan was fully aware of my plans. And the whole time he has been very encouraging.
So paano nga si Jan? We’re working on how he can follow as soon as possible. His target is November. Here’s the thing – naunahan pa niya ako makabili ng winter jacket! I still don’t have one, while the one he got for P200 is now in the laundry. Funny lang. ;p
...
There are mixed feelings as the day of my departure draws near. Of course, I am excited. Whenever I pause and think... I’m going to Europe, I get goosebumps. One of the other things I’ve always wanted to do was live in another country for two years. 15.5 months is good enough for me. Wow talaga. But most days, I feel a little sad. I am cutting short what should be my honeymoon period with my husband. I am just thankful that he’s been so supportive. He wants this for me as much as I want this for myself. Besides, we’ll see each other very seeon. He promises! I’ve also been praying so hard for my mom, my siblings and my pamangkins. I’ve been away from them so many times, but it’s different this time. Buti na lang at may internet na ngayon!
...
I can actually feel my life changing. Literally.
...
I’ve got Tatit and Maita to thank for this. Tatit for letting me know such a thing is possible and to Maita sa pangungulit na ituloy ko ito.
...
What do you know? It was actually working for Assisi that made this dream into a reality. :)
Like Tatit, I have been accepted to a scholarship to the Netherlands. Same scholarship, different school and program and city.
Dreams do come true.
God has continuously shown and given me his generosity.
Wow.
You can just imagine the jumping about that happened in our office as the letter was being read to me by Jan (this story deserves an entry in itself)!
If a thesis is what it takes to get to Europe, then by Jove, I will do it!
...
And so the question I have been asked constantly... “paano si Jan?”
First of all, Jan has been supportive from the very start. It wasn’t like the scholarship just happened after the wedding. The interest arose when a former officemate sent me the website to a school. This was early 2007. I sent my application early November which was before the proposal. I got my acceptance letter December. I applied for my scholarship March. The whole time, Jan was fully aware of my plans. And the whole time he has been very encouraging.
So paano nga si Jan? We’re working on how he can follow as soon as possible. His target is November. Here’s the thing – naunahan pa niya ako makabili ng winter jacket! I still don’t have one, while the one he got for P200 is now in the laundry. Funny lang. ;p
...
There are mixed feelings as the day of my departure draws near. Of course, I am excited. Whenever I pause and think... I’m going to Europe, I get goosebumps. One of the other things I’ve always wanted to do was live in another country for two years. 15.5 months is good enough for me. Wow talaga. But most days, I feel a little sad. I am cutting short what should be my honeymoon period with my husband. I am just thankful that he’s been so supportive. He wants this for me as much as I want this for myself. Besides, we’ll see each other very seeon. He promises! I’ve also been praying so hard for my mom, my siblings and my pamangkins. I’ve been away from them so many times, but it’s different this time. Buti na lang at may internet na ngayon!
...
I can actually feel my life changing. Literally.
...
I’ve got Tatit and Maita to thank for this. Tatit for letting me know such a thing is possible and to Maita sa pangungulit na ituloy ko ito.
2008-08-16
my new baby
Name: Manolito CompaquiaoNickname: Manny, Compaquiao, Paqman
Birthdate: August 14, 2008
Birthplace: PC Live, SM Megamall
Sibling: 1GB ipod shuffle still to be claimed from its delivery room in HP Makati.
My favorite things about Compaquiao:
2GB RAM
160 GB disk space
good quality webcam and speakers
2008-08-15
LP#20: liwaliw
isa sa mga pinaka-kakaiba kong karanasan sa aking mga bakasyon ang pagsubok na mag-surfing sa lanuza, surigao del sur. wala talaga sa plano naming magbabarkada na gawin ito. road trip lang talaga sa SDS yung balak namin.
pero matapos naming maikot, napadpad kami sa lanuza. naisip namin... bakit hindi? sayang naman ang pagkakataon na gawin yun. at yun na... sinubukan namin. ako yata ang pinakahayok at halos di ko na bitiwan ang long board sa kakasubok na tumayo. sa awa ng Diyos nagawa ko naman ng limang segundo. matagal na yun!
ang dalawang lalaki na nasa larawan ang aming surfing instructors para sa araw na iyon.
ito ang aking lahok ngayong linggo para sa litratong pinoy. :D
2008-08-07
sabang falls
the palawan chronicles continue...
the day we checked in at the daluyon beach resort, we spent the entire morning in search of sabang falls. the direction the tourist officer gave us was fairly easy. he pointed to his left and told us to just follow that path until we reach the falls.
such a deceiving instruction. i would have thought it was just near because he didn't use the infamous "nguso" which is the pinoy euphimism for too far.
so we walked the way he pointed to. we passed by the residential area with kids playing (it's a weekday! they're supposed to be in school!) and parents preparing their nets and boats. after the residential area, it started to have resorts again.
in one resort, we had to sign up that we were going to the falls. it's good actually, so they can keep track of their guests. they do not ask for a fee, but there is a donation box. we decided to give a small amount. to make the most of a third party presence, we asked richard (the caretaker) to take a rare photo of jan and i together.
we asked him how long until we reach the falls. no fingers, no nguso. just a plain answer of "mga thirty minutes." fair enough. we'd get there in 45.
so we walked on. we passed by a buddhist temple. but it was the thin buddha, not the fat one. we took a quick peek but did not go in out of respect. it was pretty interesting because there seems to be volunteers taking care of the place. in one of the signs it says that if the people do not help maintain the temple, support from the chinese people (or is it korean) will stop. the temple is quite clean, so the people must believe it and the chinese (or korean) people must really provide support.
the path to the falls was not an easy one. the beach side was not of sand but large stones and rocks. not pebbles. but bigger than fist rocks. it made walking quite difficult. the foliage were nettle so it hurts to hold them. i stung myself a couple of times with it.
for what seemed like thirty minutes, we were nowhere near the falls. i could not hear any body of water that sounded like a falls. at a certain point, i asked jan that we take a quick dip so we can freshen up. the heat was getting intense.
ep. the beach, though it looked calm and harmless, actually had stroung undercurrents. we had to hold on for dear life with one of the bigger protruding rocks. it wasn't even ten minutes yet when i decided to get out of the water. it was tiring struggling when i can't even swim.
after a quick drink of berocca, we moved on. it was probably ten to fifteen minutes when i finally heard the music to my ears... the gurgling of falling water. i saw a sign that brought my hopes up, only to be dashed to pieces when i finally saw it: this way to comfort room. agh! wala bang this way to falls?
i can hear it but not see it. kainis! but if the CR is there, then the falls must not be far behind! true enough, five minutes after, we saw it. the falls.
wow. i've seen bigger, more spectacular ones before. but it was the first time i saw a falls that went straight to the beach! there was an area that formed a mini-infinity-pool. at the upper portion, if you climb it, was the strongest part of the falls which can give a great natural massage. that spot, we had to fight over.
the best thing about it... we had it all to ourselves. yeah!
you know the funny thing was? it took us less than twenty minutes to get out. super bilis! it was as if we skipped a couple of corners and just got to the end. but we're not complaining! we had a great time and that was what mattered most. :)
the day we checked in at the daluyon beach resort, we spent the entire morning in search of sabang falls. the direction the tourist officer gave us was fairly easy. he pointed to his left and told us to just follow that path until we reach the falls.
such a deceiving instruction. i would have thought it was just near because he didn't use the infamous "nguso" which is the pinoy euphimism for too far.
so we walked the way he pointed to. we passed by the residential area with kids playing (it's a weekday! they're supposed to be in school!) and parents preparing their nets and boats. after the residential area, it started to have resorts again.
in one resort, we had to sign up that we were going to the falls. it's good actually, so they can keep track of their guests. they do not ask for a fee, but there is a donation box. we decided to give a small amount. to make the most of a third party presence, we asked richard (the caretaker) to take a rare photo of jan and i together.
we asked him how long until we reach the falls. no fingers, no nguso. just a plain answer of "mga thirty minutes." fair enough. we'd get there in 45.
so we walked on. we passed by a buddhist temple. but it was the thin buddha, not the fat one. we took a quick peek but did not go in out of respect. it was pretty interesting because there seems to be volunteers taking care of the place. in one of the signs it says that if the people do not help maintain the temple, support from the chinese people (or is it korean) will stop. the temple is quite clean, so the people must believe it and the chinese (or korean) people must really provide support.
for what seemed like thirty minutes, we were nowhere near the falls. i could not hear any body of water that sounded like a falls. at a certain point, i asked jan that we take a quick dip so we can freshen up. the heat was getting intense.
ep. the beach, though it looked calm and harmless, actually had stroung undercurrents. we had to hold on for dear life with one of the bigger protruding rocks. it wasn't even ten minutes yet when i decided to get out of the water. it was tiring struggling when i can't even swim.
after a quick drink of berocca, we moved on. it was probably ten to fifteen minutes when i finally heard the music to my ears... the gurgling of falling water. i saw a sign that brought my hopes up, only to be dashed to pieces when i finally saw it: this way to comfort room. agh! wala bang this way to falls?
i can hear it but not see it. kainis! but if the CR is there, then the falls must not be far behind! true enough, five minutes after, we saw it. the falls.
wow. i've seen bigger, more spectacular ones before. but it was the first time i saw a falls that went straight to the beach! there was an area that formed a mini-infinity-pool. at the upper portion, if you climb it, was the strongest part of the falls which can give a great natural massage. that spot, we had to fight over.
the best thing about it... we had it all to ourselves. yeah!
you know the funny thing was? it took us less than twenty minutes to get out. super bilis! it was as if we skipped a couple of corners and just got to the end. but we're not complaining! we had a great time and that was what mattered most. :)
2008-08-06
LP#19: ako
ang daan na yan ay papunta sa isang area namin sa malitbog, bukidnon. ang tatlong lalaki sa daan na yun ay mga kasama ko para bumisita sa komunidad na tinutulungan. ako ang kumuha ng larawan. that road leads to one of our areas in malitbog bukidnon. those three guys are my companions so we can visit the area. i'm the one who took the photo.
yan na ang pinakamadalang bahagi ng daan. higit isang oras pa ang nilakad namin para marating ang tuktok. mga bente minutos dun, halos 50 degrees ang angulo ng bundok kaya hingal na hingal kami pagdating sa taas. that is the easiest part of our travel. it took us more than an hour to reach the top. around 20 minutes of that, we had to climb a 50-degree incline so we were panting when we reached the top.
bahagi lang yan ng trabaho ko sa naraang limang taon. para makarating sa komunidad, kakailanganing sumakay sa motor. minsan umaabot ng tatlong oras sa motor para makarating. nakakaantok. minsan 15 hours sa bus. madalas lakad. may mga panahon na makailang-beses tatawid sa ilog. malas na lang kung malakas ang ulan. malas ko dahil di ako marunong lumangoy. that's part of the work i have been doing the last five years. just to get to a community, i'd need to ride a motorchyle. sometimes it's a three-hour motory ride. it makes me sleepy. sometimes it's a 15-hour bus ride. often we walk. there are times we have to cross the river several times. it's unfortunate if there are heavy rains. more unfortunate for me because i can't swim.
yan ang daan na nakasanayan ko sa nakaraang limang taon. pansamantalang magpapaalam para sa ibang pagkakataon. pero yang daan na yan patungo sa mga kapatid na nangangailangan... yan din ang daan na nagdala sa akin sa maraming kaalaman. that has been a road i have been used to the last five years. i bid a temporary goodbye for a new opportunity. but that road that leads to our brethren in need... that has been the road that led me to new learnings.
2008-08-04
rick meets dick
our original wedding reception plan was this: the moment jan and i enter greenmeadows clubhouse, cue "together forever" of rick astley. we walk to the table and do a little attempt of dancing mala-"tonight with dick and carmi" minus carmi's tanga and dick's performance level.
i really, really wanted to do that. but since we were pressed for time and had no chance to coordinate with the mobile or even prepare a cd to play, we just had to do with whatever stock music they have. bummer. no one really noticed, except us and some friends in the plan.
but hah... this was not originally idea. it actually started with jan. see, di lang ako ang jologs sa relasyon na to!
roderick paulete performing rick astley is simply a philippine entertainment classic. after all these years, i can remember the steps he did to "together forever" and "never gonna give you up."
when i heard that rick astely was going to perform in manila, and on my birthday too... bummer! i would have watched him if i were there. but finding out that kuya dick performed with rick... i felt like i missed half my life!
thank God, gabe mercado captured the moment for the whole Philippine nation. nothing can be as cool as that in Philippine entertainment. ever.
i heart you rick. i heart you dick.
and here are the lyrics of what could've been our entrance to the reception. :)
i really, really wanted to do that. but since we were pressed for time and had no chance to coordinate with the mobile or even prepare a cd to play, we just had to do with whatever stock music they have. bummer. no one really noticed, except us and some friends in the plan.
but hah... this was not originally idea. it actually started with jan. see, di lang ako ang jologs sa relasyon na to!
roderick paulete performing rick astley is simply a philippine entertainment classic. after all these years, i can remember the steps he did to "together forever" and "never gonna give you up."
when i heard that rick astely was going to perform in manila, and on my birthday too... bummer! i would have watched him if i were there. but finding out that kuya dick performed with rick... i felt like i missed half my life!
thank God, gabe mercado captured the moment for the whole Philippine nation. nothing can be as cool as that in Philippine entertainment. ever.
i heart you rick. i heart you dick.
and here are the lyrics of what could've been our entrance to the reception. :)
TOGETHER FOREVER
Rick Astley
If there's anything you need
All you have to do is say
You know you satisfy everything in me
We shouldn't waste a single day
So don't stop me falling
It's destiny calling
A power I just can't deny
It's never changing
Can't you hear me, I'm saying
I want you for the rest of my life
chorus:
Together forever and never to part
Together forever we two
And don't you know
I would move heaven and earth
To be together forever with you
If they ever get you down
There's always something I can do
Because I wouldn't ever wanna see you frown
I'll always do what's best for you
There ain't no mistaking
It's true love we're making
Something to last for all time
It's never changing
Can't you hear me, I'm saying
I want you for the rest of my life
Chorus
So don't stop me falling
It's destiny calling
A power I just can't deny
It's never changing
Can't you hear me, I'm saying
I want you for the rest of my life
Chorus 3x
Rick Astley
If there's anything you need
All you have to do is say
You know you satisfy everything in me
We shouldn't waste a single day
So don't stop me falling
It's destiny calling
A power I just can't deny
It's never changing
Can't you hear me, I'm saying
I want you for the rest of my life
chorus:
Together forever and never to part
Together forever we two
And don't you know
I would move heaven and earth
To be together forever with you
If they ever get you down
There's always something I can do
Because I wouldn't ever wanna see you frown
I'll always do what's best for you
There ain't no mistaking
It's true love we're making
Something to last for all time
It's never changing
Can't you hear me, I'm saying
I want you for the rest of my life
Chorus
So don't stop me falling
It's destiny calling
A power I just can't deny
It's never changing
Can't you hear me, I'm saying
I want you for the rest of my life
Chorus 3x
2008-08-01
a very special kind of love
i'm a john lloyd fan back in the days when he was still rovic in tabing-ilog. up to this day, i still root for rovic-eds and their real life alter egos john lloyd-kaye abad (who is happy with chito, who is also a rovic-eds fan).
i'm a sarah geronimo fan back when i watched her live here in davao, finding her a funny and genuine performer. oh, did i mention that it was mark bautista that i wanted to see?
so now they star in "a very special love," which i was quite excited to see. two of my favorite celebrities together! though, sarah's acting has always been too perky for my taste but i am always amused so it's not a bother.
let's not talk about the story. there is no point coming in a star cinema love story looking for plot or characterization. it's all about entertainment and wasting your two hours in kababawan.
was there chemistry? i was surprised to see that there was. i was actually... kilig! i don't often get kilig. most of the time, i get aliw or amused or happy-exasperated with pinoy romantic comedies, but not kilig.
why was i kilig?
maybe because laida, sarah's character, was also kilig with miggy, JL's character. even if laida is too perky and optimistic for anyone's taste, you can't help but like her.
or maybe it's just john lloyd. staring at his object of affection with piercing, sincere eyes... reading her soul and wanting it. smiling that oh-so beautiful smile. like a little angel with a secret.
maybe it's the entire cinema crowd who shrieked at every meeting of the eye or an almost-kiss. or that makalaglag-panty moment with john lloyd singing his serenade (don't roll your eyes. THIS IS a star cinema love story, okay!). ang pogi niya dun! aaaaah. at hep! ang sun dance! ;p
does it matter what the story was? i wanted to watch for fun. and i had a lot of fun. i was laughing and giggling. i had a good time. i was kilig. i had a two-hour exposure to john lloyd cruz. but if you have to know, it's fine and engaging enough. plus my ang tv crush gio alvarez gets to play a man this time.
and the outtakes... watch out for the second to the last one. hilarious! "kaya niyo yun?"
nalolongkot ka ba? walang magawa sa buhay? nuod ka ng "a very special love"
tandaan lang ha...KABABAWAN ANG HANAP kung manunuod.
o! community singing na!
i'm a sarah geronimo fan back when i watched her live here in davao, finding her a funny and genuine performer. oh, did i mention that it was mark bautista that i wanted to see?
so now they star in "a very special love," which i was quite excited to see. two of my favorite celebrities together! though, sarah's acting has always been too perky for my taste but i am always amused so it's not a bother.
let's not talk about the story. there is no point coming in a star cinema love story looking for plot or characterization. it's all about entertainment and wasting your two hours in kababawan.
was there chemistry? i was surprised to see that there was. i was actually... kilig! i don't often get kilig. most of the time, i get aliw or amused or happy-exasperated with pinoy romantic comedies, but not kilig.
why was i kilig?
maybe because laida, sarah's character, was also kilig with miggy, JL's character. even if laida is too perky and optimistic for anyone's taste, you can't help but like her.
or maybe it's just john lloyd. staring at his object of affection with piercing, sincere eyes... reading her soul and wanting it. smiling that oh-so beautiful smile. like a little angel with a secret.
maybe it's the entire cinema crowd who shrieked at every meeting of the eye or an almost-kiss. or that makalaglag-panty moment with john lloyd singing his serenade (don't roll your eyes. THIS IS a star cinema love story, okay!). ang pogi niya dun! aaaaah. at hep! ang sun dance! ;p
does it matter what the story was? i wanted to watch for fun. and i had a lot of fun. i was laughing and giggling. i had a good time. i was kilig. i had a two-hour exposure to john lloyd cruz. but if you have to know, it's fine and engaging enough. plus my ang tv crush gio alvarez gets to play a man this time.
and the outtakes... watch out for the second to the last one. hilarious! "kaya niyo yun?"
nalolongkot ka ba? walang magawa sa buhay? nuod ka ng "a very special love"
tandaan lang ha...KABABAWAN ANG HANAP kung manunuod.
o! community singing na!
three-oh!
today i turn 30.
strangely, i feel excited to hit the third decade of my life. the last thirty years have been so good to me that i can not help but feel excited about what is to come next.
i feel as young as i felt ten years ago. i feel as excited by the world as i was ten years ago.
i have been wonderfully blessed by God with a loving family, which despite of our imperfections, love and care for each other deeply
... with a loving bunch of friends of all sorts. friends to share my soul with, friends to dream with, friends to play with, friends to travel with. there is always a friend for every need i have. how can i not be lucky?
... with abundant opportunities. i've never been really THAT smart, but somehow i've survived working for the last ten years without really failing terribly. most of the mistakes i've made i've learned from. i was telling my friend some years back, "i never thought i could go this far with just a good heart." and now it still holds true. how cool is that.
... with material blessings. i may not be rich (yet). i may have to save up for months to get something i want or think many times over if i could really afford that pair of shoes or that laptop bag which i really need, but i can still afford them. i eat three meals a day. i can opt for an expensive one occasionally. i get to pay my debts as soon as the bills come in. i get to enjoy things that we often take for granted... food, drinks, internet, taxi rides, movies... i know how not everyone is able to.
... and of course, my wonderful, wonderful JAN. my anagram, my best friend, my kaasaran, my companion, my partner... you make my life happier and more fun. everyday, you make me realize how God loves me. if you can love me like that, i imagine how much more our Father can? thank you for being that. thank you for letting me be myself. thank you for wanting the best for me all the time. thank you for being kaladkarin. thank you for letting me live my dreams and living them with me. :)
so see? what is not to be excited about?
(and there are more news ahead that i have not publicly announced yet... but soon.)
strangely, i feel excited to hit the third decade of my life. the last thirty years have been so good to me that i can not help but feel excited about what is to come next.
i feel as young as i felt ten years ago. i feel as excited by the world as i was ten years ago.
... with a loving bunch of friends of all sorts. friends to share my soul with, friends to dream with, friends to play with, friends to travel with. there is always a friend for every need i have. how can i not be lucky?
... with abundant opportunities. i've never been really THAT smart, but somehow i've survived working for the last ten years without really failing terribly. most of the mistakes i've made i've learned from. i was telling my friend some years back, "i never thought i could go this far with just a good heart." and now it still holds true. how cool is that.
... with material blessings. i may not be rich (yet). i may have to save up for months to get something i want or think many times over if i could really afford that pair of shoes or that laptop bag which i really need, but i can still afford them. i eat three meals a day. i can opt for an expensive one occasionally. i get to pay my debts as soon as the bills come in. i get to enjoy things that we often take for granted... food, drinks, internet, taxi rides, movies... i know how not everyone is able to.
... and of course, my wonderful, wonderful JAN. my anagram, my best friend, my kaasaran, my companion, my partner... you make my life happier and more fun. everyday, you make me realize how God loves me. if you can love me like that, i imagine how much more our Father can? thank you for being that. thank you for letting me be myself. thank you for wanting the best for me all the time. thank you for being kaladkarin. thank you for letting me live my dreams and living them with me. :)
so see? what is not to be excited about?
(and there are more news ahead that i have not publicly announced yet... but soon.)
2008-07-31
LP#18: dalampasigan
mahirap gumawa ng LP lahok para sa linggong ito tungkol sa dalampasigan, di dahil walang maisip, kungdi dahil sa napakaraming pagpipiliang larawan. taon-taon kasi, sinusuyod naming magkakaibigan ang mga karagatan ng pilipinas.
it's difficult to make an LP entry for this week about the sea/beach. not because i can't think of anything, but because there are so many choices. it is because my friends and i visit the beaches of the Philippines.
so alin ang ilalahok ko? so which should be my entry?
ang dami pang pagpipilian. ang dami kasing magagandang dalampasigan sa ating bansa. nakakagigil languyin ang lahat. kahit pa di ako marunong lumangoy.
there are still so many other choices. we have such beautiful beaches in our country. yearning to swim all. even if i can't swim.
marahil dala na rin ng iba't-ibang damdamin meron ang dalampasigan. minsan payapa, minsan galit, madalas mapang-akit.
maybe because there are so many emotions of the sea. sometimes calm, sometimes angry, always alluring.
ito ang aking lahok para sa lingguhang litratong pinoy.
this is my weekly entry for litratong pinoy.
it's difficult to make an LP entry for this week about the sea/beach. not because i can't think of anything, but because there are so many choices. it is because my friends and i visit the beaches of the Philippines.
so alin ang ilalahok ko? so which should be my entry?
itong nag-aaalab na dapit hapon sa camiguin?
this fiery camiguin sunset?
itong pagsilip ni haring araw sa bagong umaga in malapascua?
the sun greeting the new morning in malapascua?
itong tanawin mula sa aming kuwarto sa sabang, puerto princesa?
this view from our room in sabang, puerto princesa?
itong mag-inang lumba-lumba sa puerto princesa bay?
this mom and pup dolphin in puerto princesa bay?
itong sandbar sa starfish island sa honda bay palawan?
this sandbar in starfish island in honda bay, palawan?
this fiery camiguin sunset?
itong pagsilip ni haring araw sa bagong umaga in malapascua?
the sun greeting the new morning in malapascua?
itong tanawin mula sa aming kuwarto sa sabang, puerto princesa?
this view from our room in sabang, puerto princesa?
itong mag-inang lumba-lumba sa puerto princesa bay?
this mom and pup dolphin in puerto princesa bay?
itong sandbar sa starfish island sa honda bay palawan?
this sandbar in starfish island in honda bay, palawan?
ang dami pang pagpipilian. ang dami kasing magagandang dalampasigan sa ating bansa. nakakagigil languyin ang lahat. kahit pa di ako marunong lumangoy.
there are still so many other choices. we have such beautiful beaches in our country. yearning to swim all. even if i can't swim.
marahil dala na rin ng iba't-ibang damdamin meron ang dalampasigan. minsan payapa, minsan galit, madalas mapang-akit.
maybe because there are so many emotions of the sea. sometimes calm, sometimes angry, always alluring.
ito ang aking lahok para sa lingguhang litratong pinoy.
this is my weekly entry for litratong pinoy.
daluyon beach resort
while i was searching for things to do in sabang, i came across the website of daluyon beach resort. it immediately caught my interest since the place looked good. however, i couldn't bring myself to book because it is beyond our usual budget for accommodation. jan and i have been so used to our value-for-money-koboy-style of rooms, that spending such an amount for lodging seemed ridiculous.
however, while we were on our first or second day at sabang, i asked jan if we can splurge for one night. it is our honeymoon, after all. he was actually game with it. yey! before we finalized our stay, we checked out the rooms first. since we were paying so much for a room, we should be able to maximize our use of it. we have done all the exciting adventure things in sabang that we can just afford to hang out in the hotel.
the staff were quite friendly when we asked to be shown around the place. the front desk also allowed us for an early check-in at 9AM and late check out of 2PM since there weren't other guests during the day we were coming. cool! that clinched the sale. we booked an overnight stay for our last night in sabang.
the day of our booking, we brought our bags over to daluyon over at 9AM, then proceeded to have breakfast then a trip to the falls (another story). we got back to daluyon by 1PM. we hung out the porch for a bit. the view was beautiful.
we spent most of the afternoon indoors, enjoying our soft bead with 440thread count sheets (we got a gift that looked exactly like those sheets that's why i know. tee-hee). of course, i wore one of the complementary bath robes which was soooo comfortable. jan loved it on me. i loved it on me.
since there was no cable installed yet, we just made use of the dvd player. we borrowed juno and knocked up (pregnancy movies. ack!). we also got our complimentary drinks of fresh and cold buco juice. mmmmm! ang sarap!
we got out into the sun by 5PM. we didn't have plans to swim anymore since we were already satisfied by our falls trip. jan and i decided to just sit down and relax by the beach. mimosa, the sabang dog (every resort knows here) and where white dog friend entertained us as they frolicked on the beach, jumping in and out of the water.
as the sun was setting, the scenery just simply called for pictures, so i went to get dixie and shot away. doing silhoutte shots was really fun.
by the time the sun was gone, it was moon rise time. sabang had the most spectacular moonrise i have ever seen! and nicer still since it was a full moon that night. talk about a romantic getaway. :) i forced my non-dancer husband to dance to the music of the waves and the moon and the stars and the night. good thing we were the only people by the shore.
when the sky was high enough, we proceeded to have a good, expensive dinner by the pool. i forgot what we ordered, but i was fully satisfied and sated by it. of course, we had candles. :)
the complimentary breakfast the next day was also delicious and quite filling. that was as good as brunch since we woke up at nine and took a quick dip before that. the rest of the morning, we did mostly nothing which is always great.
all-in-all, jan and i enjoyed our stay at the daluyon resort very much. their staff were very friendly and accommodating, their rooms were well-kept and clean and all the inclusive amenities for what we paid made it all the more worth-it.
so if you are planning to stay in sabang, puerto princesa and want to feel like kings and queens, we recommend daluyon beach resort. :)
however, while we were on our first or second day at sabang, i asked jan if we can splurge for one night. it is our honeymoon, after all. he was actually game with it. yey! before we finalized our stay, we checked out the rooms first. since we were paying so much for a room, we should be able to maximize our use of it. we have done all the exciting adventure things in sabang that we can just afford to hang out in the hotel.
the staff were quite friendly when we asked to be shown around the place. the front desk also allowed us for an early check-in at 9AM and late check out of 2PM since there weren't other guests during the day we were coming. cool! that clinched the sale. we booked an overnight stay for our last night in sabang.
the day of our booking, we brought our bags over to daluyon over at 9AM, then proceeded to have breakfast then a trip to the falls (another story). we got back to daluyon by 1PM. we hung out the porch for a bit. the view was beautiful.
we spent most of the afternoon indoors, enjoying our soft bead with 440thread count sheets (we got a gift that looked exactly like those sheets that's why i know. tee-hee). of course, i wore one of the complementary bath robes which was soooo comfortable. jan loved it on me. i loved it on me.
we got out into the sun by 5PM. we didn't have plans to swim anymore since we were already satisfied by our falls trip. jan and i decided to just sit down and relax by the beach. mimosa, the sabang dog (every resort knows here) and where white dog friend entertained us as they frolicked on the beach, jumping in and out of the water.
as the sun was setting, the scenery just simply called for pictures, so i went to get dixie and shot away. doing silhoutte shots was really fun.
by the time the sun was gone, it was moon rise time. sabang had the most spectacular moonrise i have ever seen! and nicer still since it was a full moon that night. talk about a romantic getaway. :) i forced my non-dancer husband to dance to the music of the waves and the moon and the stars and the night. good thing we were the only people by the shore.
when the sky was high enough, we proceeded to have a good, expensive dinner by the pool. i forgot what we ordered, but i was fully satisfied and sated by it. of course, we had candles. :)
the complimentary breakfast the next day was also delicious and quite filling. that was as good as brunch since we woke up at nine and took a quick dip before that. the rest of the morning, we did mostly nothing which is always great.
all-in-all, jan and i enjoyed our stay at the daluyon resort very much. their staff were very friendly and accommodating, their rooms were well-kept and clean and all the inclusive amenities for what we paid made it all the more worth-it.
so if you are planning to stay in sabang, puerto princesa and want to feel like kings and queens, we recommend daluyon beach resort. :)
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