Down Southwest: Palawan III

Day 3: March 7

Stayed at Marina Garden, and found two new guides, one of them happened to be a fellow Bicolano. Accommodating staff, more convenient location, and more comfy bed. Allotted P1,500 for an airconditioned room per day, with T/B, good for five.

Fired up for island hopping, the highlight of our trip. Started at 9AM, ended at 530PM. Usually categorized into four tour packages (A-D), depending on the location. Managed to negotiate with the guide, combining some islands from two different packages.

Small Lagoon, part of Miniloc Island. Personal fave. [Aside from its captivating view, I spent my longest time underwater here, periodically lifting my head to catch my breath and to expel the water that had entered the snorkel's purge-valve.] No other way to access the lagoon but to jump off the boat and swim toward a small opening in the rock wall. Led us to pristine calm green water bounded by limestone walls. Entertained by a school of Nemo and small jellyfish.

Big Lagoon, also part of Miniloc Island. As enchanting as the Small Lagoon, but bigger and "private". [We were only allowed to see the lagoon and have some picture picture.]

Shimizu Island. Second fave. Provides an extraordinary private escape. Warm clear water, with gradually slopping sea floor. Enjoyed our simple packed lunch included in the tour package and some shaggy dog stories. [Ang cam whore talaga ni Sol, hehe.]

Secret Lagoon. Shhh.

Ipil Beach. Fine stretch of sand, just right for getting brown and going for a dip. Shallow reef area near the bend for snorkling.

[No one was there when we arrived. It was ours for half an hour. Sol resumed her come-hither poses. Talaga naman. We covered him with sand. Rosch took the task seriously-- like her masterpiece-- carving a slimmer version of Hulk slash Robocop slash astronaut figure.]

Decided to pack up at around 530PM. Spotted oversize jellyfish drifting in colonies near the water edge. Grotesque scene one way or another.

Took an easy stroll back to Ca-alang Beach, where we stayed the previous day, to have our last photo op in EN, taking advantage of the sunset background. [Quite conventional. But having this laidback town as location, you can't help but consider every view a must-have shot.]

Some of his shots. Framing and shutter speed setting-- not bad. Improving ang buddy ko. =)

Wrapped up the day with a dishy supper at Ric Sons, a downright neighborly beachfront resto. [Night life in El Nido is relatively calm, feelgood.] Most customers were Europeans. Some of them were playing cards, others were just chatting and enjoying their SMB bottles. An in-house acoustic band with a shy male lead vocal and his more confident female substitute (even better than him, or maybe he was the sub), warming up in the background. Started out slow, eventually changed their set to Bob Marley's and Joey Ayala's. Nabuhay ang alaala ng pakikipaglaban, hehe. Felt like we were singing for a cause.

[We were the only customers who can sing along with the band. Obviously. Redemption Song and Karaniwang Tao were a hit, mahn.]

Took a lazy walk around the town afteward to burn a few calories. Stopped at three souvenir shops for EN shirts. Nibbled some chips for dessert in front of our cottage, hoping to finish the tequilla that we had brought from PPC. But Rosch switched to her usual "night mode" again-- lay down on the bed, and didn't get up until the next day. The rest opted to call it a night.

Day 3 was 4 1/2 stars.

Down Southwest: Palawan II

Day 2: March 6

3AM, on our way to El Nido. Rent for the van was 10k for an 8-hour drive. Short stopover at Fort Isabel in Taytay.

El Nido. Woohoo!

Limestone cliffs as its backdrop. Ganda. Mas maganda yan sa totoong buhay. =)

Stayed at Sunset Lovers Point, a 20-minute tough walk from town proper. Beachfront, but not swimmable. Call it false advertising [those Websites]. Ok naman yung place, dini-develop. Give it a year or two. Yung owner naman masyadong mahiyain, hindi proactive (some orientation on customer service might help).

If you're into relatively long trails and literally peace and quite, you may give it a try. Otherwise, look for an accommodation closer to town.

Grabbed a quick lunch at Tubay Dos, second branch of Balay Tubay. Another artsy partsy cafe. Arvin bought a wooden boat paddle, with a nicely done tribal design, for only P200. Had some deliberation on what to do and where to go after lunch.

3PM, hired a boat to take us to nearby islands for an afternoon swim. Our guide was an hour late. Tsk. [Mukhang in demand sya sa foreigners.]

First hop was Helicopter Island. Relatively expansive beach with rugged shoreline, strong current, and sea floor that abruptly deepens. [Lifevest is vital.] Second hop was Cadlao Island (or was it the island beside Cadlao Island?). Secluded, rocky, not a good snorkling site but a good photo shoot location.

Nakakatakot na nakaka-excite yung dagat. Pa-cute na snorkling lang muna yung mga girls. Mabait yung guide na iniwan sa min nung main guide. I forgot his name. Basta sabi nya sa totoo lang daw sa kitchen sya assigned. But he's a strong swimmer anyway. =P

Returned to town at around 7PM. Weathered the taxing trek back to the cottage and the blackout due to zoning (where electic supply on a particular area or zone is generated at certain hours of the day). Lasted out our way back to town for a late dinner. Decided on Squidos. House pizza for the two of us. Shrimp for Rosch. Crab for Arvin. And a safe food choice, which I couldn't remember, for Sol. Went to Marina to inquire about island hopping package and to make a room reservation for our day three. Explored the town just a little bit. Waited until 10PM for the lights before we went back to our lodge.

[We realized two things on day two: we were not so into that kind of peace and quiet plus a demanding trail; and we had been putting our trust a little too much on Hany.]

Pero kung kami lang dalawa yon? Long walks wouldn't be an issue.=)

Day 2 was almost 3 stars.

Down Southwest: Palawan

Day 1 : March 5

To Puerto Princesa City via Cebu Pacific.

Arrived at 1030. With Hany giving us a ride from the airport to Pagdayon. Place was decent enough. Had two rooms reserved a month earlier. Total damage was roughly P1,600 per day.

Set off to Underground River in Sabang after checking in. Took a four-hour drive from PPC, taking 8k from our budget for the van. The trip was entertaining. Stopover for lunch by the beach at Sabang. Tossed down some oversize buko. Met Manong Totong, who was once or twice featured in National Geographic and Discovery channels [Meron kaming sikat at mahirit na guide. :P]

Returned to Pagdayon at around 6pm. Took a couple of hours rest. Headed to Kamarikutan Cafe and Art Galeri for a satisfying dinner. Had a small discussion on how to decline Joseph, the other "Hany" for our supposed transpo. [The former gave us a better deal.]

Tried Robert's to grab some "common" stuff using our "common" fund. Arvin treated us with a local tequilla. Had four or five rounds before calling it a night.

Day 1 was 2 1/2 stars. =)

Sunny Sideup

After lunch. Shimizu Island, El Nido.

Cuddle

The paper bag of chocolates is a nice touch.

[Even though I spoiled the surprise, the effect was still the same.]

Onset

Blogless for almost three months. Bid au revoir to my old blogcity home, and was pretty much encouraged to try blogger. Transferred all entries manually, and carried a new name. Absolute hardwork. And more catching up to do.

Moving on.

29

Two stops today.

Tried a newly opened Suzhou Dimsum at Robinsons Otis.
Relatively cheap, toothsome treat.


Yumyum dimsum!

Found a nice spot in that coffee shop, had our cup, and talked.

That poster with Rekindle text as backdrop polished the view.

Day's Climb

Family Trip. Baguio.
December 29, 2007 - January 1, 2008

2008

Happy New Year!

2AM. AJ's old but still comfortable sofa. Two hours after our New Year's eve dinner.
While our families had been sleeping soundly, we managed to go online and throw some greetings, and play with our laptop's web cam. =)

Carpal Ophtha Syndrome

our boss left the company. she dropped the news during our one-on-one meeting. it was heartbreaking.

taken during our exchange gift session, swapangan, and our last FLUNCH with ms. moi. the team wearing the statement shirts that she gave and the expression that we imitated from ewika.

that was a pleasant but short stint, ms moi. merci boucoup.

Wingdings

Busy-busyhan last month, yet we managed to squeeze in some parties.

Threw a suprise Mcdo party for our boss at 32nd and 5th streets.

Invited ourselves to Rache's new home for her late birthday celebration.

Created our own version of Peter Pan's Neverland, under the supervision of our Art Attack Guy.

Peemayer

My friend, Ela, got her wedding dream. Finally. =)

James, love her more.

Held at Fernwood Gardens in QC.

SP3

White board marked with beta testing and discussions dates. Desk cluttered with hardcopies of guides, and a few insulated sleeves from the lone coffee shop downstairs. Engrossed with deliverables for the past three weeks. Target date is on the 11th. No time for blogging. Even for quick surfing. More on jugling the acronyms of my projects for the upcoming release. Spare time was solely meant for quality time with him. Just us. No work-related or even PC-related activities outside office.

*****
The wife of an officemate died in the Glorietta 2 explosion two weeks ago. Small world. Not fair..

*****
Ela's wedding day is getting closer and closer. I have yet to look for something nice to wear to a garden wedding. Oh, did I say "something nice"? I'm imagining a sundress, with either a little touch of bronze or aqua blue. For him, I saw this casual but elegant striped polo (a combination of dark blue, moss green, and off white). I'm a bit unsure if he likes it. But I hope he does.

*****
But before that, we have a prenuptial video to finish. Back to Dagupan for two more scenes, with Mademoiselle Joy and Ela's sister Reina. Spent the rest of the day until the next morning in one of the beaches of San Fabian. Capturing the couple's candid moments and taking the plunge into the waters, interchangeably. The sand was not so good. But not bad either. First time I saw a passenger jeepney passing by the seashore. Travelled back to Manila at around 3PM. Stopover at Hacienda Luisita, Joy treating us with coffee at Starbucks and us posing for a few more shots.

*****
si dude, masaya...=)

For Hire

I - On my way home from Eastwood, a taxi driver told me that he could guess a person's destiny. He showed me his palm and explained how he does the reading. Then, he snootly told me that he can even foresee how I would die. I was daydreaming of an automatic eject button so that I could disappear right there and then. Coming from a 13-hour night shift, the encounter was a major caffeine booster.

II - It was lunch time, one of the hottest days of the previous summer. I decided to ride a cab from Manila to The Fort. I was already enjoying the music when the driver started telling me stories about his family. His family lives in Bulacan. And that the coming weekend they had to go there because one of his nieces was getting married. That he didn't want to attend but his wife was pushing the whole family to come. That he didn't want to be one of the principal sponsors because it would mean spending money, and these days it is so hard to earn money. All I can mutter was a series of "uh-huh...hmmm..ok..."

III - In another Eastwood - Diliman route, a taxi driver started to comment on the Philippine economy as we traversed Katipunan. He mentioned something about stocks. And about foreign investors. He actually made sense, at first. But as we made a u-turn in front of Ateneo to Xavierville, he asked me what my plan in the future is, where my boyfriend is, how I save my earnings. I had no plan to answer those questions and I believe he had no plan to hear my side because he begun explaining things. He told me I could start a sari-sari store in a strategic place, for example, in front of Ateneo (sabay turo sa Shakey's). According to him, I should wake up early in the morning to wait for a delivery truck of Pepsi. When I see the truck, I should chase and stop it, then ask for at least 3 cases of softdrinks. Wow, a bloody marketing principle.

IV - One day, I left the house early for work. As I stepped inside the taxi, the driver said: "yan yung pabangong nakakabighani..." Referring to the perfume I was wearing. Then, he smiled. He looked decent though. He remained silent after that. But as we entered Eastwood, he said: "Buti ka pa parang laging naka-smile. Eh yung iba kong pasahero parang laging may problema". Oh. God. Good thing, it was time to drop-off. We stopped at IBM.

V - Another new route, Eastwood to San Juan, with all the courage I could muster to watch my buddy's basketball game. The driver was looking at his rearview mirror. Afterward, he told me that I looked stressed out. Somehow, I felt annoyed because that time I wasn't feeling stressed out at all. Then, he told me maybe it was because of the nature of my work. He assumed I was working in a call center, which I didn't care to correct because I didn't want to have that conversation with him anyway. He continued his commentary. He told me my work could really affect my health. As an added insult to injury, he noticed the pimple on my cheek and started giving me advices on how to clean my face! Duh. He told me to apply this thing and that thing because he himself had been using it. He warned me that if I wouldn't follow, I might appear older sooner or later. "Parang ngayon-- di ka na kse mukhang bata." Wtf?! That was the first time someone told me I don't look younger than my age. We missed the first and the closest u-turn to reach the gym. Manong kase.

VI - Just last week. I rode a tricycle from our building to the main gate in BCDA. The tricycle stopped because an old woman, accompanied by two young women, was crossing the street. A van was waiting for them. The tryc driver, who was wearing a pair of fatigued pants, a white shirt, and a matching fatigued cap, said something I didn't comprehend. As the three women approached the van, the driver continued talking: "pero lam mo sa communist country, pinapatay na mga ganyan," referring to the old woman. I decided to ignore his comment. As he continued driving, he asked me: "Palagay mo, ano ang pinakamasamang imbensyon ng tao?" I thought it was sort of a knock-knock-who's-there joke. But nooo! He was waiting for my reply. I wasn't sure what and how to answer. A witty remark might call for a longer chat. A dumb reply might result to mockery. To play safe, I said: "Ano manong?" (which was like saying Who's there? to a Knock, knock). Sabi nya: "ultrasound". I was totally dumbfounded. Unrelentingly, he said, "kse sa communist country, pag female yung magiging anak ng buntis, pipapatay na yun.." He said that with conviction. He added, "eh ano ang pangalawang pinakamasamang imbensyon ng tao?" Oh nooo…longest three-minute tricycle trip ever. Without looking at me and waiting for my stance, he said, "TV," because kids learn a lot of violence by watching. That was dense man.

*****
Thankfully, most of these encounters happened a few minutes before I reached my destination.

It's Raining Cow and Dog

Bigoy on top.
Where's Moo?

Pack Up

We're moving out today.
Off to McKinley Hill.

****
Job, the Handy Man, on the move. =D

By Chance

I just wanted to see how my profile looks from another perspective. There was no plan of poking my nose into something not mine. Really. But perhaps the little devil in me spoiled its curiosity. A particular phrase had kept me thinking whether what I did was completely inappropriate. Or did I just miss something? Hmm. I opted for one tall iced mocha, wishing for the thought to eventually evaporate. Munching a coffee bun on the side wasn’t much of a help. Well, maybe a little confrontation would do.

Bush League

The world was wired for the past couple of weeks. Mine, in particular.

There had been a chain of adjustments in terms of chores and budgeting caused by my moving out. General room cleanup on a weeknight. Laundry pick-up and delivery every week. Several swipes of plastic cards by the cashier. Wardrobe update on-hold. No grand out-of-town spree. Some rookie mistakes in the kitchen. Home cooked meal in a ziplocked plastic container at work (thank God for my instant fine chef, Kat).

Speaking of home cooked meals, I have become a fine food taster-- a low-maintenance, fine food taster. And her official vegetable slicer and chopper. Beat that, huh. Ask Kat (she MUST say yes). Dudut, who manages the house, was my mentor in chopping. She was forced to teach me when she noticed that I had been struggling so hard with the basil leaves. Kat has been reinventing recipes she already knew and those she learned from Dudut. Adobo. October fest. Chicken with mushroom and white sauce. Italian spaghetti. Chicken pesto sandwich. Spaghetti in creamy white sauce with shitake mushrooms. Afritada. At marami pang iba. Yumyum!

==
My M3 Environment Manager (MEM) project update went well in spite of some minor out-of scope modifications in between. Good thing my boss in M3 Deployment and Platform (D&P) plus my SME (ehem, ehem, Kat) was really obliging. It took me almost two weeks to play around with the test environment, and capture all the screenshots using the SnagIt version 7 that I illegally (but temporarily) installed on my local, thanks to Jay for the copy. One cool tool by the way.

I accumulated a few behind time submissions due to the moved MEM deadline. The Visio and iProducts exercises for Raymond, and the Process Management for Teth. And my LifeCycle Manager (LCM) project update had been briefly shelved. Tsk, tsk, another call for a bit extended working hours. Anyway, it was me again, the buzzer beater. =P

Cool Off

We went out last night. Watched The Zoo and Freestyle at Bagaberde, Roxas. It was a loose-fitting evening. Though, most of the time, I had been listening to Sol’s bemused escapades. Apat dapat kami nun. But Sha went to Bagaberde in Ortigas. [We remorsefully informed her that she had gone to the wrong branch and we made a mistake of assuming that she got what we meant.] We had a complimentary shot of Bailey’s and four bottles of SanMig light. I can’t remember the last time we had a night out. And the last time I drank beer, or he drank beer. The Zoo's lead vocal had this powerful voice, singing cover songs like Faithfully and Ever Since the World Began. Or maybe it was just the alcohol. Or maybe a little of both. Lights out at 3AM.

Sa uulitin. =)

==
Resumed shooting for the prenup at around 11AM. Ela’s family and friends this time. I had two makeshift studios at the second floor of their newly renovated house in Capitol Estate. The couple looked really happy. I hope that scene will last a lifetime, and I mean it. Tita cried even after her take. Locked ourselves for more than 30 minutes in the room, telling me this and that issues with her bride-to-be daughter. I feel for her. But I understand Ela. I think, they should talk ASAP. Intensely.

That night, I asked him to accompany me to the province the next day and visit Nanay Asing, another close grandmother (eldest sister of Nanay). Parang bigla ko kase syang na-miss. And I asked him even without considering his work schedule that week. How unfeeling...

==
Balikan lang kami. We catched an old aircon bus to Daet at around 12 noon the very next day. We only had our backpacks, as usual. I knew he was dead tired because he had been attending to some family stuff before we met up. Na-guilty ako bigla.. We decided for a fast lunch in a goto house near the terminal. Then, we slept the whole trip. Daming stop-over ni manong. Home by 1130PM. Antagaaal. But the trip was worth it. Short but substantial. Threw some baskets, had few chases with Solo, ate a lot (Nanay Toring prepared some for us), spent brief idle time with my family, and gave Nanay Asing some tight hugs. We got on the bus again the following night, heading back to Manila. Without a single stop-over this time. Extreme trips in two days.

***
Salamat, buddy ko...*kugos*

Candied Lift

Last weekend was a nice resumption of our video coverage thing--- me as the videographer, and him as the ever attentive and patient gaffer slash cinematographer slash assistant director. This time, it’s for the prenuptial AVP of Ela and James. Yuuup, they are getting married this coming November. After all the very shaky previous months, my friend will finally get what she's been dreaming of. Sigh, sigh, sigh.

Going back, the trip was comprised of several stops, talks, and camera poses. The guys had been singing (and sometimes blending and jiggling on) almost any song that the car radio played. By the way, our playlist had been limited to the Rod Stewart CDs, which Ela’s dad have left in the car, and the songs being played by any FM station we could hear clearly. Hmmm..imagine two buffy guys clowning around. Ang cuuute...=)

The initial plan was to climb Baguio in the morning to interview James’ foster parents, then go to Dagupan after lunch to interview his family and friends. But instead, we stayed overnight in Baguio. Ela had been nudging us to go to Kaffe Klatsch after the shoot and once we find a place to stay. After the shoot, however, we were obliged to stay a little longer because James’ foster family prepared us a plush seafood dinner. Galing nila lahat magluto. Family bonding happens in the kitchen.

We forgot it was a long weekend. So it took us quite sometime to find a place. Thanks to the manong whom we met at the Victory Liner bus terminal (after conceding to the fact that we couldn’t really find one by ourselves). It was a country house somewhere down the Naguillan Road stretch. Homey and clean enough, but not recommended if you don’t have a car and are planning to go out at night. Since it was almost 10 o’clock, we gave it a go. It cost us 2K for the two rooms. OK bed, neat toilet and bathroom, free use of anything in the house. The couple who owns the house was accommodating, serving us with hot coffee in the evening and in the morning.

Instead of Kaffe Klatsch for dinner, we had Café by the Ruins for breakfast. More yummy food and wacky poses. Then, we spent a little time buying coffee beans and visiting ukay-ukay stalls.

We made a short stop at Klonduke Hot Spring along Kennon Road. Walked across a hanging bridge. Picture picture ulit. Then, headed to Pangasinan for more takes. James has had this really good PR. I can't say if military school and field assignments had something to do with that. After several interviews with James' family and friends, we drove back to Manila, a little enervated. It took us only three hours to get back, with James in the driver's seat.

Fast and fun road trip, all told.

Rain or shine

Happy second year, buddy ko... *kugos*

*****
And when I kissed him, I knew right there and then
that I wouldn’t ever want to kiss anyone else.

Pretty Low-key

everything in moderation.

just the way i've always wanted. masaya pero tamang saya lang. naba-bad trip minsan pero not to the point of breaking down. naiinip pero nakakahanap ng alternative na gagawin or, better yet, nakakapaghintay pa rin. nakakapag-save ng onte without depriving myself of starbucks once in a while or a taxi ride whenever the heat is over 34º Celcius (everytime we say "ang init", erika tells us how "init" it is by saying the exact temperature. ang geek, hehe.). nabo-bore but only in a matter of minutes or couple of hours kase may mga taong madaling kulitin at nagpapakulit.

when it comes to work, i couldn't ask for more. well, i'm not saying i've got the perfect job and the perfect team and the perfect company. but i think, i've been in the right place at the right time. i won't deny na marami kaming petiks sa pantry lately (and by "kami", i mean job, kat, erika, and i). nagkataon lang siguro na matagal pa yung due ng deliverables ko at end ng training nila. but i can say that we've also been busy learning so much.

when it comes to my family and crowd, i can't complain. i've had the most accepting parents (including his mother), relatives, and friends in the world. anjan lang sila. people who always trust my judgment.

when it comes to my lovelife, now that is something in between "in moderation" and "in excess". something i can't and will never trade for anything else. something i'm keeping for good. and something that makes me feel good. we're not the perfect couple, you know. but in the past one year and 11 months, we've done things that perfect couples can do in a lifetime. we always manage to pull through.

so there. slow and easy. my life works like a 3-in-1 instant coffee mix, ready-to-drink, hot or cold.

*****
si tin ang nag-trigger nito eh. someone who likes to check out my comfort zone.
and speaking of comfort zone, kat and i will be moving out and living in together very soon.
tomorrow actually. we're both excited and apprehensive at the same time. goodluck na lang sa min..=)

Catcall

today is one of those days. domino effect again.

let's see. first, the traffic was hell. kahapon pa. parang may conspiracy. it was as if all commuters thought of doing the same thing. since naisip nila na baka yun din iniisip ng iba, di na rin nila ginawa. but they ended up in the same situation kse nga pare-pareho naisip nila. labooo.

just when you thought you were early, other mrt commuters had been already struggling at EDSA (take note: sm north station) for some space. parang may welga. i don't really understand why they had to occupy half of the road and why mmda people let that mess happened, rerouting vehicles to the remaining space. bat di na lang nila palipasin yung rush hours? they could have arrived at their offices the same time (late) and the same way (harrassed).

pero sige pagbigyan. maybe it was because of the SONA thing (kahit out of way). but, again, today?! my other route-- from zapote to ayala? oh. come. on. where is the punchline?

second, my gums bled last night. it bled a little this morning. and anything that has something to do with my teeth (that requires me to see a dentist) makes me paranoid. what pissed me off? the first accredited dentist (from west rembo) I reached was not really up to it. i even overheard her told the person who had answered the phone "sabihin mo may ginagawa ako eh". unapologetically, that person said the same thing, with "daw". customer service at its best.

third, i have a pimple. and it's really awkward. boo.

=====
i still have ten hours to save my day. haaay, makapag-kape na nga lang..

Bonne Foi

four interesting stops for today.

we had that window shopping for chevrolet cars at the gateway mall. as if naman. hehe. but who knows? then, we made that unplanned halo-halo feast at razon's. fiiiinally. we had been hearing about it since forever. i'm not a halo-halo fan, i tell you. but the fusion of fine crushed ice, banana, macapuno, milk, and two chunks of leche flan on top has made this one an exception. first-rate discovery for P65. really. "heaven" daw. for him, it's in the ice. for me, it's in their sugar+milk combo.

after that indulgence, we headed to the up parish for some prayers. nineth has always been that way. incomplete otherwise. then, we went to trinoma. we were supposed to "survey" the place so that by thursday, we already know where we would bring my parents and younger bro. but, instead, we ended up buying eucalyptus scented candle with a green square holder for his room. hmm..a nice touch. to wrap up the day, we checked out cafe breton, ordering a cup of herbal tea + excalibur crepe for him, and a cup of cafe mocha + crepe with ham and cheese in bechamel sauce pour moi.

four stops. full stomach. 23 months.
still dating. going stronger.

Light Blue

his tribe. soon.

Shortcut Keys

Just got home. Dead tired for two weeks now. But still widely awake because of a small cup of cafe mocha that Ela, Joy, and I had earlier at Cafe Breton . Still have a video project to submit. Today.

Today is bowling day. But I couldn't join the team. Have a deadline to beat. Pretty much giving some room for another revision.

Revision for the 2nd AVP came in handy. Quite stressing but, as I said, handy. My buddy has been there right from the start of my editing. Running errands and doing requests. Offering some company when Ela's new Alienware laptop experienced downtime. I blamed it on Vista. Longing for an XP-switch or a Mac-upgrade.

Upgrade, I badly need one. For my cup of coffee to sustain this momentum. For our own editing machine (very soon) to add more convenience. For good films that I missed to watch. For a bottle of Light Blue or Kenzo to replace the 2-month old vanilla scent. For a nice pair of shoes or a jacket to brave the rainy season.

*****
Before daybreak, it feels really good to have someone to hug you back.
Glad to be home. Love that pillow. =)

Swing

*****

Erriiiika, stop rearranging my pebbles!

But thanks a lot for the present. Sweet...

Hmm..the "perfect" photos are still on the loose. =)

Orange Feel

positively happy.

*****
today was a nice package of almost everything that i needed.
and it was sealed with a sweet treat of foot massage...thanks, buddy ko. *kugos*

kat, thanks for the little note you clipped in my cube. =)

Go-to Guys

Another long, pleasing weekend for us. My two attempts to edit my remaining AVP project for Trend have been postponed, twice. Technical difficulties could be a legit excuse. But anyway, that’s not my point. The point is that the weekend was a blast despite my not being able to follow my timetable to finish the project and to get tickets for the French Film Festival.

===

I had been a little hyper this afternoon until we were inside the FX going to UP. We were betting against each other on a massage of our choice (I preferred foot, he wanted a full-body) if one of us could give the other the better hand massage (sort of a ritual, by the way). Between the two of us this afternoon, I can say he did a better job. I teasingly asked for my share of prize-- a foot massage-- which he politely cried off. My mood changed.

I wasn't sure. I was thinking, could it be because he turned me down? Later, I realized that it wasn’t. The mood swing was because I suddenly missed my father, who’s been in the province and happily managing his small convenience store-- an investment of his retirement benefit. Parang na-homesick ako bigla.

===

Before my father suffered a stroke four years ago, he used to give me and my mother a foot or back massage. He did that whenever Ma was really worn-out from her 8-hour duty or every time I made "lambing", asking for it. The best massage ever. He would let us find our most comfortable nook and loosen up and watch TV so that he could begin his craft (aside from making the best coleslaw and cucumber salad, swimming really well, playing some good tennis matches, and dancing with me while I was stepping on his feet). Charming.

===

"Lahat ng lalaki nagiging ganon eventually..." Leyn asserted when we were at the Pizza Hut Bistro in Eastwood last Monday, talking about a common friend. I said nooo. I have had proofs. Maybe a very few ones, but I believe they would pass as well-founded. My father is not like that, I told her. Even after 30 years, he still says I love you to my mother and embraces her in front of other people until Ma almost melts in embarrassment. That scene, for me, is awkwardly sweet. He still waits for Ma every meal to listen to her stories as they eat. And he still asks her for a date. At his age, he could still be that sappy.

Aside from Pa, my list includes my cousin Kuya Jun who fixed me a glass of juice every night when I was in college and prepares my breakfast whenever he can before I go to work, my closest guy friend Epa from HS whose respect for a commitment is striking, and my buddy who simply does everything.

"Di lahat ng lalaki ganon. Trust me. Because I’ve already met a few who aren’t." [And I'm adding the funny, imaginative Broe to my very short list. :) ]

*****
Buddy ko, remember when you asked me to give reasons why I love Pa (imitating the host of a talk show we were watching then) and I only said " I love him just because I love him"? I knew my reply didn't make an impression. But the truth is just because is too much to elaborate.

Today is father’s day.
To the best dad in the world-- I love you, Pa.

Gabi at One

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This day last year, your tito gave up smoking. =)

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Happy birthday, Gabi! *kugos*

Duo

*****
Deal. =)

Under Wraps

*****
Semi-busy day. Aside from the late orientation regarding benefits we had with Ms.Moi and the training we had with The Mentor, there was our flunch for the week in a cake place several walks away from the office. Yuuup-- we braved the 3 P.M. heat just to get there. Cozy, enticing, and sweet. The meeting about “Penne Award” and incentive plan went well, except, of course, for some minor interruptions whenever a luscious cake was being brought to our table. The small cup of strong espresso machiatto matched the unpretentious marble cheese I had ordered. Hmmm…need to diet. Really. =)

Good Chicken

*****

Easy Sunday, nothing fancy.
Headed somewhere in Sgt. Esguerra St. Scout Triangle, QC after my mango-banana shake and his vegetable soup in Kaas. Had our chicken trip as usual. Tried a tasty combo of chicken barbeque, spare ribs, batchoy soup with egg, and plain rice. Loved the marinade.

This unassuming outdoor grill is owned by actor Joel Torre (that's why JT). Based on stories, he scouted for the best inasal cook in Bacolod to be his "chef". The menu, by the way, has relatively good prices. Other branches are in Gilmore, Ortigas, and Eastwood.

7 out 10 for me, 6 out of 10 for him. =)

Samson

Samson was my week opener and ender. Glad to hear that song twice on my way to the office and back home this week. Somehow, I feel relieved. And thanks to Tin for introducing that song (and the artist) a few months ago.

The white chocolate mocha I ordered last Thursday was bitter. They probably brewed it too long. I had not noticed the taste until I went back to the office and you went home. The aftertaste lasted longer than I thought.

My muddled schedule for the training, a few meetings, and some deliverables was given. I was able to juggle those things well. But your being sick and our ending the week with a clash have made me a little disoriented and disheartened. We were supposed to understand each other and humbly give way. But we did not. I was thinking, ang stubborn kase minsan ng buddy ko. Then I realized, ako rin pala. It was like a tug-of-war of reasons. You thought you were right, I also thought I was right. And we were both fighting for our own stance. That day could have ended better and not extended for one more day if we just met halfway. I feel sorry I did not recognize the flaw earlier.

I didn’t like us the past week. And I hated us yesterday.

Thank God it’s over.

*****
The last coffee we had together was unbearable. Bawi tayo...*kugos*

Back Seat

5:37 P.M. A snap of retreat.
*****
On the way to seaside Macapagal boulevard.
Team’s dinner treat to Âsa, Jerker, and M.Ludwig.

Green

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