07.04.11 Day 185: Extra Strong "Ilang tansan pa ba ang iipunin O giliw ko?" --- Ligaya, Eraserheads
07.05.11 Day 186: Kreyzi Bandz Bago pa mauso ang Silly Bandz, makukulay na goma na ang ginagawang libangan ng mga kabataan noon. Ginagamit ito sa paglalaro ng 10-20, Chinese garter at dampa. At wala man itong mga kakaibang hugis, sa tulong ng ating malilikot na imahinasyon ay nakakagawa tayo ng star, Batmobile na nagiging rocket, at double star na nagiging bahay ni Tarzan, sapatos ni Santa Claus, sinturon ni Hudas at singsing ni Jane.
07.06.11 Day 187: SupanjuBabu Watching Spongebob Squarepants at the lounge while waiting for my 8:30PM call. I just need to relax, laugh, and forget certain worries even for just half an hour.
07.07.11 Day 188: Cowabunga! Saw these cute paper crafts of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles at Kaye's table! And speaking of ninjas, I think Kieran forgot to send an invite for tonight's call. So before someone reminds him to do so, magni-ninja na ako. (Huh?) Wala lang, maka-segue lang. Hehe.
07.08.11 Day 189: Batubalani Salamat sa mga bakasyonista kong ka-opisina, patuloy na lumalago ang aking koleksyon ng batubalani! Haha.
07.09.11 Day 190: Dark Of The Moon Was finally able to catch Transformers 3 on the big screen. I don't understand how my dad fell asleep watching this movie. I mean, given that he's not into the Autobots vs. Decepticons plot, with the action scenes and the pounding sound effects, how could one drift to dreamland?
Mom: "Signs of aging yan! Ako gandang-ganda e!"
07.10.11 Day 191: Suki, I Like! It's been a while since I bought a Pinky Street doll and I'm so excited to introduce my newest to the clique! Unlike the earlier releases, a second outfit is no longer included with the figure but the price stayed the same. Huhu. And the dolls in this series didn't have names. Mine is just called PK030. Hmmm, I can just name her Sanjuu, which is a direct translation of the number 30 in Japanese. Sanjuu Marudu. Nah, I don't think the name fits her well. Haha. Hmmm, how about this one, because I like her hairstyle, her jacket and her cool rocker vibe, I'mma name her Suki, which means "like". Pweydi! Suki it is! :)
06.27.11 Day 178: Sick Cycle I dedicate this song to my beloved project...
"So when will this end? It goes on and on Over and over and over again Keep spinning around I know that it won't stop Till I step down from this for good." --- Sick Cycle Carousel, Lifehouse
06.28.11 Day 179: Lady Bugs PESTENG MGA BUGS!!! BAKIT BA HINDI KAYO MAUBOS-UBOS?!?!?!
06.29.11 Day 180: Telephoning Me-Eh-Eh-Eh-Eh-Eh I've been going home really late since Monday because of these conference call meetings. The invite would say 9pm to 10pm but it would really last 2-3 hours. Almost half the time, they would be arguing among themselves. And we would be counting how many times Sherry would lash out at Kieran. At one point she even told him that he's not doing his job as a Project Manager! Booyah! That was quite a punch in the gut. And I really felt bad for Kieran coz he sounds like a nice guy. I guess it was Donald who reminded Sherry that our team was also on the call. To quote my manager, we are working with a bunch of dysfunctional and frustrating people! And they're really starting to get on my nerves. :(
06.30.11 Day 181: Angry Bird AM SOOOO STRESSED OUT!!! And it's my poor angry bird who's caught in the receiving end of this madness! Aaak.
07.01.11 Day 182: Underpass This is one of my dream photos. The Ayala underpass with nary a soul to patintero with. Hehe.
07.02.11 Day 183: Happy Birthday, Lola! Happy birthday Lola Soly!!! I'm still waiting for that dream to come. I really wanna know that you're now in a happy place.
07.03.11 Day 184: Ongpin Street To celebrate my parents' wedding anniversary, we had our lunch at the President Grand Palace Restaurant in Ongpin St., Binondo. The restaurant was packed with Chinese people, I started to feel a little out of place.
Mom: "Pasalamat kayo kasama niyo ako. Mukha akong Chinese."
Thanks, Mom. You're a lifesaver. Haha. We had Oyster Cake, Pork Asado, a fish dish with tofu and Pata Tim swimming in a large bowl of sauce, which even came with a dozen cuapao. And when I say large, I really mean LARGE, that everyone who passes by our table would really stare at us like we were a bunch of gluttonous pigs! Haha. Aside from the good food, the service was also commendable. One kuya would constantly ask us if there's anything we need: sauce for this, drink refill, another sauce for that.
After lunch, we walked around to take some photos and to help settle our bulging stomachs. Then we stopped by Eng Bee Tin for a hopia shopping spree! Hehe.
06.20.11 Day 171: Cheeeeese Floss One of my favorites from Bread Talk! I remember it started at 45 pesos, then it rose to 50, to 55, and now it's 60 friggin' pesos! Kundi ka lang masarap... =P~
06.21.11 Day 172: Monster Radio Thank you for making heavy traffics more bearable! :)
06.22.11 Day 173: More S'mores! Thanks Deriku and thanks to your mom for these uber yummy cupcakes! Love it! :)
06.23.11 Day 174: Blurry The rain's been pouring hard and I was out on the road for 3 hours with hundreds of stranded commuters. According to the news, the storm is expected to last throughout the weekend. It's currently dumping water by the bucket and is predicted to grow stronger. After what happened last 2009 with Ondoy, I think everyone tends to get anxious everytime we're experiencing these heavy rains. For one, my mom kept on texting me to be home early. And I kept on texting them to know if it's flooded already. Haha.
06.24.11 Day 175: Tabing Ilog I took this photo on my way to work. Riverbanks was still passable and the water was still within safe limits. At around 6pm, the third alarm went off, which means that the water level already reached 17 meters and people living near the river were asked to evacuate. I pray that things won't get worse.
And I just remembered something from yesterday: Jhe: "Umapaw na daw yung Marikina River! Dumadaan ka ba don?" Me: "Hindi, sa tulay."
Hahaha. Sorry naman, lutang lang. :))
06.25.11 Day 176: Make A Wish Onai is here again for her 26th birthday. And again, it was just me, Abby and Noemi who were able to make it. Roxie was still doing some last minute preparations for Sophie's first birthday party. Iba na talaga. Haha. And we weren't able to get in touch with Alpha and Jong. :(
We still haven't traveled together so we talked about the many places that we could visit. I hope it won't just be a sketch on the drawing board. Onai's mom told us about the upcoming Kulasa Fair this July at St. Scho to celebrate the school's 50th year. Waw! A chance to see old friends, crushes, teachers and roam around the campus! How about we visit our Alma Mater first? Hehe. ;)
06.26.11 Day 177: Soph1e Attended Sophie's first birthday party held at Vista Verde's clubhouse. A gallery of Sophie's photos welcomed me as I entered the venue. There were "thumbs-up" stickers and I was told to "Like" the photos that I, well, like. Hehe. And instead of hiring a clown or a magician to entertain the kids, Roxie and Chris hired Jiggles The Balloon Lady!!! She really knows how to twist her balloons and all of her sculptures wowed everyone, not just the kids! She created a ballerina, a monkey with a banana tree, Elmo, Thomas, Tazmanian Devil, and my favorite was Nemo complete with seaweeds and bubbles! Loved her colorful hat too! Akin na laaang... Hehe.
06.13.11 Day 164: Back To School It's Mico's first day as a college student. He's taking up B.S. Entrepreneurship at San Beda College. I dunno how he wound up with that course coz I'm pretty sure he wanted to take up Culinary Arts. But given his current weight, my parents kinda discouraged him to pursue it. Hehe.
I asked him if it's really what he wants but he's a bit undecided himself. Really couldn't blame him coz there's an overwhelmingly wide range of courses to choose from. I mean, if I were to pick a course, considering what I know now, I'd still be lost and confused as I was nine years ago.
I told him that he should've taken those career planning sessions that they had in high school more seriously coz it could've helped him choose. But who am I kidding? Coz I took those quite seriously and if I remember it right, the result said I should take up a career in the Advertising or Publishing industries. That I would make a good Art Director. And that wasn't even in my top 3 choices! Haha.
He told me that his result said he should take up a career in Agriculture and that he would make a good farmer. Hmm. Who invented these exams anyway?
06.14.11 Day 165: XoXo Sometimes, a hug is all we need to remind us that we're not alone. And that everything is gonna be fine. :) Emo? Hehe.
06.15.11 Day 166: Let GOd When you find yourself at the end of your rope, just let go and let God have His way.
06.16.11 Day 167: Pendong! Naranasan mo na bang mabatukan dahil nakakita ng kotseng kuba ang kasama mo? Naranasan mo na bang mapagalitan dahil hindi daw patas na isama ang drayber sa batukan? O kaya naman ay mai-umpog ng di sinasadya ang boss mo dahil sa lakas ng pagbatok mo sa kanya? Haha. PENDONG PEACE KALBO! (^_^)v
06.17.11 Day 168: Tama Na Yan, Inuman Na! Celebrated Dino's 24th birthday with his high school and college friends. Booze flowed like well, booze! Bottles of Red Horse for the guys and Tanduay Ice for the ladies and the light-hearted. Dino's new girlfriend, who I think looks a lot like Delamar (Agree?), even brought a bottle of Black Label. Basagan? Knew they were all drunk when they started singing Aqua songs. Coz really, who sings Aqua when they're sober?! Wehe. Happy birthday, Dino! Be good. Haha.
06.18.11 Day 169: It's Not Easy Being Green "In brightest day, In blackest night, No evil shall escape my sight. Let those who worship evil's might, Beware my power... Green Lantern's light!"
Watched Green Lantern at SM Marikina. 'Twas a movie with a stereotyped plot: a normal man living a normal life suddenly acquires superpowers, a supervillain rises to try and conquer the world, superhero defeats the supervillain, superhero saves the day, superhero gets the girl. Ho-hum.
On second thought, despite the boring plot, the movie was actually an eye-candy. The visual effects were pretty amazing. Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively were pretty, period. Hehe. Now if I could reword the movie's plot: Ryan Reynolds living a normal life suddenly acquires superpowers, a supervillain rises to try and conquer the world, Ryan Reynolds defeats the supervillain, Ryan Reynolds saves the day, Ryan Reynolds gets Blake Lively. Didn't that just boosted the movie's appeal level to an all-time high?! At least for me! ♥ Haha.
06.19.11 Day 170: DaddyDiDoDu Had an eat-all-you-can buffet lunch at Kamay Kainan for Father's Day. I'm not really a fan of this kind of restaurants, unless they're serving an endless supply of Ebi tempura and a yummy line of desserts. Hehe. But if they're serving native food, nuh-uh. But since it's Father's Day, my dad got to choose where we're going to eat.
The buffet table had all kinds of deliciously deadly food - Papaitan, Dinuguan, Sinigang na Baboy, Bopis, Menudo, Paksiw na Lechon, Adobong Baboy, Lechon Kawali, Kare-Kare. I managed to stay away and just had Pinakbet, Tokwa and Nilasing na Hipon. For dessert, I just had a measly scoop of ice cream. Ako na health-conscious. Haha.
Happy Father's Day, dad! You had your feast. Next week, we'll just have fish and vegetables on our table. Hehe.
06.06.11 Day 157: HP++ I'm still pretty tired from our outing yesterday. My legs are still weak and wobbly and my arms hurt so much, I could barely raise them. Filed an offset for the weekend work that I rendered last week and thankfully, it got approved. Kapalit ba ito ng shades ko? Hehe.
06.07.11 Day 158: Unmasked Today I realized that someone has turned me into the kind of person that I hate. One seemingly harmless incident made me see what others have seen a long time ago. And finally, I understood.
You put yourself on a ridiculously high horse. I thought I could tolerate your self-obsession but I'm sorry, you're just too much. From now on, I'm staying away from you as far as I could. And I'm taking this mask off before I forget the person that I truly am beneath it.
06.08.11 Day 159: Gitara "Mapapagod lang sa kakatingin Kung marami namang nakaharang Aawit na lang at magpaparinig Ng lahat ng aking nadarama." --- Gitara, Parokya Ni Edgar
06.09.11 Day 160: Tsokolate-Eh Woke up to a steady rain. The weather was just perfect for staying in bed while drinking a cup of hot chocolate. Checked my mail and found out that a couple of tasks are waiting for me. As much as I would looove to start working on the bug fixes, my stomach started acting up. Had no choice but to take a leave from work due to stomach pains. I mean, for real. Hehe.
06.10.11 Day 161: Graffiti Another colorful graffiti that I found somewhere in Quezon City! The cutest that I've photographed so far. :)
06.11.11 Day 162: Jedrick Zane Happy 2nd birthday Jeck-Jeck! ^_^
06.12.11 Day 163: Proud To Be Ako ay Pilipino. Sa isip, sa salita at sa gawa. Maligayang Araw ng Kalayaan!
05.30.11 Day 150: Complete Blood Count Whenever I miss a dose of my medications, the rashes just come back. Worse than before, with a vengeance. So my parents told me to have my blood tested to see if I caught any viral infections. According to the doctor who read the results, my WBC and platelet counts are normal so we can rule out the possibility of a viral infection. It was most probably an allergic reaction, she said. Now that's a relief.
05.31.11 Day 151: Kung Po Panda Watched Kung Fu Panda 2 with Dino while our parents had lunch with their friends at Megamall. The movie was really twice the awesomeness of the first one. It was action-packed and hilarious and I was shocked as much as Po was when he learned that he's adopted! I really didn't saw that one coming. Haha.
Decided to adopt my own Baby Po too! Got him, not from a box of radish, but from a box of Happy Meal! Isn't he the cutest?!
06.01.11 Day 152: Keep Off The Grass Whenever I see a sign that says "Keep Off The Grass", I always have this urge to walk on it. Like I still have a tad of teenage rebellion within me. Most of the time I don't do it for fear of being reprimanded. But when I'm sure that nobody's looking, I step on it quickly. Haha.
Then I saw another sign that says, "Please Give Me A Chance!". Now that's something that appealed to my heart. It created a feeling of concern for each blade of grass. I wanted to give it a chance to grow tall and green that I did not even think about stepping on it for my own satisfaction.
It is through these simple signs that I finally understood the difference between Law and Grace. Law attempts to control our actions by means of rules, enforced by penalty. Grace controls our attitudes and actions by means of Love, without any penalty. Law commands but does not create a desire to comply. Grace commands a greater thing than Law yet it creates a desire to comply. Law appeals to Fear. Grace appeals to Love. Now wouldn't it be nice if we all lived by Grace instead of living under Law?
06.02.11 Day 153: Pull String To Stop Tonight's my last night of covering for Jek in his project. By next week, I will be back on dayshift and I'm not sure if I want to. I'm gonna miss waking up without the alarm clock's annoying beep. And commuting. And working for just 4 nights a week. And watching Mara Clara and Biggest Loser with my officemates at the lounge. And watching two more movies in my lappy every night.
06.03.11 Day 154: Among Thieves This photo pretty much defines my day. Woke up at around noon, went online for a while, then played Uncharted 2 for hours and hours. After a long hiatus from my addiction to Final Fantasy VII and VIII, Nathan Drake got me hooked once again. Hehe. Read somewhere that Johnny Knoxville served as the model for Nate's appearance but I really don't see the resemblance. I think Nate is more like Gerard Butler and Colin Farrell rolled into one. Hihi.
Nweiz, I'm now walking the road to the fabled city of Shambhala, hoping against hope to recover the Cintamani Stone before Lazarevic does. Game on!
06.04.11 Day 155: Estrellas De Mendoza The long wait is finally over!
Had our company outing and team building at Estrellas de Mendoza Playa Resort in Laiya, Batangas. We arrived just in time for lunch. Unfortunately, the food wasn't ready yet so we had to wait under the heat of the sun. And it didn't help that some of the staff weren't that accommodating to our requests. When the food arrived, everyone got in line. A bunch of flies swarmed around the food as well. Yikes. Why did we have to eat by the beach?!
After lunch, we went to a function hall for some activities. Not exactly our idea of team building, coz we usually have our activities outdoor. But the games were fun enough. After the activities, we were informed that kayaks and jet skis were rented for us from 3pm to 5pm. We checked into our rooms and immediately went to the beach. 'Twas my first time to ride both. Tried the jet ski with Derick. He first took the handlebars with me at his back holding on for dear life. Hehe. Then I tried to steer the jet ski myself and it was FUN FUN FUN. If I were rich, I would buy one and spend every weekend at the beach! Haha. We also tried the kayak for a calmer ride until Inoy created a tsunami of waves in our direction. Haha. All the fun made us hungry so we decided to have our merienda before jumping into the pool.
06.05.11 Day 156: Under The Sea Jhe, Derick and I agreed to wake up at 7am to snorkel. When Jhe's alarm went off, not a soul jumped out of the bed. Haha. Then I got a call from Ms.Nora asking if we would like to join them for snorkeling. They scheduled it at 8:30am and 'twas already 8am and we still haven't had our breakfast. Asked Jhe and Derick if they're still up for it then I texted Ms.Nora if it's possible to have it moved to 9am. Grabbed a quick breakfast of bacon and eggs. We also sneaked out several slices of bread for the fishes. Hehe.
I really find snorkeling super relaxing. I could stare underwater for hours and watch all them fishes swim around the seemingly endless blue. Funny how I found myself humming Enrique Iglesia's "Hero". Don't ask me why coz I dunno either. Haha.
Roxanne: "Kumakanta pa si Kringle!" Me: "Hahaha! Naririnig mo pala!" Roxanne: "Lumalabas dun sa tube eh." Me: "Oo nga naman! Hahaha!"
Most were Angelfishes except for the lone blue fish that stayed deep. The corals were not as colorful and alive. But it was fun nonetheless. We were all enjoying ourselves that we didn't even notice the 2 hours that flew by! ^_^
05.23.11 Day 143: Need For Speed "You got a fast car Is it fast enough so we can fly away? We gotta make a decision Leave tonight or live and die this way." --- Fast Car, Tracy Chapman
05.24.11 Day 144: Hot Pink Scented jelly belts litter just about every stall in Greenhills. They come in different colors and people are flocking to get their hands on this newest fashion trend. The vibrant colors, I get. But what's with the yummy scents? Would other people get a whiff of your belt when you pass by? Would you be smelling your waist? Would other people be smelling your waist? Ok, I guess that's not a pretty thought.
Nweiz, that's my hot pink jelly belt. And not only does it look like bubble gum, it also smells like one. Hehe.
05.25.11 Day 145: The Itch It all started with a couple of itchy red spots on my neck. Then I felt my arms itch. Then my back. Then my legs. Next thing I know, my entire body is filled with rashes and I was scratching myself all over. Doused my body with some alcohol to relieve myself of the itch. To hell with dry skin! Haha.
I dunno how I got it. They're thinking it's because of the McNuggets that I ate. But I doubt it coz I eat chicken to the bones. Unless those nuggets weren't made of chicken.
Ugh, I hate it. I look like a fuckin' dalmatian. :(
05.26.11 Day 146: E.R. Can't remember the last time I found myself lying on a hospital bed, let alone inside an Emergency Room. A cute (but gay-looking) nurse attended to me. He asked me what was the last food I ate and I told him I just had a bag of Kirei and chicken nuggets. Then he asked me what my allergens are and I told him that there's none that I'm aware of. Later, a doctor approached me and asked me the same questions. Then he told me something that made my heart skip a beat:
Doctor: "Iinjectionan kita ha?"
Waah. I'm not afraid of needles. But it's been so long since I had one of those stuck in my vein. And when I saw the nurse holding three syringes, I thought I was gonna faint.
Nurse: "Itong una kong isasaksak steroids, para..."
Everything he said after that sounded gibberish. I really didn't care what he was giving me, as long as it could rid me of the rashes.
Nurse: "Ito mejo mahapdi sa ugat. Mahihirapan ka huminga, pero normal lang yun. Kapag inantok ka, wag mo pigilan, matulog ka lang."
Oh-kay. After staying in the office for 12 hours, that last part is really not a problem. True enough, after a couple of minutes, I was gasping for breath. Felt like I was about to die. I looked at my arms and the red spots started to fade, just like magic. Then I felt a little dizzy or as Pacman would've said it, "Na-grugi aku". Hehe. Not sure if that was the medicine taking effect or my lack of sleep. Probably both. Closed my eyes and I immediately drifted away to Lalala-land. After an hour, the nurse shook me awake.
Nurse: "Talagang nakatulog ka ha!" Me: "Haha. Night shift kasi ako e. Oras na talaga ng pagtulog."
Like I needed to explain that to him. Haha.
05.27.11 Day 147: Bringing Itchy Back Yesterday, I was a given a shot of a pretty strong drug that magically made all my rashes disappear in an instant. The doctor also gave me some medicines that I should take twice a day and before going to sleep. Today, I didn't eat any nuggets. Did not snack on Kirei. But the rashes are back. And they're red and hot and itchy as a biatch.
Haays. Allergic ata ako sa night shift eh.
05.28.11 Day 148: System.debug() What to do when you need to debug an error using a specific set of data but you're not allowed to edit your code to add debug lines? Hit the print button, sharpen your pencil, and pump yourself a full tank of brain fuel. Coz it sure is gonna be a long bloody day.
Printed 1463 lines of code to debug the two remaining issues for Opportunity. I feel like I'm back in college taking a written exam, simulating lines of code and tracking variable values on paper. My pencil's reduced to a dull point. It took me several hours just to trace a single issue, when it should've just taken me an hour at most. But according to Ana, it is release management so nothing we can do about it.
The first issue wasn't really an issue, just a business process that they missed. I already did some changes in the code for the second issue and I hope that solves it. *fingers crossed*
05.29.11 Day 149: Slow Down Sometimes, we get so caught up about the future, about where we are headed, that we forget to enjoy where we are at.
This Life is not a race. It is a pleasant walk, a journey. It is not about getting ahead of everyone, not about crossing a finish line. It's about living each day to the fullest. So slow down. Savor every minute, every second, every fraction of a second. Take time to look around. Breathe in the beauty that surrounds you. Smile. :)
05.16.11 Day 136: In The Middle Of My Ride I'm breaking one of my self-imposed rules not to post entire lyrics of a song. I consider this my pick-me-up song and I've been playing it on loop. It expresses exactly how I feel and exactly what I need to hear. If not from a friend, at least from my iPod. Give it a listen. :)
~o0o~
THE MIDDLE Jimmy Eat World
Hey, don't write yourself off yet It's only in your head you feel left out or looked down on Just try your best, try everything you can And don't you worry what they tell themselves when you're away
It just takes some time, little girl you're in the middle of the ride Everything (everything) will be just fine Everything (everything) will be alright (alright)
Hey, you know they're all the same You know you're doing better on your own, so don't buy in Live right now. Yeah, just be yourself It doesn't matter if it's good enough for someone else
It just takes some time, little girl you're in the middle of the ride Everything (everything) will be just fine Everything (everything) will be alright (alright)
Hey, don't write yourself off yet It's only in your head you feel left out or looked down on Just do your best, do everything you can And don't you worry what the bitter hearts are gonna say
It just takes some time, little girl you're in the middle of the ride Everything (everything) will be just fine Everything (everything) will be alright (alright)
05.17.11 Day 137: Lightning Strikes It's been a night filled with tridents of lightning so I thought it's the perfect time to try and capture its beauty. Armed with my camera, a lot of patience and even more luck, I stood outside our house for several minutes hoping to get a decent shot. After about a hundred shots of darkness, I finally got this strike! Cool, eh?
I thought it was going to rain but not a drop fell from the sky. That means Thor just hurled his hammer into something. Or someone. I wonder what's happening up in Asgard... Could Loki still be alive?
"When the lightning strikes we fly I'll drink my beer I'll wipe my tears Southbound in the sky." --- Waiting For The Bus, Eraserheads
05.18.11 Day 138: When It Rains Yesterday's lightning show was a kick-off to tonight's heavy downpour.
05.19.11 Day 139: Shades Ka Ba? Nagdidilim kasi paningin ko kapag nakikita kita eh.
05.20.11 Day 140: Feeling Hungry? Was talking to Jhe about Ate Medi's blog entry on cutting down unnecessary food intake.
Me: "Ginagawa ko ngayon ung nabasa ko sa blog ni Ate Medi. Yung kapag nagugutom, mag-tubig muna." Jhe: "Still feel hungry? Yes? Haha."
Actually, yes. But our free lunch hasn't arrived yet so I had to fight myself against grabbing some snacks. Good thing I had to do some sanity testing, which kept my mind off my growling stomach for a while. After a number of passed items and a couple gulps of water...
Me: "Grabeng kagutuman na ito. Hindi na kaya ng tubig!" Jhe: "Hahaha!"
Went back to my desk and caught a glimpse of a shiny silver pack caught between stacks of papers and notes. A strawberry/banana cereal bar from Thea! Checked the expiration date and I'm 2 days ahead of any molds. Hah! Shared the bar with Jhe and I swear it never tasted that good before! Hehe.
When Kuya Caterer arrived, the smell of food filled the office. And waiting for him finish his preparations felt like forever.
Me: "Kuya, anung food?" Kuya: "Carbonara, Chicken Pandan, Seafood Kebab..." Me: "WAW!" Jhe: "GRABE! Nagulat naman ako sayo..."
Jhe is seated near the pantry and was shocked to find me talking to Kuya and checking out the food. She said she didn't even feel me pass by. Well, I guess the smell of food sent me floating towards the pantry, ala Tom and Jerry. Hehe. Everyone started flocking and falling in line, excited to get their food. Decided to grab a stick of Seafood Kebab while waiting for Derick's call to end. When his call ended, we finally had our turn to enjoy the food. I had Carbonara, Lengua Estofado, Chicken Pandan and uhh-- that's it.
Fine, I'll let you on a little secret. Promise you won't tell? While we were told to get just a stick of Seafood Kebab, and while I already ate my share, I shamelessly got myself another stick! And I know I'm not the only one. Hehe. Ssssshhhh!
05.21.11 Day 141: Grown Ups? Onai is back from Singapore for his younger brother's 7th birthday. She's just here for the weekend and will be flying back to SG by Monday. Naks, iba na maraming pera. How about flying in for lunch this Wednesday? Hehe.
The party was filled with colorful balloons, party hats, parlor games and a famous clown. I never thought you could bring a McDonald's party into your home. Angaling. Hehe. Onai was so busy rushing around, I thought she forgot about us. Wehe. We were only able to sit down with her and catch up after the party.
As we talked about what has been going on in our lives over glasses of *ehem* mango juice, I couldn't help but sit back and smile at the thought that nothing has really changed. We still talk the way we used to talk. We still laugh at the same silly things. And most importantly, we still enjoy each other's company.
Onai: "Bakit ganon? Parang walang nagbago? Parang may pasok pa tayo bukas?"
Hahaha. True. Onai still has her braces on and she still squirms on her seat when she laughs. Noemi is still soft-spoken and demure. Abby still listens well (or at least she appears to be listening well. Hehe.) and still has strong gut feelings about a lot of things. As for me, I still laugh a lot and yes, I still say "tas" for "tapos". I guess we didn't really change. We just grew up.
Onai, Abby and Noemi, it was really nice seeing you guys again. Hopefully, nobody will be missing in action next time we get together. And that parinig goes out to Roxie, Jong and Alpha. Hehe. :P
~o0o~
We were seated in the balcony talking to Tita when Moochie went out to show his artworks.
Tita: "Waw! Ang ganda! Ito yung isa sa Monsters vs. Aliens noh?" Moochie: "Hindi! Parrot yan!" All: "Hahahaha!" **Moochie walked away with his dreams of becoming a painter crashing down**
Lesson learned: Praise a kid's drawing but never EVER assume it to be something. Coz most probably, it isn't what we adults think it is. Just ask and let the kid explain it to you.
Tita: "Waw! Ang ganda! Ano yan?" Moochie: "Parrot! Ito yung mata niya tapos ito yung pakpak niya tapos..." All: "Oo nga noh! Ang galing-galing naman!" **Moochie walks away with his dreams of becoming a painter skyrocketing through the roof**
05.22.11 Day 142: 4give & Celebr8 For the first time, Tito Arnel joined us in church and I thought 'twas kinda providential that the preaching was about Forgiveness. My dad and my uncle often disagree to the point of hating each other's guts. Everytime they argue, they dig each other's past faults, which fires up an already heated argument. Even in silence, even when they're not arguing, I could still feel an uncomfortable tension between them. And it's hard especially since we're living under the same roof. I hope today's preaching made an impact on them. Coz it sure made an impact on me.
God knows I am quick to forgive. Even when a person doesn't show an ounce of remorse, I still choose to forgive. But the problem with me is that I don't "forget". I put that in quotation marks because as much as I want to delete certain events in my memory, I can't. To "forget" means to treat the person who has done you wrong as if nothing happened. And that has always been a struggle for me. I can release a person from my anger but I cannot, with my own strength, release a person from the sin that he/she has done. And now that I think about it, it really doesn't sound like true forgiveness. More like "letting it slide".
I realize that we cannot rely on our own strength to truly forgive others. We need His strength and His grace to forgive others as He has forgiven us.
~o0o~
In other news, Tita Julie surprised Tito Manny with a little celebration for his 59th birthday. She prepared carbonara, waknatoy, garden salad and fruit salad. Did I mention that Tita is a good cook? I skipped the rice but I had two servings of carbonara and waknatoy. Waah. Sira ang diet. But I skipped the rice. Hahaha.
Tito Manny: "Ginutom yata namin kayo." Tita Julie: "Parang hindi pa yata kayo nabusog ha." Mom: "Diet pa yang mga yan sa lagay na yan."
