Life's about choices you just have to deal with the consequences.
I'm thinking about that while I'm stuck with my paper due tomorrow. Imagine paying for high tuition fees for a subject that you don't get to meet with your professor but you're supposed to submit a weekly paper (via email) that summarizes two articles/journals/chapter of the book..whatever. You also have to give a critique and a reaction. If only she didn't specify that "finding the article too boring" doesn't count as a reaction, my "reactions" in the paper will be longer than what she's asking for. AAArrrgh!!Really... I asked my classmates if they're learning something from this and you can probably guess their response.
Of course life is about choices but I couldn't and wouldn't dare fail this last subject for my masters.
Jan 27, 2006
Life's Simple Joys
2005 had been a wonderful year for me. It marked our first year as husband and wife and he took me to Palawan to celebrate. We’ve been coordinating for more than a year and earned the trust of many couples. I switched job and finally reached supervisory level at my ideally set age. I’ve renewed my friendship with my bestfriend and after 3 years of being away from each other we finally got the hang of how to communicate and be the best of friends overseas. We had new toys like our play station & xda’s. Almost finished all my academic subjects if not for La Salle who didn’t offer my last 2 subjects last term. Improved relationship with my mom and brother. Aand a lot more things I’m so thankful to the Lord everyday!
I was so confident our life was going the way we planned it. For my birthday this year we were planning to go to –Antonio’s in Tagaytay or Baguio driving our own car. Actually Ryan is even insisting going out of town like Boracay or Davao especially when he was able to close a project at the end of the year, received plenty of bonuses etc. We exceeded our target for the year and to mark it, after Christmas, he took me shopping and I was able to buy 3 pairs of shoes including my first boots that looked very very sexy matching it with jeans or nice fitting slacks. Life was so fast tracked and God told us to slow down…my mother-in-law collapsed a had a stroke. Suddenly the abundance of material things and the promise of a luxurious living beyond what we grew up in didn’t matter. I took it hard. I am not a materialistic girl who have to acquire a lot to be happy (although I must admit that I can be a gadget queen once in a while as some of my former officemates labelled me) but one common thing about me and Ryan is that we have big dreams. We have a perfect picture of how we want life to be.
Tomorrow I’m turning 26. For a girl who grew up always celebrating birthdays with a bang (because my family always made a big deal out of birthdays) I should be crying my heart out not having a grand day tomorrow but I’m not. Check out how I celebrated d-day last year . I even asked myself if I’m sure I’m not sad or anything close to that. How do I want to celebrate it? I want to hear mass at Greenbelt chapel (my favorite sanctuary). Before Christmas I wanted to have my hair fixed it’s so unruly na! I don’t think “beautification” is an option. I want to have ice cream! My favorite Coffee Crumble. Pag ginanahan ako I will make myself buko pandan or any salad and finally I want to play Harvest Moon all day! I want to have a hot stone massage at Fitness First since we bought a whole year worth of massage anyway and I haven’t used it for this month. (Kaso lang as if nagpa-sched ako…hello!) Back to reality naman kse the next day, I have to finish my weekly assignment due on Monday otherwise lagi akong absent ng Monday like what I recently did. Hehehe…quiet!
So is happiness a choice? A debatable question my professor asked us in my Positive Psychology. Sometimes when you don’t plan to be happy things that can and will make you happy comes to you. Most days it comes as a choice. You can dwell all you want on the things that make you feel bad or you can be happy despite of… You don’t have to consciously do it because happiness is so strong that it becomes spontaneous.
The experience of losing everything we have and even owing what we don’t have yet made me have a better perspective on things. In some ways it validated our marriage and strengthened our vows(for better or for worst kind of stuff). I have loved and lost so many times (and I’m not talking about the guys I stumbled upon before I found my perfect match.) Lola, Tita Glecy and my Lolo all passed on and left a remarkable statement at different points of my life. Life is short and everything has an end. It’s a lesson I need to be reminded of once in a while.
As I slowed down these past few days there are things I took note:
~the joysss of having a wonderful man as my husband who is strong to face the trials yet gentle in his ways of showing love to me and his family
~the joy of finally having a great boss, who trusts me, listens to me, guides me and respects me. Who can be as professional in dealing with HR matters that are so emotionally and mentally draining and be a friend who listens to my heartaches and shares her own. Making me forget how chaotic our organization is!
~the joy of having my mom visit the house frequently and taste the home cooked meals we never tasted before because she was so busy with work when we were kids. Even if I still have better culinary skills than her…hahaha! conceited!
~the joy of being able to relate to my teenage younger brother who is so guarded most of the times.
~the joy of being closer to my in-laws starting from my sisters-in-law, father-in-law and the rest of the extended family. Getting one step closer to completely understanding their dialect. Nakakarelate na ako kahit papano!
~the joy of watching Jewel in the Palace with a very excited and eager Ryan! Geez it has to be said that my husband and I are soo hooked …hmmm last year I was like this with Lovers in Paris.
~the joy of finally having somebody to help around the house especially now that my time is not only divided by schoolwork since we also frequent the hospital after office.
I can talk endlessly about the blessings I received and it seems that counting all my blessings it can be my birthday everyday, with or without the celebration and definitely without the ageing!
I’m just happy and I’m at peace. More than I thought I'd be on my birthday. For now I let life come to me but I make sure I make the most out of it and live it to the fullest! God knows best and I have all the love in the world my heart could ever contain. That's enough to keep me going and be happy.
I was so confident our life was going the way we planned it. For my birthday this year we were planning to go to –Antonio’s in Tagaytay or Baguio driving our own car. Actually Ryan is even insisting going out of town like Boracay or Davao especially when he was able to close a project at the end of the year, received plenty of bonuses etc. We exceeded our target for the year and to mark it, after Christmas, he took me shopping and I was able to buy 3 pairs of shoes including my first boots that looked very very sexy matching it with jeans or nice fitting slacks. Life was so fast tracked and God told us to slow down…my mother-in-law collapsed a had a stroke. Suddenly the abundance of material things and the promise of a luxurious living beyond what we grew up in didn’t matter. I took it hard. I am not a materialistic girl who have to acquire a lot to be happy (although I must admit that I can be a gadget queen once in a while as some of my former officemates labelled me) but one common thing about me and Ryan is that we have big dreams. We have a perfect picture of how we want life to be.
Tomorrow I’m turning 26. For a girl who grew up always celebrating birthdays with a bang (because my family always made a big deal out of birthdays) I should be crying my heart out not having a grand day tomorrow but I’m not. Check out how I celebrated d-day last year . I even asked myself if I’m sure I’m not sad or anything close to that. How do I want to celebrate it? I want to hear mass at Greenbelt chapel (my favorite sanctuary). Before Christmas I wanted to have my hair fixed it’s so unruly na! I don’t think “beautification” is an option. I want to have ice cream! My favorite Coffee Crumble. Pag ginanahan ako I will make myself buko pandan or any salad and finally I want to play Harvest Moon all day! I want to have a hot stone massage at Fitness First since we bought a whole year worth of massage anyway and I haven’t used it for this month. (Kaso lang as if nagpa-sched ako…hello!) Back to reality naman kse the next day, I have to finish my weekly assignment due on Monday otherwise lagi akong absent ng Monday like what I recently did. Hehehe…quiet!
So is happiness a choice? A debatable question my professor asked us in my Positive Psychology. Sometimes when you don’t plan to be happy things that can and will make you happy comes to you. Most days it comes as a choice. You can dwell all you want on the things that make you feel bad or you can be happy despite of… You don’t have to consciously do it because happiness is so strong that it becomes spontaneous.
The experience of losing everything we have and even owing what we don’t have yet made me have a better perspective on things. In some ways it validated our marriage and strengthened our vows(for better or for worst kind of stuff). I have loved and lost so many times (and I’m not talking about the guys I stumbled upon before I found my perfect match.) Lola, Tita Glecy and my Lolo all passed on and left a remarkable statement at different points of my life. Life is short and everything has an end. It’s a lesson I need to be reminded of once in a while.
As I slowed down these past few days there are things I took note:
~the joysss of having a wonderful man as my husband who is strong to face the trials yet gentle in his ways of showing love to me and his family
~the joy of finally having a great boss, who trusts me, listens to me, guides me and respects me. Who can be as professional in dealing with HR matters that are so emotionally and mentally draining and be a friend who listens to my heartaches and shares her own. Making me forget how chaotic our organization is!
~the joy of having my mom visit the house frequently and taste the home cooked meals we never tasted before because she was so busy with work when we were kids. Even if I still have better culinary skills than her…hahaha! conceited!
~the joy of being able to relate to my teenage younger brother who is so guarded most of the times.
~the joy of being closer to my in-laws starting from my sisters-in-law, father-in-law and the rest of the extended family. Getting one step closer to completely understanding their dialect. Nakakarelate na ako kahit papano!
~the joy of watching Jewel in the Palace with a very excited and eager Ryan! Geez it has to be said that my husband and I are soo hooked …hmmm last year I was like this with Lovers in Paris.
~the joy of finally having somebody to help around the house especially now that my time is not only divided by schoolwork since we also frequent the hospital after office.
I can talk endlessly about the blessings I received and it seems that counting all my blessings it can be my birthday everyday, with or without the celebration and definitely without the ageing!
I’m just happy and I’m at peace. More than I thought I'd be on my birthday. For now I let life come to me but I make sure I make the most out of it and live it to the fullest! God knows best and I have all the love in the world my heart could ever contain. That's enough to keep me going and be happy.
Jan 20, 2006
Stolen Shot
Background music:...pretty woman walking down the street..pretty woman..
Yes! Stolen shot yan alangan naman magposing-posing pa ako while crossing the street eh di nasagasaan ako da vah?!. I'm just a happy-walker..hehehe. Actually I'm posting this because this might be the last picture/evidence you will see me sane.
How timely I'm studying psychopathology and I feel I'll be diagnosing myself with a disorder listed in the DSM-IV anytime soon. I need an outlet!! Healthy outlet ba ang studies ko if all our 2-chapter-thick-readings per subject are so full of medical jargon that I have to look up and visualize before I could connect with mental disorder or behavior?? I'm not just talking about simple anatomy or biological traces here ha...the intricacies of it pa. Then again I'm just fooling myself that this is what's bothering me. Forgive the incoherence of this post.. yaiks symptoms na ito ng cognitive dysfunction!waaah!
Jan 16, 2006
Would appreciate your PRAYERS...
If it's been a while since I posted, it will take a lot longer before I could update this again. I've been really busy even if I have so many stories to tell. Being busy is one thing but having a crisis in our life is another.
My mother-in-law, Ruby was rushed to the hospital last January 6 (Friday). It was after office and as usual Ryan and I can't wait to get home because we fight over who plays first with the playstation. However, before Ryan picked me up (literally as he was walking towards our office) he was informed that mama fainted at the restroom of Select along North Luzon Expressway. He gave instructions that she be brought immediately to a nearby hospital. They were somewhere in Bulacan. Worried that he doesn't know how to get there he decided not to take me along despite my protests. We never imagined it was that bad. I was even thinking that maybe it's okay to be left behind since we have a wedding the next day. I wanted him to have dinner first and prepare his bag at least for an overnight but Ryan was too anxious that he just wanted to be there immediately. He was on the road and we were in constant communication when he told me that it is aneurysm and they are transferring her to another hospital in Marilao where they could attend to her case. I was in stupor. I am not exaggerating but except for talking to Clarice I did nothing. I was scared and I wanted to be there as well. I asked my aunt if she could take me to Marilao but I could hear fatigue in her voice already. She is willing to but the car has to be fixed and she's waiting for a phone patch for her nightly radio program. I waited and I even looked for a van or car for rent. It's already 10PM! I ended up doing nothing...I figured it's too much to ask my aunt to drive me to Marilao when she still has work the next day even if she had the car fixed for me. I cancelled on our wedding. I plan to go there first thing in the morning. I finally fell asleep past 2AM.
That felt like ages ago...now after another series of events she's now confined at the UST Public Hospital. Her anuerysm left undiagnosed because they initially had to evacuate the hemmorage in the brain after she deteriorated so instantly before us so the angiogram that could localize the problem cannot be done unless she improves. The weight of all the decision (from the simplest to the most complex life & death call) was given to Ryan. Maybe in shock or in confusion his father can't decide anymore, which is understandable. Lola wants to be involved yet emotionally cannot handle it. Ryan has to be the strong one. We never faced any tougher role than this. The decision maker and financial provider. While Ryan tries hard to be strong for them I try hard to be strong for Ryan and there are days that tears cannot help but fall.
Though we are hoping for a miracle we are not praying for one. I'm happy that Ryan knows that God has His own will. We are praying that if mama stays with us that she recovers soon and not suffer like that but if He wants to take her already then don't make it such an agony to her and the family. There are many things to thank Him for like helping mama be stable enough to get transferred to UST, the love and concern of the entire family both mama & papa's side, the financial assistance that is coming in that helps somehow, the support of my family and friends that really really means a lot, the staff of UST Hospital who are all so good and vanished all our misconceptions on Charity Wards...As much as we thank Him for all the good things it's so hard to move pass cloudy thoughts. To worry about our future when all that we've put up are going down the drain. To worry if there is enough help to financially support the procedure mama still has to undergo. To worry if mama can physically endure all of what needs to be done to her...Difficult or hard doesn't even come close to how we would describe it but in life you cannot just choose your battles. I just pray we'll know how to fight ours.
My mother-in-law, Ruby was rushed to the hospital last January 6 (Friday). It was after office and as usual Ryan and I can't wait to get home because we fight over who plays first with the playstation. However, before Ryan picked me up (literally as he was walking towards our office) he was informed that mama fainted at the restroom of Select along North Luzon Expressway. He gave instructions that she be brought immediately to a nearby hospital. They were somewhere in Bulacan. Worried that he doesn't know how to get there he decided not to take me along despite my protests. We never imagined it was that bad. I was even thinking that maybe it's okay to be left behind since we have a wedding the next day. I wanted him to have dinner first and prepare his bag at least for an overnight but Ryan was too anxious that he just wanted to be there immediately. He was on the road and we were in constant communication when he told me that it is aneurysm and they are transferring her to another hospital in Marilao where they could attend to her case. I was in stupor. I am not exaggerating but except for talking to Clarice I did nothing. I was scared and I wanted to be there as well. I asked my aunt if she could take me to Marilao but I could hear fatigue in her voice already. She is willing to but the car has to be fixed and she's waiting for a phone patch for her nightly radio program. I waited and I even looked for a van or car for rent. It's already 10PM! I ended up doing nothing...I figured it's too much to ask my aunt to drive me to Marilao when she still has work the next day even if she had the car fixed for me. I cancelled on our wedding. I plan to go there first thing in the morning. I finally fell asleep past 2AM.
That felt like ages ago...now after another series of events she's now confined at the UST Public Hospital. Her anuerysm left undiagnosed because they initially had to evacuate the hemmorage in the brain after she deteriorated so instantly before us so the angiogram that could localize the problem cannot be done unless she improves. The weight of all the decision (from the simplest to the most complex life & death call) was given to Ryan. Maybe in shock or in confusion his father can't decide anymore, which is understandable. Lola wants to be involved yet emotionally cannot handle it. Ryan has to be the strong one. We never faced any tougher role than this. The decision maker and financial provider. While Ryan tries hard to be strong for them I try hard to be strong for Ryan and there are days that tears cannot help but fall.
Though we are hoping for a miracle we are not praying for one. I'm happy that Ryan knows that God has His own will. We are praying that if mama stays with us that she recovers soon and not suffer like that but if He wants to take her already then don't make it such an agony to her and the family. There are many things to thank Him for like helping mama be stable enough to get transferred to UST, the love and concern of the entire family both mama & papa's side, the financial assistance that is coming in that helps somehow, the support of my family and friends that really really means a lot, the staff of UST Hospital who are all so good and vanished all our misconceptions on Charity Wards...As much as we thank Him for all the good things it's so hard to move pass cloudy thoughts. To worry about our future when all that we've put up are going down the drain. To worry if there is enough help to financially support the procedure mama still has to undergo. To worry if mama can physically endure all of what needs to be done to her...Difficult or hard doesn't even come close to how we would describe it but in life you cannot just choose your battles. I just pray we'll know how to fight ours.
Dec 5, 2005
Unforgivable
Ewan ko kung mapapatawad ko pa si Ryan sa ginawa nya.
To think I gave him all my love and care...
I gave him all the support because he wanted to reach the top. I know he'll be very happy if he succeed so I did not hold back. I did everything and took his goals very seriously. Kinareer ko ang pagtulong sa kanya.
Tapos nung mabuking ko ang kalokohan nya tumawa lng ng tumawa. Sinadya nya talaga...may intentions na sya! Nilinlang nya ako!
Well di na sya makakaulit sa akin!
Sa susunod na humingi pa sya ng tulong sa akin para maka-hiscore sa text twist sisiguraduhin ko na xda nya yung ginagamit nya at hindi sa akin. At lagi ko nang itatago xda ko from him... Grrr...tlga! Ang sipag pa naman nyang bunuin yung mga 3 letter words eh ako makuha ko lng yung 6 letter words ninenext game ko na. Huhuhuhu...super layo ng hi-score nya sa hi-score ko!
Hay naku Ryan may araw ka din sa akin! Mwahaha. (evil laugh)
To think I gave him all my love and care...
I gave him all the support because he wanted to reach the top. I know he'll be very happy if he succeed so I did not hold back. I did everything and took his goals very seriously. Kinareer ko ang pagtulong sa kanya.
Tapos nung mabuking ko ang kalokohan nya tumawa lng ng tumawa. Sinadya nya talaga...may intentions na sya! Nilinlang nya ako!
Well di na sya makakaulit sa akin!
Sa susunod na humingi pa sya ng tulong sa akin para maka-hiscore sa text twist sisiguraduhin ko na xda nya yung ginagamit nya at hindi sa akin. At lagi ko nang itatago xda ko from him... Grrr...tlga! Ang sipag pa naman nyang bunuin yung mga 3 letter words eh ako makuha ko lng yung 6 letter words ninenext game ko na. Huhuhuhu...super layo ng hi-score nya sa hi-score ko!
Hay naku Ryan may araw ka din sa akin! Mwahaha. (evil laugh)
Dec 1, 2005
Tough job! Tough girl?
An HR job is really not for everybody and I am starting to wonder if it's even for me.
Back in 2000 when I started as an HR Assistant I realized that this job makes enemies. No matter how nice you are, the better HR you become the more they hate you. A fresh grad like me was so shocked that I got confronted by a manager mediated by our Controller. Siding the management or the people is something we can't do. So it begins....
Five years passed and I'm still here despite my claims that I'd rather teach than work in an office. What I do love about the job is the chance to actually help people. Exactly why I took up Psychology. Here kasi you make enemies with some and you are the bestfriend of some. You get to be the enemy for not giving employees what they want. They complain about something, request for something or wants something in the system changed and if they don't get it you're the antagonist. Most of people forget that HR's do defend their position (if it's reasonable) to management but we can't bad mouth management to them or totally demotivate them by agreeing with them. Would you prefer that the person you consult always agree with what you say or promise to give you what you wanted but at the back of their mind really oppose you? The thing is I defend both sides to both sides. I make both sides see what they are not seeing.
The other day I had this very good conversation with my boss who is now my new idol. I was so moved by the things that she told me. I never did understand her at first, the same err most people commit towards HR people, but this talk changed everything. She made me see obvious things that we tend to miss out. Like, I could choose to be the most popular person in the crowd or I could choose to do the right thing even if it means contradicting what people are saying. She's the perfect example of the nicest person on earth yet so unpopular among the employees. She taught me how to make careful judgements about people and not assume anything unless it's based on facts. She taught me that our job requires us to take the fall if its' for the company's good. She taught me that if we can say bad things about another person then we are capable of saying bad things against anybody's back.
What breaks my heart though is in the past five years there are always people who doesn't look beyond what you do and see who you really are. Who judge you not for the choices you are compelled to make as a call of duty but for the friend that you can be.
Surprisingly though, for whatever "political?" reason I'm being outcasted lately, I'm not bothered and I'm not crying. (Being the cry baby that I am) I haven't even mentioned it to Ryan kasi I totally don't remember it when I go home. But if my theory is correct, which I really really hope it isn't, then I pity the people who cannot think for themselves and just goes with the flow.
Yes, I'll be sticking around. Another wise manager once told me that it could be worst out there than here. For as long as I have a good paying job and a very sensible boss I'll be here. Hoping that one day I can make a difference.
Back in 2000 when I started as an HR Assistant I realized that this job makes enemies. No matter how nice you are, the better HR you become the more they hate you. A fresh grad like me was so shocked that I got confronted by a manager mediated by our Controller. Siding the management or the people is something we can't do. So it begins....
Five years passed and I'm still here despite my claims that I'd rather teach than work in an office. What I do love about the job is the chance to actually help people. Exactly why I took up Psychology. Here kasi you make enemies with some and you are the bestfriend of some. You get to be the enemy for not giving employees what they want. They complain about something, request for something or wants something in the system changed and if they don't get it you're the antagonist. Most of people forget that HR's do defend their position (if it's reasonable) to management but we can't bad mouth management to them or totally demotivate them by agreeing with them. Would you prefer that the person you consult always agree with what you say or promise to give you what you wanted but at the back of their mind really oppose you? The thing is I defend both sides to both sides. I make both sides see what they are not seeing.
The other day I had this very good conversation with my boss who is now my new idol. I was so moved by the things that she told me. I never did understand her at first, the same err most people commit towards HR people, but this talk changed everything. She made me see obvious things that we tend to miss out. Like, I could choose to be the most popular person in the crowd or I could choose to do the right thing even if it means contradicting what people are saying. She's the perfect example of the nicest person on earth yet so unpopular among the employees. She taught me how to make careful judgements about people and not assume anything unless it's based on facts. She taught me that our job requires us to take the fall if its' for the company's good. She taught me that if we can say bad things about another person then we are capable of saying bad things against anybody's back.
What breaks my heart though is in the past five years there are always people who doesn't look beyond what you do and see who you really are. Who judge you not for the choices you are compelled to make as a call of duty but for the friend that you can be.
Surprisingly though, for whatever "political?" reason I'm being outcasted lately, I'm not bothered and I'm not crying. (Being the cry baby that I am) I haven't even mentioned it to Ryan kasi I totally don't remember it when I go home. But if my theory is correct, which I really really hope it isn't, then I pity the people who cannot think for themselves and just goes with the flow.
Yes, I'll be sticking around. Another wise manager once told me that it could be worst out there than here. For as long as I have a good paying job and a very sensible boss I'll be here. Hoping that one day I can make a difference.
Oct 22, 2005
Tidbits
I think it was a great idea to go out and have lunch with the people I worked with for almost four years.
Though not everybody were able to join us we superbly enjoyed each other's company and promised to schedule another one with the growing number of XNSP people...hehe! Immediately after being with them made me yearn for the things I've been missing:
1. Unlimited technical support for my gadgets!! (badly need one for my new toy)
2. New movies & tv series that I can watch during lunch break
3. Wearing casual clothes everyday or in my case at least every Friday because I enjoy naman wearing corporate clothes and dressing up.
Then again don't get me started with the things I'm grateful to miss...hehehe!
**********
Having this for a view
while having lunch with Aze and Adonnis made me feel guilty that we can afford the luxury while they're down there fighting off the harsh effects EVAT will do to their already impoverished state. Note that I don't make political statements here because I do feel hopeless and helpless that I don't even want to think about it. Hopefully my Phil. History professor who gave me a flat one for her very revolutionary subject (maybe seeing that I can make a difference) doesn't read this. If she does I'll tell her that I at least followed one of her advice -- not marrying someone from school (whatever she meant by that advice).
**********
Although internet access here at the office is not so limited or secured I can't believe how terrible the connection is. As much as I want to use YM instead of MSN (kse wala naman ako friends na naka-MSN huhuhu) my YM doesn't work! I can sign in and send messages but can't read the text I am typing, sending or receiving...how useless! So Ryan and I made an MSN account at the same time I asked my best friends Auie and Cid to have one too. So sila lng ang friends ko dun...hahaha! Ryan and I do not need to call each other all the time because of this. If we feel like it sa chat na lng kme nagkukulitan so as not to disturb each other if the other one is very busy with work (kse you can easily shoo each other off). However, our connection nowadays is fluctuating after I send a message to him I get cutoff unable to read his response. Instead of getting pissed off I can't help but laugh everytime because he named our network after one popular island in Puerto Princesa, Palawan - luli (for lulubog lilitaw). He added: Grabe kung ganyan ang network namin dito last day ko na siguro! (how true!)
**********
Just would like to congratulate my married friends who now have very cute babies! Puro boys?!! For now I'll be content gushing at them because can't imagine myself being a mother just yet...maybe next week..haha! Or at least when I'm brave enough to endure the birthing pain...Just thinking about it makes me quiver. Yaiks!
Ethan of Joey & Cecil
Ali of Denise & Aldo
Nino of Monet & Anton
*************************************************
It took me weeks to post this (all because I want to finish my Palawan story first)! I now have my YM courtesy of the net-ads I befriended...sshhh!You can always catch me online everyday but I may be too pre-occupied to reply! Plus I can install any program I want.
Though not everybody were able to join us we superbly enjoyed each other's company and promised to schedule another one with the growing number of XNSP people...hehe! Immediately after being with them made me yearn for the things I've been missing:1. Unlimited technical support for my gadgets!! (badly need one for my new toy)
2. New movies & tv series that I can watch during lunch break
3. Wearing casual clothes everyday or in my case at least every Friday because I enjoy naman wearing corporate clothes and dressing up.
Then again don't get me started with the things I'm grateful to miss...hehehe!
**********
Having this for a view
while having lunch with Aze and Adonnis made me feel guilty that we can afford the luxury while they're down there fighting off the harsh effects EVAT will do to their already impoverished state. Note that I don't make political statements here because I do feel hopeless and helpless that I don't even want to think about it. Hopefully my Phil. History professor who gave me a flat one for her very revolutionary subject (maybe seeing that I can make a difference) doesn't read this. If she does I'll tell her that I at least followed one of her advice -- not marrying someone from school (whatever she meant by that advice).**********
Although internet access here at the office is not so limited or secured I can't believe how terrible the connection is. As much as I want to use YM instead of MSN (kse wala naman ako friends na naka-MSN huhuhu) my YM doesn't work! I can sign in and send messages but can't read the text I am typing, sending or receiving...how useless! So Ryan and I made an MSN account at the same time I asked my best friends Auie and Cid to have one too. So sila lng ang friends ko dun...hahaha! Ryan and I do not need to call each other all the time because of this. If we feel like it sa chat na lng kme nagkukulitan so as not to disturb each other if the other one is very busy with work (kse you can easily shoo each other off). However, our connection nowadays is fluctuating after I send a message to him I get cutoff unable to read his response. Instead of getting pissed off I can't help but laugh everytime because he named our network after one popular island in Puerto Princesa, Palawan - luli (for lulubog lilitaw). He added: Grabe kung ganyan ang network namin dito last day ko na siguro! (how true!)
**********
Just would like to congratulate my married friends who now have very cute babies! Puro boys?!! For now I'll be content gushing at them because can't imagine myself being a mother just yet...maybe next week..haha! Or at least when I'm brave enough to endure the birthing pain...Just thinking about it makes me quiver. Yaiks!
Ethan of Joey & Cecil
Ali of Denise & Aldo
Nino of Monet & Anton
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It took me weeks to post this (all because I want to finish my Palawan story first)! I now have my YM courtesy of the net-ads I befriended...sshhh!You can always catch me online everyday but I may be too pre-occupied to reply! Plus I can install any program I want.
Oct 20, 2005
Celebration for two (Part II)
Day two at Palawan
It's 6:00 am and it's really happening...I don't want to wake up but we have to. Waaah!
Today we're supposed to go to the underground river. The longest underground river in the world! So I took a quick shower, woke Ryan up and packed our bags for the day. Then we realized we forgot to charge the digicam. Hoping to at least charge it for a while, we left it in the room and had breakfast.
I ordered adobo flakes & Ryan ordered his favorite continental breakfast (w/ bacon). They didn't have adobo flakes yet so I settled for the corned beef hashed. The place was packed. We recognized some folks we were with at the crocodile farm.
Already in hurry, we went back for our things and of course the digicam. We we're informed that for each tour the minimum is 6 people so we were with other groups on that day. Our guide even introduced us to them as honeymooners...mega-react naman kme kse mas maganda accommodations namin nung honeymoon noh?! Haha..kidding aside, we set them straight telling them that it's our anniversary trip.
Hayy ang sarap ng feeling! Ryan and I were so hyper kulitan kme ng kulitan. Our tour guide informed us that we'll make a quick stop at the grocery store to buy water or snacks but Ryan and I need not go down because our bags are packed with Pringles, a big bottle of absolute water and a few bars of Cadbury. Lunch was included in the tour. Bringing enough food has been my habit since elementary...sabi nga ng mga nagiging seatmates ko "takot daw ako magutom" my bag was always full of something to eat.
It was a looong and rough trip. We were all laughing at the expertise of our driver who, despite the very very rocky road, drives like he's at North Luzon Expressway. Nobody argued with him when he told us that if he drives a little slower, then we would all feel how bad the road was and feel dizzier than we are now.
This is where we stopped to appreciate the bumpy road we have endured so far
and to see that there's more! Of course our trusty tripod is doing its thing. While the other groups are having difficulty taking pictures of themselves, already embarrased of asking our tour guide to do it for them, Ryan and I just keeps on posing and taking shots. Our tour guide said that the government is developing that far side of the mountain as a bird sanctuary and maybe early next year offer that as one of the tours in Palawan.
We travelled for almost another hour after the stop. We are so grateful of the small patches of cemented road because we were able to rest not only our butts but also our ears. You can really say the travel was stressful. Finally we reached the Sabang wharf. Before we went down we were all putting off lotion afraid that we encounter unfriendly mosquitos that cost Reyster Langit's life. Deadma sa Coppertone! At the wharf, an English speaking girl approached our companion and asked her.."Hey wer ar ya from?" with the accent and all...only to find out the girl was a Palawan native. We kept on teasing the little girl that we thought she's from Jamaica because of her hair and english accent. We even told her to let us go first kse taga-Palawan naman sya. Ang kulit nung bata!(Check them out at the background of our picture below)
The underground river was a short hike away. 
Although our guide said that there are monkeys and monitor lizards in this area we didn't see one on our way to the cave.
It's time to explore the St. Paul's underground river! The boat goes inside the cave for about 45 minutes, we were told that we will not see the entire stretch of the underground river, after all it was 8.2 kilometers! Our boatman asked us who wanted to hold the light and all of our companions who were girls refused, insisting that Ryan holds it because he's the only guy. I'm glad we did! We sat in front of the boat and he
ld the spotlight plugged in Motolite battery. The advantage of holding the light was I could choose to point it towards whatever direction I want to check out or where Ryan wants to take picture. Though, the disadvantage is that the light gets hot. Good thing I have a small towel with me. Out of excitement I totally forgot that our digicam's flash can be adjusted. Since it was soooo dark inside we only had a few good shots. Mr. Boatman was sooo kwela pero pramis sobrang corny ng jokes na tipong sya yung pinagtatawanan namin at hindi yung jokes nya. Well, for anxious tourist I'm sure his jokes could at least calm them down. I just wonder how he'll entertain foreigners because all his "cave jokes" were in tagalog.
The cave was so marvelous inside. We could see all the sleeping bats hanging at the ceiling. The rock formations were beautiful especially the part they call Cathedral where you could make out saints, angels and even the holy family. Some tourist insist on going down there because the Cathedral was pretty much a big mountain of stone with plenty of rock formations. However, there are plenty of tarantulas in the area, a topic I would rather not discuss nor hear about. In fact, the information made me so eager to get out of the cave...at least before I realized that they cant swim. We were lucky enough to have the cave all to ourselves because on our way out there were 3 boats coming in and it could be a little noisy to hear what your boatman is explaining.
It was time for lunch and now we saw all the monkeys and monitor lizards. We were warned to hold on to our things because the monkeys are very good snatchers. They are very attracted to plastic bags. So our bags were in our laps while we ate. After lunch and no incident of snatching happened in the picnic area I placed my bag beside me but I was still holding it just to be sure. Unfortunately, the unopened pringles was exposed and I didn't feel that someone was already pulling it discretely. Ryan just called my attention because he was trying to pull it from the monkey. The pringles was in between me & Ryan and may sandalan pa yung wooden bench. It was hard to imagine how the can of pringles fit between the small space of the wood yet the monkey succeeded. Ryan, underestimating the small monkey's strength was defeated in the very quick tug of war for the Pringles. Suddenly ALL of the monkeys ran toward the direction were the thief headed. While we all wondered how they will open the can, Ryan was so pissed that he wasn't able to eat at least half of it before it got stolen. Tsk tsk...what an unforgettable experience for my dear husband who loves Pringles so much.
Shopping time! We had a little boat incident going back to the wharf because the engine won't start and we were stuck for about 10-15mins in the sea...well, as long as I could still see the shore I wasn't worried. Sabang wharf has the cheapest Palawan shirts & other souvenirs...ummm..sadly, when we left our XDA's at the vault he also left my wallet without grabbing the cash. We didn't realize it sooner because we didn't buy anything from the grocery that morning. So I told Ryan I will look around and if I liked anything....sheesh this is so embarrasing to put here but out of desperation I will borrow money from the other girls. And I did, I sooo wanted to buy the fushia pink baby tee with matching white one for Ryan. Swallowing my pride and all...I borrowed money from the people I just met this morning. Grabe! Even Ryan was embarrassed with what I did but I can't resist buying the tees. I wanted to buy too for pasalubong but was worried because we were told we are going to passby the Vietnam Village on our way back. Viet Ville had killer garlic french breads that can compete with French Baker but there was not much to see so we just bought their famous french breads.
While Ryan will never forget the monkey who stole his Pringles, I will never forget borrowing money from a new acquaintance. As soon as we stepped in the hotel, I rushed to the reception desk to get my wallet and immediately gave back the money I borrowed.
Dinner time for day 2 was at Kina Butch. Restaurants here at Palawan have funny sounding names huh?
to be continued...
It's 6:00 am and it's really happening...I don't want to wake up but we have to. Waaah!
Today we're supposed to go to the underground river. The longest underground river in the world! So I took a quick shower, woke Ryan up and packed our bags for the day. Then we realized we forgot to charge the digicam. Hoping to at least charge it for a while, we left it in the room and had breakfast.
I ordered adobo flakes & Ryan ordered his favorite continental breakfast (w/ bacon). They didn't have adobo flakes yet so I settled for the corned beef hashed. The place was packed. We recognized some folks we were with at the crocodile farm.
Already in hurry, we went back for our things and of course the digicam. We we're informed that for each tour the minimum is 6 people so we were with other groups on that day. Our guide even introduced us to them as honeymooners...mega-react naman kme kse mas maganda accommodations namin nung honeymoon noh?! Haha..kidding aside, we set them straight telling them that it's our anniversary trip.
Hayy ang sarap ng feeling! Ryan and I were so hyper kulitan kme ng kulitan. Our tour guide informed us that we'll make a quick stop at the grocery store to buy water or snacks but Ryan and I need not go down because our bags are packed with Pringles, a big bottle of absolute water and a few bars of Cadbury. Lunch was included in the tour. Bringing enough food has been my habit since elementary...sabi nga ng mga nagiging seatmates ko "takot daw ako magutom" my bag was always full of something to eat.
It was a looong and rough trip. We were all laughing at the expertise of our driver who, despite the very very rocky road, drives like he's at North Luzon Expressway. Nobody argued with him when he told us that if he drives a little slower, then we would all feel how bad the road was and feel dizzier than we are now.
This is where we stopped to appreciate the bumpy road we have endured so far
and to see that there's more! Of course our trusty tripod is doing its thing. While the other groups are having difficulty taking pictures of themselves, already embarrased of asking our tour guide to do it for them, Ryan and I just keeps on posing and taking shots. Our tour guide said that the government is developing that far side of the mountain as a bird sanctuary and maybe early next year offer that as one of the tours in Palawan.We travelled for almost another hour after the stop. We are so grateful of the small patches of cemented road because we were able to rest not only our butts but also our ears. You can really say the travel was stressful. Finally we reached the Sabang wharf. Before we went down we were all putting off lotion afraid that we encounter unfriendly mosquitos that cost Reyster Langit's life. Deadma sa Coppertone! At the wharf, an English speaking girl approached our companion and asked her.."Hey wer ar ya from?" with the accent and all...only to find out the girl was a Palawan native. We kept on teasing the little girl that we thought she's from Jamaica because of her hair and english accent. We even told her to let us go first kse taga-Palawan naman sya. Ang kulit nung bata!(Check them out at the background of our picture below)
The underground river was a short hike away. 
Although our guide said that there are monkeys and monitor lizards in this area we didn't see one on our way to the cave.It's time to explore the St. Paul's underground river! The boat goes inside the cave for about 45 minutes, we were told that we will not see the entire stretch of the underground river, after all it was 8.2 kilometers! Our boatman asked us who wanted to hold the light and all of our companions who were girls refused, insisting that Ryan holds it because he's the only guy. I'm glad we did! We sat in front of the boat and he
ld the spotlight plugged in Motolite battery. The advantage of holding the light was I could choose to point it towards whatever direction I want to check out or where Ryan wants to take picture. Though, the disadvantage is that the light gets hot. Good thing I have a small towel with me. Out of excitement I totally forgot that our digicam's flash can be adjusted. Since it was soooo dark inside we only had a few good shots. Mr. Boatman was sooo kwela pero pramis sobrang corny ng jokes na tipong sya yung pinagtatawanan namin at hindi yung jokes nya. Well, for anxious tourist I'm sure his jokes could at least calm them down. I just wonder how he'll entertain foreigners because all his "cave jokes" were in tagalog.
The cave was so marvelous inside. We could see all the sleeping bats hanging at the ceiling. The rock formations were beautiful especially the part they call Cathedral where you could make out saints, angels and even the holy family. Some tourist insist on going down there because the Cathedral was pretty much a big mountain of stone with plenty of rock formations. However, there are plenty of tarantulas in the area, a topic I would rather not discuss nor hear about. In fact, the information made me so eager to get out of the cave...at least before I realized that they cant swim. We were lucky enough to have the cave all to ourselves because on our way out there were 3 boats coming in and it could be a little noisy to hear what your boatman is explaining.
It was time for lunch and now we saw all the monkeys and monitor lizards. We were warned to hold on to our things because the monkeys are very good snatchers. They are very attracted to plastic bags. So our bags were in our laps while we ate. After lunch and no incident of snatching happened in the picnic area I placed my bag beside me but I was still holding it just to be sure. Unfortunately, the unopened pringles was exposed and I didn't feel that someone was already pulling it discretely. Ryan just called my attention because he was trying to pull it from the monkey. The pringles was in between me & Ryan and may sandalan pa yung wooden bench. It was hard to imagine how the can of pringles fit between the small space of the wood yet the monkey succeeded. Ryan, underestimating the small monkey's strength was defeated in the very quick tug of war for the Pringles. Suddenly ALL of the monkeys ran toward the direction were the thief headed. While we all wondered how they will open the can, Ryan was so pissed that he wasn't able to eat at least half of it before it got stolen. Tsk tsk...what an unforgettable experience for my dear husband who loves Pringles so much.
Shopping time! We had a little boat incident going back to the wharf because the engine won't start and we were stuck for about 10-15mins in the sea...well, as long as I could still see the shore I wasn't worried. Sabang wharf has the cheapest Palawan shirts & other souvenirs...ummm..sadly, when we left our XDA's at the vault he also left my wallet without grabbing the cash. We didn't realize it sooner because we didn't buy anything from the grocery that morning. So I told Ryan I will look around and if I liked anything....sheesh this is so embarrasing to put here but out of desperation I will borrow money from the other girls. And I did, I sooo wanted to buy the fushia pink baby tee with matching white one for Ryan. Swallowing my pride and all...I borrowed money from the people I just met this morning. Grabe! Even Ryan was embarrassed with what I did but I can't resist buying the tees. I wanted to buy too for pasalubong but was worried because we were told we are going to passby the Vietnam Village on our way back. Viet Ville had killer garlic french breads that can compete with French Baker but there was not much to see so we just bought their famous french breads.
While Ryan will never forget the monkey who stole his Pringles, I will never forget borrowing money from a new acquaintance. As soon as we stepped in the hotel, I rushed to the reception desk to get my wallet and immediately gave back the money I borrowed.
Dinner time for day 2 was at Kina Butch. Restaurants here at Palawan have funny sounding names huh?
to be continued...
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