May 30th 2005 | Monday | 12:38am

"ME AND MY YELLOW BAG"

    I started to like the color yellow all because of my current Alma Mater, UST. Of course, why the heck am I going to be ashamed of this school?! As days go by, the more that I admire this University. Dati rati halos isumpa ko ang eskwelahang ito dahil lalo lang akong nalulungkot at na-mimiss ko ang high school life. But hey, look now, I always carry with me this yellow bag especially when I watch vleague. It reminds me of numerous exceptional things. =)

    What a volleyball-day blast! Against all odds, I looked at this day as rather, optimistic. I really had a great time and things were really planned accordingly.

    I went out of the house with so much perseverance. Even though it was so hot outside, I managed to take it all because I'm watching volleyball. Addict na nga talaga ko sa volleyball. Haha. I reached Taft Avenue at about 2:00pm. I'm meeting with my volleyball chat mates and we planned to watch together. Dumaan muna ako sa Mcdo-Taft para mag-retouch dahil super init at nakaka-dugyot talaga! Pagkapasok ko ng Mcdo, nagulat na lang ako nang may tumawag sa pangalan ko. Akala ko yun na yung mga ka-chat ko. Hehe. The face was quite unfamiliar. As I approached her, I still tried to recognize who she is. But then, I gave up and shamefully asked for her name again. And gosh, nakakahiya nang sabihin niyang siya pala si Marian [schoolmate ko sa STC dati]. It's been awhile that I haven't seen long lost buddies in STC and somehow, I felt so good from that incident. Yung tipong manaka-naka, makakabangga ka ng mga taong nakasama mo sa nakalipas. It pitched some great memories again. We talked for a while, asked about the school & why she was there but much that I wanted to extend our conversation, I really have to go. Nika, [one of my volley chat mates] was already waiting for me at the Rizal Coliseum. I walked immediately and looked for her.

    Sa harap kami naka-puwesto, sa likod mismo ng mga players. Haha. I was with Nika, Jean, Jr, Karlos, Ana and Rhea. It was such a great time because even though that was my first time to meet them all, it seems that we're so close together already. Oh well, dahil na nga siguro sa nakahanap ako ng mga katapat ko sa pagka-adik sa volleyball at nagkakasundo kaming lahat dun. What a fleeting moment to catch a glimpse of friends laughing at almost the same thoughts, preferences and experiences. Napalibutan din pala kami ng mga volleyball players at that time. Haha. Sight-seeing ba. Si Mic Mic Laborte [ADMU] ay kalikod ko at si Cecille Tabuena [ADMU] naman ay nasa harap ko. Ang ingay nga nila actually eh, daming comments about the UST-DLSU game. Di ko lang naintindihan kasi ibang dayalekto ginamit nila. Maybe they sensed out that our row were bunches of UST supporters. Hahaha.

    And yeah, speaking of the game, nilunok ko na ngang malakas talaga ang DLSU ngayon at humina ang UST lalo na sa depensa. Di na ko nagtakang nilamon sila't 3-set match lang. Wala pa rin si Joyce Pano. Ate Roxy can't execute well. Actually, I observed that only a few opportunities were given to her by Carpio [the setter] to attack. Ang mga atake naman ni Co Yu Kang ay madalas sumablay. Kaka-depress talaga. Pero wahaha, buti na lang talaga at ang dami pang mga nangyari pagkatapos ng laro. I was quite unaware that the bliss was just starting!

    Jean introduced me to the RP player, Monica Aleta. Gosh, she's so tall, pretty and geez, she have dimples like me. Birthday pala niya ngayon so gri-neet pa namin siya. Wala lang, ang bait niya pati na rin sina Mayette Carolino [DLSU] at Cherry Rose Macatangay [SSC] who took some time to mingle with us. Ate Patti Taganas [ADMU] did say hi to us din pala. Nalaman niyang kami pala yung mga makukulit niyang ka-chat gabi-gabi. Haha. Di ko na nabilang kung ilang *click *click* ang narinig ko kanina at kung ilang beses nag-ngitian ang lahat. Ang naaalala ko lang ay, ANG SAYA-SAYA. Hehe.

    [Here's the climas!] >> After that, we went to the dug out. We waited for the UST team. And waah, Ate Roxy didn't fail to make me happy again and again and again!!! To the Nth Power nanaman! The moment she saw me, she laughingly said: "O dito ka nanaman? Haha." [nandun din kasi ako nung huli nilang laro!]. Then I said, "Ate Roxy ako din pa-picture ulit with you!" At wahaha sabay sabi niya ulit, "O, mamaya kung ano nanaman gawin mo diyan sa pictures natin ah!" [then someone said, "Rizal Scandal haha, ilagay mo sa website Shelly!"] WAAH. Nakatatak na nga talaga sa utak niyang ako nga ang webmaster ng vleague website!!! Katuwa naman. (^.^) Nung umalis na siya, naka-beso-beso ko pa siya. Waah, I even heard her jagged whispers, uttering the words, "Ah, Shelly, bye." I never expected  again that I can get up close to one of my ultimate idols! =) This was the best time to make myself realize that I seemed to appreciate such great athlete in spite of her defeats and weaknesses. She rocks! At di pa natapos yun. Pinakilala naman ako ni Karlos kina Ate Ging Balse [UST #5] at Ate Vhen Bernal [UST #12]. Wahehe. Na-kwento ko pa nga kay Ate Vhen na ka-building ko siya at lagi ko siyang nakikitang pagewang-gewang sa pagbaba ng stairs dahil nga sa mga AB students  na laging nakaupo sa staircase! [which I'm guilty of. Haha] Natawa nga siya eh - aminadong ganun nga ang nangyayari dun palagi. Since then, I was calling her na as "ka-building". Hehe. Ang kulit. Wait until I catch her and Ate Ging going down the stairs again sa may AB. Haha.

    Soon, we bid goodbye to the players. Lumalalim ang gabi. We walked to SM Harrison to eat dinner and rest for a while. Konti nga lang nakain ko eh, pagod kasi ako. Todo kwentuhan at tawanan pa rin kami. Actually, Dalla Cruz [Lyceum] was even there at Mcdo where we had eaten. Talaga namang hanngang huli, player-studded ang paligid ko. Whew, what a bizarre yet exultant day! I arrived home at 9:30pm. I'm so tired pero ganito pa rin ang ngiti ko: ^ _______ ^ HAHAHA.

They say that some for the best events in life are priceless and  when you get to experience them, they're all timeless.

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May 29th 2005 | Sunday | 08:42pm

"FALSE IMPRESSIONS"

    I wasn't able to consistently update this journal of mine. These past few days, I had been so busy with oh-so-absurd stuffs and I don't why I'm still hanging unto it! Haha. Sometimes I having fun but then at the end of the day, I seem to hate it. What a pseudo-illusive life it is right now. If only there's a certain term/word to describe what the heck are these. I guess there's just no appropriateness for a craziness like this! Gah. How I wish I could just turn back the clock to fix up everything I messed up with.

    So anyways, the rest of this day had been quite boring. It's a Sunday, what to expect. Actually, Sunday is the day I hated the most. Para bang yung paligid kapag Linggo ay masyadong tahimik, walang tao, at talaga namang nakakaantok. And yeah, I planned to hear mass a while ago. Pero, yun na nga! - haha, tinamad ako nung pahapon na, inantok at tuluyan nang nakatulog hanggang sa gumabi na. Balak ko pa naman sanang humingi sa mga poon ng himala para sa game ng UST-DLSU (Wahaha). Nung huli, napag-isip-isip ko na lang na ang himala ay nasa sa kanila na rin. No guts, no glory, as I often say.

    Speaking of that, I'm planning to watch the game tomorrow. I'm meeting with volleyball chat mates. I hope they will be nice and bubbly to me. Hehe. Biruin mo, sa isang napaka-busy at napaka-tamad umalis na tulad ko, sisipagin manood bukas?! Talk about miracles. Hahaha.

To see is to believe.

There can be miracles when you believe.

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May 26th 2005 | Thursday | 06:37pm

"UNBELIEVABLE"

    It's quite chilly outside. Well from my observation, it has been often that sun comes so hot in the morning and yet when it reaches twilight, thick clouds start to appear. It's kind of hard to predict the weather these past few days.. and so as my mood. I feel quite irritable today, I'm so bored and things are nothing out of the ordinary. I just don't know why.

    So anyways, speaking of unpredictable thoughts, I got a glimpse of the American Idol finals. Carrie Underwood won. Since then I personally root for her but of course, Americans are the ones to decide. All a while I thought that Bo has a greater number of votes than Carrie. Quite surprising though to believe that Carrie is now the newest American Idol. She has a golden voice.

    After watching, I decided to go out of the house. I felt kind of bored na rin kasi. So I went to a nearby Mercury Drugstore to buy some stuffs for my own use. I was also tempted to buy MnM's! Ayaw ko pa sana kasi nakakataba pero wahaha, can;t control talaga. Habang naglalakad pauwi, nadaanan ko yung plaza na Laloma. Memories of my childhood came unto my mind immediately. I used to play there during afternoons. Dun ko nga yata nakuha ang di na mabilang na pasa't sugat pero dun ko din nakuha ang napakaraming alaalang hatid pa rin ay mga ngiti. Marami ng nabago sa lugar na yun. Mas maaayos na duyan, mas makukulay na seesaw at mas malalapad na palaruan. Ang dami na sigurong batang napasaya ng plazang yun.

    Hence, it's unlikely to think that a simple structure can make long-last memories. Some things may be washed away by time but there are also certain things or events that still can be rekindled, can be retrieved, all by the power of remembering. And I guess that's one of the greatest unbelievable things in life. Buti na lang pala napadaan ako dun. Hehe. Kahit papaano nawala ang pagka-boring ng araw ko..

Do you still remember, how we used to be? Feeling together, believe in whatever, my love that said to me. Both of us were dreamers, young love in the sun. Felt like my savior, my spirit I gave you, we've only just begun...

[from the song, "Viva Forever" by Spice Girls]

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May 23rd 2005 | Monday | 06:53pm

"MEET THE IDOLS (PART ii)"

    Sometimes, an event that was never planned grants more brunt into ones life. And because this event had been unpredictable, expectations elapse and thus, happenings go on in accordance with 'the flow'... This day has been almost as awesome as my "Meet the Idols" entry (Feb 06 2004) that's the reason why I used the same title. I had another adventurous day watching vleague at the Rizal Colisuem. Pretty similar scenario but there were a few new things to tell about. I really felt so happy.

    Actually, biglaan lang talaga ang lahat. I never thought or planned that I would be watching volleyball today. Pasukan na kasi nina Kc [who's a Lasallian] kaya hindi na ako umasang masasamahan niya kong manood ng vleague. Luckily on the last minute, she called me to inform that she's available already. 1:56pm na noon. I was chatting pa nga at that time eh, so I hurriedly fixed myself to catch up with the game. 3:00pm pa yung game ng UST-FEU pero sa layo ba naman, eh alam kong hahabol na lang kami.

    At dahil nga sa biglaan, pinag-isipan ko pa kanina kung mag-tataxi na lang ba ako o mag-LLRT. Kapag taxi kasi, mas mabilis pero mas delikado dahil mag-isa lang ako. Kung LRT naman, magtatagal pa at paniguradong mainit. Pinili ko na lang mag-LRT. Hehe. Ang labo ko talaga mag-desisyon haha! So there, when I got inside the LRt, damn it was too hot nga!!! Wala pang aircon, pucha talaga. Naisip ko tuloy, minsan na nga lang ako mag-LRT, sa walang aircon pa ko napa-punta. Malas. Ang bulok-bulok talaga ng pasilidad sa Pilipinas. I can't do anything about it so I just sacrificed being in a somewhat like melting pot.

    I met Kc downstairs, at the Vito Cruz station. Once again, I met my closest buddy when it comes to gimmicks. I just feel so at eased whenever we go out. Actually, habang naglalakad kami eh di magkanda-maliw nanaman ang kuwentuhan. Hehe. So when we reached the Rizal, we sat down at the Lowe Box. Kaunti lang ang nanonood at himalang malamig! Wahaha. I really enjoyed the game. Bukod sa three sets lang ang game, UST beating FEU, eh nakausap ko pa si Ate Roxy!!! Here's the most exciting part -- the lokohan session with her:

Ako: Ate Roxy congratz! *shake hands*, *she smiled* Ate Roxy: Oi! Ako: Alala mo pa ko? Ako si.. *inunahan pa ako sa pagsasabi* Ate Roxy: SHELLY!!! Ako: Hehe. Galing-galing mo kanina ah. Pa-picture naman tayo! *inayos ni Kc ang videocam* *tinitignan ako ni Ate Roxy* *inakbayan pa ako* Ate Roxy: Ang tangkad mo nga! Ako: Hehe. 5`8. Ikaw nga 6`0 eh! Ate Roxy: Oo grabe, di nga ang tangkad mo.. *smile ako* *click click* *ayaw daw gumana ng videocam*

Ako: Ayaw gumana Ate Roxy! Haha! Ate Roxy: Ganun? Sendan na lang kita picture ko tapos dikit mo na lang picture mo! Hehe. Ako: Hahaha! *click click ulet* gumana na pero gusto ko pa ng isang pic.. *lumapit siya ulit* Ate Roxy: Ano okay na? Ako: Wahaha last na talaga! *click click* Ako: Woi thanks ha! *she smiled again then waved goodbye*

    ROXY REALLY ROCKS! So kulet. So baet. At ang tangkad niya talaga. Hehe. Nakalimutan ko ng puntahan yung ibang UST players at di na namin pinanood yung 2nd game. Anyway si Ate Roxy lang naman talaga ipinunta ko dun wahaha. When Kc and I were walking, she was just staring at me. Nakakatawa daw ako tignan, tumatawa mag-isa. Wahaha, kasi naman noh naaalala ko pa rin ang kakulitan ni Ate Roxy! ;p We ate merienda at Pizza Hut (again). Sa saya ko, nilibre ko pa si Kc. Haha. Nag-kuwentuhan nanaman kami about STC days. Damn! My stomach really ached! Tawanan to the max kami. Paano ba naman, we talked about our crazy teachers back then. Hehe. How I missed the over and done days of my life. But now, I just can't deny the truth that I'm much happier more than ever. We went home at about 5:00pm. Naghiwalay na kami ni Kc sa Tayuman. How could I ever thank her. She's just a great friend who comes by my side through ups and downs.

    Nung sumakay ako ng jeep, naghinala ako sa isang mama. Mukha kasi siyang holdaper kaya lumipat pa ako ng ibang jeep. Naisip ko agad, ang saya-saya na nga ng araw ko baka sirain pa ng isang magnanakaw. Hahaha. What a crazy Monday.

Things happen for a reason.

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May 21st 2005 | Saturday | 06:03pm

"MY LAST SUMMER JAUNT"

    Happy to say that though summer vacation is almost over for me, [school resumes 2 weeks from now] somehow I made said to myself that 'it was completed' because of my recent getaway. It was a unique experience the whole time around! It was so much fun! Perhaps words are not enough to tell my drastic adventure.

    So I was out in Manila for four days. The first two nights [Wednesday and Thursday] were spent in Batangas again. Well, I've decided to come with my mom again to escape once more from Manila's hot temperature. I was not dishearten by the weather there because In fact, it rained for some time. Mas malamig. I also went there to fetch Gabby, my cousin so that he could come with us in Cavite. At first, I thought he couldn't make it because of the conflicting schedule of gigs [he's a keyboardist]. I got mad a bit because I already told him weeks back that we're going on an outing tapos nandun na nga ko, di pa siya makakasama. Sana inayos niya yun maaga pa lang at saka sinabi sa akin. We exchanged several  text messages that were so furious, I thought it will end in a huge fight. But soon, things got well. His gig was re-scheduled. Akala ko matutuluyan nang magkagalit kami sa isa't isa. Unique experience for me though. That was one of the serious fights I had with a cousin.

    Friday morning, we went home to Manila muna with Gabby and my mom. My sister and brother, who were coming to Cavite too were there pa so we have to stop at our house first. I used the computer for a while and gosh, I was so outdated already with the news happening around Manila. I mean, the websites that I'm taking control of has been growing up with messages especially the v-league website. And speaking of it, UST had their first won last Thursday against Lyceum. Happy ako siyempre. Hehe. I even got the chance to text with Ate Roxy. She was so kulet at that time. It just showed how glad she was in grabbing the win. =) On the other hand, they got lost nanaman ngayon. =( Hay. 5-set game nga siya pero.. quite frustrating pa rin.

    Anways, at about 12:30pm, we set off to Cavite. Di talaga namin alam kung saan mismo yung Island Cove pero na-realize naming di rin naman kahirapang mahanap yun. Pinagtanung-tanong na lang namin, sakit naman pala yung resort na yun. It just took us less than two hours to reach there. Along the road, the noticeable thing that I saw in Cavite is that, tahong, hipon at talaba are one of its native products. Ang daming nagbebenta sa kalye at ang haba ng dagat kung saan pinapalaki ang mga ito. Nakakatuwang isiping ang kinakain kong hipon ay dun pala nanggagaling. Hehe.

    We checked in the hotel first. We didn't have any reservation so we waited for a while for some vacant room. Ang dami-daming tao pala! While waiting, tumingin-tingin muna ako ng souvenir items. Ang cute nga nung binili kong yellow mini-shirt na may tatak ng Island Cove eh! Hehe. So anyways, after some unpacking, snacking and resting, we walked around the place. How I loved the place and damn, it's so huge. There's a sports center, tennis court, beach volleyball, outdoor chess area, fishing place, bar, KTV, restaurant, animal farm, etc! Mga Remulla pala may ari nun. Amazing. At siyempre, pa-picture mode nanaman kami.

    Nung hapon na, nag-swimming naman kami. We swam on two locations. One is in Oceania, which is a huge pool with long slides! I wasn't able to take the slides. Huhu, I was scared! And also, I didn't enjoy much of that pool kasi makati yung tubig at maraming tao. We went to the other pool, which was just near our room. I felt much better there. Aba, may Jacuzzi wuhoo! Naalala ko tuloy kapag naglalaro ng The Sims, parang ganun na rin ang mga ginagawa ko - nag-sswimming, nag-jajacuzzi, at kahit pagod, tuloy pa rin ang saya. Mga 6:30pm na nung umahon kami dun. Hunger stoke and we have eat.

    We ate at a Chinese restaurant. I've forgotten the name coz anyway it's so hard to pronounce. Haha. The food was great ecpecially their sweet and sour pork. Yummy cuisine for a hungry Shelly! Hehe. After that, we went to the KTV house naman. Kumanta sina Yel [my sister], JR [my bro] and Gabby. Di naman ako mahilig kumanta kaya vini-deohan ko na lang sila. The place was so huge again, very organized and relaxing. After nun, mag-bbowling pa sana kami kaso ang mahal ng shoe rental at saka, pagod na rin kami. We went back to our room, watched TV a bit at aba, ang insomiac na si ako ay nakatulog na agad. Haha. Talk about another unique experience again. Ang sarap ng buhay-hotel, really.

    Maaga pa lang, bumangon na kami. May buffet kasi sa baba. Uggh, my diet was so ruined nanaman! Ang sarap ng food. At about 9am, we went naman to the animal farm. This was where the most exciting part happened. Haha, you'll know why later. Anyways, we dropped by several places - butterfly sanctuary [na kakaunti ang paru-paro wahaha], bird safari, and the crocodile-monkey place. Nakakatuwa yung mga unggoy, parang tao din kung kumilos haha! Naghahanap ako ng tarsier kaso wala pala. Balak ko pa naman magpa-picture with a tarsier. Hehe. After that, yeah I went horseback riding!!! This was the most fun part for me. I mean, it was my first time to ride a real horse. Moment ko yun HAHA. Nung una, medyo nakakatakot kasi ang laki-laki ng kabayo pero pag nagtagal pala, masarap din. I spoke with the trainer for several times and I learned so many things about horses. Kapag pala gusto mong patakbuhin ang kabayo, paluin mo yung puwet. The direction of the horse can be controlled through the ropes [I don't know the term for it] that you're holding. Kung gusto mo namang ipatigil o pagalawin yung kabayo, higpitan mo lang yung hawak sa rope. Amazing information talaga! Haha. Life span of horses can reach up to 20 years. Navahawk [my horse' name] used to be a race horse in Sta. Ana pala. Eh kaso, 11 years old na siya kaya di na pwedeng ipangarera. Kadalasan kasi, 8-9 years old na kabayo ang mabilis ipang-karera. So yun. Grabe, nangitim ako dahil sa horseback ride na yun! Di nanaman pantay ang balat ko Hehe. But anyways, I enjoyed naman eh. =)

    Nag-swimming pa kami ulit after nun. Haha. Part II ba. Nilubos na namain, total hindi pa check out time. We had very funny footages and vidoes. Thank heavens videocam was invented. I mean, you seldom experience great moments of your life and it is through a simple videocam that you can keep all the memories. But of course, the much better memory bank is your mind and heart. We reached home earlier than expected, di kasi traffic. We were all tired but everyone seemed to enjoy naman eh.. especially me.

    Greatest learning of all? Ano nga ba. Ah basta, when you're happy and you know it share them all! It's a thing to be thankful for! Hehe.

Live life to the fullest.

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May 16th 2005 | Monday | 07:12pm

"SWAYED BY THE TRUTH, MOVED BY A BOOK"

    I went out to make some money! Negosyanteng estudyante nanaman?! Hehe.  Well.. let's face it the bare truth that everyone needs money to survive and I really have to produce money to get the stuffs I want. Naisip ko din pwede akong kumita ng pera sa simpleng pamamaraan kaya pinatulan ko na din ang pakikisabak sa mainit na araw kanina. I woke up a bit early than the usual time to fix myself and head towards my destination. I acquainted with Franz and her cousin, Feli Anne. I sold my high school books and notebooks. Half the original price lang [coz 2nd hand naman] pero tiba-tiba agad.

    Back to school na pala. Di ko man lang namalayan. The truth is, I'm not that prepared yet to go schooling because I'm still deeming of summer blues. Haha. Anyway, so I visited my former school again [STC] and immediately observed great points upon entering. Aba, akalain mong ni-rerenovate na naman ang covered court, may add-ons na sa rooftop at may benches na rin sa pathway! I met some familiar faces too. It feels good to see them once in a while. Napaisip nanaman ako sa nakalipas. Lagi na lang! Pero, ang sarap din namang manariwa eh. A lot of things had changed but on the way I view STC, everything seems to be so timeless pa rin. Once I called it as 'my world' and that thought was never removed in my heart, really...

    As I said before, I bought the book "Tuesdays With Morrie". While waiting for Franz & Feli Anne at McDonald's, I started to read it already. The book definitely gives a twinge in my heart! I'm not yet done with the book but as early as now, I can say that it's a well-written piece. Maybe because it's a true-to-life story. Napaka-tagos ng istoryang yun sa buhay ko and I guess, it's for the reason that several instances in the story were so parallel with my life.

    It narrates the story of Mitchell Albom, a successful sports writer who got the chance to find the meaning of life again. After college, he never met with his past anymore. He promised to keep in touch but because of the demanding worth of his job, he failed to do it. He didn't know that his favorite college professor, Morrie was suffering from a deadly disease [ALS} and in fact, his time to live was bordered by doctors already. One time, Mitch watched "Nightline" [show on TV] and saw that Morrie was featured. He decided to visit his closest mentor and upon seeing him, he just could not believe it - that for 16 long years many things had changed. He questioned himself what could he have been doing all the time, when Morrie was in the state of suffering. He owed so much from Morrie but the oddest among all and what he didn't know is that the learning has just begun.

    So that's where Mitch started to reflect on things through the help of Morrie's good thoughts on life. Morrie had always been a positive man, in spite the situation that he was weak, disabled and somewhere in the middle of life & death. Every Tuesday, Mitch had decided to visit Morrie. They talked on so many things and perhaps, the long-time questions in life by Mitch were finally answered, He attended such promising class where there's no books, no notebooks needed; just a sincere heart to understand everything.

    I was so reminded of one of my high school teachers. In fact, she was the one who introduced this book to me. One time, on our usual talks, she did mention that we're like Mitch and Morrie. Of course before, I never knew why she said that. But now that I'm revealing the mysteries of this book, I slowly stumble on the truth behind it. [ Miss you Miss Tsaby! =) ]

No books were required, yet many topics were covered, including love, work, community, family, aging, forgiveness and finally, death. The last lecture was brief, only a few words. A funeral was held in lieu of graduation. Although no final exam was given you were expected to produce one long paper on what was learned.

... The last class of my old professor's life had only one student. I was the student.

[-Tuesday's With Morrie pp1-2]

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May 15th 2005 | Sunday | 08:17pm

"SPHERES OF INTEREST"

    A new happening is in my life at the moment. It was so nice to hear it from my mom! All a while I thought that going to Island Cove would be miles away from my summer reality. But then, oh yeah it finally came true! I woke up from a nap upon hearing my mom talking on the phone. She inquired at Island Cove! Wuhoo! It's now official that we're going to Cavite on Friday!!! So I'll be out again and will be experiencing another blistering escapade. Thank heavens my mom irrevocably decided to agree with my plan to go there. Well, we've came across that resort through the segment feature of "At Home Ka Dito" [channel 2]. Maganda yung place talaga. We're going to stay overnight where we can swim, boat and check in the hotel all the way! I am so excited right now.

    Because of that deal, my disgusting view about v-league was somehow washed out. Speaking of v-league pala, napanood ko yung highlights ng game. At talaga namang "highlights" nga lang. Wahaha. I almost slept on it 'coz the coverage is damn rubbish. Walang kabuhay-buhay at ang pangit ng anggulo ng pagkuha nila! Kulang pa kamo sa audio maintenance! I mean, it's a sport coverage so the mood must be thriving. Grrr. Mas gusto ko pa yung paraan ng pag-coverage nila noon. Ah ewan. Anyway, I saw Ate Roxy naman again kahit sa tv screen lang. She looked slimmer right now, but I guess it's because she's too busy with so many activities at hand. Naisip ko tuloy, may panahon pa kaya yung magliwaliw?! I mean, go to the beaches, just like what I'm doing or hang around the malls. I bet she faces a very hectic summer right now. Oh well. I guess everyone has her own businesses and affairs to personally control.

    Meanwhile, we went to SM Edsa today. I was with my mom and my brother. Nagpalamig lang kami actually sa malls. Hehe. We didn't shop for so many things and we just bought supplies in National Bookstore. I bought pala a book - Tuesdays With Morrie. Ang tagal ko na 'tong gustong basahin at ngayon lang ako nagkaroon ng interes na bilhin. Mom also bought a 'kind-of-expensive' book all about British Monarchy. Yun bang tungkol sa buhay nina Queen Elizabeth II, Lady Diana, etc. I just don't know why on earth she's so crazed with that. Hehe. Anyway that's her own business and anyway, she paid for my book naman eh. =)

Learn to look at yourself first before looking at others.

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May 14th 2005 | Saturday | 09:33pm

"NAKAKA-BOLA NGA ANG BOLA"

    Have you ever came across such huge expectation to an event that eventually failed to please you at all? I guess when a certain event is much-awaited, "jinks" come in. This entry is all about the v-league opening day game. Expect that I would be a bit of subjective coz I'm underneath a certain team.

    "Sa sobrang pagka-bulaklak ng mga salita, hindi napapansin ang mga tinik." Many people have noticed the great skill of UST as a team in volleyball but everyone seemed to forgot about their contenders. Marami akong narinig na magagandang kumento about UST at talaga namang nahikayat nga akong palaban sila ngayong season 2. A while ago, UST lose against SSC. I'm still within the state of questioning. Akala ko ba powerhouse yung team line-up ngayon? Nasaan na sina Pano, Pimentel at ang bagong setter na si Carpio? Hay. Baka ito rin yung rason kung bakit di talaga ako natuloy sa panonood ng game kanina. Sabi na nga ba eh, everything is planned for a reason. I guess it wasn't destined for me to witness such rubbish game.

    All a while I thought SSC is not that great. They were at the bottom last season. But hey, nasipa nga nila ang 1st con champs & 2nd con first runner-ups [referring to UST]. Some people told me that there were a couple of reasons why UST have been beaten up. I cheered up a bit - at least there were too many reasons instead of taking a sole basis. Hehe. Una, di daw masyadong pinaglaro si Joyce Pano kanina. Hanggang ngayon, di pa rin alam ng lahat kung bakit nga ganun ang naisip ni Coach August. Pangalawa, marami daw errors coming from UST. Ana, [my ym chat mate] said that De la Fuente [the new libero yata] didn't receive the ball that well. As all volleyball aficionados know, a good spike cannot be made if there's no good set at all, and a great set cannot be done if the receive is poor. Lastly, almost everyone said that SSC has a powerful team line-up too. A way different from their previous games, I guess. Guest players pa nila si Macatangay [RP team & best scorer of 2nd con] at Chavas [RP team & played for FEU before].

    Hay. Nakakatamad na tuloy panooring yung telecast sa Tuesday! Hinintay ko pa naman itong 2nd season pero hayaan at sinira lang ang araw ko. Hehe. Now I realized that you'll never know what will happen next. You cannot judge, you cannot point, you cannot criticize on a certain thing until it confronts and it bears out.  Never take a word until it reaches the period sign and don't get 'oh so awestruck' until you've finally seen it. Hay. Sad but true.

Mistakes and defeat are always part of the game.

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May 13th 2005 | Friday | 07:23pm

"SWEET AND BITTER THOUGHTS"

    Waah opening na ng v-league bukas. Halos lahat yan na ang pinag-uusapan at talaga namang nakakapang-hinayang na di ako makakapunta sa opening. Oh well, maybe there's a reason why things are bitter right now. On the the other hand naman, it was such a sweet thought na nakausap ko pa si Ate Roxy before their game. I decided to text her to extend my wishes of luck. I thought she wouldn't be able to chit-chat with me [of course, she's too busy right now] but gosh, she didn't let me down again. Kahit papaano nakuntento na rin akong panoorin na lang sa TV yung first match ng vleague. Hehe.

    Anyway, weather is so hot pa rin! So, I decided to chill up my afternoon. Schenly, Xianne and I went to Jollibee to eat. Ang sarap kasing maglakad papunta doon at bukod sa air-conditioned pagpasok mo, eh may palaruan pa para kina Schenly na palaging pawisan kapag naglalaro sa bahay. I just brought P100.00. Anyway I don't want eat much. So there, I ordered fries, iced tea & peach mango pie. I can't believe that my hundred bill can be easily taken away just like that. Konti lang ang inorder ko pero isang iglap lang ang ubeng papel na hawak-hawak ko pa kanina! Hehe. Hay. It feels bitter that as time goes by, peso gets devaluated. Philippines get bitter. Life gets bitter.

    When we got home, I watched Meteor Garden Full Edition. Hehe. Sinubaybayan ko na ito noon pa at ngayong nagbabalik muli, parang hinihila din akong pabalik ng mga alaalang nakapaloob dito. Well as I remember, it was summer of 2003 that this Chinovela aired in Channel 2. I first thought that this show would be too corny. I swallowed my first impressions because I realized that it has a very sweet theme. San Chai and Dao Ming Zhi's story is so kakilig pa rin even right now. I just don't know why the heck I'm so hooked to it again. Haha. Nakaka-relate lang siguro ako sa kuwento. At siguro dahil na rin sa mga tauhan ng Meteor Garden na may kaugnayan sa mga taong nasa paligid ko. Damn, it's just so sweet muse over the past! It brings both bliss and melancholy in my heart..

Es tan corto el amor, y es tan largo el olvido

[Love is so short, forgetting is so long]

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May 11th 2005 | Wednesday | 12:19am

"WHERE IT ALL BEGAN"

    I updated  this website again. Yeah, this is the eighth version. Well.. for the past few days, I've become so fed up of the orange layout [version 7.0]. I've noticed too that the visitors as well are getting so bored thus, I decided to put some friction to keep this thing burning. And whoah, I've undergone through some hard cyber-addiction again. 'Whew' talaga dahil tuluy-tuloy ang pag-iinternet ko kanina. Because of the web update, I experienced a bit of dizziness a while ago. Oh well, sanay na naman ako sa ganun eh. Hehe.

    Paano nga ba nagsimula ang lahat? Let me tell you how I got into this web-designing.

    Actually, I've been web-designing for almost 4 years. Nung una, sa powerpoint lang talaga ako mahilig. It's a simple Microsoft program generally used for office reports and other animation purposes. After some time, I jumped into Microsoft Frontpage that I inherited from my brother who was making web pages then. Out of curiosity, I tried to get the steps on how to make it. Everything was done as a self-study.

    My first designs were only web pages [naka-save lang sa hard disk]. It was on my sophomore year [in high school] that I learned to publish it in the world wide web. Class website ang una kong ginawa. After the first publicity of that website, I got so fascinated with it and maybe it was because of my classmates who complimented my works as astounding daw. Kumalat sa school yung link ng website. I kept on updating and enhancing my skills in computer. Luckily, I even won the computer competitions. I went beyond by making picture layouts and Java codes. I also started to share my ideas among other interested people and that was when I endured to chat. It was then I got the guts to place my name in the credits section of each website that I put together. Dun na nag-ugat ang lahat; sa mga di inaasahang pangyayaring pinagmamalaki ko ngayon.

    Right now, I honestly tell that it's hard for me to live without computer. Really. Kahit ilang beses na akong pinapagalitan ng nanay ko sa kakatunganga sa computer, di pa rin ako natitinag. Nasanay na nga siguro ako sa pagkakaroon ng migraines at pamamaga ng mata. Nagka-ulcer at lumabo na ang paningin ko dahil sa computer. Nang magtagal, naging gamay na rin ako sa pag-aayos ng mga nakakahilong html codes at nakakabaliw na pag-iisip ng mga konseptong pwedeng ilagay sa website. Maybe I just earned some authentic passion for it, knowing that I've got something to boost in. Anyway I get so many benefits from this hobby. First, I earn potentials and ideas. Second, I gain friends and supporters that really make my ears long. Hehe. And most importantly, I've proven a personal achievement which makes myself as a worthy person. Kumabaga eh nakagawa ako ng sariling tatak na magpapa-tanda ng sarili ko mula sa ibang tao.

In order to love and extend among others, you must first know how to love and communicate with yourself.

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May 10th 2005 | Tuesday | 07:58pm

"MAHIRAP NA TALAGA SA PINAS"

    Sumama ako kanina sa mom kong lumabas ng bahay, along with my brother and our driver. Somehow I was able to get away from the smacking heat of noontime. Siyempre, aircon sa loob ng sasakyan at kahit papaano, hindi na ako nabulok sa loob ng bahay. Hehe. Kahit kelan talaga, ang hirap ng buhay-tropikal tulad ng sa Pilipinas kasi talaga namang ang init!  Anyways, we went to several places.

    First stop was in SSS Roosevelt Branch. My brother applied for an ID since he's gonna be an employee soon. Medyo matagal kami dun kasi ang daming tao pero di rin naman ako masyadong nainip. Tuluy-tuloy ang pagmamasid ko sa mga taong nandun. I realized how busy it is to work in a a government-owned company or agency. I also saw how persistent Filipinos are when in comes to labor beneficiaries. Siguro nga mahirap na talaga ang buhay sa Pilipinas at kailangan mong mag-ingat. Bawal magkasakit. Bawal ang patayu-tayo na lang. At bawal ang pagsasayang ng bawat sandali sapagkat ang buhay sa Pilipinas ay di na ganoong kadali. I can see the same situation with my brother who's still on employment search. He's a fresh graduate from UST, proficient and has a sense of headship. But then, he deals along with the  situation of other Filipinos too who are in tremendous need for jobs.  It's really a game of stroking some luck, I guess. Nakailang punta na siya sa mga job fair, nag-test sa iba't ibang companies at kahit sa call centers, pinatulan na rin niya. Napag-kuwentuhan din naming kung hindi pa rin siya makahanap ng trabaho, i-try niyang magturo. Biglang pumasok sa usapan ang pagtuturo ng Computer sa STC. Nayanig na lang ako bigla. Hehe. Wala lang. Right now, I'm still imagining what if my brother works there na nga and he associates with Theresians. Kayanin niya kaya? Hehe.

    Anyways, after going to SSS, we went to Novaliches. Tinignan namin yung sinasabing resort ng driver naming si Aps. Hay naku, sumobra nanaman ang pagka-kuwento niyang may slides daw at maganda yung resort. When we got there, it even took me a while to see the swimming pools! Napaka-tago ng lugar at kulang sa komersyo kaya di na ako magtatakang ang konti lang ng lumalangoy dun. In fairness to the resort, the water was kinda clean [kasi nga siguro konti ang nag-sswim] at.. haha may slides nga pero grabehan, kasing-haba lang yata ng legs ko yung slides eh! Pambata. Ah ewan.

    Mga 3pm na kami umalis ng Novaliches. We stopped by Tropical Hut Muños to take some merienda. Masarap din naman ang kinain kong spaghetti at halo-halo. It's just that I observed na parang may mali sa halo-halo nila. Nasa ibabaw ng yelo ang lahat ng sahog. Hindi tuloy malamig yung kinain kong sahog! At saka, nung matunaw na yung yelo, ubos na ang mga sahog! Haha. Ininom ko na lang ang natirang malamig-lamig na gatas. Oh well, kahit papaano naibsan ang init. Buti na lang naimbento ang halo-halo. Hahaha. ;p

Sa panahon ngayon, bawal magkasakit.

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May 8th 2005 | Sunday | 11:04pm

"UNPREDICTABLE"

    It was again a very refreshing 5-day stay in Batangas. I just arrived here in Manila and damn, how many times will I say that it's too hot in here! My head aches right now and I guess my PC can't handle the heat too because it has a glitch which annoys me really. So anyways, let me tell na lang my nice experiences in Batangas..

    Besides from being a solid badminton freak all the time, [every afternoon I play for about 5 hours! haha!] one of the notable things to say is that I appreciated the cool & fresh air of Batangas! I stayed most of the times outdoors, either talk with the numerous kapitbahays there and eat ice scramble [yum3x!] or just look around to sight-see the green trees. Buti na lang gumaling na yung ulcer ko kaya I felt much better. Napapatigil lang ako sa bahay kapag nakikipaglaro ako sa bagong pet naming si Bugs. Oh yes, she's cute little bunny! Haha. Ngayon lang ako ulit nakahawak ng kuneho sa talambuhay ko kaya talaga namang natuwa ako! We used to have a white rabbit here but then, my Tito accidentally killed the rabbit. Pinaliguan ba naman at halos malunod na yung rabbit. Haha.

    Anyways, Uso ngayon ang piyestahan kung saan, nakakasilaw lumafang ng ma-chocholesterol na pagkaini at dahil masaya, dadayuhin mo talaga. I heard a shocking news related to it when I was there. I realized that in spite of the happy moments, you must still be extra careful. You'll never know what lies beneath or ahead. Ka Aning, who considers me as a 'suki' of her small store near us, met an accident when she and her family went to a fiesta. Nagulat ako nang makita kong ang lalaki ng pasa sa mukha at talaga namang nakakaawa. Nangalas daw yung gulong ng tricycle na sinasakyan nila, kaya tumaob. Life cheats hard sometimes. Nabalitaan ko din sa TV Patrol yung nalaglag na jeepney na galing pa sa Cavite. Malapit lang yun sa amin [which is in Lumang Lipa] kaya ganun na rin lang ang impact sa amin at lahat kami nagulat.

    Speaking of happenings na rin lang, nung huling gabi namin dun, nagkayayaan ng inuman lead by my sister of course. We had great bonding moments with my cousins [Gabbz, Noypi, Dherick & Moises] again and it was so funny to play jokes on drunk people! Talaga nga namang kapag lasing, nagkakaroon ka ng lakas ng loob na sabihin ang mga bagay na ikinikimkim mo all the time.

    The next day, we went naman to Bauan, Batangas. That's the home town of my late dad. I seldom take a vacation there, mas close kasi ako sa side ng mom ko. So we attended a golden anniversary celebration. Bukod sa masasabi kong sobrang init dun [dahil tabing-dagat], eh himalang nagustuhan ko ang pagkain nila! Haha. Bihira lang kasi akong kumain ng mga pagkaing probinsya eh. I mean, yung potaheng galing sa kaka-katay lang na baboy. Dishes like: kalderetang kambing, afritadang baboy, menudo, etc.. Nadidiri kasi ako minsan, naiisip ko yung baboy na kinakatay. Haha. Ayun. So I also met some of my dad's relatives there whom I'm not so familiar with. Medyo nahiya nga ako eh nung tinatanong nila kung kilala ko pa daw ba sila. Di ko talaga maalala yung mga pangalan nila, kaya ngiti na lang ako. Hehe. But I've proven myself that they're all nice and accommodating.

    Pupunta pa sana ako sa swimming kaso hindi na ako sumama. Umuwi na kami kanina. When I got here, I used the computer right away. Grabehan, ilang araw akong nawala pero parang ang dami ko ng na-miss out online! By the way, V-league opens on May 14th. Hay, di ko pa alam kung makakapanood ako nang live kasi busy si Kaycee sa debut niya. Wala naman akong ibang makasama. Hmmf, sige na nga oks lang kahit hindi ako makapanood on that day. Anway ipapalabas naman sa TV. Waah Go Uste! Napaka-powerhouse ng team line up nila ngayon! I'll be seeing Ate Roxy play again! Yeah!

The only way of finding the limits of the possible is by going beyond them into the impossible.
Arthur C. Clarke

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May 2nd 2005 | Monday | 08:38pm

"TIPIKAL MAN, KAKAIBA PA RIN"

    I went to SM Manila with my HS buddy, Kc and her sister, Jam. Well, finally I gained the interest to go out again with a friend. We had the usual hang out but then again, it was a very nice moment. Matagal-tagal na rin kaming hindi lumalabas ni Kc kaya ang dami naming napag-usapan. Yun nga lang, sandali lang kami sa mall kasi pictorial pala ni Kc nung hapon. Mag-dedebut na rin siya sa June 10. I feel excited for her. Di pwedeng hindi ako makaka-attend sa debut niya dahil.. wahaha, basta feeling ko masaya yun! [especially her 18 roses! By the way, happy birthday Sir Ben!] Actually, we talked on so many things regarding the debut. I was trying to ask some things too that I might be dealing with on my own debut soon. It seems that everyone is talking about it anyway. These talks are kinda normal na lang para sa aming mga debutante. Hehe.

    Meanwhile, we watched Sandara & Hero's movie, "Can This Be Love?". Some would immediately react to it as 'baduy' but hey, it was a funny film! Tawa nga ng tawa si Jam kanina eh, kahit hindi pa nakakatawa yung ibang eksena! The story line may be too light but somehow I appreciated it. It deals with the issue on nationality and continuing migration of Filipinos abroad. Sandara plays the role of Daisy who's a Korean English-learner in the Philippines. She preferred to study in the Philippines because fees are cheaper and she just loves the personality of Filipinos. Hero [Ryan] is a Nursing student naman na suma-sideline as a typist of term papers in Recto. He's so eager to study Nursing just because he thinks that's the easiest way to go abroad. One time, Daisy went to Ryan's shop para magpa-type ng term paper. Nainis si Ryan sa kanya kasi, parang sinisiraan ni Daisy ang mga Pinoy sa content ng term paper niya. Meanwhile, Daisy was selling her 6600 cell phone. Si Ryan yung gustong bumili pero di niya alam na si Daisy pala yung may-ari nun. The scene was kinda funny. Para silang eng-eng, hindi nila alam na magkakilala na pala sila. Haha. Nung nagkabukingan, they first hated each other but soon enough, they got to know well. Tapos, dumating sa puntong mahal na nila yung isa't isa pero as expected sa mga tipikal na storyang Pinoy, maraming hadlang. Ayaw ng dad ni Daisy kay Ryan kasi Pilipino daw siya. At naisip din ni Ryan na mahirap lang siya para sa isang Koreana. Ayun. Medyo korni na nung pahuli pero talaga namang patok yung mga patawa moments ni Sandara dun. No doubt their love team is a mass favorite. SCQ pa lang, na-predict ko ng sisikat si Sandara kasi natural siyang nakakatawa. Hehe.

    When I got home, I nag-take out ako sa Frio Mixx. Tapos nun, nag-scrabble ako sandali pero hindi ko na natapos kasi sumakit nanaman tiyan ko. So, natulog na lang ako. Paggising, nag-computer ako ulit, nag-browse at nag-chat. Practically normal but thank heavens for this day. Another new experiences & insights though.

Life ends when you stop hoping. Hoping ends when you stop learning.Leaning is for forever. So, keep on hoping..

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May 1st 2005 | Sunday | 11:52pm

"THOUGHTS ON THE PAST"

    Events of debut come one after the other. But then, ang dami ko ng hindi napuntahang debuts. Kung hindi ako nasa probinsya o may ibang lakad, eh tinatamad naman ako. I just don't know why most of the times, I prefer not to go. I often lose the ambiance to reunite with my former buddies such as my high school classmates. Weird.

    Emma [a HS classmate] celebrated her birthday last night. I bet most of my high school long lost friends [including my Astuggg kada whom I miss so much] were there. For the Nth time, I wasn't able to come again. Emma did text-message me to invite me but I just unconsciously excused myself that I cannot come. Honestly, there's no mere reason why I can't make it. I just don't want to. Maraming rason na pumasok sa isipan ko. Una, tinatamad talaga akong mag-ayos, bumiyahe at maki-halubilo. Bukod sa nangitim ako, eh parang ang sagwa pang mag-dress ako ulit dahil tumaba ako. Pangalawa, naisip kong di naman kami masyadong close ni Emma kaya baka hindi ko rin ma-enjoy ang pagpunta. Lastly, pumasok din sa isipan kong baka magbalik muli ang mga "ayaw ko ng alalahaning alaala nung HS". Of course I'll get to see some former classmates and tracing back in time, there was this petty side of my high school life that I had some conflicts with a few classmates. Kinalimutan ko na yun, pero baka sila hindi pa. Hehe. Ewan ko ba.

    Minsan masarap din namang balikan ang high school life - all the funny memories, the special people, and the things you learned. Pero minsan din pala, nakakasawa na rin. It's tasteless to relinquish long-gone appetite, ika nga. Waah, naninibago talaga ako sa pananaw ko ngayon. Looking at myself right now is a bit peculiar but maybe, I'm just learning how to move on as immediate as I can. Nalaman ko na siguro kung bakit dapat gawin yun. Ayoko ng ma-stuck at ayoko ng masira yung kasalukuyang nangyayari. Inisip ko dating ang boring ng college life ko sa UST but gosh, nilunok kong lahat yun sa huli. Actually, mas masaya na ako ngayon. I have great sets of friends & new experiences which filled up the missing pieces of the past.

    Maybe it's just time to rear another side of life...

Never fear the risk of getting hurt. It's only through pain that you can live a fulfilled life. Love and get hurt.. Get hurt and LEARN..

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