the meat shop is open

The meat shop is open! Congratulations Tito Lynn and Tito Jon! :D I'll get back on the exact address of the shop. I said I'd advertise the place but I erased Tito Jon's text message. It's in Kapitolyo, Pasig.

I brought Alej and his family there last Saturday and Alej's mom bought meat there.

Yey! Cameraphone photos:









more photos at Flickr and Multiply.

eh kasi antok

Gusto ko pa magsulat. Pero inaantok na ko. Kanina pa ko inaantok pinipigil ko lang. Ngayon sumusuko na ko. Sayang. Marami pa sana ako sasabihin.

Mag-Tatagalog muna ako. Kailangan mag praktis magsulat sa Tagalog tsaka makabayan ako e. :P

Good night, folks. Matutulog na ako.

I leave you with an excerpt from Idlip (Imago):

Yonder wails on my sleeve
In the arms of make-believe
Sleep will set you free
In the arms of make-believe
In the arms that let me be.

eh kasi umuulan

It's raining. It feels tempting to change into my ratty t-shirt and loose shorts then hop into bed. But I'm going to the new Monterrey shop Tito Lynn and Tito Jon just opened. Yeheyy! I'll get the exact address so you can drop by and buy meat there. They have a very good promo because they just opened in Pasig.

I am an energizer bunny when I am caffeinated. I talk and make friends like Ms. Congeniality. But making friends is fun. Keeping in touch with old ones and making new friends are just one of the things that keep me alive.

I think I'd make a good diplomat. I can enter a room full of strangers and leave with a handful of friends. If not friends, acquiantances.

Lastly, like Ms. Congeniality, I believe in world peace. (This sounds like a joke but I really do).

One of my Saturday Buddies wanted to hang out at Kopi Rotti in Katipunan or UCC in Corinthian Hills. Too bad I couldn't because Papa didn't pick me up today, he's still at the hospital. My sister is on a date but she did drive me this morning. See what I mean about being immobile? But independence is priceless. I like not having to rely on others for my needs. This just reminded me to make a mental note and not forget to inquire for driving lessons. I'm almost 22 and still don't know how to drive.

I am very sleepy and dizzy right now. Alej is on the way to pick me up. We're going to bring his mother to Tito Lynn and Tito Jon's meat shop. Yeheyy! Customer! :D I wish the shop nothing but success.

update

I've always known that I'm a morning person. I love mornings because it's the only time when the air is cooler and it's when I'm in a sing-song happy mood. I remember my freshman year in college when I had 7am P.E. classes. 7am! Imagine that! And I had these long walks to the village gate but I didn't mind the walking because it was my way of interacting with nature. Yes, meron ganun effect. :)

I woke up extra early today because:
1. Drinking coffee before going to bed, even if it's decaf, is a bad idea. It made me sleep but only a shallow slumber.
2. Mama came into the room to say that she's going to bring papa to the hospital. he had colds last night and then an asthma attack. It was so bad that he was wheezing so my sister drove them to the hospital. Four hours later, papa texted that he's going to be admitted.

I find it unusual when papa is the one who gets confined to a hospital bed. I've said this before when he was operated for gall stones. Anyway, it's weird because we see him as this strong man of the house and then he becomes weak and vulnerable, it's weird.

Oh well, prayers. They will help wonders!

Lost and Found

Gail woke up at 5am. Wow. This must be record. I haven't done this in a while. Usually it's between 8am-9am.

Mental note to self: Don't drink coffee before bed even if it's decaf because decaf coffee is really just like 70% decaf. You'll just end up sleeping a shallow slumber.

Hey, look. It's the "writings" blog. They are not really not "writings". Just gibberish that I think about and then write. "Scribbles" is more like it.

www.sulat.wordpress.com

I want a sunkist. :/

Last Song Syndrome

This has replaced Kingdom of Pretty by Bonnie Bailey.

My sister let me listen to this on her ipod. It's a nice song! So I searched for the music video and here we go.

Proudly Filipino. Astig. :) And Lomographic toy cameras are featured in this music video too!

I love food and givers of knowledge

May 9 was Arbie's birthday so we celebrated by eating out care of our boss who is at the other side of the world. We had dinner at Polu Kai in Serendra and I finally got to taste Cupcakes by Sonja. Nice mentioned before that I'd like the Bunny Huggers (carrot cake with cream cheese icing on top) and I also picked the chocolate cupcake with green sprinkles on top. I loved the store. It was homey because the interior was decorated in pastel and dinerlike feel. That line from To Kill a Mocking Bird by Harper Lee came into mind-- the part when women were described as cupakes sprinkled with soft confectioner's sugar on top or something like that. Also, if they played the Strawberry Shortcake song in the store it would be very appropriate. Heehee.

This is a blurry photo. Ah well. :)


It was a wonderful night especially when I spent it with friends/workmates and family too. While I was out, a former professor texted to ask how I was doing with jobhunting. After updating him with what's going on careerwise, he reminded me about the self-fulling prophecy in sociolgy-- if you think you're not going to make it, then that is exactly what's going to happen. So I figured I should believe in myself more and stop being pessimistic about things. The prophecy says that if you think you'll make it, the same will happen in reality. So my mood was perked up and I felt happy because former teachers/professors who continue to teach their students even after graduation are blessings to humankind. They guide us and teach us about things that we never would have learned. I am thankful for this professor because he taught me so much and made me not regret my last year in college. I only wish that I can give back to people who have grately influenced me, you know. One day I'll go back to the university and will make professors who believed in my capabilities proud of what I must have become by then.

Even before going to bed I was happy. I have great respect for teachers/professors and people who work with children or students, in general. They sacrifice a lot especially U.P. professors who don't get paid as much as those who teach in private universities but they do it for the passion-- for the passion to serve or give back to their Alma Mater and to pass on their knowledge and intellect to the younger generation.

SALUDO AKO SA INYOOOO! :D AND MARAMING SALAMAT, PROF. PONSARAN.

Anyway, this came into mind too for absolutely no reason at all:

You are a child of the universe,
no less than the trees and the stars;
you have a right to be here.
And whether or not it is clear to you,
no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.
(excerpt, Desiderata, Max Ehrmann)

sleepy thoughts

Last night I dreamt about feet. Dirty feet. MY dirty feet. It's a very funny dream, actually. Dreaming of dirty feet and not realizing it until someone pointed it out and being horrified afterwards.

I'm sleepy. I'm always sleepy. I don't know how many times I should wake up at 8.30AM to get used to logging on at 9AM for work. Coffee is my best friend. My best friend is a steaming hot mug of coffee.

I watched Shrek 3 yesterday. I didn't like it as much as I liked the other two prequels. It was okay. The kids who were seated one row behind us were hilarious. The kid seated at the back of my seat was even kicking my seat while he laughed. If he were some adult or a bratty teenager I would've glared at him but he's just a kid! I love hearing children laugh. Little kids make me smile all the time especially if they burst into fits of giggles. Nakakakilig. One thing I noticed last night during Shrek 3 was how humor differs between adults and kids. Kids laugh at the littlest of things-- they giggled during the least funny scenes while adults laughed at the more obvious funny scenes. You could actually hear the chorus of laughter of the kids in the movie theater at some parts.

Kingdom of Pretty (Claude Bareau Remix) has been playing over and over and over. Even after my earphones died on me, it's still on my iTUNES playing over and over. It's my happy song. It has been for months now. That's why I want to go dancing. This Saturday, I hope! :)

Paradise

I still believe in paradise, but now at least I know it is not some
place that you can look for because it is not where you go..

It's how you feel for a moment in your life when you are a part
of something. And if you find that moment, it lasts forever.

"The Beach."

church on a wednesday

Yesterday, on the way to Citibank Greenhills I got hungry. I'm always hungry. But because my mother was cooking dinner of plenty and specifically asked Alej that we have dinner at home, I didn't want to eat something heavy. So the only solution to my hunger was.... McDonald's! And McDonald's it was because Alej wanted to buy Coke float. To my delight they had this Shrek 3 promo and the chicken nuggets and fries had a combo. With Coke float! What a treat! So we drove through McDonald's at Tomas Morato and you know what? Satisfying a craving, drive-thru fries, and chicken nuggets are the best combination ever especially with someone you love around (naks, the queso!).

Today Mama and I went to the novena-mass at the Baclaran Church. Papa and Mama like going to the Baclaran Church every Wednesday but since I get off work at 5pm, I decided that I could go every Wednesday too so Mama has someone to go with.

Now I'm pooped. The throng of people who go to that church is ridiculous. But I enjoyed observing the activities going around me and it was actually fun.

holga went to the beach

My beach trip was cut short because I had to be home the next day before 6.30PM in time for Sunday mass and our Mother's Day dinner but I still had a great time. It was awesome, actually.

I was skeptical at first because I wasn't sure the beach was going to be beautiful. We got there at night and went night swimming even if I had no idea what the water looked like. Come morning time, the beach was breathtaking! It was sunny and I didn't mind baking my skin under the sun as long as there's water and sun.

It's surreal to float on water and squint your eyes to sun while you feel its rays piercing your skin. If I was in the city I'd hate the icky feeling but being in the sea and having the sun look down on you like that is different. It's bliss, I tell you.

I want to go back!

Eraserhads rock(ed)

A few minutes ago I was scanning through my iTunes music library and came across the Eraserheads Anthology album. "Hard to Believe" is one of my favorites. I retrieved the lyrics because they it says exactly what's in my mind. This is silly but I thought the song was just an ordinary love song but it's not! There's some philosophical pondering during the first part. I bolded it just so you know what I'm talking about:

I find it hard to believe
That all the pain that we are feeling
Has some meaning in this world
It's so hard to believe
That everything you see is different
From the things that you've been told

I wanted life to be this way
Just a little bit of love could mean so much
O please don't take it all away
But with you heaven is still close enough to touch

I find it hard to believe
That someone up there is waiting
With arms open wide and smiling
It's so hard to believe
When someone told me that your suffering
Is what you get for living

I wanted life to be this way
Just a little bit of love could mean so much
O please don't take it all away
But with you heaven is still close enough to touch
Because your love is still the only thing
That matters in this world
The only thing I can believe...
-(Hard to Believe, Eraserheads)

So yeah. I wonder what happened to the minds of our early philosophers especially the "hardcore" ones like Nietzsche, Plato, Aristotle, or the more famous ones. I think life's questions were designed not to be answered. You know, like the philosophy of Taoism-- letting things be as they are.

Let Your Hair Down

The difference between me and other people I know is that I believe in a force that drives me towards goals. I believe in good. I have always been optimistic about things. I am one of those few people who still believe in world peace and that if people strive to live for others they can and will make a difference. Call it seeing the world through rose colored lenses. Some people call it apathetic. I call it optimistic.

I was afraid of failing before but life's experiences taught me not to be that person anymore. Ambeth Ocampo, our commencement speaker during UPM's graduation, shared many of Jose Rizal's life stories. Contrary to popular belief, Jose Rizal was not all great and mighty because he had several mishaps in his life just like any other person. He was a careless doctor who experimented procedures that was not in medical books. He made mistakes because he was bold and fearless that way. Mr. Ocampo made it clear that he was not trying to ruin our national hero's name. Instead, he was making a point that Jose Rizal may appeared to have been a lousey doctor but one thing is for sure, HE WAS NOT AFRAID TO FAIL.

I think it's important to learn to not be afraid of falling flat on your face. We may be achievers at one point of our lives but who is to say that this winning streak will go on until the prime of our lives? At one point or another, we will have to lose and if we're not ready for that it will be so much harder to accept defeat than to be prepared for the worse.

If there's one thing in life that is constant, it is change. Life is a wheel of fortune, they say. You'll never know when you'll be up the wheel or down the wheel. Don't be a hamster who's running the wheel but will always be stuck at the bottom no matter how fast he goes. Always strive to be better than what people think you are. Defeat stereotypes and when people put you down, show them that they're wrong. And if you get tired of trying to prove something to people around you, it's okay. You don't owe anyone. Live your life and strive to be happy.

"Sapphire and faded jeans
I hope you get your dreams.
Just go ahead let your hair down.
You're gonna find your place somewhere, somehow."
- Put Your Records On, Corrine Bailey Ray

Cheers and good luck!

this is me in a not-so-good mood

Creativity will cease to exist as long as I'm immobile. I hate relying on people for transport. I want to (FINALLY) learn how to drive. I swear I'm going to inquire at AAP next week.

one of my many epiphanies

I've had way too many epiphanies in the past few days. I need to write them down just so I won't forget because I have been very lazy to type an entry about them when I get home. Sayang ang thoughts!

Take for example, yesterday. I spent several hours at the St. Luke's Medical Center - International Eye Institute. Mama got her eyes lasered five times because the doctor wanted to check for diabetes complications (or at least something like that). So there were five procedures done in about three hours. I went with her because the last time she had the procedures done, she vomitted because of the intravenous medicine and well, they laser the eyes! That must feel really uncomfortable. So imagine me sitting still at the waiting area on an uncomfortable couch with a dozen other people who are waiting-- companions and relatives alike. It was boring but I tried to amuse myself by staring at the wall (sarcasm there). There was t.v. but the volume was too low I couldn't hear it. In the evening we went to Mama's other doctor and guess who we bumped into? Tita Yette and Carlo! Tita Yette worked with my father in Myanmar and Carlo is her eldest son. He was my playmate for a few years because we lived nearby (almost like a neighbor!) so we had carpools and playdates together with our sisters. So it was really great to bump into childhood friends. Mama caught up with Tita Yette although it was heartbreaking to know that she's going to undergo chemotherapy for a stage 1 ovarian cancer. Everyone's hopeful, though. It's not something to worry about. The chemotherapy is for safety precaution just in case the cancer spreads. All our prayers go to Tita Yette.

The epiphany yesterday was all bout "letting things be according to God's will". I told Tita Yette to "think positive" about the whole chemo-cancer thing because everything's going to be alright. She said she was reading this book about accepting things as they are and not questioning it. Thinking positive won't drive any bad circumstance away. You have to accept things as they are because all the things that are happening in our lives are already pre-planned by GOD all the way back to the time when we were unborn. So it got me thinking that she is absolutely right. When we begin to accept things as they are and that everything has a purpose according to God's plan, we become less bitter and more peaceful with the world because we don't fight what is already set for us by God. No, there's no room for despair and bitterness or even anger towards God when we suffer from mishaps. Everything has its purpose. We just have to let things bee. I, myself, became more at peace with myself when I prayed today at St. Jude Church that I'm surrendering everything to Him because I trust His plans.

Let me share with you a beautiful prayer, which my friend Albert forwarded to me last Easter Sunday:

"Lord, when I lose hope because all my plans have come to nothing, help me to remember that your love is always greater than my disappointments and your plans for my life are always better than my dreams. Amen."

I hope I made my point. Carpe diem!