My new year resolutions for 2013

The same old story, but with renewed willingness and hope. Who knows? I just might have the strength to finally do it this year.

1. Eat more vegetable salads and fresh fruits.
2. Maintain half rice at lunch, or none at all.
3. Exercise more frequently (at least three times a week).
4. Read at least one book a month (this is copied from my friend Jason's personal plan).
5. Finish at least two chapters of my book a week.
6. Try more new recipes.
7. Spend less on food (for myself) and more on clothes.
8. Sleep not later than 11pm on work nights and Sundays, and not later than 12mn on Saturdays.
9. Take kids outdoors more often.
10. Blog daily.

My Favorite Pick-up Lines of 2012

Courtesy of 89.9's pickup line contest every Friday, here are some of the smartest pick-up lines from listeners of the radio station in 2012:



Coke ka ba?
Bakit?
Hindi ka lang sakto, ikaw pa ang happiness ko.


Sana ampalaya ka nalang.
Bakit?
Kasi kahit gaano kapait ang hatid mo sa buhay ko, ikaw pa rin ang nagbigay ng sustansya sa puso ko.

Pag namatay ako, wag kang pupunta sa burol ko ha.
Bakit?
Sige ka, pipintig ulit ang puso ko.

Alam mo ba kung bakit naghihirap ang bansang Pilipinas?
Bakit?
Kasi nagmamahalan tayo.

Si Timothy Bradley ka ba?
Bakit?
Yakap mo pa lang, panalo na.

Pikit ka.
Bakit?
Ganyan kadilim ang buhay ko pag wala ka.

Alam mo magkaiba talaga kami ni Jose Rizal?
Bakit?
Si Rizal tinamaan sa likod. Ako tinamaan sayo.

Sana ang pagibig mo hanggang kinsenas lang.
Bakit?
Para wala nang katapusan.

Is your father an alien?
Why?
Because there's no one like you on planet Earth.

Ikaw ba si Bonifacio?
Bakit?
Kasi gusto kita i-Andres.

Ang pagibig ko sayo parang nasa kabilang section.
Bakit?
Ibang klase.

And the best.....

Tae ka ba?
Bakit?
Bukod sa hindi kita kayang paglaruan, pwede ba kita ilabas mamaya?

=)

Happy new year! Here's to more picking up in 2013!

Weak church

I'm reposting here a comment I made on the wall of my friend Melita Eclavea's FB:
 
Wish the church had shown the same indignance over corruption in GMA's administration as it does now over the RH bill. Sadly, it didn't. The priests appear to be more interested in topics about sex than in topics about good governance; in topics that are really more personal in nature than topics that unite a community. And they didn't care that the country's highest officials stole money from their bosses: the people. All they said at that time was: "Lahat naman nandadaya."

It's true, the church is weak when it comes to issues that affect the whole country--and the government itself. I always remember somebody saying that if the church had been more vigilant, more outspoken and took greater risks at the time the Jews were being hunted, there wouldn't have been a "holocaust." 

I'm a bit torn about this RH bill because the major issues that have to be addressed here are never spoken of in the open. Morality is being highlighted, because that's the only discussion point the church can participate in. What do people who have made vows of celibacy know about marriage challenges and intimacy between two legally married people who don't want to have a big family? Why are we listening to the voices of those who are not considered experts in that topic, anyway?

Never mind. Some people use their power to push their opinions into one's face. It isn't always the truth. But then, when will we ever learn?

Connect

I read the blog of my friend Jason today and found his post on Cloud Atlas and the extended trailer. It was posted days ago, but I read it now -- on 12-12-12, and it struck home. Today, we're supposed to blow up and the world will end. Of course, it didn't happen. But what if it did?

If you knew that it would actually happen? What would you have done during the days and hours leading to that moment? I'd probably have resigned from my current job, asked the kids to take leave from school, spend most of the time with the family doing things we've never done before and visiting places we've always wanted to see, and maybe call friends I haven't talked to for a long time.

Connect. That was the word used in the movie. Each one has a connection. And every single day of our lives, we are presented with multiple opportunities to connect. A chance to give someone who is lost directions to her destination. A chance to listen to a colleague who just needed to say some 56,000 words before the end of day, for reasons only he knows. A chance to give your employee the bonus that he deserves (Incidentally, my colleagues received their 13th month pay today. A little too late compared with other companies, but not too late to make it useful this holiday season. Connect.). A chance to tell your subordinate that he has been doing well in his recent writeups and to keep it going.

One chance in a million -- that's all we get, considering the many situation combinations that can happen 24/7. We need to make the most of that one chance and let it help us connect and inspire.

Talking about one chance, I had a half-surprise this morning. I've been telling Mel that we should have breakfast one time before he brings me to work. Since I've gone back to work, we hadn't had a chance (there's that word again) to eat out alone again. He'd say yes but it never happened, because he'd be sleepy by the time we brought the kids to school, and would have just enough strength to drive me to the office and back home before he has to hit the sack again.

This morning, we had a little argument over me not answering his call to my mobile phone when he had to tell me he was stuck in Nagtahan on his way to fetch us girls. So I was silent the entire trip to St. Scholastica. After the girls disembarked, he asked me if we're going straight to my office or if we're supposed to pass by Mama's. I said no, we're not going to Kalayaan, and we're not going to the office. We're eating. He didn't answer and I was kind of guilty, coz I know he's tired and sleepy, so I said "Joke lang. Bumalik ka nalang ng tulog." Then I started closing my eyes, trying to doze off so I wouldn't have to talk to him again.

I was surprised that he parked by Sinangag Express in Kamagong.
Mel: "Ito yun, di ba?"
Me: "Huh?" looking around.
Mel: "Di ba kakain tayo, sabi mo?"
Me: "Kakain tayo?"
Mel: "Di ba?"
Me: (now wide awake) "Sige, kain tayo!"
Mel: "Ok. Bilisan lang natin ha."

Sure!!! And so our long-planned breakfast happened today, on 12-12-12.

One chance. That's what am saying. Who knows when it's gonna happen again? Maybe after another "minor argument".  Take the chance, before it's too late.

My latest wares

Baby bead bracelets  - red & pink

Baby bead bracelets - colored

Necklace and bracelet set 1

Necklace & bracelet set 2

Kids bracelet with blue crystals

Brown & white bead bracelet

Bead bracelet - sun design 1

Bead bracelet - sun design 2

Adult colored bracelet 1

Adult colored bracelet 2

                          Adult colored bracelet 3

Necklace & bracelet 3

What happened to the UST Salinggawi?

After reading my friend Jason's blog on the 2012 UAAP Cheerdance Competition, I was reminded of my own reactions to the competition last Saturday. Like him, I was a fan of FEU (next to UP, of course), and have always taken note of their routines year after year. I think they're good and they always manage to deliver a cohesive performance, including the theme, music and attire.

This year, I actually believed they had a great advantage. They could have beaten the UP PEP Squad if the latter's performance was anything short of what it did last year. I love their routine. It seemed fairly difficult and smooth and I didn't spot any errors with my untrained amateur eye. I like the tamaraw movements as well and how these gel with the costume and music. The spin landings were solid and the pyramids stable. After the fall of one UP Pep Squad member at the end of the performance, I feared that the Tamaraws will go home with the grand prize.

Needless to say, am happy they didn't. But had they bagged it, I wouldn't be surprised.

What disappointed me most was the performance of the UST Salinggawi Dance Troupe. As my friend Jason said, they had eight championships in their cap before they started their downhill roll, failing to make it to top three in the past few years. Cheerdance squads used to look up to them. What happened?

This year, among all the squads in the competition, their theme was the most potent for creativity. Brazil. Vibrant nation, colorful culture, exciting people. And none of these surfaced in UST's routine. No excitement in the choreography, very segmented flow, delayed introduction of theme highlights. It doesn't even feel like Mardi Gras. The presence of the dark-skinned pretty new dancer did not serve to bring out the best of Brazil. It was a total letdown -- from start to finish, from costume to music to formation.

My son, who is a Judo athlete in UST, earlier said he heard they got a new choreographer, and he was excited to see the group rise to top three at least or win the competition. But he also noted that each time he sees the UST Salinggawi group, they are eating or resting. He rarely sees them rehearsing in full. So when the performance ended, Jules stared wide-eyed at the TV and said, "Yun na yon?"

UST Salinggawi should seriously assess where they're missing out. For a squad that has carried the championship title eight times, there's no fire in them this year.

National University was burning brighter, with their fairy tale royalty theme. They had nice costumes and a cool audio mix. Many other teams had good routines but the errors probably held them down.

Adamson, for one, should find a new set of group stunt participants next year. If I had a heart ailment, I'd probably have an attack just watching that group struggle through their unstable pyramids and lousy catches (at one point they caught the top girl in such a precarious moment that they carried her like an upside down lechon in split position). I was pretty sure someone's gonna land head-on on the floor. Luckily, the group survived.

As usual, Ateneo is a hodge podge of ideas put together that the result is confusing. Is it about the 80s era or just the Voltes V period? And why build a Voltes V prop at the back if there is nothing in the routine that shows "volting in"? The performance was a dart that lacked speed and didn't make it to the board.

DLSU? Still pa-safe and pa-cute. UE had fuel and a chance, but was overshadowed by NU.

Next year will be another exciting competition. I wonder what UP will be up to next. Last year, they had golden crowns, now they are shaven. Next year, would they be entering the arena headless? Let's wait and see.

Strange light (was it a dream?)

I forgot about this. Luckily, as soon as I woke up and began to rationalize things, I snatched my phone and wrote everything I experienced on the memo -- while I still can remember. I accidentally opened the memo tonight and realized I haven't blogged it, so am doing now.

And here is what I wrote:

It happened on September 4 (based on my phone entry). About 10 minutes after midnight, when I was half asleep, I felt or saw a flash of light through my closed eyes. I sat up straight, awakened by the vision or dream. It couldn't be a dream, however, because I remember that the flash was accompanied by a short and low snapping sound. It sounded like a camera flash from an instamatic. 

I stared around and wondered what it was. Mel remained asleep so he couldn't have heard or felt it. After hesitating for a few minutes, I decided to check on the kids. Sometimes, when I have these rousing experiences, I assume that God is waking me up for a reason. Maybe the girls need checking up and He is using a strange movement or vision to make sure am fully awake and understand His message.

The kids were asleep but were not properly positioned in bed, so I rearranged them. Maybe that's the reason why. I hoped it is.

I've had one other such experience not too long ago, maybe just a couple of weeks before the Sept 4 thing happened. I woke up in the middle of the night wondering why the room looked brighter than it regularly does when all lights are off. Our room faces the corridor of the building so the light from the corridor illuminates the room partially. But on this particular night, the light appeared brighter than usual. Just as I did on September 4, I also sat up straight, trying to understand what was happening.

When I couldn't, I slowly laid back down and continued to gaze around the room. I told myself my eyes have probably adjusted to the initial darkness after the lights are extinguished and I fell asleep, and I'm seeing the room clearer now. The explanation didn't sound convincing even to me. I checked the kids that night, too, but nothing was amiss. So I returned to the room and went back to bed. This time, I thought the room is back to its normal appearance -- just the right darkness.

I didn't think anything of it the next day, until Marthe commented that she "dreamt" of the sarcophagus-looking stone we saw in Puerta Real gardens in Intramuros the previous weekend. She dreamt that the sarcophagus shape, in miniature, was moving across their room, illuminated by some kind of light (spotlight, she said), its shadow seen on their closet doors. She specifically mentioned that the bright light seems to come from outside their door and focused mainly on the gliding sarcophagus.

"Outside their door" is the door to our room. It was the mention of the "bright light" that caught my attention. She was dreaming about it at nearly the same time as I woke up to a bright light. If what she was dreaming actually happened, could I have seen the illumination of a light coming from outside both our rooms? What would that light be? There were no lights outside our door except a dark bulb that was a few steps farther from our rooms. It could not be mistaken for a "bright light". Or did Marthe see through a dream the same light I saw but one that is coming from the corridor, passing through our room and going through theirs, illuminating the "sarcophagus"? Again, what was it?

It gives me the creeps to think about it now. I'd rather not dwell on the reality of the sarcophagus. I'd like to think it's a dream. Period. And I'd like to think my eyes had adjusted to the dark. Oh well, I think I heard the admin person say they changed the corridor lights so it's brighter now.

It's just the corridor light. Period.

"We" Time

One good thing about my redundancy from office -- and there are plenty -- is that I get to spend more time with my husband. By 'spending time', I don't mean just sitting across each other in the dining table, having coffee and reading the newspaper (which we did often on Saturday mornings when I was still working, aside from listening to the radio and talking about the news).

I mean, really being aware of each other's presence and consciously doing something together. On my third freedom-from-work week, Mel and I began this daily routine of walking to the nearby market after breakfast to buy something for lunch or dinner, or simply stroll around the block to revisit spots we've seen before.

It all started when we were looking for a Baroque costume for Jules' music class and sewing kit items for the girls' Work Education subject. An officemate, who also lives in Pandacan, told me that she used to rent costumes and gowns for her daughters from a nearby shop. We went to look for the shop and found the items we need. We also visited a relatively new store of school and office supplies and discovered they had all kinds of sewing kits with everything in it. We had such a productive day that day that we decided to walk together again the following day.

The next day brought us to the Kapt Isidro Mendoza Public Library in T. San Luis Street. I just heard about it and told Mel I wanted to see the place after the habagat-caused-flood. We came upon the library personnel tidying up the place. Some books were obviously not fortunate enough to be saved during the flood. The water had reached almost the second level of the shelves so those at the bottom were drenched. Some books were lying in tables, being dried. From there, we went to the talipapa for pork and other ingredients.

Since then, we've gone walking almost every morning for a variety of reasons such as to visit the nearby pet shop to look for an aquarium with a movable bottom for our pet white mouse, Fifi, or to check if the Puregold store in West Zamora sells pizza sauce. Sometimes, it's as simple as me craving for pandesal, and we'd go to the Pan de Manila near Caritas after our trip to the market to get large, hot bread.

Last week, our "we time" went beyond Pandacan. The trips were primarily for errands but we decided to have our own little dates. On Tuesday, we went to BPI in Padre Faura to take care of some investment business, then thought of splurging a little to try out something new. We went straight to The Kitchen at Oasis Hotel in Paco. "Splurging a little" turned into "splurging a lot" because, man, the prices in the restaurant are no joke. If you're a big group, and don't really have that much extra to spend, I suggest you stay away from this tempting place.

I ordered Ox Tongue Risotto with asparagus and parmesan. Oo-la-lah! It's true, the dish is delicious! I could have finished it if the order wasn't that big. Even before my last spoonful, I knew I had too much. It's worth the sky-high price.

I paired this wonderful dish with a glass of Kiwi Soda, all green and refreshing. I didn't regret the choice.

Mel opted for something less adventurous but equally satisfying. Something familiar to the palate, yet not. He ordered an Italian Sausage dish with lentils and potatoes. I forgot the exact name but it's also amazing and flavorful. Heavy, if I may add.

He paired it with, first, a glass of Banrock Station, a fine Australian wine, and then another glass of Stonehaven from California.

The Kitchen was the highlight of the day.

On Wednesday, I had to get a community tax certificate for my quit claim document in the office, so I can get my last paycheck and severance pay. Mel and I went to Manila City Hall to join the long line of people getting the same. Surprisingly, all of them are lining up in the window for the "unemployed". Nobody was lining up in the windows reserved for self-employed people and business owners. Some look too good to be unemployed, but then that's the strategy here to avoid paying much. At least for me, it's true. I am unemployed. :-)

After City Hall, we went to The Old Spaghetti House in SM Manila to have a light meal. Our food consisted of Buffalo Chicken Tenders with Blue Cheese Sauce and Chicken Tequila Pizza.

Yumm-mmm-mmmyyy... Me time, we time. Great food and great company. This is life!

B*shit Carabuena

First this:
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/256132/carabuena-apologizes-to-public-will-still-face-legal-sanctions

And then this:
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/256216/carabuena-rushed-to-hospital-case-will-continue-mmda-chairman

Can you believe this guy??? Is he being mentored by the ABCs -- the Arroyos, Bolantes and Coronas?

The hospital seems to become the haven of the guilty nowadays. If you can't answer to your misdeed, pretend you're sick and you're off the hook.

And you can't even trust the doctors. Either they're guilty of immoral acts themselves (Hayden Kho), or they don't know what they're saying (Dr Roberto Anastacio, Gloria Arroyo's cardiologist). http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/252570/no-need-for-arroyo-to-leave

So, is this Carabuena for real? He looked like a puppy, compared to his bulldog act on the road that day. I'd say he's just like the rest of them, the ABCs of the Orocan world.

Bourne lacking

Last Sunday, we finally got to see the movie Bourne Legacy at the Power Plant Mall. We had expected a thinner crowd, having allowed one and a half weeks from premier day to pass before we gave in. Surprisingly, the cinema's still crowded. In Rockwell, this is rare. But then, everybody's understandably curious about the Manila action scenes in this most-awaited flick.

Anticipating the typical "hit the ground running" movie characteristic of the Bourne series, we had a hearty lunch at Cafe Mediterranean first. A full stomach for a full-speed movie, I thought.

Mel and I ordered Gyro sandwiches, Kofta for me and Grilled Lamb for him. That should be heavy enough. Marthe ordered a whole Marguerita Pizza but ended up eating about 60% of it. Fides had a combination plate of Moussaka and salad, while Jules and Olive both had Grilled Chicken Plates with mediterranean and plain rice, respectively.

My half-eaten Kofta

Marthe and I at Cafe Mediterranean, Rockwell

Fides and I

We barely had a minute to spare when we finally entered the cinema, but we realized that we misunderstood the screening time and the movie has started. We missed maybe two plot locations. Who cares, it's all talk. Not much eye candy. Except when Jeremy Renner is flashed onscreen.

While the movie dragged on and we tried to understand the story line through the conversations, Fides fidgeted in her seat, as she always does. During a critical moment in the movie, when the entire audience was straining to catch the words of the actors, Fides moved several times and the plastic bag of books in her lap created a sound loud enough to drown the conversation onscreen. An American sitting in front of her looked back a couple of times.

I snatched the bag and placed it beside me to avoid any more noises. And then the action onscreen began so for several minutes I was glued to it. I just noticed many, many scenes later that Fides was talking. "No I'm not," she said. "Yes, you are," the American in front answered. I asked her, "Were you talking?" She didn't reply.

Finally, the Manila scenes came. (spoiler alert) First of all, when Rachel Weiss first mentioned "Manila", she had to follow it up with "The Philippines." It's sad that the scriptwriter and director had to add that part, appearing to explain where Manila is. They should have just left it to the viewers to research about Manila so they'd learn the more important things about our country, instead of highlighting the fact that the Philippines is unknown to the world.

However, I'd say, the Manila scene is the heart of Bourne Legacy. This is where the action is. There were many scenes edited, though, including the one I've seen being shot along R. Magsaysay last January. I was on my way to my high school at that time for a final practice and meeting for our Silver Jubilee celebration and was caught up in traffic on the opposite lane of the shooting. I watched as pretty Rachel and hunky Jeremy rode their motorcycle back and forth, followed by another motorcycle and a taxicab. The scene was repeated several times as cameras rolled. I don't remember seeing that location in the movie, but then again maybe they've weaved it into other scenes, making it unrecognizable.

(another spoiler alert) And then the Palawan scene came and the story ends. Bitin! Personally, I think it's lacking the usual heart-pumping action of past Bourne movies. It retains, however, the series' style of unraveling bits of the story one at a time. I still like it that way.

When we got out, I asked Fides what that exchange with the American was all about. Apparently, she accidentally hit his chair when she shifted position, and the foreigner turned around and confronted her -- apparently already pissed off with her noise with the plastic bag earlier. I don't know why I didn't see that. My eyes were glued to the screen, I didn't even notice that he stood up, according to Jules. Well, I can't blame the American; Fides has that kind of problem. She can't seem to stay put. Still, he should have realized she's only a child. Maybe he didn't know she was a child coz she's tall. Well, at least, no other confrontation followed.

In the moviehouse, at least. But in the parking lot, a different confrontation happened. When we arrived in Power Plant at 2pm, we asked the attendant there to clean and wax the car. We told them specifically that we were staying in the mall for only two hours. We came out at almost 6pm (which is 4 hours after) and they have not finished washing the car. The wax was still there, it hasn't been buffed, and there was no one around! So Mel flared up, looked for the attendant and told them we're canceling everything.

What did they say? They said they'd finish it, it will just take 3 minutes. Are you kidding?!!! Wash an Innova for 3 minutes? We left without paying. Whatever preliminary cleaning they did, they can pay for it for all we care! That should serve as a lesson to them lazy workers.

And that was how our Bourne Sunday ended. Lacking. =(

Tap-taps in Diliman

I saw oblation again today, in all his naked glory, eyes toward the sky, hands extended by his sides. For over four years I'd marveled at what I imagine to be his message: "This is all I have. Take me as I am and mold me into the best I can be."

Offering what I have begins with the UPCAT. Like all the other students of my time who had high hopes for the future, I trotted to UP Diliman to take the dreaded but most anticipated college entrance test. I was one of a relative few who did end up taking my undergraduate studies in the campus. And still one of even a fewer number of iskolars ng bayan who graduated in the same campus.

Today, escorting my son as his turn came to take the UPCAT, I relived my days in UP Diliman. The walk down memory lane began with the Palma Hall steps. Jules' test venue is in one of those dimly lit classrooms with no aircon. I gave his cheek a good luck kiss at the gate and whispered a silent prayer that he would make it here.

Because I loved it here. My college days were among the happiest of my lifetime. I think I can never explain enough to someone who has not experienced UP how fulfilling life is inside.

From Palma Hall, I brought Mel and the kids to the Shopping Center to search for lunch, pointing my college haunts and former dormitories to them along the way. They found the SC shabby, as I expected, and I wondered why UP never bothered to spruce it up a little. It looked exactly the same as when I was here. Even the pharmacy is in the same spot at the end of the long low building.

The eateries were full, so we went out and trekked beyond PNB to see if Chateau Verde is still open. I haven't been back since about three years ago. Unfortunately, Chateau appears to be closed...I think, for good. The arched sign no longer exists and is covered entirely by bushes and vines. There was a little walkway by the side but when we attempted to take a peak, the gate was closed and the people inside said they were closed.

We drove back to the street behind the Main Library, parked in front of the College of Law, and took our pick of the food stalls lining the street. I chose a Rodic's tapsilog, my favorite during college, and so did Mel. The kids bought a sandwich from KFC but decided to have a takeout tapsilog for dinner. Olive preferred Ineng's barbecue.

(to be continued)

First day high

Yesterday, I was retrenched from the company I worked in for the past eight and a half years. The future is uncertain, but the package is substantial.

So today, on my first day of freedom from income-related stress, I:

- walked in the rain (under an umbrella, of course) with my husband and bought fish for dinner
- fixed a salad and had a leisurely breakfast with him
- read a few pages of Mary Higgins Clark's A Second Time Around
- slept in the middle of the day, with the book in my hand
- looked up the steamy pictures of Kristen Stewart and Rupert Sanders' cheating scandal
- read an old letter from a pen pal, to which I failed to reply
- slept again
- downloaded a Jumanji movie torrent for my kids to watch
- studied the miniature coffin of my son's dead egg project
- spent extra minutes in the shower enjoying the shampoo smell
- chatted with my mother on the phone
- opened my bedroom window and observed the neighbor

And in about an hour, after they've studied their lessons, I have an appointment with  my two girls to play scrabble.

Who says bumming around is such a boring task? I've already done tons. And it's just the first day.

Hail to the "oragons"! Hail to mothers!

I bought this shirt in Legazpi, Albay in the Bicol province. According to the text written on it, "oragon" is a slang in the local dialect referring to somebody who is determined, excitable, spirited, a fighter, principled, unafraid of consequences, and one who stands up for his principles.

In essence, the word describes a mother. Mothers are oragons, for their fearless leadership in the home and their tireless guidance of their children. It is a characteristic that will never die in true-blue responsible mothers.

So, even if I am not a bicolano -- but my husband is half-bicolano -- I am an oragon. Because I am a true-blue mother.

Happy Mother's Day to the oragons of the world!

Bicol Day 2: Vista Al Mayon and Cagsawa Ruins

Our first night in Legazpi was relatively uneventful...well, technically. We checked in at Vista Al Mayon without any hassle, as the hotel has been waiting for us since 2pm. Our rooms were clean and ready, and within 10 minutes since we parked, we were settled at the cafe waiting for our dinner.

Famished, we were not in the mood for local food yet, and ordered what looked like safe, regular dishes: fish steak for Fides, bistek tagalog for Julian, fried chicken for Marthe, shrimp sinigang for Mama, buttered chicken for me and lechon kawali for Mel. All sets came with cream of crab soup, plain rice and really delicious bananas – something that ripened naturally on the tree.

Everything was a blur after dinner. My husband Mel and I went back to our room and watched TV while the kids surfed and played in their room. We had our usual glass of wine (no corkage fee here if you take your alcohol in the room, but if you bring it to the poolside, corkage is P100 per bottle). Mel was telling a story, but I had difficulty keeping my eyes open, and was making all the wrong replies. Time for bed.

I was awakened with a start by a sound I could not place. I thought I was dreaming, but then realized my eyes were open and the room was pitch black. Then I heard a shout outside our window and some commotion. And then the loud sound of some machine began and the room lit up. I looked around, trying to understand what was happening. Mel raised his head and said, “That’s the generator. Brown out.”  Oh!

I was relieved. I looked at my mobile clock. Almost 3am, the witching hour. Were we bewitched? I don’t care. I immediately went back to sleep, and was up at about 7am to look at Mayon up close. Surprisingly, the kids were already awake, even after our long ang tiring trip.

Mt Mayon was even more majestic from this standpoint, like a queen standing in the center of her kingdom, looking over her subjects and properties. At 7am, the crater is very visible and only some clouds hovered near the top. Unfortunately, we couldn’t take our breakfast by the poolside to have an endless view of the volcano because the hotel is being used as a venue for swimming lessons for kids during the day. So there were many parents sitting in the poolside tables watching their kids learn to swim.

We took our breakfast inside the cafe. Our bill reached P600+. That’s about P100+ per person. Not bad, considering that the servings were big enough for a regular eater.

Cagsawa Church ruins

After breakfast, our first agenda was of course, the Cagsawa Church Ruins. Mel has visited the place in the 90s and he was surprised to see that it is now surrounded with souvenir shops, eateries and restrooms. Back then, he said the place was totally bare. Now, there’s already an entrance gate that collects P10 per person.

As we all know by now, the Cagsawa Church was buried in the Mayon volcano eruption of 1814, where more than 1,000 residents of Cagsawa town were killed. The whole town itself was buried in ash and lahar, and the people who took refuge inside the church died as well. After the eruption, a great part of the belfry and church facade were still visible. But today, only the roof of the nearby convent and the top arcs of the church can be seen, in addition to the belfry. Some say that they slowly crumbled during earthquakes in the 50s.

Some unthinking businessman built a resort just beside the ruins, unmindful of the sacredness of the place. The resort had no periphery walls or fences such that the swimming pool can be accessed and seen directly from the pathways of the ruins. Naturally, no one would be seen swimming in that pool with all those tourists looking at you. As a result, the pool was left to “rot”, now green with moss and algae. Another (stupid) investment down the drain.

The souvenir shops were filled with personal and home items made of local materials such as abaca. We bought a clothes hamper for the bathroom, a corner decor that can be fitted with a lamp, a pink and gray laptop bag, a katya and rope bag, three pili keychains, and two cutie hats for the girls. All these for only P1,210.

I hesitated on the pili desserts as the woman who sold us the souvenirs said the pili products are really expensive these days. The harvest has not been that good so instead of being able to offer one pack of pili for P65, the vendors now sell them for P100 or more.

Just as we were leaving, however, this man begged us to buy his packs of pili tarts. I declined but Mel, out of pity, bought 3 packs at P100 each.

It was almost lunch time, and there was nothing appetizing in sight, so we decided to make a final visit to the CR before we go. That’s P2 “donation” per visit. For maintenance purposes? I didn’t see any signs of maintenance activities in the rest room outside of the main ruins viewing area. The CR was dirty, there was water on the floor, and no water for flushing. We got a tip from one of the vendors that the restrooms inside the main viewing area are cleaner.

Next time.

As we left Cagsawa Ruins, we sampled the pili tarts. Not a single taste of pili! All flour, I knew it. We really should find an authentic pili store. 

Now, we’re off to Lignon Hill Nature Park.

Bicol jottings

Wanted to leave 5:30am but, as always, this didn't push through. Got trapped inside the house with Mel, with the screen door stuck in the frame (sometimes, you wonder how such an impossible thing can happen on a very critical moment!) and it took us about 10mins to open it. Finally we managed to get to the RDM carpark at 6:30. And, the unimaginable happened (given the situation these past days). It rained!!!

So again we had our delays, but we were off the Sto. Tomas exit by 7:30. SLEX toll fee P214. (gah!)
Gasoline in Manila - P56/liter
Had breakfast at Jollibee San Pablo, Batangas at 8:15; left 30mins later.

Gasoline in Candelaria, Quezon - P53/liter, the cheapest we've seen so far. Siempre nagpa-gas kami, Sayaang eh!
In Sariaya by 10am

Gasoline is already P59/liter in Lucena. And there we saw this school named International School for Better Beginnings. Maybe we should enroll the kids here so they can have, well, better beginnings?

Brgy Silangang Malicboy in Pagbilao, Quezon is the worst! Bad roads, forlorn houses. The only sign of a commercial activity is a sole halo-halo stand beside the road. Wonder what the ingredients are.

1pm. Officially arrived in the Bicol region in Camarines Norte. Had lunch at Pares Express in Sta. Elena, Camnor. And we thought we were near our destination...

The food was so-so, the ladies room dirty and sometimes the water flow falters, despite them asking for a P3 fee per CR visit. And although I take my hats off at them for attempting to recycle things -- such as old shoes as plant pots and used frying pans as sinks -- the overall experience was not positively memorable. Anybody who passes this way to Bicol can skip this place and go somewhere else. Buses, however, do frequent the place. Left Pares Express at 2pm.

Arrived Camarines Sur area at 3pm. Was it Ragay town? Not sure. Where on earth is Tagkawayan? We're supposed to be passing there to Sipocot Junction. The bad roads are worsening, and it has been that bad since the 90s, according to Mel, who has traveled this stretch of the notoriously famed South Road before.

At one point, we were wondering why the vehicles in front of us were stopping. Somewhere along that pock-marked highway were a series of traffic lights. Not above. On the side. So if you don't see it, good luck. That explains the numerous accidents.

Sipocot Junction at 4pm. Maybe we're near. No sign of Mt Mayon.

Arrived Naga 5pm. What the heck? Are we there yet?
Entered the town of Pili 5:23.
Left Camsur area 5:51.
Yes!!!! First glimpse of Mt Mayon from afar at 5:53.

7:51.....low batt.....we have just entered Legazpi City....am hungry....
8:10pm Arrived Vista al Mayon. We're finally checking in.

Food!!!!!

2012 Visita Iglesia: First leg

Every year, we try to go to at least eight churches, starting from UST, where we always hear the Holy Thursday mass. This time, however, our friends Rudy and Anna with their daughter, Yanna, decided to join us. They had been planning to go to Baguio for the Holy Week as they always do each year, but for some reason their minds changed. Must be because they had such a disastrous trip to Boracay last week, thanks to the incompetence of Cebu Pacific. They probably decided to stay in Manila instead.

So we decided to divide our Visita Iglesia to two legs this year: one around Manila on Holy Thursday and the second to Rizal churches on Good Friday.

Tonight, we went from UST to San Sebastian, and then San Beda and the twin churches of Loreto and St. Anthony. Then, we went back to Pandacan's Sto Nino Church and finally, Sta. Ana, which was very calming because of its mellow music filling the courtyard where the altar of repose was set up.

All in all, we visited seven churches tonight. Tomorrow, we plan to visit seven more.

Rosalie

Around this time is Rosalie Peipert's first death anniversary and I just want to post this tribute written by a co-member of the ESS Yahoogroup, Jill. Just like her, Rosalie was my beacon when I was trying to understand what LGESS is right after my surgery. Was I dying? Did I need chemo?

I'm glad I got into the group after I posted my first blog about the topic, and I've learned a lot since then. I've had Rosalie and many others like Susan and Diane assist me in my struggle for comprehension and acceptance. So when Rosalie died last year, many of us were devastated but were glad to have offered her words of consolation on her deathbed, which she read through her iPad. I think, yes, she continues to guide us from above. We still move in concordance because of her and those who have filled up her place in the group.

Thanks, Jill, for the the tribute and thanks, Diane, for sharing. Posting here the link to the article. http://www.team-sarcoma.net/everyday-heroes/4959





If sarcoma knows no borders, so does love. To my sisters in ESS, hugs and kisses!