obra sa balat

They call it "body art." From tattoo to branding and scalpelling.. choose from burn or scar! Both are extreme body modification techniques... and only a few can live up with the challenge of excruciating pain of such so called "skin designs."

Full story in Emergency "obra sa balat."

BLOG ulit

Dati, sinabihan ako ng boss ko, “yung mga nagbabalog, papansin lang!” Bago pa lang kasi ang blog noon, ni hindi nga alam ng iba kung ano ang blog. Kahit nga ako, hindi ko malalaman ito kung hindi dahil kay kuya Ederic na sawang sawa na sa mga kwentong sawi ng buhay pag-ibig ko five years ago. Kahit kasi hindi ko ikwento sa kanya, ikinukwento ko naman kay BR, at naririnig niya. Hindi siguro kami makapagtrabaho ng maayos sa “Bio-data” noon dahil sa kaka-daldal ko tungkol sa aking sawing pag-ibig. Kaya di na niya napigilang sabihin sa akin, “magblog ka, tapos dun mu isulat ang mga nararamdaman mo!” Binigay niya sa akin ang address ng blurty at simula noon, nagsimula na akong magsulat ng blog.

Pero hindi totoong nagpapapansin ka kung nagbablog ka. Hindi naman lahat ng nagbabalog ay nag-aanyaya ng magbabasa ng mga isinulat mong saloobin, gaya ko. Walang akong makausap noon, mahilig akong magsulat .. eh andiyan ang blog!

Limang taon na ang nakalipas simula ng magblog ako. May mga ilang pagkakataon na muntik na akong mapahamak dahil sa blog. Nababasa kasi ng hindi dapat makabasa. Meron ding ibang kaibigan, hindi gusto ang picture nila na nilagay ko sa blog ko.. kaso mahirap magbura, effort! hehehe

Ngayon meron na akong napagkukuwentuhan ng mga saloobin ko kaya bihira na ang pagsusulat. Masyado na rin akong abala at pagod para magsulat. At minsan, pakiramdam ko, mas masarap magsulat kung malungkot ka, o broken-hearted ka ...

Kaya siguro ako nagsusulat ngayon. Kaya siguro gusto kong magsulat ng magsulat... L

Isa pa, nabasa ko ang blog ni jeco. Nacurious ako sa ibang entry, napangiti sa ilang entry na napabilang ang pangalan ko. Kaya, sabi ko, “shit, nainggit ako! Magbabalog ulit ako!”
Kailangan ko nga lang ibahin ang template nito ... Nasisikipan ako sa espasyo! Jeco, tulungan mo ako!

summer 2008

I grew up never enjoying summer vacation... because of the following reasons:

1. Our family don’t have a province to go to for vacation.
2. My mom was not a fan of resorts and beaches so we never had a single family getaway until i finally could afford to sponsor one myself for the family.!
3. Summer Vacation for me only meant killing time by reading my sweet valley high collections and other teeny bopper pocket books .

In short, summer for me was a boring two month off from school and a continuous battle against the scorching rays of the summer sun! No recollection of white beaches, grand resort (well, except for some simple outing sponsored by our classes), not even summer love! Pathetic meeh.

But come, 2004, I was able to go to Guimaras and for the first time I was awe-struck with its pristine view of the sea, the powder-like sand and the perfect sunset.

Then, I went to Puerto Galera, and from then on, I’ve become a fan of beaches and promised to visit at least one every year!

Subic became an accessible Subic getaway for me with friends and Rommel. Still, I could not bring my mom along at any beach until i got soo successful this year!

LAIYA, SAN JUAN
Family Outing

I had a very hard time scouting for resorts on line, and everytime i found a seemingly-perfect beach for my family (at an affordable price), I would be told that it’s fully booked!

Kabayan was perfect destination and suited for our small budget, but when i was about to book it, they did not even reply to texts and even calls! And after the hundredth try, finally a not-so-friendly-sounding woman answered and blatantly said, “we’re fully booked!”

Whoaa, i got a lil furious! I thought, resort personnels should be accommodating and friendly even if your establishment is “fully-booked!” i felt like, she wanted to say “ohh, we’re soo fully booked, don’t bother!” instead of saying “oh, we’re sorry ma’am, we’re fully booked but we have available rooms on the following dates.. “

Well, manners doesn’t come handy these days! Good thing, i caught in the search page Sigayan – a not so cozy beach resort but has well-mannered personnels! Plus, there was an available cottage, that has a kitchen, veranda, and 15 beds for only 5,500! So i grabbed the chance and for the first time, I was able to bring my mom to a beach resort with the rest of our family!

our clan. kulang pa yan!

ate pong, ate ning and ate lita posing at the facade of our Cottage.

we're cousins!!

feeling models..

at our cottage ..

kurt and mama enjoying the beach for the first time!

i got a visa!

i want to sing one of Miss Saigon's musicale soundtrack..

"wot's this i smell in the air? the american dream .."

then another song from that same musicale keeps ringing in my head

(kim asking help from the engineer when she shot thuy)

engineer, thuy is dead, he was going to kill my baby and shot..

we must leave time and time, we must get to america tonight

engineer: .. alright, just like that?

*************

ahh.. people are dying to see america.

well, US is not really a dreamplace for me .. cuz nobody will beat England as my dream country (and yes, i will be there someday!) But because, im a wanderer, it would be great to see this country being thought of as a land of dreams. Hmm, and now that I got my visa, I can go there anytime soon!!

I just have to worry about my airfare and a place to stay though hihihi.. But at least, Im one step done *winks* .. how much steps more? 10, 20? i dont care.

Il worry about them one day at a time! lol

My 2008 out of the country trip treat

SINGAPORE DAY 1: February 02, 2008

The day before our departure for Singapore, i was going gaga over my “mantika segment.” It was already Friday, yet my researcher was still shooting bulk of my segment. Two crews were deployed for me that day to complete the surveillance, the inspection and other elements I needed to complete my story.
In short, I was still at GMA until 8 pm!!
Anyweis, I was only able to pack on the day of my flight! M not really a light packer, so i just put all the stuffs I think i would need for the trip, including a gimik attire, winter clothes for Genting, and summer clothes! Name it, i have it!
So all in all, Iv one big trolley, and four more bags hehe.. (well, i put the pasalubongs for Armie and friends).
So at 4pm, we were ready to go!

FIRST TIME AT NAIA AIRPORT

The trip was my third out of the country getaway. And my first time to arrive and depart at NAIA airport! Call it weird , but I was looking forward to seeing the interior of our oldest International airport. Well, I would always remember walking my OFW titos and tita there .. FINALLY, i had my turn. But it was really a shock when i got inside.. uck, it was soo hot inside, seems like the aircon was zillion years old! The place was a mess.. the check-in counters were crowded! And here’s more, we had to line up three different lines for the Philippine travel tax and for the airport fee and check-in counter. It could have been better if we pay the tax and the airport fee at the same time right? Oh well, the airport is supposedly the first tourist spot of every country.. and it says a lot about that country!
Well, NAIA says a lot about our country huh?
Anyweis, we were able to make it on time at our 8:00 Cebu Pacific flight, then I made it to Singapore for the second time!

BAGGAGE SWITCH AT THE BUDGET TERMINAL

I thought baggage switch at the airport only happens in movies. The usual plot, there is a baggage switch, the other bag either contains a fortune or some “pektus” and the other is of no significance. The owner of the “better” baggage would start tracking the person who got his bag and the story goes on.
We just experienced this at Budget Terminal.

I had about eight bags in total and i was busy picking each of them in the baggage area. And when i thought i had all of the bags, we had a taxi to armie’s.
When we were unloading our bags from the compartment of the taxi, there was one more unfamiliar bag.. and the driver said, “this is yours!” I just screamed when I saw the black bag because in that instance, I knew that I left mom’s trolley bag!

It was weird, cuz aside from they’re both black, mama’ s was a trolley and the one we got was just your regular baggage bag, and they also had different prints! Aggh, call it katangahan. So at 1am, armie, jeco and i went back to the airport to switch bags.

Good thing, the airport had mama’s bag. And we returned the bag we accidentally got.
The airport crew told us smiling, “there was a big difference huh..”

Singapore welcomes me back ..

SINGAPOR E DAY2, February 3, 2008
ESPLANADE
Walking the streets of Singapore for the second time was like walking home.. I feel like i know the place very well. Although it is just a small country, (they say Metro Manila is even bigger).. there’s still a lot of place to discover.
Well, I missed Esplanade the last time.. so we toured it this time! MMM, nothing spectacular here .. but twas nice to see this
We had lunch at Suntec .. Then went off at SIM LIM.

at merlion, the second time around

SIM LIM SQUARE
Sim Lim is a lot similar to Greenhills..
All the elements in the tianggean, is ever present here. . You have the barkers., calling u “sister.” You have the tawaran portions.. and of course you have the blabbermouth who will hook u with a low-price item but when u decide to buy it, they’ll inform u (only that time) that there are these taxes and these taxes.

So after getting so drained with the haggling prices with Singaporeans, we took home one digital camera .. not so much of an achievement, after nearly five hours in the mall!

SAKURA – EAT ALL U CAN!
Anyweis, Armie and Rob reserved a table for us at Sakura, an eat all u can Jap Resto. During my first visit, Armie gave me a treat in this Resto (at Pasir Ris) after visiting Snow World. I am Japanese food adictus .. so treating ourselves at Sakura was a great idea!
Well, it was a lot better because ROB paid for our bill .. hehe. That was not less than five thousand pesos i guess. Yaman ni ROB!

swoosh, hirap pumili sa sooobrang daming food..

busog ang mga tummies!

Wandering Sentosa the second time around

Singapore 3rd Day, February 4,2008
SENTOSA AGAIN?
Yea, call it weird, but i have to go to Sentosa again, last time with Isel, this time.. with Jeco and mom! The first time, we just went to Underwater world and watched the Musical Fountain.
But since we have a half day free on our third day, we roamed Sentosa like i never did before!

We went there via sentosa train at Vivo City. Our first stop was the beach. We had to ride a tram to go from one beach to the other. And although for me, Beach means Boracay (well, i haven’t been to Palawan and Bohol yet), Sentosa beach is ok.. (im trying to be nice). But we have to understand that Singapore was just a docking port before so they don’t have beaches that we take pride of!

L.. for love! at siloso beach..

we want everything covered,. :)


Well, at least, the sand were off white (not black, or brown), the waters are relatively clean.
Just bad though that instead of seeing the horizon, (or mountains on the horizon), u see ships and cargos hehehe.

SKYRIDE AND LUGE
After wandering around Siloso beach, we had a top view of Sentosa thru the skyride! It was funny cuz my mom was cursing me when we were up there! Haha. Twas an open air ride and if ur afraid of heights, u wont really enjoy it. Jeco and I had to divert my mom’s attention though.
After the ride, we had soo much fun in the luge. MM.. i don’t know wot it is really (sorry) but it’s like a go cart with no machine.. but it was cool! Really cool!

mga seryoso sa luge hehehe

mom, on her first sky ride hehehe.. (galit na iyan sa akin) lol

First Timer in Indonesia

BINTAN, INDONESIA 5th day February 6, 2008

Talk about adventure .. well, our trip to Indonesia was unforgettable! We were suppose to drop this iti but Jeco and Armie already booked the trip.. So to Indonesia we went on Wednesday.
The one hour ferry ride was suppose to be tolerable except for the hurly burly ride hehe.. kasi naman, super maalon to the max! As in everyone was puking! Even mama and jeco.. eeeww!

Thanks to Emergency coverages, I was kinda used to ‘bumpy’ rides, so i was one of the few who didn’t throw up.

But the cabin crew were soo ready.. They were all over the place with tissue and a plastic bag. So it was not messy and kadiri.

We arrived at Bintan at around 10 am. argh, it was like we’re in the outskirts of our country! The place was sooooo humid, soo sunny and sooo very Philippines haha.
PASER OLEH OLEH

After drinking my welcome drinks at Nirwana Beach Resort, hehe .. We went to Paser Oleh Oleh (so odd to pronounce). It’s a small town where we bought some souvenirs, of course, couldn’t forget my MAGNET! Because it was so hot, we had to buy a sarong. And we had our sarong in our heaven while walking to the market to have our lunch.

The market was just like ours .. Except, it’s a bit cleaner! We decided to dine in a carenderia which offers yummy foods.. I forgot wot i ordered, but it’s a curry based chicken, and for someone who loves curry, i give it five spoons for my ratings! I also had a canned fruit drink which tasted like alatiris (or aratiris ba yun? that small red round fruit).. i hope we can have something like that here.

Though we paid in Singapore dollars, the meals were still way way cheaper than in Singapore! But the manong gave us change in rupiah. And it was cute cuz they ‘re currency are thousands. It’s like their one peso is one thousand rupiah, so i had five thousand rupiah for my change! hehe .. feeling ko ang dami kong pera! lol

at the ferry..

welcome, welcome! :)

the coaster going to Paser Oleh Oleh

ito ang authentic indonesian food .. lutong bahay sa palengke hehe


NIRWANA RESORT
Not bad for a beach! I love it.

GOING BACK TO MALAYSIA

camwhoring at petronas towers

KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA, 6TH DAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2008
Another repeat performance for me.. hehe. Armie was our tour operator for this trip haha! Thanks to her who had to haggle EIGHT bus tickets to and from Malaysia, and she also booked us to a very nice hotel in the middle of Chinese holiday! Galing no!

So after cam whoring at KLCC (petronas tower), and did some shopping at the shopping mall at Petronas towers, mother and I stayed at the hotel!
After five days of full-packed itinerary, this was the only day that we were able to sleep and rest well.

GENTING, MALAYSIA, 7th day, FEBRUARY 8
After getting sooo full with our buffet breakfast at the hotel,we checked out and ran off to the buS station going to Genting. I was excited about Genting because I heard great things about this place.
But getting there was HORRIBLE!
Because it was a holiday, everyone was cramming to get an out of town get away. Could u imagine, thousands of people at the bus station wanting to buy tickets to different places in Malaysia? Whoaaa,. It was a headache! That was a BIG SIGN, that there was a slim chance for us to buy our tickets.. but thanks to two opportunist Malaysians who offered us a win-lose Deal, 120 malaysian ringgit for one taxi for five people. “taga” talaga! Because the bus ticket only cost 5 ringgit! That was 500 percent expensive!!
I was soo irritated actually because they were taking advantage of the situation, but because we were already set for Genting, (with my winter clothes on) , we had to bite the bait.
BEFORE HIGHLANDS
To go to the highlands, we had to ride a cable car. It is one of the longest in Asia .. but the queue was also the longest in my entire life!! Whoaaaa, it was a two floor queue! Daig ang lahat ng blockbuster movie sa Pilipinas!
After an hour of queueing, we were able to sit comfortably at the cable car. Somehow, the view up there, took away all the exhaustion. Buti na lang!

GENTING HIGHLANDS
Good thing it was cold in Genting, because if not, we would go nuts with the humongous number of people in the place. Whoaaaa, everyone seemed to have the same idea we had of going to Genting.. like hundreds of thousand! (lesson learned .. don’t go there on a holiday).
Anyways, we tried to squeeze in light moments to a very stressful trip! We took pictures at Times Square, at Eiffel tower and some other places.
The ride at the theme park, where we were like super heroes flying, was also a highlight!
And of course, who could resist the weather? One of the coldest I have felt soo far and i oh so love it!

GOING BACK TO KUALA LUMPUR
Going back to Kuala Lumpur was twice as difficult as going to Genting. Rod had to queue for the Bus Tickets. Everyone was going ballistic over the tickets! We couldn’t afford not to go back though because first, all the hotels at Highlands are fully booked and second, our trip to Singapore was at 11pm!
So, we had to wait long time at the Genting Bus Station while Rob queued for us (thanks rob!).
Finally, we got our tickets scheduled at 8 pm!
It was funny cuz in Singapore, everything is organized. In Malaysia, everything is like chaos.
Although, we already had our tickets,the bus number was not indicated. So we had to be soo vigilant for busses arriving, then ask if the trip was going Kuala Lumpur. At 8pm though (at least they’re kinda on time), our Bus arrived. And though, they already issued tickets, everyone was pushing towards the door! Siyempre kaming walong pinoy, nandun agad sa harapan.. (mga batang quaiapo at alabang kame), pero super hirap cuz the people at the back were pushing us!
Oh well, we were able to get ourselves seated though. And those who were pushing weren’t able to get in because they have no tickets. They thought they could be chance passenger! But no way.

We were already relieved until two Chinese was asking me and mama to get off our seats! They were two oldies na super yabang and super maldita making a scene in the bus. I told them that there were no seating arrangements .. but they insisted, and were really making a scene! Patience patience! They were fortunate that i was not in my country, so I gave in and moved to Armie’s seats.

Kakatawa dahil kame pa ang nawalan ng upuan.

Anyhow, despite all our misadventures at Genting, it was one of a kind experience. But i told myself, i would never go back hahaha. I love my country more than Malaysia.
And i was just sooo glad when we got to our bus to Singapore .. After a tiring two-days at Malaysia, it was a relief that i would go back to the country which is like a second home.



at the bus station, genting, malaysia

inside first world hotel

last day in Singapore, Feb 9- Saturday

WE went to Funan and bought Kim her laptop. We had last minute shopping at Charles and Keith at Raffles City which I love sooo much!

We had a special dinner at the Hawker near Armie’s place and she and rob treated us with the best sugpo ever! And other sea food specialty..

Before Armie and I part ways, she gave me a Birthday present .. awwww .. a book. She is really sooo sweet. She also gave mom and Jeco.

I know it would take again a year or so for us to meet again, but she would always be the very close friend il ever have, even if we live oceans apart.

And i would look forward to more out of the country trips together.. :)

why..

Heath Ledger found dead in New York

"NEW YORK - Actor Heath Ledger, the gifted leading man acclaimed for his role as a gay cowboy in the film "Brokeback Mountain," was found dead in his Manhattan apartment on Tuesday, possibly of a drug overdose, police said. - Reuters"

I was deeply saddened when I heard the news over dzbb yesterday! How could a beautiful, talented man die so sudden .. at a very young age .. Ang dami naman diyang iba..

Haaay ..

one of my favorite movies of all time.. THE PATRIOT.

i admired heath the first time in this movie .. even before BROKEBACK.

:(

bored .. zzz

Three days and I’ve been home killing time.. Haha! It’s one of those rare occasions when I get the chance to bum around.

Usually, im in front of the computer surfing the net!

I check the recap of my favorite US suspense drama priosnbreak.. chat non-sense with strangers for few minutes, check my mail every 15 minutes, trying to get busy playing travel agent with our upcoming trip to Singapore and Malaysia (again). Then I will check on my friendster account and see nothing of importance, so I will snoop on other’s accounts.. ex’s accounts, stranger’s accounts, for all I care!

Then when I get oh-so bored, I will read the book that im reading for 6 months now and still 2 chapters away from ‘fin’ .. I try my best to take off my mind from getting to the fridge or the kitchen so I could at least, not loose, but prevent fats to add up to my bulging hips and tummy!

But my eyes could only take soo much words and paragraphs at the moment.. or maybe it is just my attention span slipping away! it’s getting shorter and shorter everyday, I noticed!

So I would doodle with my old cell phone,. And prepaid simcard, looking for someone interesting to text! I would text my researcher from time to time asking for story updates, trying hard not to be intrusive and nosy and bitchy at the same time!

But it seems, my cell phone is not so enticing… after all, it only has a ‘talk and text’ feature!

So I would play with my brother.. play more.. and I love that bonding moments with him (with my mom too).. But too often, he would be annoyed by my presence and would shun me away.

So I would seek refuge again from my room .. and then face the computer again!

Whattaboring life! Haha.. Especially if ur stuck at home because ur saving every penny you have for your out of the country getaway! but I am thankful..

I should be ready for my airing weeks, then sleep would be a luxury again! And all these would be history ..(again)

i look forward to ...

february 3-10 2008 .. the wandergurl will wander the streets of singapore and malaysia again. though, ive been there two years ago, i still look forward to a different experience with my mom and jeco. and of course this city ..

genting

I also look forward to the Asian tour of Cinderella on July 2008. Can't wait to see my biggest icon .. Lea Salonga in person (again)! i hope to have a picture with her this time :)

Who knows? *winks* *winks* DREAM BIG!

reminiscing

When clock hit 12 today, I was busy like the doctors of East Avenue Medical Center. They were busy attending to patients; me and my crew were busy doing our program’s yearly coverage.

This is my third time to cover ER on a New Year’s Eve. It’s sad that I missed our family’s New Year celebration for the third time but more than that, it’s heartbreaking for me to miss that few seconds of thanksgiving prayers that I usually utter few seconds before the year ends.

That personal moment, where in a flash, I make recollections of the things, events and persons that became part of my year, with a silent prayer and wishes of a better year ahead.

Because I was too busy with work, I failed to do that.. and didn’t get the chance to do it even right after coverage because I was too sleepy.

At around 10 am, I woke up with familiar songs from my computer. I was still dozed but I managed to ask my sister, “where did you get those music? “

“from your files.” she answered.

I wondered in silence. I thought those files were already deleted.. But as they were playing in the background, it was like I was walking memory lane, back in 2005.

In January 2005, exactly three yeas ago, I made one bold decision in my career. I left Emergency without any concrete career plan. All I wanted was to break free from the very challenging demands of being one of the program’s researchers.

I celebrated my newly-coveted-freedom in the beach. It was so perfect.. I was in a daze. I felt like I was in some kind of a movie taking notes of the soundtrack playing in the background..

And when I got back in Manila, I was jobless but very happy.

I chose to immortalize my first month of that year in a ‘soundtrack ng buhay ko!” I bought a Personal Computer, I downloaded those songs, and made two copies.

Soon I got back to work, cuz I was running out of cash .. and totally forgot about those songs and the files. I thought they were already deleted from my PC, until I heard almost all of the tracks today. And for a while, I felt that same happiness that eventful month of January.

That year when I chose to do what I really wanted to do. That year when I was fearless not knowing what to do.. And though the months after were difficult for me, I would always go back to that moment of happiness. It was short, compressed, but definitely complete!

And today, as I face another year.. I pray that I may have the courage to face the unknown, maybe embrace changes, be bolder and conquer new territories. I want to explore more beaches, visit more countries, meet new people, hear more songs and make more memories.

i enjoyed havaianas .. in a different way

I got the chance to take part in the "All treat, no tricks!" offering of Havaianas for Halloween at All Flip-flops Serrendra! hehe.

I got the chance to design my own Slipper cookies and cupcakes! Haha. I was a real artist! *winks*

The icing bottles are difficult to press huh!

Papasa ba ako sa grade five art subject?

i will do this again! it's very therapeutic!

my masterpiece!

the ugly duckling

posted by: raged

I arrived in the office at 3am. I fetched my boyfriend at his besfriend's place.

Then come that usual conversation again, Boyfriend was telling about his bestfriend, bragging that we dated before. And among all who were linked to her, I was the least beautiful.

It was a very insecure statement but I could not help getting so pissed off with the man! I don’t understand why he has to keep telling his friends about me, being a part of his past .. and me being the ugly duckling! And the ugly duckling is now the girl friend of his very best friend.

If only, I could not contain this rage, I would text him and tell him this:

Oh yeah, we dated before.. and I admit, I am ugly compared to your beauty queens. But would you mind taking a second look at this ugly duckling!?

May I ask where the beauty queens you hail are? There in the arms of other men.

And just so to get even, the ‘date’ you were bragging about five years ago, was a set-up. I didn’t even like you either. If I had few incidents of spending time with you and our group, it was because I was so lonely then, mending a broken heart. Sorry, you felt I was into you.

But for your info, NO.

How could I fall for someone like you sir? A 4-year course graduate but haven’t had a decent job since his graduation, jobless at age 29. And by the way, where do you get money aside from your mom’s wallet again? Ohh, yea, from gambling!

So before you brag about dating an ugly duckling again just to make you feel better about your miserable condition, well, think again.

Oh well, if you get satisfaction dwelling on the past, making you feel a sense of happiness and a slight relief from insecurities, it’s ok. Brag again.

That’s all.

Oops, I hope u understand English sir.

ul be missed lola

Just a few months back, I would always wake up with the usual smell of an overcooked rice.. And at the top of my lungs I would shout from the third floor, “Lola, sunog na naman sinaing mo!”

Despite our constant reminder never to cook for us, she never heeded .. Because for her, despite the ‘tutong na sinaing’ she served during breakfast, it was a service of love.

For years, she was the lola who played a lot of roles in our household. She was a yaya, a labandera, a cook and a lot more. She would get angry if we asked her to just sit around and watch her favorite telenovelas, she was always on the go, always looking for something to do.

Despite her age, she loved to roam around. Everyday she would visit my aunt, get her trycicle service with my little brother. And although we keep on remindin her it was dangerous for an old woman like her to wander the streets, she would never listen. Or even if we thought she would, she was just acting.

She was makulit.. madaldal..

She was a healthy woman, so we thought. Until that accident happened and had broken limbs.

And after two months from that day of accident, she was taken away from us.

Then everything here in our home would be different. No one will ever cook breakfast again the same way she did.

I will miss our chats and that familiar face saying, “Karen magsinger ka na lang, yayaman ka pa!”

I regret that I was not able to tell her how much I love her .. and I regret that I just walk passed her because of my busy sked.

They say everyone has her own time .. and for my lola, September 01 was hers. But it was a very sad loss for us. I wish I could have given her more love, I wish I got to know her more.

I will really miss you lola.

E GirLs in Boracay

It was early this year when Isel, Mytee and I planned of getting an out of town trip! First plan was Palawan but after missing the Cebu Pacific Piso fare promo twice, Isel decided to book a package tour for Boracay, and need not go through he hassle of taking our chances online.

So on July 14, we were set to fly to the Paradise island .. but thanks to our Emergency Special, we had to rebook.

Flight was rebooked for August 18 .. and come August 18, there were two tropical storms looming the country.

the weather was soo bad that we thought of cancelling the flight again. If not for the charges we have to shoulder, we decided to push thru.

And on Saturday, August 18, we battled the stormy weather. *Special thanks to my honey who drove us to the airport* and 10 minutes before our flight, we were at the check in counter! woohoo! and after 30 minutes of a 'roller coaster' flight, finally .. we were in Boracay!

And everything was just sooooo perfect! :)

no scripts .. no editing .. no deadlines. no emergency! hehehe

hot chick in boracay!

on our way to crystal cove ..

missing someone??

exploring cave 2

album cover wehehehehee

hilwai

hlwai - (v. an ilongo word meaning the freedom to move around) On june 16, 2007, me and my crew were on our way to one of the far-flung island of the Philippines, Romblon. It would be my first time in the province but I was not as excited as my other trips because of the 10 hour RORO ride from Batangas Port.

But I had no choice. It was my story assignment. We arrived at 2am and spent few hours at the hotel until morning. At 8 am, we finally met our contact, Kuya Jasper. He was disabled, tied to his wheelchair. He is the project manager of Hilwai.

I never fully understand what Hilwai ship is all about, until we went to Looc, Romblon. It was a bumpy ride, but worth it. The small town was a landscape, blue sky, mountain and sea, and docked at her port, was the ship that launched a very unique project in the country, Hilwai.

Hilwai is the name of the boat that transports orthopedic services to remote islands in the Philippines like Romblon. It was manned by 12 crew including Kuya Jasper, physical therapists and ortho technician. They offer rehabilitation and give artificial limbs or prosthesis to the most poor Persons with Disabilities (PWDS) in most isolated provinces. "It's service delivery. Instead of these people going to the hospital or to Manila, we go to them," kuya jasper says.

I could only imagine life in remote provinces, but it is a sad reality. People do not have access to medical health care. Public transport is difficult. With these, people do not bother to seek medical care with small injuries, leading to aggravated health condition .. or disability. Not to mention, accidents that happen in their workplace or in the community.

But if government could not afford to provide medical care to disabled persons, thank God there is Hilwai.

"They are like angels who came from heaven," said Ate Susie Bantang. Her daughter Patricia was born with incomplete limbs. She never thought that Pat would be able to walk again, but thanks to the artificial legs given by Hilwai, it was like a miracle.

Inside the boat, Kuya Elmar, Hilwai's orthopedic technicain, gave our team a tour. He was also disabed. His legs were paralyzed after a grenade blast in Zamboanga. Now, he could only walk with crutches. But this did not hinder him from helping diabled persons like him, "masayang makatulong sa mga taong katulad ko na may kapansanan!" Onboard was the makeshift workshop where kuya elmar and his assistant do the ortho devices for their patients.

Although we are not part of the team, we were able to go with them on their mission. That day, we went to Santa Maria and documented how they do their limbs measurement and casting. And I could share the happiness in their heart, seeing the happy faces of their beneficiaries as they give the artificial legs. Of course, more bliss to see them walk like they were "complete" again.

NOT THE USUAL EMERGENCY STORY
The story of Hilwai is too light for an Emergency Story, probably boring. But in my four years stay at the program, this is one of the happiest coverages that i ever did.

It feels good to see service-oriented people, who would sacrifice their personal lives to reach out to people in these isolated islands. And after every week of featuring people in despair with their illnesses, it was a relief to see smiling people because of real help, delivered at their doorsteps!

Full Story of Hilwai, tonight at Emergency after Saksi :)

mY 2007 WIsH LIsT

i have travelled out of the country.
i have my car.
i have a job.
i have my laptop.
i found love. finally.
yet i still dream.

and still i throw my silent wishes in the air.. and hope that
everyone and everything in the universe will conspire
to make them come true.

these i pray..

1. US or UK job.
2. salary increase! hehehe
3. europe or us tour.
4. house and lot
5. condo unit.
6. better relationships.
7. good health for me and my family.
8. love
9. and always .. world peace :)

A real birthday cake, a greeting card and a flower

My 2006 birthday celebration was memorable but definitely no fun! I was assigned to cover a landslide in Leyte. So instead of a cake for my birthday, I had mud from knees to toes. But this year, I made sure that my birthday is a lot better! I booked myself, my mom and friends for hongkong and had an out of the country birthday bash! I thought the tour would make my birthday a lot special.. but there was a lot more!

After our Disneyland tour on Feb.13th, we went back to our hotel. It was close to midnight then but before going to bed, I went down to meet Ate AC’s brother. When I went back to our room, the door opened with a song “happy birthday!” and mind you, a REAL birthday cake this time, from my very dear friend armie and her sister. My mom was there too! It was fun! it was also the first time that somebody surprised me like that.. and though I always say that I hate surprises, the feeling was really overwhelming!

Here’s more, when I got back in Manila, I had a surprise mail! When I opened it, it was from my childhood friend Adrian! It was a very cute greeting card! And though, I didn’t receive a flower this year, the card comes with a dried flower which made my heart melt .. (well, not for anything else haha). M so touched..

Well, to my friends, armie and Adrian, u made my 2007 birthday very memorable.

Salamat ng madami!

NEXT STOP: HONG KONG

After my Singapore getaway, I thought of going to hongkong.Not really for myself but as a treat for my mom. My mom loves to shop and I thought Hongkong is the best place to go to. Also, I thought the best birthday gift for myself is an out of the country tour.. At least, I would be able to celebrate my birthday outside the Philippines and be able to escape the hustle and bustle of the Valentine’s day! Haha.


My NAIA dream

Well, I am very vocal about my ultimate dream, to work out of the country. The place of destination varies though, sometimes I want to make it big in New York, sometimes in London or Sydney, it really depends on my mood u know. But one thing is constant, I want to make it there.. somewhere far from here!

With this dream, I always imagine myself leaving from the Ninoy Aquino International Airport until I finally booked the Hongkong trip! It’s not as if im staying abroad for long, but the idea of leaving from OUR international airport excited me more than I can imagine. But my world almost fall apart when I got the plane ticket in my hands and read Philippine Airlines FLIGHT PR 300 departure, Centennial Airport. It was sad but then there’s always something to look forward to in my next trip!

DAY 1: CONQUERING HONGKONG

February 12, 2007

Finally, we’re all set for hongkong! My Checklist: 1. Winter clothes (check), it’s winter in Hongkong and im the happiest cuz I can wear my boots JUSTIFIED! hahaha 2. Camera and tripod (check), 3. Toiletries (check), I have my crabtree and evelyn,my body shop lipbalm and ever reliable kikay kit for the photo op hahaha 4.Laptop (check), 5. Noodles and biscuits for emergency hehehe (check) .. All these in my hot pink baggage bag!

At 7:40, I was comfortably seated in the plane. And after 30 minutes, we were served our meal. Whoaa, I was a lil bit surprised huh?! I am always a passenger of cebu pacific and once, tiger airways, so I was a bit touched that there’s Breakfast! And complete meal pa! we had ham, veggies, fruits, coffee, red ribbon ensaymada, bread, butter and strawberry jaM! Hahaha! Hmm, twas a good start! I felt soo good!

me and mom ath the plane together

Arriving at Hongkong
After one hour and forty minutes, at 10:50 we were already at the airport. Hmm, I realized I was already at a foreign airport! Everything seems organized.. sa airport pa lang yun ha?! Then, we proceeded at gate 11 and there was our tour guide named Wilson. We didn’t leave at once cuz we had to wait for other Filipino tourists. After about 30 mins, we already heard Wilson doing the roll call.. And moments later, we were walking going to the bus! Wow, turista talaga ang feeling.. Although, medyo parang field trip din! While on the road, Wilson was explaining Hongkong’s History. Once in a while, he stops to explain tourist spots, bridges and buildings we were passing through.
After 40 minutes, voila, we were already at Shamrock Hotel. It’s in Nathan Road. First Impression of the location?! Whoa, it was like we were at Session Road! Haha.. Pero cyempre, mas malinis at mas sosyal!

Discovering Hongkong
Unlike in Singapore, I have armie to guide me. This time, we just have maps and a printed “first time itinerary” from the net. But that didn’t stop us to discover hongkong .. on our own! So after lunch, we went out of our hotel room. Jeco was holding the map and I was holding the printed itinerary. Our fist stop? Victoria Harbour.

From Nathan Road, Kowloon, we just walked to Tsim Tsam Chui! Whoaa, ang layo niya ha (and I discovered on the third day of the trip that from our hotel, Tsim Tsam Chui is one MTR station away)! I thought we would cruise around the harbour through star ferry. When we arrived at the pier, we didn’t end up cruising, but we ended up crossing the Hongkong sea through a lantsa for 1.50 hk dollars.. and after 20 minutes we were on one of the islands of Hongkong, in Hongkong side.

hongkong airport

DAY 2: TOUR GALORE

February 13, 2007

AVENUE OF STARS

Our tour operator picked us up at 8 am from Shamrock. Our first stop for day 2 of our tour, Avenue of Stars. I thought it would be great to see handprints of famous celebrities.. but then, I am not even familiar with the names and signatures of the celebrities in the featured tourist spot. Ohwell, at least I am lucky to find jacky chan’s hand print! And Jet Li’s too! But more than being interested with celebrity handprints, the photo op made us more happy!

posing at Avenue of Stars

hihihihi..

im a star in my own right!


me and one of my best friends in the world! and my travel buddy .. armie!

MAY RAKET DIN PALA SA HONGKONG!
During the 30 minutes photo op at the Avenue of Stars, one of our tourist guide named Candy approached us and asked us if she could take a picture of us.

Here’s her line:
Candy: Hi! Can I take a picture of you?! I have to show our boss pictures as evidence that our tourists are happy and smiling.

Of course, we were soo kind to pose and smile at her camera.

After few minutes, back in the bus, she already has our pictures cut and pasted in a souvenir plate. Ha! We thought it was for free. But no, the picture was for 1,000 pesos! Wow galeng ng raket. Magagalit pala boss niya ha?! Oh well, ang ganda ko kasi dun sa picture, kaya nagpauto na din ako!

COMPULSORY TOUR
After the Avenue of Stars, we were forced to visit one jewellery store and a super panget factory outlet. Of course, agenda was to let the tourists buy their stuffs. Uhmm, I bough a crystal necklace though.


DISNEYLAND!!
Ohh.. to be a kid again! I am a Walt Disney Baby. I grew up with the Soundtrack of Beauty and the Beast, Little Mermaid and Alladin! I once dreamt of becoming a Disney Princess. I wanted to be Ariel and sing exactly like her. I wanted to be Cinderella and find my prince charming!

I almost forgot about these childhood dreams, until we went to`Disneyland!

As we entered the park, music from Disney movies set the mood for the visitors. Who would ever forget the famous “be our guest!” from Beauty and the Beast?!

Anyhow, it was all fun in there! Sabi nga ni Jasmine: Indescribable feeling!

Disney on Parade
It was fun seeing my favorite Disney character in person .. ARIEL!

We're BotH KIKAYS!

DAY 3: SHOPPING DAY!

February 14, 2007

Armie and her sis and well JECO, on a solo flight, decided to go to Ocean Park. But I thought of skipping that part of the tour to give MORE time with shopping!!

But before we part ways, armie, princess, my mom and I had a tour at the Peak!



We had a great view of Hongkong up there! Heheehe.. it was awesome! I thought of screaming “im in the top of the WORLD!” even higher than the tallest buildings of hongkong! Sarap pa ng feeling na super lamig.. whew .. sana may kayakap! Hahaha!

After lunch, mom and went to Mongkok, the tianggean capital of hongkong! It’s just one or two MTR station away from Central (I think) so it was easy. The difficult part is finding the best buys on that shopping paradise! Err, it was like divisoria! Oh well, I love shopping at 168 for cheap clothes, belts, bags and accessories and all these I find at Mongkok! Difference lang, hongkong dollars ang usapan.. so it’s a bit expensive. Sad sad for me! But we were able to buy cosmetics, lotions and other beauty products.. enough to make me feel sooo happy!

DAY 4: MORE PHOTO OPS

Twas our last day.. nd a better day to bid goodbye to hongkong, is to capture the streets and other tourist spots in picture (with us in the foreground of course)!

certified tomasian

during my four years stay in the royal, pontifical university of santo tomas, i never even thought of getting a photo of this magnificent structure .. THE MAIN BUILDING. but 6 years after graduation, me and my college gurls walked the same paths again.. back to where we dreamed and discussed about our lives.

we had our photo taken in front of the oldest building ..

the structure have had some unnoticed renovations but more or less, it is still the same.

just like me and my college friends ..

my american dream

yesterday, one of my officemates got a US visa and i am really so happy for him!
but it also got me sad, cuz everyone seems to be leaving..

and i am always left behind.

Lord, i dont want to be 'here' forever...
when will i get my chance?

thought form

One story in our special episode today introduced the idea of thought form .. According to the psychics, who actually call themselves witches, people produce negative energies that could create a monster! In our segment, one thought form is in the river of limingaling, pangasinan, taking lives.

Well, if I shall deem this true, I am guilty of contributing a lot of negative energies to the world.

How negative? Below is the proof

1. I don’t believe anymore in friendship.

I just realized that one could not really rely on anybody but his self.. and I proved this true. Many times. These friends, oh they would all be gone one day! When u tried to call them for any help, they would say "they're busy with work, with their families and a lot more of things"

And if u have the good fortune to be remembered by ur friends.. don't be too happy! They would just ask you to lend them money or ask favors or borrow something.

2. I don’t believe in LOVE STORIES.

People have carnal desires.. especially men. That's all they wanted. It's just sad though that some girls are fool enough to give in to these flirts!

3. I don’t believe in Happy Endings.

i have already accepted the fact that happy endings only happen in fairy tales.

4. I am being used to a monotonous life

i always struggle to live a fruitful life but to no avail. As i have always said, iv got nothing except for my job, and i despised that fact. But seems like im getting to used to the sadness that clouds my being. It's like a normal occurence that i have lost the will to strive and look for more opportunities. i am tired .. really tired.. i am clueless on what to do next .. yet it's okei.

5. i hate a LOT of people!

i loathe and despise MR. PERSONALITY! You are a major flirt, a major user, a BIG PRETENDER with a sky racketing SELF CONFIDENCE! grrrr ..

Beware of the man, his thoughtfulness is FAKE! Well, HE is fake!

I despise my sister.. May you experience the same amount of pain that u gave MY mom and MY grandmother!

I hate MR. FUTURE LAWYER. Two years ago, i broke ur heart and i already got my karma for that. So stop shunning me off. I am not winning you back .. i just want us to be "friends" hahahahaha (friend my ass)