Poll time!!!

I like my new layout now just because of the tricycle in the banner. :) But I think its too dark. Hmmm... What do you think? Help me decide by answering my poll. :)

After 5 long years...

Now I know why I've always thought that in Cebu, Ramos would always be my comfort zone. I have been living in Ramos for the past 6 years of my stay here in Cebu and despite the fact that I currently work in Banilad, I still opted to stay in Ramos. Many of my friends have been cajoling me to transfer to other places, to leave my dorm (which has a 10PM curfew on weekdays) and such but despite the fact that I also did want to do so, I couldn't bring myself to just do so!

It all started when I decided to drastically change my lifestyle. I had to lie low on a lot of things that I was used to doing. Going out with friends, watching flagfootball...etc. I had to do it because I was going through something and I just wanted to become a better and stronger person. I was already bracing for the consequences. I thought that maybe my friends would think that I abandoned them. I thought that maybe they would not understand. I thought that separating myself from the lifestyle that I was used to living would make me a lonelier, more introvert person. I tell you, I was scared to get away from what I was used too. But I had to. (Why? Long story.)

So here I was, hanging out at my place, watching TV, expecting to be a boring person for the time being. Then I decided to eat at Nomad's Garage. It's this newly opened eating place located very near my dorm. It used to be a garage--thus the name. Now this place was owned by a couple of the guys from Ramos. I've been living in this area for 5 years and their faces were already very familiar to me. I did not know them by name though because they seemed to be a very exclusive group of tambays. With that in mind, I was pleasantly surprised when they invited me over to chill and hang out with them. Now instead of sulking in my room, I was like, "What the heck."

A couple of hangouts, mite bites, bottles of coke and a towel as trophy later, here I was, fanning the barbeque grill, serving rice, giving change and just simply having the time of my life at Nomad's garage. I am honestly overwhelmed by the fact that the people I am hanging out and having a blast with right now are the people that I just used to see everyday.

God is really good. Just when I thought that undergoing a separation from the lifestyle that I was used to would be a very challenging task for me, He comes up with a brilliant idea of sending me new friends who did give me a 360 degree turn on life experiences.

Now about my other group of friends, I am thankful that we are still good. They understand. And thank you guys for understanding. I really do appreciate it.

As for my plans of leaving Ramos? Well, that feels like a gazillion years ago. :)

"make a style on any occasion that elegant look you want..." (go figure)

After a day of rest, I'm back to work again. I'm having a really bad case of last song syndrome. Was making a story board for a 30-second TVC of Chester Enterprises. To get inspiration, I listened to their jingle for like 1 million times. I transcibed it also to get the lyrics. I have had enough of their cheery "You got the style, we got the textile!"

So now, I'm listening to my mp3 player to erase the memory of that jingle. Hay.

I'm so loving Leona Lewis' song entitled Bleeding.

"You cut me open and I keep bleeding, keep keep bleeding, love"--this, I don't mind having a last song sydrome.

Lalalalala...later.

i hate...

MITES!!!

I have a seriously bad case of mite bites. argh. :( I had to skip work coz of it. I couldn't function normally coz they friggin' itch! dayymiit!

Tabang Lord.

An Easter post (and more)

So first of all, happy easter to everyone. We just finished a 4-hour mass starting at 3AM. If you're wondering if that is possible--well that is even a longer story. Dint get much sleep. Funny how sleep evades you when you desperately need it and how it haunts you when you need to stay awake. (So much like how I felt while listening to the 10 epistle readings... hmmm) But its all good. When it all boils down to knowing what our savior suffered on the cross just to save us all, a 4-hour mass every easter sunday is really not as bad as it sounds.

So now I'm spending my last moments in Kalibo in our ever tusted hang-out place which we call "The Planet." Its actually an internet cafe where we can all hang out and chill. My boys (hehe) are all busy playing DOTA. I wonder whats in that game for them to be really addicted to it. One time I tried playing O2 jam for the heck of it. But I sucked at it. Hell, I suck at online games in general. So I'd rather surf the net. For 10 bucks an hour, not bad at all.

I've been going here since I arrived. Will really miss the guys. Will miss "the planet". Will miss the motorcycle rides. Life here is sooo simple. Everyone leaves so close to everyone. When you wanna meet up, I just go directly to The Planet and sure enough everyone will be arriving without me even telling them that I'm here. My boys are very predictable like that.

Actually its funny coz they're all batchmates of my brother, 2 years younger than me. But since my brother has a girlfriend already, I was the one who started hanging out with them. They just love the simple pleasures that life gives them, so its a breath of fresh air compared to the grueling stress I have to deal with in the city. I've known this guys since we were kids because we go to the same church--yeah where we have 4-hour masses.

It has been really fun. But just a few hours from now, I will be leaving them again. I hope to see them again this May 1 so we could seriously pursue our plan to go to Boracay on motorcycle--just for the experience.

Tomorrow, I will be back to Cebu--a city which I have also learned to love. But deep down I know that whatever happens to me, I will always always go back to Kalibo. I will always go back to my boys. Haha.

(They don't even know that I keep blogging about them. Too busy with DOTA)

Btw, did I really say that this was an Easter post? Haha.

Happy Easter again everyone.

Enjoying Kalibo the OLD SCHOOL way

So last night was Good Friday that's we didn't go out and party. I hanged out at a friend's house and watched the yearly procession of chariots in the town proper. I'm not really a Roman Catholic, and besides we already came from a 7 last words mass so I did not really have to join the procession. I as telling my kababata that they shouldn't drink coz it as good friday. So I treated them to a 1.5L coke and chips. When they finished it, they were like:

Nikko: Hay paano, ubos eon ro Coke. (What now, there's no more coke?)

Manna: Chika kita ron. (Let's just talk)

Apol: Ok boss!

***silence. stare at each other. really long akward silence.***

Manna: Fine! Do what you hafta do!

Nikko: Ok! Amot2 kita para sa generoso ag iced tea! (Alright you guys, contribute cash for Generoso and iced tea)

So much for the Good Friday abstinence. This guys couldn't function well in a hang-out without alcoohol. Haha. But I love these guys. We've been friends since the time we couldn't even wipe away the snots from our faces. I didn't drink though. I'm a good christian. (hahaha)

At around 7pm, we decided to go home. And then, the motorcycle freak that I was, I asked Paul to drive around for a while. I'm crazy about motorcycles. I can't drive but I love riding them. So we drove off, under the big full moon. Nothing beats the feeling of wind gushing through your face. There were three of us who were on motorcycles and we felt like just driving off. We then went to the nearest beach seawall (which was just like a 15-minute drive) and just sat there and looked at the glistening sea. Now this seawall has been there for AGES. But after 21 (almost 22) years of being an aklanon, that was the first time that I was there. I wasn't allowed when I as a kid coz it as "dangerous". We even saw an empty condom wrapper there. Eeeew.

Anyway, we plan to go to Boracay on motorcycle this coming May 1. Weeeee. I'm already excited. Caticlan is just like an hour ride from Kalibo. We plan to leave before sunrise and go back home before sunset. Can't wait!!!

I'm gonna miss these guys when I go back to Cebu. :(

From Kalibo, with LAB!

Finally, a much awaited vacation for me! weeee.

Thing is, I wake up earlier here because we should eat breakfast together. Alcaraz tradition. But you know, its ok waking up early with no pressure of going to work. Atleast, I won't have a hard time adjusting when I go back.

Anyway, I was sooo amused because this morning, I went to town to have my sandals fixed. Guess how much I was charged???

P5!!! For shoe repair! I felt ridiculous giving him only P5 so I gave him P10 instead. So cheap huh? If I were in Cebu I would have paid P50-P100 for it. Amazing. :)

That's life in Kalibo for you!

Anyway, have a blessed holy week y'all!

From Kalibo, with LAB!

The Photophobe

Its about time I changed my avatar. :) Hi y'all!

I don't know if you've noticed but I'm not much of a fanatic of taking self portraits. Check my albums and you'll find it rare to see decent solo pictures of myself. When I'm in a picture, it is usually with a group. I have two cameraphones (one of which is kinda obsolete). If you check the albums in my phone, you will notice that it mostly contains pictures of my friends, officemates and such. You will rarely see solo pictures of me in my phone. I'm just not the type who you will see in the corner smiling and taking a picture of herself with the camera phone. When there's a group picture taking and everybody is running towards each other and stepping on each other's toes just to be included in the photo, you will normally see me just sitting in one corner and laughing. But don't get me wrong, I don't hate pictures. I love them. I love TAKING them. I also like being part of them but I would NOT die if I don't become part of a picture.

There are those very rare moments when I feel like being a poser and I indulge in a little vanity. But that's just it. I guess I'm also very picky with my solo pictures. If I don't like what I see, it is automatically deleted. (sus magpataas taas pajud ug explain oi, kung muangkon nalang diay kog di ko photogenic! hahaha)

Anyway, here are a few of my fave solo pictures--mostly taken when I was not looking. :)

This one was taken by Rose. I only found out about this picture when I saw it in her multiply account. Thanks Rose.

I was sleeping when belle took this. (wasn't acting! swear!)

On this picture, I asked my friend to take a photo of my ambigram henna tat which I love. :)


And the point of this whole entry? Well, I've been wanting to change my avatar for a long time but haven't found a solo pic of myself which I really liked. So I checked my pics to see which one would be my most recent solo picture and I was surprised to see that there wasn't much to choose from. That's when I realized that I was a little photophobic. That's when all those picture-taking moments flashed back to my memory.

Bati baya kay gamay ra ayo kog pictures na mapilian. Maybe next time I'll try sitting in one corner and take pictures of myself too. Magpractice nya ko. Haha

blogger's block :(

OK. I am becoming a very boring blogger. Sorry about that. Well anyway, while I'm typing this, I am also watching American Idol. I fear for Ramiel Malubay. Her performances are getting weaker and weaker every week. :( David Cook on the other hand really really rocked the stage (with all the lights--gaaahhhd, can i faint right now?)

ANYWAY. So I have a lot of things that I would like to blog about already. They are:

1. Martian Child (the movie)
2. My new found "ramos tambay" friends and their surprisingly intellectual conversations. (Did you know that taking a crap--yeah doing number 2, was considered as a social gathering during the Roman Empire? Weird huh.)
3. This book I'm reading. (well, ok I'm reading three books simultaneously--but) Its entitled 7 liveliest sins. Really really cool insights. Hmmm....

So like I said, I don't have much time to blog about all that. But when I get the time, I've already lost the inspiration. Sad.

BTW, my boss surprisingly reads my blogs. Hi sir. :) He thinks that blogging should be called "blabbing" coz well, that's all majority of us really do. But well, blogging is fun. And I suppose blogging was invented to promote free speech. So there.

Don't worry sir, I'll try to blog more "important" stuff in the future. But until I get my own PC in the office (*wink*wink*), well you guys just have to wait. Haha.

been "busy"

...snooping on this aussie guy's blog. sir chad and i (and even alexis, our vj) are hooked! haha

it's a scandal bursting in the blogger world. if you know what i mean, then i'm pretty sure you understand. hehe. if you don't, well have a peaceful life. :)

American Idol FEVER

At this very moment, they have just eliminated Asia'h Epperson.
I hope Danny Noriega will be saved. :(

I'm still waiting.

...
...
...

OH MY GOOOOD!!!!!

:,(

Danny just got voted off.

And Ramiele Malubay cried. (Danny wore her glasses on the night she performed.) But atleast she's in.

Waaaahhhhh I love Danny. I loved his gayness. This is TMTH!!!! (Danny speak for "too much to handle")

Bye Danny. :,(























Atleast Ramiele Malubay, David Cook and David Archuleta is still at the final 12. I cannot choose who I love the most among the three.



























































How about you? Who's your bet?

Rainy Friday Morning

And I thought it was already summer. Darn.

"At ang aking pagkakasabik sayo ay mahahalintulad sa pagkakasabik ng lupang nakaranas nag tagtuyo sa ulan."

In english.

"I miss you like dry earth misses the rain."

Haha. Paken rain makes me want to be makata. Grrr.

hala sige let's post this!

Don't worry i'm not posting the entire song. Nalingaw lang ko ani na part sa song ni Neyo. I sooo missed his concert. Sayang he always had a soundtrack for my life. bwahahaha...

I can't get it back,
But I don't want it back,
I realize that,
She don't know how to act,
Never been a dumb dude no I'm not dense,
I just had a slight lack of common sense,
I was the good guy, she was the bad girl,
I'm thinkin one girl, she's thinkin me earl, james, and jimmy
Yea she had plenty,
But love for me she didn't have any,

[Pre-Chorus]
I was inviting her into my heart,
She was out riding in some other man's car, (nyahaha)
She was my nighttime, thought I was her star,
Guess I was wrong, but see I'm strong,
Won't take long for me to move on,

[Chorus]
Please don't worry bout me I'm fine,
(please don't worry bout me I'm fine)
Only gonna play the fool one time,
(only gonna play the fool one time)
Trust me when I say,
That I'll be okay,
Go on girl (go on girl)
Go on girl (go on girl)
Go on girl

AMEN. :)

MAYPRIL

You know how nursing students always wear nametags? Well, as usual I was riding a 13C jeepney going to the office and one of the passengers was a nursing student. I knew that this wasn't the first time that we rode the same jeepney because of her name. The first time I saw her wearing that nametag, I immediately couldn't help but stare. It said: "Maypril".

This morning was probably the 3rd ot 4th time that we rode together in the same jeepney. Her name kinda struck me as odd, if not unique. Usually, people named April or May or Jan are people born on that very month that they were named after. But Maypril? Please enlighten me.

Was she born in the middle of those months (duh)? Or maybe its a combination of her father's and mother's names (Mayora & Prilsitio???--I don't think so). Or its the combination of the months of her parents' birthdays.

Then again, it shouldn't be my problem, right? Haha.

Sorry Maypril. See you around I guess. Maybe next time na magkasakay ta, I would have the guts to ask. :)