Hello 2012 3rd Quarter!

I know I should revamp this blog or if not at least give a little attention to it.  The calendar on my page were so last, last, last year (yes 2010 or so).  Anyway I have the time today that is why I decided to write something about what I have been up to the past few months.

2 of my good friends decided to go abroad for good.. Gabs went to Abu Dhabi (magkakalat ng lagim ala Sex & the City) while Saree is now in Sweden (not sure whether to study massage Swedish style or look for the guy with the dragon tattoo).  I miss them a lot because they are my bestest college friends and they serve as my caffeine.  I may miss them and I’m sad they left but I am happy for them because they decided to live their future the way they want it to be.  So ladies, good luck.  I miss and love you both.

I’m not sure if I already mentioned that the only good thing I like about travelling is that I get to catch up on my reading.  The airports (according to my foursquare account, airports are the places I frequent lately, sorry naman I need to be in the plane to actually be somewhere noh) are now my modern library.  Because everything is in touch technology now books included, just bring your tablet/e-books and you’re good to go.  I also bring my hard copies when I travel, especially since I still have tons of unread book collecting dusts on my shelf.  I like being in our (my hubby & my) hometown because I get to read in the evenings.  Well I don’t watch a lot of TV in Bulan because a.) not all my channels are available in the local cable b.) we are staying in hubby’s granny’s house when we’re both in Bulan and the house has only 1 TV reserved for hubby (and his arghh channels)  and lastly c.) I don’t want to lounge in the sala (even if it was just me & hubby inside the house), not my thing – I would only lie around looking like I own the place inside a bedroom.  What better way to pass the time (aside from watching downloaded TV series like our fave GoT) but to read?  I was able to finish 2-3 books whenever I’m in Bulan and I so love the feeling of being able to finish a whole book.  

photo from the web

I am currently reading book 2 of EL James’ trilogy.  The book is so controversial and there a lot of discussions about it but it’s just light reading do not delve too much on erotic side if you find it so scandalous.  Thanks to friend Rhei for convincing me to read it because she said “she cried” when she was reading it so I thought it must be good.  It’s okay, not so great but I am only on book 2.  One needs to read all 3 to appreciate it.

I finally found the workout for me, its Bikram Yoga.  I have never been so sweaty in my entire life.  I’ve ran a number of marathons but not Bikram sweaty.  Let’s see how long I will like it (until sawa mode comes).  BYA studio is also kind enough to freeze my membership whenever I am away out of town or in Bicol so it’s a plus for me.  I don’t need to feel sad over not being able to fully utilizing my monthly membership because I am in Manila 3 weeks a month only.

So that's it for now boys and girls.  W arrives this Saturday.  Yehey!

Advance Happy Birthday Baby!

Tomorrow is my husband's birthday and I am so glad I was able to take a leave from work (well not actually I'll be on mobile mode) and spend the day with him.

Since we're here in the province we'll celebrate the day with family & friends. It is the first time that they'll have a some sort of celebration because in the words of my hubby "birthdays are just another normal day in our family". I am so looking forward for tomorrow because his birthday, another ordinary day according to him, will be celebrated. Later this afternoon my Mom-in-law, Warren & I will head to town and buy stuff for the celebration. Small preparations were already being made by the yayas as early as today. It's like a mini fiesta! 5 kilos of spaghetti, is it too much or what?

I'll take pictures, I just hope my phone cam won't let me down. I wasn't able to bring the SLR because I decided to travel lite.

I love looking forward to little wonderful things, makes me excited. Lately I realized that small things make me happier than the grandest ones. What they said about great things comes in small packaging is true and are often for free like seeing your family happy. A shared meal with them and the happy exchanges. I am so missing my family too in Manila but I'll be seeing them in a few days.

I cannot say that I am loving the rural life because I still have 2 years to enjoy my urban everyday existence but I won't lie and say that I am not excited. I just pray I won't get bored and won't miss my folks badly.

From birthday to long term married life. Here's an early cheers for my wonderful husband. I love you baby!

My Eulogy for dear Bulan

I can’t help but feel sad over my hometown’s non-stop battling over a “mala ZTE” scam. I spent my intellect forming days in that formerly happy town, I had a lot of wonderful memories in high school and college sem breaks there. I was even given the chance to experience what it’s like to be a public leader for a week when I became a town councilor elect during my Junior HS year’s Boy & Girl week. It’s a week where student leaders from different HS in our town elect among their peers the mayor, vice mayor, and kagawads then the elected officers will appoint their cabinet members… it was fun when you’re young because all we did was hang around the mayor’s office playing scrabble and exchanging school gossips. But not everything in that week is fun, fun, fun… we also attended the council session where plans for our dear town were made. The little mayor even married an old couple in a civil ceremony. It was amusing but at the same time there was a huge responsibility being served in our plates because we were being formed and molded into becoming tomorrow’s leaders.

I don’t know if I should feel disappointed because as a member of our town I did nothing to support the place. I’ve been outside Bulan for the longest time more than half my life, it was my parents who really spent their time in our town. But now even my parents are here in Manila. I am not sure if I am allowed to spill out my observations… I am not sure if I am entitled to feel bad against the administration & the opposition. I don’t support either of them and I can’t condemn anyone either. I am just a bystander, reading and just being informed about how our town is now a hodgepodge of crimes, corruptions and other unimaginable sad things.

I can’t help but feel little again over the fact that I am really living a shallow life. I can’t help but feel troubled over things that made me really gleeful in high school. I’m gonna miss my old town. I’m going to miss the town that made me realize how fun it is to grow up in a quiet place if you’re surrounded by trustworthy folks and a community that supports you and think about what’s best for your welfare. I’m going to miss Bulan, because now the old town I love is dead.

Mooning in the land of the Moon

I am writing this inside a room full of kids. Eversince I arrived, my nephews & nieces have been tailing me, opting to watch TV inside my room (my old room - used to be my room, now my stuff are all over the house particularly inside my folks room, imagine my old clothes being placed inside a storage box - this is a different story). The TV downstairs is bigger and it is flat while the TV inside my old room is just a tiny 14 inches with a fucked up remote control but with cable. Now I'm stuck with Ed, Edd & Eddy on screen. I grabbed my ipod to isolate myself with the blaring sound of Chris Daughtry. It's not that I don't want to want the company of my pamangkins because I do - I love every minute of it it is just that sometimes they get so rowdy and noisy. I have been playing with them and believe me my left thumb now aches from pressing the arrow keys of their Gameboy DS lite so hard just to let Chun Li kick so high (I'm addicted to Street Fighter, my bad) and beat Cammy out of her wits. My youngest niece won't take a bath if I don't attend to her. She wouldn't allow my Mom or anybody to bathe her but me. We got so crammed up in my bed when it is time to go to sleep - everyone wants to sleep beside their favorite Tita. And my, 3 of them would be very upset the next morning because I didn't wake them up when I went jogging early in the morning (yes I do jog now, thanks to my friend Ses for encouraging me). Kids, I love being around them, makes me forget the fast paced life I left in Manila. I only wish that they grow up responsible, honest and God fearing. Nothing in this world would make this proud Tita even more happy if they are happy and blessed.

Witnessing my 2 nephew marched down the church aisle last Thursday on their elementary graduation made me day dream of their future. They will both be studying high school in Manila and I can't wait to bully them on their studying habits. Both are technology geeks and a new addition was their possession of cellphones (I don't agree with my brother on this, for me 12 is still too young to own a cellphone) - I snooped the other day, hehehe I read their inboxes and sent messages to find out that majority of their text mates are girls asking them "musta?" and them replying "ok lang, san k?" makes me smile but a little sad that my baby boys are now incoming high schoolers. I have been hoping they both do great in school to be able to land the dream college courses that they want and eventually land the best job that they are hoping for. It was just like when I was in their shoes, my most memorable graduation was the one I had in high school.

I have been here for 4 days now and I was able to finish 2 out of 3 books I brought to ease me on my boring days. I wasn't bored however I was able to finish 2 already and the 3rd one I am worried cos it is consisted of but very few pages only. Buti na lang Mama suggested my old books, I'll just rummage through them and just read, again, those that I am really very fond of.

Nothing is really new here in our small town (except that we now have a Jollibee branch downtown). It is election period and I was able to see a lot of familiar faces glued on the walls of the streets all over town. Early this morning while I was doing my morning jog I can't help but stare and comment on majority of the pictures. It was still early but the simple life of the province is at its peak already. I managed to make silip at my Lolo's grave when I passed through the town cemetery. Fields with rice grains swayed gracefully with the wind, I have been jogging a few meters already but I find it hard to sweat when the country winds blows in my face. As it was Palm Sunday, church goers gossiped outside the church with their palaspas in hand waiting for the second mass to finish (my family is an avid third mass goer, it is the 8 am mass that used to be in English now it is being celebrated in Bicol but we still attend the same schedule as it is the time that we have always been attending since I was a kid where priests with brilliant sense of humor address the crowd - the 3rd mass schedule has always been the best slot a priest could wish for in our little big sleepy town). Nothing really changed, it is still the same old Bulan that I love.