I want to be...

1. A BARISTA!

When I was still in China, Karla and I have always dreamed to be a barista at Starbucks. I never had the chance to apply here in the Philippines because my mind was too preoccupied with so many things, and I was thinking that if ever I work as a barista here in the Philippines, it has to be somewhere far, where there would be little or no chance that someone might bump into me, and would ask me what the hell happened to me! That's why when I was in Malaysia, friends pushed me to sign up and apply. But of course, I left Malaysia already, and it's too late for them to call now or on the next days to come.


2. A HOTEL SINGER!

I was at Diamond Hotel with Min the other day and I saw and heard a guy singing his heart out. It was so beautiful and almost perfect. I've sung so many times in different places, but just for the fun of it. I've always loved singing. And I thougt that if ever I would make it as a career, I will never get tired of pleasing people from all walks of life.


3. A CHILDREN'S BOOK ILLUSTRATOR

I know this is new. I was at a bookstore yesterday trying to look for another good book to read, but I end up looking at illustrated children's books, with which some of the illustrators carry very familiar names. And a thought got into my mind. I wanted to draw for these books. I want to make children happy. This is the newest added to all the dreams I want to pursue. So if anyone of my readers is in great need of my services, I can offer you help! for free even! I just want to be a children's book illustrator!


When I had the chance to be alone with myself a few days back, I got a lot of time to reflect on things and circumstances. I've realized that I got so many plans in mind. Having so many plans and so many destinations to go to, and so many paths to take, I always end up on a detour. It got me nowhere else to go. And though I have a list here of the things I want to be, I have a career path that I am taking. And nobody can ever stop me from climbing up that ladder. Min told me about a saying that her father told her that she will never forget.

"A rolling stone gathers no moss."

It was something I will never forget. even maybe in my lifetime. During the last few weeks, I felt I kept on rolling. I never stopped at one place. I didn't dwell on what's really essential. on what's really necessary. And becasue of it, I gathered no moss. I gathered nothing.

Everything's coming into proper places now for me, I guess.

For now, I just want to keep still.
I don't want to keep on rolling.
So I can start to gather moss.

i lost count.

Last night was really a night to remember. That, I must say. I drank 3 glasses of vodka then 3 more frozen margaritas, then i lost count. I met a very wonderful chinese guy, Jackie. Now, i have someone to talk to, i gotta practice my mandarin language. In exchange of that, I'm teaching him the Filipino language. We went to The Zon where we had a few glasses at The Palm lounge where the singers and dancers are all Filipino. (woohoo! proud me!) Ater that, we danced the night away (I claim to say, my favorite bar now :P) at Handle Bar were interiors are all harley davidson and plus, got a very great band I will never forget.

I've been here in JB (Johor Bahru, Malaysia) for five days now. I'm loving every moment of it now than the last time I went here. I eat good food. I meet a whole bunch of very good and friendly people that came all over the world. I drink so much without thinking of what tomorrow will bring. I live in a good home. I've got so many nice places to go to. I can swim whenever I want to. What more can you possibly ask in a place where you could almost feel heaven?

I almost forgot the job in Singapore. Gotta be there in a few days.

At least, I can say, I'm getting on putting myself right back on track. That's a good sign for me.

Happy.
Lucky.
Earla baby. :)


PS:
I almost forgot about Big brother. What the hell happened to that loveteam?

Another Land Conquered.

The moon was in full when my family and I went off to conquer Nasugbu, Batangas. It was the last hirit of a summer getaway before I finally go to Singapore and Malaysia. I have always loved Philippine beaches. And I loved every moment I was there.

Everything in the whole trip mesmerized me. Here's a list to the things I have done and conquered (that you people in China would be so dead-jealous of)... :P

1. The beach has it's own unique and friendly waves. Local people told me that unlike in La Union that beaches have big and dangerous waves, Batangas waters have "friendly waves." Just enough to learn amatuer surfing. *wink*

2. I met a rasta-slash-henna-slash-surfer guy! Just imagine this dear reader. My cousin and I were strolling the beach while we saw this astig reggae place that says "HENNA TATTOO." On this shop were surf boards that were designed. and mind you, people, can be rented at a cheaper price. With FREE surfing lessons. (Or maybe that case was just for me. hehe) My cousin wanted to have her henna done so we stayed there and saw that guy. He was in his aviator shades and with dreadlocks done in his hair. The only rasta guy I know who doesn't drink liquor nor smoke. Before he started doing the Henna tattoo on my cousin, he played reggae music. big mountain that is. Everything I love was right there in front of me. I love that rasta guy. :)

3. After the Henna done on my cousin, it's my turn. I was a liitle bit scared but who would have thought that I can take lessons on surfing not in siargao, or even in la union, but just right here in this uncommercialized place. I had my first ever surfing lessons! With only one session, I was able to ride the surf board and stand up. I just need "trimming," that was what the rasta guy said. But hey! I'm starting to love this dream sport that became a reality. I conquered SURFING! yeah!

4. I also learned the basics of skimboarding. Skimboarding (or skimming) by the way, as defined by wikipedia is a sport which involves riding a board on wet sand or shallow water. I tried that too. The nicest thing about this is that when I fall, I get to stand up and try again, just like surfing. No matter how much saltwater got into my ears and nose, I need to get up, and try to be with the waves again.

5. This place got a bunch of the nicest people in the world. We were treated VIP! woohoo!

6. I missed that bulalo in Tagaytay. Before we went off to Batangas, we stopped at a Bulaluhan in Tagaytay to eat lunch.

7. Though I've been a Starbucks addict, it was still different to stop by Tagaytay on our way home and grab our favorite frapuccinos. And oh, Hannah got that strawberry lollipop, too. Priced at 30PHP. (Di ba piso lang ang lolipop?)

8. I finally got to be with my family before leaving Philippines again. I missed them and I have loved every single moment I was with them. It was something. Everything was almost perfect.

I loved Nasugbu, Batangas. I need to go back there. Anyone coming with me? :)

Oh Galera Sun!

Tumakas ako sa tunay na mundo noong isang araw.
Gumising ng maaga mula sa isang gabing puyatan at nagdesisyong sumama kay Chris papuntang Puerto Galera!
At muli kong inakap ang init ng araw ng Pilipinas...
at lumangoy sa agos ng malalaking alon...
at walang humpay na nagtampisaw sa kaibig-ibig na dalampasigan...
Nagpakalango sa alak...
At tinanggap ang lahat ng bagong hamon sa aking kapanapanabik at mala-teleseryeng buhay...

Nais niyo bang sumilip? Bisitahin na lamang ang aking multiply account :)

Happy viewing everyone! :)

On love songs, PBB, and pinoy telenovelas...

The road I have traveled on,
Is paved with good intentions.
It's littered with broken dreams,
That never quite came true.
When all of my hopes were dying,
Her love kept me trying.
She does her best to hide,
The pain that she's been through.

When she cries, at night,
And she doesn't think that I can hear her.
She tries, to hide,
All the fear she feels inside.
So I pray, this time,
I can be the man that she deserves.
'Cos I die a little each time,
When she cries.

She's always been there for me,
Whenever I've fallen.
When nobody else believes,
She'll be there by my side.
I don't know how she takes it,
Just once, I'd like to make it,
Then there'll be tears of joy,
That fill her lovin' eyes.

When she cries, at night,
And she doesn't think that I can hear her.
She tries, to hide,
All the fear she feels inside.
So I pray, this time,
I can be the man that she deserves.
'Cos I die a little each time,
When she cries.


So I pray, this time,
I can be the man that she deserves.
'Cos I die a little each time,
When she cries.
-------------------------------


To my friends and readers, just an update. :) I'm currently loving this song. Theme song yan ni bruce at wendy. you know them? They're the Pinoy BIg Brother housemates that have become lovers inside the house, which makes me teary eyed every night and oh-so-kilig...
Oh how i miss all these mushy stuffs, and pinoy love stories. I also currently love watching Walang Kapalit and Maging Sino Ka Man. I'm coming home. I'm bringing mushy-ness back.


I'm in lalalalalav.....

PS:
Oo na jologs na. bakit ba. namiss ko kaya. :P

KARLA-less

definition: the state of living and getting a life without Karla.

One major thing maybe why i so miss china is that it comprises mostly of my Karla memories. She is my one major fan when it comes to my cooking. I always felt I'm the best cook when she's the one eating. We always have this exchange of thoughts and views about anything and everything about the world. I find it cute that a tall girl like her hides from a little girl like me when watching horror and suspense movies. You wouldn't imagine how kilig we are when we start watching our favorite koreanovelas.

The first time we saw each other, we clicked at once. Don't you find it funny, dear readers, that we have a lot of things exactly the same or exactly opposite. To name a few, here are some:

1. With just our names, only the first letter has changed.
2. We're just like Samson and Goliath.
3. We share same views on love and life.
4. While I love cooking for her, she loves eating what I cook too.
5. And while I was living 23 years of my life NBSB, she's lost count with her boys. haha!

Enough said, I might be enumerating things I shouldn't. LOL

Oh, Karla... I just so miss her.
Just getting used to be Karla-less.





(Karla eating nilagang baboy, which she said nilagang baka, at sarap na sarap :P)

Mono No Aware

Wikipedia simply defines it as “the pathos of things” or “the awareness of the transience of things.”

Motoori Norinaga (1730-1801), a literary and linguistic scholar, clearly explains the concept of mono no aware. “Mono” means things. And “aware” means sensitivity. It is simply the aesthetic empathy of things and feelings; deep impressions produced by small things; sympathetic sadness; an intense, nostalgic sadness, connected with autumn and the vanishing away of the world; a serene acceptance of a transient world; a gentle pleasure found in mundane pursuits soon to vanish. He said it is the central aesthetic concept of Japan even up to this modern day period. Mono no aware is a unique culture known to Japanese, the capacity to experience the objective world in a direct and unmediated fashion, to understand sympathetically the objects and the natural world around one without resorting to language or other mediators. The Japanese could understand the world directly in identifying themselves with that world.

In his popular novel, Musashi, the story of Japan’s best-known swordsman, Yoshikawa Eiji writes describes mono no aware from the warrior’s perspective: In the case of the samurai there is such a thing as an appreciation of the poignancy of things… a real samurai, a genuine swordsman has a compassionate heart, he understands the poignancy of life.

I have always been hooked to Japanese culture, literature and aesthetics. They have mainly accepted that sadness is an essential ingredient of life. And maybe this is sort of co-related with Thomas Jefferson’s Pursuit of Happiness, that it is an unalienable Right as a kind of denial of the rightful place of sadness in human experience—that in pursuing happiness we are simultaneously fleeing sadness. (I needed to watch that film. My sister said it is good.)

My dear friend Min sent me this picture. Sakura blossomed already, and every year she sees them, she’s always reminded of me. I loved sakura blossoms the way I see them in pictures. Everything is all in pink. And if ever I’d be going to Japan, I’ll make it a point to go during this time of the year, so that I could see and feel sakura blossoms first hand.

Why does everybody loves sakura? I, for one would be willing to die just to get a glimpse of Sakura blossoms. In pictures, it looked more than breathtaking, and whimsical, what more if they are right in front of me?

The nicest thing about these blossoms is that they are fugacious. They will be in full bloom for one week or so, and then suddenly fades away. Just like our fleeting lives. The more we embrace “mono no aware,” the more we make our lives fulfilling and more meaningful.

That’s the way I live my life, I always make every move into full bloom. By the time I pass in this transitory world, people will always remember that person who blossomed well (and made the world pink) in her living years.