don't leave me oh lappy tappy!

"Scanning and repairing drive c 28% complete"

what happened to you my lappy tappy? kung kailan naman maraming documents na dapat i-review at i-revise tsaka ka nagkakaganyan? magdadalawang araw ka nang ganyan, talo mo pa ang edsa na hindi makamove-on sa 28% na iyan. what to do? 

chasing and running from that one thing called love #9: of broken bridges, dead ends and roundabouts

I am a self-confessed kaladkarin girl. NO it's not the derogatory term; it's a term we coined to refer to people who love spontaneous trips. Madaling yayain / kaladkarin sa lakaran, joy ride man sa kung saan o long trip para takasan pansamantala ang jungle ng Kamaynilaan. Hindi man ako ang nasa likod ng manibela, ramdam ko pa rin pareho yun excitement at anxiety sa bawat byahe dahil kasama ako sa paglalakbay.

Tulad ng mga biyaheng biglaan o short notice, parang joy ride lang din ang buhay. Sa ating mga paglalakbay, napapadaan tayo sa mga kalsadang maganda, may sira, may baha, dead-end, one-way, sarado, ginagawa, trapik, paikot-ikot, pati tulay na putol o may sira. Nasubukan ko na daanan lahat nang 'yan sa mga paglalakbay sa iba't-ibang lugar, pati na rin sa buhay; at ngayon feeling ko matapos ang ilang panahon ng paglalakbay, halted na lang bigla ang byahe. Hindi naman dahil sa dead end o nasira ang daan o tulay -- sabihin na lang natin na I am crossing boarders and suddenly yun immigration officer tumanggi na ang passport ko eh tatakan. Hindi naman ako TIP victim, alam ko naman ang aking nais puntahan, pero ewan, baka nag-fit lang ako sa profile nila ng mga hindi dapat payagan na sa boundaries ay dumaan.

Sige, 'wag na lang ipilit kung ayaw. Marami pa naman destination na pwedeng puntahan...pero sayang lang kasi eh, ilang panahon ko na rin yun pinaghandaan tapos wala lang, ganun na lang. So for now, U-turn na lang muna. Kung may bagong daan man, kahit mala-EDSA sa trapik o expressway pa 'yan, pwede naman subukan. The journey continues pa rin.

moving on

Tomorrow marks the start of another change; moving on to another journey.

I am looking at this like going back to my first and second love, rolled into one. And although somehow I have reservations on the circumstances, I am facing this for now. Whether I will set the records straight later on or just accept this for now then move on again, I still don't know. For now, I want to focus on what is there for me and what I can do to make it work.

2015, be good, be great, make me more grateful than ever for the chances; braver, wiser and stronger than ever for the challenges; and crazier than ever to innovate and crave for more changes...thank you po and help me Lord!

Super Heroes

My brother left Cairo with us to fetch his wife from work. What's amusing is that the boy is clad in this Spidey costume -- oh well, weather is still too cold and I guess the costume functions just like a pair of sweat pants and shirt. I noticed that Sammy (Ate's youngest son) is also wearing his Superman jogging pants, so I suggested that Daniel (Ate's middle child) also wear his Batman costume which he used last November for the trick or treat event at school. Daniel quickly rundown the stairs (we were at the roof deck) and voila, it seems like we're having a costume party! We even joked that Kuya Kit's (my brother in law) birthday tomorrow will be a superhero party (hehehe... let's see!).

Earlier tonight: my nephews Spider Man, Bat Man and bebe Superman.

Who doesn't, at one point in their life or another, love super heroes? I remember growing up with fantasies of becoming one of the Bioman (Yellow Four or Pink Five?), or applying to become Shaider,  "Ang Pulis Pangkalawakan." There is Kapteyn Barbel and Darna for the Pinoys, and well I think I have watched Christopher Reeves in Superman 2 a zillion times in Betamax (haha.. okay that number is an exaggeration but yes, I am that old to have witnessed the short stint of Betamax at popularity). Even the Quezon City Local Government's clean and green drive in the early 90's had then child star Atong Redillas as Kapteyn Linis, going around schools in Quezon City on board a float (it was actually a white truck with designs and streamers) with the Linis Brigade (a.k.a. the kids in white), advocating for -- oh, what else but cleaning up and greening the schools and communities. And yes, I spent teenage years dreaming that I am Bunny / Princess Serenity -- "ako si Sailor Moon, kalaban ng kasamaan, tagapagtanggol ako ng pag-ibig at katarungan! Parurusahan kita sa ngalan ng buwan!" Hahaha... don't bash me for being corny, I was just a kid then -- and hello, Tuxedo Mask! (LOL).

Well, we outgrow these fantasies but the memory and our love for them is here to stay I guess. Yes, we know that they do not exist, or that we are heroes in our own little ways so we don't need to rely on them, but we still enjoy watching them on theaters or videos at home; our heads still turn when we find them on billboards; and for those who can afford, stocking on super hero collectible items has even become a hobby. Want a proof? Look at these ladies with me!

We finally met at Sta. Lucia East Grand Mall last Wednesday (the last day of 2014) to visit Figaro and have our Coffee Club membership renewed (half a year in the making ito because of our work schedules and travels). On our way to Figaro located at the Theater Zone, I noticed one kiosk that sells plastic blocks (they have lots of other items but I am only interested in the lego-like blocks..hehe..my nephews have lots of it -- original ones or otherwise). Out of curiosity, I checked what items they have and voila, they have the classical superheroes! (hindi ko na kasi kilala yun mga legoman figures ng mga pamangkin ko..hehe..signs of ageing!) Ate Mel and Ate Hazel initially left me there because they went inside a shoe store (hehe.. this crazy girl is more interested in toys than new shoes), but after a few minutes they too approached the store and suddenly I find both of them asking for this and that super hero and trying to get the ones that I asked for earlier (they have limited stocks so they only have one item left for some of the classic super heroes). After paying for our loot, both Ates (take note, I am the youngest in this group so there, super heroes are for most generations huh!) excitedly walked towards Figaro, saying that we should assemble our toys there...

12/31/2014. An afternoon with super friends..haha..

...and true enough, they seem more excited in playing with the toys than sipping their cups of coffee or eating our favorite cake, Little Oscar (that round cake in the picture above). Below are closer shots of our toys. That is Ate Mel's Batman and Ate Hazel's Wonder Woman; Bat Girl and Superman are mine (although Ate Hazel wanted to get him from me! haha.. She actually told the lady that she's going back to get one in two weeks time, when the stocks arrive). I also have my Bat Man but I didn't assemble it there. 

Hey, the superheroes are stepping on my Figaro Coffee Club card!

Bat Girl and Bat Man on the... how about the
coffee paper cup as a pedestal?

Super Man and Wonder Woman had their own photo op too.
oh is that my coffee cup???

In the midst of writing this post, I am reminded of my new toys (LOL) so I went downstairs and show it off to Jonathan (my eldest nephew). He immediately asked me if he could build Batman (haven't opened the package yet) and I said okay. While he is at it, Daniel went downstairs and checked on my mini figures too. Suddenly he blurted out, "Anong ginawa mo sa cape nila? Sa leeg dapat 'yan nakalagay, hindi sa arms, bakit mo ginawang backpack?" (Ako: nga nga! Alam ko naman na in real life, the cape is placed around the neck). In my defense, I told him that the head is already connected with the upper torso of the figure and it seems there's no way to place the cape there, and since it has two holes, I thought that it was meant to placed on the arms (look closely at the photos above). The boys are laughing at me by that time, telling me that the head can be removed so I tried removing it and, okay, they are right! Sorry, I am a mere mortal who also makes mistakes, am no super hero (LOL)! Below are photos of my mini figures, now wearing their capes correctly...

Batman, Superman and Bat Girl mini figures

Bat Girl's solo pic

Batman's solo pic..oh he drives a car, yes! 

Superman's solo pic. No, he doesn't drive a car;
but who needs one when you can fly, right?

Whew, I think I have to tell Ate Mel and Ate Hazel about the correct way of placing the cape on the super heroes tomorrow! hehehe...

thank you 2014; hello 2015

It’s that time of the year again, when most of us stay awake to bid the former year goodbye and welcome the new one with a bang (literally and figuratively). It’s that time of the year when fireworks, loud music, sumptuous meals, fruits and drinks abound. But then after all the merriment, after the last dinner plate is placed back to its shelf, after the canine pets finally find peace and calmness, I retreat to my hole and look back at the year that passed.

Toast for a blessed new year! Celebrating new year's eve with family at the roof deck. The moderate drizzle added coolness to the air and made us enjoy whatever fireworks managed to go up the air since taking photographs became an "at your own risk" for the gadgets..hehe..

If life is indeed what we make it, my 2014 was a year of harvesting, pruning and deciding what to plant next for my crop rotation scheme – that is, if I am a farmer wannabee like dear friend Mich (although I still insist that she has that natural farmer gene in her DNA). But hey, this is crazy girl writing typing while on the verge of falling asleep. Oh, yes take the last sentence as a sort of a disclaimer because somewhere in between that state of full consciousness and dreaminess, my mind begins to let out thoughts and words that bare my soul.

2014 was a frenzy ride through life with unexpected twists, turns, round-about, highs and lows. And while it is true that life is what we make it, I also believe that what we make out of life is a result of how we put our blessings and gifts to use. Then, I can humbly say that I have been blessed a lot in 2014 although being a work still in progress, I often go astray in the Spiritual department (that, I am not proud of). But still, I am grateful.

I am grateful for the moments shared with people I love. People who touched my life and made me feel that life is something to be enjoyed; that the hardships in it are there to make a better person out of me – I am still a work in progress anyway. Those who made me laugh and filled my heart with joy. Those who gave me their time or patiently held my hand, even for just a few seconds; thank you for selflessly giving me something that you can never get back.

I am grateful for the gift of acceptance and learning to completely let go of the past (read: efbf and the great love). Really, I am alright now.

I am grateful for the courage, strength and wisdom to keep on surviving from the challenges that the world throws my way. If material possessions, recognition and praises are the only indicators that I know of, 2014 was definitely a great year. But more than the words of praise and the shining trinkets, more than the shelf decors, the warm hugs and the pats on the back, more than anything that can be seen by the eye is the voice that tell me, “well done my child, you held on and now were done with that phase,” for from that springs the faith that I can make it through whatever is still left that bother me and dampen my spirit.

I am grateful for experiencing the year that was and the opportunity to face 2015 full of hope and the passion of living, learning and loving a life worth living.