backwards

a day away from the long vacation ive dreamt of… I am almost set, everything with regard my work is now okay - made the necessary bilins. Now there are a few things to smooth out before really going on a vacation mode.

1) pack up - pack light
2) make reservations
3) get stuffs from my cousin
4) buy stuffs needed for the trip

Good news is I wont be a fifth wheel… hehe The bad news is @$@$#(%… sabi ko na nga ba eh!? Anyway, this will do. At least by Tuesday, I hope.

I can just imagine… wont be facing the computer for a week. Wow! The longest vacation I had was two years ago… and It wasnt even a peaceful one. Though that one was quite memorable in a sense that I traveled alone for about 22 hours.

It’s not that lonely, contrary to what most people think it would be. If you are traveling during off-peak season, you could have the bus seat originally for two all for yourself. I did end up talking to other passengers during that trip. As it is a Roro trip, most of the passengers are in their late 30s or late adulthood. There were only four women, including me, on the bus. Most of my co-passengers thought I was a student heading home.

just listened to Deftones’ rendition of Sade’s No Ordinary Love. If I compare it with Urbandub’s version, I would say UB’s is better than Deftones. Dont say I am biased. Why do I say so, you could hardly tell that UB’s version is a remake. It’s like they owned the song. Gabby Alipe sang it with heart and emotion. Truly, it’s a no ordinary version of No Ordinary Love. When my bro first heard it at a gig, he was surprised that the original is by Sade.

But you can make your own judgement. Interested to hear Deftones’ version?

Log in here - http://distritos.telepolis.com/metalxxi/lib/mp3/Covers/Deftones_-_No_ordinary_love.mp3

For UB’s version (it’s not included in any of its albums), download it using P2P programs such as bearshare or winMX.

Check this link for music fix - http://webjay.org/by/headspacej

Ive listened to his Girls on the Outside, HeadspaceJ’s WebJay Mellow, and HeadspaceJ’s WebJay Mix playlists… all of which have a good selection, enough to keep me up all day.

Lastly, my liking for the current world No. 2 in men’s tennis was revived with a forwarded email from ate G. This 19-year-old Spanish netter won last year’s Roland Garros French Open winner. He recently captured the Dubai Open title. I am not a tennis follower (not into sports actually)… but with such talented and “gwapo” player on the block, i am interested to watch tennis matches where he is competing. Interested lang… never got to do it as there’s no cable at home.

that’s what i will be if Rosary’s and Jolan’s significant others will join us in Palawan. For five days, I’ll be a dakilang fifth wheel. I really dont mind (promise I really dont) since it’s like traveling semi-alone… well unless the following worst-case scenarios happen to me:

1) I end up as the official photographer… Well, because you are the "odd" person in the group, most probably the pairs will ask you to get their pictures. And I have my pictures taken solo… or with the whole group.

2) On the plane and bus, i will be seated beside a stranger because naturally the couples will see beside each other. The bad thing about this is if I end up seated beside (a) an old man who snores or who spits non-stop, or smokes (sa bus), (b) an old woman or middle-aged woman who will tell you her problems and life story (i love to hear stories but not those sob ones), (c) a young man who cant keep his hands still (in short manyakis, this is the worst), (d) a young man who makes diskarte and asks you for the nth time if it’s your first time in the province, (e) a terrorist who is planning to plant a bomb or a holdupper, or (f) anyone with unpleasant odor. Wala ka na nga masandalan sa pagtulog or makausap ng matino, eto pa maaaring makatabi mo sa isang oras na plane ride at pitong oras na byahe papuntang el nido. Malas nga naman yan.

3) When it comes to sharing a room, you might end up sleeping alone because the couples opt to get their own rooms.

Possible solutions for these scenarios:

1) buti na lng di ako masyadong maaasahan sa pagkuha ng picture, kasi if it’s not my camera, I mess up the shots… hehe, no kidding.

2) put the earphones on and turn up your music volume, feign sleep, or pretend you are actually lost in a book. Pero effective talaga dito makinig na lng sa music at magkunwaring tulog.

3) eh okay, mag-isa ako matulog… or the best thing is to get a dorm-type accommodation.

Eh yung advantage naman ng pagiging fifth wheel…

1) maaaring makatabi mo sa bus or eroplano ay gwapo at okay kausap.

2) pag may cute, pwede kang magpacute. Hehe (na malamang hindi ko rin magagawa)

Dalawa lng ang advantages?! basta kahit anong mangyari, masaya ako… excited na ako magswimming, magbilad sa araw, kumain nang kumain, magexplore ng bagong lugar…

Wow! It’s official! From March 12, I will be in Palawan… Hehe, nang-inggit ba?! Ive been containing my excitement over this trip. For months, Ive been planning this - from drafting the itinerary, making the expenses estimate, manipulating the web to get information on transpo, accommodations, costs, etc., booking the tickets, looking for possible travel buddies, etc. (hey, i could be a professional travel agent… hehe)

Rosary could be my forever travel buddy. Once again, we will be traveling together.

Traveling makes me high (natural high…) It refreshes my body, mind, and soul. Every trip i make contributes to my growth. Each trip, I find myself conquering my fears. It brings priceless lessons and learning experiences.

Basta promise, when I return from this much-needed vacation, i’ll share our itinerary and expenses breakdown…. as well as notes, para everyone who is planning to travel to this last frontier of the Philippines on a tight budget can get tips and whatnots.

PS: As I cant figure out how to reply to comments, I am forced to post my reply here. Mark Earl, aka Yap, ive visited your blog (cant drop a comment from there, di pwede ung non-blogger user). Nway, boredom can prompt you to read blogs… check everyone’s profiles… etc. Before I sign out, since youve asked who am I, I think you have already figured out that we had been classmates in HS.

May promotor na ako?! hehe, Joann, shhh, wag mo na lng i-announce na blog ako nang blog… Baka di na ako makapagsulat ng feel kong isulat. O kelan tau magkikita ulit? Swimming ba ulit sa bacoor? Di n lng nag-email no… dito pa ako nangamusta…

Anyway, as usual di na naman ako dinadalaw ng antok, naisip ko kasi na pag masipag ako, nauubos ko ang plantsahin sa bahay. Ang babaw ng rason ko kung bakit di pa ako natutulog. Oo, nagpaplantsa ako ng mga damit kahit press release ng kapatid ko, ako ang pinakatamad when it comes to household chores. I admit, I hate doing household chores, especially washing the dishes and doing the laundry. You cant expect me to volunteer to do those two things… Paligpitin mo na lang ako ng hapag-kainan at ng kalat sa sala, papayag ako. Pagplantsahin mo lang ako, wag lang maghugas ng pinggan at maglaba.

Masaya ako kung nagpaplantsa, habang nakikita ko na marami na pala naplantsa ko… that’s how domesticated i can get… if nasa mood ako. Hehe…

This one was written days before i turned a year older last year… Jen and Rosary were scolding me because i was so agitated. Anyway, I no longer feel worse. Overcoming this is not an overnight struggle, though. It took weeks, too. I am glad that I am on a steady pace now. More calm and relaxed.

Swallowing A Bitter Pill

How many times did I wish that everything would be as easy as in the movies? Like Jerry Maguire, he only had a sleepless night to figure out what he wants to happen in his life. In real life, does that happen? Maybe it does but not to me, I guess. I spent my waking hours, and even sleeping hours, pondering where my life should head, and yet, I am still lost. For the past few weeks, I keep on thinking this life has been too complicated. I know, I sound so pessimistic… so on the verge of losing my grip. Maybe I am indeed losing my grip.

Sometimes I just hate everything. I look at myself and I hate the fact that I look okay. I should not look fine, right? I should look as disarrayed as my life and everything in it right now. I couldn’t see meaning in everything I go through. It’s just that everything seemed so mechanical. Mechanical in a sense that you just swallow whatever you are fed with. No questions, no complaints. You just have to accept that life is like that. Maybe life is like this - it’s just a process of breathing in and out… running, walking, talking, all those verbs for a promise of eternal life… life covets life? Is that what life is all about? Living life to get eternal life. That sure is kind of weird to me.

Months ago, I said I have ran out of motivation. I don’t know what motivates me anymore, which is sad. There are my dreams but sometimes, even my dreams are not enough to keep me afloat. I would like to think that this is just a result of those consecutive reality hits I have been getting. Or is this the clichéd quarterlife crisis?

I may appear like I am strong but the truth is I am very much afraid of the future. I am afraid of opening another door. When I left college, I wasn’t really that scared. I was even more excited to go out and see what’s in store for me in the real world. Wah, and I can’t feel any excitement now, instead I feel like crying. If only i could just skip all of this.

It’s already October. I’ve never been this scared in my whole life because I always thought turning 25 is a milestone. This is where you face a fork in the road - so many questions are now piling up in front of me. So it gets scary and all.

Yesterday, the office treated all of us to a Eurostar trip. The place was just okay… it only has few rides compared to star city and enchanted kingdom. as I am faint at heart, I couldnt enjoy all the rides.

we did this ride called Ranger… I wouldnt do it again. I wouldnt want to find myself upside down, almost suspended for N meters. While I keep on shouting "tama na, gusto ko nang bumaba," kuya marc who was seated at my left was just so cool. I just kept on hearing him, "whoa." Ate tess at my right was at first seemed silent but then as it went faster and we were sorta suspended 360 degrees, she finally muttered gusto ko nang bumaba.

Hay naku, nagdare2 pa kasi ako kaya ayun napala ko… sobrang natakot.

Even their ferris wheel is scary, paano ba naman kasi ang mga kasama ko nagrequest na ispin kami. Mga 3 beses un, after sa pangatlong ikot nang sinasakyan namin (hindi ung ferris wheel), ayaw na din nila at nahihilo na.

sa bump car lng ako nag-enjoy… hehe

Palabas na Pride and Prejudice.