Yaaay!

I literally threw my fists up in the air just now! Season 5 of How I Met Your Mother has started and I am done with Ep. 1. Plus, I am waiting for my eternal server to finish downloading Episode 2! Yaaay! I love this show, obviously.

And oh, this page is sporting a new do. The previous layout was just so.. hippie and puberty-ish hahaha. Hence, I decided to go lite and classy, a contrast to my heavy and disorganized thoughts. So here it is. Yaaay!

I also named the page 'El Cuaderno". Eversince I learned how to write, I've always kept old notebooks so I could write on the extra pages. I never had a real diary, all my diaries are ordinary notebooks, as in the one you use for your English class. And yes, I once used a Lesson Plan as my diary! Now, I still write in my notebook but I want this page to be my online journal. As with my personality, please don't expect my posts to make sense all the time. :p

I spent the day lounging around and being lazy, aside from my activities with Mom of course. It was already 4 pm when I realized I didn't take a bath yet. Eeek. But now, I'm all fresh and clean! Yaaay! Lame hahaha.

Of Dreams

Have you ever wanted something so badly that the mere thought of it crushes your heart?

Each of us has a dream. We all have visions of how we imagine our lives to turn out in the long run, no matter how much of a slob or a workaholic we are today. As these dreams arise, our drive to pursue them almost becomes an instinct or even a working premise for our day-to-day living. Little by little, these dreams sink into our consciousness and define us, even if we haven't achieved them yet.

In the process of yearning to be what you want to be, encountering setbacks is inevitable. One of these trials is the source of encouragement. When we recognize our dreams, we often share it to our support systems - family, friends, mentors, and the like. However, no matter how strong we express our desire to achieve, not everyone will be as encouraging and as positive as we wish them to be. Some may tell us that the path to your dream is exhausting and daunting. Others may tell us that today, practicality precedes personal ambition. And some, upon hearing our ambitions, just shrug it off, comparing your dream to the farthest star.

But despite this, there will also be people who will encourage us. They are the ones who prod us and say, "Go." And we find it amazing to see how a mere push allows us to go far. These are the people who seemingly form an armor that helps us move forward towards our goals. And more often than not, the words that encouraging people tell us are the ones that stay with us the most. Perhaps that's what dreamers should do: hold on to words of encouragement, let go of the thoughts that dampen our will.

Our will resides within us. Our will is not in the hands of our parents, our forefathers or the people we need to please. Our desire to achieve lies in our hearts and not in somebody else's. Our dreams are our own. And it's up to us dreamers whether we want to achieve them or let go of them. There is power in our will, and more power in the hands of God.

If ever you want something badly and it hurts to think how far away you are from your dream, let this be your sign. For as long as you don't hurt or trample on anyone along the way, then go. Just go for it, whatever "it" is.

That was me talking to myself. :)

Ondoy and Planet Earth

Ondoy, Ondoy Go Away, Don't Dare to Come Another Day

Yesterday, I was wondering how come there was a News Flash every fifteen minutes or so on TV. I was only hearing the opening music for the ABS-CBN news flash but I didn't really pay attention. I was only aware of what really happened til last night, when Cristine Reyes was begging for help as she was stuck on their rooftop with her family for eight hours. Little did I know about the extent of damage that Ondoy brought to Luzon.

I remember Manila to be prone to flood. But this one is crazy. Cars floating, people swimming amidst rainwater and even posh subdivisions seem to be floating as well. This picture from Yahoo images broke my heart.


People are swimming towards higher ground for safety. On my Twitter account, I read a lot of updates from local celebrities. The one that struck me most was @iloveruffag's post:

Chard said it was like the end of the world in Marikina. Pitch black, hundreds shouting for help,food. Most were angry,others were crying.

While I and other Davaoeños are so lucky to be in a typhoon-free zone, I think it is best for us to offer prayers for the victims of this typhoon. God bless the Philippines.

Weird Planet

Dad and I were chatting via Yahoo Messenger earlier. I told him about Ondoy. Then, he told me it snowed in Mongolia for a day then it stopped. Yesterday, it was freezing and today it was sunny and warm. His Mongolian officemates remarked that this was the first time they experienced such moody weather. And we both remembered the Red Dust in Sydney the other morning.

We only have one conclusion: Planet Earth is acting strange.

In other news..

Our cousins visited us! Yey! They live in Taytay, Rizal so we haven't seen each other in a gazillion years. Ate Jet and Kuya Jas used to visit us when we still lived in Bataan. We were growing up together when we were kids but sadly, we grew apart in the later years because my family and I moved to Davao. They're both older than me by four to six years (I never knew they're exact age) and they've always given me that "older sibling feeling" that I long for. It's nice chatting with them and their mom, Tita Flor. Our conversations have mostly evolved on how it was before when we were kids and how we are now. They still can't forget that I wanted to join Miss Philippines! Gaaah! It's truly great to have them here even for a few days.

On Vanity

I saw a lady in the front seat of a jeepney, holding her camera phone at a certain angle and taking numerous photos of herself. Vain? Vain.

This is what I think of being vain. A vain person is someone who recently realized the magnitude of his/her own beauty and vows to do two things: one, to take full responsibility in maintaining that beauty and two, to prove it to the world. The thing is, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Each of us are and can be beautiful. Hence, each of us have a tendency to be vain.

I believe that it all started with Friendster. Friendster requires users to post a profile picture and the magic started. From that moment, the population of photogenic people must have increased by 80%. And a lot of things followed that. More digicams, more dslrs, more photographers, Photoshop, etc.

Vain. Vanity. I have nothing against being vain. I sometimes pick up the camera and shoot photos of myself. And I scramble to be near the camera whenever a group photo is taken.

I don't think there is any problem with realizing the magnitude of one's beauty and taking full responsibility for it. But when one desperately tries to prove his/her beauty to the rest of the world, then it switches to "unbearable mode".

Examples of unbearable vanity? Some post every single shot they take of themselves. (Read: Fifty photos of oneself in different angles but with the same shirt.) And since vanity has become a semi-fad, a lot of poses evolved. I saw this album where a girl had thirty-something photos of herself doing only one pose : pouting. Some even go as far as buying a DSLR just to take better self-portraits. And someone even spilled iced coffee all over her blouse just because of vanity. Oops, that was me. Vain? Vain. HAHAHA.

The only cure for vanity is laughter, and the only fault that's laughable is vanity.
-Henri Bergson

Tagalog Tuesday

Magtatagalog na ako. Pagod na ako sa kaka-spelling and grammar check.

Sa ulo ng mga balita..

• Nakapaglagay na ako ng $2000.00 sa pitaka ko. Dati, pinahawak ako ng $6000.00. Oo, sumagi din sa isip ko ang tumakbo papuntang money changer. Pero bago ko pa man nagawa yun, ni-remind agad ako ng Tatay ko na dugo at pawis ang sinakripisyo niya para dun. So, okay. Kanina, $2000.00, katas ng Mongolia. Di ko maitatangkang itakas yun, kundi maraming mamumulupot sa gutom.
  
• Kasama kami ni Mama at ni The Boy sa travel agency kanina. Bago kami umalis, sabi ni Miss G, "Magkapatid kayo?" Buti nalang di ko narinig. Kung narinig ko pa yun, nako! Tatanungin ko muna siya kung sino sa tingin niya ang mas matandang kapatid. Kung ano man ang isasagot niya, doon nakaratay ang hustisya! :))
• Nakita ko ang kaklase ko nung elementary sa TV. Pareho kaming taga-section 4-Bataan, teacher namin yung kulot ang buhok na madaldal. Yung kaklase kong iyon, matalino, tahimik at maitim din. Sayang di ko naging seatmate, kundi potential puppy love na sana yun. Waaa. :) Andun siya sa TV nung isang gabi, isa siya sa mga volunteers ni Noynoy. Lalo siyang umitim kasi nakadilaw siya, eh bawal kaya yun sa aming lahi. Wala lang.
• Naisip ko lang.. Kung hindi kaya ako magFacebook, may makakaalala pa kaya sa akin? Mawawala nalang ba ako bigla sa balat ng lupa? Mapuputol ba lahat ng friendships na nabuo ko hango sa totoong buhay at hindi sa FB? Ang puno't dulo ng lahat ng ito, importante ba talagang may Facebook? Oo, sagot ng mga naglalaro ng Farmtown. :|
  

***

Boredom.

Napansin kong panay akong binibisita nito. Madalas sa hapon, 1 to 4 pm. At sa gabi, 8 to 10 pm. Ito yung mga oras na nakatanim ang pwet ko sa plastic chair sa harap ng computer, naghahanap ng magagawa sa mundo ng internet. O di kaya nakahiga ako sa kama at nagbabasa ng isa sa mga sangkatutak na libro na di ko matapos-tapos basahin. Minsan, nakatunganga sa tibi at nilulunod ang sarili sa mundong hindi akin. At minsan, wala lang, nakahiga at humihinga. Simpleng buhay.

Madalas nagpapasalamat ako na hindi ako lalake. Kasi kung naging lalake ako, God knows kung ano ang mga pinanggagawa ko habang bored. Tulad ng magcomputer, at mag-ano.. online games. Saka yung ano.. magwork out. Saka yung iba pa. Basta! Buti nalang hindi ako naging lalake.

Babae nga ako pero hindi naman ako yung pa-girl. Hindi ako yung tipong kukuha ng digicam at itututok sa sarili, kukuha ng mahigit tatlong libong litrato ng sarili sa loob ng isang oras. Hindi rin ako yung nakatingin sa salamin at binibilang kung ilang pores ang bumukas, nagsara at lumobo ngayong araw. Hindi rin ako yung tipo na nagluluto pag bored. O sige, sinubukan ko minsan pero nasira lang tiyan ko. So wag nalang. At hindi rin ako mahilig mag-exercise. Oo, gusto ko magkaroon ng flat na tiyan. Pero umaasa at naniniwala pa rin ako sa himala.

Matagal na ako naghahanap ng solusyon sa aking pagka-bored. Given na hindi ako pwedeng magtrabaho sa ngayon, ano ba ang gusto kong gawin? Gusto kong magnegosyo. Gusto kong kumuha ng isang katutak na litrato ng kung ano-anong bagay. Gusto ko matuto ng French, Spanish, pagluluto, pagsayaw ng Salsa at Rumba, at pananahi. Gusto kong magsulat tungkol sa iba't ibang kalokohang pinasok ko. Gusto kong pumayat. Ang dami ko palang naisip na solusyon noh?

Naisip ko na ang boredom ay tunay na produkto ng utak na bored. Kung hinahayaan lang ng tao na tubuan ng lumot ang utak niya, tiyak na mangyayari yun. Iba ako. Gusto ko laging nasa "fun run" ang utak ko. Siguro, bored ako kasi napapagod din sa kaka-fun run ang aking neurons. *nerd*

So anong gagawin ko tuwing sasapit ang aking golden hours? Hindi pwedeng wala. Hindi ko na hahayaang katukin ako ng boredom. Run brain run!

Cross-processed

I'm having a stormy day. To comfort myself, I listened to my bro's iPod, which gave me thirty minutes of rock music. I felt only a wee bit better so I diverted my attention to photographs.

I realized how my mood affected my work. I connect well with cross-processed and decolored photos.

This makes me wanna play the ukelele and sing, "Somewhere over the rainbow.. Bluebirds flyyyy.."



"How many times can a man turn his head and pretend that he just doesn't see? The answer my friend is blowin' in the wind.. The answer is blowin' in the wind.."

I find it odd yet comforting to know that I get a boost of creativity whenever I'm hit with the big D. I edited lots of photos from old phototrips today. Guess this is the silver lining in my dark clouds. :)

Flowery Amateurity

These photos were taken months ago at the Agdao Public Market. I got bored so I edited some, pixelized some, deleted some. :)

Pink Roses for Innocence

Orchids. I am more fascinated with orchids than with roses.

This makes me sad. Tells me something about withering and fading.

And this allows me to reminisce. It feels like a scene from a dream.


I feel good with my edits today. Yey. :) And oh, I placed a counter on this site. Just for me to know if there are other people who read this, aside from the only two people in the world who know this page. :)

Who for President

Interesting conversation. Yesterday, while we were waiting for the lab results at the doctor's clinic, Doc asked me who I will be voting for in the coming elections. I told him that although Noynoy Aquino and Gilbert Teodoro are making a lot of buzz lately, I don't really like either of them. And for that matter, it seems like I really have no other choice. The doc reacted to this. He told me that I just didn't know the achievement of Noynoy's parents that's why I'm not really enthusiastic about him. Eh?

I know Ninoy and Cory's achievements all too well and I believe they have contributed much effort for democracy. I also believe in their morality. Though it isn't safe to say that they are faultless, but maybe they are two of the few politicans who strived to keep their leadership clean and exemplary. Though I wasn't born at that time, I know they devoted a portion of their lives in the service of the Filipino people.

But Noynoy? Hmm. I still think he has more to prove. Kung sa mangga pa, I think he's the kind that looks ripe but it's actually sour inside. Presidency is not inherited, definitely. But, if he was raised by such moral and religious parents, maybe he's got a few tricks up his sleeve. Plus, his family was already wealthy even before they jumped to politics. I don't think money can still lure Noynoy to the wrong direction.

With this, the doctor told me that the country needs a leader that is moral, someone that can do a "general cleaning" on the "household". He believes that Noynoy could do that, if ever he wins.

In the coming election, if I haven't set my eyes on a specific candidate, I think I am inclined to vote for Noynoy. Just for the sake of voting.

It was the first time that I talked about politics with someone older, aside from my dad. it felt refreshing and empowering, making me realize that indeed I have a voice that matters, just like everyone else.

Baaaah. I've become such an activist. I owe this to the existence of a stagnant government that requires active people.

Amazing Race?

In the last two days, I visited a doctor twice and a lawyer once. And I drove around the city with my sister and with brown envelopes tucked in our armpits sweating from the Davao heat. Eew.

It was all because my sister applied for this overseas thingy. She went for it on a whim, just to see how far she goes. And two days ago, we received a list of papers to be gathered. It was one big scavenger hunt. Today, we were on panic mode, trying to accomplish every thing before the day ends. I was driving as if I stole this huge van that is so unfit for a pandak woman driver like me. Every accomplishment on the list leads to another task. Ooh, it is so Amazing Race. And we're competing with eighty other students (plus their stage moms, dads or sisters) from all over the country. The funny thing is, my sis and I are trying to run after a deadline that already passed by. September 15!!! But since the documents came on the day of the deadline, thanks to bagyong Maring, we were given a leeway of two days. Two days!

But anyhow, I learned a lot.

• I have better anger management skills. We had the documents photocopied and to our surprise, the photocopies missed two inches of the original page. I was at ultra panic mode that time. But instead of breaking down and burning the whole photocopy stall, I got all the docs and took them to another stall. Simple. No energy wasted for harsh words.
• I am now able to choose wisely. Example, I bought Palabok instead of pizza. Haha, lame. :))
• My (reckless) driving skills improved. I press the horn for three seconds at intersections to ward off those unruly taxis that sprout out of nowhere. Hehehe.
• I have, for the nth time, discerned the difference between the effects of "action" and "reaction". Action gets you somewhere, reaction gets you nowhere.

***

The Boy's mother is really the nicest and most sincere.

Their family is on a trip to the other side of Mindanao. I was calling up The Boy to hear some updates but he didn't answer his phone. No biggie. Minutes later, his mom called me up and had a little chit-chat with me. It's like he took on the conversation that The Boy and I were supposed to have (minus the mushy gushy stuff of course). She even asked about the "Amazing Race" that we had. Awww.

She is truly the nicest. She never says anything that she doesn't mean. Behind a great guy is indeed a great mom. :)

Dang!

Why didn't I think of this?! I had all the time (and resources hahaha) when I was single! Sayang, she got to score on so many hot guys pa naman!

I don't think I can dare to make a Pinoy version of this. I might contract so many diseases in ten kisses pa lang! Plus, not all Pinoy men are hunky, desirable and "respectful" compared to those French men that the Taiwanese girl kissed. Haha.

And no, I don't need a better idea.

Mama Update!

Five to six months from the time she had a ruptured aneurysm, my mother is now able to do so much more.


She can now..

1. say our names with little difficulty.
2. say her own name without difficulty.
   
3. brush her teeth and wash her face on her own.
4. eat on her own, without having someone to assist her. Well, except when we're eating bangus.
5. remember the names of most of her friends, most of the city streets and most of the establishments here in the city.
6. count from one to infinity. :))
   
7. walk with minimal assistance. She walks around the neighborhood every night.
   
8. push the cart when we're doing groceries. She's even nitpicking on the stuff that I buy. Always checks if the stuff are mahal or mura.
9. go window shopping at Gaisano Mall for an entire afternoon! :)

Yey! My mom has shown so much improvement. At times, I feel like it is too much and too soon. But hey, recovery varies from one patient to another. I am just glad that she mustered enough willpower to achieve what she can do today. Aja Mama. :)

Yesterday, Mom and I visited the bank. Mom was a prominent figure in that bank since she used to go there almost every week and she was really good friends with the bank manager. When we got there yesterday, we realized that the bank had a new manager, a very friendly and accommodating lady. While I was filling out forms and withdrawing from the passbook, the new manager had a little chit-chat with Mama. I was a bit nervous because Mom has a tendency to panic and cry if she couldn't express herself. But yesterday was a surprise among all surprises. She communicated well with the bank manager, told her that she had three kids, I already finished college, she was a nurse many years ago and more of the motherly chit-chat that she was used to. Although Mama spoke in broken sentences, I could tell that she was relaxed as she answered the bank manager's questions.

The manager called me and told me that she was amazed at the recovery of my Mom. Well, so am I. :)

There are still a lot of things that Mama needs to achieve in order for her to be fully recovered. At this point, I'm already tired of being tired. I just want to support Mama in every step that she takes on her road to recovery.

Identity Crisis

A house wife is a woman who opted or was designated to stay at home to do the household chores and focus on taking care of her kids.

I practically do the same. I stay at home and do a long list of household chores. Only, I am not married and I don't take care of my kids. Instead, I am taking care of my recovering mother.

So what am I?

A bum? I hate being called a bum. I am busier than most of the people my age who choose to stay at home and get allowance for just staying online on Facebook.

I know I'm too old to have identity crisis. And although, I was trained to become a nurse, what I'm doing now is still quite different. So I prefer to call my self a house daughter. Or a stay-at-home daughter. A daughter who chooses to do hands-on care to her mother instead of leaving her under the care of someone who just needs the money. :|

So yesterday, the second season of my House Daughter series officially started. The first season was last June and it only lasted for a month. This time, it's gonna be tougher and more exciting, like every drama series should be. Hahaha. Dad's gonna be away for two to three months and I'm figuring out on how to twist and turn and scrimp and save the budget that he left for us. Gaaaahh. Hope I won't go insane. :)

Update

My dad's leaving the country this Monday so I've been terribly busy helping him prepare his stuff and preparing myself for his absence as well. Pffft. Part of this preparation is doing some adult stuff. Oh no, not the one you're thinking about.

Banks, billing offices, ticketing offices. Sheesh. These places only mean one thing to me: waiting in line. I hate hate hate standing in line for what seems like eternity. But what can I do, for as long as I'm in Pinas, I have to live with it. Gaaaaahhh.

Anyhow, I've been feeding my mind with some good stuff lately. Positive thinking. And it's taking effect on me. Gooood. :)

Here are some of the photos I worked on an hour ago.

Sunday tomorrow. Turning in early. Goodnight. :)

ilustrazion

I felt like I went on a rollercoaster ride for a week and I only got to step off this afternoon.

I'm getting pretty good at paddling my feet under water while keeping a calm and collected appearance above water.

There is nothing that can't be resolved without communicating in a gentle voice.

I munched on large fries this evening without taking any breaths in between bites.

Okay the last one wasn't quotable at all. :))

Converted

I am now a Paramita convert. :)

Verse 1:
Nahihirapan na ang aking isip
Nauubusan na ng sasabihin sa iyo..
Nanlalamig na ba ang pag-ibig mo sa ‘kin..
Giliw..

Verse 2:
Nalilito ako, nais kong sagipin ang ating
Nalulunod na pag-ibig
Nguni’t handa akong palayain ka
Kung ito ang ‘yong hiling
Gaano man kasakit sa akin
Ibibigay sa yo
Ang tanging pakiusap lang
Wag mo akong kalimutan..

Refrain:
Kay rami nang nagdaan
Na pagsubok sa ting pag-ibig
Kakayanin pa kayang mabawi pa
Ang mga nasabi nang masasakit na salita..

Kung ito ang yong hiling
Gaano man kasakit sa akin..
Ibibigay sa yo..

Nanlalamig na bang pag-ibig mo?

Hiling, Paramita

Marilog Monday

Today's a national holiday so my family decided to drive up the mountains and enjoy some cool breeze. So we went to Marilog, one of my most favorite get-aways from Davao City.

Everyone's quite tired. By 7 pm, the whole household was fast asleep. Haha. I'm tired too. I had to get up at five thirty am to cook spaghetti as our baon. Baaa. But anyhow, it was all worth it. Inasmuch as I would like to post the cool pictures we had today, I'm just all out of energy.

I'm so thankful we decided to take that trip because I'm so bummed out with some personal stuff that's making me bonkers in the head. So yey for me, I got some time out. If there's anyone in the fam who got the most benefits from today, it was me. Haaah.

Gotta rest my restless mind. Goodnight.

Sundays

I love Sundays because of the following reasons:

1. I have to make myself look good for church and what happens after that.
2. I can practice applying makeup on my mom who's willing to be a canvas for that purpose. Yey.
3. Lunch! Sunday lunch always has to be good. Today, we ate at Pizza Hut. Love.
4. Long afternoon naps. Or,
5. .. long afternoon TV marathon. Today, my sis and I watched 3 episodes of 90210 on Velvet. Then, by four o'clock, it's always a toss-up between The Buzz and Showbiz Central. We can't get enough of showbiz chismis!
6. Sunday dinner! Great homemade food!
7. In between all of these is the time for God. It's great just to be in His presence and to receive chunks of spiritual nourishment. :)

**

Eew

My mom and I were walking at SM today. We were trailing far behind my dad, bro and sis because mom still walks a bit slow. We came across this fifty-something foreigner, in his white shirt, denim shorts and tennis shoes. As he was coming near, he was staring at me so I thought I knew him from somewhere. Maybe a husband of an aunt perhaps? I wasn't sure. When he was finally close enough, he suddenly waved his hand at me! And he was even raising his eyebrows in a way that an old man shouldn't. Ugh.

I'm only 22. And I never got attracted to American guys. Well, I was, before. But he was half-Pinoy and he was young. And if ever I get to have a foreigner for a boyfriend, I want someone who's in the same level (and the same age) with Channing Tatum or Josh Duhamel. Not someone who's eons older than me. Naks, ang feeling naman o. Kinindatan nga lang ng kano! Hahaha!

The same scenario happened before and it got me thinking.. Hmm.. Mabenta pala ako sa poreyners ha?! And it also got me wondering.. Since most foreigners like certain types of women, does that mean I really look exotic? Hahaha!

Friday

Interesting day. I went to my sister's school to get her report card. Since it was card giving day, parents of all shapes and sizes came to claim their kids' hard-earned or maybe lazily-earned grades. KC's classroom was all the way up in fourth floor, so I met a lot of teenagers on the way. Being surrounded by puberty, hormones, glasses, braces, pimples, and awkwardness, made me feel old for one millisecond. Though I still have those drastic hormonal shifts, I'm certainly way past puberty. Suddenly, I miss highschool. Not the school per se but the feeling, the hype, and the awkwardness, yeah.

Amidst all the mothers doing beso-beso, the dads giving firm handshakes with each other and laughing their business-ish laugh, I had a weird moment. A doña-looking mom approached me and said, "Hi! Sino ang anak mo? Ang bata mo pa and may anak ka ng fourth year!"OMG. I wanted to scream, "Because I AM REALLY YOUNG!" But I remembered my Christian values and the dozens of other Don and Doña parents around so I just smiled sheepishly and said, "Ay hindi ko po anak, kapatid ko." And her expression changed from glam doña to embarassed doña. Haha. Nevertheless, I still talked to her after that. It's always nice to rub elbows with people, especially the rich ones. They might hire you after the conversation. Haha. Oh no, she didn't hire me.

Parking in my sis school is very tedious so I opted to park a few blocks away, near my friend EJ's apartment. On my way home, I decided to pay him a visit. Bums need to visit bums at all costs! He was in his usual groggy self even at 3 pm. I missed that guy. He's truly a friend and a brother, one that I and our friends can kiss on the cheek or embrace without having any secret desires. And even though a lot of people claim that he's changed, I still know he's the same guy from before. How? He helped me back out of the parking space.

On my way out of Juna Subdivision, I passed by a house of my friend. I was merely passing by when I decided to visit Terro as well. Long time friends need to visit long time friends at all costs! Lol. Terro has been a friend since grade school, one of the very few people I enjoy having deep conversations with. And so, after almost ringing the doorbell of the wrong house, I had a good solid 15-minute conversation at the tindahan sa kanto. It's the kind of conversation that ends up with both of us being happy for each other. We're truly good friends.

I'm happy to have visited my two friends. Visiting friends is like refreshing good memories and rekindling flames in my happy thoughts. I felt unloaded after I talked to both of them. Well, til the next cardgiving day!

iConnect.

Because I am a stay-at-home daughter, there's one thing that I have much of - time. Often when we have so much time, we easily get bored and we tend to slack off. And when we stay at home too long, we tend to lose connection with the outside world. Thanks to Facebook, Multiply and other social networking sites, I still keep in touch with my friends. But then, I recently discovered a website that allows me to connect to people from other parts of the globe through postcards.

Earlier this year, I joined Postcrossing. I first heard of it from my friend, Tornee. At first, she asked for copies of my photography, saying that she was making local postcards. So I agreed. Weeks later, I received a picture that I took turned into a postcard with a note at the back saying that the image has travelled to more than twenty countries worldwide! At first, I thought she was, you know, looking for love online by sending postcards and all that stuff. So I shrugged it off. But after sometime, I got eternally bored with FB and Multiply, came across Postcrossing, signed up, sent my first batch of postcards. I decided to be my artsy-fartsy self, so I made my own Davao City postcard.


This was taken at Matina Aplaya, and one of the images I'm most proud of. I printed five of these, sent them to the addresses assigned to me and voila! Two weeks later, I received some postcards!

Here's the first batch I got..


These are from Oxford, Russia, two from Finland, the Netherlands and the USA. Everytime Manong Postman rings our doorbell, it turns my day around! And it's because of the postcards I get, not because of Manong Postman ha. :)

I'm now excited and anticipating the arrival of my second batch. Cheers for Postcrossing! :)

Tidbits

1. I realized something - I've been treating this blog in the same way that I treat anyone introduced to me for the first time. I've been awfully shy and superficial all this time. Maybe I still need more time and more posts so I can grow into this page.
2. I'm still wondering.. What is the best thing to do with my life? Weeks ago, it was a non-emo, non-philosophical answer. Now, it has turned otherwise. By the time I find my answers, I hope I can still write it here.
3. I'm a newbie in Facebook. I only started using it since April and haven't stopped eversince. It's crazy. My mind can't stop thinking of cool status messages that I could post. Or old pictures that I could share. I've become this hideous FB monster! Now I wish there was a "No Facebook Week". For sure, I can definitely finish all the work that I've been putting off since April. And my real-life friends would surely try to make real-life connections with me instead of writing on my Wall or Poking me on FB. As Dad said, it's just a matter of self-control. Tough luck, that's the number one thing I don't have. Haha.
4. Speaking of online accounts, I've revived my Multiply account. I was on the verge of abandoning it, eversince I stopped posting my photography works there. Now I realize how I need an online gallery and I'm too lazy to build a new network on Flickr. Unlike Flickr, Twitter was rather interesting and user-friendly, so I made one there instead. Teehee. :)
5. The buzz that Noynoy Aquino is running for President bothers me. It's like picking a yellow mango from a tree only to realize that it's still green and sour inside.
   

Ayan! I've posted enough blahs on this page, proof that I'm rubbing elbows with it. Bukas ulit! :)