Lavender & Coffee Stains

Dear Me,

Dex and I hailed a cab at 2:15am and arrived at the Tritran bus station in Kamuning 30 minutes before 3am one Saturday. We joined the Habagat outdoor group in the supposed climb to Mt. Malasimbo in Puerto Galera. Upon arrival at the bus station, we were at a loss (literally) because we could not find the group we were supposed to join. It was kinda dark in the waiting area and Dex asked around. We also tried to contact the mobile number of the supposed team leader but everytime, we received a "the number you are trying to call cannot be reached. Please call later." feedback. It was pretty weird considering that it was the only number we had and even though I had the outdoor shop's landline number, who would be the possible person to answer that phone when the sports shop is based in the mall? And at 3 in the morning?

I had noticed a group of people hovering in the dark and I took it that they were also mountaineers based on their get-up and the bags they owned. I told Dex to ask them if they would also be climbing with Habagat. Dex seemed hesitant to ask them, it seemed for I had been telling him many times to approach them. Well, if he didn't want to, I did not push it. I just thought that maybe he knew what he was doing so I shut up.

Anyway, mountainclimbers arrived one by one and somebody approached and informing us that Alex, the supposed team lead from Habagat could not make it and that he would be the one to take over from Alex.

After which, we paid 1,000 each for our slots and we checked the station's canteen and took our early morning breakfast. I had the combo rice+meatloaf and Dex devoured his rice+hotdog.

Finally, at 5:00 in the morning, we left Manila and headed towards Batangas City. Upon arrival, our new TL went straight to the ticketing section and bought tickets for all of us. Dex and I hurriedly went to buy our forgotten packed lunch (I was expecting Matty's tapa for lunch but we did not have much time to go there) and chose 2 big longganisa (mine) and ... I forgot what Dex ordered. Hehehe. After getting our orders, we hurriedly made our way to where the pack was. After 15 minutes, we board the ferry that would land us at the sandy shores of Puerto Galera.

By the way, we were the last one to board the ferry and it was already jam-packed with people. We had to make our way to the back because the seats in front were already taken away. Compared to the last time I boarded this kind of ferry on my way to Puerto Galera 2 years back, it seemed that the space in this ferry was overmaximized. Before, only bags and other things were placed in the midsection of the ferry; now, they had placed seats there for people to sit in and the backs were stacked in the front section of the ferry. When we boarded, people inside were already yelling that the ferry was already overloading (the ferry had taken more than its share of weight capacity of people plus the weight of the mountaineers' trekking bags combined). As much as I wanted to be in that ferry to reach our destination earlier than usual, I would rather wait for the next one to come than be an added weight to an already overloaded boat. I do not know how to swim, for goodness' sake.

Anyway, we reached PG's shoreline at past 10 in the morning. The sun was blazingly hot and the white sand and the blue sea was so tempting that I convinced papi that I would just frolic by the beach instead of trekking the mountain. Well, had the Habagat people did not give us that option, I would have probably climbed Mt. Malasimbo. I couldn't recall which was a 60% and 40% toss between who decided to frolic and those who decided to pursue the trek. But one thing that was vivid in my mind was the fatigue and sweat I saw in the faces of those who climbed. Hehehe.

During our stay there, I just wandered,walked aimlessly, barefoot in the white sand. I even entertained the thought of what paradise must be like when you were there, not thinking about city life, stressful work and other worries. I enjoyed watching the kids building their own sand castles. How fun it was to be a kid again! It was a shopper's paradise, too, to catch sellers of native & ethnic things and those beachy stuff and be able to haggle to a certain price to your heart's content. Hehehe. I bought sets of pearl necklaces, anklets, sarong, some PG shirts. =) Not to be missed as well was the yummy halo-halo being sold in that area. It was a wonder that my stomach never got upset for having too much halo-halo.





Also, I gained a new friend there. A very cute kid. =)






I miss being in PG!

Dear Me,

Some of the photos I took during our group's climb at Mt. Daguldol in Barangay Hugom, San Juan in Batangas. It is one of the highest mountains in the province with an elevation range of 672 meters above sea level. Jump-off point is at Laiya Beach. Minor climb and it takes about 3 to 4 hours trek before reaching the campsite.



The rest of the photos are here.

Original IT Source can be found at:
http://www.metropolitanms.org/it/Mount%20Daguldol.pdf
Date created: January 2002

Our group's suggested IT:

DAY 1
06:00 Assembly at 7-11 Buendia / Taft
06:30 ETD for Lipa
09:30 ETA McDonalds (or Jolibee), Lipa.
09:45 ETD for San Juan Batangas
10:45 ETA San Juan Batangas. Market Time and Early Lunch
11:30 ETD for Barangay Hugom
12:30 ETS Barangay Hugom. Arrange for Guides
13:00 Start Trek - Beach Front
13:30 Ascend the Forest Line
14:00 First Water Source
14:30 Mang Zardo's House. Refreshments
15:00 Resume Trek
17:00 ETA Campsite, Set Camp
17:30 Explore Anahawan Campsite
18:15 Back at the Campsite, Prepare Dinner
19:00 Dinner, Socials
22:00 Light's Out

DAY 2
08:00 Wake-up Call, Breakfast
08:30 Start Trek to Bilaran ng Limatik
08:15 ETA Bilaran ng Limatik
09:00 Trek back to campsite, Break Camp
10:00 Start Descent
* option is to break camp first before going to bilaran ng limatik,
picture taking, and then steep descent to main trail
10:45 ETA Mang Lizardo's House. Refreshments
11:00 Resume Trek
12:15 Turn Left to Naambon Falls (leave back-packs at trail fork)
12:20 ETA Naambon Waterfalls. Explore
12:50 Resume Trek
14:00 ETA Hugom Beach.
16:00 ETD to San Juan
17:00 ETA San Juan. ETD for Lipa Batangas
18:00 ETA Lipa Batangas. Merienda
18:20 ETD for Manila
21:30 ETA Manila

Dear Me,

I got the idea from John Paul while reading through his celebrity look-alike entry. Through this website, you are likely to find out the celebrity(ies) you resemble the most. All you have to do is simply upload your photo online.

And here's mine:

• Leslie Caron - French film actress and dancer.
  
  
• Anuar Zain - he is... unknown? Hehehe.
  
  
• Patricia Velasquez - Venezuelan actress and fashion model. Identifies herself as a bisexual.
  
  
• Chow Yun-Fat - Hong Kong actor. He is among a handful of internationally recognized screen actors that Hong Kong has produced, along with Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan, and Michelle Yeoh.
  
  
• Rebecca Gayheart - American actress. She is also well known for her modeling and commercials.
  
  
• Brendan James Fraser - Canadian-American actor.
  
  
• Yukie Nakama - Japanese actress, musician and former idol.
  
  
• Jericho Rosales- young Filipino drama actor.

Dear Me,

I did really request that I be allowed to attend seminars (since most of the time I am the one arranging/organizing them) and trainings outside the office to enhance my skills and knowledge. Trainings that concern my job and seminars that relate to what I do. Meaning, if I am in project management, I will be allowed to acquire new skills in project management or if I am in research, I should be attending trainings in various research techniques. Since I am back in project management, I requested that I also be allowed to attend seminars being attended by research staff (not actually pertaining to research style/techniques but more like topics on WTO, free trade agreements, tariff adjustments and other economic blah blah blahs) if and only if, I don't have any ongoing project implementation projects (which are during the months of April, May, June and sometimes August).

I am not really asking a lot (do you think so?) since I am sure that I am not only the one benefiting from this. They can expect a much better, efficient, effective job from me from that. Besides, I usually get invitations or can search for seminars/trainings offered for free if they are worrying over the damned costs.

Funny that I am expected to attend this technical seminar next month and the bad thing is, it is way too technical. I already told TI about the pros and cons of attending this seminar. Based in the programme, I can only relate about the topic for an hour and the rest, I will only be listening to the mumbo-jumbo of technical jargons. Sheesh. Some people can be so outrightly literal. People! I want to attend a seminar where I can definitely relate and learn something. I am not an engineering person. It will take me months to learn your terms and be able to explain it well.

To cut the chase, I will still be attending it.

Now, I am working with Google to look for those jargons buzzing in my ears. Bummer.

Dear Me,

Please welcome Beth, my newest renter of the week. Beth blogs at Ramblings of an Undisturbed Mind wherein she laments, rants, raves, ramble about just anything. Some of her entries are downright amusing and informative, too. Better check her out by clicking that small box in this entry or at the left sidebar of my blog. =)


By the way, you can also visit my other bidder, Winsome Gunning Art Walk. In the bidding, she came in second after Beth.

A very talented artist, the owner of this blog draws you to tap your own creative side. Her blog illustrates her various personal artworks and each piece manifests her own introspective. According to her:

The paintings I produce are about working from the creative spirit within.

At different times themes emerge which I feel drawn to develop but always my work is about discovering this spirit and listening to its promptings.

It is a daily walk to keep myself clear of the blocks which stop me connecting to this creative flow.

A Matter of Taste
by Matthew Sutherland

I have now been in this country for over six years, and consider myself in most respects well assimilated. However, there is one key step on the road to full assimilation, which I have yet to take, and that's to eat BALUT. The day any of you sees me eating balut, please call immigration and ask them to issue me a Filipino passport. Because at that point there will be no turning back.


BALUT, for those still blissfully ignorant non-Pinoys out there, is a fertilized duck egg. It is commonly sold with salt in a piece of newspaper, much like English fish and chips, by street vendors usually after dark, presumably so you can't see how gross it is. It's meant to be an aphrodisiac, although I can't imagine anything more likely to dispel sexual desire than crunching on a partially formed baby duck swimming in noxious fluid. The embryo in the egg comes in varying stages of development, but basically it is not considered macho to eat one without fully discernable feathers, beak, and claws. Some say these crunchy bits are the best. Others prefer just to drink the so-called 'soup', the vile, pungent liquid that surrounds the aforementioned feathery fetus...excuse me.


I have to go and throw up now. I'll be back in a minute.


Food dominates the life of the Filipino. People here just love to eat. They eat at least eight times a day. These eight official meals are called, in order: breakfast, snacks, lunch, merienda, merienda ceyna, dinner, bedtime snacks and no-one-saw-me-take-that-cookie-from-the-fridge-so-it-doesn't-count.


The short gaps in between these mealtimes are spent eating Sky Flakes from the open packet that sits on every desktop. You're never far from food in the Philippines. If you doubt this, next time you're driving home from work, try this game. See how long you can drive without seeing food and I don't mean a distant restaurant, or a picture of food. I mean a man on the sidewalk frying fish balls, or a man walking through the traffic selling nuts or candy. I bet it's less than one minute.


Here are some other things I've noticed about food in the Philippines:


Firstly, a meal is not a meal without rice - even breakfast. In the UK, I could go a whole year without eating rice. Second, it's impossible to drink without eating. A bottle of San Miguel just isn't the same without gambas or beef tapa. Third, no one ventures more than two paces from their house without baon (food in small container) and a container of something cold to drink. You might as well ask a Filipino to leave home without his pants on. And lastly, where I come from, you eat with a knife and fork. Here, you eat with a spoon and fork. You try eating rice swimming in fish sauce with a knife.


One really nice thing about Filipino food culture is that people always ask you to SHARE their food. In my office, if you catch anyone attacking their baon, they will always go, "Sir! KAIN TAYO!" ("Let's eat!"). This confused me, until I realized that they didn't actually expect me to sit down and start munching on their boneless bangus. In fact, the polite response is something like, "No thanks, I just ate." But the principle is sound - if you have food on your plate, you are expected to share it, however hungry you are, with those who may be even hungrier. I think that's great!


In fact, this is frequently even taken one step further.


Many Filipinos use "Have you eaten yet?" ("KUMAIN KA NA?") as a general greeting, irrespective of time of day or location. Some foreigners think Filipino food is fairly dull compared to other Asian cuisines. Actually lots of it is very good: Spicy dishes like Bicol Express (strange, a dish named after a train); anything cooked with coconut milk; anything KINILAW; and anything ADOBO. And it's hard to beat the sheer wanton, cholesterolic frenzy of a good old-fashioned LECHON de leche (roast pig) feast. Dig a pit, light a fire, add 50 pounds of animal fat on a stick, and cook until crisp. Mmm, mmm... you can actually feel your arteries constricting with each successive mouthful.


I also share one key Pinoy trait ---a sweet tooth. I am thus the only foreigner I know who does not complain about sweet bread, sweet burgers, sweet spaghetti, sweet banana ketchup, and so on. I am a man who likes to put jam on his pizza. Try it!


It's the weird food you want to avoid. In addition to duck fetus in the half-shell, items to avoid in the Philippines include pig's blood soup (DINUGUAN); bull's testicle soup, the strangely-named "SOUP NUMBER FIVE" (I dread to think what numbers one through four are); and the ubiquitous, stinky shrimp paste, BAGOONG, and it's equally stinky sister, PATIS. Filipinos are so addicted to these latter items that they will even risk arrest or deportation trying to smuggle them into countries like Australia and the USA, which wisely ban the importation of items you can smell from more than 100 paces.


Then there's the small matter of the purple ice cream. I have never been able to get my brain around eating purple food; the ubiquitous UBE leaves me cold.


And lastly on the subject of weird food, beware: that KALDERETANG KAMBING (goat) could well be KALDERETANG ASO (dog)...


The Filipino, of course, has a well-developed sense of food. Here's a typical Pinoy food joke: "I'm on a seafood diet. "What's a seafood diet?" "When I see food, I eat it!"


Filipinos also eat strange bits of animals --- the feet, the head, the guts, etc., usually barbecued on a stick. These have been given witty names, like "ADIDAS" (chicken's feet); "KURBATA" (either just chicken's neck, or "neck and thigh" as in "neck-tie"); "WALKMAN" (pigs ears); "PAL" (chicken wings); "HELMET" (chicken head); "IUD" (chicken intestines), and BETAMAX" (video-cassette-like blocks of animal blood).
Yum, yum.


Bon appetit.


***************


"A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches"-- (Proverbs 22:1)


WHEN I arrived in the Philippines from the UK six years ago, one of the first cultural differences to strike me was names. The subject has provided a continuing source of amazement and amusement ever since. The first unusual thing, from an English perspective, is that everyone here has a nickname. In the staid and boring United Kingdom, we have nicknames in kindergarten, but when we move into adulthood we tend, I am glad to say, to lose them.


The second thing that struck me is that Philippine names for both girls and boys tend to be what we in the UK would regard as overbearingly cutesy for anyone over about five. Fifty-five-year-olds colleague put it.


Where I come from, a boy with a nickname like Boy Blue or Honey Boy would be beaten to death at school by pre-adolescent bullies, and never make it to adulthood. So, probably, would girls with names like Babes, Lovely, Precious, Peachy or Apples. Yuk, ech ech.


Here, however, no one bats an eyelid.


Then I noticed how many people have what I have come to call "door-bell names". These are nicknames that sound like -well, doorbells. There are millions of them. Bing, Bong, Ding, and Dong are some of the more common. They can be, and frequently are, used in even more door-bell-like combinations such as Bing-Bong, Ding-Dong, Ting-Ting, and so on. Even one of Philippine Senator has a doorbell name Ping. None of these doorbell names exist where I come from, and hence sound unusually amusing to my untutored foreign ear.


Someone once told me that one of the Bings, when asked why he was called Bing, replied, "because my brother is called Bong". Faultless logic.


Dong, of course, is a particularly funny one for me, as where I come from "dong" is a slang word for well; perhaps "talong" is the best Tagalog equivalent.

Repeating names was another novelty to me, having never before encountered people with names like Len-Len, Let-Let, Mai-Mai, or Ning-Ning. The secretary I inherited on my arrival had an unusual one: Leck-Leck. Such names are then frequently further refined by using the "squared" symbol, as in Len2 or Mai2. This had me very confused for a while.


Then there is the trend for parents to stick to a theme when naming their children. This can be as simple as making them all begin with the same letter, as in Jun, Jimmy, Janice, and Joy. More imaginative parents shoot for more sophisticated forms of assonance or rhyme, as in Biboy, Boboy, Buboy, Baboy (notice the names get worse the more kids there are-best to be born early or you could end up being a Baboy).


Even better, parents can create whole families of, say, desserts (Apple Pie, Cherry Pie, Honey Pie) or flowers (Rose, Daffodil, Tulip). The main advantage of such combinations is that they look great painted across your trunk if you're a cab driver.


That's another thing I'd never seen before coming to Manila -- taxis with the driver's kids' names on the trunk.


Another whole eye-opening field for the foreign visitor is the phenomenon of the "composite" name. This includes names like Jejomar (for Jesus, Joseph and Mary), and the remarkable Luzviminda (for Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao, believe it or not). That's a bit like me being called something like "Engscowani" (for England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland). Between you and me, I'm glad I'm not.


And how could I forget to mention the fabulous concept of the randomly inserted letter 'h'. Quite what this device is supposed to achieve, I have not yet figured out, but I think it is designed to give a touch of class to an otherwise only averagely weird name. It results in creations like Jhun, Lhenn, Khole, Ghemma, and Jhimmy. Or how about Jhun-Jhun (Jhun2)?


How boring to come from a country like the UK full of people with names like John Smith. How wonderful to come from a country where imagination and exoticism rule the world of names.


Even the towns here have weird names; my favorite is the unbelievably named town of Sexmoan (ironically close to Olongapo and Angeles).


Where else in the world could that really be true?


Where else in the world could the head of the Church really be called Cardinal Sin?


Where else but the Philippines!


Note: Philippines has a senator named Joker, and it is his legal name.

Dear Me,

I was arranging, compiling some archived photos and I really love these photos we had when we were chilling out a few minutes at Dunkin' Donuts. It was our last stop before we all separated and headed back either to our own houses or at least for JR, the office.

jherry, papi, moi
We (JR, Jherry, papi & I) visited the main branch of Conquer mountaineering store in Monumento. I recently bought their newest-designed trekking bag and had it used first during my trip to Cebu. Unfortunately, something snapped so I had to return it. They repaired it and it was as good as new as ever.

JR was there, too, to buy a new tent. It was so nice and I felt envious. Hehehe. I am waiting for the day I can have my own tent. It is kinda expensive, amounting to 4,000 to 5,000 pesos.

While watching and waiting for the boys go loco over JR's new tent, I wandered my eyes amongst the tons of mountaineering stuff around me. Something violet (told you I love the shades of violet - purple, mauve, etc) caught my eye. I stood from where I sat and asked the guy to check it out for me. Aha! It was a small, violet sleeping bag (which I was planning to buy the moment I have the money)! Well, to cut the story short, I bought it. Hehehe.


jr, jherry

Dear Me,

I am a few days' late from introducing my latest BE renter of the week. Please allow me to introduce Jen, an online friend of mine.

Jen is a 24-year old Pinay (Filipina) like me and writes at Maldita, Bratinella, her very own place in the virtual world. She is a Electronics and Communications Engineering graduate and works as a software developer. She recently left the Philippines to work in Singapore. Also, Jen engages in creating various, beautiful templates during her free time. Check out her site and you can even have one for free.

Kindly click that small, beautiful box in this entry or at the left sidebar of my blog. You still have a couple of days left to know more about this very outgoing girl. =)

Dear Me,

It's been a long time since I've done the usual Thursday Thirteen.

Thirteen TV Series I Love To Watch HOUSE - When I was a little girl and till my high school years, I dreamed of being a doctor. I love Dr. Gregory House and his sarcasm and he's really good. Another reason I love to watch the series is because I love to see and hear the voice of Dr. Chase. Hehehe. Figure it out. CRIMINAL MINDS - Blame it on my childhood affixation about FBI stories. I recently got hooked watching the 1st season. I really admire Special Agents Gideon and Hotchner. Of course, the same goes for the rest of the team. =) THE O.C. - This one is too high-schooler for me but I am just drawn too much into curiosity about the life of Ryan Atwood as he lives and fits in to the world of the Newpsies. THE CLOSER - Contrary to what papi said, I wasn't interested about such term as 'girl power.' That is so not in anymore, you know. I just love how Deputy Police Chief Brenda Leigh Johnson commands and handles her people in LAPD. CSI MIAMI - Just like my childhood liking for the FBI ways, I am also drawn to lab works, investigations done by CSIs. Okay, it was also Horatio Caine and his orange hair that got me hooked with the beauty of Miami, Florida. =) VERONICA MARS - I wasn't actually supposed to watch this but I was engaged. Veronica is not your typical high school student who delves into other people's lives without a reason. DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES - Let us say I was wondering about the Hows and Whats of housewives. Well, I got a lot of answers. Hehehe. 24 - Do I have to explain Jack Bauer? =) NCIS - It's CSI to the military naval forces, led by the unyielding Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs. I miss Katie and Denozzo is really funny. NUMB3RS - It's FBI stuff again + your mathematical equations. CHARMED - I am fascinated about supernatural beings, about magic. Is that the kid in me? Long ago, I was asked what would I like to be if I wasn't human or entirely human? I said that I wanted to be either a vampire or a witch. =) LAS VEGAS - I am not really a fan of the high-class betting or betting in general but this series made it interesting for me to learn a few things about the trade. Besides, it was certainly a pleasure to follow the lives of each character in the show. Ed Deline is a favorite. =) CSI NEW YORK - Good thing that the series changed its 'theme color' such as the strict, professional blue. Now, I love it even more just like the other CSI. Links to other Thursday Thirteens! something's missing benson659 jenny ryan tess termulo ghost wrigley buttercup (leave your link in comments, I’ll add you here!)

Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!

The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!

View More Thursday Thirteen Participants

Dear Me,

Tita Vicks from Down Under recently tagged me. Here goes:

FIRST NAME? -----> frances ivy

WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE? -----> not that I know of

DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING? -----> yes, i do.

WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE LUNCH? -----> it's got to be sinigang. hehehe.

IF YOU’RE ANOTHER PERSON, WOULD U BE FRIENDS W/ YOU? -----> maybe.

DO YOU HAVE A JOURNAL? -----> right now, it's online and it's where you are reading this.

DO YOU USE SARCASM A LOT? -----> when i am around arrogant guys, jerks.

DO U STILL HAVE TONSILS? -----> yes.

DO U WANT EVERYONE TO SEND THIS BACK TO U? -----> not really.

WHAT COLOR OF PANTS AND SHOES ARE YOU WEARING? -----> black pants and shoes.

FAVORITE DRINKs? -----> strong black coffee with sugar.

HUGS OR KISSES? -----> big, bear hugs. =)

FAVORITE SPORT? -----> tennis, mountainclimbing?

WHAT’S YOUR SPECIAL TALENT? -----> i wonder if i have one. hehehe.

YOUR EYE COLOR? -----> black.

HAT SIZE? -----> i guess that will be small.

WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE CEREAL? -----> not really fond of cereal but i like oatmeal.

DO U THINK YOU’RE STRONG? -----> i think therefore i believe. *winks*

WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM? -----> not really an ice cream person but dex is turning me into one - chocolate or ube flavor

SHOE SIZE? -----> 6 and a half or 7

RED OR PINK? ------> pink

WHAT’S THE LEAST FAVORITE THING ABOUT URSELF? -----> i'm a very impatient girl.

WHO DO U MISS THE MOST? -----> right now, no one.

LAST THING YOU ATE? -----> lunch which is sinigang.

WHAT SOUNDS YOU'RE HEARING RIGHT NOW? -----> voices outside.

IF YOU'RE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOR WOULD U BE? -----> mauve or that's delicate purple to you.

FAVORITE SMELL? -----> refreshing smell of colognes and a man's aftershave.

DO YOU LIKE THE PERSON WHO SENT THIS TO YOU? -----> i haven't met tita vicks in person and we are part of this pleasant, interactive group.

FAVORITE FOOD? -----> aside from sinigang, that will be chocolates, anything made of potato (please rule out mashed potato from the list).

LAST MOVIE YOU WATCHED? -----> the ant bully at robinson's galleria last week

WHAT COLOR SHIRT ARE YOU WEARING? -----> a gray mountaineering tee

SUMMER OR WINTER? i only experienced winter once and i still prefer summer.

FAVORITE DESSERT? -----> a chocolate bar? hehehe.

WHAT BOOKS ARE YOU READING? -----> please check-out my right sidebar and you'll see.

WHAT DID YOU WATCH ON TV LAST NIGHT? -----> i didn't actually watch tv but i did watch Criminal Minds via dvd.

THE FURTHEST YOU’VE BEEN FROM HOME? -----> tokyo, kyoto

WHEN AND WHERE WERE YOU BORN? -----> 28th day of may, somewhere in san juan, metro manila

WHO SENT THIS TO YOU? -----> tita vicks

Tagging -----> wrigley, jon, jary, tess, bratinella jen, jerine

Dear Me,

I think this was the first time I joined them for a night-out. Usually, I say no when I don't feel like not socializing especially with people I work with. When the 9-5 work sked comes to a close, I make it a point to forget about anything that relates to work. Guess you will think that my work sucks and yes, you are right.

Anyway, I said yes when they invited me. Of course, not the quick affirmative the moment the invitation was thrown to me. But I did say yes that I would join.

We (Jill, Salva, Lea, May & I) had dinner at this intimate, quaint diner located along Paseo de Roxas in Makati. It's called Casita De Viman. I had dined here before with some people I know from somewhere. Hehehe.

From our office corner Paseo-Ayala, we just walked our way to this anonymous place. Well, if you are not watching where you're going, I am sure you will miss it. It has no marks or signboards that will tell you where the place is. As I said, it's pretty anonymous.


It was an apartment-compound and luckily, we knocked on the right door. The place was small and there was this homey ambiance to it. Cozy and cute, in fact. There was a shelf with old books and I was tempted to read Adolf Hitler's autobio, some travel souvenirs, diplay of native, cutey bags (I was tempted, too, to check if they were for sale), a miniature Mona Lisa, minute collections of antique lamps, display of trinkets and bracelets and bohemian necklaces, nice wall decors.







We were the first one to arrive so we were able to pick the table we like. There was nothing different with the table we chose but I saw this table for two. It was actually an old Singer sewing machine converted into a table.



Casita De Viman serves familiar dishes. Their menu consists of all-day breakfast (such as tapsiog, tocilog, american breakfast), salad & sandwiches (such as taco salad, classic club), meat & poultry (such as lechon macao, schueblig kebab), seafood & pasta (tanigue steak, seafood scampi). We ordered seafood paella, beef salpicao, grilled squid (my favorite), etc. For refreshments, I picked their refreshing Dalandan slush. While waiting for the order, I took some photos of the place and of course, the people I was with.

The food was great and I was really uber-full when the "devouring" was over. Mind you, the 'damage' was also reasonably-priced making the dining more pleasant. Hehehe.

Luckily, I had a great time joining my officemates in this new dining experience. =)

If you want to check it out, you can call Casita De Viman at t#:840-4276 and request them to fax you a copy of their menu and by which you can order in advance. Don't also forget to make a reservation since you'll never know when they will be full. The place can only house, I think, 20 people.

Dear Me,

While watching House, I heard these two (2) songs playing as background music of two separate episodes. I haen't heard of it before so I Googled some of the lyric lines. Presto! I got it.

The first song is entitled Hallelujah by Leonard Cohen.

Now I've heard there was a secret chord
That David played, and it pleased the Lord
But you don't really care for music, do you?
It goes like this
The fourth, the fifth
The minor fall, the major lift
The baffled king composing Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Hallelujah

Your faith was strong but you needed proof
You saw her bathing on the roof
Her beauty and the moonlight overthrew you
She tied you
To a kitchen chair
She broke your throne, and she cut your hair
And from your lips she drew the Hallelujah

Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah

You say I took the name in vain
I don't even know the name
But if I did, well really, what's it to you?
There's a blaze of light
In every word
It doesn't matter which you heard
The holy or the broken Hallelujah

Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah

I did my best, it wasn't much
I couldn't feel, so I tried to touch
I've told the truth, I didn't come to fool you
And even though
It all went wrong
I'll stand before the Lord of Song
With nothing on my tongue but Hallelujah

Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah

The next song is called In The Deep by Kathleen York.

thought you had
all the answers
to rest your heart upon.
but something happens
don't see it coming,
now you can't stop yourself.
now you're out there swimming
in the deep.
in the deep.

life keeps tumbling your heart in circles
till you...let go
till you shed your pride and you climb to heaven
and you throw yourself off.
now you're out there spinning
in the deep.
in the deep.
in the deep.
in the deep.

INTERLUDE

and now you're out there spinning
and now you're out there swimming
in the deep.
in the deep.

in the silence
all your secrets will
raise their weary heads
well, you can't pin yourself
back together with who
you thought you were

now, you're out there living
in the deep
in the deep
in the deep

in the deep.

now, you're out there spinning
now, you're out there swimming
now, you're out there spinning
in the deep
in the deep
in the deep
in the deep
in the deep.

(if you want to be given everything,
give everything up.)

Dear Me,

Well, this is kinda belated. Papa Kerwin already left for the United States mid-July.




For the last time, we were complete (Jon, LA, Kerwin, Jary and me). It had been quite a while we hooked up all-together. As much as we felt happiness (being together once again and for the new life Kerwin will be having), we felt a little sad because he would be trans-atlantic miles away from us thereon.

And for the last time, too, we celebrated by having dinner at Krokodile Grille.






Unfortunately, nobody brought cameras and we had to bear with these photos. Sayang. Hehehe.

kerwin, LA, Mia (LA's girl)

Jary

Ayah (Jon's girl), Jon

To Kerwin, may you find the greenest pastures and that the greens you see will bring forth greater happiness, love and contentment. May God bless you, pal! =)