weekend getaway (part 3)

the day after the wedding, we went to pearl farm (which initially expected as literally a "pearl" farm). just imagine my surprise to find out na wala palang pearls sa pearl farm. hehehhehehe. well, i didn't bring any swimsuit, and i was too tired and exhausted after four straight sleepless, and eventful nights, that i gave in to what my body needed - sleep. i just slept through out the afternoon, after a heavy buffet lunch, which to my disappointment had the worst buffet dessert ever. however, some of the dishes were good, so the whole buffet wasn't really that bad. :)

the day tour cost us about PHP1,300 (which was already discounted). i don't know if that was cheap already, or expensive. the resort is well-maintained, and has a great and very accomodating staff. the room that we had was very spacious, cozy and very clean. however, the beach wasn't really good. i say bohol still has better sandy beaches (bias kay taga-bohol man :p)... but the big minus point was the garbage from the neighboring villages floating on the sea. even if they were just wood or leaves floating, it was still an eyesore for tourists. so, chocs lang kaayo that i didn't take a swim.

after the pearl farm getaway, we had dinner at another grill restaurant in davao - Penong's. since we were already exhausted after the beach escapade and still have another early flight back to cebu, we decided to call it a night after dinner and some small talk.

i arrived in cebu monday morning at 7 am, and went directly to tantan's place where i left some of my stuffs. instead of sleeping the whole morning, i headed off to do some last minute shopping and met up with former ncr colleagues for lunch at the famous AA's bbq. :) i had too much bbq and other grilled food, but i couldn't complain. :)

that night, i have to travel back to singapore again. vacation's over. most of my thoughts that night was recalling where i was from my tasks. to my dismay, i couldn't remember any. i was just too exhausted, and i had too much fun that my system couldn't take the reality that work's starting soon. hehe. nagkasakit na nuon.

after sleeping most of the day on my medical leave, i was able to pick up the pieces where i left off and drilled the keyboard to beat my deadlines.

hahay.. buhay software engineer.

'til the next adventure.. :)

-- the end --

weekend getaway (part 2)

the second day since i arrived from singapore, was my trip to davao. surprisingly, i was on the same flight with old friends (otep, jaja and ma'am ana). i just found out about it when we were already in davao at the baggage claim area. hehe. but it was a fun mini reunion. it seemed like ages since i've met these people. :)

it's my first time in davao that's why i was a bit excited for this trip, aside from the fact that it's going to be ri's wedding. since there wasn't much to do that afternoon, ri booked me for a pampering session at the spa salon that she recommended. i had a full body scrub, body massage, foot scrub, foot massage, manicure and pedicure. ayan, total pampering with matching pa-soak2x pa on a rose petal filled bath tub. i didn't quite now what to expect on the body scrub cuz it was my first time.. hihihi... well, that's all i can say. pa-body scrub nalang kayo to get what i mean :P since jaja joined me at the pampering session, we stayed at the spa for about seven hours. it consumed all of our afternoon.

we then had late dinner at one of davao's famous grilled/bbq restaurant, Banok's. mmm.. i didnt realize how much i've missed chicken bbq, kinilaw and sisig. i ate too much, that when i had a fitting for my maid-of-honor dress, i could barely breath. (the bride got a bit frantic that i'd faint on her wedding cuz of my too tight dress... hehehe). good thing, the bloatedness gave way the morning after. carry ko na ang pagiging maid-of-honor ko :)

the rest is ri's wedding, which as i've said, has been beautifully accounted by ms. g.. so just read on there :) hehehhehe

that night, otep kindly toured us around davao to check out the city's night life. we had a late night shopping at their souvenir shops, had dinner at one of their famous hang-outs, and coffee at Blugre. Mau tried the durian coffee.. but that would be too "durian-y" for me :D ..

we promised to enjoy things that one can only find in davao, para naman sulit... and we did. well, feeling tourista talaga :)

(to be continued pa rin.. )

a birthday gift

i've been meaning to write about how we came to be, much to our surprise (much more for our common friends). for one who had been openly advocating on not dating friends, who would have thought i'll end up with one?

early this year, i've been secretly promising to straighten out my life, and be a better person. so that when the person hand-picked by God comes, i'll be all ready for him (emotionally, spiritually, and physically :p). when one of my barkada surprisingly confessed his romantic feelings for me, i thought he was the one already. however, when i started to follow the signs that i've been seeking, even to my heart's disagreement, i knew i was heading for another set of heartaches. had i not followed the lessons from my past, i would have committed the same mistakes all over again, at my heart's expense.

good thing i was bent on making myself be a better person(though still on the progress). little did i know that i was just being lead to the right person for me. was it fate? destiny? whatever you call it. when the other person was being unavailable, you were simply there. i guess it all started in that disneyland adventure in hongkong. i thought it was only coincidence that we loved the same things while we were growing up. we both had fun remembering our favorite disney movies, and singing to the familiar tunes. :)

magic was doing its wonders just that we'd end up together. i admit i was still too caught up by my own web to see the fireworks. i was too guarded then, but each day you've made me let my guard down little by little until i managed to open my doors for you. it was only later that i realized how much of my prayers were answered. our friends might not get it. i might insist against it. but i could not deny the fact that for each day that passes by, you've become more of the person i've secretly been praying for.

sometimes i feel sorry for holding back when you deserve so much more. you see, you're not only full of sweet words, and soft melodies.. you made me realize what it is to believe in love and all its magic once again. i am glad that i've found you. you simply sweep me off my feet, just the way i imagined it to be.

i hope i'm reading the signs right this time. cuz simply, i could not ask for more :)

weekend getaway (part 1)

it's like i've just taken a blog-leave. when you're trying to go back to something that's been out of your system for a while, it takes some time to get back to where you left off.

after the super duper eventful long weekend which was highlighted by ri's wedding, i got sick. well, if you would have to stay up late for five consecutive days, travelled by air and boat most of the time, gimik with friends, then who wouldn't?

that's what i've been doing the past days. i left for cebu from singapore last thursday at 12 am, and went straight to bohol at the 6 am ferry ride (first trip yan, without sleep). my parents and favorite pamangkins met me at the pier and went straight home to catch up with my other sisters. well, with so much news to share, and an album of my hongkong adventure, i was sure the day won't be enough for all the chitchats.

i treated my family for lunch at Bohol Beach Club. it's always nice to spend an afternoon by the beach despite the lack of sleep. the breathtaking clear blue sky, white beach line and cool sea breeze simply take away all your worries. much more, you have to spend it with loved ones, over a sumptuous and inexpensive meal :)

that same day, i had to get back to cebu since i have an early flight to davao the following day. i arrived in cebu at around 8 pm already and went directly to the NCR office to meet up with tantan. it was a bit nostalgic to be able to get in that familiar candy-colored corridor of the office after that tragic night about two years ago. but meeting with old friends, and familiar faces (security guards still remembering me, and other former colleagues) erases all the bad memories away. there are just too many good memories in that office that nothing could spoil it.

after settling my stuff at tantan's place, which is just about a block away, we headed to roma mia for dinner. i almost forgot, that restaurant just serves the worst pasta there is in cebu. too bad, we only realized that when our orders came. in fairness, their fried chicken was good, but the pasta was just... eeeww. hehehe. after the bland dinner, and more than a mouthful of chika2x, jeanice joined us and we headed to this new hangout place called Paseo. i've been hearing so much about this place from tantan, may poste naman sya diri. the place was good, it was big, not so crowded (but then it was a week night), and fairly cheap (both on drinks and food). it's been a while since i went out to places like that. i've been pretty low-key for the past months in singapore. it was still fun-fun. but my body was a bit worn out already, so we hit home at around 1 am.

(to be continued...)

the wedding of the year

i remembered ria saying that all she asked God was to give him someone whom she will be an answered prayer to. and just when you give up the pen and let Him write your lovestory, He'll simply give the exact thing that you've been asking for.

I know both of them are each other's answered prayer..to Ri and Dan, I wish you both all the best :)

actually, speech ko sana yan sa wedding, pero nagblackout man ako mind.. so the best that i cud muster was "Congratulations and best wishes".. nweys, not that the new couple still needs it.. this is indeed a match made in heaven, (natagnaan gud sa manghuhula).. see... it's the meant-to-be kind of thing :) just check georgia's blog for a more detailed account of the wedding (actually, i just feel lazy to re-write what ms. g has already beautifully written, so thanks daan ..hehehe).. besides, i couldn't agree with her more for saying it's the "wedding of the year" .. cuz it's really true. (therefore, next year nalang ko magpakasal, so i don't have to steal ria's thunder .. wehehehe assuming!!)

twas in the stars

i don't really believe in astrology. but sometimes, when what you read gets coincidental with what's currently happening in your life, it becomes a source of harmless fun.

so much has been going on lately (thus the silence in my blog-dom), that i really do not know how to start writing about it. and like as if the stars have planned it (okay, for astrology's sake), i came across the astrology section of yahoo on love and relationships for the month of may (first time i've done this), it seems that what i've been meaning to write has already been written for me. (pag inlove ba naman, i-link lahat sa stars, sa numbers, sa nature, sa weather para lang ma explain ang di ma explain.. hehehe)

Piscean's Monthly Love for May, 2007

"As the month begins on the 1st and 2nd, you are at a major turning point romantically. Are you really getting to know yourself so that you can own your own insecurities and not project them onto another person? Are you gaining a better understanding of what you need and what you can't stand in a relationship with somebody else? Are you just plain more comfortable? That sounds great. Keep working on it all month long. By the 6th and 7th, you've got a much clearer vision of what's happening, and this allows you to deal with problems much more effectively. The 11th, you have a really fantastic, absolutely romantic day. Enjoy it -- after all, you've done a lot of hard emotional work to get here. By the 15th, you're going to have the opportunity to accept the things for what they are rather than continue to imagine that they're the way you'd like them to be. Even if this is a little difficult, it's good for you. The 20th, if you want it -- or them -- go for it. By the 26th and 27th, it's time for you to really go for your desires. The 31st, you're at another turning point. Which way do you turn, sweet pea?"

well, i didn't really mind the dates cause they're most likely just picked at random. but the sequence of how things turned out was just plainly coincidental with what i was going through all month long - except of course on the part where how things will be concluded. right now, i'm very definite on which way i would turn :)

view from the 13th floor

singapore being just a flat surface, one can really see a wide horizon even if you're not on top of a sky rise building. my office is just on the 13th floor, and my director had the brilliant idea to keep wide window glasses to allow more natural light to come in. luckily, my cube is facing the window, and everytime i try to stand from my chair, i get to see this peaceful view outside. it makes you realize that this city is just simply clean (pollution free), very well-arranged and still is as bustling like any metropolitan.

usually, i take a few minutes off to enjoy the scenic beauty outside the office window. seeing the blue sky and the sun shining brightly over the city just makes me be thankful more about all the blessings we've enjoyed all through out our lives. i have this unexplainable renewed peace in my heart now. no more depressed, lonesome and near suicidal thoughts looming over. even on cloudy days like today, the mood never changes outside. cause just about the corner of the horizon, you can see the sun refusing to be defeated by the dark clouds. a glimpse of hope shines as the promise of a beautiful day lies ahead.