The Story of my Life

When I thought about this post, what I had in mind was our most recent purchases, the ones that husbo referred in his facebook as "getting what we want". Then I realized, those were not the only purchases we've had in the last five months. We've had both major and minor purchases that created a huge dent on our savings.

Whenever we’d think about it, we laugh and tease each other about our spendings. We spend as if we're millionaires, purchasing items and properties at whim. But not to worry, of course all of our purchases have been well thought of. We’d like to believe, it is part of the building-our-future kind of thing that newly married couples go through.

Let me share with you what these items are.

Notebook

You know I'm not techie, right? The last time I bought an electronic gadget was in June 2006, my dear digicam and ipod, which I hardly use nowadays. As a non-techie person, you won't be surprised to know that I don't have my own computer at home. Yes, I don’t. I've been planning to buy my own desktop or notebook, since 2006 but I have this strict budget and specs requirement for a personal computer that if it goes beyond that I get easily turned off.

It really pays to wait because just a few months ago, I found the right notebook computer that perfectly fit my requirements. She's pre-owned, but she looks brand new. She was initially priced at 23k but got her for 20k. She has 4GB RAM, 160GB hard disk, and Intel Core Duo CPU. I think with the specs I don't have to worry about it konking out anytime soon. I know I named her before, but I completely forgot what I baptized her with so I am calling her Dei. Here she is.

Tick-tock

My ever reliable and favorite dress watch stopped ticking. This watch was given to me by dad sometime in 2004. It's an automatic Sandoz dress watch so the problem can't be battery. I had it checked in a watch repair shop in Megamall and the repairman said there's a problem with the mechanism, and repairing it would cost about P2,000. I took it home and never went back.

I found a replacement but it was way above my budget. But because I really wanted it I made a deal with Jerome that I'll use my June and July allowance as seed money for my watch fund. He agreed but he said I should save up for the rest.

Finally, last month, as we were strolling around Megamall, Jerome asked me where I stand in terms of the watch fund. I told him I'm still short by this amount and he said, let's go get it. He was going to fill up the gap (but he said, it was also an advance birthday gift). Yey! And I went home that night wearing a pretty watch around my wrist.

Vroom vroom

Sometime ago (before we got married), whenever I'd borrow husbo's notebook I'd see several internet pages showing a car advertisement. I remember asking him before if he was really getting a new car and he'd outrightly say no. But recently, he's been keeping an eye on the new Tucson. He drools whenever he sees one so I thought he was keen on getting that one. Only to be surprised one day when he told me we were going to check out a bimmer that was on sale at Tsikot.com. Everything happened so fast. We checked the car Monday afternoon. It was ours Thursday afternoon.

The first driving experience was funny. We were going to gas up but couldn't find the knob to open the tank. And whenever something would light up on the panel, we'd panic and end up consulting the manual. Thank God for the manual. I tried driving the car and what do you know, my legs are too short for the pedal! Hahahahaha! I can reach the pedal naman but I have to extend my legs to fully press it. Other than that the car is a winner!

So we now have 3 cars at home. But husbo said, we're going to dispose one of the old cars to cover part of the purchase cost. I thought it was a good idea considering that both our cars are more than 10 years old. They both need to be disposed.

Home sweet home

Yes, you got it right. The major purchase was a home for our family.

The idea came up when I found out that I can already avail of a housing loan. Plus with the amount of rent we are paying now, we can already get a unit of our own and the monthly amortization will more or less be of the same amount.

The place we got was at Cedar Crest in Taguig, just across Fort Bonifacio Global City. It’s a mid-rise condo developed by DMCI. What we love about DMCI developments is that their buildings have atriums allowing natural light to pass through and air to flow in. The compound also has extra facilities like swimming pool, function rooms for your parties, a park, gym, basketball court etc. All these give you the feel of living in a real subdivision.

Our unit will be turned-over to us May 2011. But when we drove by the area earlier they’ve already started constructing our building. I’m starting to get excited about the prospect of going home to a beautiful and happy home with our kids waiting for us. Oh and the kids, that one is a work-in-progress.

Since we got married, Jerome and I have been living on our own in our humble abode in Fort. Our home is basically the same home Jerome put up back in 2008. So what I did was just to move in with all my stuff, clean up and get things "a little organized".

One major obstacle we had, and still have, is getting our clothes organized. I never imagined I have so many clothes until I moved in, and that considering I've already given away a lot of my old clothes. Anyway, since they're too many, they won't fit in one dresser so for weeks, my clothes were either lying on the floor or tucked in my luggage.

A month or so after I moved in we were able to buy two clothes rack. We'e been in search of a nice and spacious dresser but to no avail. So in the meantime, we settled with just the clothes rack …which eventually broke because it couldn't bear the load of our clothes. We managed to (temporary) remedy the damage, and thankfully it is still standing.

And now when I look at all our clothes - one dresser and two clothes-rack-full - I realize I have to stop shopping for clothes. Or maybe, we should just get another clothes rack so there'd be more space. The latter sounds like a better idea. :D

One of my non-negotiable for our wedding was that we write our own vows. Which I learned was not an easy task because every time I would start writing my vows, I would break down. And my heart will be filled with gratitude, for him and for Jess, for the immense love they have shown and showered me. I didn't want to be specific about how I would love him because what I know might not be right and important for him. All I want is to be the wife that Jess wants me to be for him.

The exchange of vows was one of my favorite parts of the wedding. All my insecurities, all my fears, and all the doubts I had in my heart vanished hearing Jerome say his vows. Here's the complete transcript of his vows:

Hi Claire. You’re so pretty today.

I remember, 5 yrs ago, in 2005 also on a January, we met in graduate school. We became groupmates & barkada. 2 years later, after countless gimmicks, parties and events, we officially became boyfriend and girlfriend. Another 2 yrs as a happy couple, going on out-of-trips and traveling, and spending so many occasions together, here we are now in front of God, our families and closest friends, announcing our decision and promise to be with each other for the rest our time

Claire, I love you.

Starting today---- always remember these 4 letters which will remind you of my love and commitment to you. (Don’t worry, it doesn’t start with L).

E
…as in -- ENJOY. We will enjoy every moment of our journey together. I look forward and I’m so excited, to starting a new life with you, and our future kids. To building our new house, buying our first car, and traveling abroad (just like my mom and dad). I know its not all going to be happy moments, but I’m sure, we will get past all those, as we have survived trials in the past. (…of course with the help and love, of all the people here with us today).

N
NURTURE. I will nurture you and take care of you and the kids, be supportive of your work and hobbies, and continue to spoil you as much as I can.

G
GOD. God will be a cornerstone of our family life. let us continue to let GOD be in the middle of everything. Ever since, everything in my life has been drafted and planned, and I have been following a strict schedule, just like I treat all my projects. I knew until when I’ll be employed, when I'll start my own business, how much I'll be making, and how I’m going reach my personal goals. Everything was according to my blueprints-- except you. It,s because God had other plans, and gave me, more than what I asked for – He’s giving me not just a wife, but a best friend and a perfect life partner.

R
REMIND. As agreed, remind me to give you- your monthly allowance - for your visits to the salon, your massages, night-outs with friends, and for you travel & shopping. (but of course I will also remind, you that everytime wala ako projects – sagot mo ko and ikaw ang bahala saken). More importantly, aside from reminding each other of the things we always forget, or about our bad habits that we want to change, lets try to reassure each other every now and then, that we love each other, that we are one, and that we’re in this together, until our last breath…

Every day I thank the Lord for leading Jerome to my path. Everyday I thank the Lord for giving me hurt and pain because I would not be able to appreciate life and love the way I do now. I would do it over again if at the end of it all, Jerome is right there waiting for me. I am not perfect.

We're 5 months married now, and every morning I wake up beside him I feel the same love and appreciation for this great blessing God has given me. Thank you Lord.

This video was prepared by Threelogy.


Another video from our photographer, Jayjay Lucas of ImagineNation.

After all the brouhaha, we finally came down to our wedding day.

It was tough planning the wedding side-by-side an on-going family problem. But two months before our wedding, Dad was on the way to recovery. While we were busy putting things together, he was busy getting fat…so that he'd look good at our wedding. hehehe

We checked in at Bellevue, Tagaytay Highlands, on 1 January. When we've settled down, I told Jom I'd like to have a couple of vodka shots before I sleep so I could be fully-rested. I knew the excitement would keep me up all night but if I counter it with alcohol, I'd be dreaming about Alaska for sure.

Unfortunately, despite the alcohol, I was up until 2:00 am. Then woke up at 6:00am. I only had 4 hours of sleep night before my wedding day! But what the heck, I didn't get Madge for nothing. I'm sure she'll do something about it.

Anyway, as early as 7:00am, suppliers started arriving. First, Cecilio (Couturier). Then Threelogy (Videographer), Blissful Occasion (Coordinator), Madge's Team (Make-up artist), and finally Jayjay Lucas (our Photographer).

They started doing me at 9:00am, and then pictorial here and there. In the middle of our preps, I got a call from my uncle saying that they had an accident. Thank God, no body was injured. But Krugger was crushed. I worried for a moment. But my friends told me to forget about it. Today's the day. And in my mind, I thought,"that's it. One final blow and we're on to happier days."

The moment of the walk finally came and boy, was I dead nervous! But more importantly, I was excited to finally get there, at the end of the aisle, where Jerome is waiting. This is it. The moment I've always dreamed of. The moment which I thought would never happen to me. I only have love, joy and gratitude in my heart because God made it all happen.

I cherished the moment. I told myself, I have to remember everything that happened because I will only be here once. I still have vivid images of Jerome, waiting for me at the end of the aisle, wiping his tears off his eyes; Kuya smiling at me as if to say I am so happy for you; and Dad who once told me "anak, gusto kong ihatid ka sa altar". I didn't see mom, but I know she's up there watching and smiling.

I've been with ADB for 7 years now. 2 years in another department and 5 years in the current. On my second year in my current department, I've already started applying for a promotion. At that time, I didn't know that, aside from skills, senior staff are given priority in terms of promotion – senior meaning their length of stay in the organization. The longer you are in your current position, the better are you chances to get promoted. Another plus factor is that you have to continuously apply because it gives Management the impression that you seriously want to move up. So I applied and applied, but to no avail.

When a position opened up in our department, I thought about it several times. I had to consult other people whether I should apply or not, most of them said I should go for it regardless of who the contenders were. But what really convinced me was when I consulted my former boss, who's now in Nepal, of what would be the best thing to do. Coming from her I know it would be a little biased, considering that we've had a very good working relationship while she was here, but I also know her to be fair and straight forward. And that she'd tell me, honestly, if there was anything I should improve on. Her opinion gave me so much to think about, and more importantly, she made my self-esteem move a notch higher.

Thankfully, all the preparations paid off and I got the promotion (I almost didn't apply for this promotion, would you believe?!). Finally! After more than four years of waiting, I got the promotion I wanted. The icing on the cake is, I was going to support a cool guy. Then I realized it was good that I didn't get promoted in all the positions I applied for in the past, because God has something better for me.

A couple of months after our engagement, I came face to face with one of my life's greatest challenges to date. Dad got hospitalized due to kidney failure. Both his kidneys have stopped working and the doctors recommended he undergoes dialysis 3x a week. This is one of things I feared most. That's why whenever he would get sick, I was always the first to worry, and that's why I have always been the police when it comes to his diet and medicines.

Since my mom passed away, I have always prayed for my loved ones' good health, primarily because I can't imagine losing another one of them. I am just not ready for that. Not yet.

I heard so many horror stories about dialysis. How it cripples a person's life because of the time spent in the hospital; 3x a week dialysis can also be financially exhausting for the family; and the complications resulted by the procedure is scary.

Dad knows all about these things. So when we brought him to the operating room to get his fistula installed, his lines were "Anak, I'm sorry. Ginawa ko naman lahat. Sorry Anak. Kung hindi nyo naman ako ipapa-transplant, hindi na lang ako magpapadialysis." It broke my heart seeing him hopeless and ready to give up. But I had to be strong. I have no idea where we would get the money to support his dialysis, all we had in mind was to give him immediate relief.

For 7 months, my dad was in and out of the hospital. We were exhausted, emotionally and financially. It was emotionally tormenting. And we were already contemplating on selling some properties to defray some of the medical expenses. There were days I would suddenly cry while at work whenever I'd remember his condition. There were days I was just hopeless and desperate to the point that I want to run away from everything.

In the time of my desperation, God would make miracles here and there. And it would bring my sanity back. First, our request for financial support from PCSO was granted. They gave us half of the amount we needed to kick off my dad's kidney transplant. They gave us P1,000,000. Yes, P1,000,000!!! For heaven's sake, you can't get that amount of money easily. Without the grant, we would be totally broke by now. Thank you Lord.

Next, there were friends and relatives who gave financial support to my dad. Friends from DWTL and ADB organized fundraisers for my dad, my brother's friends also pooled in some money for him. And there were some who gave money outright. All of these helped our family. One professional staff in ADB, whom I haven't met, made his wife's birthday party a fundraiser. Isn't that wonderful?

After the financial aide from PCSO, family and friends, there was the kidney donor whose kidney was a perfect match to my dad's. He is a family man in his 30s. Doctors said we were lucky to have found a healthy and perfect kidney match. Other patients spend a fortune and wait for years to find a match. But this one passed instantly. And as we speak, my dad is healthy and strong.

Finally, there's Jom. When all of these were happening, I thought about postponing the wedding until things get better but he brushed off the idea. Things were so messed up that I felt I was emotionally and psychologically unstable to get married. I was so scared this mess would knock his head off and make him run for his life. I was scared as hell. But in spite of these, he stood his ground and became my strength. I gave what I could and he filled up what I was falling short of. He showed me love in a different perspective. Cliché as it may sound, but he is indeed my sunshine after the rain. God's gift.

At the end of the day, I realized that love, indeed, can move mountains. The same way that Jerome's love moved me, or our love for our dad made us do anything and everything possible to save him... and God's amazing and enormous love for us made all of these possible. When all hope is lost, God's love remains.

Without counting the previous post, I would admit I have been M.I.A. for more than a year now. Boy do I have a lot of updating to do. Especially since last year was one of the most eventful year of my life.

Been to both record-breaking highs and lows last year, which turned out to be a real test of faith, trust and love--not only for me but also to the people around me. And at the end of it all, only those who have steadfast faith, those who trust and those who love deeply survived.

Before I can let you in on what's current with me, let me fill you in on what you missed last year. This will be a series of updates, so please bear with me.

Pamamanhikan

As you know, Jerome and I got engaged in March. Two weeks after he proposed, Jerome and his family did the traditional "pamamanhikan", with a twist. Instead of them going to our home, we rented out a function room in Serendra where our families met. We also invited some of our closest relatives and friends to join us. First, our families had a "closed-door" meeting where Jerome and I laid down our plans for the wedding. After the family meeting, we had dinner with our relatives and friends, followed by a short program. It was a memorable occasion simply because it was our first big step in letting the whole world know that we love each other this much.

Highlight of the event: This event was considered a dry-run of D-Day. And so we learned that (i) Jerome and I can stay calm even under pressure; (ii) entertaining guests is a tough job; and (iii) my feet would hurt at the end of the night if I didn't get comfy shoes.

Here's a photo of us with our families

Thinking of reviving this blog or creating a new one. Either way, I think I need to go back to writing. Need to find a medium to express my mind.

Watch out.

Men, as explained by Jerome, appreciate a song for their melody or music and less of the lyrics. So whenever I tell him I have a song for him, his initial reaction is "sounds good" followed by "what does it mean?"

The other day, he said, he found a nice song that we can use for the wedding, maybe after the you-may-now-kiss-the-bride part. I didn't think the lyrics meant special to him until last night, when I was teasing him how much he loved taking my picture even when we were still friends. He said he loves the way I smile (aaaawwww...kilig!!!! hahaha), thus the song:

After a Small World, a gondola ride around Walt Disney's creations, Jom encouraged all of us to try the Space Mountain without giving us any background of what it is. The Space Mountain, as I heard, is one of the most enjoyable rides in Disneyland.

The ride will be slow at the start. And you will see nothing but pin lights that appear like stars in outer space. Then suddenly the cart will move fast, up and down. After the uphill and downhill ride will come a deep plunge and a sharp turn. It will all be deep plunges and sharp turns from then on, only faster. At some point, it will also make a loop.

The dome was filled with screams and laughter all throughout the ride. My Iegs were stiff as I was afraid that if I let loose any body part, it would hit somewhere. Sometimes I would laugh at the thought that Jom tricked us into getting in as well as the reactions I hear from other people, but most of the time I would scream for fear of my life. I was screaming up to the last leg of the ride. Thus this hideous picture.

We had a good laugh seeing this photo. It shows who had fun and those who wish they'd never gotten in. Unfortunately for me, I'm one of the latter.

Jerome and I celebrated our first year anniversary last 21 October. Can you believe it's been a year?! I haven't celebrated HAPPY anniversaries for a long time so this is definitely an achievement for me. Yey to us!

These are the things we got from each other...

a bunch of my favorite flowers, caricature, scrapbook (green gift), coffee and cake

... plus kisses, warm hugs and lotsa love.

I’ve been dreaming about something so frequently it’s starting to bother me. Not that it’s a bad dream, but I just wish I would stop dreaming about it. Maybe I should stop thinking about it, too, to help me get rid of it. But damn, the people, the situations and my mind just won’t cooperate.

I want it to stop, NOW. Because the more that I think about it, the more impatient I get. And that's just not me. Because one, I believe that things happen for a reason and, second, things will happen in Jess' perfect time. I don't want to rush things because I know if I did, it will be hilaw or worse, it might not workout right. So, I am now praying to all the angels and saints and Jess, to please grant me patience and shoo away the evil thoughts lurking in the deep recesses of my mind.

As planned, we spent the weekend at La Luz Beach Resort. It was our first time so there were no expectations. All we wanted was to chill in the beach and wait for my birthday. Poker. Drinking. Listening to good music. Chatting. Playing board games ---these filled our weekend. It was definitely a break from work, something that our minds and bodies needed.

We left La Luz the next day around 1pm. We were all in a hurry as we wanted to catch the ADMUvsDLSU game. Don't ask me what happened.

I'm an RX Morning Rush listener. When I'm not listening to my Days CD, I tune in to RX's daily Top Ten for some laugh time. Let me share with you some entries for the Top Ten "Notes" Moment, from Chico's blog.

10. No name - I once left a note to my crush: "Ako ang scientist mo at ikaw ang lab ko!"


9. Kenike - I’m on a jeep right now with a note in fr0nt that says "Fool the string to STOP".


8. Jose de vengenge - Sa sidewalk: "Bawal umihi dito." And near it: "Dito pwede." Another sidewalk: "Bawal omehe deto, mahole potul tete."


7. Jhoy - Notes found in: jeeps & buses: "Before pay, tell were get the on before get the off"; Mandaluyong: "Bawal umehi dito. Ang maholi bog-bog"; Makati: "Don’t parking"; Cubao: "None I.D. nothing entry".

6. Nappy Boy - One day in school we were so noisy, when suddenly a teacher stepped into the room and angrily wrote on the board "QUEIT!"


5. Jacq-jacq - My mom left me a note: "Anak, stay foot. Babalikan ka namin."

4. Bards/Pink Spark - Story from senator Flavier. In the early days of his marriage, his wife noticed that there were droplets on the rim of the toilet bowl every time he pees. One morning, there was a note on the bowl that said, "Go closer my dear, it’s not that long!"


3. Jose de vengenge - Sa FA in U.P.: "God is dead. - Nietzsche" And then one beside it replied: "Nietzsche is gay. - God"


2. ALLEN - Read at the men’s room of the AS Bldg in UP: "Here I sat br0ken-hearted, tried to shit but only farted".

1. McMaki - My officemate came back from a business trip & brought peanuts as pasalubong for us. He left it at the pantry and placed a note on the board saying: "May mani sa panty, kuha na lang kayo!"


I don't have the courage to submit my entries so let me just share with you some of my personal "notes" moments:


4. Written on one of the columns supporting the MRT line along EDSA, across Farmers: "RAF loves FMIC." (True love itu!)


3. My officemate sticks this note on her screen whenever she leaves her desk: "Gone to the light at the end of the tunnel." (Mamimiss ka namin!)

2. Note on my officemate's (same person in number 3...hehe! Wabyu!) penholder: "These pens are cursed. Please return after use or all your hair will fall off." (Sige ka! Baka maka-Mark ka. hehe)

A month ago I wrote about Jom fixing up his rented place. He’s done with the renovation and yesterday, he had the first official housewarming party with his family. Housewarming parties for friends will be held separately as the place cannot accommodate a lot of people.

So if you’re wondering what his place looks like, here are some photos:

Front door Living Room
Dining Room
Mini Bar and Kitchen

I think some got confused with my last blog entry. My apologies for not being clear and accurate. So just to clarify, he's renting the unit. It's at Bonifacio Heights. He can't buy this unit primarily because the place is exclusive for the Military. He's renting it from a military doctor who's assigned somewhere else. He renovated the place nonetheless as he wants it presentable. He and his housemate, business partner Teban, shared in buying the furnitures and appliances. That's he's investment na daw. :-)

More pictures from the housewarming party can be viewed here.

...do you think she will like this?

I don't remember the last time I gave her flowers, so I bought this as a present when we visit her tomorrow.

I love you Mame. :-) Mwah! Mwah!

Thanks Ryah!

When God Made You - Newsong

It's always been a mystery to me
How two hearts can come together
And love can last forever
But now that I have found you, I believe
That a miracle has come
When God sends the perfect one

Now gone are all my questions about why
And I've never been so sure of anything in my life

I wonder what God was thinking
When He created you
I wonder if He knew everything I would need
Because He made all my dreams come true
When God made you
He must have been thinking about me

I promise that wherever you may go
Wherever life may lead you
With all my heart I'll be there too
From this moment on I want you to know
I'll let nothing come between us
I'll love what ever you love

He made the sun He made the moon
to harmonize in perfect tune
One can't move without the other
They just have to be together
And that is why I know it's true
You're for me and I'm for you
Cause my world just can't be right
Without you in my life

I wonder what God was thinking
When He created you
I wonder if He knew everything I would need
Because He made all my dreams come true
He must have heard every prayer I've been praying
Yes, He knew everything I would need
When God made you
When dreams come true
When God made you
He must have been thinking about me

1. What is your favorite word? Love.

2. What is your least favorite word? Pwede “words” or phrase or sentence? Where na you? Here na me? Kainessss….But seriously, DEATH.

3. What turns you on, spiritually or emotionally? Faith, love for family, patience, perseverance, humor, respect.

4. What turns you off, spiritually or emotionally? Selfishness, cowardice, arrogance, hypocrisy.

5. What sound or noise do you love? Clicking sound of a camera; sound of my keyboard. Can’t think of anything else.

6. What sound or noise do you hate? Sound of a breaking glass.

7. What is your favorite curse word? Powtah.

8. What profession other than your own would you like to attempt? A landscape photographer or as an athlete.

9. What profession would you not like to do? Embalmer. hehehe

10. If Heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the Pearly Gates? Welcome home, my Daughter.

I tag the HBs, Jake, Dyosa.

For the past four months, Jom and I have been going to malls looking for the right furniture that will fit in his condo. That’s what’s keeping us busy. (Yes, Jom will be moving out from his parent’s house to live on his own.) We’ve been through every furniture shop in every mall and depot in Makati, Quezon City and Ortigas, and very few designs caught his attention. But last Sunday, while Typhoon Frank was making his way out of Manila, we (more like “he” -- I was there for second opinion, no financial investment) found and bought the last piece of furniture we need to make the living room more functional (meaning pwedeng kainan, upuan etc.).

Yesterday, his staff started working on the interior of the condo. And today, he said that the dining table and cabinet have been delivered, while the sofa (which was supposed to be due in two weeks) will be delivered on Friday. Soon, he'll be living there full time.

I'm proud of him for this achievement. A couple of years ago, he mentioned this as one of his future plans (over booze), and now he’s almost there. Who would have thought that wasn't usapang lasing?

Great job, Hon! Hope I’ll still get to see you even though you’ll be living at the far end of EDSA.

Joined a team of engineers in their summer outing last weekend at White Coral Beach Resort, Bataan. This is the last in our calendar of summer activities. In the next couple of weeks, I'll be active in sports.

Goodbye, Sunshine! Hello, Rain!

We took a break from all the fun and summer getaways we've been doing the past couple of weekends to spend time and serve Kuya Jess through the Yuppie Days with the Lord.

This is one of the most memorable Weekends I had with Days as I was turned over to being Rector. The highness of all highs. I was dead tired when I got home, but it was all worth it. Being called to serve Jess this way is a great honor that I will forever cherish and be grateful for.

+BIL

Jerome Odsinada, you’ve been rated.

After an in-depth analysis of the performance indicators set out at the onset of this partnership, I am pleased to inform you that your contract, which was initially drawn from 21 October 2007 to 21 July 2008, has been extended...INDEFINITELY.

Happy Monthsary, Hon! I love you.

ps. I'm not putting end dates this time, baka ma-disappoint ako ulit eh. hahahaha

So who said they only exist in the Philippines?

We are trying to maximize summertime, so last weekend we travelled from South to North for a short vacation.


We were in Tagaytay last Friday night to join the Yuppies for the Recharge. It was an intimate recharge with just Carlo, Camille, Jom and I present, the rest of the Yuppies went the following day.

On Saturday, we drove from Tagaytay to Clearwaters Country Club in Clark Field, Pampanga to join ADB Volleyball Club's Beach Volleyfest. Storm signal no. 2 was up and we were still playing. Mga addict talaga!

...we took this photo at Malate Church. Jom and I were suprised we looked fair in this photo. Then I started thinking...bagay kaya sa akin ang maputi? hahahaha

Dang! I'm soooooo bored!

1 May 2008: Visit to Mayon

Arrived in Guinobatan Town around 5:30 am. Then we headed straight to Tita Judy's (Jom's mom) house for breakfast. We were served various suman and tsokolate, Bicol delicacies, for breakfast. Slept for two hours, freshened up then went to Tito Roy's house (Jom's dad) to visit some relatives. After some hi's and hello's we were off to see Mayon Volcano.

Mt. Mayon is taken from the word Magayon, a bicolano word which means maganda. It was shortened to Mayon siguro for recall. hehehe. To see the enchanting view of Mayon, we went to Cagsaua ruins. Cagsaua church was buried by lava when Mt. Mayon erupted in 1814. Historians said that about 1,200 people died during that time. What's left of the church is the Bell tower seen in this picture. Unfortunately during our visit, parts of Mayon were covered with clouds. We just contented ourselves by taking pictures choreographed by one of the tour guides. Please check my Multiply for more pictures.

For lunch, Jom took us to Lets where we ate two of the famous Bicol dishes. Pinangat and Bicol Express. Pinangat is the local name for Laing. But unlike the tagalog Laing, their Laing or Pinangat is all vegetable and gata. No meat nor fish. And the gulay was tender and juicy. You only need to chew a few times and it will slide down your throat easily. Bicol express was ultra spicy, para syang siling nilagyan ng meat! I had a small bite and man, it was really hot!!!!! I'm not a fan of spicy food so I can't describe it to you first hand. I can only tell you that Archie liked it so much that whenever we ask where we're eating he'd say, "sa Lets"

After lunch, we went to Hoyop-Hoyopan Cave. Hoyop means ihip in Tagalog. It is called as such because they say that when you're inside you can hear the blow of the wind. Inside the cave (and just like in any cave), are several stalactites and stalagmites. There was also a man-made dance floor inside the cave (okay diba!?). They said that during Marcos' time, the locals built that dance floor so they can party despite the Martial Law. Maabilidad ha! hehehe

Our last stop was the Mayon Resthouse and Observatory. It's situated a few feet from the foot *(that sounded funny!) of Mt. Mayon. From the resthouse, you can see Bicol province. :-)

We were all tired, nanlalagkit at amoy araw so we headed to our resort after Mayon Resthouse. Jom got us one night stay at The Black Sands Resort in Sto. Domingo town. The resort looks fine. It's clean and the furnitures are okay with native look. But the service crew are not that efficient yet. I heard it's a year-old resort so I hope in our next visit, we can rate their service excellent.

2 May 2008: Interaction with the Butanding and Bigg's

This is the part I've been waiting for. Ever since I heard of the Butanding, I kept bugging my friends to plan a trip to Bicol. Good thing I have a Bicolano boyfriend who so willingly arranged this trip for us. :-)

We checked out of the resort around 5:30am as we were told that there are more sightings of the Butanding from 8:00-10:00am. Towards noon, when it's hot, the Butandings go deeper into the water so you won't see as much Butandings.

The drive to Donsol from Legaspi took about 1 and 1/2 hour, its a long and winding road. When we arrived, we already got in for 2nd batch. Which means the take off would be at 10:30. But we were only able to take off a little past 11:00am. I was getting both excited and worried. Excited to see them, but worried that I won't get to see a single Butanding.

The drill was, when the Spotter signals to the guide that there is a Butanding in sight all passengers should (1) put on their mask; (2) ensure their lifevest is tightened; (3) sit on the lower side of the boat; and (4) jump into the water-- all this you have to do quickly. In the water you have to wait for the cue of the guide to look down. When he says look down, it means you're either swimming side by side with the Butanding or you're right above the Butanding.

The first sighting was quick. I didn't get to see the full figure of the Butanding because I was fixing my cam. The next thing I know it was gone.

The second sighting was unsuccessful. The guide, Randy, grabbed my hand and we tried to swim with the Butanding. Napagod ako kaka-swim sa sobrang bilis nung guide. Sa sobrang pagod ko, hindi ako naka-concentrate. When we got back to the boat. He asked, nakita mo ba? I said, hindi eh. Tawa kami ng tawa. Sabi nung guide, "kala ko naman nag-eenjoy ka na dahil ang tagal-tagal natin syang sinundan yun pala wala kang nakikita." Super comedy. Jom and our friends were all laughing. Super napagod lang ako pero wala akong nakita. Randy said I don't have to swim the next time kasi hawak naman nya ako.

The third sighting was clearer. Randy grabbed my hand and Shawie's. This time we saw the full figure of the Butanding. Pero medyo malayo pa din. Then when we got back, we told the boys, who were still unsatisfied with their sightings, that they should go with Randy so they can catch up with the Butanding.

The fourth sighting was super fun and successful. Randy jumped with Jom and Archie. Shawie and I stayed on the boat as we wanted to rest. Then Randy got back and asked me to jump, so I did. When Randy asked me to look down, the Butanding was right beside me! It was huuuuugggeee!!! Sobrang laki nya. Grabe! I was overwhelmed by its size. And sobrang galing ni Randy because eventhough the Butanding was flocked by people, he still managed to bring me closer to it. Sobrang laki talaga, they said it was approximately 9 meters long. Width? I have no idea. I was really this close. Then we moved closer to the mouth, which was open. I got a bit scared cause I felt it was going to swallow me. Super galing! Super fun experience.

We called that last Butanding a show off Butanding. Because it stayed there, motionless. We didn't swim. It just stayed there for people to see him/her.

After that last sighting, we went back to shore. We were more than contented.

We ate late lunch at Bigg's Diner. When Jom was planning the itinerary, there was a time for Bigg's. I wasn't that excited because I thought, it was just an ordinary burger tapos Bicol pa. I wondered what would make that burger special if it's locally made. But when we tried it, we were all satisfied. It tasted different because of the dressing. And the burger patty also tasted good. We wanted to bring home a few burgers nga sana pero baka masira.