Life is shorts.. I mean short.

This is so swellll! Laughter is the best medicine, that is, if you don’t die laughing while reading this… In Tagalog… tatumbling ka kapatid!

We’ ve been friends for a long time ago. We come from the same alma mother. Actually, our paths crossed one time on another. But it’s only now that I gave him a second look. I realized that beauty is in the eyes. The pulpbits of my heart went fast, really fast. Cute pala siya.

And then, he came over with me. He said, “I hope you don’t mine. Can I get your number?” Nag-worry ako. What if he doesn’t give it back? He explained naman na it’s so we could keep intact daw. Sabi ko, connect me if i’m wrong but are you asking me ouch? Nabigla siya. Sagot niya, The! … Aba! Parang siya pa ang galit! Persona ingrata!!! Ang kapal niya! I cried buckles of tears.

Na-guilty yata siya. Sabi niya, isipin mo na lang na this is a blessing in the sky. Irregardless daw of his feelings, we’ll go ouch na rin. Now, we’re so in love. Mute and epidemic na ang past. Thanks God we swallowed our fried. Kasi, I’m 33 na and I’m running our time. After 2 weeks, he plopped the question. “Will you marriage me?” I’m in a state of shocked. Kasi mantakin mo, when it rains, it’s four! This is true good to be true. So siyempre, I said yes. Love is a many splendor.

Pero nung inaayos ko na ang aming kasal, everything swell to pieces. Nag-di-dinner kami noon nang biglang sa harap ng aming table, may babaeng humirit ng, “Well, well, well. Look do we have here.” What the fuss! The nerd ng babaeng yon! She said they were still on. So I told her, whatever is that, cut me some slacks! I didn’t want this to get our hand kaya I had to sip it in the bud. She accused me of steeling her boyfriend. Ats if! I don’t want to portrait the role of the other woman. Gosh, tell me to the marines! I told her, “Please, mine you own business!” Who would believe her anyway?

Dahil it’s not my problem anymore but her problem anymore, tumigil na rin siya ng panggugulo. Everything is coming up daisies. I’m so happy. Even my boyfriend said liketwice. He’s so supportive. Sabi niya, “Look at is this way. She’s our of our lives.”

Kaya advise ko sa inyo - take the risk. You can never can tell. Just burn the bridge when you get there. Life is shorts. If you make a mistake, we’ll just pray for the internal and external repose of your soul. I second emotion.

Sagada Sojourn

I’m just reminiscing…food always reminds me how wonderful life is.

I wish I had pictures of my trip to Sagada when i went there in 2005. I have no digital camera then plus I went alone. I met some mountaineers from U&AP and they were kind enough to adopt me for the next 2 days.

I went with them to the Big Falls and to Sagada weaving. We ate our meals together at Masferre cafe, St. Joseph's (where we stayed) and at the very popular Yogurt house. I loved the food there, and ever since I tasted their pasta dishes, i have tried experimenting with some vegetarian dishes at home. My brothers are meat-eaters though so they can't appreciate pasta with eggplants that much. But my mom loves them.

Here's a short snippet about that memorable trip.

I’m not sure if I got the prices right, I was there last Dec 2005 and haven't had a chance to go back since.…

The Yogurt House

Great food plus pleasant company spells good time. But add to it a warm and homey ambiance then that one makes for a truly memorable experience. The meal times I spent at the Yoghurt House in the heart of Sagada, a rustic town in Mountain Province, evokes such happy memories that I constantly wish I can bring all my friends there for lunch or dinner one of these days. For those who travel alone and are seeking solace –like me on that cold December weekend in 2005 –fellow travelers can instantly turn into family.

A shared meal of Angel Hair Spaghetti with Grilled Eggplant, Parmesan Cheese and Olive Oil (PhP100) becomes an opportunity to share stories about other journeys. Conversation take on a deeper meaning when you feel comfy enough to put your feet up, strum a few songs on the guitar or pick a poetry book on the shelf. This restaurant sure feels like your own house, and the pleasant company just like old friends so you take time contemplating whether you should have the yogurt with bananas and granola again for dessert (PhP60) or with only strawberry preserves (PhP50) this time around. You settle on having the latter while your new-found friends are singing Greenday’s “Time of Our Lives”. You join the chorus. It’s amazing how one bowl of yogurt can make life so sweet.

Remembering Noel

A good friend of mine died 3 years ago, on April 2nd, barely a month after my father died.

I knew him for only about 2 years when he died but the few and unforgettable moments we shared were enough for his exuberant nature to rub off on me.

Sometimes, I wish that we were able to spend more time together. Marami pa akong gustong ikwento sa kanya and we haven’t even started collaborating on a film yet. We haven’t even traveled out of town together.

Bakit ganun noh? When you realize that you’ve grown to love someone, whether that person is a friend or a lover or a very close family member, you never stop loving them.

I learned recently that if we really look inside ourselves, we would come to the conclusion that we love ourselves more than we love other people.

So I guess what I mean by loving someone is realizing that that person makes us feel good about who we are : they make us feel bigger than ourselves, more capable, more adequate, more generous, more trusting, more kind, more adventurous, more courageous, more articulate even…

When we encounter these people, they make us WANT to be our true selves. They bring out our basic goodness, our luminosity.

Bakit kasi takot na takot tayo sa sarili natin?

I once asked a person what he fears and yun ang sagot niya, “takot ako sa sarili ko”.

Promise ko sa ‘yo Noel, hindi ako matatakot magmahal ulit at sumugal ng paulit-ulit sa maraming bagay at sa maraming tao.

Sabi mo nga sa akin one time, over a bottle of beer, “if you can’t beat them, bitch about ‘em! Then move on and find something else to bitch about.”

That’s your version of telling me to never give up. Siyempre minsan magpapahinga ka, magwa-whine ng konti, magmumukmok, pero pagkatapos nun, sugod ulit. I think I’m ready to find something else to bitch about. It’s been a while…