Ondoy aftermath

After the typhoon Ondoy, a lot of things happened. There was Chandra's birthday, editing at the Boy Scout Headquarters for the TOBSPA, Chinno's arrival from SG, TOMCAT's helping out Ondoy victims.


Outside our building sa UST, here's what you will see. Chairs soaked in rainwater. Pati mga books, pinapatuyo sa araw. Sana, pati grades ko sa photog, nabasa din!



When Chinno arrived from Singapore, what we first did was watch Kimmidora (again, for me), then I went with him shopping all over Trinoma. Saw Bien's friends, nice people. Chi and I has lunch at World Chicken, dinner at Kenny, Red Mango for dessert. Fun day with the Diva!



Grocery day with TOMCAT. Bought cookies, bread, water for the typhoon victims. It was nice for Jam to come up with such an activity as an organization, parang naramdaman ko yung pagiging org namin through activities like these. Na hindi lang talaga pang media ang TOMCAT, public service din pala. ahah! I love TOMCAT!


inside the TYK building, madaming Thomasian volunteers. Nagulat ako when I found out na may schedule ang per college if you want to volunteer. Well, AB, sa friday tayo! Hahah! May schedule talagaaaa ang pagtulong! Fonny! Anyway, siguro para organized na din. Go Thomasians, TULONG TOMASINO!


The surprise was a failure. Dahil sa tawa ni Miko, sa candle na ayaw sumindi, at dahil alam na talaga ni Chandra na may surprise dahil nabasa niya ang text ko kay Cookai.

Dinner at 12am sa Mister Kabab,then off to Jayjay's for bucketS of Red Horse, tequillas and margaritas.

Uwian ng 5am.











Bonus shots.

Ondoy Typhoon

Ondoy left thousands of families homeless and hungry.

Yesterday was quite a humbling experience.

Nature proved its power, now let's not take it for granted.

Here are some pics I took while I was watching the flood dominate the streets outside the house. lemme introduce a gay guy I met swimming in rain. T'was fun taking photos! Kinda forgot about the calamity for a second.

Highschool Questions

And so I played a game with my friends, where each one of us would be given the opportunity to ask a question to anyone inside the circle.

After two rounds of clean, fun, sometimes disturbing questions, it was my turn to be asked a question.

FRIEND #1: Let's do it differently now. Why don't we answer a question for Wado now.

Everyone else agreed.

FRIEND #1: Sino sa tingin ninyo ang babaeng bagay kay Wado?

Everybody stopped, including myself. For quite some time now, I haven't really entertained the idea, until the question came. Now everyone started to think, including myself.

A friend gave an answer, "Si ------!"

"Bakit naman siya?" I asked.

"Kasi feeling ko, bagay kayo!" And everyone else laughed, including me again.

Another friend gave an answer. "Feeling ko si -----. Maganda na, matalino pa."

"Actually, I considered her, first year pa lang ako. Perfect no? Kaso, alam mo na."

Everyone laughed again, now even harder.

"At kaya ka niyang pagsabihan, feeling ko lang."

Another friend said, "Si ----------, matangkad! Pang model!"

Another friend recommended my highschool love once more. "Magbalikan na lang kaya kayo?"

***

Now, the room fell silent. One friend, who quietly observes and sits in the back couldn't easily give an answer. "Pinagiisipan ko din kasi, kanina pa. Sino nga ba? Hmmm.... Sino man ang makakapagpa-shut up kay Wado, yun na!"

"Shut up?" I asked.

"No, I mean, diba (part deleted), so I was thinking, you deserve someone na kakatakutan at papakinggan mo."

I didn't know if I should take my friend's comment positively. Pero looking it on another person's unbiased perspective, I saw my friend's intention of giving me the proper meds I deserve to become a better person. He wished not what I think was good for me, instead, he wished for someone I deserve. Although he did not give any names that day, his answer meant the most among the answers given inside that room. And I became more thankful than ever for him, and the answers God gave me that day.

"In God's time", I kept on telling myself this, over and over again. But for today, I will try my best to enjoy and make the most out of everything that comes to me.

I will live one day at a time.

I will be happy.

For whatever God's will is, I will.

Impluwensiya

Madali akong maimpluwensyahan nitong mga nagdaang araw.

Miko: "Wads, yosi tayo."

Ako: "Game."

Madali akong bumigay nitong mga nagdaang araw.

BJ: "Pre, pa-Dairy Queen ka naman."

Ako: "Sige."

Madali akong utusan nitong mga nagdaang araw.

Cookai: "Wads, AVP head ka sa CASA G.A. ah?"

Ako: "Sige."



---

Pansin ko lang, lahat ng nangyayari sa buhay ko nitong mga nagdaang araw, tinatanggap ko lang. Dahil siguro masaya ako, kaya ganito.

Kaninang umaga, may naka-chat akong isang kaibigan.

(part deleted)

SIYA: Hanggang dito na lang ba tayo?

AKO: Ayaw mo?

SIYA: Gusto. Pero diba mas maganda kung may something more?

Natahimik ako. Nagulat. Hindi ko inaasahan. Lumamig buong katawan ko, nanginig ang mga buto ko. Hindi ko talaga inaasahang manggagaling sa kaniya yung mga salitang ito.

AKO: Loko!

Pero ang totoo, pinag-isipan ko ang sinabi niya. Hindi ko maipaliwanag, pero nasanay akong sumasang-ayon sa lahat nitong mga nagdaang araw, nahirapan akong hindi pagbigyan ang hiling niya. Siguro, hindi ito basta-basta.

Natapos ang usapan, mukha akong nagpapaasa.

SIYA: Text o tawag ka lang ha?

AKO: Sige. Ingat.

Sa isip-isip ko, masyado pang maaga para sa ganito. Naisip ko, masyadong magulo itong papasukin ko. Naisip ko, sino ba naman ako para palampasin ang pagkakataong ito. Sa isip ko, magulo. Iniisip ko, parang ayaw ko na gusto.

Sa huli, alam kong ayaw ko. Iniisip kong hindi ito totoo. Dadasalin kong panaginip lang ang lahat ng ito. At sana bukas paggising ko, balik sa dati ang buhay ko.

RANDOMS

usap namin ni God kagabi

Siya: IS this what you really want?

Ako: I'm happier now.

Siya: But what about them?

Ako: Sila po? Hindi ko alam. Everything I've been doing, para sa kanila. Ngayon lang ako nagdesisyon para sa sarili ko.

Siya: Very well then, I think nasagot mo na yung tanong ko.

Ako: Feeling ko nga din po. Pero favor?

Siya: Ano yun?

Ako: Jan ka lang. Para kung hindi man maganda yung kalabasan, may matatakbuhan ako.

Siya: Kailan ba naman kita iniwan?

Ako: May point Kayo! I love you! =)

Too Old for this, but at least I'm smiling

Photoblog: Wado noong nagdaang linggo

My new love, RED MANGO! Well, Chandra, Cookai, and Miko introduced me to this baby, and hell yeah, I LOVED IT!!!! Whenever I see a Red Mango stall, it would take a bulldozer to stop me from grabbing a bite of this baby! P150 never tasted this good!


See the look on my face? Priceless!




I'm glad I'm doing this, spending some quality time with Cams. We went to the Feast last Sunday, made regular rounds between malls nearby, ate Red Mango, videoke, foodtrip. Just like the old times.




My friends! For almost the entire week last week, we've been together. We occasionally drop by Eastwood for Red Mango, visited Footzone for a P600 massage, sleptover at Miko's place twice this week for our film paper, foodtrip everywhere else, roadtrip to Antipolo. Darn, I mean this when I say, how I wish these guys were my blockmates. Tomorrow would have been a day I will always look forward to.



Video shoot for UST's election advocacy "Botong Tomasino". This will be aired all over the university. For two days, I embodied Tomas U. Santos, an architecture student who dreams of finding a good paying job after he graduates. Watch out for this video soon!

Saying NO means I want to, but I can't

Today, I've made the biggest decision, saying no to something I am certain I couldn't say no to. I guess this is a sign that I am slowly regaining my sense of responsibility over things which I know can impact my life.

Tomorrow, I'll say yes once more, because nothing could make me happier these days but giving in to my desires. yes to happy things, yes to happy thoughts. But for tonight, and tonight only, I'll have to hurt myself, make a pass, and say no.

It doesn't mean I do not want to, but I simply just have to say no.

This is for me becoming happy, and everyone too.

One month to Live

A few months ago, there was this book that I've planned on buying titled "One month to Live". More than a self-help book, it's more of a challenge that would require you to change the way you live your life in thirty days and sooner find out how the book has changed your life.

Four days ago, I found the book at half the price in one newly-opened bookstore. I thought it was a sign, and so I went for the book. Brushing through the first few pages, I couldn't help but be captivated by the challenge. And so I took it. I used my special hard bound notebook as a journal to keep track of my progress in thirty days.

Inasmuch as I would want to finish the book in one sitting, which I easily can, i shouldn't. It's more like a one chapter per day reading, and after every chapter, there's this activity which you should do. Day one includes the "Write five things which you would do if you knew you only had one month to live." The book told me not to think about it much, so I began writing with ease.

1. Thank, hug, affirm the people who play vital roles in my life.
2. Travel the world, take pictures and write about it.
3. Think of at least one thing to be thankful for each day.
4. Say no to the things I don't like, and yes to opportunities and risks.
5. Never to deprive myself of the material things I want.

It's funny how extreme one person could get when you know you only have one month to live. When I thought watching movies and hanging out with friends complete my day, it's not. There's something deeper to this life than wasting it on things that wouldn't really count in the end.

Over the past few months, I realized that i have been spending too much time worrying about how to get by each day being happy and fulfilled. All along the answer was with me. Happiness could not be found in people, things or events, but from within. The grandest fireworks display may mean the world to a child, but nothing to you. It's how you see things, it's how you act upon situations, it's all about you. Mother Theresa once said that there's no use trying to please other people, for it was never really about you and them, it's all about you and Him.

And so these past few days, I find it difficult to be sad over petty things. I just couldn't help but see positivity over everything that's happened to me lately. Some may see it at something big or heavy, but for me, it just shouldn't be. The only way to be happy is just to simply be.

090909

Naka-ilang backspace na ako. Select all tapos delete.

Hindi ko alam kung paano isususlat o ikukwento.

Kinakabahan akong malaman ng tao, kinakabahan akong isipin sa sarili ko.

Kung pwede sana, ayoko. Pero sa tingin ko, dapat talagang ganito.

Nakakabitin.

Pero wala yun sa tagal, kundi sa dahilan kung bakit ito nagtagal.

Naging masaya tayo. Ako, aminadong natuto.

Salamat sa iyo, dumating ka sa buhay ko.

Ako'y nabago, sa atin ako ay saludo.

Sana okay ito.

Salamat sa iyo. Salamat at naramdaman kong minsa'y minahal at nagmahal ako, ng totoo.

Aqualung - Brighter Than Sunshine

I never understood before
I never knew what love was for
My heart was broke, my head was sore
What a feeling

Tied up in ancient history
I didnt believe in destiny
I look up you're standing next to me
What a feeling

What a feeling in my soul
Love burns brighter than sunshine
Brighter than sunshine
Let the rain fall, i don't care
I'm yours and suddenly you're mine
Suddenly you're mine
and it's brighter than sunshine

I never saw it happening
I'd given up and given in
I just couldn't take the hurt again
What a feeling

I didn't have the strength to fight
suddenly you seemed so right
Me and you
What a feeling

What a feeling in my soul
Love burns brighter than sunshine
It's brighter than sunshine
Let the rain fall, I don't care
I'm yours and suddenly you're mine
Suddenly you're mine

It's brighter than the sun
It's brighter than the sun
It's brighter than the sun, sun, shine.

Love will remain a mystery
But give me your hand and you will see
Your heart is keeping time with me

What a feeling in my soul
Love burns brighter than sunshine
It's brighter than sunshine
Let the rain fall, I don't care
I'm yours and suddenly you're mine
Suddenly you're mine

Roller Coaster life

Kary sent me a quote the other day which went: "Life is like a roller coaster. Maraming twists and turns, ups and downs. But once you overcome your fear for these obstacles, only then can you enjoy the ride."

And so I thought, "oo nga naman". But all the same, I became afraid of becoming too comfortable with the ups and downs I'm going through lately. And it scares me that once I get used to it, it might turn out to be not a so-good habit after all.

A few nights ago, I got really drunk courtesy of Jagermeister in the spirit of trying to forget a chapter in my life. And the hardest part is that I'm actually trying to forget something which is good. Then why am I trying to forget about it then?

Because I have to.

Life gives us challenges, but never one of those we couldn't get through to. Everything's difficult for us at first, but eventually, we'll all realize that it has been for the better. And then we become grateful.

And so I ask myself again, do I see myself thankful in the future? --Getting over this chapter?

Just like a roller coaster, life goes in a never-ending cycle. What happens now, might eventually happen in the future. But what makes it different are the people you share the ride with. People you encourage to be strong, people who holds your hand when you're too afraid of the fall, people who close their eyes with you, people you shout with, laugh with.

What matters in the end is the experience you had with that person during the short ride. 'Cause frankly, and personally, time isn't really the measure of quality, it's what you do with the given time that counts.



Photo with my friends after Persian Kabab, bagong gising.