The pakers

'on the move'. by the becky (2009).

We've been packing things like crazy (well, Jay is). Since he leaves soon for the sandy dunes (oh it rhymes), he has to make sure all his things are inside the eponymous balikbayan box we're sending to Ortigas. Gee, I wanted to say 'send back', but it wasnt like that for us. These things are products of almost a decade of life here in Singapore, and they've acquired over time. We had to do away with sentimental value (in forms of hard rock cafe singapore cocktail glasses, circa '03) and just be practical about things. Come to think of it, whichever we ship we'll still have to deal with in the future. Im keeping the loveletters of course. :) And the small notes, postcards and good school essays/papers. I sorted through my bookS (thats a big S alright) last night, and kept my Gaimans. Textbooks from '03, books I got hold of because of a former job that has no commercial value whatsoever, I trashed. hehe. I might be bringing 5 books with me to Holland, all study-related. There's this Dr Phil book given by a collegue whos ironically been single for 10 years and counting, Im keeping. Simply because it's from a Harvard educated person, and relating one to the other cracks me up.

By end of the month the room will look like a funny (but clinical) scene from a divorce, where you'll say 'Someone used to sleep on this side of the bed/someone used to have his things on this other side of the room'. It will be half empty. Im not keen on 'appropriating' my things have them occupy this newfound empty space. I have to remind myself that Im leaving soon too.

Oh we migrated files as well. We did it manually, silly us. We've swapped machines, and Jay is now a proud owner of a 21 inch iMac to make NBA season in sandy dunes tolerable. Im missing him already (the iMac, not Jay).

Now my clothes, I have to deal with later on. The standing order on the boxes is that the husband fills them up to becky-friendly height (which is midway and a few inches to the top), then I'll take it from there. Should I ask Jay to pre-stick the packaging tape as well?

Im trying not to be overly dramatic about it, pero this is it. Our life for 7-10 years. In a box.

 

Oh good thing I dont have much shoes.

hoy jay

sana lagi mo akong isipin. :)

dahil mami-miss kita ever.

last na, na long distance relationship ito ha? :(

andyan ka palang sa kabilang mesa, 

nami miss na kita.

ampanget mo.

hmf.

galaw galaw.

Ang hirap nang may hinihintay. hindi na nga ako magkamayaw, malapit ko nang i-"therefore conclude" na ang buhay ko ay isang malaking waiting game, at ako ay napaka sigasig na kalahok. Kaninang tanghalian, habang naglalakad (ng kinse minutos, one way. suicidal ako eh), tahimik kong pinakikiusapan ang sarili ko na kelangan kong tigilan ang mag isip ng mag isip, at hindi ko na naman na-eenjoy itong mga nasa paligid ko. kaya mula ngayon... nde ako maghihintay. hahayaan ko lang syang dumating. Kung ayaw nya, edi huwag. I will live the present, and will cherish every single moment.

yak. mushy.

--o--

PANELOMO is Lomo Home of the Day!
Ang asawa ko na adik sa lomo ay nanalo nang LHOTD! Hindi Lot yan, as in House and Lot (wish ko lang, diba), kundi Lomo Home of the Day, kung saan binigyan sya ng 50 piggies ng LSI. Nanalo sya kahapon--na monthsary namin (of course we celebrate monthsaries. im a pain in the butt like that). Matagal na nyang pinag dadasal na makuha ang lomo version ng Nobel peace prize na ito (na araw araw eh may nananalo. come to think of it. wah. amfani). Bago pala ito, nanalo din sya ng fenk na pis-eye, na kanya namang iniregalo sa aketch as belated valentine's day gift. aww. :)

mukha akong abnoy dito.

at dahil pinakasalan ko sya dahil mahal ko sya (at hindi dahil sa pera, dahil wala naman syang pera. NOTE: ang habol ko daw kay Jay, according to him, ay ang kanyang katawan. weh.), pwede narin nating sabihin na nakuha nya ako sa piggies. at pink fish eye.

Aye?

mas bagay kay Zia.

--00--
Eto pala ang isa sa mga cute kong inaanak at ang kanyang magic show (aka Ninong Jay's comedy program)

About fez... (Happy Anniversary Espeysyal)

About Us Section, mula sa aming wedding announcer site.

cos we're keso like dat. eew. :)

Very briefly.

They met one fateful night in 1999, known to Thomasians as the 'Paskuhan'. She was in her early college years in the Faculty of Arts & Letters studying Political Science, while he--well, he's been around for quite some time (hehe).

They're not from the same college (he's from Architecture), and even if they are, the 'time-space continuum, a.k.a. age difference will not allow them to bump into each other on campus (unless of course he does a PhD). While both attended the same school for their pre and primary schooling, even sharing some 'memorable teachers' (the girl, after grade one, moves to Pasig while the boy--bless him, stayed on the looongest time. Yes, a loyalty awardee), it was evident that they wont be seeing eye to eye, unless it is possible for a high school lad to find a kiddo in grade one 'cute and worth pursuing' (personal joke). So you can imagine how their first meeting went. It was a mixture of 'familiarity', contempt (corruption of minors, hala!) and ChowKing Chicharap (the 'menu' for Paskuhan that time). It was talk, talk and talk, with some minor interruptions from her friends which varied from debates about au naturelle hazel eyes, cartwheels and Chicharap. Before they knew it, they were actually sitting on the part of the field 'directly' under the fireworks' close range and had to scramble to their feet to get away, and yes--it was already her curfew.

On their way back to her dormitory, he learns that she's going back to Laguna for the holidays the next day. Being a man of few words (hah), he surprisingly blurts out 'Tara, simbang gabi tayo'. Now, who wouldnt say no to a 'simbang gabi, diba?' she recalls. It was a good, noble cause--waking up very early in the morning to attend mass. So a few hours later they see each other again, while everyone else is either asleep, partying (still), or attending mass. She gets invited to have breakfast at Jollibee Dapitan afterwards, and by the time they'll go on their separate ways, the sun was already up and bright. She goes on her way, while he, on a 'segue' (personal joke, go ask Jay--ohhh...rhymes!).

After few email exchanges during the holidays, his offering to bringing her to 'Glory's', for cheap grocery come school time, and a poem (eherm!) he wrote for her, right after they went on separate ways (for a man with few words!), more emails, dimsum and more groceries--he asks her to be his girl. She stares at him incredulously:

'Neknek mo'.

And so it began.

The Becky

Ze bride is from Santa Rosa Laguna--the land of Enchanted Kingdom, car manufacturers, semi-Tagaytay breeze, hardcore municipal politics, and teenybopper wannabes on TV. She traces her lineage from the two opposite sides of Luzon: Abulug, Cagayan in the North, and San Juan Batangas. (so, she might be bipolar). She's got a degree in Political Science from the University of Santo Tomas and a Masters of Social Science under the ASEAN Graduate Scholarship from the National University of Singapore. She loves to travel, read, write, walk and control. the weather. occasionally. She is currently based in Singapore as a Researcher for the Southeast Asian Studies Programme at the Naitonal University of Singapore.

The Jay

Our groom is your proverbial 'Manila Boy' --or so he thinks. Past neighbors include the bell star dancers and Pipoy, to name a few. His parents are both from the Ilocandia provinces, and he can give you three words in Ilocano on a good day. He has an Architecture degree from the University of Santo Tomas, with part time units from Cora Doloroso to enhance his modelling career*. He likes sports, is naturally athletic** and cooks a (quote)mean(unquote) 'Nilaga'. He looks like someone popular (hint hint) and will shamelessly admit it happens all the time.

The Jay is an Architect based in Singapore.

*paid for by 'Friends of Jay'

**paid for, by Jay

God rest ‘ye Merry Woman

My LSS (last song syndrome, for you non-acronym loving reader) for the past few weeks has been this Mariah Carey (I know. Heh) version of “God bless ‘ye merry gentlemen”. The song gets to me like mad, and not that I detest it, I actually find it comforting and –er exciting. With how things are looking up these days (or maybe age is a factor), Christmas for me has suddenly turned stressful and non-episodic. There good Lord, I said it. Non-episodic in a sense that it no longer brings out this excitement usually felt by kids, probably in anticipation to presents they’ll be receiving or I dunno—just the simple joy of knowing its Christmas. What I know now is that Christmas day is a celebration of someone’s birthday—a friend’s birthday. And while it’s not yet due, and I have A LOT of things to attend to (new office hours, meetings by default, deadlines until the 24^th), I’m just carrying on like it’s a normal day, until ‘I get there’. And I realized, just this morning, that this has to stop. But where and when do I stop? So far, the only thing that ignites the Christmas spirit in me is this song.

Upon googling the ‘correct’ lyrics of the song, I got to know more than just lyrics. According to wikipedia (don’t we all), it was referred to in Charles Dickens’ ‘A Christmas Carol’:

"...at the first sound of — "God bless you merry, gentlemen! May nothing you dismay!"— Scrooge seized the ruler with such energy of action, that the singer fled in terror, leaving the keyhole to the fog and even more congenial frost."

Now, I have read that book when I was eight, and there’s a back-story in it. It starred a small girl who was given this book and one more (Beauty and the Beast, not the Disney version--as far as she can recall) almost twenty years ago, and that time, it took her a year to take interest in each book and read. Each book was lengthy and had scary pictures (well, the beast and Scrooge’s ghost friends, on a non-Disney packaging are dead-on). When she finally decided to read Dickens, it took her almost forever again, to finish it, as she’ll read from the beginning then forget where she ended up, then re read from the start—for how many times. You need to know that that girl lost her mother one month after Christmas, and we wouldn’t remember whether she did finish the book even before her mom passed away, or a year after that. But she did finish reading it. It was a troubling story for her, because it was not a normal kid’s story. It bespoke of all these adult-sy things like being ‘human’ and greed. Most of all, it featured death undeserving characters in the story, and on a Christmas day. However, this story taught the girl the power of a person to change for the better, and how powerfully magical Christmas can be in this process of change.

I have no idea how to wrap up this entry, but perhaps writing this just made me realize one thing I’ve always promised myself to do, which is to seize the day like a kid anticipating for Christmas morning. Do it for yourself and those people around you. Remember—Scrooge did so, in the end of the story. When we age, our priorities will change, and so do our temperament. But that does not impair us from being like our ‘old, younger selves’, only wiser and with waay more baggage. Haha.

May peace of mind and a kid’s sense of anticipation dawn upon all of us this holiday Season.

God rest you merry, gentlemen,

Let nothing you dismay,

For Jesus Christ our Saviour

Was born upon this day,

To save us all from Satan's power

When we were gone astray:

O tidings of comfort and joy,

comfort and joy,

O tidings of comfort and joy.

Comfort and Joy. Just what I need.

award

para kay jay, na ex boyfriend ko.

What if we stop having a ball?

What if the paint chips from the wall?

What if there's always cups in the sink?

What if I'm not what you think I am?

What if I fall further than you?

What if you dream of somebody new?

What if I never let you win, chase you with a rolling pin?

Well what if I do?

I am giving up on making passes and

I am giving up on half empty glasses and

I am giving up on greener grasses

I am giving up

What if our baby comes home after nine?

What it your eyes close before mine?

What if you lose yourself sometimes?

Then I'll be the one to find you

Safe in my heart

I am giving up on making passes and

I am giving up on half empty glasses and

I am giving up on greener grasses

I am giving up

I am giving up

I am giving up

I am giving up on greener grasses

I am giving up for you

I am giving up for you

I am giving up

Mga surpresa (Surprises)

Natapos ko ang raket ng bago mananghalian kanina.

Ewan ko, para may isang malaki at mabigat na bagay ang nawala sa aking ga-santa claus na sako of baggages. haha. At mega gumaan ang feeling ko ha, pramis. Gusto ko sanang samahan ng p.s./N.B. note yung email ko sa raket-giver eh, na sa totoo lag eh naging sanhi ng pighati at sama ng loob sa isang buwan na ginagawa ko ang raket. May panahon na ngang sinabi ko sa boss kong ibigay ko nalang kaya na libre yung raket (na ni-dedma naman nya, so tinapos ko tuloy kahit halos nangalahati yung proposed budget ko. haha). Gusto kong sabihin sa raket-giver na dahil pinilit kong matapos ang lahat ng kalokohang ni-propose ko (at tinawaran nila, mercilessly) eh trinangkaso ako, at hanggang ngayon eh malamya parin, hindi makatulog sa gabi at lahat lahat na ng ka-lechehan. Kaso wag nalang. Waw, naiintindihan ko na siguro ang ibig sabihin ng work hazard. haha. Ang nais ko lang at this point eh mabayaran agad. Eh egad--wag naman sanang paiyakan din itong proseso na ito. Ipag-pray po natin. :P

Medyo tinoyo ako kanina-- talagang seryoso ako nung sinabi ko sa aking fezbook status na gusto kong magpunta sa isang lugar na may sariwang hangin at araw. Yun yung feeling ko nung natapos ko yung raket. Para bang bigla akong naniwala na pag nagpa-dagat ako or something that very afternoon, makakatulog ako, mahi-hynotize ng tunog ng dagat at alon ang aking kamalayan at mega makakaramdam ako ng warmth at well being. Ewan ko--kung totoyohin din ako bukas, baka totohanin ko na itong beach interlude na ito. Saan pa nga ba, edi sa Sentosa. May iba pa ba? Ewan ko--biglang nag-long ako for traquility and restfulness. Sorry naman, walang maayos na beach dito eh.

Ngayon, dahil hindi nga ako natuloy sa Sentosa, naisipan kong i-check ang EMS cherva nung bagay na napalanunan ko sa online loterya. Wah. On her way to our house na si Purima! At shet, walang nag eemail sakin (kahit na naka-register ang email add ko for updates chenes). Ni check ko ang oras--pocha, past 2 o'clock. It should get to our house by 3pm. Aiyoh. Nasa opits pa ako, at mukhang di ako uuwi na maaga, kasi may importanteng lakad ako sa hapon.

In short, mag aalas diyes na nang nakauwi kami ng bahay. at nandun nga sa estante ang delivery advice. Syet. Nakakainis na nakaka-excite. Tatawag nalang ako bukas (sa totoo lang, ni try ko pang magpa redelivery schedule. at 10 pm diba. wala akong patawad) sa Singpost.

Purima, dyan ka lang! wak ka malikot, magkikita din tayo bukas. gudnayt!

(oo, retarded ako)

So sino ba kasi itong si Purima? haha

end of the world

Di ba nga, wala kaming dining set ngayon. May napipintahan na kaming bago, at nasa IKEA pa sya, hinihintay kaming lahat malibre sa kanya kanyang schedule, para maiuwi ito.

Ngayon, hindi ko nai-press release pero wala narin kaming TV set sa living area. Nung nag renew kasi kami ng contract nung April, pinakuha na namin itong nakakaawang TV ng land lord namin, kasi bukod sa panget ito, eh--well, panget ito. wala pang remote. ngayon, naisip naming huwag munang bumili, kasi hindi pa naman kami nababagot sa mga movie downloads at youtube. Baka sa December nalang, maka-tyempo pa kami ng 200 dollars na 32" LCD Plasma. haha.

So oo... medyo bare na ang common area namin.

ngayon...

may magaling na naliligo na nagwa water heater, tapos di sinasara

so tumaba yung hose tuloy, mukhang nainitan.

at for some reason tumutulo ang gripo ever ng malakas this morning.

bumigay na.

kelangan ko i-shut down ang buong tubig ng bahay tuloy.

so wala narin kaming tubig.

dapat nabang mag panic?

tanungin natin sya...

thankfuls

Hay. Salamat Lord.

1. for cheap air tickets.

2. for comics that relate to everyday life.

3. for yahoo messenger

4. for my brothers' speedy recoveries (yeh, nag shifting sila sa hospital yung isa eh AH1N1 scare (na hindi naman pala), at yung isa eh dengue boi.)

diba ang kyoot kyoot nila. (more than a decade ago. things change. of course.)

5. for funny and nostalgic pictures like these, taken eons ago (at payat ako nun! yeh!)

5. for my personal mafia, aka the husband. he's the best, you know. :)

and i quote carly simon: "nobody does it better".

Ikaw, what are you thankful for? :)