UP Lantern Parade 2010

it's been years since i have been to the Lantern Parade. this year, despite the rain and traffic, my friends and i were there! these are this year's displays --

Why give up before we try
Feel the lows before the highs
Clip our wings before we fly away
I can’t say I came prepared
I’m suspended in the air
Won’t you come be in the sky with me

-Unthinkable (Alicia Keys feat. Drake)

Perch

my girlfriends and i have this pact that we will try to have one fancy dinner each month. this is to have time to just catch up with what's happening with one another. being together in the office doesn't mean we get to talk everyday -- work gets in the way. so this december, we decided to try out Perch, where one of my friend's sister is a regular chef together with the owner chef. this also became our own Christmas party, where we also played a White Elephant game. it was great to see friends trying to 'steal' the other one's gift, to see them running around the house! LOL.

here are some pictures at Perch:

 family dinner table

 mushroom, zucchini, bell pepper squid dish with potato balls and cream sauce

 paella and roasted chicken -- yummy!

close up of the paella

 welcome to perch!

removed our sandals, running after more gifts :)

and the perfect way to end the night - a cup of creme brulee with coffee...

thank you, chefs golda and hazel! it was one fun night, indeed!

HAPPY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!

Cafe Perch 

22 Ramos St., Carmel 3, Project 6, Quezon City, Philippines

(02) 927 9767 and (02) 427 4707

*apologies for not being able to write the food's real fancy names :)

life, love, time

the best use of life is to love
the best expression of love is time
the best time to love is now

-fr. conching's sermon today at the parish of the holy sacrifice

the grace of waiting

i took a tricycle ride on my way out of the subdivision. upon arrival at the entrance, i hopped off the tricycle and proceeded to get my purse to pay the driver. but my purse wouldn't come to my hands (accio, purse!) and i had to rummage through my "deep" bag for that small purse. so i said to the driver,

"kuya, wait lang (brod, please wait)."

and he said with a smile, "it's alright as long as you won't take the whole day."

that made me smile -- what a patient man!

*****

i went to the grocery today to pick up some stuff and when i reached the check-out counter, i noticed that i picked up more than what i planned. it took three packages to put in all the stuff and i had to carry them all on my ride home in a jeepney. as i was about to leave the jeep, i asked the driver to wait, because i could not possibly be fast enough in getting down. i was carrying three packages and my laptop bag. the driver then said to me, "okay, take your time." again, that made me smile.

*****

i took a tricycle ride going to our apartment carrying my three packages and laptop bag. when i arrived at our gate, i had to ask the driver to wait because i had to get out of the vehicle first before picking up my stuff. he didn't say anything but he proceeded to pick up my packages and handed it over to me.

what a nice reminder of patience! i like!

good feeling

"i've got a feeling... that tonight's gonna be a good night..."

not just for tonight, nor the coming days ahead, but for the coming Year! :)

i really do have a good feeling about it, starting today because finally --- i enrolled in what i hope will be my last penalty course and i started the filing of application for graduation. i have not done the latter before so i hope that will be a good start. according to the grad office, the last day of filing for grades for master's student this semester is on april 11 next year. i am truly hoping to beat that deadline so i could go and march with the rest of the graduating class on the third week of april 2011. :D

to all of you, wish me luck and may we do well this semester! :)

i am claiming it!

i am claiming it!

next year, i am going to Finish my Thesis and get Engaged! :)

and no negative reactions please. all i need is your wholehearted support :)

i am really happy how this monday turned out to be. i finally got a good feedback on the latest work i've been doing at the office. i thank God for being there, giving me the guidance and strength that i needed to do it. one thing i know, though have not applied yet until now, is this: if you want to be heard, speak up! i've learned that to be able to go on, i had to say what's on my mind or else i'll go crazy and lose interest in what i'm doing. today, i am excited to do my work again.

second, i have finally gained permission to take a leave of absence from work (after numerous failed attempts) to finish my thesis. this is my third year of residency and should have finished three years ago. but now, i am excited to face my thesis again next year, beginning january. my driving force for this are my parents whom i would like to see walk onstage with me when i receive my Master's diploma. i can't wait!

i am owning these words, and i am claiming these things.

next step is to get engaged. to whom, let's just wait and see. LOL.

i think and feel that next year's gonna be MY year! :)

*****

i've read this somewhere before and most often than not, this is true:

if you want to be seen, stand up
if you want to be heard, speak up
if you want to be appreciated, shut up!

fears and getting old

today, i went to subic to take my refresher course for my offshore emergency training. this was just a one day event where we only had to do the practical test. when i did this four years ago, i was pretty excited and couldn't wait to go on and do all those underwater capsize things and fire escape test. it was all so new to me and felt i was invincible.

but not today.

underwater during the capsize helicopter simulation, i panicked. four years ago, i knew exactly where i am inside out of the simulator. today, i was totally lost. it was a series of little things that if i hadn't really kept my head, i would have drowned. first, i had trouble opening my window; second, i couldn't get out of the window until i realized that i didn't unfasten my seatbelt. when i figured it all out - all in split seconds - i was disoriented. i didn't know where was up anymore and had to swim away from the simulator as fast as i can without knowing if i was swimming up or down. all i could think of, "where was the rescue?!"

it was scary and i don't know if i could do it again.

four years ago, i was raving to do it over and over. what's more was that, i had a girl companion who was just as crazy as me. there were only the two of us in the simulator. now that i have more (guy) companions, i was more scared.

i was not alone today though. my swedish classmate (there were only three of us), was also feeling crazed. he was lost.

the same thing happened during the fire escape exercise. i went in the building alone with only my hands and feet guiding me; the second time even blindfolded. it was just a matter of keeping my panic at bay or i would have lost it there too when i couldn't find the lever to open the door. "if this is true life, would i faint here?," that was what i was thinking. when i got out, the only thing i could only say is "i'm really getting old, i'm scared of doing this already!"

but everything turned out very well. i am just so happy to have good instructors and very, very fun and supportive classmates. so to lars and demi, thanks guys. i think i lived up to part of my bargain - i didn't slow us down and were able to go home before 3p! :)

beauty raw ako

walking along st. andrew street on my way back to the coach station, i had to stop for a red light in one of its side street. across the road, i glimpsed three guys just coming out of a pub and one of them was a bit tipsy. when the light turned to green, i saw the guys crossing the street towards me. before i can get off the street though, one of the guys stopped and tapped me on the shoulders and said,

"you are very beautiful."

i was stunned speechless for a while and then i replied,

"why thank you!" and gave him a big grin. then i started walking towards the coach station again.

and that, ladies and gentlemen, is one of the reasons why i love edinburgh. 

and i know for a fact that it wasn't the tipsy guy who said that to me. unfortunately, i couldn't remember how he looked but i remembered that he was a bit tall (but not too tall) and a bit chubby guy - just the way i like it! :D

-----

note: return ticket (london victoria to edinburgh) the first time i was there cost me around 80GBP.

122

i am not a bowler but for this year's annual company bowling competition, my friends and i formed our team again. last year, we agreed on just having fun but when we saw that we could hit the pins, we were trying to cheer everybody on so we could get into the finals. we didn't but we had a lot of fun. i scored a bit less than a 100 and it was my personal best (from my days of duckpin bowling LOL).

it was the same for this year, we went to play a competitive fun game. and i scored my ---- my personal best:

122!

maybe next year, when i get to play again, i can score more.

or.... would anyone want to join me in a bowling game soon? :)