A Thousand [S] Miles

That very moment I saw her picture in large print last night in Glorietta, I’d almost slipped down in the escalator. I felt a sudden adrenaline rush.  I regret that I stepped on it and that I might miss out reading the details on the poster… While going down, I was looking up… trying to absorb everything printed on it.  “Vanessa Carlton walks a thousand miles to perform live” Glorietta Activity Center May 10 at 7:00pm.   Woohoo!  Wish granted again! I’d long wanted to see her perform from the time I saw her MTV of that song…  And thanks God, the long wait will soon be over, I’d be seeing her play “A Thousand Miles” with her piano LIVE! She’s one of the best pop singer, songwriter and pianist and I become an instant fan of her as she began to hit the piano keys and the head banging continues from that Coda… hehehe 

Catch her on the following dates:
May 09 – Trinoma Hall – 7:00pm | May 10 – Glorietta Activity Center – 7:00pm |
May 11 – Alabang Town Center – 6:00pm 
 

It’s absolutely free! Prepare your CDs, Carlton fans! It’s gonna be one heck of Tenenenen tenen tenenenenenen J Vanessa walks a thousand miles and brings Sheggz a thousand smiles. I walked a thousand miles if I could just see you… tonight!  Woohoooo! [Lord, there’s one left on my list, Carrie Underwood… please? You’re angels will definitely bring her here]  

Shared Victory

  
I’d almost forgot that today, my brother is going to take his oath. He was so excited to hand in to me the souvenir program given at last night’s thanksgiving dinner at their school.  When we were still kids, and one of us has something to be boastful of, like we won in something, we were awarded with something, we were recognized for something, he brought home a trophy or a medal while I brought home a prized money for something, the achievement of one is oftenly regarded as the pride of the other.  In short, it has always been a shared victory. We never had the same achievements because we excel in an entirely different fields.  If any of us was on-stage, the other would always be proud, always exclaiming… “Kapatid ko yan, huh?! Oo kapatid ako nyan.”  With regards to achievements, there was never any instance that any of us become jealous or insecure of the other.  It has never been part of our lives. We were never taught by our grandparents to be insecured of anyone hehehe.  My Lolo tells us, “Wag ninyong itataas sa ulo ninyo ang medalya, tropeo at palakpak, mas pag-ingatan ninyo ang relasyon bilang magkapatid.”  It has always been the same, when someone shares his or her achievement with the other, it’s like telling, “there’s something added in our list”.  When I saw the Batch 2007 Bedan Examinees and at the center was 2007 List of Bedan Lawyers.  *Naks!*  Now that we’re grown-ups, the manner in which the “giggle and excitement” are shown, are the same as “the giggle and excitement” we had when we’re young.  The only difference is N-o-t-h-i-n-g! 
It’s as if we won a plastic pitcher or a set of plates, glasses and tupperwares in Roleta or 6 bottles of Coke or several packs of Peewee from the “Hagis-Bentsingko sa Square Board” in Perya.  If there’s something I admire about my parents and my grandparents, it’s how they keep us responsible at keeping being siblings our way of saying thank you to them, and one of our means to “pay it forward”.
Oh, before I end this blog, my first time to call my brother at his office.  
S: Kindly tell him, it’s his sister. 
The receptionist felt relieved, I guess.  When I was already talking to my bro.. 
S: Parang hesitant ung receptionist na ipakausap ako sayo.
R: Bakit?  Ano ba sabi mo?
S: Sabi ko pakausap sayo.  Complete name.  Bakit kailangan pa ba may Atty.? 
R: Tange, Oo, Ate.  Igalang galang mo naman ako kahit konti.  It’s just the A-T-T-Y.  Pag wala sa office, ayun pede mo na akong tawaging Obel hahaha.  Di pa nga din nagsisink-in hehehe.
S: Ah Kaya pala nailang ung receptionist sa akin.  Sana’y sasabihin kong Totoy Obel hahahaha.
R: Sige, gawin mo.  Pag ako tumawag jan, sasabihin kong.. pede po kay Ate Obong? Hahaha.
We were just laughing… Para lang kaming sina Obel at Obong noong mga bata pa kami na ang favorite hang-out ay ang masikip na likod ng center sofa… hagikhikan… at pag hinanap kami ni Ina para paluin, uupo lang kami para magtago… hagikhikan pa rin… *hihihihihi*

Congrats, Rovs!

Can’t spell it out :)

Realize by Colbie Caillat  

Take time to realize
That your warmth is
Crashing down on in
Take time to realize
That I am on your side
Didn’t I, didn’t I tell you
But I can’t spell it out for you
No, it’s never gonna be that simple
No, I can’t spell it out for you

If you just realize
What I just realized
That we’d be perfect for each other
And we’ll never find another
Just realize
What I just realized
We’d never have to wonder
If we missed out on each other now

Take time to realize
Oh oh, I’m on your side
Didn’t I, didn’t I tell you
Take time to realize
This all could pass you by
Didn’t I tell you
But I can’t spell it out for you
No, it’s never gonna be that simple
No, I can’t spell it out for you

If you just realize
What I just realized
That we’d be perfect for each other
And we’ll never find another
Just realize
What I just realized
We’d never have to wonder
If we missed out on each other, but

It’s not the same
No, it’s never the same
If you don’t feel it, too
If you meet me half way
If you would meet me half way
It could be the same for you

If you just realize
What I just realized
That we’d be perfect for each other
And we’ll never find another
Just realize
What I just realized
We’d never have to wonder

Just realize
What I just realized
If you just realize
What I just realized
Missed out on each other now
Missed out on each other now owa, owa ohh
Realize… Realize… Realize… Realize (uh-ohhh)

They remember you :)

I used to hear that name but I hardly know her aside from being my Nanang Ludy’s very bestfriend… After not seeing more than 27 years, who won’t get excited to see her. 

I observed just how my 85-year old Lolo and my 78-year old Lola fondly recall her and how she had been a part of their lives.  Last Saturday, our family warmly welcomes her with her family.  The warm embrace and kisses had finally end the 27 years of waiting… it was one touching moment I witnessed.  The long years gap have to be reconnected in 3 hours… they were all laughing as they remember those times… the suitors, the weddings, the classmates… and their lives… the friendship…

Usually every fiesta and special family gatherings, it’s our closest friends who regularly visit us even without invitation.  They just come for they are no longer guests… they’ve been family to us, too. 

That’s the reason why I seldom introduce my friends to my grandparents and my parents.  They keep names of those closest to us and they remember it.  Why?  They treat our friends as someone they can entrust us with… Every weekend, they always ask us “kamusta naman si … eh si … nagtetext pa ba sa inyo… nagkakausap ba kayo ni ganyan… hindi na pumupunta dito si … puntahan o dalawin mo minsan iyon… ” 

You wouldn’t believe it but sometimes our Lolo and Lola have more than “stored kwentos” than us about our friends J Galing noh?
And when it’s their old old friends who come and visit us, you will actually see and feel the "excitement" in them for the rare opportunity of having their friends introduced to us… "Naku kaibigang kaibigan ko ito mula pa noong panahon ng mga Hapon." [Kamusta namang haba ng friendship na iyon]

Welcome back Luvy and Iset!
Absent: Ate Rech, Mhy and Rodz and Ageng [Hinahanap kayo!]

Guardians

Let’s talk about the Guardians of PBB Teen Edition Plus who are getting much noise than the Teens itself.  I love watching them as they present another generation of the housemates.  Daddy John of Kevin is funny and adorable but at times is not in control of his faculties, Alex’s Mom is one I admire the most for being so cool.  If there’s a group who are not aware of what’s gonna happen more than the teen housemates themselves.. it’s the guardians… you will clearly see who’s actually feeling awkward, who’s cool, who’s trying to mess around and who’s the bossy and who are not comfortable with being with others… hehehe  

But when it comes to the teens, my vote goes out to the Positive Girl of Dumaguete, Rona Marie!

and Robi

Hello ulit :)

I read this from Mr. Bong Santos’ link.

One Hello came out in 1982 as main theme of the movie adaptation of NEIL SIMON’s I OUGHT TO BE IN PICTURES. The successful 1979 play earned for actress DINAH MANOFF a TONY AWARDS for BEST ACTRESS. She was the only member of the lead cast to be retained for the movie starring opposite WALTER MATTHAU and ANN-MARGRET. ONE HELLO, written by MARVIN HAMLISCH and CAROLE BAYER-SAGER also appeared on RANDY CRAWFORD’s 1982 album WINDSONG. 

All the while I thought, it is Angela Bofill who sung it first but this song actually is a Randy Crawford original. I heard so many foreign and local renditions of this song.  To name a few, there’s Nina, Coloured Soulz, Grace Arceno, Pops Fernandez, Gary Valenciano, Jinky Vidal of Freestyle but there’s one link that brought me to this link.  It sounds like Sheryn Regis… it was one of the best renditions I’ve heard.  The song itself is priceless, that whoever sing it, will still sound perfect

Hanudaw?

Isa na marahil sa maituturing kong nagpatawa sa akin ng malakas ngayong araw na ito ay ang biglaang chat conversation namin ni Anje tungkol sa samut-saring kaganapan sa pag-aayos ng mga requirements puntang New Zealand.  Uso na kasi ngayon ang pagpapa-authenticate ng mga credentials na wari mo ay wala sa Pilipinas ang Recto.  Bago na rin kasi ang sistema ng pagkuha ng passport at ang pag-uupdate ng records kapag bagong kasal..  

Natawa ako sa inis ni Anje.  Handang handa siya sa picture para mukhang professional sa passport, hindi nya alam na may official photographer na sa DFA.  Nang lumabas si picture, ganito ang pagkakadescribe nya. 

Ate, kung baga ung pic na dala ko eh parang domestic helper na papunta pa lang sa abroad

Pero ung pic nila eh ung domestic helper akong maltreated ng amo. Bwiset anu! 

Kailangan na talagang magpa-authenticate ng mga credentials para marecognize sa ibang bansa.  Hassle siyempre. 

May isang kilalang banko na hindi ino-honor ang passport at marriage contract as valid documents kapag nagpapaupdate ng pangalan sa mga bagong kasal na nag-iba na syempre ang apelyido.  Kailangan daw 2 valid IDs.  

Ang mejo naguluhan ako, una, government agencies ang nagiissue ng mga documents na ito, at sa pagkakaalam ko rin, passport ang numero unong valid at official document to present.  Hindi ko nga maintindihan kung pati gobyerno natin questionable na din… Sa madaling sabi, hanudaw?  

A headstart to NZ

My good friend Anje once asked me, “Ate, are you no longer serious about reconsidering your application in New Zealand?”.  At the time that question was brought up, I tried the hardest to ignore it.  New Zealand was my first foreign application at the time I was still in Dept of Tourism where my bosses are migrating to Auckland.  Ate Ross at that time gave me a lot of hints and IELTS reviewers because I was at that time the most serious expressing my interest of pursuing a career in NZ.  I started collecting points only to know that the little earnings I had were all used for that purpose.  The little I had that are supposed to be used to finance my master’s. 
I don’t know why after browsing the British Embassy website, I decided to typed-in the never-been forgotten URL of NZ.  http://www.nzis.govt.nz and there I saw, it has already been modified and the points had dramatically increased.  I started assessing my qualifications and found out that it reached the boundaries!  I tried reviewing the points and bumped into the Qualifications area… this is the only time that I regret not finishing my masters.  I only have a few remaining units to take if I decided not to continue my thesis.  The non-thesis strategic paper option caught my interest to go back to USTe… it will be just one sem to finish all the unfinished tasks so I can definitely be deserving of getting the “recognized master’s degree certificate” that once failed me in my previous application in NZ.
I started chatting with Anje once again, and she got excited at hearing the good news hehehe.  I’m excited too, to go back to my previous schools to get the much-needed credentials. Woohoo!!
As we end up our conversation… I sent this message, “Anje! Bye!  See you in Wellington!” *lol*
Who knows by the end of 2008 or early 2009, it will no longer be a joke.. di ba?
Dream Big!

The Brit Embassy

At around 6:45 this morning, I was already walking in front of the Manila Pen heading towards the corner of Ayala and Makati Ave.  A few steps away from the underpass, I saw two ladies who I suspect were close friends getting lost in Makati.  The one approached me and asked, “Miss, where is British Embassy?”.  Since she asked me in English, it’s but my way of giving respect to answer it back on the same languange (hehehe).  “It’s on the other side of the street, the first building at the corner. <Pointing to Locsin Bldg.> Come with me, I’m going there, too.”  They smiled.  
On our way to that building, I told them, “I’ve long been wanting to visit that Embassy.  I’ve been around for several months but never did I care to visit that place.  I used to surf their website for Visa, now that I’m working on the same building where it is built but…”  I paused, I don’t know why I’ve been very casual at saying those things that I am not sure about whether they are interested at knowing.  I just smiled back, “just present your ID at the reception area and there you go… goodluck!”
When I reached the reception area, I saw the guard who constantly check and remind me to wear my ID… but this time, the conversation wasn’t as harsh as before.  I told him, “Antagal ko ng gustong pumunta jan sa building na binabantayan mo, ni hindi ko man lang itinanong sa yo kung anong floor yun.  May mga job vacancies bang nakapost?”
He said, “Wala po, Ma’am.  Puro Visa applications lang.”  He just smiled. 
I think I should go there and try my luck.  Besides, it’s just a few click on the elevator.  This might be the best time to go where I would want to go

Shared Happiness

Friendster Horoscope for April 24, 2008 @ 7:06AM
Sagittarius (Nov 22 - Dec 21)
The Bottom Line: Deal with your relationship issues — it’s time to re-evaluate what’s going on.
In Detail:  Today you will need to deal with one or two relationship issues — with the same person. It might feel like they are doing everything they can to keep you two from shared happiness, but they are only communicating what they need.  You might not like it, but you can’t blame them for it.  It’s time to totally re-evaluate what is going on between you and be brutally honest.  Is it time for you to move on to someone who wants more of what you want?  Ask them this question and see what they say.

[Uh-oh… what does this means?]