Samal Island

Me and my friends went to Samal last Wednesday. I took a day-off from work to visit one of our friends’ new private beach resort. It was really beautiful though it was not yet duly finished yet.

I swam for more than three straight hours, paddled a small boat on the shoreline with two other friends and had so much fun!

At the end of the day, I collapsed after climbing up a mountain to the road for a kilometer I guess. Good thing, the elders were there to help me gain my consciousness.

I could never survive climbing mountains even how positive I think that I can make it.

 

At the barge going to Samal Island around past 5am in the morning.

 

Travelling towards the beach resort… a very foggy day!

 

the horse and kids…

 

The beach!

the looooong staircase…

 

 

 

On our way home…

 

Barge… going home…

Masara Landslide

Here are the pictures taken from Masara after the landslide a week ago.

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Past Tense

After all these years, I never saw your face and eyes so sad.

With all those hugs and kisses before, I never felt you need me that much until your hand touched my arm.

I have already put behind me everything about us and what was not about us.

There will be no more what ifs and what could have been.

You built the bridges in your destiny and it was far away from me.

I was left building bridges of my own destiny away from you. This is the destiny we built together.

At least we’re still friends.

wake me up

I was and  still am bored to death.

Damn, here I am again. At 31 I feel like I do not have any more right to be bored.

Last Saturday, I made two bracelets while having my classes. Kuya Nil ordered them since last July but since I do not have the materials at hand because my supplier’s supplies were not yet on her hands too… confusing di ba? hehehe My supplier from manila orders them in Hongkong pa.

This one’s made of peridot austrian swarovski crystals which is the birthstone of august while the second one was made of swarovski pearls and heart crystal austrian swarovski too. I really love them parang yoko na sila ibenta at sa akin na lang.

I met kuya nil at a bus more than 2 years ago. We were seatmates. He was laughing at me while I was reading my magazines waiting for the bus to leave the terminal. I read magazines mula sa likod kasi. Hindi ko alam kung bakit basta ganon gusto ko. Hindi naman yung tipong literally from last page to the beginning. Last topic or story muna then hanggang 1st story.

It turned out ‘reyes’ ang middle name nya so we ended up instant distant cousins kahit taga cebu sila at taga nueva ecija naman papa ko.

Anyway, he ordered it for her wife’s birthday na supposed to be gift niya nung agust.

Good news: Out of nowhere, a small culinary school just emerged here in our small city! I can arrange my class schedule according to vacant days. Though I am hoping and dreaming of the classy and elegant culinary arts school in davao city but since to no avail for my schedules, I guess I have to settle for this.

We had a lot of visitors today. small thanksgiving party na tinaon sa fiesta. supposed to be pasalamat sa lahat ng blessings natanggap especially ako. pero wala akong ininvite. ang mga pumunta visitors ng parents ko and youngest brother. while they were talking, giggling and laughing, i was in my room having my online class and blogging, googling, chatting, etc.

I asked my brother if he can accompany me to the beach this Thursday kasi batong-bato na talaga ako!

MLLE claudine f******

Is it me or am I just really having a bad time DAMN IT.

She was a new student.

She asked if I understand French and I said no so she asked me how can I teach her if I do not know any French? I told her we’ll be talking English like the other students.

She was really being a bitch. I checked her level and it was 1.8 beginner. I had no problem with that. I even had 1.2 students and we’re doing fine with massive nosebleed on my part.

Then while we were starting to have our lesson she just blurted out that she doesn’t like my accent. Okay, I can deal with that.

So I told her I will speak slower so she can understand me. I have the tendency to speak very fast which is what my students usually comment on me but we would deal with it properly.

This made her even bitchier. She thinks I thought of her as someone who does not understand English. I was really very nice to her.

She told me she will stop the class immediately because she cannot ‘work well with her English skills’ because she cannot understand my accent.

It was the first time a student complained about my accent.

I admit as a FIlipina who has never stepped foot on any place abroad nor has English as a 1st language, I do not have the perfect and not even close to perfect american or british accent (if my student can’t understand american accent I shift to british) but she made it sound as if I had no right to teach English to her because I was younger and I came from the Philippines.

She kept on asking me how long have i been teaching english and am i sure im fit for this job? What the fuck?

I have never felt so insulted before from a student.

Damn you. Just because I am a Filipina does not give you the right to do that for me.

Sinayang mo lang punyeta oras ko. To think, my regular students are having difficulties reserving the schedule and time she got. In the company where I work, the computer does the schedule thingy. New or floating students reserve schedules and the computer looks for an available teacher. Regular students can opt to reserve classes on their chosen teachers. reservation of class schedules are first come first serve basis as two weeks early.

I have a full schedule and sometimes I give extra class hours for regular students who cannot get any reservations from my schedule anymore.

I do my best with my students simply because I love my job. My students know that that’s why I am earning more and more regular students.

Hay naku, magkaka-wrinkles ako sa matandang yun, sana makakuha siya ng terror na online teacher! Grrrr!

Jack and Jill

I was in Mercury drug store when someone shouted, “karlo/carlo!”

Of course, there are a lot of karlos/carlos in the world but I looked at the direction and saw ‘karlo’ who to my surprise is gay.

I remembered my ‘karlo’.

The first days we were ‘us’, he shocked me when he pretended to be gay. He looked so convincing and I hate the look in his face enjoying my shocked expression.

“grabeh sis, ang hirap magpretend ng ganito especially kasi eldest son ako noh!”

“Oh ano surprised ka na bakla ako?! Totoo…”

“Ang hirap nga kasi may close ako sa office si Mike at di niya alam may feelings ako sa kanya…”

“Bruha, wag kang tatawag sa bahay at sasabihin bakla ako at papatayin kita!”

He enjoyed every moment torturing me with my confusion. Don’t get me wrong, I am not homophobic, but was I really dating a gay person? Was my boyfriend really gay?

When he called at the office, I told him if it was really true,

“gaga, ano ka ba biro lang yun noh.”

… but then he did it again and again which became really very annoying to me.

So one time, when he was at my place he commented on how the Korean managers in the office have already recognized his voice. He did not need to introduce himself anymore.

“Hello, good eve, can I please speak to Honey?”

Sejin: Oh hi James, yes wait for a while!

He liked the thought that he was getting quite popular in the office so he told me about it.

“Kaso yung korean guy si michael, galit pag siya kausap ko at binababa ang phone busy ka raw.”

“kaaway ko yun eh” I replied.

“So di ba sila nagtatanong bakit ako tawag ng tawag everyday?” He was really enjoying the attention.

“Yap dati. Pero kasi sabi ko gay ka!”

(Moments of reflection…)

Naka strike one na ako.

“Ah okay sige, next time pagtumawag ako I will pretend to be gay na lang” in a very malumanay voice.

Then imelda, an officemate and housemate entered in the living room.

“Imes, si James, James si Imes”

Imes: Hi! (clearing her voice) Siya ba? Sabay ngiti.

“Oh, he’s gay!”

(Moments of reflection ulet)

Naka strike 2 na rin ako.

Madali kasi mamula si Karlo kaya nakakatuwa tingnan ang kanyang reaction. Imes left the room with an evil grin.

After a while karlo said, “Bakit ganon sinabi mo?”

“You like to pretend you are gay, so I also like to pretend you’re gay! Oh di ba masaya! ”

He never pretended to be gay ever again.

Naka-strike 3 ako.

10 Signs He’s Just Not That Into You…

10. When he unexpectedly sees you on the street, he looks away while making a finger mustache.

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9. He has a secret crush on Maggie Gyllenhaal…’s brother.

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8. He breaks up with you just before a major gift- gving occasion, like Valentine’s Day or your birthday. (I have a housemate before whose sucker boyfriend breaks up with her before every special occasion not to mention, the picture in his wallet is his ex-gf’s and speed dial 1 is his ex-gf’s too. Pathetic.)

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7. Whenever you want to hang out, he says he has to work late… which would be fine, except he’s a morning-show deejay.

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6. He keeps hinting about having a threesome with you and your hot friend… OR JUST YOUR HOT FRIEND.

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5. He calls only after midnight. And by calls, we mean texts.

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4. When a fast-food cashier asks whether you want to pay separately by saying, “you two together?” he instinctively answers, “IT’S NOT SERIOUS.”

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3. He asks how your day was, then clicks on his iPod.

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2. He has a habit of forgetting simple things. LIKE YOUR NAME.

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1. Most of his phone responses consist of ‘huh’. And you’re not sure, but it sounds like he’s really kicking ass in Halo 3.

from: COSMO COMMANDMENTS: COSMOPOLITAN MAGAZINE SEPT. 2008 USA issue

Destiny for today

I was eating at KFC when a man approached at me smiled and asked if he can share a table with me. I nodded. He then started to make a conversation and out of nowhere I thought snappily to make some sign languages pretending I cannot speak. Well, he just smiled and continued eating quietly.

Once I was done eating, I left him at the table and went my way.

After a few hours, I was already inside a bus sipping my favorite four season shake having a nice day when I saw him came in the bus, damn.

“please don’t sit beside me… please don’t sit beside me..” praying.

He didn’t. He passed by me smiling. He recognized me. He just sat right behind me.

WTF, what if a friend, neighbor, relative, etc would see and talk to me. Damn, he would hear I can speak and talk and it would be really very… I do not know exactly how I would feel… guilt? embarrassment? humiliation? Damn.

I had this urge to talk to him and pretend I have severe tonsilitis before someone I know talks to me.

I kept my serenity.

No one I knew was in the bus, lucky for me.

Hope I won’t meet him ever again.

Nalulunod

Naisip ko lang bigla…

nalulunod rin ba ang isda?

Serious…

Your Best Workout Songs For…

RUNNING

Get ready to run with these songs!

1. You Can’t Always Get What You Want – Luther Allison
2. Big Girl (You Are Beautiful) – Mika
3. Dirty Little Secret – All American Rejects
4. All These Things That I’ve Done – The Killers
5. Wait A Minute – Pussycat Dolls
6. Seven Nation Army – The White Stripes
7. Where the Streets Have No Name – U2
8. LDN – Lily Allen
9. Vivrant Thing – Q-Tip
10. DOA – Foo Fighters

YOGA

This playlist features the perfect tunes to help you relax.
1. First Day of My Life – Bright Eyes
2. Times Like These – Jack Johnson
3. Born Secular – Jenny Lewis and the Watson Twins
4. She’s Only Happy in the Sun – Ben Harper
5. Fix You – Coldplay
6. Begin – Ben Lee
7. Field Below – Regina Spektor
8. Shelter – Ray LaMontagne
9. Watermark – Enya
10. This Woman’s Work – Maxwell

from: Marie Claire Magazine