Count your blessings, the cliche goes.
The year 2012 has been a helluva roller coaster ride. To say that I've seen better years would be an understatement.
We opened the year at an unlikely place: a small rectangular white-walled room that fits a bed, a small sofa, a few square-feet of free space and a wall-mounted tv. Contrary to what we have been accustomed to, we quietly celebrated New Year's eve in the hospital. No fancy food. No picture taking.
Itay was admitted at PMSH a few days after Christmas, and was discharged 5 days after New Year. It was the start of his final bout with PD apparently, as he was never able to at least walk on his own again after that.
It was quite hard to go on with life as normal with a lot of what-ifs going on inside your mind. Our family had to adjust. Schedules, expenses. Each time my phone rings with somebody back home calling/texting, my heart would skip a beat.
That dreaded phone call came from my brother at around 6am of August 22, almost 9 months after the quiet New Year celebration. The day before that, I bade Itay goodbye as I needed to go back to work the next day. I could not forget the teardrop that fell from his eye, when all the while we thought he was asleep. It must have been his way of telling me he is about to go and I should stay a few hours more.
2012 marked his first birthday and our first Christmas holidays without him.
Last December 7, Inay also left the country for a much needed respite. She has gone through a lot and she deserves the break. I hope she is enjoying the change of environment, that comes with a change in wardrobe. Aba, eh lagi na lang naka-coat at boots ang mudra! :)
Career-wise, 2012 has not been kind enough as well. Despite the struggles of getting the photo-finish 6-Sigma GB certification from Motorola, it did not result to any promotion as I expected. The "mukhang-pera" side of me is saying, "ok lang yan. may PFS ka naman."
During the year, I would say that my team took the strongest blows. In the eyes of some people, we were always at fault. Just when we are about to hold on to the bar, it just kept on raising.
The year also saw a number of goodbyes from the team. Some have found other opportunities outside the royal blue and tangerine orange world, and preferred red, or blue and yellow, if you know what I mean. A handful decided to pursue other positions in other units. It was difficult letting go, but it is a phase that we have to undergo.
One good thing that came out from all of this is that it taught us to rely on each other and face the problem with united strength. With the help and guidance of Mina, my superior, we came up with work-smart ideas that are now part of our day-to-day tasks. Now we are gearing up yet again for the upscaled challenge in 2013.
Looking back, my achievements last year are mostly on the lighter side.
1. It has been my goal to visit a place where I've never been; at least one place in a year. This year, I had my first trip to HK, Macau, Malaysia and Singapore. I think I overdid it to compensate for the disappointments.
2. I finally earned the Marathoner title after finishing the 42.125km race of the SG leg of Standard Chartered Marathon. I was also able to run in Cebu and kept up with my at-least-once-a-month fun run goal. Yay!
3. It is always nice to reconnect with your closest friends. Last September, I revisited Legazpi and Naga with my BFFs, and enjoyed wakeboarding at CWC. Ok fine, it seems it was just me who enjoyed wakeboarding.
4. I gained new friends via the PEx Running Club. Here's to more kitakits in 2013, running and otherwise.
5. What better way to cap a stressful workday than drinking coffee or tea, matched with acoustic singing or just plain talk with DFs at a place otherwise known to us as Imbi Starbs. (Hint: our version of "plain" talk could be dangerous. Haha.)
6. Or enjoying a LFS at Mega or Galle with SFs? Any movie will do, especially if it's free. :D
7. The TMR Book 2 has been released and surprisingly, I still have an entry included. I seldom send entries na kase. Special thanks to Chico for including it.
I have yet a lot of things to be thankful for, but there won't be enough space for it. If I'd be asked what word would remind me of 2012, it would be RESILIENCY. I guess that amidst all the hardships, what is more important is the getting up and fighting back. It has been a rough, tough and bumpy ride, but hey, I'm still here and raring to see what's in store for 2013.
2013, be good to me, pretty please.
And by the way, as you are reading this, aren't you thankful the world didn't end last December 21? :)
Sunday, December 30, 2012
Thursday, January 5, 2012
start the new year with a BANG!
~on the bus last night~
Sarili1: pucha pare, nakita mo ba yun?
Sarili2: ang alin, tol?
Sarili1: yung billboard ni butch francisco sa edsa qc, pare!
Sarili2: yung lakas-loob, buwis-buhay endorsement nya sa flawless?
Sarili1: yun nga, pare! kita mo yung bukas-polo, labas-cleavage na pose nya?
Sarili2: oo, tol! naduwal nga ako e! tapos ang tagline nya pa, "start the new year with a bang!" naka-drugs ba sya?
Sarili1: ah, BANG ba 'kamo? e kung pasabugin na lang kaya natin, pare? mas bagay yun dun!
Sarili2: sige, pasabugin na yan!
Sarili1: bwahahahahahaha!
Sarili2: bwahahahahahaha!
Ako: *nagising sa usapan ng dalawang sarili* sssshhhhhh! start the new year with a kind heart. *after imagining the billboard* ugh! ang hirap naman, paksyet! sige, pasabugin na yan!
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
makulit ka ha!
this has been on my drafts for more than a year. i started writing, but didn't get to finish it.
tonight i decided to wrap it up. para naman may bago akong post dito.
>>>> o <<<<
today was a regular working day. by "regular," i meant:
- a series of meetings
- reading and responding to some emails
- noisy-bordering-on-crazy conversations over lunch
- phone calls, work-related and otherwise
speaking of phone calls, i received a call from a certain rhia, a credit card outbound agent. i recognize her voice instantly, so when she gave her name, i knew it was her. this was the third time she called me, in two weeks. she was so persistent.
the first time that she called, lahat na ata ng promo ng cards na kine-carry niya, diniscuss na niya sa akin. cash advance, balance transfer, credit insurance, free supplementary card. the ever polite that i am, i just let her do her thing, while i'm saying "uh-huh," "ok," and "alright" from time to time. nung matapos sya, saka ko na sinabi na hindi ako interesado.
pero sabi niya, "sige na sir, kahit i-try nyo lang."
so i said, "sige, padalhan mo ako ng sample computation for balance transfer, tapos pagiisipan ko." then we agreed that she'll call me back 2 days after.
honestly, tiningnan ko naman talaga yung sample computation na binigay niya. i was just not interested.
so when she called me back, as agreed, i told her i'm not availing. at least not now. end of conversation.
today, tumawag na naman sya. this time, i really cut her spiels. until:
rhia: how about yung supplementary card sir, waived yung annual fee niya for the first year.
rodel: hindi talaga. wala naman akong bibigyan.
rhia: bakit naman sir? yung wife niyo, ayaw niyong bigyan ng supplementary card?
rodel: wala pa naman akong wife e.
rhia: ay ganun ba sir. how about yung parents niyo, or kapatid niyo?
rodel: no. they won't need it. besides, nasa province sila.
rhia: ah. yung girlfriend niyo sir, pwede niyo ring bigyan.
rodel: yun nga e. wala rin akong girlfriend ngayon.
rhia: ay ganun. bakit naman sir?
rodel: anong bakit?
rhia: bakit wala kayong girlfriend ngayon, eh parang ang bait-bait niyo naman.
rodel: di ko rin alam e. baka hindi ko pa natatagpuan. ikaw ba, single ka pa?
rhia: yes sir, single pa ako.
rodel: ilang taon ka na?
rhia: 24 na ako sir. bakit sir?
rodel: may boyfriend ka na?
rhia: ngayon sir? wala. single and available. *laughs*
rodel: ah. gusto mo ng supplementary card?
hahaha. i think i just sounded like a DOM!
so ayun, ang ending...
wala pa rin siyang benta.
at wala pa rin akong girlfriend.
Sunday, March 27, 2011
level up!
no doubt, i was apprehensive up until this morning to REALLY join the yakult 10-miler run.
i've been complaining about some pain on my right knee during our after-office runs last week.
i will also be, in a way, on my own, as my co-TYJ runners didn't make it to the registration.
and this will be a level-up run. my first 16k, that is.
despite the apprehension, i decided to retire early to bed last night, just about an hour or so after the earth hour. and i managed to wake up at 4am, take a quick shower, and get myself dressed for the battle. i took a cab as soon as i got out of our building, and some 20 minutes and 200 pesos after, there i was fixing my earphones and setting my timer while lining up at the race's starting line in CCP. yes, i'm gonna take the challenge, i told myself.
i worked my way to get into the front line, then looked behind me. not that many runners, i thought. patay! i might be the last finisher! i dreaded the idea. bahala na.
and then the gunshot signalling the start of the race went off.
my strategy in every race that i join is to just run on my own pace. not too fast, not too slow. this way, i get to extend my endurance longer. until the runners behind me ran past me, and because i didn't want to end up to be the last, i let pressure get its way through me and forced myself to run faster.
bad move. barely through the third kilometer signage, i was already feeling pain on the right side of my abdomen. it was bearable but it was bothering me, so i had to slow down and walk. i have read from some online pages before that such pain can be caused by incorrect breathing while running, and that slowing down, pressing the painful area while breathing deeply could help ease the pain. but darn, it wouldn't go. maybe this is because of the pressure that again, i was being overtaken by a number of runners from behind. so i ignored the pain and proceeded to run.
by the 5km signage, the pain on my right knee was making its presence felt already. gosh, how am i gonna finish the next 11 kilometers with stomach cramps and a painful knee? and for sure, my feet will get tired and painful too as i progress.
i started to question why i was doing the run? what will i get out of it? nothing, practically. but i continued to run, even then, but now with lesser effort, just on my own pace. what followed was run-walk-run-walk activity for me just to go on.
it didn't help that just a few strides after i did my second loop at the buendia flyover, the kenyans (yes, the kenyans!) are already on their way back towards ccp for the finish line! pressure again!
when i reached the 11-kilometer mark, i felt i was ready to stop. this is technically a feat for me already because i have surpassed my past 10K's. and if i take into consideration my past pacing, the next 5 kilometers will take me roughly 30 to 35 minutes more of running.
a realization occurred to me at that point. no more stomach cramps. my right knee is still aching, but somehow bearable. i could feel my feet getting tired though, and they are beginning to ache. but i was pretty sure i could still go on.
somewhere past the 12-kilometer mark, i slowed down again and walked. i checked my mobile phone. the screen read, 1 message received. it was from one of my bestest friends, drey, informing me to update my contacts with his new number. i replied that i'm in the middle of the race, and kidded him that i think i'm gonna die. :) then i put the phone away and continued to run again.
with barely 3 kilometers to go, an old man, probably in his mid-50's, ran past me. he shouted something to me, but the volume on my earphones was too loud i didn't quite get what he said. it was something like, "ang layo! pero konti na lang!" i was amazed that at his age, he can still run long distances. he inspired me, in a way, to continue on and never give up.
finally, when i turned left from roxas boulevard towards the finish line, the sight of the giant yakult balloon replica brought relief to my tired body. a few strides more, and this will be over, i told myself.
i crossed the finish line, finally. with the old man ahead of me by a second.
now i understand the tag line in one of pacman's endorsements: aray ko, galing ko. there is such a high when you achieve something after pushing yourself beyond your limits.
so i take it back, what i thought earlier that i get practically nothing by doing the run. pride. sense of accomplishment. inspiration. these are just a few of the things that i achieved after the run.
now let me say this: i'm a yakult 10-mile run finisher.
i've been complaining about some pain on my right knee during our after-office runs last week.
i will also be, in a way, on my own, as my co-TYJ runners didn't make it to the registration.
and this will be a level-up run. my first 16k, that is.
despite the apprehension, i decided to retire early to bed last night, just about an hour or so after the earth hour. and i managed to wake up at 4am, take a quick shower, and get myself dressed for the battle. i took a cab as soon as i got out of our building, and some 20 minutes and 200 pesos after, there i was fixing my earphones and setting my timer while lining up at the race's starting line in CCP. yes, i'm gonna take the challenge, i told myself.
i worked my way to get into the front line, then looked behind me. not that many runners, i thought. patay! i might be the last finisher! i dreaded the idea. bahala na.
and then the gunshot signalling the start of the race went off.
my strategy in every race that i join is to just run on my own pace. not too fast, not too slow. this way, i get to extend my endurance longer. until the runners behind me ran past me, and because i didn't want to end up to be the last, i let pressure get its way through me and forced myself to run faster.
bad move. barely through the third kilometer signage, i was already feeling pain on the right side of my abdomen. it was bearable but it was bothering me, so i had to slow down and walk. i have read from some online pages before that such pain can be caused by incorrect breathing while running, and that slowing down, pressing the painful area while breathing deeply could help ease the pain. but darn, it wouldn't go. maybe this is because of the pressure that again, i was being overtaken by a number of runners from behind. so i ignored the pain and proceeded to run.
by the 5km signage, the pain on my right knee was making its presence felt already. gosh, how am i gonna finish the next 11 kilometers with stomach cramps and a painful knee? and for sure, my feet will get tired and painful too as i progress.
i started to question why i was doing the run? what will i get out of it? nothing, practically. but i continued to run, even then, but now with lesser effort, just on my own pace. what followed was run-walk-run-walk activity for me just to go on.
it didn't help that just a few strides after i did my second loop at the buendia flyover, the kenyans (yes, the kenyans!) are already on their way back towards ccp for the finish line! pressure again!
when i reached the 11-kilometer mark, i felt i was ready to stop. this is technically a feat for me already because i have surpassed my past 10K's. and if i take into consideration my past pacing, the next 5 kilometers will take me roughly 30 to 35 minutes more of running.
a realization occurred to me at that point. no more stomach cramps. my right knee is still aching, but somehow bearable. i could feel my feet getting tired though, and they are beginning to ache. but i was pretty sure i could still go on.
somewhere past the 12-kilometer mark, i slowed down again and walked. i checked my mobile phone. the screen read, 1 message received. it was from one of my bestest friends, drey, informing me to update my contacts with his new number. i replied that i'm in the middle of the race, and kidded him that i think i'm gonna die. :) then i put the phone away and continued to run again.
with barely 3 kilometers to go, an old man, probably in his mid-50's, ran past me. he shouted something to me, but the volume on my earphones was too loud i didn't quite get what he said. it was something like, "ang layo! pero konti na lang!" i was amazed that at his age, he can still run long distances. he inspired me, in a way, to continue on and never give up.
finally, when i turned left from roxas boulevard towards the finish line, the sight of the giant yakult balloon replica brought relief to my tired body. a few strides more, and this will be over, i told myself.
i crossed the finish line, finally. with the old man ahead of me by a second.
now i understand the tag line in one of pacman's endorsements: aray ko, galing ko. there is such a high when you achieve something after pushing yourself beyond your limits.
so i take it back, what i thought earlier that i get practically nothing by doing the run. pride. sense of accomplishment. inspiration. these are just a few of the things that i achieved after the run.
now let me say this: i'm a yakult 10-mile run finisher.
Thursday, February 24, 2011
gibberish
"rodel, anong goal mo sa buhay?"
tinanong sa akin yan ng boss ko minsan while having a casual conversation. out of nowhere.
i was stumped. ang nasabi ko lang, "mina naman. ano ba ito, beauty pageant? matatalo ako nito e, binibigla mo ako, hindi ko napaghandaan yan."
and then a round of laughter. uumpisahan ko sana yung sagot ko ng, "i do not peel any fressure, right now." pero hindi, na-fressure ako e.
the other day, i just celebrated my birthday. my 25th.
ok fine, wag nang mag-react. it's my 10th year as a 25-year-old.
in hindsight now, that question really made me think. suddenly i was having my quarter-life crisis. only 10 years too late. ano ba talaga ang purpose ko sa buhay?
if i would assess how my life has been so far, i'm bent on thinking that all the years were just a compilation of random events. i just react to what is happening around me. sabi nga ni katy perry, like a plastic bag drifting through the wind.
the stubborn side of me says otherwise though. there may be random events happening, but a big chunk of what's happening could well be a product of the choices i make. i therefore conclude, hindi ako plastic bag. plastic siguro, pwede pa.
so, how then should i answer that question. sabi nga sa nescafe tv commercial, para saan ako bumabangon? sige, alang-alang sa birthday ko, pipilitin ko itong sagutin sa abot ng aking makakaya.
1. parents. the world is filled with billions of people, pero these pair, i really look up to with highest respect. you see, we were raised with limited means. i can't recall having a birthday party as a kid. i don't remember getting fancy clothes. but what is clear to me, we were raised with christian values and the warmest love. in a world where "'til death do us part's" were almost fiction, they have remained together for 42 years already. and counting. i want to give back to them, not because i need to, but because they deserve it.
2. dreams. when i grow up, i want to be a medicine. joke. ewan ko ba kung bakit karamihan ng bata, gustong maging doktor. standard ata yun. ngayong grown up na ako, at hindi man ako naging medicine(!), i make it a point that i always give my best shot with what i'm tasked to do. kahit anong career siguro ang i-pursue ko, i won't be happy if hindi ko binigay yung lahat ng effort na pwede kong ibigay.
3. compensation. to sum it all up, mukha akong pera.
sabi ko kanina, plastic ako, pero sa part na ito, hindi ako magpapakaplastik. of course, if you're working your @ss out, you expect to get paid. after all, i need the salary to be able to fulfill my resolve to my parents and to motivate me further to work harder. o, ha. (i hope my boss gets to read this. hahaha.)and last, but definitely not the least...
4. world peace. since this is a beauty pageant question, i just need to include this.
as of now, yan muna ang sagot ko. baka bukas, iba na.
i thank you.
Friday, December 10, 2010
top 10 vietnam and cambodia moments
i love countdowns. actually i just love watching or listening to countdowns. but if i'm the one who'll do it, hindi masyado. but since we lilly-lilly-lilly-lilly-lilly enjoyed our recent trip to vietnam and cambodia, i will be obliging myself to write one para pandagdag sa pang-reminisce namin later in life. what makes it a tougher job for me though is that i have to select just 10 out of the million blog-worthy moments we had.
since nakapag-post na ako about my lost luggage, out na sya isasama sa listahan.
SPOILER ALERT: some items could be a bit private, baka hindi lang masyadong maka-relate yung ibang magbabasa.
so let the countdown begin.
10. water festival tragedy at phnom penh
i ranked this at no. 10 kase eto lang yung hindi fun sa mga entries, i must say. i included it because it is something historic, and it coincided with our trip. while we were informed early on at the tourbus that there is an ongoing festival in phnom penh, we did not make an effort to go out that night as we were dead tired from the 6-hour land travel from vietnam and the half-day killing fields-genocidal prison tour, which was an emotionally-torturing tour, by the way.
we only learned about the phnom penh tragedy the following morning. taselle received a worrisome call from back home and they were apparently tracing our whereabouts after seeing the news on tv.
God bless the families of the ~400 victims, and thank you for guiding us too.
now, on to the fun part...
9. tuktuk and Angkor Wat
ang mga dating nakikita ko lang sa tv, movies and ads, ayun at nasa harapan ko na. oops, hindi yan sina angelica panganiban at boy abunda.
tuktuk is the modified version of our tricycles, common to other neighboring asian countries. kung sa atin eh jeepney ang main mode of transpo, tuktuk naman ang mga hari ng kalsada dun sa kanila. meron din silang mga siklo, pero hindi kami sumakay. para kase syang dambuhalang wheelchair. joke.
from the hotel that we stayed in, kumontrata kami ng dalawang tuktuk for the 5 of us para sa aming Angkor Wat tour. in fairness, mababait yung mga nakuha naming driver. feeling ko naman hindi nila kami tinaga for the amount of 15$ per tuktuk, kase whole day yung tour at sobrang lalayo nung binyahe namin. at binigay nya pa as souvenir yung map na gamit nila.
Angkor Wat, finally. nakita ko na ng personal yung lugar na pinuntahan ni angelina jolie as lara croft sa tomb raider. no wonder she fell in love with the place. we just took the 1-day tour, so we were able to visit only a handful of temples, pero sulit na rin. ang sakit din kase sa paa kakalakad. at kung masakit ang paa, masakit din sa panga kaka-smile sa pictures. maghapon ka ba namang nakangiti e, tingnan ko lang kung hindi ka tubuan ng kulane sa panga.
btw, tuktuk din ang sinakyan namin for the Killing Fields tour.
8. food and shopping
i won't get tired of saying that we were so lucky to have Tin with us in Vietnam. he was the one who prepared our itinerary, and he brought us to places where we could enjoy the best and authentic vietnamese food and the best bargains.
i especially liked the pho and the steak. i liked it a lot that's why i even brought home some instant versions of the pho. and not only that, Tin was very cautious with my constraints with food that he even prepared canned goods for me, which are equally yummy. parang ako lang. Ü
before we left for cambodia, Tin told us that we might not like the food there. surprisingly though, we thought it was good. naging suki nga kami nung katabing kainan dun sa hotel sa phnom penh e.
and who would ever buy an underwear for 320,000? of course, i won't. teka lang, para klaro, in Dongs po yan. pero kahit na, mahal pa rin yun para sa akin lalo na at hindi naman boutique yung binibilhan ko. then comes Tin to the rescue. ang ending, he was able to negotiate the price at *drumroll* 3 underwears for 100,000. san ka pa?
i was also able to buy my new laptop bag, 2 shoulder/body bags, a handbag for my inay (pang-gimik nya, sabi ko. hehe.) and some small abubot bags at the best bargain prices.
i'm sure my ka-trippers enjoyed the shopping spree a lot at ben thanh market and the two saigon squares. eh kung hindi ba naman nag-enjoy, ayun at nagkanda-excess baggage kaya hindi magkamayaw kung paano iuuwi ng pinas.
7. ang jukebox at ang sundance
si taselle. wag ka lang makakabanggit ng isang word na sobrang identified sa isang kanta, at bigla na lang syang kumakanta. parang jukebox na hinuhulugan ng barya. sampolan natin.
pagsakay ng taxi...
abby: "ate, usog naman ng konti. mainit dito e, andito ang sunlight."
taselle: (a la kevyn lettau) "sunlight... oh, sunlight... bring me the love i need to guide me... shine it deep inside me..."
o kaya...
"bilisan na natin, baka abutan na tayo ng rain."
taselle: (a la madonna naman) "rain... feel it on my fingertips... hear it on my window pane..."
yan, ayan si taselle.
speaking of rain, si abby naman, tinuruan si Tin ng sundance para daw hindi matuloy ang ulan. eto yung sayaw na hango dun sa john lloyd-sarah movie na A Very Special Love. panay kase ang ulan sa vietnam pag hapon. in fact, bumaha pa nung bumalik kami galing cambodia.
sa lahat naman ng pwedeng ituro, di ba? hehe.
6. the attack of the look-alikes
you just know that you are not far enough from home if kahit alam mong wala ka sa pilipinas, pero naglipana ang mga mukhang pinoy din sa paligid. bukod sa climate, hindi rin tayo nagkakalayo ng hilatsa ng mukha ng mga taga-karatig-bansa natin.
as in, kasalukuyan kang namamasyal, pero bigla na lang may masasalubong kang familiar faces. pero hindi pwedeng maging sila yun dahil wala nga kami sa pinas. sige, mag-sample tayo.
for sure, hindi siguro si chairman bayani yung sa front desk ng hotel namin. pakakantahin ko sana para makasiguro e. kaya lang hindi sya masyadong marunong mag-english, so hindi nya ako maiintindihan pag sinabi kong, "are you sing for us? very well, mayor?"
at lalong hindi namasukan si jovit bilang attendant sa tourbus. lalo na at kasalukuyan pang namamayagpag ang singing career nya ngayon. hindi nya nakuhang kumanta. si taselle kase yung kanta ng kanta habang nasa byahe, hindi makasingit si jovit.
or, definitely hindi senior officer ng bangko yung naghubad ng blouse dahil sa alinsangan nung tumirik yung tourbus namin. wag na nating pangalan yung ubp officer, baka maka-offend pa ako.
at marami pang ibang karakter mula sa nakaraan at kasalukuyan.
5. the mystery of the missing S
eto naman napansin ko lang. common for both the viets and cambodians yung nahihirapan sila sa 's' sound pag nasa dulo sya ng words.
sabi ni Tin nung magpapapalit sya ng pera namin. "tomorrow, i will go to CHAIN your money." (translation: "tomorrow, i will go to CHANGE your money.")
nung nakita nya yung nabili kong laptop bag at sinabi kong mura ko lang nakuha, sabi nya, "Very NIE!" (translation: "Very NICE!")
minsan naman natanong lang kung saan kakain. "we can eat at <place> because I know Taselle want to eat RIE." (translation: [ay ang haba naman nito. cut natin.] "... RICE.")
si manong tuktuk driver naman during the Angkor Wat tour, tinanong ko. "So where do we go next?"
while holding and pointing at the map, sabi nya, "Ok, so now we go to Bayon temple. There are LOT of TEMPLE in there, you go around, will take you 1 to 2 HOUR, depending on you. You go out here (points at the map) at the TERRAY of the Leper King, I will meet you there. AFTERWARD, we go here (points at the map). Here you can eat your LUNT, and maybe RET for a while." (translation: [i-cut ulit natin.] ... LOTS... TEMPLES... HOURS... TERRACE... AFTERWARDS... LUNCH... REST for a while.")
o sige, isama na natin yung pambubuska ni elmer kay tin.
elmer: "ok, this is how they would sing lady gaga: ~JUT DAN, gonna be ok...~" (aynaku, pag hiningan nyo pa ako ng translation nyan, tutuktukan ko na kayo.) tapos mauuwi naman yun sa no. 2.
4. language barrier moments
the trip made me realize that probably, you don't really need to ace 6 english subjects in grade school, 4 english subjects in high school and another 4 english subjects, at least, in college.
while we pinoys see english as an international language, there are certain places where you won't be able to communicate well as you would in other english-speaking countries. this is why it really would be good if you have a local friend who can communicate for you. especially when shopping. ~waves at Tin.~
when we were in vietnam, i had cough and colds so i decided that i should buy medicines. Tin went with me at the drug store, so it was quite easy. unfortunately though, i misplaced the medicines. sabi tuloy nya sa akin, "you always forget everything. first your luggage, now your medicines." haha.
anyways, so that was the challenge. i should be able to buy me cough medicines while in cambodia, without the help of an interpreter.
first, i went at the hotel lobby. "hi, good evening. is there a drug store near here?" nginitian lang ako ni ate, tapos umiling sya. tapos may hand gestures sya na parang sinasabing, "teka lang, hintayin natin yung kasama ko."
pagdating nung kasama nya, nakapag-communicate naman kami kahit papano. basta ang naintindihan ko, "paglabas mo, kumanan ka. tapos lakad ka ng konti. pagkatapos ng dalawang kanto, may drug store dun." salamat naman at natagpuan ko yung botika.
ang problema na ngayon eh kung papano naman ako bibili. uubo ba ako sa harapan ng saleslady, tapos imu-mwestra ko na umiinom ako ng gamot? pero sinubukan ko pa ring mag-english muna, last option ko na yung version ko ng sign language na yun. "hi, good evening. do you have cough medicines?"
pumalakpak ata ang tenga ko nung sumagot sya. "yes, we do. for what type of cough? do you have phlegm? or dry cough?" hay manang, hulog ka ng langit! hindi mo ako pinahirapan!
at dahil nga nawawala at that time ang aking bagahe, syempre limited lang ang aking saplot na dala so i had to wash. imadyinin nyo ngayon kung papaano ako bumili ng detergent sa kalapit na sari-sari store. your guess is as good as mine. haha.
btw, eto singit na lang na kwento. speaking of paglalaba, muntik pa akong hindi makatuyo ng damit dahil inubusan ako ng hanger! inunahan kase akong maglaba! itago na lang natin sya sa codename na Epalyn. hulaan nyo kung anong nickname nya. (ang mag-react dito, guilty. hahaha!)
3. ang hiwaga sa likod ng WC
at dahil lahat kami ay observant, napansin na namin on our second day sa vietnam na pag kailangan mong mag-restroom, isa lang ang hahanapin mong signage: WC.
para namang nag-usap ang dalawang bansa, kase pagdating namin ng cambodia, WC din ang signages na gamit nila.
nung sa vietnam pa lang, na-curious na kami syempre, kaya tinanong namin si Tin kung anong ibig sabihin ng WC. baka 'kako it's an acronym for the local translation ng comfort room, or restroom. kaso mukhang hindi rin alam ng bata, kaya tinatawanan nya lang kami.
dahil hindi na-satisfy ang aming curiosity, gumawa na lang kami ng ibang meaning ng WC. Wiwi Center. bagay naman di ba? ang mahirap lang, kung gusto mong jumebs, hindi pwede dun. pang-wiwi lang kase. hehe.
ang pinakatumatak na kwento ng WC sa isip ko sa kahabaan ng bakasyon namin eh nung papunta na kami sa last na temple na bibisitahin namin sa Angkor Wat. sa sobrang haba kase ng lakarin, parang sobrang nakakauhaw. kaya ayun, kailangan din naming uminom para mag-replenish ng fluids.
nagulat na lang ako nung narinig ko si abby na kausap yung tuktuk driver nila. sabi nya:
"where is the nearest WC here?"
muntik na akong mapahagalpak ng tawa, sabay baling kay abby ng, "WC talaga, ate?" hahaha.
eh dahil hindi marunong mag-english yung driver nila, nginitian lang sila hanggang sa lumapit na yung driver namin. nasabi namin sa kanya na "we want to use the restroom before we go inside (the temple)."
sabi ni kuya, "the what?"
kaya inulit ko, "the restroom."
tapos sabi nya, "oh, the toilet? come on, we'll bring you there."
ayun naman pala. alam naman pala nila yung "toilet." buti na lang talaga.
by the way, mga ka-trippers. tatapusin ko na dito ang hiwaga ng WC. it actually stands for Water Closet pala. ang sosyal nila di ba. sa atin, yung maliit na espasyong yun, Room na ang tawag natin, samantalang sila, Closet lang. hehehe. now, that's trivia for you.
2. the never-ending elmer vs. tin saga
naaliw kami sa dalawang tour guides namin sa vietnam. they argue on almost everything, although we know asaran lang talaga.
sasabihin ni tin: "techcombank is the best bank." at sasagot si elmer ng: "of course not. just next to hsbc."
o kaya sasabihin ni elmer: "tin, you are so fat!" "no, you are fatter than me!" sagot naman ng isa.
elmer: "let's just change their money there near ben thanh."
tin: "no. i know of a money changer where the exchange rate is higher."
lahat halos, pinagtatalunan. kung maglalakad ba o sasakay, kung kakain na o hindi pa, kung saan kakain, at marami pang iba.
idagdag na rin natin yung kapag kinokorek ni elmer yung mga pronunciation ni tin, gaya nito:
elmer: "tin, can you hold my bag first?"
tin: "i'm not your MED!"
elmer: "maid!"
1. "kiss-kiss-kiss! love-love-love! we love spain!"
this one, i really, really won't forget. part yan ng cheer nina elmer sa isang activity nila sa office. ang kwento, they were divided into groups, and each group is assigned to represent a country.
so sa group nila, spain ang naka-assign. next, kailangan nilang mag-cheer para sa country na yun.
ang linyang yan ang finale ng cheer nila, and dahil iba yung accent ng mga tao dun, hindi nila ma-pronounce ng tama ang spain. SPEN ang lumalabas.
ang clincher, syempre since kaya namang i-pronounce ni elmer ng tama, sinisigaw nya talaga ang "spain!" kaso dahil sya lang ang mag-isang gumagawa nun, may guilty feeling daw sya na sya ang mali. hahaha.
dapat ivi-video ni taselle si elmer while doing this e, kaya lang nakalimutan na kase nangarag ang lola ko sa excess baggage. Ü eh ang hirap ikwento ng steps, at feeling ko hindi sya ma-a-appreciate kung kwento lang.
so there you have it. marami pang fun moments pero nakakapagod ding magbilang. besides, nanunuod ako ng tv. kailangan kong mag-concentrate.
'til our next adventure!
since nakapag-post na ako about my lost luggage, out na sya isasama sa listahan.
SPOILER ALERT: some items could be a bit private, baka hindi lang masyadong maka-relate yung ibang magbabasa.
so let the countdown begin.
10. water festival tragedy at phnom penh
i ranked this at no. 10 kase eto lang yung hindi fun sa mga entries, i must say. i included it because it is something historic, and it coincided with our trip. while we were informed early on at the tourbus that there is an ongoing festival in phnom penh, we did not make an effort to go out that night as we were dead tired from the 6-hour land travel from vietnam and the half-day killing fields-genocidal prison tour, which was an emotionally-torturing tour, by the way.
we only learned about the phnom penh tragedy the following morning. taselle received a worrisome call from back home and they were apparently tracing our whereabouts after seeing the news on tv.
God bless the families of the ~400 victims, and thank you for guiding us too.
now, on to the fun part...
9. tuktuk and Angkor Wat
ang mga dating nakikita ko lang sa tv, movies and ads, ayun at nasa harapan ko na. oops, hindi yan sina angelica panganiban at boy abunda.
tuktuk is the modified version of our tricycles, common to other neighboring asian countries. kung sa atin eh jeepney ang main mode of transpo, tuktuk naman ang mga hari ng kalsada dun sa kanila. meron din silang mga siklo, pero hindi kami sumakay. para kase syang dambuhalang wheelchair. joke.
from the hotel that we stayed in, kumontrata kami ng dalawang tuktuk for the 5 of us para sa aming Angkor Wat tour. in fairness, mababait yung mga nakuha naming driver. feeling ko naman hindi nila kami tinaga for the amount of 15$ per tuktuk, kase whole day yung tour at sobrang lalayo nung binyahe namin. at binigay nya pa as souvenir yung map na gamit nila.
Angkor Wat, finally. nakita ko na ng personal yung lugar na pinuntahan ni angelina jolie as lara croft sa tomb raider. no wonder she fell in love with the place. we just took the 1-day tour, so we were able to visit only a handful of temples, pero sulit na rin. ang sakit din kase sa paa kakalakad. at kung masakit ang paa, masakit din sa panga kaka-smile sa pictures. maghapon ka ba namang nakangiti e, tingnan ko lang kung hindi ka tubuan ng kulane sa panga.
btw, tuktuk din ang sinakyan namin for the Killing Fields tour.
8. food and shopping
i won't get tired of saying that we were so lucky to have Tin with us in Vietnam. he was the one who prepared our itinerary, and he brought us to places where we could enjoy the best and authentic vietnamese food and the best bargains.
i especially liked the pho and the steak. i liked it a lot that's why i even brought home some instant versions of the pho. and not only that, Tin was very cautious with my constraints with food that he even prepared canned goods for me, which are equally yummy. parang ako lang. Ü
before we left for cambodia, Tin told us that we might not like the food there. surprisingly though, we thought it was good. naging suki nga kami nung katabing kainan dun sa hotel sa phnom penh e.
and who would ever buy an underwear for 320,000? of course, i won't. teka lang, para klaro, in Dongs po yan. pero kahit na, mahal pa rin yun para sa akin lalo na at hindi naman boutique yung binibilhan ko. then comes Tin to the rescue. ang ending, he was able to negotiate the price at *drumroll* 3 underwears for 100,000. san ka pa?
i was also able to buy my new laptop bag, 2 shoulder/body bags, a handbag for my inay (pang-gimik nya, sabi ko. hehe.) and some small abubot bags at the best bargain prices.
i'm sure my ka-trippers enjoyed the shopping spree a lot at ben thanh market and the two saigon squares. eh kung hindi ba naman nag-enjoy, ayun at nagkanda-excess baggage kaya hindi magkamayaw kung paano iuuwi ng pinas.
7. ang jukebox at ang sundance
si taselle. wag ka lang makakabanggit ng isang word na sobrang identified sa isang kanta, at bigla na lang syang kumakanta. parang jukebox na hinuhulugan ng barya. sampolan natin.
pagsakay ng taxi...
abby: "ate, usog naman ng konti. mainit dito e, andito ang sunlight."
taselle: (a la kevyn lettau) "sunlight... oh, sunlight... bring me the love i need to guide me... shine it deep inside me..."
o kaya...
"bilisan na natin, baka abutan na tayo ng rain."
taselle: (a la madonna naman) "rain... feel it on my fingertips... hear it on my window pane..."
yan, ayan si taselle.
speaking of rain, si abby naman, tinuruan si Tin ng sundance para daw hindi matuloy ang ulan. eto yung sayaw na hango dun sa john lloyd-sarah movie na A Very Special Love. panay kase ang ulan sa vietnam pag hapon. in fact, bumaha pa nung bumalik kami galing cambodia.
sa lahat naman ng pwedeng ituro, di ba? hehe.
6. the attack of the look-alikes
you just know that you are not far enough from home if kahit alam mong wala ka sa pilipinas, pero naglipana ang mga mukhang pinoy din sa paligid. bukod sa climate, hindi rin tayo nagkakalayo ng hilatsa ng mukha ng mga taga-karatig-bansa natin.
as in, kasalukuyan kang namamasyal, pero bigla na lang may masasalubong kang familiar faces. pero hindi pwedeng maging sila yun dahil wala nga kami sa pinas. sige, mag-sample tayo.
for sure, hindi siguro si chairman bayani yung sa front desk ng hotel namin. pakakantahin ko sana para makasiguro e. kaya lang hindi sya masyadong marunong mag-english, so hindi nya ako maiintindihan pag sinabi kong, "are you sing for us? very well, mayor?"
at lalong hindi namasukan si jovit bilang attendant sa tourbus. lalo na at kasalukuyan pang namamayagpag ang singing career nya ngayon. hindi nya nakuhang kumanta. si taselle kase yung kanta ng kanta habang nasa byahe, hindi makasingit si jovit.
or, definitely hindi senior officer ng bangko yung naghubad ng blouse dahil sa alinsangan nung tumirik yung tourbus namin. wag na nating pangalan yung ubp officer, baka maka-offend pa ako.
at marami pang ibang karakter mula sa nakaraan at kasalukuyan.
5. the mystery of the missing S
eto naman napansin ko lang. common for both the viets and cambodians yung nahihirapan sila sa 's' sound pag nasa dulo sya ng words.
sabi ni Tin nung magpapapalit sya ng pera namin. "tomorrow, i will go to CHAIN your money." (translation: "tomorrow, i will go to CHANGE your money.")
nung nakita nya yung nabili kong laptop bag at sinabi kong mura ko lang nakuha, sabi nya, "Very NIE!" (translation: "Very NICE!")
minsan naman natanong lang kung saan kakain. "we can eat at <place> because I know Taselle want to eat RIE." (translation: [ay ang haba naman nito. cut natin.] "... RICE.")
si manong tuktuk driver naman during the Angkor Wat tour, tinanong ko. "So where do we go next?"
while holding and pointing at the map, sabi nya, "Ok, so now we go to Bayon temple. There are LOT of TEMPLE in there, you go around, will take you 1 to 2 HOUR, depending on you. You go out here (points at the map) at the TERRAY of the Leper King, I will meet you there. AFTERWARD, we go here (points at the map). Here you can eat your LUNT, and maybe RET for a while." (translation: [i-cut ulit natin.] ... LOTS... TEMPLES... HOURS... TERRACE... AFTERWARDS... LUNCH... REST for a while.")
o sige, isama na natin yung pambubuska ni elmer kay tin.
elmer: "ok, this is how they would sing lady gaga: ~JUT DAN, gonna be ok...~" (aynaku, pag hiningan nyo pa ako ng translation nyan, tutuktukan ko na kayo.) tapos mauuwi naman yun sa no. 2.
4. language barrier moments
the trip made me realize that probably, you don't really need to ace 6 english subjects in grade school, 4 english subjects in high school and another 4 english subjects, at least, in college.
while we pinoys see english as an international language, there are certain places where you won't be able to communicate well as you would in other english-speaking countries. this is why it really would be good if you have a local friend who can communicate for you. especially when shopping. ~waves at Tin.~
when we were in vietnam, i had cough and colds so i decided that i should buy medicines. Tin went with me at the drug store, so it was quite easy. unfortunately though, i misplaced the medicines. sabi tuloy nya sa akin, "you always forget everything. first your luggage, now your medicines." haha.
anyways, so that was the challenge. i should be able to buy me cough medicines while in cambodia, without the help of an interpreter.
first, i went at the hotel lobby. "hi, good evening. is there a drug store near here?" nginitian lang ako ni ate, tapos umiling sya. tapos may hand gestures sya na parang sinasabing, "teka lang, hintayin natin yung kasama ko."
pagdating nung kasama nya, nakapag-communicate naman kami kahit papano. basta ang naintindihan ko, "paglabas mo, kumanan ka. tapos lakad ka ng konti. pagkatapos ng dalawang kanto, may drug store dun." salamat naman at natagpuan ko yung botika.
ang problema na ngayon eh kung papano naman ako bibili. uubo ba ako sa harapan ng saleslady, tapos imu-mwestra ko na umiinom ako ng gamot? pero sinubukan ko pa ring mag-english muna, last option ko na yung version ko ng sign language na yun. "hi, good evening. do you have cough medicines?"
pumalakpak ata ang tenga ko nung sumagot sya. "yes, we do. for what type of cough? do you have phlegm? or dry cough?" hay manang, hulog ka ng langit! hindi mo ako pinahirapan!
at dahil nga nawawala at that time ang aking bagahe, syempre limited lang ang aking saplot na dala so i had to wash. imadyinin nyo ngayon kung papaano ako bumili ng detergent sa kalapit na sari-sari store. your guess is as good as mine. haha.
btw, eto singit na lang na kwento. speaking of paglalaba, muntik pa akong hindi makatuyo ng damit dahil inubusan ako ng hanger! inunahan kase akong maglaba! itago na lang natin sya sa codename na Epalyn. hulaan nyo kung anong nickname nya. (ang mag-react dito, guilty. hahaha!)
3. ang hiwaga sa likod ng WC
at dahil lahat kami ay observant, napansin na namin on our second day sa vietnam na pag kailangan mong mag-restroom, isa lang ang hahanapin mong signage: WC.
para namang nag-usap ang dalawang bansa, kase pagdating namin ng cambodia, WC din ang signages na gamit nila.
nung sa vietnam pa lang, na-curious na kami syempre, kaya tinanong namin si Tin kung anong ibig sabihin ng WC. baka 'kako it's an acronym for the local translation ng comfort room, or restroom. kaso mukhang hindi rin alam ng bata, kaya tinatawanan nya lang kami.
dahil hindi na-satisfy ang aming curiosity, gumawa na lang kami ng ibang meaning ng WC. Wiwi Center. bagay naman di ba? ang mahirap lang, kung gusto mong jumebs, hindi pwede dun. pang-wiwi lang kase. hehe.
ang pinakatumatak na kwento ng WC sa isip ko sa kahabaan ng bakasyon namin eh nung papunta na kami sa last na temple na bibisitahin namin sa Angkor Wat. sa sobrang haba kase ng lakarin, parang sobrang nakakauhaw. kaya ayun, kailangan din naming uminom para mag-replenish ng fluids.
nagulat na lang ako nung narinig ko si abby na kausap yung tuktuk driver nila. sabi nya:
"where is the nearest WC here?"
muntik na akong mapahagalpak ng tawa, sabay baling kay abby ng, "WC talaga, ate?" hahaha.
eh dahil hindi marunong mag-english yung driver nila, nginitian lang sila hanggang sa lumapit na yung driver namin. nasabi namin sa kanya na "we want to use the restroom before we go inside (the temple)."
sabi ni kuya, "the what?"
kaya inulit ko, "the restroom."
tapos sabi nya, "oh, the toilet? come on, we'll bring you there."
ayun naman pala. alam naman pala nila yung "toilet." buti na lang talaga.
by the way, mga ka-trippers. tatapusin ko na dito ang hiwaga ng WC. it actually stands for Water Closet pala. ang sosyal nila di ba. sa atin, yung maliit na espasyong yun, Room na ang tawag natin, samantalang sila, Closet lang. hehehe. now, that's trivia for you.
2. the never-ending elmer vs. tin saga
naaliw kami sa dalawang tour guides namin sa vietnam. they argue on almost everything, although we know asaran lang talaga.
sasabihin ni tin: "techcombank is the best bank." at sasagot si elmer ng: "of course not. just next to hsbc."
o kaya sasabihin ni elmer: "tin, you are so fat!" "no, you are fatter than me!" sagot naman ng isa.
elmer: "let's just change their money there near ben thanh."
tin: "no. i know of a money changer where the exchange rate is higher."
lahat halos, pinagtatalunan. kung maglalakad ba o sasakay, kung kakain na o hindi pa, kung saan kakain, at marami pang iba.
idagdag na rin natin yung kapag kinokorek ni elmer yung mga pronunciation ni tin, gaya nito:
elmer: "tin, can you hold my bag first?"
tin: "i'm not your MED!"
elmer: "maid!"
1. "kiss-kiss-kiss! love-love-love! we love spain!"
this one, i really, really won't forget. part yan ng cheer nina elmer sa isang activity nila sa office. ang kwento, they were divided into groups, and each group is assigned to represent a country.
so sa group nila, spain ang naka-assign. next, kailangan nilang mag-cheer para sa country na yun.
ang linyang yan ang finale ng cheer nila, and dahil iba yung accent ng mga tao dun, hindi nila ma-pronounce ng tama ang spain. SPEN ang lumalabas.
ang clincher, syempre since kaya namang i-pronounce ni elmer ng tama, sinisigaw nya talaga ang "spain!" kaso dahil sya lang ang mag-isang gumagawa nun, may guilty feeling daw sya na sya ang mali. hahaha.
dapat ivi-video ni taselle si elmer while doing this e, kaya lang nakalimutan na kase nangarag ang lola ko sa excess baggage. Ü eh ang hirap ikwento ng steps, at feeling ko hindi sya ma-a-appreciate kung kwento lang.
so there you have it. marami pang fun moments pero nakakapagod ding magbilang. besides, nanunuod ako ng tv. kailangan kong mag-concentrate.
'til our next adventure!
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
the tale of the lost luggage
That was the message of Tin, our new friend from Vietnam, which he wrote on one of my souvenir pics taken during my recent Vietnam trip. While some good stories might start with "Dear Charo," this story of mine started with "WTH?!?!"
Friday, Nov 19, a little past 11pm. I got on board Cebu Pacific's flight 5J 751 en route to Ho Chi Minh, together with friends Abby, Bernie, Nora and Taselle. (O, wag nang umangal sa billing. Alphabetical yan.) It was a reunion of sorts, as it was the same group who went on a Caramoan-Naga-Legaspi trip earlier this year (minus Elmer and Jay). This time, it is extra special since it's our first out-of-the-country trip together, and we will be visiting Elmer and new friend Dinny (or Tin). Special as it was, so we were just all too excited.
After enduring the little-less-than-3-hour flight, we arrived safely at Saigon. Until we realized that one of our check-in luggages was nowhere to be found, and it just happened to be mine. Apparently, while were busy chatting at the time that we checked in the 8 luggages, we did not double check that the luggage claim tags issued to us were only 7. Lesson learned: check in baggages should not be more than 7. Joke!
Pwede bang mag-Tagalog na dito? Ang hirap e. (Elmer, paki-translate na lang kay Tin. Hehe.)
So ayun, ang excitement namin ay biglang naglaho na parang bula. Ay, gasgas na pala yang metaphor na yan. Gawin na lang nating makapal na wallet na ipinaparada sa kahabaan ng Quiapo. Hindi mo namamalayan, nawala na pala. O, bago yan. That was evidenced by our pictures nung vinu-view na namin. After kase ng shots paglapag namin sa airport, ang kasunod na pictures na eh yung during breakfast na the following day. Walang pics nung sinundo kami nina Elmer at Tin, walang pics during the travel from the airport to the hotel, at wala ring pics nung pagdating sa hotel.
Anyways, to cut the story short, this post is just to give everyone some pointers on how to enjoy a vacation even if you lost your luggage. Papatalo ba naman ako sa depression? Syempre hindi. Eh ano kung wala akong isusuot na damit for the next 10 days? Inisip ko rin yun syempre, pero not for long. Sayang kaya ang moment.
So what did I do to still enjoy the vacation despite the bad luck? Here's a quick run down.
1. Friends. I have the most generous set of friends there is. They offered to lend me some clothes to get me by. Will post an album later to document this. To quote Tin again, I remember him telling me, "Don't worry. We have lots of clothes that you could borrow." To think na first time lang namin mag-meet nyan ha.
2. From Next Top Model to Survivor. Of course, marunong din naman akong mahiya. So kahit nag-volunteer sila na pahiramin ako ng damit, naisip ko rin that 10 days is too long a vacation para mabuhay sa puro hiram. Kaya sabi ko, bibili na rin ako ng konting damit ko. Kalimutan na muna ang pagiging fashionista. Survival na ang pinaguusapan e. Besides, mahabaang gastusan pa kaya kailangang magtipid para umabot ng 10 days ang baon kong kayamanan. At isa pa, kung ang damit, pwedeng hiramin, ang underwear, parang hindi ata. Hehe.
3. Selective amnesia. Kalimutan muna pansamantala yung problema ng nawawalang bagahe habang namamasyal. Kase kung yun ang lagi kong iisipin, hindi ako makakangiti at makakatawa ng todo. Ang lungkot siguro ng mukha ko sa pictures. Unglamorous. Hehe. Pero syempre, pagkatapos maglakwatsa, pwede na ulit isipin yung problema at gumawa ng paraan about it.
4. From Teleserye to Adventure-Reality Show. Relative to no. 3, etong lakad namin was more of an adventure. Science project kumbaga. Hindi melodrama, kundi totoong buhay. So kahit na may lungkot, dapat may time pa rin para magsaya, matuwa, magmasid, magmatyag. Matanglawin. (Kuya Kim, pahiram nito.)
5. Laughter is the best medicine. Idaan sa tawa ang problema. Wala kaming ibang ginawa kundi magtatawa, bumungisngis at humalakhak kahit sa pinakamababaw na dahilan. Pero mahirap paniwalaan yun. Yung baliw dito sa amin, kahit panay ang tawa, hindi gumagaling. Baka kulang pa.
6. Facebook, Plurk and Twitter. Whenever possible, we try to find time to update our social networking sites with what's happening to us. Masabi lang na nakabakasyon kami. Pang-inggit ba sa mga naiwan sa opis. Hehe. Pang-destress na rin. Sa kabilang banda, some people back here were waiting for our updates pala at that time when the stampede in Phnom Penh occurred. Ironically, it was through a phone call from the Philippines that we first heard of the news, despite of us being in the same city that time.
7. Friends. I also have to be thankful that the friends I have here in the Philippines were accommodating and caring enough. Pinakiusapan ko kase sila na kontakin ang Cebu Pacific about my luggage. At syempre, hindi naman ganun kadali yun na isang tawag lang, may feedback agad. It took time, as in, araw-araw na follow up, before we finally got the good news. Salamat na rin ng marami sa Facebook at sa technology.
In conclusion, everything boils down to one thing: CHOICE. Making good choices, that is. I made a good choice when I selected my friends. I made a good choice when I decided to forget the problem for a while. I made a good choice when I did a paradigm shift to be on survivor mode. I made a good choice to laugh. And to enjoy, despite of.
So let me take this opportunity to thank everyone who has taken part in turning this bad experience into a wonderful event. You guys all rock!
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