taking time to remember and be grateful

in 2006, when typhoon milenyo hit the philippines, i was renting an apartment with some friends in quezon city and was working in taguig. i remember taking a cab (in qc) to work (in taguig) and the cab i was in was almost hit by a tree along katipunan. the tree along the sidewalk was uprooted and landed on the road right after my cab passed. scary, but what my family back home in cavite experienced much worse. i remember being so worried as our phone was out of reach but at the same time appeasing myself, reminding myself that our town never gets flooded and it might just be areas near rivers that were affected.. i was watching the news and it was declared that my hometown was already declared under state of calamity and news of people dying was being shown all over. when i finally got home to our province, it was a shock to see that there were watermarks on the walls in our house. the flood was almost waist-high and our PC, and other electronics were all in the backyard: no longer of any use to us. electricity was out. landlines not working. heck, even water supply was not available. turns out that people were so unprepared for the flood. it has never happened and so they were not expecting it. unfortunately, a nearby dam almost overflowed and the gates to it were opened, thus a fast flood was unleashed, totaling most of the area's properties.

up until june of this year, i was renting a house in pasig, near ever gotesco and the cainta boundary and was working in mandaluyong. i'm currently taking a break from working and have been staying in cavite since then. when the rain poured harder, we took all electronics and other important stuff up to our bedrooms, which were a bit higher than the rest of the house. after we have taken all our stuff to safety, we went to the main road, waiting for news. it was kind of a hold-your-breath moment. any inkling that the dam was gonna overflow would have sent us all running back to our houses and make sure none of our stuff gets harmed by the flood. fortunately, before the dam reached its limits, the rain let down. it was as if a collective sigh could be heard all over. the crowd by the main road got thinner and thinner as time passed by until ultimately, the rain stopped. earlier today, i've been watching the news and found out that marikina-cainta-antipolo-pasig-taguig area was hit the hardest. and that they were using ever gotesco as a place to give out relief goods to people. and they were showing video footage of areas including de castro subdivision, with houses that would need boats to get to. ever gotesco was actually within walking distance from the place i used to stay in. and that place was in de castro subdivision.

i guess i can say that i'm lucky. and it makes me feel overwhelmed and grateful and sad at the same time. and frustrated upon reading comments that the media is simply hyping up the events, showing the worst of the typhoon's effects and that people they know living in the philippines told them that it wasn't as bad as media makes it up to be. it's frustrating because it IS that bad. they were probably speaking to those who don't live in the affected areas. or because of the fact that filipinos are typically optimistic in nature. that though tragedies hits our lives, we still put on a brave and happy face for all to see. but what you see on the news IS real. and it may even be worse in places that media couldn't reach.

i feel for all those affected by the typhoon. what our family experienced with milenyo wasn't anywhere near what they are experiencing right now. some have lost all their furniture and would have to start from scratch in rebuilding their homes. but sadder is the fact that other's loss isn't simply material things. some have lost family.

so join me and hundreds of thousands of filipinos in praying that the typhoons which may be hitting the country this week would not be as bad as this as well as for the recovery of those affected by Ondoy.

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the uniform project..

it's blog hopping time for me and while going through blogs, i stumbled upon a link to the uniform project. needless to say, i was really amazed by what the project is all about. (thus my rave in this blog :D)

i'm sure most of you are familiar with project 365 wherein you take a photo each day to post on either your blog or photo-sharing site or whatever space you have on the world wide web. well, i think project 365 is definitely cool but the uniform project takes this to a different level..

now, on to what the project is about.

ok. so as depicted in the very cute drawing above, Sheena Matheiken (who conceived and is currently executing the project) has 7 pieces of the uniform dress (which was designed and made by her friend, Eliza Starbuck) which she has to wear everyday.. as she explained in her website:

Starting May 2009, I have pledged to wear one dress for one year as an exercise in sustainable fashion. Here’s how it works: There are 7 identical dresses, one for each day of the week. Every day I will reinvent the dress with layers, accessories and all kinds of accouterments, the majority of which will be vintage, hand-made, or hand-me-down goodies. Think of it as wearing a daily uniform with enough creative license to make it look like I just crawled out of the Marquis de Sade's boudoir.

Uniform Project is also a year-long fundraiser for the Akanksha Foundation, a grassroots movement that is revolutionizing education in India. At the end of the year, all contributions will go toward Akanksha’s School Project to fund uniforms and other educational expenses for children living in Indian slums.

today is day 142 of the project. check out some of the looks that she did for this month..



this really inspires me to do a project of my own. and i've been trying to think about what project i could do. project 365 is too tedious for me. i don't think i could post a blog entry every single day but maybe something weekly would do. yeah. and i'm calling this project 72 (see?! that's lazy me not even trying to be the least bit original about my project title.) now, for the topic.  #1 idea is about me travelling. but. i don't think i'll be able to travel once a week once i start working.. so... scratch that idea. #2 idea is about my learning to play the guitar and me learning 1 song on the guitar per week. but. i would have to do a video blog for that. #3 is a picture blog. just something that i'm interested on every week. well, too common and too broad. unless i narrow it down to a specific topic.

ok, i got it. since i'm really interested in travelling at the moment but can't do a daily/weekly thing, i'm just gonna make sure that i get to travel once a month and post a blog about it. now i just have think of a better way to call my project. wish me luck! :)

writer's block

bakit ba nagkakaron ng writer's block. sa ngaun, meron akong tatlong blog posts na hindi ko matapos tapos. i have the idea, and the details of what i want to show in the blog entries. BUT. the words get in the way (chos). kaya naman facebook na lang muna ang pinagkakaabalahan ko. socializing and gaming all rolled in one. plus hindi ka mahuhuli sa news. just browse on ur news feed at para ka na ding nanood ng news+celeb gossip. hehe.

aun. this has got to be my shortest post. (and if you've been reading my blog, alam mo na mala-nobela akong magpost.) just wanted to drop by and write something coherent pero parang puro ramblings lang muna kaya kong gawin ngaun.. :(

i'll be back soon. hopefully with something that doesn't include me rambling about nothing. :)

i dream a dream

yan ang dream ko. hehe. this was taken sa condo na tinitirahan ng isang friend ko.. naiinggit ako kaya kinuhanan ko ng picture.. pero seryoso, pangarap kong magkaron ng sariling library sa loob ng sarili kong bahay. sana in the next 2 years, makapagpatayo na ko ng bahay. i don't have any specifications sa house except that it needs a library. :D

at ung library, gusto ko as in super dami ng books. ung tipong madaming rows of shelves na pang-library talaga. tapos arranged by author then book title ung books. parang ganito:

at gusto ko wall to wall carpet ung library ko. tapos may dark heavy curtains.. tapos may PC. tapos may area na maraming throw pillows na pwedeng higaan habang nagbabasa.. haayy.. heaven. :D cguro di na ko lalabas ng library ko pag nagkataon.

so this is me unleashing my inner geek. ung nanay ko, dahil hindi mahilig magbasa, hindi maintindihan ang addiction ko sa pagbili at pagcocollect ng books. which is really sad dahil wala ako sa bahay namin sa cavite nung binaha ang bahay namin dahil sa milenyo. ang dami ko ding books na tinangay ng baha. di nila naisalba dahil di naman importante para sa kanila.. :( i had to start rebuilding my book collection tuloy.

aun pa pala. more specifications on the construction of my library : it has to be sa 2nd floor ng house para bumaha man, kahit wala ako sa bahay. andun pa rin ang books ko.. now all i have to worry about is making sure na fire-proof ang room without using water.. hay. (btw, burning books reminds me of the book fahrenheit 451 by ray bradbury. have you read this book?)

pero kelan pa kaya mare-realize ang dream ko na to? sa ngaun kasi konti pa lang ang books ko..below are pics of my books.

the first pic (upper left) has 2 half-rows of books which are mostly for academic purposes. (plus a few other books. btw, the bin laden book is not mine. i just borrowed it from a friend and must be returnes soon.) the red envelopes contains readings in college (specifically spanish10, stat131, and a photocopied MGB). the second picture (upper right) contains 2 rows of hardbound and "big" books.. and the last pic (bottom center) contains 3 rows of "pocketbooks" aka my paperback books.

haaay.. kelan kaya dadami ang books ko para makapuno ng kahit 3 shelves man lang? mukhang kelangan ko magbooksale every week. hehe. :D ayway. reality check muna. tama na muna pangangarap. (sa totoong buhay, gutom na ako at maghahanap ng makakain.)

Note : library shelves pic was taken from Mount Angel Abbey Library's site.

going back to work? must go travel first. :D

may taling ako sa talampakan. i guess this explains why i love to travel. but i haven't done much travelling lately. so i'm looking for places i could go to before i start working again..

so i decided to make a list to pick from. so here goes. my top 5 places to go to before i go back to work. :)

1. sagada : i've wanted to go there since college. at nag-enlist ako nung college ng PI100 class dahil nagpapafield trip daw sa sagada ung prof na yun every sem. but it was just my luck that above-mentioned professor decided not to hold a sagada field trip during the semester that i was in her class. hay. i saw 2 travel packages the other day (both linked from philippine beaches' page sa facebook) and these are the packages:

package #1

Sagada Caravan Tour for only 2,750.00/person

Inclusions:

* Roundtrip Air conditioned Van Transfer (Manila-Sagada-Manila)

* 3days/2nights accommodation

* Service of a Tour Guide (except at Sumaguing Cave and/or Burial Cave)

* Entrance Fee

* Gasoline, Toll Gate/Parking Fee

* Day Tour at the following sites:

— Echo Valley, Kiltepan Rice Terraces, Sagada Weaving House, Sumaguing Cave and/or Burial Cave, Bomod-ok Falls or Mount Ampacao and Lake Danum,St Mary’s Church.

Publish package rate is good for 4 persons and above. For 3 persons and below package rate will be Php 3,000/person.

package #2:
Places to see:

Banga-an Rice Terraces, Bomod-ok Big Falls, Lake Danum, St. Mary's Episcopal church, Calvary Hills, Echo Valley, Hanging Coffins, Sagada Weaving, Kiltepan Viewpoint

Inclusions:

3D/2N accommodation, 9 meals (3 breakfast, 3 lunch, 3 dinner), round-trip transport (Manila-Sagada-Manila), van rental, entrance fees, guide fees, souvenir shirt (your own size)

Number of participants: 6 pax and up

Price: P4500/head, minimum of 6 pax

hmmm. parang ang laki ng difference ng price. ganun ba kamahal ang souvenir shirt? hehe. :)

btw, package 1 is from here and package 2 is from here. :)

 2. ilocos : so i've been to ilocos (both sur and norte) when i was 18. but i did not bring a camera and thus, i feel that i was robbed off of the experience. haha. seriously. sayang, we went to a lot of churches, beaches, to the light house, toured vigan etc. but i don't remember some of the places na. if  i had pics eh di sana i could just go through the pictures and say, ah i remember this was taken at so-and-so where it was blah-and blah.

3. bangkok : international naman. para makalabas naman ako ng pilipinas. :) want to shop and explore thailand's culture. add the fact na it's probably cheaper to go to bangkok than to mindanao. :) kaso mukhang malabo na makapunta ko dito dahil sino naman ang pwede kong yayain pumunta in such short notice? i don't want to travel alone. mahirap na. i'm sooo bad with directions pa naman. (at wala pa nga pala kong passport. di ko kasi sinipot ung interview ko for passport eh. haha.)

4. khao pad : ok, so hindi naman talaga to place. hindi din cguro macoconsider as travel. (hmmm.. kelangan ko ba baguhin ung title ng blog entry na to?) but i stumbled upon a blog about this restaurant. it's a restaurant formerly known as the UP thai canteen. shet. bakit ngaun ko lang nalaman to? eh tambay ako ng ortigas... dito na pala napunta ang thai canteen. weeeh! buhay pa ang thai canteen! :D grabe. its been at least 5 years since i last ate there (nung nasa balara pa cya). i remember a few years back, i wanted to eat there kaso nagsara na daw. have. to. order. mixed seafood. aw. i missed thai canteen. *must control squid cravings, now na.* btw, it's located at ortigas home depot sa OJV behind starbucks.

5. one of carlos celdran's tours :  because i believe that there is much to rediscover in manila. :) at kahit napuntahan ko na tong places na to, i was probably there for a grade school/high school field trip and didn't care much or just passed by the places while on  the way to a different place and paid no attention at all. :p

IF THESE WALLS COULD TALK!

Intramuros Regular Walking Tour

Includes: Manila Cathedral, Walk on Walls, San Agustin Museum, Plaza San Luis

Note: Tour has slightly mature content (2 hours)

Recommended for ages eight (8) above

Php800.00 - Adult

Php400.00 - Student

 

LIVING LA VIDA IMELDA!

Walking Tour of the Cultural Center of the Philippines

Tour of the National Theater, Philippine International Convention Center, and CCP grounds.

Note: Tour has slightly adult content (3 hours)

Recommended for ages 14 above.

Php700.00 adults

Php350.00 students

 

DOWNTOWN EXPRESS!

A Stroll through Binondo and Quiapo

Note: Recommended for all ages.

Php600.00 - Adults

Php300.00 - Students

i'll probably take my sis with me to go to #5. goal ko to join at least 1 of the 3 tours listed above and go to one more place from my top 3 places. khao pad is definitely somewhere i'll go to within the month. :) btw, visit carlos celdran's blog here to see the dates available for the tours. :)

sintones, sagimes, atbp.

Kumakain ako ngaun ng sintones. Hulaan ko reaction mo: “huh, sintones? Ano un?” Well, mas kilala mo siguro cya sa pangalang dalandan. Pero sintones ang tawag dyan dito sa min. Hindi ko nga malalaman na ito pala ung dalandan kung hindi nauso ang mga dalandan flavored drinks at nagkaron sila ng commercial sa tv. High school o college na siguro ko nun.. Kahit hanggang ngayon, pag gusto kong kumain ng dalandan, “sintones” pa din ang pinapabili ko..

Parang turon. Alam mo bang dati, hindi ko alam na turon pala ang tawag dun sa saging na binalot sa lumpia wrapper. Sagimes kasi ang twag namin sa turon eh. At dati, naweweirdan ako sa shape ng turon. Kasi ang sagimes (na paboritong paborito ko nung bata pa ko) eh square ang shape. Parang ganito:

Pati ung tinapay na tinatawag nyong monay? Ang tawag sa min dun eh bangka. (Ung pronounciation nito hindi ung pagppronounce ng bangka na ship ha. Mahaba ung bang. Baang-ka. Malumay lang un pronounciation.) At ang laki pa nyan nun. Ung pisong bangka dati, mas malaki pa sa limang pisong bangka ngaun. Naalala ko pa, ang everyday merienda ko pag bakasyon eh isang bangka na may palamang peanut butter (ung walang brand na peanut butter na nakalagay sa malaking plastic container) at softrinks (8oz na coke o kaya mirinda o 7up, hindi ako umiinom ng sarsi). Kaya naman nung bata pa ko, tumataba ako lagi pag bakasyon.. :D