worn & aged

here i am, sitting in my lonely cubicle–blogging about the effects of my adventures & misadventures. come to think of it, my life in the city is the exact opposite of my life in the province. i love the feeling of being always on the go, and never even stopping to catch my breath. life is boring i guess–if you stay in the confines of your cube. there is a world out there–waiting to be explored. so what the hell am i doing here? sitting and staring at my monitor–huh! now that a good question.

friday night we boarded the boat bound for dumaguete. it was a 6 hour ride. didn’t sleep well coz the a/c was blastedly cold & my bones shivered until morning. when we docked at dumaguete, i felt hungry–geez i wasted my energy so i need to refuel. the only place i know that is open 24-hrs is dunkin do–so we went there around 4 am and had a hearty early morning meal. we strolled along the boulevard on our way back to the pier. the lights were great in the dark, and a lot of peeps were up and about. we got our stuffs & headed for the delta office to buy tickets. we were all excited to catch the first trip bound for siquijor. when we reached the port of siquijor, i was looking around, trying to see familiar faces. tata wasn’t able to greet us coz he had a scheduled dive that day, so he’s deputizing his crew to fetch us at the pier. i dunno who he sent, so it was hard to identify. luckily i didn’t have to, we were approached by somebody & huh! what a relief. but of course i am not worried coz i know where the place is, but i just don’t know how to get there. dropped us off at the resort, and told him to collect us after 2 hours coz we need to freshen up & eat. we inspected the place, and took some photos (pang friendster ni bay!) according to one of my companion. so anyway, we enjoyed the early morning breeze while sitting on the veranda ala italian style. it was life in luxury so to speak. we just finished unpacking when our guide fetched us. when we arrived at the shop, i took some pics. we have no clear iterinary for saturday, as we were dependent on tata, but since he was out somewhere, we made our own plans, and had a tour around the island. it was super fun, we all had a blast. we went to mt. bandilaan–the highest point in siquijor, we also visited the famous cantabon cave. we didn’t go in though–you have to pay for the entrance fee & the guide before you are allowed in. we are a bunch of penniless travelers, so we opted not to go… before you reach these destinations, you have to pass by brgy. san antonio—the place was very still & seemingly cold. i haven’t seen a single soul when we were passing by.  it was an awkward moment for all of us coz we were just entering the zone, we can feel some intensity but couldn’t explain why. it was only after the driver told us that barangay is the central for witchcraft & vodoo that we felt really scared. it’s like something is up there, good thing we didn’t stop by & took pics. next stop is cambuhagay falls. it’s not as big as the falls i’ve seen, but it was cool. ivan had a freak accident on the way down. he brushed his hand on the bamboo railing and there was a caterpillar or so we thought, it has some thorns like that of the cactus, and man, he had a real fit! it was very painful, and we have to get each thorn coz the longer it stays in his hand, the more painful it gets. i took about a hundred or so, no one wants to help him coz they were afraid it’s contagious, i gave him some anti-allergy tabs so it won’t kill him. so after the freak accident, we went swimming in the falls. the water is very refreshing & cold but it was nice to dip in. the falls look very inviting so we swam towards it. we wanted to feel the surge of the water so we climb and had a shower–it was fun at first, then i swear i felt the rush of the water going strong. i thought i was the only one, when i told them what i felt, they said they all felt it. so it wasn’t my imagination at all. we acted like nothing happened & continued swimming. it was getting dark so we decided go, then i glanced back & noticed that the water was again flowing slowly. well, i’ll be damned! so we continued our journey & the driver took us to salagdoong beach–it’s a public beach–entrance fee is only 10php/person. we saw a lot of picnickers there. the smell of sinugba made us really hungry. but we didn’t bring any food, so we have to contend with it. dusk is finally setting in, took some sunset pics & we wandered for awhile. there was a band playing that night, but the place is so far from where we are staying so nothing we can’t do about it. time to go, but pitstop first to the nearest carenderia. our driver took us at manukan. we ate at our heart’s content. and we went home full & very contented. we decided to relax and had a beer at the seashore. shared some ghost stories & ended up talking until it was already very late.

saturday–the big day. i was very excited coz it’s dive time! tata picked us up at around 8 and we had breakfast together. after filling in our tummies, we went directly to the shop to get organized. tata surprised us all by telling us that he’s treating everyone for a dive. wow we were all thrilled. he told my friends that they can do the taiken or the discover scuba, coz he wants all of us to experience the joy of diving. we watched the video and after that it was gear up time! cio didn’t dive though, she’s not into diving, she assured everyone she’s just gonna take our pictures. it’s been almost a year since my last dive so i had super fun. we’re done diving at around 3pm, didn’t even notice the time, can’t believe it’s that late. took our gears & had lunch at yanz. the food was great & it was fun! after eating, we had some halo-halo somewhere & then headed towards the pier to buy tickets for lui & angge. hmmm looks like someone is going home tonight! oh well, they don’t want to go yet but they have no choice, they have work on monday. anyway after bidding them goodbye, we went back to the resort & freshen up. tata said he’ll be there for dinner, so we waited up for them. it was very late when he arrived and the bar was closed. had to look for some place to eat coz we were all hungry. we scouted the place by scooter and finally there’s one place that still open in san juan. the owner is a good friend of his, also a dive instructor. he welcomed all of us there, and we ordered. while waiting for our food, got a chance to talk with our companions. tata had some foreign guests and it was time for socials. there’s a french guy who travels the world but couldn’t stand to eat balut. ugh! then there’s the french canadian couple who owns 20 companies. they were with their bratty daughter who hooks up with every guy she sees, but the guys are all scared & intimidated with her. and then there’s the owner, a german who lives there now with her family. it was sort of an international gathering. after having dinner, it was time to go. we have to travel back to siquijor and it takes about 30mins to get there. cio & galu rode with holly the german guy in their easy ride, while i am left with ivan coz he doesn’t want to ride alone in the scooter & it was past midnight. we were travelling very fast, we had 90 max & i was crying coz the dust was getting in my eyes. it was a scary ride coz it was dark & we don’t know exactly where we were, holly was driving so fast, i guess he was driving at around 110–beat that! i had my apprehensions too coz we were very low on fuel. i was scared that we’ll run on empty & there’ll be nobody to help us. thankfully we arrived home safely.

monday–attempting to get more sleep but we have to be up at 5 so we can be at the diveshop at around 7. arghhhhhh! we all want to go to apo island, so have to sacrifice our sleep. we were all up and about & ready at 7. when we arrived at the shop, the guys were getting our things ready & we had breakfast while the other divers were being picked up. i was a little nervous coz the sea was not calm. siquijor is known for its roughness but it was different that day. anyway we finally managed to board the boat & we headed for apo island. it’s an hour ride of pure roughness. i did enjoy watching the waves, as it splashes our banca. i love the sea, i think i am a sea-nymph. i’ve never been sea-sick so i guess i belong there. we were nearing apo, and i was in awe. the place is so marvelous! it was like being in a remote island. it’s different. not something that i’ve imagined and i was totally at a loss for words. then it was dive time. now i experienced diving, the apo style–the current is very strong and it takes a lot of guts really to manuever your way around. apo is hailed as one of the best dive sites in the phils & in the world. but not everyone can dive apo, it’s too expensive & you have to have a lot of experience before you are allowed to dive coz the current is very strong and divers call it the “crazy current”. it was an experience & someday i’ll be back to dive the other sites too. dive is over & time to go home. we opted not to go back to siquijor & just catch a boat ride to dauin. hitched a ride at another boat bound for dauin. again the waves were very big and strong. it was an hour ride of pure exhilaration. we landed at puro vida in dauin & took advantage of the facility. had a quick shower coz che was already waiting for us. we asked him to pick us up. chino’s brod invited us for dinner at his place–wow everyone is so hospitable! we went there & ate a very delicious meal. we thanked him for taking us in & we all headed to hayahay—the place is famous for their pizza. there we were introduced to more of chino’s brods and we all had a beer & killing time. our boat bound for cebu will leave dumaguete at around 12 so by 11:30 they all went with us to the pier and bid us goodbye. we were all tired & sleepless, so we wasted no time in catching our much needed sleep. when i woke up, it was already morning & we are nearing cebu.

i had a blast. i never expected it to be this much fun. it’s so surreal, i can’t wait for my pictures to get developed though. i dunno what to expect from it. i was just shooting using available light. i’ll post pics when i have time.

funny feeling rushes in my system. for one, i am not excited, i guess it’s because i’m not expecting it to be all fun there. when i arrive i’ll start working haha. some holiday it is, right? but of course an army is going to accompany me in my voyage, so there’ll be places to go, and more places to go. and who could forget diving? it’s been ages since my last dive, and diving is like an addiction, once you’re in, you’ll be hooked for life. anyway the boat is leaving tonight at 10pm, there’s still time for last min prep but i dunno what else to prepare. i did my grocery last night but all i bought for the trip is a bottle of water and batteries for my flash, the rest are my supply at home. maybe i’m coming up with a temperature or something, i mean it isn’t me at all, i used to buy all necessary stuffs for a trip–and even have a list for it. or i’m just wary that’s all. i guess i’m adapting the minimalistic attitute. i wanted to bring only a pair of shorts, bikini & shorts—that’s it, sort of a nomadic life char char. but that is of course not counting my gear bag-which weighs a ton, and my cam-which weighs even more.

now that sinulog is over… everything is back to normal. it was a crazy weekend. everyone was sooo in the mood for party. now we are all darn pennyless. but of course it was all worth it. it’s the biggest event in cebu & who would want to miss it? definitely not me. 

i guess i’m pretty excited about the weekend. we’re off to siquijor & everyone can’t sit still. it’s been almost a year since i was there & i am looking forward to visiting the place again. it will be worthwhile, definitely, not maybe. i told the gang, we’re sailing rain or shine, typhoon or no typhoon. i guess that’s how determined we are.

peeps just can’t get enuf chismis… an officemate saw me at the mall last sunday, and whadya know? the rumor was spreading like a virus. to those who have seen me, or to those who were wondering but was hesitant to ask… lemme just tell all of those peeps that he is not my bf for pete’s sake. we are very close & very comfortable with each other but it stops there. now i’m not gonna get a new guy, with the chismis rate. i saw my crush last friday and maybe he was wondering too… arghhhhhhh

monday, i’m still feeling the blue. i guess i am now back to reality. everything went so fast, i had a hard time catching up. so what have i been doing this weekend? hmmm it was all so hazy, never really think for a moment, all i did was have some fun! and some fun it was. friday, i was all agog, i dunno haven’t really been out lately, so it was like sort of a first time for me. after having dinner at ayala, went to handuraw to meet some of che’s brods, stayed for awhile then headed to baseline to watch the  urbandub concert. gosh! i never seen this much bands perform in one show. i mean some of them i haven’t heard of, and some are boring! everyone was waiting for the main act. i was getting sleepy & the rest are bored. when finally urban performed, everyone was in hysteria. shouting out loud, and making noises, jumping & spilling beer all over the place. then they are done! what the fuck! i waited until 4 in the morning for them to perform & they performed only 4 songs. tsk tsk tsk saturday was different though, we all agreed we should start partying early so we’ll go home earlier. i was just getting up at about 5 pm when cio texted me and told me she’s picking me up, i was in a state of panic. i haven’t taken a bath and i still have to eat my lunch. told her to give me 30 mins. she was at my doorstep at about 30 mins and we head out to mango to check the place. we want something different, like going to vudu & dance all night, but the rest of the gang aren’t really enthusiastic bout the idea, so we had coffee at la marea and went back to mango sq. i wasn’t feeling the place, coz you know, i’m always at mango everyday of my life. la mér was playing bisrock so we transferred to the beat, and danced for awhile. i guess the place is too much for che, he complained that the place is way too crowded & hot. we had to get out coz he was hyperventilating & we just laughed at him, how cruel! anyway we headed to handuraw, and saw FA, he was just on his way out, told me i missed agaw-agimat, what a bunch of crap! we should have gone there earlier. oh well i’m sure lui would have been ecstatic hmmm. cio had one drink too many, while che & i were waiting for some friends to arrive, she drowned herself with lots of beer. wanted to go somewhere else but she’s too wasted to drive, nobody else brought our license, so no one can take over the wheel. i guess it’s not fun to watch over 2 wild gals. sigh. sunday, the mardi gra started. i was just about to sleep when i hear the familiar drum beat outside. our place is the jump-off point for the mardi-gra and sometimes it isn’t convenient to sleep. i have no choice though, so i have to suffer. i guess i was too tired to argue with noise. i only have about 3 hrs sleep, then i’m off to mango to meet che again. it was like finding a needle in the haystack. at last i saw him, and then we joined the parade, pausing and taking pix on our way and dropped by to where cio was, met new friends & got reunited with the old ones. it was a fun experience. it was way too hot so we decided to go to ayala. it was fun & something different. just what i needed. it was a long night for all of us. i promise not to drink anymore, so we watched a movie and cio fetched us at around 1 am. it’s a tough day for her, and my heart bleeds. it would have been their 12th yr anniv, if only chino didn’t die. i wonder how she got through the day. must have been really tough. she tried to put off the pain and live life, but when we were sitting and having a cuppa coffee, her emotions swelled in. we just sat there, each busy with our own thoughts, and then it started to shower. it was a sign for us to go home.

i am not going to do this again. 3 straight morning the night gimik is cool but i dunno, when you have work on monday, it’s just too hard to balance. i must be getting old. arghhhhh

drinking is fun, but when you loose some quality sleep, your mind will float, and that is exactly what i feel right now. i had about 2 hours of sleep today. it was dreamless but certainly not peaceful. can’t concentrate coz i was thinking of going to work, but after weighing my options, i choose to remain at home, for half-day that is. now i look like shit, everyone commented on how weary i looked. that’s what drinking will do to your body, when you don’t get much sleep. or maybe i had too much coffee? hmmm or was it the tequila? bottomline is, it’s always shitty when you drink. i do handle my liquor.

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“do not judge the book by its cover”

i know it sounds so cliché but i just can’t help it, maybe sometimes, looks just don’t matter at all, if you have a big heart, and a fat personality. well the other night, i was soooo shocked when my friend introduced her boyfriend to all of us. in that group, only 2 people knew her that well, and i was one of them. i know che was also as shocked as me, when we were in the car, i asked him how he find the guy, he told me that he is a gentleman, and that the only thing he will say to me is that our friend is very pretty. how noble of him. it proves one thing though. in today’s generation, physical beauty is not the top priority.

whew, what a day! been idle in the morning coz my pc got reformated. now it’s up and running but work is piling up. wasn’t able to accomplish much since i have to add fonts & check if i have copied all my files. designer’s works were stalled since the distiller is on my drive and they have to wait also. tough day! then i have a new designer which i am currently training arghhhhh. but i am off tomorrow so got to leave work behind for one day. i’m suppose to take the day off today but i changed it so i can do the training and have nanding reformat my pc. sometimes you can’t just sleep tight when you know something’s not right.

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i’m craving! in fact, i’m always hungry. i don’t see the effect, it looks like i’m not gaining anything. now i wonder why.

i wonder why some people asks for my opinion, or for anything else for that matter. hey i’m no walking encyclopedia, neither do i work the entertainment circuit nor the yellow pages. maybe they think i’m an information booth or something. just recently someone asks if he can have the contact # of a friend. geez it was a good thing i have it in my phonebook. why i hate to be a backseat driver? coz i don’t have the luxury of enjoying the scenery, one is bound to ask which way to turn, should we go this way, or go the other way, is this street one way? can we park here? oh my god, endless questions… one time we were heading out to lunch, they asked me if there’s a typhoon coming. c’mon, do i look like i work for pagasa? geez, much as i love physics, i’ve been trying really hard to keep away from anything that has something to do with science. but i suppose i have to answer the question, right? and so i did, and i said, there’s none coming, not that i know of anyway (sometimes it pays to read the papers shhh). it amuses me, but it is also annoying the hell out of me. this morning for example, i got an unusual email from a former officemate. she asked if i knew who were the godparents of another former officemate’s daughter. i told her i had no idea, i don’t even know the kid got christened. tsk tsk tsk. am i really that chismosa? that i know everything that comes around hmmm. she told me the mom was asking all the godparents gifts for her daughter. whatever! i didn’t even asked her yet what’s going on & she spilt the beans… but of course, if it has something to do with work, or something that i am very well versed, i’d help in whatever i can, i’ll volunteer the details even if it bores the hell out of you. but come to think of it, it’s rewarding in a sense, sometimes you ask yourself, why are they asking me these Qs? is it because they know they can depend on me for an answer? or they are just plain lazy? they just want to dig out the info instead of going through the usual research stuff. i’d rather keep away from the rumor mill, i’d much rather discuss the weather, thank you. i know i’m talking senseless. it’s been raining here for days and i am rather eager to feel the sunshine again. the office is bitingly cold & it’s just too much for my boney build. oh well the truth is i’m bored & i’ve got nothing to blog about… bottomelime–blame the rain for my odd behaviour.

we have four-days to kill! yeah four freakin days! the company is happy we hit our goals last year and so they are giving all the employess a chance to unwind & relax for four-days! yipee! i’m so happy i could cry. i am already making plans but it could change anytime. i’m so excited i can barely concentrate. would have been great to take a long vacation after the holidays, but i just can’t afford it right now. sigh sigh sigh

yesterday afternoon while out on break, we were eating our panwiches and having a cozy conversation at our favorite hang out—the stairs! the guys were busy staring at the sexy chicks(?) passing us by, oh but seriously i dunno how they define “sexy”. i am still at a loss over the definition when a family caught my line of viewing. it was a typical family, a kinda chubby husband hugging their months old baby, the wife holding her daughter. they look like a happy & complete family, looking in at the displays, shopping in evident with the bags they were carrying. the wife caught my attention–it looked like she still need to shed off some unwanted pounds from her pregnancy. She looked older and fat!– i was really shocked when i saw her coz i know this girl. She was my classmate in grade school & in high school, she was one of the sosy ones–guys dig her coz she’s very pretty & very fashionable too. Now reality gently sinking in–i can see that she lost her marvels. She is still pretty if you looked at her really closely, but that is overshadowed by her physical appearance, and the way she dresses up is i dunno–imagine how a typical mother dresses up. I was in for a real shocker– i cannot for the life of me contain my dismay over what i just witnessed. i refuse to believe that this person can transform that way. i wouldn’t call it a hideous transformation but i had a lot of expectations from her. on the other hand, maybe she is happy & her husband loves her so much that her physical appearance does not matter? but isn’t it our personal duty to take care of ourselves? i dunno what to say– this is a real shocker to me.