Para Kay B ni Ricky Lee

Wala ako sa wisyo nitong mga nakaraang araw. Basta. Tapos bigla akong pinahiram ng libro ni bespren. Actually, dinarag ko sya para bigyan ako ng bagong pagkakaabalahan.

Sabi ko, ano nanaman itong kalokohan na to? Lab story ba ito? Wala akong balak kiligin hanggang sa kuyukot na abot hanggang sa burnik ng pwet ko (ay sori, baboy na).

Unang tagalog na libro daw na nabasa nya, at nagustuhan nya ng sobra sobra, todo todo. OA! Sabi ko. Hindi pwedeng sobra lang, kelangan sobra sobra?

Ako, kung sakali, pangalwang tagalog ayon sa aking pagkakaalala. Ang una ay ang Bata, Bata Paano ka Ginawa ni Luwalhati Bautista.

Sa una’y nahirapan ako basahin, marahil sa sobrang daming ginagawa sa trabaho, wala ang todo kong atensyon sa libro, at madaming putol ang aking pagbabasa. Pero di kalaana’y nabasa ko din ng tuluyan hanggang madaling araw ko na natapos at eto, sinasabi sa inyo na weirdo sya basahin, pero maganda. Madaming parte na nakarelate naman ang kilikili ko sa pagkiliti ng lechecng libro nito sa mga alaalang pilit na winawaksi.

Basta! Bigyan ko nalang kayo ng mga paborito kong mga linya sa libro na naquote na din ni bespren sa blog nya.

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236-237

"...hindi mo pwedeng mahalin ang isang tao nang hindi mo minamahal ang hilaga, silangan, timog, at kanluran ng kanyang mga paniniwala. Kapag nagmahal ka'y dapat mong tanggapin bawat letra ng kanyang birth certificate. Kasama na doon ang kanyang libag, utot at bad breath. Pero me limit. Pantay-pantay ang ibinibigay na karapatan sa lahat ng tao upang lumigaya, o masaktan, o magpakagago, pero pag sumara na ang mga pinto, nawasak na ang mga puso, nawala na ang mga kaluluwa at ang bilang ay umabot na sa zero, goodbye na."
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At ang isang napaka lupit...
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103-104
"...Dahil totoo ang sabi nila, ang great love mo, hindi mo makakatuluyan. Ang makakatuluyan mo ay ang correct love".
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Me pagka pessimistic din itong libro na ito no? Samahan mo pa ng teoryang sa madaming tao ay marahil totoo...
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36
"Me quota ang pag-big. Sa bawat limang umiibig, isa lang ang magiging maligaya. Ang iba, iibig sa di sila iniibig. O iibig nang di natututo. O iibg sa wala. O di iibig kailanman".
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So ano? Kasama ka sa quota?

O ayan. Me isa akong libro na gustong ipamigay sa blogger na gusto mabasa ang librong ito. Ipahiram nyo nalang kung gusto nyo. Ano? Sino me gusto? Ipapadala ko na.

The stone that hit me...

*author of blog doesn't claim ownership of the above photos.

Thinking of You...

Thinking of you by Katy Perry

Comparisons are easily done
Once you've had a taste of perfection
Like an apple hanging from a tree
I picked the ripest one I still got the seed

You said move on, where do I go
I guess second best is all I will know

Cause when I'm with him I am thinking of you
Thinking of you
What you would do if you were the one
Who was spending the night
Oh I wish that I was looking into your eyes

You're like an Indian summer in the middle of winter
Like a hard candy with a surprise center
How do I get better once I've had the best
You said there's tons of fish in the water
So the waters I will test
[ Find more Lyrics on www.mp3lyrics.org/peCP ]

He kissed my lips, I taste your mouth
He pulled me in I was disgusted with myself

Cause when I'm with him I am thinking of you
Thinking of you
What you would do if you were the one
Who was spending the night
Oh I wish that I was looking into...

You're the best and yes I do regret
How I could let myself let you go
Now the lesson's learned
I touched it I was burned
Oh I think you should know
Cause when I'm with himI am thinking of you
Thinking of you
What you would do if you were the one
Who was spending the night
Oh I wish that I was looking into your eyes
Looking into your eyes
Looking into your eyes
Oh won't you walk through and bust in the door
And take me away
Oh no more mistakes
Cause in your eyes
I'd like to stay...

Spice Fusion, Cebu

On my usual sojourn again to the danggit and dried mango island tomorrow. I guess time and distance are helping me out…. In this time of getting miserably fat.

This food post is about one fave restaurant I have in Cebu. I remember on one trip in Singapore, I was wishing I could find a good fusion restaurant back home. But I never thought I’d find one in Cebu. We don’t have the sting ray though. But still, Spice fusion offered to be one of the best Asian fusion I’ve been to in Cebu and (some parts of) Manila. The right amount of spice, a bit of Filipino to suit our taste buds, but still was able to retain the authenticity of other Asian countries’ dish.

Read on to know more. More pictures posted at Multiply account.



Name: Spice Fusion
Where: Banilad Town Center (BTC) Cebu
Contact details: (+63) (32) 344 29 23
Cuisine: Asian fusion
Food rate: 8.5 out of 10
Ambiance: Your usual resto, but food taste compensates for the lack of ambiance

Service: Even on a busy day, I’d still say they give good attention to customers. From ordering, to the arrival of your dish, to billing out, things turn out unusually smooth. A refreshing feat from most restaurants that I’ve been to.

Cost: Cebu is Cebu. You can’t have the same price in Manila, thus food trips are so much inevitable in this place. Crab would cost less than 500 Php (the heaviest weighed), main dishes would range from 150 to 300 Php. And they have a substantial serving amount good for 3-4 people.

Some Recommendations: I’d recommend Roti and pork/ chicken satay for your appetizers; Chili crab, chili prawn, and cashew chicken for your main dish and finally, banana fritters for your dessert.

Overall Assessment: A place worth coming back to. They’ve opened more branches in malls around Cebu, but I’d still recommend their cook in BTC (unless he got transfered).

If you can recommend a good Asian Fusion in Manila, I’d definitely want to try ‘em. Cheers! Happy eating during this Love Month!

More pictures at my Multiply account.

Broken Strings

Broken Strings

Let me hold you for the last time

It’s the last chance to feel again
But you broke me, now I can’t feel anything

When I love you It’s so untrue,

I can’t even convince myself

When I’m speaking, it’s the voice of someone else

Oh it tears me up,

I tried to hold but it hurts too much

I tried to forgive but it’s not enough

To make it all okay

You can’t play on broken strings

You can’t feel anything

That your heart don’t want to feel

I can’t tell you something that ain’t real

Oh the truth hurts A lie is worse

I can’t like it anymore

When I love you a little less than before

Oh what are we doing

We are turning into dust

Playing house in the ruins of us

Running back through the fire

When there’s nothing left to save

It’s like chasing the very last train

When it’s too late

Oh it tears me up

I tried to hold but it hurts too much

I tried to forgive but it’s not enough

To make it all okay

You can’t play our broken strings

You can’t feel anything

That your heart don’t want to feel

I can’t tell you something that ain’t real

Oh the truth hurts

And lies worse

I can’t like it anymore

And I love you a little less than before

But we’re running through the fire

When there’s nothing left to say

It’s like chasing the very last train

When we both know it’s too late

You can’t play our broken strings

You can’t feel anything

That your heart don’t want to feel

I can’t tell you something that ain’t real

Oh the truth hurts

And lies worse

I can’t like it anymore

And I love you a little less than before

Oh and I love you a little less than before

Let me hold you for the last time

It’s the last chance to feel again

Buwan

Di ko namalayan, paa’y tumahak ng di batid na landas
Hanggang ako’y balutan ng ilaw mong, sa langit ay katas
Sa aking pag mulat, di maialis ang mga mata
Tumitingin, Minamasdan, ng puso kong dati’y malaya

Sabihin mo, anong gayuma ang iyong binigay,
Pilit ako’y lumalapit, gaya ng pag abot sayo ng alon ng dagat

O buwan, ano ang nais mo sa iyong habag na lingkod?

Sa aking mga kamay, nanliliit kung sayo'y ikumpara ,
Ngunit ninais ko pa ring sila'y minsa’y magkatagpo
Sa aking pagtangis, humihingi na muli’y ika'y masilayan pa
Nagsusumamo, nagdarasal, hanggang sa puso’y mahapo

Ngunit sa pagsikat ng araw, ikaw ay tila namaalam,
Nangungusap na mga mata, sanay akin ka na lamang

Oh buwan, oh buwan... sana'y akin ka na lamang

Peb 10. Penumbral Lunar Eclipse. Sa aking pag tingala sa buwang kay ganda. Ngiti ang batid, sa kaalamang may isang parehas na nagmamasid. Malayo ma’y iisa ang pinagmamasdan.

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(Don't worry Jon, I made or rather tried making an English translation)

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Somehow, I find my feet, going to a place I’ve never travelled.
Suddenly, your faint beautiful light softly embraced me,
Why I can’t take my eyes off of you, how I marvel
Mesmerized, unmoving, my heart that was once free

What spell have you cast upon me,
As I draw nearer to you like the tides of sea.

Oh moon, what am I to do with you?

Oh moon, what fate do I have with you?

My hands suddenly looked small next to yours,
But as I imagined them together, locked, intertwined
I find myself asking, hoping that I can have you more
Longing, feeling, until my heart shall finally resign

But lo! You bid good bye, for the sun soon shall shine,
Alas, my eyes have cried, wishing for you to be mine

Oh moon, why can’t you stay with me now?

Oh moon, why can't we be together now?

Feb 10. Penumbral Lunar Eclipse. I raise my head and smiled, knowing that somewhere someone can see the same moon that I am seeing. With that small thought, that small connection, I finally curl up to sleep… purrrr…

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Thank you moon for your understanding. Thank you for still being there.

Finding Mom

2004. The soft roaring sound of the AC unit echoed the beating of my heart.

Slowly, I ran my fingers on the edge of the calling card, feeling the uneven cut I made with a pair of not-so-sharp scissors. The card bore my name and contact details, with a black and white picture carefully laid out on the right side of the card.

I was still in college. Though I worked part time doing pharmaceutical researches, my unseasoned services hardly warranted a calling card to be given to prospective clients. No, the card wasn’t made for that purpose.

Punctuating the moment with a final resolved sigh, I immediately placed the card in a thin white airmail envelope before I could even change my mind. There it sat alone, no letter, no salutations, and no instructions nor explanations as to what the card was for… just the silent implied message the small card carried with itself and the hope that whoever saw the card, would know what to do next. With that, I sealed it with a quick swish of my tongue across the sticky flap of the envelope.

With sure strokes of my hand, I carefully wrote the address I found in an old mail, hoping that the same capiz-windowed house still be there, waiting for my little messenger.

And as I slid the almost empty envelope in the post box, I said a silent prayer and wished it luck in its quiet sojourn. Faith, I guess, was all I could carry as I hoped that my little warrior would come back to me with flags of victory.

Time passed by as fast as one can say yes to Cebu’s lechon… and Abe’s crispy pata, my lola’s caldereta, my tita’s adobo, and uhhmmm… (sorry I got carried away).

Wait. That was all I could do till I almost forgot all about it.

Until that day when I received an almost unexpected call.

“# calling…” Prolly an international number.

“May I speak with Mr. Jeffrey G__?” the voice said.

That voice. Familiar voice. A voice that I haven’t heard for practically thirteen years.

Mom.

If hearts could really skip a beat, mine did that instant. And maybe a cartwheel.

The conversation continued on with awkward how are you’s and a lot of dead air. But the momentary silence was welcomed. It was like we were trying to feel each other’s presence on the other line. Hearing each other breath. Imagining what the other must’ve looked like. Would each look the same after thirteen years? (well, I grew a tad taller though, haha).

“Take care, I love you” My mom finally bid me good bye.

“bye mom, I love you too,” I replied before pushing the “end call” button.

I was sitting on the floor in the laboratory corridor. And I find my tears dropping one by one making small wet circles on my laboratory gown.

I slowly got up, and with the cool breeze flowing from the far end’s fire exit, I walk wistfully, letting my lab gown flow with the air as I enter the classroom.

And as I slowly slid into my stool chair, my lips unconsciously curled up to form a small satisfied smile.

My little warrior returned triumphant.

I have finally found Mom.

And she has found me.

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Happy Birthday Mom!

Love yah!

10-Feb-09

Happy Love Month!

Love is. No definitions. Love and don’t ask too many questions. Just love.
- The Witch of Portobello

(I can feel those pessimist/ bitter people reacting to the above line. I’ll bet you’ll say, “Don’t forget to use your brains. Love is not free.” hehe.)

Of all the months of the year, I have 12 favourites, one of them is February (I know, we only have 12 months, pero diba me thirteenth month daw?). Because for me, this is the “Love month.” A time when I can get away with giving small mushy stuff/ thingies to practically everyone without them thinking that I’m courting. That month when I can increase my sweetness tenfold, blame it to the season and get a way with it easily.

Love. I’m not just talking about the romantic kind. With the recent events that happened in my family, the death of my itay (lolo), the widening space that separated my dad’s sibling’s heart from each other, the recent bond that I’ve formed with my mom’s side of the family, I say, Love is, firstly, about family.

Thus, for the month of February, I’ll be posting family moments that made my heart do some cartwheels. Some happy moments, some mushy, some sad, but all together strengthened the love each family member has for each other.

Thus, I’m tagging ALL THOSE WHO READ THIS to tell in your blog how you spent the Love month with your family (with your mom, or your dad, or your siblings). Don’t worry, ya’ll have till the end of February to post your story. Post not, and you’ll have the 5-MONTH-ACNE curse. Yes this is kinda one of those chain blog post aka cursed tag.

And also, I’ll finally reveal my love-vy-dooey status in this blog. (yeah right! big deal. spf! Hhmmpff! Hehe).

So please do visit the blog for updates…

Love ya’ll! *wink* *wink*

(Yeah I know, I think I overdid pasting all those heart in the pic. kulang nalang calendar sa likod pwede na kumampanya sa election. hehe)