Coffee and Cherries

I havent had a cup of coffee in a long time. (certainly not the frappes, and tea doesnt count) I love frappes (with mint and raspberry syrup) but i kinda missed drinking coffee. But I really really want to try to get to bed early. I guess coffee can wait till tomorrow morning. For tonight, I'm raiding my jar of cherries. :)

geez, I know every Filipino would be saying this in their blogs today, but its soooo hot! the weather is just, its just sooo exhausting! I want to take a 3 hour long bath with cold water! (to think I hate taking a bath with cold water). haaay. Airconditioning doesnt seem to be enough!

I will distract myself with Cherries and Ice cream and a good tv series to watch. Any ideas?

On how a lot of things can happen in such a short span of time.(something I should have written years ago.)

Okay, the title of this post really gives the gist of my post. What I find interesting, is that you probably will read this post because you know how it feels like, and you would want to know how mine came to happen. This isnt going to be something filled with drama or whatever it is that rates. Initially, I wanted to rant about everything that has happened, but then I realized I couldnt just rant about everything- some good things did happen to me. Its just that I cant help but wish that the bad stuff didnt have to happen. Or maybe it was a package. Either way, im still thankful for the good things, and im still trying to understand the bad things. But trying to find something good in all this, that's a challenge. I rarely say what I really feel, and I tend to shut up when I should be speaking out. Funny, I always thought myself to be a strong person. I hadnt realized that just because I felt strong, it doesnt mean that I am.

Let me tell you a little something about me.

I don't remember the last time that I had said or done something for vindication. I always said that what people thought of me didnt matter. I knew the truth, and thats what mattered. But then I look back at everything, and I realized that I shouldve said what I had wanted to do, when I had the chance. I know of people who didn't give themselves the chance to explain things; suffice to say, things went sour. I thought things through and I realized that things are what they are now because of everything that has been left unsaid before. Then I think about what would have happened if everyone had been completely honest about things. Would things have been better? Maybe not. Debating about things that have happened in the past is very very dangerous- it may mean that we contemplate on our lives (which is good) but it may also mean that we are unsure of whats happening; that we now blame our past actions for what we have now, and what is to be. Then it all becomes blurry- at what point does one decision affect one's future? And when everything's blurry, I only remember what I felt at that time- the people, and the experiences. It all becomes clear to me then- what I felt was what mattered. what others felt mattered too, but my feelings brought more pain to me. It probably meant, that I had to put myself first before anything else. That I had to stop being such an understanding human being. That I had to be different. Because after all these years, my humanity alienated me from people. It made me feel different.

Now I realize that what I am, and everything that's happened, is because I allowed it to be.

It's a good thing I really love where I am at right now, otherwise, I would be a very bitter person.

But I will be better. I will be stronger.

You know what I still cant understand?

I cant understand why I let the simplest of things get as far as it did. I guess thats what happens when you get caught in a whirlwind. The bad side: the good trees get uprooted. The bad trees? well, theyre still there, bad as ever.

I cant do project 365 but i'll try this.

where i want to go to and hide (without bringing my passport)

I've always said that i want to go here, to do this, try this and what not. But i never really had the time. I also never really had the initiative to drag friends to wherever it i wanted to go. I mean, with school, work and whatever problems we had, I just never had the chance. So I'm listing the top places in the Philippines (in any order) I would love(hopefully) to visit within the next couple of years.

1. Baguio- go back home!!
Status: been there a couple of months ago. Got stuck downtown in a rainy afternoon when the girls went to the local market to get pasalubong. took us hours to try to get a cab going home, we gave up and had the boys pick us up. had to wait in mcdo to sit out the rain. That reminded me a lot of Taft, minus the flood and pedicabs, and Jenny of course. But still, all memories of my childhood come up, especially in the morning while drinking coffee or hot chocolate and just staring at the sunrise and breathing in the pine air. I'm not good at describing places, but lets just say when I'm really old, i would love to spend my last days there.

2. Boracay- its about damn time!
Status: I cant go there yet, at least until Pat comes back home. I kinda made this deal that I wont be going to Bora until he gets back here in Manila. So yeah, Bora, see you next year. sigh!

3. Tagaytay- Its the easiest to go to. Some nights when we get bored, we just hop in and go there just to have coffee (and mochamisu in Mochablends). I recall a kinda funny time when we went up in just our pambahay that we ended up borrowing Robbie's shirts and polo to use it as jackets (because we kinda forgot to bring our own), kahiya! Its kinda boring though because Tagaytay isnt a place to go if you love sunsets. But the bulalo, is so worth the drive. Oh, and the T house is soooo beautiful! (yeah, thats where they shot the KC Concepcion and Richard Gutierrez flick, the one they shot "entirely" in Greece). Rent the place out, and see that you can go to Greece just 3 hours from Manila. The T house offers free wifi (yay!), a lovely house with a garden and pools, and of course, a sauna. Its the perfect place to unwind (and live).
Status: been there, and will be back for sure.

4. Mt. Pinatubo- Okay, everybody remembers the terrible explosion in 1993, it made me think it was snowing in a weird way in Manila, not realizing that it was ash fall from one of the worlds biggest volcanic eruptions in this century. But quite a lot of people know what happened to pinatubo, give or take a few years. Try to google it, oh it looks so beautiful! you'll have to hike and/or rent a 4x4 to get up, but i would do anything to go to the cratera and just sit and stare at it, or ride a boat in the lake in the crater. The geek in me would also want to see the creatures that reside in the lake. I hated biology, but im just curious. Anyhow, i have to get my ass there before the year ends.
Status: Researching and will drag people up there, hopefully next term break.

5. Samal Island - located 700 kilometers south of Davao, this Island offers a lot for visitors. Its got caves, mangroves, white sand beaches, and is said to be a good site for snorkeling/diving. I hope it wouldnt be too commercialized if and when i get to visit the place.
Status: Maybe next year.

6. Putipot Island- I'd love to tell you where it is, but i'm gonna have to kill you. The island is so small you can circle around it and your friends wont even notice you left. You'll have to ride boat to get there, but it is soo worth it. White sand baby! oh, and the sunset...
Status: been there already!! but i would looove to go back anytime!

7. Intramuros - Who would've thought that a tiny settlement by the pasig river would be home to such history and beauty? okay, im gonna sound really geeky if i give you a historical background of the place, so I'll assume you listened in history class, or you have opened another tab and typed intramuros in google. Well, anyway, I'm a sucker for historical sites (yes, i would love to have house that looks like the ones in Vigan, and live on a street like vigan, minus the kalesa), and intramuros has always been a favorite. Give me one day, one SLR, a cup or two of coffee in intramuros, and i would be sooo happy.
Status: Was there a few days ago, but just outside. Will ask some friends next week to go there. :)


hmm...havent thought of anything else yet, so far. still gonna try to find those hidden wonders that our 7,103 islands have in store. (please dont ask me where the other 4 islands went). if you guys know any place here, do let me know :)

*will edit this in the next few days*

The things you see on the road

are you grazy?!? Hahahaha!

Mmmm... I soo want hot chocolate

a new kind of massage

I was on a business trip north (way up north) of Manila. And, as any traveler, I would look out the window and look for something to buy, eat, or just gaze at. We got stuck in traffic and i noticed a sign outside a spa, i had to look again to make sure i read right. I took a picture to make sure that I really read right, and, that if you'd see this, you'd read the same as I did.

arf arf! hehehe :) now who wants a massage?