green bed

It smelled good to me, better than any perfume, and when I passed under the branches of the trees, the ground became soft. A little wind was coming from down in the valley that I could see, and it caught the trees almost one at a time. I loved the rustling of the leaves above me. I walked on up the slope until I was out in the grass again, were the grass was thick, and there I lay down. It was damp there, because it had rained in the night, but it was good. I looked off towards the village. I could see men and women working in the vegetable gardens, and beyond that the farmers in the fields. People were picking weeds out of the earth. That’s what it looked like to me.

But my mind was on the groves of trees here and there, and far away, and the blue of the sky. I lost myself. I felt loose. I felt my skin. It was as if I was humming and the humming filled my ears, but I wasn’t humming. And it was so sweet. It was the way I felt sometimes before I went tosleep. I wasn’t drowsy. I wasn’t sleeping. I lay still on the grass and I heard little tiny creatures around me in the grass. I even saw the flutter of little wings. I looked right before me, and there was a world of them, these tiny creatures, so very tiny, tumbling over the pieces of grass. I let my eyes move slowly towards the trees. They had the wind in them again and were dancing back and forth. The leaves of the trees looked silver in the sunlight, and they never stopped moving even when the breeze died away.

The earth was a bed under me. The cries of the birds were a song. They streaked across the sky above me so fast I could barely see them. Sparrows. And then beside me, I saw right in front of me tiny flowers growing in the grass, so very little I hadn’t notice them before, flowers with white petals and yellow hearts. The breeze grew strong and the branches above me moved with it. Leaves came down in a shower, a silent rain.

But a woman was coming. She came out of the groves of trees down teh hill and made her way up towards me. I knew I should get up our of respect for her, but i felt so good here on the sweet grass adn that humming was going on as if I was doing it, all through me, and I only looked at her as she came. I didn’t have sense enough to know it, but these moments on teh grass under the tree had been the first time in my whole life that I’d ever been alone. I only knew that this peace was broken, and had to be broken. What was time that I could spend it here staring until the world lost all its hard edges? Finally, I climbed to my feet, and I felt as if I was waking up from deep sleep.

deep sleep

My whole body hurt me--my shoulders, my hips, my knees--but i could sleep. I could dream.

For the first time it seemed to me that sleep was a place. When i look back on it, I know that up to that point in my life, i always fought sleep. i never really wanted to run away into it. Even when I was afraid in the hills and the fires were burning, I wanted the fire to go away, the angry bandits to go away. I didn't want to flee into sleep. Flee into my mother's arms, yes. Flee to our own safe house, yes. But not to sleep.

But now, in this sickness, when my shoulders and legs were hurting me, if felt good to tumble down into deep sleep.

strange creature

*Is that all you can do? this strange creature asked me.

He stood very close to me, handsome in his rich clothing, his blue eyes full of anger even though he smiled. I put my hands to my face. I wouldn’t look. I heard his voice in my ear:

*I’m watching you, angel child!, he said. * I’m waiting to see what you mean to do. So go on: walk like a child, eat like a child, play like a child, work like a child. But I’m watching. And I may not know the future, no, but i knoww this: your mother’s a whore, your father’s a liar, and the floors of your house are dirt. Your cause is lost, I know it’s lost, it’s lost every day and every hour, and you know it is. You think your little miracles will help these foolish people? I tell you, chaos rules. And I am its Prince.

it is my birthday today....

overtaken

i went home to Davao last June 1 to Jun 6. a short but an interesting vacation. well a lot had happen.. ehehehehe. the main reason why i went home was for my younger brother’s wedding.

Damn! he got me there…. it seems that my bro can’t wait for his kuya(older brother) to tie the knots. eheheh well i was happy for him.. because slowly he had been completing all his goals. well somehow i envy my brother.. not because he has a beautiful wife… a good job.. a house and lot, not to mention the free electric and a sack of rice per month.. ehehehe but because he had been so good in planning all his moves in life. well he was a bright person.. as expected from him. it was a simple wedding but a very nice ceremony…

while sitting on the grooms men chair… i came to think of me kneeling in front of the altar with someone…(day dreaming) eheheheh well for me it is not a race(for marriage) of who goes first.. a married life is totally a different paradigm. living with someone for the rest of your life…. raising kids… etc… as of now.. i’m still enjoying being single… i want to be the most eligible bachelor i can be.. and if that day comes.. then what next??? i don’t know actually.. eheheheheh well let’s see what will happen…

on the following days.. i just spend my time sleeping, eating, watching movies, video oke.. eheheh and go dine out with friends and a cup of coffee. catching up.. dating…. drinking… walking… DotA..

i had fun, new learnings and rest.

A group of alumni, highly established in their careers, got talking at a reunion and decided to go visit their old university professor, now retired.

During their visit conversation soon turned into complaints about stress in their work and lives.

Offering his guests coffee, the professor went to the kitchen and returned with a large pot of coffee and an assortment of cups - porcelain, plastic, glass, crystal, some plain looking, some expensive, some exquisite - telling them to help themselves to the coffee.

When all the alumni had a cup of coffee in hand, the professor said, "Notice that all the nice looking, expensive cups were taken up, leaving behind the plain and cheap ones.

While it is normal for you to want only the best for yourselves, that is the source of your problems and stress. Be assured that the cup itself adds no quality to the coffee. In most cases it is just more expensive and in some cases even hides what we drink.

What all of you really wanted was coffee, not the cup, but you consciously went for the best cups… and then you began eying each other’s cups."

Now consider this : Life is the coffee; your job, money and position in society are the cups. They are just tools to hold and contain Life. The type of cup one has does not define, nor change the quality of Life a person lives. Sometimes, by concentrating only on the cup, we fail to enjoy the coffee God has provided us. The happiest people don’t have the best
of everything. They just make the best of everything."

God brews the coffee, not the cups… Enjoy your coffee! Live simply. Love generously. Care deeply. Speak kindly. Spend time with God over your coffee.

tie the knot

i was supposed to go home to Davao last Feb 9(Friday) to attend to my friends wedding last Feb 10(Saturday). i made a promise with him to be his best man on his wedding (me and my big mouth). Sad to say i wasn’t able to fly to Davao because of the screening for the National Speech Contest(Nihongo) which was scheduled on the night of Feb 9 (i actually passed the screening! and made it to the National Contest). Well to make it short… i rescheduled my flight on the Feb 10 at 4:00 AM.

i landed in Davao at around 5:45 and slept the whole morning…. the wedding was at 3:00 pm and i need to be in the hotel at 1:00 pm. i had my lunch and keep pestering my other friend(whom they’d borrowed their bridal car from) to fetch me at my house. ehhehe

i hate being a best man because it was so tiry… well perhaps for filipinos.. the best man is like a slave of the groom.. (am not compalining….) it was fun and enjoyable… because i get to meet my old friends.. it was one of the only occasions that you come to get in-touch with your old friends, highschool or college classmates… not to mention.. he’s the 2nd among our circle of friends who got married.. pressure were on us who are still single.. eheheheh

after the wedding we had the whole night bar hopping and enjoying our joy ride.

my winning speech

This afternoon at 1:15 PM i joined our Company-wide Nihongo Speech Contest. It took me a week to formulate my speech and another week to finalize it with the help of our Nihongo senseis(teacher). And finally the time had come. I actually participated in the Beginner Division, in which i had to face 8 sugoi(amazing) contestants. Most of them were very good in Nihongo. I had some trouble memorizing my speech. It took me 3 days to memorize and practice my speech with the help of the senseis. I was the last speaker and not the least. I’m so nervous then. But i actually did my best in giving all i’ve got at that moment. I forgot some of the phrases and words and mispronounce a few of them. But it was not bad at all. After bowing, the audience cheered up with applauses. And then awarding came, and i don’t know if it is luck or what. It’s just that I’VE WON THE 1ST PLACE! ehehehehe. Guess what my prize is? A ZUMREED portable headphone(sorr got no picture of it). Not bad at all. Next stop is the Manila Contest. Guess i have to make a lot of practice starting today. So here’s my speech. It’s was all about WORK.

sagada

My next pit stop for next year is SAGADA!

Sagada is one of the ten towns of Mountain Province in the Cordillera Region of Northern Philippines. It has a population of about 10,000 divided into its 19 barangays. Agriculture is the main source of income in Sagada. Cabbages, carrots, and potatoes are common crops while rice is planted for household consumption. Sagada also earns significantly from its tourism industry. It is known for its pleasant climate, pine sceneries, rocky terrain, waterfalls, centuries-old burial caves, rice terraces, local weaving and hanging coffins.
The locals of Sagada are called Igorots. The dialect spoken is Kankana-ey though interestingly; most locals express themselves better in English than in Filipino, the national language. Also, unlike most Philippine towns, Sagada’s populace is predominantly Anglican. <Kamulo & Kosta’s Home>

Harbour Square Manila

last night i had my coffee at Starbucks Harbour Square Manila. We were four my friends from davao and our professor during our graduate studies. I was a bit late since i had to finished my dinner first and damn the road to the Harbour Square was so jammed with cars. It was because of a fucking damned Pacquiao concert( i can’t imagine a boxer who held a concert). Oh well, so then i manage to be at the rendezvous point at 10 past 10 in the evening. So as a punishment, i gave my starbuck sticker to my ex-professor who was waiting for me for an hour. Just to complete his card which needed 3 stickers more, he robbed me and my friend our stickers which supposedly was intended to fill my card also. Then in the end, he was able to claimed his own Limited Edition Starbucks Planner 2007! waaaaaa i was droolling while looking and touching the planner. It was so beautiful, unlike the last year. Well i will one soon, tomorrow or the day after tomorrow. I need 3 more stickers!

next week target: Starbucks Planner

it was almost 3 weeks now since i’ve been into this Starbucks Planner Craze. They had this project called \"Strabucks: SparkHope\". It was a partnership with UNICEF that provides sustainable early learning programs for underprivileged communities in the Philippines. And for a person’s name to be included in the list of SparkHope donors for 2006 and to receive a Limited Edition Starbucks Coffee 2007 Planner, each individual had to collect 21 stickers which is a combination of 9 stickers fo any featured Christmas Beverages and 12 stickers of Starbucks Beverages(with some exceptions). As of now, i currently have 16 stickers. I had completed the 12 stickers of Starbucks Beverages and 4 stickers for featured Christmas Beverages. I need 5 more stickers to get a hold of my Starbucks Planner. I can’t wait to get one. I hope i could complete tonight of this weekend.

mom is gold

today was mom’s birthday. she’d already turn gold(coz she’s 50 years old already). when i woke up this morning(at around 6:00) the first thing i did was to call mom and greeted her a happy happy birthday. she was totally awake at that time.. well she always woke up early together with \"tatay\"(dad). well we had a short talk, i asked her plans for today, wha’t she’ll gonna cook, whom did she invited for her small party… ehehe we ended talking on the phone at around 6:20, i had to cut our conversation since i had to go to the shower and get ready for the office… i still had my breakfast waiting for me at the \"karenderia\".

mom is tuning gold

Tomorrow my mother will be 50 years old already. (damn! i’m old already) She has been reminding me since last Saturday not to forget her birthday.That’s November 22. And it falls on a Wednesday. I still don’t have some present for her… my pay will be given on Friday. What should i do? Ah.. maybe i’ll just give my present on December when i’ll go back home to Davao. But i think turning 50 is a very important turning point on a person’s life. Coz your halfway to 100! And man’s life span now is at the average of 80 or less… Only a few reaches 100 or more than that, only those who were born when industry had no conflicts with mother nature. hmmm Our youngest brother had already sent mom a present last Sunday. I don’t know what will my other brother would give her. Nah.. a greeting would be enough.. i’ll probably call her and wish here more birthdays to come and stronger body and good health..actually my mom doesn’t look 50 aside being small in height but her face doesn’t show it. Jaa.. i will just tell her to put all here birthday wishes on a list and send it to me.. i can probably do something about it( i should or else…).. ehehehehe Happy Birthday Mom! I Love You!

philiptheproblogger

guys allow me to introduce to you, one of my most recent discovery in the world wide cloud(the internet). http://philiptheproblogger.blogspot.com - Philip Raymond Gripo’s blogsite who happened to just recently discovered his talent and started to share it to the world.  Though he has a few posts as a starter but damn! he’s good.  All his write-ups were soooooooooooo amusing! As soon as i start reading his posts, slowly i a big grin was painted on my face.  I was laughing while reading his posts. It was a good laugh. I immediately congratulate him for a job well done!  And then he replied, \"na inspire ko sa imo sir! \"(you inspired me sir!)… gosh!(good that i influence others) wakekekekeke gee thanks… but honestly he’s far better than me… he’s very good.. why don’t you try it?… it’s a good medicine…

slowly motivated

today was a very hectic day for me, aside from the strong pressure everytime my boss is here in the office and a lot of things to be done for the day, i was able to cope up with it. In fact i was able to finished and complete a not so many tasks today. At least i had done something. I felt some energy inside me. I did feel any boredom or laziness. I was on the go today, my brain was working properly. I guess i had surpassed the crisis of being discourage and unmotivated. My morning was good. I started working at around 7:30 until 12:10 not noticing that it was lunch time already. I had a good lunch, especially when your eating with your friends. Nice chit-chats and some jokes. Lany did buy us a half gallon of ice cream(Chocolate Mousse).. it was her birthday today. Work resume at 1:00 pm and never ended until you dropped dead or your brain doesn’t work anymore. At thins moment, my brain was exhausted and overworked. It had think of a lot of things, processed a lot of useless information, and digest unthinkable ideas. Though i had a deadline to meet, it’s not wise to abuse myself. I had a life to live. And i intend to live longer as i can.

Big Lunch at MAO

Oct 27, 2006 (11:55 AM)

since i can’t go directly to Charles’ house, i had to make a pitstop at our Cebu Office(where i was employed originally, before i was sent to Makati) I had some long chats with my Batch 5 and 6 graduates(now engineers) and other employees i know(well basically most of them). Since it’s a Friday, we usually had lunch in some expensive or fancy restaurants, we call it Lunch Out. We ate at Big Mao(i think its a Chinese restaurant), it was my first time in the restaurant my co-employees order the food for us…we had two orders of 4-5 recipes and a bottomless iced-tea and softdrinks. We were so full that we barely finished our drinks and felt sleepy. After eating we headed to a coffee shop to buy some coffee.. wow… i was just thinking where could they possible put the coffee in their stomach? eheheheeh so we headed to the office at around 2:30… while they were busy with their works, i had to post some of my nice \"experience of the day\" on my blogsite…

a comeback

after 7 months of being dormant.. of not posting some nonsense ideas and concepts.. i was again motivated to post because of dennis... and his idea of extra income. BLOGTOPROFIT!

so i'm back and ready to post some blogs... hope ann put me on top priority for some links.

yatto! Cebu

Finally! Im in Cebu! I was so excited last night that i even woke up early at around 5:30 in the morning. I quickly hit the shower and prepare my stuff. Then i hit the road and hailed for a Taxi at around 6:15. I arrive at the airport at 7:05 and had gone through annoying process of inspection. They even make me remove my shoes! F—! Another thing that irritate me the most was the Terminal Fee of 200 fucking pesos! S—! I did not even see any improvement they’ve done with the airport, it still looks like KUSO! Then im in the waiting area and fill my stomach with some rice and binagoongang baboy(pork). After which i sat in a corner try to relax and read Bob Ong’s Stainless Longanisa book.

Boarding time, i walk through gate 4 and boarded the plane and seated at 6C. My seatmate as an old lady with his gradnson. It was there first time in a plane, and she said she was a bit scared. And i’ve said that its ok as long you keep your seatbelt tight and keep quite things will be fine. I thought it would be fine, but after 10 minutes she started to hit with some questions about how does it feel when the plane starts to fly? does she needs to fasten her seatbelt all the time? how long is the flight? what time will we arrive in Cebu? can she lower the window cover? typical questions a first time passenger on a plane would ask. And she keeps on asking while im reading Bob Ong’s book. She was starting to get on my nerves. I was thinking that planes should have this guide book on flying for first timers. hehehehehe So when the captain announced that we will be starting to descent on Cebu-Mactan’s Internation Airport, she again ask me if we were in Cebu already. Tired of answering here questions so i just give her a nod.

So when we touch down and we were ready to get off the plane i quickly find the exit and run towards the baggage claim area. I thought that i’ve lost her, but damn there she was at my side asking questions again about her baggage! grrrrrrr…. so when i’ve found my bag… i grabbed it and rush toward the exit and hailed for a taxi…. so glad i was a mile from her now….. while strolling towards my destination… Cebu was still Cebu.. i’m finally back ….

– more to come(lunch out!)

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weekend getaway

after a tiry, tedious, heavy work during the long week.... we, together with my trainees, had a chance to relax and have fun for 1 night and 1 day only... but it's more than enough though... at least for a short time we forgot to think of our workloads, of our bosses, or our reports, shokudai.. etc.. =)
jaa, here's some pictures of us and the place...

Honto Arigatou ACTION 5-Cebu

Last Monday(Feb 6) at exactly 11 AM. I was caught by surprise when Ryerod hand me over a big yellow with a blue ribbon around it. " I got a present!!!!" wow... i was so happy that i got a present. So i ask Ryerod what for was the present and who gave it. Well to my surprise it was from my ACTION 5-Cebu trainees. They were so sweet... i never expected that they would be giving such gift.
It was not my birthday nor a promotion in my work. jaa... so i open my gift..i was quite excited and was wondering what were those brats(joke) has something for me...ehehehehhe i was so careful and unwrapping it.. first i remove the blue ribbon around it then i snapped the tape on the other end of the box and slowly pulling the box out... then i place the box on top of my table and slowly opens the cover.. wow.. it was amazing .. there were a lot of stuff in it...
i picked the card first which was on top and put it aside first.. then picked a wooden frame and a wooden stand... i was thinking what was if for.. and when i turn the wooded frame up.. i saw those cute faces of my trainees... it was their graduation picture.. with me as their trainer and their Nihongo senseis..
their were lots of big smiles and happy faces... then i felt that i truly miss all of them...(mushiness.. )well i haven't seen them for almost 5 months now..
so i manage to assemble the wooden frame and stand... so there's my ACTION babies on top of my desk... so that everytime i work.. i would somehow glimpse at it and somehow it gives me grin on my face...
but there's more.. so i looked into the box and found a green plastic bag... and when i peek inside it.. it was T-shirt.. a souvenir T-shirt from Cebu... they are so sweet...
after that i looked again inside the box and found another small box in it..
it was thinking that it was something fragile... and when i opened it.. it was a beautifully designed mug... why was it beatiful.. well all my trainees had put their faces on the side of the mug..wow.... they are so great...
so everytime when i drink on it.. i would always see their smiling faces..(just like now)...
so after that.. i got the card and read all about it... if i was a girl.. i would surely felt my tears falling on my cheeks... ehehhe but hell im not.. ehehhe the messages they had for me was so sweet and so touchy...
it really feels good when someone remembers you of what you did to them.. and would say "thanks for all"..most were thank you messages... lots and lots of thanks messages.. even those who were working in Japan never forgets to send their messages... well i felt good and happy that day... it really brigthens my day....
i was so proud, glad and happy of my ACTION babies.. they were so great...

jaa, honto arigatou my ACTION babies..