Roadless_Journey

Wer u na?

2010-09-20T03:11:00.002+08:00

I hate goodbyes...but what i hate more is a friend who leaves without even saying "goodbye".....Am i losing you?

Trash Talk

2010-09-20T03:07:00.004+08:00

When people talk trash about you and think that they know everything about you....IGNORE!!! The truth is they know nothing about you.....and they're just really saying what others think of them.

TGIF

2010-09-04T00:10:00.003+08:00

Thank God it's Friday???? Di rin!!!!!

I have to go to the office tomorrow. I have to read some manuals. I have to finish a deadline...beyond deadline na nga. I have to prepare for audit...I miss my KBP friends...but we still have 8 days to go...I have to go to sleep..but my mind is still up and running...and it's useless cause i'm getting senseless thoughts..LOL

I blogged what happened to me yesterday and everything just disappeared. I'll do that tomorrow night...

I have to organize...manage my tasks..the next two weeks....i will make it the happiest 2 weeks of my life....

I will have to sleep this off...I'm tired...dead tired...did i say i miss my KBP friends? :(

Joanna Wang - The Best Mistake I've Ever Made

2010-09-01T22:53:00.001+08:00

BEST MISTAKE I'VE EVER MADE

One step too far all at once i'm falling
Just like a star i'm burning for you
Thought i could keep myself from feeling this way
I guess that was my first mistake

Cause suddenly i'm walking to the dark streets to your door
Wanting you is driving me insane
Now my feet are standing where they never stood before
Guarded by a twist of fate

If i lose myself with you tonight
Fall apart or hold on tight
Wrong or right i won't be afraid
Cause even if my heart should break
You'd be the best mistake I've ever made

I'm in your room now there's no denying
Watching your eyes when i look at you
Two shadows darken but we don't make a sound
Words have lost their meaning now
When the air has turned electric
Now i know the time is right to put myself into your hand
Suddenly i was shaking as your fingers touched my skin
I don't need to understand

But if i lose myself with you tonight
Fall apart or hold on tight
Wrong or right i won't be afraid
Cause even if my heart should break
You'd be the best mistake I've ever made

And if tomorrow proves me wrong
I swear i don't belong
You know I'll carry on

So, I will lose myself and bear my soul
Take this chance cause heaven knows
I'm so far gone my choice is made
Even if my heart should break

When i lose myself with you tonight
Fall apart or hold on tight
Wrong or right i'll always say
You're the best mistake I've ever made
You're the best mistake I've ever made
You're the best mistake I've ever made

Day 1

2010-09-01T21:36:00.004+08:00

5 THINGS I DID BEFORE DAY 1

1. Bumili ng earphones para sa ipod. It's been a while since i last used my ipod. I've been so hooked in other things, i totally forgot the things i loved to do before, like listening to music.

2. Tire myself out at work. This was with no effort at all. It was bound to happen anyhow. It's just that as I worked til 8pm last night, i was really working my ass out...with deadlines to meet and to do's to list down for the next days. I was not doing it to kill time. I think i have just met my fate...working late.

3. Twitter til 11:30pm. Just like Cinderella, i had to leave everything as the clock struck to 12 midnight. No more twitter and no more pex in the next 10 days.

4. Watched youtube videos before the vacay. Even this is not allowed in the next 10 days. So i had to make the most out of it. I watched all my fave videos of them....well, not all, because i didn't have much time left.

5. Last texts....calls...made to KBP and Carms. It was as if you knew your life was about to end and you had to send important messages to friends.

My Secretive Heart

2010-08-20T23:54:00.002+08:00

People asked why did we drift apart... what happened
between us. We kept mum and i guess you’ll never know that i
loved YOU first and then he came. You’ll never know how much
you meant to me because in your eyes, he's everywhere. We used to be best friends and now we are nothing, almost nothing....

Imperfect Yet Perfectly Together

2010-08-09T21:01:00.003+08:00

"I no longer believe in the idea of soul mates or love at first sight. But I was beginning to believe that a very few times in your life, if you were lucky, you might meet someone who was exactly right for you. Not because he was perfect, or because you were, but because your combined flaws were arranged in a way that allowed two separate beings to hinge together."

MELASON in London

2010-07-28T01:49:00.003+08:00

Super proud of Melason. Need I say more?

Ejaculation

2010-07-28T01:27:00.001+08:00

My daughter asked earlier, "mommy, panu nakapunta ang sperm cells sa vagina?" I was speechless for 5 secs, I hid my smile and said, "pag nagmakelove ang husband and wife, baby." "Eh pano nagkaron ng sperm cells?" Shocks ang hirap ng tanung..bakit biglang ang hirap ng tanung? "Ah baby, kasi sa ejaculation", "What is ejaculatiion?" Sighs, "wala ba sa book, baby?", "wala", "ok, ejaculation is the process of..." ang hirap naman..."baby, google na lang natin", "ok, mommy".....shocks, nakakaloka pala magexplain, hindi na puede ang old school na explanations.

MELASON Bench Uncut

2010-07-04T21:23:00.009+08:00

It was my first time to watch a Bench Fashion Show in Araneta. And I did for the love of Melason. LOL Yes, dears, consider me as one of their hardcore fans. I am not ashamed of it. All my closest friends know and those who love me dearly surely understand. If I'm made to give up a vice, the two things I wont give up at this time are Melason and smoking. LOL

Nine months ago, Melason caught my attention via Pinoy Big Brother Double Up. It was not your ordinary "love at first sight" feeling. They're interesting as individuals and they just will make you roll on the floor with their undeniably perfect comic and romantic chemistry. I literally started to fall for them just as soon as they began realizing they were falling for each other. It was obvious they were starting to like each other and was literally and figuratively too close for comfort for friends. They were inseparable. They had a world of their own....a mindset....language...spoken or not....that they two can only comprehend. They were brutally frank to each other.....sometimes, viewers were amazed at how they could actually take in all those words they'd throw at each other. But watching the live streaming 24/7...yes, 24/7, from wake-up call to the time they actually turn off the lights..we were tuned in, will make you love and embrace their totality.....even their flaws. They were themselves...their raw and natural selves. No pretensions...because, i tell you, when you are tuned in 24/7 for 5 whole months, you'd know who were just pretending to be nice and cute. Melai and Jason were never any of them. They showed their bad sides from start to finish. Despite that, their good hearts and best intentions marked in our hearts and mind the whole time.

Seeing them now, just makes me proud.....5 months after the big night, endless blessings are continuously coming their way. When all they wanted in the beginning was to go to MOA and date...for Jason to save up so he could go to Gensan to meet Melai's relatives....so Jason can bring Melai to his province to meet his family. They never thought they'd become stars. They thought they were too ordinary looking for our attention...and was actually laughing at the idea.....that was in the past......now, they know they've come a long way....1 teleserye, "Kokey at Ako", underway...2 shows being shown everyday (Impostor and Banana Split)....mall shows left and right...ASAP XV...and a concert in London this July.

When we learned that Melason was going to be part of the Bench Fashion Show, we planned ahead. Our Melason will shine on that night. We will all shine that night. LOL .....And so we all did....It's just so amazing how all the Melason Community - Melason Pexers, MelasonDotCom, Melason Jewels, Melason Guardians, Melizites and Tropang Jason, worked together as ONE. ONE LOVE for Melason, indeed.

As early as June, announcements were being made on every site, every thread..that we're taking the 2k (upper box a) area. Some of us even shopped together in Trinoma. LOL We only wanted the best seats to witness that special night of our dear Melason. We did not care if they would not be the highlight of the show....we only wanted to support them.

The 2nd of July came and we were all in queue. Let's drop the stories of how others came even on a work day..LOL The most important thing was we were all there to show our undying support for Melason. We brought banners, tarps, lighted names of Melai and Jason and the MELASON glow in the dark letterings. We came prepared....and again, this was our own doings....no one prodded or suaded us to.

You will not believe how most of us defied our norms just to show support. LOL A lot of "closet" fans came...and in hordes....we occupied a big chunk of the 2k area. No wonder a lot of people thought we were paid hordes LOL But excuse me....we paid our own tickets...and wanted the best seats...because we can very well afford it.....tsssseeeeeeeeeeeee!!!! LOL So for those doubters, face the truth....we are not a hoax ....we are real...and you will soon have to accept it..whether you want it or not....(bendita mode)

When our babies came on stage.....we were all into it....those assiged to take pics..did their job..those assigned to take the video....did their job....and the rest of us....we did ours, as well. LOL

On hindsight, it was all worth it. Seeing how their faces beamed at the sight of their huge number of supporters...how the media took time to take pictures of our group....how the audience from the VIP area took their own share of pics of our area....how everyone in twitter commented on how well loved and supported Melason is. It was all worth it.

One LOVE, indeed.

Credits to Annarea8 for the video, @hellokris (kris Aquino) and melasondotcom for the pictures

ASAP XV Adventure

2010-06-26T15:41:00.014+08:00

Why did we go to ASAP XV??? Melason, of course!!!

But the show turned out to be an "eat all you can" kind of feast moment...Buffet kung buffet!!! LOL

We were supposed to meet at exactly 8am at Starbucks ABS. But i slept late, as in 4am and woke up around 6:30am, that was despite the wake up calls from my co-pexer Grace. So, as a result, i was 20 minutes late. Ok lang naman kasi they were still outside waiting for the confirmation if we could watch or not. Mahirap kasi makapasok sa ASAP. As in sobrang hirap. Syempre, naman!!! Libreng concert yun...at big stars of Channel 2 ang nandun.

Gladly, we were able to get in...I will not elaborate on how and who we talked with to get in coz it might jeopardize his/her job naman. But big thanks that we were able to get stamped and get inside.

So we had breakfast at ABS CBN cafeteria. While waiting to be called, we browsed thru the pics saved in my usb via Karen's notebook. Kahit nakita na namin lahat ng pics, kilig at tawa pa rin kami...mga adik talaga. After an hour, we were asked to get inside the building...we had to fall in line just along the corridors where the dressing rooms are...we were in a queue for at least an hour and a half. Boring will never be an adjective to use when you are in a queue such as that. Except for the pexxxers (we were 7), and a friend we just met there, i didn't know anybody else. But we were conversing like we've known each other for a long time. We did not even bother to introduce ourselves. We were just killing time and having fun at the same time.

Long wait is over, we finally got inside the studio. It was not that big...UST Medicine Auditorium is actually bigger. But the ambience is different...of course, it's ASAP XV in a few minutes.

We were seated in front..actually, 2nd row from the stage. Some of the pexers were seated in the middle part of the studio where i really wanted to stay. Our place was so TV exposure prone...waaaaaaaaaaaahhhhh

There was the floor director briefing us. True enough, we had to dance, clap and sing since that's a live show...we had to project that we indeed are enjoying. Later on in the show, i found out that we need not project anything deliberately at all. I, for one, had the best time of my life. I was singing, clapping, waving my hands in the air, dancing...everything..it seemed i was in Araneta...LOL

The show started and the ASAP stars were on the same stage. Malilito ka as in literal, kung san ka titingin. In every commercial gap, enjoy pa rin kami. We were being entertained by a stand up comedian. At talaga naman, tawa kami ng tawa sa mga hirit nya.

What made me screamed to death?? It was when Aga Muhlach appeared on stage.
He looked older..bigger pero kebs...ang gwapoo!!! hahaha at hindi ako fan ha! LOL

I checked my watch and it was just 1pm. OMG!! We still have 2 hours and my energy is dropping already. The first hour of ASAP was just a blast. And we were there to cheer and watch for Melason LOL So, we asked the camera man what time will Melason perform. And he said towards the end of the show...OWVER!!! good luck!!!

So when Melai and Jason appeared on stage with Echo, it was past 2pm...energy all drained...all i could do was wave....and laughed at how Jason almost lost grip of Melai.

Over all, my ASAP experience was a blast. It was my first time to watch a variety show in a studio LIVE...It was like a live concert. Everybody was on his feet....everybody's having a great time...I think I'd watch again....hmmm let's see when Sarah arrives from her concert tour.. think i'll take a chance....

Silver Medal

2010-06-26T14:57:00.008+08:00

I'm just so proud of my baby. I knew he had good grades...good being an understatement ha!

Sean Kirby Latorre, Silver Medalist SY 2009-2010 Divine Light Academy

Mommy and Sean Kirby...proud momma!!

Keep up the good work....mwah!!!

Baby Steps

2010-06-25T00:41:00.002+08:00

I just made my first step out of my comfort zone. One baby step at a time for now....sooner or later, i will have to make bigger ones....then a little much later, one leap from where i stand....then a high jump over the fence...haaaisst!!!

Ordinary Melason Day

2010-06-24T00:28:00.009+08:00

Got this from twitter :)

RT @ericjohnsalut

share ko lang. kagabi, i was gonna take pic of melai and jason. tapos sabi ni jason, ganda ng celfone mo, blihin ko na lang, 2,500. kaaliw! tapos sabi ni melai, ikaw talaga jason, jinu-joke mo si sir. alam ko sir yan sa abs kasi lahat ng stars bumibeso sa kanya. hahahahaha! after taking pics of melai and jason, i tweeted it and showed it to them. pinabasa ko sa kanila ang mga comments ng melasons. nagulat siya. tapos, i showed them yung na-tweetpic ko. ask ni jason, bakit po lumiit yung picture? kasi nga, nasa twitter na. sobrang fun silang dalawa!

RT @ericjohnsalut nagsumbong si jason kay ate @pokwang27 nya, lagi daw siya inaaway ni melai. tapos sabi ni jason, naiintindihan na niya, may "dugo" pala. what jason meant with may "dugo" was may "period" si melai. natawa si @pokwang27. aliw! request ni melai, magkatabi sila ni @pokwang27 sa plane papuntang london. bonggang etihad airlines ang sasakyan nila. business class sila.

Who wouldn't love them? They are just so natural..no pretensions..what you see is what you really get....

MELASON in Love First Kiss under Blanket

2010-06-23T23:45:00.001+08:00

I actually felt guilty while watching this the first time. This moment was sooo private and only real emotions surfaced at this time. Just watch at how they tried to whisper their words to each other. But I'm glad i saw this. Because i saw how Jason was so afraid to lose his Isay. How he was willing to stay on the sidelines for her so they could keep their relationship from those they thought wanted to ruin it. For a while there, i was not hearing his soft and worried voice...i thought i was listening to his heart. It was filled with anxieties and fear.

I saw two people working on a real relationship...no matter how young it was then...they could have easily given up..but they opted to stay together....Jason knew then she only loves Isay.

And when they kissed.....all those fears just disappeared. It was as if they sealed their doubts with their first kiss. Melason is real...

GOING STRONGER!!!

2010-06-23T23:35:00.001+08:00

Melason in love...Nothing's gonna stop them....haaay, sweet talaga :)

Melai and Jason watched with US

2010-06-23T22:56:00.003+08:00

It was Melai's bday. The first time they saw their own moments in PBB. Look at their reactions and listen to the fans' scream and giggles as we all watched the
MV in one room.

MELASON MV: Sa'Yo Lamang

2010-06-23T22:55:00.005+08:00

SA YO LAMANG

Sa bawat araw na nilikha
Nagtatanung bat di nakita
Ang magpupuno ng ligaya
Kapiling kapag nag-iisa
Sa tuwing lungkot ay nagbabanta

Di akalain na ako'y mahalin
Di napansin nang ako'y yong sagipin
Ng pag-ibig mong tunay
Nagwalay ang lumbay
Ngayong kapiling ka sa buhay

Sayo lamang panatag ang loob
Sayo lamang umibig ng lubusan
Panalangin itoy panghabang buhay
Pagkat sa piling mo
Ramdam ng puso ko
Sayo lamang ang buhay koy BUO

Di akalain na ako'y mahalin
Di napansin nang ako'y yong sagipin
Ng pag-ibig mong tunay
Nagwalay ang lumbay
Ngayong kapiling ka sa buhay

Sayo lamang panatag ang loob
Sayo lamang umibig ng lubusan
Panalangin ito'y pang habang buhay
Pagkat sa piling mo
Ramdam ng puso ko
Sayo Lamang ang buhay koy BUO

Di ko hinanap
Dumating ang syang pangarap
Hwag nang mawalay pa
Tadhanang kay ganda

Sayo lamang panatag ang loob
Sayo lamang umibig ng lubusan
Panalangin ito'y pang habang buhay
Pagkat sa piling mo
Ramdam ng puso ko
Sayo lamang ang buhay koy BUO

Pagkat sa piling mo
Ramdam ng puso ko
Sayo lamang ang buhay koy BUO

I LOVE MELASON

Paramore: The Only Exception [OFFICIAL VIDEO]

2010-06-23T22:28:00.001+08:00

This is now my song at the moment.....

maybe i know somewhere deep in my soul that love never lasts and we've got to find other ways to make it alone..to keep a straight face...and i've always learned like this to keep it at comfortble DISTANCE..up until now i had sworn to myself that i'm content with lonelinesss....coz none of it was ever worth the risk....YOU are the ONLY EXCEPTION....

i've got a tight grip on reality but i cant let go of what's in front of me here...............you are the only exception......and i am on my way to believing....

Random Finds

2010-06-23T21:03:00.002+08:00

Accept that your way is not the ONLY way......

When you fall, do not stay down. ...GET UP and KEEP MOVING no matter how difficult it may seem............

Make new friends, keep the old ones and let go of those who are a negative influence in your life......

We see things not as they are...but as we are..............

SLEEPless

2010-06-23T01:29:00.002+08:00

It's 1:30 in the morning and i still can't sleep. Tomorrow, I'm going to take my first step to a new world. A few weeks from now, I will have to leave my comfort zone. But I know everything will be just fine. "I'm a wild flower...I can grow and survive wherever.....whenever..." chhaaaaaarrrrrr!!!!!!!!!! oooowwwwwwwverrrrrrr!!!!!!!!!

KEEP THE FAITH....

MARS

2010-06-23T01:16:00.005+08:00

I just had to go back to my previous site and look for this blog that i made on my favorite Taiwanese drama Mars and my first love couple Vic and Barbie. It's been over 2 years since they broke up and still no news on either one dating. I wonder if they still are in contact. Does Vic still visit Barbie? Have they been true to their promise that they'd give each other 3 years to enjoy their individual careers unattached? I cant help but look forward to the next months to come. In a few months' time, 3 years is up. Will there be news of them getting back together?

Meanwhile, let's savor the old times...the sweet old times of Vic and Barbie...:)

(Please click on the link below to read my 2 year old blog)

I spent the last 3 years adoring this couple.

Enjoy..and i hope you watch and enjoy the series...GOD MARS...

Dear Isay

2010-05-18T22:06:00.003+08:00

This was posted by one of my most favorite pexers...She stays in Australia and is an avid melasonian, as well. Her POVs are the most anticipated in the forum. I have a link of her blog made exclusively for Melason at the lower right side of this page. You can visit at your own will.

Originally Posted by blankcheck

Dear Isay,

Hi. I just thought of writing to you today. It’s quiet and a little rainy outside, just the perfect time to send my regards to a friend.

I have to say that much as I am a Tagalog speaker, I am more expressive when I write in English, therefore, I would be using the language. I guess, it would also be a good starting point with you being an aspiring English teacher.

First of all, I want you to know that when PBB started, it was your Sweetypie, Jason, who captured my heart. He reminded me so much of what my husband was like before we became a couple. It was not exactly his attitude or his background. It was more of his heart. That hard-on-the-outside but soft-in-the-inside character was strangely familiar. I swear I could read his thoughts from Day 1.

With you, it was a different story altogether.

You and I are poles apart.

While I adored you for your wild humor and spot-on punchlines, I was very critical of how you behaved on certain occasions.

You were loud, tactless and at times, insensitive. You said things for the sake of, sometimes without meaning it. Just because you wanted to.

You did things for fun, sometimes without restraint. Just because your friends goaded you.

You exasperated me.

Maybe that was your effect on people. With you, there was no middle ground. With your vibrant and lively demeanor, it was impossible not to notice you.

And notice you I did.

Much like Jason, I woke up one day thinking how beautiful you are.

You, with that wide-eyed innocence and childlike faith in the goodness of people.

You, with that infectious enthusiasm for life and boundless energy.

You, with that breathtaking candor - never apologizing for what you are, or for what you’re not.

You, with that selfless and caring heart, the reason why your friends gravitate towards your innate kindness.

You, who loved so simply yet completely -never expecting anything in return.

I have learned a lot from you. And to be completely honest, those lessons I have learned are the ones that I need most right now.

Carpe Diem. Seize the day.

You made me realize that we are warriors and that life is our battle. We move forward, with strength and courage - but not without tucking in a lot of that wild humor and devil-may-care attitude. We strive not just for excellence but also for happiness. We choose not to be blinded by the standards of this world, but by what goes beyond it.

We nurture, we care, we love - passionately, generously.

We open our hearts knowing it is impossible not to get hurt in the process. Yet we do it. Just because we want to.

Isay, you have taught me all these things and more.

I only wish for your happiness and well-being because it is not very often that I am blessed with such a wonderful inspiration in our all too ordinary lives.

With all my love,

BC

P.S. I hope Jason continues to love you well - because within every strong woman lies a little girl who just wants to be taken care of at the end of the day.

Adik sa Melason

2010-05-18T20:45:00.002+08:00

Almost all of my friends know I'm a big Melason fan. And when I say I am a fan...I mean it as in super mega fan. :) Maybe, one of these days, I will share the last 6 to 7 months of my life here in Melason world. But for now, I just want to share this super fun story originally posted by hunger_games of PEX. A lot of Melason fans are "closet" fans. It's either because they have not done this before or they really are just afraid to be judged by others because of their preference. Because of this, closet and non closet fans meet in the cyber world to have someone to share their melason fondness with...and we all met each other there :)

Originally Posted by hunger_games

Adik sa MELASON eh!

I would like to share my horrible (for me) / hilarious (for everyone else) experience today.

I had this very important presentation today which we, together with my team, prepared talaga for several weeks. Hyper (meaning nervous) ako kasi this will be with the Director and several Regional Managers of the company. Anyway, to calm myself, I decided to watch some of the MELASON moment an hour before the meeting. Adik sa MELASON eh!

Eto na, our GM gave his usual boring and super long speech, which gave everyone else this glaze look. Mag welcome speech ba naman ng 45 minutes?! And BBE 2pm na meeting.

So when it was my turn, I decided to show my video presentation first to break the ice.
I then flashed them my super charming smile and I clicked the icon.

Nakatalikod ako sa screen, I just heard “ MELAI: So seryoso ka na pala sa everything na yan? Jason: Medyo…”

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! MV ni Treesa yung na play ko! I felt icy cold water flowing thru my veins (totoo pala yung icy cold water na to) WALA NA KONG TRABAHO!

I composed myself and said in a high pitched voice “ I’m just testing kung gising pa kayo!” (napaCHAAAAAAR ako sa isip ko!) or something to that effect, d ko talaga maalala sinabi ko, promise.

When I forced myself to look at my audience again, they were alert, sitting straight and looking at me expectantly. I said “ Eto na talaga!”

To make the story short, my presentation was a success and everyone was participative in the discussion. Winner!

Nagising lahat ng tao sa MV ni treesa.

P.S.
After ng meeting, may regional manager pa na from Mindanao na humingi ng MV, bibigay daw nya sa anak nya. Sabi ko, pamangkin ko nag download nun…

(Anak at Pamangkin? Hanep na yan!)

2010-05-16T20:58:00.003+08:00

I AM BACK.........:)

Whow!!!! My last post was October 2, 2009. I just wonder where I was between then and now....LOL Well, I got super stranded in a 'LOVE" island in mid October that i started to lose interest in blogging. Not only that, when i felt like going back to share my POV on something i was highly interested in, I couldn't log in because i forgot which email i used and the PW, of course. Last week, I was feeling the same excitement and my memory failed me again. Too many accounts in different fora, sites, etc. Not to mention all the passwords i have to remember at work....whew!!! I just couldnt manage all of them anymore. And just when I have nothing to share, I just visited my blog and unconsciously logged in.............yes, obviously, successfully!!!!! Just when it actually took me some six months figuring out my username and password. All i needed was an unconscious me logging in. MEMORY FTW!!! So as not to waste this rare chance of a successful log in, let me share the note i posted in my FB account on Mother's Day :) Here goes....

THE GREATEST NAME I HAVE BEEN CALLED

I'm writing this with so much spontaneity as an after effect of today's occasion. I'm writing not even with a bit of bitterness. It's actually the opposite, it's pride and happiness which prompted me to start writing. A few years back, I thought what would life be after ______???? I knew i'd feel better...i knew i'd be happy...i never doubted that. But despite the assurance that i'd constantly give myself then, i also knew that i was living a not so guilt-free family life. During the early part of the past 8 years of my life, i'd blame myself for the kind of life i have made my children to content themselves with. The what ifs, what could have beens and i should haves would nag me every once in awhile. But what would that do? I couldn't be so depressed over the things and people that i lost because then i would have wasted the better things and people i have with me. As years passed and as hellos and goodbyes seemed to play their roles just fine, i have managed to live this life filled with roller coaster ride-like adventures. I have 3 children and i never treat them the same. They are 3 different individuals and so goes my 3 different treatments. My eldest is now 17 yet seems to still think like he's the youngest. His story is different and way tooooooo time consuming to share with you. But one thing for sure, it is with my eldest and not with the "fathers" of my children that i learned what the real meaning of "unconditional love" is. He taught me more than that, actually. He's been a good mentor for my anger management. He taught me tolerance, endurance and patience. We have our own love-hate relationship but i tell you we love each other very much and we have our share of wonderful moments too. My daughter is 11 years old. She's going to learn more about life sooner than we think. Am i ready? I don't even think about it. She knows every little mistake i made and all i wish and pray is that she learns from that. Friends say she looks and sounds like me but i think besides the physical similarities, we are opposites. She's a fine lady and forget about me. She's good with words and her emotions and yes, she's only 11. From her i learned how to forgive sooner than i thought. I don't remember how it happened. It's just that one day, i just realized that it's really freeing to see things through the eyes of a 6 year old, and i did just like that. It's uncomplicated, it has no motives and full of faith. My daughter always understands, she's always giving and she also knows how to defend her territory. My youngest is 8. If i were to rank them as who's the toughest, he'd be in front. He's very transparent. He's a cry baby and never is afraid to show his feelings. Whether he's happy or sad, it'd show...and makes him the toughest in my eyes because he's not afraid to show it. He always has a story to tell. Almost instantly, ask him to tell a story, he'd think of something out of the blue. With my youngest i learned the value of keeping your promises. We live in a very democratic home where everyone is free to voice out his/her opinion and not too many times, yet, i have been scolded by an 8 year old for not keeping my promises. Didn't i mention he's the toughest? I just admire his guts. Friends always say I must be really strong to endure a life such as mine. But the truth is, I NEVER WAS. It is ONLY because my children make me one. They learn from me in as much as i learn from them. It's a symbiotic relationship of lessons learned. I have learned to forgive myself in the process and was geared towards loving myself more. There's never a dull moment inside our house. And I'm not just talking about fun. I mean all kinds of emotions and yes, please include the tribulations, LOL. My children depend on me and i so am dependent on them. But our happiness, it's solely because we see things through the eyes of each other. I always tell them that we should never expect other people to make us happy. It is we who make our own happiness. People would always fall short of your expectations. So never ever expect others to do everything for you. And for the simple and yet complicated, no matter how ironic it may sound, life we lead, guilt still visits once in a while. But who has not been visited by G? TELL ME!!! "MOMMY" IS JUST THE GREATEST NAME I HAVE BEEN CALLED...AND THAT'S FOR THE PAST 17 YEARS.....HAPPY MOM'S DAY TO ALL THE MOTHERS....:)

Let's all HELP CLEAN-UP

2009-10-02T00:49:00.002+08:00

I am really so moved by all the efforts being pulled together by every Filipino around the world. Everyone is giving their share to help. It's really heartbreaking to see your fellow kababayans suffer an enormous loss in just a wink of an eye. That's why no matter how finances can be so limited these days, every Filipino, wherever they are, will produce anything to extend help to fellow countrymen.

But amidst these Relief Drives, I think, we must also focus our energy on cleaning up. Relief does not only constitute food and clothing. These are only short term in nature. Since we are all into it, already. We must also think BIG.....think FORWARD. We, as private individuals, can only provide these kinds of short term reliefs in the meantime...but the GOVERNMENT must make an ENORMOUS effort on WHAT ELSE they can come up with to PREVENT this from happening again. SAFETY can only be ACHIEVED if we are PROACTIVE.

Watching the news tonight make me tremble with anger...I'm usually apolitical...no opinions...or ifever i'd have any, i'd just keep it to myself. This time, i'd like to shout and say "IT'S ABOUT TIME!!!" The Govt must make its serious move...MUST another NGO, broadcasting network, PRIVATE organization, set up emergency clean-up drives???? I saw the garbage piled up after Ondoy on TV...and could just imagine the already "clogged" drainages worsened by Ondoy...the media can only report these stuff....But WHAT does MALACANANG have in mind? Who will do the job for YOU???

If the government is doing its share.....and it's unfelt....it only means....it's SLOW!!!! We all know that GARBAGE is only ONE of the MANY problems we are facing. And yet, we can't even make good on this one. The reasons: people are not empowered, not enough manpower, not enough machines, budget too low, etc....these are reasons of the olden times. I have heard these through the years.....and it makes me MORE sad to hear these again....cause it only means EITHER one thing....Our government does not have a CREDIBLE mandate........or FILIPINOS have lost faith...that whoever takes over....just does not make a difference. WHO REALLY EMPOWERS WHO? IS it the PEOPLE or the GOVERNMENT?

This is a whole cycle of which came first...the egg or the chicken.....i think, we must just do our share...if we want things to improve..let's not stop by complaining...let's start with our own backyards....let's organize our garbage....but then if we do that??? and the garbage peeps take our trash....where will they throw it after?? How are they going to dispose these off???? *SIGH* There goes the CYCLE.......see what i mean???

The Monster in My Dream

2009-03-25T01:00:00.003+08:00

Last night, i had a very bad dream. I was being chased by a big and wild animal from the forest. I'm using the word animal here loosely. That creature could not even come close to being an animal. It was more like a monster. In my dream, I was with my daughter. When i saw the monster eating other people up, I took my daughter with me and ran as fast as i could. I also remember shouting..but as in any dream, no sound was coming out of my throat. But i remember i was so scared for our lives. The weird thing is, in my dream, i gave up running too soon. I told my daughter that we hide under the big computer table...yes, there's a computer table in the forest....and just have ourselves be eaten up once the monster sees us. And after a few seconds, i felt something hit my back twice and i was thinking "this is it...i'm gonna die...we're gonna die"...and i woke up with a tingling feeling at my back..it was my youngest son's foot hitting me at the back.

I say i find the last part of my dream, weird...not because of the computer table, of course. It was because i feel i gave up too soon...and was very willing to be devoured. I just couldnt get myself back to sleep after that. I was trying very hard to analyze what my dream's message was. I feel like it's trying to tell me something.

There is a major revamp at work that's underway. Management will decide for 5 individuals' career. This has been happening the past months, so when i heard about it, i just shrugged it off. This morning, while i was still thinking of my dream, i randomly opened a book which i have been planning to start reading. It's "How did I get here?" by Barbara de Angelis. I was just supposed to browse while waiting for breakfast. Then i accidentally read this paragraph...

"Some turning points are obvious. You know you're approaching them, even if you don't admit it to yourself or to anyone else. You've been unhappy in your job for too long, and the company itself is being reorganized...."

And i flipped on some more pages, and this is what i found, again, randomly...

"We become so attached to the road we are on, to the itenerary we have mapped out, that when a new road appears, we may not even see it.."

And i started reading....so many good insights...again, someone...or is it "myself", actually, who's trying to tell something to me?

Goosebumps everywhere....

Is that dream a wake-up call? Is it something that has already been there for a long time but i just kept on ignoring? Because i can feel that I can't go any further with the direction i am going to...and yes, i think i missed my turning point somewhere along the way....Good thing is, we can always go back and search for that road we missed....just imagine, being in a crossroad without even knowing....

"Some wake-up calls are not initiated from something outside of ourselves, but from within. It is as if a timer has been set of to go off inside you at a certain moment, and suddenly, without any warning, it does, waking you into realizations that will be radical, disruptive and life-changing.."

My dream's trying to tell me to face the BIG change...that i should not let others face it for me...that i should initiate this change....that i should be very well prepared for it...unless I'm willing to be devoured, just like that...

Now my question is, where do i start? ...hmmm..maybe, i should sleep first and i might dream of that as well...LOL

I think i know where.....hmmm

Bloopers 1

2009-01-28T01:04:00.005+08:00

You might think everything is "sweet and loving" with my kids...well, you are mistaken. I also have some bad times with them. Life is all about balance, remember? How can you appreciate happiness if you have not experienced sadness at one point in your life. But I'll skip the sadness part and proceed to the comedic aspects of my kids. My friends know my sixth sense is humor. So, it's no surprise if my kids have it too.

It was my daughter's first day in her new school. She was 5 years old then. As a good mom, I took the school bus with her and accompanied her to school. I was afraid she'd feel out of place since most of her classmates would have known each other from last school year's. My fear was she would have a hard time adapting. But that was not the case at all.

After her classes, we took the same school service and went home. (There were other moms, dads and yayas on the bus, by the way.) On our way home, kids were introducing themselves, telling stories about their parents, unconsciously, trying to impress one another. Parents were smiling because kids were finally showing their true colors...being talkative, inquisitive...and my daughter was no exception..shy as she was...she answered the questions being thrown at her without any hesitation...and would even volunteer information without being asked. These are some of the good examples of what i was referring to...this is as far as i could remember...

"Saan kayo nakatira?"

K: Sa Country Homes...sa Naga Road...pero kami lang ng mommy ko at ng mga brothers ko."

"Bakit nasaan ang daddy mo?"

K: Nasa Mommy Nya

Good thing the kids did not probe too much....however, i could feel the eyes of the other parents on me......

I don't know how the kids ended up talking about how they call their fathers...i was just surprised at how my daughter opened up so easily....

One kid said, "Ako Papa ang tawag ko..." and the other kids seconded..."Yes, Papa"..others said "Ako, daddy.....ikaw?" And they were looking at my daughter....

K:" Daddy din....daddy ang tawag namin ng baby brother ko sa daddy namin pero ang kuya ko tito E___ ang tawag sa kanya..."

And of course, they all asked, "Bakit?"

K: " Eh kasi iba ang daddy nya!!!"

And all eyes were on me, again......

Just the other day, when i was really weak with fever...i heard my eldest son reprimanding his younger brother....and a couple of minutes later, my youngest came to me crying and said, "Mommy, si kuya, sabi nya, matigas daw ang ulo ko."

M: Bakit, anung ginawa mo?
K: Ayoko lang ipahiram ang ballpen ko kasi winala nya ang celfone ko dati eh
M: Eh ballpen lang naman yun, ipahiram mo na
K: Eh yung celfone nga nawala nya..ballpen ko pa kaya?

(may katwiran naman ang bunso ko di ba?)

M: Pahiram mo na kasi ayoko ng maingay may sakit si mommy
K: Ayoko kasi sabi nya, matigas daw ang ulo ko...pag namatay ka daw hindi nya ko pag-aaralin!

(At talagang pinatay pa ko sa usapan nila!)

M: Niloloko ka lang nun
K: Eh ayaw kitang mamatay ( he was still crying)
M: Hindi pa baby
K: Pag namatay ka, akin na lang ang celfone mo ha..wag kay kuya! ( he was still crying!!!)

At this point, i really didn't know how to react - laugh... cry.... shout....all i could remember saying was, "Yes, baby"....and i went back to sleep.

.....

One Phone Call

2009-01-27T18:11:00.004+08:00

I was sick the past 3 days....i thought i had dengue or maybe a damaged kidney...so much of those traumatic experiences of my office mates the past weeks...i thought i had them all...LOL

Yesterday, i was supposed to go out with friends but had to cancel the last minute because i had chills and fever. My kids woke up really early and stayed most of the time at my side even if i told them to stay out. They would peep once in a while and sit on my bed thinking i was asleep. I let them be..i was too weak to react, anyway. After a few minutes, they were off to school.

Thirty minutes later, my youngest was calling thru pay phone...i answered:

K: Mommy, kumusta ka na?
M: Ok lang baby
K: May sakit ka pa?
M: yes..why baby?
K: Gusto ko lang malaman...

And then he passed the phone to his sister...

KY: Mommy, imom ka ng gamot, naglagay ako ng water sa ref mo
M: Yes baby.. later
KY: Sige mommy, 26 seconds na lang
M: Ok..thank you
KY: I love you (her brother was shouting "i love you" in the background)
M: I love you too...
KY: Sleep ka na ulit mommy..wag kang aalis
M: Yes baby...bye

And i went back to bed thinking...what did i do right to deserve them? "smile"

..

Why Oh Why?

2009-01-23T21:54:00.005+08:00

My friends ask me why do i need to blog...kanya kanya lang yan!!! Some people have journals a.k.a. diary, some have their blogs. It's my creative outlet..as you may say it. I don't write that very often because as a rule i only write when something's bugging me or there's something that i need to let out..like guilt, anger, addiction, fascination, confusion, and so on and so forth. It helps me....it somehow pacifies me. I'm not scared at how others will judge me based on what i write....i don't write for them, anyway. There's nothing in here that my closest friends don't know..so there's nothing to be afraid of. I write for myself....so that one day, i can read back and check how i felt at a particular time and see if my views and feelings have changed since then. It helps me cope...with my everyday struggle....and i tell you, there are a lot to struggle with in my life....but i try..try so hard to overcome them.....

..

Even GUYS love him too

2009-01-20T23:43:00.003+08:00

Siewleng, let me borrow your vid..I just really couldn't stop laughing at this...guys shouting at the top their lungs "ZaiZai Hao Shuai..Hao Shuai..." (eng trans...Zaizai Very Handsome)...I watched it so many times..and those men just gave me the best laugh before i retire to sleep...hahahaha

Well, I really can't blame them....Vic Zhou Yun Min a.ka. ZaiZai is really "hao shuai"...

Blah Blah

2009-01-19T15:27:00.002+08:00

You messed up yesterday
You said the wrong words
Took the wrong turn
loved the wrong person
Reacted the wrong way
You spoke when you should have listened
Walked away when you should have waited
Judged when you should have trusted
Indulged when you should have rested

You messed up yesterday...
But you'll mess up more
If you let yesterday's mistakes
sabotage today's attitude
Optimism goes a long way...
Every day gives you a chance to recover....

- text message of the day

Learnings from my kids

2009-01-18T13:56:00.011+08:00

I did not grow up with my mom so when i became one myself 16 yrs ago,
I didn't have any idea on how to act as one.
My eldest suffered a lot of trial and error kind of upbringing.
Oh and did i mention I was separated from his father 2 yrs after he was born?
I was rearing him all alone...alone and clueless...that's how i was.

I can't say I'm a better mom now.
Now that i have 3 kids and still unmarried....single...and loving it.
But looking at my kids..how they grew up so fast...
how they managed to live with me through the years....
it amazes me how i, as a mother, can learn so much from them.
Throughout these years, they were the ones who taught me how to become better....
as a mom...and as a person.

From them, i learned forgiveness without having to forget the good and bad times...
I learned patience to the extreme level
I learned how to apologize even if it means being vulnerable
I learned to value my life...not only because my kids can't afford to lose me
But because I can't afford to leave them
I learned how to thank God for simple things
I see life through their eyes
No matter how complicated, they have the simplest take on it

Their "i love you's" complete me every time
Their hugs warm my heart and strengthen me
Make me realize how special i am
no matter how mediocre i am to others.....
I thank God for them...for lending them to me
For healing me through them
For the comfort my kids give me
For the love, importance and respect...
MY life is better...and will keep getting better because i have them...

"None of us can undo
What we've done, or
relive a life already recorded
But there is no such thing
as 'too late'."

.

Kat

2009-01-17T23:26:00.003+08:00

Another good friend resigned. Another goodbye? Aissh!

I will miss you Kat...let me correct that...I miss you already. You know how slow I am in terms of reactions. LOL You already had your farewell dinner last Thursday and I still wasn't convinced that you were leaving. It didn't sink in until tonight. I was going over our pics that night and I started to feel sad.

I will miss our morning drives to the office...our chats on our way home to kill time..I will miss your laughter when i make jokes about everything..no matter how shallow, you'd still laugh about them. I will miss your hot tempered kind of driving...your reprimanding voice in the office. I will miss Mike texting me to look for you. I will miss our WL sessions in the morning and before leaving the parking lot. You've become part of my daily routine. I don't know how to shake it off the soonest possible time. Oh and not to mention i have to struggle my way to the office starting Tuesday. LOL

Sigh! I miss you na. :(

My daughter's hug

2009-01-17T23:04:00.003+08:00

I was going over some old pictures a couple of nights ago, when my daughter started pulling out her baby pictures and her brother's from the album. They were having their little chat when all of a sudden my daughter asked, "Mommy, bakit hindi kayo nagpakasal ni daddy? Surprised as i was, i replied, "Ewan ko rin baby...hindi ko rin alam. Bakit?" "Wala lang kasi dalawa na ang anak nyo and hindi pa rin kayo nagpakasal". Honestly, i felt a little stab in my heart. Her innocense and honesty combined not to mention how comfortable she feels when she talks to me about absolutely everything on earth, makes me feel very special... Even with those words she said..which almost broke me to tears.... Not because i was hurt but moreso because, i knew the answer but would rather keep it to myself, for now. Then i told her, "Baby, galit ka ba?" "Hindi po". "Sorry, baby kung hindi ko kayo nabigyan ng magandang family. I'm sorry. But I love you." "Hindi naman ako galit. Masaya naman ako eh. Kasi nakikita ko naman si daddy lagi. Yung iba nga hindi eh." And she gave me a warm hug which took away all my fears that night.

Reminiscin Blues

2009-01-17T21:44:00.007+08:00

I hate goodbyes...

I hate it yet i had quite a number of experiences on it. Goodbyes vary. It depends on how and why you have to do it. But in any case, whether you're leaving your friends from a long time job or a partner because the relationship doesn't seem to work out anymore, whether you're left behind or the one walking out the door, goodbye seems so hard to do. It'll leave you with so much pain because you either hurt someone or hurt by someone.

How about goodbyes which were not uttered at all? It was not how we meant things to end...but goodbye caught us somewhere along the way.

Maybe it was the kind of goodbye i had with my closest friends in the past. Friends from childhood...teenage years...friends i shared history with....a long history at that. They are those i played dolls with, those who kept me company for long hours playing outdoor/street games, i.e. piko, patintero, taguan,football, tumbang preso, etc. They are the ones I grew up with...with whom I shared my secrets such as first crush, first love, first kiss and first heartache. They were there during my 7th and/or 18th birthdays. They were my friends..my childhood friends.

Somewhere along the way, as circumstances were rude, I or they had to leave...could be...to pursue a dream..or just plainly, live a different life.

There were no goodbyes said...nor promises made....but somehow we believed that no matter how much distance...our friendship survives.

Though i was wrong...i may have not been exactly right either...because somewhere in that distance, and the number of years we grew apart..a number of significant things and events happened to me and them..both joy and sorrow...i was not there for and with them...and i would have not known anything about theirs...i wasn't informed...i was out of the loop...and vice versa.

Now when i try to look back, i see a big gap...a gap thay may never be filled in...the gap consists of all the years we grew apart, the thousand miles that distanced us..the longing..the fear, that maybe we've totally lost the things we did share in common in the past...and sadness...that i may not know them anymore...

One last kick on Nights In Rodanthe

2009-01-07T18:43:00.004+08:00

Ok, i watched the movie Nights in Rodanthe, online. And I'm right...this time, I'm neither tired nor sleepy...the movie is different from the book. I know that there's such a thing as artistic influence..but I felt like the characters, Adrienne and Paul, are no longer the characters described in the book. I don't know, is this an affirmation that the book is really that bad that another script with revisions on some of the characters' elements as well as the issues at a given situtation had to be made??? I wonder how Mr. Sparks reacted?

In all, I can't say the movie is bad. It's a little dragging...but I'm a visual person so i survived it. It's a mid-life love story....sort of reminds me of the Bridges in Madison County. The theme is the same...circumstances made a lil different...but the ending is the same....separation....death.....eternal love...

Let me move on to Twilight.....until then...

Morning Blues...Tamad kasi!

2009-01-07T11:29:00.002+08:00

I woke up feeling gloomy today...tis the last day of my 5 day vacation. Well, I actually only tagged 2 as VL and the other 3 as rest days. Last night, i stayed up really late because I would like to savor the last night I could stay up that late without having to worry about the next day...and today, I still have to run some more errands...I want to be home in no time...my kids will be back from school really early...so, I want to stay with them...

Sigh!!!

2009-01-07T02:26:00.003+08:00

I just finished reading Nicholas Sparks' Nights in Rodanthe. I didn't like it...a cry baby as i am, i should say, there was not a single part of the book that moved me. Though i find a lot of parallelisms between me and Adrienne, and i mean a lot, the book just failed to take me along with its ride. Towards the end of the book, I found myself, not reading but browsing at more important details. Aside from the fact that i can very well relate to Adrienne, there was nothing else that fed my emotional and intellectual curiosity....I kinda feel bad because this is the second book in a row that i didn't quite enjoy. The first one was Twilight, mainly because of its shallowness. I'm sorry to all the "twilighters" but i just wasn't hooked the way i expected I would be before i started reading it. As a matter of fact, I didn't finish the book. Good thing i did not buy the rest of the series before hand. Maybe, it's meant for the youngsters...well, to each his own, i must add.

Well, since i did not enjoy the book, NIR and Twilight, I might take a chance seeing the movie version and see if I'd be happy....i hope i'd have a better experience...

I started watching NIR online...and I'm a little confused...it just is not the same with the book....maybe, I'll watch again tomorrow...I might as well rest now....

Il Mare (The Sea)

2009-01-06T23:53:00.006+08:00

Alternative Title: Siwolae, Siwora, The Sea
Genre: Drama, Fantasy , Romance
Korea Casts:
Gianna Jun, Jung-Jae Lee

Description:

From director Lee Hyun Seung comes Il Mare, the 2000 time-travel romance featuring My Sassy Girl's Jeon Ji Hyun in a starring role! This touching sci-fi love story centers on Han Seong Hyun (Lee Jung Jae, from Typhoon and Last Present), an accomplished architect who moves into his father's beach house, only to find himself put in the most extraordinary of circumstances. After dubbing the place "Il Mare" ("The Sea" in Italian), Seong Hyun receives a mysterious letter from a woman named Kim Eun Joo (Jeon Ji Hyun). Strangely, the letter is addressed to the person who will live in Il Mare after Eun Joo leaves, a puzzling statement considering the fact that Seong Hyun is the very first person to ever live in the house!

Believing it to be some sort of a prank or perhaps just a misunderstanding, Seong Hyun initially disregards the anomaly, only to find himself drawn into correspondence with Eun Joo. But as the two begin conversing through exchanged letters, they eventually discover that their situation is as remarkable as it is downright unbelievable. It seems that Eun Joo is actually living in 1999, a full two years ahead of the time in which Seong Hyun resides! Disbelief gives way to amusement and intrigue as the two continue their correspondence, eventually falling for one another. But when these two strangers decide to meet up, they soon discover something that neither quite expected. Will there be a happy ending for these two? Can love cross the boundary of time? Find out in Il Mare, the award-winning Korean film that inspired the 2006 U.S. remake starring Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock!
Source mysoju.com

Review done by Mark Flora @ KFCCinema.com in March 2002

Review: Beautifully written and painstakingly charming, Il Mare is a romance movie that breathes life into a genre that has too many similar plots. I don't want to come off as a cold-hearted moron who thinks romantic movies are too cliched, please don't think of me as that? Simply put it this way, Il Mare is the kind of movie that leaves you utterly breathless. When you're done watching it, you just sit there and ponder on things you never knew you would think about. After the "fade to black," I lied there on my bed just watching the ending credits because I didn't want it to end. I'm sure all of you have felt this way either after watching My Sassy Girl or Fly Me To Polaris. I know these two movies are considered to be far and away instant classics in Asian Cinema, but Il Mare also has that sense of prestige that made the other two movies so lovable. And after watching this movie, I guarantee with all my heart and soul, you'll love this movie as much as I did.

The most noteworthy reason why this film is so magnificent is the subtleness in the plot. The whole story revolves around a very surreal seafront house that seems hidden and aloof from the crowded world. In all ways is this splendid little house a magical dream come true. There's a long, winding boardwalk to the front door and an exit that leads to the ocean. I can't say enough about how unbelievably pure and perfect this house becomes throughout the movie. When the time comes to actually "meet" our couple, you're already caught in the folds of bliss that has engulfed your imagination. And to think, the house itself is just a mere backdrop, or backbone if you will, to the couples' substantial relationship. When I say "relationship," I get a feeling of irony. The couple never really meet up in the movie, instead, they are entangled in a love letter type scheme that dips its wet feet into the world of sci-fi. The couple are writing letters to each other while living in the same world in two different times. Sung-hyun (Lee Jung Jae) is an aspiring architect who moves into his new home only to find a "welcome" letter from the previous owner. Eun-joo, played by the beautiful Jun Ji-hyun of My Sassy Girl, is the previous owner of Il Mare. She receives a letter from Sung-hyun that simply turns both their worlds upside down. It appears Eun-joo lives in the year 1999 and Sung-hyun in the year 1997.

As farfetched as the plot may seem, director Lee Hyun-seung never seems to disappoint. At first I felt this was going to be too difficult to understand because of the whole "wrinkle in time" idea. However, the story does not dwell upon that too long. The film doesn't want you to go to great depths to understand the time barrier between the couple. What it does want you to come to terms with, however, is the idea that these two people are destined lovers that may or may not ever meet each other because of fate's weird obstacle course. And when you understand that, then you'll see how melancholic this cinematic exposure is. We see two people, two years apart from meeting one another, trying desperately to connect in other ways than writing. There are scenes where they seem to go on a date, but in reality, they are there alone only keeping the other in mind and spirit. I commend the beautiful arrangement, almost bouquet-like, of the director during these sequences. Viewers will begin to understand the true test of love and how it will conquer all. It was one of the most tantalizing experiences my eyes will ever know. It was almost as beautiful as Jingle Ma's superior work in Fly Me To Polaris. It was pure visual splendor and it will undoubtedly touch your heart in more ways than one.

I don't have to say anything about the performances of the two actors. But here's something that will sum it all up-Simply Amazing. The imaginative nature, the subtleness of the story, and the surreal love story between the characters is more than enough to make most of you buy this movie. Take into consideration the magical aura the film is manifested on and you got yourself a movie worth watching. In the past few months, thanks to Mr. Kwang and Korean writers, I've become a true-blue Korean movie lover. With entertaining movies like Il Mare, My Sassy Girl, and Guns and Talks under their belt, I hope we viewers are treated more to these soul-touching eye-candies. Believe me, Il Mare is another instant classic you'll want to experience at least once in your lifetime. And you'll probably say the same thing about the universal language of "love."

I saw "The Lakehouse" first before this movie. I must say, I had to rewatch LH before I could fully understand. I didn't know then, but i guess, i was lost somewhere in the movie. I like the movie, though. I cried..well, I'm a cry baby..i cry just about everything...

But when I saw this version, which is the original, by the way, i told myself, "i should have seen this first". It would have been better...The review above is correct, it was beautifully done...

The endings in both films were different, though. But i think, the Korean version's is better than the American version's....i just find it more logical for the lead actor to go back to the time when the lead actress would have left the house rather than the leading actor showing up in the driveway minutes after the lead actress, having heard of his death, placed her letter in the mailbox warning him of his death...do i make sense??? because i think i lost myself there....

Anyway, you should see both films to fully understand what I'm trying to convey here.

You can watch Il Mare in mysoju.com under the Korean Movie Category and go to your nearest Video Store and borrow The Lakehouse DVD, if you haven't seen it. I suggest, you watch IL Mare first.

Solo Parent Leave

2009-01-06T19:10:00.008+08:00

Yes, I am a solo parent...a single mother. However you want to call it...bottom line is I'm alone rearing my children.

I was made aware of the Solo Parent Act early last year. I learned that as a solo parent, I am entitled to an additional Parental Leave (Solo Parent Leave) of not more than 7 days every year..that is on top of the leaves provided by the company. Having known this, I immediately went to DSWD within our municipality. DSWD is the government arm handling the solo parent act concerns, i was told. But i realized, enjoying the solo parent privileges will not come as easy. You have to submit some documents and secure a solo parent id of which you have to present to your employer so you will earn additional 7 days of leaves. The documents are not really that hard to secure. As a matter of fact, each should be just within your reach...like copies of your children's birth certificates, 1x1 id, certificate of employment, barangay certificate and an affidavit of circumstances of being SOLO parent. I would assume additional docs will need to be submitted depending on the circumstance of which you have become a solo parent, i.e. death, legal separation, annulment, etc. Last year, I was in the process of completing all the docs needed. Everything was going on smoothly except for one flaw that delayed my documentation for another year. I couldn't get a Barangay Certificate. I was told that since I was not a registered voter in our municipality, I couldn't get one...and there was no way to register last year since Comelec was closed for registration. It's petty yet it meant no additional 7 days for me last year...

So this year, as one of my 2009 projects, i need to have my solo parent id. So, i went again to the Barangay Hall this afternoon and inquired on how i can get a BC. I was informed that Comelec is now open for registration. The registration, actually, started Dec 2008 and will end Dec 2009. And register i did. It didn't even take me 2 hours to do so. So I was back in the Barangay Hall .

I have it with me now...the most elusive document of last year. Now, I've yet to complete the other requirements since the docs that i have from last year are already invalid. I vowed to myself to submit everything within this month because i was told, it's still going to take some time before they release the ID. There would be investigations, interviews, etc. But I'm fine with that since I still have my regular leaves with me.

By the way, for solo parents out there, just click on this link to get more info on the other privileges you can enjoy as a solo parent. Though you really have to be qualified to do so.

F4 Bambino

2009-01-05T23:28:00.000+08:00

What's happening to FS? Is it going down. It took me 48 hours to post my latest blog and now that i have completed a new one, it won't let me save it...more than 48 hours had passed and it's still in my draft page.....

Whew! Anyway, I'm going to post it here and my future blogs will be here too. Hoping this new home will not kick me out, as well.

Cat, a good friend, sent me an SMS yesterday morning. She was planning to go to our dearest alagang Alex. Unfortunately, Sunday's my household help's day off, so i had to stay home with the kids. Plus, my eldest son and I planned a bonding session at 6pm, so there was really no way to join her... After my bonding session with my eldest, i managed to go online immediately. There was not much to do...that's how i want to believe it.....even if i bought 4 books from NSB a couple of hours back. The truth is, before i am able to read, i have to be in a certain mood. Not sure of what it is exactly...maybe more relaxed, no pressure kind of mood. So, i logged in to YT and watched my favorite F4 videos. LOL

As i was browsing..watching..buffering...browsing...I received another SMS from Cat..they watched a movie...the whole Anselmuccios with her...Aaaaw...i missed that one. I always find it enjoying spending time with Alex's family. They are very accommodating and they treat me/us like family.

I was still into my F4 videos when suddenly, I remembered my last night out with Alex and friends. It was December 20, Mommy M prepared a sumptuous dinner for us. After that, we, Alex and Friends, decided to drop by Starbucks and have some coffee. In the midst of our not so coherent conversations, one of us mentioned, Vic Zhou, and as I'm a big fan, i relentlessly started to update them on the latest..like Vic being Barbie's bf for 3 yrs...they separated last year...F4's concert in Japan last October, etc. I noticed Alex was listening but was unusually quiet..so i told him...sorry if he's feeling a little out of place. Then suddenly, the unexpected happened...he said he knows F4...and that F4 became really famous in Italy..and even sang "Show Me Your LOve" of Ken Zhu complete with Chinese lyrics...I was crying with amusement...and clapping at that. He knew the song...a chinese song...and as if that's not enough, he even sang "Can't Lose You" also in Chinese...you know, "Oh Baby..baby...baby..my baby...baby....(chinese lyrics)..I couldn't stop laughing....and crying...Alex was so hilarious! He told me stories on how F4 managed to capture his school life..but i'd rather not tell....LOL...but it's really cute knowing he was really young then...and you know how young people at school would imitate the ones famous, right? LOL But the thought that he still knows the lyrics made me giggle with amusement. He didn't know all the names, he just has this prescribed description of the 4, but we certainly understood each other. Our night did not just end there. We all went back to their house and surfed for F4 videos and he sang along with it..songs like "First Time", Jerry Yan's "I truly truly love you" and a song of Vanness which i was totally clueless of til that night, he knows... Alex, if you happen to read this, please don't get mad i shared a bit of our fun, ok? That was really a crazy night...an F4 crazy night!!!