~~taking one day at a time~~: April 2009

Friday, April 24, 2009

Sta Rosa...we've finally arrived

i thought, it would never push through. the trip information came only a day before we were due to the site. but the knowledge about the trip being a reality, dawned on me when i checked my bank statement and the CA amount sitting on it, during my days off.

Now that we're here (jorge, teenee, tin, jan and myself), the wait and the delay was well worth it. Well, despite the wrong information about breakfast being inclusive in he room accommodation (which we readily availed on our first morning), we are glad that Manila Southwoods Manor is our home in the next three weeks

Being an SME feels like being a celebrity. People wanted to have their pictures taken with us. That's one good thing about Sta. Rosa. They made us feel very welcome.

At the end of the day, to SM we go and have dinner together and goof around for a bit

forgetting all bout our sore feet , before finally taking the long trip back home to the hotel .

Monday, April 13, 2009

Crisscrossed Roads

I think I am doomed. Serves me right for wanting too much and not knowing when enough's enogh. A long time ago (hehehe...well...sometime in March), I received a call from the big boss asking that "If you were sent to another site for five weeks, is there anything that will hold you back from accepting the assignment." Well without much thought I replied, "If I were a turtle, it's akin to asking if I would like you to throw me into the river. There nothing else I would have liked to do".
After the schedule has been moved countless times, I was summoned for the first time in the big boss' cube and that was to sign a memoradum of understanding regarding monetary matters involved in the training. So that kept the hope alive. But there was more surprises that day, Within the hour, an even bigger boss summoned me and offered a reports analyst position that will be vacated asap (that meant goodbye to taking in the undeserved yelling and cursing for the rest of my tenure here).
Yes, that had me thinking. But when I had to make a decision, unfortunately I may have made the stupidest one. I was greedy, and embarrassed by being so, I only relayed the message, that I want to take the trip first before accepting the position (if it is still available when I get back).
Now, looking at the status quo, I seemed to have lost both. And I say it again, "serves me right."

Tuesday, April 7, 2009

taken by surprise...but a welcome one

Almost ten years after lolo (lolo pidong) passed away, just about the same time since I last went to bugasong and saw my paternal cousins , we were able to see each other again. Admittedly, we're not as close to them as we are with mom's relatives but our recent common loss (we lost tito buddy in January changed that. We talked like we havent grown up on separate islands (them in panay and us in negros).

Negros, they said, was out of their itinerary but since they were already in iloilo, they decided to take the 1.5 hour roro trip and the 1 hour land trip from bacolod to our humble abode. They were already close to home when we got the news.

We don't usually stock food in the fridge, the public market being only two blocks away. But since it was already late to buy, we made do with the canned kind, augmented with stewed beef and pork kebabs.

As for the accommodation, Jiggy was tasked to book one. But when we checked later, the place was already booked for the night. Apparently, he talked to only one of the tennants and not with the caretaker herselft whom I found to be staying in the room on the far end of the building. Well, at the state that he was in, it was too much to hope for. He had already imbibed a fair amount of alcohol from a birthday party he attended earlier in the day. Luckily, Comfort Inn was available. Despite the fact that it took a lot of patience to speak with the caretakers, at least they had a place to stay in as it's impossible to fit them all either at sis' house or at the olds' place.

Everyone was up by 5 the next day. Breakfast was al fresco at Auntie's and we had boiled crustaceans (crabs and shrimp), bananas and watermelon which is just we need for the trip to the boondocks.

Destination was Guintubdan. Sis deemed the place to please a different crowd. I thought the same but couldn't think of any other place to bring them given the time constraint. At our first stop, which is the Pavillon, Nanay and Auntie had to stay at the main building while we explored the place. The much advertised 300 steps down to the waterfall was not manageable with the three toddlers on our charge so we just stayed a bit at the viewing deck and took pictures of our visit.

I was getting desperate by the minute seeing that they didn't seem to enjoy so I suggested to hike up to the dipping pool. Well, since i couldn't very well take a dip and take the trip home dripping (like we - sis, bro and myself - used to during our weekend trips to ara-al with dad when we were yet kids), i just relished in soaking my feet in the cool spring waters.

Going back at the drop off where we parked the car, the sight that greeted me alleviated my worries. Everyone but bebing and bombit were busy choosing plants from the display on the side of the road. They bought so much that when we finally went back down, there was very little room at the backseat .

The city is working on making Guintubdan commercialized. I wonder what other products they are going to sell. I hope not the natural bonsai which I overheard the locals collect and sell to tourist :(