coco, choco, cocoa...?

We haven't decided yet what to call the latest addition to our kennel. Yesterday, after Pooh had his booster shot, sis picked up a four-month old golden retriever. True to its breed name, it's soft coat has the same color as cappuccino that shimmered as gold upon close inspection.

Cocoa made a very strong impression the moment its carrier was deposited on the porch floor. Wow, how she stank. The smell was a combination of a variety of odor, not one good which left us with a bad stomach. Rubbing its soft mane revealed a host of parasites feasting on its young flesh. Poor thing!

After resting for around four hours, off to the shower we went. How she loved the water. Since the sky was overcast, we kept it short, just enough to render the ticks giddy from the medicated soap and the smell softened to a tolerable degree if not eliminated.

All is well for now.

of feasts and famine...

Christmas would have been much happier had Sendong and the tail of the cold front failed to hit the country. Pausing to look at the real issue here might open our minds to the cause of these so called calamities. It is our doing that we suffer. Have you seen the news? In Mindanao, the flooding was clearly caused by illegal logging in the area. Look at the shores. They are littered by what remained of the trees at were cut down. I remember reading years ago that Japan's forest were so old that they have to burn them to make way to planting new trees. And that in other countries, they have these tree plantations where they get their lumber from. That way, their forests are not disturbed to the point of destruction. In Cebu just today, the floodwaters are littered with styropacks that we usually use for take out goodies. What does that say about us? We are so busy (really!?!?!) we barely had the time to prepare real food and clean after our mess. We end up eating take away from a container and dispose of them, not caring where these plastics and styrofoam end up. Our lifestyles are just way ahead of what we can afford to dispose of our waste in a way that it the consequence wont backfire at us.
Tsk...I'm not much of a current events persons but if I get my moment, I would spend my time and resources in processing these fast food waste. With a degree in technology, I just need the nerve to get back to my roots and delve into research for a change. God help me!

Note: I'm not a big earner. I hope the old clothes my bro and I managed to salvage from our closets help with the most pressing need for clothing of the flood victims.

the day after christmas

The sky was overcast confirming PAG-ASA's forecast of a low pressure building up down south so going out of town was out of the question. After a leisurely breakfast of pancake and brewed coffee at bbf's, off we went and checked the parlor at the city that we haven't been to yet. Though it looked crowded, we agreed to wait. By the end of the day, there were 8 of us the two hair techs service for rebonding. We were clients 5 and 6. They started doing our hair at 11:45 and we left their station at almost 7:00. We missed lunch. Oh, the price we had to pay to have pretty hair!!! Vanity!

a time for mourning...

I have nothing to talk about this week but work, work work. After a week's absence, work piled on my desk way above my head. Deadline for internal and external deliverable was way past due. I come in as early as 7:30 in the morning and leave at 6:00 in the evening leaving me very little time to walk the dog (Thankfully, bro filled in for me and Cuchi doesn't look so sad and neglected) yet I can still see myself plowing through all the paper works until next week..
Everything would have been easier had the shocking news of the week did not transpire. My lone office mate followed me to the hospital five days after I went there myself for consultation and some blood tests. The only difference is that I came out as an outpatient while he did not make it. So young to leave this earth. With his vast social connections, he will be surely missed. As for me, the office will never be the same without his artistic touches. He was more of a girl than I am. His covered boxes and Christmas decor hanging on the ceiling will always serve as a reminder.

The Real Tale of a TI Survivor

03 Dec 2011 - It all began the night of the third. My throat was so hot and itchy and everything uncomfortable. The gargle did not make it any better. I noticed that the runny nose was gone. My! I was up to something serious.

04 Dec 2011 - By some miracle I did get some sleep but had difficulties getting up. My body was unusually warm and my head was leaden. When I woke up again, sis was already back from mom's bearing lunch (she got me a macaroni soup which I ate with some crackers). I can't exactly recall now when the coughing started but when it came, my head ached so much it felt like it was being ripped off my neck. The phlegm that came with it was tinged with crimson, it started to alarm me but I kept mum about it. It did not happen only once but on a regular basis and each time lasted for like eternity. I tried to sleep to escape it but even with the A/C on, I felt very hot and kept on tossing and turning. In my dreams (it didn't matter that I woke up countless of time during the night to relieve myself), I was doing this rectangle puzzle game which I knew how to win but however I tried never get to win. It was frustrating and it aggravated the pain in my head. I tried to think of more pleasant things but somehow I found myself dreaming about the stupid polygon game. Thankfully, it did not return to torment me in the following nights.

05 Dec 2011 - Determined to get into the bottom of this infection, I willed myself to get up and get to mom's for breakfast hoping to catch the doctor early. Turned out that the specialist wont be in until noon. That was a very long wait. There was still a lot of waiting when we arrived at the clinic. I don't know where it came from. I mean, fear. Yeah, at some point, while waiting, I started feeling nauseous but the bright girl that I am knew exactly what to do to curb it. I inhaled big gulps of air and my vision started to clear but I felt the fear creeping down my tummy until I had to go to the toilet. There, I was torn between throwing up and do "#" to clear whatever it is that made me feel bad. Not long after, I felt sweat rolling down my forehead and the bathroom door open. Gladly, it was just mom, wondering about what has been taking me so long. Shortly after that episode, I was called in next. My BP result was hypotensive. The doctor had to borrow the spyg of the doctor next door to confirm her measurement. It stayed at 70/40. She proposed that I'd be admitted to get rehydration salts through a needle which was fine with me. However, by the time that we got to the hospital, my BP has normalised already and the doctor who attended to me at the emergency room decided that I was not to be an in-patient. She prescribed paracetamol every four hours for the headache (no wonder my headache was very much pronounced. I had mine only three times in 24 hours), co-amoxiclav twice daily and betadeine gargle for the bad bacteria. Besides the adventure, my condition was pretty much the same as the previous day. But at least for this day, I had ample supply of ice for my cold compress.

06 Dec 2011- I was wondering how much weight I have lost already. Even with the most inviting smoking hot fish stew for breakfast, I did not get to finish the serving I prepared. And it wasn't even half to what I have on a regular day. Today, I felt the medicine working. My throat started to itch again and my nostrils felt congested. No germ-filled material gets dislodged whenever I cough, no matter what amount of heaving I did. It was frustrating. When nightfall came, my misery began anew. I could only breathe through my mouth, the coughing ensued again.

07 Dec 200 - My scalp was killing me. I was still a little feverish but I really felt the need to wash my hair. Vanity escapes me. I am in great pain. Is it a sin to crave for just a little comfort? So I boiled some lemon leaves in a pot and poured the concoction into my bath water. In just less than ten minutes, I felt cold but a lot better. I had a lot of callers today. I sounded funny. A lot mannish. It's weird. Things got a lot quieter in the afternoon. And so we watched the (mis)adventure of "Megamind". It was so funny, I laughed so hard, and so began my afternoon of coughing fit. But it was a good one. This time, I felt that the phlegm has somehow loosened it's hold on the walls of my lungs, it came off easily. Sheer relief, until I heard tatay cough and found him offering me half his co-amoxiclav. Oh, what have I done?

The Tale of a TI Survivor

Caution: This is not for the fainthearted.

3 Dec 2011 - It was a typical Saturday. When I looked up to check the time, it was already past 1 in the afternoon; well past my weekend duty hours; well past lunch as well. Sis wasn't done with the salon yet but I sure am done for at least a day and a half for all the work that I have put in all morning. Pre-lunch fare was a slice of pizza. Something was odd. The dough tasted papery.

At home, there's not much to do but wait for the much hyped about LA Galaxy and Azkals friendlies (aka the Dream Cup - maybe because it was the organizers', the players', and the rest of the football lovers' collected dream to see the superstars of LA Galaxy)  at Rizal Memorial. It pays to read/watch the sports news (only if  Diane Castillejo wasn't in it. My! Listen to her!). So I paid dearly. Sat in front of the tube for nearly six hours, having no idea when or what station was the game to be aired.

Dinner came and gone. Then the game started. It was fun before it got really boring. At the fifteenth minute, I swore that if Beck wont make a goal in the first half, I'm off to sleep. Then on the 20th minute, maybe Beck got bored as well and wowed everyone with a goner from way way back. Truly, he bends it like no other.

I quit earlier than promised though. When the Azklas got that single goal, there was only one defender between the ball and Saunders. How was that possible. The last time I checked, there were 3 big guys protecting the goal, Beck included.

I remember our game against the USC varsity during the Thirsty Cup (hope we'll have the same event here in Negros). Even with the knowledge that we were not that tough a team, they never gave us a reason to feel small. They challenged us to be tougher and better players. Look at how where the girls now. 2, 3 championships in the open category and counting.

Tara and Cuchi Turn Two

fair fare shared with pet-lover friends

The 25th of November was a Friday and everyone's busy with the last minute deliverables so the birthday celebration was set on a Saturday.

left to right: cuchi, bjork, tara and marble

It only took two hours to prepare fruit salad, spaghetti, onion rings and banana rolls (turon) so there was still ample time for yaya to freshen up before our guests arrived. First to come was Tita Florence with Marble. Not long after, bff followed bearing gifts minus Glad.

the doting "lolas"

The celebrants were uncooperative. So were their canine well-wishers that the pictorial took longer than necessary. The only time when all three dogs were still  was when they got busy finishing the foster milk I served  for their afternoon snack.

marble and tara together with tita bing and yaya

Mom, after meeting Marble, expressed her desire to get a shih tzu as well. It must be the hair. I spied her  futile attempt to put  a pin on Marble to keep the hair away from his eyes. But I wonder how long will the novelty last. 

 left to right: again cuchi, pooh, tara and marble with yaya

domesticated

Roused by the heat, I found myself alone in the house. Pooh and sis already left for breakfast. Quickly, I picked up my soiled clothes with doing the laundry in mind after eating. Apparently, it was time to wash. Five loads awaited my attention that it was nearly lunch when I finished.
Spying the rolled oats on the shelf prompted me to bake cookies. Quaker online had this recipe that do not require raisins or nuts (which I do not have on hand). It was already almost 3 pm and I got word that baking soda is not available at the grocery. I ended up cooking some french toast from the almost stale baguette leftover of bro's, last two eggs in the fridge and some evaporated milk for the family's mid-afternoon snack.When that wasn't enough, I fried some bananas as well.
To aid digestion, I harvested some "okra" and walked the two blocks to Auntie's to pass time until the sun has almost set.
Back home, sis was slicing shallots for frying. I thought, why not prepare some onion rings as well. Anyways, I watched a video on you tube earlier on how to prepare one. It was very basic. It required preparing wet (a whole egg seasoned with paprika and salt) and dry (all-purpose flour seasoned with the same) coating ingredients.
Whew, it went well with an iced cola

Tuesdays with Morrie

While settling at the house the night before our Northern Exposure, I spied a well-thumbed edition of Tuesdays with Morrie. I've been meaning to read it for ages but had challenges in getting hold of a copy. I heard of it first back in college from Jun and he was all praises about it. So I lost no time and read I did until sleep conquered my consciousness.
The book was addictive. I read it in the airport while waiting for our flight to be called. I read it while cruising through the clouds. I read it while the bus sped through the North Expressway. I read it even after a long day of going to the tourist spots.
On many occasions, my travel buddies found me wiping a stray tear or two. And every time I see an old person, or when I remember my own ailing dad, I think of Morrie.
I have never been that close to any of my teachers but I have a quite a few who really mattered.
Kuya Richard (I can't remember calling him "sir", maybe because I've known him first in church) was my teacher in Inorganic Chemistry. He was especially smitten with a housemate of mine (Kathleen, the first person I've met in elbi with whom I shared a lot: we fought, cried together, laughed together, and when in the mood would sing together "thy word is a lamp unto my feet" in blending voices) and they ended up together. When they were still courting, I enjoyed free tutorials, meals, and even stayed Thursday nights at his house watching Lois and Clark. Inclined in the visual arts and prose, I am inspired by his flair for words (read his facebook entries to get what I mean) and his dexterity in creating artworks from used leather, wood and twigs.
To be a Chemical Engineer was far from my mind. I fancied myself in white lab gown with stethoscope dangling in front of me but it wasn't meant to be. While I doubt my self in hurdling the course, there is only one person who believed in me. Sir VV, as he is fondly called in the uni, has met with da and ma while I was confined in  Isolation at the Infirmary for chicken pox. He promised to take care of me and he sure did. He believed that with a little focus on my part, the rest would be a breeze. He was right . College wasn't that bad at all. Just before graduation, I even got the time to join an academic organization and even passed the Licensure exam in just one take.

cut lip, bruised ego

what would you choose?
Come to think of it! You can always hide a bruised ego. Unless you tell somebody that you've been hurt, by harsh words or something more physical, nobody will ask.
Now that I have been on the receiving end of a cut lip, I can imagine the questions that will beset me when I go public. Thankfully, today is a holiday and there is enough time for the cut to at least dry.
I woke up really late today. Besides having a really late night watching a Thai movie (First Love), I had massage earlier in the evening to soothe my travel-lagged body. My body was sluggish even after eaing a heavy breakfast, still I insisted to take Cuchi out for her morning walk.

Apparently I wasn't up for the simple task. Barely through the gate and my dog spied a male canine just across the street. My unpreparedness  was validated when off I dove on the hard concrete when the dog bolted towards the closed gate of the neighbors'. Caught off guard, the leash slipped off my grip and Cuchi stood in front of the other dog, wagging its tail as if nothing happened. As for me, I felt my lips kiss the ground and tasted blood in my mouth. I immediately glanced to my left, then to my right. The coast was clear. Despite my disorientation, I quickly picked myself up, righted my clothes, checked for cuts (other than those on the pads of both hands) and dragged the poor dog home.

Moral of the story: A loose sandal is an inappropriate footwear to use when walking a fully grown labrador.

Northern Exposure - Day 5

Day 5 (02 Nov) - The cold air caught us by surprise. Unprepared, our body shivered as our speech quivered while walking away from the terminal. I kept calling home to find a place to rest only to find one just a few paces away. It's not much but it's convenient and we  planned to be outdoors most of the time anyways.
Sleep was elusive for me though. I couldn't breathe through my nose and using my mouth instead caused my throat to itch. At half past two, thankfully drowsiness and fatique won over.
I set the alarm to go off at 6 so we will have ample time to bathe before breakfast at 7.
By 9:15 and after a few wrong turns from the cathedral, we got ourselves aboard plaza/kias/pma (ours is the last stop)puj. Terminal is located at the far end of the Burnham football field. Fare to our destination is 18.50
At 9:20 and 9:25 the jeep passed by the Camp John Hay entrance and Baguio PEZA respectively. 
When visiting PMA, there are two things that you shouldn't forget, "Bring Identification" and "Do not wear Slippers". Else, you will be denied admission, as what happened to Annie. Arlen and I hiked the way up which took us almost an hour stopping by the memorials, picnic groves, aviary (which looked neglected), wishing well. Fact is, we took the longer way and we didn't know that PUJs can take passengers as far as the second entrance.

There were still a lot to explore but we were pressed for time. We were due to check out at noon.
After checking out of the inn, we went to Jack's along Session and had had the Jack's special for lunch.

Then we hiked back up past the Terminal to SM. Unlike it's other branches where people mill to cool off, people seem to go there to get warm. The building is designed such that the mountain air freely goes in and out, completely eliminating the need for an air-conditioning facility. Two sides of the building on two or three floors feature viewing decks, which showcased the magnificent city lights at night. We stayed only until we got enough information on how to get to the strawberry farm in La Trinidad, Benguet. A taxi conveyed us to the "terminal" which is just right next to the city hall. Unfortunately, strawberries are not in season December to March) A kilo costs Php 400 (so I only bought 250g, just enough for an after dinner dessert). After a few photographs of the farmers tenderly and lovingly watering and weeding the plots, we visited some souvenir shops nearby. Their wares are a lot cheaper than those sold in Baguio public market. I got mom a cardigan (Php 180), bonnets for da (Php 20), phone accessory (6 for Php 50).

Traffic was bad on our way back. It was almost dark when we alit at the dangwa terminal, missing the stop right next to the public market that we had to walk our way back. There Annie got her local garlic while I got some Kalinga oranges (for my vitamin C boost) and a bag for sis (Php 130).
We had Mcdonald's for dinner and stayed there until it was time for the last full show. We chose "Praybeyt Benjamin" over "Puss in Boots (budget issues). The fun part of it did not hold for long I actually dozed off (and snored audibly) for most of the movie.
It was raining when the movie ended. We were the last non-employees to leave the building. We were at the wrong terminal. Pasay-bound buses are located elsewhere.
Before hailing a taxi, bought a combination of peanut brittle and "lengua de gato" (7 for Php 100).
While in Baguio, relieving one self has never been an issue. Clean toilets are strategically located almost everywhere. Just look for the blue and white structure.

Northern Exposure - Day 3

Having set the previous night to be picked up at 5 am in order to catch the sunrise at the Blue Lagoon (locally known as the Mairaira Cove, I set the alarm to go off at 4:30 AM. Apparently, Day 2 caught up with us that the two girls only started to stir after I have washed and hanged two of my soiled shirts to dry on the airy veranda. So, we missed the photo opportunity
The sun was already up when we finally got on a tricycle with Ave as our driver cum tour guide.
Imagine the DSB or Kanlaon highway? The same connects the Northern part of Pagudpud to its Southern counterpart. It was a rollercoaster ride, which lasted about thirty minutes. We yelled and held on to our seats along the one-hundred-eighties and the three-hundred-sixties and the occasional bumps (on the parts undergoing rehab).

The cloudy morning hid the color that the cove is famous for. With the strong wind coming in, the waves that crashed on the pinkish brown shore were humongous and could easily bring Annie down.
Regarding breakfast, there is a little misunderstanding about the omelet that we asked to be prepared at a "palutuan" just outside Hannah's Beach Resort so we ended up eating scrambled eggs and raw sliced ripe tomatoes. Negatively commenting about breakfast, we were surprised when one of the servers interjected in our dialect. So we each assigned ourselves aliases (ria for moi, alex and claudia for the other two girls) exclaiming that we all need to learn a foreign language.
The rain came while we were eating, It steadily poured, brought in by the rainclouds which the wind blew inwards from south China sea. When the skies cleared, we went on to explore the rock formations. Legend has it that "Bantay Abot  (with a hole) had a relationship with "Timangmang" (shaped like the glans penis) and that the "Dos Hermanos" are their offsprings.
Next stop was the Patapat Viaduct. Again the rain pelted, yet I insisted to get a picture with me in the middle of the road. It was very cold. Luckily, Agua Grande was nearby and the kiosk at the entrance served hot beverages. After finishing our coffee, off to "Paraiso" we went. There wasn't much to see there so we went back to the Patapat Viaduct to get more photos, just in time to witness a landslide from the southernmost peak. It didn't reach the bottom but the cracking sound of stones rolling and trees being uprooted was as clear as the cloud of dirt that it left on its wake. Hope nobody was hurt.

Time flew past and it was time for lunch. We went back to the inn,skipping the Kabigan Falls since it still a kilometer and a half hike away from the hi-way to change into something dry and warm before eating. We ate at the Public Market. It was the first decent meal we had, and the rice was still warm.

By 1:30, we were already set to see the sights down south. First stop was at the Bangui windmills. The imposing structure has effortlessly drawn oohs and aahs from the three of us. It is more than ten times as tall as Kuya Ave. To get better pictures, we went down the shoreline. The surf was overwhelming. It looked alive, about to crawl up and swallow us. Looking at it sent shivers down my spine. Most of the time when the wind speed picked up, it brought along with it sand which hit our exposed skin like tiny biting insects.

We spent a longer time on our next stop, the Kapupurawan rock formation. It was a cliff eaten away by years of surf crashing on it. From the hi-way, we had to pass through a 3-kilometer dirt road and a couple hundred steps from the ledge to the spot. It is easy to reach, judging from the kids and old people who were there before us. I reckoned it wouldn't stay light for long, judging from the hands and feet that touch its surface everyday. I'm just glad I got there before it happens.

Last stop for the day, which thankfully requires only a few steep steps to reach was the Bojeador Lighthouse. Against the setting sun, the view is just stunning. I couldn't think of a better way to end the day but sit on the steps (resting my aching legs) soaking in the sight of the bright golden globe making its way behind the endless horizon.

Before going back to the inn, we passed by the public market to buy dinner which planned to take away. Kuya Ave advertised the empanada that the north is famous for. Off we went across the street. The stall served grilled and fried foodstuff and prepares empanadas from scratch. The dough is made of rice flour (naturally colored in Vigan, bright orange in Pagudpud) water and oil (used in frying). Filling includes a whole egg and dry mixture of mungbean and shredded papaya and carrots. For special orders, a longganisa is added.

Sigh!

Northern Exposure - Day 2

Day 2 (30 Oct) - "Breakfast is served between 6-9 am", the innkeeper informed me upon check-in. We had ours at 8am. This time, I had "tapa" for a choice of Filipino breakfast. It was a short affair, the three of us being excited to be on our way and get to as many tourist spots as we can.

Warning: Do not hire a calesa to explore the tourist spots!!!
Not only will it encumber your enjoying the sites at leisure, it will cause a shock later that you have run up quite a bill. In our ignorance we did. We even paid for the time waiting for the "kutsera" while she negotiated with the car owner, whose car bumper she scratched with the axle of the calesa's left wheel.
But if you must try (the regular rate is Php 150/hr) it is best that you keep to the streets where the old buildings are located. The other sites can be reached by tricycle at (Php 15-20, I haven't seen any fare matrix displayed on their vehicles).
The highlights of our morning tour are limited to appreciation of the testaments to the olden times and getting soiled at the "pagburnayan". If I were to do the tour again, I will leave out the other things altogether ;)
Castano couldn't seem to bear our combined weights, we proceeded with our tour slower than the other groups. Only 15min to checkout, we each quickkly freshened up, left our key and made our way to Partas terminal. With no time for lunch, we just bought a small box of marsha's cassava which we ate on the bus.

The bus dropped us at Batac. By the curb were tricycles offering tours to Paoay (including Paoay lake which can be reached by visiting the Marcos estate - excluded from our iti). Between Paoay Church and the Marcoses' mansion is still part of the La Paz sand dunes. To aid exploration, 4x4's for hire wait for the adventurous souls (Php 1500/hr). Our mistake was not negotiating with the driver first and had him wait while we explored the old church (each buttress width is wider than my outstretched arms). When we reached Laoag, he mentioned that the group the other day gave him P450 after Annie handed him P300. Talk about highway robbery. Oh, well. Not the type to make a scene, we gave what he asked for and headed to our next destination, St. William's and the sinking bell tower located at the heart of the city. There's another matter of the driver from Laoag. He charged us Php 80 for the short trip.
Our day ended with a two-hour trip to Pagudpud. It rained really hard midway and the water even leaked on the side of the bus, soaking the bottom of my backpack. Traveling lite, therefore we brought no brolly with us. A short run from the bus brought us to the public market where we decided to be picked-up.
Saud cove was around 15-20 minutes away from the town center. We were met by our gracious hostess, Auntie Ana Madrid in her large house named Roma Villa (from Romero-her maiden name and Madrid - her married name). Ours was a small bedroom with a table cum cabinet adjacent to the door, two double beds and an en-suite bathroom (without the toiletries) for only Php 1000 a night. 

Northern Exposure - Day 1

 I had qualms about buying a new journal to chronicle yet another backpacking adventure so I made do with writing bits of thoughts and observations at the back of the paper where I plotted our planned itinerary. Only during the quite lengthy trip to Baguio (from Laoag) did it occur to me that BB is equipped with documents to go feature. So I might as well start telling our story. Chances of my being able to write in the comfort of home seems nil, especially that I caught this nasty cold from exposure to heat and rain which no amount of multivitamins has prepared me for.
Day 1 (29 Oct) - We left Annie's place in Alijis at sometime past 4. The whole neighborhood was quiet; the residents deep in slumber (including our hosts 3 doors away whom we chanced upon the previous night preparing "ibos" for the holidays). Only the warning barks of dogs can be heard from the houses we passed by. The sky was illuminated by frequent flash of lightning from the north, foreboding a rainy morning. At the commercial area though, a store was still open, catering to four men each nursing a bottle of beer (drivers apparently). After a short negotiation, the youngest (and sober) person of the lot took us to SM where we caught the 430 van. It left earlier than scheduled to pick up more passengers (described by annie and arlen to be too loud) at an inn (situated a street thast cut across lacson).
Check-in was a breeze for me. Annie's was a different story though. A frequent traveler that she is, she still made a mistake of bringing a tripod on a lite fare plane ticket. So I suggested that she approach our company in the van and negotiate. So much ado about something especially with the teller who apparently is bent on collecting the baggage fee instead of extending a little courtesy to a customer. We were ready to queue for the terminal fee but only after I finished a chapter of "Tuesdays with Morrie". To keep myself from dozing off on the terminal seat while waiting for boarding, I had a cuppa from Kuppa (taking two extra sachets of sugar).
On arrival at NAIA terminal 3, we again shared bus with our van buddies. One of them sat beside me and I engaged him to a small talk. He turned out to be the DA Regional Director for Region 4B. They attended a seminar in Bacolod on Organic Farming.
Volts was already waiting at arrivals even before we got annie's tripod from the carousel. He has not changed physically. Even his Taz shirt has seen better days. My baby bro. What can I say :) He went with us to Cubao on the taxi.  On both sides of Edsa just after SM Hypermart were Northbound bus terminals. The only liner there that was familiar from my blog reading was Dominion. It was hot and we did not eat anything so we stayed and decided to take their A/C service. Fare to Vigan was Php 580. The 930AM trip left shortly after 10 and the 2-stop trip had a tad too many. As was my habit, I did not sleep during the trip and noted the time when we reach a famous town or landmark. Late lunch was at Moncada's kambingan. I had sisig, rice and cola for Php 85.

Twelve hours after leaving Cubao, theb bus inched slowly towards the liner garage in Vigan. The time was10pm, 3 hours later than the usual travel time. There were road sections in La Union under repair that required the use of a single lane.
Vigan has a lot of one way streets.  Owing to our greenness to the place and the dark streets, taking a cab was a safe choice. Or so we thought. For the short ride, the cab driver charged us php 15 each. As if to say "welcome to so-commercial vigan!"
Even before checking in to our reserved room, we were held up by the passing "Twilight Parade" which traversed the whole length of "Calle Crisologo", through Cordillera Inn where we spent the night.

                                                                                        Calle Crisologo at night
Shortly after we had our backpack stashed inside the room, we took a short walk to Cafe Leona to grab a much needed dinner. It was almost midnight. I had their much advertised vigan longganisa (which is really good as claimed, being lean and lightly spiced) and pinakbet (which dismally failed expectation on both taste and appearance - the vegetables looked like it's been cooked all day) which I shared with Annie while Arlen ordered cheeseburger de luxe with egg. I had a light beer to aid digestion. Finally, browsed a few pages on Morrie's before sleeping.    

Forty-five days later, here's what greeted "tatay" while watering the plants in the morning: okras in flowering stage.

 

After a grandslam loss battling against weeds and grass which seem to grow overnight, we needed  some sort of strategy. With tatay's extensive knowledge on agriculture, it was decided that we plant something to serve as ground cover. Simultaneously, pumpkins and okra were planted on two areas of the empty lot. Twenty-one days later, watermelons were planted in between the okra hills while pechay were grown in a seedbed next to the pumpkin patch. In one more month not only will our weed problem reach it's end. We'll have more grown vegetables than the family can consume as well.

69th at Paradiso

Mom turned 69 today so we decided to go to the beach. Very little preparation was made and we left quite a few essentials. Also, we haven't been to the beach in a long while so it was understood that we'll just take our pick once at Miranda or Hinigaran area.

At the fork on the road, the sign to the left said "Paradiso" while that to the right said "Bulubituon". As far as my memory serves me, it has been 9 years since I've been to Paradiso. Back then, it was still on the stage of development. I got curious and decided to take the path on the left and see what has become of it.

the pavillon located next to the parking area

Apparently, it was a good choice. Firstly, the guard did not comment that we brougt a family member of the genus canis. Secondly, only two of their numerous benches and cottages were occupied. Thirdly, nobody was bathing on the beach. Sheer bliss. The peace and quiet was like balm (to my ovulating body)

While the rest of the crew brought our meager stuff to our rented umbrella, I went on to test Tara's reaction to getting wet, bullied by the waves and licking saline water. She did very well, much to my surprise (photo above) Off leash the whole time, she got away ओनके. Where to? Where the food was, of course!

If you want a good swim though, this is not the place for you. The whole stretch is rocky. To the determined like Mary, a scratched foot is  not as significant compared to experiencing the warm clear water. Of course, there's the fresh water pool to consider.

Lesson learned. Do not be overconfident and rely on the fresh catch that you may buy and cook for lunch. We did and almost missed lunch and wished that we bought some pork chops at the market. I have never been happier as when I saw a woman peddling fish at sometime past 11 am. We lost no time, washing it right away but struggled to build fire. 

 the family room

the paved walk to the bamboo cottages and cabanas

How long has it been? Fifteen, sixteen years? I was in junior college when we left the countryside for the city. Then, the unobstructed view of Kanlaon was a common site especially during the milling season. When the canes are still growing, I would skittishly climb on the roof of the garage and sit there at lengths and marvel at the sight. When the the sun sets in the west, white puffs of smoke start to billow from the mountainside. That meant dinner is cooking and it's time to go home and wash up.

Today I had a rare chance of  seeing the same sight. After my weekend gig, I opted not to wait for my usual ride and decided to walk instead the kilometer-long dirt road. Nostalgia hit me, I wished I was a kid again.

Earlier in the day, we visited Glad and ended up getting a really long bath (30 minutes at the least). 

Abraham Lincoln’s letter to his son’s Head Master

Respected Teacher,

My son will have to learn I know that all men are not just, all men are not true. But teach him also that for ever scoundrel there is a hero; that for every selfish politician, there is a dedicated leader. Teach him that for every enemy there is a friend.

It will take time, I know; but teach him, if you can, that a dollar earned is far more valuable than five found.

Teach him to learn to lose and also to enjoy winning.

Steer him away from envy, if you can.

Teach him the secret of quite laughter. Let him learn early that the bullies are the easiest to tick.

Teach him, if you can, the wonder of books.. but also give him quiet time to ponder over the eternal mystery of birds in the sky, bees in the sun, and flowers on a green hill –side.

In school teach him it is far more honourable to fail than to cheat.

Teach him to have faith in his own ideas, even if every one tells him they are wrong.

Teach him to be gentle with gentle people and tough with the tough.

Try to give my son the strength not to follow the crowd when every one is getting on the bandwagon.

Teach him to listen to all men but teach him also to filter all he hears on a screen of truth and take only the good that comes through.

Teach him, if you can, how to laugh when he is sad. Teach him there is no shame in tears. Teach him to scoff at cynics and to beware of too much sweetness.

Teach him to sell his brawn and brain to the highest bidders; but never to put a price tag on his heart and soul.

Teach him to close his ears to a howling mob… and to stand and fight if he thinks he’s right.

Treat him gently; but do not cuddle him because only the test of fire makes fine steel.

Let him have the courage to be impatient, let him have the patience to be brave. Teach him always to have sublime faith in himself because then he will always have sublime faith in mankind.

This is a big order; but see what you can do. He is such a fine little fellow, my son.


Abraham Lincoln.

Addiction Fix

In a hurry to get to work today, I left my mug of milky brewed coffee on the cabinet at home. Hot water was absent at the Admin office and buying a cuppa at the local cafe was not an appealing option. Though I managed to finish what I have set out to do today, my head throbbed which on a regular day meant, I badly need to get my fix of coffee.

So, as soon as the clock hit 5pm, I gathered my stuff and did a quick shopping for dinner before heading home.

Too lazy to lift a hand, i laid supine on the sofa squinting at the television watching the local news. When dad left for his scheduled medication, I got hold of the remote and changed channels. On studio 23, Misagh, on the right flank where James is usually positioned, was in possession of the ball. The game against Macau was well underway and the Philippine team has already scored a goal courtesy of Chieffy.

(lifted from the quoted news dot com)

Thumbs up to Phil in this game. Although his attempts were not converted, he was wise and unselfish, giving the ball to a more well positioned team mate instead of going for glory himself. Kudos to Muller for not giving the opposing team the chance to equalize the score at any time.

My point is, coffee is not the only cure to unexplained headaches. Watching football does the trick as well.

a week in the life of a marm

MON - Nothing special happened. What can you expect? It's a Monday!

TUE - Together with eighty something registrars of TESDA partner schools around the province, we convened at the Planta Hotel and spent the whole day discussing. In over eighteen months, and three changes of TESDA PD, this is the first time that TESDA intervened in the aim of unifying our understanding and execution of the tasks expected of us. It was well received by all. Personally, I admire the initiative of the current PD for being so involved. The more she talked, my respect for her being in the position increased as well. She knew what she was talking about.

WED - Curiosity kills a cat! I took the TESDA Assessment; only the procedural part. Java was my programming language of choice. I started reviewing last August but slowed down in the intervening weeks while there was very little chance of getting my authenticated birth certificate on time. A few days before the big day, I received the package and the news that I can take the exam sans fee. And so begun my cramming, sleeping between 2-3 am and studying as well in between classes, trying to memorize the packages. Reality hit me in the gut. My brain was not up to absorbing all those jargon in just a week. In the exam I forgot where to put that teenie weenie parenthesis in my statement.
Up of the day? Well, since the exam was in the city, I get to eat a hash brown burger for breakfast.

THU - Finding it a waste of time and energy undergoing further testing which will not do me any good, I opted to attend school in the morning. In the afternoon, went with sis to the doctor and to the shops we trooped afterwards. I got an ube and mango colored not-too-shabby polo shirts during the trip.

FRI - Waited in vain for the Azkals game to start. It didn't come at all. I got the game result from dad. It was a draw during the first half at 2-2 against last year's champs (Hongkong) and 3-3 at the final whistle.

SAT - Finally watched the game rerun on tv which I could have missed altogether had I been a minute later home for lunch. Chieffy only lacked a goal using his head to claim a perfect hat trick. Nice job, really!

SUN - Skipped all responsibilities (besides bathing the dog and disinfecting the dog house). prayed it would rain and spent most of the time trying out blogger's new templates while waiting for the Philippine Football Team's match against Chinese Taipei. The game ended in a draw (nil-nil which drawn a lot of tsks and shrieks from me) at well past 9pm.

at school

Teacher: Your friend plans on getting a membership in an online dating website. In order to register, she must answer a five-page profile questionnaire. With your knowledge in internet privacy and identity theft, would you advise her to push her plans through? Why or why not?

Student: For me, I will chose why not because...

Azkals vs Kaya in ICanServe Invitational Football Tournament

The last match in the series promoting awareness on Breast Cancer featured the star-studded A and K teams. It was already in the middle of the first half when I get to switch the channel to IBC but the score was still nil-nil.

It's difficult to manage a team where everyone wants to be in the limelight. Why is that?

When Hartmann hit the first goal, the other team strikers started to deliver too. After Chieffy and Angel, it is apparent that Phil already felt the pressure of making one as well. It was funny. There were two occasions when Phil made two attempts just before he hit the penalty box. Either he didn't see Hartmann behind the kaya defender, or he desperately wanted to kick the ball in.

Coach Weiss must have seen the trouble about so many strikers on the field and got Hartmann replaced. Soon enough, with the able assist from big brother YH (who did a great job defending and distributing the ball from the right flank), Phil contributed two more to the team's first 3 goals.

The Azkals finished with 5-0, and everyone thinks our team is ready to face the friendlies scheduled for this week and next.

Anxiety Attack!!!

Here I was, consciously thinking that I'm not up to something serious. I am dead wrong. My actions say otherwise.

Sleep was elusive last night. Failure to convert string to number (military time to decimal) prompted me to hit the sack and look it up first thing today.

Before the clock hit 10:00 this morning, the garden looked decent having been cleared of weeds where it needed weeding. The bathroom walls gleamed as the day it was put up. A ton of laundry hang on the the line hoping that the overcast sky doesn't forecast rain anytime soon.

Procrastination is over. Time to do some hard work.

It must be the Autumnal Equinox...

...that is why:

... I find myself cramming for a National Certificate assessment which I was not trained for. Barely two months ago, I didn't have an inkling about Java. Seeing though that it just might be my way to a paperless distribution of grades (with option to print) , a latent seed of interest germinated in me. I mean, how difficult can a payroll system be when I have done dozens of payroll already in the last eighteen months. My thought is, it's knowing what goes in and out of the system is most important. The rest would be translating these figures into something that the computer understands.

...I find myself marketing and cooking on a weekday. This afternoon, I bought half a kilo of large shrimps which I peeled (and marinated for a much anticipated shrimp tempura breakfast) and the head removed (and boiled in ale, paprika, peppermill, and a little salt). In addition, I had "bulgan" and "uli-balay" which I am inclined to see swimming in hot soup glistening from molten fat at tomorrow's dinner.

...I find myself in glitches of my own making.

...I find myself asking a lot of questions.

...I find myself with nothing more interesting to write.

Well, maybe because I need to take the exam seriously. And study, I must.

where's the okra?

Last Sunday, dad has scheduled weeding for his vegetable garden. Morning came and went with his hired help (uncle bong, his little brother) nowhere in sight. It turned out that he was engaged elsewhere (down at sis, repairing the kitchen skylight, reportedly still reeking of whatever alcoholic beverage he imbibed the previous night; i forgot it was a payday weekend; I should have known better).

Casting a cursory glance at the backyard, true enough, the place was in a pretty bad shape. The okra seedlings were overwhelmed by the fast-growing weeds following the nightly showers over the week.When the sun has almost reached the horizon, I set myself to doing the job myself. Despite the 98% germination claim by "eastwest", i counted a fair number of empty hills. But of course, there's the ant factor. The red ones, at one time, connived to get me out of their comfort zone but I was relentless to get the job done. Barely two hours later, all hills were cleared of weeds and the okra roots aerated.
Though I managed to get the laundry done in between gardening, I have completely lacked the time to bathe Cuchi who has been eyeing me the whole time through the slats of her bungalow.

torn between staying or going home for lunch, i left before i could change my mind twice.

at home, i was greeted by a freshly bathed canine whose tail wagged in welcome. then, i realized how much i missed going home at noon for this.

One of the downsides of eating at home is unlimited rice.
It's not about the viand. lunch consisted of mild tilapia curry and vegetables in coconut milk. though conscious to control my rice intake, i wasnt able to stop myself from having another ladle; and another ladle; and another one.

Though the sun looked menacing, the heat it suffused was tempered by the cool breeze coming from the west. Had I indulged, I might have ended napping on the dad's seat watching eat bulaga on tv while scratching cuchi's side.

azkals in town

There were a lot ofnew faces on the pitch today. A standout was Paolo Pascual. It was his smile that caught my attention in particular. I thought it mustbe his perfect set of teeth. Looking him up on the net tonight revealed that his parents were bothdentists and that he has to quit school when he made it into the national team. He came from Springdale inCebu. I might have seen him play in the 08 thirsty cup in the under 17 set. He's just 20.

Just as young was Camcam, whose potential I wasn't able to witness. With his long arms and legs, he can defend the opponent's goal as well as etheridge does.

The game itself didnot hold my interest for long. For one, the performers (the african trio of Global Technika) in the Azkals vs PFFSelection a few months ago did notdeliver in the first half. So fifteen minutes into the culmination of the first half, off to the driveway we went and had some pictures taken.

By a stroke of "luck", two players went our way. The fan, caught off guard, had the cam trained on the subjects but without much attention and with mouth gaping in wonder. Hence, the blurry output.

the price of neglect

Responsible pet ownership won the battle between staying in bed a bit more and getting Tara to the vet today.

It was already past nine yet Tara was the first patient to arrive. The good doctor's daughter manned the reception (I assumed daughter s like the seniors, she spoke in broken tagalog and ilonggo as well).

The drive to Hinigaran was long and hot, we had to take Tara's temperature twice to get the correct stats. Upon inspection, it was apparent that the cause of Tara's skin condition is invisible to the eye, so the vet prepared a slide of skin scrapings from tara's leisions. A section on her right flank was cleared of fur and a small sample was taken using a sharp scalpe. It bled a bit. Not that Tara minded. I reckon she felt more discomfort from the string that bound her snout rather than the skin rendered raw by the blade.

The lighting in the room wasn't good, it's no wonder the vet had a hard time looking for the culprit. When she finally did, she excitedly motioned me to have a look. In the middle of the glowing slide was the circular figure that looked exactly as the picture of the Sarcoptic mite posted on the lab wall. No wonder, no amount of scratching seemed to ease the poor thing's itching. The pest burrows unders the skin and just imagine the discomfort that it caused.

Tara was given two shots for the two types of mites and take home meds like cotrimoxazole to ease the itching, stearasone as antibacterial for the leisions (after washing with iodophor) and omega 3 supplement for the coat.

and i thought i was invincible...

I was wrong. As a result of braving the rains for a lot of petty reasons like feeding Cuchi or mending the awning of the chewed off dog house, I ended up having this nasty cold.

It started last Wednesday. The runny nose I don't mind but the headache when I sneeze or stoop to pick something up, that was unbearable.

I couldn't begin to thank for the long weekend. Sleep was foremost on the list followed by cooking my favorites even when saltiness is the only taste that could be distinguished by my impaired sense of taste and reading Yann Martel's Beatrice and Virgil in between sleep.

Today, I prepared "dinuguan" and "tambo". Scheduled for tomorrow is pork-vegie rolls in wonton.

Today's the second time I've been to Hda. Paz. It's the hacienda nearest to the village where I hold MS Office tutorials on Sundays. Like last week, I was again late; not because I have been to Bacolod but because sleeping after lunch was so difficult to resist after minding the painters all morning. The catch is, when I finally decided to rouse, my student's hubby has already left I had to commute.

The trip took me three rides in all: from the house to the village entrance, from the village to the hacienda crossing. Waiting for a ride was something. Tricycles going to my destination were scarce I had to take CAC-bound one and alight at the crossing. From there I waited in vain until a truck came by. Without batting an eyelash, I spoke to the riders about needing a lift.

Wow! How long has it been? It must have been 25 kg ago. I had to solicit the assistance of the kid aboard to help me hoist myself up the truck which tire diameter must have measure 5ft.

RAMDIZ singers...

The last local concert I've been to was when Bamboo performed last in the Tanduay First Five concert. That was ages ago.

I was in for a surprise upon discovery that last Monday's dinner invitation involves a mini-concert.
One of the prominent Dizon scions, Bro. Rolly, known for his contribution in the areas of education and culture, organized the party in celebration of the 4th anniversary of the Ramos-Dizon Museum along Burgos St. in Bacolod.

The guests were entertained by the RAMDIZ singers (composed of kids aged 10-14 from schools around bacolod and murcia) with a diverse repertoire starting from patriotic songs to current pop numbers.

The young singers showed a lot of potential. They all sung in their natural voices (no apparent modulation was detected) which promised a lot of power and versatility that only comes with training.

After a long day listening to the serious implication of the K-12 implementation to existing TVIs, audience with TESDA DDg, RD and PD, it is only fitting to indulge in good food and enjoyable music.

Adeline Yen Mah's "Chinese Cinderella"

Two full days away from work is a rare occurence. I had that this weekend. What better way to spend it than curl up in bed and read a good book.
Breakfast at bff yesterday acquainted me with adeline yen mah's chinese cinderella. The book was sitting atop the television (showing eclipse) and was meant to be an assignment reading to the resident colegiala who was only too glad to have her reading postponed for a week.
while my housemate monopolized the television watching two people punch each other senseless for thirty minutes or so, I popped some corn and brewed six cups of coffee to tide me through in the next three or four hours.

Just a few pages from the cover and my heart was already ripped in two. The poor child, blamed for the death of her mother. Who forced them (the parents) anyways to make a baby in the first place?

Page after page, I quelled the tears that threatened to flood. Oh to be young and so alone. Imagine your name or birthday to be forgotten by your own father. Imagine being hit for an entirely insane reason of keeping faces. The nerve of the stepmother to sermon on austerity when she splurged on every little thing. She was the devil personified.

The harrowing accounts could have destroyed a person of lesser courage. Adeline could have killed the woman in rage or she could have gone mad. Yet, she chose to look on the brighter side of things, hold on to the people (her grandfather and aunt) who hold her dear and worked very hard to make her only dream come true, make her dad proud.

Acquaintance 2011 at BAMR

on the way to get an after lunch milky coffee across the bridge

azkals vs kuwait

We are just not THERE yet.

The Azkals sure have gone a long way, but getting somewhere in football entails a lot of hard work...and time. We are up against teams from countries which declare a holiday every time their national team play.

How else could we show our support to our home team but watch their games?

And watch their games I did. Every single one.

My heart broke at the 3-nil culmination of the first match against the Kuwaitis last week. That didn't keep me from another broken heart after last Thursday's game. What made it more painful was the fact that by the second half, the Kuwaitis were undermanned and most of their subs saw action, still they managed to regal us with some quite fancy footwork and win the match.

(Just my opinion) Seeing that the penalty box is impenetrable or that we are undermanned in that area, Coach should have seen the advantage of making long shot attempts like Schrock did in the first half, we could have done better.

Oh, well.

Listless

Manic Monday!

The computer lab was infected by a hideous virus. My PC has been installed with a trial version of antivirus which expired last Saturday. So I copied my files in a flash drive as uploading them to my mail took ages to complete and I only had half day to spend.

The catch was, the flash drive was faulty and I found the folders empty. It had all my updated files. If I swore, I would have burned the house down with expletives. But my cool self took everything in stride and started recreating files from June. Thankfully, I didn't have to start from January. That is good enough for me.

from hogwarts to disneyland

Ethan turned one. And in this birthday party, the adults outnumbered the kids by almost double. The paella was superb. I just had to ask for a portion to bring home for supper (which the hostess granted. Hahaha.

Yes.

Shortly after a not so filling lunch of beef burrito (the beef was dry and salty, looked in vain for red beans and peppery taste, salsa obviously came from the can and it was served cold) and iced mocha (no complaints about the bev) from bob's SM, we (bff, gnr and tito manuel) joined the throng queuing for the tickets for the last in

stallment of harry potter.

It was a fun movie...at least with our other worldly interjections...like when all eyes focused on atty when the camera zoomed in to Sybil Trelawney...or the thought that had the goblins embraced the wonderful technology of mobile phones, Gringotts would have been warned that a dragon was about to break out of the bank. Tsk.

If there's one thing that my imagination has not matched with that of the director was the Helm's Deep-like war between the good and bad wizards.

Fine weekend that was.

strike while the iron is hot

...and the road led them at my door...

To say that I was surprised was an understatement. Liway visited me at the office today shortly after lunch. Most mornings, I watched her prepare to shuttle her kids to school, on my way to the family house. We usually exchange not more than a nod to each other in recognition. So, today's visit was a surprise indeed.

The meeting lasted not more than 10 minutes. She was wondering if I am available to tutor her daughter (and three of her classmates) on high school algebra. I might have sold myself cheap. She was so surprised at the rate I quoted.

Thank God for small blessings!

pamilya grill...an afterthought

After the Mongolian Barbecue encounter some two months ago and vowing to get back to sample more of what pamilya grill has to offer, i did go back. I was with colleagues from school. Pigging out seemed to be an appropriate finisher after a busy day coming up with a workable course outline for this semester's subjects that will apply across all branches.

It was early so we had the place almost to ourselves. This time I ordered a large serving of baby back ribs. The anticipation built-up as we wait for our orders.
The enormous piece brought smile to my lips. When I took my first bite though, I was let down big time. The sweet basting is not to my liking. I'm not saying that it is not good. The meat was cooked perfectly, only that I would have been happier if it tasted garlicky and spicy.

Pamilya grill management, I hope you can look into adding some variety of flavors to choose from for your baby back ribs.

LPA MADNESS

Even with only the fan on, the room was still cold. It made waking up quite a struggle. Putting off the alarm for 5 minutes several times was a futile activity. Looking ahead to a long day of 3 hours lecture was the last motivation that finally pushed me out of the makeshift bed and into the wet pavement.

Rain continued to pour as I made my way to the family house to get fed and bathed. I was the only person walking on the road. The cold wind that relentlessly attempted to take away my brolly and the water droplets that it sprayed on my person woke me completely up.

Looking back now, with the noonday sun making sure its presence felt, the morning rain seemed light-years away. Crazy weather.

all about june

There are only four notable events that were worth writing about what happened after the day when school started.

By the end of the two weeks when we should have gone back to the vet, cuchi's stitches were already down to one. Since there was no notable swelling or infection surrounding the wound, I took the liberty of removing the last one myself. The sad thing is that we have never been to the garden after the accident until now (just outside). Weeds and grass seem to be happy about the change that they flourished with gusto, some even towering the fast maturing pigeon peas

Lil bro arrived from the middle east not a week past bringing home a suitcase of laundry shielding 4-16oz mugs, 300g of instant coffee and about a kilo of nougat filled chocolates. Restless, he's been busy changing the landscape of our electronic world. As of yesterday, we watched movies in full 32-in screen and in dolby stereo. He plans of giving mom the same experience...but this time with playing her current favorite: plants and zombies.

Never take a bone from a dog's mouth, especially if that dog is tara. I should have taken a cue about what she is capable of when she effortlessly took a big bone from Cuchi who is five times heavier. What happened was mum fed Tara with chicken bone. In my alarm of finding the little thing choke, i went looking for her and try to forcibly extract whatever was left of the bone, only to end up getting my thumb bitten. So off to the clinic I went to have my first of the three-in-the-series rabies shots.

(photo lifted from the net...i forgot from manila bulletin or philippine star)

Fifa team no. 159 is making waves in the qualifiers. Since my Wednesday class was conveniently transfered to another time, I came home early enough for the Azkals vs Sri Lanka pre-game discussion which I dismissed in favor of running with Cuchi. Game proper proved to be super-charged. Refs gave out too many yellow cards early in the game. Nevertheless, that lone away-game goal kept the hope alive of seeing the boys play in the big league.