Boxing Day 2012

The family was complete (save Volts) on the 26th.
At 9am, mother has already smsed everyone she invited for the lunch that she single-handedly prepared.

 It was the day after TD Quinta and it was quite a challenge getting off from bed. It was still raining outside when I left.

At 11am, everyone crowded around the small living room waiting to be called.

Mother wrapped the planner I had from Glen and the thermos I got from the school's christmas party in addition to the PJ's that she got me. It's funny.

Shortly after lunch, power was down so I went back to seclusion and started reading "Ally Mcbeal".

When electricity was restored, I went at mother's to upload the luncheon pictures on her social network page only to hurry back and find Glen at the boxhaus, with luggage in tow, getting wet in the rain. Not long after, KZ arrived.


I gave Glen a battery operated shave (so I won't have to endure looking at his unshaven face) and Ipanema slippers for KZ. We had blueberry preserves and cream cheese sandwiches with Starbucks Cristmas blend (and a flute of California white for KZ).

An Alternative way to Spend Christmas

Note:  Spontaneity is the key (except for the Accommodation)

Christmas Eve

~ Go out of town on a 1245 business class ferry ride
~ Prepare a good alibi why you need some company and wish hard that it's plausible
~ Window shop for stuff you can only dream of buying (like the acer touchscreen desktop monitor or a Fender electric guitar)
~ Eat something new from an old favorite joint (how I missed Kenny Rogers roasted chicken and the corn muffins. I had the classic healthy combo)
~ Watch the last full show to kill time before going back to the hotel ("The Hobbits" ~ my first 3D movie ~ seated in the balcony were only two homeless crazy people with nothing to do while the rest of the world celebrate the age old tradition of eating together a midnight meal )
~ Substitute Starbucks bevy (off-business during the holidays) with Nescafe latte (Glen's) and Mocha (mine) with Nagaraya from Go Mart.
~ Update social network while watching TV on cable/downloading stuff from the internet.

***historic Christmas eve indeed***

Christmas Day

~ Walk around for a coffee joint to start the day right
~ Visit institutions like Roberto's and JD's for stuff to bring to people you did not spend Chritmas eve with
~ Share a death defying experience with special people (crossed the seas in the middle of an impending tropical depression Quinta)

Nerds/Geeks/Dorks

They hold a certain charm I was not prepared falling for.

Most missed activities :
> exchanging inanities 'til the wee hours of the morning over BBM
> hanging around the house all day maximizing the use of wifi or watching NatGeo and Dog Whisperer on cable
> jogging in silence (each listening to own rep on mobile)
> playing with canine family members
> sleeping over



Most appreciated gesture :
> making the time (though most of it is compensated with dinner or expensive coffee)







Most liked eccentricities :
> propensity for eating (like finishing a loaf of bread and half a bottle of Smuckers blueberry preserves)
> attention to detail (Monk-ish as we call it)
> spontaneity (except when used for baling out on an agreement)
 > sheldon-ic quirks(it irks at times but the comparison never failed to elicit a chuckle of amusement regardless of the circumstance)



This is the downside of not being busy. The brain entertains thoughts that are better kept private. My table is now relatively clutter-free from the deliverable that have been finally submitted to an external customer yesterday.

Isla Margarita

When the going gets tough, the tough gets some RnR.

Some virulent cold caught up me with over the week on top of the unnecessary stress that I had to deal with. What better way to spend the weekend than laze in a far flung hideaway.

That description fitted Isla Margarita to a T. We had to take a motorboat ride from mainland Guimaras to get to the island which we had to oursleves for 24 hours.

Manang Neneng fetched our group (in order of seniority: Ids, Tiny,Lars,Myself, Mae, MJ,Sherwin, Febe, Anse and Jovinch...all of them from UPV) from Jordan.

Geekiness? Programming or Chemistry? It didn't matter which field they choose. They are all the same (Hahaha!)

Apparently all the good resorts were located at Lucmayan that it felt like summer again. Dust was everywhere with the roads still unfinished since we were there last (with different company).

Tide was low, our banca crew had to push our way through the waters that snaked towards the sea. As soon as we stowed our belongings to the rooms assigned to us, we changed into our swimming suit and went back to our banca for an afternoon of island hopping.

The sky was overcast. At the sandbar, the water was cold and the water knee deep.

Food was great! When we got back, "ibos" was served with the specialty of the house, iced tea (with lemons and lemon grass).

Night was spent swimming in the pool, where the water was comfortably warm. The jaccuzzi was relaxing but the chlorine level wasn't tolerable. After dinner, there was the requisite drink and videoke number. I did "Make it Real" by the the Jets :)

Means to Multiple Ends (the 37th to 60th hour)

Day 2, Nov 17 - Maddie did not call in sick today. Instead, she clocked in after handing me over to Dolly whose birthday we celebrated that day. Before going grocery shopping, she made sure that she invited us personally by going at Maddie's where we were having breakfast of pansit canton and fried lumpia.


Running low on christmas gifts ideas, I spied upon Maddie's luggage full of Ipanema slippers. I brought home with me four pairs :)

I spent most of the day at Yenyen's (Dolly's big sis who just gave birth). The air-conditioned rec room had me sleeping in no time not long after lunch of dinuguan and fried milkfish.

The birthday girl, being spared from the prep, toured me around the exclusive village when the sun rode low on the horizon.

At dinnertime, we had Russians (next door neighbor) for visitors. Dinner was seafood smorgasbord (mussels, crabs, prawns, broiled fish, plus the authentic spanish paella, spaghetti, ice cream, cake and leche flan.

It was an interesting night and I missed the last shuttle to Ayala, I had to pass by SM first (where I came too late to avail of the English muffins from the French Baker).

I settled in at the Baguioros like it was my home. For a night, they welcomed me in their honeymoon suite (thanks!)

Means to Multiple Ends (the 13th to 36th hour)

Day 1, Nov 16 - The plane left earlier than scheduled that by 9 a.m. I have already deplaned. By the time I was at Mactan airport, Maddie has just left her house to fetch me. I suggested that we meet at McDo Mactan. I had pancakes.

From Tamiya to Brookfields area, the landscape has changed so much. Tamiya now has Robinson's supermarket and a terminal across it. The once planned Gaisano Mall now stood in once I remember to be an unused lot.

It's a good thing that Maddie's place is easy to find.
After freshening up, I took a nap until 2 p.m.

Its's funny that of all the people I contacted for information on how to get to PRC, only Dolly was confident about it. It didn't matter though as we decided to take a taxi. Hahaha!

There was no queue, and thankfully my card was made already. We left not more than 10 minutes later with a plastic that says I am an Engineer. Hahaha!

For the pre-game dinner, Ace joined us at KFC in IT Park.

Abellana was not as crowded as I predicted. Nothing beats the Negroshanon in supporting football. I found my seat no sweat but it was taken so I just sat at the far end with the humongous post blocking my site from the Azkals goal for the first half (as Maddie and company got tickets for a different rate). Ping and Eugene way after the kick off.Seatmates were great fans, their energy was contagious I was off my seat a lot :)

My biggest surprise for the night! James and Phil came in during the second half (My bad. Mary saw the two boys during the pre-game warm up to which I was oblivious, hence the surprise). For this game, I would say that I came to like Phil (but not as much as I adore his brother). His game has matured and he has learned to give. I really liked how Phil  passed the ball to another team mate who scored a goal. That was a fantastic moment.

High and dry from all the excitement, we made our way to Fuente and had another meal before finally heading "home". It was already midnight.

Means to Multiple Ends (the first 12 hours)

Day 0, Nov 15 - Excitement was high as I looked forward to three glorious days away from routine. To maximize the day, I got a ticket for the first flight out of Silay. It, of course, posed an issue on how not to get left behind by the carrier. Bel-air was an option but I find it an unwelcome imposition to have my hosts wake at 4 and shuttle me to the nearest bus stop. Lira's place was out of the question given her present and pressing domestic squabble. Spending the night at the school was not possible as well as the Call Center Training has just ended. Travelling on the day from home was risky since the first bus leaves the terminal at 5a.m. I have come to a less likely solution while ruminating on my predicament over dinner. Why not find some company and sit it out at McDonald's East? That I did.

We took the last bus trip out to the big city.
Then the vigil began.

He had "big and tasty" which he declared the patty to be to dry for his taste while I had an iced coffee float.

After an hour, we had brewed coffee.

Hours later, we ordered double cheese burger and brewed coffee ala carte which cost twice as much if we had combo instead. Tsk.

Wifi was dependable enough to stream videos and update online stuff but there was no provision to recharge electronic gadgets which utility are put to extreme test.

Talk to alleviate boredome hovered on the mundane and ridiculous to the point of orally creating a scifi fiction.

Day 1, Nov 16 - At 4, we strolled towards the shuttle terminal and made some enquiries. The fist bus leaves at 5. By that time, McDonald's already served breakfast. I had a filling rice meal. He had pancakes.

Six Tormenting Days After

Again, it is easier said than done.

For days I tormented myself with all sorts of thoughts ranging from the likely possible to the most absurd.

something new from a favorite comfort food joint

Anybody in the same predicament I know would think the same way. Today's century boasts of everything modern yet people still believe in the unseen. For them to judge me in this light is most likely to happen. Even if I say I don't care, the thing is I do really care about what people had to say (well, about some specific things).

All I really want is just a teeny weeny time to talk. It still bugs me that I get snubbed for no reason at all. Is it a crime to ask for some explanation?

Or do I need some lesson on psychology to tell me that some people just need time to sit things out until they feel that whatever it is, it has been forgotten already? Or until it's time to move on as if nothing that mattered happened.

Oh boy!

Is this a curse for making life difficult for a character in the past with unfortunately the same name?