LOSING MY MIND

I blame today's blog title on Ate Yeyen who just showed me a link of Lee Seung Gi's HOPE concert! I can't think straight right now because of His Adorable Highness shooting "love bullets" at me. ^_______^ *hearts*

But anyway, that's really not the point of this blog entry right now. I think perhaps I am still having an aftereffect of My Girlfriend is a Gumiho + Koukou Debut because I had a major major crazy realization tonight! And before I start to rationalize and become lazy and put these thoughts away, I think I should just lose my mind and write about this. And then maybe I can finally get some decent and "dreamless" sleep afterwards.

A few months ago, I learned that one of my high school classmates was getting married. Now while that may not really strike as something out of the ordinary (cos everyone seems to be getting married nowadays), but this one was somewhat perturbing for me. You see, he used to be someone close to me, what Miho the Gumiho would call as a be-pu, but some complicated things happened and we ended up just not talking anymore. I'm not even sure if we're friends. I am quite sure though that I once threw away and burned his things in anger, that I once cried for him until I vowed to never shed tears for him again, that I once forced amnesia on myself to forget him, and that I once hated him for almost three years until God convicted me and told me it's wrong to hate (and maybe I somewhat matured and realized how silly I was). But we never really became friends again. Which was weird. Cos we were only like 18 in our batch, and everyone is a very good friend to me. Everyone but him.

So hearing about him getting married felt kinda awkward, but surprisingly, I was genuinely happy for him (not that I would actually say that to him). But what also surprised me, and perplexed me, was that I started having weird dreams afterwards (like this one). I don't have any reason to think about him, so I also have no reason to dream about him. But I guess hearing that news somewhat jumbled up my subconsciousness, and he started appearing in my dreams. Not often, but just at some random occasions. But it would always make me very annoyed and confused when I wake up.

And then two weeks ago, my friends called me up and told me that we were meeting him and his wife for dinner. I initially didn't plan on going cos I had work and didn't really feel like going. But I was curious. I also didn't want to lie and run away because I had no reason to. But the thought of going really agitated me. Well to make the long story short, I took the bus home late that night and, although I missed dinner, I was able to join them for gelato at Missy Bon Bon. His wife is pretty and even though I hardly spoke to her (I don't think I spoke to her at all >__<), I immediately liked her cos she seems like such a nice and friendly person. We all went home an hour after I arrived. I felt kinda disappointed afterwards. I really didn't know what to expect and I also didn't expect to expect anything given that situation, but it wasn't really the get together that I expected.

Close friends often tell me that I'm dense and that I tend to have delayed reactions. And I guess these are one of those times. Tonight I traveled back home again by bus (but I'm going back to work again early morning tomorrow). I was listening to flumpool (super great band!) and sleeping, which is what I usually do while riding the bus so I don't get dizzy and nauseous. Then after about an hour inside the bus, I jerked and woke up. And maybe because of the similarity of my bus ride home two weeks ago, or perhaps that I was wearing the same jacket, but all at once these heap and jumble of old memories just came flooding into my mind, all of which were related to him! Everything just flashed before me -- how we became be-pu in 2nd year, how we stopped talking in 3rd year, how he patched things up and we started talking again in 4th year, how things went well in summer, and then went bad in college... Suddenly, I started to recall some stuffs which I thought I had already forgotten, and remembered various emotions which I thought I've already let go. And without warning, in that dimly lit bus, I started to cry silently.

As much as I want to stomp and crush and kick and set fire and bury and spit on those recollections of the past, I now realize that I just can't erase them. No matter how good or how terrible they were, they helped shaped me into who I am today. That major phase of my life made me the bitter or better person I am right now, and I believe what happened just had to happen because it was NECESSARY. I do not deny the fact that if not for him and what happened back then, I probably wouldn't have chosen to be a doctor right now. If not for him and what happened back then, I probably wouldn't have run into Japanese anime for comfort and distraction. If not for him and what happened back then, I probably would not have known how to love myself more and to establish my own identity before involving myself in a relationship. I would have gladly preferred not to have gone through all those affliction and misery to learn all of these lessons, but I guess this was what God gave me to deal with, and to struggle with, and to be transformed with into who I am now. Maybe I didn't see it before, but now I know and I believe that it was a NECESSARY kind of pain.

And as I really started to think about the situation and not just about myself, I began to realize that maybe I wasn't the only one who was in pain back then. Maybe he was too. I suddenly isolated myself and refused to talk to him, without bothering to explain what went wrong. Of course I must have caused him pain! I must have made him confused, and if he really did care, then I must have also made him miserable as well. Did I hurt his pride or provoked him to anger? Did he also agonize in despair or wallowed in bitterness? Did he hate me as well?

Does he still hate me now? x__X

(I really can't imagine being hated since I believe I'm quite a lovable person. And he's probably not the type to hate. I really don't know... Maybe he just didn't really care about what happened and I'm just thinking too much?)

But whatever his thoughts are, I guess now I somehow understand my own thoughts. What really agitated me for more than ten years, for the past few months, since last two weeks is probably the fact that I lost a friend. And not just any random acquaintance, but someone who was once like a brother, and a best friend to me. And I am partly to blame for this. And yes, I did have expectations and that's why I went to meet them two weeks ago. I was hoping that I could talk to him, and sincerely wish him happiness. But it wasn't the proper situation and the right time to bring up all these. After all of the long years and with the different directions of our lives, I don't know if we will ever have the chance to talk about what happened. I don't even know if he wants to talk about it, or if he just doesn't care at all. Maybe it won't be fixed anymore. Perhaps there is nothing left that can be fixed anymore.

I do not know if there will ever be an opportunity. But maybe someday I can find the courage to face him and ask him to forgive me.
And maybe by then, I hope, I can also find the courage to forgive myself.

THE ROCK

Decided to come home for the night to grab some stuffs and see my parents. I brought home a box of pineapple pie and around 8 liters of Fit and Right (how I got those bottles is a long story I'd rather not talk about right now...). So I lugged home my pasalubongs and took the bus to CDO.

I usually just sleep during bus rides but the ongoing movie caught my attention. I thought the background music was really familiar. Squinting my eyes (since I didn't have my glasses on) and scrutinizing the film, I realized that it was the 1996 movie THE ROCK, starring Sean Connery, Nicolas Cage and Ed Harris. I remember that this was my most favorite movie back in high school, and watching it again tonight made me realize that yes, I still love this movie! :)

I remember that I used to watch a lot of movies during my high school years. My mom, sister and I would often spend our Saturdays in the cinemas, and I would average around 40 movies per year (is that a lot?). That was way back when DVDs and downloads were still not the fad. Now I have a huge box of DVDs at home, plus more than a hundred movie titles in my hard drive, and I just have no idea when I'll be watching these. I miss those days when everyone just went to watch cinemas on weekends, and come monday, it would be the topic of every conversation. Times change though, and although I still watch the movies with my parents as often as we can, somehow it's just not the same as before.

Anyway, when I got off the bus, I took the taxi to Missy Bon Bon where I bought some ensaymadas to bring back to Malaybalay tomorrow. Then I had Butter Pecan gelato. YUM! :) Then lugging around my 1 box of pineapple pie, 3 boxes of ensaymadas, 8 liters of Fit and Right and my bag, I took another taxi to a hotel I'd rather not name here. A certain company in Manila has been calling me frequently on my phone, inviting me to dinner and to get my gift certificate in said hotel. Since I was already late for the dinner, I thought I could just go and get my gift certificate, since they told me to drop by anytime this week. But this REALLY RUDE and REALLY ARROGANT PAKINGSY*T GAY GUY looked at me without batting an eyelash, and immediately brushed me away and said my name wasn't on the list. I was so insulted by the way he treated me, and I wanted to just strangle him to death. But instead, I made some frustrated gestures and told him that I didn't have the time for this cr@p and walked away with my 1 box of pineapple pie, 3 boxes of ensaymadas, 8 liters of Fit and Right and my bag. I swear it was humiliating to be treated that way, and if I wasn't so damn tired, I really would have called up their main office to file a complaint. But I really just wanted to go home.

So now I'm home. Ate a sumptuous dinner my mom brought home from Pearlmont, and now I'm updating my torrent downloads, and my life. I'm losing sleep again though, so let's just end it here for now.

THANK YOU, GLEN!

A few days ago I met up with my high school classmate, Glen, and now I just want to write this quick THANK YOU post for her for three wonderful things she has done for me this week:

1. She invited us for a wonderful dinner in her house last night.

One of our high school classmates, Juvy, is going off to Japan to do God's work, and we might not get to see her for another 3 years. So Glen organized this really simple yet elegant dinner for her. Our two other classmates, Gervie and Jen (plus husband Itong), were also with us. We had a really great fellowship, reminiscing old memories and catching up on new stuffs. Everyone just felt relaxed inside Glen's cozy house and eating the sumptuous meal she prepared. But I don't know if Juvy knew it was a despedida party for her. None of us actually had the heart to tell her goodbye, and I kinda messed up and wasn't able to prepare the gift for her. But we had a grand time anyway so I'm just so thankful.


2. She invited me to join a care group meeting.

Lord, You alone are my inheritance, my cup of blessing.
You guard all that is mine.
Psalm 16:5
Tonight, Glen personally brought me to a care group meeting held at Serendipity Cafe and Resto. I've long wanted (and needed) a small group of Christian friends whom I can be accountable to and responsible for, but just never got around to joining one. I guess I'm just one lost sheep with my messed up life and priorities. But praise God for Glen, who was quick to invite me to join a group composed of young, single ladies.

So I met some new friends: Chai, the group leader who works for a bank; Mizpah, a BS Psych student; Gigi, a first year law student; and Iris and Tia, who are med students. It was my first time to join a care group, so I kinda didn't know what to expect (or what they were expecting from me). But the group was warm and friendly, and I just had a good time getting to know them. Most importantly, I got to feed on God's Word and start allowing Him to fix my broken life. I just feel so "wrong" right now, and I know only God can heal me. And I know that He will if I just let Him take control.

I will bless the Lord who guides me;
even at night my heart instructs me.
I know the Lord is always with me.
I will not be shaken, for He is right beside me.
Psalm 16: 7-8


3. She told me about this place where we could possibly transfer.

It's been almost a year since we've moved into our current residence, and although this is a wonderful place, but it's just too small and cramped for us. So we've been thinking of the possibility of moving again once our contract here expires, and Glen told me about this apartment near their house. I contacted the owner today, and I'm quite interested in the offer. I told my parents about it, and they also started considering it. We might check out the place and let's just see what happens. *crosses fingers*


Thank you Lord for Glen. She is really such a blessing. ^__________^

A NATURAL KIND OF HIGH


This is a really late entry, so I'll keep it short. Last month I met up with some friends and here's what happened...



JUNE 14 :
My high school classmate, Christine (aka Tabs), came home to the Philippines after around 6 or 7 years in Canada. We met up along with out other classmates, Gervie, Glen and Juvy. We had a sumptious dinner at Butcher's Best Barbeque, then has gelato at Missy Bon Bon, then had coffee at Figaro's. Although the time was short, but we really had a great fellowship reminiscing about our past, and updating each other of our present lives. Of course Tabs was the queen of the night, for she generously paid for all our bills. XD Gervie, on the other hand, was our gallant knight in shining armour - he played chauffeur and drove each one of us home. XD


JUNE 16 :
My friend Hya, who was on one-month leave from her Pedia residency training in PGH, came to visit us, and so I ditched work to go out with her and our classmates, Ann (who's also on leave from PGH) and Shay (who also ditched work XD). Shay's sister also went with us.



We decided to go to Zipzone in Dahilayan, Manolo Fortich, Bukidnon, for some extreme once-in-a-lifetime experience - ZIPLINING! The complete package was composed of three rides: 320m long, 150m long, and the crazy 840m long ride, which proudly boasts as Asia's longest dual zipline elevated at 4500 feet above sea level. I'm not a sporty person at all, but I definitely enjoyed the feel of the cool wind on my face, the pine trees (and ulp! death drop) below me, and the adrenaline rush as I flew through the air.


YES! THIS IS ME!!!

There were other exciting things to do in Dahilayan such as the driving the ATV trail, Zorbing, and visiting some nature parks and garden. However, we couldn't stay long and had to hit the road already. I don't know if I will ever go back there again, but the memories we made in that place are forever etched in my heart (char! :3).

A VERY LONG DAY

Since I slept around 4ish am so I woke up late and left the house around 1030am. I needed to do a lot of things which I've been procrastinating for the past two days, so I was slightly pissed cos it was already so late. I'm always pissed during mornings.

First I went to the Philippine Medical Association to get my ID. And I know that I have paid until May 2010, but my membership was only listed as until 2009, so I don't know what's up with that. But since I didn't bring my receipt, I decided to clarify it next time. I wanted to go to the Bureau of Internal Revenue office but it's quite far and by the time I'll reach there, it will be their lunch break already, so I decided to go to Limketkai Mall instead.


I went to McDo for lunch and had my favorite Double Cheeseburger Deluxe plus the Ice Age 3 special Twister Fries and Ice Blue Float. The float tasted like medicine x___x. While I was there, I plotted my activity for the day so that I can maximize my time in the afternoon. I also met my classmate Chris Bandoy there.


Around 130pm, I went to Picture City because I needed some 1x1 ID pics. Then I went to National Bookstore to buy some stuffs which were actually quite useless: a padded envelope for my Mom's portable DVD player, a green highlighter which I don't really need, and on impulse, I picked up a copy of one of my favorite books, Mitch Albom's Tuesdays with Morrie, and took all these to the cashier. Then I went to Watson's to buy some more useless stuffs, and then stopped by Robinson's Department Store and ended up buying a plaid blouse and some underwear. Then I ate low fat cappuccino ice cream at Fiorgelato. To sum up what I've done, I ended up spending some money on stuffs which were not part of the budget. Hahay. >__<


While sitting in Fiorgelato, I was texting my friend Gervie. We made plans to visit our high school classmate Mark, who was here for Sarah Geronimo's concert. Then I browsed through the Peso Saver (a local magazine of ads) and checked out some listed houses/apartments for rent. We're given until October to move out our present apartment, so hopefully we'll have ample time to prepare.

For my last stop in Limketkai, I went to the Sun Shop to pay my bill, then asked them regarding the possibility of having my Sony Ericsson R300 repaired. Last night, I accidentally dropped it and must have damaged something, cos I can't hear my calls anymore. Since our SE service center closed down some time ago, so the Sun agent told me that if I wanted it repaired, they'd have to send it to Manila. I had the impression that he was subtly hinting that I should just have it fixed at some cellphone repair shop here. I'm still thinking about this though, cos my phone is still under warranty, and it's such a waste not to use that.

It was almost 4pm when I left the mall and went to Divisoria. What I really needed to do today was to complete the requirements for my Philhealth Accreditation as physician, yet I went malling instead. *bonks self* It was already raining by then, and since I didn't bring an umbrella and was running against time, so I ended up getting a bit drizzled. I went to a random law office, and had my application NOTARIZED. I don't know what that means but I paid PhP200 for it! *cries* Then I photocopied some documents before heading to the Philhealth office.

To my surprise, they were almost closed! (It was still 445pm in my watch!) I begged the guard to let me in since I was only submitting my requirements, so he said OK. I approached the officer handling accreditation, whom I've spoken with before, and the first thing she actually said to me was, "Kinsa gali ka?" (Who are you again?!) I felt weird about that since I thought it wasn't a very polite thing to say, but maybe she was in a hurry to go home cos they were already closing. I told her I was there to submit requirements for accreditation, and so she started perusing my documents. Everything was OK until she got to the last requirement which was the M15/RF1 which is like a receipt indicating that my employer has paid my Philhealth monthly dues for me. I only had March and April with me, and she specifically instructed me last time to bring the receipts for January to May.

I know it was error on my part. The lady was only doing her job. But still I felt my face turn into a frustrated scowl. After getting soaked by the rain running around Divisoria and now I have to bother our pharmacist Mam Cha AGAIN for these papers! Mam Cha handles most of the concerns in the hospital so she's always very busy, and I don't really want to disturb her anymore. Well the lady officer must've noticed my change of expression, cos she started becoming very defensive, saying that she was already being lenient and all. She added that the main office in Manila won't be that complaisant, and also something about the cashier having gone home already so nobody can receive my payment anyway, blah blah blah. I know she's right, but I was just sOoOOOOOoooOOo... pissed off at her! And I made sure she felt my annoyance.

So with my main objective for the day not met, I glumly left the Philhealth office and went to the bank to deposit some money.

Then I went to buy a buko pandan pearl shake at Orbitz to chill my flames of anger, before heading to the office of our cable company. I was going to file a complaint because we suddenly lost some of our international channels, and we were informed by my Mom's friend that the cable operator has decided to upgrade their system, and it will include a major change of channels and a major conversion fee of PhP2500! We received a notice about their upgrade but there was nothing stated there about having to pay additional fees so that's what I wanted to clarify. The customer service lady told me that they have placed running ads in various channels at various time slots, to which I promptly retorted, "BUT WE DON'T WATCH TV 24 HOURS OF THE DAY JUST TO READ YOUR MEASLY RUNNING ADS!!!" She ended up having to explain stuffs to me in a small voice because I was obviously frustrated and purposely being mean to her. It was a useless being that way though. I still couldn't get back our channels despite my show of exasperation. I actually achieved nothing. But I just really wanted to be mean. u__u

So it was around 530pm, and I needed to meet Gervie in Limketkai but due to heavy traffic, I had to take two rides. I made a stop at Gaisano Mall, and so I visited their Booksale branch and ended up buying a copy of Horton Hears A Who by Dr Seuss, one of my favorite authors from childhood. Then I went to meet Gervie, and by 6pm, we went to meet Mark in his hotel.

He was quite busy trying to prepare for the concert and entertain family and friends who dropped by to visit him. But he still made time to make chitchat with us and to even call some of our other classmates. And although he may have changed a lot, yet he somehow still retained that wacky side of his which made us laugh all throughout high school (earlier, he tried to change inside a closet! XD). So I hope we can always see that part of him.

Thanks for meeting with us today, Mark!

Gervie and I decided to further support our friend by watching Sarah Geronimo's concert, where he is a guest. So we left Mark to prepare and vocalize (or whatever it is that he does before a show), bought tickets (the cheap ones were all sold out already x___x), then had dinner at Mandarin before watching the concert. Sarah really has a nice and strong solid voice, but neither of us were her fans though. *sheepish* Her guests were: Mark Bautista, Mark Herras, Jimmy Marquez, Simon Wood and the G-Force. Billy Crawford unfortunately couldn't make it. Um... I won't go into the details anymore cos I'm already so sleepy, suffice it to say that Gervie and I somehow enjoyed the concert, but it was kinda an awkward experience for us. The show ended around 11-ish, and we took a taxi and went home. It would've been nice to have talked more with Mark but I guess we'll just have to keep in touch in some other ways (er, facebook? XD).

Yes, it cost us PhP800 each!!!

Well... I'm off to sleep now. Good night.

UPDATES OF MY LIFE


Just got back from Camiguin. And now, for a quick rundown on the present state of my life (in no particular order)...

• WE NEED TO MOVE OUT OF OUR APARTMENT ASAP. We've been living in simple and cozy apartment for almost 15 years (I think..) but my parents were just informed yesterday that we need to move out as soon as possible. The landlord has decided that they will be using this unit for one of their daughters, who already got married. My father's paranoia is cracking up, while my mother is fretting over small things. And I was planning to handle this rationally but got pissed off when my mom started bickering about my CDs (which isn't really the main issue here). My father is dead set on buying a housing unit in a subdivision but I told him that it's not that easy to process documents and loan money for that, not to mention that such a HUGE DECISION requires careful planning and discussing. Now is just not the time for that. I told them that we all need to calm down and the first thing we need to do is to find a place where we can move in for now, and other issues will just have to wait. I know this is just a trial and that there's a purpose for this. I am praying that GOD will take care of us in the days to come, and that He will guide us to a place where He will be glorified and His will be done.
  
  
  
  
• MY SISTER IS GOING TO JAPAN. My sister has been working in a Japanese IT company in Cebu for the past two years, and she has been waiting for her chance to go to Japan for training. And now the time has come, and she'll be leaving come September and will be staying there until early December.
  
  She will be staying here.
  I am so envious!!! Going to Japan has always been my dream but I guess my sister will have to take care of my otaku fandom for now and buy my "needs" for me when she gets there. I feel quite excited for her and this new adventure, and I pray that she'll be safe and happy there.
  
  
  
  
• I NEED TO GO TO MANY PLACES TOMORROW. My agenda tomorrow will involve going to the offices of PMA, BIR, CAP, Philheath, SSS and maybe try to find a house where we could move in. I hope I'll wake up early tomorrow cos it's going to be a long day. I might watch a movie if I will feel like it. Wonder if Hannah Montana the Movie is still showing or if it's another movie that I've missed to watch again.
  
  
  
  
• MY TEN DAYS IN CAMIGUIN WERE MEMORABLE. I was able to do 3 spontaneous vaginal deliveries, one of which is an undelivered second twin. It's my first time to actually do something like that. I also had a patient who was stabbed by his brother, and arrived at the ER with the knife still stuck to the hilt in his back. I was quite shocked to see something like that, but resuscitation measures were futile since the patient already died on arrival. And on my last day I had another admitted patient who suddenly died. He was quite a complicated case yet I cannot quite explain why he died. A similar incident happened last month too. I hope this won't become something like a monthly tradition or something. It's making me all the more depressed and burned out.
  
  
  
  
• MY UNCLE RECENTLY DIED. Before I left for Camiguin, I received news that my Kotiu suddenly died due to an acute onset of low back pain. It was an unexpected event, and although we were not exceptionally close and have lost contact over the years, but I've always remembered him as one who treated me like his own daughter when I was still a kid. He used to live next door to us with his five daughters, and they'd often count me in as their 6th sibling. Suddenly hearing him die of an unknown illness, and not even getting to see him for the last time makes me feel regretful. I so wanted to attend his wake but I couldn't because of my work schedule. I so wanted to meet my cousins too who came home for the funeral. It was a shock to all of them since they have also lost contact with him for some time as well. I hope my uncle rests in peace, and my cousins will overcome their grief.
  
  
  
  
• MY FRIENDS GOT MARRIED. Before I left for Camiguin, I also attended the church wedding of my friends, Chris and Doc Grace. It was a small and simple wedding, only attended by family and close friends, and I was lucky to be invited, and even luckier to take part in the entourage. I was able to find a nice and simple green dress which matched the motif, and thankfully, I did not goof up when I tied the cord on the couple. I feel very happy for them and wish them many many blissful years ahead.
  
  
  
  
• I GOT A FACEBOOK ACCOUNT. I originally didn't plan on getting one cos I don't have the time to manage something like that. But my boyfriend suddenly decided to register on FB, and my high school friends sent me messages to join, so if you can't beat 'em then you really just got to join 'em. I still don't know how to play around with the applications, but hopefully I'll get used to it soon. We're planning our high school reunion come June 2010 in FB, so it's actually quite fun discussing all these and remembering old memories as well. More details re: the high school reunion when we get to finalize the plans.
  
  
  
  
• I NEED TO SERIOUSLY LOSE WEIGHT. With an upcoming high school reunion come next year, I suddenly feel desperate to lose my "excess baggages". And I know my lack of discipline and sedentary lifestyle also contributes to my current feelings of burn-out and depression. OK, 'nuff said. Don't really wanna talk about that. But I want changes, and I want them to be DRASTIC changes.
  
  
  
  
• I AM SETTING A KIRIBAN IN MY DEVIANTART ACCOUNT. And I've set it on the 999th pageview. Whoever captures a screenshot of it gets an OC rendition from me. I know I haven't been making decent drawings lately, but I really have lots of ideas brewing in my mind right now, and I've already made a prototype character design for my OC, Chappi-tan. More details of that (and more scrap art) will be posted on http://pandaandpotato.deviantart.com soon.
  
  
  
  
• I FINISHED THREE ANIMES AND ONE TV DRAMA IN THE PAST TEN DAYS. And they are: Bokura Ga Ita, Neo Angelique Abyss, Izumo: Takeki Tsurugi no Senki, and the Taiwanese Idol Drama, Love or Bread. I'll write more about this in a separate entry.
  
  
  
  
• I JUST CHECKED MY TORRENT LIST and realized that I've finished downloading the J-doramas VOICE and KOIZORA. Next in line is another J-dorama, ONE POUND GOSPEL, based on the Rumiko Takahashi manga, followed by LIAR GAME and BUMP OFF LOVER. I also have to facilitate transfer of my internet connection to wherever we're headed for. Hopefully we'll have better connection and Sun signal there.

That's all for now, I guess. I'm still quite tired from the travel so I'm going to catch some zzzz's now. Will blog again tomorrow.

WEDDING WISHES



My high school classmate, Esther, finally got married with her boyfriend-turned-fiance-turned-husband Alvin last Sunday. It was a simple yet elegant wedding, set on the poolside garden of Xavier Estates Sports and Country Club, which overlooks part of the city. A number of guests in attractive tuxedos and long gowns were gathered to witness such joyous occasion, and as we waited for the ceremony to begin, I also started to remember...

Esther – she was my classmate since fifth grade. The eldest daughter of a pastor, she was a transfer student from Manila back then, and didn’t speak a single word of Visayan. A fond childhood memory we will always have was of her climbing up and down the stairs, as another classmate taught her the meaning of the words “saka” (go up) and “naog” (go down). My classmate was a little obnoxious that time, and purposely taught her the opposite. When she would say “saka”, Esther would go down the stairs, and when she’d say “naog”, Esther would go up. Everybody was laughing at her looking so foolish, yet she kept running up and down the stairs as if she understood the dialect really well. We immediately learned to love her enthusiasm and positive attitude.

Esther was (and will always be) a gifted artist, a cheerful classmate and a delightful friend to all. She sat behind me in high school, and we’d always wonder how she could complain of hunger every one to two hours, yet never seem to gain any weight. Sometimes she was clumsy, and on one incident, slipped and fell on the classroom floor, hurting herself. She returned to school the next day with a cast on her left arm, but she refused to let us sign it (*grumble*grumble* >.<). Esther was also very creative and had a lot of bright ideas for our class, and I got to work with her and Anna in composing a song for a History project, and we were also in the same group that constructed a miniature metropolis called “Electri City” for our Physics class exhibit (one of our greatest class achievements) during our school’s science fair. We both joined the Mindanao Energy Quiz Show Regional Level in Davao together with Catherine and Carlomer, and we were also teammates (with Catherine, Patricia and Calvin) during the Physics Olympiad. And I won’t deny this anymore, but she actually used to crack really funny jokes, but somehow, our class seemed to have an unwritten rule which forbade us to laugh at any of her gags. She would often end up all embarrassed, which would amuse all of us. XDXDXD We'll always remember this side of her.

And then the ceremony started. I watched as the wedding entourage steadily marched down the aisle, until finally, the bride appeared. I looked at Esther, perhaps a bit more grown up now, but actually still the same high-spirited girl that we’ve loved all these years. She stood in front of us, a bit anxious but smiling radiantly in her lovely gown, the most beautiful woman in that blissful event, outshining all other ladies. She slowly walked down the aisle, occasionally tripping on the edges of her gown, but taking small firm steps towards her husband. I looked at her, and couldn’t help but feel a bit teary-eyed as I shared her joy on her special day.

To Esther and Alvin,


No matter what happens in the future, I pray that you will always have each other,
To have,
To hold,
To love.
And most importantly, may you always seek God’s guiding hand in everything,
For He who has joined your hearts in love,
Will also bind your lives in this blessed and blissful union.
Best wishes!
v(^o^)v




::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: [ WEDDING EXTRAS!!! ] :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

With friends: Patricia, Catherine, Jennifer, Ellery, Glen and Gervie


Pretty Girls For Sale (except Jennifer) XD


Ladies! Grab your man NOW NA!!! XD


Yey! (^o^)v
We're done with all our foolishness!

TILL DEATH DO US PART

Last Sunday, I attended the wedding of my high school classmate, Jennifer. It was a simple and brief ceremony, but I thought it was a dream come true for them. I know that they have been through a lot the past few years, yet with God's loving grace, they have overcome all these and remained faithful and true to each other. Whatever hardships they have been through have molded them into better individuals and a better couple.
I wish the very best married life for Jennifer and Loreto!

Earlier tonight, I attended another small gathering prepared by me and my high school friends. It was a reunion of our batch (or what’s left of us here in CDO anyway >.<) and a bridal shower for Esther, another high school classmate who’s getting married next week. The occasion was attended by Catherine, Jennifer, Gervie, Ellery, Glen, Esther and me. We had a mini shabu-shabu dinner at Cath’s house, where we talked about our individual love lives and our thoughts on relationships. It was quite a “mature” and “serious” topic, so unlike the stuffs we used to talk about a few years back. But at the same time, I feel like nothing between us has changed. Maybe we’ve grown a little older and wiser(?), but somehow, there is still that childlike innocence and comfortable link of friendship that has strongly bonded us all throughout these years. That thought alone makes me happy. ^___^

After dinner, we had coffee and cake while we continued to update ourselves with what has been happening to our present lives. Afterwards, each of us proposed toasts (with Cali, hehehe; we are a very wholesome group XD) to the December brides, Esther and Jen. I raised my glass and wished them “good looks” – that they may have “good-looking” children, and will always remain “good-looking” to their husbands despite the changes time and circumstances may bring. ^________^

We had a little game for Esther afterwards, where she had to answer some questions we asked about her husband-to-be. For every incorrect answer, we made a nasty stroke on her face with a lipstick. XD After the game, we then proceeded to give our little bridal shower gifts for Esther. Can you guess what these “exciting” first-night items are? XDXDXD


Left to Right (Top): sexy panty, contraception, chocolate stick, extra joss
(Bottom) instructional video XD, pregnancy test

All of us had a good laugh, especially Esther who was practically squealing in embarrassment. I was the one who gave her the condom XD, saying that as a physician, I only want her to be “protected’. Roflmao. Upon closer look, I noticed that it was actually a product made in Japan, and on much closer look, I was amused to read the brand name:



ROFLMAO!!! ^_________________^

I’m just happy that Jennifer and Esther are both ready enough to move on to another phase in life. I think it takes a lot of courage and commitment to be able to say the vows, “for better or for worse, in sickness and in health, till death do us part”, to someone you’ve chosen to spend the rest of your life with. I think it requires a lot of mental and emotional preparations, and most importantly, a spiritual maturity that can only come from a relationship grounded on God's unfailing guidance and love. I really pray that God will bless their marriages and make them very blissful and submissive wives.

To Esther and Jen, BEST WISHES and GOD BLESS YOUR MARRIED LIVES!
CHEERS!