Holy Brown Out!

Today was not a very good day for every Filipino in Luzon. We were hit yesterday by "Bagyong Basyang," though it was not a really strong storm in terms of rain fall like those of Ondoy and Pepeng, it was the wind that caused major damage. Nobody expected the storm to be that strong despite the warnings of PAGASA. Black outs and no water were the major cries of the people in every radio station. Schools announced the suspension of classes for today in all levels. Government workers still had work to go to. Not sure about the private sector, maybe only those with strong generators called their employees to work. There were reports of death and people gone missing because of the storm. Trees, electric poles fell. In Paranaque, a crane used for road construction tumbled, causing major traffic in that area.

As for us, my family and I suffered little compared to those who lost their loved ones. Most of the furnitures in our terrace, veranda and garden were either wet or destroyed. Cushions and carpets were brought out to dry when the rains stopped. My DSLR camera also got wet, even though I placed it on the table away from the windows and glass door, but unfortunately and irritatingly, somebody left the glass door open.

My mother and I spent the whole day cleaning the mess Basyang left, while my siblings went to work. Earlier this evening, I had some difficulty cooking in the dark. We have emergency lights, flashlights and candles, but the lights emitting from them were not enough for me to see what I was doing.

I pitied my mother because she looked so helpless. Friends hear me constantly complainig about her, but today she looked so helpless piecing together the marble chess set we had at the terrace. Her precious plants and flowers were destroyed as well. Good thing my sisters came home early, they lent her their laptops and she played her solitaire games while waiting for the electricity to come back.

And it did, only a few minutes ago. Thank goodness. A whole day of no electricity has been tough but it was okay considering..

Model: Mel Silverio

Studio: Light Kitchen, Las Pinas
MUA: Ma Niña Josefin Singanon

On leaving..

My elder sister told me that there is a three-month scholarship program in Indonesia. She didn't say specifically what courses they are offering, but after researching it on the net I feel that I should, at least try to apply.

I've applied before, back in 2007. Back then, things were different, I just arrived from a year long stint in Indonesia and returned to help my family get back on its feet after our old home was burnt to ashes. Also, I was madly in love with my guy back then and it was so good to finally be able to actually hold him after experiencing our first long distance relationship - thing. My eldest sister told me to apply for it since it would have been a good opportunity for me and I did with some resistance. I was accepted but I declined their offer, when my family asked me what happened to my application, I told them I didn't make it.

I was young, foolish and in love.

Now, I am considering applying again. I am still of age and I do miss Indonesia (though I do not miss how lonely I was back then).

After carefully scanning their programs and schools, one school stood out for me because it also offered photography courses aside from the Indonesian language course; the Indonesian Arts Institute in Yogyakarta.

Yogyakarta is a lovely place and it is one of the places I didn't get the chance of seeing when I was still in Indonesia.

Hopefully I'd get accepted. After everything that has happened in the past couple of weeks, I am more than ever determined to get away from "friends", family and other b*llsh*t in my life.

Aside from needing to know more people, I need to learn new things in life.

.......

It has been a couple of days now since I've had this "thing" on my legs, hands, and parts of my face. I am not sure what its called. Some say its allergies, others say that its from mosquito bites gone wrong, while some do not have a clue. I would like to go and visit a doctor, however circumstances in our home have changed. Our household helps have left us, wanting to go home to their province -- leaving us to fend for ourselves. I don't mind it a bit, since they were not very good at their jobs, however, with them gone and my mother's health going downhill, I no longer have the luxury to go out as I please. Which sucks, since I have a lot of obligations that needs some attention. For now, I am reduced to wearing pajamas, jogging pants, and long sleeved shirts so that mosquitoes wont bite what's left of my skin. I am also putting loads of ointments and creams for these blemishes as well as anti-inflammatory/allergy medicines, these medicines are so expensive that I barely have enough money to buy credits for my cellphone.
Sigh* Hopefully by next week things will become lighter around here. Till then..

g'bye for now

Saw my guy off at the airport yesterday. It hurts but I know this whole long distance thing wont last long and that he'll be back home soon.

So its back to ooVoo, YM, FB chat and the like. Hoo boy!

LDR sucks big time.

birthday week celeb

My birthday this year is not the most memorable birthday celebration, it was okay. I had fun in some ways, but it definitely was not memorable. I was thrilled though to see a lot of people greeting me via Facebook, even the ones who I don't talk to greeted me.

My birthday week of celebration started when I went over to my guy's place. We were to go over to his cousin's house nearby and celebrate her own birthday. I've decided to tag along with the celebration since mine was just around the corner. I brought with me some home cooked Tausug meals; tiyula sug or what my uncle calls black beef soup, piyanggang or green chicken, and sambal sauce with cucumbers.

The family loved what I cooked for them, there were hardly any leftovers, but then again, when it came to my guy's family there never is (and yet most of them are so skinny!).

As for my birthday-birthday celebration, I was too busy handling out fliers and yelling at the bazaar to fully enjoy my birthday.

The day before, after we packed up, I went to ATC to have a super late dinner with my girls. They gave me a cake with dedications on the box. Sweet. Of course, my guy was there, too. Sweet x2.

On the day itself, I was still busy at the bazaar when my family called me on my phone and told me they would treat me to a birthday lunch at Leslie's.

Then when we packed up for the final time, I treated my friends to a simple dinner at Outbox. I barely made money from the bazaar, at least I still treated them to a good meal even if it was cheap.

Despite being a year older, I dont feel it. I don't feel that something has dramatically happened just because I'm a year older. Birthdays have become overrated for me, blame it on quarter life crisis.

Birthdays

This week is my birthday week and I am not at all happy about it.

I am no longer excited about my birthday like I used to when I was younger. Birthdays as a child meant that you are sure you'll be getting presents and cake and ice cream. As the years passed, birthdays became more and more depressing.

Whenever my family and I go out to celebrate, I am always sure that a fight or a disagreement would occur thus spoiling what should have been a fun evening or day. Our disagreements are usually the result of not choosing or planning ahead where to go and eat. So I've decided not to celebrate it with them, at least on the date itself.

I have more fun spending it with friends. I have friends for years and I thought that since they knew me so well that they were bound to give me good presents. To my bitter disappointment, they were not. Sure its the thought that counts, but after years of receiving coin purses and beauty products, what thoughts went through their heads for giving me such items? Do I look like I am in desperate need of lotions, facial masks and such? Am I always losing spare change that I need 5 coin purses?

The only birthday that I have enjoyed fully was two years ago, when my beau cooked his version of spaghetti. It was spicy and peppery, what's more, it was cooked with love.

We spent that day together, happily watching Batman cartoons while eating his pasta dish. There were no birthday candles to blow, not cakes and ice cream to eat.

This year, I am hoping to spend it with important people in my life. Especially with my beau who will be leaving me again for Bangkok on the 15th to finish his masteral studies. It will be heartbreaking to have spent such a happy day with him only to end with him leaving.

Oh well..