LP #18 :: Dalampasigan

pagmasdan ang bawat anggulo
ng dalampasigan dito sa apo.
lahat ng problema'y maglalaho
sa ganda't katahimikan ng lugar na ito.

indulge in each corner
of apo's tranquil shore.
all your problems will flee
in this island's beauty and serenity.

lazy saturday afternoon...

i can't believe that work will officially be 'on' this monday... after 2 months of summer preparations, the whistle to start the new school year has been blown. mind you, not all that needs to be done, has been done, but i must say that we are more or less ready to welcome the kids back to school! and being new in my post, i am definitely at the edge of my seat. unlike the last 3 years of working at ism, this year is very different and i don't know what to expect. but i'm ready and i'm looking forward!

so i figured that the best way to end the summer break and to start the new year is to spend a lazy weekend at home... woke up at 11am this morning... very promising ;) well-rested and ready to be lazy! haha! lunched by 12, bath by 1, and yes, SPA by 2! yep, i scheduled for a spa session AT HOME on this lazy saturday afternoon with SPAHOLICS. they were at my doorstep by 2pm today, with everything that is needed for a full spa session. i opted for the famous HOT STONE MASSAGE: Heated Basalt Stone is used to relax the muscles combined with soothing hand movements stimulating blood circulation and promoting relief from stress and tension.

the masseuse came to my home with, as i mentioned, everything she needed to give me the pampering i so desperately need! she brought a bed, complete with fresh sheets, lotions and oils, towels. of course she came with the stone and the heating contraption and she even had an oil burner for the aromatherapy and a cd player to complete the relaxing ambiance. all i needed to provide was some water and an electric outlet.

the hot stone massage treatment was exactly as it is described. the long strokes rejuvenates the muscles and relieves the tension. the hot stone that is used is just hot enough to loosen all those tight knots and helps in relaxing the body. my masseuse took her time in making sure that all my aches and pains were gone...

the one-hour session was amazing! i am rejuvenated and ready to start the new school year! i think that everyone deserves lazy saturday afternoons such as the one i had today...

your own. your home. your spa.
SPAHOLICS: 633.5880/0917.5313531

LP #17 :: Sa Gawing Kanluran

tatak sa isip
pag winika ang 'gawing kanluran,'
ang lakas ng bansang
minsang kumupkop, minsang nanakop.

at pag nakita,
naamoy, nalasap,
ang american burger
sa iyong harap,
USA ang maalala,
tila andun ka sa iyong paglanghap.
may mga araw na ito'y hinahanap-hanap,
na matikman ang kanyang sarap.

the word 'western'
has been ingrained in our minds,
to be the country that once helped us,
that once captured us.

and when you see, smell, taste,
an american burger in your plate,
you will remember the USA,
and it will seem like you were there
with each whiff of it's aroma;
and there are days
when you crave for its taste .

The Dark Knight

i watched it, i loved it. but to review it, is not my place. i hand the floor over to the biggest batman fan i know...

thanks to chie:

*********************************************************************************

The long wait is over and the Bat is back!

Why so serious?

Yes, everyone was serious after the movie. People coming out of the movie house were quiet. A momentary stunned effect. No one was chatty. No one was pushing nor shoving to get out the door. Somehow it was like a freaky-ish hush. But as expected the only one laughing out loud all throughout was the Joker. He created a tremendous amount of confusion and deception that turned into an excellent chaos. Even the good guys willingly fell into his trap. It was a comic book that came to life. It became so real that you wanted to call the Joker and congratulate him for a very good performance. His only concern is to see the man behind the mask. But he made sure that the people of Gotham would want the same thing. A little bit of persuasion and lots of explosions. This is some serious stuff. Not the kind that kids could comprehend.
I am pro-Batman. Always on the side of the good and put a stop on the bad. But you’ve got to take the marvel to the next level. So indulge yourself in all the elements of the darkness and realize what makes the Batman is his nemesis.

LP #16 :: Berde

berdeng sa leeg nakatali,
simbolo'y handa palagi.
lahat ng sitwasyon kakayanin
hirap, sakit papasanin.

boy scout, girl scout,
sa berdeng kasuotan,
responsibilidad sa balikat,
sinumpaang gagampanan.

a green ribbon on the neck,
a symbol that one's always ready.
carrying on, despite all challenges,
baring all pain and suffering.

boy scout, girl scout,
in their green uniforms,
responsibilities on their shoulders,
they've committed to withstand.

wewdie!

yep! got a newbie: wewdie!
since i can't have biggie doggies in the condo, i got myself a cutie little beagle c/o t. jas (thanks!) wewdie is such a sweetie! :P

well, i was worried about his first night in his new home as he was of course already used to his former home and family... but he made himself at home soon as he stepped in! he is very curious and always sniffs in the random places at home to get used to his new surroundings. he loves the couch! and would often play with his toys in front of the tv while i watched... then he'd snooze when he gets tired! haha!

yaya cel was of course very excited and felt like she had a new baby to take care of. sure enough, she was up very early the next day to bring him out and do his 'thing.' :P they have grown very close and i'm glad that they have each other as company especially in the daytime when i'm at the office.

of course, as a pup, there are still so much for him to learn... to pee in the right places and to ignore rags and other stuff at home! he's got his chew toy alright, but i guess he likes some variety! :P soon (i hope) he'll be well trained!

♥hugs to wewdie!

hey guys! if you have tips on good and easy potty-training, send me an email or a comment! :P thanks!

LP #15 :: Balingkinitan

ang kawayan,
katawa'y balingkinitan.
manipis, mataas,
pag mahangi'y humahampas.

hindi aakalaing
may taglay itong lakas,
na suungin ang panahon,
bagyo man ay malakas.

sikreto nya ay ang pag-ugoy,
pagsabay sa ihip.
hanga ako sa kanyang taglay
na pagsunod upang mabuhay.

the bamboo,
slender, thin and tall,
lashes when the wind whirls.

one will not think,
that is has strength to withstand
the harshest of weathers.

its secret lies
in its sway with the wind;
and i admire its willingness to abide,
to survive.

LP #14 :: Tatak Pinoy

hango sa isang pag-uusap sa pagitan ko at ng kaibigan kong balikbayan:

cichey: YAHOO.. pagdating ko palang sa airport kakain na ako ng jollibee... hehehe

korek!!!!

me: hahaha! ano bah!

pinoy na pinoy talaga!

ang pinoy nga naman, hinding-hindi malilimutan ang sarap ng sariling atin...

an excerpt from a chat between a balikbayan friend and myself:

cichey: YEY.. soon as i arrive at the airport, i'll eat at jollibee... hehehe

me: hahaha!

you're definitely a pinoy at heart!

oh Filipinos! they never forget how wonderful what is truly Filipino.

:wanted:

saturday was quite an eventful day... started off late as good friend yuri picked me up from home and we were off to shangri-la to meet rinah and eric...

until plans changed.off to trinoma we went... with the hope of convincing rinah and eric that trinoma is a decent place to go to, relaxing, huge, complete, different. just a heads-up: it was SATURDAY, JUNE 28, a "sweldo-weekend" for a bunch of people whose employers were kind enough to give the end of the month salary earlier than the 30th. it only meant one thing: a jam-packed mall.

after going round and round the parking building, and reached level 6, we finally found a spot. went straight to the movie house to get some good seats for the movie and all we saw was a huge swarm of people, crowding over the ticket counter, squeezing their way through the queues to buy their tix. ugh.

knowing that rinah and eric will be late, we decided to join in the chaos and buy our tix for the 5pm showing... true enough, by the time we got out of that place, they have parked and were at that moment lost in the labyrinth called trinoma.

met up and snacked in

five cows... some nachos, ice cream s'mores, parfaits, and hot chocolate floats after, we were headed for the cinema.

wanted was as good as we expected. nothing more to it. it was a comic strip in the flesh, on the big screen, and it was good. i think the actors did a good job and the storyline was well-scripted. i love the curving of the bullet, the repairman, and the idea of the loom... it was an interesting movie for me... well, i'm easily captivated by comic movies anyway :)

my only observation was: angelina jolie was just playing her regular role. it was just as if she stepped out of the tomb raider movie, changed her clothes and 'urbanized.' i think i'm ready to see her in a different role, and see a different kind of acting. maybe i just haven't watched enough of her movies :P

watch it!

★★★☆☆

the day didn't end there though!good friend alf is moving to singapore... for good! he signed up to relocate c/o unilever... the only good thing is that singapore is just another 2 hour cebu pacific ride away.

the despedida was held in his cute home cum pre-school in project 8... we knew parking was not going to be easy so a carpooling scheme was in order. thanks to eric, we left the 2 other cars in trinoma as we partied with alf! great food, thanks to alf's mom! kare-kare, fish fillet, baby back ribs, hainanese chicken, and lasagna! yum! love home-cooked food!

it was a good get-together, saw a bunch of people i haven't seen in a long time :) hopefully, the next get-together won't be a despedida... :P

keep in touch, alf!