Last night, I feel asleep watching the Disney Channel in my den. I
think it was Lizzie McGuire’s voice I last heard before I dozed off to
Lala land. I was sleeping soundly until I had a dream.

I dreamt of my late grandfather who died 15 years ago. Since he
passed away, I never dreamt about him… until now. In my dream, he
scolded me for not visiting him while I was in Manila. I go, "Huh? In
manila?" He said that I went to visit my Aunt but I never got around to
visiting him. (Now, I think he meant why I didn’t visit him when I came
home to Ormoc from Manila, as my mother had tried to explain.) I was
bursting into tears and told him, "No, I will visit you. I will go
there!"

I had a spine-tingling sensation when he said, "I came to your room
in Manila at Tita Coro’s house, but you were sound asleep. You had your
usual prone position, and I didn’t want to disturb your sleep. But I
was there, and I watched you sleep." Eeeek!!

I woke up crying like crazy! Then I called my mom in the middle of
the night, around 12:10am and told her about the dream. She said I
should pray for his soul… I told her I do that every night for the
past 15 years! Unless I pass out like last night when I haven’t even
brushed my teeth. She told me my grandfather loved me very much. I
remember when I was a kid I wanted to run away, but my grandfather said
he will also run away with me. He even got mad at my parents for making
me want to run away. He was very protective of me. My nanny even told
me that my Lolo would get mad at her if he heard me crying whenever she
bathes me.

So I got up and prayed.

I will visit him at the cemetery as soon as I go home to Ormoc. I miss my grandfather. I love him.

The weird thing is that when I sent a text message about this dream
to my cousin who is in Manila reviewing for the bar exams, he told me
he also dreamt of Lolo that afternoon yesterday. And in his dream, he
was smiling. =)

With the whole Da Vinci Code mania all over the place, I
decided to go ahead and jump from one mania to another — so I started reading Robert
Kiyosaki’s Rich Dad, Poor Dad (actually, it’s an audiobook, in this way I just
need to listen since my eyes are starting to let me down).

This is probably one of the highly recommended and best-selling
books of today. Although I haven’t finished it yet, I have picked up some
interesting information. For example, this book will tell you some things that
you don’t want to hear like a house is not an asset. That financial literacy is
different from educational literacy. That your income is not your wealth.
Investors are different from savers and so on. It’s cash flow that determines
your wealth. If you spend all you make, plus some, you are in a negative cash
flow. "It’s not what you make, it’s what you keep," says Kiyosaki.

The main point of this book is to simply point out the
fundamentals for building wealth. Patience, discipline and mindfulness. The
book, for example, encourages us to think about our spending habits by asking:
Is this action ultimately putting money in my pocket (an asset) or taking it
out (a liability). Unconscious spending and negative beliefs about money cause
most to live from paycheck-to-paycheck. It’s a useful and simple way of
deciding things, rather than favoring the emotional satisfaction spending
route, which is where most people fall down financially. The book addresses
this basic problem which must be overcome, to get anywhere near started toward
financial independence.

Honestly, I have no idea why I even managed to get a
degree in Commerce and majored in Management at that! Most of the time, the
whole financial mumbo jumbo gets me all freaked out. Even my mother tells me to snap out of my
whole Math-hating mentality.

But you know what, when I look at most people who
actually make more money, I can‘t help but agree with the Rich Dad that a
college degree won’t guarantee wealth. The Poor Dad had insisted for his son to
get a college degree while the Rich Dad had said “the poor and the middle class
work for money, but the rich have money work for them." With financial
literacy being largely neglected in our school system, many are often left
without the necessary tools and mindset to ensure financial success. In these
times of both economic turmoil and opportunity, Kiyosaki’s book couldn’t be
more relevant.

But enough about the book, I would like to review the
fact at how fathers do their best to make sure their children will succeed in
the future. I salute all the fathers who think of only the good for their kids
and I also salute the fathers who let their kids pursue their dreams and still
manage to be happy for them in spite of how different they want things to be.
Although I personally think that it is up to the children at how they want to
live their lives, if they are wise enough (thanks to the guidance of the
parents) they would recognize that experience is the best teacher and soon
enough they would find their own unique “diskarte” in life.

Children blessed with a loving father should consider
themselves fortunate. For, they have someone to take care of their needs and
interests. Someone to stop them when they are diverting to a wrong path and
guide them on a road to success and virtue. Fathers would never ever give a
smallest of hint to let us know how hard they work to take care of our needs
and fulfill even the most whimsical of demands… For all their adorable
scolding and affectionate punishments we all owe a big thanks to our Dads.

Fathers are the biggest source of strength for a child.
The innocent eyes of a child perceive father as the all-powerful, most
knowledgeable, truly affectionate and the most important person in the family.
For daughters, fathers are the first men they adore and fall in love with.
While for sons their fathers are the strongest person they know and someone
they aspire to emulate. Even for the grownups fathers are someone whom they
look up to for the most experienced and honest advice that is always in the
best of our interest. For this great figure in our life that we know as father
- it becomes our utmost duty to pay our humblest tribute on the occasion of
Father’s Day.

We must make all efforts to celebrate Father’s Day with
our Dad. Children staying away from father must especially strive to spend the
day with father and show gratitude for all their support and love. We must
pamper father by spending the day in a manner he likes most. It could be going
out for a picnic or indulging him with a gourmet meal. How does Peruvian steak
sound? We can also express love with thoughtful gifts accompanied by a bouquet
of his favorite flowers. Or maybe a gallon of tuba? The idea is to show our affection and tell Daddy how much he
is loved and appreciated not just on Father’s Day but every single day of our
lives.

This is my tribute to my father — the man who gave me
all that he could, the man who never showed me the least bit of selfishness, the
man who encouraged me to ace my exams (and even bribing me, just to give that
extra push). This is for you, Pa.

I may not show you everyday

What you really mean to me,

I know it is not too often that I say,

Thank you for letting me be.

Who I am and what I am today

Is thanks to you and to mom

You’ve done so much, I can’t repay

But I will, time would come.

I’m showing you love in a special way

That only some people do

Writing a tribute and a poem is A-okay

And publishing it here, too.

So I hope and I pray

For everything to be well with you

Happy Father’s Day

And — Papa, I Love You.

P.S. Happy 60^th Birthday to my father, Mr.
Manuel “Dodong” Velasquez, on June 17!

I’m back, ladies and gents… after weeks of burning the
midnight oil and… anyway, so let’s recall, shall we?

I just finished watching the 16 whole episodes of the Korean
telenovela MY GIRL… betcha didn’t
think I’d watch such things! Haha! Well, I did…
thanks to my househelp, Cheryl. She enjoys these things. I wouldn’t be
surprised that more than half of this country’s households that happen to own a TV set
would patiently wait for the show to go on air every weeknights. Obviously,
yours truly is not as patient as most people. With the help of my ever-supportive
Banggoy, we managed to acquire the whole TV series PLUS the Original
Soundtrack. My oh my! Apparently, I couldn’t get enough of the nightly show and
I watched the entire telenovela in a less than a week (of course, during my
free time). My personal review as follows:

It is truly one of
the heart-wrenching stories I’ve come across as well as the funniest and
silliest. With the main characters chemistry, aura, and whatchamacallit – it
certainly is worth all your
pales of tears and barrels of laugh. It ends happily, mais bien sur!

And I did watch it with English subtitles. Not the Tagalog-dubbed version where you can evidently
see the actors’ lips not in sync. Tee hee… Now, listening to Korean is not so
bad. I might be able to understand a sentence or two. Aja! Aja!

If you have no
idea what I’m talking about, might as well go here: http://www.spcnet.tv/reviews/review.php?rID=1184

The series gave me the same feeling back when I was
younger when I’d watch ROBOTECH – the
Macross story — every afternoon after
school. Sounds familiar? You know, the animated cartoon series starring the
dashing Rick Hunter (or was he?) But nevertheless, it was a TV show I cherished
for many years by following it, just 30 minutes each day until Lieutenant Commander Hunter became Admiral.
Gee… Was it that thrilling when I was a kid? I guess it was. Well, here’s a
little info. Go ahead, check it out: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rick_Hunter

With that comparison, however you see it, both of them
(the TV series) mean a lot to me. It’s like you become part of it. Oh well… I hope my life
story is going to be more thrilling. You know, for it to become a page-turner. Haha! Dream on, Mai. Hmm… there’s nothing wrong
with dreaming, right?

Okay, what else? In school, I aced my Obstetrics exam
then I barely passed my Endocrinology exam but then I had only 1 mistake in my
Neurology exam! Is that something or what? With further study, maybe I should
become a doctor. Maybe it’s my true calling. Who knows? I might be terrified of
dead people but saving people’s lives is a great, great thing. How much more
by giving the less fortunate people a chance to be of sound mind and body and bringing forth
a new life to this world! Ahhhh! I’ll give it a second thought. After all, I’m
still… (uhh, what’s my age again?)… yes, 23! Still young.

Today I had a feast (in my own way!) My favorite food of
all time. I could eat this everyday for the
rest of my life. What’s that?
Banggoy took me to Orange Brutus and I ate the sizzling pork chop that gets me
everytime. Plus a Piñacolada shake to boot! I’m still wondering how much it
would cost me to franchise a branch. I’ll keep looking into it. Will let you
know if I
manage to be entrepreneurial at this. Tee hee!

Last weekend, Banggoy took me to the family day at Timex
Phils. I thought I was going to get a sunstroke after a whole day’s event.
Still, the free food and the watches Banggoy bought me was incredibly fulfilling.
Yes, ladies and gents, I have 5 watches. Count them. That’s
1… 2… 3… 4… 5!
Yehey! All for ME! Thanks banggoy (for the belated birthday gifts). The only
disappointment was after the day, the huge place which was originally all neat
and pretty looked like a garbage dump site. Since there were probably thousands
of people in the vicinity, and 99% Filipino, it was bound to happen. I don’t
know why it’s so hard for most people to throw their trash properly or at least
give respect to


nature. It was so appalling! I mean, when will people learn to appreciate
His beautiful creations? Until we all run out of fresh air and become ecologically-doomed?
Come on, people, wake up!

I should go now, remembering the words of my late teacher,
Mr. Matias Esplanada, “Say nothing if you have nothing good to say.”

Kamsahamnida!

Wow! I had like
the craziest-series-of-unfortunate-events-happily-ever-after weekend!
It all started with the freaky Friday I had with my Gastroenterology
exam. I crammed like crazy for that test, and it seemed like I had a
mental block as soon as I had the questionnaire in my hands. Oh well!
So I didn’t ace the exam, I still passed! And not even half the class
passed! Moving on… I was supposed to go home for Mother’s Day to Ormoc
but due to Typhoon "CALOY" I had to stay here in Cebu. Of course,
nothing beats being with Banggoy!

But alas! The glee soon
faded when I woke up that Saturday with a mother-lovin’ migraine attack! It was
more than the run-of-the-mill headache. If surfer’s get perfect waves, this was
the exact opposite. It was like the nightmare before Christmas kind of thing. You
dig? Okay, so maybe I thought I was napasmo,
so I ate immediately as soon as I got up, which was around two in the afternoon
already. I took my daily Enervon-E, grape seed, Glutaphos, and Clarinase for my
allergic rhinitis. I still felt nauseous and there was this stomach-churning
feeling, so I went back to bed. So I took Ponstan 500 mg as well. Whew! A few
minutes later, I was hurling myself on the toilet bowl puking my heart out! All
the semi-digested food looked like corned beef! Eeekk! Good thing I don’t eat
corned beef, it was so gross!

So then I called home
because my head hurt like hell, and I didn’t know what else to do. My mom said
I should just hit the sack and get all the rest I need. After all, it was THE
WEEKEND! Awww c’mon! The weekend! What a weekend! Mom said I should stop
reading my notes and hammering the keyboards. My eyes could be strained so
badly. Oh well… Her advice worked for me! I woke up just after dusk and I took
a really cold shower. I felt a lot
better. Thanks Ma! Happy mother’s day!

And speaking of which, I
called Ate Tiny at “This and That” that night and arranged surprise balloon
arrangements for my mom, grandma and Yaya
Mila (my nanny who took care of my since I was 1 year old!). I had Archie pick
those up and deliver it the next day for the occasion.

Saturday night, Banggoy and
I decided we should just stay in because I didn’t want my migraine to come back
or something. We watched Inside Man instead over a bottle of classic red wine.

Come Sunday morning my dad
woke me up with a phone call so I could greet my mom “Happy Mother’s day!” but
fell back asleep just as soon as I hung up. This time it wasn’t just a wake up
call that woke me up again. Guess what? The most alarming thing when you are
sound asleep occurred! This tiny ant crawled inside my ear!!! It wasn’t because
it felt ticklish that I ceased to sleep contra-gusto
but the sting was awful! It hurt! And I panicked! I had to convince Banggoy
that I wasn’t overreacting (although, I was sure he didn’t buy it) and I
pressed on driving over the nearby community hospital just to have it checked.
He did try to put oil on my ear, like my mom advised but I still felt something
moving inside my ear. It was so sore inside as crazy! I could hear fluttering
inside and it was driving me nuts. It was lunch hour and although I was
starving like mad, I needed to see a doctor! The nurses at the ER told me that
their hospital didn’t have an ENT to check my ear and referred me to the bigger
hospitals. So I could have a peace of mind (and I was sure Banggoy was
beginning to understand my dilemma by this time), we drove to Perpetual. The ER
was filled with children when we got in and I thought we made a mistake and
were in Pediatrics. But the attending nurse had called a general surgeon to
check my ear. We waited quite a bit and I was so glad to see the young doctor
when he arrived. I told him I could feel something moving inside my right ear
and that I thought an insect of some kind crawled in some 45 minutes ago while
I was asleep. After he inspected, he said, “It’s an ant. It’s still crawling
inside and nibbling on something. It’s not dead.” And I went, “ WHAAAAAAT?! Get
it out! Get it out!” So he got this syringe and filled it with water and he
injected some on my ear. I had to pretend like I needed to get the water out
just like what happens when you go swimming, right? And after a few rounds, he placed
that flashlight thingie in my ear and the ant
crawled out to it. As soon as I
saw the ant when the doctor placed it on the bed, I squished it! Yeahhhh! It
got what it deserved! What a way to start a day! We thanked the doctor, paid a
minimal fee, and headed home. (See, Banggoy!? I wasn’t overreacting!) I had an
ant inside my ear probably getting a kick with my earwax! Geez!

So then we passed by this
place across UP where they sold wooden stuff and Banggoy bought himself a bed.
We went to the mall to buy trapal
because I had mine for the garage replaced and I bought a few manicure stuff as
well. As we were leaving, there was a pregnant woman who fainted at the
counter. No biggie, just felt mentioning it. Poor lady! She was alone but the
store people did their job. Hurray!

Banggoy also bought himself
some mattresses and he got us lechon,
since we didn’t have lunch yet and it was like four in the afternoon already. We
went home and watched Mean Girls on TV then we went to church to hear mass. We
also decided to go to the movies after and watched Poseidon. I give
it a TWO
THUMBS UP! Movie tickets are getting really expensive these days, huh?! After
that we went to Ila Puti at I.T. Park to have dinner, and it was like one in the morning.
We had tenderloin with lots and lots of mushroom gravy and pasta with white
sauce, and you guessed it, mushrooms. Shish! Maybe I was pinaglihi with mushrooms. No wonder I’m a shortie. To top it all
off, we had Kahlua Chocolate Pie from Bo’s Coffee. What a night!

Or should I say, WHAT A
WEEKEND!

Early 2005, it was my first step to independence. It was a
chance of a lifetime and the greatest learning experience. At twenty-two, I
felt senile because I still could not do things on my own. Everything I did
involved a series of permissions and approvals before I could accomplish
anything. I might have traveled to the ends of the Earth but still I was
chasing a dream. I needed to be on my own — to live and to learn.

Then I decided to climb the corporate ladder, just to see
what it is like to actually live in a real
world. To experience frustrations and pressures, and to feel needed and given
importance because of my skills. At the same time, be well compensated for my
talent.

I knew I was born to be a call girl.

No, not that type of profession. I am not into cheap
thrills, nor am I morally-challenged. I am talking about the biggest thing that
hit the corporate world. These are the global business process outsourcing of
foreign countries, more commonly known as the call center industry. And yes,
they pay big – like 5-digit BIG. Of course, you have to be extra-competent to
work in such business considering how tough it gets when you’re actually
working in operations.

The first thing one needs to pass are the exams. Some
companies give painstaking examinations just to get the cream of the crop. Personally,
I think one should be worth the training cost that the employers have to spend.
Then the learning process begins. Once you are in, it is a different world.
Forget being conventional, forget being a conformist, because from this moment
on, you will be your own person. Since most companies are run by Americans, the
culture starts to seep in. No more judging at people by how they look or what
their social status is (as most Filipinos do!). I mean, the third sex are even
the top producers.

Depending on what company, the most common expertise of a
call center agent (that one can actually brag about) is amongst being an expert
troubleshooter at computers, a well-versed international travel consultant, a
professional interviewer or a publishing specialist for book authors. Before
you can become one of those, you have to undergo training – learning includes
ethics, customer care, and people skills.

The best thing in there is that you get to polish your
English accent, as well as your conversational skills, for free. You go to a
restaurant and order your food. Then you overhear a bunch of guys talking
behind you, and you are afraid to turn your back because you are imagining a
couple of 6-foot Caucasian men who might try to start a conversation with you.
Much to your chagrin, it is only a group of bisdaks
dressed in very weird outfits wearing jackets even if it is a scorching 36°C
outside. I still wonder why people dress so eccentrically at the call centers.
Maybe because there is too much freedom of expression exercised at work. I
remember going to work on my pajamas! Since I worked graveyard, I am more
comfortable wearing that at night. I mean, nobody cares. Eventually, you will
be wrapped in a thick sweater or blanket as soon as you are on a call. The air
conditioners run full blast all day and night, never higher than 18ºC. They are
for the computers, not for you. Take note, most call centers operate 24/7.

Another requirement is computer literacy. If you know what
you need to know, you can even

exploit company resources – such as unlimited
internet downloads at T1 speed! But be careful and make sure that your
supervisors are on your side, or you will simply get fired. It is a great
advantage if you can type fast, like verbatim as dictated, or hear things as
clear as daylight. Things will be so much easier. You will get more incentives,
be more productive, and finish jobs faster. So you might want to start watching
a lot of dialogue-type American movies if you are interested in becoming an
expert at eponyms, slangs, and idiomatic expressions. In the long run, you will
be speaking English as though it is your native tongue. Then you start enjoying
The Tonight Show with Jay Leno or laugh with Conan O’brien as he jokes about U.S. politics
on cable television.

Consider yourself lucky if you do not turn into a heavily caffeinated
smoker after a few weeks. A warm cup of coffee and a stick of cigarette will be
your best buds after you get yelled at by an angry costumer or if you get
cursed by an idiot who does not want your help. Oh yes, you hear the F-word too
often! One of the reasons why the job is so not for irate and temperamental
people, which reminds me of how my good friend, Patrick Ceniza, handles his
calls. He has a lot of nerve; on the contrary, he knows how to take care of an
angry client. Which goes the same way for two of the best writers I know (who
also wrote for EV Mail), and is currently working at the call centers, Angelo
Kangleon and Kenneth Enecio. Trust me, there is no such thing as a gender
issue. Say what?

If you want to earn much more money legally and at the same
time have a blast absorbing all new information about the world we live in, start
surfing the Net, search for call center agent openings and apply online. Hey,
it worked for me!

Who’s that?!?!

Boy, time sure flies! It’s been a looooong while since I wrote
something here… apparently. I know you missed me… Haha! Just
kidding! Well, I’ve been really busy… you had that excuse coming!

Just a quick rundown of events:
1) I took a leave off work because I need to take care of my shin splints.
2) I went back to school! Hurrah! I’m a student again, entitled of a 15% discount on tickets. *lol*
3) Vash died… Huhuhu! But I got Yinyang now!
4)
I’m turning 23 in a week! So, I got a new phone as a pre-birthday gift.
Will get a post-birthday gift next week! *wink*wink* Don’t cha wish you
parents were HOT like mine? I’m sooo lucky! Thank you Lord!
5) Banggoy loves me more.
6) Lola’s
condition is getting worse. Well, she’s 86 and she’s had a great life
and I’m hoping she’ll live longer than what the doctors suspect… or I
should spend time with her more. Either way, I’m on vacation here at my
Lola’s house for the Holy Week…
7) Cathy gave birth to an exact replica of PMoi.
I can’t remember what else had I been doing but I’ll update you as soon as I remember.

Here’s a picture
of just one of my cute trendy Tsinelas collection, for orders just
message me or write an email to maluconui@yahoo.com! You can view some
more here: http://photos.yahoo.com/butterpixiefly but that’s all I’m
showing you… If you can’t get enough, holler and i’ll take you to a
tsinelas spin!

Moving on, Mama has renovated our kitchen so it’s huge now… I
mean, it was so small before and now we can even play mahjong right in
the middle of the place
! Haha!
What do you think?

Now it got me thinking that I should be renovating my place in Cebu
as well. That is, if I can find time off from studying all these
medical terms. It’s summer time once again and I don’t think I can go
out there and have fun in the sun as I am buried in books and burning
the midnight oil most of the time. *sigh* You gotta do what gotta do!
Priorities first! Once I’m done and start working home-based I will
have all the time in the world. So until then…

Anyways, dinner tonight was sumptuous. One of my favorite exotic food. Aha! It’s Cowabunga!!! Ahhh the cure for my allergic rhinitis! I can’t believe every few months or so I develop a new illness! Shish!

I wonder why…

The past week had been crazy. A series of medical tests here and
there… including a two-and-a-half-hour-long MRI scan at ChongHua
Hospital. You have no idea what it was like…for a claustrophobic me.
Notwithstanding the actual cost paid for the service, the memory of it
all was pricele$$! First off, my mom’s unrelenting anxiety over what
could be causing my leg lumps. Back in 2004, I had a single lump down
my right shin for some bizarre unknown cause. It hurt so I had to see
an ortho, Dr. Jimmynette Gatchalian, to have it checked then and took
an x-ray to make sure it wasn’t any bone problem. He diagnosed it as a
simple BIG ugly swollen bruise and it will just go away after I put hot
compress twice a day. Knowing that it will simply disappear, I never
really paid attention to it. Until now.

I’ve noticed in the recent months that the lumps were starting to
spread all over my right shin. Up to 4 major lumps that weren’t really
flaming red but they hurt when pressed or even when touched slightly.
Then a few weeks ago, I noticed three more lumps on my left shin. I
hadn’t been wrestling or whatever so I couldn’t think of any reason why
I’m developing these cyst-like soft tissue masses. I’m ok with them
because they’re barely noticeable except that when it’s felt, it aches.

Then I went home to Ormoc to see Dr. Gatchalian. I had an x-ray and
a number of blood tests to check what’s wrong. The results were normal.
I’m okay! But the doctor had this niggling look on his face that caused
my mom’s anxiety to knock on Heaven’s door or something. He did refer
me to a doctor in Cebu for further tests. My mother was concerned with
the blood results since the RDW was way over the normal range and the
PDW was quite low. I browsed through the net and read that it was like
an onset of iron-deficiency anemia or something like I need folic acid
or so. Whatever.

We didn’t see the doctor that was referred because I also have a
cousin who is a bone-doctor (an orthopedist?), Dr. Rhoel Dejaño and is
Cebu-based. He suspected my lumps to be shin splints. No, I never had
Osgood-Schlatter Disease when I was younger. But he said, I should just
get an MRI scan like Dr. Gatchalian advised just to have a peace of
mind. So off we went to the hospital for the scan. And the real story
begins.

I thought it would last for jut 15 minutes max but when I asked the
attendant just before I entered the MRI room, I was informed that it
could last up to an hour! Holy $#%@! As if I had a choice, we already
paid [and it was a matter of life and death]. Heck, I’m too young to
have cancer! It was around half past 1PM and I had to take off every
metallic object on my body… which is quite a number. I was even lying
down on this bed-like part of the machine when I remembered to take off
my navel ring and one more earring on the upper part of my left ear.
The soft cushion on my back was wrapped in leatherette and I had a
blanket over me because the room was unconditionally cold. They started
to run the machine and I was there motionless. When they moved me right
under the machine I was claustrophobic all of a sudden. When the
attendant left me, I was sure I was going to die because it was like
the War of the Worlds thing over me. I thought the machine was going to
swallow me and press me until my guts spill out of my eyes, mouth and
ears. Eeeekk! It was the worst two hours or so of my life. They
wouldn’t let me move but did so anyways because my leg hurt from the
immobility. The scan lasted more than it was supposed to because I kept
budging. The annoyingly white room added to the whole drama of my
claustrophobia with its humongous metal door. They should have placed
me in a purple room with butterfly prints all over the wall. Yeah.
Whenever I feel the world close in on me, I stare at the huge red
digital timer on the side of the machine to keep myself together. In
spite of my abhorrence for figures, I never thought numbers could save
me or keep me sane at the very least. The War of the Worlds moment was
finally over. They let me out at almost 4PM.

The
results had to be obtained the following day and so we headed home
because my parents needed to get ready for the Lettermen concert at the
Waterfront Hotel in Lahug. I ended up at the IT park, drinking
Raspberry Iced Tea at Bo’s Coffee with Kitty, Manoy Mark and his law
school buddies after dinner.

The next day we had to go to my father’s doctor first. He had his
diabetes tests at Hi-Precision then off to Dr. Gerry Tan’s clinic at
Cebu Doctor’s Hospital. His health is a-okay, thank goodness! With two
injections of insulin each day, blood sugar tests three times a week,
with very limited food intake… Shish! I’ll be damned! My dad’s the
greatest! He’s my hero! And he just won during their last Golf
tournament. He showed me his trophy and I’m soooo proud!

Now on to my results. Rhoel told me I was fine. Very good! No cysts,
no cancer. Meaning, they won’t need to do a biopsy and cut my leg!
Hurrah! Praise the Lord Jesus Christ! BUT… it’s confirmed to be shin
splints. I have to go through rehab. My therapy is scheduled three
times a week, an hour or so each session. I have to do it diligently
until the pain and the horrible lumps go away. I have painkillers, too.
I was thinking of taking an indefinite leave from work so I can have
enough rest and therapy ASAP. Also, I need to go back to school for 6
months… but I’ll blog about this one some other time.

(¯`·.¸¸.-> (",) «¤° You are my twisted sunshine °¤» (",) <-.¸¸.·´¯)

Three years ago my journey began
Chasin down this cure… no plan in hand
Just your pulse, my reason guiding the dark
Just no wind with conviction from the start.
The moment your eyes made an introduction
I felt my second violent breath of life
Flawless to the point of being godly
Yet I fell all for your imperfections.

Now its slightly weathered, its slightly worn
Our hands still together until after the storm
I still believe in ever after with you
Cause life is a pleasure with you by my side
And there ain’t no current in this river we can’t ride
I still believe in ever after with you.

Nothing compares to the good times
Feels like were floating when the rest of them climb
You made me believe in love and not the perfect kind
A real messy beautiful, twisted sunshine…
Emotions: volcanic eruptions
We both took care so were still alive
Tunnel vision . . . determination
I want you, I want to make it right.

Now its slightly weathered its slightly worn
Our hands still together until after the storm
I still believe in ever after with you
Cause life is a pleasure with you by my side
And there aint no current in this river we cant ride
I still believe in ever after with you.

Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
> Paris Hilton… because she is Paris Hilton.

Who was the best new person you met?
> Banggoy (baboy+unggoy), DappyDapoiee the Penguin, Insoiee the fish and NabbyNabiiil the Parrot

Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2005:
> Money comes and goes, therefore, we should save for the rainy days.

What was the nicest thing someone told you about yourself:
> "You are now the Pixietoy™ pressed in my heart, only YOU.

The most touching experience you’ve had this year?
> Patching my relationship with my mom.

What did you like most about yourself this year?
> Living the simple life. Trying to make ends meet.

What did you hate most about yourself this year?.
> Stupid extravagance.

Quote a song lyric that sums up your year:
> I wake up
I wash my face and go
here’s another day, I’m sure
I’ll fight for what I love

and my music keeps going on
my heart begins to beat
and my music keeps going on
it makes my life complete

I’m flying away, I’m flying away
I’m flying away, I’m flying away

It’s the sound I cannot live without
as the rhythm goes, I’m sure
my soul will never pause

and my music keeps going on
it opens up my eyes
and my music keeps going on
’cause one day I was blind

I’m flying away, I’m flying away
I’m flying away, I’m flying away

I’m flying…
I’m flying away

Was 2005 a good year for you?
> generally speaking, yes…

What was your favorite moment of the year?
> the 4th of July… i felt free and loved at the same time… ayeeeee!

What was your least favorite moment of the year?
> realizing for the first time in my life that I AM BROKE…

Where were you when 2005 began?
> moved to Cebu on the10th of Jan.

Who were you with?
> Cheryl

Where were you when 2005 ended?
> in Ormoc

Who were you with when 2005 ended?
> my family

What was your favorite month of 2005?
> December… because of the holidays.

Did you lose anybody close to you in 2005?
> no one that I can remember

Did you miss anybody in the past year?
> no, we’re all pretty much connected…

What was your favorite record from 2005?
> various future trance music and chill-out/house music

How many concerts did you see in 2005?
> i don’t recall any

Did you drink a lot of alchohol in 2005?
> only half of the year

Do a lot of drugs in 2005?
> not much… i’m drug-free

You do anything you are ashamed of this year?
> i guess not

How much money did you spend in 2005?
> and you had to ask!?!?!?! possibly equivalent to my current annual salary

What was your proudest moment of 2005?
> i became quasi-independent

What was your most embarrassing moment of 2005?
> could not recall any

If you could go back in time to any moment of 2005 and change something, what would it be?
> i wouldn’t… it had been a good year… i learned a lot.

What are your plans for 2006?
> i have so many, i won’t tell… don’t want to jinx it. tee hee.

How are you different now that the year has ended?
> i have more experience so to speak

What are your wishes for the new year?
> MAG UWAN UNTA UG KWARTA! bwahahaha!

1. What did you do in 2005 that you’d never done before?
> Found a job,
lived away from my parents, struggled with being independent,
gotten-broke-almost-filed-for-insolvency, fell
madly-truly-deeply-crazily-in-love [with Banggoy] that I have been faithful to
the longest, patched differences between me and my mom, became a whole new
person.

2. Did you keep your new years’ resolutions, and will you make
more for
next year?
> I didn’t make any resolutions except to do
better, if not the best, what I did good in 2005.

3. Did anyone close to
you give birth?
> Close before yeah… Maribelle Conopio & Madel
Macatual, and Cathy Cataag is going to give birth this March.

4. Did
anyone close to you die?
> The only funeral wake I remembered going was
Lola Inday’s and we weren’t close.

5. What countries did you
visit?
> I didn’t travel in 2005…

6. What would you like to have
in 2006 that you lacked in 2005?
> money… i wanna be filthy
rich.

7. What date from 2005 will remain etched upon your memory, and
why?
> the 4th of July… no, make that the 5th (since we’re in Cebu).. I
didn’t only see fireworks, but there were sparks somewhere else. In Banggoy’s
eyes. Tee hee.

8. What was your biggest achievement/s of the
year?
> Finally moved away from Ormoc City and found the love of my life
in the land I was originally born in, the Queen City of the South –
Cebu.

9. What was your biggest failure?
> not $$$aving

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
> not anything that’s
life-threatening

11. What was the best thing you bought?
> i didn’t
buy much.. but i got a lot… especially from Banggoy. He gave me Lady
Cottington’s Pressed Fairy Book AND Journal.

12. Whose behavior
merited celebration?
> me, for the first time… I am contented and
satisfied. ^_^

13. Whose behaviour appalled you and made you
depressed?
> know-it-all people from work and also from management..
totally depressing… I ought to find another job. I’m sick of taking
calls.

14. Where did most of your money go?
> BILLS! and taxes…
grrr!

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
>
Christmas Holidays… Banggoy in Ormoc.

16. What song/s will always
remind you of 2005?
> Kitchie Nadal’s songs.. dunno y.

17. Compared
to this time last year, are you:
A. Happier or Sadder? > so much happier,
you simply have no idea how
happy I am. ^_^
B. Thinner or Fatter? > was
at a doctor’s office today and surprisingly,
I weighed just 98lbs with my
slippers on Go figure.
C. Richer or Poorer? > poorer.. I might as well
be bunkrupt.

18. What do you wish you’d done more of?
> $aved
money; looked for a better-paying job

19. What do you wish you’d done
less of?
> (useless) spending

20. How did you spend
Christmas?
> back in Ormoc City with my family

21. Did you fall in
love in 2005?
> you bet!

22. this question i gotta scrap >
HUH?

23. What was your favorite TV program?
> still NOT fond of
TV.. and I guess I will never be.

24. Do you hate anyone now that you
didn’t hate this time last year?
> hate…tsk tsk tsk…such a strong
word!

25. What was the best book you read?
> All four
of Dan Brown’s thrillers…

26. What was your greatest musical
discovery?
> that I was born to be part of the Aegis group.
lolz.

27. What did you want and get?
> Banggoy.

28. What did
you want and not get?
> lots of money.. lolz.. I have everything else.

29. Favorite film of this year?
> Mr. & Mrs. Smith, Into the
Blue, D’Anothers(?)

30. What did you do on your birthday, and how old
were you?
> Family dinner at Aranos, turned 22.

31. What one thing
would have made your year immeasurably more
satisfying?
> if i had
found a better high-paying job…

32. How would you describe your
personal fashion concept in 2005?
> vintage… blue jeans… and
flipflops.

33. What kept you sane?
> the same thing that drove me
crazy — LOVE.

34. What political issue stirred you the most?
>
Bush’s admin and nepotism in the US govt, the Supreme Court nominations and the
debate on evolution-intelligent design for the new science curriculum, and of
course, the gay marriage issue.

35. Who did you miss?
> the Barks
& Co.

36. Who were the best new persons you met?
> the Batchoy
at PeopleSupport, Dapoiee/Insoiee & Nabil at Western WATS

37. Tell
us the valuable life lesson you learned in
2005.
> $$$ave for the
rainy days!!!