Proj 44 of 365: lil pink pills

(05.28.09)

my super-sensitive tummy is at it again – churning and spewing acid like there’s no tomorrow. sending me heaving at the pangs of endless, tormenting pain.

so I take one each night to alleviate the pain.
little pink pills – a hyper-acidic’s cocktail!

Proj 43 of 365: the kiss of dusk

(05.24.09)
in the middle of the night, when no one is watching, a miracle happens. and this miracle continues to happen regularly each day.

for the first few moments, it was light and darkness fighting over, a struggle for power. like a tug of war over who’ll dominate the endless skies. like lovers, meeting in the sky, light and dark for a moment, briefly kissed and parted ways.

then the first rays of sunlight came through.

photo taken by Sharmaine, who diligently woke up to witness this event. me, on the other hand, slept my way through it, which i regret almost immediately :)

Proj 41 or 365: crossing over

(05.23.09)

the view before me was endless water. a peek of a bit of land and a sign of an island far, far away.

crossing over the endless blue, not really knowing what’s on the other end. but somehow, you know, with every hum-hum of the pumpboat, that you’re an inch closer to paradise.

Proj 42 of 365: of wharfs and boats

(05.23.09)
glimmered upon by the radiant sun, surrounded by glassy water, idyllic and motionless, boats look like sleeping giants beckoning to be woken up. a lovely sight on one lovely morning on the way to the lovely island of bantayan…

Proj 40 of 365: sporty

(05.18.09)
it has been a while since i've involved myself with exercise. maybe because the urge to break a sweat doesn't really visit me on a regular basis. when the enthusiastic feeling knocked today, i had to jump at the opportunity.. time for some kicks and punches. TAEBO.. haaa-yaaa!!!

i plotted my sked, accepted the invite, took and early dinner, got ready to dress up. as i open my bag, something was missing - socks!!!

and so, i put everything back into their places in my bag again. so taebo it was - NOT!

Proj 39 of 365: ispon, ispork

(05.17.09)

sooo hungry and my food hasn't arrived yet. so i take comfort on the second best thing i have in front of me that connects with food - utensils.

after a seemingly long wait, the food arrived.

now, let's put these utensils to good use (*wink*)

bon appetit!

Proj 38 of 365: lounging out

(05.17.09)

looking, never really saying much, but somehow you're in deep conversation.

seeing eye to eye, comprehending, understanding, like psychics reading each other's minds.

meaningful look, a wink, a boisterous smile, a few words, a different language on its own.

and you just can't deny the connection.

you know what, i went out feeling that was one of the best conversations i ever had. in silence, looking at you, i just knew what there is to know.

Proj 37 of 365: umbrella friends

(05.16.09)

it's a very out of the ordinary hot mid-summer day but i was determined to walk for blocks as i have to do this to do (that didn't sound right). james bore the heat with me, never once complaining until i admitted it, "we have to take out our umbrellas!" so we took my rarely used one and i got to carry it around the streets.

thing is, umbrellas and me don't seem to match. because of my unfulfilled childhood "majorette" dreams, i tend to swish the umbrella to and fro, making it dance, lost in my own world which looked like a drunk trying to balance a stick. not a bad thing if you're on your own but something you should definitely avoid if you have someone sharing the umbrella with you. james had it, his head had been hit back and again and offered to take the umbrella off my abusive hands but i was having so much fun treating the umbrella as my baton that i had to decline. admitting defeat, he took out his own to spare himself from the bruises :D

we had so much fun walking the streets like little kids who just discovered umbrellas, laughing and teasing each other. then i suddenly halted.

"why are you stopping?", he said.

"give me your umbrella i have to capture this moment.", i commanded.

"on the sidewalk pavement?", he asked in disbelief.

"yeah, no one's there anyway."

i took my shots, and hand on hand, umbrella against umbrella, we walked the path again.

thank God for supportive friends and boyfriends.

Proj 36 of 365: friday night date

(05.15.09)

hot date tonight.

don an outfit. out goes that laptop. pull out a chair. drink that frap.

and enjoy your own company. :>

Proj 35 of 365: of red and gold

Gold-adorned sandals and bloody red nails of Tee and G.
(05.15.09)

Pic courtesy of Marvin.

Proj 34 of 365: of expressions, feelings and masks

(05.11.09)

the face expose a million emotions depicting raw feelings and what's deep down.

sometimes a mischievous grin will tell someone is up to no good,
a wrinkled crease of the brow will tell you something is wrong,
a nervous shift of the eyes usually shows of guilt
a twinkly eye will convey wistfulness or happiness
a pout usually leads to a protested argument
a crinkle in the nose sometimes means disgust
and the tell-tale sign list goes on.

but sometimes, like a facade,
faces will only show the emotions that you want to show
and expressions are being employed in a few occasions to hide what we really feel.

Proj 33 of 365: let there be light

(05.11.09)

seen in one of the restos in The Terraces, Ayala Cebu. wonderful and creatively-put lighting.

Proj 32 of 365: contraptions

(05.10.09)
seen in island city mall, bohol. a rather unique sandwich made of umbrella buns and spread of balloons.

to celebrate the coming of rainy days?, i wonder. most likely than not. :)

Proj 31 of 365: overnight miracles

(05.10.09)

overnight, time crept in and changed everything.

seeds become flowering and fruit-bearing trees,

grown women at the peak of their lives become gray and old ladies

and cuddly, sweet and innocent little babies become grown men.

as with the case with my cuddly baby brother who i recall used to run around the house wearing papa's too big leather shoes, making huge, stamping sounds at each step he takes.

i used to whisper "stay a cute baby forever" but time, the overnight thief, crept in and did its thing on him - no exceptions even if i did my magic encantation of forever baby-dom.

but looking at time's masterpiece which turned out to be my brother, no qualms here. yeah, time molded him all right, did a transformation miracle over the years (not overnight) and he turned out more than ok. :)

Proj 30 of 365: my parents

(05.10.09)
narration of events before picture was taken:
mom bought a new pair of sunglasses and over lunch, she was showing off her new pair. "look" she said, "i have wonderful new shade". one letter mistakenly omitted can make a big difference.

papa caught on to that single omission and said, "shade under a tree?"

as you can see, his face is still mischevious and teasing, while my mom's was straight and dead-pan serious, with just a tiny hint of a smile, stopping herself from letting it out.


i enjoy looking at and observing my parents as they are in a jovial mood.

i laugh at their juvenile, child-like banter, light teasing and comedy moments (sometimes without meaning to be funny), bickering at each other just for teasing.

they can be candidates or stand-up comedians and like a light switch, can turn dead-beat serious like boring counselors who'll rant on and on in TV, depending on the situation.

i envy them - light-hearted and not taking life seriously and yet, contemplating and serious when there's a need.

laughing and teasing and yet able to do talking and listening too. it's like being a serious grown-up and a no-care-for-the-world child at the same time.

when i get married, i hope to have a relationship and be with someone like that.

Proj 29 of 365: what's in this box?

(05.09.09)
question: what's in this box?

answer: chocolate surprise. a mothers day cake for our beloved mom. (as if you can't see from the box that it's a cake :) ).

Proj 28 of 365: All set to go

(05.08.09)

i don't consider myself well-travelled but travelling has become almost a second nature to me, considering the number of trips i take to go home to Bohol. with travelling comes packing, those two are inseparable packages.

i regard packing in different ways, depending on my mood.

sometimes travelling becomes a tedious burden/chore at times especially if you're in a hurry or too tired. it is the time that i just grab a thing or two and squeeze them into my bag and then the unlucky ones to not fit into the chaos will have to stay behind.

sometimes i take my time packing, planning and preparing (and rehearsing) clothes, listing needed items, double-checking again and again that nothing was forgotten, especially in longer trips or vacations where you can't afford to miss anything.

packing does sometimes sends bouts of emotions, evoking excitement for new adventure, joy to finally leave somewhere or even wistfulness for leaving.

so what emotion is it this time?

this time though, packing is an absolute joy since i know i'll be coming home.

Proj 27 of 365: Siomai Love

(05.06.09)

i was feeling for some chinese today, so siomai it was. siomai is probably a must if you're having Chinese as tempura is a staple when having Japanese (at least for me!ü) i wasn't feeling for the varieties with toppings, i was up for the simple, the kind you can find on the streets siomai, the type which our barkada used to so religiously visit and frequent everyday after classes. good thing, i know just where to find the store inside the mall which sells exactly what i was looking for! and so, to satisfy my cravings, we went ahead and bought our set.

a bite of chili-ed siomai with a twinge of citrus and soy sauce... yum yum!

p.s.
pardon the pun (title). i can't help myself but recall the catchy advertising line of a siomai store when i set eyes on one.

Proj 26 of 365: what's in a bag?

(05.04.09)

purse, handbag, pouch, bag...
it comes in many names and of many shapes and sizes. but one thing's certain, when there's a girl, her bag is always in a meter radius. :)

so what's in a bag? my bag, that is.
a closer look reveals a jumble of organized mess.

what's in a bag? everything i can squeeze into it.

the familiar jingle of keys to access the million locked doors and drawers.
the accessibility of cellphones to keep in touch.
the ever-reliable camera to capture everyday moments.
the oh-so-important wallet to fuel up daily expenses which also contains a bunch of cards, photos, unnecessary papers and ids.
in irony, a bag in a bag - the bag organizer - to contain my kikay stuff, medicines, rosary beads, pen, trinkets, removable disks and what-have-yous.
for loose change, a coin purse.

what's in a bag? all that. on some days, maybe a little bit more (or less).

Proj 25 of 365: tropical daydreams

(05.03.09)
take me to wonderland, whisk me to tropical paradise.

moonlit barefoot walks in the shore.
childish water fights.
lying in the hammocks at midday.
dipping, swimming, wading.
building dreams and sandcastles.
dances and laughter.
endless refreshing tropical drinks.

the beach, powdery white sand, summer heat.
good friends, loving family, fun adventures, great places.

the life!!!
(til i have to answer reality's deafening knock, that isü)

Proj 24 of 365: wood gnomes

(05.02.09)
e.a.t. danao was where we were off to today. we started a bit later than planned and arrived at the venue just before lunch where we had a feast (this is what I like and hate about going home, the endless food which make you forget that these eventually go down as extra pounds.). in between lunch, cj had been playing with james (so my two boys have gotten along, good news.).

the sky was azure blue and the sun had blessed us with its warmth. we waited for more than an hour to ride the zipline and we crossed the cable in pairs. riz and tal’s shrieking voices literally crossed over the next mountain! mides had to forego the zipline because the little boy had a tantrum that afternoon.

anyhow, after being held by cables and suspended in mid-air twice, we were all in one piece, ready to bravely welcome our next adventure. kayak, that’s what we decided on.
we were led on a trail of grass and trees and slippery rocks until we reached the muddy riverbank where we waited for us to start. needless to say, the sun wasn’t smiling anymore that time and then it started to drizzle. and then, heavens released all its wrath and all our attempts to look for cover look funny and poor as NOT getting wet is impossible. cold and shuddering, like wet chicks, we finally embraced the inevitable and let go.

photo taken by james long before our shower in the rain. i think this shot was taken after we showed cj the magic of the “touch me not” and then after his ninang tee made a fool of herself by touching a fern and shouting “look, cj!” and got puzzled then nothing happened when the leaves were touched. :)

Proj 23 of 365: sisterly love

(05.01.09)
as anyone with siblings can attest, it’s oftentimes hard growing up with a sister or a brother. with the endless comparison on who’s smarter, better-looking, well-behaved and the nonstop flow of adjectives from everyone you have the tendency to blow each other’s faces off or fight to win people’s vote or affection.

but not me and my sibs now. we've long outgrown that and have become tightly knit ever since.
here is a picturesque photo depicting sister-ly love. (thanks to dee for capturing this magical moment :D).

Proj 22 of 365: well said

(05.01.09)
nothing encompasses and summarizes life more than these heart-tugging six little powerful words in a sentence.

Proj 21 of 365: all the love in the world

(04.29.09)
i know I’m gaga over hearts but I didn’t know until the extent of it until I thought of opening every jewelry box and organizer and gather each and every piece (almost every piece after I missed some due to my organizing skills). what I have is not really much, but it’s definitely the most noticeable, prevalent shape in the organizer.

a mixture ranging from fancy, silver, gold, studded and white gold.
a collection of thoughtful gifts to mark an important event like graduations, christmas and birthday,
some to signify fab finds as I scurry endlessly in the malls, bazaars and tiangges,
and a few of hand-me-downs from my mother’s jewelry collection.

as I touch each piece, I take some time to appreciate the uniqueness of the design and evoking the memory that came with the heart-shaped jewel.

so if you’re thinking of giving me an accessory, you now have been on a secret – you now get the idea of what shape that has to be. (hint hint) :P

Proj 20 of 365: all bottled up

(04.28.09)
while some would bring a pinch of sand from the beach, I’d been collecting shells since I could recall. tiny & big shells, imperfect broken and perfect ones, colorful and plain shells, dotted pieces – shells of different sizes, shapes, colors, patterns and looks!

as a young child, I’d learned to love shells – there’s always something fascinating about each piece and I could hold on to one the entire afternoon as I play with my sister in my lola’s sala. my lola used to let us play in the sala, crammed up in a mat with her collection of shells laid out in the floor. maybe, unconsciously, I have taken to this enthrallment with shells from her. in that mat, my sister and I were lost in our own world, where shells were our constant companion – the money or the food to be cooked – depending on what make-believe land we were currently in.

and I grew up, but I never totally forgot how I adored shells. there was a phase in my life not so long ago that I’d never leave the beach without a handful or plastic-full of these gems. for me at that time, it was an outlet – as I walk down the shore with thoughts in my mind, I symbolically pick up a shell to stand for that thought, or a which, or just an expression of what I fell.

i have bottles full of shells at home as proof of these visits to the beach and though I’m still at a loss what to do with these shells, I’m just contented to look at the pieces and remember the memories that brought it inside the bottle.

shells, definitely, are the oceans’ secret to share.

Proj 19 of 365: Piggy Bank

(04.27.09)
saving up through piggy banks was never my forte. it was something I start with excitement and enthusiasm and then the feeling dies a natural death after quite some time. this happens as I either find something I absolutely must buy, or as my dad catches on the mystery of his lost coins and my innocently full-overnight piggybank (this happened in preschool), or as I grew tired thinking how on earth I can manage to carry a heavy bundle towards the money changer (what happened lately with my 10 peso stash).

then, as I was reading a magazine over the weekend, I got an idea from a couple who keep aside every 200 bill they come across with. so I’m doing the same thing – keeping every 200 peso bill that touches my palm. why 200 pesos? first it’s a “rare” bill compared to the easily-found hundred peso. and as it obviously is a bill, it’s not bulky to save up or carry around come I decide to use it to buy something or save at the bank.

for now I don’t know what I’ll do with the bills I’ve yet to save up but I definitely hope it will come in handy in the future. join me as I cross my fingers as I hope to stick with this routine.