Twiddling My Toes

One more day till the holy days for rest and meditation. Truth be told, nothing’s really going on this part of the jungle.

Which is well and good because here’s what I was able to do the past days:

Join the PETA Season Lanch / Children’s Theater Program CD Launch. For 2 nights and 1 whole day I was able to see and catch up with my PETA friends and work with the newer generation of company actors. The performances were wonderful and had me yearning again to be part of the season plays. I kidded that this was the extent of my PETA participation. – season launches – and deep inside, I really hoped not. I want to be part of another production. Please give me the gift of time.

During the PETA Launch, I was also able to meet a high-school batchmate, Ina Pamintuan! When she joined her co-teachers from Waldorf School to watch the season launch, she didn’t expect to see me. Well, thankfully she did! Now, I made her promise that she will be attending the batch get-togethers!

Bond with my college friends, Mabi and Felice over Thai food at Som’s. As a post birthday get-together (mine and Mabi’s), I was eager to connect again with Mabi, Felice and Jhoanna (who didn’t make it because she had stomach infliction of some sort). However, if I still believed in signs, I wouldn’t anymore pursue meeting with them because I got lost not one, but two times, on my way to Rockwell from Quezon City. How I could do that was really strange, but what is stranger is that on the way home, I lost my parking ticket. Katangahan to the max! Still I was able to have a long chat with friends and that was so nice. We’re meeting after the holy week for yoga…

Bring my mom to the gym. Because she couldn’t perspire, she wanted to go have a sauna, where she can at my gym. So finally she got to sweat, and then goaded me to another mother-daughter squabble. Crazy mom.

Had dinner at Pilita’s Restaurant in Greenhills and watched “Atonement” with officemates.

Yon lang naman.

And bloghopping. Hay.

A Sign

http://dearsugar.com/1019605

If anybody's interested, I'm 32 :P

The moment you think of even lying about your age is the surest signal that you are already aged, or sige na nga, of "age".

I must admit that I have been fibbing about my chronological age recently, most brazenly when I joined a speed dating thingy which wanted to bring together singles aged 27-32. Every time I was asked how old I was and I replied, "30", I wanted to cackle (and inside I did). I was afraid they saw through my act because my quest for true love was for naught.

So my birthday, although welcome, was nothing to get excited about. During these landmark birthdays (those ending in 0 and 5), one usually reflects on their landmarks... and despite being very easy to reflect on the things you don't have (yet), I have to make a conscious effort to be thankful instead of the many blessings going in my life right now: my family's health and safety; the fact that we are all together; the unconditional affection I have for and receive from my cousins, uncles and aunties, and friends; a job which constantly challenges me; colleagues I respect and look forward to working with; a burning flame for the theater; the ability to pamper myself if I feel like it...



I hoped that I planned something more bongga like a theme party of sorts, as it has been ages since our family hosted something more elaborate than inihaw na baboy and manok. But because of the travesty that is my work, I was not able to do as much as even reserve a table for my birthday dinner. But I was so happy that I was with the people I love, love, love.

That said, I found out a surprisingly enjoyable event to go to, especially when you're angst-y about something as inevitable as age. As a birthday treat, my officemate treated me to a concert by the "Golden Divas", Pilita Corales, Carmen Soriano, and Carmen Pateña. Dahil masama ang humindi sa libre, and I look forward to anything new, sumama ako. At ang saya saya! Pilita and the 2 Carmens were really worthy of their monikers as divas as they were performers through and through and shone like the troopers that they are. Although their voices faltered and gave way (what do we expect? they're all senior citizens :P), their numbers were all confident and more so their costumes! Plunging kung plunging at high slit kung high slit!

But the happiest bonus I got out of that night, was the fact that I was one of the youngest in the audience!!! Hahahahaha!!! The place was jampacked and most of the those who watched were lolas and lolos. It was actually hard to get a seat because whenever I got a good seat, I would give it up for the lola who wanted to watch Pilita so bad even if she had to go up three flights of stairs, with the aid of a cane!

My lesson that night was, no matter how old you think you are, may mas matanda pa sa iyo. And in other instances, kahit mas bata pa sila sa iyo, mukha na silang matanda!!!

That's just me humoring myself, as I usually do in my journals. Anyway, my friend and I promised, or rather, prophesied that this will be "the" year. Good times ahead! Up, up and up

Decompress

After a crazy week of intermittent and bothered sleep, unmet expectations, heated arguments and plain walang kaganda-ganda moments, I have decided to regain my energy and general disposition at home.

Stress makes me a very irritable woman. And although I thought I have gone through a lot in this thankless job that I have, I have never been this tired, this harassed ... It scares me. Bad for my pressure.

How do people keep their cool when everything else is falling apart? What is the secret???

Anyway, the worst has ended and we've all hopefully learned our lessons.
Next time, it will be good news...

Beautiful Scars

Inspired by the play I just watched, I wanted to post a poem by Jose Garcia Villa about beauty in imperfection. It was about a seashell, I think, and its chips and breaks which make it unique.

We are all seashells, with our particular flaws -- because what are seashells but castaways by exhibitionist molluscs? :P -- and I loved the poem because it presented a new perspective on beauty. That we are all beautiful in our own way and the beach (the world) is covered with every type of beauty. That beauty is not in uniformity, but in uniqueness. It comforted my adolescent ego then, it still speaks true to my adult self now.

And because I cannot find that poem. I am posting another Jose Garcia Villa poem which *cough cough* heralds the season of the month:

And If the Heart Can Not Love
By Jose Garcia Villa

And if the heart can not love
death can not cure it nor sleep
no splendor of wound the heart
had no sound

Bloom has escaped it and
birth the miraculous flower
and music and speech leave
it unbewitched

God it can not spell nor sun
nor lover the beautiful word
and it has no sound no sound
nor wound

----------

That said, I am glad to assert my beauty within and smile my way out of a traffic ticket. Thank you my mabuhay smile. I will need it this week.

Something in the Air

I have been too caught up with work, as usual, that I've almost forgotten to update this journal.

I'm girding myself for another month full of surprises and endless ego massaging (not mine), and although I am in for a grueling schedule, I feel calm and centered. Strange, really. Maybe because I have accepted my issues regarding my personal artistic (artistic daw o!) wants. This is meanwhile. And there's something to look forward to. If only I knew what it is...

Puppy Love

I know who my valentine is .

This is not the actual photo of our rottweiler, Sunday, but she looks just like this cutie, who is owned by a guy in Flickr. :) Will upload my own photos once I get over the deterioration of my beloved 3.2 megapixel Canon. huhuhu.

The Flu... Bow

There's nothing more irritating than a bout of flu when you really need to do "important" things. Oh well. Look on the bright side. I am rested and ready to face my stressors and challengers tomorrow. Game face on.

Happy New Year Sunshine!

What a way to start the year! Not only did I get to spend the first day of 2008 with family and friends, I also got to see the first sunrise of the year. Sweet.

Detoxification Execute

Now that I have redeemed 2 (yes, 2) Starbucks planners, I have decided to chuck coffee and other caffeine forms from my system... until the next promo  Let's see if it will positively affect my health the coming year as I am hoping it will. 

Here's to new self-improvement schemes for the new year!!!

Christmas Cheer

This is the Christmas I received the least presents. What a welcome into the adult world. I have spent half of my pay for puresento for immediate family, and they didnt even notice. It wouldnt have mattered if I brought them a number from the Kamias U2 than those pricey multivitamins. Vitamin C, anyone? Hahahahaha.

But seriously, I dont really mind the presents as I realize, the Christmas holidays is not really about gifts (the giving and receiving), or the food (because of all the filling spread laid out last night, I zeroed in on the vegetable salad). Christmas is for family and REST. Oh, and of course, Jesus' birthday.

Happy Thoughts

After being down in the dumps the past days (a wake, language gaps, nearly sideswiped by a decrepit jeep, claustrophobic fx taxis...), I have thankfully bounced back. I thought that dark cloud would never lift. Just like when I was in grade school, when I would not go to school for a couple of days dahil, "wala lang, I was depressed..."

It is so scary to start nitpicking at the unpleasant/ out of your control things that are happening to you and around you because, the list will never end, and you will feel worse with each irritating detail you pick. When these things happen, it is not easy to just pretend that everything's easy peasy, light and breezy. It takes serious care of the self and constant reminders of the things that are working for you right now.

At the risk of being self-indulgent -- what better soapbox to shout it from-- here are the things/ situations that make me forget my worries:

Sandwiches. I am loving gourmet sandwiches so much that I've had these for the past 2 days. Its a complete meal: tasty meat, soft cheese, veggies, carbo! The catch is, it is a bit expensive if I go on like this. If I can just make my own --making a sandwich isnt rocket science -- then maybe I can satisfy my cravings and save me some money at the same time.

Random conversations with strangers. During my lunch time, I had a quasi-conversation with a lady balikbayan from New York. Quasi because mukhang hindi naman talaga siya naghahanap ng kausap. Kinakausap niya lang ang sarili niya, at ako naman sumasagot! Hahahaha. Ako yata ang gustong chumika :P anyway, it was nice because in a way I was able to help her find a condo (via Buy & Sell), scope a bargain cellphone (take a quick taxi ride to Greenhills) and figure out why she wasn't connecting to the free wi-fi (her laptop's lobat).

Random conversations with taxi drivers. Taxi drivers are characters, all right. They come in different forms and persuasions that it is difficult to figure them out. Like when close to exasperation, I barked at a taxi driver who didnt want to bring me to my office from Roxas Boulevard, because it was traffic. Ang sabi ko sa kanya, "traffic naman sa lahat ng pwedeng daanan! Sige kung saan ka pupunta, sasabay ako." Aba, pinasakay nga ako at ibinaba sa tamang sakayan. Ng walang bayad. Free! Muriyo :P Actually, maraming beses na itong nangyayari sa akin. Madalas-dalas ko ngang gamitin para maka-save! hahahaha!!!Then, there's this other taxi driver who gave me his phone number, hanapan ko daw siya ng trabaho. Social. That's what you call networking.

Discounted parking. Aside from the prohibitive costs of fuel, another thing that is making it hard for me to bring the family car to work is the astronomic cost of Makati parking. A day's worth will cost a complete lunch in Figaro. Truly. If you find parking that is cheap, then guaranteed you would have to walk at least 10 minutes. But anyway, I discovered a wonderful scheme. Free/ discounted parking at the Ayala Center! Although I am a proud commuter these days, there must be days when I need the kuruma. When you purchase items from any Ayala Center establishment totalling P300 and above, you can exchange this for parking coupons which can get you 4 free hours and P10/hour parking after the first 4 hours! San ka pa? Winner! I know where I will be buying Christmas stuff!!!

Massage and a facial. For days when you just need to expel all the bad and breathe in the good. This is such a chi-chi item but for girls, this particular monthly/weekly ritual is a thing that is solely for oneself. No one to please but you.

A night out at Penguin. I was not a suki of this artsy Malate bar as the nightlife and me are not in good terms. Ako lang ang may gusto sa kanya, while it doesnt see me as cool enough to invite me to her goodies. Well, last Tuesday, I had a wonderful night of drinking (beer and margarita... pero di na ako uulit), good music (Radioactive Sago Project), and laughing trips. If I werent borderline hypertensive, I will do this every week! Meanwhile, I have to pace myself and maybe just be contented with just laughing trips.

Family and friends are not included in this entry as they are my constant sources of happiness (or gloom, sometimes :P).

Sigh. Writing this entry has made me happy already. Ja mata ne!

The Shallow End of My Mind

Trust me to wear my tatty, ratty, white fake (peeling) leatherette pair of shoes when I sat down and shared lunch with the heir apparent to The Ultimate Shoe Madame today. 

I've been keeping my eye out on what's stylish, fashionable, trendy almost my whole life as I could not avoid it. Being cloistered in an all-girls school made me aware of the subtle intricacies of the meaning of clothes. Still, that did not stop me from wearing my blue and white vertical striped blouse tucked into my acid-wash Used jeans. Or from displaying my "coolness" in wearing a salmon pink blouse, tucked (again) in pink denim skirt, accentuated by pink leg warmers and white Keds sneakers. Walang pag-aalinlangan ang ganitong pananamit ko. Looking back, I must have thought I was, as they say nowadays, "the shizz". :P

I'd regained back of some good old "kahihiyan" when I stepped into college. I guess I dressed more conservatively and nondescriptly. Basic jeans and blouse. However, there were special occasions when feeling particularly funky and I wore my blue printed blouse, tucked into my denim skort; footwear were lace-up ankle grandma boots. Of course I looked strange! Even a (washed-up) child actor and his friend thought so, when I crossed their path in Greenhills years ago. (Yup, that incident stayed with me...)

I wish I were like some of my friends who look so put together. Even my sisters are secure in their fashion choices. While I --- I still wait for the costume mistress to give me my next set of change, it seems. Trinny and Susannah have earned quite a few pounds off me with the books I bought, that I would think I would already know what to do, fashion-wise. Obviously not, ne?

The Shallow End of My Mind

Trust me to wear my tatty, ratty, white fake (peeling) leatherette pair of shoes when I sat down and shared lunch with the heir apparent to The Ultimate Shoe Madame today. 

I've been keeping my eye out on what's stylish, fashionable, trendy almost my whole life as I could not avoid it. Being cloistered in an all-girls school made me aware of the subtle intricacies of the meaning of clothes. Still, that did not stop me from wearing my blue and white vertical striped blouse tucked into my acid-wash Used jeans. Or from displaying my "coolness" in wearing a salmon pink blouse, tucked (again) in pink denim skirt, accentuated by pink leg warmers and white Keds sneakers. Walang pag-aalinlangan ang ganitong pananamit ko. Looking back, I must have thought I was, as they say nowadays, "the shizz". :P

I'd regained back of some good old "kahihiyan" when I stepped into college. I guess I dressed more conservatively and nondescriptly. Basic jeans and blouse. However, there were special occasions when feeling particularly funky and I wore my blue printed blouse, tucked into my denim skort; footwear were lace-up ankle grandma boots. Of course I looked strange! Even a (washed-up) child actor and his friend thought so, when I crossed their path in Greenhills years ago. (Yup, that incident stayed with me...)

I wish I were like some of my friends who look so put together. Even my sisters are secure in their fashion choices. While I --- I still wait for the costume mistress to give me my next set of change, it seems. Trinny and Susannah have earned quite a few pounds off me with the books I bought, that I would think I would already know what to do, fashion-wise. Obviously not, ne?

I am a Fan!!!

I just wanted to say that. I am not a rabid chaser of my obsessions. But I do get all light and giddy whenever in contact with them.

Like when I watched "Himala: The Musical" in CCP last week. I wanted to watch it when it first ran 3/4 years ago, but hindi kaya ng budget ko. So when they had a despedida performance for their trip to Shanghai, I grabbed the chance. Was I floored! Ang galing :D

I was told that the one recently shown was much shorter, with a barer set. And I wouldn't have noticed because I was entranced by the performance. I'd prefer a bare(r) set for an excellent performance, then a so-so performance with a bongga set. Not to say that the set wasnt good ha? It totally complemented the desolation of the location of the play and the characters.

The music was glorious and the performers were wonderful! And to think that at some point in my wanna-be life, I shared a stage with them...

With May Bayot (Elsa)

Vince de Jesus (ze muzikal director, etc...) hehehe

Jay Cruz (choreographer, dancer, actor and singer!)

I also loved the performances by Lionel Guico, Cynthia Culig-Guico and Isay Alvarez. sigh.

Getting It However We Can

I'm still unhinged from not being able to do any creative/ expressive work that learning I will be contributing to a project like an audio compilation of songs from PETA children's plays made me giddy... for a while.

I got to sing "Walang Tatangkilik" again (I'm not complaining ;-) ) and was the first to use the new recording studio of Upeng and Dodjie Fernandez!! Yehhaaa!!!

Now that I've done my part, I'm feeling antsy again. Ang swerte ng mga visual artists. Art is always at the tip of their hands (or whatever medium it is they want to use)...

I guess I have to resign...

to the fact that I will have to put off my artistic urges for now. For how long? I hope not too long.

Tonight, I backed out from an audition call back. A call back!!! Tama ba naman yon? Hindi pa ako natatanggap, nag-back-out na?

I was so itching to get back to theater, to be back with my friends, to be part of a world where everyone was working to get to that perfect moment every night.The reasons were all right for me. A friend was directing. I wanted to sing and dance again. I will be playing a person who is an adult, playing for a more adult audience...Aeesssshhh.

Work gets in the way. I never thought I would be doing this. Two times. To the same friend!!! I hate it.

I remember when I used to look for work which was flexible to accommodate my love for the theater. My first week at my (official) second job, I was so happy that the performances were near our office, enabling me to excuse myself for 2-3 hours everyday for a week! This job was so theater-friendly that I was able to go to several theater tours (local and international) which ran from 2 weeks to a month. If I didnt have enough leaves, I was always quick to say, "de, don't pay me. Just let me do my play."

My next job didnt have that allowance. And although I was prepared to concentrate on that work, we all know where that led me... to Fukuoka. Thank goodness.

Now this.

After breaking the news to friends, they jokingly said, "mag-resign ka na kaya?"

Don't dare me ;-)

Planes, Trains, and My (Good) Old Legs

One of the things I appreciated during my trip to Japan was the liberty we had with the Japanese public transport system.

The previous times to Japan, I was with a group and we were more or less coddled and escorted to our official destinations. Back then, I treasured my experiences around Japan as I was able to see the country from cabs, rented vans, trains, the shinkansen, planes and even a ship.

For the life of me, I couldn’t remember being so exhausted and almost in tears walking in Japan. I rarely wandered far from our hotel then, choosing to sampo-shimasu in hordes. Safety in numbers, I supposed.

But this time, I know some people might be too tired of me saying it, but I have never walked so much in my life as during my recent 2-week stay in Japan.

The toll on my feet was more intense than usual because I had been visibly and literally lagging during the jaunting parts of our kenshu. I cannot point a finger to my Latin heritage (Latin daw o?) kasi Ms. Mexico was almost always 2^nd place in our conga line.

Just to make it clear, when I went on the program, I wasn’t late for the activities, it was that I was not exactly at their pace. Which was like people- hurrying-for-the-train pace. If we were catching a train and on our way to an appointment, I would understand the fuss. But strolling in a park or on the way to the hotel to check-in??? Give me a break.

The ultimate reason I lagged on the walking part of the program was because my feet hurt. Plain and simple.

My experience would have been exquisite, if not for this niggling fact. And the irritating part is, I have no one to blame but myself. Who will I blame? The program coordinator? Hahaha. I brought it on myself so who better to suffer? Obvious ba?

From day 2 of the program, my feet were already crying for mercy. Walang kawala sa paglalakad. Let me *ahem* walk you through our typical day.

Our mother ship was an hour away by train, quite far by Tokyo standards – suburbs na parang Cavite. Before leaving Manila, I checked the Tokyo guidebooks and Urawa was not in them. Because it isn’t in Tokyo, it’s in Saitama prefecture.

Much has been said about the effectiveness of the Japanese transport system, and it is all that but… what about going to their transport terminals? Aha.

For the seasoned Japanese walker, the sprightly 8-10 minute walk to the station is no sweat, but for someone like me who would always rather board a convenient tricycle than trudge 8-10 minutes … that’s quite a lifestyle change :P

Anyway, at the Kita-Urawa station, we board the train going to another terminal because we have to transfer from JR (train) to the subway. So lakad na naman kami ng mga 5-8 minutes to board the sub to Roppongi-ichome. Navigating the railway seems complicated at first, because 1) the signs are in Japanese; and 2) there are multiple entrances/ exits/ platforms. But after about 3 days, you get the hang of it because in the train, there are reminders of your destination in romaji and signs/ directions are abundant in Japan.

Most of the time, our schedules do not coincide with the bustle of the going-to-work crowd. But we’ve been thrust into the mob not a few times. Siksik kung siksik. At makikipag-unahan pa sa yo ang mga kalalakihan doon sa upuan. O di ba? Shocking asia. So mas madalas, nakasakay nga kami ng tren, nakatayo naman kami. Ergo, masakit pa rin sa paa.

After arriving at our station, we walk out of the terminal (which is so tempting not to do as there are a lot of things to usyoso in them stores) and onto the streets… walking another 5-10 minutes.

The first few days, after arriving at the hq, we had meetings. At least we were seated or had the option to sit down for the day (after na lang bubunuin ang gala). But the rest of the days, we met at the hq only to walk again!! Sheesh.

Out of town was even more grueling. We seemed to walk the whole day. Most memorable was our trip to Kyoto were we seemed to walk from 10AM to 12 MN!!! Needless to say, nagmumura na ang paa ko non.

This is by no means a complaint. I really am very grateful for the opportunity to experience these things. Just a statement and a word of advise to those who have plans to visit Japan because there are just so many things to do and places to see.

Travel tips for the Walking Tourist:

1. Wear comfortable shoes. Kelangan ito, super. I brought my heels because aside from being more formal than my sneaks, medyo maganda ang porma. I followed my clothing plan accordingly and tried not to veer away from the original ensemble even if my feet were already killing me. Ayan tuloy, hindi ako nakapasok agad nung pagdating ko. Ganon kasakit ang paa ko.

2. Bring a first aid kit. Requisite band-aid, favorite panghilot, dependable painkiller/meds. Even if I lived in my comfy sneakers, sumakit pa rin ang paa ko. Nag change lang ang contact of impact. When before the pain was in the toes, the front part of my feet --- my bunions and callouses already have their own zip code --- it transferred to the ball/ pad/ the sole part of my feet. So the healing props are all helpful, not to mention cheap. Should I have bought my band-aid in Japan, it would have cost me around P200-300 for a box, instead of just P12. And my ever ready Ponstan was a lifesaver.

3. Wear your eyeglasses. Dapat binaon ko yung akin para mas enjoy ang observation at hindi obvious ang gawking.

4. Arm yourself with your touristy gear. Camera, guidebook, paperback and portable musicplayer (you never know when they will get handy), a notebook, a pen.

5. Drink lotsa water. Because we went out a lot, we forgot to drink our liquids. And got cramps. Horrid ones.

Yon na muna. Hindi naman ako seasoned traveler.

The sign leading the way to home for 2 weeks.

The train ticket terminals at Kita-Urawa.

The Kita-Urawa platform. Kehin-Tohoku Line -- sky blue strip. Easy peasy.

A sight I didnt know I will miss...

Comfort and Conveniences

With my exams finished (for now --- come November/ December, it"ll be hello cramming sessions!), and completely sifting through the accumulated 2-week paperwork, I can now indulge myself and relive my Japan experience.

Towards the end of my kenshu, I was super raring to go ho
me. I couldnt wait to see my family and friends, be in my in own room and bed, browse through English books in bookstores, drive my own kuruma, live my real life. Navigating the JR and Subway stations were getting to be familiar that I was getting anxious for Manila -- before I get too comfortable breathing Japanese air.

And why not? With fall coming in, the temperature is cozily nippy. Although sometimes, it feels warm with all the walking we did. Still, all in all, it's perfect walking weather.

In Singapore, I swore that that would be the last time I wear my heels to go around and see the city. I swore too soon, because the first day of the program I was in 2.5 pointy heels.

As I was in meetings the whole day, business attire was the way to go. Hindi naman maganda na naka-sneakers di ba? So I didnt think much of the pinching because I was accustomed to wearing them the whole day in Manila. What I didnt count on was that after the sessions at hq, we would still be gallivanting around town. Kailangang i-maximize ang oras.

For lack of "individual meetings", my colleagues from Sydney and Mexico and I rode the train to Roppongi to scope the area and get a bite to eat.

We found ourselves at a street corner which was notorious as a pick-up hotspot for Caucasian men and Japanese women. Of course, we made ourselves available there

Chisato and me at the infamous corner.

Liz and me still hanging around the pick-up corner.
Still no luck with the pick-ups. Just a couple of curious looks.

Because we couldnt wait for the men to take notice, we decided to prowl Roppongi. According to the guidebooks, Roppongi is known to be more international and touristy, thus more expensive. No hakyuen shops (Y100) around the major street; only a 24-hour duty-free supa which carried everything from cosmetics to laundry soap to food and electronics. I bought me my new I-pod earphones there. It's about time...

A store window, which I now realize, isnt that remarkable .

The coelecanth (right??) is the Duty-Free Supa's mascot.

Thankfully, we ate at a New Zealand pub. I had the salmon sandwich and a Mexicola.

Owarimashita!

Finished!

My entries have just about started in this journal but two weeks have already passed and am on my way to the airport in 30 minutes. Ganon lang kabilis ang mga pangyayari.

I've been to Japan 4 times but every time it gets better. There's so much to see and hear and taste and smell and touch and feel in this country. But then, my thoughts always go back to home.

Although I know it will be smoggy and humid and, in my house, a bit cluttered, I can't wait to be in my house (my bed), with my family. It was nice turning Japanese for 2 weeks, but now, back to reality --- cramming for final Japanese exams, the predictability of work, the confidence and comfort with family and friends.

As soon as I get back to Manila, there will a photo barrage, I tell you. Till then, mata ne!