V.

Danao Canyon Swing, November 2011

“I have lived my life according to this principle: If I’m afraid of it, then I must do it.”

—	Erica Jong

Date a Girl Who Jaywalks

Date a girl who jaywalks. Date a girl who knows how to cross a street even without the help of a pedestrian lane. When she was a child, she used to play Patintero all day and this is how she got her jaywalker skills. Whoever said that only guys loved the chase?

Find a girl who is averse to pedestrian lanes.She knows that life is not a series of straight lines; that life can take the shape of whatever she wants it to be. (Ano daw?) You’ll know her by her gait; the way she walks at the speed of light when crossing intersections. You would think she is the personification of grace under pressure. But while crossing the street, you can feel her pulse racing two beats at a time and you realize that this brave woman also gets scared. Take this as a cue to hold her hand while you are crossing busy streets, even if crossing is prohibited. Marvel at her sense of adventure, her street smarts, her risk-taking abilities, and her determination to push forward despite obstacles like speeding vehicles. 

Celebrate life with a girl who jaywalks. You will share a siomai or two or many a Jamaican Pattie with her after successfully crossing streets. She will propose a toast and you will clink your C2 Green Tea bottle against her Coke can. You will appreciate how low maintenance she is; how she can be satisfied with these simple celebrations.  

Date a girl whose charm can weaken even the strictest MMDA. When she gets caught, she will smile her innocent smile at the enforcer, explain that this was more convenient for her, and end up having the enforcer, instead of taking her to the precinct, escort her across the street. If she can charm the authorities, surely she can charm anyone - including your family.    

If you find a girl who jaywalks, accept her free spirit. And most importantly, treat her right. Because if you don’t, she’ll walk-out on you without a second thought. Pun intended. 

Note: This post has no aim of encouraging people to break the law. Jaywalk at your own risk ladies.

Image from here.

IV.

(c) Melai Pinlac and Nick Sumcad, May 2012, Bolinao, Pangasinan

"My alone feels so good, I'll only have you if you're sweeter than my solitude." - Warsan Shire

Meowwwwwww.

Eto ang totoong #selfie

Lady of the Lake

Kayangan Lake, Coron, Palawan (c) Ivan Nebres, May 8 2013

Last year, in Camiguin, I fell in love with waterfalls. Last week, in Coron, I fell in love with lakes.

The best Php150 I spent on entrance fee, even better than a ride-all-you-can pass at any amusement park in the Philippines. If only I could bring this lake into our backyard (kahit wala kaming backyard?). I can't help but think of Desiderata when looking at this picture.

Exactly a week ago, I was in an eatery at the Coron public market having dinner with friends; we were sipping Bulalo soup when the power resumed...and then it went out again. Funny how one side of the town was lighted while the other side (unfortunately, the side where we were eating) was submerged into temporary darkness. That was our first night in Coron. Our activity that day was surmounting the 720 steps up Mount Tapyas, dragging our feet back down, all the while wishing there was a zip line we could ride back down, and then passing out as soon as we reached our air-conditioned hotel room. We stayed at Amor Pension House which is about twenty minutes away from Coron town proper.

I liked the place where we stayed, mainly because there was a videoke machine. Haha! We watched cable TV in the morning until we hear our tour guide knock on our door. The pillows and bed sheets were clean. I'm not anal about this stuff but the pillows were so huggable I slept soundly each night. 

On day 2, we went to Kayangan Lake. Day 3 was for Barracuda Lake (Where we saw a Barracuda! Surprise, surprise!) and the Twin Lagoon. Aside from the lakes, we also went snorkeling. Although, for me, Balicasag in Bohol still remains to be the best snorkeling site EVER. An army of tube-like  jelly fishes served as welcoming committee as we visited the shipwreck and other snorkeling sites. The beaches were not much different from the pristine waters of Camiguin, the sand as fine as polvoron. On our third day, a jelly fish the size of a hamburger bun interfered with our beach bumming activities. We chose to stay away from the water, however inviting and refreshing it seemed. Instead we had fun making 'graceful' jump shot attempts until we were sunburnt. After that, we purchased a 1.5L of Coke to rehydrate and laughed at the most stupid knock knock jokes we can think of. 

All in all, the lakes stood out. You can just close your eyes, float effortlessly (since you're wearing a lifevest) and say out loud: This is the life! Or in my case, I felt like the lady of the lake suffering from a bad case of bedhead and wearing an orange lifevest to keep me from drowning. No, I don't even know how to swim. Walang pakialamanan.

Lastly, the food! I enjoyed eating in Coron. Kahit sa mga simpleng carinderia lang kami kumain, ang saaaaraaaap ng pagkain! My favorites are Coron Central's Kare Kare, the overflowing Alimasag and ripe mangoes during the island hopping days, and the roast chicken at the public market. Oh, and try their danggit! I'm not sure if there is a distinct delicacy inherent to the town though.

And now, here's us giving Coron our seal of approval :)

At Barracuda Lake :)

III.

"So plant your own garden and decorate your own soul, instead of waiting for someone to bring you flowers." (Jorge Luis Borges)

II.

“Marry your best friend. I do not say that lightly. Really, truly find the strongest, happiest friendship in the person you fall in love with. Someone who speaks highly of you. Someone you can laugh with. The kind of laughs that make your belly ache, and your nose snort. The embarrassing, earnest, healing kind of laughs. Wit is important. Life is too short not to love someone who lets you be a fool with them. Make sure they are somebody who lets you cry, too. Despair will come. Find someone that you want to be there with you through those times. Most importantly, marry the one that makes passion, love, and madness combine and course through you. A love that will never dilute - even when the waters get deep, and dark.”
—N’tima

#Selfie

I have been rebonding my hair for five years straight. And suddenly, I don't want to do it anymore so I cut it all off. Now, it's back to its original curly state. It feels like everyday is a bad hair day. But it's okay. Sometimes, I regret cutting it but most of the time, I'm fine with how it looks. :)

I procrastinate every now and then but I'm no slacker. Kabisado ko na ang sarili ko 'pag dating sa work (I know myself well, at least when it comes to work). I may not be the type who takes work seriously  too seriously but I can proudly say that I'm good at what I do. Not the best but competent enough.

I have lesser temper tantrums now compared to when I was younger. Haha. I've realized that it's okay to feel irritated or sad or not in the mood but it's not  an excuse to start treating people like shit or to drag other people down to share your misery.

The L word. Yes, love. As Laida Magtalas would say: Big word. Strong word. Learned not to throw this word around. And learned not to be in love with the idea of being in love. (This part is so cheesy. Pagbigyan. Hahaha.)

I like myself better now than when I was in my early 20s. My early 20s was  full-on raging hormones, a time full of mistakes and rash decisions. Not that I did not enjoy making those mistakes (although, some I do regret doing), heck, I learned from all those bad moments. Most of the things I remember from when I was younger were things that scarred me. Now I keep the scars in sight, to remind me of the things I should never ever do again.

Also, not to say that I did not like myself back then. I was a risk-taker... to a fault. But I've changed; I know how to use my head now, instead of just blindly following my heart. I've learned to take care of myself better. I've learned self-respect.

I like myself  better, as I am, in the here and now. I hope I'll feel the same down the road. Hey, life can only get better :)

Image from here.

Meltdown

You were okay.

You were okay but you see something that throws your equilibrium away.

You see something that throws your equilibrium away and you try to control your temper.

You try to control your temper and try to convince yourself that you have no right to be angry.

You try to convince yourself that you have no right to be angry but the anger still bubbles inside you and you try to conceal it.

You try to conceal it but then you also want to talk about it but you’re tired of people undermining your issues.

You try to control your temper again and then something happens.

Usually you let it go and don’t make a fuss about it.

But then you just blow your fuse and you rage at the simplest things.

And you drink in your rage, you drown in it. There seems to be no holding back any longer.