The Meantime Boy's Diaries

Wedding

2005-12-21T03:24:00.000+08:00

Last November Ina got married. Yesterday, Tin a close friend of mine since highschool, got married. Tin is the first one from the Midnight Cabinet to get married.

Congratulations to Mr & Mrs. Mike & Tin Tan.

Tin Tan. =)

My goodness... as Jonas said during one of our toasts in our last inuman before Tin got married. Actually, the toast went "To the next step", pause, "My goodness...". Most members of MC were present and the usual kidding around as to who'd go next, became umm.... much more real. Lucy&Hamm or Bajeng&Aidz were the most logical choice as to who'd go next. Me, I can't imagine getting married in the next 5 years. Don't get me wrong, I want to raise a family, it's just that I don't see myself doing it in the next 5 years. The desire to have a family of my own is the only thing, which umm... hinders me from entering the Society of Jesus. If ever the Pope decrees that priests can get married and have a family, then the Jesuits would get one sure recruit.

Waiting for the Dawn Mass is hard, too bad i missed one already....

Hayyy.... Chirstmas....

I think this entry would be my last for the year. So I'll take the chance to greet anyone who'd happen to pass by a

Merry Christmas & a Happy New Year!!!!!

2005-11-28T10:40:00.000+08:00

Wrote this 2:30 am of November 25. La akong internet card kasi nun....

Kailangan ko lang talaga tong isulat.

It’s 2:30am, I just got back from 70’s bistro. Aside from a short msg I sent, this is the first thing I did when I got home.

Tonight was serendipitous… I saw someone I never thought I’d be seeing again. I was with jon, lo, jv and candz sa 70’s watching Noel Cabangon, ng tinuro ni Jon ang isang babae na kakarating lang. I looked and saw her, I thought she was somewhere in the middle east with her husband and two kids.

I can honestly say, that we were both happily surprised to see each other. Seeing her brought forth, feelings that I thought had died down a LONG time ago. Apparently, it didn’t really die down. Seeing her was like a gust of wind that fanned embers long thought dead, back to flames… Thinking about it right now, it didn’t hit me immediately back then, but a few songs or minutes later, things came crashing into me. The feelings I felt for her back then(or I so I thought) long thought dead, were suddenly being felt again. What I feel for THE GIRL(as I have mentioned in my previous post) is still there, the same, but what I felt for 70’s(let us call her 70’s to avoid confusion) is different. Raw and powerful would be two words that would describe what I felt for 70’s. What I feel for THE GIRL is by no means less powerful, but with 70’s it was raw(as I would like to describe it) as compared to THE GIRL which has been refined over time.

Hayyy…. Eto na lang muna… Magrereply pa ako sa kanya.

Salamat Noel. =)

2005-11-14T21:52:00.000+08:00

Had a tiring day yesterday. I was an instant production assistant for the JVP benefit concert.

It started when I passed by the JVP office last thursday, because i had nothing to do. When I got there ate Jo was the only one in the office, we talked for a while, when the conversation went to what I was doing now. I told her that I'm just resting after the board exam, so she asked me if I wanted to volunteer for the concert. I asked her if there's anything i can do where I don't need to dress up, so she told that they still need a production assistant. I wanted to see how it was in the backstage during concerts so i agreed. That was how I became one.

Basically, all I did was do some errands for the director and the stage manager, tell the performers that they're next. DId a lot of walking or sometimes running(while my ankle wasn't fully healed yet, it hurts like hell today) and I didn't get to see the concert. I got home around 2am earlier. I was so tired i fell asleep in the couch. I woke up at around noon.

2005-11-10T02:07:00.000+08:00

It's been a long time since my last post. I almost forgot i had a blog. But suddenly i had the urge to write, we'll see what I'll end up writing.

A lot has happened since then: my JVP year is over, went on the GMA(Great Mindanao Adventure, according to Joey), met new friends, studied for the Board Exam(first time I really studied, i visited the library for a few days then decided it was WAY better to study in starbucks katipunan, thanks to all our, ummm.... according to dax "inspirations"), took and passed the Board Exam (engineer na ako!!!!!!).
__________________

I texted Jon, a week ago "I had an epiphany/revelation regarding her... kwento ko next time na uminom tayo."

Epiphany/Revelation: I can't seriously pursue or go out with a girl unless I have resolved/moved on from THE GIRL.

THE GIRL: Knew HER since college, I wouldn't want to call it love at first sight, but it's almost the same. When I first met HER, SHE had a boyfriend then. Several boyfriends after, I still haven't said anything(sa kanya lang ako nattorpe...). Sabi sa akin ni yayie, "ang dami dami mo ngang chicks, sa kanya ka pa rin babalik" Yup, yayie was so right....

MOVING ON: Since I wanted to resolve/move on, I decided to tell her.

WHAT HAPPENED: We went out, she had some free time so we decided to meet up. So there we were, catching up, nag-aasaran, when she told me she just entered a relationship. Well, that's life for you. Of course, i felt bad, REALLY BAD... I ended up not telling anything I wanted to tell her. This is the second time it happened... The first time was when i was about to leave for my JVP area, back then she found someone she was "willing to spend the rest of her life with". After we parted i texted Jon, "every time i gathered enough courage to tell her di natutuloy, dahil meron na sya..."

That's life...

Kaya pala ako nagsulat... bitter...

___________________

I seem to be spending so much on books after my board exam. I bought the hard bound copy of Knife of Dreams by Robert Jordan, the 11th book of the wheel of time series and Kafka on the Shore by Haruki Murakami. Finished those two already, started reading Norwegian Wood by Haruki Murakami. Haven't started reading yet short stories collection of Kafka and Kipling.

___________________

Next time na ulit. ;-)

wala lang...

2005-03-13T15:28:00.000+08:00

You are 60% Aries

How much do you match your zodiac sign?

hahahaha

2005-03-11T21:16:00.000+08:00

A strong-willed herald of causes against injustice, you passionately strive to right the wrongs around you.

Somebody has to save our skins!

Leia is a character in the Star Wars universe. See her character entry at the Star Wars Databank for more information.

2005-01-04T09:01:00.000+08:00

My first for the year.

Its the time for resolutions. I haven't made one in years. The last one i made, was I'd never make another new year's resolution. So far, that was one resolution, I've really done.

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

I'm looking forward to going back to my area of assignment, even if i have to leave my friends here again, but going back would signal the impending end of my JVP year. Well it was a year of ups and down, but generally fun. I haven't decided yet what i'd do after my JVP year. A few weeks ago my course was set, but during the Christmas I had doubts about my chosen path.

2004-12-19T17:37:00.000+08:00

The past week I had three Christmas parties, one was for JVP local com, the other one was for the University and the other one was for the program we were handling. Mukhang masaya, pero nakakapagod, in each party meron akong trabaho. Assigned to do this, do that, I did enjoy, but not as much as i wanted to.

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

In the last Christmas party that I mentioned, the one for the program we were handling, I had a big mess. I forgot to finalize, the venue. Shit happens. My supervisor was really mad at me. But, if there's anyone more mad at me than her, it would be no one else but me. In all my years handling events, activities, projects during my college years, NEVER as in NEVER have I made such a big mistake as overlooking something so simple as finalizing the venue. I really felt bad that day. My perfect record of never having made a mistake in handling events, activities or project has been tarnished. As I've said, shit happens. Ate Ines, one of our formation staff in JVP, told me that I really must have been tired with all the work I've been doing.
Thinking on what she said, I realized, that i can't do or take on as many jobs as I had when I was still in college. Iba yung pagod, I was wrong to think it would be the same.

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

No regrets. One of the things I've been firm about, is about having no regrets. I really love what I am doing right now, I believe in what we do and stand for, even if my friends find it difficult, but if circumstances take me away from it. I'd have no regrets.

2004-12-14T18:15:00.000+08:00

It's been almost seven months since i came to my area of assignment, tagal na... 3 more months and then my JVP year would be over. Knowing that there's only three more months to go, I feel both sad and happy. Sad that in three months time, I'd be leaving Cagayan de Oro, my officemates, the students and everyone else I met here. I can say that, CdO would always be an important part of my life. At the same time, I know in three months time, I'd be back with my friends that I left when I volunteered, back with my family whom I do miss (even though I didn't think that I'd miss them, back to seeing her again.

Enough senti shit for the meantime, I still have to focus on what I'm doing here and enjoy the rest of my remaining months for my JVP year.

But then, I can't help not thinking what would happen after march...

2004-12-09T15:34:00.000+08:00

It's been so long since I last wrote here.

I've just had a realization...

I now speak bisaya much more fluently(not as fluent as i want it to be) than pangalatok or much better known an as pangasinense. I was once asked to say some words in pangasinense, to my surprise all i can utter were a few common words...

Weeds

2004-10-31T14:17:00.000+08:00

I was standing outside the JVP house when I noticed that the area surrounding our house was almost like a jungle. So I though, maybe I should pull the weeds, so it would look much better.

I hated it when my parents ordered me to pull weeds as a punishment for something when i was a kid.

Earlier today, for I don't know what reason, I pulled the weeds around our house.

Guess what...

I enjoyed doing it. Enough, that I might do it regularly.

Weird...

2004-10-13T17:55:00.000+08:00

This is rock-bottom...

I watched the notebook all by myself. I had nothing to do that day, so off I went to sm cdo. At first I wanted to read a book in national bookstore, but then i remembered that a few days ago a guard told me "scanning lang sir". That was when i decided to watch a movie. Having four choices: the notebook, bourne supremacy, 13 going on 30 and exorcist, I went through a process of elimination. I watched 13 going on 30 already, courtesy of NN, I liked the movie and as much as I love jennifer, I wasn't up to watching it again. I don't like watching horror movies, as I am easily disappointed if it isn't scary, so exorcist was out of the question. As for bourne supremacy, I rarely watch a movie based on a book that I've already read and I didn't like his version of the bourne identity(it was a remake, i didn't like the original too).

Which left me with, the notebook.

Together, with all the couples in the cinema, I watched the notebook. I liked the movie, with all its mushiness. And I'd confess a tear or two rolled down my while I watched it.(syet....)
I guess I really liked it, that I read his other book, message in a bottle.(nakita ko sa mga librong naiwan dun sa JVP house)

And I'm already finished reading message in a bottle.

Rock bottom talaga...

Mapawa

2004-10-12T13:02:00.000+08:00

Went to mapawa yesterday. It's a private park maintained by a prominent family here in cagayan de oro.

I went there for an outing for the organization presidents here in xavier, but there were only five of us who actually pushed through with the outing(dennis, earle, kitty, me and ate cua - my direct supervisor).

It was my first time to ride a habal-habal, my butt ached for the 15 minute ride. I wonder, how pj manages to do it for more than an hour.

When we got there, we went straight to the swimming hole, it's a hole not a pool. The swimming hole was amde by the passage of water from the small waterfall there. After lunch, we tasted kitty's concoction, boracay(tanduay, condensed milk, and coffee). Once we finished the first batch, we tried the 3 stage zipline. It was great, my only fear was that it may not carry my 100k body. I was assured by the people there that it could carry me, so off I went, zipping down the steel wire. Good thing it wasn't that long and it wasn't that high. For the second stage, we had to cross a steel wire bridge( it reminded me of trusses and beams na figures sa ES 11). Again it was a good thing that it wasn't that far and that high, as I had a hard time balancing myself(kaya pala ako naka 2 takes ng es 11). The third stage was again a zip line, but to get down the platform we had to rappel down.

Too bad i wasn't able to get my picture taken on top of the falls, posed as a buddha...

whoa....

2004-10-09T14:38:00.000+08:00

I am 52% evil.

I'm getting there. I haven't done all the damage I could do but I've done quite a bit. I'm just over the border into the Evil Zone.

Are you evil? find out at Hilowitz.com

River Rafting!!!!!

2004-10-08T18:40:00.000+08:00

This is way overdue. Went river rafting last september 19.

It was a sunny sunday morning and I was late for the supposedly 9am meet in front of mcdo. Tinatamad kasi akong gumising kasi sunday, buti na lang talaga at tumuloy ako.

I arrived at the meeting place 9:15, since i was the only one they were waiting for, nakakahiya. Cristalle was already there with her boyfriend and someone whom they just met. So, we boarded a jeep and went off to fetch jerry, steph, ninin and angie.

We arrived at the starting point of the trip. We were given a briefing by one of the guides. According to the guide the whole trip would be around 3 hours with 3 stopovers and 14(i think) rapids. After the briefing, we were told to board a raft. There were four rafts, I was in the raft with jerry, ninin, steph, tobey and angie.
So there we were in the raft with our guide, rupert, who happened to be GMA's guide in her white water rafting picture for wow philippines.

Hindi pa daw malakas yung unang rapid na dinaanan namin, pero ang saya na, paano pa kaya yung iba! SO after ilang rapids, dumating kami dun sa first stop. Isang hanging bridge, kung saan tatalon kami into the water. Buti na lang hinde ako nag-iisa na hinde tumalon... Pero, if ever na maulit akong mag white water rafting dito tatalon na ako. So ayun, tumuloy na kami to sa pag rrafting, at meron yung point na pinatayo kaming mag row habang nasa rapids(buti na lang nde ako nahulog...). Binigyan din kami ng chance na umalis sa raft at magpaagos sa river, me being afraid of the water(after that snorkeling incident sa puerto galera, takot na akong pumunta sa tubig na malalim), nde ako nagpaagos.

DUmating kami sa aming 2nd stop, kung saan nag lunch kami. Lunch namin was chocolates, bread and peanut butter(na dala ni cristalle) at ng bread stix na dala nila steph. So after ng lunch balik na kami sa aming trip along the river. Umabot na kami sa aming 3rd stop, where we went to this cave and crossed a rapid on foot.

So natapos namin ang aming white water rafting, around 2:30pm. By that time si tobey nagmamadali na dahil may flight sya back to manila ng 3.

The whole thing was fun, kahit sa isang taong takot sa tubig. Babalikan ko ulit yun, some other time.

Nuninuninu....

2004-10-06T16:32:00.000+08:00

Finals week ngayon dito sa xavier.

So wala masyadong work.... Hayy....

Sayang, was looking forward to going to marbel, south cotabato this thursday and davao on friday. As it would happen, we had to cancel the trip as my boss had something else to do and the budget wouldn't aloow it.

Oh well, I guess there would still be a chance for me to go to other places here in mindanao for the rest of the year.

Change of title....

2004-10-01T19:27:00.000+08:00

Yes, the title is a bit mushy for me but, what the heck...

I changed the title from red horse rider to the meantime boy's diaries. This was what I first had in mind for the title but somehow I ended up putting red horse rider.

I was baptized everybody's meantime boy, by candz. Takbuhan daw kasi ako ng mga kakabreak lang at ng mga walang boyfriend at naghahanap lang ng kasama. :) As she could attest to it=) (hi candz).

I felt that red horse rider wasn't appropriate, as i have already mellowed down, when it comes to drinking.

Hayy... tinatamad na akong magsulat....

Ruined for Life

2004-09-30T18:45:00.000+08:00

It's been almost four since I first came to Cagayan de Oro, the City of Golden Friendship.

I'm came here, as a volunteer for the Jesuit Volunteers Philippines. Assigned as a program assistant to the office of student affairs of xavier university-ateneo de cagayan.

This wasn't my original assignment, i was initially assigned to the archdiocese of davao as a youth formator. But as the fates would have it, some volunteers backed out, so some volunteers were reshuffled.

I remember during our pre-orientation seminar, before I was reaasigned, some volunteers thought that this would have been a boring assignment. Though they didn't say it directly, it was more of "ano gagawin dyan?". So far, I've been enjoying my stint as a volunteer here.

I would have to say, that when I arrived here, I hit the ground running. Thank God I didn't stumble. My first day at work, while I was being given by my supervisor an orientation, I learned that the next day would be the freshman orientation of the university and our office was the organizer of that event. Tough luck, I had some heavy work to do right after the first day. Well, thursday came, and I was late reporting for work(somehow, the orientation failed to include how i was supposed to get here). The day passed by like a whirlwind. I had to coordinate with the other offices of the university, while I haven't had the time to learn bisay yet, asking them to speak in filipino or english as I was talking to the university officials was quite funny. The next week, we had to prepare for a 3 day seminar for the heads of the various student organizations. Good thing, thing the seminar was out in bukidnon, yipee I get to travel immediately. I have to admit, my first assignment as a youth formator for the archdiocese of davao entailed a lot of traveling, I love to travel. The excitement was dampened by the fact that I had to give a talk during that seminar and my topic was a national situationer and how youth leaders can help. Imagine, ako... magbibigay ng national situation na talk... Napapaniwala ko naman yata sila sa pambobola ko... The whole seminar was fun, got to meet most of my clients for the whole year.

The succeeding weeks until the end of july saw more seminars. There was at least one every week, buti na lang half day na lang yung mga seminars na yun. The following months, though saw me monitoring activities and filing the activity reports of the organizations. Ako, nagffile... After all the scolding I received about my various notes(more of photocopies of my classmates' notes), papers and books scattered around our house. Oh well, if God wants me to learn how to organize files, so be it. I must admit, my filing here needs improvement.

The past 2 months, proved to be more of a challenge. As i now had more free time. This gave me more time to think and reflect about my JVP year(naks... i'll probably write about what i thought up during my free hours next time). There were also times when I found myself bored, though I could count it in my one hand, when there really was nothing for me to do in the office. Boredom didn't become much of a problem because I had great officemates, the students were fun to be with and the SUPER local committee of JVP here.

Though, I'm not yet halfway through my JVP year, I can safely say that I've changed. I never thought that the changes would be this great in such a short time, but it's there. As someone once told us going through a year as a JVP volunteer, leaves one ruined for life, in a good way =).

The life of a volunteer does have its ups and downs, makes one think of a roller coaster ride. The same faith that we give whoever designed a roller coaster to give us a great time and at the same time keep us safe, I know God would do the same and more for me and my batchmates.

Alam ko din, na matatapos ko to ng buong buo ang loob at ng walang panghihinayang.

@%$#$%#!@

2004-09-30T18:31:00.000+08:00

GREAT!

I was writing what would have been my longest post so far, when the computer decides to hang... Great...

Labas nga muna ako para magyosi...

Broken Hearts(2)

2004-09-29T14:03:00.001+08:00

I have just realized that I am broken hearted.

Not because of another failed romance, but because of the things that are happening to our world.

I was probably affected by all the rallies going on around UP, so I decided to do something much more concrete than complain. I signed up to be a volunteer.

I joined JVP, because I felt there is something I can contribute for the betterment of the lives of others.

I am now four months into my JVP year, although there are times when I find it difficult, I have never been happier in my life. Knowing that I am contributing in my own little way to building a better country.

Broken Hearts(1)

2004-09-27T19:16:00.000+08:00

Here's something i read which struck me, why it struck me would be for another day. for the mean time, here's what i read:

Only A Broken Heart is Whole

Education is not a process that continues for some years and then ends. Education has only one sovereign purpose: to prepare one for more education. All else is subsidiary to this. Education should create hungers – spiritual, moral, and aesthetic hungers for value.

There is a beautiful saying that comes to us from Hasidic lore: “There is only one thing that is whole in the entire world, and that is a broken heart.”

Reflect for a moment: Here is a world that has not yet been redeemed, a world in which there is tragedy at the root of things. How could a moral and sensitive man walk about with a heart that is not broken?

The broken-hearted—paradoxically and profoundly are the whole hearted. And the task of education… should be to break your heart. Unless it breaks your heart it is a false education, a pseudo-education. The gift of education will be a heart that is whole..

-Israel Knox-

Red Horse Rider

2004-09-25T13:00:00.000+08:00

Isang pagbibigay pugay sa aking paboritong inumin...

Ang red horse.

Walang tatalo sa isang baso ng napakalamig na red horse.

I have gone on a personal crusade to convert beer drinkers into red horse drinkers, and I am quite proud to have won so many. From my friends' yuppie friends to some of my JVP batchmates, a lot have switched to red horse after drinking it with me.

Red horse' distinct taste and certified tama gives beer drinkers the right kind of kick.

So ano pa hinihintay mo? Sakay na!

And as the red horse ad goes... ITO ANG TAMA!!!

P.S.
I have a confession... galit ako sa beer... sa sobrang galit ko sa beer, ayokong nakakakita ng beer... kaya inuubos ko kaagad ito.

First Time...

2004-09-24T11:38:00.000+08:00

Oo.

First time ko to...

This would be my first attempt at writing in an online journal.

A day after my river rafting experience, where i missed jumping off the bridge due to my fear of water, I made a decision to try and face my fears one at a time.

This is one of my fears, writing...

For someone who is much more comfortable playing with numbers than with words, I am bit afraid how my writing in an online journal would turn out.

I grew up with a mother who is a mathematician and a dad who is an engineer, naturally, i had numbers as my playmates when i was a kid. My fear for writing was further reinforced when i was a sophomore in high school, I flunked english. So while our classmates went off to a class outing I was left in school taking a removal exam, thankfully I had some company. I eventually passed english 2 and I now count Ma'am Oblepias one of my most unforgettable teachers.

Anyway, I was able to get by my other english classes during high school and during my 7 year stay in college.

Now, here I am writing my own blog.