Sunday night (October 8), as I was sitting in that majestic white chair present in every house, my cellphone vibrates and gives off that familiar beeping sound. A picture of Achi with Papa appears on the screen. Below it the following texts: “Text message received from: Achi. Read now?” I hesitantly press the “Yes” button knowing that one false move and my cellphone could slip and go “Splash!” (^.^)v She wrote, “Hi siot, what’s up?”. I replied, “Nothing much, just watching a marathon of Grey’s Anatomy S2”. She replied “hehehe. You didn’t update your blog yet.” (Of course, you all know by now what I was really doing during that time, but don’t worry, although I was tempted to do so, this blog won’t be about that stuff so continue reading. ^^)
Life is like a rollercoaster ride. Sometimes you’re up, sometimes you’re down. You’ve probably encountered this sentence when taking up similes in high school. The question is, does life really have to be that way?
--- o ---
3:30pm, Sept. 28, a throng of employees excited, almost skippingly, with a who-cares-if-the-rest-can-see-us attitude, headed for the bundy clock to sign out. We were more than ready for Bohol! We took the elevator down and assembled at the ground floor. When suddenly, while waiting for some of our companions, strong gusts of wind appeared from nowhere and the heavens began to pour as if testing our will and determination. We knew of a storm coming in Manila, but what was it doing here in Cebu! “Oh no!”, “Not now!” were just some of the thoughts that crossed my mind. Some of us were concerned whether there would still be ferries in operation. But not once did I hear anyone of the group say “Ay! Dili nalang ta mangadto! (Let’s not go nalang! (How conyo naman the translation hehehe (^^;) )”. I was proud. To be honest, I expected someone to say that. But this was unlike any other group. Then suddenly, as if beaten, the wind and rain mellowed down as fast as it came. We were off to Bohol!
6:30 pm, “Brooooooooom, Broom, Broom!” I was sitting at the back of a tricycle (Filipino ingenuity at work!). We were on our way to the house of our friend’s lola in Clarin. Taking 6 passengers in one time, the tricycle looked to be at its limits, leaving a trail of smoke behind (or should I say fumes! ^^). A bus was heading our way but the only thing I could see were 2 huge headlights shining through. I thought to myself, “Wow! This would make a lovely picture.” Grasping my camera on my left, and my backpack on my right, I was tempted to take a picture, but the fear of dropping my brand new SLR camera was stronger so I held back. (Sayang!) 10 minutes later, we arrived at the place. Our 1st reaction was “Mingaw lagi, sigurado mo naay fiesta?” (It’s so quiet, are you sure there’s a fiesta?). It turns out that people in Bohol celebrate their fiesta for a whole week! We arrived late in the week so there wasn’t that much activity left. Nevertheless, there was still a lot of food for us and we got to visit a casino, the barrio way.
In a small secluded area, in a street next to the town church, we came across a “perya”. The place was illuminated only by light bulbs hanging from wires suspended 5 feet in the air. (For once in my life, I actually felt tall!) There were all kinds of colored boards and wheels with numbers on them. It was a gambling place. Sad to see that there were more kids than adults in the area. Most of the board operators were adults so I guess you can say that they were ripping off these kids! (Very sad thought). As I have never been to one before, I was very amazed and was eagerly looking around. As for some of my companions, the place somehow brought back childhood memories. Soon, like playing in a real casino, the excitement started rushing in and we were all entwined in the destructive web of gambling! (over naman! hehehe) Even our friend “G”, gambler of the century, experienced in big betting as she is, shrieked with joy as her 25 cents landed inside the square, winning 1.25 pesos. And shrieked again when the wheel almost stopped on the areas marked “Pera” and “Bayong” which would have turned her 1 peso into 30 pesos. She almost won a bottle of ketchup and soy sauce as well. (^.^) As for me, my 1 peso won me 5 pesos. My luck didn’t last that long though as all 6 pesos were gone in less than 10 minutes. I contented myself with taking pictures of the place and the kids at play.
Later that night, we went to the mayor’s house. It turns out that our friend knew the mayor of the town! That’s where we got free booze. (See the new SMB 1.5 liter packaging and other pictures here) Boss “J”, couldn’t help but enjoy the red wine, he finished 2 bottles almost all by himself! Resulting to a sleepless night for the girls as he kept on grunting loudly all through out the night. (.\ /.) Not to mention nobody wanting to use the toilet in the morning anymore. (^O^)
The sun was shining brightly the next day and we headed for Panglao! Stopping by Tagbilaran to shop for some groceries and to eat our lunch. (Remind me not to eat at that ridiculously pricey carinderia (canteen) again!). We stayed at Dumaluan resort. It’s right beside Bohol Beach Club. At first we had to be contented with getting a non-airconditioned room as all the airconditioned rooms were fully booked. Luckily, some tourists from Manila, after complaining of the service, gave up their reservations. Sorry for them, lucky for us! We now have aircon! ^^ The girls then worked their magic and marinated the pork belly for our dinner. The boys, of course, stood along side them giving full support. Hehehe (^o^) After which, we played a little game of soccer on sand. Our friends “I” , the futbolera princess, and “M”, our dalagita (^.-), being soccer varsity players gave us a little showdown. We then had grilled pork belly, grilled hotdog, and puso for dinner. Yummy! The rest of the evening was spent playing “buwan-buwan” (moon-moon in english (^.^)v ) and talking along the cool sands of Panglao. We headed back to the cottage to get some sleep. It turned out though, that most are still high from last night’s experience so we played a little game of Super 6 and Poker. Little you say? It ended 5am! ka~bloog!
--- o ---
3:00 pm, October 9, I have just arrived at the office after taking the morning off. I opened my mailbox and there it was! At long last, after waiting for two weeks, a reply from my academic adviser, “G”. I was exhilarated! I was gonna get my recommendation for the scholarship. Wheew! With the deadline fast approaching I was a bit worried. Not only that, she was kind enough to volunteer to send the recommendation through post mail even though she's living in Canada now. Thank you “G”! I’ll forever be grateful.
--- o ---
6:00 pm, October 9. I went to see my general manager to have my leave and OT forms signed. I had no idea what was coming. Out of the blue, he informs me that he and the president of the company have decided not to give me a recommendation. He gave his speech about how the company is not doing so well and that he wanted me here in Cebu. He told me that he has done the same for previous employees who have asked for recommendations. Right there and then, I knew he was lying. It so happens that one of those employees is a close friend of mine and I know very well that he gave him one a year ago. Well, to you Mr. HI (how ironic for someone so unwelcoming to have these initials), I can only wish you the best. (^^;) The stories about you were true after all. (A sound started playing at the back of my head: … bakakon ka, liar, evil ka …) The song is entitled “Bakakon Ka” (You’re a Liar) by Aggressive Audio, a local band in Cebu.
--- o ---
In just a span of 3 hours, I went from way HI to way LOW. I guess life really is like a rollercoaster ride. And to this I can only say, “Bring on the loops!” Who needs a so-so caterpillar ride, right? I want to experience life to the fullest.
Thanks chi for being so religious in checking out my blog site. Hopefully there are others out there like you. This week I reached the 350th mark for unique accesses to my site. Salamat! (I hope it’s not just one person jumping from one PC to the other. (^.^)/ hehehe). If you have the time, don’t forget to post your comments. I’d appreciate it a lot.
Life is like a rollercoaster ride. Sometimes you’re up, sometimes you’re down. You’ve probably encountered this sentence when taking up similes in high school. The question is, does life really have to be that way?
--- o ---
3:30pm, Sept. 28, a throng of employees excited, almost skippingly, with a who-cares-if-the-rest-can-see-us attitude, headed for the bundy clock to sign out. We were more than ready for Bohol! We took the elevator down and assembled at the ground floor. When suddenly, while waiting for some of our companions, strong gusts of wind appeared from nowhere and the heavens began to pour as if testing our will and determination. We knew of a storm coming in Manila, but what was it doing here in Cebu! “Oh no!”, “Not now!” were just some of the thoughts that crossed my mind. Some of us were concerned whether there would still be ferries in operation. But not once did I hear anyone of the group say “Ay! Dili nalang ta mangadto! (Let’s not go nalang! (How conyo naman the translation hehehe (^^;) )”. I was proud. To be honest, I expected someone to say that. But this was unlike any other group. Then suddenly, as if beaten, the wind and rain mellowed down as fast as it came. We were off to Bohol!
6:30 pm, “Brooooooooom, Broom, Broom!” I was sitting at the back of a tricycle (Filipino ingenuity at work!). We were on our way to the house of our friend’s lola in Clarin. Taking 6 passengers in one time, the tricycle looked to be at its limits, leaving a trail of smoke behind (or should I say fumes! ^^). A bus was heading our way but the only thing I could see were 2 huge headlights shining through. I thought to myself, “Wow! This would make a lovely picture.” Grasping my camera on my left, and my backpack on my right, I was tempted to take a picture, but the fear of dropping my brand new SLR camera was stronger so I held back. (Sayang!) 10 minutes later, we arrived at the place. Our 1st reaction was “Mingaw lagi, sigurado mo naay fiesta?” (It’s so quiet, are you sure there’s a fiesta?). It turns out that people in Bohol celebrate their fiesta for a whole week! We arrived late in the week so there wasn’t that much activity left. Nevertheless, there was still a lot of food for us and we got to visit a casino, the barrio way.
In a small secluded area, in a street next to the town church, we came across a “perya”. The place was illuminated only by light bulbs hanging from wires suspended 5 feet in the air. (For once in my life, I actually felt tall!) There were all kinds of colored boards and wheels with numbers on them. It was a gambling place. Sad to see that there were more kids than adults in the area. Most of the board operators were adults so I guess you can say that they were ripping off these kids! (Very sad thought). As I have never been to one before, I was very amazed and was eagerly looking around. As for some of my companions, the place somehow brought back childhood memories. Soon, like playing in a real casino, the excitement started rushing in and we were all entwined in the destructive web of gambling! (over naman! hehehe) Even our friend “G”, gambler of the century, experienced in big betting as she is, shrieked with joy as her 25 cents landed inside the square, winning 1.25 pesos. And shrieked again when the wheel almost stopped on the areas marked “Pera” and “Bayong” which would have turned her 1 peso into 30 pesos. She almost won a bottle of ketchup and soy sauce as well. (^.^) As for me, my 1 peso won me 5 pesos. My luck didn’t last that long though as all 6 pesos were gone in less than 10 minutes. I contented myself with taking pictures of the place and the kids at play.
Later that night, we went to the mayor’s house. It turns out that our friend knew the mayor of the town! That’s where we got free booze. (See the new SMB 1.5 liter packaging and other pictures here) Boss “J”, couldn’t help but enjoy the red wine, he finished 2 bottles almost all by himself! Resulting to a sleepless night for the girls as he kept on grunting loudly all through out the night. (.\ /.) Not to mention nobody wanting to use the toilet in the morning anymore. (^O^)
The sun was shining brightly the next day and we headed for Panglao! Stopping by Tagbilaran to shop for some groceries and to eat our lunch. (Remind me not to eat at that ridiculously pricey carinderia (canteen) again!). We stayed at Dumaluan resort. It’s right beside Bohol Beach Club. At first we had to be contented with getting a non-airconditioned room as all the airconditioned rooms were fully booked. Luckily, some tourists from Manila, after complaining of the service, gave up their reservations. Sorry for them, lucky for us! We now have aircon! ^^ The girls then worked their magic and marinated the pork belly for our dinner. The boys, of course, stood along side them giving full support. Hehehe (^o^) After which, we played a little game of soccer on sand. Our friends “I” , the futbolera princess, and “M”, our dalagita (^.-), being soccer varsity players gave us a little showdown. We then had grilled pork belly, grilled hotdog, and puso for dinner. Yummy! The rest of the evening was spent playing “buwan-buwan” (moon-moon in english (^.^)v ) and talking along the cool sands of Panglao. We headed back to the cottage to get some sleep. It turned out though, that most are still high from last night’s experience so we played a little game of Super 6 and Poker. Little you say? It ended 5am! ka~bloog!
--- o ---
3:00 pm, October 9, I have just arrived at the office after taking the morning off. I opened my mailbox and there it was! At long last, after waiting for two weeks, a reply from my academic adviser, “G”. I was exhilarated! I was gonna get my recommendation for the scholarship. Wheew! With the deadline fast approaching I was a bit worried. Not only that, she was kind enough to volunteer to send the recommendation through post mail even though she's living in Canada now. Thank you “G”! I’ll forever be grateful.
--- o ---
6:00 pm, October 9. I went to see my general manager to have my leave and OT forms signed. I had no idea what was coming. Out of the blue, he informs me that he and the president of the company have decided not to give me a recommendation. He gave his speech about how the company is not doing so well and that he wanted me here in Cebu. He told me that he has done the same for previous employees who have asked for recommendations. Right there and then, I knew he was lying. It so happens that one of those employees is a close friend of mine and I know very well that he gave him one a year ago. Well, to you Mr. HI (how ironic for someone so unwelcoming to have these initials), I can only wish you the best. (^^;) The stories about you were true after all. (A sound started playing at the back of my head: … bakakon ka, liar, evil ka …) The song is entitled “Bakakon Ka” (You’re a Liar) by Aggressive Audio, a local band in Cebu.
--- o ---
In just a span of 3 hours, I went from way HI to way LOW. I guess life really is like a rollercoaster ride. And to this I can only say, “Bring on the loops!” Who needs a so-so caterpillar ride, right? I want to experience life to the fullest.
Thanks chi for being so religious in checking out my blog site. Hopefully there are others out there like you. This week I reached the 350th mark for unique accesses to my site. Salamat! (I hope it’s not just one person jumping from one PC to the other. (^.^)/ hehehe). If you have the time, don’t forget to post your comments. I’d appreciate it a lot.
hi steph! so nt having HI's recommendation does mean that the scholarship application is next to impossible? sorry to hear that...
ReplyDeleteHello Rose!
ReplyDeleteYup. It's one of those grants where in your company has to approve your study leave. I think it's to make sure that you come back. I'm still trying to look for other ways to get a recommendation. ^^ Or kung hindi na talaga, there are other opportunities pa naman e. ^^
thanks rose!
Are you sure about posting this much detail about how you feel about your boss? Tapang mo, pare!
ReplyDeleteenrico! ^^
ReplyDeletehahaha ^^ It's just how I feel. You just so happen to know the person whom I'm referring to. ^^
how sad... may iba pang opportunities siguro steph. hmmm... being good in telling lies, hmmm... requirement siguro yan para maging successful or rich sa buhay. wahahah! ang sama naman!
ReplyDeletehahaha ^^ I don't think he's that successful and rich! ^^ And we prefer to be rich in a million other ways right? (^.-)
ReplyDeletethanks roms! ^^
life is a rollercoaster ride indeed ;-) enjoyed reading this entry ... daghan ug blind items(?) hehe ^_^
ReplyDeletewooa 350th mark?! rising internet star in the making?? hehehe ^ ^
hey kt! thanks for reading my blog. I hope you check my site from time to time. ^^ Bisaya sad diay ka ... Do I know you? pakilala ka naman. Don't be shy. hehehe ^^
ReplyDelete