Recently

Recently, I got a crazy week!

Maybe it started in the last two weeks of September. Late night reports and office stuffs that led to no sleeping in the night and just a quick nap during morning. That was how my days went on. I even forgot that I had a meeting in the 24th. I only remembered it in the 28th when I was with my high school buddies and we were heading to "Sadsad". I forgot why I remembered it too, or what we were talking back then that made me remember. Crazy, right?

On the 27th of September, that was Saturday!

I watched Wreck It Ralph. It's from Disney. I just thought of it first as a common kids movie. But I was wrong and until now, when I got time (and even there's no time) and stress all over, I watch it again... and again.

I got a lot of realization in here, "I'm bad, and that's good. I will never be good and that's not bad. There's no one I'd rather be than me."

I'm not meaning here that we should all be bad. But being bad for the sake of goodness is not bad at all. Well, I don't have much time to explain it, but I believe that you know what's the essence of that line.

I shed a tear when I heard that. Silly, I know. But I know a lot of people like Ralph. I'm too like Ralph sometimes. Sadly, in our world, being like Ralph is not appreciable to many. But only protagonist will shine when there is an antagonist. We should remember that.

And if you think that my day did end that way, nope, it didn't.

It was late, no no no, not really that late but around 8:30 in the evening when I met with Jacque to accompany me to buy a present for my dear "Baby Pot". Well, the original plan is that I will go shop by myself early in the morning so that I could have more rest and can wake up early in the next morning. But aside from dating Ralph the whole day, I slept. It was 6 or so when I had enough of Ralph and sleeping when I decided to text Rayssa to accompany me. But knowing Rayssa, and as what I expected her to respond me, she said that it was already late to go to the mall. Alright, she was right, but I really need to buy something for Miggy (my Baby Pot). So I decided to go out on my own, as I originally planned. But when I about to leave from our house, Jacque texted me and here what she said, though not the exact words, "Buhi ko na, Sugata nyo na ako.  (It's already my off, you can fetch me now)" And because I haven't seen her for a while, I decided to reply her text. I told her if she can meet me in SM City. But later I changed it and instead, we met in land bank near SM Deldago. And as we wait for the right jeepney, we remembered to ask Angelie if she can come with us (Angelie lives just a few walk away from where we were waiting a jeepney). To our surprised, Angelie replied that she was already in SM City that very moment and she will going to wait for us there. So the three of us roamed around SM City and that any minute it was already mall's closing time. Having no time, I ended up in the Toy Kingdom. After a lot of frustrations of not finding nice for Baby Pot, I gave up. SM was almost close by that time. But when I was exiting Toy Kingdom, I saw something that changed everything. Hahah, not really everything, just exaggerating. I mean, I found something for Baby Pot. Eureka! I don't know its name though, but it's like a beach ball. Like a beach ball in the sense of its material. It's made of plastic and you need to pump some air inside it so that it can serve its purpose. It's long, unlike a beach ball, well, it's not a ball. Haha. It stands from the ground up to my stomach I think. It can be a punching bag for kids. They can punch it and punch again but it will never die down. It has a base full of sand. Making it a little heavier. Well, my sister called it a "Tumbler". I just thought she mistook it as a tumbler because it looks like a tumbler in its picture in the box. But no, when I look at its box, which I never thought of looking before, there's a name on it and it says, "Tumbler." That's it, my sister is so right. It has a mickey mouse design.

After that, we decided to have dinner at JO's Chicken Inato in Plazuela.

Before we finally went home, we walked at the Esplanade and celebrate my first time to have this:

San Miguel Beer - Apple Flavor

Well, it's still taste bitter and I don't like the smell. I got a little itchy all around my neck, arms  and back too. And hey, I felt lighter. So it's true that when you drink such, you'll feel light.

Angelie and Jacque told me that it's not that strong, it's only like drinking a Cali. Despite that, it was my first time. I did it, Horaaay!!!

On the 28th of September, that was Sunday!

It's high school time again! Yahooo!

The PBK, once again, went to Guimaras!

Do you need more words for me to describe how happy I am that day and everytime I remember it?

I miss such bonding with them. It was like we revisited who we were in high school but bringing with us everything what we are today and still, the fun is the same. 

Thank you Aura for these pictures. 

We did a little diving in Alubihod too. Oh, let me repeat, they did a little diving and I tried to dive myself too but failed. Hahaha. That was quite funny. Way back when we were younger, we did too a little diving in the same spot and though I was afraid, I made it. But this time (still with a rope that connect us to our adviser Sir Pedz so that he can pull us the moment we reach the water), even of how many times I tried, my knee just won't do it. It didn't even had a courage to bend a little so that I can jump. I felt like I will be having a heart attack the moment I jump off the big rock. And because I didn't jump and the only way I can get down to that big rock is to jump or to dive (I can't even go up there on my own in the first place), Sabby has to fetch me from the other side of that big rock where it has a lower part but where also the sea water is already very deep. Thank God, there was Sabby, he swam around the big rock, so that he can swam me back to the seashore.I just rode in his back and he swam for the two of us. That was so shameful of me but what will I gonna do? I don't know how to swim.

And thanks too, Rianne.

I was so happy too that I got to spend time and talk with Rianne again, after 4 or maybe 5 years, since she and her family migrated to Canada. Early in that day also, I fetched her in their house and had a chance to see Baby Pot and he kissed me despite he was in a bad mood because he knew that his mama will going to leave him (because of our Guimaras adventure with the PBK). And oh, that reminds me that I forgot to have a picture with Baby Pot. 

29th of September, that was Monday.

I was my way to the office when I noticed in the side mirror that the white long-sleeve I was wearing tore apart a little in my back near my underarms. Hahaha. So I was thinking that the first thing to do after I will arrive at the office was to find a thread and a needle. But I only got a chance to log-in in our biometric when my chief asked me to accompany our director. I first didn't know where we were going. I asked RD Nonoy but he just said to just go with him. I later found out we're heading to Tapaz, Capiz. In just a few hours we arrive at Tapaz, Capiz and that made me regret why I wore a long-sleeve (I thought, I'll be spending my whole Monday in the office). The sun shone very bright that day and it was so hot in the quadrangle (Tapaz Civic Center) where they held their fiesta program. Our director was their guest speaker and I made his mini bio for his introduction. All the time, I just sat their down below the stage together with the teacher who will introduce our director but I didn't know that RD was texting me and asking about his bio. That was funny and panicky too. The whole office asked me when we arrived of my whereabouts and why RD was searching for me. Tapaz' mayor and the people are quite nice too in accommodating us. And it was my first time also to witness the Patabang Festival 2014. "Patabang" is from the root word "Tabang" which means "help". Their celebration is about helping one another to survive. There was even one presentation that portrays how typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan) devastated Capiz and how the people there surpassed such tragedy thru helping one another and getting help from the Philippine government and from the world.

I thought I'll be back to the office after our attendance to the Patabang Festival 2014. But RD brought me to his "some kind of a meeting" in OWWA. They called it a meeting, but its like they are having an evaluation among the candidate OFWs to be the representative of Western Visayas to the National competition of the best example OFW family.

I was glad I got a chance to see what in a day of our Regional Director. 

30th day  of September. Tuesday.

I proceeded to NEDA at Port San Pedro to attend the Research Utilization Forum. The forum will start at 8 AM so I thought I'll be late. That made me doubled my ride to shorten the distance of travel from our house. Quite to my surprise, I came in with only 6 people inside the venue (that includes the secretariat already). 

The purpose of the forum is for the awarenes of the participants (the stakeholders) of the existence of such researches and to encourage the stakeholders in utilizing them to maybe help or eases the problem covered by the researches presented.  Also, to further develop the researches. 

One of my co-participants looked familiar to me. I confirmed it was him when the participants were introduced one by one. He was my crush back in college. But he was too serious back then (and maybe 'til now) that I never remembered him glanced and smiled towards my way. I tried many times during the forum to talk to him but I failed. In the end, after the forum, we rode the same jeepney from NEDA. I tried hard to look in his side and when I finally made it, I opened my mouth. At first, it was so hard for me to speak what I wanted to say, but I saw the anticipation in his reaction so I blurted out my question. I asked him if he graduated from West Visayas State University. And as I expected he said "Yes". I asked him after of what year he graduated. He answered "2011" like what I was expecting to hear from him again. Of course, I knew all his answers because even if I didn't ask him, I already knew that fact about him. I just wanted and maybe dying? (that's exaggeration already) to talk to him. So when he said he graduated in year 2011, I said, "me too". And, "maybe that's why you are so familiar to me". Hahaha, that was my very funny way of starting a conversation with my crush. The funniest part of our conversation is when he asked for my name, I just respond "Shane", and he introduced himself after. I didn't hear him at first so I asked him what he was saying so he did repeat again telling me what his name is. My reaction is "ah okay.." with a big grin. Well, that grin is hiding my laughter. I wanted to laugh that very moment when he introduced himself to me. Damn me, why it never occured to me to ask his name after he asked mine? I'm not just a great pretender. I knew him already. That's a fact. And that's the reason why it never occured to me to ask his name. Good thing I didn't call him in his name before the time he introduced himself to me. Or I'll be caught in the act. Or maybe I can reasoned out that I made sure to remember his name from the introduction of participants because he's familiar to me. But sometimes, in moment like that, my mind is not responding well. So, that was good. And I thank God for that day. He even said good bye to me. I felt like we were close. And that was the first time. I simply did not exist to him when we were in college. 

1st day of October, Wednesday

Rianne and her family left today for Canada.

I felt like I'm starting all over again. I don't know. Maybe I was not or will never be comfortable on interviews. On this day, I was scheduled to be interviewed in a position of a Statistician. I was torn between "I want to" and "I don't want to". Anyway, whatever the outcome of that interview, God knows best. 

I also remember that on this first week of October 2012, I was hired as the SRS Coordinator of DOLE. I forgot the exact day and the event of that day. But Rayssa told me that this day is the feast of St. Therese. That was when everything returned to my memory. DOLE informed me that I was hired just after I went to St. Therese Church and celebrate her feast together with Angelie. I never had a chance then to experience the famous shower of roses.

In the past few days, I felt so heavy and lost. So, when Rayssa reminded me of St. Therese' feast, I tried my best to attend. Though I left the office late, almost 7 PM, I pursued Rayssa to still try and to go to St. Therese with me. When we arrived there, people are alreday leaving the church. We still went inside  though, to say some prayers. As we were inside, the song that was playing is about the shower of roses of St. Therese. Then a surprise to Rayssa and me came when the giant man-made rose above the ceiling moved. Then, we have witnessed, for the first time ever, the shower of roses.

I got three petals for myself.

October 2, Thursday.

So far, I didn't have a normal day like what I used to. Home-Office-Home.

My week was really crazy. Thursday. I thought Thursday would be normal but nope. There was again a follow-up interview. This time I almost choked to tears while we were having the interview. It was a sob of happiness and appreciation. I looked back and for two years, DOLE had helped me grown up and experienced things I never thought to encounter. And we took an EQ test and 10 different kinds of aptitude test. That was fun, though my head and back ached after.

October 3. Friday.

I realized that I have 7 deadlines on this day! We'll this day ends that none of my deadline is finished. 

There was also an earthquake today. As what I heard, Iloilo was intensity II. So this day, is still not normal. Anyway, TGIF! Thank God It's Friday!

October 4, Saturday  again!

That's TODAY! I got a tons of office works with me that I made as my homework. But hey, cannot concentrate with them because I was in the mood to write this all, to blog myself out from stress.

I just wish that I will finish everything that is needed to be finished. And that whatever fate is waiting for me in the coming days, I will surpass it.