huwag nang mag-atubili, bumili na kayo.

Well, hindi siya Astro Cigarettes. Pero ito na ang totoo: ito na yata ang pinakamasarap na sorbetes na natikman ko.

I chanced upon this flavor when I was looking for something to bring to a friend's birthday. I knew Selecta had a variant when I was in grade school, but their version was something like pale cheese ice cream with blueberry jam ripple and chunks of graham crackers. (It tasted like an uncovered cake left in the freezer with trapped water from the ice tray above it. ugh.) Since I was going to a party and was left with only vanilla and this blue one to choose from, I decided to take an adventure with the latter, hoping that Arce Dairy would get it right.

It did. Instead of a cheese-based ice cream, it was fruit-based (much like FIC's strawberry), with only a few hints here and there of cheese, tiny berry bits and dark graham cracker crumbs. And I must say it really tastes heavenly -- never mind if my tongue turns blue after eating a cup (and then some) of this sweet monstrosity. Goodbye healthy fruit yoghurt. I hit my 6-million target anyway so I think I deserve some sugar! Haha rationalizing na naman ang salbabida ko.

Pati tatay ko asked for more when I offered a tiny amount to cap his dinner (bwahahaha ang damot ko -- but he's diabetic!). That speaks a lot for someone who eats only ube ice cream -- or maybe it's because blue and purple are similar?

Promise, maghi-hiphop abs na ako this week para makabawi! :p

yes, i bought a china dual-SIM phone. no TV, though.

I didn't like the analog TV antenna on the other phones; besides, they were too bulky. More on this once I'm done tinkering with it =)

Nargalzius is a demon?

Ba't parang pakiramdam ko maraming makakabasa nito pag tinapos ko na 'to...

For the longest time, I've had the floating thought that the name "Nargalzius" had something to do with an evil character. I don't know where or whom the idea sprung from -- heck, even the guy who uses the name says he got it from a line Dan Akroyd said in a movie (diba Carlo?), but I felt OC-ed to verify it once and for all.

Of course, Googling "Nargalzius" would only bring you to Carlo's website and its many pages, or different discussion boards where he commented on. I tried to broaden the search to "nargal" and I found a few interesting information:

- in the World of Warcraft, there is an orc by the name of Nargal DeathEye. See him here.
- the Irish Druids (one of the subgroups of a pre-Christian Celtic priesthood) mentions an
allusion to "the crowing of Nargal" (wtf?) that is making my nose bleed. Try to understand
it here.

It gets warmer in the next find, where

- in the book The Return of the Serpents of Wisdom (see excerpt here), the term Nargal,
or Nergal, is the universal name of the serpents of Wisdom, and is also the Babylonian
equivalent for Vulcan, the underworld fire serpent. One of the most well-known nergals
is mentioned in the Bible in the book of Jeremiah, Nergal-sharezer, the "prince of fire".

Finally, searching for "nergal" brings me to a wikipedia page that mentions, among a
multitude of things, the existence of a demon named as such, even touted as "chief of
Hell's secret police".

So yun. Mali ako kasi walang demon na Nargalzius. Hahahaha. What a useless effort!!

uno, dos, tres, katorse!

Lulubusin ko na ang pag-blog habang tahimik pa dito sa bahay...

A lot of things happened during the last month of 2007. I was moving branches, helped out with P's family during his Lola's passing, had a bunch of relatives from Australia staying over well until the first few weeks of the new year, 4 Christmas parties with 4 different groups all in the same week, and the usual family Christmas/New Year dinners and lunch reunions.

Surprisingly, I didn't eat as much as I used to. I guess I was so caught up in the preparations of the numerous activities -- buti na lang!

I have a lot to thank for. Twas a shining year for Hangad, particularly with the success of the a cappella concert. Work-wise, all the long hours paid off as we met our targets for the year -- and even exceeded our goals! (sana ganun pa rin in 2008...)

I got to spend time with my family with our vacation in Boracay, and with my Dad in Japan. That was such a memorable experience! Here's to more trips and more laughs, and less stress for us at the household! :)

2007 also gave me new friends, and brought back old ones I haven't kept in touch with for the longest time. I found myself finally having time to have coffee and conversations with those I've been meaning to spend time with in ages. I never thought I still had the stamina to stay up until sunrise just to talk...hahaha it felt so high school!

Most of all, I'm grateful for the good health, good fortune and great relationships. P and I are on our 95th month together, and I pray we'll continue to keep each other happy :)

The first week of the new year has just ended. Akala mo pahinga na? Uupo lang sandali para matigil ang vertigo, but after that, let's keep the ball rolling! Now is the time! :)

Isang masaya, masagana, at masigabong taon para sa ating lahat!

:)

Show me FIERCE!

Here's a compilation c/o Migs of the recent Hangad Christmas party pics.

Am I glad I have a pro stylist for a brother ;p (thanks kuya!)

Too bad I had no couple shot with P. Kasi!!!!

another day, just breathe

And so begins my new life in the new year in the new branch.

Just got through my first three days, and how has it been?

Quiet. At least on the staff side -- in terms of the customers' side it was quite busy.

The branch people seem nice. My boss, of course, is a friend and my old boss from a couple of years back. I met my teammates during the Christmas party and they're ok. The tellers are completely new to me, smiling a bit then going back to their bill-counting; the back office staff are...well, polite. The wealth management officers are, surprisingly, the most talkative of the lot. It all was going well until I had this small chat:

WMO: So, they told me back at the old branch that you'll be transferring here, uh, what's your name again?
Me: (I point to my nickname in BOLD red on my ID.) Yes, in fact, I have transferred
already.(diba?)
WMO: Yes, of course! You're a singer, too, right?
Me: Uh, yeah, sort of. (I hope she remembers I'm a bank employee too.)
WMO: So, I guess you're still experiencing some kind of culture shock, no? I mean, coming from that area...nagpractice ka ba ng pagka-sosyal?
Me: Uh, no. I don't feel much of a difference in this area. In fact, I used to be in the
main office even before you were hired. (Practice?!? ano daw?!?)
WMO: Sure, you don't...hey, don't worry. You can be yourself naman here, ako na bahala
sa iba so they know you, ok? You don't have to be sooo quiet! We understand.
Come on, I'll introduce you to the others..

Nakakatawa diba?!? She barely talked to me when she was visiting in the old branch, I'm beginning to believe myself when I joked to the others back then that she thought I was probably an OJT trainee. I've heard stories about her notorious jolog-bashing, and I thought it was ridiculous at the time until now! But she's sweet. I think. Buti hindi ko sya boss :P

I was chatting via instant messenger with my old branchmates and they were missing me, hehe. They even sent a hilarious pic of me during the last summer outing. One of them wrote, "Wala ka na pala talaga dito. Iniisip ko na lang naka-leave ka." WAAAH! I went back to Commonwealth after office hours on my first day to buy them sundaes and fries and to ask how they were.

Kaya ko 'to. Kaya ko 'to!

you'd be appalled if you knew what i was doing when you called

Do you remember landline calls? Few people talk on the home phone nowadays, with everyone exhausting their unlimited texts and calls on their mobile service provider. Other than P and my clients, I seldom get landline calls, and if I do, my staying power and attention span has shrunk to a few minutes compared to the midnight-to-sunrise marathons when I was still a giddy schoolgirl.

I can still recall how anxious I was everytime the phone rang -- or when it didn't! I would patiently wait by the phone for calls in the morning, after lunch and before going to sleep, and faithfully call my best friends everyday even if we've seen each other all day at school! When I got too impatient I'd even pick up the receiver to check for a dialtone, or call the other person's landline to check for a ring (predecessor ng missed calls hehe)!

There were times in the summer when my parents would actually call the neighbors' phones to check up on us kids because the line was always busy (wala pang call waiting nun) -- and that was because we were 3 teenagers hogging the line all day, not just for phone conversations but for dialup internet as well! As if telebabad weren't enough, we succumbed to the novelty of ICQ and MIRC, and enjoyed the convenience of Edsamail!

As communication channels continue to diversify and with webphone and mobile call rates dropping, they say that the landline will soon be a thing of the past. But it played such a significant part of my wonder years that I think I won't be able to give it up just yet.

Now only if the wireless landline units weren't so bulky...

sleeping to dream about you...

Lovely. I went home right after a Sunday recollection to take my mom to church and take a long, much needed rest, when I found my nephew, D, sitting in my father's TV couch. Akala ko Monday pa date namin -- he decided to take a chance and made a surprise visit. Buti pala maaga ako umuwi.

We spent the rest of the afternoon and early evening installing pc games and playing each and every one of them...haaay. Hindi pala ako magaling magdrive ng monster truck!! Pero magaling ako sa memory games.

When it was time to go home, D was feeling a bit down and asked if he could just spend the night at my house. Actually, I was expecting P to visit after dinner but I couldn't resist his Bambi eyes when he asked. So we called his mom to ask permission and she said yes! We got his jammies, gave him a bath and tucked him in, and made sure he was sleeping soundly before P arrived...baka umiyak e -- or worse, sipain nya si Joy on the other side of the bed!

When P finally called to tell me he was on his way, I felt sooo tired already that I almost said nothing the whole time he was home -- nakatulugan ko nga yata siya at some point (sorry, P). Tsk, tsk. It's hard to make time for two guys Anyway, he just dropped by to pick up some stuff and to give my something to deposit at the bank the following day and had to leave early din kasi duty siya sa hospital from 830am Monday (today) till 830am Tuesday (tomorrow). So off he went and I was back in my bed with an oddly angled little figure that gave me absolutely no comfortable sleeping space. Good luck to me!

D woke up this morning surprised to find he was all alone in my room until he went outside and saw me park the car. I bought him his fave McDo breakfast which we ate together with my dad and watched a bit of Nick Jr. before I dropped him off at his place. Later, I'll be going to Eastwood and watch him perform with his classmates on "Harana Night" at 5pm.



So now, I gotta catch some zzzz's before I see this guy again for a third date =)

Fast as wheels can turn...

Had to skip dinner after the show to hurry home -- didn't bring the car and my neighbor and sister had other plans. Aside from the yummy lechon paksiw mom cooked that was waiting for me, I left in a huff to be with this guy even for less than an hour:



We have another date on Monday =)

If I couldnt sleep, could you sleep?

2am musings. Ang pag-iisip ng "what if?" while driving under the influence...


"Masaya ka naman ngayon sa pinili mo, di ba?", I asked a friend.

"Malaya ako," he replied, eyes smiling.


*********



I'll be moving to another branch in 3 weeks. Halos 1 month ko ring pinag-isipan, pero di ko inakalang ganito kabilis ang mga pangyayari. Kasi naman, sa birthday party ako unang tinanong nonchalantly, "Gusto mo bang lumipat ng branch?" At ako naman sagot ng "Why not?", kasi ganun naman ako kapag tinatanong ng tungkol sa pagbabago. Adventurous kuno.

And then, early this week, naganap sa cellphone lang after office hours ang "interview" which started and ended with one question: "Gusto mo ba talagang lumipat?"

And I said, "Yes," and that was all it took for them to pick me. They called my team moments later, also via mobile, to advise them that I have "expressed interest in rotating". At, ilang minuto lang, nakumpirma na at ipinasa na ang pangalan ko sa HR for the official announcement.

Napaorder tuloy ako ng Super Dry.

Feeling ko ngayon I've been keeping myself busy and around a lot of people so I wouldn't have time (or energy) to really explore my emotions about this career shift. Buti na lang haggard ang December for singers. Busy-busyhan mode ako.

Masaya ako because I'll be reunited with an old boss, and it's more convenient now for me to meet with friends (and P) since I'll be at the heart of the city -- wala nang takas, paglabas lang ng office, gimikan na! Career-wise, I'll be more exposed to high-end clients and have better opportunity for selling more sophisticated investments. But, I'm also feeling a bit down because I'll be leaving my beloved team, my super kulit clients who are like family to me, and the home that we -- the original team -- built together to become one of the most promising branches of the bank. I'll miss dancing in the lobby during dead hours, PCD, Michael Jackson and Madonna singing from the tellers' counter, do-it-yourself cappuccinos, ginisang munggo from Pintsek on Fridays, yakisoba and pandesal in the morning, my 7-minute trip from house to office...ang dami pala!

But, as our district head told me before she gave the thumbs-up, wala nang balikan 'to. Hinihintay ko na lang yung araw na pag tinanong ako kung masaya ako sa pinili ko, masasabi ko nang nakangiti,

"Malaya ako."

with a thousand sweet kisses...

Was looking for dessert in the fridge when I chanced upon a bag of Hershey's Kisses. Only after having my third piece did I notice the special messages. Cute!

The one on the lower left reminds me of a funny slip-up...happy birthday! ;P

To strengthen the weary and the broken

Had a very enriching weekend with Hangad in Culion, Palawan. Didn't have much pictures (or at least not much with people) because I was so engrossed in the scenery and the excitement of the activities. I'm sure the next few days will bring more pics from Hangad to show the fun times.

More than the laughs, the sea adventures and the steep stairways (I am sooo out of shape!), what I remember most about this trip is the true meaning of seeing God in the goodness of others, and what is so extraordinary about it is how such goodness springs from the history of Culion's people.

Culion was, for the longest time, a leper colony reservation. FIlipinos afflicted with leprosy from all over the archipelago were transported to this Palawan island as mandated by the Segregation Law on Leprosy in 1906. To be sent to Culion then would be like a death sentence; never to return to one's family, doomed to rot in the menacing hands of the disease with no hope for recovery or even a graceful restoration of physical beauty.

Yet it was this seemingly hopeless condition that cultivated the purity of heart of Culion's inhabitants. No one was discriminated against or left alone to starve; resources were shared with neighbors, and everyone was treated like family. Culion became more haven than prison, a self-sustaining community thrived, and it slowly blossomed like a delicate lily in a murky pond when it was finally declared leprosy-free in the early 1980s.

The island has electricity for only 12 hours (or less if a brownout occurs), and water is rationed once a day. No clubs, fancy restos, or a Starbucks -- the closest thing we got were sari-sari stores that sold 3-in-1 coffee, Hansel crackers and a bottle of Bailey's. Townsfolk are tucked in their beds by 8pm, and the crime rate is close to zero. It has none of the luxuries of city life as we know it; and it clearly pointed out to me how unimportant those luxuries are for one to live a simple yet fulfilling life. It seems as though no one is pitiful in Culion; perhaps it was learned from past generations that one's worth or happiness is not measured by what is seen.

What they offered us would be modest against our standards, but it humbled me so to realize that they gave all they could unselfishly with neither pride nor shame.

Hangad shared its music to Culion to impart the message of God's salvation and love, yet I realize that we learned more from Culion about God's saving grace by surviving its dark past, and the outpouring of unconditional love manifested in the warmth of its people. They evangelized us with their honest, happy everyday lives, which reflected the presence of Jesus without having to say (or sing) a word of scripture. And that is something I hope we all take to heart.

chomp away!

I spoke too soon...found it! =) yay! =D

Game codes provided by: Myspace Games

it's our favorite nokia game! =)

found this while looking for pacman (alas, namco had to pull it out of this guy's website).

enjoy! =)


More MySpace Games and Codes at MySpace ModWorld

when the dog bites, when the bee stings, when I'm feeling sad...

A new boss was being trained in the branch yesterday and we saw him holding a grocery bag with infant milk formula and diapers.

"For the baby, huh?"

"Yep, I'm going to Bulacan today for the weekend to see the little tyke."

"Expensive, isn't it? I bet you buy those at least 3 times a week. That's why I've been putting off getting married or having children...ang mahal!"

"Well, that's a small price you pay for the joy it brings," he said, eyes sparkling at the thought of seeing his wife and 3-month old baby again after 5 long weekdays in Manila.

"Eh susuwayin ka rin naman niyan paglaki niya!" I blurted out while bookkeeping the balancing items for the day. He smiled, somewhat amused at my jaded perspective on an otherwise happy thought.

But it's true, isn't it? All of us have at some point given up some habits or luxuries for us to savor the greater happiness of committing to something, like paying for the house utility bills every month, or to someone, like a new child or a romantic relationship. We can't just help but wish, though, to have at least one day to break free from the worrying, boring person we have (had to) become before we fall into the abyss of looking at everything as an obligation to fulfill.

Be it an occassional splurge at Zara, a stick of Philip blue menthol in the middle of the day, or a night out with a couple of girls at Decades, it is a necessary self-affirmation that the individual, fun-loving kid inside of us is alive. Going out of your image box once in a while is like a whiff of fresh air (well, smoke spewing out of your mouth after a yosi puff isn't exactly fresh air but you get my drift), so that when you peer into the life you have brought yourself into, you have a renewed sense of engagement -- you commit yourself to it because you really want to instead of just doing these things because it's what you've been doing these past few years. And you go back to watching your budget for baby's milk or just watching DVDs at home instead of spending another evening of drinking and dancing in Temple because it's great to be home.

Or maybe I'm just rationalizing. =)

it's a supernatural delight

That is my first watercolor tree. honestly, i didn't know how it would turn out until the rain gave it character -- o-ha?!? *apir!* Buti na lang matalino ang ulan, hehehe.

It was one of the many things we did in UP the day he said we'd go out painting. Actually the entire painting portion of the day took less than an hour because it started to rain hard and we had to pack up. We went back to the parking lot to drive for lunch when we saw a familiar car -- a blockmate was in campus! We called him and met him at the psych dept lobby with his girlfriend. Apparently they had their own "UP date", visiting the different buildings and foodtripping along the way =)

While we were still in the lobby we saw another blockmate going down the stairs, interviewing a kid near the photocopier. Unfortunately she was unable to go out for lunch, but we came back for her after eating.

We had a late lunch at Friulli (tama ba yun?), a small Italian resto across Ababu in UP Village. Masarap doon, prices are reasonable, and that's where I've had the best blueberry cheesecake I've ever tasted (or was it just because it was such a lovely day?). There we met up with yet another blockmate (haha reunion na ito) and conspired to complete the barkada before the day ended. We almost did -- only 2 were not able to make it (unless we count our dear Kevin whom we have not seen since our grad photoshoot) -- when we had isaw and kwekwek across International Center (it's the stall that used to be near Balay Kalinaw), and finally dinner at Chocolate Kiss amidst a concert featuring school bands from the Philippine Dental Students Association at the Bahay ng Alumni (the band members had nice teeth and, well, nice teeth). Got home by 11pm, tired but certainly satisfied!

It was good -- not exactly the date I had in mind, but it was fun nonetheless! What was great about that day was that we weren't the stressed out employees that we are 5 days a week; we were just blockmates who happened to bump into each other's free time. It was as though we borrowed a Saturday from 1999 -- and savored every minute of it!

Haay. =)

you, you put the blue back in the sky

Pardon the corny lyric title...wala na akong maisip i-associate na kanta kundi yang kay Christian Bautista (tutal kamukha naman nya)!

How's this for spontaneity: he asked me out for watercolor painting on Saturday morning!
(o, jowi, buti hindi trip to manila zoo diba? bwahahaha! ;P )

It's funny to have this all of a sudden, what with the entry I just posted yesterday. I'm actually scared to bits since I don't have the talent for drawing or painting, but he says if the abstract artists could splatter paint on a canvas and call it art and get away with it, how couldn't I?

Bahala na nga. I think I'll just busy myself with preparing sandwiches on Friday night so it'll be just like a picnic...and if all else fails with my artistic attempts, at least the food will be great hehehe ;)

But the jitters could be due to the fact that this is probably the date I've been waiting for :)

Don't go for second best, baby

Don't you dream of lavish expressions of undying love and wish your special someone would desire you to the point of adoration?

I do, sometimes. It's because I get caught up in moments that I am in awe of the fortune bestowed upon me that I have this person who loves me and that I've found him early (enough) in life. And I tell him countless times that I'm happy we're together in words that could challenge the cheesiest heart-shaped Hallmark valentine card.

Once the orchestra decrescendoes the romantic score, he'd smile and give a quick "me, too" and start asking me if my car's due for another preventive maintenance check at the service center. The music zips.

It's not that he's not demonstrative (batchmates voted us the PDA-est couple when we graduated from college), but I guess he's just not up to playing Romeo every single time that I bring out my inner Juliet. I've gotten used to his secret acronym codes that he replies to me over the phone even if there's no one within earshot to eavesdrop on our conversations. His idea of romance nowadays is telling me to wear my seatbelt or to stop using the cellphone when I'm driving. He hates it when I rant about my bad day, and will not make an effort to hide it. He is especially clueless when I complain about my weight or my looks, and knows he will be damned if he gives any answer or none at all. On any given day these small things are argued about, and then forgotten -- until the next time it happens.

It's so much of a joy for me to tell him how important he is to me that I feel a bit disappointed when it seems like I'm the only one delivering the cheese. I've dedicated songs to him on stage, I volunteer to pay for dinner or meet him near his place on weeknight dates and drive him home after, I kidnap him for a surprise out of town trip on a whim. Sometimes I feel like Betty waiting for Archie to see me the way he sees Veronica. Worse, I even wonder if he's seeing a Veronica out there...

But I guess when he does the little things, he shows me that he thinks of me everyday -- when he reminds me to gas up before the fuel sign blinks, or when he shuns spontaneity and embraces the routine so we could mark our schedule for QT with our respective families. Even if he'd rather not listen to choral music, he has watched every major concert I've performed in, but I have yet to join any of his airsoft games. And he does his share of taking the bus or the MRT on some of those weeknight dates and risks commuting home late just so we don't lose time in traffic. And he receives my meek "sorry"s without the 3-hour melodrama.

Madonna hit it right on the nail when she sang, "satin sheets are very romantic; what happens when you're not in bed?" -- paminsan-minsan talagang may mapupulot tayo sa kanya other than cone lingerie.

I'm not a fan of tough love just yet; it's too early for that when you're in your twenties and there aren't any kids or conjugal property to fuss about. But I'm all for everyday, ordinary, acronym-coded love if it means it will stay forever.

love love me, shock shock me

Cheese curls from a non-issue guy. Talaga namang pag gutom ka, kahit junk food papatusin mo for lunch.

********

"Hey! Di ka naman nagsabi agad na papunta ka na," I said, surprised, as my hands search for the voucher he was supposed to sign around my desk.

"No problem. I just got back from the gym," he shrugs as he takes off his bluetooth headset and sits in front of my workstation.

"Aba...pa-gym-gym ka na lang ngayon ah?" I remarked, doubtfully, though I steal glances at his arms, looking for a hint of toned muscles. Wala pa. Pero mas maputi pa rin siya sa akin!

"Bakit? Ayaw mo?" he probed while my back was turned, still looking for that blasted voucher that got buried in the file cabinet and into the Bermuda Triangle.

"Would it make a difference if I didn't?" Haha. It was just too playful a mood to let it pass. I knew he was smiling even if my eyes were on the pile of client folders stuffed in my drawers.

"Syempre." Bored na ito. Game na nga, feeling pa. I looked at him and I raised an eyebrow and blurted,

"Eeww."

"Hindi nga. Totoo." I rolled my eyes and made belat (jusko di ko na alam kung pano ko sasabihin in straight English!).

"O sya, sige. OK yan para sa 'yo. It's good for your physical health, at...pati na rin social health, hehe. It's the new Starbucks -- the best place to check girls out while you're on the treadmill or lifting weights, hehe." I still couldn't find the voucher so I looked a bit unfocused, which he took as,

"Eh why do you sound so unconvinced? Maniniwala ba ako sa 'yo niyan?"

My eyes roll again. I drag my mouse over to the retrieval system, click the "Print" button and make a new copy of the voucher I lost.

"No, I mean it. It's good for you, while you're still young. Tsaka may girls nga to scope out. Trust me, I know."

"You scope girls out at the gym, too?" We laugh, and he signs on the voucher.

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

Cheese curls, I tell you. But when this other guy walked into the branch, iba na ang usapan. He had his hair cut and it suited him perfectly, so much that I mistook him for a local star. In terms of junk food, Lay's Sour Cream and Onion Potato Chips. With Fritos cheese dip. YUN O!

"Yes, sir?", I ask as I walk towards him. He smiles and I recognise him as my 23-year old client with a seven-year-old son. My hair is so messy. His is immaculately in place. Nahiya ako.

"Deposit lang sana. Pero hingin ko na rin ang account balance." He has his ATM card on one hand, cash in the other. I tell him he could check it via the ATM, and the deposit should be transacted over the teller counter.

"No, sa iyo ko na lang itatanong yung balance ko -- pero pwede sa ATM? Oo nga pala, pero -- o, sige na nga, punta na rin muna ako dun. Pero babalikan kita." Ganun? Nalito siya sa haba ng hair ko. Sige hintay naman ako.

As he went out to the ATM, I approach the tellers who began to ask me who the hunk o' person was. I tell them he opened an account a few months ago, and he looked every inch the cute young boy that he was with his keanu-style hair, baby fat and oversized shirts back then. Now with a crew cut and a gray small tee complementing his leaner but muscular figure, I'm thinking, good can turn into better, and better into best...mag-gym na rin kaya ako? But my thoughts were interrupted when the teller nudged me to assist the client who was now at my workstation.

"Paano sumulat sa deposit slip? Hehe sorry ha. Di ko talaga alam eh. What's my account number?", he inquired with an innocently clueless look. He writes the number according to my instructions then goes to the counter for the deposit. Akala ko tapos na biglang bumalik ulit sa akin and asks for a credit card application form.

"I promise you I'll request for a credit card soon. Mag-iipon muna ako ngayon. Thanks for the help, ha, " he says with a smile that reminds me of Piolo Pascual, and he steps out of the bank.

Sa bilis ng mga pangyayari, hindi ko na nakain yung baon ko for lunch.

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

blame us because we are who we are/hate us because you'll never get that far...

Ang haba ng sagot ko kay titopao so entry na lang siya uilt :) somehow, Better Than Ezra's At The Stars (lyrics above) could be one's last laugh to eternity while those who are left wandering (and wondering) on earth never tire of pointing fingers ;)

**********

True, true. thanks for the link :)

I do believe, however, that De Mello's radical perspective poses a challenge for those who may achieve higher spiritual awareness and will eventually seek greater depth than what is available to the lay congregation. The rise in popularity of ecumenism is witness to more and more people awakening their souls without losing their faith, almost like a new Pentecost(!), and a lot of what has been said before to be invincible has been broken down. We are past the age of burning books, and there are a lot out there which may help us find the truth, which may lead us to what has always been thought to be true, and then there are instruments of deception swirled with chocolate icing :) Discernment is key, and I'm hoping that the Church is staying true to the basic meaning of what it basically means to be "catholic".

Dancing close to the fire is exhilarating, albeit bordering on madness. A little more grace, though, is good to pray for :)