There are those things that you can only do when you have the time in your hand

It was early morning when work was cancelled. There’s no electricity in the apartment so my housemate and I still opted to go to the office hoping that we could finish some last minute work. Ho and behold the electricity in the office was cut too—all because of typhoon Pedring. The wind was howling and our umbrella were not spared from the strong winds. Nowhere to go, we opted to find refuge at the mall. The mall was operated by a generator so some of the stalls were closed, the main mall was like an oven in medium range. We went to all the bookstores we could find and practically spent the whole day in a coffeeshop reading the books we bought.

I been wanting to do this—spent a whole day in a coffeeshop reading a book. Life as they say is a moment. And you get to do this only if you have the time in your hands. After some hours in the coffeeshop, cups of cappucino and americano, I finished the book and felt happy for that one particular, stormy day. Perspective is everything. :-)

Inspirational books--very timely for such a stormy weather.

I had 2 cups. I am starting to love this coffee shop. :-)

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[random thoughts...]

I will be in Bukidnon next week for a 4-day coverage. I hope every thing works well. The 'segment producer' will not be around so I'll have to make amends.

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"Perspective is everything" -- a mantra I choose to chant every morning.

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she fights, like a loyal soldier she does
in minds, in spirit--she fights
sometimes she wins,

in most cases she (just) gives in

never for the lack of will,

never for the lack of hope,

she gives in because she got tired--

tired of waiting.

* someone wrote in my journal, a girl I know in spirit (only)*

It’s raining here and I am catching 40 winks

I love rainy days. Not because I am trying to be sentimental and poetic. I just love the feeling. Some of the really memorable things in-my-not-so-exciting-life happened when it was raining and it’s funny because I could remember them so vividly. As vivid as the number of teardrops that fell on the tiles of our bathroom every time I pour my heart's out.

“Catch 40 winks” …I just had to use this idiomatic phrase. I love its literary meaning.

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Watching Some Kind of Wonderful and Mrs. Winterbourne brings so much memories.

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I feel you as I watch the rain pour from the window

I'm looking out the window where we sat to watch the stars. There's a chill within the air it makes my heart long for your touch ~ corrinne may

i was watching the rain from a glass window. i could not get out from where i was. there was this wicked thunderstorm that reverberated in the four corners of the office. the lightning struck like a whipping belt. the heavy downpour did not subside. i wanted to go home but i was feeling ill. i didn't want it to get worse. i felt the cold window glass, imagining i was touching the rain. and then your face came into view. just like any ordinary days...i kept seeing your face everywhere. heck.

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[postscript]

I used to imagine such resemblance. I have not met her before (and perhaps will not be able to). Not in this lifetime. I only knew her by name. You’ve mentioned her name for quite sometime that I have no choice but to remember.

The other day, out of my wicked whim to know more, I finally saw her. Through a picture, from someone else’s facebook account. From that moment, everything made sense. I wish I had stick with how I imagined her. Now everything is real. I know now where the look came from, the voracity for books, those beautiful inquisitive eyes, and those wistful smiles.

Painful drops

I know I’ve told you how I love the “rain”.

Just because it makes the surrounding quite refreshing and subdue; the grass greener than ever and the air, cooler. But experiencing a tropical storm or a typhoon for that matter is another thing.

I am shying away from the television these days. The images of the Ondoy aftermath are just disheartening. I knew people who lost their homes because of this terrible natural disaster. There was not much of wind…but a whole-day pouring of huge, painful drops of rain that never seemed to end. That’s how it was.

Now, Metro Manila is like a vast Mekong Delta River minus the huge, cargo ships...

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[Sidestory]
(one which I should have posted some weeks ago....)

I have this friend who wanted that I go out and meet “people” so that I could “widen my horizon” for other prospects. She said that my biological clock could be running out and that given my innate love for children and my plan to have at (least) a kid (preferably a boy) soon…she said, I am such a sluggish moron for not taking this “destiny bullshit” into the next level.

The word “thirty-ish” can be an upsetting resound for singles. Yes, definitely. But not if most of your friends are single too and who are seem to be enjoying their time. Oh well, that is what I thought too. As the great A used to tell me... "everything comes with a good end. you just have to know how to explain it to yourself!"

And then I met this “new friend” a week ago. She’s my age but she’s engaged to be married this month. Hell yea. I find her really pretty and so sure of herself. She has a beautiful face coupled with an amazing wit. In short, she’s both beauty and brain. She met her fiance through Friendster, who she knew through a friend's friend.

While we were inside the car and trying to pass by the horrendous traffic in EDSA, surprisingly, she turned her head to me and asked: “How about you Rayts, how many boyfriends have you had?”

I nearly fell on my seat. I wasn't surprised by the question, but the attention. There were five of us in the car and all of them were waiting for my answer. A few minutes passed and wished that someone kidnapped me from the car. (Nak ng teteng. Bakit naman ako ang napagdiskitahan ng mga ‘to!). I thought that the question was rather off and wanted to paraphrase it. But instead I said: “Jesus, I need to pee!”

I guess they knew what my answer was. or Not?

32nd Milo Marathon: Always Aim for the Finish Line

My MILO bib number

10K runners reaching the finish line

Media people giving their 'friendliest' poses. :-)

Alas, the finish line!

It was raining cats and dogs that early morning. Some of us had second thoughts of coming. With such heavy downpour and cool weather, I could trade anything for at least an hour more of sleep. But alas, my phone alarmed like hell. We rushed at the Quirino Grandstand as fast as we could still with the heavy downpour. The 42K runners started onto their route already.

I’ve never seen so many “green people” in one place—runners in their famous Milo green outfit!

Alex, Eric, and I participated in the 10k event while Rueth, May and Mace joined the 5k runners. After the gun was fired, the ‘green people’ rushed their way into the course under the heavy rain. Everyone was shouting. We were all happy just the same. It's fun running under the rain.

So why is the 32nd Milo Marathon worthy of remembering?

…I’ve been joining running events for awhile but this is my first participation in the Milo marathon, the longest and most prestigious running event in the Philippines.
…It was my first time to run under the heavy rain for 1 hour and 9 minutes, afterwhich my feet were all wrinkled and tender.
…I ran following the rhythm of a squishing sound of my soaked rubber shoes, which I really find funny.
…I realized how refreshing it was to run under a heavy downpour. Speaking of romanticizing the rain.
…I’ve never felt this good staring at the Finish Line.
…I just love being with these hardcore runners who were never seem to mind a bad weather.

After the rain

The sky was dark and gloomy, the air was damp and raw, the streets were wet and sloppy. The smoke hung sluggishly above the chimney-tops as if it lacked the courage to rise, and the rain came slowly and doggedly down, as if it had not even the spirit to pour.

~Charles Dickens, The Pickwick Papers~

... it rained heavily the other night. I even thought there was a storm coming. But it only lasted for an hour or two--heavy rains, strong winds, and brownout. After that, everything seemed normal again. The next morning, I decided to walk and wind away my time by taking photos of dews on the leaves. DEWS...just one of my favorite subjects. They look so refreshing.

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[fragments of thoughts]

... two days ago, my boss asked me to accompany an 'eminent' to attend a two-day workshop somewhere in the North. He told me this on the day that we are about to leave. How conducive. Night trip is such a happy moment for me. No, I am not being sarcastic. I think I like anything that has to do with the word 'dark'.

... ho and behold! He called me this morning. It surprised me, that's all. And he seemed disappointed to know that I wasn't coming. Or maybe it was just me being presumptous again.

... the thought of climbing Mount Kinabalu is slowly bitting me in the ass. I am starting to chicken out. But thinking the pain and the trouble I got just to have our one night stay at Laban Rata booked, I am slowing changing my freakin' mind again!

When it rains, it will always pour

I didn't want my picture taken because I was going to cry. I didn't know why I was going to cry, but I knew that if anybody spoke to me or looked at me too closely the tears would fly out of my eyes and the sobs would fly out of my throat and I'd cry for a week. I could feel the tears brimming and sloshing in me like water in a glass that is unsteady and too full.

~Sylvia Plath, The Bell Jar~

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[fragments of thoughts...]

... i got my passport renewed and it was delivered to me yesterday. i looked at it and got a little disappointed. my photo has (always) been a disappointment but it's more than that. it's a pathetic thought really.

... this morning, i have been thinking what is the English translation of pare. was it "brother"? in the same manner that Desmond calls Jack brother in Lost? "What's up brother?" well, this guy, he has been calling me p're for the last three years and it just amazes me how consistent he is. even in text he calls me p're. three years ago, i emailed him and called him p're and every since that day, he never stopped calling me p're.

... i miss my mother. i miss my niece. i miss LB. i miss our stinky dog.

... three weeks ago, i gave my mother a set of numbers for the lottery. i told her that it came to me in my dreams and it's crucial that she continuous to bet on it until my birthdate comes. she seems to believe me. my mother can be one of the most gullible persons in the world especially if it's me telling her stories and stuff (or at least that is what i believe). the other week, she told me she's running out of money to bet and said: Bibigay-bigay ka ng numero wala ka namang ibinibigay na pangtaya! (You're giving me numbers to bet on but you never gave me money to pay the bet!). And she said it with full conviction. I noticed her hair got curlier than ever.

... i got tons of work to do today but i opted to dilly-dally.