An Awesome Year-ender: Scuba Diving, White-water Tubing, and Spelunking at Sarangani

Christmas 2014

Thought I would be spending Christmas alone. Yes, I  mean it. Alone. You see, my family made a last-minute decision to spend the Christmas eve at Sarangani Province - a three hour drive from Davao City- with our relatives. I, on the other hand, had an important business to deal with that is going to happen at the end of the day. I only have two choices here: Either I travel to Sarangani at 6pm getting me there by 9pm to which is already unsafe because firecrackers will be exploding everywhere on every street with a medium to high risk of losing a finger or a limb in the crossfire; Or I spend the Christmas here alone.

I thank God there's Jan for giving me a third choice. He has been a knight in a shining armor coming to rescue a damsel in distress ever since his arrival to my life, except I'm not in distress. To make the story short, I spent the Christmas eve with him and his family. I can never be thankful enough for the hospitality they have been showing me since the first time I set foot into their home, especially his mom who is really good to me. Even though I wasn't able to spend the Christmas with my family, I am so happy to have spent a memorable night with him.

This is one of the best Christmases I've ever had! And here's for our first Christmas together. I mean, together.
It is indeed a very merry Christmas for me. I hope you spent yours well and merrily too. :)

The Gift of Saving

This is the time of the year when the cash registers are singing the merriest songs and our wallets go on a diet. I am feeling the Christmas rush. Really. I never thought I'd find myself scurrying here and there, looking for the perfect gifts this Christmas.

Just so you know, I am bad at giving gifts. I am a lazy shopper. I couldn't stand long lines and crowded places. I have no patience when it comes to gift conundrums. Gift giving would only make me feel pressured and anxious that I see myself treading on eggshells and I end up perhaps with an i-guess-this-is-okay kind of gift that it might look like I didn't give a damn about it. And the fact that I am a bit hesitant to pull out a few extra bucks from my already thinning wallet could sum me up as a bad gift giver. Or at least, that's how I see myself.

You see, my workadas and I decided to give gifts to each other. Finding one perfect gift is difficult, let alone looking for five (and I haven't counted those for my family and four godchildren yet). We decided to put up a wishlist to make it easier for us. Apparently, the wishlist didn't work for me because I ended up buying what's not on their lists.

I was thinking, instead of buying what they want - which will all soon be broken, worn out, or lost, and forgotten - why not give something that will motivate them to buy what's on their list? So without further ado, I gave them these:
The cutest coin banks ever! Ever. Common as they are though, I hope they see it as more than just the cute coin banks. I hope this will teach them a thing or two about surviving a quasi-independent life, like saving and spending wisely. Not that they don't save. I believe they do. And not that I am just penny-pinching that I made this an excuse not to buy expensive gifts.

Nothing Beats a Handwritten Letter

I have an old shoe box that sits on top of my closet. I never got to touch it since the time I posted about the same old shoe box back in 2011. It has gotten too dusty and too frail to hold all the letters and other memorabilia that were in it.

Old letters from my old shoe box

My old friends know me too well. They know how much I love sending letters, much more, receiving and reading one. My childhood bestfriend, Faith, and I exchanged letters since grade school even though we are living in the same city and not to mention, we see each other every Sunday.

I wish...

I wish Baymax was real. Jan is sick. And so am I. I could really use one big huggable inflatable robot that looks like a giant marshmallow right now.

My Baymax is rather slim. Haha

I don't think anyone's going to disagree with me if I say we all need a Baymax in our lives.We need someone who would be there for us and make sure we're alright after we've been hurt. (It is alright to cry. Crying is a natural response to pain.)

We need someone who can give us an epic hug whenever we feel down after a bad day. (There... There...)

We need someone who can be with us in our shenanigans and have a good laugh about it afterwards. (We jumped out a window!)

We need someone who can calm us down and teach us how to handle our temper because Baymax himself doesn't believe in inflicting harm to others and he has this way of turning your ugly thoughts into creative ones. (Will this stabilize your pubescent mood swings?)

We need someone who can push us to think way outside the box whenever we feel stuck or uninspired. (Flying makes me a better care provider.)

And above all, we need someone who can inspire us to become better persons. (I cannot deactivate until you say, "I am satisified with your care.")

Now, if we think carefully about it, all the while, we have our very own Baymax. Mine is just too sick to be one right now. ;)

#GetWellSoonMyLove

Smaug

Last night was a movie date night. Jan and I watched the third and final installment of "The Hobbit". Although I would have to say the movie isn't really faithful to the book because I don't remember reading a lot of scenes portrayed in the film. The movie itself was good though as it ended on a high note. But what has blown me away were the artworks that were shown at the end credits. I never took my eyes off it, told myself I would draw something the next day. So today, what I'm about to show you is my first attempt at drawing Smaug (and my second drawing for this year after so many years). It's not that awesome, but I love it.

How do you know if he's the one?

I've got three words: I. Don't. Know.

They say that once you have found the one, you just know it. But the truth is, no you don't. Anyone struck by the stupid cupid's arrow would always feel like he/she has found the one. Kahit sino naman siguro, kapag mahal mo, lagi mong iisipin na siya na. Pero hindi pala. Yeah, I've been there. Done that. Apparently, the one I thought was the one isn't the one after all.

Right now, I am in a relationship where I am genuinely happy. Whatever I feel is more than just the butterflies in my tummy. It goes deeper than that. This is the point in my life when I know love isn't just a magical feeling but a decision to make. This is when I say I want him in my life. This is when I chose to love him despite the odds and all those shit that came along. I love him not because he is an amazing person, or because he can make me laugh, or because I feel home whenever I'm with him, or because he makes me a better person. I love him just because I love him despite his flaws and imperfections.

Our relationship isn't perfect, and so is he. But I want to create memories out of those imperfections with him. Those memories, whether good or bad, are the ones I can never trade for anything in this world. So if ever the relationship blows, which I hope it doesn't, at least once in my life I knew I have found love that's worth keeping for a lifetime.

So have I found the one? I am still not certain about that. But what I am absolutely certain is that I am with a man who loves me the way I have always wanted to be loved. And just like anyone who is truly, madly, deeply in love, I would like to believe I did.

Why Do I Blog? And Why Should You?

It was back in 2004 when I stepped into the world of blogging, not knowing which direction I will be taking in (hence, the nicheless blogs). I just did it because I needed to displace my anger and frustrations about family, school, relationships, and what I thought was a shitty life. I never knew blogging could be my breather. Despite being lost in the big world of blogosphere, it gave me my own space in cyberlandia, like a home where I can be myself. And the best of all, it felt like somebody was listening to everything I say, my lamest rants included, even though nobody (that I know of) was actually reading. It made me feel better knowing that I've let out an emotion that's about to burst. And still it does.

It has been ten years since the first time I typed my thoughts out loud. Those years of bitter-sweet and love-hate relationship I had with blogging helped me understand myself better, who I am in this world, and what I am becoming. It took me to a path where I can ponder about life and helped me realize what's meaningful and important. It gave me a voice, and even more so, made me strong enough to stand up to my opinions.

I do have weak points, however. Despite how blogging helped me in a lot of ways, I was guilty of abandoning not one but several blogs before. I have even purchased multiple domain names - now, all thrown into the pits of oblivion. Yes, there have been times when I feel incompetent or not good enough that I put away my pen and paper, or in this case, the keyboard. Or when I feel there is nothing else to write because my life can sometimes go on without flavor. Or when I simply am just lazy.

But I guess no matter how many times I get too busy or distracted or stuck or lost or insecure, or how long I go on hiatus, I always go back home to blogging, cuddle with it, and make love with it. I can never give up on blogging. Not completely. Not when I know that in one way or another, I inspire at least one soul. Not when I know that there are some people who enjoy reading my blog. Not when I know that each time somebody reads my posts, I offer them something, may it be a knowledge, an inspiration, a thought, or a connection. Not when I am told a lot of times to keep on writing. 

Pasko Na!

Since Christmas is drawing nearer and nearer and, truth be told, getting more commercialized than ever, and people are in the subject of making wishlists... magpapahuli ba naman ako? I'm making a list, and checking it twice, gotta find out if I missed anything nice. Will Santa Claus be coming to town? Haha.

Anyway, here's my wishlist (ordered according to level of desire with 1 being the highest):

1. Journal/Planner
I would be thrilled to have an Alunsina Handbound Journal/Planner. Nothing more. Nothing less. Nothing else. I would like to keep a journal again next year. The blog is for public consumption, while this will serve as a diary, a sketchpad, and a scrapbook on-the-go where I can write down my deepest and darkest(?!) thoughts. Haha. A nice pen to go with that would also be great.

This is one of my favorites. I actually love all their products!

Best Buy

I don't really brag about my purchases, except for the books and for this one. But save those sneers, what I am about to brag has a little story to tell.

You must understand, ever since I first set foot on Mt. Apo with my ever reliable Sandugo sandals and blistered feet, I promised myself a good pair of shoes for this kind of adventure. It took me almost a decade to be able to afford one. And here it is! Finally.

Well, I must have been very nice this year because I got the perfect(est), best(est), and comfiest hiking shoes this Christmas! Woot! And the best part is, I defintely am the luckiest when I got this.