Entries from February 2010 ↓

I encountered this song (At the Beginning) twice: on a post Christmas wedding and sang on an impromptu videoke session with college friends last week. First in the context of a husband and wife relationship (awww) and next in the context of friendship (ang mga biglaang lakad, natutuloy). This song reminded me that despite the fatigue, lack of routine, uncertainty and sacrifices of the uncommon life, it is worth it.

Life is a road
And I want to keep going
Love is a river
I wanna keep flowing
Life is a road
Now and forever
Wonderful journey

On the road, I learned that:

Sleeping en route is nice, but sleeping leaves you vulnerable to getting your bag slashed or missing your stop. That the best sleeping spot is leaning against the window or slumped behind the driver’s seat. Bumps on the head and all.

I learned that music is a necessity in commuting, and a good set of earphones can save your sanity. Praying can be done in public in the middle of the MRT, with your eyes open and your mouth closed. Traveling alone (save for your thoughts) is actually a pleasant experience.

She who asks questions rarely gets lost. She who is nearsighted quickly learns to recognize the colors of the buses home. She who has no sense of direction must learn the value of googlemaps, signposts, and street signs. She who lugs a laptop and 3 cellphones with her must not look like she is carrying something valuable. She who likes traveling alone at night has learned to walk very, very fast with eyes on the back of her head.

One must learn to stand up to taxi drivers who try to ask for additional payment. One must also learn to actually have a friendly conversation with them en route, because they are a very captive audience. Golden opportunities to plant seeds… =)

Learn to treat fellow passengers as human beings and not rivals to be elbowed out of the way. Ignore the pain of a bruised rib or squashed foot in the name of patience. Be more chivalrous than the “gentlemen“ and offer a seat to those who need it more.

Always bring a bottle of water and a packet of crackers for emergencies (the digestive kind). A valid ID and loose change are also important. Be ready to spend the night away from home at the drop of a hat.

Traveling light is necessary. I can live without a lot of the seeming essentials. And often, all I need on the journey is a toothbrush and a friend who listens.

I’ll be there
When the world stops turning
I’ll be there
When the storm is through
In the end I wanna be standing
At the beginning with you

question: since it’s the love month, what gestures/actions ng isang loved one (significant other, parent, sibling, friend, churchmate, officemate, etc..) ang magpaparealize sa inyo na, “oo nga, mahal ako nito!”?

when our bs leader suddenly knocked on my door at 3 pm bearing medicine and food when i was home alone, sick and miserable.

when a kcmate escaped from an office Christmas party to rush to the infirmary to check if I was still alive … and stayed the night to make sure I stayed that way

when I did something atrocious and my boss forgave me

waking me up, in more ways than one

when i cried (in public, rats!) and my ate gave me her hanky

when i sprained my foot and my college best friend lent her coke in can as a cold compress

when two nurse friends gently changed my bandages and laughed at my teary whining

when you (marami ito) became my IT help desk

when my tukayo became my hands and feet for a week

when my adopted sister gave me a toblerone

when you told me the truth, especially when it hurt

when an ate/adopted parents would let me invade their house, sleep in their bed and ransack their kitchen

whenever you rebuked me for my careless words

when my triad/kcmates gazed at the stars with me, hamog and cold and all

when my sister told me her dreams

when you trust me enough to share your troubles

when you showed your vulnerability, that i may be strong for you

when the choirs sings to and with me

when my papa parked in front of my dorm everyday for nine years

when you (pcci humans) challenged me to go out of my comfort zone and face my fears

when you hugged me, in person and over the phone

when you went dress shopping/makeover with me

when my anak patiently tried to teach me how to play the guitar

when you (marami ito) shared your career advice and career boo-boos

when my classmate walked around UP with me in skirts, in the rain

when you lent me money, then when i found out later that you also were short of funds

when you challenged me to leap out of my comfort zone

whenever you tell me NOT to get a haircut

when you told me your love story

when you prayed for and with me

when you sent me pasaload

when you ate my cooking, and uttered not a word of complaint

when a gift made me coffee, and managed to make instant coffee taste nice

when you gave me a massage

when you lent me your books/dress/shoes/gadgets

when an ida let me disturb her medical studies with my latest kwentuhan session

when my brother let me babysit their daughter for a day

whenever my angel (youngest brother) makes direct eye contact with me. for someone with autism, that is rare indeed.

On this Valentine’s day, I borrow the words of a fellow esbi from the land down under.

Thanks Lovelle, for putting my thoughts so beautifully into words.

Dear YOU,

I’m not going to ask you where you are now. I’m not going to be impatient. This season, I will inhabit one day at a time. I will sail into the future on mystery’s wings and I will not look back. I have been too much like the man who asks, “Are you looking for me?” Our hearts yearn backward. We long to be found, hoping our searchers have not given up and gone home.

But I no longer hope to be found. Do not follow me! Let’s just be fabulously where we are and who we are. You be you and I’ll be me, today and today and today, and let’s trust the future to tomorrow. Let the stars keep track of us. Let us ride our own orbits and trust that they will meet. May our reunion be not a finding but a sweet collision of destinies!

Until that time you can call me yours, I remain,

Lovee

This picture was taken one January twilight near Oble, as I did my weekly walk (penance) around the campus. My favorite time of the day is sunset. I love the way the dying sun seems to turns everything gold in its wake. So I was sufficiently distracted by the sights from the fact that I was actually exercising!

Midway through my route, I suddenly stopped. This scene was just too beautiful to not capture on camera. Crossroads. Road posts. A curve in the road.Made me realize:

This is where I’ll stay, this is what I’ll do…

until He moves me on.

“And he has made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, to be put into effect when the times will have reached their fulfillment - to bring all things in heaven and on earth together under one head, even Christ” Ephesians 1:9-10