missing in action

Hindi ko alam kung may nakapansin na nawala ako ng ilang araw nung nakaraang linggo. Siguro naman meron. Umuwi ako ng Nueva noong weekend tapos pumunta ng Baguio noong Tuesday and Wednesday. Dumalaw kasi yun kapatid ko na nakatira na sa Davao kasama ang wife nya at yun panganay nila. Naiwan sa Davao yun mas bata, si Giero. Dumalaw din yun panganay namin na pinsan kasama yun buong family nya.

Syempre, magulo sa bahay dahil ang daming bata batuta. Ngayon lang kami ulit nakumpleto na magkakapatid. Ako at ang apat kong mga kuya.


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Pumunta kami sa Baguio. Sa pagkakatanda ko, ngayon lang kami nag-bakasyon na magkakasama. Well, hindi rin pala kasi hindi kasama si Dikong. Siya ang taong-bahay. Hindi kasi kami talaga lumalabas na sama-sama. Ewan ko ba kung bakit.

Hmm.. pangalawa na pala yun. Kasi, noong ikinasal si Mel (siya yun sinundan ko), pumunta kami lahat sa Davao. Gastos! Hindi ko alam kung bakit hindi ko siya tinatawag na Kuyang pero yun ang dapat. Sabagay, hindi rin naman nya tinatawag na sangko si Sangko. Ricco lang ang tawag nya. Kaya ok lng din siguro.

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picture! picture!

Day 2 na yun mga pix dito. Noon lang kasi ako nakabili ng battery para sa Digicam.


First Stop: Philippine Military Academy



Ang kulit ni Ken (bunsong anak ni Kuya Renan) at ang sarap nya asarin kasi inis na inis talaga siya. hehehe



Kuya Renan (Kuya #1) with Ken



Yellow Team: Kuya Renan, Ken, Mommy
Nakakatawa talga sila. Magbabaon lang ng damit, magkakakulay pa! haha



Sangko (Kuya #4) with James
(si Dikong Randy ang original kuya#2 but he had cancer when he was 3. tapos ang kuya #3 ay si Dikong pero hindi siya kasama.)



Mel (Kuya #5) with Rovic (oo, galing sa Tabing Ilog ang pangalan nya. showbiz! wehehe)



Red Team: Mama, Kylie, Karen, cadet 1, cadet 2, Mel, Rovic, Ate Vangie
Ayos talaga yun mga damit nila.



Si Ninang at ang chopper.
Isa pang member ng Red Team! hehehe



Ang kaisa-isahan kong picture. Mahirap talaga maging official video at camera woman.



forward, march!
nasa gilid si Ate Wilma, Sangko at James

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Second Stop: Chinese Temple


Welcome to China!



Kylie - ang panganay na apo.
Dati pwedeng pumasok sa loob nyan. Tapos pwede ka umakyat hanggang sa mataas na part. Hindi ko alam kung bakit naka-lock na.



Hindi ko alam kung anong nakasulat. Basta yan yun nasa wall.

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Third Stop: Strawberry Farm


Mainit kaya hindi na ko lumapit. Pero jan daw nag-shooting dun sa movie ni Robin and Rica.



Ang Strawberries ay parang Stars. Pareho ko silang hindi masyadong gusto. hehehe



peanut brittle, strawberry jam, lengua de gato



strawberry wine. masarap siya, in fairness.

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Fourth Stop: Market

Walang picture kasi hindi ako bumaba.


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Fifth Stop: Lunch sa Jack's Rice

Wala ding picture kase gutom na ko eh!


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Sixth Stop: Groto

Medyo umuulan kaya madilim na yun mga pix.


Ngayon ko lang nalaman na mga Heswita pala ang nagpatayo ng Groto.



Si Ninang habang nagtutulos ng kandila



Hindi na daw kaya ni Mama na umakyat kaya sa may baba na lang siya magdadasal.



Si Mommy habang nag-aalay ng bulaklak.


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After nun, umuwi na kami. Nakakapagod din pala.



Lion. La lang..



mga bored sa sasakyan kaya video muna.

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singing our hearts out

Habang nanonood kami ng mga roomates ko ng Search for a Star in a Million at Pinoy Pop Superstar (sayang, hindi nananlo si Brenan), nagkayayaan kami mag-videoke. Dahil late na nun at nanonood nga kami, napagkasunduaan namin na kinabukasan na lang.

Ayun, 9pm ng gabi nung Monday, pumunta kaming 3 sa IO sa Jupiter. Off peak yun kaya for Php180, pwede ka mag-videoke for as long as you want (syempre hangga't open pa sila.)

Ang saya! Tatlo lang kami pero sobrang ingay namin. Sinilip nga kami nung isang staff dun, akala nya ata may kung anong nagyayari na.

Eto ang ilan sa mga paborito ko na kinanta namin ng todo bigay.


Addicted by Simple Plan

I'm tryin' to forget
But I'm addicted to you
But I wanted
And I needed
I'm addicted to you
Now it's over
Can't forget what you said
And I never
Want to do this again
Heartbreaker
Heartbreaker
Heartbreaker


Just Like a Pill by Pink

Run just as fast as I can
To the middle of nowhere
To the middle of my frustrated fears
And I swear you're just like a pill
Instead of makin' me better, you keep makin' me ill
You keep makin' me ill


Survivor by Destiny's Child

I'm a survivor (What?)
I'm not gon give up (What?)
I'm not gon stop (What?)
I'm gon work harder (What?)
I'm a survivor (What?)
I'm gonna make it (What?)
I will survive (What?)
Keep on survivin' (What?)


I Don't Want to Talk ABout It by Rod Stewart

I don't want to talk about it, how you broke my heart.
If I stay here just a little bit longer,
If I stay here, won't you listen to my heart, whoa, heart?


I'll be there for You by Bon Jovi

I'll be there for you
These five words I swear to you
When you breathe I want to be the air for you
I'll be there for you
I'd live and I'd die for you
Steal the sun from the sky for you
Words can't say what a love can do
I'll be there for you


Grabe, and dami naming kinanta at 2am na kami umuwi.

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love

Noong isang gabi, sabi ni Gerry sa Stained Glass, ang Love daw ay hindi gaya ng kidlat na bigla na lang dumadating. Para daw itong ambon, na unti unting pumapatak at sa pagtagal mamamalayan mo na lang na basang basa ka na.

Hindi yata ganyang ganyan ang pagkakasabi pero parang ganyan sa pagkakatanda ko. Wala lang. Naalala ko lang.

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distracted

This morning, while the Trainor was discussing about the Pivot Table in Excel, I was browsing through some articles in Inq7. Pasaway talaga ko. Sa harap pa man din ako nakaupo. I can't help it. It's not my fault that the Internet is accessible in the classroom and YM is not blocked.

Distracted that I am, I came upon the Youngblood article entitled Broke. This time, I was really distracted. I emphatize with the man. Is life here really hard? How hard will it get? Libre pa rin ba mangarap?

At the end of the article, the man wrote that he hoped the pickpocket who stole his money was able to feed his kids on that day. Akalain mo? Hope is still with us.

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1 cancelled appointment & 2 emails

I was supposed to have a phone chat with Maaike today between 8-830pm regarding Dambadeniya and Nabuur in general. I was actually excited and quite nervous about this. I can't imagine myself talking with Maaike over the phone. She's one of those people who continually inspire me and I really look up to her.

Maaike by the way is the Online Communites Manager of Nabuur. She is Dutch and that is one reason why I'm nervous about the phone chat -- it has been half a year since I met her (online) but I still don't know how to pronounce her name properly.

Anyway, an hour before the phone chat, my mobile phone signaled "attention: low battery." I had to send her an email informing her to call me on my direct line, instead. Almost an hour later, her husband sent the below.

Hi Ava,

I am writing on behalf of Maaike Karemaker, my wife, to let you know she has been forced to reschedule your meeting with her that was set between 14.00 hours and 14.30 hours. She's extremely sorry to cancel, but another important appointment took far longer than expected. Please confirm this message when you've received it, so Maaike can rest assured you're not waiting for her to contact you.

Kindest regards,
Ruben Karemaker

Associate Legal Officer
Trial Chamber II
United Nations International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY)

I replied to Ruben and asked him to inform Maaike that it was fine and that she didn't have to worry. At least I have a couple of days more to figure out how to say her name right. :-)

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Then, another email came. It's from Sunil. He's the Local Representative of Dambadeniya, Sri Lanka (a village in Nabuur).

Dear Ava,

Being such young your attempts to offer a helping hand to utilize your
expertise  we always appreciate.My elder son is already 24 years and I
told him about him as he too study in computer science.

We are now planning to initiate a book exhibition along with leadership
development programme for the school children of the villagers as they
are deprived those facilities.

I will send more details later

Regards
Sunil

I replied thanking him for the kind words and informed him as well that I'll do my best for the village. But I forgot to remind him that I did not study Computer Science!

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random thoughts...

Yesterday was our 2nd day in Mandarin class. Grabe, para kaming nasa Kinder ulit na nag-aaral ng alphabet at kung pano magsulat. Last week, akala ko hindi ko kakayanin na ma-memorize yun 37 MPS (Mandarin Phonetic Sounds) para sa class kahapon. Buti naman at medyo alam ko na. Dun na lang ako nalilito sa characters na medyo magkakamukha gaya ng chi, èng, sz; at saka shr, dz.

Wala pa din ako alam sabihin in Mandarin, maliban sa Ni Hao. Kelangan daw muna kasi matutunan yun characters. Tapos nun, pagtatambal-tambalin yun characters. Parang sa Grade 1 (b-a : ba; k-a, ka). Ganun ang ginawa namin kahapon (p-i : pi; ph-i : phi).


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Kagabi after class may nagyaya sa kin na lumabas. Nagpunta kami ng Bagaberde at si Nyoy Volante ang magpe-perform. Ang tagal nya bago dumating. Medyo ok naman yun naunang band. Unlabeled ata yun name nila. Ok yun boses nun gitarista at nung kahonista (ano ba tawag dun?). Yun girl na vocalist, pwede na rin. Medyo nag-fflat nga lang pag masyado mataas. O baka pagod na siya.

Iba iba din yun genre ng kinanta nila. Eto yun mga natatandaan ko: Love Moves in Mysterious Ways
Better Days, Shy Guy ("i don't want somebody who's loving everybody"), Kahit Kailan, Elesi, Hinahanap Hanap Kita, Yes Yes Show.

Hindi ko matandaan yun title nung ibang foreign acoustic songs.

Tapos may nakipag-jam na lalaki sa harap. Maganda naman boses nya. Kinanta nya yun It Might Be You (with feelings) tapos sabi nung crowd: more.... Ayun, kumanta pa sya ulit ng All My Life.

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Mag-aalas-dose na ata nung nagperform si Nyoy. In fairness, magaling naman pala sya. Una nyang
kinanta yung You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling tapos Kiss ("you don't have to be rich, to be my girl). Kaya nya pala yun mga ganung kanta.

Tapos nun mga love songs na: Because, Nasaan Ka Na?, Panalangin, Crazy for You, etc. naputulan pa siya ng string ng guitar kasi masyadong passionate. hehe

Kumanta din pala siya ng Anak kasi may nag-request na balikbayan na babalik na sa States. Kinanta nya kahit hindi nya memorize ang lyrics.

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Wala daw pasok sa Korea office bukas kasi Children's Day. Buti pa sila.

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I won't be working for 2 days! Yey!

Nasa training ako ng Data Analysis & Manipulation using Advanced MS Excel sa Ateneo Information Technology Institute.

Sana hindi boring.

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May nagyaya din sa kin mag-Palawan next week. Kaso hindi ako pwede dahil may hinihintay ako na interview. Yep, tinawagan ako ng Producers Bank. Dapat nung Tuesday pa yun kaya lang hindi ako pwede kaya na-resched.

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Ang haba na ata ng napost ko. At mukhang wala namang sense. Oh, well.

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nakuha ko 'to sa blog ni Tish

Your Birthdate: March 19

Your birth on the 19th day of the month adds a tone of independence and extra energy to your life path. But at the same time, it poses a number of obstacles to overcome before you are able to be as independent as you would like. The number 1 energy suggests more executive ability and leadership qualities than your path may have indicated. A birthday on the 19th of any month gives greater will power and self-confidence, and very often a rather original approach. However, a somewhat self-centered approach to life that may be in conflict with some of the other influences in your life. This 1 energy may diminish your ability and desire to handle details, preferring instead to paint with a broad brush. You are sensitive, but your feeling stay somewhat repressed. You have a compelling manner that can be dominating in many situations. You do not tend to follow convention or take advice very well. Consequently, you tend to learn through experience; sometimes hard experiences. The 19/1 is a loner number and you may experience feelings of being alone even if you are married. You may take on a tendency to be nervous and angry.

What Does Your Birth Date Mean?

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Encantadia

Ngayon nga pala ang start ng Encatadia. Nanood ako kagabi nung "the making". Mukhang maganda. Sana..



photos from: http://www.igma.tv/sphotos.php?showid=110

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bored

Holiday ngayon pero pumasok ako. Walang masyadong ginawa kaya medyo nakaka-bore. Holiday din kasi sa ibang countries, pero 2 lang ang nakita ko na announcements - from HK and JP lang.

Please note that Hong Kong office will be closed on 2 May 05 (Monday) due to Additional General Holiday for Labour Day.

Please note that the following dates are public holidays in Japan, our office will be closed:

29 April (Greenery Day)

3 May (Constitution Memorial Day)

4 May (National Holiday)

5 May (Children's Day)

Buti pa ang Japan, ang daming holidays. Anyway, wala din atang pasok sa Korea at Singapore dahil walang nagungulit na clients.

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