Swift Maroon Pink

Did you say that three of the world’s most talented, gorgeous, and loved music icons are having a show? Now, excuse me while I sell everything I own and get myself Taylor Swift Tickets and Pink Concert Tickets; and make sure I make it to the Maroon 5 Concert! I will never, for the life of me, miss this!

 

For all Things Pretty...

This blog has again become so quiet lately, and I apologize for being such an irresponsible blog owner (*sniffs). The reason I am actually not able to post anything here lately is this new fashion blog that my friend and I recently put up. I decided to make a separate fashion blog so I can classify each blog easily. I will still be updating this blog, but most of my posts will be for the topics that I am requested to write. So this other one is solely for fashion and style and for all things pretty. This one we are updating regularly, because we have big plans for this. 

I wish you, my dear readers, will visit my new blog, For all Things Pretty, follow it, and leave comments so I will know you've been there. 

This is for the moon, and smiles, and hellos, and rainbows, and pink, and laughters, and a newborn, and love, and kisses, and meadows, and flowers, and 'i dos', and nature - for these, and for all other things pretty...

Love and Dreams

I’ve been wanting to write about December 7, 2011 for so long already; but whenever I sit and start writing about it, my mind just wanders and can’t seem to put into words what I so wanted to express. Anyway, after quite many attempts, I will give it another shot. Here goes:

The first time I stepped foot on Davao’s famous Jack’s Ridge and saw its breathtaking overlooking view of Davao City, I already told myself that I’ll marry the person who proposes to me there. He has to pop the question right at the middle of the small canopy at the foot of the hilly park, where a dim spot light illuminates. It is such a romantic spot. The multi-colored lights of Davao City make such a magnificent view from above- a beauty that is beyond words.  From up there, I could see the vastness of the city and the towering buildings that become only a speck, an insignificant fragment in an enormous space. From up there, nothing matters – no gigantic, grandiose structures matter.

On December 7, 2011, somebody fulfilled my dream of being proposed to right at that very spot. It was not an ostentatious proposal with scattered flower petals and serenaded candle-lit dinners. It was unpretentious, warm, and heartfelt. When we and four of our closest friends went to Jack’s Ridge and reached the spot to take pictures, I kept on saying how I wished I would be proposed there, really intending to make him hear and give him an idea. I even said, “Di ba, Ma’am Beth, I told you this is the place, and, uh, this is the very spot!” I kept on saying that because I wanted to give him the idea, so when we come back next December, hopefully he would do it (ha-ha).

Never did I think that he would do it right there and then. He suddenly hugged me tight and kissed me, then asked one of our friends to take pictures of the both of us. He took my hand and led me to the center of the canopy where the spot light is. While we were posing for the picture, he slowly drew a package from his back pocket. The next thing I knew, a cute diamond ring is staring at me. I looked at him and he gave me the sheepish smile he always shows whenever he feels awkward and nervous. I just couldn’t believe it. I couldn’t believe he would do it… there… that time. And that is when I started to cry. He got down on one knee, asked me to marry him, and slipped the ring on my finger. I don’t know if I even had the chance to say ‘yes’. We just hugged and cried, while Ma’am Beth and the others were also in tears.

The very spot!
http://www.jacksridgedavao.com/

Jack's Ridge

Having Jheck in my life as a friend for 3 years and boyfriend for almost 4 years now is one of God’s greatest blessing to me. He may not be the perfect ‘knight in shining armor’, but he is the one I want to spend the rest of my life with. We are the total opposites. He is the fun-loving, carefree type, while I am the prim and logical type. He does things on impulse, while I spend more time thinking and getting things in order first before doing the first move. But as they say, it is our differences that keep us together. We complement each other. He is good at things that I suck at, and vice versa.

I really thank the Lord for writing me this beautiful story – a perfect story with the perfect man to take the lead role – and I continue to pray that the next chapters of the story will be lived by us, this time, as a couple.  

Dear Disgusting DOM,

I will just let your dirty gestures earlier pass; but the next time you touch even a single strand of my hair or say those gross words ever again, I will forget who and what you are and give you a really good kick 'there', yep, right there.

Copy Cat

I have a cute copy cat,

In the biggest space she sat.
Trails, spies on me, yes, she does;
Stalks on me like a crazy, desperate ass.

I have a cute copy cat
She loves mirrors; her face is as flat.
She’s not my hater, no ma’am, no sir;

She’s a big fan of mine, a huge sucker.

Now, to my dear copy cat,
My “second rate trying hard copy cat”,
You may want to tone down a little,
The whole world is watching, you fickle!

Very soon...

Jheck and I had to be in two weddings that were barely a month apart. The first one was his sister's and the other one was his cousin's. Being a couple for quite a long time already, our families have long been bugging us to settle down. Well, honestly, settling down have been on top of our Priority List. The order in my list and Jheck's, however, are not exactly the same. In my list, our wedding goes after our house and my MBA. So, whichever I get first (the house or my MBA), the wedding will immediately follow.

We already have started planning for the details of that big day since last year. After his surprising wedding proposal last December, I got all jittery and wanted to try on every beautiful wedding gown that I see. It's when we sat down and talked earnestly about it that we decided to take things slowly and carefully. Since then, every wedding that he has to cover or we both have to attend in have become lessons that we have to study and learn from. 

So now, when we are asked when our big day is going to be, we both just answer, "Soon. Very soon."

Bohol Visit (The Serious Work Part)

Being a part of an organization that deals with agriculture-related researches and extension services is never an easy task for someone who earned a degree in Management. Nope, not easy. However, since my bosses seem to think I have been handed on super powers by some random galactic supernatural being, I just have to pull it off. Every task that I am asked to do for the organization is a really big challenge to me. Meetings, even, are way more challenging than I ever thought.

Anyway, one of the things that I am tasked just recently is to make a story about the science and technology interventions made on the farms of our chosen farmer-scientists in Bohol. I had to document the things that they did on their farms and try to come up with a modest article, brochures and other reading materials, and a techno-video. 

Despite this being on top of my usual obligations in the university, I still try to deliver the best output that I can. 

Here are a few pictures to give you an idea of how my regular Agriculture and Applied Communications-related job goes:

I found it really impressive how the farmers know how to categorize the insects present in their fields.

Vermi-composting - every farmer should know this. 

This is one way to earn the charms needed for the farmers to fully cooperate. :)

The experience is really rewarding since I did not only get to travel and meet new people, I also was able to learn a lot. I am very impressed at how the two farmers answered all my questions. They exemplified how knowledgeable and skilled Boholano farmers are, and how well-performing their Agriculture Office people are. 

*The other side of the trip, the 'touristy' part, will be for another post. :)

How big is your heart?

That you seem to be very capable of loving so many all at once...


You know when you wake up to a song... When you wake up and a song is mysteriously stuck in your head, as if you were singing it the whole time you were asleep... Well, today, I woke up to a question - a question that keeps on bugging me, a question that I can't seem to take off my system.

"How big is your heart, that you seem to be very capable of loving so many all at once?"

Weird huh? But this got me thinking though...

I seem to love a whole bunch of people. I love them all to pieces that I sometimes get confused as to the extent of my affection to them. Do I love them all as much as I love Jheck? Do I love them as much as I love myself? Is it even possible to give so many people the same amount of love all at once?

Perhaps, it is because the more love you receive, the more love you can give. Since I am surrounded by a lot of people who love and value me, I can freely give more love in return.

I am reminded by a dialogue in a movie I watched recently.

"Is it possible to love two men at the same time?"

"Love, yes. Be in love, no."

So, I guess this is just normal. I guess I am just overwhelmed by all the love I get from the people around me.

How big is my heart?

Big enough, I'm sure.

3:35-freaking-AM and we're already at the airport! Only slept for 2 hours...Ma'am Eve had to wake me up three times before I finally budged, got up with eyes still close, slipped on the clothes I prepared the night before, and went back to bed to catch a few more zzzzs. It's only when the sound of our approaching vehicle  became audible that I started to unwillingly get up again, reached for my hair brush, and started making myself look a little decent. I dragged my bags, sleepily headed to the van, and got up again to the sound of a busy airport.

Despite all the crazy things that happened in the past two weeks, however, I am still thankful for the great many blessings that I received. I am very thankful that things are working on my favor, and that God has given me all the chances and opportunities to better myself.

Thank you, Lord! All these for your glory!

Summer Fling

When school ends, and the heat is intense,
That’s when she knows nothing, again, is ever gonna make sense.
Like the humid breeze that kisses the skin,
Summer allows her to be free and become a child again.

However, like the random rain that appears amidst the heat,
Her old self knocks at the door of her consciousness at her every feat.
“Am I still doing the right thing?” “Oh, what have I done?”
Comes the nagging voice of her guilt that she tries to shun.

It once felt right and remorse was not in the scene,
Because she feels happy and free, she considers herself clean.
But when the time comes that things get extreme,
She needs to put a stop at things, and consider those as daydream.

Now that things continue to head to a wrong turn,
She feels it’s best that they be put to a halt and left forlorn
For what the naughty summer has started, she has to end
After all, seasons change and so do the emotions that time lent.

I mean it.
Every word,
Every syllable,
Every letter of it
Comes from deep down.
Why?
Why now?

Reading,
Re-reading,
Re-reading our exchange...
My heart swells
My heart wails
If only….

My Chibi Valentine

Here is what I got for Vday!

Taadaa!!!!


A chibi version of me and Argey. This was custom-made by, who else, the genius himself, ARGEY! He created a cute chibi of him holding a camera to illustrate his forte, and of me holding what looks like a piece of paper to show, well, I don't know... because I write with a laptop now. (*grin)

I am just so lucky to have a person as creative, as unique, as thoughtful, and as wonderful as Argey.

He documented his creation, and here are some pictures of Their Cuteness and their evolution:

Published! ♥

You may also click here for the link of the article.

This is such a big accomplishment and a very happy moment for me not to share and post here! I am so, so, so, soooo happy to see that my first ever Quick Info Dispatch (QID) for CVCIRRD is published.

As Applied Communications Coordinator, one of my tasks is to write QIDs for PCAARRD's web portal (Pardon the acronyms... You may look it up on Google). I was so sad (and embarrassed) when I attended a meeting with the other RACO Coordinators in the region, and found out that in the previous years, CVCIRRD was not able to submit or publish even one QID.

During the meeting, the QID editor also discussed why not all QIDs submitted to them are published. He emphasized how important it is to focus on research and development, instead of just writing a simple press release.

It was my first meeting with them, and during the entire time, I was at the edge of my seat. I was so nervous because they seem to be talking in a foreign language. I could not understand those technical terms and acronyms that to them seem to be just common words. However, this QID and my second one, which will be published anytime soon, will surely help me become more confident to represent Central Visayas during our next meetings.

Anyway, it's four months now since the time I was asked to take the post, and I am striving hard to make myself worthy of the monthly honorarium that I am receiving. So far, I think I am doing good, and I intend to do better in the future. The pending brochures that are supposed to be published 4 years ago, are now done and ready for printing. I also did a total revamp on the website, and works on getting it published before the month ends. And with this first QID published, I am now more inspired to write for the consortium.

Thank you, Dear God. This is such a wonderful blessing!

This is me now!

It's Friday! Ah, last day of workweek!

Today's not a very busy day in the office, and so I have this spare time to update my blog. As I browse through my old posts, I notice this post (click the pink words to see the post) that I did years ago. Geez, I almost forgot how crappy I thought my life was back then. But now, my view towards life seems to have taken a 180 degree turn. Yep, now I'm all for positivity! And so, I am changing some of the entries of this post to show how my views have changed... how I love my life now.

I am : still outlandish, but I am happy and contented with what and how I am.

I think : I'm getting a promotion soon! (ahhahaha... the boss just approved it! woohoo! A new position for June 2012. *fingers crossed)

I know : I still have a lot to learn, but I will soon get there... in time.

I want : myself to be able to change (the bad) and improve (the good) the things that people around me are used to doing.

I have : done a lot of mistakes in the past, but the mistakes I did before have changed me and made me better today.

I wish : that all the dreams that Jheck and I have built will soon come to fruition.

I hate : negativity! Go lang ng go!

I miss : my gurls! We all have been busy with work, lately; but we'll see each other soon to discuss about my BIG DAY! :D

I fear : of losing the people that I love and worked hard for.

I hear : wedding bells! ahahaha....

I smell : the early morning dew... ah, life!

I crave : for crispy lechon skin! yum!

I search : for more learning.

I wonder : when I can start with jogging and badminton. I laze out just thinking about it.

I regret : not eating breakfast this morning. Now I'm ravenous!

I love : myself, my family, Jheck, my friends, my life.

I ache : for ♪♪you♪! Have ♫I told you I ♫ ache♪... (Ache by James Carrington) Char lang!

I was not : like this before. I was a worrier, a literal melancholic... But now I'm changed. Charut!

I am not : a talker. I just talk when I need to.

I cry : when I ache, when things frustrate me, when people leave

I believe : that everything is possible. The impossible just takes longer.

I dance : when I feel like it.

I sing : during karaoke sessions... :D

I read : everything that I get my hands on.

I don't always : lie... But when I do, I'm damn good at it...

I fight : to survive... (wink) when I have to protect myself and the people I love...

I write : to express myself and pour out my emotions and sentiments...

I win : some and lose some... hehe

I lose : some and win some... waaahaha...

I never : want to see myself failing in things that I've worked hard for.

I always : thank God for everything that He has given me. I sometimes think I may have been Sister Theresa or Mahatma Gandhi in the past life to be given all these favors and everything that I have now.

I confuse : places and directions. That's why I need company when I go to a new place.

I listen : to everything and everyone. This is how I learn.

I can usually be found : in the office

I am scared : that one day all the favors that the heavens have given to me will be taken away.

I need : wonderful people in my life always

I am happy : that things are going really well for me...

I wake up : thinking how I can make the day productive.

I sleep : with a smile... thankful to God for all His blessings of the day.

At 23: Loving Life and Accepting its Complexities

At 23, I can say that I am living a wonderful life. I have great friends, who are always at my back to support and cheer for me, who are never hesitant to give a hand whenever I need help, and whose shoulders I can always lean on whenever life’s stressors and disappointments get on me.

At 23, I have a fulfilling career. I am a part of not only one environment, but of various ones. I am a teacher, honing minds and preparing students for their dreams. I am a civil servant, serving diverse stakeholders. I am an Applied Communications coordinator, learning new things, creating ways to let new technologies be of reach to our clienteles. I am an adviser, guiding, influencing young minds to create more, learn more, innovate more. I am a Pylonite, who never stops dreaming, who strives to continue improving myself, who teaches, shares and influences. I am a student, never stopping, always craving for more, and believing that learning is infinite.

At 23, I am earning – not that much, but enough… enough for my needs, my studies, and contribute to my family's pot and my brothers' schooling. At this age, I am able to help not only my family, but other people as well in my own little ways.

At 23, I can feel how the bond in my family has grown tighter and stronger. Despite everything that we have been through, we remain united and supportive to each other… and we will never be apart and broken and complicated like my Pa’s family.

At 23, I have a flourishing love life. I have a boyfriend (fiancé na diay… :D), who always makes me feel special and loved, who loves and respects my family, who is very supportive, thoughtful, talented, loving, and who has all the positive traits you can think of (not exaggerating).

At 23, I am happy and contented… not as successful and fulfilled as I wanted (and still want) myself to be… but happy and contented, and loving and accepting life as it is.

My Teacher, My Hero, My Treasure

On October 5th, the entire world will be celebrating the World Teachers’ Day to honor our mentors who, in so many ways, have helped in honing us into becoming good and productive citizens.

Being a teacher myself, I know how it feels like to be honored and appreciated. All my weariness after a semester’s painstaking hard work always seem to vanish away whenever I read my students' evaluation of my teaching.

So, in observation of this very significant day in the lives of the teachers, I would like to honor and pay tribute to all those who have become my mentors and have played very significant roles in my life, especially those whom I will mention here.

My elementary days now seem like a hazy memory as those were more than a decade ago, but I will never forget my teachers who did a great job in teaching me the very critical lessons in life. Who will ever forget Ma’am Alvarez, the terrifying Grade 2 teacher who lives just in front of the school? She is the first teacher I ever had great fear on, but when she passed away before I even graduated, I think I cried the hardest. Her teaching may be tough, but that’s how we all do seem to learn best, don’t we?

My elementary Science teacher, Mrs. Barona, is someone I really look up to. She is whom I consider the best teacher in the school. She makes science a very interesting subject, despite all the experiments we have to make, observations we have to write and conclusions we have to start with “Therefore, I conclude” (:D).

My 6th Grade adviser, Ms. Glory Quiliope (now Glory Gerdes), is one of the reasons why I became part of the school paper in high school. She taught English very well. I can still remember when I was in 5th grade, I would always daydream of becoming a 6th grade and imagine myself inside her classroom. She is very eloquent, which is why I always got inspired whenever she talked.

My high school days were an amalgam of bliss and despair. Those were the days that I am very much happy to recall but will never, in a million years, live again. When I talk of high school and MNHS now, the very first person that comes to my mind is, none other than, Ma’am Gladie Cacaldo. Ma’am Dida played not only the teacher role but also the role of a good and cool friend. She is the main reason why high school is still very fresh to my mind. Whenever the memory of how and why she did not talk nor look at me for months slips my mind, I cringe and try really hard to place the memory back to the rearmost portion of my brain, where it belongs. Ma’am Dida never held boring classes even if the subject she teaches (Filipino) is one of the most boring subjects for me. She would always insert fun and delightful activities into our lackluster lessons. The last time I visited the school, she gave me one of the biggest and sincerest hugs I ever had that day, which almost made me cry.

Of course, there are my other high school teachers, who willingly imparted their knowledge to us: Mr. Barona, Ma’am Pinuto, Mr. Guanzon, and Ma’am Rosemarie Bohol. They are the people, who have contributed a lot to my pot of knowledge, and for that, I sincerely thank and honor them.

My college years were the ones I am most proud of. I often share with my students how I struggled and worked my way through college to inspire them to study and persevere, and I would always feel glad whenever I see that strange twinkles in their eyes.

Our college dean, Dr. Ochotorena, who calls me her daughter, will always be a part of my success. She is the one who encouraged me to take the academic track and still continues to inspire and support all my undertakings. Then, there’s Dr. EVT, my brilliant MBA professor, who never fails to challenge and inspire me to pursue the degree. Her brilliance emanates to the entire classroom, yet she stays humble and accommodating to her students.

I sincerely thank all my mentors for helping me become who I am today and my salute to all the teachers in the world. Your patience in teaching and educating your students truly makes the world a better place.

Happy Teachers' Day!

Rich and Famous

I was once asked by my Philosophy teacher what I wanted to be -- a very simple question that entails a very simple answer. I stood up from my desk and said, looking straight into his eyes, “I want to be rich and famous.”

It took him a few seconds to respond and he gave me an inscrutable long look. On the background, I heard murmurs from my classmates; and when I looked around, I met some pairs of equally inscrutable eyes. I really didn’t know how that simple and totally honest answer can cause such a fuss. Perhaps, it’s because he wasn’t expecting that kind of answer after the previous ones’ answers were same old, boring, and, nothing else, but all answers that can only be borne out from Boringsville.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, my teacher seemed to have awakened and immediately realized he is in the middle of a class. “Well, that’s for Ms. Nocete. Rich and famous (he was looking contemplative while saying this). Anyway…” And he continued his discussion on ambitions and getting there and many other things that all seemed like a blur to me. I could see his lips moving, but I could not hear a word he’s saying. All I was thinking then was how I sounded. I recalled the looks I got after having uttered the words, but I couldn’t seem to decipher the mystery behind those.

I attended a retreat organized by the nuns I worked for when I was still in college. One of the things we were asked to do was to draw our plans and ambitions on a piece of paper, and write down at the back of it how we plan to achieve them. I can still recall how excited I was to tell the people around me what my dreams are. However, after seeing what the others have drawn and written, I felt like such an overly-ambitious freak. Their dreams and ambitions were all so simple and small-scale (i.e. have a job, a family, a small house), I felt like snapping at them and telling them how easy it is to get a husband, make kids and build a nipa hut in the woods. And like my Philosophy teacher, the nun gave me that look I so hate to ever see again. She even managed to lecture on how frustrations over unachieved dreams can make us do crazy things, which, thanks to her, made me look even more pathetic.

Okay, I admit I am ambitious, but come on, what is the point of dreaming anyway? Don’t normal people dream of things they can’t easily get? Is it just me who knows how to do it properly?

Setting goals high can actually help one in the end. That is, for as long as he knows how to manage failures and defeat, as these two, as I have read and learned, always come first. And yep, I have long prepared myself for them.

So, if you ask me now what my dreams are, I will answer you with the same thing. To be rich and famous. Yep, I’m sticking to it!

Who says one can never have a perfect life? Well... I DO! For now, at least.

And I thank the Lord for all these great gifts.

Even though I sometimes feel scared and undeserving, I just try to enjoy these moments while they last.

Father God is watching me all along. Thank you God. Thank you for this perfect life.

In the Woods

The sky wasn’t in its best mood. The afternoon was slowly waning, giving way to a cold, damp evening.

A few minutes of traversing through the wet road,and we finally arrived at the little house in the middle of the woods; where we were greeted with sweet smiles and warm hellos.

Big, old Dash, the official guard of the house, was barking at us nonstop. He gave us his best warning look as we passed by him, as if telling us not to do something stupid or we’ll have to see.

The sweet smell of bamboo matting greeted us as we entered the house. Its cool ambiance made us feel comfy and welcomed. Its lamps resemble those of the ones I often see in native restaurants and the well-arranged wooden chairs and benches looked really inviting.

I was really impressed at how organized the house is despite its size. There are only very few things inside the house, showing the simple and never-showy lifestyle of the owners.Unlike most Filipino homes, no television set or clock can be seen in their living room. It was a laid-back living I always dream I could have.

Spending the rest of the day in the house in the middle of the woods is a rejuvenating experience for me and the girls. It was a great way of celebrating the country’s 113th Independence Day. Even for a day, we became free from the urban jungle, free from the hustles of city life, free from the people we deal with everyday, free from many other things… and we became one with nature.

In the woods, I have met people I thought exist only in the movies. I have been given the chance to experience the laid-back kind of life – the one where you do not need to check on your cellphones for messages or calls, where your activities are not dictated by every tick of the clock, where you are awaken by the chirping of the birds, where you go out of the room greeted by the sight of a beautiful world.

In the woods, I have experienced the real meaning of solitude. The place is so serene and peaceful… the kind of tranquility anyone in the city would kill to have.

In the woods, I was able to forget all my worries and doubts even just for a day. I realized that one does not need to keep pace with the other everyday racers to be able to enjoy and find contentment in life. For, indeed, the real joy lies in the serenity of the heart and peace of the mind.

In the woods, I found a retreat. Retreat from everything, from everyone. I became one with myself. It was just me and nature. I really wish for another chance to come back and experience one more time the life in the woods.