morning blues..

a mix of emotions in the morning.. wasn't a good one..

ah gong has been admitted to the hospital.. it was more saddening to see him lying on his floor (he sleeps on the floor, with just a pillow beneath his head) wheezing with difficulty.. while the other kids were sitting in the living room watching cartoons, not knowing what was going on.. ignorance is a bliss? perhaps..

and earlier, i woke up from a dream, that left me in a frightful daze.. i was running away, from people, from a situation so much similar to what i'm facing right now.. i believe that dreams are ways of interpreting what your subconscious mind is going through.. i was running, many times i came to a corner, many times i came so near to being stopped.. to a point where i was so frightened of the thought of being caught, and not wanting to witness that, i forced myself to wake up..

for a short while, i sat up, trying hard to sort things out.. i knew it was only 5am when i saw the living room's lights were on, and dad was preparing to go for work.. i tried going back to sleep, but the frightening feeling was still there.. it was only when i started seeing the break of dawn then i slowly drifted back into sleep..

i think i need a slow night walk tonight after seeing the kids..

a broken necklace..

i'm sad, that the necklace tita bambie made for me was broken.. =(

i treasure every little thing that i got from Bago City.. from friendship bracelets, presents from dearest friends, to Coca-cola glass bottles and a fallen christmas ball deco from a tree outside an old church (which ryan said it was a good sign.. haha)..

every little thing has a special meaning to me.. every little thing has a special story to tell..

i like the necklace tita bambie made.. she likes making accessories.. on some nights i will see her sitting alone in the living room with all her beads and wires.. i have no knack for these things, but i can see that she really puts in her heart into making those accessories..

and now, it's broken.. =(

commitment and expectations..

sometimes, commitment and expectations will pull you down.. there are many things you would wish to do, wish to achieve, things you look forward to.. but because of the commitment you are being tied down to, and people's expectations of you, your wishes and dreams may have to be abandoned..

when you have finally decided to pull yourself away from all these burdens, you may realise that, time is not on your side.. or maybe, heavier commitment comes to you that you may not be able to pull yourself away..

i don't want to leave any room for regrets.. but are there choices?

being pessimistic may be the way for now.. i'm not giving up hope, although negotiation may have to come into play..

take not the road less travelled, rather make new roads, blaze new
trails, find new routes to your dreams..

if only that's easy..

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my Bago trip video is soon to be completed (i owe you one, biyun! =D).. doing the final acknowledgements and accounting for all the sponsors and beneficiaries stuff.. i hate doing the post-project work.. oh well, for the sake of my future projects..

it's over!!

yeahhey!! i passed!! i'm offically out of the evil clutches of NUS!! haha.. =D

i was so worried over PL1101E - Intro to Psychology.. negative marking leh.. and that LSM3252 - Evolution and Comparative Genetics.. screwed up the oral presentation and had to deal with the irritating tutor..

but it's all over!! yeahhey!! =D

and the kids, overly noisy and talkative today.. and the boy kept saying he's cute and handsome and smart and talented and blah blah blah..

boy: teacher, i know you like to see me..
me: wert, who wants to see you everyday..
boy: but i'm so handsome and cute!
me: you know the meaning of cute? it means adorable but ugly.. so that means you are ugly lor..
*muahhahahaha*

and he spilled my cup of coke, and sat on his chair until he fell over.. haha.. heck, i was indulging in my ice-cream then.. haha.. what a nice parent.. =D

i'm going to celebrate with Pirates of the Caribbean 3, Shrek 3, more shopping and pyscho-ing my parents for my trip.. heheh..

but still no tv.. damn..

sentosa outing..

the tv has gone haywire.. blue became green, green became red, and red became blue.. now i can't enjoy all my late night shows.. arghh.. Desperate Housewives! CSI!! Survivor finale!!! damn..

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anyway, was in Sentosa with the NUSCO gang last saturday for some sun-bathing.. haha.. my tanning oil was working (a bit).. but i still got burnt on the shoulders..

playing frisbee and captain's ball under the hot sun was indeed tiring.. so tired that 2 nights of 10-hour sleep don't seem to be enough.. =P



and NUSCO has found out ways for perfect self-photo-taking with more than 4 people.. by getting a tall person with long arms to be the photographer a.k.a. the bi-pod.. haha..



and we decided to try out the skyride and the luge that day.. oh well, it was fun, for a $9 attraction..



and it was our first time taking the Sentosa Express, which has replaced the old monorail..



yar, really had fun that day.. we should be out in the sun often.. so that i can achieve my tan.. muahhaha..

kids' results..

the kids got back most of their results.. can't say that i was satisfied with it, there are much room for improvement.. there were questions which i had gone through similar ones days before their papers, but yet they still got them wrong.. there were many marks lost due to carelessness.. and things that are common sense (at least to me) they got them wrong too..

but i was surprised, that some questions with a certain level of difficulty, they managed to score.. =)

i didn't expect the girl to pass her science, but she did.. then again, she failed her maths and english.. sigh.. with lots of funny excuses thrown to me too..

sometimes i just wish that they could be more sensible when it comes to their studies.. and less horrors for me..

sigh.. kids..

phantom.. again..

now i know why a musical can be so good.. because it is able to move you, touch your heart, regardless of the number of times you have watched it.. =)

my favourite parts of the musical - at the roof top where Raoul and Christine sang "All I Ask of You" with the Phantom overlooking at them, and when the Phantom looked at Christine leaving him and said "Christine, I love you.."



and yes, it was worth the money.. =)

but this time round, the female lead was different.. she was so much shorter, more than a head shorter than the two male leads.. what a great height difference.. but in terms of the voices, i would prefer the original one..

but the effects were still the same.. and less glitches.. haha.. and we were nearer to the raising chandelier.. haha..




and i'm going to enjoy listening to the cd.. yeahhey.. but, why is there no video recording of the musical??

festivals of Philippines..

wanna share an article i found.. quite interesting, especially now that Philippines is having a huge fiesta celebrating these festivals.. how i wish i would be able to experience it..

Our country is rich in traditions handed down by our ancestors. Festivals are part of the Filipino culture which are largely influenced by Spanish religious practices. Some festivals are in honor of a patron saint or major events in the life of Jesus Christ and the Blessed Virgin Mary. A festivity is held every month somewhere in the country. Each city or barrio comes to life with at least one festival. Visitors, both local and tourists, are always welcome to celebrate the festivities which are special occasions for Filipinos to extend their hospitality and friendship.

The colorful month of May blooms with fiestas such as the much-awaited Flores de Mayo and Santacruzan. Flores de Mayo is the flower festival during May in honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary. This month-long revelry is distinctly separate from the Santacruzan. In the Tagalog region, this custom began after the proclamation of the dogma of the Immaculate Conception in 1854 and after the publication circa 1867 of Mariano Sevilla’s translation of the devotional Flores de Maria.

Many towns celebrate Flores de Mayo with people gathering inside the church every afternoon to pray the rosary and offer fresh flowers and songs to the Blessed Virgin Mary. Children visit the church with bouquets of flowers and baskets of fragrant petals which they sprinkle while walking to the altar. This custom is called Alay sa Birhen. Nine days of prayer or novena in honor of the Holy Cross precedes the Santacruzan. This festival was introduced by the Spaniards in the Philippines and has since become part of our Filipino tradition.

A Santacruzan or Festival of the Holy Cross is a religious-historical procession held in many cities, towns and small villages throughout the Philippines. It is one of the most colorful May-time festivals which commemorates the finding of the Holy Cross in Jerusalem by Queen Helena, mother of Emperor Constantine the Great. There was a joyful celebration of thanksgiving after the Holy Cross was found and brought back to Rome. Hence, the most important sagala is the Reina Elena and her consort, a boy called Constantino.

The procession has evolved throughout the years. The Santacruzan is now a unique blend of beauty pageant and religious procession as attractive belles walk in their stunning gowns. It is definitely more than a competition as to which sagala’s canopy is the brightest or has the most creative flower arrangement. As May starts, processions that showcase beautiful maidens and handsome consorts under floral arches are common evening fixtures in many parts of the country. Movie and TV personalities are also invited to participate in the Santacruzan as sagalas and escorts.

Pretty young ladies and gays are chosen to represent various biblical and historical characters and attributes of the Blessed Virgin. Each one is dressed in exquisite and resplendent gown, looking regal just like the queen she portrays. It is also required that gentlemen joining the Santacruzan wear Barong Tagalog.

The beautiful belles walk with their consorts under hand-carried bamboo arches adorned with colorful flowers. Some of the queens in the parade include Reina Fe who symbolizes the virtue of faith and she carries a cross; Reina Esperanza represents the virtue of hope and carries an anchor; Reina Caridad symbolizes the virtue of charity and carries a red heart; Reina Justicia personifies the "mirror of justice" and carries a weighing scale and a sword; and Reina de las Flores who carries a bouquet of flowers.

The highlight of the procession is the majestic Reina Elena who carries a small cross and walks with her consort, Prinsipe Constantino, under a huge canopy of beautiful and colorful flowers.

The highest honor given to a woman’s beauty is to be selected as Reina Elena. Behind her is a float carrying the image of the Blessed Virgin Mary followed by a brass band that leads the festive sounds of the procession and the singing of Dios Te Salve. The devotees who walk with the procession hold lighted candles in their hands, praying the rosary, and singing songs of praise.

The origin of the Santacruzan has its roots in the stories about the historical discovery of the Holy Cross on which Jesus was crucified. It is said that Queen Helena was sent by her son, Emperor Constantine I, on a mission to find the true cross on which our Lord was crucified. Queen Helena traveled to Jerusalem in 326 A.D. in search of the Holy Cross. She recovered three crosses during the excavations. She tested each cross by making her sick servant lie on all three. The cross where the servant was healed was identified as Christ’s.

In another story, Constantine I, the first Christian Roman Emperor, went on a battle against Maxentius in 312 A.D. and asked God for help. Constantine cast his eyes heavenwards and saw in the night sky a glowing sign of the cross with the words In hoc signia vincit which means "By this sign thou shalt conquer." He used the cross as his battle insignia with the words and defeated the Roman Army in the Battle of Milvian Bridge. Constantine’s victory led to his conversion into Christianity. His mother, Queen Helena, was inspired by her son’s experience and went on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land to seek the Holy Cross.

like the article has mentioned, every town, every province in Philippines has their own festivals.. Bago City has its Babylan Festival, and i bet it is as colourful as the other bigger much celebrated festivals in major provinces in Philippines.. but if given a choice, i would choose to experience Babylan Festival first, then slowly immerse myself to the rest of the Filipino culture..

to all in Bago, i miss you guys so much!! hehe.. elections coming up, all the best to papa and tito carloy.. take care yar? haha..

the green van..

it isn't that exciting after all.. i spend half of my day sleeping away into my lala-land.. haha.. and everyday i would have funny and weird dreams that i would end up continue daydreaming after waking up.. this isn't reality manz.. haha..

and last night, the green van appeared in my dream.. the green van that brought me around in Bago City.. =)

in the van, i travelled, i saw, i thought, i laughed, i sang, i cried..

i always sit by the window, looking out to the passing rice fields, squatter homes, sometimes met with interesting things and beautiful sunsets.. when i'm not talking to anybody in the van, thoughts would race through my mind.. when i'm listening to songs played on the radio, i would sing along with it, occasionally belting Tagalog tunes that surprises the gang in the van..

there would always be laughter in the van.. how i always joke around with the gang, how i always ask funny questions and give funny answers.. haha.. and how the van got stuck on the way to Astro Farm Elementary School, and how it got stuck again in some hole along a small alley in Bacolod.. haha..

the van is also a place to eat.. sometimes we would buy food from the roadside and savour them in the van.. i remembered the filipino's version of goreng pisang, but coated with caramel, burgers packed from home, sugarcanes freshly cut from the plantation, and my mash potatos specially prepared by tita tessa when i was sick..

the tears were only on the very last day.. for 3 years, no fail.. haha.. i'm such a loser..

things may change for the coming year (Philippines elections coming up), i don't know if i will see the green van the next time, but whatever it is, i still enjoy the company of the gang and the van.. =)

kiddy horrors..

another round of kiddy horrors..

1.
me: take out your science text book..
girl: har.. in my bag..
me: why har? take out from your bag only what..
girl: tomorrow i have science lesson, later i forget to put back the book..
me: ok, later i put on top of all your books so that you won't forget, can?
*girl reluctantly went to take her book*

2.
me: ok, science quiz..
girl: har?? why quiz.. last week also got quiz..
me: your exams coming soon.. need to revise..
girl: still got 2 more weeks! the last subject leh..
*so young, yet already mastered the art of hugging buddha's leg.. haha*

3.
boy: teacher, why i cannot use calculator?
me: because you are not smart enough..
boy: then why you can use calculator?
me: because i smarter than you..
*muahaha*

4.
me: do these questions first..
boy: why leh?
me: so that i can mark your other homework first..
boy: don't want.. hand pain..
me: then do the comprehension cloze..
boy: ok ok ok..
*another of my tactics.. haha*

5.
me: this question, calculation mistake..
boy: my calculation is never wrong!
me: wanna bet?
boy: bet with what?
me: you lose, do 2 comprehension cloze..
boy: don't want!! i don't want to bet!
*hahah.. my tactic is a proven success*

here comes my freedom!

yesh! yesh!! yesh!!! i am now officially free from the clutches of the evil NUS!! muahaha.. and i better not fail any of my papers.. *pray pray pray*

the moment we were dismissed from the lab, the first reaction from me was, "yesh!!".. haha.. that was my last exam paper of my life.. no more lab work, no more stoopid modules, no more irritating tutors.. muahaha.. but provided i can get pass this semester smoothly lar.. yar.. so pray for me.. haha..

i was so eager to get out of school, to the extent of wanting to throw my book into the rubbish bin.. haha..



went to have lunch with my (hot and sexy) cousin who came down from malaysia.. haha.. it has been a long time since we saw each other.. or rather, all the cousins don't get to come together.. if you were to ask me all my cousins' names, i will fail at that.. serious.. and i jokingly told my cousin, that if i were to go back to malaysia for any family gathering, there would be people asking me who i am.. haha.. anyway cousin, i will sure look for you if i ever go to KL, provided i have the time and the budget.. haha.. =)

and after that i went to meet up with my CO friends for a heavy dinner and a beer-drinking session at Paulander.. time for some celebration, i suppose.. haha..



i ain't a very good drinker (i haven't got to test where is my limit yet) but i ain't a bad one too.. haha.. had a few glasses, which i think would be able to make me sleep better.. haha.. the place was alright, but it's the company that matters.. haha..

ok, time to sleep!! no more late nights with all the notes and books!! =D