new toy's first appearance

my new toy made its first official appearance yesterday. it was for work purposes, but playing with the toy added some fun elements to it. it gave my biceps a good workout, although the carrying of chairs and instruments had been a more strenous one.

picked out a few satisfying ones (aside from work-related shots).



I like this one, because you can still see a glimpse of the instrument through the window.



Cola-cola clearly stood out. my anti-depressant. :)



mommy Michelle and baby Gabriel. would have been better if their facial expressions could be captured more clearly.

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ah gong's health is getting better. a good thing. he has been transferred out from the isolation ward. hopefully he can come home soon. somehow it's good, so convenient that I'm working nearby and I can visit him everyday during my lunch hour.

many things have been tiring me out. I do hope all are temporary. I'm strong enough, I hope.

get well soon

get well soon, ah gong. i'm waiting for you to come back to have dinner with me.

Zhi Yin IV

it was a night of reminiscence. the time machine brought me back 7 years in time, and my, it was kinda weird. haha.


Zhi Yin IV!!

the 4 years as a RVCO member have indeed been one of my memorable moments as a student, as a performer. with all the various performing stints, competitions and even an overseas trip to Shanghai, and of course with all the friends that I've made in the orchestra, I can't think of any other word to describe it, except 'fun'. :)

but of course, it was not all about fun, especially when we got scolded for not performing up to standard, or when we failed to clinch the top gold award in the SYF competition. I remembered I cried after the results were announced and the then-principal had to comfort all of us.

haha, but that was all part and parcel of growing up. :) and talking about growing up, i'm like 10 years older than the youngest members in the orchestra. wahh! I feel so old now. haha.

and yesterday's concert brought many familiar faces together, this shows that the alumni support is still going strong. hehe.


i love their attire. clean-cut, yet smart. it's time for NUSCO to change the uniforms.

the finale song gave me goosebumps. because it was the song that we played 7 years ago! it was freaky, I tell ya. god knows how tough the trainings were, and how this song brought up all the emotions. this is truly a RVCO song. haha.

I would love to play that song again, but to render it in a much more matured manner, with deeper emotions.

and the night ended nicely with the RV shan ge, the very RVian cheer. :)

a new toy!

whee~! I have a new toy! :D

working in the night

I actually do find peace working alone in the office late into the night. :)

I love playing music while working. I have my pillow and soft toys to accompany me when I'm bored. I have the photos of my beloved Bago City to gaze at, when I'm down.

another one of my quiet little corners. :) haha I may sound like a workaholic freak (NO I'm not), but yar, I work better in the night. haha.

growing old

you know you have become more sensible, when you don't go around harping about your problems, but instead you lend a listening ear to people who are more affected by their own issues.

you know you have become wiser, when you know where to seek your inspirations and your sense of motivation, at your lowest moments.

Filipino hotdogs!

oooh.. the taste of Filipino hotdogs brought back much memories. :)

I remembered my Filipino breakfasts, my Filipino lunches and my Filipino dinners. haha.

I still have one and a half packets of that, still able to ration it till my next trip back. but I wanna have a proper Filipino meal here! where can I enjoy nice and cheap Filipino food, except Lucky Plaza? I'm intimidated by the weekend crowds. haha.

oh, I still have many packets of squid rings in my office. :)

August playlist - Aiza Seguerra

August's playlist - Aiza Seguerra



Aiza, an acoustic singer in the Philippines. it's kinda difficult to find singers with a soothing voice, and plays the guitar well. not only that, she is a songwriter too. :) oooh I like talented people. haha.



her album 'Para Lang Sa Yo' (Just For You) is the first Filipino album I've purchased. :)

many of the songs from the playlist are from this album. one of my favourites is I'll Be There For You. Walang Sayang (No Regrets), Persistent Rain, and Mahagkan Kang Muli (To Kiss You Again) are nice. Kasama (Together) is a catchy song.

her previous albums have also won awards for outstanding performance and sales. How Did You Know and Pinakamamahal (Deepest Love) are also some of my favourites.

if I could ever get to hear her sing live, I would sure grab the chance. I wonder when would that be. haha.



P.S. all translations of the Tagalog song titles are done by me. they may not be 100% correct. haha.

another week

again, a lot of things have been going on these few days. good and bad, that's what makes life interesting. haa.

we had another primary school class gathering again yesterday. surprisingly, everyone was so enthusiastic that we had to have a gathering that soon. haha. but well, that's a good thing, because I've got to meet up with these friends whom I've not met for 11 years. and we did have many good laughs at all the jokes and the silly things we did when we were still kids. :)

there are other things to keep me excited as well. I guess this is quite predictable, because there aren't many things that can keep me that excited. :)

but well of course, like I've said, bad things happened too. work has not been going smoothly, and I have no choice but to accept it. at times it was my fault, however I just can't help but rant to people around me. I just hope they don't find me too irritating. but somehow I think they do. arghh, I'm starting to get pessimistic and negative.

shucks, I need to stay focused. there are other things that need my attention and effort. yes I need to stay focused.

oh, I have just gotten addicted to killer Sudoku. haha. the Sudoku grid with no numbers in it. it's much more challenging than the normal ones, and I like it. hahah. I was so excited when I saw the book. and I still am. there's a 16 x 16 grid Sudoku too! muahahah. go ahead and call me a freak. I like such challenges. haha. ;D

ah... it's Sunday. the only day I can sleep like nobody's business. ah.. all these are oh so random. oh well. I need my sleep!! ciao.

Monday blues

too many things happening.

------------------------------

po-po passed away 2 weeks ago.

when I was very young, my parents had to work, so I spent most of my day-times at my auntie's house. po-po would dote on me, just like any of her own grandchildren. she liked to sit on the bamboo chair in the living room, fanning herself with the small weaved fan, while the naughty me would sit there watching tv, creating havoc once in a while.

I gave her an ang-bao this Chinese New Year. because I've started working, and it was about time I should show more of my filial respect to her. it was my first and last time doing so.

I never got to go to her wake. I hope she would rest well.

------------------------------

Mrs Janet Torres passed away yesterday morning.

she was a fighter, a strong woman who had contributed a lot to the society, to the city. she was ill when I was back in Bago City last May, and I didn't get to meet her. she had been through a lot, but now she can finally rest.

------------------------------

I had a gathering with some of my friends from my primary school yesterday. it has been 11 long years. faces have changed, but some are still as crappy as ever.

and again I experienced some identity crisis. while people are becoming lawyers, doctors, accountants and some other high-flying occupations, I got lost again.

as long as I'm contented with what I have, everything else doesn't really matter, right?

------------------------------

it's time I give myself some space.

my early birthday wish

I know it's still a long way to my birthday, and I don't really celebrate my birthday. my last birthday cake was when I was 13.

but because I was totally amazed by the kinds of cakes the kids are having for their birthday parties nowadays, I shall have a simple birthday wish. yar, a simple one.

which is, to have a cake like this!!



yes! a Stitch birthday cake! :D

haha I guess it's about time I should have a birthday cake that I'll really really like. after 10 years. oops I've divulged my age.

I do have another wish. I wish that I could spend one of my birthdays in Bago. :)

oh well, hopefully the time will come.

but anyway, I've found this on the internet. 'See no evil, speak no evil, hear no evil', Stitch's version. heheh. ain't this little blue monster cute? :D

moody sunday

there has been a galore of commencement photos in Facebook. many familiar faces, a number of them have been a part of my memories during my school years. I had weird feelings looking at the photos, perhaps I felt I was spying on other people's lives. haa. and I can't really say that there was a sense of nostalgia, because I don't remember much about my own commencement.

perhaps I was regretting not taking more photos during that occasion. too late for regrets.

glad to see that friends who have graduated have found their jobs, ready to face the bright future. and for a few times it set me thinking, what am I doing, what am I going to do with my future. there are things in my mind that I'm trying to achieve, but still, I feel lost.

there have been bleak moments experienced during work for the past year. there have been things that keep me motivated, keeping me going on. I'm not the kind of person who would come home, complaining to my family, or hide under the blanket and cry. I haven't been crying for a long time. in fact, I say nothing about my job when I'm home, and I suppose they know nothing except where I work.

I'm not denying that there are better opportunities out there, but I'm seeing how far will I go, how far can I go. it's just a matter of time.

or perhaps I just need a trigger.

end of Lobo

after 6 months of airing, my favourite Filipino teleserye so far, has come to an end. :(



'Can love prevail between two people who are destined to destroy each other?'



that was the tagline for the teaser of the teleserye. Lobo, a story of two ill-fated lovers who went against the odds to be together, defying and challenging whatever force that conspire to tear them apart.

the lead characters Noah and Lyka are none other than (my papa P) Piolo Pascual and Angel Locsin. :)

Lyka is a descendant of the man-wolves clan, known as the 'Waya', whereas Noah is a lieutenant, whose father was killed by a man-wolf, and his adoptive father made him join the 'Luna' which is determined to destroy all man-wolves on Earth. they are two people leading their lives worlds apart.

well of course, like all other stories, they fell in love with each other (since they were kids) and had to go through all obstacles that came their way. and again, like all other stories, they lived happily ever after. :) then you wonder, how many obstacles they have to go through, and how many villians they have to face, for a 6-month drama. haha.


beauuutiful..

why do I like this teleserye so much? for one, it has a very different storyline. a story about humans and man-wolves. with a great love story. and of course, it's my papa P. ;)

and the theme song is just so beautiful. Ikaw Ang Pangarap, sung by Martin Nievera. yeah.

and many scenic places too! helicopter's shots! beaches! gardens! forests!


awwww..

and I have been religiously following the teleserye, never missing out a single episode of it, even when I was in Bago City last May. and even if I did, I would make sure I would watch that particular episode when I have time to spare. heheh. yes, all because of papa P. :)

and now, all villians are killed, happy ending for the lovers and all other good characters. all has come to an end.

no more papa P. :(

July playlist - my papa piolo

theme for July's playlist - my papa Piolo :)



ang idol ko si papa Piolo! haha.. ang gwapo at ang ganda siya! :) (go try finding out the meaning, if you wanna know.. haha)

anyway, this month's playlist comprises of songs from Piolo Pascual's Timeless album released last year, in celebration of his ten years in showbiz.

he acts, he sings, he hosts, and he even penned the lyrics of some of the songs in the album. he is also venturing into directing. and yes, he's handsome. :P


isn't he charming? hee

people in the Philippines like to give titles to celebrities, and his? heart-throb, papa ng bayan (papa of the country). :)

Philippines has many marvellous singers who have won accolades in their home country and abroad. although papa P may not be the best singer in the country, but nevertheless he is able to produce beautiful renditions of his songs as well as others.

and for almost every Sunday, I'll get to hear him sing on the regular afternoon programme ASAP, that features the station's talents singing and dancing. the Filipino culture. haha.. and manz, he's so charismatic when he sings. :D

go papa Piolo!

secret hope

when you are secretly hoping for something, and you know that it's never going to happen, how would you feel?

BHBH1 gathering

at last, the BHBH1 has come together! rawrr.. haha..


Big Hands Bigger Hearts 1 - (half of) the legacy

it was in September 2004 when 24 of us came together to create a miracle, sort of. :) and then in December 2004, the 24 of us stepped onto the beautiful yet unknown grounds of Bago City, Philippines. a place that I've fallen in love with, a place that I call it my second home.

more than 20 days of staying together, working together as a team. we had so much fun that it was as though we were having a vacation there. haha. and we have forged strong friendships, and I am thankful to have them as my friends.

3 years have gone down the road. all of us have grown, and matured into young individuals carving out roads and careers of our own. good to see that everybody is doing well. nice to hear laughters again, listening to stories and reminiscing our days in Bago City.

the YEP in Bago City has changed my life, of course not in a dramatic way, but at least it gives me the motivation to continue doing what I like, and to continue helping the children. I don't know how much the project has changed their lives, but I do hope that they have gained something from it. :)

subsequent groups that have ventured to Bago City also take after the name BHBH. hahah. we are the creator. we are the best! haha..

Big Hands Bigger Hearts 1 - may the legacy continues. haha..

thinking back, a month ago

i always tell people, that the Philippines airport doesn't like me. haha. i always run into problems whenever i'm in the airport, despite the number of times i've been walking in and out of it. haha. there was even once i entered the boarding gate, without having my passport chopped. amazing isn't it? and i only realised it after i've gone through all the troublesome security checks and scannings, and i sensed that something was not quite right, i quickly flipped through my passport, kaboom! i had to get out again, re-queue (i spent more than half-hour waiting) and going through all the security checks again.

haha.


the Singapore sky, and the plane i took

a month ago, i was jetsetting to my favourite place again, so i prayed hard nothing would happen to me in the airport. before even touching down on the Philippine land, there was already a small hiccup. due to zero visibility (the pilot said so), we couldn't descend, so we were hovering in mid-air for half an hour. going in circles and going through the turbulences.

and we touched down 45 minutes behind schedule.


looking down to Manila

transiting from the international terminal to the domestic terminal was considered smooth, until i forgot to collect my paper bag after passing through the security check at the boarding gate in the domestic terminal. so forgetful. nothing new. haha.


Ya Kun kaya toast in the Philippines airport!

i had 4 hours of waiting time before my domestic flight, thank goodness i had my MP3 and my loyal Sudoku book with me. hahaha. there was nothing much to explore in the airport anyway, i could walk from one end of the terminal to the other in 5 minutes. haha. but there was something new! Ya Kun kaya toast!! a pity they had ran out of the kaya, if not i could have done some comparison. haha.

i was supposed to board the next flight at 6pm (i remembered!), but the boarding call was made at 5pm. thinking that i could reach Bago City earlier, i was excited and boarded the plane happily. the plane moved off before schedule, but came to a halt before entering the runway. an annoucement was made, saying that there were technical problems, so we would have to wait. dampened my mood.


little tofu couldn't wait to go to Bago City

and so we waited. until people got impatient. but no clear explanation was given. and so we waited, seeing the sky turned dark. i got tired and fell asleep. when i woke up 2 hours later, we were still there, on the same spot.

then we were told that the problem had been fixed, but we had to wait for a new batch of crew because the current batch of crew on board had exceeded their 13-hour duty time. wert.

when the plane finally started moving, it was already 8pm. but there was another hour to go, and i was too sleepy, so i went back to sleep. haha.


the new Bacolod-Silay Airport

when i finally saw my beloved friends, it was like 9pm. 15 hours after i had left my own house in Singapore. i felt like i was travelling to Europe, time-wise. haha. instead of "hello, good evening!", we greeted each other "good night". hahaha.

and now i pray there would be international flights going to Bacolod soon. what a waste of resources, for an international airport serving only domestic flights. and when that day comes, i can whiz off to Bacolod in 4 hours!

and that day better come fast. haha.

the mass wedding

oops, i went on a shopping spree while searching for a wedding gift for a friend. well, i was eyeing something for quite some time, and i need something else as well. haha..

now that i've mentioned weddings, yup, the mass wedding i've attended in Bago City. :)


the programme leaflet for the ceremony

May 26 is the birthday of the mayor, and he celebrated his "40-something-th" birthday with a bang! a mass wedding for 334 couples!


the mayor, giving a speech during the ceremony

that was my first time attending a mass ceremony, and i'm sure that it was also the first time for almost everybody who was present. seriously, how often do you get to witness a mass wedding? :)


the stage decoration

and i was invited to be seated on stage alongside with the mayor and the city councillers, witnessing the entire ceremony, as well as taking the group photos. it was an honour, but it was embarrassing too, because i'm just a nobody. and that was how i became the ma-ninay (sponsor/witness) of the 334 couples. oops.


empty chairs awaiting all the couples

334 couples, how much effort was put in to make the mass wedding possible? A LOT. i mean it. from the preparation, arrangements in the venue, all the co-ordination, crowd control, to the actual event itself, it involved a lot of work. Tricia's office was in charge of this event, and i say, you guys did a great job! hooray! :)


almost the entire city government workers were involved in this event

the mass wedding was a simple one. nothing was lavishing, probably except for the three-tiered wedding cake.


the wedding cake became the centrepiece of all the group photos we took

the couples came from all parts of Bago City. 24 barangays. many of them set off from their homes a few hours before the ceremony, dressed in simple white shirts and dresses, travelled to the city's coliseum in buses, tricycles, jeepneys. how did i know? because i saw a few of them when i visited Balgros Elementary School in Barangay Dulao in the morning. haha.

all the couples need not pay for the fees to process the legal documents and the charges for the ceremony. it was being paid for by the government. i was told by one of the city councillers, Ma'am Somcio, that many of them could not afford to get married, to have a wedding banquet, and they would just live together, forming families that are not recognised legally. which explained why some of the brides were pregnant, some couples looked like grandparents to me, and some towing their children along. i was also told that a few of the would-be brides just gave birth a couple of days before the wedding, so there were empty seats in the hall. hahah.


a couple with their child

which is also why the mayor is encouraging proper and legal marriage, because of the various health and educational benefits their children and they themselves would be able to receive.

there were quite a number of young couples as well. lack of education, and many other factors. i shall not elaborate any further. ha.

there were touching stories too. Ma'am Somcio was pointing a couple to me while we were on stage, waiting for the ceremony to begin. the lady was suffering from cancer, and she was being led to her seat, with her husband holding her hand all the time. she was too frail to stand, so she could not have her wedding march, and had to be seated while reciting the oath. but she had her husband by her side all the while.


the lady with cancer and her husband

there was another young lady who was in a wheelchair, and it was her husband who was with her all the while, wheeling her down the aisle.

in sickness and in health. true love is the love that is able to endure these obstacles. :)


the long wedding march

towards the end of the ceremony, everybody rose to take their oaths, and we the witnesses stood up as well. i could only understand a little of the oath (it was in Ilongo), but i could understand the last sentence very well. "you may now kiss the bride." and suddenly everybody started giggling. haha. nobody was kissing! the couples were shy! Ma'am Somcio and i were on stage, shouting "kiss! kiss!", while the mayor prompted the couples. it was only then i could see shy pecks on the lips, and i could see long passionate kisses too.


the 334 couples standing to take their oaths

it doesn't really matter if two persons were to get married or just living together, either way it requires a lot of courage and determination to make things work. but of course, there are pros and cons to be weighed, and the future to be considered. it's not just a simple "I do", but a lifelong promise and commitment.

i wish all the couples (and all around the world), to stay blissful together, and the best of luck. :)

photos from Bago City

ah.. finally most of the photos have been uploaded. actually i'm done with the uploading last week, just that i'm lazy to update and for a few times it slipped my mind. heh.

i remembered i took about 700 shots, but i've only uploaded 500+, because the rest are either repeated, too blur, or too ugly. haha. a lot of the pictures were taken during the TRY Summer Youth Camp. i was the unofficial photographer. haha. which is why there aren't many photos with my face on it. bleah.

so here's the link to my flickr photostream:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/yuhui-loves/

will blog about interesting things that happened while i was there (like the mass wedding) and interesting shots. slowly, as and when i have the inspiration. :)

fondue and concert

it seems like it's becoming a habit to combine 2 meals into 1. not good. i need something to keep to a proper eating time.

yeah! the big 4 of BHBH1 has come together again! and yes, over our favourite fondue. :)


Huijie, me, Aline and Waipeng

it was nice to see our dear Sarah Huijie growing, becoming a lady, and knowing that all is well for her in London. yup, i still hold on to the hope that we will get to go to Bago City together. one day. it will come. :)


our chocolate fondue, with the long marshmallows

and thank you for the unique marshmallows! we have never seen marshmallows in this shape before. and even the waiters were curious and laughing. haha.

and we should meet up again before you return to London. :)

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Lord of the Rings Symphony: Six Movements for Symphony Orchestra, Chorus and Soloists (part of Singapore Arts Festival)


water pool outside Esplanade

went to attend this concert on friday. it was good, although there were parts which i felt the arrangements could be better. i'm not an ultimate fan of LOTR, and i can't really remember everything from the LOTR trilogies, but parts of the symphony with the Irish whistle did make me imagine that the hobbits were jumping around on stage. haha.


from the roof terrace of Esplanade

many events happening this week. not a bad thing, at least i didn't need to see my kids (they are on holiday). took my mind off things as well. time to prepare myself for the challenges coming up. and one is coming up soon. arghh.

a week after coming back

a week ago, i was trying to control my emotions, not to cry at the airport. i could still remember Nonoy saying this in the van, "it's your 5th time already! don't cry!" and they all kept singing Leaving on a Jetplane. well i didn't wail out loud, i just pretended that i was having some eye irritations and a sensitive nose. haa. suddenly i remembered how i scared the hell out of my friends when i was crying like nobody's business on the flight coming back from Bago City the first time round. haha.

and now, a week has passed, but i felt like it has been weeks or even months, and i'm raring to go on my next trip already. somehow work seems to be getting heavier, my to-do list is getting longer. but it hasn't really able to take my mind off all the thoughts. for a few nights i have been dreaming about the place, and i felt depressed in the dreams. i knew i felt depressed. :(

everytime when i share my stories, i was reminded of the time i've spent there. i guess you can never remove the Bago spirit in me anymore. but it was still good to meet up with good old friends. Aline, Waipeng, Ryan, Shaoting. and soon, Sarah! :)

and perhaps very soon, everybody in Bago City! :)

P.S. photos are still being uploaded. please bear with me.

faces of TRY

i've a new blog look. :) just changed the header design, because the previous one did look a bit pessimistic. haha. this new one, although not nicely done, it's close to my heart. if anybody could recognise that, it's the Bantayan in Bago City. we all called it the boulevard of broken dreams. haa.

ok, this post is dedicated to all TRY members. :) and TRY is the abbreviation for Today's Responsive Youth.

it's always a pleasure to work with them, and i always have so much fun with them. we are like one big family, brothers and sisters. every time when i go back to Bago City, i'll meet new friends, new members from TRY. and the family is just getting bigger and bigger. :)

introducing to you, the faces of TRY!


Tricia, the president of TRY. a marvellous leader, and a wonderful friend to all. very committed as well, i've never heard a single cry of tiredness from her. super amazing. enough said. :)


Nonoy, Joseph, Marty

Nonoy can be serious yet fun at the same time. i used to be afraid of him because he looks stern when he doesn't smile. haha, that was when i first went to Bago City. but you will come to realise that he's a nice guy. :) and his catchphrase is 'my golly..' (pronouced as 'gali', which is his own version of 'my god..') and i'm being affected by that too. haha.

Joseph, the big brother. never short of witty jokes. an optimistic person. and of course, likes to tease me. haha.


Ryan, the father to my godson. super talented in dancing and super creative. he was actually one of the few whom i was closer to, during the BHBH1's time. loves to play around, but don't be fooled by him. he's known to be a strict teacher by all, and beware when he starts raising his voice. haha.


Serlu, with Yoga (BHBH4)

Serlu, but i like to call him Lolo Serlu. haha. likes to make fun of others. very active, but likes to sleep (i have a lot of his sleeping photos. muahaha). very thoughtful too. thanks for the dictionary! haha..


Karen and Ingrid, the two babes in TRY. haha. i still can't imagine Karen is already happily married with a cute baby Sophie. Ingrid, the other Sudoku lover. yeah.


John Paul a.k.a JP (seen here with a TRY camp participant), loves to eat. creative too. he designed the costumes of the TRY camp facilitators for the cultural night item! wow!


Eugene, another strict teacher. haha. good at dancing too. and no, i will not sing and dance in front of all people. haha. :P


Apple. the goddess with super long hair. haha. don't you think the costume makes her look like a goddess? :)


Jerievic, the environmentalist. likes to make fun of me too.


Andrew, the yes-ma'am man. we are the ones who always like to make fun of him. see? i've caught him in a 'scandalous' picture. wahahah.


Marty, and JR busily doing the silkscreen printing on t-shirts


Gamay, Ivan and Marty


Ryan and Sam

there are still many faces that i didn't get to capture, but nevertheless, they are as important as the rest of the TRY members, and they are my friends as well.

thank you all, for all the wonderful memories i had in Bago City, and thank you all, for all the assistance and help when i needed them.

i'll be back. :)

a get-together

savouring my special ice-box cake right now. flown in all the way from Bago City! woohoo~ i'm trying not to eat too much, not because it's fattening, but rather, my stomach can't take in too much dairy products sometimes. and the ice-box cake is full of condensed milk and cream. hee.

met up with Aline, Waipeng and Ryan yesterday for dinner, and relaxing at Musicdreamers cafe. it has been quite a long time since we last went there, i think our last visit there was almost 3 years ago. haha. but it was good, we had lots of laughs at each other and the singers' lame jokes. and it was just so coincidental that it was Aline and Waipeng's 6-month wedding anniversary. haha. :)

but the day ended with an adventure, when Ryan forgot where he had parked his car, and we spent 1 hour walking around looking for it. haa.

i know i'm back to my usual boring life, back to seeing kids. although with much reluctance, i'll still have to face it. there's never a day that i never think of Bago City, and i'm already looking forward to my next trip, and wondering when would that be.

yuhui the unofficial Singapore ambassador to Bago City and the unofficial Bago City ambassador to Singapore. sounds not bad. :P

thank you, Bago City

i'm back to reality. back to work. thank god the supposed meeting today was cancelled. but then, if not for this meeting, i could be staying there for a few more days. shucks. i don't mind a few more mosquito bites.

anyway, i did have an enjoyable time in Bago City. i know it was short (only 12 days.. sobs) but it was meaningful. i attended a baptism, a Christian wedding and a mass wedding (334 couples!). i've spent more time mingling with the people, especially with the TRY members. and all of us had so much fun, despite we were all tired preparing for the TRY Summer Youth Camp. thank you all, so much, for all the fun times and the laughter. =)

to all TRY members, congrats for the completion of the 8th TRY camp. you guys have done a wonderful job. i've gotten to know you guys better, and become closer to all of you through the TRY camp. sorry for not being helpful enough at times, and i know it was bad of me when i kept wanting to watch Lobo, and sneaking off to go swimming in the pool. hehe. but i really had fun, and many memorable times too. thank you all so much.

to all people in the HRMO office, including those in Joenil's office, it's always nice to just sit down and chat with you guys. there are always laughter when i'm with you guys. thank you all so much.

to the Matti family and all, i can never thank you guys enough, for everything you have done for me, making me feel right at home. don't worry if i don't eat much. i do eat, and i eat lots of junk food. so i won't get hungry. hahah. thank you for the many santols, the ice-box cake, the mashed potatos, all the rest of the goodies, and of course, the warmth. :)

to the Mondia family, although i didn't get to spend much time with you guys, but it was nice to be gathered with all of you. hopefully the next time, i can get to spend more time with all of you. thank you.

to all my friends in Bago City, thank you all so much, even if it was just a simple hello.

i will be back. the adopted daughter of Bago City will be back.

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more stories and photos coming up. just hang on. :)

3 more days

i've just experienced the TRY Summer Youth Camp, organised for the Sangguniang Kabataan officials of Bago City, and the BHBH4. it was fun, i had fun with all the people, and i think i've opened up more to the rest of the TRY members. :)

i think the TRY members have put in a lot of effort to make the camp possible and trying their best to run the camp smoothly. but it requires full cooperation from the participants as well, and sadly, i didn't see that happening. in fact, the cultural night last night started 2 hours behind time, because the participants were late and claimed they did not have enough time for their preparation. i'll be honest, the camp is meant to be a training ground for all members, especially the SK members, for they are the youths representing their barangays and perhaps they will be leaders in future. but i did not see them being able to cope with challenges and having the responsibility to assume their duties as a camper. i'm a little disappointed, but i hope they will learn from this experience.

putting those aside, i really enjoyed mingling with the people and the children. a good chance for me to practise my Tagalog and Ilonggo. haha. it was really enjoyable working with the rest of the TRY members, although i admit i didn't do much being a facilitator of the camp, as compared to the other facilitators. and i've gotten more nicknames. bleahz.

i've also distributed about 150 packs of stationery to the children who came for the feeding program during the camp. not all children received the stationery sets, but at least i tried making most of them happy. :)

wednesday is coming real fast. very soon i'll leaving again, but yes, i'll definitely be back. someday. haa.

6th day in Bago City

it's now bright and sunny. yeah. the typhoon and the heavy rains are gone. it's time to play!! hahah.

the BHBH4 group will be arriving today, and later in the afternoon, we will all go to Bueno Aires for the TRY camp. and i don't mean the Bueno Aires in Argentina. there's a Bueno Aires in Bago City, a little high up in the mountainous areas. :) spring water in the swimming pool. whee~

it has been quite eventful for the past few days. i've attended a Christian wedding, a baby's baptism, watching basketball matches, going around places to meet people. i went shopping for stationery for the kids too, and bought 250 sets of stationery for Grade 1 elementary school kids. they will come handy, just in time for their school term re-opening.

everybody has been doing fine, though life is never that smooth. the people here are rather optimistic, which is good. :)

and don't be surprised if you see this entry posted at 8 am in the morning. yes, it's kinda back to a 'normal healthy' lifestyle. i sleep early, and wake up early. i don't need an alarm clock here, because there are too many alarm clocks around i.e. the cats and the dogs and the chickens and the birds. haha.

yea, if you are trying to get away from being a night-owl, come to Bago City. it's the place to be (as quoted from the mayor). haha. :)