Thursday, February 05, 2015

The Day I Got "Dear Alex...."

When I went to CDO, I looked for this.  When I went to Cebu, I again looked for this.  This was on top of my list but National Bookstore ran out of copies.  When NB opened here in Ozamiz last week, I still looked for this.  To my great luck, this was again unavailable.  Oh, why were you so mailap, Dear Alex.....?  You were also like my love life!  Hard to chase, hard to get, hard to find!  Chasing after you was quite an effort!

Surprisingly, my very dear friend Christ went to the store this afternoon and handed you to me!  Oh, what a joy!  Finally, I got a hold of you!  I was so delighted with Christ's generosity, love, and support.  Truly, people come like angels to save us from our grief!

  
Now it has been 1 month, 3 days, 5 hours, 51 minutes, and god knows how many seconds!  Still, I cannot say that I already had my one last cry.  But at least I'm trying not to cry anymore.  I still can't say that all the tears had dried out.  But at least I'm trying to be OK.  The madness and bitterness are slowly fading unlike my posts last month that were all curses and bad vibes.  

Maybe, getting this book now and not last month has a reason.  Maybe I'll have a more open heart to let go because I had calmed down and somehow had started to accept reality and had also started to leave the fantasy behind.  I think it's about time to "move forward".

Thank you so much, Kringy and Opaw! :)  Hehe.....  I'm such a joiner to the two of you!  



Wednesday, February 04, 2015

5th Inter-High School Academic Battle

Engr. Mary Rosalie T. Olandesca, Quizmaster
In line with LSU College of Arts and Sciences' 61st founding anniversary, the 5th Inter-High School Academic Battle was held this afternoon at the Arts Center.  Thirteen participating schools from the provinces of Misamis Occidental and Lanao del Norte vied for the full scholarship La Salle University-Ozamiz offers.  This annual event intends all participants to be able to:

1. master the different topics taught in various subject areas as math, science, and general knowledge, 

2. know how to make decisions, face dilemmas, and handle pressure and nervousness, 

3. amass ample knowledge, learn about being resourceful and efficient with the resources they have, 

4. and appreciate the value of researching and reading books, and taste sweet victory if they pull through but if they loses, they will also be able to pinpoint the things that they are still lacking and this will encourage them to try harder the next time they will compete again.

Win or lose in the academic battle, all participants were able to gain experience and exposure after the competition.  So congratulations to all participating schools and congratulations to the winners who made it to the top!

La Salle University – Integrated School (New Champion)
Lala National High School (2nd Placer)
Misamis Occidental National High School (3rd Placer)

And above all, congratulations to the faculty and staff of the College of Arts and Sciences for a very successful event! 

The champions of the 5th Inter-High School Academic Battle received full scholarship in their first year entry at La Salle University-Ozamiz.  So for those who are in their senior high now, better load up your brains for next year’s academic battle!

Visit La Salle University-Ozamiz' official website here for more information.



Monday, February 02, 2015

Water Sampling at Malindang Lodge Creek

Last night, I promised a post on CAS Week's opening program.  Sad to say, there were changes on the scheduled time since rain poured heavy today.  So, I wasn't able to join the said event for I didn't have the luxury of time to wait at the school doing nothing for the program to start.  Instead, I'll just post what I did early this afternoon with my major in Physics students.

We had field work on investigating the hydrosphere.  So where else can I find the nearest hydrosphere than the creek outside our very own home.  The Malindang Lodge creek is connected to the Burgos creek which of course comes from the Labo River(?).  We determined some physical and chemical properties of the water, identified some flora and fauna living in or around the creek, and also measured the rate flow of the water.

The Malindang Lodge Creek
Rate Flow, Temperature, pH, and Turbidity
Plants Around the Creek
Animals in the Creek
After the hard work, we had the walang-kamatayang-pagkain-ng-estudyante pancit canton!  Though we only had a little time, we still managed to squeeze in some small talk about things not related to our academic studies.  Hehe.....


Thank you, team Physics for this afternoon's "scientific" event! :)
*Results of our water sampling are not posted here but can only be read from the formal report that shall be written by my students.



Sunday, February 01, 2015

Welcoming the Heart Month with a Bang!


Oh, heart month!  Here you are again!  Here you are to put infliction to my heart again!  You've never been good to me!  Anyhow, I still have to welcome you as my colleague, Engr. Mark said in his FB status: 

"FEBRUARY - Latid word 'februum' which means PURIFICATION
                      - from the ancient Roman purification ritual 'Februa'".

So you are not that bad at all.  That's why for this first day of your rule, I decided to "purify" myself.  Purify myself from the past, purify myself from the memories, purify myself from the pain and hurt.  Purify myself from him!  Yes, I still cried when I woke up this dawn at 5 AM.  Yes, I'm still faking my smiles.  Yes, I'm still broken and shattered.  But I have to carry on.  I have to move forward as what he'd done.  I have to gather myself up because the game is so so over!

I'm just glad that for today, I had some fun!  It's the first day of CAS Week as La Salle University's College of Arts and Sciences celebrates its 61st founding anniversary.  With that, we jumpstarted the festivities with a team building this afternoon.  We played a lot of fun games for the students and faculty to enjoy!

The Chinese Garter
The Hoola Hoop
The Face Powder
The Candy Crush
The Ball Shooting
The Phrase Guessing
The Step-Step
The Yell
Aside from the games, we also had water and paint war as the fad nowadays.  Everybody got painted and wet which added to the hype of the afternoon!

The Ruined Happy Shirt
Now I thank you, February 1 for the fun I had today!  Though still sad, I welcome you Heart Month!  I may still be solo but at least I have some company as I'm trying to heal my heart.


Stay tuned tomorrow for CAS Week's official opening program! :)

Friday, January 30, 2015

Pueblo de Oro CDO

I am so proud to present to you, my very dear friend Ruth and family as Pueblo de Oro CDO models!  They have billboards and print ads around Cagayan de Oro City and I was honored to have had taken a photo with one of their tarpaulins at SM together with her and  my inaanak Naiah of course!  She is just the cutest and the sweetest!  <3


Visit Pueblo de Oro CDO's official site here for real estate investment. :) 



Thursday, January 29, 2015

Shooters and Margarita at Lifestyle District

Why is it that broken people turn to alcohol for comfort?  Is it to lose one's mind?  Is it to forget?  Or is it to lose one's self?  With that, I spent one Saturday night at CDO to escape.  Escape from the pain, escape from reality, escape from myself.  So Jay and Ruth took me to CDO's latest and hottest rendezvous, Lifestyle District.

It was my first time to have flaming shooters!  Jay was really supportive for Ruth and I to try it and even volunteered to take our photos and video.  

  
After six shots, we wanted more booze but only got the light ones instead.  So we had margarita to feel like Sex and the City girls.  Hehe.


I surely enjoy the kick of alcohol every time it gets me tipsy.  But only tipsy and not wasted.  I never wanna get wasted again after the last time I had in 2011 when the very same guy first shook my life!

Thanks for entertaining me, Jay and Ruth!  'Till our next Saturday night out!  Let's do try the shisha smoke!  Hehe.....


  
Have fun in CDO at Lifestyle District located at Corrales Extension, Cagayan de Oro City! 

Tuesday, January 27, 2015

Redtail Shrimps and More


To nurse a broken heart is to eat.  To eat is to find the best food.  To find is to go to a far-flung place.  And to go is to have the cure.  Haha!  Does that even make sense?  I'm sorry for this late post but I shouldn't miss featuring this seafood resto in Cagayan de Oro City - Redtail Shrimps and More!


I love the sailor-theme interior of Redtail.  It feels like being in a luxurious cruise but you don't have to act in luxury because you can just be yourself, eating their scrumptious catch with your bare hands.  Just like Bucket Shrimps in Cebu, Redtail's shrimps are served in a variety of sauces namely Redtail Style, Garlic Butter, and Coco Loco.  I'm a gata-loving person so I love the Coco Loco so much.  But for those whose stomachs get easily upset with coconut milk, the Redtail Style is yours to have.  It has a unique blend of sweetness, saltyness, and spicyness with a sort-of-Mexican taste.  Aside from the shrimps, they also have crabs, mussels, pork, and chicken which makes the resto a friend to all especially to those who are allergic to shrimps and crabs.

Shrimps in Redtail Style
Shrimps in Coco Loco
Baked Mussels
Chicken Tenders
Getting down with your hands dirty makes your Redtail experience a whole lot of fun!  What more with good friends to share the experience with?  You'll surely enjoy eating more, not just to fill your stomach but also to fill your heart with love.  Thank you so much to Ruth for treating us to lunch!  And thank you to the Mandal family for the bonding with your lovely kiddos!


I may not had an instant cure from this trip to CDO last second weekend of this year, but I'm glad I came.  For what is more important is the quality time I had spent with my friends and their family.  Support system, eh?  I've got a whole bunch of army!  


Visit Redtail Shrimps and More either in their two branches at Papa Juanito's Square (Limketkai Drive) or Don Apolinar Velez St. (across Sentro 1850), Cagayan de Oro City!

Monday, January 26, 2015

My Little Blogging's Sweet Fruit

OMG!!!!!  Got an email from looloo iNSIGHTS informing me that they had featured my photo on Bucket Shrimps!  Like, over OMG!  I was overly kilig upon reading their mail!  Wow!  My little blogging had again paid off.  This is another sweet fruit of pursuing a little life here in the blogosphere.  Though I'm too far from my idols, Patty Laurel and Laureen Uy, still I'm having a tiny space in here!  This inspires me to write more, to shoot more, to feature more, and to serve more.  I know my time to shine will come that I'd be discovered and be given a break.  Hehehe.  

Anyway, I'm also happy informing people on honest reviews of events and places I've been to.  I'm always glad to answer emails on queries from random people regarding some people I know and the places I had featured here and abroad.  It is always my pleasure to give them information as long as I have.  And I'm delighted for them to have trusted me so a big thank you for that, my dear blog readers! :)  Thank you, thank you for keeping up with me!  Though at times I have nega write-ups here regarding my travails in love life (just like yesterday), still you are reading me and being patient with me.  Hehe.  Just by having all of you, I feel so loved!  

Now if you'd like to have a glimpse of my little "starship", click here!  Thank you, Peanut of looloo iNSIGHTS for the space! :)

          

Sunday, January 25, 2015

Sinulog 2015 Day 5

And the time has come to end another story.  My Sinulog 2015 experience was ended another experience of a lifetime!  As I'm doing with other Sinulogs, I made differences in every year.  But what I've realized this year is that, sad to say, the essence of Sinulog has been lost.  Yes, the basilica is still packed with pilgrims.  Yes, the procession still gets longer each year.  Yes, thousands of people still flock to Cebu for Sto. Niño.  However, these only became a "side" trip.  For what I generally saw was the mardi gras and the street parties were what people really came for.  As my student joked, "Ma'am, dili na panata sa Sto. Niño.  Panata na sa party."  That is absolutely true as what I've witnessed.  Even I myself went to Sinulog this year for "other" purposes.

So with that, I went home frustrated for a purpose not being materialized.  I've traveled far and long by land, by air, and by sea!  Move, move, move.  I always move but I have the inability to MOVE ON.  This is how ironic my life is!  Though moving, I'm also delayed.  Delayed with what I should be by now.  Delayed with the goals I had to attain.  Delayed with the dreams that I want to fulfill.  Delayed from my peers.  Delayed with time.  And shit that fuckin' time!  Just DELAYED!  Like my flight, it got delayed.  


And what did I do at the airport?  Just waited.  Before, "wait" was just a big word for me.  I had all the patience in the world to WAIT!  But now, I will really try not to be patient anymore.  I will change from being good into being bad.  For I've been really, really good and nice but what I only got was a whole lot of pain.  I don't deserve this pain!  Never never deserve this!  So I must be bad because bad girls always get the good boys! 


A smile as sweet as candy?  That's a smile hiding all the heartache.  I may look OK but deep inside, too much discouragement is gnawing my heart.  Pain is eating me up.  Anger to the world is dwelling inside.  Bitterness!  Just bitter with this travail I'm in.


Saturday, January 24, 2015

Sinulog 2015 Day 4: The Main Event

The moment that we've been waiting for has finally arrived - the big day of Sinulog 2015!  This year I made a difference.  I didn't witness the street dancing but hanged out with Cherry Ann's friends instead.  We went to her friend's birthday party at Red Hours in Guadalupe, walked to the Capitol area, and spent the afternoon at Bordz in Maria Cristina.  At first, I only observed the people.  They were still sane so we started painting ourselves so we won't get painted.  For this day, I was wearing my Islands Souvenirs Cut and Style Sinulog shirt to look festive because I do believe that whenever you're in a festivity, do look festive too!


After a few drinks, people started to get frisky.  They painted the passers by, they danced, sang, and goofed around that they even painted everybody from the group.


Then Cherry Ann and I left because I wanted to be with Circa 99 to enjoy the rest of the day.  While walking to Fooda, we struggled in finding our way because the crowd was just sooooo wild!  People were just crazier than crazy!  They painted and showered everybody with booze.  Teens nowadays are just so different from what we were before.  Even high school students were already wasted especially the girls as early as 4 PM!  I was shocked at first but just went into the mob just to get through.

  
However, that's how the crowd looked like that we were not able to pass through Sinulog Invasion 2015 anymore where Team Gusla was partying.  So Cherry Ann and I decided to escape the wild and walked to Ayala for dinner.  Even Ayala was packed with people.  It was a great thing that Maple had vacant tables for hungry diners like us.  I thought it was a breakfast only resto but it's just like Early Bird Breakfast Club where breakfast is being served anytime of the day.  But aside from the brekky essentials, Maple also had pasta and steaks and these were what we had.  Honestly, I didn't really like their rib-eye steak.  It's not as tender as my lola's beef steak.  Hehe.  But I enjoyed the pasta and the compliment pastry anyway.

  
Then it was time for the grand fireworks display and we were lucky enough to witness it as we got out from the mall and saw Marvel and friends by the entrance.


After the fireworks, I knew Cherry Ann wanted to go home but I didn't have the feel and fill of Sinulog yet.  So me, Marvel, and friends made a deal to walk her home and proceed to Mango right after.  Then my Sinulog 2015 finally kicked off!

At Mango, the crowd was the craziest!!!!!  Teenage girls dressed like having only bra and panties. People danced like having orgy and flirted as if there's no tomorrow!  Wherever you look, people were drunk!  So to join the hype, we had a bottle of tequila for the four of us to share.


Then alcohol kicked in and started us to party party!  We instantly became friends with other friends and danced like crazy!  We again showered with paint, booze, and sweat as we joined the mob in their crazy act.  But we didn't join the orgy dancing.  It just sucked for me, you know.  Haha!  Boy-boy and girl-girl were kissing left and right.  Like, gah!  This is indeed the new generation!  It even sucked more because I never experienced all this flirting mode ever since my world began!  I should've done this when I was younger.  I should've lived my life even before so I won't be regretting this way.  I'm 32 yet still wants to go back to teenage days and just have a life.  That's fuckin' bullshit, right?  Haha!


So I danced it all and shouted it all with tequila!  Then I told myself to leave the past all behind!


So, have I?  That is the question!