one week after i didn’t set a foot on OSMA

November 30, 2006

Woohoo! I filed a three-day leave last Nov20-22 and had the rest of the week off because of Thanksgiving. Halleluyah!! It was really time for me to celebrate Thanksgiving in my own way with Andok’s chicken instead of turkey! Time to rest, unwind, contemplate! I had nine solid days off from OSMA! It was a one-time-big-time break for me after being alone in the support for two months.

Nov 18-19 *Mudra’s day*

It was my mom’s golden birthday! Her 50th! She’s now Dyosang-dyosa at Singkwenta! Ansaya! Nov 18 was set as luxury day for the two of us. Full body massage, foot spa, shopping, the works! In between these sessions, we had the ‘real’ conversations we rarely have because of our busy lives (my busy life most of the times), our generation gap, our different perspectives in life.

The next day was her birthday and we painted the town red LITERALLY! All of the guests, which were exclusive to the Aclan family wore red except for 2 pasaway cousins. hehe. It was cool that my family is joining me in my themed-spirit craze.

It was the usual family pig-out with wines and all. The every-hour phone calls from uncles and aunties abroad!

I gave my mom a caricature of herself in a Darna costume and kidded her as my DARNA-nay! She really is the superhero of the family and I can’t help but beam with pride how much loved she is by her family and friends.

Ever since I’ve learned that soulmates need not necessarily be the one you marry and end up with in life, I felt that my mom is my soulmate. We are both Scorpios, same name and birthday numerologies, eldest daughter, eldest grandchild. I’ve always felt that we’ve learned so much from each others’ strengths and shortcomings. I always try to communicate with her my feelings and these conversations are one of the top reasons I try to go home every weekend. She understands me well in my blah-bings and most in my silence. ahlabyahh mommy! big sister sa bahay ni mudra!

Panira lang talaga ang pagkapanalo ni Pakyaw! Agaw eksena! I never really liked him! tatakbo pang vice-mayor! oh my golay!

 

Nov 20-22 *Grey’s Anatomy Marathon*

I miss television! OK, I confess, it’s also a top reason I go home every weekend! Ang sarap ng nakamulaga lang sa TV maghapon tapos makakalimutan mo na mag-lunch! hehe. Too bad I wasn’t able to watch the normal TV shows! Masusura lang akong panoorin si Boy Abunda! haha

Anyway, I really love Grey’s Anatomy. I was literally crying over some scenes. I want my McDreamy!!! Anyway, Grey’s Antomy deserve another blog entry so I’ll reserve my thoughts for that. Right now, what I have to say is that I envy these interns. Their job is tough like hell but love what they do so it doesn’t matter! In light of my episodes where I hardly can figure out what really it is that I want, I don’t know if the series helped my realize what I want or simply make me realize that my problem is BIG and no TV series can help me contemplate well.

Nov 23 *prelude to TSUBA* Music21 scandal

This is supposed to be the night when we are to take off for TSUBA (themed spontaneous ultimate bonding adventure) but due to some unforeseen events (ganoon talaga pag spontaneous, maraming unforeseen events) postponed til Friday night. But it’s Thanksgiving and I have to do something! This is one of the very few occasions where call girls like me can party like normal working robots. So the coffee session with Cesar, Tristan and Rey ended with a Videoke scandal at Music 21 with more college friends: Joyce, Janine and Dodo, Jeff, Maje, Adan and Boss. Most of them I’ve last seen more than a year ago and thanks for the spontaneity of the night we finally got along again! We were singing and drinking and playing the very posh tambourines (which I was able to take home.. hehe.. klepto!) and the next thing we know we were walking along memory lane and laughing our heart out about good ol’ college days! It was an instant anaesthesia. The comfort zone I will never get over with. There were serious moments where I confessed my recurring ‘episodes’. They just told me that I had so much fun, perhaps way too much fun in college that I can’t let go. I could not find that sanity-in-insanity in the corporate world. Sad but true!

Special thanks to Adan for the coffee session in front of MMC. hehe. Thanks for the First-World-Thirld-World Analogy!

Nov 24-26 *TSUBA*

This deserves a full-attention-magaling-magaling-magaling blog entry! *bow*

BACK TO NORMAL ROBOTIC LIVING!

TSUBA 2006 … magaling, magaling, magaling!

Eto na ang pinakahihintay nating highlights at dimmed lights ng nakaraang “TSUBA 2006 … magaling, magaling, magaling!” (with the spirit fingers in motion)…

Apat na kabataan ang nagplanong magkita-kita sa Cubao MRT station in their backpack mode with the anything-goes-spirit. Ang target: magpakaspontaneous at i-scrap kung anuman ang unang napagplanuhan.

Ang mga pangunahing tauhan:

Rey - ang newly-promoted TL ng TC (TrueCredit) na may malaking problema sa PC na dapat maconfigure; adik sa pagcha-charge nga battery ng celfone nya dahil a)marami syang kelngan contact-in para sa malumanay na First Day Funk nya b)makikinig kami sa mp3 nya.

Cesar - ang Senior TL ng eTel na ayaw paniwalaang may matinding spontaneous blood sa katawan na ayaw paniwalaan ng kanyang mga kasamahan; nakulangan ng 1800 sa next na payday dahil sa ISANG araw nyang namiss na pumasok; anak ng pasaway na Tita Puti.

Beng - bagong kulay ang buhok na Panky na nagdala ng wala-sa-lugar na Mernel’s cake; ang babaeng lageng may stain sa shorts pero wala syang pakelam; ang unang target ni Lola Greenhouse na gapangin

Emcee - ang tagapagsalaysay kaya wala akong masamang sasabihin maliban sa may sakit sya sa kasalukuyan dahil sa pagod at kakulangan ng tulog. (BirdFlu kaya ito?) Bakit kaya siya kulang sa tulog? Hindi kaya dahil hindi siya makatulog sa naglalakasang hilik ng kanyang kasamahan? Verum est? Totoo ba to?

 

Not-so-pangunahing tauhan

Manang Violet - ang pasaway na pasahero na muntik nang maiwanan ng bus patungong Bontoc

Cyril - ang tour-guide na batas militar

Martha - ang lolang nagluto ng Pinikpikan na salarin kaya naiwan kami ng last trip

Viajero X - ang paasang driver na crush ni Beng

mga manok - delivered in Sagada na dahilan ng Birdflu ko ngayon!

Lola Greenhouse - ang English-speaking at nakakatakot na landlady ng very posh Greenhouse

 

Mag alas nueve y medya na nang magkita-kita ang mga pangunahing tauhan dahil sa magkaibang exit points (entry points na rin) kami naghihintayan. Nang makita namin ang newly-dyed hair ni Beng, alam na namin na riot na ang trip na to! So san na nga ba kami patutungo?! Maraming pwede! Sagada na na ang napili! Ang ruta: Manila-Banaue-Sagada-Baguio-Manila! Todo na!

So pumara kami ng taxi upang dalhin kami sa pinaka malapit na terminal ng bus patungong Banaue. Subalit dahil nakikisama ang kalikasan sa spontaneity of the moment ay nasiraan pa ng taxing sinasakyan namin. Nagtulak pa tuloy ang mga boys namin! Suma-tutal, iniwanan namin si manong. Habang-suot suot ko ang very colorful maskara ko ay hinanap namin ang Terminal Q (di ko maalala ang Bus Liner na ito) subalit nang makarating kami ay napagtanto namin na once a day lang pala ang byahe nito! Maygolay naman. 8:30 lang ang byahe! Talagang spontaneous kasi sa totoo lang e nawawalan na ako ng pag-asa. So Baguio na lang daw kami dadaan patungong Sagada. Ngunit nang mapadaan kami sa ibang mga terminal e pinilit ko na baka pwedeng mag-Bicol na lang kami for a change kasi gusto ko makita ang Mayon! Eventualy, nahalina kami sa mga bus na byaheng Abra. Bumaba kami. Nagtanong kung ano ang mapupuntahan sa Abra? Bundok lang daw. Nampucha! Eto ang napapala ng walang plano. Waaaala kameeeng pakeeelam!

So nagtaxi kami muli kasi meron pa raw masasakyang Autobus na maghahatid samen sa Banaue! Panalo… nagpaikot-ikot nanaman kami at hindi makita ang lecheng autobus na yan! Amazing race talaga ng dating. Kulang na lang ay host! Punyemas! Nawawala ang Autobus! Sabi na nga ba, dapat nag-Bicol na lang kami. Pero kinalaunan ay nakita na rin si Terminal X (Autobus na ito). Walang bus sa Terminal X! Tumatakbong tumungo sa Beng sa ticket booth. May byahe pa! Hooray! Di pa umaalis ang last trip patungong Tuguegarao… at di pa rin dumarating! (Di ko naimaging sa tanang-buhay ko na makakapunta ako dito at babalik pa ko ng Sagada pero no choice! Dito kami dinala ng aming moment of spontaneity)We are NOT the last team to arrive. We aren’t eliminated! Amazing Race mode talaga!

Yosi.. harutan.. tawanan.. Fast Forward! Dumating na ang bus after N years. Yunlemeng, wala kaming ticket so no choice, nasa gitnang seat ang mga makikisig naming kasama! Sila na ang nominees sa pinakamasakit na leeg sa moment na yon!

Fast forward ulit sa napakaaaatagaaaal na byahe! Bumaba kami sa infamous Nueva Vizcaya (Enough of the famous Nueva Ecija)! Yosi break, CR break, smell the flowers, et cetera, que cera cera, sumakay na kami dalawang very posh jeepneys (dala pa rin ang Mernel’s cake) patungong Banaue. At dahil sa makating utak namin e nagtop-load kami! Panalo sa Japan ang experience na to!

Sa Banaue ay nagpunta kami sa Viewpoint para makita namin ang isa sa mga WOW as in wonders of the world. Lufeeet! Then after shopping for few pasalubong e go na kami sa bus patungong Bontoc. Ngunit for the nth spontaneous momEnt e kasalubong na namin ang bus patungong Bontoc at ginawan na lang paraan ang kaliwaan ng pasahero!

Sandaang piso ang pamasahe para DAW sa isang oras na byahe na turned out to be 3hours ata! Ohhhh-Ayyyyy! OA sa mura ng pamasahe kung matatanto mo, kasi kakaiba ng pinagdaanan ng driver sa totoo lang. Nasiraan pa kami at muntik nang maiwanan si Manang Violet for the reason na tinago nya sa fellow passengers nya! Ang bus na ito na ang next na gagamiting props at pasasabugin sa teleserye ng Carlo J. Caparas. Isang maling hangin at pupulutin talaga kami sa pechayan.

Sa pakikisama ng panahon ay wala namang masamang hangin na nagtulak samen sa pechayan. Di rin napagtripan ni Princess Punzalan na paglaruan ang isa sa kanyang toy remote controls para pasabugin ang bus namin. Eventually ay nakarating kami sa Bontoc. Lafang galore! Then museum trip naman! Picturan moment ito kung saan namin nasaksihan ang pinaka-baaaaboooy as baboy at balahurang fewt fewt Bontoc Scandal fewt fewt (with Spirit fingers again). Pag-iisipan pa namin kung dapat i-upload ang video na ito bilang respeto sa mga tauhan at saksing buhay ng eskandalong ito!

Go na sa Sagada ang next drama! May kabilisan na ang part na ito. Pagdating sa St. Jo e go na sana kami sa caving ngunit dahil mejo time at control freak ang mga tour guide (also known as SEGA.. yeahhh!) ay 5:15 impunto nila gusto makipagmeet at di pa talaga kami hinintay kahit 5 minutes lang kami late. Batas militar! Magaling, magaling, magaling!!!

Nagroam around na lang kami at nakipagchikahan with the rural folks (na tanungin mo in Tagalog e in English ang sagot sayo). Dinner time after then burlog na nag mga beauties after a very busssssy day! Maaga pa ang caving the following day!

Day 2 is caving day! Nampuuuuuchaaa talaga sa may idea ng caving! Second time na namin ni BJ pero bwakananghirap pa rin. Keri na rin sa huli (less the jebs ng mga paniki) kasi sooooobranng ganda! (Pics to be posted) For a moment there, nawala ang mga problema namin! After that moment, bumalik na ang problema namin!!! hahahah. Problema talaga dahil 1pm ang last trip papuntang Baguio!

Pagkatapos ng caving ay kumain kami ng Pinikpikan ni Lola Martha (kakaibang food nila na di ko nagustuhan pero okay na ring tikman for the heck of tasting). Nagmamadali na kaming bumalik (or shall we say nagmamamadali-madalian). Ayaw naming maging nega (at makapal lang talaga ang mukha namin)  kaya nang may dumaan na motor ay di na nag-atubili ang inyong lingkod na makiangkas sa di ko kilalang driver para lang habulan at pigilan ang bus… haha. Panalo sa Bhutan! Yunlemeng, di ko pa rin naabutan.

Few minutes later ay nakisabay naman ang other main cast sa Viajero ng manok! Nakipag-nego si Beng na kung sakali na maiwanan kami ng bus (turned out positive) ay makikisabay kami papuntang Baguio!

So yun na nga ang naging option: ang makisabay sa jeep ng manukan! How spontaneous can we get?! Ang tanging fear lang ni Beng ay baka magka-BirdFlu kami sa likod! haha.. Subalit, the proposal turned out to be nega! The viajero ditched us! Nampucha! Ano pinagmamalaki nya?! Nakakaawa na talaga kami nang mga oras na ito kasi mukha kaming mga basang sisiw na walang masisilungan, mga anghel na walang langit! Naghintay kami ng ilang oras, nagtatanong sa bawat sasakyan kung may pupuntang Baguio (which is 6-7 hour drive). Negative, no, wala kahit 1% na pag-asa.

No choice na kundi to make the best out of the experience! Bumili lang kami ng 1 tuna at umorder ng 1 ulam at 7 rice…Define api! No choice kami at natulog sa very spooooooky green house! Takutan…senti… recap of the day… political discussion.

Next day! First trip pa lang ay go na ang tropa! Baguio!!! Yezzzz… sibilisasyon! haha… Nagwithdraw at bumili lang kami ng food at go na to Manila! Napakamalas lang namin dahil sa Pagong Transit Inc. kami napasakay. Kung kelan naman kami naghahabol dahil male-late sa First Day Funk nya si Rey!

Nakisama ang forces of nature and we arrived just in time. Pero actually, til the last moment ay spontaneous pa rin kasi naiwanan pa ng jeep si Cesar! hahaha

The approximately 70 straight hours that the four of us were together was definitely spontaneous. Perhaps the most spontaneous 70 hours of my life to date. We never had a drop of alcohol during the whole trip (really now?! Up til now I can’t believe this. Potek.. clean living na ang BJs) but our company gave us total high. I know it will take me many days, weeks, perhaps months to get the hang-over of the experience! Looking forward to our next TSUBA! ahlooooveyaaaaahallll!

Puritas rule!

November 16, 2006

Marilyn and I had another post-birthday celebration. (And we are planning for another. A tea parteeeeh this time!) Lette cooked spaghetti. Van brought cake. Marilyn ang I ordered pizza. It was the typical pig-out and kodakan at the pantry but we were delighted nevertheless.

 

Anyway, what I’m about to talk about are the puritas.

PURITAS. puritas. puritas.

Our friendship started during Jo-Ann’s post-break-up episodes. Frequent quickbite breakfast that always turn to inuman session till mid-afternoon. Eventually, the friendship loop becomes wider when they start joining our so-called Friendster parties. Who would forget the PFP-UBE (Phenomenal Friendster Party-Ultimate Bonding Experience) and the Riviera Scandal. And there goes the random inumorning sessions, shopping, Quiapo spontaneous trip, card reading trip with Madam Mimi and Madam Alma, pictorials galore, Club Manila East, Mimosa and of course the business that lasted for a couple of months. The list is endless.

Kakalimutan pa ba ang mga war-freak days?! I think this is the reason we got our name Purita. Actually, I’d say that our group is so misunderstood. Perception saten: yosi break parati, nagmumurahan, nagsisigawan lagi pag nag-uusap kahit magkakatabi tayo, over-break lagi, dugas sa aux, malalakas uminom, may sariling mundo! Purita culture nga ba? haha.. Well… walaakongpakelam! Masaya tayo! Once they know us, they’ll never forget us! mwahahahahaha (sabay pindot ng remote control mala Princess Punzalan)… Need we say more?!

Marilyn- my fellow ka-scorpio who likes me leaves a sting (meaning a good mark) once you know her. Ang pinakamatibay mu-moda samen! Panalo lagi sa pictures. She’s like the group’s ate, (sorry naman badat!) always opinated. Ang kaututang-dialang ko lagi sa start ng shift about shobiz cheka (kasi dati syang child star..hihi), books, wicca, GV mode sessions >:), atbp.

Martha- Once you know her you’ll never forget her. Pucha! May paganun ganun pa! Ang pinakamasalimuot na biography na narining ko. Of course she never fails to surprise us with her anecdotes. Noon akala ko kakaiba na pinagdaanan ko sa mundo til I met her. Second rate ang kwentung buhay nyo pag tinabi kay Martha! Pero kahit ganyan yan e nuknukan ng kabutihan yan!

Jo-Ann- Ang pinakamabuting tao sa Purita! As I’ve said, she doesn’t have a single bad bone in her body! my gawd! Kelangan kang i-workshop mas often! She’s the one I turn to during the occasional senti mushy mode days. Napakabagaaaaal magbasa ng book kaya ang eleven minutes ko ay eleven centuries na as of last time check! Siya ang pinaka senti (at mental na rin) sa group. Shish! Perhaps one of these days, mapapanindigan ko na ang pagiging Jo-Ann mode! hahaha

Germs- Her do-you-have-snow-there version never fails to make us laugh! Siya ang batayan ng mga reaksyon! Dahil sa minsan ay may taglay kaming ka-OA-an sa pagreact sa mga bagay-bagay, minsan, it’s better to consult Germs first! Kung ano reaction nya, tiyak yon, TUMPAK! hahahaha. Her comments along with her facial gestures are so hilarious! yebaaaah! Goodluck sa twins nya!

Lulet- Madami pwede sabihin kay Lulet! But of course she is the highest superior! hahaha! For me she is the epitomy of office stress (jukas lang pero di ko babawiin). Miss Congeniality. The official cook who uses out of this world herbs for her pasta! See you sa grad school mamay! Shutaaaap na! haha

 

I know I am quite ambitious to try to describe these girls! I can never describe them well enough. E kahit nga sumama ka samen ng 1 week malilito ka sa complexities of our personalities! It’s always a wonder why we click! Whadaheck! Kelangan pa ba i-memorize yan!

spontaneous kung spontaneous

November 13, 2006

Katulad ng lagi kong sinasabi, lately e nagiging predictable na talaga ang buhay ko. Ang dami kong pinaplano pero at the end of the day, ganon pa rin ang takbo ng buhay. Tutulog pa rin akong nagangarap kung ano ang magandang plano sa buhay ko… No wonder di nahirapan si Madam Alma ng Quiapo nung hinulaan nya ko.

Nang mismong araw ng birthday ko, depres-depresan nanaman ang drama ko. It was like any ordinary day of my life. Maraming bumati. Uminom din naman kami ng aking mga kachokaran dito sa opisina pero ayun nga. May quasi-quarter life crisis nanaman ako. Perhaps it was the time of the year kasi mag-2007 na tapos medyo bente-tres na ko noh at ganun pa rin buhay ko. Ewan! Siguro masyado lang ako naging masaya sa birthday ko last year. Siguro tumatanda na talaga ako at pag tumatanda ka na ordinaryo na ang birthday.

Subalit, datapwat, ganunpaman, nagkamali ako na magiging ordinaryo lang ang birthday na to dahil maswerte talaga ako sa aking mga kaibigan, kachokaran, kachorvahan! Ang blog entry na ito ay tribute sa mga kaibigan ko na andiyan bago ko malaman na may tinatawag palang quarter life crisis. Sa mga taong nakakita kung ilang beses ko ito pinagdaanan, nilampasan, natutunan, namiss at binabalik-balikan! hehe. Sayang, kulang tayo! Pakshet QB! Wala ka! Plano pa naman naming humiram ng 1 kotse sa garahe ng Peru Savings Bank!!!

Pero ganon talaga, kasi kung nagkataon sigurong kumpleto kayo at andun yung mga pinakaimportanteng tao sa buhay ko, baka nachugi na ko the following day. Pero salamat! Eto lang masasabi ko: Trade-off nga ang buhay! I can’t have everything, but I have you! Belat na lang sa iba! Alabyaaah!

Nagplan kami na manood ng European Film Festival sa Shang. Madaliang text lang. Dahil sa unlimitext na yan, mejo bumaba na nag value ng text messages lately kaya minsan ang mga importanteng text ay naiisang tabi na. Buti na lang at kitikitext si BJ at Bogart! Pero nalate pa rin ang karamihan. Sorry naman… wala pa kaya akong tulog. hehe. So ayun, si BJ lang nakanood ng film… habang natira kami nina Rey at Bogart sa Mambosa na nagkakape! Ayun, yosi, harutan, walang puknat n a chikahan, yosi, harutan, walang puknat na chikahan. Dumating si Cesar at Rica. Yosi, harutan, walang puknat na chikahan! Update sa buhay. QLC nanaman ni Emcee! hehe… Tamang chikahan lang hanggang sa dumating ang epitomy ng sponteneity- si BENG! At first, we thought it was Panky, Spanky, Funky, Whatever! Thanks to her very posh korean stylist you can now mistake her for an Orange and Lemons artist or TINY of PB! hehehe… alavyah hunnybunny!

Hayan na! usapan na sa nalalapit na TSUBE (themed spontaneous ultimate bonding experience) turned TSUBA (themed spontaneous ultimate bonding adventure). Yaman din lamang at ayaw na namin magplano sa buhay (Walang difference magplano o hindi though maganda kaming gumawa ng itinerary). So inilaan namin ang nalalabing oras para sa isang pre-truba! tsk tsk! Anong plano?! Anong plano?!

* isaw tayo sa Diliman * balik na lang tayo sa 9.30 film * sige tara na! bus o MRT? * bahala na! spontaneous nga * go na sa MRT! * char, rey, magpanggap na kayong pilay para sa pwede kayo dun sa dulo! * dali na wala naman nakakakilala saten dito! * baka pagkaguluhan tayo! kasama natin si panky * amuyin nyo ang top ni beng na natuluan ng shawarma sauce * lahat dapat pati si sosy high rica * uy! si beng nahiya kay rica! * si bogart naiwan sa shaw! napagsarhan ng MRT! * si beng nakalusot, si maui hindeee! * hahahahaha * hehehehehe * diliman na! * mang jimmy’s na lang! wala na isaw! * sa sarah’s kaya tapos inuman na * susunod si Adan! di tayo if-fail non * mang jimmy’s na nga lang. 4+1 * hahahahaha * yosi… harutan… lafang…. * kwento si rica with sound effects * cheka si BJ about the korean salon * cheka si BJ about her fafa with kilig factor this time * wag na tayo manood ng film. spontaneous tayo! pinlano na natin yon sa scrap that * baguio tayo! * tara! spontaneous nga! walang pakelam kahit nakashorts si beng at emcee * badtrip si queenie. pakirawraw! * san tayo?! magpakaspontaneous tayo * LB tayo * tara! * hahahahaha * hehehehehe * CUBAO! * college po. anim * zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz * college na! * isis tayo! * walang tao sa cafe… sa square na lang * jungle java na lang * moni moni moni ng beer * in fairness very posh na ha * may mani talaga at refillable * bakit ganon ang iced tea * may bayad ang cr?! pucha naman * tequila tayo! isang bote kagad * moni… yosi… harutan… * moni… yosi… harutan… * moni… yosi… harutan… * shot mo na! * tayo na lang tao! * {deleted emotional part ni emcee about friendship} * wehehehehe * tara sa campus * aba! may ministop na dito * nescafe ice nga * papic tayo sa UPLOSBAÑOS * tara na! uwi na tayo * bangenge mode * ihing-ihi na ko! * psssss sa olivarez * hahahah * cubaoooooo! * borlag sa bus * vavu! * spontaneous talaga! * sa uulitin * mwaaaah!

Sa totoo lang di ko masalaysay ang nagyari nung gabing yon! Di ko lam kung ito ay epekto ng kabangengean! To make it sound better, let’s put it this way, masyado akong naging masaya!  This entry isn’t enough to relay my thankfulness to the best friends  you can get in the whole wide world ! sa susunod makukumpleto rin lahat ng pinakaimportaneteng tao sa buhay ko! as for now, magpakaspontaneous muna tayo! steady lang! missssss ko na kagad kayo! til our TSUBA! mwaaaaaah!

 

 

 

 

 

re-SOUL-ution

October 27, 2006

“I think I’m having another pre-birthday syndrome,” I told my roomie Maui. Not again! I’m in a point in my life where I feel contented yet at the end of the day I hear the “but” coming. My life is in acceptable harmony based on the standards of my friends, hehe, but I felt that there’s more I can do with it. So we made a decision of pursuing our passions for once. We had an agreement to list down 10 then pursue it this coming year. We could start pursuing it now but I am financially constrained because of the coming 50th birthday of my mom. And so my re-SOUL-utions are here:

1. to travel somewhere alone. “No man should go through life without once experiencing healthy, even bored solitude in the wilderness, finding himself, depending solely on himself and thereby learning his true and hidden strengths.” I have long thought of this but have no guts to push through. But recently, I read Sputnik Sweethearts and thought it as a sign. So maybe, just maybe, sometime soon, I’ll board a bus alone but not lonely.

2. to attend a retreat! - Alone if possible. I’m not even particular with the sponsons. It may even be organized by a group or religion I don’t belong. 

3. to pursue more on tarot cards reading.

4. to paint more

5, to save for a digital SLR. Pursuing photography though may be postponed til 2008.

That’s the list for now!  Wish me luck!