My Christmas Story : Love and Fireworks


Fourth of July fireworks

December 24, 1997, Emter Bldg. Cebu City



March 20, 1998 Holy Family Church, Maguikay, Mandaue City



December 24, 2008 Briza, Consolacion, Cebu

Just Finished..... read non-stop.



A Thousand Splendid Suns is a breathtaking story set against the volatile events of Afghanistan’s last thirty years—from the Soviet invasion to the reign of the Taliban to the post-Taliban rebuilding—that puts the violence, fear, hope, and faith of this country in intimate, human terms. It is a tale of two generations of characters brought jarringly together by the tragic sweep of war, where personal lives—the struggle to survive, raise a family, find happiness—are inextricable from the history playing out around them.

Propelled by the same storytelling instinct that made The Kite Runner a beloved classic, A Thousand Splendid Suns is at once a remarkable chronicle of three decades of Afghan history and a deeply moving account of family and friendship. It is a striking, heart-wrenching novel of an unforgiving time, an unlikely friendship, and an indestructible love—a stunning accomplishment







Tungod ug alang sa Lychee in cans

http://www.21food.com/userImages/greensource/greensource$730111.jpg

The driver and labandera were wandering through the labyrinths of Pasko sa Colon, of the famed Colon Street in the downtown area, dissecting christmas gifts for the multitudes.

Yup! tinuod ang chismis, barato ra jud sa Colon!

Sa kabuang sa duha, nisulod sa Colonnade Mall, for the record lang (way gipalit) kay sukad sa pagka-mugna aning tindahana, karon pa jud sila napadpad diring dapita, kay na-anad man sila sa Carbon mag-shopping. Way budget!

Naka-palit na jud ug Hayaianas ang labandera, oops! dili na typo error, wrong spelling jud na. Por dios por santo kung orig paliton, wala nay ika-palit ug Belo Essentials ang dakilang Labada Queen. Syaro, tagdon na jud siya ni Dr. Hayden ani, wiz na sa pic si Dra Vicky!

Gi-pidpid ni Lover Driver ang tartanilya sa parking area sa may Cosmo, lagi, dapit sa Bottoms Up sa una ( familiar nga lugar sa mga tig tambay sa Junquera, wiz lang mangutana nganong ga-tambay sila ). Inaray, gi-padul-an man hinuon ang ilang Ultimate Hobby, ang mupahaum sa DVD stalls, para mukaykay sa contraband.

Gipasindan-an na si Kuskus Beauty sa iyang amigo nga si Stoned Tey nga nindot kuno ang Ploning, she trusted his reviews, so palit sad siya aning ambisyosa nga proyekto ni Juday.

Sa ilang casa de Briza, samtang, nag-putus-putus siya sa mga rare finds sa Colon, nag-tan-aw usab siya ni Ploning.


Sa way laban-laban, lahi ang estorya ni 'nay Ploning.

Ilista ko na lang ang mga gi-sugyot sa labandera sa iyang mga talinghaga ug mga napu-pu nga pagtulun-an sa Cuyo, Palawan.

Ang pirated DVD klaro ug tin-aw, way posing-posing motions, dire-direcho ang salida, way ni-ungot. So medyo, nindot imong pamati kay sulit ang P50.

Pero nahibulong lang siya nganong sa tanang arang-arang nga ngalan, Ploning man intawn ang napilian ni Juday. Pwede man ta to ug Juaning, Meding, Teresing, o di ba kaha, Juding.

Digo, the fisherman corrrelates Lychee with his joyful past. Lain pa, where is Lychee propagated? ask lang ko kay grabe ka-obsessed ang fisherman sa iyang canned Lychees, paka-matyan gud. Buko-lychee shake by Thirsty ang paborito sa driver, so maka-relate ko ani iyang obsession. Lami pud ni siya isagul sa Fruit Salad, ako pud ning passion.

Lychee aside, Ploning is not your ordinary i-am-indie-movie-i-dont-care-what-you-think-this-is-my-movie-gadam-yu-mader-paker!
Or the type nga first 10 minutes, kabaw naka unsay conflict, climax and ending.

You can forget that this movie is made by Mara Clara, maka-ilad, abi nimo ang director si Carlitos or si Direk Olivia L, and mas labaw kapang mailad nga this is not made by STAR Cinema.

Pero ang grabe nga linya sa salida katong ni ingon si Ploning, nga dili niya pwedeng pug-ngan ang kalipay sa uban tungod lang sa iyang ka-guol or words to that effect.

Pero mas powerful ang dialogue ni Gina Pareno as the mother of the long-awaited Tomas, nga BF ni Ploning, samtang iyang gi-pupuho ang asin (asindera ni siya) nga natunaw tungod sa kakusog sa uwan. Sinabi nya na, you are bad GOD kay you showed me that you are powerful, you took my son away and now you're taking my salt too, you are telling me that what you have given, you can easily take it away. All i wanted for the salt money was to bring my son back to me. Grabe ka touching, mo tulo imo sip-on ug laway, given na ng luha.

So, dear friends, blurp your Lychee shake and enjoy Ploning.


http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3275/2338226004_1791a79ee4_o.jpg

P.S.
Nag-wonder lang ko nganong nangisda sila nga Full moon.
Nag-wonder lang pud ko if duol ba nang Taiwan sa Palawan (poor in geograpghy, yupak i google).
Nag-wonder lang pud ko nganong si Ploning ray naay high heeled nga step-in, ang uban ga-tsinelas ra.
Pero, wa nako mag-wonder nganong, powerful ang mga Bisdak, kay half sa movie, Cuyonon dialect gigamit, maka-sabut ka gamay kay daghan words of Bisiya ang nasagul sa ilang dialect.

I would like to know if Bella became a Vampire?

twilight


And now, you are no longer a CITY......


By Virtue of a Supreme Court ruling, dili na ciudad akong lungsod. Naglibog ko kung unsa akong bation, malipay ba ko o mag-lagot.

Pero ang pinaka-sure kay nabalaka ko pag-ayo kay bag-o lang nahuman akong calling card ug prescription pad gikan sa maayong kabubut-on sa usa ka Med Rep. Ubay-ubay raba ni. Patik ra ba kaayo ang address nga "CARCAR CITY EYE CLINIC", unsaon na lang nako pag-esplekar sa mga makabasa nga dili na ciudad ang Carcar!
Mahug na jud ta ani ug bakakon.

Ay, ngano man gud tawn ning mga uncle' and auntie's sa akong lungsod (ayaw lang nang fathers of the city, kay OSCA ra kaayo) , gipadali-dali man ila pag hikay para ma-ciudad dayon, tan-awa! napagod hinuon, murag uling nga nagkamuriching.

Gi-inanay ta to nila sa abuhan para maka-makasuut-suut ang lami unya mahumok apil ang bukog.

Busa sa sunod nga ibalik na pud ni sa kaldero ang pagka-ciudad sa Carcar, atong pa-apilon si Nang Lita kuyog sa iyang mga anak nga si Jean ug Binya, di ba kaha si Noy Enrique, kung dili pa to hubog ( ang mga inilang chip-cook sa Carcar) , sa pag-sugkay ug timpla sa unod para masakto ang pagka-luto.

Ayaw lang mo kahibung nganong gutomon mo ig kahuman ug basa ani akong sugyot, pista na sa akong ciuda este lungsod na di ay sa sunod semana, Martes, November 25, 2008 halad sa among patron nga si Sta. Catalina.

Happy Fiesta natong tanang Carcaranon!
Ma-ciudad man o ma-lungsod, taga-RACRAC gihapon tang tanan!

Dah! Nasakpan Lagi.


Last October, I was a Cebu Pacific commuter taking the MWF early flight out to Manila and going back to Cebu late flight. I was taking some required review course in my quest to the greater life of being an eye doctor. Truly, their rates are much cheaper. I tried to calculate the cost of living in Manille for the whole month vis-a-vis the commuter route, it show that by making Cebu-Manila round trip is much cheaper by almost P15k. At least maka-ingon nako nga nag breakfast ko sa Cebu, sa Manille lang ako dinner, oh diva bongga! pasensya na, gamay ra jud ni akong kalipay. In fairness, the Terminal was so nice and feeling naa ka sa abroad ang ambience.

Terminal 3 Gates


Baha sa Maynila, maka-patagam!

Wa jud tay problema didto sa Imperial Manila. Nothing significant happened.

Na-bahaan lang gud ko sa may Taft Ave, mura tawn ko ug basang sisiw nag-sige ug gukod ug taxi para NAIA 3. See pics above, mao nay akong gisakyan nga trisikad para labang sa Taft Ave., if naay bus nga mulabay, mag-tidal wave ang baha muabot sa lingkuran.

Biktima lang ko pirmi sa mga taxi nga dagko kaayo ug singil. Bisan pag Bisaya, lolokohin ka pa rin.

Pero naglagot lang jud ko kaisa kay ako gi-ingnan ang itax nga, mama, pakidali kay basig ma-iwan ako ng eroplano, gadali toud ang hinampak pero pag-abot sa may liko-anan pasaka sa NAIA3, gi-ingnan man hinuon ko nga dili siya pwede musaka kay wala nay LPG iya taxi. Lipat lang kuno ko ug lain. Pagka ahak! Ga-panic mode hinuon ko kay 15min to check in na lang ko. Gawara-wara jud ko.

Naay poy kaisa nga gi-litanyahan ko sa lovelife ni Mamang Driver, with a conclusion nga masarap magmahal ang Cebuano, ka-ambakon kaayo ko sa taxi.

Pero feel ko na nakabaws nako tungod ani nga istorya.

Nganong na-ngilad. Ang gaba dili mag saba.

In a Parallel World

Im in Facebook na pud.
Different approach,
Same Friendship.
More personal,
More satisfying.
But i'll stay with my multiply,
walang katulad ang original.

At Last!


i'd rather keep my thoughts

than talking nonsense with others.

i'd rather have a silent house

than spitting lies about others.

i'd rather choose to bow

than be shamed by falsehoods.

My favorite poem...

The Road Not Taken
by: Robert Frost Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the tother, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy ans wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I -
I took the one less traveled by
And that has made all the difference.

SIGH!

there are some things not worth replying since it will lend credence
to their nefarious deed.

of course, if you are not honest, especially if YOU are a pathological
LIAR and THIEF , then you will be BANNED!

yes this is the CORRECT spelling, B-A-N-N-E-D.

hayyy! ug pangutana pa jud nganong gi-banned,

read the forum rules liar evil!

kung isug ka, pakita sa imong ngan.

ayaw ug ok-ok diha sa kilid.

sa mga naka-sabut, pasensya na.

sa mga wa naka-sabut, secret!!

ang mga way labut, lihay!

ang mga na-igo, pahuway!

Unto the deep south, the JET'S cometh....


All our bags are packed and ready to go!
The beach is waiting and time's a wastin'!

Ayo! Ayo!
palita ko ug gatas,
sorry mamser, hurot na.
unsay may naa?
ice cream lang.
sige, palita ko ug upat.
huwat lang sa ha kay first come first serve.
apili lang pud kasahos nga kabayo ug bisdak burger ug quiseo.
di ara inyo sukli.
nang, pwede ninyo hipuson ang langaw kay murag pasas sa ice cream kung mutugnon.


Moalboal Church
atubangan na lay nahabilin kay gi-demolish ang ubang walls.
Anugon kaayo.
Nag-inusara.
Nag-pangutana.
Kung asa na ang ubang bong-bong?
Kung kinsa katong adunay inpormasyon palihug tawn
tawag sa Hotline 1-800-I-MISS-U-WALLS

Nag-exercise sila para ma -macho!


Si Sharon ug Gabby, nagpa-gatas.


Ang mga unggoy sa Orchid gallery nga nang-hinguto.


The calm sea of Tanon Strait with the Mt. Kanlaon.
The drayber claims that you can seldom see this volcano on this side of the island.
He narrated that when he was on the top of the Kanlaon,
the island of Cebu can be clearly visualized.
Nitu-o na lang ko para way lalis!


The little boy taking a shower after swimming
with the dolphins, the flotsams, the whales and the dream.

Before the long drive, ang little boy, ni demonstrate sa iyang
climbing ability. May'gani dagko na ang manga sa Tree park.


All time favorite hot cake from the 'parking' in Carcar.
Init nga gi-pilo-pilo, daghan pajud asukar.
My little boy asked, what's the difference between hotcake and pancake?
Simple lang anak,
kung gikan sa mercado unya naay marjarine, hotcake na.
Kung gi-kan sa Jollibee, naay butter ug syrup, pancake na.

Ang paksiw!
Again all time favorite nako nga sud-an.
Before, the drayber dislikes the look and the smell, nadani ,
kay karon di ma-completo amo Saturday drive sa Carcar kung
dili maka-kaon ug lechon, atcahara ug paksiw sa eye clinic.



Overlooking the Tangil Wharf (?).
Whenever we go the deeper southern towns,
molabay jud mi ani nga restaurant (bed & breakfast na pud siya),
but we never had a stop over.
This time i insisted nga muhapit jud mi.
Very eventful indeed!
Kay naa man juy tao nga nilahos ug lakaw sa glass wall,
note: the glass was tinted green.
I can never accept his explanation
that he did not see the glass, for christsakes! its green!
He was kinda drunk man pud hinuon.
Murag gikan sa buwangan, naka-daug siguro
kay ni-hapit man ug beer nga bugnaw!
Expletives rained that afternoon,
since my drayber was sitting very near the shattered glass,
nasamad iya tiil (may'gani, gamay ra)!
Blessing lang jud kaayo kay my little boy was sitting just
in front of the glass a few minutes before the incident.
Buotan kaayo akong drayber kay iya ra gipa-saylo ang naka-buak!
Kasab-an pa ko kay nganong nag-litanya ko,
alangan man sad ug taga-an ug buwak ang hinampak!


The shattered glass!


The Destination: Moalboal's famous Bas Dako
where the cottages are overpriced,
where the owners are not Filipinos,
where you have to bring your own food provisions,
where the caretakers are squabbling among themselves,
where the room rates increased when somebody will offer to guide you to the resorts,
where the flotsams are being thrown back to the sea for the simple reason,
"gilabay man pud nila ang sagbut sa dagat didto sa unahan",
duh! his mind must be struggling to understand
that whatever he throws to the sea will come back in the next tide!

The Jet's (Joseph, Erwin @ Tess)

Sunday Road Trip with the JET's

The road was smoking!
Hot morning with the sudden outburst of rain = steam.
What a Great Sunday to go out with the JET's.


In Doctora Macrina's Park, with the Bird Man of Cebu, the famous OKING!
No visit to the watershed is complete unless you pass by his house
and listen to the songs of the Siloy, Cebu's Official Bird.
He is the Siloy Guardian in Tabunan.
WOW!


The tortuous road to Transcentral Hi-way.
Okay lang, basta naay sweet corn and
lechon bisaya nga maka-on.
Pakapinan ug cool views, busog!


I asked the unico hijo if he wants to see the GMA Tower,
"di lang, mi, kay kapamilya raba ko. (tiwiwing!)",
anyhu, we went anyway.


Chicken @ Beer

The driver and labandera are it again.
Gikuyog pa jud ang ilang anak nag gipa-eskwela sa amo.

Chicken Sisig (with bones)

They went to an off roads bar in Mabolo, called iamiks chicken@beer.
No porks here, they serve only chicken dishes of all varieties,
chicken skin, chicken sisig, chicken crispy feet,
and anything with chicken, pwera feather.
Nakahuna-huna hinuon mi ug tukod ug bar
nga puro lumpia ang i-serve,
lumpiang ubod, lumpiang karne, lumpiang balot,
lumpiang eggplant, lumpiang lumpia, etc.
Basta anything nga giputos ug lumpia wrapper!
Barato ra pud ila servings! RH ray mahal.

Chicken Tonkatsu

Mani-maho jud kag iti kung mag-dugay ka didto.
Pwede pud ka tugkan ug balhibo para makalupad kag bisag asa.
Pero kay manok wings man, kutob ra ka sa sunod nga eskina.

Chicken Boholano

But in fairness, lami ila food.
With acoustic singer pa, everyday except sunday but up to 11:00pm only,
don't ask me why? kay nag-wonder pud ko.
dili ni commercial ha!

The boylets have a meeting for their next climb, and we tag along.
Gusto kuno sila diri kay mountaineer pud ang tag-iya.
Pagka-love your own!
Wa may laing agenda kay puro man 1 round sa RH.
Nihunong pag 9 rounds in honor ni Pacquiao!

Chicken with no name.

Para malingaw ang atabs, didto mi nipungko sa ilang
japanese inspired nga lounge area,
you need to removed your shoes kay
maikug ka sa banig ug sa kadaghang unlan.
Inum-inum ug COKE and Ice Tea with french fries
kay ang drayber nag moni-moni ug RH sa gawas.
Ilang banig kay tempting kaayo para katulog.

Imagine a 60's era house converted into a bar haus,
with the second floor foyer as the stage,
and the whole living room area as the drinking area.
The home toilet is now a toilet bar,
with no running water paired with urine stains on the bowl edge.
Definitely, dili ka-pasar sa akong toilet standard and
eewww, the door knob is oily, grabeng na-mugna nga
bacteria sa akong alimpatakan,
mahimong microbiology book kung isuwat.
Tipid sa kuryente ang kani nga bar kay way aircon,
pwera ra sa kwarto sa tag-iya.
Yes, he lives in the second floor room.
Wais nga tag-iya!

Till next adventure!


all pics are from this site: http://gastronomicadventures.wordpress.com/2008/02/12/iamiks-chicken-and-beer/

Agusan Snapshots


Windblowned Bridge Queen


The Mighty Agusan River.


What is this Snellen's Chart doing by the rice paddy?
Sugo ni Mayor.



Pungko-pungko sa Macapagal Bridge with my staff.



Twin ni Marcelo Fernan Bridge, ang Diosadado Macapagal Bridge in Butuan City.



Ang mga Road Dikes kilid sa bridge.
Ingon sila nga sa wa pa ning mga dikes,
kung mag-ulan, muhimong dagat ning mga palayan.
Mag-baruto ang mga tao.


Akong kasamtangan puy-anan kung naa ko sa Agusan.