ROMMEL the great

ARouND THe WoRLD oN MY TWeNTY-SeVeN.TWeNTY-SeVeN.TWeNTY-SeVeN

2007-11-15T12:13:00.000-08:00

Yeah. I call this year as 27-27-27. It is triple twenty-seven.

I do not know what does it mean, but for the past nine months, it seems that everything is going great! I got an increase, I was able to treat my parents in Hong Kong for their 30th wedding anniversary and to top it all, I got an around the world vacation galore. Please take a look of my vacation itinerary last May.

Caribbean (St. Kitts, St. Maarten, and Antigua) to London. I spent one-day in London and visited key tourist attractions such as the Buckingham Palace, the London Eye, the London Bridge, the Trafalgar Square, the Central London , and a lot more of centuries old buildings.

From London, I flew to Hong Kong wherein I spent 4 days with my parents as they celebrate their 30th wedding anniversary. It was an extremely memorable experience to have my parents as we visited various sites and places in Hong Kong. We stayed in a Hotel in Lantau Island. We visited the Buddha, rode in a cable car, went to DisneyLand (sa harap lang...wala ng budget eh hahaha ), shopped in Park Lane, watched the beauty of Hong Kong in Victoria Peak with an exciting Peak Tram, and so much more!!!

Whoa! The four-days in HK flew real fast. My parents flew to Manila earlier. I was misty-eyed when my plane arrived at the NAIA. I was boarded by a Cathay Pacific plane and the feeling of coming home gave me mixed emotions. It feels like being hugged by your mom so tight after a longest time of not seeing each other. Indeed, there is no place like home. I arrived past midnight, and I could not be content to exclaim how I was mesmerized with the Manila skyline. It reminded me of New York when I visited the Empire State building. And it made me proud of my country.

Since, I do not have much baggage I did not take a cab. I missed riding in a jeep and the sheer feeling of hustling with traffic and the dust-infested air in the metro going to Baclaran. The terminal going to Paliparan is in Baclaran. When I reached Baclaran, I could no longer hold the streaming of my tears as I see again the poverty, the shanties, the prostitutes, and it makes me to love my country even more!!!

I spent three weeks in the Philippines, 2 weeks in Manila, 5 days in Surallah (Southern Mindanao) and 3 days in Iloilo(Western Visayas) before going to Japan. I spent one rainy day in Narita, Tokyo and despite the weather I still have enjoyed my stay and got a chance to visit the Temple, the Central Narita, AEON Mall, among others. I can no longer remember the places I have been to. There names, I simply find real hard to remember.

From Japan, I crossed the Pacific going to Washington, DC. I spent five days in Washington. Of course, I visited the White House, the Washington Monument, the Lincoln Memorial, the Pentagon, various museums, and the unlimited joy ride in the subway.

I was supposed to spend one-day in Puerto Rico if I was not left by my plane. I arrived in the airport very late.

Whoa!!! My around the world vacation galore has come to an end. I am now backed in paradise! working and looking forward on my next travel adventure. I am planning to cruise on my 28th birthday next year and treat my parents in Europe on my next vacation next year too, sometime in June or December.

PoeMS aND aLL oTHeRS

2007-11-15T11:58:00.000-08:00

I have noticed, my mind is in good artistic form on moments of depression and languid mental state. These were moments that the flow of inner thoughts flowed endlessly that my speed to write could not suffice. I also have noticed that my mind is most fertile when i am in the shower.

I have been looking my old files and found these poems, smells real old, been in my black portfolio folders for years! ;)

I remembered, I wrote this two poems because... heartbroken ba ako nu'n?! hahaha I think so because the person that I am referring in the poem. "Ano Tulok Mo?" was my first and probably my greatest love! Whoa! The other poem, "Worries", naalala ko, sinulat ko sa isang class ko sa Government Accounting. Sobrang hurt yata ako nu'n, kasi, physically anlapit nya sa akin, pero anlayo nya. Hahaha hirap explain. I also remember, it was the week of his birthday and i gave him my last gift! Imagine, nu'ng time na yun, three years na kaming separated, hindi ko pa rin naoovercome ang nararamdaman ko sa kanya. hahaha parang hanggang ngayon pa yata. basta, nasulat ko ang "Worries" out of restlessness.

At ang last ko na composition, recent ko lang ito nasulat. Eto yung time na sobra yata akong naobsessed sa isa kong colleague sa audit. Grabe! It was 2005 and my life is so beautiful and that person made it more beautiful, each day!

Ano Tulok Mo?
- my entry in the 2002 bigkas binalaybay (Sentro ng Wikang Filipino - UP Visayas)

Ay, ngaa nagakadlaw ka
Kay amo ini ang itsura ko
Mahigko
Bosloton ang akon bisti
Madamo sang mga pasa kag bukol sa akon lawas
Kag nagapiang-piang, indi makalakat sang tarong

Pareho gid lang ta sang itsura
Ginakadlawan mo ang imo kaugalingon
Ginakadlawan niya iyaya ang iya kaugalingon

Kung imo matandaan
Sa mga nagliligad nga mga tinuig
Upod kita nga nakigbato sa aton kinamatarong

Ang mabuhi sang tiwasay
Ginarespeto sang isigkatawo
May dungog nga ginapabugal

Nagmartsa kita sa idalom sang mainit nga sidlak sang adlaw
Nagapamalisbis ang aton mga balhas
Nagpalamaos ang aton tingog sa pagsinggitan, upod sang iban pa
Nagsilbi kita nga kusog sang kadam-an
Dako ang ila nga pagsalig sa aton kakayahan
Sa pagtib-ong sang kinamatarung
Ang aton kinaiya bilang tawo

Pero, subong diin ka na
Ginbayaan mo na ako, kami
Abi ko bespren po eber kita

Ara ka nagapungko sa atubangan ko
Nagapamosi-mosi
Nagakadlaw kag ginayaguta ako
Pareho snag mga tawo nga aton ginasumpa
Mga tawo nga nangin kabangdanan sang aton kasakit
Sila ang kabangdanan sang tanan nga ini

Ngaa ara ka dira upod sa ila
Nagapungko sa atubangan ko
Manami ang bayo nga imo ginasul-og
Makintab ang buhok mo sa pomada
Kag nagasidlak ang ferragamo mo nga sapatos
Belatche tol, daw abogago ka

Ano tulok mo?

Worries
I simpy do not know
Why do I feel this...
... I feel low
... I am tired of doing anything
... I only want to sleep, sleep, sleep
Why do I feel this
I simply do not know
... I am depressed of something
... Yet I do not know what it is
... I am afraid of something
... Yet I do not know what it is
... I am afraid to live
... Yet I want to live
If I only can understand myself
If I only can understand
If I only can

I can liberate myself from this chain

Isang Malabong Pagkakaibigan

"What's the problem? Why deliberately avoid me?"

"1 John 4:8."

"I don't get it."

"He that loveth not, knoweth not God - For God is love."

"So what's the connection with avoiding me?"

"Forget it."

Anlabo ano? Anyway, malabo din ang sinimulan. Isang simpleng authentication request at pumaimbulog sa usapang relihiyon, naging mag text mate, email buddy at chatmate. Pagkakaibigang nagsimulang virtual at posibleng mamamatay ding virtual. Dalawang tao, isang malabo at isang nalalabuan sa sarili. Maganda sanang kalalabasan, isang positibong produkto dahil sa teorya ng matematika na pag ang dalawang negative pag pinagminultiply nagiging positive, bagkus iba ang nangyari.

Araw ng Martes, mga oras na walang kalatoy-latoy, tahimik ang paligid at ang lahat bisi sa kanilang ginagawa. Itong si nalalabuan sa sarili na tatawagin nating Rogel, naalala si malabo na bibinyagan nating Aldrin ay inimbitahang magchat. Sa dinami dami ng puwedeng pag-usapan, nandyan ang SEX, LOVE, GENDER EQUALITY, etc. at bakit talakayang relihiyon pa at nakafocus sa salvation ang napili.

Malayo ang itinakbo ng usapan, mula sa Makati umabot na ng Bundok Bungo na kung saan ipinako si Hesukristo. Pinagdebatehan ang mga pinag-usapan ng Diyos at ng dalawang magnanakaw bago sila namatay. Natapos sa pagbibigay ng dalawang pahinang papel sa lobby ng opisina. Hindi pa nakuntento, naging instant textmate ng hapon ding yun, getting to know each other ang drama at kung ano-ano pa ang pinag-usapan. At nagpatuloy itong pagkakaibigang virtual ng mahigit sambuwan din.

Sa loob ng sambuwan na ‘yan, madami ang nangyari na pawang malalabo. Mga pangyayaring nagpapagal sa emosyunal na aspeto ni Rogel. Ito yung punto na inaanalisa nya ang kanyang mga nararamdaman kay Aldrin. Ito ba ay pag-ibig? At anong klaseng pag-ibig? Pag-ibig kapatid o pag-ibig senswal?

Isang gabing umuulan, tahimik na nagbabasa si Rogel ng “The Purpose Driven Life”. Isang libro na susubaybay sa yo sa loob ng 40-day spiritual journey sa paghahanap ng kasagutan sa umano’y isang napakahalagang katanungan sa buhay: What on earth I am here for? Nasa ikatlong araw na siya sa kanyang pagbabasa. Sa kanyang tahimik na pagmuni-muni, naalala niya si Aldrin. Natanong niya sa kanyang sarili kung bakit lagi niyang naalala si Aldrin. Isang malalim na self-introspection ang namayani at isang napakahaba at makabagbag damdaming orasyon ang namutawi sa kanyang mga labi. “His parents are both lawyers. He is a rich kid. He has great siblings. He is a Lasalista, since grade school. And God, he has a car and been to US. And most especially he has a great relationship with God. He has everything that I’ve been dreaming of!"

He realized, it was not love kundi isang inggit. At para mawala ang kanyang inggit na nararamdaman, he wants to possess him. Because by possessing him, he’ll know everything about him – his strengths and weaknesses. And worst, he wants to consume him in order to satisfy his envy and sensual urge.

At bago mangyari yun, habang nasa wastong wisyo pa sya, nang gabi ding yun, pinutol ni Rogel ang kung ano mang tanikala na nag-uugnay sa kanilang dalawa ni Aldrin.

"What's the problem? Why deliberately avoid me?"

"1 John 4:8."

WeLCoMe To BLoGGiNG aND a LoT MoRe!

2007-11-15T11:39:00.000-08:00

it's been a long time i am toying the idea of creating a blog account, in fact i already have made several accounts, i believe this account is already my fourth or fifth times, and i still never get satisfied with the result as i go through my blogging.

i am actually wanted a blog wherein i could say anything and still maintain my anonymity, except for a few others. ;)

a blog that would be the outlet of my varying moods, concerns, advocacies, little thoughts, and many others, as i discover my life as an expatriate, an accountant, a distraught yet carefree individual, but definitely this is all about me!

i pleasantly welcome you to my blog... and a lot more!