The Ocean of My Being

It's been a while since my last entry. I really missed blogging. I couldn't post a new entry not only because I was pretty busy as I'm back to work after a three-week leave, but also because I wanted my sister to see/read the last entry since it's about and for her. I'm not sure if she's read it, though, since she hasn't given me any feedback or reaction yet. Oh well, that's okay. A lot of things have happened since I last posted an entry. On the same day my sister celebrated her birthday, Bok 's grandfather passed away. I got to go to Minalin, Pampanga ( Bok 's hometown) twice to sympathize with the family. The first time, I went with Mommy Minda (my aunt). The second time, I went with Erik and Lachi and we spent the night there so we'd be there for the funeral. It was a new experience for me and a different one, too. It was my first time to actually witness a burial up-close because usually in Muslim burials, only men are allo...

"My friends know so much about you because I talk about you... a lot!" "Whenever I'm caught in some situation, I'd always try to imagine how you'd react or what you'd do if you were in the same situation. That helps." "Hey, that doesn't look good on you!" "Let me fix that..." "What on earth were you thinking? What kind of singing was that?!" -- These are but some of the millions of lines I remember her saying to me. She'd tell me, in brutal honesty, whenever she saw anything wrong with my appearance (clothes, face), my performance (in singing, dancing, public speaking, teaching, etc.). She'd be the first to congratulate me in my little triumphs and achievements. She'd be the first one to fight for me or defend me if and when the situation called for it. She'd be the first to tell me when I'm wrong. She's my biggest support system and my biggest critic! She gets away with things I will n...

My friends and I got back from our Baguio trip yesterday. We got here ( Quezon City ) at around 9:30 in the morning. At around 10:00, I fell asleep and I woke up in the evening! I was dead tired! It was a fun, fun, fun trip! I really loved all the places we went to. It's always nice to go to places just to unwind, relax and look around. And, it's doubly nice when one goes with good friends. Although we never found the cheap second-hand books I've been hearing about, I really enjoyed the whole trip! What made the trip extra special and unforgettable for me was that I spent the Eid'l Fitr (the End of Ramadhan ) there. The Eid , of course, to the Muslims is what Christmas is to the Christians. It's a very special day for families. In my case, since my whole family is back in Mindanao, the next best thing is to spend the Eid with very good friends, and in a place I don't really get to go to often, too. There are actually lots of Muslims in Baguio. Eve...