Seventeenth

It goes far better than I expected.

I turned seventeen last Tuesday and I don't think of having good celebration with people. Just a simple family lunch/dinner. But this birthday is so good that it lasts for a week! Yes, another long week birthday celebration. It was fun and a great experience. My birthday is on 24th of July (Tuesday). Fortunately, I have Tuesday as my rest day in university but I still woke up early that morning to attend mass. To thank God for another year of existence, hopes and dreams and mission.

Dress, laces and stockings. Outfit for mass.

Then after the mass I went out with my mama and sister to eat lunch somewhere. Nido soup, pancit and Crispy pata. Thank you so much for their treat! After we ate, we stroll a little and buy a new book.

With Mama at Gerry's Grill

Had a hard time finding it on bookstore but I got my own copy! :)

We went home early to rest cause I had class the next day. Then the next day (Wednesday), my friends keep on teasing me and pushing me to treat them lunch cause it's my birthday. We have this "treat-us-if-its-your-birthday" thing with my college friends. I had no choice. Haha! But I'm a bit broke so I just treat them with a gallon of ice cream and Stik-O strawberry sticks which is very yummy! We almost forgot the time so we hurriedly went back to the campus for the next subject to find out that the professor won't attend the class. Then, we hang there for a while. It was a 3 hours of freedom and we decided to go karaoke for an hour. I know I'm a terrible singer but I sang a lot because it's my birthday. Haha. And I hang  out with some people for the first time that I didn't think I would hang out with. They're nice. And again, we exceeded with fun and got late for the next subject but we're still lucky to get on university before the professor comes. Though it was just a few minutes interval between us and the professor. Saved again! Because the professor forgot her materials and not in the good mood so we dismissed early! I have this good fortune the whole day. Lucky me.


Thursday and Friday is rest day. Lazy me.
Saturday, I got whole day classes. Concentrate on the class and on being student for a while.


Sunday, we went on mass. Had lunch at home with some visitors and prepare for my guests on the afternoon. It was my Uncle's idea to prepare and cook for a little celebration. Big thanks to him! I invited high school friends here at home. We eat, sing, drink and have fun. I missed every little thing about them and about high school! I'm really glad that we can still get together once in a while.

Foods! Roll cake, fried and saucy chicken, different kind of siomai, shanghai, spaghetti  and yang chao rice!

Bestfriend <3 (I'm so haggard)

Friends! Showing the entire house to them.

The people who made the day unforgettable (L-R: Chelsi, Ricky, Jenny, Me, Kurt, Dave, Jumbx and Gary) 

My sister and cousins. I look so tired!

Oreo cake from Violet's Creation

Then, Monday, classes are suspended. It means birthday is extended! Hahaha. Couple of drinks are left unopen. We gave it back to the store in exchange for... ice cream! Yeees! Did I forgot to said I don't have voice? I don't really know what happened. Maybe I ate a lot of sweets the whole week. Even before Sunday, I had this husky voice on and off. And after the party, I am voiceless. And still eat foods that I must not eat.


Anyway, I'm recovering. 


So that's how I spent the whole week. I want to thank again everyone who greeted me, gave me presents, hang out with me and went on my celebration. Thank you for everyone who made this week possible and fun. Great God, highest thanks to you!

mindmybusiness.

I'm back to reading!

Nitong mga nakaraang araw, sumulyap, humapyaw, at nagbasa ulit ako ng articles, blog, libro, etc. Yung mga walang kinalaman sa pag-aaral ko. Pero sigurado akong saglit lang ulit 'to - malapit na kasi ang midterms.

Philippine History, taong 1998, panahon ni Erap

3 years old lang ako nun, ano namang malay ko sa panunungkulan niya? Siguro nung panahong yun, wala talaga kong alam. Pero ngayon, maraming pwedeng mabasa at mapanood. Pero hindi siya ang paksa ng post na 'to. Nung panahon kasi ng dating Pangulong Estrada, lumaganap sa Internet ang isang article na may pamagat na "Who Wants To Be A Filipino?" Nabasa ko ulit yung article nito lang. Binanggit dito ang hypocrisy at hindi magagandang bagay tungkol sa mga Pilipino at bansang Pilipinas. Pero hindi ako naniniwalang walang Pilipino na gustong maging Pilipino ulit. Yung ibang banyaga nga sobrang Filipino-at-heart, mas proud pa sa'tin eh. Feeling ko masyado lang pessimistic yung writer ng article, at naging O.A. ang pagkasulat niya. May mga aspeto din sa sinulat niya na non-sense. As in wala talaga. Hindi naman sa guilty o deffensive ako. I just find it very intriguing na umabot pa ko sa pagsusulat nito. Ang dami ko kasing gustong sabihin.

Siguro may parte ng pagiging deffensive 'to, pero mga 20% lang. Siyempre, Pilipino ako, dedepensa ako para sa bansa ko. At kung Pilipino man ang writer nung article (na hindi ko na babanggitin ang pangalan), shame on you! Nakakadiri ka.

Hindi ako naniniwalang walang Pilipino na gustong maging Pilipino ulit dahil kung ipapanganak ulit ako, gugustuhin ko pa ring maging Pilipino. Asian for particular. Gusto ko ang tan color ko, wala akong pakialam kahit napang-iiwan na ko ng mga nag-gluthatione. 'Eto ako eh!

Yung lugar natin. Kahit nababalot ng polusyon, baha, ingay at trapik ang Manila, okay lang! Hindi lang naman Manila ang bumubuo sa Pilipinas. Napakarami pang magagandang lugar, sariwang hangin, tahimik na paraiso, bundok at kalsadang traffic discipline zone sa atin. Libutin mo ang Pilipinas, kapatid! 

At ang pinakahigit sa lahat, ang mga Pilipino. 17 years ng buhay ko 99.9% pure Filipino ang kasama ko sa buhay. Sa paggising, pagbiyahe, pagpasok, pagkain, at kung anu-ano pa. Marami-rami na ring tagumpay na Pilipino sa iba't-ibang larangan. Oo, minsan nakakatakot yung mga kapwa mo dahil hindi naman lahat mabuti pero sa dinami-dami-dami-dami ng mabubuting Pinoy, natatabunan ang kasamaan. Maniwala kayo sa'kin, kahit estranghero ako, may mabubuting Pinoy around. Minsan, pag magtatanong ng lugar, hindi pa ko napahamak.

At marami pang ibang dahilan. Basta I'm proud Filipina. 

mindmybusiness.

It's been a long time since I came around...

Home for me means being in a place where you feel warmth, love, comfort, and happiness. And I always call Valenzuela City a home for me because I grew up there and made a lot of memories. Also, people who are really close in my heart live there.

Yesterday, I went there to visit my alma mater. The yearbook of our batch was already released and I went to get my copy. I meet long time friends and talk, laugh, eat and more. We visit the High school building and a big change happened there. The school looks so good... and rich. Haha! New teachers, familiar faces, old routines and some places are still there with a bunch of memories we've left. It feels like it's been a long time. Two years since I graduated made a lot of difference. But it feels so good being back to the place you used to live. And I felt the same happiness I feel once again, with my friends and mentors who molded me to become a great person. I feel so blessed and I forgot my stress and problems for a couple of hours.

That's my alma mater, so proud!

When I got my yearbook and about to go home, I can't stop the excitement to touch and read some pages. The faces of my friends, peers, class mates, brothers and sisters - I missed them all! The forthcoming glance - oh, I can't say anything. I'm about to cry when I read it. Seriously. I remember my dreams and goals and the things I want to do in my life. And how it change me 2 years ago.

Some dreams might not be as perfect as what it is written in that forthcoming glance, but it touched me and put a heart on my ambitions. I'm glad it was written. And I'm glad I knew this people.

I feel so great.

mindmybusiness.

I missed writing scripts and shooting films

Hi. This might be my first post for this month. I’ve been lazy for a while doing blogger things and stuffs but I’m still updating, anyway. Title says it all. I do write scripts for skit, short plays and films when I was in High School. Writing is my passion where I can write anything I want to wth my informal grammar, sensitive thinking and creative way. But writing for some people or purpose is a different thing. I’ve been very unprofessional and immature writer way back in high school but that helps me improved in the way that I do now. Directing film is also one of my special tees. Haha! But I’m not professional. I just love to interrupt people at the shoot and say what’s on my mind and that’s creativity. But I tell you, we were all young then and we don’t care about the rules or ways. We just want to pass the subjects so we comply with that requirement. But doing that stuff is really fun and in a way, I miss it. A lot!

with cast and staffs, filming Noli me Tangere

 late-night shoots, school

 preparing for the shoot, at cemetery

 preparing..

shooting at Manila 

I really missed late-night shoots! Haha. I can’t find the other pictures, it’s been so long. 

mindmybusiness.