100 Peso Date
It was the first time that I went out with no cash and credit card. My boyfriend was down to his last hundred pesos and still, he insisted that we go out.
Mode of transport:
Given our budget, we only had two options to get anywhere namely,
1. Ride a jeep
We rode a jeepney the first time. It was hot and dusty and then we got off to a plaza in downtown Manila.
2. Walk
We walked around, a lot! I was surprised that we've practically covered a lot of ground from Intramuros, all the way to Malate.
What to do:
1. Take photos
Armed with our cameras, we took a lot of interesting photos. I've never seen Manila this close. Our photography experiments kept us busy all day!
2. Watch
Instead of paying tickets for a show, we ended up at the bay enjoying the spectacular sunset view. I get to see this often from the office window, but actually watching the colors change? Amazing!
3. Talk
chilling out doesn't have to be expensive like when we hangout at coffee shops, drinking some overpriced coffee. There are benches where the public can seat freely. Just find a clean and shaded spot.
4. Eat
Of course i can never survive a day without food. We sampled some street food. I think he got me a sweet corn and even offered green mango. They're actually some of the healthy options instead of those fried treats on a stick.
5. Drink
We brought a water bottle. Drinks can get expensive on the streets.
By the time he brought me home, he still had at least 20 pesos in his pocket to ferry him home.
Come to think of it, these are pretty much the same stuff that we did during our honeymoon. I was inconsistent with my food choices though as it ranged from really expensive, to budget food.
Miss Ko Na Yung Dati
Kasi, kapag nagugutom ako.. alam ko na agad na si Jas ang takbuhan ko.
Kapag naman subsob ako sa trabaho.. alam ko na merong petiks lang na ka-opisina ko. So ayun, di ko gaanong feel ang pagiging toxic kasi sa kabilang ibayo, may mga nanonood ng anime at korean soap. At dahil dun, naiisip ko na lang na darating din ako sa ganung phase. Pana-panahon lang naman ang bagsak ng workload.
Masaya kasi creative mga tao doon. San ka pa nakakita ng mga nakakalibang na poster, video o gif ng mga kasalamuha mo sa opis.. bigla na lang itong bumubulaga sa 'yo.
Maraming makulit.. malay ko ba na ma-mimiss ko mga kakulitan nila.
Marami rin kasi akong magagandang alaala dun sa iniwan kong opisina. Siempre iba na ngayon. Iba na rin ang mundong ginagalawan ko. Siguro, mapalad ako't marami akong magagandang alaala doon.
Miss ko na nga kayo.
Electric Sparks
I was awaken last night by the sound and spark of electricity by our bedroom window. It was too close and it got me worried. Several electric sparks fired outside almost simultaneously. I tried to see if there was smoke nearby. I thought it may have come from our apartment. I listened as the gate downstairs started banging shut. People were awoken by the sparks and then I heard a siren. It was the local police. Somebody shut the power off and knowing that its being attended to, my own fatigued body lulled me back to sleep. I woke up with the fan turned on as if nothing happened the night before. When I read the news, a huge fire blazed over the shanties in nearby Viejo. I felt the tension of the fire even though I was a few barangays away.
Twins and Swims
Finally heard from my Danish friend, I. I shared my wedding and honeymoon pics with her last June. She said she's taking on a new job with the same company beginning October. And that she'll be off for a month's vacation in the US.
The British girl, A's pregnant! She's having twins!
I wonder if I too am pregnant.. will see in a few days. My hubby keeps hoping that I'd get preganant soon. I'm nervous! I don't know if i'm ready for it. We've all these plans but still, he's always hoping.
I'm learning how to swim! It's been going on since the typhoon weekend. We swim for about 3 hours every Saturday and sunday. I can now float! Learned all the basic moves thought I've still got a lot of tuning up to do to correct my form. My friend and I are both keen on learning though I chickened out last sunday in the dives. We're halfway through our sessions and hoepfully, i'll be able to conquer that fear.
We've a deadline tomorrow and we're only halfway through running the jobs. I won't see my hubby until tomorrow since he's already started doing night sifts. I wonder when can we actually spend a weekend together.
Gone in a Weekend
Finally, they brought him home. Though it still pains me to believe the fact that he's gone, I still manage to put on a smile for friends. It's not at all worth dwelling on sadness if you know that the person who's gone ahead actually enjoyed his stay.
There were a few defining moments that's made an impact on me. One of which was our trip to Xaymaca. Despite being officemates for a year already, that's the only time we got acquainted. Here's the article that he asked me to write to share my views on the place.
http://kquill.blogspot.com/2004/10/xaymaca.html***
And life goes on.. yet stories of the tragedy creeps back.
We went to swim class as scheduled. It was the weekend after his death. Our instructor introduced us to E, his swimming instructor who was also part of the K9 team that helped searched for T.
I was hoping that the swimming lessons would serve as a break from the weeklong torture of missing and losing a friend. And there they were, asking all sorts of questions. Discussing the incident as if it were some movie. But it was real for me, and I am not the kind who would want to recall the tragedy over and over. I wanted them to just shut up. But they didn't so i just floated away. No wonder I learned survival floating easily.
***
Celebrating what could've been his 32birthday at the small chapel of Don Bosco Mandaluyong was a unique event. It was something that I wasn't looking forward to. His urn was barely noticeable among the bright orange balloons. Printed photos and blog enries were displayed like an exhibit at the end of the hall. It was the last night of the wake, and it seemed more like a show. I could never imagine him approving to such a circus, but like what his fellow climber said, it's been organized not for him, but for us creatures who he left dumbfounded by his sudden death. I really miss that twerp!
