A sweet encounter with reality. #2

My perception of an escapade is different from that of other people. You might imagine a happy journey (the one that you usually go for a leisure trip) but mine is exciting because it seems like an action movie packed with adventure brought to life. And according to a site (http://www.thefreedictionary.com/escapade), the meaning of an escapade is "a daring or adventurous act, often one that is disapproved of by others." There are lots of places that I've been to, but it was not as exciting as my childhood experience in Manila.

Manila is an exciting place because there's lots of glamor, color, and excitement but the hustle and bustle of city life deprived me and my  mom of serenity and peacefulness (characteristic of rural life). I was born in Iligan City and I have to go back to my roots. This time, for good.

As my mom was busy packing our things and our last remnants of our clothes, my mind wandered about how we're going to survive the ordeal. Without my knowledge  and young as I was, my mom was facing her greatest decision in life. She have just survived a painful separation from my father and staying here in Manila wasn't good for us. Though my mom felt sad, I didn't feel the same way as she did. For me,  the thrill of going back to Iligan is full of excitement and adventure, as well as fun.

My mom was scared of the prying eyes of my Uncle John (the brother of my dad). Our moves were constantly watched and observed that the thought of an escape is impossible. It is like we were looking for a needle in a haystack. But our neighbors within the compound were very cooperative. Somebody sold our refrigerator to buy us a ticket and another one hid us in her abode prior to our escape. I could constantly hear whisperings among them as if a top secret is relayed. My mom was unable to sleep that night. She was restless and listless. What if my uncle will find out about our plan of escaping?

It finally dawned on us that the final phase of our escapade has bagan.

When a green-colored van fetched us, we hurriedly left the secret house and carefully tiptoed going outside.
I could feel the tension gripping us as we drove away.  My mom darted her eyes towards the direction of our house where my uncle also resided.  But, she felt relieved when nobody was there. When our vehicle passed through the "gate of freedom", my mom not only felt relieved but excited at the prospect of going back to our final home and to our freedom.

When we reached the North Harbor Pier 3, many passengers where in a hurry to board the ship and we were on of them. I could not follow the footsteps of my mother but when she held my hand, I felt safe.

We were still hiding when we  boarded the Super Ferry. A friend of my mom just informed us that my uncle was also boarding on the same ship. We prayed unceasingly for our safe travel and of him not finding us.  After two days and one night of travel, we were finally docked on Iligan Bay waters.  Upon going down the gangplank, we saw my Lolo Andres and Lola Ardina, waving and waiting for us. And in my grandparents' faces, I saw freedom and I said to myself, "Home sweet home."

As Gilbert Parker said, “Love doesn't hide. It stays and fights. It goes the distance, that's why love is so strong. So it can carry you all the way home.” Because of my mom's unending love for me, we found our way home.

It feels like INSOMNIAAAAAAA

I still can't sleep and it's midnight already. And I have class tomorrow at 7:30 AM. What the FUUUUDGE!

I really wanted to sleep so I told my mom about this zombie disease and she said that I should drink milk. Well, I did that, but nothing happened. I still can't sleep.

I asked my friend what to do, and she said that I should count some imaginary sheep. I also did that, but then I still can't sleep and I felt like a crazy girl being tricked by an abnormal friend. Great! HAHA.

Someone from facebook told me that I should take some sleeping pills. But I don't want to. Instead, I tried the most effective sleeping pill for students: STUDY STUDY STUDY. It sure is effective because after a few minutes of studying, I felt that Mr. Sandman already sprinkled some sand into my eyes that's why I'm feeling so sleepy ~.~

Maybe I should sleep now? Goodbye virtual world. Hello real world. And hello dream land :)

IV-QUASAR (2009-2010) CLASS PROPHECY (Original Version)

I can only see white curtains swaying in a beautiful villa in a white-sanded beach. The pristine water sparkles in the sunlight with a soft, gentle breeze blowing in my face. It sure is summer! Well, I, ZYRA DAWN VILLARINO, needed to take a rest from a mind-boggling job as a Junior Manager in a well-known corporation in Australia.


I took a walk on the beach and noticed a familiar looking lady approaching me. I could not believe that it was GRETCHEN GWEN SARSABA. We had a little chat and turns out, she surprisingly owns the villa I was in, here in Iligan City. She also told me that SOMMAYAH BATUAMPAR is the architect of all the villas in that beach resort. No wonder there are a mixture of Korean sculpture and architecture around the place. Nature has always been regarded as an element of utmost importance in the Korean architecture.


The aromatic scent of the spicy food tickled my tummy as I was strolling on the beach resort. “Food,” I thought to myself. I immediately rushed inside the Venetian restaurant where the tempting scent came from. The head chef came near me and I was surprised to see XYVELS GALCERAN. And I was like “Wow! This was my classmate 15 years ago and she’s the head chef in this place.” I was amazed.
In the meantime, as I patiently waited for my food to be served, a straight-haired guy with a black suit entered the place with his girlfriend. I didn’t recognize him until he introduced himself that he was FRANZ RYAN ENGLIS. I laughed because the once curly, drummer boy is now the CEO of Microsoft company in Singapore. It is indeed not bad to aim higher to achieve impossible dreams.


I finished my food and decided to go back to my sanctuary (the villa where I stayed). A tall, tan, and stunning supermodel passed by in front of me. I hardly recognized CLYDE TORRES because of his striking sunglasses and flowery board shorts. He is now producing his own show, “Asia’s Top Model.”
When I arrived at my rented villa, I lied down and rolled over those cloud-like pillows and satin sheets. I got a little bored so I turned on the television and watched the news. Whoa! ENGR. KEVIN JOHN LAGANAO was awarded the Nobel Prize for Chemistry for formulating a super durable material used in safety helmets. Chemical Engineers are really engaged in the development of diverse range of products now. ^^ One of New York’s most famous theatrical directors, MARC JOSEPH ALBARAN, was being interviewed about his upcoming show, which is “Wicked”, with CHUSER-ERIKA QUIDLAT as its main star. IPAG (Integrated Performing Arts Guild) did bring out the best out of these two young and talented people. ^^ There is also this new movie produced by Pixar where MARVIN SIEGFRED SANCHEZ is one of the animators. I felt happy because those people were once my classmates.


Just as soon as the sun sets, the party begins.


There were so many bars near the resort. But I preferred to go to this place called “Danika’s Resto Bar and Music Lounge” where DR. PRINCESS DANIKA TEE was the owner. The featured band during that night was great. I then realized that some of them were my classmates. JOHN REY MACONDARA as the vocalist, DAVID IMMANUEL TEVES as the lead guitarist, and DUSTIN GONGOB as the bass guitarist. They were no longer playing loud music. And I guess it’s really true that people mellow down as they mature.


I noticed these two dazzling women near my table. They were discussing about the latest fashion trends. As usual, SHELVIE MARI FERNAN and LOUISA IRENE REDOBLE RN were fashionable than ever. They dress to kill. Shelvie is always going from one place to another to explore new places and have some vain moments with her loved one. On the other hand, Louisa is already a registered nurse (well, a fahionista and sexy nurse that is). xD Later on, MR. CESAR BUOT joined the two. I heard that he already owns a Comedy bar with live bands, great performers and shows (not tasteless annoying comedy), and good bar chow and drinks that won't hurt. Nothing ever changed about him, except for his age. Well, he doesn’t mind if he’s old enough, just as long as he’s having a whole lot of fun.


In another table, KARLA CARESSA AYOMA and NICHOLE KEIFFER BATUTAY, together with their beloved partners, were planning to create a Dance Studio and start their very own workshop. They already have a dance group. And they wanted to teach other kids how to dance.


The night is so young to spend it in just one place. I went to this conference hall, right beside my rented villa, to see who’s in there. It was some sort of a Doctor’s Meeting thing. There were different speakers from different fields. I was about to go back to the villa, but when I recognized a few of them, I stopped to take a look. The first speaker was DR. DELVIN EDWARDS MARQUEZ, a neurosurgeon. He specializes in surgery on the brain, spine, and other parts of the nervous system. It really is in the genes (his mom and dad were both doctors). The next speaker was DR. SHELLEY PANTINOPLE, a neurologist. Back when we were still in high school, she always wanted to be a doctor and marry J.N.S. Well, guess what? Mission accomplished for Shelley. Everything went according to the way she had planned. The other two doctors were constantly talking in their seats. DR. KIMBERLY MA. MENDOZA and DR. KRISTIAN ANGELO BALONDO surely have a world of their own at that moment. But hey! I heard that Kimberly is now a surgeon and is having her medical missions in some rural areas. She’s also a pastora now with a handsome husband (she said that). And Kristian? He’s working on an indie film. He really loves film making and photography. His hectic schedule as a doctor didn’t affect his interests.


It is now daytime. I guess I did shake it too much until the moon became the sun. =))


On my way back to the villa, I saw JUNRIC AXL LUNA and JUNELLE PAGUNSAN. I guess both of them had a game of basketball with some other friends because of their sporty attire. Junric is now successful and has a job that could sustain the daily needs of his family while Junelle is currently working in a bank. You could really see the changes in Junelle’s appearance due to his determination in having a fit body.


I passed by an Asian store. You can find thousands of quality products of Asia or inspired by Asian Culture right here. No matter you are looking for ingredients for your delicious Asian recipe, a cute outfit or accessories with Asian flare, most up-to-date electronics, feng shui tools, books and DVDs. I thought that the owner of the store was Chinese, but I was wrong. The store was owned by DR. GRACE SUPERALES and DR. JO EDMARE OMANDAM. These two doctors were already addicts of Anime stuffs. Even if they are doctors, they still manage to own a store.


Before I went inside the villa, I could hear the contagious laughter of three women from a distance. I tried to follow where that sound came from. I didn’t even know who they are until they called my name. Ah! It was ENGR. CHRISTINE DIMPNA ADLAON, CAROLINE ONATE CPA, and APRELLE LYN PAGAL. They are really inseparable until now. High school friends are still the best, right? Christine is now working as an engineer in a company and Caroline is now a successful accountant. Aprelle, as an artist, has her own art exhibits. Left-handed people have indeed greater chances of becoming an artist.


I didn’t have the chance to have my long rest because my flight back to Australia is scheduled later at 9am. So, I just packed up my things and hurriedly rode on a taxi. I bid goodbye to the city where my memories were left-------Iligan City.


I got to the airport and realized I was ten minutes earlier than my schedule, so I bought the latest issue of Phillippine Daily Inquirer, wanting to read the article of my favorite editor, KATRINA BALILING. I scanned the pages and saw a picture with a caption: “IANCARL MICHAEL PEREZ; the biologist that could charm you with his voice." Ian is not just an ordinary biologist, he also could sing. That made him more famous. After several inquiries from the management, the plane is now ready to take off. I sat on 12B, near the aisle. I decided to take a nap. Before I could even close my eyes, a stewardess tapped my arm. It was HANNY GLIANNA NUNEZ. I was envious when she told me that she already had a tour around the world. That was my biggest dream! Hanny also told me that she’s about to get married to a guy she met on the plane and she has her own clothing line in Paris. What a lucky girl she is.


We landed on Australia safely. That was a great summer vacation.


My tummy rumbled again so I decided to go to a 7-star restaurant, not knowing that RHACHELLE NOVA TOMOGSOC was their Executive Chef. Nova sat down with me while I was enjoying their famous cuisine. We talked about many things. Suddenly, a guy, about 40 plus of age, entered the restaurant with two body guards. Everyone looked at him as if he was the most powerful person in the world. But then, I realized, that guy was MR. JERROLD ELLO. Yes! Our very own MR. JERROLD ELLO! And he is the owner of that 7-star restaurant.


Memory is the diary that we all carry about with us. I sigh as I reminisce my fun-filled summer vacation. It was sort of a reunion with my high school classmates. There'll be no distance of place or lapse of time that can lessen the friendship we had.

An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, and a CANDY for a CANDY.

How would you react when a tindera (saleslady) doesn't have any coins and would give you candies instead?

Well, I had a funny experience last November 30, 2010 (Tuesday) at a particular stall at CBAA canteen. But I'll tell it to you in the vernacular so that it would be funnier. *evil grin* And here it goes...

Usa ka mainiton nga hapon, samtang naga-lakaw ako sa kadalanan sa IIT, ni-kalit ra'g MIZCOL (miss call nah kung sa english) ang akong tiyan. In short, gi-GUTOM na ko. So, ni-liko ko sa CBAA canteen aron mu-palit ug makaon. Ni-palit ko ug makaon nga tag-siyete ( kay ga-tipid man daw kuno ko). Ni-kuot ko ug diyes ug gi-tunol sa tindera.

Me: Nara bayad te.
Tindera: Naa ka'y dos diha gang? Para singko akong i-sukli nimo.
Me: Wala raba.
Tindera: Pwede candy na lang ang sukli?
Me: Ah. Kalokohan! Pwede candy pud akong i-bayad nimo te? >:D

I told my friends about what I just said to that tindera, and they had different reactions to it. Some were amazed because they said that even though it's sarcastic, it is still super duper mega cool. Some also wanted to do the same thing as I did, but they can't. They don't have the guts, because according to them, maybe the tindera will be insulted and will get mad at them and they (my friends) would turn speechless and be embarrassed around the people. I just laughed. I defended myself and said, "...para fair ba. An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, and a CANDY for a CANDY."  (Wow! Did I just say that?)  It does make sense. FAIRNESS. What happened to the fairness in equality?  We should be fair in everything we do.

But anyways, if you were in my shoes, what would possibly be your reaction? Will you just don't mind the situation and accept the candies? Or fight for your right and get what you should get (i mean, the coins)? I'd still choose the second one. Maybe you'll think that it is cheap to have an argument about a candy and a coin, but to me, it's not. Every peso counts nowadays. Everything is getting more and more expensive. And I don't think candies could be accepted in buying things, right? :))

Lesson Learned: for the tindera, don't talk to sarcastic people; and for me, I should always bring a lot of coins whenever I would buy something, so that I won't get candies instead of money. HAHA.

Oh. Hello December 1. Christmas spirit, I can't feel you.

Goodbye November 30. Hello December 1.

Christmas is fast-approaching but I still can't feel the spirit of Christmas *sigh* :(

Well, I got excited when the first -ber month (which is September) came, because it was an indication that Christmas is very near. But I got disappointed. And I was like WTF? It's not like this before. Even if the people suffered from crisis for the past few years, we could still hear children who sang Christmas songs outside our houses (and sometimes they sang with matching guitar or beat box or tambourine). We also saw a lot of Christmas decors anywhere (Christmas tree, Christmas lights, Santa Claus or reindeer stuffs, etc). And on the radio, we have always heard those very annoying yet jolly Christmas songs. That was before. I miss all of those. I don't think it would be a Merry Little Christmas this 2010.

As what I've noticed, only the cold weather is giving us this little hope that there's still this Christmas spirit around us. Oh, please. There are only 24 days more to go before Christmas and I don't want it to be just another BORING OCCASION. I just wish that Santa's gift for all of us is a MERRY CHRISTMAS amidst this crisis thing.

ADVANCE MERRY CHRISTMAS FRIENDS :)

P.S: I wrote this just a while a ago (i mean, yesterday 12/01/10). But I guess, it's already dawn now (time check: 12:38am), so just don't mind the date and title, ok? :)