diha sa bohol

despite the hassles of packing and rushing to beat a flight, i would have to say that i will always love traveling. there is truly something marvelous about seeing everything for the first time, and the novelty of it all inspires you to do more in order for you to see more.

bashful tarsiers

i'm ok now...

after months of indecision and uncertainty, i think i just might have exorcised the demons in my life...

here's to a good start for the last quarter of the year...

this blog will come alive soon :D

getting there...

i'm tired of being blue almost always...but as they say, when you're in the bottom, there's no way for you to go but up.

starting today, i will slowly pick up my pieces, and i will make a gigantic effort in putting myself back on track. my mantras for the rest of the year will be: a) i will be a "superstar phenomenon" (however you take that), and b) i will have a LIFE.

it's funny that an important, but nonetheless, a totally irrelevant-to-my-life event can put me in such a warrior/survival-like mode. in a few hours, i will be voting for the future leaders of my country, and making my list of candidates has motivated me to do a mental list of what i should do to get me out of the doldrums. my to-do list is daunting...and i can't help but cringe whenever i imagine myself undergoing my demon challenges. but i'm at a point right now where i desperately need change, and the only person who can do that for me is myself.

so cheers to a peaceful elections later on and to a better, stronger me in the near future...

change is good.

random musings on the I-5 freeway

• you think traveling from manila to pagudpod is far? wait till you try driving from l.a. to san diego...you traverse the same distance but you do it in less than 3 hours. driving on the freeways here definitely gives you a different concept of distance.
• my suitcase is my lifeline for the next 3 weeks. i'll go absolutely nuts if i lose it even for just a day.
• it's easy to just let things flow and forget about life back home while i'm here. i can imagine myself adapting to life here if i hadn't set a budget and time frame for my stay here.
• saying that we couldn't visit someone because we're separated by thousands of miles is merely an excuse, no matter which way you look at it. most of the time, we aren't really bogged down by distance, but by work, money, family, etc.
• it's mind-boggling that there is so much unused space and land here. what filipinos would do for such resources.
• they have a different perception of warmth over here. my idea of beach day is white sand, blazing sun, warm waters, and piña coladas on the shore; beach day here is white sand, bright sun, cold winds, icy waters, and wearing jackets while walking on the shore. definitely no wading or swimming for me.
• one step forward or two steps backward? mind over heart or vice-versa? be constantly stoic or be uncommonly expressive?

sfo diaries: supersize me

i keep forgetting that food here is always in "supersized" mode compared to philippine standards.

for the first time in the longest time, i don't get to finish my food...and this is causing me needless guilt since i had been masterfully brainwashed by my parents to always finish the food on my plate.

my pants are getting tight...and this is not good considering that dance classes haven't even started. jeté much? ack!

sfo diaries: travel highs and lows

loving and wanting to travel doesn't mean i also like being cramped in a minuscule airplane space for countless hours (i travel coach, of course), making it necessary for me to contort my body in several positions, trying to find the best possible way to sleep. you just can't wait for the plane to land, and no amount of aisle-walking can relieve you of your muscle tension and restlessness.

as soon as you have landed, you start rejoicing by adding an extra jaunt in your steps and walking in long strides, making sure that every joint and tendon are stretched and elongated at their maximum. you look around you, you take a looong breath of the air (polluted or not), and you think that you have never been in a more exciting place in your life. you stow away your things for safekeeping, then stroll around as you try to sense the vibe of the people and place around you. if you feel energized, you might have a hefty meal then round it off with coffee or dessert. if you want something more mellow, you might have some drinks, chat with some locals, then hang around for some easy music or an impromptu outdoor sightseeing.

so far, you feel like you're having a good day. you doze off on a very comfortable bed with plush pillows under a warm comforter, and you dream that good days are here to stay.

then suddenly, you find yourself awake at the ungodly hour of 1 in the morning. you couldn't get yourself to go back to sleep no matter how tight you shut your eyes. you have tried the time-tested solution of counting sheep to make you feel asleep...but alas, not even sheep, or cows, or chickens, or ducks, or fish can send you off to dreamland.

jetlagged. that's what i've been for the past 4 days. this better wear off soon, else i would look like a raccoon with crazy breakouts for the whole duration of my trip.

other than that, traveling is amazing.

OD'ing over ODC

one of the reasons i'm excited about going to san francisco...

i can't wait to test my skills in classes again...and doing it in one of the best dance schools in the world...:)

*pictures courtesy of the ODC San Francisco