Mom's 53rd Birthday.

I woke up today thinking how my mom would spend this day.
Today's November 20, 2009 - her 53rd birthday.

Since early this morning, i've been asking myself, does she even know it's her day today? Are "they" even celebrating for her up there? There are lots of things going on in my mind right now. I feel sad because i'm no longer capable of calling her over the phone or even seeing her in person. I miss the feeling of calling her every morning of November 20. What's worst is that i even miss the feeling of saying the words "mom", "mommy" and "ooz"- her moniker. This year's November 20 would be the very first ordinary November 20 for me and my family. No celebrations, no birthday songs, NOTHING. It seems that November 20 has finally become "just another ordinary day". It's sad to think that way. But, what can we do? Things happen for a reason.

Now i'm typing this blog for her to read or listen to as i read the words out loud. It's like my way of sharing or showing my love for her to the rest of the world. I know she's by my side all the time, so, it's really impossible for her not to know about this. The wind that gently touches my skin each time i think of her, i know, is her way of saying she's there, fine and happy. It's funny because you can't really tell how people from the "other" part of the world are doing with their lives "up there" especially now that things for them seem to be much easier compared to the kind of life they once had on Earth. But, i know for sure my mom, Jay De Gala, is doing fine with Lolo Tanchong, Lolo Aga and Lola Consing. I love you mom. See you when i see you.


PS
Don't worry much about us Mom. Dad's been doing fine and Achi's preparing for her NMAT on December. Ched's gonna graduate soon and I'm still beautiful. Hahahahaha.

introvert gone mad

detaching myself from the outside world for quite some time was fun. my life became quiet and peaceful. i even get to spend a lot of time with myself and friends!

one afternoon, as i sat on one of math building's benches, a group of four flocked around me and talked about the issues occurring and re-occurring in our society. they were very much enthusiastic about certain issues especially politics. they really looked "palaban" as they further explained some of their advocacies (mostly against our government). Yuping-UP ang dating. as we all know, UP is the sole center for activism. Well, for a lot of people, activism is BAD, but, honestly? it's not. it's one way of showing our freedom and it's somehow a way of exercising our rights. I know where our conversation would lead to - at the end of the long conversation they would most probably invite me to join their team whose primary goal (i guess) is to voice out the kabataan's inner yearning or should i say "desire" on having a better government. i was cool listening to them 'til i heard the words "Gusto mong sumali?". I was stunned. dad would really kill me if i would join.

Nahiya ako to say "No" because they were really looking at me straight - with their faces saying "sumali ka na, it's not just for you, it's for all of us, for the youth most especially". They gave me more or less 3 minutes to think it over. I was sure that i didn't want to get myself into trouble, but, something strange happened. napatanong ako sa aking sarili, since when did i start thinking more about myself and less about other people? am i gonna live my life just like this? walang ginagawa kung hindi mag-aral at isipin kung anong kakainin ko mamaya o bukas? Acads is still my priority, but, naisip ko, am i gonna be that GC nerd hanggang grumaduate ako at namatay ako? and if ever i died, do i want to be remembered as someone who lived her life just for herself??

The answer? Is obvious.

Kahit papaano, i want to be remembered as someone who did something remarkable for others. Something dangerous yet beneficial for the human race. well, it's not what you think it is. The rally stuff and big or small forms of protests, i assured myself before joining any group, would never be an option for me. i still know my limits kahit papaano. Personally, i'm scared of joining rallies because i might be caught off guard, and hello? dad IS and WILL ALWAYS BE apprehensive to things like these baka makasama pa sakanya. But still! i joined the team. I even had my first convention with them last night. i had fun! real fun. not the fake or peke fun okay? Over a hundred delegates came and the place was really over-crowded. Yung mga delegates kasi not just from NCR kaya ang daming tao.

I met new friends last night who mostly are familiar faces - faces i usually pass by during week days sa school or mga kasabay ko sa ikot. Actually,i was quite hesitant to attend the convention knowing that i was with myself - ALONE in other words. but, seminars, conventions, forums and the like are my thing and it can't be deleted from my system. i suddenly became brave to go alone. i thought i was gonna end up at one corner of the venue talking to myself. but, guess what? i was part of the crowd. The crowd i never expected to be in. i was really proud of myself and even more to those kabataan who came all the way from their provinces. friendship was surely in the air last night! i made a good decision. buti na lang pumunta ako. masaya ang convention kagabi. hindi siya boring just like the other conventions that i had been to. Lalo pang sumaya ang gabi when Gloc9 came and performed. i love Gloc 9! well, who doesn't?

oh well, that's my story.

pakiramdam ng isang ondoy volunteer

Super PAGOD! but i had fun.

Arian, Brian and I went to ABS-CBN Scout Bayoran around 8am to volunteer. So basically since galing Novaliches si Brian, 5am palang gising na siya. Ako naman i woke up around 5:30am at yung magaling na si Arian mga 6am na. Hindi na dapat siya sasama pero buti nalang hindi na masyadong nagloko yung tiyan niya. 7 am yung call time namin, but as expected, na-extend ng 50 minutes.

But anyway, going back to what i was trying to share, pag dating namin sa area, there was this super long line from the receiving area papuntang labas ng gate na halos aabot na sa TGI Friday's. Shocking because we weren't really expecting a huge number of volunteers as early as 8. We were thinking na since it's masarap matulog kung walang klase, mga 10am na sila dadating. Pero NO. kami ay sadyang nag kamali. So we decided to change venue. We headed to ELJ and thank God only a few people were there. At first, mukha kaming tanga doon coz we didn't know what to do. Wala pa kasi yung mga heads that time pero buti nalang yung mga nandoon ay mga volunteers from the previous days. They were already knowledgeable on how things work. Tinuruan kami on how to do the sorting and repacking, sa isang plastic dapat may 4 pancit canton+3 sardines+2 milo+1 bear brand. So far yun muna daw ang ilalagay. After 30 minutes, nag sidatingan na yung mga heads together with Megan Young and Kuya Kim. We were grouped into several units, 10 people per unit. Since lalake si Brian, napunta siya sa receiving and discharge area (pagkarga ng sako sako sa bus).

The man in blue who was acting head sa operation gathered all of us then asked kung saan namin gustong mag work. Arian and I insisted on the canned goods kasi masaya. But NO! Before we can do the sorting and repacking thing sa mga canned goods, dapat ilipat muna sila sa canned goods area, e kamusta naman yung nasa kabilang areas sila, so, we were tasked to carry each box of sardines each containing at least 50+ healthy sardine cans (may tuna rin as far as i can remember). Kaloka! The boxes were heavy, but good thing i had RCY training way back in high school. Thanks to Sir Jose and Sir Jethro and the rest of the RCY people like Kuyas Jepoy, Omeng and Ray for teaching us the "transfer techniques" (of course special mention kay Kuya Omeng who was our mentor sa Regionals). So ayon, karga karga ever.

Assigned kami sa canned goods but Arian and I found ourselves sa sorting and repacking ng BIGAS. kamusta naman ang shifting? but anyway, doing the bigas work was fun din naman. Tali tali, pasok pasok, karga karga, lipat lipat, tapos akala namin ok na. Nung pinapasok na yung mga "supposed" finsihed products, Ate in yellow said " kulang pa yan ng clothes!" So windang yung mga beauty namin because kailangan namin ulit tanggalin yung plastics from the sako and buhulin yung mga plastics. Nakakapagod tlga good thing nag sisidatingan narin yung ibang mga volunteers. Sobrang dami na nga namin e. Masaya naman ang naging resulta ng pagbuhol at pag lagay ng mga clothes. We were all happy kasi marami talagang relief goods sa area and nafifeel namin na maraming hindi na magugutom.

We were all exhausted. Nakakapagod pala tlga mag volunteer sa mga ganitong events. Hindi siya ordinaryong pagtitipon tipon ng mga tao. Kailangan ng patience, strength to the highest level and sangkatutak na PERSEVERANCE. Hindi biro ang pag tulong sa mga nasalanta ng bagyong ondoy sapagkat halos lahat sa kanila talagang nawalan ng bahay, namatayan ng mga minamahal sa buhay, nawawalan ng mahal sa buhay. Yaong mga relief goods na iyon tingin ko kailan man ay hindi sapat para pahinahunin ang sakit na kanilang nadarama. Napaka tindi ng saya na aking nadarama ngayon na nakatulong ako kahit papaano. At least now, whenever i get to remember this big time tragedy, although napakalungkot, i'd somehow feel glad coz i was able to do something right. Hindi ako tumambay sa bahay at nag pakabusog sa isang plastic ko na Inipit Custard.

Nakakapagod but i still remain exultant. Kahit nga ngayon e! but still can't get over of my back pain hahahaha.

Kahit pagod, nawala naman kahit papaano when some of the stars of abs came. Just like how we see her on tv - energetic, noisy, perky - ganun rin pala sa personal si Kris Aquino. She's supportive of us and the crowd just loved her. Other stars like Rufa (super tangkad), Ai-ai (super tahimik and serious), Shaina (super puti), Bea (super ganda), Iya (super cool), Angel Aquino (super tangkad and bilugan ang mata), Anne (simple lang), Victor Basa ( na hindi ni Brian namukaan, Zanjoe Marudo daw), John Prats and Sam Milby ( na super gwapo at super friendly!) were there also.

Ayun... after dumaan yung mga stars ng sabay sabay, padami ng padami rin ang volunteers to the extent na mas marami ng volunteers kaysa sa mga relief goods. Kaya the heads decided to make "mass divisions" - meaning hahatiin ang group into morning, afternoon and night shiftees. but nag voluntary exit na kami for personal reasons and para naman makatulong yung mga taong nag sisidatingan. Yung feeling kasi na nakatulong ka is something really big kaya hindi natin masisisi kung talagang napakarami ang dumayo at dumadayo.

THE END


something na gusto kong ikwento kasi walang hiya si Brian

ng dumating si Shaina gusto ni Brian isigaw to:

Brian: IKAW! IKAW ang taong DAGA! tita Celeste nandito ang taong DAGA!

wla lang nakakatawa lang ishare. hahahaha

Animo Modern Dance

Animo Modern Dance

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looks like great people are destined to leave sooner than expected

March 8, 2009, my family and i experienced one of the biggest blows in our lives. Honestly, I never thought that i would be able to move on from that tragic event. Why? obviously because she was my mom.. she would always be my mom. I believe that the hardest thing a person has to deal with is the death of his own mom or any of his parents.

I have already moved on, thank God! I'm done with grieving. I'm done with regretting, being angry at the doctors, accusing people as the cause of her passing, and other stuff. But, i won't be denying the fact that my tears still fall whenever i get to remember what just happened. It's all natural i guess. Things like these happen.

June 25, 2009, my favorite artist - the King of Pop, the Legendary Michael Jackson - followed my mom to the most sacred place. He was not just a talent, but also an inspiration. He was just so damn good in making inspirational songs! Despite his controversial life, he still was able to manage doing good songs, and with that, I don't just mean GOOD, but great ones with high quality. His songs aren't comparable of those of other artists who often write songs about personal love affairs, hatred, or songs basically based on their personal lives! He wrote songs about the people, about poverty, about peace, about love... And when it comes to pure entertainment, he doesn't make songs that parallel the works or go with the same motif of the rest of the artists abroad, his were always ORIGINAL. I'm not embarrassed to say that I cried upon hearing the news, and while watching his burial on T.V., i was sobbing. I can't help it. I grew up with his songs and the virtues that his songs carry. He's really one of a kind. I can't help but wonder what kind of Musical Industry would prevail without him in it.

Today, August 1, 2009, the great leader Pres. Corazon Aquino, the very person responsible for our democracy, have finally called it this morning - time's up. Being a student leader, I've always thought of Mrs. Aquino (as what she is famously known as) an epitome of an ideal President, a picture of an extremely responsible woman, an embodiment of a true devoted Christian. Had i given the chance to choose what kind of person i would want to become, I'd certainly be choosing her. For me, the word "GREAT" perfectly fits Mrs. Aquino, not just because she's a great friend, or a great mother, but also because she's the GREATEST president the Republic of the Philippines has ever had.

It deeply saddens my soul to deal with the fact that the 3 great people that I've been looking up to my entire life had to leave this wonderful world all at the same year. But come to think of it, their passing maybe because of the great demand of greatness in the after life. Well, looks like great people are destined to leave sooner. Would we dare to be great?

Well, I would.

hoping for a brighter future

i've been thinking a lot lately of the kind of future i wanna have... i know it's a bit too early for that but i can't help but worry about the future. i'm in college now and i'll be graduating soon (hahaha in 3 years actually). i don't wanna stray around and just depend on my father's income or something like that. i wanna have my own life! but, the thing is, i don't really wanna work. i don't wanna wake up early, eat - bathe - do necessary things - then go to work. i think it would be not so fun for me. actually, the only good thing about having a job is that you earn and you get to buy the things you wanna buy! life's really tough when you weren't born rich...(sigh)

so, i'm kind of thinking that i would continue on studying after finishing my bachelor's degree.i want to study medicine, enroll in one of the prestigious medical schools here in the Philippines. I wanna learn things, i want to continue on learning. i want to explore my talent in medicine and if i would fail? i'll try my luck in Law. who knows? i might excel at both.. right?... i'm just hoping for a brighter future not just for myself but for my family =)

sabog yung dates ng blog ko! hahahaha

to everyone viewing or reading this site, my apologies for the wrong dates! hahahahaha ang chaka kasi ng old blogs ko so what i did, inedit ko sila and replaced them of "more" recent blogs. PEACE!