What My Friends Say About Me

Rumos has it that the social network Friendster has shut down a couple of days ago. Honestly, I am mildly disappointed because it is the first social networking site that I signed up on. It is kind of a good thing that I didn't post much pictures in my account so there is not much to export from the site. But right now, I am copying the testimonials that my friends wrote about me and I am gonna share some in this blog:

"...isang tunay na kaibigan yan kahit d ko madalas yan kausap lam ko andyan pa rin ang suporta nyan kahit anong mangyari... " ~ one of my HS bestfriends

"my soul sistah! kaw lng and isa sa mga taong nagpapatino sken! you have always been the one who have held my hand during the most tremendous storms in my life, leading me to the finest rainbow that i can cherish.thank you bes for being so perfect for me! i love you! "~ my other HS bestfriend

"She seems to have a knack of endearing herself to you without you realizing it till its too late for you to choose otherwise. :) A multifaceted individual whose talents and activities has taken her to different paths in life at such an early age ... if she can't be your friend directly, she's bound to know a couple of people in your circle till it becomes inevitable to know her. One of the people that I could honestly say that it's been an honor and pleasure to have known you." ~ College Professor

"It's not hard to like A "fatima". She's bubbly, talkative, accomodating, talkative, friendly, loves to talk, thoughtful, always smiling.. talkative.. teka..ilang beses ko ba sinabi "talkative? hehehehe.. that's her mark on me.. she loves talking and cheering somebody up." ~ choir mate

I have other testimonials but I think these are my favorites whenever I have the time to visit my friendster profile. It still makes me smile rereading it, just because I have friends who thought of me that way. I just hope that I am somehow... still the person they have described in their testimonials... only better.

.....................

Dear friend,

Yes, it has been awhile since I posted something in my blog... and actually, there's not much to tell lately since work has kept me busy even last weekend. I thought I'm gonna call in sick today because my right tonsil was swollen last night. Buti na lang naagapan ng Bactidol. :P

Well, I guess we're quite busy these days... I haven't seen you online lately. How are you by the way? Excited to go home na ba? I bet you have a lot to tell when you get back. :) Don't stress yourself too much.

Theme Song

Dear friend,

Right now, I am imagining you singing me that old school intro theme song of Maskman...

Oo, nagpapakabayani ako dahil nagtratrabaho ako dis-oras ng gabi. Wala lang. Para petiks ako mamaya at para maka-move on naman ako sa ibang pending na tasks ko.

Btw, I want to inform you that the M.O of our client resigned and yesterday (since technically, it's already Friday) was her last day. Even though she was all high and mighty when the mood strikes, she is really good at what she do. I just hope that they can find someone who is just as good as her.

New Nickname

Dear friend,

Emo ba ang mga posts ko? :P Eh well, ganon talaga. To each his own... :)

I'm thinking... since you came up with an emo nickname for me, you must be in a good mood... or you just had a lightbulb moment. Either way it'll work for you, or it just did. Lol

Boring...

Dear friend,

Basically, I don't have much to say about yesterday... pretty much boring day.

See? Boring...

Late bloomer

Dear friend,

Since my laptop is still fried and is not working properly, I stayed in our main office today.

While walking along Ayala park going to my bus stop after work, I noticed some yellow flowers along the pavement. I have to stop and look up at the trees around me. Right beside me stood a Narra tree. I have to squint at the branches because it's already dark and was cloudy. Yep, the Narra trees are in bloom again. I have to sniff the air around me that time... and yes you are right - it does remind you of STC. :) I hope that they will bloom again when you get back.

Double Celebration

Dear Friend,

Happy Mother's Day to your mom! :D

Napasabay ang Mother's Day sa fiesta ng barangay dito sa amin kaya double celebration. We invited a couple of friends and my cousins who lived next door for lunch. Katuwa lang kasi ang ingay sa bahay. And as usual, everyone stayed to watch the fight of Pacquiao vs. Mosley lol. I didn't really watch it because I know Pacquiao is gonna win ;) lol.

I didn't attend our 6pm Mass service due to heavy rain. Malakas pa din ang ulan, buti nga hindi bumaha dito eh. Nagsimba na lang ako sa parish church namin dito.

During the mass, I can't help but observe the 7pm choir in our parish and compare it with STC and STPC. Nakakaloka lang kasi, masyadong engrande yung accompaniment nila. And what's worse, kinanta nila yung Joyful Joyful nung Offertory! Ang alam ko kasi hindi liturgical song un eh. Last year, they sang Halleluiah Chorus before the Gospel reading. I wonder how they were able to convince the parish priest to sing those songs... oh well.

Since I became a choir member in STP, I only attend mass in our parish (Nuestra Senora del Perpetual Socorro Parish) during our fiesta. Wala masyadong nagbago, except na lang siguro that the walls were newly painted and they placed a big picture of Mama Mary near the main entrance of the church. I don't feel any attachment to this parish, but it does bring certain memories when I was a kid. Nakakalungkot lang dito eh bahain kapag tag-ulan. Buti nga nung nagsimba ako eh umuulan lang at hindi bumaha.

When it rains, it pours... literally

Dear Friend,

I can't remember your itinerary but I am sure that you are already in the US. :P I thought I'll be writing a boring letter to you today... the weather proved me wrong.

I took a cab going to MOA after lunch to attend a yoga class. Grabe lang naman kasi, ang init! After workout, I checked out some picture frames at Simple Joys for my mom as a mother's day gift (we both love pictures... the difference is that she wants hers printed, framed, and displayed at home lol) but ended up buying her cake at Chocalat. I rode an FX on my way home.

By the time I reached Morayta, it rained - hard. Kaya pala ang init! Nag-brownout pa kamo bandang UST. Ang malala pa dun eh baha sa Blumentritt pagbaba ko ng FX. Nagpatila ako ng ulan sa isa sa mga tindahan tapat ng España habang tinititigan yung rumaragasang baha. At syempre, di ko na naman napigilang kunan ng picture yun baha para may idea ka kung gano ka-OA yung pag-ulan. Buti na lang may footbridge patawid sa kabilang kanto. I was soooooo tempted to take a picture while I was on the footbridge but decided against it and just concentrated on getting to the other side... madulas kasi... I was able to get home wet, safe and sound. Oh, the cake made it home in one piece as well... Buti na lang :P My ordinary Saturday gym day turned out to be an adventure because of the unexpected downpour. The only thing that my mom told me when I got home - "Sa susunod kasi, lagi kang magdadala ng payong" - Oo nga naman.

Well, that's my entry for the day. :) Enjoy your weekend! :3

Dear Friend....

This will be an introduction to a series of posts to the stranger that I have said hello to last February.

Since she is going on a 2week trip to the US, I decided to use my blog to write a letter to her everyday to keep her on the loop. :3

I'm thinking that at this moment, she is preparing her stuff and in a couple of minutes will be on her way to the airport...

Have a safe trip friend! Don't forget to send me postcards :P Again, I don't care if I receive it after you get back here in Manila ;)

To NOT Assume

To assume or not to assume... does that have to be a question?

A very good friend of mine once said "Don't assume... it makes an ASS of U and ME." It makes very good sense that up to now, I always quote her on that. Which reminds me, I have to thank her for sharing it with me. I wonder where she got that quote from... or maybe it's an original. :P

Personally, I hate to assume. It's like making up an excuse to what has transpired or judging other people. It's not giving the person an opportunity to share what has happened or share what he/she is as a person. We are like painting a picture that is totally different, thus creating a whole new idea or dimension that is almost far from the truth. It is narrowing our minds to what can happen because we have already scripted a scene in our minds up until the end. It's not being realistic nor imaginative.

I learned that it is better to ask questions. It does not make you ignorant but rather, it gives the impression that you want to clarify things and not just dive into a situation without you knowing it. I'd rather ask a person about him/her rather than listen to the chismis that revolves around the person. Whether he/she answers me or just shrugs his/her shoulders, I won't take it against him/her. I will respect that person's space if he/she wants to share something to me or not. Because I would definitely want others to respect my space. It is in my discretion if I want to share something to others, right? I have that privilege.

So a simple reminder to those who know me or want to know me: Ask ME about ME. Don't ASSUME things about ME. Because frankly, I know that I am a far better person than what you ASSUMED that is ME. :)

Quotable Quote #1: Connections...

"We all make connections every day, however insignificant or meaningful they may be. Some long term, others momentary. Some leave behind our legacy. But those brief moments in time, the small relationships we make and break every day are the ones that may determine the rest of our lives."

Strangers are friends that we haven't just met... would you believe that I saw that in the gym where I always work out on Saturdays? When I first read it, it somehow made me smile because it made sense to me.

I've always believe that no matter how big the world is, it seems small when it comes to meeting other people. Now that social networking is in a rage, you get to meet friends old and new from different places. But personally, I still very much prefer the old fashioned meet-and-greet kind of connecting with people... it makes it more personal, thus more memorable.

Hello, Stranger...

Three weeks ago, I was so stressed because of work. It was already 8:30pm when I finally finished the concept that our project manager needs. Finally I was able to let out a cleansing breath and opened my Facebook account. To my surprise, I was able to see a new status update from one of my friends.

Mahirap magtrabaho nang wala pa sa huwisyo... is what she said.

I just can't help but smile and think that we're on the same page that I felt the need to "Like" her status and post my agreement. My message became a volley of "Kumusta?", "Anong balita?", and the every popular follow up question: "Where are you working? Hope we could meet up someday."

Sana sa Makati... Sana sa Makati... Sana sa Makati...
was my mantra while waiting for her reply. Lucky for us, her office building is 5mins away from mine. We decided to meet the following week.

Our meeting place was at the fountain where the gigantic Philippine Stock Exchange stood. It took her a few seconds before it came to her that I was already in front of her, waving my hand over her face. She literally threw herself at me for a hug while squealing "ATE FAAAAATS!!!!"

I laughed. Some things never change. Looking back...

I joined the school's Taekwondo clinic the summer before I became a Junior.
Anna is one of my "batchmates" along with Tin, Mica and Ate Monica. Anna being
the youngest in our group, I was not able to talk to her much about anything
but the sport. During school days, we would just wave hi while walking along
the corridors.

She became my partner when Mica and Tin was not able to take a promotional test. I must admit that I was a harsh sparring partner back then. I provoked her to go offense so that our instructors will see her strategy to get a point by kicking my TKD armor. She was so quiet back then that I think that the other Taekwondo students think she's weak. I guess that provocation at times is an effective way of bringing out the best in someone... It paid off because from being a Low Red belter, she got promoted to Low Brown.

During my Senior year, I finally decided to stop attending practices months before my supposed blackbelt promotion to focus on my studies. Our usual greetings became... and then came graduation, I was not able to say "See you soon."

We did have a chance meeting when I watched a choir concert (2009? I'm really not sure). Though I got her phone number, I lost my phone where I stored it and we lost touch until I saw that status update on Facebook.

I was happy and sad at the same time when we were chatting at a coffee shop along Paseo de Roxas. Happy because God gave us the time to catch up on things and what's been happening since we last saw each other during the concert. I was also sad because I just realized that I don't know that much about her.

We continued our talk at the Ayala Park until the lights went off and the guard informed us that it's already closing time. I looked at my phone and it was 11pm, aaaaaaaaaaaand finally got a text message from my mom. Whoops, times up!

The whole evening was not enough for us to catch up on things that happened in the past eleven years. I guess we were just the lucky few who has that opportunity to meet up with high school friends. I must admit, though she IS a friend back then, she was a stranger in my past sixteen-year-old mind.

I decided that I will make it up to her.

The next time we'll meet, I'll greet her "Hello, Stranger..." I'm sure she'll get what I mean.