It is one of my plans this year to make a monthly wrap-up of events and happenings this 2012. I actually planned to do Project 365 or Daily Mobile Picture. I realized it would take time so instead of bothering myself to do the project daily, I decided to summarize na lang what happened in each month. So ano nga ba ang nangyari sa akin last January. Drum roll please…

What The Moment!

January 5. After a great dinner and billiards night with one of our colleague who arrived from Saudi Arabia, an unfortunate event happened. I got involved in a freak but minor accident. When we were on our way home and I finished saying good byes and ingats with my friends, I half-opened the door of the passenger seat of my friend’s Fortuner. I checked if there’s any vehicle approaching. It was clear. When I totally opened the car… bang! A sudden collision between the door and a man of late thirties riding on a bike. The man driving the bike lost his balance and hit his head on the pavement. Good thing the approaching taxi pressed on the break just in time before it hit the biker’s head. I was shocked and cold hand froze me from holding the door’s handle. My instinct pushed me to move out the vehicle and checked on the biker. Thank God he was conscious, though feeling drowsy. He admitted he was drunk after attending a birthday party and did not see the door about to open. Things went so fast, a tourist police assisted to us, then ambulance came into picture. Instead of going home for a sound sleep, I ended up inside the ambulance and spent the whole night till the early sunrise in the hospital. What a way to start the year! Did I feel jinx or worried that my 2012 would be affected by negative vibes? Not at all. I dismissed that idea.

First Time 

January 18. My audit team did not celebrate a Christmas Party/Dinner last December since we were not complete. We  agreed to have post-Christmas dinner on January instead. Pero syempre having dinner with the whole team was a little to simple for a whacky and energetic team like ours. We decided to play Laser Tagging in Market-Market. Most of us were excited to play. We were like kids once again playing hi-tech baril-barilan. Playing the whole 15 minutes might be too short, on a contrary it was already too long. We were totally sweating running around, hiding through the walls and corners and going up and down the ramp. I give Extreme Laser Tagging two thumbs-up!

Laser Tagging with CFA Team

Resto Adventure

After burning calories playing, we headed to Brazil Brazil in Serendra for dinner. I could describe our dining experience as this – totally non-stop serving of grilled meat! It was a buffet of variety of grilled meat, sausages along with some pasta and fresh salad on the side. We went home burping!

Non-stop Grilled Meat offers

Wagas na kabusugan!

Wish Granted

January 19. Due to consistent demand I eventually gave in to the request of my officemates to seat-in in my auditing class. Of course I asked permission to the university academic coordinator and my students. I really planned to involve the three lady visitors in my discussion. I wanted to share their real-life experience doing the audit just to add actual accounts in the my lecture. Good thing my officemates were such good sports – they just go with the flow.  My evening class ended with photo shoot. Ginawang studio ang classroom after my class. We ended our long day for a dinner in Chickboy.

Ang makukulets

Mga naki-seat-in bow!

Photo of the Month:

Walang criteria… kinunan lang.

Sawsawan ng Bayan

Movie of the Month

January 21. It was one of my former student’s birthday and I was invited to her birthday celebration. Due to an earlier commitment, I did not make it for lunch. Instead I joined the group for a movie. We watched Underworld. The movie was awesome. The story is not dragging and always upbeat. The lykans evolved and added more spices to the story. Can’t wait for the follow-up movie.

Underworld Awakening

Celebration of the Month

January 23. The day they Year of the Dragon was finally welcomed and tikoy rained in the office. Kung Hei Fat Choi!

Meet the Stars

January 31. After winning the Philippine Cup, players and coaching staff of Talk and Text visited our office. We were shocked when big guys went out from the elevator. We managed to have a photo ops with Ali Peek and Larry Fonacier who were sitting outside the adjacent office. I extended my congratulations and wish them luck for the next conference.

Feeling point-guard (benchwarmer) ng TnT

My January is just like… simply like that.

Looking Forward for Feb,

DB

My day in the office is not complete if I don’t listen to music. This habit started when I bought my android phone a month after I started in my present job. It has never been my practice to listen to music while working in the office. I guess I was influenced by the people in office – almost all of my co-workers have headsets and earphones plugged in their ears.

Good thing our department allows us to listen to music while at work. My previous job used to prohibit listening to music in work areas. Eventually the management gave in to the desire of the employees. It did not cause me to celebrate though. Like I said, listening to music has never been a part of my office routine. Add the fact that the announcement was made, when I was about to leave the company.

Things are changed now. I become addicted listening to music while at work. I have a dismal number of songs in my phone that’s why I just tune in to FM radio stations for my music needs.  Again listening to radio is not actually my cup of tea. However, as my stay in the office progresses and as my workload increases, I eventually learned to listen to FM radio. I could not start my day without grabbing my earphones from my drawer and listen to songs being played by radio jocks. I am not an avid fan or follower of any radio station or radio jock. However I learned to appreciate the coolness of radio programs, choices of songs, and side topics discussed by radio DJs.

Speaking of radio DJs, I think being a radio DJ is one of the coolest job – especially to music lovers. I love music but it seems music doesn’t love me (oows). Being a DJ gives someone a chance to play his/her favorite songs, meet various artists both local and international, host various events, share some thoughts with madlang pipol and of course get instant fame. Just like any other jobs, indeed there are pros and cons being a DJ, though I don’t bother to discuss the disadvantages of being a DJ because I am not  a DJ and not in their shoes so to speak.

Being a quasi radio fanatic, I don’t blame myself not having a great dose of information about famous and uprising DJ in town. Though I know a few like Papa Jack, Joe D’ Mango, Chico and Delamar, Mo Twister, Angelicopter, Andi  and the naughty trio of the Boys Night  Out, Tony Toni, Slick Rick and Sam YG.

Going back to my listening regimen, my favorite radio program in the morning is Office Radio of 94.7 Mellow Touch. I like how DJ Angel (who by the way will be transferred to her weekend program, yun oh updated?) and DJ Ingrid manage the program. Their song selection fits well to a typical office atmosphere – songs that are not too loud but good enough to keep you awake. I also enjoyed their topics about office work which I could relate to. Combining right kind of music and topic with my brewed coffee makes sense to me (parang commercial lang). It is a perfect formula to give me the spark for my work. I feel energize both mentally and physically while tuning in to Office Radio. In fact, I am in the zone or should I say on a momentum to accomplish my tasks each time I am listening to this radio program (bolex tama na pabibo kunwari).

When afternoon kicks in, I enjoyed the cool and smooth (swabe pare) acoustic and live sounds being played in The Afternoon Cruise. It reminds me of radio stations of Baguio like K-Lite  and the defunct Smooth Jazz. I feel nostalgic once again of the my dorm days. I remember one time my dormmates called to K-Lite and when they heard their names mentioned by the DJ there was a euphoria and outburst of cheers in their room… big time! I am an acoustic fan which I inherited during college days in Baguio.  I love to hang-out in acoustic bars and coffee shop. Definitely I miss those days (Panagbenga na, Tara na sa Baguio… anyone?). For me there is something in acoustic music especially those pop songs with acoustic renditions. Though I gave up learning playing guitars, still I enjoyed the simplicity of acoustic sounds with plain accompaniment of guitar, percussion and cajon. My craving for acoustic and live sounds is satisfied by the Afternoon Cruise. DJ Ingrid is a perfect cruise directress. Her voice and her life reflections keep me in my senses during my yawning and sleepy moments in the afternoon (especially after lunch busog kasi lols).

And when I extend my stay in the office, I shift frequency and listen to Boys Night Out of Magic 89.9. The naughty trio of Tony Toni, Slick Rick and Sam YG is a complete package. Lately Ramos Bautista (isa pang makulet) is joining the group  in the air. They really  just want to have fun. Behind their wackiest, funniest and “wholesome” image I see how they add value to “man-side” in every relationship story or topic. Most of their topics is still considered as taboo by some. These topics are either pang boytalk lang or even intentionally ignored in gatherings, drinking sessions and hang-outs. But these guys have the guts to discuss on air and let other men and women of this new generation participate. Kudos to these guys!

Radio stories strive each in every one of us. I know all of us have our own share of radio stories to share, especially during our younger days. But as we grow old, we tend to become satisfied in listening to music and forgetting the thrill to make a ring  to radio DJs and request for songs or greet friends and special love ones. In my whole existence, I never tried making a call or request for songs on and off the air though there is still the  urge  lurking deep inside me. Funny thing is, I really though I am done with that.  But with the sudden change of desire to listen to radio again, who knows maybe one day I’ll make a call.

I might even make a call to Papa Jack and ask for his sagad to the bones advice! Hahaha!

So what’s your radio story?

Working with earphones,

DB

Thank God it’s long weekend! Finally after driving ourselves to go back to work after the Christmas break, the first holiday for 2012 has finally come (by the way Kung Hei Fat Choi to all!).  Funny thing is I look forward for this day since I resumed completing my audit engagement. I have no specific plans during this long weekend. There is no out-of-town trip or occasion to visit or attend to. I simply want to go back home and enjoy laid back kind-of-life. I miss the fresh air, the savoury taste of home-cooked meal and the comfort of my bed.

I  learned my lesson whenever there is a long weekend – to plan not to plan.

Based on my experience, every time I planned to do things on holidays I ended up not accomplishing the long list of activities. Blame it to too much number of activities for a short period of time. I always assumed before that I could do multiple tasks while on break.  I used to bring a portion of my work, topic to write for my blog, pictures to edit, DVDs to watch and other things to do as a product of my imaginative mind. Each time I set foot to our place, no matter how well designed my plan was, I ended up doing nothing except for one – Facebook.

My spirit is willing to accomplish my plan but my body isn’t. The gap between these two becomes evident at each passing hours of my hiatus.  No matter how I refused to give in from being unproductive, I always ended up saying, “Ay wala na naman akong nagawa!”

This long weekend, I lower down my expectations (ehem). I decided to totally just go with the flow. When I felt like staying online, I surfed the net till my connection bogged down.  When I felt hungry, I ate whatever food stored for me in our ref. When I felt like watching DVD, I went straight to my father’s collection of movies and checked which movie I desired of watching. And when I felt like sleepy, I detached myself from online world and shutdown both my laptop and myself and became dead to the world for hours. For a short moment, I removed the burden of following any plan and it actually felt great (Ang sarap ng buhay).

While writing this one, I am just a couple of hours away before I travel back to Manila and all I could say is that I am recharged… totally. I am ready again for  taxing days in the office.  Good thing I have a place called probinsya and whenever I get burned-out I am just four-hour bus trip away from being reinvigorated.

Thank God You made me a probinsyano.

So how did you spend your long weekend (normal weekend  lang for some)?

If you were successful to accomplish your plan; well that’s great. Good for you. If not, don’t be too hard to yourself. I am sure you still managed to enjoy your break.

As the long weekend ends, allow me to invite you and cry out as loud as you can this one….

“Pasukan na naman bukas! Waaaaaaaaaaaaaa!”

Will travel in awhile,

DB

Photos taken by: Dorm Boy

Title: Sleeping Giant

Location: Coron Palawan, Circa 2008

Bisikleta

April of 1995

Summer is always a good time to learn how to bike. For a kid like me who grew up in  province, learning how to balance myself on a bike was one of my greatest accomplishments. It took me almost a week to learn how to bike. All my mornings and afternoons were spent along the street.  I kept on pedaling until my legs ached. Each time I struggled to move I would lose my balance. My stronger left foot was always ready to extend each time I was about to fall.

Wise people in our community said you cannot learn how to bike if you never stumbled,  fall and wounded. I guess they were right. I was not an exception. I tasted my first fall and I cherished my wounds and scratches- thinking I would eventually learn how to bike.

But I still failed.

My kuya came into picture when after a  couple of days I didn’t show any progress. He volunteered to  hold the back portion of my seat as I kept on slowly pedaling. I was thinking he was still at my back but ho and behold he was meters away from me! I did not notice how he released his hold of me. I was on my own!

Finally, I felt like a king riding and driving a bike!

July of 1995

July is Nutrition month in our school. I was part of the group who would participate in a Nutri Jingle contest. Prior to the day of the contest my teacher allowed us to go home early and to get some rest after days of practice. On that fateful day, as I arrived from school I excitedly took out my bike.

I drove along the street of our community. I was a typical kaskero during my younger days. I look forward for the fast wind and cool breeze of afternoon. I love the intersections and the streets in between the blocks of our community. On my way to the sloppy intersection near our house, I noticed another bike was also going to my way. I  did not mind him since he was distanced away from me, but I was approaching so fast. Then, all things went so fast, I was already tailing the other bike. Without any hesitation he took an unceremonious turn. Our bikes collided just like two smashing Titans. We both summer surfed finding our own self away from our bikes. At a certain point I lost consciousness as I temporarily blacked out. When I gained consciousness, I feel a slight pain on my back and in my right leg. I saw the other kid standing and fixing his bike. I tried to hide the pain and gathered myself up. Credit to the adrenaline rushing in my veins, I still managed to pedal my way back to our house.

When I arrived home, I could no longer walk straight. I felt pricking pain each time I make a small step or stand. A small bruise appeared at the lower part of my right leg near my ankle.

I broke my foot.

On the contest day I did not join my group. My teacher got mad at me… totally. I was lost and depressed thinking how would I continue my life. I thought I could never walk again.  After a day in the hospital, I saw my leg totally casted.

Clutches became my ally.

I was banned to bike again after the accident.

My biking ended… temporarily.

DB

Photo by: Arnel Vergara

Eleven

Last Friday people got frenzied with the date 11-11-11. People from all walks of life stopped for a moment when the digital clocks showed 11:11 AM 11/11/11. I also looked forward for this day. I even asked my students and some of my close friends how would they celebrate this special day. I could see in their eyes that they don’t have any idea. They just shrugged their shoulders. Maybe because I asked about it too early. That’s how eager I was.

Many people said it was the best day to make a wish. Aside on our birthdays, we got another day to make a wish. There’s no harm believing about the mystical effect of elevens so I whispered silently my wish (sana manalo sa lotto lol!). I will not blog what my wish is, so as not to add jinx on it. I am crossing my fingers though and feeling optimistic that my wish will do come true.

Going back to number eleven, I am not actually a fan of this number. I rather choose 3 or 17 given the chance to choose a number for my basketball jersey. But I remember the story of my mom when my siblings and I were still kids. She said number 11 was her special number. To narrate one of her fun memories with number eleven, it was her lucky number when she won a Bingo game when she was still renting a room with Bai Carmen (our neighbour).  Just like my Mom, I tried to believe that 11 would bring extra luck on me, or even make my day special.

Back in the office, we started our Kris Kringle with a theme- Everything About Eleven. I jokingly said hindi ako magbibigay ng regalo para magka Onsehan, lol! I actually proposed this idea to Events Committee and they bought it. On that very special day, some of my creative and imaginative officemates made extra effort in buying and choosing their gifts with the twist of eleven. Some had deep (lalim pare) explanation about their gifts. I like what I received. I received 4 bars of Cloud 9 (if you pair them up it’s double eleven) and San Marino 2na (Tuna). Well 9+2= 11 (ang galeng!).  I knew from the start that most of the guys in the office would give food bought from 7- Eleven or chocolate Bars mimicking the number 11. So I decided to buy something else. I bought something that could be a memorabilia of 11/11 in the future. I settled buying an Entreprenuer Magazine November 2011 copy (11/11).  I hope it could stimulate the entrepreneurial skill of the recipient and bring extra business idea on 11/11. And what fascinated me more was that the one who gave me Cloud 9 and Tuna earlier got the magazine. Literally we exchanged gift! Uno-por-Uno! Cool isn’t it?

Beyond the Kris Kringle, my 11-11-11 turned out just like a normal Friday. No fireworks or new acquaintance I met. I gave exams to my first evening class and lectured about Process Costing to my other class. (Oh well!)

I capped the night hanging out with my audit friends. It was our Friday- Movie Night so we all headed to Glorietta. We watched Tower Heist starring Ben Stiller. It was a feel-good movie. This movie is a heaven-sent – good enough to break the cycle of office work and classroom duties. My audit friends and I ended our night with our usual good byes  with “till-next-week-text-text-na-lang-ingats greetings!”

As I opened my laptop I wanted to blog about my 11-11-11 day but my battery was already crying for a charge. I hit the sack leaving no blog or any Facebook status commemorating the day when eleven became a star.

So what’s next to look forward to next year, 12-12-12? How about the year next to it, 11-12-13?

As I crossed the line between alertness and REM stage, I could only smile that this day is a day of Cloud Nine and Tuna…

Luck…

Wishes…

and Numbers.

Last weekend I went back to my hometown for another long vacation. Working people are getting spoiled for having two long weekends in a row- and I am maximizing those long weekends to the fullest. Though travelling back to province means hours of bus trip and extra out-of-pocket expenses, I still decided to head back home because of an event in our family. For the first time in our clan, a couple celebrated 50^th year of married life. My Uncle Arsing and Auntie Elsa celebrated their golden wedding anniversary last Saturday in front of their children, grandchildren, relatives and friends.

Of course I didn’t want to miss this event. I know this event is one of the simple but grand milestones in our clan. I was so glad to witness the renewal of vows of our beloved elderly couple. I guess the secret of reaching a golden wedding anniversary is to get married at an early age and be plain lucky to have a long life. My Uncle Arsing and Auntie Elsa tied the knot at a tender age of 19 and 21, respectively (fresh na fresh). It was really too early as I could remember myself still enjoying college life during that range of age. According to my father, Uncle Arsing was the first to get married among the seven siblings.

Aside from being blessed with long life, the seasoned couple have been surrounded by warm, loving and mirthful children. It seems their long life is the result of overflowing sense of humor from my cousins and their grandchildren. Ah indeed, a dose of laughter each day keeps the wrinkles away!

After a long ceremony, our impatient tummies were like ranging bulls waiting for the food to be served. Deep inside our composed selves we were rallying and agonizing to let the grand feast be started. But before we declared war against the mighty Golden Lechon and its fleet of delicious and mouth watering food, I couldn’t help myself to imagine whether if I could celebrate a golden wedding of my own. Di pa nga kinakasal golden na agad iniisip ko.

Forgive my playful thought, but given the chance that I could indeed celebrate golden wedding anniversary in the future, then most probably I would be a gloomy, trembling and senile old man then. Maybe I could no longer manage to walk the long aisle side by side with my drop dead gorgeous septuagenarian wife.  My long list of bibo grandchildren would be standing along the aisle; would be raising their hands towards me as they give their high fives to me (of course I want to be a cool Lolo, with chest bump pa nga dapat). But all of these are just the product of my wild imagination. If only there is a Kodak for imagination, for sure a lot of our dreams and aspirations would have been captured in vivid colours (at get uploaded and tagged in FB).

They say being married for 50 years is a feat. We would be losing our count using our bare hands (so primitive) as we compute how many minutes, hours, days weeks and months would that have been living together as husband and wife. Of course the intangible factors will also play significant role like Trust, Loyalty and Respect. I don’t include Love kasi bida na sya ever since in every romantic relationship that blossom just like flowers in my Auntie Elsa’s garden. But just like all bida in the story, soon Love will definitely fade away and the supporting casts of T-L-R will carry the relationship during the long, winding and bumpy ride.

Indeed witnessing a celebration like this reminds me of my question about marriage. How to manage a good and healthy married life? Of course I could only find my answer based on what I witness from couples I know. We all want to have a happy family life and yet there is no blueprint for it.

May be it starts from choosing the person we wanted to grow old with.

If that is the case then I understand now why my father keeps reminding me to choose well for my future wife (not wives). May be he talks based on his experience, that a secret for a happy life is a good wife.

I think I am still on the right track so there’s still no need to press the panic red button.

The golden wedding anniversary of Uncle Arsing and Auntie Elsa serves a great reminder to me that even though not all things in this world are permanent, at some point we could create something out of love which we could consider as… FOREVER.

Congrats to Uncle Arsing and Auntie Elsa!

Golden Couple

More children oops blessing to come!

Today marked the final day of my long weekend.  After a four-day break from work, I am back in Manila to face the reality- my work. The long weekend was actually too short for me. Most of my time was spent in our house. It has been quite a long while since I did a movie marathon so I grabbed the opportunity to watch any DVDs from my father’s collection (I chose Zookeeper and Green Lantern).  I also couldn’t help myself to be disconnected from online world so I did maximize the internet at home. Thanks to Bit Torrent, I successfully downloaded the albums of Coldplay and a copy of Season 1 to 3 of Doogie Howser, M.D. (yeah the classic TV shows during the 90’s).  I also went out for a Sunday and All Saints’ Day mass and made a couple of visits to cemeteries to commemorate the life of my mother and our departed relatives and love ones.  Beyond that, nothing extraordinary event happened.

I visited Mama’s grave this morning before I travelled back to Manila. I was accompanied by Papa after we had our breakfast sans my siblings as they were still doing some errands. They’ll do their visit in the afternoon. Unlike in previous years when we visit in the afternoon, this year I had no choice but to drop by the cemetery in the morning. It has always been our favourite to go in the afternoon especially around 4 o’clock. The sun is about to set, the November breeze is quite cool and the atmosphere is calm. And during this point of time of the day, the traffic of people going to the cemetery increases.

Ever since my mom died, we had a reason to visit our barangay’s cemetery. My parents were actually dayo (migrant) in the place I now called hometown. My parents arrived in our barangay on separate occasions to teach in the lone Catholic high school in our community. They eventually bumped on to each other, became romantically linked to each other and to cut the story short, Dorm Boy was born. We don’t actually have any relatives in my hometown. Since I was a kid I didn’t experience going to the nearby cemetery which by the way just ten to fifteen-minute walk away from our house. That’s why when my classmates back in elementary and high school talked about their visits in cemetery during the All Saints’ Day, I couldn’t help but just listen to their stories. I had my own story but in a different place- cemetery in Alaminos where most of my departed relatives were laid to rest.

Now that my we already own a share of “dead one” in our barangay’s cemetery, I managed to understand why my old classmates were so excited back then to talk about their visits to cemetery. The cemetery transformed to a barangay auditorium on the first day of the November. It’s indeed a grand event just like during our barangay fiesta. Since most of the people in our barangay and nearby barangays do know each other as most of them are relatives of each other’s clans, going to cemetery is like an informal reunion for the living.

Amid the fact that my parents were not really original residents in our community, their occupation as teachers helped in making them well-known in our barangay. They became an “icon” (oops fine! I exaggerated a bit) or should I say distinguished people in our community. I guess that is one of the benefits of being an advocate of education. The respect and recognition is already inherent to teachers.

During the past Undas, I remember each time old faces of previous students of my parents arrived in the cemetery. I could see them dropped by my Mom’s tomb, lit a candle, offered a short prayer and stayed for a moment for a kumustahan with my father. At this point of their conversation, the toll gate of memory lane is opened and the memories are revisited. Both Papa and his former students would reminisced their old happy days in high school. They would name names of their former teachers (whom most of them passed away as well) and old classmates. They would update my father about their present lives, their work, accomplishments, and their family life. Some even brought with them their kids.  They would all be recalled by Papa just like a roll call of attendance in a classroom setting. Some were still presently living in Pinas while some were already living abroad and still some others have gone straight to the state of no return.

As the former students of my parents bade farewell, Papa would utter, “Yang si (name of student), Valedictorian yan ng batch ni (name of student I know).” “Kapatid sya ni (another name of student).” “Kamag-anak pa yan ni (name of my friend).” I just managed to nod my head knowing that the dots of different generations were connected to the generation I do belong.

This year I witnessed a little of this simple kumustahan moment with my father and students of his. But I am certain before the sun sets today I know some of my parents’ former students would still be dropping by my mother’s peaceful place to lit a candle and offer a prayer.

One of my guilty pleasures is watching TV series. When I just passed the board exam (by the way congratulations to all newly passed CPAs!) I spent countless weeks watching DVD marathon of TV series. I started with Prison Break which followed by One Three Hill. I started but abruptly ended Greys Anatomy, CSI, Ghost Whisperer, Numbers and the list of unfinished series grows on and still growing. Last year, I also blogged about my addiction to Bones and lately I rekindled my fascination with How I Met Your Mother.

When I checked on my other friends’ Facebook accounts, I smiled when I see some of them followed or listed HIMYM as one of their favorite TV series. I assumed this show is the new FRIENDS of my generation. As a young professional (I prefer calling myself yuppy), the plot of the show fits my recent stage of life.

If my memory serves me well, I started watching HIMYM when I left the audit in October 2010. Before the start of 2011, I finished watching the fifth season.  Last week I took the chance to download its complete sixth season. And for the whole week, I continued to watch from where I left behind. I managed to watch two episodes at night. The show saved my sanity outside work. Watching the show gives “quality” time for me to relax a little bit. It breaks my monotonous cycle of work-school-home.

So why do I still watch this show?  I guess one of the reasons I stick on watching HIMYM is because I could relate to the life of the characters. I could relate to Ted Mosby as a university professor and his ways to girls which I couldn’t wait any longer on how he found the mother of his kids. I can also see myself to Marshall because of his big built, though I know he is totally bigger than me. And for Barney, hmmm I guess I enjoy his sexy humor, his personified theories and witty pick-up lines. He is truly legend… wait for it… dary… Legendary!

Aside from relating to the plot of the story, I could say I also see myself and my friends back in audit in Ted’s circle of friends. Though Ted’s group is composed of only five yuppies including Robin and Lily, my circle of friends in audit is far bigger in size and in number. If Ted or should I used Barney instead, Barney and friends hang-out in a bar at the basement, my friends hang-out in different places. We don’t actually have loyalty to any bar though we are frequently seen drinking at Starbucks in Greenbelt or playing unlimited rounds of billiard at Rack’em Up in Makati.

It all started when mostly of  my friends left audit. I later joined the exodus of auditors from our firm.  For us who are currently staying in Pinas, Friday night is our bonding night. It is already our habit to see movie or dine together to celebrate birthdays, batch mate’s homecoming from abroad and despedida of our colleague who will go abroad. And when we look for a casual drinking, billiard night is on.

My current circle of friends and the cast of HIMYM have one thing in common, it’s how we celebrate friendship and how we value the tie that binds us all. Living alone here in Makati teaches me to value my friends, whom I consider my second family here in metropolis. They help me at least lessen my homesickness and loneliness in this big city. So each time I bond with my friends, I see myself living the kind of life just like Ted and his friends do.

Currently I am already on home stretch watching the sixth season. Season 7 is already airing in TV and in no time I could see myself eating chips and drinking soda watching the seventh. I just hope as the show progresses, it will still maintain the magic of the story, and not go beyond the boundary of dreary episodes by extending the show for the sake of completing the puzzle of the story. I also look forward to the episode when Ted finally meets the Mother.

I will cut my blog short as I can’t wait to finish my HIMYM marathon.

Last Friday while going to office I lost my precious cellphone. I lost it while riding on a jeep along Gil Puyat. I really don’t know bakit sa dinami dami ng mga pasahero ako pa ang napiling biktima (hindi po ako mukhang mayaman, pekeng Chinese lang). I guess it is one of those unlucky days. Malay ko bang may sasakay na tatlo mandurugas hmmm apat pala sila. I guess we are all aware of “Laglag Barya Gang”, para sa di pa nakakaalam ng mga modus nila, better be informed.

I will never forget that day. It is still clear until now the details of that unfortunate event. Three guys rode on the jeep, one of those guys sit beside me and his two companions sit in front of me. Seconds later, me isa pang sumakay another guy wearing shades bigger than I. Hinala ko he is the lookout or the mastermind maybe, and the three are his great great great staffs!

Para sa kaalaman ng nakakarami, here is their modus. One of the guys will reach out for his pasahe. Being the “most” concern citizen inside the jeep, I opened my palm and accepted his coins. Pero sa di ko alam na kadahilan, nahulog ang kanyang mga barya. Take note walang naiwang barya sa kamay ko, lahat nahulog. I already know this modus but I never thought this will happen to me. Hindi ko pinulot ang nahulog na barya. Kasi kung sakaling pinulot ko yun eh easy access na ang katabi ko sa wallet ko.  Yung kasama nyang lalaki na nakaupo ang pumulot ng mga barya. I was thinking safe na ako pero here’s the catch, aside from picking-up the coins, dahan-dahan din nyang inangat ang kanang paa ko. I guess just to check if me naaapakan akong barya (Sana pala sinipa ko na lang mukha nya). Nagulat ako bakit kailangan pa nyang iangat ang paa ko when I never moved a single nerve from my right foot.

My attention was diverted to my right foot and thinking what is the reason why that bastard raised my foot. Then napatingin ako sa rear mirror ng jeep. I saw the facial reaction of the driver who looked directly to the four bastards. Alam ko kung ano iniisip ni Manong Driver. Pero huli na ang lahat. I already saw a quirky smile coming from the bastard in front of me. Sabay katok  sa nangangalawang ng bubong ng  jeep. Sabay bye-bye. Sabay-sabay bumaba ang tatlong mokong. Then after a second, yung lalaking nakashades na kasing laki ko ang sumunod na bumaba.

Nataranta ang lahat ng sinabi ni Manong Driver, “Mam Sir, pakicheck mga gamit nyo. Mukhang mga holdaper yung  apat na bumaba.”

I feel a sudden rush of fear and anxiety sabay check sa aking wallet. Thank God, my wallet was still intact behind my right butt cheek (lol!). I feel fortunate kasi alam kong hindi ako nabiktima. When I step down from the jeep and started walking along RCBC Tower, I checked the time. Iba kasi ang oras ng relo ko sa oras sa cellphone ko.

Sa pagkapa ko sa kanang bulsa ko, bigla akong kinabahan at pinagpawisan ng sobrang lameg. Putek my precious phone was gone. Isa pala ako sa biktima ng mga mokong. Hindi na ako nagsisigaw at nagtatalon sa inis. In short, I acted normally as if walang nangyari. As I reached our office and opened my desktop, I maintained my silence. No one in our office knew that I lost my precious cellphone on that pesky Friday morning.

Nanghihinayang ako not with the value of my phone but with the contact numbers of my family, friends, relatives, and special one. Hindi ko ineexpect that the loss of a cellphone will take a great amount of peace of mind during the weekend.

As I sleep on that Friday night, naalala ko ang nakakainis na ngiti ng lalaking nasa harapan ko. Alam ko kung ano ang kanyang tinatawanan it’s not me but the bastard who took my phone.

Kasi with all their effort, ang tanging makukuha lang nila ay isang lumang Nokia phone na walang camera at hindi pa aabot sa isanlibong piso.

Sana humingi na lang sana sila ng tulong baka natulungan ko pa sila.

To my precious cellphone, salamat for the short period of time we were together. Thanks for being a vital part of my hands. Parang di ako complete after you were taken away from me… Parang me kulang. Salamat sa bawat umagang paggising sa akin. Salamat din kasi ikaw ang karamay ko when I was down and you are the silent witness of my joy in life.

Sana ang next owner mo would be much better than me. Chow!

Isang masayang Wednesday ang bumati sa akin. Syempre kaya masaya dahil birthday ko na. Ano ba ang nangyari sa birthday ni Dorm Boy:

March 23, 2011

1:30 AM-Pinagbuksan ko ng pinto ang roommate ko. Wala kasi syang susi kaya kahit na nasa kasarapan ng tulog eh nagising ako sa door bell (naks me door bell!). Pagbukas ng pinto, well the paggising is all worth it- me mini cake syang dala. Salamat sa mini cake and early greetings!

1:45 AM- Ubos na ang cake. Kinain ko na agad.

1:50 AM- Nagtext si Bully Gabs. Happy Bday daw! Salamat Gabs!

6:10 AM-  Nagising ako with a smile. Of course kahit na working day I have a nice view ahead for the day. Sabi ko sa  sarili ko today will never a simple yesterday of tomorrow. Naks!

7:00 AM- Had breakfast alone in my favorite breakfast place- Mister Donut in Salcedo. I did not bother to ask for any friends to join me, gusto ko lang ng simpleng breakfast. Nagising ang aking dugo at katawan sa mainit na Coffee at Tuna Sandwich.

8:00 AM- Back to reality. I entered to my cell. Back to extraction. I was surprised nang nakita mga balloons and my picture is posted in two big monitors sa production area. Naks naman nakakatats.

10:00 AM -12:00 Noon- Extract ng data.

12: 05 PM-I canceled our lunch in canteen kasi nagyaya maglunch boss ko sa “NORTH PARK” kasi bday ko naman daw. So we had crispy noodles and siomai and garlic squid. Akala ko libre na…. KKB pala hehehe!

1:00 PM-4:00 PM Extraction ulit ng data.

4:06 PM: Me surprise meryenda sa akin ang aking team. Cake from DQ and chips. Masaya na rin ako kasi now lang ulit ako ngbday na me cake. 2nd cake ko na toh hehee!

7:00 PM- Nagwithdraw muna baka magkulang ang pangtreat hehehe and texted Beth for dinner. Tinext ko na rin other BM’s sa audit for the dinner. Kaso walang response. Akala ko postpone na ang celebration ko. Busy lang pala sila. So natuloy pa rin kami for a simple dinner sa Max. (Sa mga other friends bawi na lang ako sa mga treat ko sa inyo… next year! hehehe)

8:oo PM- Unti unti nang dumarating mga BM’s. Finally we had another mini reunion. Nakakamiss ang simpleng kwentuhan ng mga samutsaring pangyayari sa buhay buhay namin.Salamat sa Cake…. my 3rd cake for the day!!! Umuulan ng cake!!! Thanks Ecky for shouldering the bill!!!

10:00 PM Tapos na ang dinner I dropped by the shop and check my emails, FB and my blog. Dito na naubos oras ko but I enjoyed commenting sa mga greetings from friends. Nakakatuwang isipin dati puro text lang and call now sa  FBna halos ang greetings.

10:15 PM Ang kulet ng comments ng dating boss and old friends in audit. Bigla ko tuloy namiss audit life. ehehehe!

10:30 PM: I chatted with my relatives and friends. Thanks ulit sa mga greetings. Sana nga lang pag bday na-iisstretch ang 24 hrs.

10:40 PM: Mga students naman naggreet. Salamat enjoy lang muna sa sembreak!!!

11:30 PM- Old friends started to reach out for greetings. Mga monsters from Middle East started a nice chat. Tumawag pa si Monster Kadafi (rich kid na kasi).

12:07 AM This blog is about to be completed and my bday has finally ended. Another digit is added to my age. But who cares… younger looking pa rin naman eh hehhe!

Note: Nalobat ang camera kaya wala ako picture….

Sa lahat ng nggrreet at nagpasaya sa bday ko- Maraming SALAMAT!