- pinoy wiken -

* last night, i got my ielts result - i am at band 8! yey! yey! yey! fyi, band 9 is the highest rating ... o ha! hehehehe ... well, that's the overall score ... shempre pa, writing was my lowest at 7 *shopping shopping shopping* ... this score is more than enough for the usq (university of southern queensland) requirements ... gusto ko na kasing umpisahan ang career ko with kids ... i'm still deciding if i want to take that route or if i want to start with thomson's certificate 3 first

* had a great dinner with tonie and papi ... nag-ihaw kami ng hotdog, longganisa at squid ... at kumain ng masarap na picadillo ni papi ...

* we'll be having a pinoy dinner on sundi ... the menu - tocino, itlog na maalat, hotdog, sinangag ... excited na ako!!!!!!

in the midst of analysing a virus ...
jan, you have to read this ...

what a way to wake up
just to find you there and
touch you in the morning
you turn your head and look up
there's no need to catch me
baby, i'm not falling
could have guessed after all that
i'd be standing tall
you make me feel

free , when you're near me
yeah i'm free
all the time
i just need you to hear me
it's only you that makes me free
i'm not used to being loved, not me

thanks to simon webbe :)

this is a good life

- had a fun and wonderful lunch with jan, toneh and papeh at wa-wa-yu ... a thai restaurant near shida. great company, delicious food on a beautiful friday afternoon - what more can a girl like me ask for?

- about 4pm ... sun was about to retire for the day .. was about to go to the W.C. when i decided to stop near the elevator - it has a view outside the building ... today is a really beautiful day and i thought *finally* - "this is a good life"

samut saring kuwento

- i've been busy for the past few days and haven't been able to write anything ... now that i have the chance, i'll run through all the past events that i want to remember ;)

- may 9, tonie's bertdi bash was fine and dandy. papi, david and me surprised her - even if she was sick, umuwi kaming 3 sa bahay bringing balloons, a pizza, some chicken and a cake.

- channel 501 ... truth is, tonie and i love star movies. it offers a lot of good sitcoms, gives this feeling of comfort *naks* and has american idol *haha*. so when mae told us about this unit that will let us watch star movies, we readily called our provider and asked for it ... right now, our tivo-like unit is sitting on our "tv shelf" ... just for kicks, we decided to subcribe to channel 501 ... i called our cable provider ... conversation was like this ...

me : ni hao, ni shuo ingwen ma? *hello, do you speak english?*
lady: yes. (isip ko - buti na lang!)
me : how much to subscribe 501?

i guess i didn't phrase my question right because the lady thought i was complaining about not having my 501 ... but i said i don't really have it since i haven't subscribed yet ... after some verification using our home number -

lady: so, you're ...
me : "dui,wo yao wu-ling-yi" *yes, that's me ... i want 501*
lady: ah, you want hot?

i've been controlling myself from laughing but the last question made it impossible for me not to do so ... i had to give her another contact number and that was when i really lost it ... i was laughing with every number ... buti na lang, she was such a good sport ... 501 until 505 *i think* are adult channels that are only accessible via the tivo-like unit. we got hot *no pun intended* but we still have other options - i.e. happy, hi play

- may 12, i have this feeling that i'll be seeing jan tomorrow - in the flesh. toneh, papeh and me are planning to go to costco tomorrow to enjoy the costco lunch

- may 13, morning ... i took my ielts general exam today ... i initially wanted to have the certification because i wanted to migrate to canada ... but now that i don't want to do that anymore, i took it kasi - wala lang :) ... listening was ok ... you just have to listen *malamang hehe* ... my mind was wandering off, though *dadating ba si jan today?* ... but it was ok ... and then reading ... it was ok ... and then there was writing ... i had to write a letter of complaint and it was ok ... and then i had to write about shopping and why it's "replacing" age-old hobbies ... i lost it ... as in ... i'm not a writer pero parang naintindihan ko yung sinasabi nila na "writer's block" ... i can't f*$cking think of anything to write at that time ... sabi ko pa, "shopping???? shopping???" (said in a very bitchy manner) ... i blabbed - too senseless ... as soon as i handed the paper to the proctor, i finally found the word which answers the why question -> commercialism *tsk tsk tsk*

- still a little stunned and disoriented, i called toneh and papeh ... i felt a certain weirdness ... we decided to meet sa bahay ... when i got there, the door to my room was closed ... and i never do that ... and so it was confirmed, jan has arrived *yey!* ... mejo naging excitement killer nga lang ako ... hehehehe ... kasi i wasn't too surprised na e ... pero tenkful pa din ako sa kanila for the gesture ;)

- went to costco for grocery galore and costco lunch experience - ultra mega jumbo na hawaiian pizza

- had a great dinner with toneh, papeh and jan ... jan brought grilled food from PH ... papeh and toneh cooked sinigang na hipon ... ang sarapppp!!! ... we had refrigerator cake for dessert ... and while they were busy preparing, nasa kuwarto ako, nakanganga hehehe ... napagod ako sa ielts ...

- may 14, 1240PM ... i had my speaking test for ielts ... i think i did well ... i felt that i was confident and that i was able to answer the tester's questions ... naku, sana lang pumasa ako noh ...

- looking forward to a work-week since jan will be in the office with me ...

it's *another* school night, roy :)

we - tonie, papi and me - had another mid-week gimik last night ... may "import" kami, si chris, dating kaopisina ni papi sa pinas. we first went to sushi express to have dinner and then we headed to luxy (http://www.luxy-taipei.com/) for some "unadulterated" dancing - well, that's what we wanted ... arrived a little early ... so we decided to sit by the bar and drink ... drink ... drink ... na-mis kong uminom :) ... vodka rum was my first alcohol after almost 4 months of not having even a single drop ... i was on meds kasi for some time ... and then i had mojito and 2 tequila shots ... the supposed to be "unadulterated" thingy was disappointing ... the DJ seemed to be oblivious about songs that were good enough for dancing and at luxy, you can't even make a request .. according to the waiter, the DJ plays anything he/she likes ... no beyonce, no BEP etc etc ... well, we got to join some taiwanese girls on the dance floor ... we did our best to enjoy with the not-so-engaging music ... but all-in-all, it was an alright night-out ... tonie and i were from burma, papi was from korea and chris was from singapore ... i've yet to practice my "i'm from trinidad and tobago" answer ... natatawa pa ako e ... we'll probably go back to roxy (http://www.roxy.com.tw/new/) next time ... place is smaller than luxy but the music is way better ...

- i had my vindication ... it was there even before - i was just too blind to see it ... and it came in a way that i didn't expect ... i thought that the feeling would be like something from "babangon ako at dudurugin kita" : ) ... na may kasamang tawa ng isang kontrabida (well, merong konti hehe) ... but it didn't happen that way ... my vindication was more pleasant ... it came from knowing that i finally found my too-elusive peace and happiness ... it came from knowing that i finally have my somebody na kasama kong mangangarap ...

- hapi bertdi toneh!

amazing ... hopeful ... part 2
(long overdue keelung trip chronicles)
thanks to papi and tonie for the pictures!

so after the beach, we had coffee at starbucks ... overlooking the bay (?) ... na mejo malangis-langis hehehe ... we were supposed to go to the night market but it's way too early for that ... 4 pa lang ata nun e .. so we decided to take a short cruise ... ang saya! i soooo loved the boat ride ... yung hangin sa muka ko ... yung amoy ng dagat ... yung tunog ng tubig habang dumadaan yung boat namin ... everything about it - just perfect ... at wag ka, nde sobrang dungis nung life vest ... hehehe

at 250 NT, we were taken to the guanghua tower ...

we stayed at the guanghua tower for more than 30 minutes, i think ... we passed the time by playing cribbage ... talo kami ni david! ... but it was fun and the game was interesting. addicting, even ... kung nde nga lang dumating na ulit yung boat e ... baka naka-ilang round pa kami. want to know more about it? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cribbage

after this, we went to the night market ... looking for something to eat and buy ... ended up eating this persian shawarma-like thing .. masarap ha! .... and then we waited for the bus that will take us back to taipei.

nakakapagod yung trip ... pero eto yung pagod na willing akong ulitin ... at ulitin pa ulit :) ...

it made me appreciate this place more - despite and inspite of all the bad memories ... made me think that life still has so much to offer ... and that i shouldn't waste my energy mulling over things that are over and done with ...

not so silent hill :)
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0384537/

before i blab, let me state a fact ... i LOVE watching scary movies. i LOVE scaring the wits out of me. i watched the ring (english and japanese versions), ju-on, double vision - and so on and so forth. that only changed when i started living alone. takot ko lang nu? :P ...

but now that i'm sharing a place with tonie, mejo nagiging "matapang" na ulit ako ... so when tonie asked me about watching silent hill, i agreed ... with the assurance from tonie - *tonie, are you reading this??? hehehe* - that the film doesn't border on the supernatural ... ok lang yung mga suspense na tao-tao lang (i.e the village, the saw) ... saka isa pa, malilibre ang da vinci code namin because the office will be giving out free tickets ... so there's cash "to spare" ;) ... fyi, it's expensive to watch a movie in taipei ... it will set you back at least 250NT ... that's 400++ pesosesosesosesss

warner village ... we chose the 00:10 time slot ... it was still a little early so bumili muna kami ng fruit shake ... tas na-entice kaming bumili ng parang samurai balls ... kakainin namin sa loob ng sinehan (masarap, masarap :))... and then we waited ... we weren't paying attention to the guy who announces the schedule and we attempted to go in about 3 times ... with the usher telling us everytime - "hai mei, deng yi xia" (not yet, wait a moment) ... sa pangatlong tanong namin e mukang pissed-off na si usher ... so we paid attention and got the right cue from the announcer ...

commercial ... commercial ... trailer ... trailer ... at wag ka, nakakatakot yung ibang movies na pinapakita nila ha ... meron pa ngang the omen ...

at nag-umpisa na ang silent hill ... at natapos na ang silent hill ...

if you're going to ask me how the film was ... i have to say - i don't know ... i don't have the slightest idea ... because more than half the time, my eyes were f$#*ing closed ... nyahahahaha ... what's up with that, right? i can't remember the last time that i did that ... kahit sa tv lang ako nanunuod ... yun ngang exorcist e naka-attention ako ... hmmm, i remember doing it when i went to see constantine ... pero teka, nde ko sinasadyang makatulog sa constantine ... e eto? i deliberately shut my eyes when i think that something scary is going to show up on screen ... i was telling tonie, "nde pala supernatural ha" ... hehehehe ... early in the movie, tonie was even telling me - "i think it's time for me to head home" ... hehehehe ..

but it was fun ... i enjoyed the experience - of listening to the movie's soundtrack ... de vah toneh??? :P

backtrack ... we went to shihlin first before watching the movie ... i bought this white sun dress - that i fell in love with since i first saw it about 2 weeks ago ... a really long gypsy skirt ... and a kick-ass blouse that i probably won't wear on normal days (it's way too low everywhere) ... but i think would work when we go clubbing one of these days ...

may naisip kaming plano ni tonie e ... we will go clubbing wearing something that we won't "normally" wear ... ultra micro mini mini skirt, maybe ... fishnet stockings, maybe ... along that line ... yung mukang nde kami igagalang and yet, we're gonna wear it na dignified pa din kami ... posible ba yun? ... we'll see ...

... just got home from a mid-week drinking session with tonie and papi - strawberry wine for them and juice for me *kamot ulo*. inaasar ko nga sila kanina na delinkwente silang mga bata. when i told jan about it, ang sabi nya sa akin - "it's a school night, roy." hehehehe. o, sa mga clueless, save the last dance.

... we just talked about anything and everything - from the most mundane topics to the more serious ones.

... and at the end of the day, i can't help but be thankful ... for blessings like tonie, papi, my family and of course, jan, who can always give me something to laugh about - just when i needed it most.

"everyone knew fear. it was the reaction that made the difference. some people hated fear and avoided the experience. some people endured it as a necessity. and some people became addicted to the rush."
-- from Metro Girl by Janet Evanovich

amazing ... hopeful
thanks to tonie and papi for the pictures!

this is how i describe last saturday's trip with my friends - tonie, papi and david. we went to keelung - pronounced as "ji-long" - city (http://www.klcg.gov.tw/english/home2.asp) which is located at the northern part of taiwan.

the day started with the four of us meeting at the taipei main station to ride a bus to keelung. maikli lang ang biyahe. we arrived at the city around 10am. good thing the weather became pleasant - sun is shining but it's not too hot. umuulan-ulan kasi nung umaga e.

first destination - fairy cave. nag-taxi na kami to get there and we got off right in front of the cave/temple. let me clear that up, the fairy cave is a temple inside a cave. yan. ang unang pumasok sa isip ko - wwwwaaaawww. hehehe. eto kasi ang unang bumulaga sa amin ...
question that came to mind - was it made of gold? maybe not since it's not "very guarded" anu? :) david said it's done in gold leaf.

at first glance, parang walang kakaiba dun sa temple. pero pagdating mo sa loob, may makikita kang 2 path. sa left is a very narrow passage and then sa right is a wider passage. we first went in dun sa mas malaki at eto ang nakita namin ... surreal ... yan ang description ko sa loob. there's this need to whisper kahit kaming apat lang andun. there were remarkable carvings on the wall as well ..

shempre pa, we have to try the very narrow passage. how narrow was it? this narrow ... looks easy right? but it gets more narrow as you near the other end. i tried it and there came a point when claustrophobia started setting in ... i was telling tonie - "ayoko na, ayoko na" ... but i can't go back because david - he was behind me - would have to go back as well. so i decided to plunge ahead. just thinking happy thoughts - like, i sure hope my crack is not showing *haha*.

and i made it ... there's just a simple "altar" at end but what a rush! and the odd thing about it, it's not cold inside but you have yung ... anu bang tawag dun? yung pag malamig e umuusok ang bibig mo? yun! kahit sa umpisa pa lang nung narrow path, meron na nun. as soon as you go out of it, nawawala ang usok. ang galing di ba?

next stop, baimiwong gun emplacement ... it was a long walk from the fairy cave but it was worth it. the view was breathtaking ...

it was past 1pm when we left baimiwong ... we're definitely starving. so we headed to ... i forgot the name of the place ... but it's an island which is connected to taiwan *take note, i said, taiwan* by a bridge ... geographically, it's not in taiwan but it is a part of taiwan ... there's just this small gap between the two islands ... we ate this sumptuous seafood lunch ... mejo nagka-"isyu" lang kami kasi we ordered two whole fish but when it was served to us, it's like we're missing one ... well, we can't complain ... laobaniang said, 2 na yun ...

next ... next ... i can't remember the name of the place ... tama ba yun??? was it hoping island? basta yun ... we went to this place near the beach ... where interesting rock formations abound ...

we can't swim pero mejo nakalapit kami sa tubig ... near enough where we can almost taste the saltiness of the beach ...

wait ... i'll continue this in another post ...