I just got home from an outing with my best buddies in the world. Well, today was supposed to be Newton's first get-together. The night before, a good Salot friend had coerced me (as always) to call and invite as many persons from Newton as I can for the 'grand' reunion. Although many said they would attend, they didn't show up today, which is downright disappointing. My precious effort of rummaging through the yearbook to look for these people's contact numbers had been wasted, but that's okay. They had their own reasons for not being there, I'm sure, but I don't really mind. In the end, the only people who came to meet with me today are my dear Salot pals.

You don't have to wonder where we spent our gimik. The place where we hang out is, and forever will be, Robinson's Ermita. Rob (as we prefer calling it), you see, has always been our comfort zone since we were freshmen in MaSci as every Friday afternoon during schooldays, when all classes finish early, MaScians would frequent the mall to wind down from school stress. Anyway, it's been a month since Salot Inc's last outing. At the time we weren't complete. And still on today's gimik, several were absent. Nonetheless, today's has been one among the most sensational excursions my amigos have ever had.

On the first few hours of our meeting, we enjoyed doing the usual things most people did inside Rob. We had some funny, then serious discussions with each other by a table outside McDonald's (second floor), our forever meeting place, while we tucked ourselves in huge packs of imported chocolates, a pasalubong from Augie. Later we FORCED him to treat us to movie Shrek 2! As if he had been left with any choice! Film was sooo hilarious I almost ruptured my spleen laughing. Ha ha ha! I enjoyed watching Puss (spelling right?) specially when he threw up his hairball! =]

When the movie ended, we had a Dutch treat at KFC and resumed our tete-e-tete. We talked about our ambitious plans of staying at our house in Baguio this Christmas vacation, of our summer getaway in Tagaytay, of EK or Obando party on Divina's, my co-Salot, debut. We spoke about the Purpose-driven Life, of course. We really never stop talking about that book. Once again we were walking again around the mall, stopping from time to time thinking what to do next. We often do not make itineraries, as they are not always being followed. So after a slight dispute, we finally decided to play billiards just across Rob, where I was able to win two 'killers' match. After a couple of hours in that billiard hall, we already smelled of ashtray. Yuck.

By 6:30p came what I call the sensational part of my gimik with my co-Salots. Des asked all of us to attend a two-hour service at her church in Pedro Gil. As growing Christians, we said 'okay,' despite having the stench of cigarette smoke already sticking on our shirts. I was pretty sure the people there would easily get nauseous from our smell. We arrived a bit late and I guess we missed half of the praise and worship (my favorite) portion of their service. The place was fully air-conditioned, and I absolutely dreaded how I smelled.

I believe I have passed by their church a countless times before but tonight was only my first time to go inside. It was no different from the church I usually attend to in Las Piaas, save the air-conditioned room and the high-tech gadgets they got for the service. During the service we learned about leading a shepherd-less generation, about how all of us are being called by God for a special purpose, et cetera. I was happy to be there, not only because I have learned more about God's Word, but also because for the first time, He himself made me share this blessed night with my best friends. We had the time to pray for each other during the service, and afterward, Des introduced us to her Christian friends. I met alumni from my high school and my present university. I am blessed upon realizing that people as brilliant as they can also keep a special passion for serving Christ. I was also blessed to find out that we all enjoyed the service and come Friday, we would go back to the church to jam for the Lord.

It was already 8.30p when we got out of the church. Once again, Augie decided to give us another big treat at our favorite restaurant, Inasal Chicken Bacolod in Pedro Gil, only a short distance from the church. There is always great bonding among friends at eating time, you see. We prayed together. We remembered high school days so vividly it's as if we hadn't reached college yet. We pigged out like 'pigs,' (exagg) and we laughed till we almost choked to death.

We are a happy bunch of kids. We are wearisome grown-ups. We know each of us faces sticky situations in life. We talk about them, and we help each other out. We even pray for each other's concerns. After all, we are the Salot Incorporated: We make life easy. (29 V 2004)

Desiree Gutierrez, my co-Salot, just got home from a Christian camp in Baguio last week. At that time, when she was in the bus on her way to Manila, she asked me to call her up using my cell phone. That's what you get when your phone system's post-paid. The rain was pouring hard in Tarlac when I gave her a buzz. Des happily told me how much fun she had during her stay in Baguio and that she remembered to buy me a gift -- a pair of carrot key chains. Haha! She knew I have taken so much pleasure with those carrot key chains for a couple of years now. To be able to return my thanks, I asked her to give me just one so she could keep the other piece.

Last Sunday, I made another phone call to Cow, another co-Salot, to invite her to badminton the following day. Pretty Cow had also just returned from her month-long stay in Baguio. Too bad Des and she didn't run into each other there. Before I even had the chance to talk to her about the badminton spree, I was once again alarmed to hear that she also bought me a carrot key chain. Haha!

What's with the carrot anyway?

(Skip this part if you don't want to get bored. I've warned you.)

Well it represents a mish-mash of valuable memories that happened to me from the day I bought it two summers ago in Baguio (where else?). I came across this as I probed my way inside a poorly ventilated bazaar in Camp John Hay. I found the carrot key chains pretty interesting because they primarily reminded me of my family's deceased rabbits (although we never really fed them carrots, but pellets) and a friend. I bought a couple of these and fastened them to my school bag. My friends in school never really liked the sight of my key chains; they think it's odd to accent a bag with vegetables. Besides, I was the only person who has key chains like that in school.

My key chains were with me everyday, which made me grow fonder of them. I find joy by just looking at their bright color in the middle of dull lectures in high school. My carrot key chain reminds me of the day I bumped into Lala and company in Sleepy Hollow at Baguio, of my Salot friends who keep promising that they would buy me more carrot key chains, of twin Cheryl when she bought a pair of strawberry key chains to blend with me, of the long quiet dispute I had with best friend Jay, and of the hot afternoon in Quiapo where an untrained lady tried to steal my belongings in my bag... unfortunately she wasn't able to cadge any when I caught her, except for my carrot key chain.

That wasn't the end of my days with my favorite item, of course. I have kept two spare chains in my drawer, although these no longer seemed what a real carrot should look like, but more of an orange radish. I still have them in college.

Burning Bush 4 at CDMC: The best place to be 

Today had been a tiring one, although very rewarding. Augie and I met up at seven this morning (7:30A if you consider Filipino time) to play badminton at Flick. For three long hours we strategically/haphazardly smashed the shuttlecock to the opposite courts, and once again I beat him twice. Haha. But during one of our badminton matches, some old (and I mean old) couple had been bold enough to ask us to challenge them to a doubles. Before we finally agreed to play with them, I knew Augie was thinking what I was thinking. Ha! Considering their physique, we thought we could finish them off within two sets. Ang yabang talaga. Once again, we were wrong with our proud assumptions. These old couple played much better than we. And so consequently, they beat us within two sets. Hehe. Afterward, Augie and I felt totally vexed at our pathetic loss although we admit that we have always been lousy at playing doubles because we perform better on singles. Haha!

Later, we drove to Augie's house to pig out heavily, which probably regained the hundreds of calories burned at the court.

At one o'clock, I attended the Burning Bush 4, a three-day youth seminar at CDMC in Las Pinas. It's been several months since I paid my last visit to the church. I badly miss the happenings there so being able to go to CDMC this afternoon was gratifying enough for me. I happily participated throughout the praise and worship sessions and Gospel sharing. Furthermore I also had a great time being with my friends there who carry a special zeal for Christ (so remarkable you can see the enthusiasm in their eyes). The activities as well as my friends help nurture my spirit. =]

I have to stop here. My headache worsens and tomorrow I would expect my entire body to ache as well from badminton. Once more, I paid no attention to proper warming up.

The novel was so thrilling I couldn't put the frigging book down. At least I had managed to finish the entire book by 4 in the morning. I only slept for about four brief hours 'cause we had to go pick my sister up early from Antipolo, not Makati. My bad. Sometimes I get too engrossed with so many other trivial things that I don't even bother to know where my sister might have gone or what my family's plans are for today. Now I do not quite understand why once again I'm sitting here in front of my PC, aiming to recount the activities that just happened to me when I badly, badly needed to get some tight sleep. Nonetheless I must say I had a pretty great time at the rest house we went to in Antipolo. It's been ages (exagg) since I last attended a praise and worship session. And the entire event was purely nourishing.

I have been wishing for another Salot reunion where we'd all be present and we'd all play our favorite sport, badminton, at Flick, and then eat huge servings of food, hit the road on Augie's wheels and go to places unimaginable, sing along at some cheap videoke bar, watch some films of whatever kind whether these be feel-good or intelligent or shoot 'em up or art or horror or 'anodyne romantic comedies.' And then altogether we'd talk about high school, college, love life, problems, Rick Warren's A Purpose-driven Life (yeah, we talk about our true callings from God), about how we are gradually developed into dedicated Christians one at a time... The litany goes on. But much as I wanted to do all these with them, I can't because I don't have any cash. Money has always been scarce during vacations, you know.

Wind blows at full speed today. Whooooooosssssh! Chino hides under the bed as expected. Nobody knows why he's acting like a coward whenever some crazy situations like this happen. I know, I know. I haven't introduced my dog yet 'cause I still don't feel like writing about him. He's too hard to describe, this Chino. Will post something about him as soon as I'm ready.

Aren't stormy days just fantastic? They make me want to skip meals, which is pretty banausic to my already robust body. Been eating too much this entire summer vacation, and I haven't thought of working out, really. For the first time, I feel like my ol' fat housecat-- we're both QUITE useless in the house, like insignificant microbes... Are there such things as insignificant FAT microbes? Anyway, 'tis raining Kofis and Chinos (cats and dogs... nyehehehe) at this very instant. And I'm beginning to wonder how my youngest sister is doing in some church in Makati at this bad, bad weather. She had gone to a YFC camp with someone she's been friends with (via telephone) for three years but only met him personally a couple of days before.

I'm now on page 154 of Girl With A Pearl Earring... With total disbelief, I felt like I've never read the novel before! Reviewing the book again, I realized I had completely forgotten how Griet's story went. And so the accounts of her working with Vermeer still elate me. I read it when I was in third year and I so fell in love with this book that I began to appreciate paintings(?) more. I even recall myself having painstakingly researched about the real Vermeer and his works of art. And so the movie not being shown here in my country absolutely gets on my nerves.

Tomorrow morning my family will meet with Ciarra at the camp. And right now I can't wait to find out what's in store for me at the Burning Bush this Monday-Wednesday.

'Cause Patty and me like to gaze at starry skies...
Yeah, whatevs.

I see we're having a pretty 'nice' and cool weather these past few days. Good. 'Tis caliginous and windy outside the house I'm starting to feel like a child wanting to run fast and aimlessly around Greenville. Rain would pour at any time now, I'm sure. Boy, I remember one time some decade ago, my sisters and I happily frolicked at the knee-deep flood outside accumulated for days from heavy downpour. We splashed ourselves with the deadly murky water, even attempted to swim through it. Many years later I would learn about the fatal diseases brought by flood and would surely come across (what was that again?) that infection caused by rat's urine. I keep forgetting terms forgive me. And all I could say from that dreadful experience is 'YUCK.' Rainy season is lovely so long as it doesn't saturate the streets of Merville.

And so it rained real hard.

Of all the great means of keeping oneself comfy on a rainy day such as this, nothing beats being secluded in a commodious room reading a favorite book on a large, soft bed. Lately I've decided to reread Tracy Chevalier's Girl With A Pearl Earring because already I'm beginning to miss Griet, the main character, and Jan Vermeer's paintings. This year they made a movie about this favorite novel but what made my sisters and me down right pissed off is that it never hit the Philippine movie houses! The thought breaks my heart in tiny pieces. Ugh!

It's also nice to listen to soothing music during these moments. Bossa nova totally rocks, if you know what I mean. Many don't know, and perhaps wouldn't even dare listen to such. I have transferred Woman on Top's soundtracks to my list of mp3 a year before. Portuguese music kills me. I wouldn't stop singing Paulinho Moska's songs. Mind you, his songs are in portugues, baby. Call me a freak, but I was able to memorize the entire lyrics.

I need a break. More to follow.

My sister, Ate Pam, adopted her for free from the Philippine Animal Welfare Association (PAWS) in Katipunan last year. As a matter of fact, we resolved to bring her to our home not just because we want Mingming to have a playmate but also because... hehe... we want Kofi to be an instant replacement for old Mingming when she finally kicks the bucket. During her first days in her new home, she was sweet and composed and all. At that time we never thought she'd become such a huge pain in the neck in the house. We were wrong. One day she just went so agitated and began to rip newspapers into tiny pieces, topple pencil holders over and play with pens and pencils on the floor. Kofi suddenly mutated from a tame disciplined housecat to an extremely hyperactive pet. The only way we can pacify her though is to put a blanket over her. Once Kofi's under the sheet, everything's seems serene. 

Above all, I want to introduce to you my ever-delightful pets, each performing its odd behaviors in our house. This one in the photo above is our family's overweight cat, Mingming. My youngest sister cadged her from our subdivision's garbage lot by the creek almost six years ago. We didn't want Mingming to go hungry although we did not expect she'd grow as gargantuan as she is now. All she does is to sleep, eat, shit, and groom. Plus this old, fat, and hostile cat doesn't want to be stroked but we fondle her large belly anyway.  

Fifteen hours had passed and I'm still in front of the PC, contemplating on what I'm supposed to do next. I regret not having kept a small diary to write my thoughts down during my elementary and high school years. And so decisively, I began to make my own blog, hoping that I could use this to convey my crazy ideas and impart some un/interesting accounts of my life. It wasn't easy for someone like me who almost absolutely doesn't savvy HTML tags. But finally I was able to feel some satisfaction from my customized template. I can't sleep now, as I am too anxious to post my first message.

For a start, I acknowledge my friend, Ava, for helping me out with this online journal. Both of us started creating our personal blogs almost at the same time but it was she who finished first and so it's pretty obvious that she knows how to run these things more than I do. You readers should peruse Ava's site. This lady has got a lot of things to say on her journal... particularly on Harry Potter, LOTR, and Tolkien. Ha ha ha! I just remembered the research days.

Anyway, this has been such a scorching hot summer, which makes me start longing for the rainy season to arrive. Meanwhile I have been having sleeping troubles for a couple of days now and I'm pretty exhausted. I end my first post here. There's more to follow soon.