of good sunshine mornings, sweet night kisses and everything in between

 

Swimsuit – check

Board shorts - check

Sunblock – check

Extra undies – check

Extra shirt - check

Lotion – check

Sunglasses – check

Small body bag - check

Money – check

It seems I got all what I need and im off to go! Yep! Im going to swimming and its not the usual pool in the neighborhood, nor the 1 hour trip away to the backwaters of Samal. Its definitely farther, a place that would have me to cross to a different region, and would entail 12 hours trip from my hometown, Davao . And the thought of the sunbasked skin burns (minor only *LOL*) on White Island, the ever famous Vjandep Pastel, the hundred steps stairs to a prayer mountain chapel, the view of the Grand Mt. Hibok-Hibok, a superlative dip in Ardent Hot Spring, a solemn prayer to the angels underneath the Sunken Cemetery… whew! I cant wait for clock to tick to 8pm.

Yep! You got it right. The sights and the tourist destination I just mentioned can be found in one of Mindanao’s most famous islands – Camiguin Island , and im definitely going there this evening with some of LLS siblings. That makes it all complete.

According to an excerpt from the province’s site:

Actually, I have been to this island sometime back in college, when we had our field trip for our Humanities II subject. That was solid fun and I had some of my many firsts in that trip. First of course, that was my first time to go to Camiguin, which I surely wouldn’t want to miss (that’s why I trimmed on my expenses during that summer), I had my first alcohol drink there and got pretty much drunk *you wouldn’t wanna ask what I exactly did*, my first to taste the pastel *unfortunately, XD*, and more. Experiencing again these things are among the few reasons why I would wanna go back to the happy island.

Its mid-summer for Philippines, and its high-time for me to take a break, before officially closing summer in, hooking myself again back to work, and submitting myself to professors, 6-inches thick readings, and more writings *im going back to school as an MM student*.

Im still not sure who exactly the guys will I be going with, but its sure, Kibz will be there. And some brods and sis. That would make my summer Camiguin escapade more than perfect!

All aboard!

*photocredits to Rodolphe Lina*

i have here the cast list of the movie Ploning, which by the way, is still showing now in selected moviehouses. these photos are taken from among the movie scenes. the casts are really superb and are real artists, which made the movie alive and real, too.

Ms Judy Ann Santos as Ploning

- hey! its Juday, what do we expect? but i tell you, its not among her so-so movies

Cedric Amit as Rodrigo (Digo)

- this kis is really good for a noob *nice choice direk!*

Bodjong Fernandez as Muo Sei

- this is one hot native Cuyonon, if ever he is.

Gina Pareño as Intang

- whew! Gina never failed me in her acting. as expected, though there were only a few scenes with her, she still had me open-mouthed after.

Mylene Dizon as Celeste (Seling)

- as far as i can remeber ive never seen a film with Mylene acting as she has done for this film. her character was among the usual though: the rebellious type, blabber mouth urban girl but kind-hearted

Eugene Domingo as Juaning

- hahay. Eugene is really one of the few in local showbiz that i adore much much much. how i wish i can act like her, or i hope i can get some acting workshops with her as my teacher *i sure would get a lot of spanking LOL*

Meryl Soriano as Alma

- quiet and meek, to the point of being tagged as an autistic, is the character that loud Meryl plays. cute. but the girl who played as her mute daughter is cuter. but she’s still good. swear!

Ces Quesada as Nieves

- beautiful yet married an ugly man: but loves her much much. hehehe. come to think of it, i will also do what her character has done in the movie

Lucas Agustin as Siloy

- one pretty hot and pogeee Cuyonon too *if ever he is one* winkwink

Tessie Tomas as Old Seling/Celeste

- another one of those that i adore. Tessie Tomas is the only Tessie in Filipino cinema.

Spanky Manikan as Tsuy

- whew! another one of the Tessie’s and the Eugene D’s like that i really love watching

there are also a few others who i havent found any picture in the gallery. but i would like to still share them with you. the movie cant be perfect/complete without them, right? so credits must be given to them too. they are the following:

Tony Mabesa as SUSING

- he was Ploning’s patriarchal father that loved his only child so much

Crispin Pineda as TOTING

- Toting was a jolly barkada of Siloy who loves to crack jokes and fool around

Ketchup Eusebio as BADOCDOC

- hahay. Ketchup ketchup. i also loved this actor, and its sad that i barely see him on films. but his projects are good ones so im better off with it, than seeing him doing dooey baloney just for money

Ronnie Lazaro as OLD VELING
 
- his scenes with the old digo, with less words and more acting, got me bursting into tears

Joel Torre as OLD SILOY / MAYOR

- its Joel Torre, what do you expect? one good movie!

Beth Tamayo as DIVINA

- she portrayed the daughter of Seling, that happened to be the love interest of somebody else in the movie. this you oughta find out!

Jojit Lorenzo as BASIT

- uhm i forgot this guy, or there were just too many names in the movie that were given the same treatment, may they be a star or a local. but rest assured, he did a good job too!

Ogoy Agustin as VELING

- the good old brother of Digong. and hot too!

as i have mentioned, among the characteristics of the film that i liked was that the movie gave the same treatment to all the actors, of course, except for Juday, as the lead actress for playing Ploning, whether the actress is a star or a native. it was the story’s main characters who were emphasized, and with the real acting of the actors, as if they had their heart in the scene (which is a must, and which i often fail to see in some commercialized films). in the movie, you’ll forget that the person you are seeing projected against a white cloth is a showbiz personality. their showbizness was totally engulped by the story, the musicality, the…. everything of the film.

if its out on dvds or cds, id definitely grab one copy! its something really worth wasting your time over and over again, after being intelligent for seeing it in theatres. *winkwink*

im not a fan of Juday. but id really want everyone who reads this to watch the movie Ploning.

anyway, i will tease you to thinking on what could that experience be by showing you the friends i was with last april 30. clue: it could be something that every girl dreams of doing. enough said. hahaha.

loi and ai doing the ever famous narcissist’s pose

ai, pola vianca, and me chillin’ at Miko’s Brew

the cliche “your ownself is your greatest enemy” was never a failure. it is often, as much as always, in most situations, true. you know your own stengths, leading you to strike into your most weakest points. and this is what other people dont realize. (there could be some exemption, like your bestest bud). no matter how much you deny yourself and pretend to be somebody else in front of others, you can never lie to your own, how much you try to. at times, it may work out, but you dont have to wait for a lightyear to pass for reality to strike you out. and then later, ouch! and much later, you would prefer to bottle down the frustrations and depressions inside, no matter what way you want. well as for me, some animal in a jar is the best excuse to hurting and pain, but was never really an escape to never ending happiness.

i have always been myself’s worst enemy. and i was never a failure in portraying the role. in fact, im good at it. very good in hauling myself to some closed vault filled with snakes of all sorts, rodents, cockroaches, and red roses with a thousand thorns. as much as i have tried to sort things out and forget those that needed to be in the septic tank right now, i just couldnt. you see, i really know where to strike. the spot where i know il have my own self drop like a log, falt unto the ground. and when its done, i have a part crying and the other one laughing its heart out. i would prefer that one who’s laughing to be on top of everything. but sadly, as much as time would let, the laughing lasts for just a couple of minutes, and the crying  part is coupled a hundred times.

i would really love to laugh. but right now, joker’s got his cards on me.

how i miss the old nyts, the barbecue sessions where we had to walk the downtown just to find some good food. how i miss the times when i used to stare at the sky and recognize the moon and the stars beneath the cloudy scene.the good laughs i shared with some good friends and the ncie songs we used to sing together.

somebody shut down my windows to the world. i dit it myself. i thought it would have to be good.but its not. its really not.

Last weekend, we had our uncle buried. He is a cousin of my mom and though our families were really not that superclose, you know how Filipino families work, right? So despite the heavy sched i had last Thursday and Friday, we hurried to Compostela last Saturday to pay respect.

actually, i thought we wouldnt make it. i got up around 12 noon last Sat so, our aunt left us. it would really be expensive to bring 5 people to Compostela, not to mention the long trip, the hot sun and the dusts. that would really be soooo haggard. its a good thing that my pop volunteered our uugod-ugod jeepney (which is already 21 years old so its understandable). looking at its condition, you would right there and then hesitate to go. i did. and its really true to listen to your instincts! we did not make it with our grandpa jeepney. we even didnt make it out of davao yet when at the junction of Buhangin and Panacan the engine went off. that was already 5 pm and i lost my hopes. my cousin and i went ahead of my pop and his assistant Kuya Ricky since they would be fixing grandpa jeepney. but when we reached home, there was a truck parked in front of our house. then my dad called me and said to pack things up since we’d be leaving for Compostela in 5 minutes. i was shocked, amazed and excited at the same time. would pop really want to go there badly enough to borrow a vehicle from uncle bong? it was something new since ive known long before, that pop and my mom’s relatives arent going quite smooth. of course, pop was very vocal about it, which sparks most of our arguments.

three of us, bikbik, evanjikay and me, were seated on the backpart. it was already around 9 in the evening when we headed for Compostela so just imagine how cold it was! and worst, there were occasional rainshowers! though there was a large plastic tent to protect us from the rain, we still ended up wet reaching the venue after four hours of long travel. there was a warm welcome from our relatives that made the event looked like a reunion.

oh well, practically, you may see it that way since we only get to see each other when somebody in the family tree dies. ours is a very huge clan that i didnt even recognize the others. there were aunts and uncles and cousins and more children! there were lolos and lolas too.

getting reunited in a group this big after 2 years (the last was during my mom’s wake), nevertheless, i should say it was fun. aside from the coffin lights that is obvious from the streets, the gathering seemed more of a fiesta to me. only a few people cried (say, below 10) and there were lots of food! i heard they had 3 pigs butchered for the viands for a whole barangay, plus one more for the lechon, and a cow. waw. see? its a reunion. XD

im not saying though that somebody from the clan ought to die soon for everybody to meet again. and it would be a lot better if we had a planned reunion right? XD

but man has to return to dust from where he came from. life is a natural process of birth, living, and dying that i must learn to accept. if not for dying, the gift of birth and the joy of living amidst all its ugly sad will not be appreciated, wont be recognized.

so i had a resolution. i used to say that if i had to die, i want to have an instant death. the kind where i dont have to be stuffed with all those tubes and pipes; where i dont have to drink or to be injected with medicines in jargons; where i dont have to look pathetic due to weight loss or with a bald head, and many more reasons.

i dont want to be supersick. and that includes illnesses like cancer, or diabetis, or hypertension, or kidney trouble and more on the list.

more to that, i am most afraid of the expenses that can rocket up to the heavens.

i can say these since i have been a first hand witness on how ugly, worse, maddening an illness can be. my mom was a breast cancer patient. and that was so far the hellest ride in life i had. it was expensive, emotionally battering, and mom’s loss triggered the destruction of our family’s foundation.

on her first year her left breast was removed. she had to undergo chemotheraphy sessions which sideeffects includes nausea, vomitting, weight loss and hair loss. prior to the treatment, series of laboratory tests are to be conducted which will dictate her schedule for the chemo. she had a whole year of that. and i can assure you nothing can match the pain of a daughter seeing her mom going through all these.

apart from the chemo sessions, she had a handful of supplements and medicines to maintain.

after the treatment, she was fine. her hair has grown black, her built improved. and we all thought she’s gonna be okay since then. we forgot what the doctor told us during her stay at the hospital.

cancer is a traitor. once you have that, it will never be flushed out of your body. your mom is already in stage two, which means, recurrence should be expected on her 5th-8th year.

and it sure did reoccur. medical terms say it has metasticized to her right breast and bones. and it was the time she gave up on everything but not GOD. she lost her trust on medicines and decided not to undergo treatments anymore. we cant do anything but to follow what she wants.

she lived for another year. but when the pain was unbearable, we decided to had her admitted at Davao Doctors Hospital. and she stayed there for almost a month. her physician told us to ready ourselves.

i hadnt readied myself enough. and it was really painful.

this is why i pray to God to not let me supersick. and that is why we should also look for our health, take care of what God has given us.

but in the end, it His will that will be done, no matter how we deny it.

Dont ask me to dance if i dont want to.

i shall dance if i want to sing

i will dance if i have to.

give me a good music where i can sing my lungs out, and we shall dance together.

but never toss me into a situation where i will have to.

dont make me sing when im not in the mood.

i shall sing whenever i hear a familiar song that i like

i can sing when im drunk

i will sing when i have to.

treat me to beer and it shall be perfect to sing together

play a good song and you will be amazed how i will feel it

but never give the condition that i should sing.

cause i’d dance when i’d care to

cause i’d sing when i’d please to

i can do both for you if i’d love to

but dont make me do the two just to please you or worse, the black shadows with biting stares around

if you insit in doing so, there would be two choices where you can select from:

1. forget then that i exist, cause its pretty a simple task for me to accomplish

2. if you cannot do so and still continue to bug me, see you in hell my dear. id be forcing you to do those things you had me silly performed back on earth and id be slitting your neck if you refuse to. in hell, it sure is easy and allowable to do such thing.

its not like im speaking in metaphors or something like that, cause can be literal sometimes too, you know.