Memoirs of Yvonne

Happy Mother's Day, Mom!

2008-05-11T22:41:00.018+08:00

As I went through my recent files in my computer, I’ve found this pic of me with my mom taken a couple of months ago during Jeff’s visit at home. Haven’t really outgrown snuggling with my mom, hehe! I guess it’s because until now, I believe I’m still my mom’s little girl!

Last Saturday, I really took time to travel back home despite the heavy downpour of rain ‘coz I wanted to spend my weekend with my family and be with my mom on Mother’s Day. My travel was not in vain ‘coz I was able paint a smile on my mom’s face on that special day. My sis bought bunch of flowers to which we prepared and made into a nice bouquet. I also bought a special present paired with a personalized greeting card, adorned with fragrances so that mom would smell the sweet scent by the time she receives the present. Whoaw! I could just see my mom smiling from ear to ear as me and my sis handed to her our special presents.

Looking back the good old days, I could recount many things about my mom. As we were growing up, our mom was the light that illuminates our home. Here are my 20 fondest memories of mom that I loved to reminisce over and over again:

cooked that special food with which she mixed a tiny black soot during my first day of school in Grade 1 (my mom was some kind of supersticious, whew!)
prepared a glassful of hot milk for me and my sis before going to school (I don’t drink milk, but I can’t resist my mom’s insistence, hehe!)
sang her spanish lullabye for me and my sis during bedtime (I could even still remember the lyrics until now.. hmnn!)
was the one who gave me a nickname "Kikki", and she's the only one calling me by that name until now (nobody in the family, nor from my group of friends, ever called me that name, only my mom!)
cooked my favorite foods - spagghetti, fried talong w/ egg, meat balls, and piniritong bangus (I remember I was so choosy in foods when I was a little girl, aaargggh!)
tagged me and my sis along with her and dad on their household prayer meetings when we were still kids, and so we were acquainted with christians songs & worship at a very young age
would bring home my favorite goodies when she returns from school – siopao, pancake and cotton candy
bought a guitar for me and my sis as playing the guitar was her frustration during her younger years
played scrabble with me, my sis and my dad, & she would always hit the triple word score, hahaha!
was present in all my major school activities (PTA meetings, Recognition Day, Closing Exercises, etc.)
would lovingly give me sponge baths whenever I ran a high fever and would never leave my side until I get well
gave me and my sis bunch of peso coins (those big ones, the most antique peso coins since early 80’s), as her way of rewarding us for our first family trip together in Bohol
resist buying that toy balloon after church despite my insistence (I could really cry that time), as she was saving money to buy me that dream dress of mine I was eyeing on the nearby store
tied my hair with my favorite hello kitty hairclip (until such time I no longer depend on her for fixing my hair, ows!)
bought me and my sister identical dresses, bags & shoes (which would only differ in colors and sizes, and as such, me and my sis were oftentimes identified as twins, hehe!)
do the laundry at home, put our clothes in place, and prepares our well-ironed uniform a day before we go to school
gives greeting card to us on all special occasions, along with whatever gift she handed
slept till midnight with me to help me with that crocheting project in high school, as I was catching up my advanced exam for top graduating students
was my constant buddy at home, my confidante (even upto now, she's still that ever caring mother who never get tired of listening to my stories, be it business matters or matters of the heart, hehe!)
never failed to pray the holy rosary every night, naming all of us one by one at the end of her prayer petitions as she lifted us to the Lord for His protection and blessing (she still doing this upto now and her list now includes my sis’ bf and my fiance)

Words are not enough to express how thankful I am for having a loving mother like my mom. For me, the best mother there could ever be, is the kind of mom she is to us.

Happy Mother’s Day, Mamang! We love you very much!

Summer Fun - Hawaiian Delight!

2008-04-21T21:32:00.001+08:00

This year’s Philcom summer outing was themed “Hawaiian Delight”. Held last April 19, 2008 at Duka Bay Resort, everybody was just having fun, with team Ula-ula (Red), Pulo (Blue) and Mele-mele (Yellow) on the row. Lots of team games were prepared, plus more surprises and instant prizes were given away. And there comes the highlight of it all – the Cheering Competition and the search for Mr. & Miss Aloha 2008! Some other add-ons? Well, aside from the festive summer banquet and the non-stop videoke, the summer “escapaders” also enjoyed swimming, scuba diving, snorkeling, and boarding on the glass-bottom boat. Whew! It was indeed a tropical blast for everyone!

A Soulful Retreat

2008-03-24T16:20:00.007+08:00

This was indeed a blessed and victorious week for me. I’ve had a 3-day soulful retreat at Xavier University (Holy Week Triduum Retreat) held on March 20, 21 and 22 – that’s Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and Black Saturday, respectively, with Fr. Johnny Go as the speaker. Unlike any other retreats I’ve been to, this was the first time that I came in as an individual registrant, and this was also the first time that I haven’t spent my holy week with my family back home.

Talk about that part of your life’s journey where you’re at your lowest times – people have been hurting you over and over, you tried to stretch more of your patience, but your heart grew weary and tired, you just wanna give up and move on. I was on the verge of letting go, but God came in to my rescue JUST IN TIME! That’s when I decided to join the retreat all alone, and never did I realize, it was God’s instrument for me to ponder things over, contemplate more deeply, and reflect on the situation in God’s light.

My 3-day holy week retreat has brought me inner healing – both emotionally and spiritually. It was such a relieving feeling seeing Jesus embraced our humanity – an assurance that I was not alone on my inner battle. True enough, my faith and strength was being put to the test. Sometimes though, the best way to be strong is to admit that you are weak. I admit I was weak during those times. And my ultimate source of strength was Jesus! And with this, I’ll live up to this passage: “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me”. –Phil. 4:13

Two Big Days

2008-02-23T16:14:00.001+08:00

The month of February is a double celebration for me. First, there's the Valentine’s Day... and second, there goes my birthday! And speaking of big day, what’s a celebration without a food? Our Valentine’s Day was not to be outdone. With the initiative of our section head in consumer IT (thanks Che!), we ordered our favorite delicacies (we had upto 5 main courses plus desserts) and enjoyed our advanced dinner at the office. I say advanced dinner ‘coz it was like eating twice as much the regular meal, haha!

Then came our joint birthday celebration (Chona, Hazel, Judith & me). With the four of us joining forces, we were able to come up with a not-so-grand yet festive celebration in the office. Daghan naka-kaon, wala man pud nakulangan ang food so far, na accommodate ang first ug second floor nga mga pipol. Yeppey!! Happy birthday to us! Hehehe!!

New Year Opening Salvo!

2008-01-02T16:04:00.001+08:00

It was such a blissful New Year’s Eve for the four of us in the family (my mom, my dad, me & my sis). At the strike of twelve, we started our own “opening salvo” for 2008. While our neighborhood were so busy firing their explosives and enjoying the fireworks display on air, we just turned on our loudspeakers to its maximum volume, with those lively Christian music on the playlist. Our living room seemed like a concert stage, with the four of us singing and dancing ‘till we were sweating all over, whew! I was ecstatic! Not only did we celebrate that special eve with a bang, but above all, we were able to express our thanksgiving and gave glory to the One up above through music and dancing which inspired our souls. To me, that was a more meaningful way of welcoming the New Year!

All I Want For Christmas

2007-12-20T10:50:00.003+08:00

If I try to recount all that I’ve been through since the start of this year, I can really attest how blessed I am to have encountered such a circumstance in my life that says “when it rains, it pours!”. Absolutely overwhelming! As in grabe jud mag bless si Lord, lubus-lubusan! Sobra-sobra! Graces truly abound to the point that I could no longer contain them with my both hands open. Trials were just tiny miniscules compared to the overflowing blessings I have received.

This Christmas, I wanna make a difference. I won’t wish for a new dress, a new bag, a new pair of sandals, or a new tech gadget. I want something different. I’ve had enough of receiving graces in abundance, more than those earthly things on the list. I have so much in me that I just simply wanna share – my time, my happiness, my dreams, my laughter, my friendship. Simply saying, all I want for Christmas… is to GIVE!

Have a meaningful Christmas, everyone!

Mapawa River Trek - The Ultimate Adventure!

2007-11-19T13:11:00.000+08:00

After exploring White Water Rafting last April (with my colleagues) and last September (with my college friends), came my adventure finale for this year, the Mapawa River Trek. Whoaw! That was probably the most challenging nature encounter I had since the time I climbed the 10,000-ft. Mt. Kitanglad, traversed the Noslek Canopy Walk at Claveria, slid through a zipline and rappelled down the Macahambus gorge 150-ft below, and cascading the wild rapids of Cagayan de Oro River. I say “most challenging” ‘coz it was actually a combination of the thrill and excitement I had on those previous adventures I’ve been through.

Getting into the river was an adventure itself. From the nature park, we have to traverse that long, narrow and winding terrain of Sitio Mapawa with the tractor as our means of transpo. (It was like getting hitched on an off-road challenge, kay mag sige man ug untol-untol ang tractor unya sakit na kaayo among sampot sa sige ug kabunggo sa tabla nga among gilingkuran, hehehe!). After half an hour ride, we were to hike another half an hour of that muddy trail along the woods leading the way to the river trek site. But before we finally get to the river, we came across a gigantic 200-year-old Dao tree. Such an amazing figure, the group could not help but stop over and posed with the tree for a souvenir photo! Click!!

The 25 Feet Water Falls Slide

This was the first challenge we went through which also served as warm up for that adrenaline rush we were anticipating. While I was on the top of the falls, I could feel the intensity of the current as if pulling me over. When I was about to do my ultimate slide.. whew, everything seemed to happen in a flash! I could feel the water falls flushing me over to the river, and within just a few seconds, I found myself being submerged, thereafter cheering “whoooohh!” for too much excitement! It indeed turned out to be the most exhilarating slide of my life!

The Body Rappel

Have you tried exploring the rapids of the river wild with your body submerged? Got the guts to encounter the strong current with only the rope as your support? That’s how risky the body rappel is! And it’s the only way for you to reach the next water falls with which the 30-ft jump must be executed. Just tighten your grip and never let go of the rope!

The 30 Feet Jump

While I’ve already conditioned my mind not to psyche myself about the jump not until I’m actually about to do it, this time was quite different for me. Seeing the deep and terrifying water below with the strong current of water falls beside me, plus the height which was three times as high as the water rafting graduation jump… uh-oh! It was really scary! I had some apprehensions though. But I had to do it! (Besides, there’s no other way out and you’ve got no choice, hehe!). So I positioned my step forward, took a deep breath, closed my eyes, whispered to myself “Lord, this is it!”…. and jumped! Pastilan, pamati nako dugay kaayo ko ni landing sa tubig, hehe! The feeling is so elating! Roller coasters and free-fall rides cannot recreate the odd lurching of the stomach. For one thing, I’ve learned more about the essence of strength and courage – that it’s not about the absence of fear, but pursuing the challenge despite those fears. As what my buddy Anne told me “It was just like letting go of everything. Let go of your apprehensions. Let go of your doubts. Just jump!” Then I concluded her with a statement “Yes, and that’s what we call faith, Anne!”

The 65 Feet Water Falls Rappel

Aha! This was the most exciting part of the adventure! I have tried the 150-ft rappel at Macahambus before, which was actually twice as high as the water falls rappel, but the latter was the more challenging one. For me it was more than just rappelling. It was marvelling nature at its best – the lush vegetation surrounding the site, the strong current pulling you over, the enormous rock surfacing your view, the chilly sound of the water falls splashing on your body, and the cool, green river underneath. They say that a picture could paint a thousand words, so I have to share my rappelling moment photos instead.

Being the nature aficionado that I am, I really had savored every moment at Mapawa enjoying mother nature and quenching my passion for adventure. Cheers to my fellow river trekkers Arbie (who invited me over. Thanks Arbs!), Natalie, Anne, Hazel, Sheila, Ronald, Bing and Dom. We really lived our motto for the entire adventure -- “Conquer your fear!”
See complete photos at http://pepperonni.multiply.com/photos/album/49

It's Travel Time!

2007-10-30T15:25:00.000+08:00

The “ber” month seemed to have been set for my frequent travels. Last September, I was bound for Cebu for Jeff's homecoming, which was followed by our travel together in Iligan and in my hometown Malaybalay. Then came the succeeding month which was indeed filled with travel sked. I spent the entire first week of October in Manila for the 7th Excellence Conference. I was then off for Davao for two main events which was held a day after the other: the 6th PIIE Mindanao Congress and the 1st Mindanao Bloggers Summit. Add to that my travel back to Bukidnon, then straight to Cagayan de Oro. Hooh-hah!! “Don’t you get tired of traveling, Von?” my friend wondered. Well, not as for now, hehe. It’s good that I’ve made the most of my travel time this year ‘coz I may not be able to focus more on that thing next year. It would be somewhat another journey then, a time to set another milestone in my life. Praying to God for His guidance and protection. May the force be with us!

Water Rafting Adventure Part II

2007-09-09T08:32:00.000+08:00

The first week of September was such a blast! I had conquered those wild rapids the second time around! Wahoo!! Such an exhilarating feeling! With me was Pinky who invited me over, and her friends (Kate, Bernadette, Randy, Bryan and Roland) who traveled far from Manila just to try out our very own CDO White Water Rafting Adventure. Thrilled with last April's rafting adventure with my colleagues, I anticipated a more exciting rapid encounter this time, knowing that cold and rainy season falls on the “ber” month and so more captivating rapids are expected on the river wild. And I wasn’t mistaken then. We were sailing in the middle of that brown flowing water, our buddy Randy joked “Pwede bang Choco Water Rafting nalang ang tawag dito? Kasi wala akong makitang white eh, puro brown lang yata! Hahahha!" Well, true enough, we had that entire 4-hour journey along the river with those “chocolatey” stream, an indication that the depth of the water is at maximum level.

One thing that had rushed up our adrenaline was when one of our buddies fell off from the raft. We were crossing the “Makabundol” rapid when we suddenly hear a loud “Ooops!” from the back, and the next thing we saw was a guy waving with his paddle in the middle of the wild rapid! Uh-oh! It was Roland out there! So our guide led us in maneuvering the raft closer to where he had fallen so that he can clutch the safety rope. Good thing none of us panicked. With a series of back and forward paddling, we were finally able to pull him back to the raft. And here’s one funny thing though. When Roland was finally back in his position, he told the group “Na-picturan ‘nyo ba ako habang ako ay nahulog?” Then we all burst out laughing! As what Randy said, it was his first time to see a fellow wearing a smile while falling off, hahaha!

It was such a great adventure then and we all had so much fun. I still am looking forward for another water rafting adventure, maybe next year or so. And hopefully I can already try the “Advanced Level” by then. But before I’ll pursue with that plan, I wanna try the Water Falls Rappel at Mapawa first. Unsa man, mag organize napud ta ani mga peps? Hehehe! See you all in the next challenge!

See more photos at http://pepperonni.multiply.com/photos/album/48

I'm Joining The Mindanao Bloggers Summit!

2007-08-13T14:36:00.000+08:00

Got an email invitation from my fellow amuler Walter just this morning. Whew! Mindanao Bloggers Summit! That sounds so interesting! I've been blogging for quite some time now, and it's my first time to have heard this so-called summit for bloggers like me (thanks Waltz for informing me, hehe!). Can’t wait to pack my bags and fly to Davao in two months time. And what’s more exciting is that registration is absolutely FREE! To all my fellow bloggers out there, I’m inviting you to join the 1st Mindanao Bloggers Summit on October 27, 2007 at Davao City. See you there!

1st Mindanao Bloggers Summit Sponsors:

Welcome Back, Early Bird!

2007-07-23T11:10:00.000+08:00

“Pagdali Vonnex kay wala pay 8:10!” was what my colleagues would usually say when they see me rushing at the office lobby, gasping as I get through the biometric clock. Well, that’s the usual scenario every morning then. Speeding up my steps through the entrance, as if running late for a flight, just to catch that 10-minute allowance (or should I say grace period for tardiness, hehe!). So when the biometric system reads 8:10 AM upon placing my thumb, whatta biiigg sigh of relief I got, whew!! But relieved as I was, I still am not “saved by the bell” ‘coz even if I was able to hit the time, the standard record still says I’m late, every minute of it was subject to salary deduction. Aarrgghh! Poor Yvonne!

My usual coming to work 5 to 10 minutes late really made my colleagues wonder. And more often than not, I do wonder too, hahaha! Come to think of it, my pad is just a few meters away from the office, I could even just hike if I wanted to. Such an irony then, ‘coz I get late so often amidst that “walking distance”, while those colleagues living several kilometers away from the office report to work earlier than I do. Another ironic thing was that, I used to be an “early bird” when I was in grade school, I even became a recipient of the “Most Punctual” award that time, haaayy!! Things do really change, but for this particular concern, I must admit I’ve changed for the worse, hahaha! Well, not that bad though, ‘coz I’m aware of it and I’m opening myself for another change, and this time, it’s for the better.

This month’s a good start for me then. “Welcome back, early bird!” was what I’ve exclaimed, as if congratulating myself for such a job well done, hehe! My biometric timekeeping record exhibited a noticeable improvement, from the usual 8:10 time-in on the previous months to 7:45 (and earlier) on the current month. Beat that? While I used to be the last person to arrive in the IT room, now I’m the earliest so far (I have to ask for the key from the guard ‘coz I always end up getting in with the door locked, hehe!). How nice it is to relish back the good old days, you know, being an early bird and all, and I love it this way! Will I be able to keep this up? I sure will! (Now, that’s the spirit, Vonnex!).

Confined And Discharged

2007-07-13T18:54:00.000+08:00

The first time I was ever confined to a hospital was when I was 4 years old, having been treated for german measles which was a very common disease among children. I don’t have that much recollection on how it feels to be confined in a hospital, not until I had myself “confined” in the vicinity of CUMC the entire first week of this month. Well, it wasn’t me who got hospitalized, but my dad who has to undergo a major surgical operation and has to be confined for a week. I considered myself confined too ‘coz I was staying in the hospital the entire week (with my mom and my sis taking turns on taking care of my dad). It was then that I got the most of my “ER life” and I was a bit ill at ease about it at first, knowing that I haven’t had myself confined in a hospital since I was 4, and it was the first time (for over 20 years) that a member of our family has to be confined that long.

It took me about a couple of days before I could finally adjust the way things are in my “temporary” home. My constant going in and out of the hospital premise to do some urgent errands amidst the changing climate (marked by the infuriating heat of the sun from morning 'till noon and the outpour of the rain from late afternoon 'till night) plus the annoying traffic along the highway had caused me terrible headache… and… uh-oh! I was losing some weight… aaarrgggh! I’ve been wanting to gain weight all my life but I’m getting the opposite result, hehe! Well, so much for my not-so-stressful hours the whole week through, I had savored every minute of it all serving my dad during his confinement, and just seeing him recovering fast after his operation made me so much relieved, all those tired feelings I had seemed gone! Add to that our cousins, friends and my dad’s colleagues who graced their presence during visiting hours, CUMC Room 325 seemed like a family rendezvous hehehe! To those who supported us through constant prayers, our heartfelt gratitude for such a thoughtful act. And above all these, I thank the Lord for the bountiful blessings He has bestowed on us and for keeping our family safe from harm. Praise God!

Hillsong Live In CDO!

2007-06-18T17:11:00.000+08:00

Among those Christian albums I’ve been listening to, Hillsong was one of my most frequently played music. And when I’ve learned that Hillsong Music Australia was coming over to CDO, I got so excited, I informed my colleagues Fe and Judith right away. We never really passed up on the chance of having to witness the worship night itself so we immediately bought tickets for ourselves, joined the long queue of those thousands of people who were as eager as the three of us to take part on the praise and worship, and be among those who were blessed during the entire night. The 10,000-capacity Corpus Christi gym was all filled up with such a huge crowd, and we hardly noticed, we were all drenched with sweat in the middle of the worship as we joyfully sang and praised, shouting His mighty name “One way, Jesus! You’re the only One that I could live for!” Series of worship songs filled the air and everybody was empowered by His overflowing grace. Indeed, it was a gathering like no other! Praise God!

See more photos at http://pepperonni.multiply.com/photos/album/47.

Summer Escapades

2007-05-21T16:43:00.000+08:00

Thank goodness, our company summer outing was moved on May 19 (held at Maze Parks & Resort in Iligan City). I was able to allocate enough time for my pre-election summer hirit at Butuan with the North LEC last May 12, went home for the election day on May 14, spent extra vacation days on our cool summer spot up in the highlands, and attended our Singles Table Talk back here in CDO. Just one thing I missed though... spending summer at my great grandparents’ home in Bohol. Haven’t missed visiting the land of chocolate hills every month of May for the past seven years, and it’s only now that I wasn’t able to extend my "huling hirit sa tag-init" on the island. I’ll be able to visit Bohol probably by mid October this year. Hmnn… not that bad, though, hehe! At least I still can have a perfect yearly attendance at my great grandparents’ hometown. Till my next summer escapade!

Isang Tanong: The Senatorial Forum

2007-05-07T15:42:00.000+08:00

I had my eyes glued on TV last night, watching the sequel of the two-part series of GMA 7’s Isang Tanong: The Senatorial Forum. (I missed the first part of the forum which was aired last April 29 ‘coz I was quite engrossed preparing for our grand family reunion in Bukidnon). The program was indeed informative and enlightening. Designed to promote voter education, Isang Tanong asked the candidates the most relevant policy questions, and put each senatoriable in “hot seat” for straight-forward interrogation to test his/her honesty, character and integrity, with the voters as judge.

As the May 14 election comes close, let us all be watchful as we are about to set our final “verdicts” on who among those candidates are we going to entrust our children’s future with.

If you missed the forum yourself, you may watch the full video coverage at www.gmanews.tv/isangtanong. Scrutinize those candidates first before you cast your votes!

What's With The G?

2007-05-02T15:20:00.000+08:00

Time for the G-Clan reunion! G-Clan what? Well, the Gumapac Clan, that is hehe! The G-Clan thing was only an idea of mine when my cousin Micmic suggested that we create a website for the clan. I was thinking of a short, simple yet catching title for the website, and the G thing suddenly popped in my mind. So fitted for the subject!

So much for that, let’s go back to the grand family reunion that I was goin’ to talk about. It was held last April 30 at my aunt’s residence in West Kibawe, Bukidnon. With my uncles, aunts, cousins, nephews and nieces coming over from as far as Bohol and Davao, we indeed have a festive celebration. Games were prepared for the kids (and the old ones too, hehe!). The music session at night was not to be outdone. Everyone was having fun with the magic microphone and I was not surprised spotting those musical talents from the four corners of the wall (well, it runs in the blood, I guess haha!).

Apart from the usual partying, we also spent quiet times with our beloved grandparents who had passed away. We visited their grave the next day, after which we offered a thanksgiving mass which was officiated by our reverend cousin, Fr. Arnold. Then came the clan’s meeting for the next reunion to be held on May 2009 at Davao City. Whew! Can’t wait to be there soon!

See our reunion photos at http://gumapaclan.multiply.com

UP Summa Cum Laude At 16!

2007-04-25T16:48:00.000+08:00

16-year-old Mikaela Irene Fudolig, of Boholano descent, graduated last weekend with a degree in BS Physics and with the highest academic honor of summa cum laude. She has a 1.099 GPA. She is the youngest student to graduate from the UP in recent years and one of only two admitted to the state university without a high school diploma and without taking the UP College Admission Test, ANC reported.

Mikaela was only 11 when she started taking college level courses at the university. It's good to know that there is an Early College Placement Program (ECPP) in UP designed for gifted child like Mikaela.

One more thing… she isn’t taking up Nursing to work abroad. She is staying on at UP to teach. Two thumbs up to her, her parents and the UP professors who conceived and implemented the program! Let us now look for more Mikaelas out there and give them the education that they need. (Mikaela is the daughter of JoseAntonio "Tony" Fudolig and Lyn Dimaano Fudolig. She is the granddaughter of the late Ponciano "Poncing" Lustan Fudolig and Andresa "Desing" Milana Bompat of 85 Gallares Street, Tagbilaran City).

Click here to read Mikaela's full story.

White Water Rafting Adventure

2007-04-17T15:12:00.000+08:00

Summer is here, and it’s time to accelerate our passion for adventure! Buoyed up by the thrill of the previous month’s Balubal River Trek, we came up with an on-the-spot plan for White Water Rafting Adventure. We immediately called up CDO Water Rafting for an instant booking! Just two days after we initiated the idea and the 13 adventure aficionados (Chona, Jessa, Sahlee, Fe, Peggy, Judith, Edz, Lilin, Arlan, Ruben, Gilbert, Eve and yours truly) were all set to gear up for the rafting challenge.

Right after we arrived at the starting point, we eagerly strapped on our life vests and head gears, took a few minute briefing from the guides, and jumped into the canvas rafts all fired up with adrenaline to hit those rapids. We were divided into three rafts, so that made the distribution of 5 persons in each raft plus the guide. Being only few in the raft gave us an advantage ‘coz all of us can enjoy paddling, unlike when the raft is too crowded, those persons sitting in the middle would have to switch position with the ones sitting on the side so as for them to get the opportunity to paddle, else they would remain sitting pretty in the middle and cannot go with the “High Five” cheer, hehe!

We traversed the Mambuaya-Kabula course, spanning 12.32 kilometers, with 14 rapids from classes 3-4, which took us approximately five hours to complete. While we were fully expecting to be blown away by a string of rapids in quick successions, the entire journey proved to have more long stretches of calm water than rapids, but not to any great loss ‘coz after being attacked by the strong rapids, it was refreshing to paddle slowly and take in the lush valleys surrounding the river, which is the barrier between Cagayan de Oro and Bukidnon.

Paddling wasn’t a problem, but in order for us to move forward efficiently, we all had to do it simultaneously, so we counted out loud in unison. If we wanted our raft to turn sideways (or backward perhaps), our guide can easily maneuver it with his 3 major commands: “Forward! Back Paddle! Stop!” Cascading along the rapids was the best. The sheer moment of elevation followed by the plunge a second later made me wish there were endless rapids for the entire 12-kilometer stretch, whew! Aries, one of our guides, then introduced us some of those popular rapids we are to encounter – the “Makabundol”, the so-called “Kiss the Wall”, the Surprise, and the Kris Aquino Fall. One caught our attention when we stopped over and waited for the next raft to be blown away by the rapids… ooops! As they wave their hands in the middle of the rapids, one of them indeed fell off from the raft! It scared us though, but within just a few seconds, we can already see a head coming up from the water, and everybody pulled him back to the raft. Well, part of the adventure that is, and that momentum truly deserved another “High Five” cheer!

After a few hours of rafting, we docked for lunch in a small island. Half an hour later, we continued to paddle and during the long stretch of stillness, the guide told us we can take a dip on the water ‘coz the next rapid was still one kilometer ahead. So we jumped off the raft and just floated on our life vests. When it was time to get back to the raft, it was then that I took the opportunity of doing into practice what the guide instructed on the case of a fall-off incident, when the person has to be pulled out from the water and be taken back to the raft. So I asked our other guide Joel, “Pwede ko magpa-practice Wel? Nahulog kunohay ko sa raft, then kuhaa ko sa tubig, same nga procedure adtong gi-instruct ganina sa briefing”. With my body facing backward and my hands gripping the neck portion of my vest, Joel clutched the shoulder of my vest, counted 1-2-3, and pulled me over from the water. With just a wink of an eye, I was already sitting back on the raft in perfect position, hehehe! Nice practice, Vonnex!

An hour after paddling through the current, we came upon a cliff that the guides called “Snake Preview”. Aries explained that during summer, snake came out of their holes in the rocks and preferred to wrap themselves around the cool, leafy branches in the cliff. This was why there were lots of dry snake skins hanging from the branches. Intrigued by the snake skins, we sailed our rafts closer to take a clearer view of the snake itself. Oppps! There it was, coiling passively in the branch. Murag nahinanok pagkatulog, zzzzzzz! Still intrigued by the sleeping position of the snake, the other group tried to stretch on their paddle towards the branch to slowly shake it, and everybody was screaming for fear that the snake might wake up and fell into the raft. Good thing the snake was not disturbed from its deep slumber, else, I could just imagine each one of us jumping off from the raft in terror, hehe!

The last leg of the journey was marked by a striking view of the river wild. It was the time when our guide told us stand on the raft as we get ready for ourselves to be blown by the 14th rapid. A loud “woooohhh” was heard from the group as we took our final “High Five” cheer, and our final paddle as we sailed our rafts towards the concluding part, the highest point of the entire expedition – the “graduation jump”, which could give any adventure seekers their money's worth.

So there we go, climbed up the towering rock, and lined up for our jumps. It would be a good idea not to psyche yourself about the jump until you are actually about to do it. I was told that the best position is to fall with your toes pointed towards the water. Indeed it was, ‘coz as I did my final jump, there were no obtrusions at all. I expected a paddle-force pressure of the water against my body upon landing the water, but on the contrary, I just felt like I was dipping myself in a big tub, hehe! Sarap ng feeling! Guess I have to try this out next time around. Care for a rafting challenge part two? Anyone?

See complete photo coverage at http://pepperonni.multiply.com/photos/album/43

On Easter Eggs And Bunny

2007-04-09T11:57:00.000+08:00

Of all the symbols associated with Easter, the egg (symbol of fertility and new life) is the most identifiable. The custom of an Easter Egg Hunt began because children believed that hares laid eggs in the grass. The Romans believed that "all life comes from an egg." Christians consider eggs to be "the seed of life" and so they are symbolic of the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Why we dye, or color, and decorate eggs is not certain, but in early times, eggs were painted with bright colors to represent the sunlight of spring. In ancient Egypt, Greece, Rome and Persia eggs were dyed for spring festivals. In medieval Europe, beautifully decorated eggs were given as gifts.

And who is the Easter Bunny?
Today on Easter Sunday, children wake up to find that the Easter Bunny has left them baskets of candy. He has also hidden the eggs that they decorated earlier that week. Children hunt for the eggs all around the house. Neighborhoods and organizations hold Easter Egg Hunts, and the child who finds the most eggs wins a prize. (I should have indulged more on this when I was a kid, hehe!).

The Easter Bunny has its origin in pre-Christian fertility lore. The Rabbit was the most fertile animal known and it served as a symbol of the new life during the spring season.

So there goes the saga of our Easter customs and traditions. The very reason why I blog on this is that I really dunno the history behind the easter egg and easter bunny, so I have to dig up the whole origin through web search hehe! Happy Easter to all!

Live It Up, Singles!

2007-04-02T17:54:00.000+08:00

Last Saturday, the Elim Singles CDO Chapter together with the servant leaders from Gingoog and Dipolog had its much awaited gathering at Middleton Apartelle. With no less than the Elim Singles Vis-Min Coordinator Sandy Michaels as the key speaker, the entire audience was just so inspired listening to her talks. One of the issues she tackled was on the Live-Give Project which aimed in providing single men and women with avenues of generosity by giving them opportunities to serve the less fortunate with their time, talent and treasure.

The Live-Give Project takes its cue from its banner verse in Matthew 10:8, where our Lord Jesus Christ says, “You have been treated generously, so live generously.” We believe that as single men and women, God has given us the choice to live for ourselves or for others. Live-Give is a statement of philosophy for us through this project because we believe that as singles, we’ve been blessed by our Lord and in turn want to bless others. In short, we believe that we truly live when we truly give, thus the name “Live-Give.”

Apart from the inspiring talks, everybody enjoyed the sumptuous food and was entertained by the lively worship songs performed by the E-Singles Music Ministry. The fun and merry-making continue as everybody roused from their seats and joined the EMM in the dance floor, grooving to the tune of those Christian music in R&B tempo. Such a spirit-filled gathering there is! Everyone was able to savor the fun and excitement as the group chanted the singles chorus – Hooh-ha!!

For more info about the Elim Singles Community, visit www.pinoyeverywhere.com

Kudos To The Graduates!

2007-03-24T10:38:00.000+08:00

A grand toast to this year's batch of graduates! Sail on as you set a new milestone in your life. Wishing you all the best in your future endeavors as you are about to pursue your goals and establish your dream career in the "real world". And to the parents who were with these kids every step of the way, my warm congratulations to you! How proud you must have been, seeing your children reaping the fruits of their labor which could have been impossible without your unending support. You truly deserves an "A" mark for that. Kudos!

Eco-Trek For A Cause

2007-03-18T16:44:00.000+08:00

Yesterday, Fe and I joined Judith’s group (Lynette, Cecil, Bebeth & Yoyoy) in their eco-trek at Barangay Balubal in Baloy. Unlike any other adventure we’ve been to, that eco-trek was one of its kind due to the sacred place itself. It was not just purely nature trekking for us hikers then. It was more of a pilgrimage towards the Shrine of our Lady of Guadalupe right there on top of the hill. It was an eco-trek for a cause as we completed the Via Crucis (Stations of the Cross) for our Pre-Lenten sacrifice.

Getting there at the shrine is quite a sacrifice itself. You have to pass by around 5 kilometers from the highway to reach the starting point of the trek. And from the starting point itself, you have to trek down the woods, go through those bushy trails and cross the river for the nth time. (I say nth time ‘coz I didn’t count the actual number of times we crossed the river, hehe!). It was like having a zigzag route since the first 12 of the 14 Stations of the Cross we went through were positioned alternately on the opposite sides of the river. The last two stations, however, were just adjacent to each other, leading to a trail towards the entrance of the shrine. Just a few more steps and we've reached the top! Thanks God!

Feeling so exhausted from such long trek under the infuriating heat of the sun, we took a short rest at the visitor’s area where foods were served. Hay! Timing sad kay gutom na kaayo! Imbes na snacks lang ang kaunon, kami ni Lynette gi tuloy-tuloy na ang paniudto hehehe! After we had filled our stomachs and had refreshed ourselves, we proceeded to the chapel for the prayer offering to our Lady of Guadalupe.

When it was time to clean up and leave the shrine, the sky started to dim a bit. Uh-oh! It was giving a signal that it’s going to rain any minute! Nah, wa jud palibak, kay mao jud paghaw-as namo sa pinaka-katapusan nga pagtabok sa suba, nisugod na ug bundak ang ulan. Hala lumba ug panagan hehehe! Not that bad though, ‘coz it wasn’t a heavy downpour of rain after all. And we were just in time to catch a pedicab to drive us to the highway. And that ends our adventure. Hope we can schedule for another trek sometime this year.

See more photos at http://pepperonni.multiply.com/photos/album/42

Simple Treat, Big Fun!

2007-02-23T23:45:00.000+08:00

I’m probably the happiest person today. Why? Because it’s my birthday, hehe! Tons of well wishers’ greetings and messages filled my inbox. And nothing makes my day any happier than getting a “VIP” call from those people close to my heart who can’t be here with me on this special day – my family back home, my bestfriend from afar, my classmate and my adventure buddy across the cities, and my very good friend miles away. Yep, mao ni sila ang mga pipol nga wala pa jud naka miss ug call sa akong birthday sukad naluma ang telepono ug nauso ang cellphone hehehe!.

What’s more with the big day? After I’ve attended the mass, I went to Dimsum to get a take-out dinner for my colleagues Fe and Teray who’s goin to invade my pad after office. It was an all-girls bonding session at my place then. Apart from the take-out dinner, we also enjoyed some home-cooked goodies for refreshments (thanks Teray for being my assistant in the kitchen, hehe!). And ooops! Where’s Fe? Aha! Busy preparing for the videoke session, haha! It seems the two girls got hooked to the music, ug nihirit pa jud ug computer games mao ng pasado ala-una na sa kaadlawon nakauli, hehehe! Thanks Fe and Teray for spending the night with me on my birthday. Lingaw jud kayo ko sa atong bonding!

For the weekend, I’m going home for sure! Got to have a belated birthday celebration at home. No big party as usual, just a simple dinner for the four of us – my mom, dad, sis and moi. And when I get back to work after my so-called birthday leave, time to celebrate the day with my colleagues (who had been reminding me of the magic word “TREAT”! hahaha!). See you all guys!

Valentine's Day Escapade

2007-02-15T11:19:00.000+08:00

It’s the Day of Hearts once again! And everybody seems to be painting the city red. Well, love is in the air, so they say. For those who have read my previous year’s valentine article (with a very eye catching title that is!), you’d probably expect one common thing with today’s piece. Nah, it’s not the “three dates” I’ve mentioned, haha! The magic word is foodtrip! Oh yeh! Cupid’s day is never complete without food in mind!

We had some sort of resto-hopping then, and our first stop was at the Mallberry Suites. Seven ladies in a row invaded the dining table - Fe, Judith, Teray, Normy, Lynette, Mam Cecil and moi (sorry guys, exclusive for girls lang jud nga date, hehe!). “Sit back and relax over a cup of tea” was the motto for the night, so after we had our stomachs full, we enjoyed a short walk heading to Eastwok. Some few refreshments coupled with a cozy live band entertainment, swak na swak jud pang unwind sa sama namo nga nanga stress sa work, hehehe!

Have a stress-free Valentine’s Day, everyone!

Cousins Day Out!

2007-01-22T09:08:00.000+08:00

Last Sunday, my cousins visited CDO and it was so fortunate of me to have joined them (finally!) in their escapade. Well, I’ve always been absent in most of their bonding sessions, so when Jongkoi texted me that Sunday afternoon, I immediately called him up, ‘coz I wanna make sure I wouldn’t be left out for the nth time, hehehe!

A few minutes of joyride within the city had brought us to the house of Jojo and Micmic’s friend where we took some wacky snapshots. Bahala ug gisingot na sa kainit sa panahon, hala pose lang gihapon. Pastilan! Walay lingaw!

Still undecided where to go next, the driver of the group, Kuya Jonard, had finally stepped the break at Limketkai. Ayan, pabugnaw kuno sa mall kay grabe kaigang! The original plan was to watch a movie, but when we passed by the World of Fun arcade, we ended up joining those little ones playing kiddie games, hahaha! I forgot the name of the game though. Basta kana bitaw maghulog-hulog ug piso, then kung maka bonus ka, you’ll get tickets equivalent for souvenir items which are to be claimed at the booth nearby. We were having so much fun with the game, we hardly noticed we had spent more than 200 bucks, just by merely dropping peso coins every now and then. And our prize? Tsadaaan! Pagka haba-habang rolyo ng tickets, worth 400+ points. And since I’m the only rose among the thorns, they decided to turn over all those tickets to me, and had me choose whatever souvenir item I want! Wahhooo! Tenk yu mga pinsan!

Still mesmerized with such winnings from that kiddie game, we went on strolling around the mall, hopping from one tech store to another, eyeing for some prospect tech gadgets to buy. Kuya Jonard’s prospect was the same as mine – a computer set with flat screen lcd monitor . We only differ by our pockets – his was full, mine was empty hahaha!. Siya, pwede insigida palit that day, ako sunod tuig pa siguro!

After some few more minutes of mall strolling, our reverend cousin Fr. Arnold called us up, saying he’s gonna treat us out for dinner. So our hungry stomachs then brought us to SM City. Ba’t ang layo? Well, just to drop by and eat some more, ‘coz we’re heading to Talakag afterwards, and there we would spend the night at the palace, hehehe! Bitaw, sa kumbento, ang pinuy-anan ni Kuya Dodo (Fr. Arnold), diin siya na destino pagka kura paroko.
We had much fun at the convent. Kaon-kaon, storya-storya, picture-picture… uban si Jongkibark, Kuya Jonard's holy dog, hehehe! Makalingaw! Hope to be back at Kuya Dodo’s place before he ends his term in Talakag on June this year and be assigned in another parish in Bukidnon. (Just hoping his next assignment will be in my beloved hometown Malaybalay!).

A Blessed New Year

2007-01-01T08:51:00.000+08:00

New Year’s Eve -- I’ve had my first flip on the 2007 Bible Diary my friend Judith had given me last Christmas. I was quite eager then to know the very first message in store for the New Year. And behold, was I that inspired by the passage: “This is how you shall bless… The Lord bless you and keep you!” (Numbers 6:23-24)

While the common greetings we usually exchange at the strike of 12 midnight were “Happy New Year! Have a prosperous New Year! Mabungahong bag-ong tuig!”, the day’s passage tells us how God would have us greet each other. “The Lord bless you and keep you!”

The best way to greet one another this New Year is to invoke God’s blessing upon one another. Instead of simply “wishing” for one to have a prosperous new year, invoke God’s blessing upon that person. We petition the Lord to bestow His complete blessings on each one. In this manner, we can be sure that God’s grace will rest on us for the rest of the year.

Have a blessed New Year, everyone!!

The High School Reunion

2006-12-28T16:49:00.001+08:00

Nothing comes more exciting than a high school reunion – a time to reconnect with long lost friends you missed out several years ago. A day after Christmas, the entire SICHS campus turned into a big party ground as our dear Alma Mater set off for the celebration of its Grand Alumni Homecoming. Whew! Such a festive gathering of all the Isidran alumni – from the early batch in the 50’s down to the new generation batch in the millennium era. Held every two years, with more than 50 batches (1949-2006) gathering together, there’s no high school reunion in our town as grand as this!

Hmnn.. and how was my batch doing? Well, we sure had a blast on that day. After taking a glimpse on the Latino Night at the gym, we indulged ourselves for a super heavy meal! That was the so-called Alumni Dinner, and we took advantage of it ‘coz it was all for free, hahaha! The next day, we busied ourselves for the motorcade. With all those last-minute preparations, we still had managed to make it smooth all the way. With our batch t-shirt design and our souvenir “I Love 1994” button pins courtesy of Teray (US), the shirt printing courtesy of Marisol (UK), the balloons courtesy of Cristine, the giant batch streamer courtesy of Lucille, the decorations courtesy of moi & Matet, plus the participation of our batchmates (Ritchie Mae, Maricel, Venessa, Alele, Kristy Myr, Robert, Cristopher, Bryan, Ian, Phillip, Silverio, Nenito, Pernell & Isidro), everything just turned out perfectly.

We hope to see more of our batchmates in the next Grand Alumni Homecoming in 2008! See you all guys!

Browse more of the reunion photos at http://pepperonni.multiply.com/photos/album/41

Christmas In Our Hearts

2006-12-25T16:23:00.000+08:00

I love Christmas! I just love everything about it – the spirit of the season, the kringles, the joyous carols, the holiday madness, the cold weather, the family gatherings, reunion with old friends… everything! As the famous Christmas song goes “It’s The Most Wonderful Time of The Year!” Indeed, it’s my most anticipated month the whole year through – a time to feast!

Yeah, right. Feasting! Beginning the first week of December, Christmas parties are already in gear, and it’s going to last the whole month through. Add to that the Christmas bazaars with their array of sumptuous delicacies and “free tasting” for delighted shoppers and passers-by. And Noche Buena… how can one even begin to describe the variety of treats? Such a fun-filled season indeed!

Yet amidst these merry-making and feasting came a deep thought in my mind. While office parties and money splurging are taking off, a poor family is still hoping for a plate of rice and salted fish to come by. Street kids and old beggars are spreading everywhere, eagerly waiting for a drop of peso to feed their hunger. See the irony?

I could also start thinking about those people around who have to work even on holidays. On Christmas, there will always be waiters, security guards, medical personnel, sales ladies, bus drivers, technicians – people who are on duty 24/7. While we are enjoying Noche Buena with our family, they will be away from their loved ones, and will be unable to partake fully the richness of this joyful Christmas Day.

What then is the real essence of Christmas for all of us? Ahh.. it would be more than just the kringles, the christmas carols, the holiday madness, the reunions, the noche buena and all those things we had our money splurged on. It would be more on partaking Jesus and rejoicing over His birth. For it is not what is outside of us that is important but our eagerness for Him inside of us.

A blessed Christmas to one and all!

Singles Agape Day Trip

2006-12-05T15:50:00.000+08:00

Hoo-ha!! Time for another monthly socials for the Single Elimites! Together with the Elim Singles Gingoog and some other invited singles in CDO, we went for a nature tripping adventure at Blue Water River Resort in Taguanao. Such a breathtaking place there is! Tall trees, fresh air, unspoiled river, chirping of the birds… the site was perfect for outdoor activities. Lots of surprises were prepared by our games committee and it indeed liven up the gathering! The most amusing one was the so-called “christian service game” where my group received an award for its extravagant service of all -– the “washing of the feet” which exhibited our true spirit of christian service by simply showing genuine humility. Kudos to all single servants! Ingana jud dapat ang pagserbisyo!

Ooops! The fun never stopped there! ‘Coz after our big lunch, we headed through the Macahambus Adventure Park for our afternoon tripping. It’s cave exploration this time! We entered an unspoiled cavern that led to a stream with pristine water. The dark pathways brought us to another end of the cave leading to a passage overlooking the white water rafting site. After taking some few snapshots, we proceeded with the next activity which was to get down to the bottom of the gorge, and enjoy the lush vegetation and the cold underground stream. I’ve tried exploring the gorge through rappelling last year, let me try descending this time through the 150-step trail. Hmnn… somewhat easier compared to rappelling, but quite exhausting too! Hahaha! Just can’t get enough of it, though. Hope to bring some more friends in here next time.

One final remark before I end this article. Elim Singles would like to extend their thanks to Bro. Pops for sharing his time amidst his busy schedule. He was the one who diligently drove us to the river site that morning, fetched us after lunch heading our way to Macahambus, and fetched us again at the end of the day when the adventure was through. We are indeed grateful for everybody’s support. TG!

See more photos at http://pepperonni.multiply.com/photos/album/37

Advanced Christmas Treats

2006-11-28T16:38:00.000+08:00

December is yet to come, but I’m already receiving advanced Christmas treats recently, hehe! To name a few, I got this 512 MB USB Flash Drive from my college friend in New York, a complete episode of Love Season drama series (eight CDs all in all) courtesy of a fellow tech-savvy friend from Korea, a headset with microphone my colleague has handed on to me before she left for New Zealand (thanks Wyetski!), a brand new Samsung SGH-X680 handyphone from my service provider Globe Telecom, an all-original Jansport bag from a holy friend out there in Hawaii, and last but not the least -- a hundred dollar check from Google, Inc. for my continued patronage on their Adsense services. Whew! God’s blessings truly abound, and it’s been manifested through the people around I interact with. Thank you Lord for all these gifts!

Thanks God I Blog!

2006-11-13T16:34:00.000+08:00

The idea of blogging had just pounced on my mind two years ago when I accidentally browsed the Xanga website, and that was the time I came up with my first blog Bounjour Mademoiselle. Then came my second blog Welcome To My World which I thought of as my online journal. A lot of other blogs then followed, including this one I’ve created in Blogspot. It's been interesting during my not-so-long stint at blogging to consider my friends' responses at this idea. "Blog? Unsa na?!" – with the question mark emphasized – was sometimes the wary response. Well, those were the remarks I got a few years back when the word “blog” has not yet swept the internet-savvy folks’ mind by storm, hehe! Nowadays, the comments I would hear (from those folks who are not into blogging) vary: “Blog? What for? Why the heck would I waste my time for it?” or the other version: “You really do have time for that stuff, nagsige ka nalang ug blog, ako wala koy panahon para ana”. Well, if you’re not into blogging and have just browsed this blog by chance (maybe from a different source link), then it’s sort of a perfect timing you are reading this post!

Why blog? What do we get from it? Based from what I’ve been through at blogging, I wanna share some thoughts about the benefits I got from it. Needless to say, these are the 10 reasons why I blog.

1. It's fun. Self explanatory. FUN! As in lingaw! Think of any hobby you have and you’ll definitely describe it as fun - something you love doing, something you enjoy indulging yourself with. That’s what blogging to me, a hobby… a source of fun!

2. It's a tremendous opportunity to share a message. My casual, having-fun-self has delved into the deeper me, rooted around in my heart, and stipulated that such opportunity to share faith must not be ignored. My own experience is one manifestation of God’s great love. I want to share the good life I've been blessed with… and I wanna do this in an appealing, non-preachy, uplifting manner. It is my hope that one or two persons, somewhere on this globe, may say, "That's a rather neat way to live. Think I'll check it out." From this idea, I came up with my christian blogs Echoes From The Heart and Soulful Journey.

3. It’s a unique way to communicate with family & friends across the seas. Blogging gives you an opportune way to keep in touch with your friends and loved ones whom you haven’t seen for a long time. They can always get some fresh updates from you no matter how far they are. In turn, you can also be kept posted with their life’s updates by exchanging stories. Hence, it surmounts distance barriers.

4. It's an outlet for creative writing. I’ve always been considering myself a “closet writer”. I have so many ideas in mind which I wanted to document, that is, put stuff into writing and make a journal. But with my so busy life (corporate world + life in the academe + church community + sports & leisure activities + family time + friends escapades + miscellaneous activities), I wonder if I could ever have spent sometime for making a journal. Through blogging, which eventually turned out to be a cool hobby, not only have I spent a great deal of time writing, but I’ve also been able to share my thoughts and ideas to people. Now, that’s creative writing!

5. It serves as therapy for some who need a place to vent. Blogging is a way of expressing oneself. Whether you are lonely, happy, inspired, excited, annoyed, thrilled, disgusted… you can express everything on your blog. Simply saying, your blog speaks your mind and conveys your heart. And when somebody writes a comment on your blog posting, you’re also letting that person express himself/herself. Ain’t that cool?

6. It's a way of forming friendships around the world. When you blog, you’re making yourself visible to the world wide web. A lot of people will be able to read your posts from all over the world. I’ve been noticing that a number of comments on my blog postings came from people outside my country, whew! And they’re giving good reviews to my articles! See? It’s one way of expanding your acquaintances around the globe.

7. It's a way to earn money. Absolutely! This is one true thing I can truly attest to! Why not? Google has just paid me $100 a month ago for the ads posted in my blog site. Now that’s good news to all bloggers out there! See? You get paid for something you love to do. You earn revenue from your blog by simply posting Google ads… and that’s it! Your money accumulates and you’ll just wake up one day receiving a dollar check from Google! Wahoo!

8. It’s educational. One thing I’ve learned from blogging is the HTML stuff (you know, like those CSS codes & scripts you do for web design). Well, it’s not that I’ve learned the whole thing from blogging. It’s just that blogging is one of the means to familiarize yourself with HTML. I’ve been doing a portion of web design for our company’s intranet a few years back, yet I’ve never been this meticulous on the codes & scripts, not until I had started working on my own web site hehehe! And when we finally had a formal training on Web Applications a couple of months ago, everything’s not new to me anymore, as I already had a brief exposure on those HTML stuff. Thanks God, I blog! Heheh!

9. It’s a way to promote business. Two of my friends used their blogs as a way of promoting their business (a colleague of mine who endorsed her crocheting business through Blogspot and a classmate wayback in college who made use of her Multiply site to promote her clothing business). I had created a separate blog for my pearl business too. Check it out!

10. It curtails boredom and loneliness. It’s very applicable to me, for a fact that I live on my own (as in alone, no housemate hehe!). There would be times when I just feel bored at my flat, and guess what? I’ll just go to my PC, and start scribbling with the keyboard! It’s a very healthy way to ease up the monotony.

The bottom line here is that “it’s always good to blog”. Though I’m not really urging you all to go make a blog in an instant. It’s still a matter of drive, passion and motivation. As what I’ve said, when something turns out to be a great hobby, then you’ll really have fun doing it! Don’t just force yourself to do blogging just because everybody’s doing it, and that you feel you’re left behind by the trend. Again, I say it has something to do with drive, passion and motivation. And once you have developed these three attributes, everything else follows – you’ll be having fun, you can share your thoughts and ideas, develop your writing skills, create friendship around the globe, earn money, promote your business, and a lot more!

One last cue: When you’re about to start making a blog, it sets your freedom. You can have a repository of anything that’s been cluttering on your mind. Express yourself, ‘ika nga. But this doesn’t mean posting anything offensive and foul words. There’s what we call “responsible blogging”, and it calls for a “responsible blogger”. Be one!

No More Tricks, Just Treats!

2006-11-03T17:23:00.000+08:00

Over the years, Philcom has been throwing Halloween Parties for kids before all the employees take their much awaited “All Saints Day” holiday vacation. Time for the so-called Trick or Treat! But this year’s Halloween Party was quite different. No more creepy costumes, no more flying bats and walking skeletons, no more scary ghosts roaming around, no more ugly witches with that bubbling cauldron, no more horrifying sounds on that eerie dark room filled with cobwebs, no more tricks that would make those kids frightened all over before they could grab their treats. It was just purely fun and merriment for the kids, less those tricks. So there goes the Halloween Party dubbed as "Philcom Kids Fair" held last October 27, 2006.

At around 1:30 in the afternoon, hundreds of kids queued up in the Registration Booth bringing with them their pumpkin baskets and trick bags, as they were all set for the office hopping, that is, time for claiming those treats waiting at each room in the office. After they have all routed the two floors of the building, it was time to start the program proper. Clowns and jugglers came along to entertain the kids with their funny and playful acts. There was “Lastikman” too who amazed the crowd with the powerful twisting of his body. The Kids For Christ Band also graced up the show with their fantastic performance of “Hawak Kamay” and “Miss Kita Pag Tuesday”. Then came the Kids At Heart crew to fire up the kids’ adrenaline for that full-packed games & surprises, and the Jollibee team for the sumptuous kiddie meal. And whew! Who can forget the ice cream galore? I even joined the queue, holding my empty ice cream cone ready for filling, hahaha!

One of the main highlights of the Kids Fair was the Talent Contest which showcased the kids’ abilities in singing and dancing. There was also the Q&A For Mom & Kid Contest, and the Art Contest which was done simultaneously with the program, held at the 2nd floor hallway. After a series of more games and intermission numbers, recognitions were given to the Best in Talent, Best in Art, Best Mom & Kid, and Smart Kid awardees. Cheers to all the winners!

Click here to view last year’s Halloween Trick or Treat.
See more Kids Fair photos at http://pepperonni.multiply.com/photos/album/36

Ms. Do-It-Herself

2006-10-26T14:34:00.000+08:00

While I was busy strolling around SM Department Store for my last-minute shopping, I came across an attractive display of wall decorations at a nearby cash register. As I intently browsed every sort of decorative items, one eye-catching design had captured my attention – a ceramic wall hanging décor having a cool sign “Ms. Fix It” at the top. And when I looked at those words etched below the sign, I was just so amused reading the tag lines and the entire job list! Whew! This wall décor seemed to speak the kind of lifestyle I have, hahaha! Nalingaw jud ko! Call me an impulsive buyer, but I instantly grabbed the item and added it on my shopping basket.

Ms. Fix It? Ehh.. why not? Being an independent woman that I am, I’ve done quite a number of minor and major fixing along the way… well, in my flat I mean.. hehe! Of the twelve house jobs on the list (see photo), I’ve so far done seven of them – carpentry, painting, decorating, cleaning, cooking, mending and shopping. Major home repair, renovation, plumbing and electrical jobs were done by the professionals of course. Taxi service? I’m just good at dialing the call-a-taxi hotline, haha!

Carpentry. When I got this flat four years ago, one of the first things I bought were the hardware tools for some minor carpentry jobs (hammer, nails, screw drivers, pliers, hooks, knobs, etc.). I’ve done quite a number of carpentry jobs at my flat then. Mending my dining table, refurbishing my bedroom closet, fixing my kitchen cabinet (had to borrow that noisy electric drill for this job hehe!), repairing worn out locks at my door, assembling racks and shelf, and installing window blinds (I had to tiptoe all the time and had to fully stretch my arms upward while doing the entire blinds assembly 10 feet above as I didn’t have a carpenter’s ladder, I was only using a chair for elevation, hehe!). I suddenly remember that song way back in grade school “I drive the nails with one, two, three! I saw away the lumber…” Now, I’m doing all those stuff too! Lingaw sab diay mag karpentero!

Painting. Because my flat isn’t that big enough, painting job was never a burden. While it was my father who did this kind of work back in my hometown, I’m now doing everything independently at my flat. Had simply bought a paint brush, a paint basin, a roller, a can of latex paint (for cement) and enamel (for wood), and a thinner. Within just a few hours of such thorough work, ayan.. amoy pintura na ang bahay ko, heheh! Bitaw, mas hamugaway na tan-awon akong palibot.

Decorating. Ahh.. this is one thing I loved the most. Diri mogawas akong pagka-kikay, hehehe! Being so particular with the house motif, I really made sure everything in my flat looked so color coordinated. From the curtains I put on (even made them myself using my colleague’s sewing machine, hehe!), the wall frames, the doormat, the table cloth, the beddings, the cushions, (even the plastic trash can, whew!) and all other house adornments, there’s a color scheme to create a cool ambiance of my place. In my bedroom, I had this glow-in-the-dark constellation figures attached to my ceiling to make me feel like I’m stargazing everytime I go to bed (seems like a kid's bedroom, hehe!). I have a few collections of angel figurines too. And the latest ceramic décor I have? What else but this “Ms. Fix It” stuff!

Cleaning. Since I live alone in my flat (as in no buddy, no assistant), the cleaning job is all mine, hahaha! From mopping the floor, washing the dishes, organizing the clutters, dusting racks and shelf, cleaning the toilet, doing the laundry (etcetera, etcetera)… whew! I had everything under my hands! Nevertheless, I’ve become so accustomed on this that I hardly noticed I’m doing a one-man show! Hahaha!

Cooking. I must admit I never really cook. My mom does the cooking job at home. But I started to learn to cook when I had to live quite a distance from home, the time when I entered college and live the boarding house lifestyle. Hala, luto jud para maka-save, hehe! When the time came that I had to set my own career path after graduation and had to live on my own, I became an instant cook-in-the-making (really!). And as time went by, I’ve learned to love cooking indeed! My friends and colleagues would at times visit my place just to enjoy my home-cooked goodies. Yum.. yum!

Shopping. There goes the grocery list, naka magnet sa refrigerator. And who’s going to do the shopping? Well, ako gihapon, hahaha! As what I’ve said earlier, it’s a one-man show! One thing I love about doing groceries is that I'm always kept posted with the prices of the basic commodities, unlike before that I was not so keen about prices (kay dili man ako ang ga-grocery, whew!). While it’s a fact that thriftiness is my nature, I do also splurge myself for a shopping-spree! But here’s the catch - I don’t go to boutiques for they have the tendency to overprice their items. I go instead to department stores where I can choose a wide array of clothing and accessories at a much lesser price. And my best venue for shopping? The ukay-ukay sale at some selected stalls in the malls. I’m just so practical when it comes to shopping. I’m not so keen about signature clothes and all other branded stuffs. Just check my closet and you’ll hardly see any branded apparels and accessories on it. Even my house furnishings, almost of all them I bought at a super low price, wahoo! I have to admit what my friends say that I’m a kuripot shopper heheh! But I guess I have a more appropriate word for that – it’s “wise spending.”

“No job too big. No problem too small.” This was the wall décor tagline that had me nod in approval. Indeed there’s no job too big and no problem too small for a woman who exudes ingenuity and independence. And it's quite a fulfillment on my part knowing that in one way or another, I have become one such kind of woman. Way to go, Ms. Do-It-Herself!

A Conference Like No Other

2006-10-18T10:29:00.000+08:00

After a victorious Going Global Singles Conference in Cebu last May 2006 came IMAGINE, the 7th Annual Excellence Conference held last October 6-8, 2006 in Manila. Attended by thousands of delegates from all over the Philippines and abroad (Malaysia, Hongkong, Japan, Korea, & USA), multitudes of people were really blessed and inspired with this biggest Catholic teaching conference of its kind in Asia! Join me as I recount those memorable experiences I had during the three-day conference.

Day 1 - Friday, October 6. A power-packed, awe-inspiring Opening Ceremony had brought the audience in total bewilderment. As in everybody was just so stunned gazing those splendid views of the new Heaven and new Earth, I couldn't help but exclaimed "Nasa langit ba ako?". (This would take quite a paragraph ‘coz I’ll be taking you with your imagination this time, hehe!). The entire hall was dimmed, the four big screens around were switched on (like that we saw in movie theaters), showcasing those scenic heavenly captures (it was more like seeing four movies simultaneously, so you just have to turn your head 180 degrees every now and then to take a full view of the different sceneries, hehe!). Then came the melodious music accompaniment from a solo performer playing his violin on stage who was like flying as the (magical) chair gently rose him up on air, complimented with those sparkling bubbles filling up the entire surroundings. At the signal of the emission of that thick smoke from the floor came a heavenly voice singing from nowhere. As we all turned our heads back, following the spotlight’s direction, we found ourselves spellbound seeing a debonair (portrayed by GenRever Choy Miranda) all dressed in a prince-like suite, chanting with that operatic voice, making his way towards the center stage through that seemingly floating platform. Along came the flock of angels and other heavenly creatures hopping in, bouncing and dancing gaily on the four aisles of the hall as they headed their way through the theatrical stage. Then the lights were turned on, and everybody was set all for the praise and worship! It was like a heavenly concert. Wow! Isn’t that amazing?

As what our EC06 Conference Director Didi Marañon said, “The way to benefit most from this conference is to become a child again. Rekindle your sense of wonder. Be playful even. Leave at the doormat all your preconceived notions and be open for anything. Let yourself laugh easily, worship with gusto and learn to live in the moment...” It was such a message of relief for us who have become “boxed” people – boxed in by our own limitations and perceptions. Whoaw! How nice it is to be free up for a while from the “real world” and just experience the empowering presence of God.

More than the usual conference, EC06 was a time for merriment and relaxation. While it was a venue for receiving dynamic teachings and practical lessons, it was also a venue for enjoyment and recreation. Held at The Oasis (Aurora Boulevard), a premiere events venue located in the neighborhood of the Elim Global Headquarters, the EC06 Party Night was totally an evening of fun and excitement. Everybody was able to unwind and share the company of hundreds of other delegates from across the country and the world with a sampling of casual entertainment, live music, dance, and of course, food!

If you feel like moving to the groove, head over to the dance area. If karaoke is your thing, they’ve got some of that, too. Or if relaxing in the company of friends over refreshments is your fancy, you can go ahead grab a table, and better yet, share it with some other international delegates!

Raffle prizes like a Nokia N-Series phone, gift certificates and iPods were up for grabs too! Lots of games had entitled those lucky players to win cool prizes. Malaysian delegates won most of the raffles and the games as they had represented the largest number of delegation. If I’m not mistaken, there were about 96 Malaysian delegates all in all. Whew! Quite a number! 15 ra gani mi delegates from CDO, hehehe!

Day 2 – Saturday, October 7. The plenary talks were indeed powerful and vital. They helped stretch, not just our imagination, but also our way of life. The various simultaneous sessions that covered leadership, discipleship and worship had brought us into another level of Christian maturity. One of the simultaneous sessions we had attended was the Elim Singles Conference where we were exhorted to take part in the Live Give Project.

A world-class entertainment at EC06. The evening of October 7 was a concert night, with the staging of “I Can Only Imagine”, a contemporary Christian concert featuring Christian artist and Elim Singles National Director PY Nakar. Such a fresh repertoire of songs which had taken us on a flight of imagination and wonder. Award-winning songwriter and hip-hop dance choreographer Jungee Marcelo was the special guest for that night. Providing the accompaniment and orchestration was the Elim Music Ministry singers and band who were joined by a 12-piece string ensemble. Parang Elim version ng Phil Harmonic Orchestra! Perfect!

Day 3 – Sunday, October 8. We started the day with a Eucharistic Celebration, followed by the 3rd plenary which was presented in a Game Show-like manner. Hosted by Bro. Moses Catan, with Kiddo Cosio voicing over the invisible “Joe”, wow! It was one of the perfect tandem I’ve ever seen on stage. The Game Show was dubbed “How Many of You” which entitled the winners to be “beneficiary of Christian witness”. And for every set of questions in each category, the Elim Trio up on stage would then chant the game tag line “How maaany of yooouu?!” with such a perfect voice blending accompanied with that seamless hand and body gestures. Parang “Laban o Bawi” the Christian version, hehe! It was a totally awesome and amusing game show which brought fun and laughter to the audience.

Talk about one of the events I’m looking forward in a Conference, it’s the Book Signing session where we can check the newly launched inspirational books and all other Christian books at the bookstore and have the chance to meet the authors themselves and have their personalized message and signature etched on our very own purchased books. I bought this inspirational book “Shine Through Suffering” by Didi Marañon and Lory Lina, and whew! It was such a great pleasure having these great Christian authors signing a personalized message on my newly purchased book.

The last plenary by Bro. Willly Nakar was succeeded by the Anointing Prayer and the Praise Rally. What a powerful grand finale! During the Anointing Prayer, I can feel the enigmatic presence of God dwelling upon me. While others received the gift of tongues, gift of tears, gift of laughter, and the gift of singing, I got none of the above. I received a different gift which I could never explain. As Bro. Willy professed the anointing prayer and raised his hands towards the audience, I felt an extreme coldness I was like freezing – my hands and knees were trembling. The last time I’ve ever had that tremendous chill was when I was at the peak of the 10,000-feet Mt. Kitanglad (savoring the zero degrees temperature) four years ago! On the contrary, one of our brothers shared that he felt the opposite during the anointing prayer. He was like being rinsed with hot water all over his body, he was sweating all over due to the extreme hotness he felt. Mysterious as it was, with faith, we believed that it was one great manifestation that the Holy Spirit has dwelt upon us and spoke to us on that very moment.

On the Praise Rally, everybody was singing and dancing to the rhythm of those powerful Christian songs. Just imagine those thousands of people grooving, jumping, and chanting together… and the conference hall was a bit shaking hehe! There was this amusing portion with my co-delegate Kara. Everytime the gathering calls for a praise rally and community singing, we would remove our sandals and we go on dancing and chanting with bare foot! And one thing more.. me and my co-CDO delegates always loved to stay on the fire zone! As in pinaka front jud! That’s the spirit! When you have to listen to the Word of God and receive His blessings, it’s always nice to be on the fire zone!

Still burning up with enthusiasm after the three-day conference, I found myself joining the queue of those early registrants for the next conference. Yep, I already have registered for the 8th Excellence Conference on October 5-7, 2007. Aside from getting the 50% discount on the registration fee, I just grabbed the opportunity to share my “early” blessings to the community and gave back what belongs to the Lord. So to my fellow Elimites out there, I’ll see you all in Manila for the 8th Annual Excellence Conference: RECEIVE!

See more photos at http://pepperonni.multiply.com/photos/album/35

Early Christmas At My Home

2006-10-11T09:08:00.000+08:00

As early as October, stores set up Christmas trees, flashy decorations and stocks of toys. Christmas songs were played on radio stations. In many homes, families refurbish their homes, busied themselves hunting for the perfect décor and the finest gleaming lights to harmonize with the interior concept of the house. Hmnn.. I’m no exception for that, hehe! A couple of weeks ago, I’ve started fixing up my little home for an entrancing Christmas atmosphere!

Got to dig up the cupboard and begun setting up my 6-ft Christmas tree. With such a meticulous work, it took me almost two hours to finish the assembly, whew! And when everything was ready… tsadaaan! It was time to light up the Christmas tree! I’ve been through with the Christmas wreath and the Christmas lights on the walls as well. My Christmas mp3 collections are all ready too! Ayan! Pasko na jud sa akong payag, hehe! Same as last year's practice, let me begin with my Christmas countdown now. As of this posting, it’s exactly 75 more days to go before Christmas! Excited na ko mga manitos and manitas!

Traveling With The Felines

2006-10-04T10:39:00.000+08:00

Last Sunday, I went to my home sweet home Malaybalay. I was supposed to depart last Saturday, but we had our company’s 10th anniversary activity on that day, so I had to move my travel sked on a Sunday. Guess what was unusual on that travel? I was on board with… uh… well, my kittens, hahaha! Ain’t that something odd and funny?

At first, I was a bit apprehensive on the idea of taking my kittens with me back home. Would I have to secure a permit for bringing kittens with me on travel? What if the bus driver doesn’t allow animals on board and would rather have my kittens thrown on air? The worst thing was, what if the driver would send me out of the bus in the middle of that long, cold, lonesome trip? These are some of the thoughts that bothered me a bit. Murag medyo praning ba, hehe! Well, it’s because I’ve never seen any passenger bringing kittens on board yet - not in my twelve years of traveling! So there goes my paranoid self, haha! My apprehensions just faded away upon the thought that I’d be leaving for Manila in four days time and that nobody’s gonna take care of these little creatures for almost a week! So I really have to take the guts to bring my kittens to my hometown. Hmnn.. why do I have to bring them home when I can have somebody else to take care of them during my absence? Well, it’s just that the people around me here hates cats, haha! So I’d rather take my kittens back home ‘coz I can be assured they’ll be taken cared of in there.

So on the dawn of October 1st (as in nangadlawon ko ug byahe, 3:30 a.m.), I prepared my kittens for travel. I placed them in a shoebox with tiny holes for air passage, and gently tied the box for secured grip. While I was on my way to the bus terminal, the kittens started crying “meoowww!!” Uh-oh! Pang-lingion man kaha ko ani sa mga pasahero sa bus! So I tried asking the taxi driver how much would he charge me if I’m hiring his taxi service straight to Malaybalay. “P1,800 akong singil, pero pwede taka ipa-hangyo ug P1,600!” was what he replied. Ngeng! P1,800?! I’ll take the bus instead! Bahala lingion ko sa mga pasahero, hahaha!

When the taxi arrived at the bus terminal, the kittens still kept on crying. Good thing there were only a few by-passers (kay alas tres pa baya sa kaadlawon), and the loud videoke music from a nearby eatery was of great help then ‘coz it outshone the kitten’s wail, so it wasn’t so obvious that the “meow” sound came from the box I was carrying, hehehe! When I finally got on board with a bus, there was a quick relief on my part as the kittens stopped wailing, whew! Salamat naman! I was sitting peacefully near the driver’s seat when I hear that sound again “Meoowwww!!” Oh no, not this time, miming! Pleeasse! I said to myself. But it was of no use, ‘coz the passengers started looking at my direction, hehehe! I then asked the bus driver if it’s okay to have kittens with me on board. “Dili raba na pwede sa aircon nga bus, kay manimaho kung malibang. So balhin nalang ka sa non-aircon nga bus!” was what he said. Uh-oh! Poor Yvonne! Poor kittens! But hey! Wait a minute! I’m not gonna get out of the bus without convincing the driver that I should remain in his bus, hehe! Kulit sab ko no? So I assured him that my kittens’ not gonna have that smelly discharge (tae in short) ‘coz they don’t eat solid foods yet, and that they’re not gonna be a mess in the bus ‘coz I have placed them securely in a neat box. Haayy! Salamat naman at na convince ko rin si Mr. Driver! And there I was, enjoying the two-hour travel with my kittens.

It was my first time to take a long trip with felines, hehe! And when I arrived home, I felt so relieved seeing my mom and dad smiling from ear to ear as I untied the box and showed them those white-furred, blue-eyed little creatures waiting for their caretaker’s cuddle. Mwahh!

Philcom's September Blast!

2006-09-30T09:18:00.000+08:00

It was indeed a full-packed month end of September as Philcom (Cagayan de Oro) celebrated its 10th year in the telecom industry. With the anniversary tag line “Celebrating A Decade of Giving You The Best”, everybody shared the company’s triumph as Philcom gave away tons of cash prizes and a lot of surprises to the employees and to its valued subscribers.

The two-day anniversary celebration started last Friday, September 29, 2006. The event was kicked off with a motorcade around Metro CDO, after which a festive banquet was held at the business center (tamang-tama para sa mga gutom namo nga tiyan, gikan nag motorcade, hehe!). A thanksgiving mass was then held at around 6:00 p.m. followed by the much awaited dinner for all (ayan pakals napud, naghinam-hinam na ang tanan sa panit sa lechon, yum..yumm!). Our full stomach was then reinforced by the next activity, the Quiz Cash Challenge and Bingo! Didn’t have much luck with the Quiz Cash (kay dli jud ko swetehon anang raffle, hehe!). But whew! The Bingo Challenge made my day ‘coz I won twice out of the eight games that were being played (Pattern I on the 3rd set worth P1,000 and Pattern C on the 5th set worth P1,500). I was as lucky as Judith who also won twice – Pattern P on the 1st set worth P500 and Pattern L on the 4th set worth P1,200. Wahoo! Thank you Lord for such a blessing!

While Friday’s activity was mainly for the employees, Saturday’s event (September 30, 2006) was intended for Philcom’s valued subscribers. A Variety Show was held at SM City from 12:00 noon to 5:00 p.m. showcasing Philcom talents (Charlotte & Ching), music from The First Step Band and Dancers of Kids for Christ. These very young and talented kids performs complete with instruments (taller and bigger than themselves) and costumes that attracts a large number of audiences and a finale by The Men’s Square Band – performing lively music, perking up everyone at SM. Hosted by MOR’s Bernie Bitok-Bitok, fun and laughter filled the atrium as this wacky dude entertained the audience with his awesome wit and humor! Lots of Philcom stuffs were given away (shirts, mugs, caps, umbrellas, callkards, etc.), and so nobody left the place empty-handed. Plus, another bonus treat! Free long distance calls (NDD & IDD) and internet browsing from 10:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. on that single day. Whew! There was indeed a long queue on the phone booths! Ikaw kunoy libre international calls beh hehe! And with our fastest DSL connection, the free web browsing just came in so handy! That was the company’s way of saying “Thank You!” to its valued subscribers for staying Philcom-connected for the past 10 years.

See more photos at http://pepperonni.multiply.com/photos/album/34

Kerygma Feast: Enriching One's Soul

2006-09-20T16:27:00.000+08:00

It was such a fun-filled, victorious evening last Sunday (September 17, 2006) when we (Teray, Judith with her cousins, Fe with Doc Joan, and moi) attended the Kerygma Feast held at The Atrium of the Limketkai Mall. The feast was started off with that joyous praise & worship headed by the Light of Jesus community. Then came preacher/music artist Alvin Barcelona who imparted a very touching testimony, after which he performed his music composition “Peace Ball”. Nalingaw jud kaayo ang crowd! The applause even went louder when he finally introduced the speaker of the night, Bo Sanchez! I’ve read a handful of Bo’s inspirational books and I'm an avid reader of his writings (Kerygma & Didache), but hearing his preaching live was pretty much different. His charisma was totally powerful and amazing, one would never miss hearing every single word of his talk. I say amazing ‘coz the intensity and clarity of his words are so profound, even a mere bystander who hadn’t much encounter with God can fully relate to what he utters. I say powerful ‘coz modulot jud sa kabukugan iyang gipang storya (yeah, it’s no joke!). Plus, he has this certain wit and humor, the crowd would really enjoy every detail of his preaching. Indeed, the gathering was guaranteed to be 100% drowsy-free!

Bo’s topic on “Increase Love In Your Family” had a significat impact to his audience. The first half of his preaching was somewhat focused on the husbands and wives, and if you’re among those couples who have listened to his talk, you’ll really end up laughing at your own mistakes (as in, kay maigo man jud sa message hehehe!). I could even sense a number of husbands and wives from the four corners of the atrium saying “yeah” in unison when a situational family & marriage related question was asked to them. Then came the second half of Bo’s talk which was intended for us singles! Tsadaaaann! He tackled on “Singles: Take Responsibility For Your Future”. Whether you are a single who’s currently searching for a lifetime partner, or a single in a current relationship (boyfriend/girlfriend) and is discerning for married life, whew! Bo’s message was just so clear and precise… as in tumpak, swak, korek! To have more glimpse on what I’m talking about, get a copy of Bo’s latest book “How To Find Your One True Love” (palit jud mo kay ako nakapalit na, didto jud mismo sa Kergma Feast, and so I had the privilege of having Bo Sanchez signed at my newly purchased book, heheh!), or visit http://onetruelovenetwork.com and see for yourself!

Now, I’m looking forward for next year’s Kerygma Feast. I’m just so glad that K Feast has finally reached CDO for three consecutive years now. How I wish it could be held in a monthly basis too, just like in Cebu and Manila. (P.S. Bo, pwede bang maging monthly na rin ang K Feast dito sa CDO? Hehehe!).

Click here to view details of last year’s Kerygma Feast.
See more K Feast photos at http://pepperonni.multiply.com/photos/album/33

Find The Celebrity In You!

2006-09-13T14:08:00.000+08:00

I’ve found this cool stuff from Hazel's blog. It’s a “who’s-your-celebrity-look-alike” web demo that has taken the internet by storm! It’s kinda amusing and exciting, so I gave it a try too! You just upload your photo and… voila! You’ll find who among those celebrities has a striking resemblance of you (though I'm not saying it's a 100% resemblance, not even 50% hahaha!). Just look at what I’ve come up with my uploaded photos:

I cropped my photo samples in three angles - right side view, left side view and front view. After a few minutes of image scanning, photo recognition and facial profile matching, there goes the result:

R&B singer-actress Beyonce Knowles and Jennifer Lopez
Hollywood celebrities Drew Barrymore and Cameron Diaz
Indian actress Aishwariya Rai and Preity Zinta
Smallville's Lana Lang - Canadian actress Kristin Kreuk
Venezuelan model-actress Norkys Batista

.....It's cool, eh? Lingaw-lingaw lang gud hehe! If you're curious who's your celebrity look-alike, you may try the web demo at www.myheritage.com. Go find the celebrity in you!

A Weekend At My Little Home

2006-09-10T12:19:00.000+08:00

It was one rainy Saturday afternoon… I’ve got nothing else to do at my pad aside from curling up in my bed after having my “lucky me beef noodles” break hehe! Some kind of a lazy afternoon, I should say. I’ve already spent the whole morning doing my weekend routine (general cleaning sa balay ug operation kuskos-piga sa isa ka bukid nga labada), and so I had zero workload the whole afternoon, wahooo! It’s siesta time! Tsada jud kaayo matulog kung gaulan.

After an hour of sound sleep, I found myself munching some food (again!?) at my little dining table hahaha! Seems like I never got tired of filling my already filled stomach! It’s no longer a surprise then (labina adtong nakaila jud nako) ‘coz eating is indeed one of my greatest passion hahaha! So if there’s one thing in my pad that I can’t live without, it’s no other than my buddy ref (with those stocked foods in there.. yumm, yumm!).

While people usually go to the malls on a weekend to watch movie, I had myself indulged on a movie marathon at my room. Home body ang drama ng lola nyo, hehe! Yep, I had rented CDs a few days ahead, and within that whole afternoon, I had watched 3 movies in a row – comedy, drama and suspense! Mas sulit kaysa motan-aw pa ug sine sa malls, ahihihihi! Tukar napud akong pagka kuripot! But I tell you, nothing really beats watching movie at home.

Reading books and playing my favorite music… ah, this is one of my favorite weekend pastimes. Got a number of inspirational books in my shelf, most of them I’ve already read more than once. My friends and colleagues even took turns in borrowing those books ‘coz they really fill and inspire one’s soul. And my music? Well, it even turned my day into a more enlivening one. As the song goes “listen to the rhythm of the falling rain”, nah.. sakto jud kaayo kay non-stop ang ulan gikan udto paingon gabii, hehe! I could have played Cueshe’s hit song then, “lagi nalang umuulan… parang walang katapusan…” Just too bad I didn’t have the drums accompaniment ‘coz I only have the guitar, tsk.. tsk!

A few minutes after my music escapade, I had to put down those instruments and prepare for my dinner. Yeah, “operatation luto”! Hehehe! I’m not a good cook though… but doing the kitchen work was one of the things I grew so fond of when I started living on my own several years ago. My place had become my friends’ favorite food trip venue then ‘coz they always liked home cooked goodies hehehe! I remember what Fe stated in her testimonial for me at friendster – "nga pag ako ang host, dli jud mo magutman!” Well, I can assure you that! Careful lang tong uban friends who were a bit complaining about my “extra large” food serving, as they indulged themselves on a strict diet, hahaha!

Can’t go to sleep right away with my stomach full. Hmmn… good thing my feet brought me to my computer table hehehe! I opened my PC and started scribbling down with the keyboard. Ahh.. I guess it’s blog time! Hahaha! So, right there and then, I came up with this wacky idea of posting the typical weekend scenario at my flat. I could have given a different title for this posting then, hehe! Would “Sa Bahay Ni Ate” be appropriate? Parang female counterpart ng “Bahay Ni Kuya” (Big Brother House), hahaha! It seemed so odd, so I just ended up with a heading “A Weekend At My Little Home”.

Now, you have taken a sneak peek at my place. I call it my sanctuary then, simply because it’s a place where I can be alone with myself and do anything at my own pace without anybody’s restrictions; a place where I just can be me; a place where I can put to rest all my burdens at the end of the day and be relieved at once; a place I can call my second home! Thanks for dropping by, dear readers! ‘Till my next blog post.

Amidst The Busy Life...

2006-08-31T12:46:00.000+08:00

It’s been almost a month that I haven’t posted anything on my blog. Hmnn.. so what had been keeping me busy these past few weeks? Well, aside from the usual routine in the corporate world (yeah, corporate slave, that is! haha!), my part-time career in the academe (mao kintahay ni akong diversion apart from being a corporate slave hehe!), my weekly event/gathering with the singles community, and my budding career in the badminton arena (daw! Hehe! Murag gi-career kunohay ni nako lately ba, suki nako sa badminton court every week!)… I’ve actually been loaded with tons of activities for the month.

Week 1: “Bilib It Or Not” Musical – August 08, 2006. Right after my 7:30 p.m. class that day, I had to rush to the concert venue (St. Mary’s Academy Gym) to join my colleagues Judith and Fe who had invited me in. It was not a concert performed by band artists or any celebrities in town… it was rather a “big musical night” showcasing the great talents of the Society of Saint John Vianney. Yeah, mga pari ang mga performers! hehehe! Their live band performance was excellent! From the different music genres they’ve played (Pop, R&B, Alternative, Ballad, Acoustic, Rap/Hip-hop) and those energetic dances they’ve performed (the best part of it was that portion where they were groovin’ to the rhythm of Black Eyed Peas’ “My Humps", whew!), wala talaga akong masabi! These priests have truly transformed themselves from a typical “holy-like” persona to a “groovy, cool, hip-hop” individuals! They have really invaded the limelight that night and just as I’ve thought, they could have had a fallback job in the entertainment world! Hehehe!

Week 2: Singles Table Talk – August 19, 2006. This is a quarterly event for Elim Singles where we discuss on certain issues concerning single lifestyle and reflect on each decision we make in the light of God’s words. So it’s just like the normal bonding we have with our peers and colleagues when we dine out together in a cozy resto. Kaon-kaon, storya-storya, and sharing testimonies with substance. We had our Table Talk held at Consuelo's Steakhouse at 6:00 p.m. attended by around 40 singles from Gingoog and CDO. The 2-hour gathering was filled with fun as it was complemented with a number of surprises initiated by our group leaders. Plus another bonus treat for us was the P49.00 dinner-all-you-can at the steakhouse hehe! At first I thought it was just a small dinner kay P49.00 ra lagi.. But as I looked at the buffet table, whew! it was indeed filled with main dishes & desserts! (fried chicken, beefsteak, spaghetti, pancit lomi, embotido, pasta soup, pancit canton, papaya pickles, chocolate cake, the creamy & milky banana sweet… and of course the unlimited rice, heheh!). Sulit jud kaayo among kwarenta'y nwebe pesos!

The following day, I went to my hometown Malaybalay to spend time with my family and celebrate in advance my mom’s birthday. Just a simple celebration then, my mom cooked a special menu for that day and bought a gallon of ice cream for the four of us (me, my sis, my dad & mom). Call it luck, but a total blackout in entire Bukidnon province disrupted the excitement… uh-oh! We ended up having a “candlelight dinner” at home instead, haha! And the gallon of ice cream? It all melted out in the refrigerator! (kay pagka buntag pa man nisiga ug balik.) And my special gift for my mom? Well, she has been making use of her worn out bible for quite a long time now and I would oftentimes hear her say “dapat diay unta naa ni cover-zipper para dugay maguba..” So I decided to buy a new bible for her, and as she wished, it came with a leather cover! Happy birthday, Mom!

Week 3: 5th PIIE Convention & 3rd IE Student Congress – August 26, 2006. Held at Almont Inland Resort, Butuan Ctiy, the convention was attended by around 600 participants coming from the PIIE local chapters in Visayas and Mindanao. This year's theme "Productivity Improvement: IE's Pursuit to Global Proficiency" aspires to provide us participants with valuable insights on the current best practices and techniques of process management to guarantee competitiveness in the global industry. At the end of the four plenary sessions, there was a forum on the IE Licensure Exam headed by Atty Nick Caraquel, the IE Interschool Quiz Bowl participated by the different schools in Visayas and Mindanao (University of San Carlos, Ateneo de Davao University, Xavier University, Liceo de Cagayan University, Notre Dame, University of Southern Mindanao, Urios University), and the IE Variety Show which served as the fellowship activity both for the student chapters and the professional IE's. (Just for the record, I would like to congratulate my students Novielyn, Mark and Dan for doing good in the Quiz Bowl, and for Zero for bagging the first prize in the IE Logo Making Contest). To sum it up, the convention was just as successful as last year's PIIE Congress held at Davao City. Kudos to all my fellow IE's out there! Click here to see more photos.

Week 4: Kagayha-an Festival – August 28, 2006. Ahh, this seemed to be the event finale of the month hehe! Pista sa Cagayan de Oro! And we were hoping na i-declare nga non-working holiday sa office, pero wala man jud nag email ang HR nga wala mi trabaho so work pa rin ang beauty, hehe! It was indeed a busy week then 'coz me and the rest of the Consumer Information Technology group had our training in Progress Software WebSpeed Application which started last August 29 and would end on September 15. So it's an approximately 3-week training-workshop for the team. Kumbati lang sa training mga tech savvy dudes & dudettes! Hehehe!

I've Got My Google Passport Ready!

2006-08-01T15:44:00.000+08:00

Last month, I had received an email from Google AdSense informing me that they had recently sent me my Personal Indentification Number (PIN) via standard mail and that I would expect to receive it on the mailing address I have indicated in my application within about 2-4 weeks. True enough, I had received my Google AdSense PIN via postal mail a couple of days ago, just exactly one month after I received the email notification from Google. Whew! Now my passport for earning revenue from my websites is up and ready… I can now be eligible for receiving payments from Google!

I had signed up for Google AdSense two months ago with the influence of my colleagues Teresa and Hazel who were AdSense members themselves. I’ve been blogging for quite sometime then, and never did I realize I can gain something out from those ads posted in my site until I tried Google AdSense (thanks again Tere & Haz for introducing me to the adsense world, hehe!). Unlike my Friendster Blog where only the advertisers gain from those ads posted in my page, my Blogspot Website had brought me to this tech savvy world where generating an income is just a click away. Cool, eh? It’s just like getting paid for something you love to do… gaining a profit out from your own hobby.

Haven’t heard of Google AdSense? Click here take a tour and navigate the site. Happy surfing!

Singles Day Out!

2006-07-24T19:10:00.000+08:00

Yesterday was a fun-filled Sunday for the Elim Singles as we commenced our monthly socials dubbed as “The All Out Sports Getaway.” All geared up in our sports outfit, we started the day with a lively praise and worship at the ground floor of St. Augustine Rectory Building (Metropolitan Cathedral), followed by those full-packed action “indoor” games and a festive lunch shared by the Single Elimites in CDO and Gingoog, and some other invited singles too.

At around one o’clock in the afternoon, we then headed to Xavier Sports & Country Club for the event proper. Badminton, table tennis, bowling and basketball, we spent four straight hours, sweating it all out in every game. It’s been so long that I haven’t played table tennis then (I haven’t laid my hands on a table tennis racket for three years I guess), so I indulged myself on this sport after I’ve had enough bonding with the shuttlecock, hehe! I would have tried playing billiards after my table tennis session but I didn’t have much time though, as the group were already about to leave the sports arena. (Not unless I wanted to be left behind, and I would take the solo flight at the billiards pool, hahaha!).

A few more minutes before finally leaving Xavier Estates, we sat back, relaxed and had a mini singles conference near the bowling alley, hehehhe! A simple table talk that is… planning about our next singles monthly socials, the Excellence Conference in Manila this October, and the National Singles Conference 2007. Whew! A lot more activities in the list! And we are all excited to take part on these Christ-centered events. Go Singles! Go Elimites!

See more photos at http://pepperonni.multiply.com/photos/album/28
Visit the Elim Singles website at http://www.pinoyeverywhere.com

Pacman's Victory, Filipino's Pride!

2006-07-05T08:42:00.000+08:00

I'm not a boxing fanatic, but I really had my eye glued on TV last Sunday, July 2, 2006, when our very own Manny "Pacman" Pacquiao fought Mano-A-Mano with Mexico's bet Oscar "Chololo" Larios. Whew! It was another triumph for the Filipinos! Pacquiao once again had his kababayans up on their feet as he retained his WBC International Super Feather Weight belt that afternoon at the Araneta Coliseum. Pacquiao defeated Larios by way of a unanimous decision, the judges scoring 117-110, 118-108 and 120-106 all in favor of Pacquiao.

It was a scary start for "Pacman" as he had a taste of Larios' powerful right jabs during round 3. But he quickly recovered which resulted to a bloody cut on Larios' left eye. By the 4th round Manny not only returned his opponent's punches but connected more on his target. His trademark left hand was tough on Larios' but everyone was surprised that his right hand also delivered hard punches. Though he told the press that he'd have the Mexican by the 6th round, yet Larios proved to be a tough contender for they finished all 12 rounds. Manny was able to make Larios go down on his knees at the 7th and 12th rounds. Oucchh! That was tough!

Larios, on the other hand, exhibited true spirit of sportsmanship. I could see his warm smile to the Filipino crowd as he stepped towards the boxing arena. And when the fight was over, he was gentleman and humble enough to retain his composure as he flashed a wide grin on his face amidst the triumphant cheers of the crowd for Manny's victory. He even thanked not only Pacquiao but also the Filipinos for giving him a chance to fight.

Not a boxing fanatic eh? Hehehe! But I'm an avid "Pacman" supporter. Cheers to all Filipinos out there! Paquiao's victory is the triumph of everybody!

Happy Father's Day, Dad!

2006-06-19T12:36:00.000+08:00

Yesterday was a special Sunday for me. I spent the entire day at my hometown Malaybalay. Well, it was Father’s Day then, and I wouldn’t let that weekend pass by without sparing a bonding session with the most important man in my life… my dad! We just had a simple celebration. Me and my sis created a “handmade” card for Dad. Some kind of a kid’s card ‘coz we just used pencils and crayons for the design, hehe! But the message etched inside the card was so special, me and my sis had glimpsed our dad kept on rereading those lines every now and then, hehe! Little as it may seem, but we knew deep in our hearts, our simple but profound message had touched Dad’s heart.

While I was on the bus, leaving my hometown and taking aboard back to CDO, I spent some quiet time thinking about my dad, who almost had missed the chance of pursuing college but had really worked on his own and was experiencing so much hardship just to finish college, who taught me my first ABC and eventually shared his antique typewriter and trained me to be a pro on the "keys" at an early age of 6, who shared wonderful stories with me and my sis amidst his stressful hours after work (“The Monkey and the Tortoise” was the first story he had ever shared and it became my favorite story, I wouldn't get bored no matter how many times he would repeat narrating as it was my most requested one, hehe!), who had a very wonderful voice and would put his guitar in my hands when I was a little girl and insisted that I sing as well (we had our music bonding session recorded on that so old cassette tape then, hehe!), who played chess with me when I was a kid (and taught me the 3-move tactic for check mate, ahhaa!), who would drag me and my sis along with him for a nature tripping at Sawaga River which paved way to my being a nature tripper myself, who loves pets the same way as I do, who would tag me along when he and Mom had household prayer meetings (and so I came to be acquainted with those prayers and worship songs at an early age of 4. I can't forget the first Charismatic song that I've memorized, "The Spirit of the Lord" and my dad would always remind me to pronounce the word "is" as "izzz", so I had sing it out loud: "the spirit of the Lord izzz now upon me..." hehe!), who once spanked me with that awful leather belt to remind me that I was absolutely wrong and had to hug me afterwards knowing that he loves me still despite my being so stubborn, who always stressed the importance of education, who became the person I would consult about important issues when I became an adult, and who has always been there for me through these years...

Words are not enough to thank my dad for all the great things he has done for me (and my mom and my sis). For me, the best dad there could ever be is the kind of dad he is to us.

Happy Father's Day, Papang!

Here Comes The Bride!

2006-06-06T10:11:00.000+08:00

Ows! What a catching title! Hehehe! Well, I suppose you’re all familiar with the month of June being often associated with weddings, thus the so-called June Bride. Wedding bells are here and so I might as well talk about it. Ooops! Not my wedding, huh! Not as of this time, hahaha! Just a short recollection of those previous and recent weddings I’ve been to.

“You really never got tired of attending weddings, Von!” was what my college friend told me. Hearing that remark, I couldn’t help but just shrug and smile from ear to ear knowing that I’ve always been present in almost all wedding engagements of my friends, classmates and colleagues. From the time I’ve graduated in college until now that I’m with the corporate world for almost seven years, there was never a single year that I didn’t get to witness a sacrament of matrimony (ows!?). Yeh! There even came a time when gracing my presence in such a special occasion has become a weekly event for me, whew! And I’m not talking here like I’m just a mere spectator of that event. I’m talking of those different tasks I got into. From a handful of weddings I’ve been to, it seemed that I’ve already portrayed almost every role a friend could throw at me – bridesmaid, commentator, psalmist, first reader, second reader, prayers of the faithful, offerer, usherette, co-planner, the list goes on. And.. ooops! Wedding singer!?! Toinks! You heard it right, anyway, haha! I can recall how my colleague Cherry pleaded me to sing on her wedding day. I dunno but I guess she has that irresistible charm ‘coz despite my refusal, I found myself saying “yes” at the very last hour. And I guess that started my singing career then, hahaha!

Two of the very touching weddings I’ve attended were that of my high school friends Cristine (2001) and Lucille (May 2006, a very recent one). I rarely saw an exchange of vows spoken spontaneously, with the bride uttering each word to the groom with intense fervor, her cracking voice could break into tears any minute. They had a similar sentimental scenario during the exchange of vows then. Call it coincidence, but their birthdays fall on the same date! Whew!

Talk about the most dreaded part during wedding receptions -- it’s the throwing and catching of the bouquet, hahaha! Depending on my mood, but I’m a real party-pooper on that stuff most of the time. When the single ladies are called, people would always see me sneaking at the end of the queue, murag allergy kaayo sa bouquet, hehe!.. While most of the single ladies are dying to grab the bouquet, there was me darting away from it. At times, I would experience the irony of it all – the more I avoided the bouquet, the more it follows after me, hahaha! Then came the million dollar question “Kanus-a man pud ka kaslon?”.. Tsk.. tsk! I dunno! “In His own perfect time” was the best answer I could give.

Just to mention a few of my newly wed friends this year (Meriden, Marie, Shirley, and Lucille), my warm congratulations and best wishes to all of you guys! And to my friends and colleagues who had tied the knot on the previous years and are now happily building a family of their own (Menchu, Kaye, Erliza, Beverly, Pammy, Cristine, Malou, Sharon, Matet, Alele, Venessa, Jennifer, Wyeth, Mayet, Cherry, and Racee), cheers to a happy married life!

Now, I wonder who among my (remaining) single friends is going to march in the aisle next month? Or next year perhaps? Cristina, Colyn, Pinky, Joy, Berna, Lourdes, Ritchie Mae, Fe, Judith, Arbie and Grethel -- what a roll call, hahaha! Ooops, I've just received an email this morning from Teresa saying she's going to tie the knot with Mark next year. Let's just wait and see who's goin' to follow Teresa soon, hehehe!

Grand Family Reunion: An Ultimate Summer Blast

2006-05-31T08:08:00.000+08:00

After a full-packed summer weekend at Mantangale and a victorious Going Global Singles Conference in Cebu came the final blast for the month - our first ever grand family reunion in Bohol. Whew! Looks to me like the land of chocolate hills has become my concluding venue for summer, that is, my official spot for summer vacation finale just like last year’s "Huling Hirit sa Tag-init!"

Held last May 27, 2006 at my great grandparents’ ancestral home in Sandingan Island, Loon, Bohol, the first grand family reunion was a great success. It brought together over 200 family members coming from different places (Manila, Cebu, Davao, Bukidnon, etc) who came to Bohol to witness and take part of that very special family event.

Tracing back the roots of our ancestry brought joy and amusement for us youngsters. From my great grandfather Lolo Menes and my great grandmother Lola Bebang came nine siblings to which my grandfather Lolo Petok belonged. Lolo Petok then got married to Lola Gaudencia, bore children, my mom being the third among the brood of five. Then came the great grandchildren (apo sa tuhod) to which I, my sis and my cousins belong, and the great great grandchildren (apo sa lapa-lapa), the offsprings of my cousins (ako wala pa, hahaha!).

Nine colors represented each of the nine families of the entire Roslinda Clan. The selection of the t-shirt color was pre-drawn, and we (Lolo Petok’s family) got the red one. So there you’ll see the bold print at the back: “Menes-Bebang Roslinda Clan”. (Thanks to Uncle Boy for his painstaking effort of printing the shirts nga pagka daghan jud kaau, whew!).

We started the activity with a thanksgiving mass in the morning, followed by a festive banquet at lunch. The program proper began in the afternoon with the presentation of each family (as in roll call jud sugod sa pinakapunuan hangtod sa pinkatumoy hehe!). The dancing ground was then set, with music mixed from the hits of the 50’s down to the 90’s and to the most recent ones (2K’s millennium era), para makasabay sugod sa pinakatigulang hangtud sa pinakabata, hahaha!. Special production numbers and other surprise numbers from every family had also made the festivity a more enlivening one.

At around 3:00 p.m. all the kids (there were almost a hundred of them) were gathered at my cousin’s compound for their separate party, the Jollibee Treasure Adventure. Thrill and excitement filled the entire arena as the kids enjoyed the games prepared by the Jollibee team. They got even more ecstatic when the three mascots Jollibee, Hetty and Twirly got out from the room, shaked hands with everybody, made beso-beso to every kid, presented their lively dance number, and spent time with them for picture taking. Whew! I can really see my nephews and nieces smiling from ear to ear! They definitely had much fun! (To Auntie Sally right there in Texas, thank you so much for sponsoring that event. You’ve certainly put a smile to each kid in the clan.)

The concluding activity after dinner was the kick-off disco party for all. I seemed like a party pooper that time 'coz there was no shadow of me seen at the the disco spot. I just slept all night long due to heavy stress and fatigue, aarrggh! The following morning, it was time for beach escapade. Just too bad, our group (me, my mom, Uncle Diego and my cousins Daniel and Brian) wasn't able to join the fun 'coz it was time for us to depart Bohol and catch the 3:00 p.m. cruise of the ferry from Jagna to Cagayan de Oro. So we just took a final snapshot before finally leaving my cousin's place. (Thanks to Manang Nora and Mommy Belen for the "first class hotel" accommodation, hehehe!)

My trip to Bohol was indeed memorable. And I'm looking forward to coming back to my great grandparents' hometown year after year.. after year.

More photos at http://pepperonni.multiply.com/photos/album/6

Going Global Elim Singles Conference 2006

2006-05-23T15:06:00.000+08:00

The time has finally come! I’m on my way to witness and be part of the Going Global Elim Singles Conference 2006 in Cebu! Me and my co-CDO delegates Mai, Oliver and Ate Vivian together with the Gingoog delegates headed for Cebu on May 18, 2006. Early the following morning, our first stop direct from the ferry was the historic Basilica del Sto. Niño de Cebu to attend the Friday mass, after which we had our breakfast at Jollibee fronting the church. We then headed to Mactan Pension House where we had booked our 2 nights and 3 days stay in Cebu.

MAY 19, 2006 - The first day of the conference began with a smashing race of the "Urban Adventure Challenge", the accompanying event of Going Global ESC. Sixteen teams met before dawn in D' Family Park, Talamban, Cebu, and geared up for the six-hour race. The teams competed in 17 different challenges , which brought them around Cebu and engaged them in mental and physical challenges. At the end of the exciting and exhausting race, Team David crossed the finish line first, at 1:50 PM. They became the prize winners of 40,000 pesos. Team Blessed Are You Poor and Apostello ranked second and third, respectively. By the evening, the delegates all over the country came together at the Maribago Bluewaters Beach Resort for the Kick-off Beach Party. What a great night for all the singles. The food was great, the place was awesome and the Praise & Worship (headed by Kiddo & his band) was totally amazing!

May 20-21, 2006 – The succeeding days of the conference was held at the Crown Regency Suites. What a perfect place for the gathering. It was so peaceful and the entire scenery was totally splendid! The conference itself was multi-venue (from D’ Family Park in Talamban, to Maribago Blue Waters, then here at Crown Regency Suites), and so with our lunch and dinner too! Because of the huge number of participants, we can’t be accommodated in just one meal setting. So we were able to have lunch and dinner at the poolside, at the multi-purpose hall, at the rooftop of Fifties Café and at the badminton court-turned-dining hall, hehehe! Cool! And the place for praise and worship? It’s the Metrosports basketball court-turned-session hall! Hahaha! Great, isn’t it? A complete make-over of the entire sports arena!

One of the highlights of the Going Global House Party was the Dance Fever where individual participants from Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao showcased their talents in dancing. With hosts PY Nakar and Jonji, everybody danced to the rhythm of the ASL (As The Spirit Leads) groove! Cool! And the winner? The Davao contender, outshining 11 other participants! Congrats bro!

The talks of the speakers (Bro. Willy Nakar, Moses Catan, Didi Marañon, Lory Lina and PY Nakar) were the ones that inspired us the most. Every single word uttered indeed had a significant impact for us singles. The anointing by Bro. Willy was extremely powerful! I knew then that from the moment I stepped out of the session hall, my life would never be the same again. Empowered by God’s grace, I will take part in the singles mission to go global! Let's keep the fire burning!

More photos at:
http://pepperonni.multiply.com/photos/album/5
http://chrisramasola.blogs.friendster.com/photos/goingglobal/index.html
http://dsarigumba.photosite.com/album1

Full Packed Summer Weekend!

2006-05-15T09:48:00.000+08:00

A full packed summer weekend?! Whoaw! That sounds a lot of fun! I should know, I just had a quadruple summer weekend treat recently. Yeh, not double, not triple.. but quadruple.. as in four times the fun gyud, hehehe!.. I’ll tell you why:

Treat #1. Last Saturday (May 13, 2006), we had a company outing at Mantangale Alibuag Dive Resort located in Balingoan, Misamis Oriental. Only 80 kilometers from Cagayan de Oro City and facing Camiguin Island, the resort is a perfect venue for snorkeling, scuba-diving, kayaking, and fishing. One of the main highlights of the the outing (except of course from the “pakals” hehehe!) was the Amazing Challenge. Whew! ‘Twas my first time doing an actual “extra challenge” stuff, with those series of obstacles burning out all my energy. My team did fairly well on the first three obstacles, but we didn’t make it on the last phase, the puzzle maze. Geeeks! Medyo nahagbong kadyot among IQ oi, hehehe!.. So, when the scores in each obstacle were totaled, we ended up on the 3rd notch. Hmnn.. not that bad for an extra challenge of 5 teams, hehe! Congratulations to the White Team who made it on top, two thumbs up to the Blue Team (my team) for the job well done, and kudos to all the challengers who had done their best and exhibited the true spirit of sportsmanship. More snapshots at my summer photo gallery.

Treat #2. After the whole day summer outing, I hurried to my beloved hometown Malaybalay. What’s the rush, eh? Well, I wouldn’t let that weekend pass by without seeing somebody special in my life. Oh.. yeah! It’s Mother's Day! Nothing could make my day any sweeter than spending time with my dear mom. The next morning, I busied myself strolling over the entire city (yeh, strolling.. as in baklay to the max jud under the heat of the sun, whew!), just looking for a perfect Mother’s Day cake for Mom. My original plan was supposed to be somewhat different then. I wanted to treat Mom on a special dinner. Mother-daughter bonding 'ika nga.. But my mom preferred to have the celebration at home. Well then, where could the perfect place to celebrate Mother's Day but at our very home! Perfection suggestion from a perfect mother! To my mom and all the mothers out there, Happy Mother's Day!

Treat #3. On Sunday (May 14, 2006), aside from the Mother’s Day celebration, it was the christening of my inaanak Louise Micaela, Malou's first born. Such a very lovely baby! I couldn’t wait for her to grow up so that I could grab her out for a bonding session. Whatta hyper ninang! Hahaha! My friends then asked, "Kanus-a man mi makakita sa imo with your little angel? Kay mag ninang pud mi!".. Oh, well... "the groom-to-be hasn't come yet" was my simple answer, hahaha! Kudos to my “kumares” Aimee & Ruffa!

Treat #4. May 14? Well, it’s the bisperas of our town fiesta! That’s the fourth treat! We didn’t celebrate fiesta at home then (‘coz we have a separate fiesta in Upper C.M. Recto which belongs to Barangay Sumpong already… owwsss.. palusot, haha!). Well, it was still a treat though ‘coz I was able to witness some of the city’s festivities, and was part of the feast of our patron saint San Isidro Labrador (Ora et Labora). Happy Fiesta to all!

Catch That Badminton Fever!

2006-05-05T15:32:00.000+08:00

Got a sneak preview of Paolo Bediones’ “Smash! Badminton for Everyone” video. Pretty much interesting! If you've just caught the badminton fever that has phenomenally swept the nation, then this special video should get you all ecstatic by the time you lay your hands on a racket. With Paolo are the country's top badminton coaches Kennevic and Kennie Asuncion who will take you through the fundamentals as well as intermediate-level techniques. Make those drops. Smash those serves. Slash through the nets. Put that zing into your game. It's the quintessential badminton clinic that will send you slicing and dicing your opponents on court. Whoaaw! Isn’t that exciting?

Most people have heard or seen badminton in one form or another and consequently think they know badminton. I myself thought it’s just an easy game though. I used to call myself a “street fighter” then ‘coz I played badminton in the lawn or in nearby streets along the neighborhood, haha! I took it as an outdoor sport, when it’s supposed to be an indoor one. I’ve just started playing it in the real court last year with the influence of Judith and her friend Normy who is a badminton expert herself. I got hooked to it, until I found myself joining our company’s badminton tournament (and ended up as a happy loser in the finals, yeeyy yo!). Invading the court had a significant bearing on my part, being able to go through the fundamental techniques of the sport I haven’t learned when I was still a “street fighter” hehe! But everything was still incomplete though. As a beginner, I still need a lot of polishing -- footwork exercises, multi-shuttle defense, single tactics, etc. So timely then, it’s summer… I’m off from school (my part-time professor job, that is) and our company’s shuttlecock smashers had set up a summer badminton clinic just last week. Having previewed Paolo Bediones’ badminton clinic on CD, I’ve never been that eager undergoing a badminton clinic myself. With coach Permo as our instructor, whose trained players had gone a long way to the national badminton tournaments, we’re so positive we could emerge as better players in a few months time.

The badminton clinic is still on going. We have training sessions for the advanced group (Anton, Bong, Earl, Joel & Marlon) scheduled every Monday and Wednesday, and the beginners group (Aileen, Hazel, Judith, Karen, Peggy & yours truly) every Tuesday and Thursday. Friday is a joint schedule for both groups. This is pretty much exciting! Being indulged in the world’s fastest racket sport (a shuttle can leave the racket at a speed of almost 200 mph, and a badminton player can cover more than one mile in just one match!), nothing could be more satisfying than getting the fantastic health benefits of a great cardiovascular workout! Way to go, badminton aficionados!!

A Purposeful Solitude

2006-04-25T08:20:00.000+08:00

What comes first into your mind when you hear the words “low bat” or “battery empty”? Gotchaa! It’s cellphone, right? And out of nowhere, you’ll hear a colleague or a friend pleading “charger puhhleeaassee!” hehehe! Well, just like us, we do experience being “low bat” and all. Think of those daily pressures at work, family problems, financial concerns, etc. etc… and you’ll be completely burned out! And if stress and pressure seemed to kill us, we immediately want something to relieve us... a battery charger that is. Thus, we need some time to withdraw from our everyday business and family worries, a time to reflect and get a fresh slant of life, a time for solitude, a time for prayer… a time for God alone. Now, what comes first into your mind? A retreat… I know it!

Last weekend (April 22-23, 2006), me and my bestfriend Grethel had a soulful personal retreat at the Benedictine Monastery of the Transfiguration at our beloved hometown Malaybalay. We really did set a schedule for it amidst our busy lives in the corporate world. Grethel still had some pending projects at work, and I, too, had bulk of works at hand, but we took time setting aside those concerns, and be relieved from such burden at once. Whew!

It was a fresh start of the day when we arrived at the Old Monastery that Saturday morning. We were welcomed by the hospitable staffs of the guesthouse, Melvin and Ella. The place was so peaceful and quiet indeed! We haven’t started with the retreat proper yet, but we can already feel the enigmatic presence of God closely looking over us from above. The scenic view of the surroundings hadn’t escaped from our sights too! Around the monastery sprawl coffee plantations, fields of grain and fine orchards -- mute witnesses of the monks' dedication to their motto, "Ora et labora " (Pray and work). Right in the middle of the monastic grounds towers a gem of a modern church, the architect's vision of a silent prayer to God. The reverent silence that envelops the monastery throughout the day is broken only by the merry chirping of the birds and the gentle swaying of the tree branches being blown by the cold winds. Whew! Such a breathtaking scenery indeed! Enjoying one’s gaze through this wonderful manifestation of God’s abundant blessing is already a form of “retreat” itself.

After a series of prayer sessions and reflections, (and a couple of breaks), we headed down to the New Monastery. No transpo this time, we hiked the 1-kilometer trail with much ado. So inspired to get to the new monastery church, we hardly noticed we were walking under the infuriating heat of the sun for almost half an hour! Hehehe! When we finally get the last step towards our destination, a big “whoooaaawwhhh!” was exclaimed! Perhaps a mixed emotions of relief (from such long walking) and amazement (from such panoramic view there is). A few more steps then led us to one corner outside the church where we sit back and relax… savoring the cool breeze of the air. It seemed we found a perfect spot for waiting the sunset! The stillness of the entire surroundings was so enticing, it really did drive us to have our eyes closed, our heads bowed down, and prayed with overwhelming peacefulness within our hearts. God’s magic seemed to outpour then, ‘coz just in time when we started praying, we overheard the mystic, solemn voices of the monks chanting their prayers inside the church. I felt a definite chill down my spine as I’ve heard those heavenly voices echoing from within. Namlibawot jud akong balahibo... and so was Grethel’s! I knew then that God’s Holy Spirit was residing within us. Thank you Lord for empowering us with Your divine and holy presence!

The entire night during that day was spent for our individual prayers and reflections. I was greatly amazed by how God worked within me on that moment ‘coz when I opened my bible, my first flip of the holy book led me to Mark 11:24 – “Therefore I tell you, all that you ask for in prayer, believe that you will receive it and it shall be yours.”.. That was indeed a powerful message for me ‘coz one of my main objective of the retreat was about life’s discernment, and I was really claiming for something from God, that He’s gonna provide it for me.. in His Name, I’m claming for it. And voila! He has a definite answer in that particular verse where I was led! Thank you so much, Lord!

Early the following morning, I was welcomed with the sweet chirping of the birds which served as my alarm clock. How nice it is to be spending a moment of solitude in a solemn place like this, and I felt very much intimate with the Lord. I really was filled with His holy presence then, and I was double filled (errr.. my stomach that is, hehe!) with that yummy breakfast served by their friendly crews. After that sumptuous meal, we proceed down to the new monastery to hear the holy mass. While yesterday’s departure to the distant church was with a BMW (By Means of Walking, lol!), this time we already have a ride through the monastery’s shuttle service. The holy mass marked as our concluding activity for the entire two-day retreat. It was such a fruitful activity for the two of us. We felt recharged, refueled, and empowered by God’s grace.

Jesus wants to be a deep source of strength, and meaning for us. He invites us to come to Him, and by prayer, and reflection to get in tough with what is really important. It is a great way to "Get Your Batteries Recharged".

More photos at http://pepperonni.multiply.com/photos/album/7

Happy Birthday Dad!

2006-04-24T16:35:00.000+08:00

Today is my dad's 60th birthday. Sad to say I can't be there during this day 'coz I had to go back to CDO for my usual career routine (work.. work.. & work, tsk! tsk!). But we already had a pre-birthday celebration yesterday after my two-day retreat at the monastery. And.. oopps! Here comes another bonus treat! My big sis came here this morning (straight from Malaybalay) bringing some delicious goodies and... tsadaaann! A layer of my favorite chiffon cake! Hehehe! Thanks 'Mang & 'Pang!

To my dad out there, HAPPY HAPPY BIRTHDAY! You'll always be my number one hero! We love you very much!

It's Holy Week...

2006-04-12T12:19:00.000+08:00

...and I wanna join those thousands of people flocking to Camiguin Island for it’s yearly Holy Week activity, the “Panaad” (Promise) wherein I could be among those devotees gathering together to walk the 64-kilometer circumferential road of the island, survive and reach the Walk Way for the Station of the Cross, trekking the slopes of Old Vulcan as expression of penitence and spiritual enrichment. This would be my first time observing Lent at the island, and my first time spending Holy Week away from home.

Last Monday, I called up my high school friend Maricel for some urgent summer vacation info. Ooops! Whatta an exciting feedback! She has informed me she’s going to Camiguin this Holy Week with her colleagues and she’s inviting me over to join them. A perfect timing too, ‘coz I had been looking for some buddies to go with me to Camiguin (else, who would dare going to Camiguin and observe “Panaad” alone? Hehehe!). So right there and then, we fixed everything and set for our departure sched – early morning on Maunday Thursday.

I was getting excited and all.. but uh-oh! I got a terrible headache (I was nearly getting a flu) the following day, and my ill condition wasn’t getting any better.. even upto now. Just as I thought, I couldn’t go on a travel, climb uphill those mountains, and trek the entire island for three days with my not-so-good condition. So I had to cancel my Camiguin plans then. Just an hour ago before I started writing this note, I texted my friend and said I can no longer join them for their Camiguin trip tomorrow. Perhaps I can push through with my “Panaad” plan on next year’s Holy Week.

As for now, I’m contemplating of visiting the sacred Mt. Banahaw, and there I'll have my penitence. (Tsk.. tsk.. dli man gani makaadto ug Camiguin, Mt. Banahaw na ba kaha, hehe!).. Bitaw, I’m going to my home sweet home Malaybalay… and there I will spend holy week with my family. My bestfriend Grethel will be coming over too! She’ll be home a week after holy week, and we have arranged a schedule for a retreat at Benedictine Monastery on the 22nd of April. So I’m looking forward for our post-Lenten retreat then.

I have received an email from my fellow amuler Walter containing a very inspiring Holy Week Reflection by By Fr. Jerry Orbos, SVD.. Being struck by the message, I have posted the entire article at my WordPress web page.

Hope you'll also find time reading the reflections. Have a blessed Lenten Season, everyone!

I'm Soaring At Six!

2006-04-10T15:12:00.000+08:00

Y2K. Tuig dos mil.. Millenium era. Whew! Absolutely a memorable year for me! And why so? Well.. it was the year when I set a new milestone for my life (after passing the hurdle of that five-year engineering course in college, hehe!).. the year when I first stepped into the corporate world.. the year when I started building up my IT career in no other than the premiere telecommunications company in Mindanao (Uh-hah! Ayaw na mo ug palag, kay ingana jud nako ka love akong first company ever ahihihi!).. And what year are we now? 2006! Wow! Time has really flown so fast then that I hardly noticed it has been six years now since I joined Philcom. Yeh, six long years! And what had that 6-year stay brought into my career life? Kung wa mo nagdali unya interesado mo makabalo, hala.. padayon lang ug basa, hehehe! Murag mag story telling ko ani gamay, mga peps!

I started my IT career in Philcom as a Junior Data Controller at the IT Billing & Operations section. This was one tough job for a once neophyte like me due the shifting schedule which I was not accustomed to. I was with the dynamic IT Operations team composed of Sir Maynard, Sir Joel, Sir Edwin, Benjie, Oliver, Edward, Shirlyn, and Candice. (sorry, I had no filed photos during my first few months in Philcom, so I'll just post here a picture with the MIS team & family, hehe!)

A few months later, the company had set up a new section in IT. Along with the two other sections, Systems Development and Technical Support, the MIS was formed. I was then pulled out from the Operations group, and was among the pioneers of the MIS team composed of Sir Nathan (my manager), Sir Edwin (my supervisor), Oliver (my mentor) and yours truly (the newbie & the only rose among the thorns, hehe!). A year after, the company had undergone LEC wide retrenchment, reducing more than 60% of the total manpower. Along with the retrenchment was the early retirement program, to which all of my three MIS teammates had availed, leaving me all alone in my section, and I had no choice but to absorb the works they have left, huhuhu! There were times when I wanted to shout.. “Daaarrnnaa!” ..‘coz I really felt as though I was doing superwoman’s job in just a wink of an eye, whew! Nangapa jud ko ug taman-taman, nakasalom ug ahat, ‘ika nga.. Just a few months after the transition period, I was turned over to a new boss, Sir Maynard, who had eventually been moved to another department, thus leading me to another boss.. this time with Sir Joel. And what a relief! ‘Coz I had new fellow MIS Analysts Lily & Mayet to share the burden with, hehehe!

Three years later, the company had ventured into software & applications, providing financial software and developing financial systems for the business clients, and so it had pushed through creating an IT group who will develop the Enterprise Solutions for the growing number of clients in Visayas and Mindanao. Thus, the Consumer IT was formed. Again, I was pulled out from MIS to be part of the Consumer IT pioneers (Sir Cenon, Sir Dexter, Ali, Wyeth & me). Within the succeeding months, three other CDO colleagues joined us (Fe, Cherry & Mayet), and three others at our Davao office (Ma’am Netz, Louchie & Rey). Ayan, lumalaki na ang Consumer IT family, heheh! Ang saya-saya!.. Being an IT person, I used to be a backroom beauty then, just staying in my cubicle, do systems analysis, design web layouts, debug programs and all. But when I joined Consumer IT, I’ve spread my wings into the outside world.. hehe! Business travel, that is -- implementing the system to our clients all over Mindanao. It’s indeed a challenging (though sometimes exhausting) job, hahahah!

Anything more to come? Hmnn.. let’s just wait and see what’s my future career has in store for me. As for now, I’m just enjoying the blessings God has bestowed on me on my sixth year in the corporate world. Soaring at Six! Whew! Such fruitful years indeed! Thank you, Lord!

More snapshots at my yuppie life photo album.

A Walk To Remember...

2006-03-29T10:41:00.000+08:00

Hmnn.. I'm not talking about Mandy Moore's movie here, hehe! I'm just reminiscing my ultimate adventure this year where I had soared high in my flights of fancy! Traversing the highest suspended bridge there is in the Philippines?! Now, that's indeed "a walk to remember".

A couple of months ago, I received a text message from my college friend Arbie, inviting me to join the group for the Noslek Canopy Walk. Thrilled as I was, I replied a big YES instantly. Yeah, I would never really pass up on the chance of having to tread through the Canopy Walk of Claveria, and when that opportunity came, I was so overjoyed I never mind it would cost me a day's salary, hehe! So there I go, getting all excited for my "buena-mano" adventure for the year. I was part of the team, composed of the people from Philippine National Bank, Unifruitti Phillippines, Inc., Philcom Corporation, General Milling Corporation, City Budget Office of Cagayan de Oro, Xavier Universtiy, and the De Oro Mountain Explorers (DOME).

The Canopy Walk is situated in a lush virgin rainforest in Claveria, Misamis Oriental that is almost two hours ride from Cagayan de Oro City. Being able to experience the Macahambus and Mapawa adventure, I thought that walking through the Canopy would come so easy and effortless to me. I was wrong then ‘coz when we finally arrived at the jump-off point, which is at the foot of the mountain, our trek guides told us that we are to climb atop that peak locally called Mt. Magbais to be at the canopy itself. So there we go, hiking up the mountain for about an hour or so. Whew! I was panting all over! And as I was catching my breath, I felt I would lost my energy by the time I get to cross the hanging bridge.. aarrrgggh! "Well, well, well.. take it easy Von" I told to myself. "You've survived the 8-hour Mt. Kitanglad trek before, so there's no way you shouldn't outlive this adventure." Hmnn.. after so much self-assurance, I engaged myself and took pleasure with the sight of the lush vegetation, got wet as I frisked on the small rocks at the miniature river I came across on the ways and relished the coldness of the foggy and misty surrounding. With that, I have put out of my mind whatever exhaustion I am actually feeling and never did I realize, we have finally arrived at the canopy site at long last. Yahhoooo!! We were all set for the ultimate canopy adventure! It was so good then of Dominic, one of our groupmates, to initiate a group prayer before we finally start the canopy challenge.

Now, time for the cable slide, the foremost one would do prior to walking to the five hanging bridges one will be braving up against. At first glance, I thought it was a zipline 'coz it looked like one. But when I saw how it was maneuvered, I noticed the difference. Zipline was a free fall one, you'll just arrive at the end of the cable in just a wink of an eye hehe! The cable challenge we did was quite different. Your way of traversing to the other end of the cable will be controlled by the trek assistants who are maneuvering the pulley. I then asked Cocoy, one of our guides from DOME, what do we call it if it's not a zipline? Well, it's called "tyrolean traverse", he said. (I hope I spelled it right, hehe!).

Having been able to try the more risky zipline at Macahambus, my descent through the 120 feet tyrolean traverse to get to the first platform was easy. After checking that my safety ropes were securely strapped up to the cable, off I took to the air, I was feeling so elated! From the primary deck where I landed from the glide through the cable, I kept in my mind what was previously instructed by Cocoy and Meg, that one should maneuver along at the hanging bridge, meaning, one person at a time. And as safety precaution, make it a point that the hooks of the two ropes attached to the body are securely fastened to the main cable and when one lands to another deck, by the way, there are five decks to get to, NEVER transfer both hooks at once, but individually. While keeping one hook at the main cable overhead, transfer the other hook to the cable circled around the tree on the deck, and after successfully doing that with the first hook, move on to the second hook. I assume you have guessed the reason why is that so.

As I glided along the 2-inch bars of the bridge, I felt as though I was walking in the sky! I had to admit I had fear of heights.. but that was long before, hehe! I have somehow conquered that fear already. It was quite a flattery then to hear our trek guide Meg commenting on me while she was taking a snapshot on my ultimate canopy walk – "Kalma lang kayo ka gatabok sa tulay, morag wala lang sa imo.".. Well, maybe because I'm small, my weight wouldn't cause the narrow, rickety bridge to swing over, heheh! But then the other fact is, crossing hanging bridges had become one of my passions already, hehe! As I set my gaze below, I couldn't help but be captivated by the breathtaking site. You can have an aerial view of the perfect panorama of Mother Nature -- a magnificent landscape, green trees, vast land crops.. all nature's bounty, you would be awed by God's greatness. Thank you, Lord!

I was about to get to the last platform, but ooops! There was that portion between the fourth and fifth hanging bridges wherein height was all that matters hehe! The main cable where the hooks were fastened was too high for my both hands to reach, so I had some difficulty transferring the hook to the cable leading to the fifth and last bridge. I felt as though I was one of the contestants of Extra Challenge being yelled at by Paolo Bediones: “Von, anong petsa na?” ..'coz it really took me several minutes trying to figure out what to do. Well, I finally got the technique – pull the harness down to the best I can so the two hooks fastened on the very high cable could be reached by my hands (thanks to the instructions of Arbie and Apple, hehe!).

I was at the final deck at last.. with Arbie, Apple and Nice. Lynnette and Judith then followed. We were to take our lunch in there.. but ooops! It took us about an hour waiting for our packed lunch to be delivered by our porter. It was starting to rain, though.. and the fogs were starting to cover the entire scenery. Brrrrr.. it was so cold! We were all shivering!! And the thought that we were still halfway of the entire adventure ('coz we have to cross again the five hanging bridges, go through the tyrolean traverse, and trek down the 1.5 kilometer sloping trail before we could get back to the place where our vehicle was waiting) had only made us even more hungry! When our lunch was finally delivered (thanks Meg for such an effort), we ate as though we were hungry vultures, heheh!

Now, time to clean up our mess, & prepare for the last half of the adventure. Aaarrrgghh! When we finally arrived at the deck after the cable challenge, the rain had poured out heavily at last! So we went down the hill, traversing those slippery trails all drenched out! I was quite amused when Judith remarked "dugay-dugay napud ko wala nakaligo sa ulan!".. Whew! Sounds interesting! The last time I had myself drenched under the heavy downpour of the rain was when I was in college, hehe! So..ako pud.. maligo nalang pud sa ulan! Hahaha! And not only that. Despite the heavy rain, the group still went on side tripping at Magbais River where one could witness the ohhh so inviting flush of the falls. Brrrrr! I was chilling all over 'coz the water was sooo cold, it was like dipping yourself in the ice water, hehe! Whatta thrill!

It took us about more than an hour before we could finally depart Claveria due to some "mechanical" problems. To make the story short, 3 times lang nuon mi na flatan ug ligid!.. Well, I guess it was still part of the adventure, hehehe! We were still thankful 'coz we were all able to go to our respective homes safe and sound. Thank you, Lord.

In behalf of the entire group (Arbie, Apple, Nice, Dominic, Plom-plom, Jaz, Donna, Neneth, Melvin, Maui, Jo, Doty, Judith, Lynette, & yours truly), I would like to extend our deep gratitude to Meg and Cocoy of DOME for guiding us through the entire activity and for bringing us this opportunity which comes not too often in our lives. And I dare all those nature aficionados, thrill-seekers, or just about everyone to try on this adventure you should not miss in this lifetime!!

Click here to see more of our nature adventure pics.

A Toast To The Graduates!

2006-03-21T08:37:00.000+08:00

It has been seven years now since I last stepped on the covered court of my dear XU alma mater, wearing my toga, putting on my graduation cap, marching with my fellow graduates, savoring that momentous hooding ceremony, and finally.. took hold and seized the fruit of my labor.. my diploma! Now, it's time to make a toast for this year's new batch of graduates! And pay tribute to our parents who have been with us every step of the way.

Now here's a song dedicated to all the parents out there. You just don't know how proud and thankful we are for raising us like no one else can, and for giving us the best of everything.

GLOWING INSIDE

by Nikki Gil

Happy, to let you know

I love you so, it's true

Happy, that I have you

You make me glow

I want as bright as you.

Chorus:

I'll always thank you

for the glow

I thank you for the joy

Thank you for the love you give to me

I'd always like glowing inside

With your love shining through

Thank you for everything you do

I'm glowing inside because of you.

Remember, my growing years

They fill with joy

Because you're there for me

You cast away my fears

You wipe those tears

You give me strength

each day..

Who knows for what tomorrow brings

My glowing wings

You make me fly

I reach and I touch the sky because of you

I'll sore up high

so I am.

Kudos to all the Graduates! You've certainly acheived that ultimate dream of yours! Congratulations!

And to the parents, we will be forever grateful for all the love and support you have given us. We love you very much!

Kaamulan Festival 2006

2006-03-06T12:08:00.000+08:00

KAAMULAN FESTIVAL - My much awaited event for this month! It’s a month long celebration then (soft opening held last February 12, grand opening on March 3, and culmination on March 10). Kaamulan is now among the Philippines’ major festivals and the only “ethnic festival” in the country, according to the Department of Tourism. It is Bukidnon’s major tourist attraction with ethnic street dancing competitions as the highlight. What a perfect timing last Saturday then, I was able to get a ride with my colleagues who were to depart CDO as early as 5:00 a.m. to set our Philcom Booth at the Kaamulan Bazaar. Lucky me ‘coz I was also able to catch up the Kaamulan Street Dancing! Wahooo!!

A couple of hours after I got home came another batch of friends (Judith, Lynette, Normy & NJ) who really took that 2-hour travel from CDO to Malaybalay just to witness the festival. Yippeee! Daghan na mi mag laag-laag! Hehehe! We headed immediately to the Capitol Grounds where the Street Dancing finale took place, and where the haven of trade fairs showcasing Bukidnon’s cutflower, livestock and agri-food industries could be marveled upon. Thousands of people filled in the entire arena. Based on DOT’s 2005 estimates, at least 100,000 visitors arrived for the festival last year, and much more is expected this year. In the last three years, Bukidnon’s hotels and inns declared full occupancy during the Kaamulan celebration with domestic and foreign guests. And this year’s number of visitors even surpassed last year’s records! Whew!

There are lots of other activities in the list -- the kaamulan bazaars, sports tournaments, rodeo shows, nightly musical, dance and entertainment shows, battle of the bands, motorcross, shootfest, song writing clinic, foodfest, the 1st National Folklore Conference, Bansagen (an exhibit of Bukidnon contemporary art by a group of local artists), Kaamulan 21-kilometer open marathon competition from Valencia City to Malaybalay City, and a lot more. We would have wanted to witness all these activities, but my.. we really lacked time hehehe! So we just enjoyed strolling and hopping from one bazaar to another, sight-seeing those cultural & ethnic displays on the stalls, and bought some souvenir items. We then headed down to the Kaamulan Grounds and enjoyed horseback riding. Our hungry stomachs then brought us to Pine Creek Café (as the name implies, it’s indeed located beside a creek down there at the cool kaamulan grounds). After we have refueled our stomachs, we proceeded up hill to witness the Off-Road Challenge.

At the end of the day, we felt as though we were all drenched out with sweat due to that infuriating kaamulan pre-summer heat hehe! So we proceeded home to freshen up, changed outfit, wore our newly bought Kaamulan shirts (tsaddaaannn!!), and enjoyed the fruit-picking session at our backyard, hahaha! Soon after our short bonding activity, it was time for my friends to depart Malaybalay, kay round trip lang man sila.. back to CDO on that same day. Hmmn.. ‘till your next visit, peps! Liko-liko kawra!

Click here to see more of our Kaamulan snapshots.

My Big Day!

2006-02-23T19:01:00.000+08:00

At the strike of 12 midnight of February 23, my cellphone started beeping. Ooops, it’s my birthday.. hehe! So there goes my well wishers!! Quite a big break for me ‘coz I’m availing my birthday leave! So I’m off for work from Thursday ‘till Friday (‘coz I also filed a vacation leave the day after my birthday, haha!). And where am I heading? Well, where else but to my beloved home city.. Malaybalay! Whew! What a long weekend for me then.. and nothing makes my day any happier than spending it with my family back home.

Attending the Holy Mass was my first activity, of course! –- bonding time with the Lord, thanking Him for adding another year into my life. Then came the food trip session hehe! Well, I'm not throwing a big party, huh! Just a simple “salo-salo” with my mama & papa (minus my sis ‘coz she’s out of town the whole weekend). Then a little music bonding session too! Hehehe! Just in case you don’t know, our passion in music runs in the blood.. owwsss?!! Yeah, with me and my dad taking turns in the vocals and the guitar, and my mom with those classic mucical piece she's got, we did our own acoustic rendition of those various songs we played. Such a lot of fun for the singing threesome hehehe!

Getting in touch with friends came next -- strolling and bonding with some peers. And what's a birthday without a call from my bestfriend? No matter the distance, my bestbud Grethel never missed a call on any special occasions, specially my birthday hehe! Thanks betpren!! It was getting late at night already, and I was about to hop in to my bed when another friend called up. Ayan, huling hirit, hehe! My last greeter perhaps! Whew! It was my college friend Arbie! Whatta long talk then, we ended up our conversation at about 1:00 a.m. haha! To all my friends out there, thank you so much for remembering me on my birthday!

Ooops! So you think that was it? It wasn’t over yet hehehe! The following day, I’ve had an instant date with my grade school friend Lorelie at Mindy’s. After which was our badminton session with my high school friends Aimee & Darwin. Then, some strolling at the Kaamulan Trade Fair at the Capitol Grounds. I really made the most of my weekend then. And I can’t wait go back home soon for the Kaamulan Festival! Adto mo!! :)

Shuttlecock And Me

2006-02-21T14:33:00.000+08:00

The last time I took hold of a badminton racket and smashed the shuttlecock was barely three months ago. Hmnn.. what a long rest then, hehe! Well, I had stopped invading the court for a while due to the conflict schedules of my after-office classes at LDCU. So there I go, missing the game sessions of my company’s badminton league. Oh, don’t get me wrong. I’m not a pro in that sport, just a plain badminton enthusiast.. an amateur so they say.

Just a couple of weeks ago, I had finally logged back in to the badminton court hehe! That was when I joined with my bro & sis at Elim Singles in their weekend sports activity at Xavier Sports & Country Club. Some sort of a culmination activity with the Elim Singles Cebu who were to depart CDO that night after the recently concluded Elim Singles Vis-Min Conference. Whew! Grabe jud nga pasingot! We played for three straight hours! It seemed I was fully recharged then ‘coz after that game, I’ve been looking forward for another match to occur.. be it in Xavier Estates, Shuttle Square, Sports Zone, or at my very own Philcom Badminton Court, hehehe! Hopefully by summer, I’ll be off from my part-time professor job, and I can focus more on the badminton court invasion, hahaha! Way to go, Vonnex!

I Got 3 Dates On Valentines!

2006-02-17T11:21:00.000+08:00

Yeh.. yeh.. yeah.. you heard (and read) it right - three dates on the Day of Hearts! Hehehe! And who were these three great dates, by the way? Okay, here I go.. I'll introduce you to them:

My first date was J.C. At times, I call him Jess so as for me to feel he's more like my confidant, my barkada, my boy friend, my brother, my colleague.. etc. Yeah, that's JC, the initials for Jesus Christ. I got Him as my first date 'coz He was the first one I talked to before I went to sleep at the strike of 12 midnight of February 14. Then when I woke up from bed on that same day, He was also the first one I was talking with. Conversing with Jesus through my prayers is one of my most intimate bonding with Him.

My second date was P.C. Now, that stands for my company, Philcom Corporation. Yeah, I've got a date with my work from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm on the Day of Hearts. PC would also stand for the people I worked with.. my colleagues. Interacting with them the entire day was more than a date itself. Me and my consumer IT colleagues then got a valentine present from the AVP himself.. lots of toblerone bars! Yummy!! Whatta treat! (Thank you, bosing!).

Finally, I've got my BF as my third date. Yeah, after office hours, I have to proceed with my third date with no other than my BF. We had a candlelight dinner at Sunburst, then after a couple of hours talking and enjoying the food, we proceeded to Shakey's for a take home pizza, and grabbed those red valentine balloons for souvenirs heheh! Ooops! I almost forgot to tell you what does BF stand for!? Well, they're my Beautiful Friends (Judith, Lynette & Normy)! Still not convinced? Just look at the recently added photos on my friendster account hehehe!

A Different New Year

2006-01-06T10:44:00.000+08:00

“New Year na! Ambak na ta!!” was what my friend exclaimed at the strike of twelve on new year’s eve! Yeah, it’s been one of the old practices then –- to jump up as high as you can with the belief that you would gain even just an inch of height increase hahaha!! Well then, petite as I am, I’ve never tried that trick in my whole life. Maybe because I’m really not so keen about superstitions, and one thing more.. I’ve always loved being small, it makes me feel I’m ten years younger hahahah!

So.. what am I up to, anyway? Welcome the new year by firing up those tiny explosives? Nahhh.. not me! I’m quite afraid of triangle and rebentador (did I spell it right?). Not even baby rocket nor piccolo, hehehe! Kutob ra jud siguro ko sa torotot ug sparklers.. Eh.. what about new year’s resolution? Nahh.. not either! As much as possible I don’t set resolutions ‘coz oftentimes, I would just end up not fulfilling anything on the list, hehe! Ok.. ok. Was there at least 12 round fruits in the table? It was meant for good luck (daw) as we enter another year. Uh-oh, we only had seven round fruits, hehehe! Awh.. c’mon! Don’t you think I’m too killjoy here? Well, I hope I don’t sound so party-pooper then, hehehe!

We are not so keen about astrology either, but there’s one thing we did at home which somewhat coincide with astrological belief. We had this dog named Chamcoo. He’s been with us for five years now, and never did he experience not being tied since the time we acquired him (kay mahadlok ang mga silingan sa iya.. kusog kaau mopaghot ug hadlok mi makapaak sya hehehe!).. I dunno but my dad just released him from being tied when we woke up late on January 1st. Chamcoo had his first release ever, and I can see how joyful he was. He would hop in every now and then, sniffed every corner of the yard, and ran like it was his first time taking advantage of his four legs for rigorous running haha! And later did we realized, 2006 is.. uh-yeah.. the year of the Fire Dog! What a coincidence!!

Going back to that not-so-still new year’s eve (due to the noise barrage outside), me and my family had this prayer session after finishing our media noche. We gathered on the living room and had an individual scripture reading. As I opened my bible with my eyes gently closed, my hands led me to these following verses: Jeremiah 9:23-24 and Luke 11:9-13, 27-28, 12:4-7.. Reading through these verses, God’s message for me for 2006 and the years ahead was sum up into one: BE MORE HUMBLE.. AND BE MORE FAITHFUL. It struck me indeed! And how blessed I really felt!

HAPPY NEW YEAR, everybody!!