Last Note from Here

And so it is. I am writing in my notes from my hometown, Manila, for the last time this year.

I have left so many times before, but I keep coming back. Back home.

As I leave again, I leave behind my failures. I leave behind my stupid mistakes and bad judgment. I leave behind memories with friends. Memories of all-night videoke marathons. Endless catch-ups and our very own private fiestas.

By the time I create my next entry, I would have turned a new page... to a new chapter. Again.

I hope to fill the new pages of my life with as much joy and sadness as this year had brought me. For without the tears, happiness is not as sweet. Without grief, there are no good times to look forward to. Only more hardships to dread.

Life will unfold as it wants. I can not control it, but I will have to live it. So this is my last note from here:

Live life. As it is. As you are.

Counting Down My Manila Days

I am down to my last 5 days in Manila, counting today. By this time on Saturday I would be getting off a plane in Seoul, Korea to catch another flight to Chicago, IL.

My older sister is finally getting married! She, together with her fiance, has made the wise decision to hold the wedding ceremonies at around the same time as Thanksgiving this year so friends and relatives from all over the state/country/world only need to fly in once and celebrate Thanksgiving, their wedding, and a family reunion all at once.

Our year-long preparations for this trip is almost over. It started with my sister's vacation here in June 2007 when they told Ma of their plans to get married. As soon as we knew, we made arrangements to get our US visas. Ma, May (my younger sister) and I went about our own ways to request for birth/marriage/employment/bank certificates (whichever applies). We made the appointment at the embassy, and waited for our scheduled interview. All this time, Ma prayed every novena she knew and went to all the Christmas masses just so her wish could be granted.

On the appointed date and time, I flew in from Cebu to stand in line outside the embassy, anxious and a little scared just like the many others trying their luck to get to the US. This was the point of no return. We will do our best, and the rest is up to the fates. Ma's prayers must have worked; we all 3 got visas good for 10 years!

Now the hardest part is over, and all we had to do was wait until we were ready to go. That time is almost here. Just one more workweek, then we are outta here! I guess it's a blessing in disguise that I am not working right now. If I were, I would only be able to stay for 15 days. That meant I would be spending Christmas here alone. But as it turns out, I can stay as long as I want (until my funds run out, that is) because I have no job to come back to. Whoever thought being out of work was a good thing?

So now that I am free of corporate responsibilities, Ma and I have decided to spend Christmas AND New Year's over there. After all, who knows when we can go back to visit?

So for now, I am still dreaming of a white Christmas. In another month, I would actually be living it!

Note to Self Part 1

Finally! After being back for over a month now, I got to catch up with my Foyer Fifol.

I was excited to hear the news about Jiggs opening a bar. I always wanted to have a "place", you know. Somewhere you can hang out at with friends, and stay until after closing time. Someplace where you will always be welcome, where you will always find a familiar face, "...where everybody knows your name..." Sorry, couldn't help it.

Only problem is, as always, it's way out there in QC. I live in the South, about a 2-hour commute away if you don't have a car, which on Saturday night was the case with me. Or you can cut down travel time if you take the MRT (by maybe 30 minutes), or a cab (but will cost you more). So you see my dilemma. I now have a "place", but it is so far away from where I live that it poses too many hassles:

1 - i have to get an early start for dinner (travel time takes 2 hours, remember?)
2 - i have to brave the traffic from South to North (all along EDSA or C5. Either way, traffic's a b*tch!)
3 - i can bring the car, but that means i shouldn't drink... too much (and what's the point then?)
4 - if i don't bring the car, then i will be dependent on the good graces of my friends (?) to drive me home. If they're not feeling gracious, that's another 250-cab ride at an ungodly hour
5 - i can't get drunk (see numbers 3 and 4), which kind of negates the purpose of coming to the bar

hhhmmmm..... dilema, dilemma.

But I was there last Saturday to show my support, and break my sober streak. Yes, I had to leave the house 2 hours before the time on the invite. And yes I had to take public transportation, and endure all the exciting things that come with it: cheap music, loud passengers, heavy traffic and stale air from the air-conditioning.

I also got to congratulate Jiggs on opening his dream bar. I saw my college buddies again after 6 months. We re-hashed all the old stories. We told the same jokes. We made fun of the same people. We made new memories.

So my note to self: a 2-hour commute in heavy traffic is worth seeing your friends for. will do again... and again...and again. RIDE n ROLL!