Random Snips

Some pics splayed on my phone...

last photo with the twins before they went kapoot to Sydney for God-knows-how-long
It's pretty odd that despite how sad I felt of them leaving for good I din't shed a tear. Macho to-its. I guess it's also a sign that I have nothing to worry as they'll do just as well in Australia.


aso ni Ces... si Patsie. Kamuka ni Chewbacca. I like!
I've always wanted a Chow Chow! But my mom never wanted to have hairy dogs as pets so we ended up with short-haired canines like Labs, Mini Pinschers, and a Pug. If I have a Chow Chow I'm a call him Chewy or Chewbacca (for long). Haha!


the CEO's daughter, Jade. The last time we were in Sydney she is just this "." small.

Last time we were in Sydney, Bob (the dad and owner of the company) habitually just leaves baby Jade to us (me and Ces) to play with... that's at work, mind you. She's a HUMONGOUS baby at almost three feet with just several months of age back then and she's reeeeaally cuddly! A mixed Euro-Asian breed never fails (i.e. Kristin Kreuk, Maggie Q). Time for me to look for some Euro wifey then, eh? Hintayin ko na lang lumaki si Jade. Haha!


my former room during our (Singles Encounter Batch 14) retreat - 10A!
Looking at that room during the SE15 Weekend makes me feel so surreal. For me, it's an artifact of change. A herald of things to come for me and my spirituality. Ang galing. Room 10A rocks!

Twin Genes

Our family has a dominant twin gene pool.

There are two set of twins from my dad-side. One set is first cousins to my dad, himself. They are identical female twins – Ate Ging and Ate Ning. Another set is my own first cousins, Akemi and Akilyn. Again, they are identical female twins.

On the other hand, there is a set of twins from my mom-side. They are my first cousins who are fraternal male twins, Ace and Leo.

I’ve always carried this thought (and perhaps could be backed up by genetic calculations) that I have a HUGE chance of “producing” the latest set of twins for the family. That’s until my sister who’s younger by a year gave birth (prematurely) three years ago to fraternal female twins.

Liz and Lei… who I’ve fondly called the Wonder Twins (since their survival from being born two (or was it three?) months earlier and remain healthy and bright kids are a God-given wonder to all of us… especially for the newly Lola-Mommy, my mother).

Wonder Twins - a couple of months old
Now, as opportunities come and everything falls into place well for her family, it came to a point that they have to move far away. Today, they just flew to Sydney… for good. As much as how we all wanted to see the twins grow, to guide and nurture them to acquire a true Espiritu’s compassion and moral character, Sydney is a more promising place for them to stay.

But I’ll sure going to miss them badly.

I’ve never considered living anywhere but here no matter how opportunities have presented themselves, but I think my sister migrating to Sydney just heralds the idea that the rest of the family should also consider settling in Australia someday.

Now, I’m compelled to drop the idea of staying here in the country forever and start thinking of how I can haul the family there. It isn’t that hard but it won’t be really easy either. By just thinking that I’ll be going home later and know that there won’t be any cheering and snickering kiddos waiting for me at home shouting “Ninooooong!” and grabbing my hand to “bless” (mano) is a very very withdrawal-taunting experience that I’d rather summon the tropa and hit the pub to drown the fact away with whatever concoction I could take.

Bonus na lang that I’ll probably be able to fly to Sydney again early next year if God wills it for the office to reconsider sending me there for work. That’s of course after I declined the supposed trip last month. So I don’t really stake high hopes there at this moment.

Anyway, the dad made a “surprise” invite for a family night-out last Saturday and we really made good use of the quality time. I say, that day alone made up for a whole slew of days that I’m not home spending time with the twins being off on my usual plethora of lakwatsa moments instead.

Everything we did… every moment… every single time we are together was charged into my memories and I can only hope the twins too have done just the same. Wag niyo ko kalimutan!

Until we next meet, Wonder Twins! Tito Ninong loves you always!

Me, Mommy Groovy, and the Wonder Twins in MOA

When Servitude is a Gift

I was staring at this notepad for more than 3 hours now before I was able to finally write this very first sentence. Peksman. After finally "reinstating" myself back to my usual body clock and routine schedules and getting to meet the usual people-around-me and walk the places I so everyday see, I at last can view the SE15 Weekend on a detached perspective.

And it's just now that its amazingness (if it's a word) sinks in to me in one huge volley that I can only y'know shrug and say "ASTIIIIIG" as low as my brother on the other side of the room can't hear.

It never fails to make me spaced-out. WOW.

Ang galing pala talaga. Last Monday, everybody was like high on praises for our class' sponsorship when for me it was as simple as getting the job done and offering it to Him. I mean everyone else did the same thing anyway, right? ...did their own parts ...did their services to the Lord. How different can it be to what we've done?

thanks to the entire Apostolate!
And then I remembered Mu-G, patiently waiting for a late candidate finish his morning rituals to usher him back to the Hall. There's Belle who'd rather "chook" with some of the class to help with the directory than sleep... than even take a nap. Chu, the ever-goofy, went out of his way to join the class and lighten up the Harana some more! And the list goes on. It's with these that I realized that on those instances, these guys were not just working for Him... we were letting Him work through us... with us!

Hindi lang si Marco yang nagwawalis ng Conference Hall. Hindi lang si Dens yang nakabuntot ke Drew para mag-alok ng pagkain kung san san. Hindi lang si Paps yang paikot-ikot ng Angels' Hills o si Kristie o si Lads o si Emz! There's also God within every single one of us those days. Willing us to do feats! Making us do things that heck we mostly don't even do at our own homes!

Ang galing di ba?

The moment the wonderful candidates of SE15 went around the church to receive a warm welcome from the community, I myself wanted to bear hug each and everyone of SE14 and our wonderful Sheps but... naaah, they won't catch me mushy or drop a tear even. Macho to-its, haha!

BUT SE14 for now consider yourself hugged by me!

*****

pats in the backs for you guys! God job!
I'm taking this space to give a huge super thanks to SE14. I can't imagine being on any other class than HERE!

Super mega hyper ultraelectromagnetic thanks goes to Sheps Ali, Tisha, and Mike! Panalo kayo (for the lack of words to describe the feeling)! Nuff said.

Auxies! Aaang galing nyo! Kita kits tayo sa August... auxies na din kami. Haha!

SE15! I can't stress this any better... YOU guys blessed us by your presence on the Weekend alone. Keep the high!

For the rest of the Apostolate, thanks for giving us the opportunity to grow on His love. It's not everyday that you get to be reminded that God is just around... hindi lang namin napapansin. Just as our Harana message tells!

stage sheps, we love you!
*****

A couple of weeks before the SE15 Weekend, when I was asked what will be my sacrifice until the retreat, I wrote with mucho apprehension on that piece of paper from the Intercessory Team that I will NEVER go to lakwatsa trips other than SE-related outings. I know there will be a LOT of lakwatsa sched in store for me last November and I know how it will be hard... no... SUPER HARD for me not to go to any one of it... me, being the lakwatsero me!

1. To top everything up, I declined (thrice!) a chance to go back again to Sydney for another three-month work project. Much to my boss' annoyance and a juicy offer of a 50% raise on allowances! (I know... I'm crazy.)

2. Didn't join some of my close buddies on hiking back up to Sagada (Mountain Province) when I promised myself just a couple of months ago that I SUPER HAVE TO return there.

3. I planned on not joining my office team's R&R in the virgin beaches of Anawangin, Zambales if it did push through. Buti hindi natuloy. Kung hindi, indian-pana na naman ako for the third time sa team building!

4. Have to pass a regatta in Subic. Aray! It was of much shame that I have to decline an offer to be a part of the yacht's crew for this race. Nakakahiya sa skipper PLUS it sure is fun. Argh. Consolation prize na lang na hindi din nakasama si Del (SE13) dahil Auxie Head siya. Belat pare! Haha. Bawi tayo sa ibang karera.

5. Wasn't able to join Team SBB in an invitational airsoft game in Baguio. I'm missing airsoft like crazy. As in, withdrawal na! I was shooting BB's in my dreams already! Beng! Beng! Beng!

6. Did not go to Ayn's Black and White Party in Batangas where I confirmed my attendance even several weeks earlier. It's an outreach of sorts and consolation prize na lang na I was still able to donate some school supplies for the kids. Kwits na tayo Ayn ha? Hehe.

7. Hindi din ako nakakapag regular Xbox Rock Band sessions with the Shak boyz sa Fairview ever since the Weekend preps got hectic. Worse, nagkaron pa ng Rock Band 2 si Kei! Ayay!

But what I thought will be a hard time for me knowing iL be passing these things up, never turned out that way. OO, nang-hinayang ako kahit papano sa mga bagay na kailangan kong tanggihan pero hindi siya naging malaking regret para sakin. It never did. In the end, it's as if God made sure that it'L be worth not to go and that I made the right choices. And between you and me, I know I did and I feel I did! And I can never be any happier.

Now, when I look at the list above. I see it not as a list of what I missed BUT what I'm willing to miss to experience His grace.

Amen!

Random Snips

Some pics splayed on my phone...

last photo with the twins before they went kapoot to Sydney for God-knows-how-long
It's pretty odd that despite how sad I felt of them leaving for good I din't shed a tear. Macho to-its. I guess it's also a sign that I have nothing to worry as they'll do just as well in Australia.


aso ni Ces... si Patsie. Kamuka ni Chewbacca. I like!
I've always wanted a Chow Chow! But my mom never wanted to have hairy dogs as pets so we ended up with short-haired canines like Labs, Mini Pinschers, and a Pug. If I have a Chow Chow I'm a call him Chewy or Chewbacca (for long). Haha!


the CEO's daughter, Jade. The last time we were in Sydney she is just this "." small.

Last time we were in Sydney, Bob (the dad and owner of the company) habitually just leaves baby Jade to us (me and Ces) to play with... that's at work, mind you. She's a HUMONGOUS baby at almost three feet with just several months of age back then and she's reeeeaally cuddly! A mixed Euro-Asian breed never fails (i.e. Kristin Kreuk, Maggie Q). Time for me to look for some Euro wifey then, eh? Hintayin ko na lang lumaki si Jade. Haha!


my former room during our (Singles Encounter Batch 14) retreat - 10A!
Looking at that room during the SE15 Weekend makes me feel so surreal. For me, it's an artifact of change. A herald of things to come for me and my spirituality. Ang galing. Room 10A rocks!

Twin Genes

Our family has a dominant twin gene pool.

There are two set of twins from my dad-side. One set is first cousins to my dad, himself. They are identical female twins – Ate Ging and Ate Ning. Another set is my own first cousins, Akemi and Akilyn. Again, they are identical female twins.

On the other hand, there is a set of twins from my mom-side. They are my first cousins who are fraternal male twins, Ace and Leo.

I’ve always carried this thought (and perhaps could be backed up by genetic calculations) that I have a HUGE chance of “producing” the latest set of twins for the family. That’s until my sister who’s younger by a year gave birth (prematurely) three years ago to fraternal female twins.

Liz and Lei… who I’ve fondly called the Wonder Twins (since their survival from being born two (or was it three?) months earlier and remain healthy and bright kids are a God-given wonder to all of us… especially for the newly Lola-Mommy, my mother).

Wonder Twins - a couple of months old
Now, as opportunities come and everything falls into place well for her family, it came to a point that they have to move far away. Today, they just flew to Sydney… for good. As much as how we all wanted to see the twins grow, to guide and nurture them to acquire a true Espiritu’s compassion and moral character, Sydney is a more promising place for them to stay.

But I’ll sure going to miss them badly.

I’ve never considered living anywhere but here no matter how opportunities have presented themselves, but I think my sister migrating to Sydney just heralds the idea that the rest of the family should also consider settling in Australia someday.

Now, I’m compelled to drop the idea of staying here in the country forever and start thinking of how I can haul the family there. It isn’t that hard but it won’t be really easy either. By just thinking that I’ll be going home later and know that there won’t be any cheering and snickering kiddos waiting for me at home shouting “Ninooooong!” and grabbing my hand to “bless” (mano) is a very very withdrawal-taunting experience that I’d rather summon the tropa and hit the pub to drown the fact away with whatever concoction I could take.

Bonus na lang that I’ll probably be able to fly to Sydney again early next year if God wills it for the office to reconsider sending me there for work. That’s of course after I declined the supposed trip last month. So I don’t really stake high hopes there at this moment.

Anyway, the dad made a “surprise” invite for a family night-out last Saturday and we really made good use of the quality time. I say, that day alone made up for a whole slew of days that I’m not home spending time with the twins being off on my usual plethora of lakwatsa moments instead.

Everything we did… every moment… every single time we are together was charged into my memories and I can only hope the twins too have done just the same. Wag niyo ko kalimutan!

Until we next meet, Wonder Twins! Tito Ninong loves you always!

Me, Mommy Groovy, and the Wonder Twins in MOA

When Servitude is a Gift

I was staring at this notepad for more than 3 hours now before I was able to finally write this very first sentence. Peksman. After finally "reinstating" myself back to my usual body clock and routine schedules and getting to meet the usual people-around-me and walk the places I so everyday see, I at last can view the SE15 Weekend on a detached perspective.

And it's just now that its amazingness (if it's a word) sinks in to me in one huge volley that I can only y'know shrug and say "ASTIIIIIG" as low as my brother on the other side of the room can't hear.

It never fails to make me spaced-out. WOW.

Ang galing pala talaga. Last Monday, everybody was like high on praises for our class' sponsorship when for me it was as simple as getting the job done and offering it to Him. I mean everyone else did the same thing anyway, right? ...did their own parts ...did their services to the Lord. How different can it be to what we've done?

thanks to the entire Apostolate!
And then I remembered Mu-G, patiently waiting for a late candidate finish his morning rituals to usher him back to the Hall. There's Belle who'd rather "chook" with some of the class to help with the directory than sleep... than even take a nap. Chu, the ever-goofy, went out of his way to join the class and lighten up the Harana some more! And the list goes on. It's with these that I realized that on those instances, these guys were not just working for Him... we were letting Him work through us... with us!

Hindi lang si Marco yang nagwawalis ng Conference Hall. Hindi lang si Dens yang nakabuntot ke Drew para mag-alok ng pagkain kung san san. Hindi lang si Paps yang paikot-ikot ng Angels' Hills o si Kristie o si Lads o si Emz! There's also God within every single one of us those days. Willing us to do feats! Making us do things that heck we mostly don't even do at our own homes!

Ang galing di ba?

The moment the wonderful candidates of SE15 went around the church to receive a warm welcome from the community, I myself wanted to bear hug each and everyone of SE14 and our wonderful Sheps but... naaah, they won't catch me mushy or drop a tear even. Macho to-its, haha!

BUT SE14 for now consider yourself hugged by me!

*****

pats in the backs for you guys! God job!
I'm taking this space to give a huge super thanks to SE14. I can't imagine being on any other class than HERE!

Super mega hyper ultraelectromagnetic thanks goes to Sheps Ali, Tisha, and Mike! Panalo kayo (for the lack of words to describe the feeling)! Nuff said.

Auxies! Aaang galing nyo! Kita kits tayo sa August... auxies na din kami. Haha!

SE15! I can't stress this any better... YOU guys blessed us by your presence on the Weekend alone. Keep the high!

For the rest of the Apostolate, thanks for giving us the opportunity to grow on His love. It's not everyday that you get to be reminded that God is just around... hindi lang namin napapansin. Just as our Harana message tells!

stage sheps, we love you!
*****

A couple of weeks before the SE15 Weekend, when I was asked what will be my sacrifice until the retreat, I wrote with mucho apprehension on that piece of paper from the Intercessory Team that I will NEVER go to lakwatsa trips other than SE-related outings. I know there will be a LOT of lakwatsa sched in store for me last November and I know how it will be hard... no... SUPER HARD for me not to go to any one of it... me, being the lakwatsero me!

1. To top everything up, I declined (thrice!) a chance to go back again to Sydney for another three-month work project. Much to my boss' annoyance and a juicy offer of a 50% raise on allowances! (I know... I'm crazy.)

2. Didn't join some of my close buddies on hiking back up to Sagada (Mountain Province) when I promised myself just a couple of months ago that I SUPER HAVE TO return there.

3. I planned on not joining my office team's R&R in the virgin beaches of Anawangin, Zambales if it did push through. Buti hindi natuloy. Kung hindi, indian-pana na naman ako for the third time sa team building!

4. Have to pass a regatta in Subic. Aray! It was of much shame that I have to decline an offer to be a part of the yacht's crew for this race. Nakakahiya sa skipper PLUS it sure is fun. Argh. Consolation prize na lang na hindi din nakasama si Del (SE13) dahil Auxie Head siya. Belat pare! Haha. Bawi tayo sa ibang karera.

5. Wasn't able to join Team SBB in an invitational airsoft game in Baguio. I'm missing airsoft like crazy. As in, withdrawal na! I was shooting BB's in my dreams already! Beng! Beng! Beng!

6. Did not go to Ayn's Black and White Party in Batangas where I confirmed my attendance even several weeks earlier. It's an outreach of sorts and consolation prize na lang na I was still able to donate some school supplies for the kids. Kwits na tayo Ayn ha? Hehe.

7. Hindi din ako nakakapag regular Xbox Rock Band sessions with the Shak boyz sa Fairview ever since the Weekend preps got hectic. Worse, nagkaron pa ng Rock Band 2 si Kei! Ayay!

But what I thought will be a hard time for me knowing iL be passing these things up, never turned out that way. OO, nang-hinayang ako kahit papano sa mga bagay na kailangan kong tanggihan pero hindi siya naging malaking regret para sakin. It never did. In the end, it's as if God made sure that it'L be worth not to go and that I made the right choices. And between you and me, I know I did and I feel I did! And I can never be any happier.

Now, when I look at the list above. I see it not as a list of what I missed BUT what I'm willing to miss to experience His grace.

Amen!