katleya notes

After 48 years..

2009-11-25T20:43:00.000-08:00

Wow. This blog has almost lost its purpose. I intended to have this blog pretty updated.. hmm.. FAILED!

There's SO MUCH I want to write about since the last time I updated this. But then, all the thoughts piled up because I kept putting things off, which is a very bad habit of mine by the way. I'm the type of person who has "to-do lists" and things like that. But they end up piling up altogether too. A lot of people (esp. Arnie and Lu) find it funny how I overuse my cellphone's calendar. I put EVERYTHING there. EVERYTHING. But that's how I prefer it though. I like schedules. Mostly because I forget things. I wouldn't go all out and say that I WON'T be able to function without my "what-to-do list." But will it be hard for me to function? VERY.

Okay. We just both wasted our time with that paragraph. Nag-sabi-sabi ako. Haha! Anyway, let me jot down things I've been wanting to blog about but never had the time to get to it. But I will. Soon. Soon? (We'll see..)

>my Ingkong
>long distance relationship
>my love for music (very inspired to pursue my pathetic guitar & keyboard playing)
>my loving patient
>bus drivers here in fremont
>stereotypes
>books i've read/been reading
>amazon's Kindle
>Ellen Degeneres

That's about 6% of everything. I hope I'd get to them though. Hehe. :)

blogspot-to-FB

2009-06-13T18:47:00.000-07:00

i'm importing my blog to my facebook account. i'm leaving for the states on august 1 so i'll be blogging more often.. soon. import ko nalang para minsanan nalang ang pag blog. hehe. the sole purpose why i created a new blog is because, yun nga, kailangan ko ng outlet pag sad moments ako dun. i'll be living on my own. as in. alone. all by myself. it would also help to update my friends and loved ones about my independent life there.

i like to write. babble. doodle. even if i'm not making any sense anymore. i feel free writing. i could just say ANYTHING. i usually pour out my nonsenseness to arnie and lu. pero pagbalik ko ng isteyts, they wouldn't be there with me. but i will have my laptop and this blog. so yun. proxy. sure, may friends ako dun pero kailangan pa mag-drive para ma-reach sila. so i'd just write/type. :)

this year has been the fastest ever. almost half of it has passed already! i don't want to leave. but i have to. and i will. gusto ko na rin mag work. i haven't even left yet but i am so ready to go back home already. i will work my butt off. get busy. i will miss home. sh*t yoko muna mag-emo. chaka na yung blog na yun. pag malapit na talago ko alis. i still have 47 days (i wish i didn't count).

God, slow motion na please. kahit hanggang july 31 lang. tas fast forward na onwards. :')

MY SWEETEST POTATOES.. :)

2009-04-29T03:44:00.000-07:00

THANK YOU.. :)

i don't know how else to thank you because i can never thank you enough. words will never be enough but i'd still try to pour them all out into writing. i didn't get the chance to thank you last night because i was so surprised and it got me lost for words. i applaud you because you really got us. i didn't have the slightest clue of what was going to happen. you planned it all perfectly.

i will never EVER forget that day. to the readers, here's what happened:

APRIL 28, 2009 around 6PM---gugu and i were supposed to go to ara's house for jico's (ara's brother) birthday. she also told us that the others wouldn't be able to come. i was kind of bummed out about it but shrugged it off. while on our way, we called ara on the phone for directions. wait daw niya kami sa gate ng subdivision nila. little did we know, there was a HUGE surprise waiting for us.

we got to the house. we saw jico outside playing with the neighbors (with his pambahay clothes).

GUGU: "ay, makapambahay yapa rugu ing bday celebrant.."
LEY: "ala pa atang bisita (noticing that there weren't any cars around). miparanun kami ata."
GUGU: "ok muyta leylot, atleast mumuna tamu mangan!"
(everyone laughs)
ARA: "a wa muna nakayu mangan."

so we got out of the car and still had no idea what was happening. where was the party? where are the people?" we got into the house. madilim dahil nakapatay lahat ng ilaw. then suddenly, the lights went on and there they were! my kamotes.. :)

**see complete pictures and videos on my facebook (ley_1228@yahoo.com)

there really was no birthday party. jico's birthday was not until May 6. everyone was in on it, except for gugu and i. ara's siblings and parents were in on it. even arnie was in on it! (clap clap for my dear arnie too for not spilling anything.. i really had no idea!) little did gugu and i know that the day was planned to be our advance "going away" party. gugu is leaving for the states on may 6th (frowns) and my flight was rebooked from july 1 to august 1. it was really the biggest surprise. but it didn't end there.

everything was set up perfectly. after we've exchange hugs and shed tears of so much joy, we went to the garage. laking gulat ko at ang daming pagkain! may magic sing pa! haha! like i said, it was all perfectly planned. i was so excited to hear about everything they've been through to get it all set up. we found out that they've been going on and about behind our backs for weeks! ang galing talaga because we really had NO idea. i'm telling you now, everything you went through was all worth it. it all paid off. :)

THANK YOU.. THANK YOU.. THANK YOU.. you've now definitely made it much much harder for us to leave.. hahaha! seriously, THANK YOU! :)

ARA: the planner.. hehe.. i could only imagine all the trouble you went through for organizing this priceless party. you know we love you. you girls are my soul sisters. we've been through SO MUCH together. we know each other inside and out. i'm not worried about leaving because i know we'll see each other again soon after. muna kami mung bagya karin. besides, madalas kaming muli. promise yan.. :) i'm always here for you and you know that. pag achu naku karin, distance would be the only difference but i'm still one text, call, IM, email away. of course i'll keep in touch. aku pa? i already miss you. again, from the bottom of my heart, THANK YOU.. :)

BJORN: nang gawan mi nung ala ka? hehe.. intro pamu pamatay ne o.. haha! seriously, maybug kung mate keng kaka-ayli keka! you're so full of wit. i still don't know what you might've taken that night to have made you so high.. haha! meg-energo ka ne papi? hehe.. another extra "THANK YOU" for you, for rescuing us anyang tinirik ya ing saken. hehe! eku kalinwan ta. we knew you were the right person to call. thank you very much!

ADZ: ara told us na parehu yung aisip ing planung ini. thank you.. :) i know how hard this is for you. i'm sure you and gugu have talked about this many times already. now that it's here, ala ng choice nung ali maging strong. achu kami mu keni para keka. and soon, aku namang achu karin with her. be strong and stay strong. konting tiis mu. good things happen to good people. you're definitely a good person. chu ku mu palagi if you need ANYTHING.. :)

MEGGY: thank you for the thoughtfulness you have. sobrang me-touch kami. im so happy to be a part of this.. this friendship we all share. pamilya danakayu. mitupa-tupa tamu ne? kamuti at heart.. hehe! meggy, you're one of the truest persons i've ever met. you say what you want and you say what you don't like. you have a good heart. sobrang masaya kang kayabe. go na go keng egana-gana at alang ka-arti arti. thank you for making this happy day possible. eku kalingwan ing gewa yu. thank you!

JANET: my kamoteng janet, you know how happy you make us all feel. ala kung asabi keng kaganakan mu. palagi kang achu ken. you never let anyone down. KAMOTES will not be KAMOTES without you. amiss dakang sobra kanyan. aalala ku ing thoughtfulness mu. manibat ketang pangawa mu kaming pastillas hangga keng emu pamagreply kareng text pero ika pa ing mumunang daratang kareng lakad. haha! thank you.. also, i'd like to thank you for capturing our memorable moments. nung ala ka, alang mag video kareng memories tamu. haha! treasure kula forever deng videos tamu. thank you.. chu kumu lagi para keka.. :)

BENTONG: este "jov" na pala.. kasi keng states manong ya ing bentong. haha! pero you'll forever bebentong for us.. haha! dapat kayabe ka kekaming gugu ketang surprise e! muna ka pa mako kanyan kaku.. haha! metung ka kareng dakal a reason nung bakit me-surprise kung bonggang bongga dahil balaku maninap ku anyang ikit daka.. haha! thank you for showing up that night. haha! ika pamo ing tatalan keng banner ne? haha! seriously, though malagad ka magpakit kekami, feel na feel mi naman ing presence mu. thank you kareng memories. a-miss daka pero mikit kata murin karin e! (nung magpakit ka ne, haha!) see you in frisco.. :)

BHE: eku a-explain ing saya ku anyang akit daka. a-miss daka rugu. kalwat daka ali ikit. thank you for coming. i know naman you wouldn't miss it for the world because you're too sweet and thoughtful na you try your best to be there for us always. a-miss ku ing sweetness mung yan. you know i'm ALWAYS here for you. it doesn't matter nung nokarin ku pa. you have a huge circle of friends but i want you to know that i'll be that person you can count on to anytime, anyday. thank you for the friendship i'll forever treasure. makatuwa kasi i found my lifetime friends with all of you. ikayu ing abe kung mag didi's potang mangatwa tanang alang ipan panginis pizza burger.. haha! love you belabet.. mikit kaming calilung karin at awsan mu kami magic jack.. :)

BLESSY: our blessing.. you already know i have nothing but good things to say about you. thank you for the thougthfulness and sweetness you have. nag-absent ka pa sa work para samen. blessy, we'll keep in touch ok? gusto ko kahit nasa malayo kame, updated parin kami sayo katulad now. mamimiss ko mga texts and messages mo kaya keep them coming ok? i always tell you this, but i'll tell you again and again, you have such a kind heart. you deserve everything good in this world. blessing ka talaga kekami ngan. bawat isa samen, natulungan mu na ng maraming beses in many different ways. you know i'm always here for you.. ALWAYS.

MATUTS: tootsie, malwat tanang magkakayabe. we've been through EVERYTHING. you keep this bond we have tightened. madakal tana pegdaanan at ayni ikatamu ngeni, magkakayabe tamu pamurin. toots, balu ku ikang ating pakana ketang CD. sobra sobrang me-touch kami karin. ikit yu naman ta. potang matwa tana, alben talang pasibayu deta. thank you talaga. that made the surprise even more of a surprise. talagang peg-prepare yu at sobrang a-appreciate mi ita. emi kalinwan ing gewa yu. ikayu ngan ating maragul na part na gewa para maging possible ing aldo na ita. thank you so much.. :)

ZHEL: ika ampo i bentong ing minuna kung ikit anyang mesindi la retang sulu.. haha! sobrang surprise talaga! amiss daka.. ika talaga ing malwat kung ali ikit. sobrang saya ku dahil achu ka. zhel, tutu kang tau at kaliguran. balu ku sunud naka kanyan karin kekami. i wish you all the good things in this world kasi deserve mu ita. thank you keng friendship. malwat tana rin miyabe2. special kayu ngan kanaku. eku kalinwan ining gewa yu. thank you.. :)

SHIE: bashie! ika ing best part ning surprise! haha! kasaya ko anyang ikit daka dahil sobrang amiss daka. maski pamusitan at sadistan muku pa 24/7 ok mu dahil malwat nakung ali makatakam pakanta.. haha! seriously, thank you so much kasi achu ka. amiss daka. mesakit ku rin achan keng kakaayli anyang pauli tana. yan tuloy, megka mis-adventures tapa.. haha! mesiraan tamu saken tas ika naman ala ka susi bale.. haha! pero maski pakanta ing mengapalyari kekatamu, happy ku parin kasi abe dakayung gugu.. mekapag kwentuhan tapang bagya kekayu habang panayan i bjorn. speaking of kwento, tin ka pa utang kwento ha. ali ya metuluy. hehe! thank you bashie.. love daka.. :)

NIKO-SHEY: me-doble ing surprise anyang dintang kayu.. emi inexpect dahil balu ming super busy nurses nakayu.. haha! thank you so much.. amiss dakayu.. ikayu ing pekamalwat ming ali akayabe. thank you dintang kayu. amiss dakayu sobra. i wish you both happiness. obvious naman na masaya kayu talaga. happy kami ngan para kekayu. super proud kami rin kasi successfull RNs nakayu talaga. you inspire us all. again, thank you very very much. love you both.. :)

GUGU: roomie! don't we have the sweetest set of friends? they make leaving so, so, so much harder. katkat, i'll miss you.. for 3 months! haha! panayan mu naku mu karin. we'll cry our eyes out from homesickness.. well maybe aku mu. kasi by the time na achu naku ken, siguru naman agisan mu na luha mu.. haha! amiss kula reng kamuti tamu. basta roomie, thank you for everything. you know how special you are to me. i'm always here for you. to be continued la reng adventures tamu kanyan.. U.S. edition! haha! love u so much.. :)

MIEL & ZAI: the absentees.. zaisung, atin kami pa atrasu keka so you have the right na magtampu.. bumawi kami. super sorry. we'll apologize in person. basta love daka. kulang parin talaga kasi ala kayu. miel, the kamuti of all the kamutis, congrats keng junior mu! sayang ali ya girl, meg promise ka pamo na pag girl ya ing baby mu, tuknang nka mag chicks.. hehe.. pro ok mu na boy ya.. basta ali na sana amana keka ing machicks mung balat.. haha! kamute, amiss daka.. mikit2 tapa kanyan.. :)

there you go.. sana ekayu meduling keng kakabasa keng nobela ku. this was just a little glimpse of how grateful i am for what you guys did. you really are some bunch. maswerti kami kekayu. amiss dakayung sobra-sobra. basta achu kumu lagi para kekayu ngan. we'll see each other again soon. tuluy-tuluy mu ing kantahan ana ping bjorn. haha! I LOVE YOU MY KAMOTES.. to be continued.. :)

My birthday wish list..

2009-04-28T11:22:00.000-07:00

The Rules

1. Make a list of what you want for your Birthday.

2. The list should be 10 numbers.

3. Include the image of this Award on your Post.

4. Give it to 10 Friends of yours.

(tagged by ate jb.. ^.^)

my birthday is not until december. but this sounds like fun! (thanks ate!) the following were thought randomly. anyway, here goes:

1. firstly, to spend my birthday with my arnie, my family and friends (which i know cannot happen because i'll be so far away.. wish nga e.. hehe..)

2. my real-life pet named "pickles" (see: facebook's pet society)

3. books, books, books.. :)

4. my traditional blowing of candles on my birthday cake with 22 candles on it..

5. north beach pesto pizza..

6. im not a gadget type of person, but it wouldn't hurt to have a nice, new laptop.. a sony vaio will do..

7. disney WORLD..

8. vegas..

9. a dinner date with my arnie..

10. a tight hug from my arnie..

*sigh* may they come true.. :')

God is so good..

2009-02-24T02:12:00.000-08:00

last february 20, i went to the mall. i was at this store's fitting room. i was trying to put on this really cute dress when my phone rang. it was my friend ara:

ley: hello ra?
ara: leyyy! blah blah blah blah! (it all sounded gibberish to me. it was a mix of yelling and crying and shouting and shrieking.)

ley: nano? eku antindyan! ninanu ka? (i was panicking already)

ara: sabi ku, congrats! RN NAKA!

(..and more shrieking followed after that.)

being half-dressed in a fitting room: what a way to find out that you've passed to become (finally) a registered nurse! it was such a high! i was so surprised, first of all, because i wasn't aware that the long-awaited results have already been released, and second, i wasn't expecting a rather positive response from the exam i took. it was so damn hard! it was like having been given a set of exam questions which you did not study for at all. no exaggeration. i had months to study prior the big exam. i did my part, no doubt about that. but when i sat on that chair and was handed the booklet and started answering the questions, i knew i was half dead. haha! darn, it was like i didn't study at all. i hate how the board of nursing gives out damn hard questions like that. they wouldn't give us any break. anyway, no complains now, because thank you God, i passed.. :)

it's really nice to be given something you didn't expect to receive. i knew i wasn't required to have a local license, but it doesn't make much difference with regards to the pressure. i wanted to pass it though i did not need to. i wanted to do it for my family especially my parents, not more so for myself. i was so worried before that i might've failed it because i was so focused on studying for my NCLEX (the only exam i was required to pass). so when i found out that i made it, it was an unbelievable feeling. i wanted to rejoice and cry at the same time, of too much joy. but of course, i couldn't do that during that time since i was at the mall and people may think i'm retarded. i went straight home and broke the good news to my family. then finally, the tears held in, fell.. :')

i've thought of telling arnie through the phone. i had my cellphone in my hand, his number on dialed, but then i thought that it was better if i told him in person. so i hung up and waited the whole afternoon til he got out from work. i know that this means a lot to him. he's always been there during my tough times. months before the november 2008 exam, i stayed in manila to have my review courses. arnie was always at reach when i became home sick and i'd call him anytime i felt like i need to talk, or sometimes cry. he knew how difficult it was for me to be away and at the same time, concentrate and do well on my review. he would go to carmelite daily to light me candles for my petition and pray for me. he gave me all the support and motivation i needed. he was so good at making me feel my best. so telling him that i made it, meant so much for me.

and so i did. i told him in person and we went straight to our favorite bee (jollibee.. hehe!) and he treated me and his cousin, our favorite hot fudge sundae! he's such a huge part of this success. he's really proud and happy for me. (thank you, love..)

it was all so surreal. today, four days after, and it still hasn't sunk into me yet. of course i had to see for myself. when i got home, i checked online. and there it was. a dream made real:

i'd like to thank my family, my friends and for all those who prayed for me. God is so, so good. this was all because of Him. i didn't think i'd be able to pass if i were to base it on my performance. i admit, it was really very hard. but i never doubted myself and my faith in Him. i remained my optimistic self all throughout the agonizing part of waiting for the results. i prayed and prayed. thank you God. i promise to be a good nurse. (it feels so good to finally address myself as a nurse.. officially).

and now my NCLEX is fast-approaching (the most important of all exams). i'll be taking it this march. please help me pray for another success as good as this.

and now, with pride and honor, i'd like to introduce myself (for the first time) as:

Katleya B. Galura, RN (and hopefully, USRN soon..)

unemployment..

2009-02-09T07:55:00.001-08:00

it sucks.

having to graduate was just not enough to get you landed on a job. how i wish it would've been just that easy. but no. of course not. especially for aspiring nurses, who have to take and pass gazillion types of examinations prior to anything else. well, fortunately in my case, i only need to pass one (see "NCLEX"). i haven't taken it though. but i will, very soon. it's a very looooooong story why i wasn't able to take it earlier.

anyway, as much as i'd like to get my lazy butt off the couch and work instead, i really don't have any choice. i guess i just have to be even more patient and wait for MY time. besides, i need all the time i can get to study for the big exam.

so what should i be complaining about? that's right.. NOTHING. so there you go, a taste of my nonsenseness. haha! i guarantee you there's more to come. oh how i love to babble. :)

2009-02-09T07:40:00.000-08:00

i watched the grammy's this morning.

hate miley cyrus. sorry, but i really do. so annoying.

sakura

2009-01-23T04:23:00.000-08:00

meet our first ever pamangkin.. sakura! :)

sakura--yes, she's japanese. haha! well, half japanese. she's the adorable daughter of our girlfriend, april, who married a japanese. she was born on january 14th. we're all ninangs! pril, make sure you get home before i leave for the states ok? congratulations on your healthy baby. we're all very proud of you sexy mama! we love you and our niece sakura.. :)

my arnie..

2009-01-14T18:11:00.000-08:00

happy 3rd anniversary to us.. :)

you know i love you and i will always, ALWAYS be with you. thank you for EVERYTHING. you are the kindest, most caring person i've ever met. you bring out the best in me. you embrace me at my very worst. your patience humbles me. i love you in countless ways.

i love you. i love how you play with my hair. i love how you randomly touch my face. i love how you hug me in surprise just because you feel like it. i love how you play with my hands whenever we hold. i love it when you cook for me. i love it when you get more than two servings of rice whenever i cook for you. i love how you wipe my spoon and fork before eating whenever we eat out. i love it when you buy me chocolates just to ease any feeling of pain in my body. i love how you stare into my eyes when you say you love me. i love how you write and sing songs just for me. i love how you're one of the fewest who still writes letters. i love it when we sing our hearts out in the car. i love how you would stick your finger in my nose even though i act annoyed. i love how you would always serve me ulam and rice before yourself. i love how you have a habit of putting your hands in my armpits and just rest them there. i love it when you fall asleep while watching TV, snoring, then denying it afterwards (haha!). i love how you react when i accuse you for farting. i love it when you tell me your plans for OUR future. i love how you just stick your tongue out when you have nothing else to say (haha!). i love how you surprise me with the biggest and littlest ways. i love your honesty. i love how you're so kind to everybody. i love you, like i said, in countless ways..

these are just a tiny bit of the why's. words are never going to be enough. i thank God for you, for this love, for the families we have who are always with us in this relationship. we are so blessed. i really could not ask for anything more.

thank you boi. you are my first true love.. and you are definitely my last. happy anniversary! :)

changing tires 101

2009-01-07T19:08:00.000-08:00

nung isang linggo, bago sumapit ang bagong taon, pumunta kami ni lu sa Hypermarket para mamili ng lulutuin sa New Year's Eve dinner namin. natapos naman kami agad at nabili lahat ng kailangan. natuwa pa ako dahil maaga kami natapos.. UNTIL..

..NA-PLATAN KAME! buti nalang at may security na liligid-ligid na nakapansin sa gulong. kung di niya lang sinabi samen, e malamang di man namin napansin ni lu. bago pa kami humingi ng tulong, e may dumaan na dalawang manong na naka-motor. yung isa may hawak na matigas na folder na parang chart sa ospital. agad nilang tinignan ang severity ng sitwasyon. ako naman tong si praning at mapagduda, sabay tanong sakanila ng mapanghusgang "sino po kayo??" natawa siya at sinabing security daw sila don, sabay dukot sa wallet niya para magpakita ng ID. hehe! aba mahirap na noh. malay ko ba kung bagong modus operandi yun o ano. mas ok na ang maging praning para sigurado. lalu na't kaming dalawa lang ni lu at walang kasamang lalake. anyway, tinawagan ko na agad si arnie at ipinaalam ko na rin sa tatay ko. binuksan ko ang trunk kung san nandun yung spare ko at mga tools. nagkataon din na naka-park kami sa may bandang terminal ng mga jeep. kaya may mabait na driver din na lumapit at tumulong. ako naman ay tutok na tutok sa ginagawa nila para kahit papano e matuto. ilang minuto lang, napalitan nila kaagad yung gulong. *maraming salamat sa tatlong manong guard at kay manong driver ng SM Clark*

pag-uwi, agad akong nag-google: "HOW TO CHANGE A FLAT TIRE." medyo may pagka-technical yung mga na-open kong results kaya nag-search ulit ako. "HOW TO CHANGE A FLAT TIRE.. FOR WOMEN!" haha! at eto ngayon, share ko sa inyo lalu na sa mga girls na tulad ko. it's really simple. you'll be proud of yourselves.. :) (btw, i simplified it furthermore para mas madali pa lalo.)

STEP 1: Begin by locating the spare tire, jack and tire iron (usually located in the trunk).

STEP 2: Take off the hubcap and loosen the lug nuts BEFORE jacking up the car. Turn the pipe to the left for loosening and right for tightening (REMEMBER: Righty tighty, Lefty loosey)

STEP 3: After loosening all lug nuts, jack up the car. Turn to your car manual to show proper positioning of the jack. Raise the car enough to get the flat off and accommodate the spare tire.

STEP 4: Completely remove the lug nuts then remove the flat tire.

STEP 5: Put the spare tire on with the air valve facing out and screw on the lug nuts.

STEP 6: Lower the car and re-tighten the lug nuts using the pipe.

(easy steps courtesy of ehow.com)

now there, ang dali lang diba? also, don't forget to get your flat tire patched up as soon as possible. never drive out without a spare tire so make sure you have it fixed. ayan, memorize niyo yan. go girl power! hehe.. :)

i'm 21!

2008-12-29T04:46:00.000-08:00

yesterday at exactly 11pm, i turned twenty-one! :)

every 27th of december of each year, i would always wait for the clock to strike 12. who doesn't? it's fun! reading all the text messages that friends and family send you and they're hoping that they were the one who first greeted you. their greetings start my happy birthday. :)

i was watching The Ellen Degeneres Show this morning. she was talking about how unfortunate it must be for people who celebrate their birthdays around Christmas day. How they (i mean we) get 2-in-1 presents. How ninongs and ninangs would hand us our aguinaldos saying "merry christmas AND happy birthday!" Ellen also mentioned how it's even more unfortunate for people born AFTER Christmas. Kasi daw pag December na, excited ang lahat sa pasko. Kaya pag tapos na pasko, parang back to normal na lahat at parang naubos na daw energy nila. It's funny though. I was born on the 28th and I never had any of these. In fact, I really think i'm lucky to have been born around this season. People seem to be a lot nicer than normal and very much into the Christmas spirit. So am I. I just love it!

it has always been FUN. but it just got better. for the past 3 years, i've been spending my waiting-for-my-birthday time with arnie.. and lu of course! for my 21st birthday, arnie and i ate dinner at Cioccolo on the night of 27th. lu wasn't able to come. but we bought her take-out food and went home afterwards. it was 10pm when we got home from dinner. 2 more hours til 12. so we ate some more, had wine, took pictures, joked around etc. time flew and it was finally 5 minutes before 12. i lit my candles so i was going to be ready to blow them the second it striked 12.

two-one.. :)

di na alam ang gagawin sa kakahintay.. haha!

finally! :)

after blowing my 21 candles, i opened my presents and we took some more pictures. *thank you my arnie for doing all these for me. my best birthdays are those spent with you.*

the following day, the day of my birthday, my family and i ate out. we ate chinese for lunch.

(L-R) tita gay, tatang, lola, lu, arnie, ley, mao

arnie and i heard mass in the afternoon. then come dinner, we went to their house and ordered didi's pizza and fried chicken for take-out. it was goooood.

i made the most out of the day i had. i loved every second of it spent with the special people in my life. i'm 21! :) i don't feel like i'm getting old, though. i just choose to enjoy my younger years. anyway, it was a fun birthday for me. i'll miss this next year.. :c

christmas with family..

2008-12-26T19:10:00.000-08:00

christmas is all about family traditions, gift-giving, children and food. love seems to be everywhere during this time of the year. every year, we celebrate christmas with the common family tradition of christmas eve mass, noche buena, opening of gifts and the christmas lunch the following day. this year's christmas was extra special. ingkong (as we call our lolo) was able to come for christmas day lunch at lola's house. growing up, we always had the traditions at ingkong's house, where my siblings and i used to live. but ever since we moved here in carmenville, where lola also resides, we held all the family gathering's either at lola's house or ours. there's a long story behind all these, but to cut it short, not everyone is in good terms especially with ingkong. this is what made this year's christmas extra special: everyone together under the same roof just enjoying the food and the company. :)

lu and me: before the christmas eve mass (at the garden)

they're bigger than the christmas tree.. haha!

christmas lunch at lola's

tatang and the salad bar (he actually asked for his picture to be taken there)

me, lu and mao

we played with our nephew, dustine, when we were finished eating. he just turned 3 and he's a handful! he's the sweetest baby, though. i could just play with him all day. spongebob is his bestfriend and so on his 3rd birthday, we gave him a pair of spongebob shoes. tita gay gave him a cute spongebob towel with a hoodie for christmas. we made him wear them. he's just the cutest thing.

after having a serve of desserts, lu and i left already. i dropped her off to another christmas party at her friend's house, while i met up with arnie. we picked up yhan and nhoy (arnie's siblings) along the way. we went to their cousin's house, ate weng, whose three of her five children are our inaanak. we gave them their presents and left. then, we went to tita sally's house (arnie's tita). arnie bought her cake. nagkwentuhan muna kame and after a while, we left and went to another cousin's house, ate verlee. we didn't stay long. arnie and yhan just handed their presents to their inaanak. nakapagbalot din si ate verlee ng baked macaroni at buko pandan para madala namin pauwi. we headed home afterwards.

almost immediately, we ate treats ate verlee gave us. it was goooood! the buko pandan was the bomb! haha! here, we took some pics. meet the other family i consider as my very own. i love them dearly.

the baked macaroni was yummy (obviously!)

peace!

so there, my christmas with my families. i would definitely cherish these moments while they last. next christmas, i wouldn't be here to spend it with them. i'll probably be in arizona with my mom's side of family, which i'm also looking forward to since i haven't spent a lot of time with them growing up. anyway, christmas '08 was another blessing for me and my families. i definitely felt the spirit. thank you Jesus.. HAPPY BIRTHDAY! :)

christmas with friends..

2008-12-26T16:20:00.000-08:00

we've waited for it for so long and now Christmas has just passed.. once again. it was another buoyant holiday for me. it couldn't be any merrier than spending it with family and friends.

on december 23, my friends went out for our traditional (it will be, for the following years) annual christmas party. well, there were only six of us from the original sixteen. some couldn't make it that day, some had other plans and most of them (6 of them to be exact) are internationally located (haha!). but we got to talk to them (thank you Y.M.) before heading out for dinner. we stayed at our house to chat with them and we also took pictures (of course!).

YM-ing..

aina and april: ABSENT

at the garden (1 of the MANY photos)

after taking pictures, we went back inside and waited for dave, who decided to meet up with us after 48 years! he's been a busy-WORKING man. haha! working means earning. of course this means paying for the dinner, too! *thanks deyb!* we picked up aypi along the way and headed to Grill 99. Unfortunately, it was closed for the holidays. so we've decided to eat at Camalig instead.

white was the color of the night.. :)

i had fun that night. we may not be complete, and we may not know when we will be again, but it's always comforting to know that after all these years, we still manage to take time and be together just like the old times. the others maybe thousands of miles away from us but we always find time to talk with each other and catch up with each other's lives. they've been my longest friends ever. most of them from when we were still 8 years old. most of us have known each other since 1st grade. i'm looking forward to the day when we'll ALL be together again. it may not be soon, but it will come. i love them to death and i'll forever treasure the love and friendship we have. *love you guys!*

my kamotes..

2008-12-21T07:28:00.000-08:00

they were my groupmates during college--my friends. we've been through EVERYTHING together. we haven't been seeing each other a lot prior today, because everyone's been so busy--work, school, exams. so i was really excited to see them. we decided to meet up at The Coffee Academy. konti nalang kumpleto na sana kame. ara, bjorn, miel & hazel weren't able to come. *next time ok?* i was extra happy because arnie was able to come, although he didn't get half of what we were talking about. kasi nursing lahat kame dun at siya naman ay engineer. the more reason why i appreciate him more. *thank you, boi..*

they surprised me with a birthday cake too! *thanks roomie!* my birthday is not until december 28 but i very much felt it today. kinantahan nila ako at pinag-blow ng candle. i was so touched.

it says "HAPPY BURDEY LEYLOT!" but you obviously cannot see that. i dropped the cake while it was still in the box. :c you know how clumsy i get.

wish wish..

it was nice seeing them again. we talked and laughed and ate. it was my first time here. the food was ok. i took pics (of course). i've always loved food--cooking and eating it. i'm so passionate about it that i always, ALWAYS take pictures before digging in.

i had to leave early though. arnie was already sleepy while i still had to pick up lu and attend the 9pm simbang gabi. i hope to see them again soon. :)

post-simbang gabi with my life-mates..

2008-12-20T09:17:00.000-08:00

tonight was the 6th mass of simbang gabi this holiday season. it's been so exciting for me since i've never completed the whole 9-days of it, ever. so my sister lu and i both committed to completing it for the first time. we hear the mass at either Villa Angela or the Grand Palazzo Royale, depending on lu's class schedule. Villa Angela starts at 7pm while GPR starts at 9pm.

lu and i decided to hear the 9pm mass at GPR. my boyfriend, arnie, was able to go with us because he had his day off from work. we got there early. we even got to watch a fireworks display not far from the chapel. we didn't know what it was for. siguro may kinasal or something. feel ko lang. afterwards, the mass began.

after the mass, we decided to head to Northern Brew. it's a saturday night so i was pretty sure the shop was packed. but when we got there, only two tables were occupied. we even got the couch area. yey! we ate and took pictures.

food was delish, as usual. we didn't stay long for more chitchat. as soon as we finished our food, we took the bill, paid, and left. but we didn't want to go home just yet. the car was by the park nearby and we took more pictures there. meanwhile, we saw the children's playground at the park's far end. what else was there to do? we hurried ourselves to the swing, instantly. such a nice feeling. going back thru-and-fro. such a tranquility. i just let the cool breeze brush through my face. it was 1997 all over again, when i last swung through the swings and played at the very same park 11 years ago. all of us three were having the time of our lives. haha! it was so much fun!

it's always nice to bring out the child in us sometimes. a friend (shoutout to bjorn) told us once, "never let the child in you grow out of you." it's true. we'll need it as we grow older by the age.

i always feel my best when i'm with the people i love, and people who love me in return. lu and arnie are the two persons in this world who know me the best. they are not only my soulmates. they are my life-mates. i love them to death.

my first post..

2008-12-15T19:30:00.000-08:00

hi! so i've been attempting to begin my first post for a while now. but i just couldn't seem to think of anything to blog about. until now.

i'm currently reading Stephenie Meyer's "Twilight," the first of the four series. i've been reading it for roughly three days now. i only read during the night, before bedtime. i'm at chapter 15, as we speak, out of 24 chapters. i might finish the whole thing tonight. i just couldn't stop. i'm seriously captivated.

so anyway, i'd always find myself stuck at a certain part.. even at a simple phrase, but mostly at edward cullen's lines. also at edward and bella's short but honeyed exchange of words. just like now. i instantly thought of my empty blog. i HAD to share this.

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Edward: "I've had the scent of you in my head all day, and I've grown amazingly desensitized. If I'm away from you any length of time, I'll have to start over again. Not quite from scratch, though, I think."

Bella: "Don't go away then."

Edward: "That suits me. Bring on the shackles - I'm your prisoner."
-----------------------

ok. everybody now. "AWWW.."

so, there. my first post. i'm sensing i'll be blogging more often, now that i was able to start. i'll try and go back through the pages of the book and post the parts i highlighted. to those of you who have read the book, or may just be reading it now, feel free to comment and share your favorite lines too.

i'm not expecting many followers/readers who will bother checking out this blog, for its main purpose is for me to put my everyday thoughts in writing. this was actually meant for next year, when i'll be living on my own. but that's another story and i'll blog about it soon. i love to read and i really love to write. i've had my first blog which i created in 2005. it's really outdated so i decided to make a new one.

so, thank you. your time is very much appreciated. to arnie, i know you'll be the first to read my posts. i love you dear. :)