A Mandatory Back-to-School Post

The mandatory back-to-school pic. :)

When you found someone who supports all your obsessions, "kalokohan" & "kagagahan" you're one lucky person. But apart from that, when you've also found that someone who encourages you to always seek for more professional growth, trust me. You are one BLESSED among BLESSED. Hence, you have to value that person as for he/she is a keeper.

"The Husband" long before I married him had been consistently and persistently persuading me to enroll for my Master's Degree. However, me being a snug as a bug in rug loves the comfort of my room with a cup of coffee in one hand a good book in the other during my free time. I've enjoyed the company of my books and some movies on weekend and some sort of out-of-the-city whereabouts. Yes, I'm indeed both an introvert and extrovert rolled into one body.  But apart from those, what really made me decide not to go to school was the idea of staying in a school from Mondays-Fridays and yet I will still have to spend my weekdays in again another school. How tiring and excruciating that thought! Blaaaaaah! 

He, on the other hand, had  never missed a single time to remind me of enrolling. This then went on for weeks to months to years. Until last month, (insert drum rolls here, hahah) when I finally decided to enroll. "The Husband's" motivation, which I will be sharing to you guys soon enough, really made me pursue my MA. Other than his way of motivating me, I got into thinking as to why won't I give it a try since "the soon to-be-babies" are way too out of the picture yet and while missing him on my free time is truly a palpable ache in my chest. And so yeah, finally, I enrolled and the rest becomes HISTORY! :)

a  very bad shot  taken by a very good friend,  Harry Mhel. ahahahha

. . . taking this shot lasted for quite some time before Harry got to perfect the pic. hahah!

At long last! hahahhaa 

. . . the beginning of a wonderful friendship <3
Left to Right: Charity, Rhea, Ate Jocelyn, Dea, Glenn, Yours Truly and AJ

. . . girls' thing in the comfort room never gets out of style. hahahah
Left to Right : Ate Jocelyn, Charity, Dea, Rhea, Meeeheheheheh :)

Photo grabbed from our Professor, Dr. Elsie Dajao

As much as I'd like to keep the rest as history, I couldn't stop myself as well in sharing what has been newly found and built for my first class. A friendship with these great people. Now that I have them with me in this journey, I know for sure how wonderful it is to continue learning, to continue making improvements for myself while sharing it with them. 

And just last weekend, we all were successfully able to finish one subject. Cheers to this minute leap of success! :) :) :)

And so we sealed our Teaching of Reading and Literature class with a little celebration. Indeed we were blessed to be under the tutelage of one great professor in the person of Dr. Elsie L. Dajao who IS never too high and intimidating to share with us our little success. :)

Photo grabbed from Charity :)

Photo grabbed from Dr. Elsie L. Dajao

Fifty Shades of Grey Parented by Blog Site

Sunday Grande: Fifty Shades of Grey

I know not how to start this somehow. Either because the last time I did a post  about my Sunday Grande with the touch of movie review was last two years ago, click me,or the fact that I had been AGAIN absent for an entire month. 

Well. . . whichever way it is, I felt my guilt had devoured me little by little not to blog about the very recent movie of E.L. James, the Fifty Shades of Grey, since it both had and has been the very reason why this blog of mine was given birth and brought to life. 

Spoiler Alert!!! No movie review in here, just how my V-day turned out.

Let's try to press the "time travel" button this time. If you notice, the very first blog I did publish was on reading - click me- of which houses my random thoughts about reading itself, which was then followed by this:

My Awakener : Fifty Shades Trilogy + Its History

. . . and then this:

Random Formula # 1: Highlighter + Book = ME (Poignant Lines From Fifty Shades Trilogy)

(Please have some time to click and read the highlighted links, *_^)

So, well. . . those reveal something about how my bookish self revived. Now to go back with what I have been babbling, hope I'm not baffling you ^_^, my conscience is not in its ease just to let the opportunity pass. Though, I've actually let the momentum pass, since I did procrastinate and became late again, here it goes.

I've been loco over this novel, ever since I've read it and believe me, I've read each book five times. HAHAHAHAH! Silly isn't it? but then who could resist such a handsome stalker, PLUS!!! I'm making my real Christian Grey in the person of Christopher Lim, whom Aries, my one true love baptized him as Boy Mcdo. (Psssshhhhhh! This is a silent shout out, my silence scream for my admiration to him *_*)

With my obsession of the books, of the trilogy itself, I've shared it to the people whom I am close with, Ms. Mae, my "classmates" Keziah and Deborah. And to be honest. I was actually expecting to watch the movie with them. But due to some schedule conflict none of us went together to watch the movie. I was bit sad for I thought I will never be able to see Christian's stalking prowess. However, here's one great deal, my nephew who happened to be one of my students before - click me- way back in my teaching years in MUHS sent me this:

. . . an invite eventually came, though at first I hesitated for it's been  R-18, I got this as his response:

. . . and so I got the date with Mr.Grey , and Mr. Lim. ^_^

Credits to Jason for this photo ^_^

. . . as we watched the film, ask me how many times did I have it. THREE TIMES!!! because one of his classmates, my very beautiful Sofia went to catch up with us and since she wasn't able to watch it from the beginning and since Jason had to leave for their family dinner, I was left with her  and did the reviewing of the movie. Sad to say, we had no photo to be posted. My sister then came and, like Sofia, she came late and Sofia has to leave,I was still left and did  another preview of the movie.If you'll say it's a bbit crazy , I'll definitely agree.

. . . and ohhhh, I forgot to made mention it was Saturday. When Sunday came the next day precisely , I got another invite from my kikay girls, and so I had to watch the movie again TWICE. Now please do the Math. Good heavens!Yes I did watch the movie five times all in all. hahahah!

Sofia, Noiree, and Me

Eri, Janica, Noiree, Sofia and I inside the movie house

. . . after the movie watching we headed right straight to Farron:

. . . and had dinner in McDo, sad to say my Christian Grey wasn't there. *insert sad face here*

. . .to sum it all up, my Christian Grey experience may not be in the way I wanted it to be: a) spend with those I was eagerly shared the story, b) see Ian Somerhalder do the role, and c) get a photo with my Boy Mcdo, yet, it all turned out to be super well and priceless. Thanks to this bunch of kiddos. ^_^

Reunion Schmeunion ^_^

Christopher, Jonisis, yours truly ^^, Annielyn, Elizabeth, Maeshielle, Roan, Mark  O., Mark B., Louis, John Rey, and Patrick (Photo: Alejandro) @ Celtic Lounge on our 4th Reunion

“The sweetness of reunion is the joy of heaven.” ― Richard Paul Evans

It's hard to come to grip with the past.The thought may welcome us with our very good friend/s way back or to some unlikable and dangerous enemies. It can even be both at the same time, something of which occasions like class reunions abundantly remind us.

Juvanne, Patrick, Mark O., Alejandro, Josephine, yours truly ^^, Roan and Annielyn @ Regina Swimming Pool

When you attended school in a community that easily could pass, the drama and subtext of youth can easily be played out all over again. Those you knew as children are now grown men and women, with families, jobs, marriages, mortgages and all the other attendant responsibilities of adulthood that once seemed so far off but are now the facts of everyday life.

Kapoy nah'g ngalan ani nila. :D

Reunion is a time when romances are rekindled, scores are settled, and grudges  are forgiven. It is when people can quickly fall back into long, old forgotten patterns that for a brief moment are all too familiar once again. Reunion is a trip back in time where the anxieties of the present can be made to disappear, only to be replaced by the anxieties of the past which, no longer important, and are now much easier to handle.

People grow. People change. Yet there is an innate sense of self that is always there which reunions can bring out in ways that years of therapy cannot. The girl whom you loved silently from afar is happy to see you and quite interested in what has happened in your life. The boy who was your teenaged passion is now grown and bald and overweight and you cannot for the life of you remember why you were ever together and so many other blah blah blah.... The teacher who had a major influence in your life barely remembers you at all. hahahah! We come to such events not knowing what to expect and can be surprised at the outcome. It is an escape from daily life that produces shadows and illusions of what might have been had only.

Christopher, Mario, Pricy, Apple 'n Annabie @ Regina Swimming Pool on THEIR ( ky wa ko nakabalo aning panahona) 3rd Reunion

Reunion is also a reminder that material success is not an absolute pathway to happiness. That is a lie repeated daily by an entertainment culture that shows a marked preference for reigning in Hell over serving in Heaven. 

Happiness comes from success but from success of different types. A quiet life of intellectual pursuits which may not provide much in the way of economic reward can, for the right person, be the source of abundant joy. Children can be a source of a joy so tremendous that they are inarguable worth all the sacrifices required to get them off the launching pad of life.

Mark O., Mikko, Juvanne, Christopher, Webster, and Mario

Nothing is for certain. Good girls go bad. Bad boys do good. The unhappy find peace and the restless settle. Hope is not a "thing with feathers" but seeing how your classmates have turned out, for good and for bad.

Roan, yours truly ^^, Aries, Stellar, Alejandro, Mark P., Josephine, Carmel (sorry sa blurry hahahah!) @ Gat's Bar on our 4th Reunion

You cannot escape the past and you cannot relive it. You can, however, enjoy it. So to IV-Jade class of Ozamiz City National High School 2006 of which is composed of greatly unique individuals, here's a tap on all of our shoulders for being able to reconnect and re-establish our long forgotten good old days, and for making the bond thicker than what it had been before. Indeed I am proud to know each of you, for you had taken your own minute ways of making me the person that I am today! Let's look forward for the many class reunions we are still to celebrate!^^

P.S - So Glad to have shared such reunions with the same special person, Aries. ^^

Sunday Grande : Warm Bodies or Nobodies?

“Find ecstasy in life; the mere sense of living is joy enough.”
― Emily Dickinson

JS Prom aftermath ( Photo from Ms. Mae's. . .)

In account of our school's series of events (English Week Culmination, JS Promenade, printing of TQ's), indeed another exhaustive weeks had passed.  So to get rid of our enemy, disguising himself as "STRESS", my colleagues and I decided to watch Warm Bodies as what we had planned a week ago.


Well, living in small city gives us few options for our ''rendezvous'' and the closest to the movie-house is no other than McDo, and so we were to meet there. Upon arriving, I hastily looked for my a.k.a spouse ( I, for now, am sure he feels like vomiting as he reads this. hahahah), Marvel.

. . .our pre-nuptial photoshoot, hahahahah (Click HERE for more.)

But in no less than a minute after sitting to where he was seated, I met my long time unseen college best bud, Syril. Unexpected that we had met, we ended up hugging each other despite of the number of puzzled eyes around us. The usual had happened by then, we said our "Hi's", "How are you's", and tidbits of some sort of how we really are. It was truly a nice coincidence to have met a person you've never seen for a quite a time. Together with, Busai ( Syril) was her boyfriend, hence, definitely they had their "date''. It had me thinking, "When was actually the last time I had a date?", when her voice saying they had to leave snapped me out from my reveries. So before I did set her free, I didn't forget the "souvenir thingy", a picture, of course.^^

While waiting for the other couple to arrive, Marvel and I enjoyed playing a mind-blowing game in my phone and without knowing how time went so fast, Alvite and Deo then arrived.

And so there it went. We watched "Warm Bodies" a story of a zombie who fell in love with a human. But sad to say Marvel didn't go and watched with us. So it was mainly Alvite and Deo plus me. I never thought of myself a ''joiner'' back then, after all, it's a group date was what I had in my thoughts. It's supposedly a group date when:

Marvel had another appointment,
Ate Aida had been to her 1st Saturday of the Month routine,
Epyang and Teacher An had their classes,
Ms. Mae, though I'd invited her, refused and just spent a day in her store :(

. . .it was ONLY me with this loving couple ^^

However, I never felt out of place since Deo had been so accommodating (as always) PLUS the movie itself was watcher-friendly. hahahaha We
-giggled with those minute zombie-falling-in-love scenes ,
-laughed with those bloopers, e.g just as how the main characters got their names as Julie and R
-and above all it inspired us, that despite of their radical differences their TRUE love still conquered and changed everything

 . . .after watching we went out with smiles in our faces then, headed home.

As I took  time to digest the events that day, I was able to contemplate that Syril and Ariel had their date because it's their 5th Anniversary and I then realized it's the 3rd day of the month. And errrrrrr it's Alvite and Deo's monthsary, too. And I was like "WHHHHHAAAAAAAAAAAAT???" how come I have not thought of those earlier that day. And YES, I ended up as ''joiner" again to both couples. :((( ohhhhh pity me. hahahahah

My heartfelt greetings to you my friends, and my sincerest apology as well to have bothered you on your special day, hahahahahahahahah ( way sala ang nag-inusara) ^^

. . .Ariel and Syril

. . .Deo and Alvite

. . . wish you more loving years to come, guys! and sorry if I have "STOLEN" your photos hihihih


On the darker side of the coin, I felt becoming one of those "nobodies" out there seeing these friends celebrated their day together with their "him", while I'm ALL ALONE in a nook. Mine will soon come, I SWEAR! hahahahah :)))

 . . .as I did retire to my bed, I was still laughing because of the events that took place during that day and because of the movie,too. Since it has a book, I will surely savor my time reading this funny story. I don't want to be nobody, instead, I want a WARM body! hahahahah ^^