The last topic for this month in Girls Talk is LSS (Last Song Syndrome). For quite a long time now, this has been a song that's always in my head:

Everything - Alanis Morissette

I can be an asshole of the grandest kind
I can withhold like it’s going out of style
I can be the moodiest baby and you’ve never met anyone
who is as negative as I am sometimes

I am the wisest woman you've ever met.
I am the kindest soul with whom you've connected.
I have the bravest heart that you've ever seen
And you've never met anyone
Who's as positive as I am sometimes.

You see everything, you see every part
You see all my light and you love my dark
You dig everything of which I'm ashamed
There's not anything to which you can’t relate
And you’re still here

I blame everyone else, not my own partaking
My passive-aggressiveness can be devastating
I'm terrified and mistrusting
And you’ve never met anyone as,
As closed down as I am sometimes.

You see everything, you see every part
You see all my light and you love my dark
You dig everything of which I'm ashamed
There's not anything to which you can’t relate
And you’re still here

What I resist, persists, and speaks louder than I know
What I resist, you love, no matter how low or high I go

I'm the funniest woman you've ever known.
I am the dullest woman you've ever known.
I'm the most gorgeous woman you've ever known
And you've never met anyone as, as everything as I am sometimes.

You see everything, you see every part
You see all my light and you love my dark
You dig everything of which I'm ashamed
There's not anything to which you can’t relate
And you’re still here

And you’re still here
And you're still here...

I just love the lyrics of this song... and I love that "You've never met anyone as negative / positive / everything as I am sometimes" line. The official video released on MTV wasn't complete, and I cannot find that video with the complete lyrics... thankful I tried to open this video (seeing that it was 4 minutes long, some were less than that) and heard the complete lines to the song.

The line that's always in my mind, though is, "What I resist persists and speaks louder than I know," Something I could relate to life in general. It is quite on the negative side (resists), but whenever that line comes to mind, I just think of "the secret" and then I will just change it to something positive. Instead of thinking "I wish I won't fail" (the universe translates that as "fail"), I would think "I wish I will get through this with flying colors." Just by thinking positive, it has allowed me to appreciate life more and it has allowed me to dwell on the good side of everything, rather than wallow on the negative aspects.

The song is a bit of a love song, and I also dedicate this to my dear K, who has accepted the whole me - the negative, positive, and the eccentric side of me. I can be who I am and he would still embrace me as if I am the best woman in the world. To borrow a line from the song, "He sees all my light and he loves my dark."

*** Jenn ***

To continue with the vacation recap...


03 March 2011

Even before this vacation, I already talked to my cousin Mhai if she could accompany us to the town of San Gabriel because it's one of the La Union towns that I really wish to visit. I know the town is quite near our place (we live in Bacnotan), and seeing some pictures from the town really made me want to set foot there. Thankfully, cousin MC (Mhai's brother) had a few friends living in San Gabriel, so they told me they would accompany sister and I when we go to San Gabriel.

Sister and I was picked up by cousin Michael because he dropped off his kids at school that morning. My cousins were still preparing our packed lunch, so it took some time before we left, but it was just fine because sister and I was able to roam around the lands - checking the tomatoes, eggplants, mung beans, and tobacco, one of the biggest crops from Ilocos Region. Sister was actually hoping to help skewer the fresh tobacco leaves, but they didn't harvest so we couldn't do that this day.


We left their house around 8:30am, and we just opted to take the tricycle going to San Gabriel. Cousin MC went to his friends' houses, so when cousin Mhai told me the church was just behind the town hall, I asked if we could go there first so I could say my prayers and take pictures, too.


Around 9am, we started our hike. Our destination is the Tangadan Falls, something my cousins haven't seen yet, but we have companions who knew the way. They already told us that we will cross lands and forests... and we told them we were game about it, and we actually anticipated that this will be a tough hike, and we were prepared for it.


To call the hike "tough," would definitely be an understatement. It was freaking difficult to cross the water trails then climbing land formations trying to hold on to the roots. I personally didn't take my camera out my bag because I wanted to concentrate on the trail and I was afraid that my camera might fall off as I try to "carry" myself, but halfway along the way, I asked if we could take a short break and took some pictures. I also tasted the waters, and it was sweet and cold... very refreshing!


We continued our hike... and every time Mhai would how far along are we, they would answer with, "We're halfway through." It was actually a good answer, because knowing we still have to hike more fueled our bodies and mindsets. Somewhere, I asked if we could take another break, and they allowed us, but they were just near us, and not hiking anymore. Every time I would ask if we could catch our breath, our companions would still continue hiking. When we went to where they were, they just pointed their fingers and we realized we were already there. Duh! They should've told us that we were there already. Hahahaha.

There was a big flat boulder near the falls which we used as our table. They played cards, while some of us roamed around, take pictures and admired the beauty of it. We also ate our lunch there, and around 2pm, we noticed a big dark cloud above us, so we figured it would be best for us to hike back.


We took a different route because my cousins said it would be risky for us to climb down and cross water trails. One of us said that there's a "road" back to heart of the town, and the term "road" gave us this sense of assurance that we won't have to endure that much. We took that other route, and seriously, it was much difficult of a trail because we did nothing but to hike up and up and up. For a while we questioned our decision to take this route, but we were there already so might as well go on with it. I placed my cell phone and my camera inside a plastic bag because it might rain soon and I am using a fabric bag, so I didn't want to sacrifice my gadgets, hence no pictures along the way.

Anyway, I have experienced taking 700+ steps up to Mt. Tapyas (Coron, Palawan), and I thought that was the toughest climb I have experienced... until I experienced this. I was seriously praying hard asking God for more strength, and my cousin Mhai and my sister would always ask if I can still carry on, and I would always say "yes," because I really have to. At my weight, I need to exert more effort because if I give up, then I would give them more than 200lbs. of burden. Hahahahaha. Every flat land is something to rejoice about, and hiking up for more than an hour I came to a breaking point when I really shouted to the heavens, "enough!" But of course, God has given me more strength, and as soon as we saw that one house with an old man, we just sighed a sigh of relief. Finally, we have seen a human being! The old man told us to hike some more, because somewhere there will be a jeepney going to the school to pick up the teachers and take them back to the heart of the town. Getting there meant more uphill climbs, but when we reached the waiting shed, it seemed as if all the burdens have gone and I wasn't tired anymore.

We got there around 3:45pm, and the jeepney will leave at 4pm, so we just took our time relaxing in the jeepney. Since this was a barrio with very few ways of transportation, jeepneys would tend to overload - even let people get on the roof. We figured we couldn't do that, so while the jeepney was parked, we just took pictures.


It was a roller coaster ride. We realized we were so high up, that cousin Mhai exclaimed, "we were just 25 cents shy from heaven." Really, we felt as if we were close to heaven as we were able to see the whole town from above - kinda like being in a plane! We wanted to cross the hanging bridge, too, but it rained while we were traveling back, so we canceled it.

This definitely is something very memorable. My body ached, but my spirits were nourished. I thank God for allowing me to experience this.


Linking this story to 52 Weeks of Happiness and Watery Wednesday.

*** Jenn ***

Let's continue with the questions, shall we?

26. Who has done something today to show they care about you?
> That would have to be my ex-boyfriend from Dumaguete... he and I are still friends and we exchange text messages every now and then, and today he called me just to check on me if I am okay because I haven't been texting for quite sometime already.

27. Do you have a lot to learn?
> Of course!

28. If you could learn how to do three things just by wishing and not by working what would they be?
> That would have to be: swimming, driving, and animal speak. I know the last one is quite impossible, and as Eliza Thornberry-ish as it sounds, I really do wish I could understand what "meow" and "arf arf" meant.

29. Which do you remember the longest: what other people say, what other people do or how other people make you feel?
> What other people say. Words tend to stick longer in my brain and sometimes if the words are negative enough, it would linger a while lot longer and cause me to self destruct a bit.

30. What are the key ingredients to having a good relationship?
> I would have to say communication, respect, and love.

31. What 3 things do you want to do before you die?
> Visit all the provinces here in the Philippines, let the Pacific Ocean kiss my toes, and achieve my weight goal of 150lbs.

32. What three things would you want to die to avoid doing?
> To renounce my faith in God, to kill anybody, to disown my family.

33. Is there a cause you believe in more than any other cause?
> I actually am not big into causes.

34. What does each decade make you think of:
> 60s - The Beatles; 70s - Bell bottomed pants, hippies; 80s - Electronica, new wave music; 90s - My Hanson Obsession; 2000s - Digital / Technology Age.

35. Which decade do you feel the most special connection to and why?
> I would have to say the 90s, because that's the decade when I entered puberty and that's the decade when I tried to learn about the many changes in myself and in my life.



36. What is your favorite oldie/classic rock song?
> Rock song? Hmmmm..... that would have to be "Shine" by Collective Soul. Well, I could name a whole lot of Beatles' songs, but you said rock, so....

37. What country do you live in and who is the leader of that country?
> I live in the Philippines, and our current president is Benigno "Noy-Noy" Aquino, III - son of former senator Benigno "Ninoy" Aquino and former Philippine president Corazon Aquino.

If you could say any sentence to the current leader of your country what would it be?
> I never voted for you, but since you're the one people voted for to be the leader of the country, I have faith that you would do everything to make this country a great place to live in.

38. What's your favorite TV channel to watch in the middle of the night?
> DW-TV, that's a German station, but a local channel is showing some of their programs (translated to English, of course), and I do love to watch their programs.

39. What Disney villain are you the most like and why?
> Ooooohhhh... this is a tough one to answer, I am not really a villain. Hahahaha.

40. Have you ever been a girl scout/boy scout?
> Yes yes!

41. If you were traveling to another continent would you rather fly or take a boat?
> Fly. I love seeing the clouds and see the world from above... and I do think that the shorter travel time meant lesser chances to encounter accidents. :)

42. Why is the sky blue during the day and black at night?
> Mainly because of light - I learned that from Beakman's World.

43. What does your name mean?
> The dictionary says it meant "White Wave."

44. Would you rather explore the deeps of the ocean or outer space?
> Explore the deeps of the ocean. I wanna find Nemo!

45. Word association

What is the first word that comes to mind when you see the word:

Air: Flying.

Meat: Carnivore.

Different: Unique.

Pink: Feminine.

Deserve: Perseverance.

White: Purity.

Elvis: King.

Magic: Spark.

Heart: Love.

Clash: Animosity.

Pulp: Juice.

46. If you could meet any person in the world who is dead who would you want it to be?
> Without battling an eyelash - John Lennon.

47. What if you could meet anyone who is alive?
> Tiffiny Hall, one of the trainers in the show "The Biggest Loser Australia." I really would love to pick her brains, and possibly be my trainer.

48. Is there a movie that you love so much you could watch it everyday?
> I don't think there is one. Well, I do have favorite movies, but I don't think I can watch it everyday.

49. You are going to be stuck alone in an elevator for a week. What do you bring to do?
> Elevator for a week? Hmmm... my notebook and pen, a deck of cards, my netbook (if there would be internet connection), and my cell phone.

50. Have you ever saved someone's life or had your life saved?
> No, not yet.


Cheers to us thieves!

*** Jenn ***

Halfway through my vacation with sister...


02 March 2011

When sis and I arrived in our place in La Union, I immediately asked my aunt if she has plans of going to Manaoag Church in Pangasinan because she's a devotee of Our Lady of Manaoag, and before traveling, I read a comment in my Facebook photo that the church had some renovations, and I wanted to visit the church, given the chance. When I asked aunt the question, she immediately responded with, "I will only take care of the fare, you take care of the snacks." Well, that was a quick "yes" from her. :)

Aunt scheduled the trip this day because it was a provincial holiday and my cousin Mhai and our niece Louianne was able to come with us as well.


We got there right on time (it takes about 4 hours getting there) and we were able to hear mass. It was the last mass for the day, and after, we went to the candle station to (obviously) light some candles and say some prayers. We had our lunch at the picnic area (another new attraction) and waited for the lunch break to be over because aunt still needed to offer a mass for the souls of aunt Dada and my Daddy who already passed away.


While aunt was in the the church office, we went to the Rosary Garden. In 2008, I went to take pictures here, but a typhoon just came that time and the place was a bit of a mess (too many fallen leaves and branches), so I figured I should go back just to have something new to blog about.


Before leaving the church grounds, we went inside the church one last time. What I liked about this church is that they have a space on either sides for people who wanted to take pictures of the image of Our Lady of Manaoag (the one in the main altar) so that they wouldn't interfere with the mass celebrations if there is any. I am liking the zoom levels of my camera this time because I was able to get real close to the image. A little trivia - those were real jewels in the crown.




After Manaoag, we went to the neighboring town of Urdaneta where we had snacks. Around 4pm, we went to wait for the bus going home, and aunt wasn't feeling all that eager to still cook dinner, so she asked if we wanted to eat Lomi (a noodle dish - the one in picture) at a food place just outside our neighborhood. She said it tasted good and quite cheap, too (p50 / usd1.15). It's free food, so we all said yes to it. The bowl was good to feed two people, and it might not look good, but it was certainly delicious!

Cousin Weng (Louianne's father) joined us for dinner, then we just rode this van going home. It was a great day, and I feel really blessed.

*** Jenn ***

My Internet acted up last week, so I wasn't able to post week 11 of my 52 Weeks of Me project. I did take my picture on time, but for now it's another two weeks catch up for me.


11|52. Jump.

Ever since I learned how to "fake" jump shots (making it look like you jumped way too high when you really just jumped a few inches off the ground) when photographers in Chocolate Hills persuaded me to try it out in 2008, it has been something I try to do especially whenever I travel.

However, on my last travel, doing a jump shot turned out to be something stupid to do when I asked sister to take a picture of me while jumping on a hanging bridge in San Gabriel, La Union. I seriously, seriously forgot that hanging bridge wobbles and as my feet hit the bridge, my right foot caught in between the metal bars and I fell on my knees. My big toe got injured, but I am thankful that the impact and the adrenalin rush made it numb. I didn't feel anything, but I got alarmed that bleeding didn't stop.

I carried on with our last leg of travel with my toe wrapped with gauze. I had a shot of tetanus toxoid when we got home and my toe healed after three days. When I found out the next prompt would be "jump," I got a little hesitant, but of course, I wanted to finish this project.

I asked my sister to take this picture. As you can see, despite the injury I had the week before, I was still a little gutsy in doing the jump shot - this time on the bench in our terrace. This part of the house is where we receive guests, and I am so thankful that my sister was game to take the picture. It was difficult to take this shot, though, because I didn't want to break the bench in half because of my weight. Most of the pictures were "ballerina" type (only one leg up), because I was supporting my weight and I just jump a little so the impact of me going down won't be too heavy for the bench. This was the best shot in the set.




12|52. Kitchen.

Another prompt I wasn't confident to do. Well, first up, we don't really have a good looking kitchen because what we have is what people call "Dirty Kitchen," a kitchen outside the house, but is directly just outside the kitchen located inside the house. We figured it would be best to put the gas range outside because we don't have vent fan and cooking inside the house would cause the whole house to smell. Our dirty kitchen doesn't really look, so I knew it would be difficult to do this prompt.

When I saw brother cooking lunch today, I thought about getting my reflection in the kettle, but sadly our kettle had this burn marks and hard water stains. Good thing brother suggested me to try this stainless steel / copper pans cleaner, and after some good scrubbing, it's squeaky clean again! :) I actually wanted some of the flames going out of the kettle, but the flames weren't strong enough. Still, I liked the short photo shoot because brother left the pot on the other burner to add some more reflection. I like this picture - I was able to take a picture of our kitchen without having to actually show the "dirty kitchen."

- - - - -

I am inserting my take for Girls Talk this week, which is about "the song that makes you smile."




My song of choice is "I Can See Clearly Now" by Jimmy Cliff. I first heard this when I watched the movie "Cool Runnings." It was such an inspirational movie, and the song was just so light to the ears and it does make the listeners feel good. I do love songs that inspire and uplifts the spirit, and the line "It's going to be a bright, bright, sun shine-y day" has got to be my favorite line.

*** Jenn ***

Continuing with the recap...




01 March 2011

Sister and I had no plans for today, but we didn't just want to stay inside the house so we decided to walk out of the neighborhood and eat snacks at Pizza Gallant, a pizza parlor which has been operational for one year already. I was quite surprised that it was still "alive," when I first tasted their foods I didn't like it and made a rather nasty prediction that it wouldn't stay that long, but since it's still alive, might as well give it a second chance.

Sister and I opted to go for our own kind of pizza, and aside from that, we also tried their other foods. I initially wanted to eat pasta carbonara, but they only had the classic spaghetti, so I just went for their chicken - something that received bad comment from me the first time. Eating their foods, I realized that a bad dining experience doesn't really justify the whole experience as there were some factors to consider. We really enjoyed eating their foods, and raved at each bite. All the negative attributions I gave to this store were erased, and now it is something I really, really hope to visit again on my next vacation to La Union.

Foodie Happiness!

*** Jenn ***