Pieces of Mi

left at the altar

2011-11-20T01:59:00.000+08:00

As I was browsing FB, I checked a friends profile, someone whom I thought got married last month, I wanted to check the wedding photos but was so surprised to realize that the wedding was called of by the guy. That was when I back read the posting on her FB wall and saw some blog entries about what had happened. I was moved to tears... :(

Remembering the SatC movie where Big did not show up on their wedding day. Carrie was devastated. Thankfully though her dear friends were there for her to 'atleast' be her company on their supposed honeymoon. It breaks my heart to know that it happened in real life to someone whose close to my heart. I may not be there for her but I felt her pain. I was thinking 'what a jerk the guy was' but then I realized (I haven't met him), what right do I have to judge him, when the person whom he left was able to 'think' and still able to consider forgiveness.

I know it is too soon for her to totally forgive him and forget what had happened, but I am just happy to know that she has accepted it and is living her life again... I know in His perfect timing the right person will be there for her. In time she will be able to move forward with the strength that helped her to continue to smile at the world. I know she is blessed with a very loving family, supportive friends and a very loyal God.

This made me think about how things are really unpredictable. A proposal doesn't always mean a happy ever after, nor a happy birthday would mean another sunshine for you. Life's surprises are varied and it's not up to us.

Bottom line is to seize the moment. Live life as if it is our last and continue praying for his guidance. :)

On steps

2011-10-28T03:20:00.003+08:00

In our life journey, we always have a choice, to step back, or move forward...

**naghalungkat ng picture sa baul at nakita ko ang KK adventure pic na to, perstaym ko maki-join sa pakontes, para makikigulo lang. pampadami ba! haha! para na din suportahan ang sikat kong hauzmate. :)

Test

2011-02-23T01:04:00.001+08:00

mahIrap yta mgblog gamit to.

remembering Gay

2010-07-09T01:31:00.009+08:00

Bilis talaga ng panahon, akalain mong isang taon na nung nag plano kami ng surprise party para kay Gay. Dalawang buwan pa lang kaming house mates nun pero close na kami kumbaga... dahil nagkakasundo kami sa mga kung anu-anong bagay, from kakikayan gang sa kung anu-anong drama sa buhay.

So ayun nga, naisipan namin ng mga ka-bibo na bigyan sya ng surprise party... maganda ang intention, ngunit mejo sumablay dahil ang pagpaplano namin sa egroups ay nababasa nya pala! hahaha! nalimutan ni Mr.Moderator na 2 email add pala ni girl ang naka-add sa group.. so how? buking already! so since expected nya na yung party, ang ginawa namin nagpa advance party pa kami.. para totoong ma surpresa na sya! nagluluto ako sa kitchen ng me karamihang putahe, naalala ko sbi nya pa 'Girl, ang dami naman nyan, me bisita ka?' sabi ko 'wala, paluto lang to ni tereh me party sa kanila' feeling ko hindi sya convinced pero hinayaan ko na lang. Tapos tumambay sya sa sala para manood ng TV, sabi ni Ge, 'Girl, late na matulog kana..' hahahaha! nagtaka daw sya pro sumunod na lang din at pumasok na sa room. Eh pano naman nasa baba na yung mga bisita. pagpasok nya ng room kinontak namin at nag-ayos agad.. tapos eto na ang mga sumunod na pangyayari.. :)

Successful naman kami sa panunurpresa sa kanya... hihihi! at syempre lafang galore after nyan. :)

Then the next day ay me round 2 ang party.. yung nabuking na surprise. Just the same nag enjoy naman ang mga tao. :)

Everything then was all about fun and surprises, we never expected that it would be her last birthday celebration... :(

It's really sad that she passed away last January, leaving loved ones in sadness for the loss of a truly wonderful person. But life's like that, it takes sudden twists, sudden turns... but what's important is that we believe that Gay really lived a full life!

This is Mi remembering you
Us missing you...
Happy birthday Gay!
We love you.

The Miracle Prayer

2010-03-11T12:42:00.004+08:00

There is no proper format or style in praying, we talk to our God in our way. Sometimes, we cannot articulate what we really want to say... when that happens, written prayers are very helpful. I am sharing this prayer to you. It is from the prayer book Straight from the Heart..

The Miracle Prayer

Lord Jesus,

I come before you, just as I am.

I am sorry for my sins,

I repent of my sins,

please forgive me.

In your name, I forgive all others

for what they have done against me.

I renounce Satan, the evil spirits and all their works.

I give you my entire self.

Lord Jesus, now and forever,

I invite you in my life.

Jesus, I accept you as my Lord,

God and Savior.

Heal me, change me, strengthen me

in body, soul and spirit.

(Close your eyes and speak to God. Ask for a miracle.)

Come, Lord Jesus,

cover me with your precious blood,

and fill me with your holy spirit,

I love you, Lord Jesus.

I praise you, Jesus.

I thank you, Jesus.

I shall follow you every day of my life.

Amen.

Mary, my mother, Queen of Peace,

Saint Peregrine, the cancer saint,

and all you angels and saints,

please help me.

Amen

(Say this prayer faithfully, no matter how you feel, when you come to the point that you sincerely mean each word, with all your heart, something good spiritually will happen to you. You will experience Jesus, and he will change your whole life in a very special way. You will see)

Happy 2010

2010-01-29T12:54:00.004+08:00

January is almost over and I still haven't written anything here... tsk! Actually I have a lot of stories for you guys... I'm gonna write about it soon *fingers crossed*. For now I just want to greet you all a Happy New Year! :)

I pray that 2010 will be a very meaningful year for us all. Let's apply what we've learned the past years. Let's live our lives the best way we can cause life is really short... might as well enjoy it! Let's spread the LOVE! I know it's a cliche but it really won't hurt to 'forgive and forget' right? :)

Let's also take charge of our health. Why? Well, nobody can tell what we really feel but ourselves right? Nothing drastic really, a general check up will be a good start... then be a little more physical, walk more or run if you can. Drink lots of water, use sun screen and it won’t hurt to smile more. :) As for me, I will try to REALLY lessen my intake of sweets... as much as love having sweets, I know I have to learn to control myself before I regret it.

So that’s it for now, just a little something... I hope to write more. I will really try. hehe.

Cheers to 2010!

sonnet xvii

2009-11-09T04:21:00.002+08:00

by: Pablo Neruda

I do not love you as if you were salt-rose, or topaz,
or the arrow of carnations the fire shoots off.
I love you as certain dark things are to be loved,
in secret, between the shadow and the soul.

I love you as the plant that never blooms
but carries in itself the light of hidden flowers;
thanks to your love a certain solid fragrance,
risen from the earth, lives darkly in my body.

I love you without knowing how, or when, or from where.
I love you straightforwardly, without complexities or pride;
so I love you because I know no other way

than this: where I does not exist, nor you,
so close that your hand on my chest is my hand,
so close that your eyes close as I fall asleep.

after watching Patch Adams again, I heard this poem again and I just want to share it. :)

Happy 2009!

2009-02-08T01:31:00.003+08:00

There's just no place like home and I'm really happy to welcome 2009 with my family. :)

Love them so and miss them a lot.

Langkawi Sunset

2009-02-04T23:33:00.000+08:00

Vrooom

2008-09-28T03:46:00.003+08:00

My friend wanted to watch the First F1 Night Race but when she was searching for tickets it was almost sold out... the only available tickets were the expensive ones... who would buy a ticket worth 2500++ SGD? We certainly wouldn't! =P I even told her that such amount of money is already worth a 'pangkabuhayan showcase' back home. She sadly accepted the fact that she won't be able to watch the race... But I guess she prayed hard that this morning she got this text message from a friend telling her that she has 2 extra tickets for the race Saturday night... you should have seen the excitement in her eyes when she got this message. So what we did was call Che (the friend) and ask her about the ticket... if its true or something.. hehe.. it was true indeed and she just told me to pick up the tickets from their pad. :) it was right there waiting. hahaha! I am not really a fan of F1 but still I know it would be fun. So there, I got the tickets and saw that is was actually like an ID with cool black lanyard with the SG flag. I immediately loved it!

When we got to the venue, there were really a lot of people. You can easily feel the excitement in the air... people are walking to and fro... some are happily chatting while finding the right spot while others are gathered on the memorabilia booths. We checked out the items available there and some are really nice but as you might have guessed, over priced. haha! still alot of people are buying. My friend bought a team Mercedes windbreaker in black and gray while I bought a Hamilton dry fit shirt for half the price! hahaha! It was the last of its size and it was the one on display so its a bit dirty that's why I asked for discount and the boss gave me 50% off! :) I loved the shirt! I know that it was just dirt, Vanish will take care of it. hehe!

Watching the racers pass by was one thing, hearing the vroooooooooooom is another... we really had to wear ear plugs because the sound they produce is really loud. You will feel a different excitement when you hear the roar of the tires... even if you're not a fan, you will still be excited about it. :)

I am happy to witness the first F1 Night Race even if it's just the elimination round. I felt the thrill. I know that the finals will be more exciting, we will be lucky if we'll have another free pass... hahaha! I wish... but if not, I am still thankful to Che for the free tickets :)

untitled

2008-08-25T14:53:00.004+08:00

I can’t believe that days have passed
Without crossing each others path
No words were uttered
No message was sent

It’s hard NOT to hear anything…
What does this silence mean?
It’s harder than shouting.
Some of the things I should have seen?

At times I just want to be near you,
Yet I don’t know how to reach you…
I don’t want to complicate your view,
And see things in a different hue.

Days will pass and wounds will heal…
But the sadness I feel, I know is real.
I won’t deny the pain, I know I must deal.
I am at fault I deserve what I feel.

alone

2008-08-25T09:33:00.027+08:00

"You must learn to be alone and happy before you can be together with someone else and be happy. Your happiness only and always depends upon how you feel when you are alone, never how you think you will feel when you are with someone else. Healthy love relationships require that you be strong enough to resist rushing to your next relationship before all the hurts of the past are healed. Healing takes time. Doing healing alone or with the assistance of a skilled professional, will always get you where you want to go much quicker.

Be alone in the short term for the extraordinary long term benefits. Learn what it takes to be in a healthy relationship with yourself. When you get comfortable with being alone; when the feeling that you must be in a relationship to feel complete disappears, most likely you will be ready for another relationship. The path to a healthy love relationship becomes more clear when you put your own well being ahead of having to be in a relationship to feel good about yourself. "

As I was checking my FS account.. I saw this in one of my friends bulletin and I decided to post it here to share it with you guys (kunware me readers ako.. haha!). It struck something in me because I believe that some 'alone time' will definitely help... to realize many things.

To see the world in your own two eyes, savor the ‘no rush’ feeling and the independence.
It’s also time to appreciate what you have; those which you took for granted and miss what you have to let go to have your so called alone time... Believe that the alone time will help you heal and be whole again before embracing the future. Ü

random thoughts

2008-08-20T19:30:00.003+08:00

As I type words coming from the heart,
My heart starts to beat really fast…
How long will this last?

Thinking drives me mad,
Weighing things makes me sad…
Am I that bad?

This throbbing head,
Makes me want to stay in bed…
Are things harder than what is actually said?

Things I’ve done
May not be undone
When will these be gone?

Days went by so fast,
I hope the pain won’t last,
If I could only put it in the past…

insensitive

2008-08-20T13:18:00.010+08:00

Main Entry: in·sen·si·tive
Pronunciation: \(ˌ)in-ˈsen(t)-s(ə-)tiv\
Function: adjective
Date: 1834

1.a: not responsive or susceptible
b: lacking feeling or tact
2. not physically or chemically sensitive

Being insensitive does not always mean that you just don't care about other people’s feelings. Sometimes if not often, it is a person’s security blanket. To act as if you just don’t care and that you’re not affected in order to avoid pain and confrontation. We keep forgetting that this is not a perfect world, that we cannot find the answer by avoiding the question.

It could also be that you are protective to your own feelings or you are protecting someone else’s feelings. Whatever the reason may be, it’s hard to be the receiving end of the one’s insensitivity… but that’s part of life, if it’s meant to happen it will… We can just accept it as is, feel the pain, mourn a bit, smile and move forward. Ü

P.S. This is for those who have been in the receiving end of my insensitivity. I’m really sorry.

to protect or not to protect?

2008-08-07T14:11:00.001+08:00

Below is ang excerpt from a friends blog...

When you try to protect yourself against future emotional pain, you end up hurting yourself worse. You may not get hurt the way you were trying to avoid, but someone will definitely end up getting hurt, and it's usually you.

Love is learning to trust someone else with your true inner feelings. Yes, they can do things that can cause immense pain, but real love is about trusting them not to. The whole experience, whether it's good or bad, is about learning more about yourself and what you are capable of handling. You grow in ways you wouldn't know were possible because of your involvement in that person's life.

You can try to protect yourself forever, but you aren't doing yourself any favors. Life can't be experienced to its fullest potential when you continually shut the doors its opening for you.

Being human that we are, it is in our nature to fend for ourselves. We tend to protect ourselves and in doing so we end up getting hurt even more... and the worst thing is, in that process we also hurt people whom we love the most... Ü

green?

2008-07-31T14:31:00.011+08:00

You Are Apple Green

You are almost super-humanly upbeat. You have a very positive energy that surrounds you.

And while you are happy go lucky, you're also charmingly assertive.

You get what you want, even if you have to persuade those against you to see things your way.

Reflective and thoughtful, you know yourself well - and you know that you want out of life.

What Color Green Are You?

Lead me...

2008-07-25T00:44:00.009+08:00

Just want to share one of my all time favorites...

Lead me Lord
Lead me by the hand
And make me face the rising sun
Comfort me through all the pain
That life may bring
There’s no other hope
That I can lean upon
Lead me Lord
Lead me all my life

Walk by me
Walk by me across
The lonely road that I may face
Take my arms and let your hand
Show me the way
Show the way to live inside your heart
All my days, all my life

[refrain]
You are my light
You’re the lamp upon my feet
All the time my Lord
I need You there
You are my light
I (just) cannot live alone
Let me stay by
Your guiding love
All through my life
Lead me Lord

Lead me Lord
Even though at times
I’d rather go alone my way
Help me take the right direction
Take Your road
Lead me Lord
And never leave my side
All my days, All my life

[refrain 2]
You are my light
You’re the lamp upon my feet
All the time my Lord
I need You there
You are my light
I (just) cannot live alone
Let me stay by
Your guiding love
All through my life
All through my days
Lead me, O Lord
Lead me Lord

mamita signing off

2008-07-21T15:09:00.000+08:00

I was talking to a friend about farewell letters so I decided to find my farewell letter to my AOC friends when I left for SG last year...

This email made me smile kase naalala ko kung saan nagstart ang mga malulufet na relasyon... hihi! Sorry sa mga kabaklaan na terms, ganyan lang talaga kami eh..

I just want to share it with you guys. :)

From: Hermoso, Maria A. S.
Sent: Wednesday, October 03, 2007 5:02 AM
To: Mian Hermoso
Subject: mamita signing off...

Haller naman…So, ano itech.. drama-dramahan ba??? Hihihi.

Gusto ko lang mag thank you sa inyo… Ü yun lang.. hahaha..

Grabe.. the best talaga yung mga moments with you guys.. kung wlang AOC..baka matagal na kong naglaho sa ACN… yuck magre-reminisce ba ko??? Cge na nga.. ahihihi

It all started sa invitation ni sis (noems)… sama daw ako sa mga climb2..sows eh di naman ako makaporma nun kase naman busy sa work.. (eew) so yun..nag register nga ko pero di ako nag-aattend ng mga meeting.. ni-recruit pa talaga ko sa committee.. eh di nga ko nag-aattend.. Feb yata yun eh.. nung nag-BMC kame ni Drew sa GT… si sis lng ang kilala ko nun.. anyway naaliw naman ako sa mga nag-discuss at diniscuss… naconvince naman ako na ituloy nga angmembership.. and I’m happy I did.. hihihi

Yung first climb ko with AOC panalo.. bwahahaha… ilang tumbling na lang eh campsite na ng Mt. Daguldol, di pa kme dumirecho tlga nila Sis at Drew.. nagpicnic pa kme dun.. :P so yun kmi na ang pinaka-last nakarating sa campsite.. at pagdating nmen eh naka-pitch na ang tent nmen.. pero malayo..hahaha.. so ang ginawa nmen ni sis... lipat tent kme sa kabilang side.. mejo epal kme eh, kse pinag-pitch na nga kme.. reklamo pa talaga.. hihi.. tas yun.. bihis2.. then time to cook.. kse meron palang cookfest chenes. Sa group nmen.. panalo.. =P sinigang!!!! Bagong bago na recipe.. Ü nabusog naman kame at nag enjoy sa foodie.. pero gudlak nalang sa contest.. then after nun me socials kunware.. getting to know you… at yung may sticker (na may nakasulat na name)na ilalagay sa noo tas huhulaan mo kung cno yung nasa noo mo.. ayun! Tas after nun me committee meeting.. kung san nagkaaminan ng kras-krasan.. yung kras ni thess ang naaalala ko.. :P yung mga celfone sa damuhan.. at nilalanggam na tent ay part ng climb na yun.. at dun ko naalala si Pat… pini-picture-an kame ni sis.. eh kami pa..pose ng pose shempre.. :P

Ayown.. at marami pang climb at activities ang sumunod… ang mga kaepalan nawlang kupas. Tsk! Panalo tlga.. bwahahaha..

Mamimiss ko kyo mga epal!!! Hihihi..

Pero ok lang yun… lapit lng naman ng SG diba?? Papashal nga kyo dun eh.. kse mag organize ako.. ng lakwacha.. or gusto nyo mag-climb??? Bwahahaha! Pagplanuhan naten…

Sa inyong lahat… salamat sa mga moments.. from trekking to wall climbing to rappelling to laughter to mamam to tension to tears to emotions… at pictorials shempre.. ang dami talagang nangyari…

I am sure that you are all my friends… cause you’ve been there during good times and even sa low moments ng life ko.. Thank you.

Take care always… mwah!
‘gang sa susunod na pag-akyat…

Mamita signing off…

life is short

2008-07-17T15:50:00.004+08:00

This morning, news that one of our colleagues passed away was really a shock. He was just here yesterday he looked pretty much his usual self. We did not notice anything out of the ordinary, but come to think of it we’re not really that close. Still it’s a shocker! He was a big guy and looks fine but just a bit on the heavy side. Although we’re not close there seems to be an impact to the team. It’s weird to think that you we’re just talking to this guy yesterday or you nod at each other in the hallway… Who would think that it would be his last nod or last talk with you? Or who would have thought that yesterday would be his last day at work? It has certain clench in my heart to think that this guy will never come back to the office and work on IT revamp or whatever project he might be in… when things like this happen, I always think of my interactions with the person and the good things he did and it makes me feel a bit closer to the person… it’s sad… I could just imagine how his family might feel after this. They are planning to move here from India to be with him.*sigh* That will never happen now. That will just be a dream.

It made me pause for a while and think… Life is really short. We really don’t know what will happen later or tomorrow or the day after that. It makes me want to panic. I’m now thinking what will happen to my family when that happens to me? Gosh! It’s really scary.

We should remember to maximize our time and learn to cherish every moment we have with people we love and value those who cares for us. Be nice. Be honest. Be good. And of course give love to others.

P.S.
My prayer goes to SSASS and his family.

Behind this door...

2008-06-24T09:57:00.011+08:00

Is such a small place…
Which used to be an empty box..
We filled it with little things…
Then big emotions followed.

Songs were sung…
Parties were held…
Alcohol overload…

Friendships were built.
Relationships started,
Laughter was heard…

Friends became lovers,
Lovers became friends…
Tears were shed…

There was silence…

Whispers were heard...
Stories were told…
Life goes on.

There used to be three of us..
Then two were left..
One came for a while… then left.
Then two more came…and stayed.

I have spent one year of my life...
Shared with special people...
I will always cherish this place called ‘manshon’..
Definitely filled with emotions.

..:Ü:..

gown

2008-06-14T00:21:00.008+08:00

I am excited because one of my closest friends is getting married soon...

I am assigned to wear this gown. The design is so simple, elegant and sexy... the only problem is how to project that image. haha! As you can see there are no extra space for bulges and no cover for flabby arms… =P

The possible solutions are:

1. Enroll on a gym and work out to be fit and perfect for the gown. =P
2. Run run run. It will help.
3. Eat less carbs, for the tummy concern.

What about the hair and makeup?

I am not worrying about the face and the hair, because with a little makeup (plus the magic hand of the make up artist) , blow drier, some hair products, a radiant smile and The Attitude... I will be all set. Haha!

***suggestions are very much welcome*** Ü

Interview

2008-06-11T00:21:00.012+08:00

August 2007.

My AOC friends and I were in Bohol, enjoying the beauty of the Philippines. They did not know that I have a scheduled interview on our second day there. Since I was the organizer, I made sure that during the call, we will be on land and my network provider will have a signal.

After our lunch at the floating bamboo raft in Lobo River, we went to see the Tarsiers and then my phone rang... my heart beats faster... I took out my 'kodigo' and told my friends that I have an interview. They wished me luck and then I had to go down to the boat dock to procede with the interview. It was cool and I was just smiling as I told the interviewer about the story of my life.. haha! Imagine having your final job interview overlooking the green Lobo River... hihihi! It was fun! There was one hassle though, when the bamboo raft with the singing local went by the dock... It was so noisy, I can't hear my interviewers. I just told them that I'm having problem with the network coverage and I'll move to a better location. I had to cover the speaker and wait for the raft to pass, good thing it went by fast so I was able to hear my interviewers and finished the interview still with a smile. :)

The picture was taken by one of my friends who had enough of taking tarsier photos. haha. That was me during the interview, sitting pretty on the dock (dock-dock-an) with my 'kodigo' (haha) while enjoying the view...

That was it, after a few days I was informed that I got the job and will start by October 2007. (yey!) It was a lucky interview.... I'm still here... Ü

Racha Yai Dive

2008-06-01T19:43:00.019+08:00

I'm back with another diving story... hmm.. don't worry, I think this will be the last of my summer 'diventures' (dive adventure) hihihi.. I'll take a few months rest to regain my 'budget strength' hahaha. I am hoping that in my next diventure I'll already be a certified diver so that I can explore more. So here goes...

Upon our arrival in Patong Beach our first task was to find Sunrise Diving shop to check their dive schedules and book for a discover dive. It was 4000THB inclusive of 2 dives, equipment rental, t-shirt, breakfast, lunch and snacks on board. It was a bit expensive but still I went on with it because it was my first time in Phuket and I want to maximize it. So there, my dive my was scheduled on Saturday, they will pick us up at around 8:30 in our hotel lobby. We had to wake up early and have a quick breakfast then proceed to the lobby wherein we waited for 30minutes. Hmp! I was ranting because I took a quick breakfast only to wait for them. argh!We should have waited for them in the breakfast area. hahaha! (Sorry I just want to maximize the breakfast buffet). I was actually a bit panicky then because we've been waiting for a while already, what if they forgot about us? or they left us behind? those were my thoughts so I had to call and contact them, to my dismay nobody was answering my call, I was just checking their website to find other ways to contact them when my friend told me that they are already there.

So, I approached the pickup and asked whom to talk to if my friend would like to join the trip. And there I met Philip, my DM. I asked him if its ok and he said there shouldn't be any problem with it but we just have to confirm with the manager. They called the manager and asked me to talk to him then I told him about it, he said that there's no problem about it, we just have to pay for the additional fee. All was well... we rode the pickup truck to the port where our big boat was waiting. There were plenty of us, from different dive centers and with different DM's. We had to transfer from pickup to this very colorful tram to bring us to the boat.

When we got to the boat, Philip joined us on our table and discussed the basics, since it was already my third dive, I was quite familiar with what he is discussing. I can say that this is the most detailed intro dive I've had. We even have an actual guide book to follow with pictures and all. And did the basic underwater skills I had to learn as a beginner. I did it at around 7meters deep. The only difference is that this time it was well documented. I have my own photographer! hahaha.

During my first dive, Philip said that I need to work on my bouyancy because it is not steady. I enjoyed the dive, lots of small fishies... Big puffer fish, Lion fish (black and orange), clown fish (nemo), Big angel fish, school of baracuda (i liked it), this long fish im not sure if its funnel fish.. haha.. sorry I don't know its name and other different colorful species. However since its still considered as shallow water, there are only hard corals, I liked the bed of small corals where you can see that all of them are growing because the tips are so white. :) I missed the colorful soft colorful corals I saw in the Philippines. I did not even see any nudies there. Anyway, that was the story of my first dive with Philip. After around 40 minutes of following swimming with the fishies, we ascended and I did not even notice that It was a different place already. I was far from the boat and I swam really slow. haha. I think I was the last one to get to the boat. hihihi.

When I was aboard the boat, I took of my wet suit and dried myself because they serve the food at the dry area.

As we were preparing to have lunch.. there was a bit of commotion on the right side of the boat then I heard someone yelled 'dolphin' wow!! it was like a magic word to me.. hehe.. I ran to the front of the boat to check it out.. and there they were, I just saw a glimpse of their back as 4 or 5 of them swam past our boat. I was waiting for them to jump and show off a bit but that did not happen. They just swam by... I went back to the buffet table and had lunch. :) The food was okay and was cooked onboard. There were also fresh fruits for dessert. After lunch, we went on the top deck to lounge for a few minutes and take some pictures. Before 1 PM, Philip told me to get ready for the next dive. So, I went down and got ready. Took another giant step to the waters... hehe! I got it right this time. :) I loved my second dive more because this time I was not that conscious of my bouyancy. I just followed my DM liesurely, lots of small fish here almost same species with the first dive. When we were onboard, my DM told me that i have improved a lot regarding my bouyancy. Graduated from being a yoyo. hihi. Then he gave me my cerficate... that ended my racha yai diventure. Ü

Diving in Tioman

2008-05-22T14:25:00.007+08:00

My second beach escapade and dive adventure for 2008 happened in Tioman Island, Malaysia. It was fun to be underwater again... It was my chance to use my new mask. (hihihi) I was really excited to try my hot pink mask!

We planned our intro/discover dive(2nd time for me) on our third day in the island. This includes a pool session to teach us the basics of diving and make us comfortable with the gears. I was excited to use my mask in the pool session because I thought I already did the necessary preparation needed to prevent mask fogging... but I was wrong because even at the pool it was already fogging. *sigh* It was really disappointing that I had to borrow their tried and tested mask. Oh well, it is better to use another mask and enjoy the underwater scenery than wear my own mask and take the risk of missing exciting fishies or spoil my dive because I need more time in mask clearing.

It was a shore entry dive. After cleaning the mask for one last time, we headed on to the beach... It was my first time to walk with a full tank on my back, it was really heavy! Tsk! But I guess its part of it all. I should not always think that there would be somebody to carry my tank… but I can still wish, right?...hihihi. So, on the shore, I put on my fins, inflated my BCD and got in the water…what a relief! We had to swim for a few meters to go to the deeper part of the water before we make our descent. Tioman is really abundant with different kinds of fish. We had fun playing with nemo… haha! We saw a really BIG school of fish… 3 walls of yellow striped fishies (sorry I don’t know the name yet) there were also puffer fish, lion fish, big angel fish and other species. Those were the highlights of our dive, the sea bed is not colorful though; good thing the fishies really gave it color and life.

We stayed underwater for roughly 40 minutes. We had to ascend already because my friend’s air is running low. I was behind the group because I was just swimming leisurely then I noticed that our DM is missing together with my other friend… I thought we were lost.. haha! So we surfaced and saw that we’re already near the shore. So, I took off my fins and floated towards the shore then I stood up still a bit wobbly… the tank is still heavy. I looked back to witness my friend being carried ashore by the waves. She attempted to stand up only to be knocked down by another wave, our DM came to help her carry the tank because she was laughing so hard she could not stand at all. She was rolling on the sand as the waves continue to come. I walked on ahead to the shop to take off my BCD off. We were still laughing when we reached the shop where we meet the manager who invited us to enroll to their open water course… lets see…

It was all in all a fun dive, my friends enjoyed as well.

I’m looking forward for my next summer adventure… Ü

see the sea

2008-04-30T11:06:00.020+08:00

I'm new to diving... tried it once and loved it! I am now planning to take up a course in open water diving.

This hobby is not that cheap mind you.

After my first 2 dives ( I was lucky they let me have 2 dives for my intro dive) in Coron, Palawan, I've been very busy online learning about wetsuits, masks, fins etc. in preparation for my class. The quality of a product is important especially if you are planning to really use it regularly. My first step was to buy a mask and snorkel which I think is essential. And look at what we found in th dive shop! A hotpink x vision model from Mares. I was not really sure what to buy because I have no idea then what is good or not. I mean, regarding the brand, I know that Mares is good but I am not familiar with other features to consider. So when I first saw this pink one, it was love at first sight! I so loved the color and the fit is good. The shop manager told me that I've got good taste when I showed him the mask i liked... then I found out that it has this special liquidskin feature and in fact the latest one from Mares. Then I remember how important it is to have a strap cover, so I got this 'she dives' strap cover which is really nice. The next task was to look for a snorkel that will match the mask and found this greyish hydrex flex snorkel. I think it matches the mask because of its silver face.

After paying for the purchases, I still can't get enough of the shop and I just have to try a wetsuit! ( I am really excited) I have no idea what size I should buy because I've never tried one at all. I mean from a shop, ofcourse I wore one during my dive, it was a shorty and i didn't like it that much. So this time I will try on a full wetsuit from bare, the size was big,(eew) the manager was not even sure if it will fit me, I am confident though that it will... and it did. It was just a bit long because the size was not asian fit. So the manager told me to check the bare site first for other ideas and if I cannot find one that suits me well, they can make a custom made suit just for me.

As of now I am still considering what kind of suit to buy, but for sure it will be a full suit. I can't wait for my next dive and see more of the sea. :)

colors and art

2008-04-08T16:37:00.015+08:00

Somewhere in Singapore you'll find this colorful wall...

One thing I noticed when I got here in Singapore was the artwork around me. I love the MRT stations with carvings, paintings, murals or any other forms of art.

Shapes, textures, forms, designs, curves, lines and colors really fascinates me...

I don't interpret art, I just appreciate it. Ü

welcome

2008-04-07T15:26:00.000+08:00

its my first time here...

familiarizing myself with this new environment...

still learning... :)