The Writer's Mood: Really Down :(

The last days of summer has been of mixed state of mind. i have been all around the city trying to finish everything that has to be finished before going back to dumaguete. Just when i got home... a news from school made me upset. My enrollment was left hanging  because of some crazy new laws the college of nursing imposed about enrollment. my mother did all the work back there and it really pissed me off. i was so sorry for her. i promise to make up for her the next time... Damn you SU College of Nursing!!!! YOUR A PIECE OF *%^#$@ $$#(^#&+**!!!... >:(

On Tuesday. I was all quiet and a little disoriented at home. The house was silent and only the housekeeper was with me. I felt bad and helpless about my state as a student. Technically, i was not (for now). My mom calls me once in a while and she was mad and depressed. All the bad luck really joined forces just to piss me off and ruin every hope i had. If you try to see my situation... i have no direction this semester. My 3 worthless subjects are hanging, I don't know whats coming for me, i disappointed my folks, and lots of money are spent and lots of time and energy is wasted. I started to feel apathetic about my situation. i'd care less anymore if i get enrolled or not...............................So i watched a couple of movies just to pass the time. 5 in the afternoon...the phone rang. it was a new number...the call was from a rich-ass high school friend of mine. He asked me to come by to the plaza coz there was a get-together. I knew it wouldnt be that interesting. But still i went coz i was down in the dumps...At the plaza... there were about 8 of the pips only. Soon as the night grew deeper... the gang disbanded...leaving me and the 3 beautiful girls who were close to my heart back in highschool. so we had dinner in McDo(not the fast food franchise; it was a term in ormoc for the barbecue stands near the river that is entering the ormoc bay. it was called as such because "Magdoku" man para magpili ug sud-an. Hehehe ;p). We had so much fun. We were a bunch of stupid kids roaming around the streets of Ormoc. I personally told them that i really really do miss them. I felt a little nostalgic coz i grew up with them all throughout the early years of school and they basically saw every gross stuff i did. they seem to be different now... they were more calm and relaxed...the kids are all grown up. i sense that they treasure my very presence and i was too to them. Even though we had different lives already, They still hold a very soft spot in my heart. I love them, those girls. I relished every moment, coz i know that moment would be gone.

Wednesday afternoon. i wandered the streets to return some dvds that i borrowed and give a gift to a lady friend i met this summer before we part ways so that i have some kind of remembrance to her. A short while, i met with some of the boys of my highschool coz i promised to the rich-ass kid to come with him and the other guys to his beach house in Lutao, Albuera... I had been there years before but today was different... because my folks were out and i was feeling sad lately, i decided to sleep over there. The beach house had this rustic feel with varnished walls and wood furnitures. you see, this friend of mine is a Big Time, rich-ass kid from a Big Time family in Ormoc City.The beach house was located in front of a rocky coast line. At the right was this port with a barge. In my recollection, there was a rusty, abandoned burned ship sitting there years before. I even recalled how my friends did a risky climb to the top of the ship and after several minutes of doubting to jump, we leaped from a 4 stories high ship down into the deep dark-blue water. That ship was no longer there anymore...That night, we had a good meal of grilled pork and made a bonfire fronting the sea. I enjoyed the whole time but all along i was passive and just listening to incredible stories of these guys around the fire. {{*I was not that famous back in highschool and only have few good friends of the group. Everybody else was high above me. I was not the one that the famous pips would like to have a conversation with back then. I was quiet and weird all along high school, all silent in my chair...over analyzing things. hehehe ;p . But i consider myself as the cool one... just floating around.}}... At the bonfire every once in a while, i talk but not too much, just so as to tell them "hey! i'm here, still with you guys". Those guys did some crazy stuff the whole night. I had a great time going along with them. Swimming at sea was like in that scene from "The Beach".The sea was cool and dark. I have this close ties to the sea. Whenever i am near it...it was close to home for me. There was a half-moon that night. And a ring of light surrounded it. You can see the city lights of the towns sparkling in the midst from here. It was all too euphoric... gives me so much high to have been there and enjoying the ambience and the mixed sounds of grunge, trance and mellow on the radio. these things are like drugs to me. would'nt change it for the world. I could feel the endorphins sinking in.... The night grew deeper and deeper. I had shots of that old-school "Tuba". I can feel the surge of heat all throughout my blood. Things pretty much became interesting among the guys but i was still sane of about 10 shots followed by a pepsi chaser. I was just taking in things and observing. 3 am...the gang went downtown Ormoc...we drove all along the outskirts of the city, wandering around. Everybody eventually dozed off early in the morning.

Thursday morning. I took a nice swim. Everything now was all clear but i was still fuzzy from last night. fishermen are now out at sea doing their business. in the afternoon, i did some snorkeling. underwater was pretty much interesting as well. I went farther this time. there were some fish and sea slugs and everything else was sand. Eventually, The rich-ass kid drove me back home. I was so bummed out back at home. The rest of the afternoon, i pretty much dosed off all alone upstairs on the ground, still sad that the future was still uncertain.

June 14, 2006

Disembarking. I am back in my hometown for the school break. I pretty much spent a quiet, simple yet angst-free vacation this whole time. But who knows what's cookin-up in the rest of the days to come. So one word of advice for these kind of situations – have a clean slate. Do not anticipate anything. Expect the unexpected!...Ey guys:) I'd love reading your comments & emails...keep sendin em'.

Neocity. OrmocCity (my hip and happenin' small hometown) always has something new. It seems that it’s changing every year. It’s quietly progressing ever since the great flood of 1991’ and the streets are much busier these days… There are two phases of Ormoc. morning and nighttime. You see, in mornings, there is a feel that you can see when you come across this town. Everything is quieter and peaceful. It is the best time to walk around, jog, shoot hoops etc… it is worthless if you just sit around… you have to go out and feel the rise of the sun. And experience the city just starting to wake up. You best experience this at the social center of the city, the park.The metro-aid starts to sweep the streets, the garbage collector starts to roam around and collect trash, white-collar workers wait until the big PNOC Buses arrive, etc... Then there is nighttime. The park starts to have life. Its streets start to be inhabited by many BBQ and beer stands. Fluorescent and mercury lights abound the city and gives this upbeat/dreamy feeling… One new feature in the city is its romantic Riverwalk with its amber lit lamps stretching all the way along this main river. The young night scene has just been introduced to the city lately because before, there were not much contemporary clubs and dance pubs. At present, there's the newly established Dustria, there's the “starbucks” version of OC, Bebida’s and etc… At night, my father, sister and I usually hit the wheels and ride around the city, even going to the outskirts... There is so much to describe my city… I guess sometime, I will post a City Guide soon.

Tubod. The other week, my folks and I traveled all the way to Isabel which is an hour's ride, east of Ormoc. I myself went directly to Tubod, a clean, fresh spring water/swimming pool and spent the whole day there. Tubod is a 5-10 minute ride from the town of Isabel. Tubod is like this family emblem to my mom's side. It was a witness of various family reunions, my late uncle's stopovers to swim and relax, grandma's early life and later-on when she was still alive and lived across the road fronting the spring for sometime. And me, who still go there until this very day to unwind. Old folks say, it was a flowing natural spring before that hosted their daily needs from washing clothes, bathing and even drinking because it is clean. In 1981, it was constructed to become a recreational swimming pool but still preserving it's close-to-nature atmosphere. It is a quiet and secluded area surrounded by a foliage of greens in the middle of nowhere. It is pretty much like a sanctuary to me… So I had a chance to solo the water and during my time there, I was able to go up this hill which for a long time, I was so curious to go up to. Later in the afternoon, the old landlady got my attention and started to converse about Tubod. I eventually learned that Tubod is planned to be transformed into a Japanese drinking mineral water factory and will start for the next year. I was sad about the news because I had loads and loads of memories here and it was a witness of my childhood... The landlady said that she already signed a 200-year contract to the Japanese businessmen... By then, I'd be already 6 feet under the ground… A week later, I returned back along with my sister and a young cousin and enjoyed our last minutes in that spring. It was so far the best swim I ever had. :)

Adrenaline. It's the best drug ever. And it's totally for free! It is the natural high you get when you are in moderate/extreme physical exertion. I have used this concept for months now. This past 2 weeks, i enrolled again in the gym for some strength training and after working out, i do feel good. I tend to be more creative, more at peace and tend to go out more and just be merry. I think clearly at this time and able to plan for the day. I also get this positive outlook and have a good amount of confidence. You should try it. Though it can easily be gone afterwards if you do not fuel it more but it is a good jolt if you  are lazy and want to study or do things faster at the moment.

Morning Hoops At The Ghetto. The other day, i went along with my folks for a jog at an oval in a public elementary school. They had great wall art there and some good sights if you are into architecture... So i jogged around. Soon I got to shoot some hoops with some locals there after i was challenged by my companion. To tell you the truth, I am no MVP or anything and i don't even shoot hoops like most guys. I suck at that game. But I never say never. Soon i got the hang of things and pretty much, i can shoot a 3-point score in an average open court very well. Wow, i have underestimated myself really bad. I guess, in every Filipino guy's blood... there's an innate abilty to play basketball... Almost every corner in the Philippines has a basketball court and everybody plays it here since it was introduced by the Americans.... Soon, the dawn was breaking and sweat was dripping and adrenaline's rushing...it was a good feeling... Now i know why it's great to play basketball early mornings especially in an open field under the early blue skies... and I had one great day the whole day.

 

Lights In The Sky. October 27. Another Friday here in my hometown. Nothing special still for the day. Nothing unusual except when Sarah Geronimo was paraded down the street in front of my crib and she waved at me. Cute girl in person i thought. hehehe... And when night awoke, my folks decided to go around the city... As i went outside the house, to my astonishment, up in the sky, 2 searchlights wandering around. This was new stuff and it was signalling a big event in the Superdome. I was in awe at how powerful this stuff is. It was a big surprise for me and i can speak in behalf of every citizen here in my hometown because i can hear all the buzz about the lights from every person i come to pass -- the videostore guys, the people down the street, etc. The searchlights were seen in every area in the city. It is like smoke in the sky when you get lost in the woods or lamps inviting moths to come. We drove around every nook and cranny and passed by the main district where all the happenin' stuff is concentrated. Concerts, dance pubs, food and lots and lots of entertainment. Ormoc has become one hell of a party scene.

Let me tell you about a trek I had some point in the last week of December, just a day after Christmas. After a jog early in the park and experienced a peaceful morning, I returned back home. My relatives had just arrived from DC that morning and this cousin wanted to see what’s around. Along with his friend, we decided to take his friend's motorcycle and ride down the countryside...Later on, we head south from OrmocCity just along the coast. It was cloudy and overcast and we passed some great landscapes of the rural south towns leading to Albuera. 

Panilahan Dockyard. There is this stretch of beach that I remembered back in the day when I was still in grade school and the school had its scouting activitites. It was held in this specific place. This was owned by the city mayor and just beside was their beach house which I have hanged out before. I had some hazy memories in that place back in high school... Along with my company, I approached this isolated dockyard. It was a site of a quarry and boulders of huge rocks rest in this area. A barge had just embarked which I think, is leaving for Cebu. The whole vista was grand – huge mountains stand to the left. Far across was a glimpse of a part of the Camotes Island(which later in the week, I would eventually stopover (as read in the “Lost Horizon In The South” entries). I took a short swim in the water later.

Talisayan Bridge. We continued our way to the south...This was all unplanned. Just randomly searching for a good place to hangout. We came across this bridge that had a running brook beneath. We went down and took a dip into the shallow and cool running water which was fresh from the mountains. You can really feel the good ambience. A good rural scenery. Some women washing clothes, carabaos grazing from afar and surrounding us was tall trees of bamboo and other greens.

Albuera Lunch. The sun was high up and our stomachs say it’s lunchtime. We proceeded forward to the town of Albuera. Passed its bustling main road and headed to their quiet marketplace. There was a karinderia just located by the seaboard. And we had a good meal there by just chipping in with what we got in the pocket. The residents there were entertaining as we listened to their chit chat of some local news especially about the recent fire in Ormoc.

Search For Scandinavia. After several minutes of looking for this resort under the scorching heat of the sun... We got there and checked the place which had 2 pools, billiards bar and rooms. We did not stay longer cause, we had no dough. We went back to our tracks and head for home

Walking Through Middle Earth. I was already tired of the day’s trail. We were wandering around and still wanted for more of what the countryside has to offer. ...The sky started to get dark...it would be raining soon. And for the last time, we stopped at this bridge... just beyond it was this huge, dark river. It was facing some mountain ranges. They were wrapped in fog, smoldering in light mists. It is surreal when one sees it now. I stand ground and behold it’s beauty. It was like entering Middle Earth (from The Lord of the Rings movie). Banana shrubs were abundant and rural kids play in the water in a distance. Mothers wash laundry and few water buffalos were soaking and gnawing grass. We walked further and found this cool shade where the water is deep enough to wade and bathe. The running water was cool. It was serene with only the good sounds of nature around. The sun would sometimes peek from the clouds. I was like a kid that time... The whole panorama was just bigger than life and everything was just beyond my power. I did not imagine I would come across this whole experience and this wonderful place today. And it was a relaxing time for me and my company.

Somewhere Over The Rainbow. It was turning dark. The sun will soon set. And we decided to go back to civilization...back to the city. It was raining hard and the drops of rain were biting the skin as the speed grew faster down the highway. And just to the right, there was a good blessing from the skies. Two huge rainbows were very visible. It was sort of symbolic - A sign of the beautiful journey today. THE END

 

 

 

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A White House Wake. Easter. 3:30 am. I was awaken by some commotion outside and a rattled housekeeper. Everything was white. All the lights were open. It was still blurry at first. I soon realized, I was in the ancestral house of my mother's side in Isabel, a.k.a. "The White House". It was this early morning that the folks and company were all prepared for the ceremony that will be held on top of the hill, ushering two celebrations- One for Easter, the other is the death anniversary of an uncle just a year ago.

Dark Woods. We travelled all the way to the outskirts of Isabel town (Leyte). It was a rocky way going there until we reached the hill. It was stark darkness with only the silhouettes of some coconut trees and some bushes and the sounds of nature by night, notably the crickets. What astonishes me at this time is the sky still glowing with every constellations and galaxies glimmering from here. I tread on some wet bermuda grass, passing through the shadows, uphill. I ushered in the waiting church people and welcomed them to the area.

300. On top of this hill was the family mausoleum. Candles are already being lit and set a dreamy ambience against a backdrop of darkness. There were 300 of the church people there more or less. The place kinda feel like the Parthenon of Ancient Greece times which I see from movies. I situated myself in this quiet vantage point, a little distant from the mausoleum to overlook the whole thing. I also wanted to feel the early morning breeze, the feel of dew on my feet, and savor the cool silvery, night sky. The ceremony had this old-school chants that broke the silence of the night. It actually was very relaxing, pretty much reminds me of the old days with my late grandma.

Rise. Soon, the sun rose up slowly over the mountains from the east. The sky had some few color changes over time from pitch black, to dark purple, to a pink sky. It was beautiful. It was nature at its best. It was kind of, the resurrection. This is the hope that the Big Man upstairs offered. That there is always a chance to change and have a clean slate through His Son. It is always up to us to change and leave all that is bothering us and break free from the physical bondage of this world. This I have come to realize lately.