christmas is for kids!

Almost like a nativity scene. Ate Gellie looking after cousin Baby Pierre. Gellie's 5 years old and Pierre's just 2 months old this week. Looking forward to meeting the two together this coming holidays. Christmas' more fun when there are kids around don't you think?

hilot.

What you don't know won't hurt you, that is till you see your doctor.

My back started to hurt again 2 weeks ago and this time I was having difficulty walking or even just standing up. This is bad,... so bad that I really had to see a doctor this time. Unlike earlier this year when I had U.T.I., this was another thing. This time i need to have some tests, and I took all of it, CBC, FBS, Lipid profile etc. It could be nothing or I could have everything. I was hoping nothing will show up but I expected the worst.

When the results was explained to me by the doctor, my worst fear didn't happen. I got 3 out of 5. No celebrations here. My blood sugar was normal, my liver was normal and I'm not hypertensive, but I have a slightly above-average cholesterol level and I have high readings of uric acid. Shit. Now the hard part. I have to take some medications for 2 months and HAVE to stay clear of some food groups for everything to normalize, and I have to exercise! I have weekly sports activities when I was in Manila, but while working here I wasn't able to participate in any. Though I do get to walk a lot while at work, the doctor advised me to do other activities because my body has adapted to the level of stress associated with work. Ah well, The good thing is I'll be coming home soon and I can go back to playing basketball and badminton.

My back still hurt up to this day even after a "hilot" kneaded all the air in my body. Though she said I had a lot of air in me but after the session my body still hasn't deflated. Hehehe.

backtrack!

*You can always tell when you don't have much to do on a Sunday when you let yourself be talked into getting your hair relaxed.... like I did earlier today.

Like any other weekend here, I spend my afternoons at the Mall watching the latest flick or just checking my mails or gettin a haircut. My hair's been having a mind of it's own lately like it always does. The starnds are quite flimsy so it's easier to maintain when its short. What was supposed to be a routine haircut turned into a marathon ritual where the "barber" sweet-talked me into gettin a facial and.. a hair spa treatment. And I thought you can only get that at a Gandang Ricky Reyes when lo and behold, the first time I step into a barbershop and they suckered me into this. Ah.. well. It wasn't half-bad but I should've had my hair dyed.

* Surfin the cable channels a few nights ago, I stumbled upon the movie "Hotshots" again. Can't help but watch it again even if it means missing Grey's Anatomy on Star World. Good thing I already saw that episode and settled and saw my childhood flashed before my eyes.
There are some moments in my life that I can clearly remember all because It has a movie attached to itand Hotshots was one of them. This was the last movie I ever saw together with my Mom and sister. I clearly remember it because my Mom and I had just come from the hospital for my check-up after being sick with "dengue", then only known as h-fever. We caught the last full show at the Baron Theater near Trabajo Market. Apart from the great soundtrack, it is a happy memory for me cause in a few months I was about to start secondary education and I started watching movies with my friends afterwards.

* Happy days during my furlough in Manila last week. Spent some time with family and friends and had a helluva time. Thanks guys!


Maybe a little TOO MUCH fun!

Two lives.

The flight home was a little different than last year. First thing is Cebu Pacific flight was on time. It only took me 20 minutes from checking-in my luggage to boarding. Second, there were more passengers than a year ago considering that it's actually just a 1-day holiday.
I didn't win in the game on-board the flight unlike last year. I did get to buy an overpriced CP wallet with strap from the cute flight attendants, Sugar, Yamm and Orange. Add some flour and you have a cake. After the game I slept the rest of the way. We arrived 15 minutes early, another first, and I finally arrived home around 8 in the morning.
My Mom and I went to our family mausoleum as usual. The crowds at the cemetery isn't as many as last year but it sure was an unusually hot November day, with us having El Niño afterall. Stayed there for only a couple of hours then went home for a late lunch.
My scheduled business while I'm here is quite hectic. I have to check on some current projects while I go meet with some prospective clients. I also need to pay some professional dues, renew my license and visit my doctors for some regular check-ups. One thing I'll definitely miss is my nephews' christening. I still haven't seen him since I arrived and will surely not be able to attend the event, lest I'm named as one of the godfathers, then my Mom obliged to come home again next week. I will also meet some friends over the next few days for some post-birthday celebrations, Manila style. I may have a lot of things to do but I only have errands up to staurday only. I purposely reserved Sunday as my TV day. I'm looking forward to some advanced episodes of Lost- season 3 and Prisonbreak- season 2 that my little brother downloaded.
Being in Manila can sometime be disorienting, having stayed the previous year in Iloilo. It almost feel like I have two different lives, one here and one in the Visayas and I could not compare which suited me more. Right now, I feel incomplete without the other cause circumstances have presented me with other opportunities that may extend my stay in Iloilo. Being the workaholic that I am, its stupid to pass this up. I guess this is God's way of showing me my path in life and I'm looking forward to it.