Wednesday, August 29, 2007

cafe oliv

Liz and I had nothing better to do so we decided to dine at Cafe Oliv along East Coast Road. It was a nice diversion from the usual kopitiam/hawker dinner. The resto looks nice and pleasing. They have pasta and grilled entrees. The menu's illustration of the pasta made my mouth water even more. My mouth had been watering earlier because we can't stop talking about food while on our way there.

I also noticed that the ones marked Must Try are all spicy and contain Thai cream sauce. I was tempted to try one but then I saw that the Oliv Beef Stew. I figured that if they named the stew after the resto then it must be good. Plus, it's not spicy so there, I ordered it. Liz ordered Grilled Chicken, which was good. Yes, I tasted her food. lol. We did not wait long (either that or we were just busy talking and we didn't notice time pass by). For starters, we had a soft shell crab dipped in what seems to me like mayo. When my food came, it was on an unusual square bowl. Sorry, no pics. I didn't think that I would blog about this that time. I'm not much of a food critic but by my standards, it was good. Notice how I am playing safe giving a review of the food. lol

We were celebrating Liz's successful petition to the US so she treated me to dessert. Luckily, today was Tuesday and the resto offers 50% off on desserts during Tuesdays and Thursdays. She ordered a warm brownie ala mode which was uhm... a warm brownie with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top.

Therefore: "ala mode" = "a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top"

It was so good that I still kept digging at it even if I'm already full.

Okay kids, don't do what I just did. That's called Gluttony.

Imagine: Fudgy chocolate brownie with vanilla ice cream on top.

What-to-do-what-to-do? lol

=P

*Sigh!* This is a perfect example of how to make a seemingly ordinary night into a something special: Have a nice friendly date with a beautiful woman in a cozy restaurant. =D

Sunday, August 26, 2007

parkway

Riding a cab at night along ECP gave me a bittersweet memory of the times I used to go to the airport to fetch F. She flies via Cebu Pacific so her arrival is always late at night and I have no option but to ride a cab. I remember the times when my heart would beat really fast just thinking about seeing her again. Oh how I really missed her then! Oh how I loved her so much! I remember being breathless in anticipation, waiting for her plane to land. How I would silently wipe my tears (I would not let her see) as I think about the old times and how I sacrificed it for a job in Singapore. It was tears of joy. After a long time away from each other, I'll be seeing her again. I'll be able to hold her again. To kiss her again. To wrap my arms around her. I remember clearly as I'm writing this entry. It's funny how such a beautiful memory can hurt me so much! But in my heart, I know that I would rather feel the pain, than lose this memory. For there is a part of me... that is afraid... that I may never love the same way again.
 
 
parkway
 
i see the long road
the lamp posts and the trees
i see the white stripes passing me by
the lights flashing at my face
there is nothing i can do but sigh
and fight back the tears
for this road that i so fondly take
no longer leads to you
but to a land of unacknowledged fears

Friday, August 24, 2007

changes

I've been here in Singapore for more than a year already. Sad to say, I'm not really glad on how things have progressed.. or regressed. I have not accomplished much. I haven't saved much. Nothing has changed for the good. Everything got worse.
 
Looking back at 2006...
... I had a good relationship with F.
... I had a good relationship with my parents.
... I had a good relationship with my friends.
 
Everything was okay. Then I came here to Singapore. Everything was going well... until I lost my father to cancer. Shortly after, F and I broke up. Now I'm here, blogging about the past and how good it was. It's sad...
 
But I got hope! I believe that things are going to get better. I have the power to change my life. And that's what I intend do.
 
Either that or I'll just lie down and die.
 
=P

Tuesday, August 21, 2007

oist!

For the first time since we broke up, i addressed F by her first name. For weeks, it has always been, "wassup?" or "hi!" or the playful "oist!" but I had never really called her by her name. I guess it's an integral part of the healing process. I had to let go. Else, I would have been fooling myself -- attempting to hold on to something that would eventually be gone no matter how hard I try. Like, as a child, I would dream about getting money and then I hold on to it so tightly. But when I woke up, there would be nothing inside my clenched fist -- only despair in my heart.

whirlwind

a whirlwind passed me by
and my world spun like a top
i hardly recognize it anymore
slowly I'm coming to my senses
only to realize
that the world is the same
and it is only I who have changed.

confessions of a broken heart

I'm lost. I'm drifting.
I have undergone a major change like I lost a limb.
I used to know who to eat dinner with, who to call at night, who to text Goodnight.
I used to know who to go out with whenever I wanted to unwind,
Who to turn to when I feel like the world is against me,
Who to run to when I feel weak.
I lost my light, my sunshine. I lost my best friend.
I lost my laughter, my passion, my soul.
I lost the best thing that ever happened to me.
Perhaps in time I'll find it again.
Then, I'll be more careful.
Perhaps in time I'll be found again.
Perhaps in time...

so busy but still got time to blog

Two of my colleagues resigned from the company. The last one left yesterday. And now, I'm the only programmer left in our team. Less than 24 hours has passed and I'm feeling the pressure already. They have been pouring tasks on my desks since this morning. One after the other, which is contrary to about a month ago when they haven't given me any tasks to do and I was idle for 2 weeks. I wish that the volume of the tasks here are not as erratic.
 
Can we have some consistency here... please?
 
I wish it was Friday already.
=P

Monday, August 20, 2007

Dinner @ Liz's

What a wonderful time a had last Saturday!
 
It was rainy, yes. But that didn't stop us (Me, Liz, and friends) from having fun.
I came to Liz's place early to help her buy the ingredients at the Shieng Shong Supermarket( i.e. I carried the groceries. lol)
 
Quick question: How do you know if the fish you're buying is fresh?
Answer: If it's swimming in the aquarium!
 
Yep! Now, I know. hehehe.
 
I also learned that Liz is a great cook. And so are her housemates.
The food was... Perfect!
 
They cooked Chicken Aftrida, Lechon Kawali, Steamed Fish, and Tinolang Fish -- the reason for the event. We had leche flan for dessert. Yummy! They did all the cooking. I just watched. I volunteered to wash the dishes but I was not able to since we used disposable plates and utensils. Lucky me! =P
 
I plan to visit them again some time soon. (And bring some red wine to make sangria. Yeah!)
 
Writing this entry made me hungry.
Really hungry.
I can hear my stomach grumbling.
I did not have lunch today.
Monday = Fasting
 
=P

Sunday, August 19, 2007

levels of love

Last Thursday, at the CLP in SPP, Father Angel gave an interesting talk about Loving Your Neighbor. He told us that there are three levels of Love.


The first one is Instinct. This level is based on feeling and emotions. I think this is where love at first sight falls. This is where you stay in a relationship with a person simply because she makes you feel good. According to Father Angel, this is the commercial form of love and where the most of the people are in.


The second is Moral. This is where you love a person because your conscience obliges you to.


The third level is Commitment. This is the highest level of love and this is where we should strive to be. This is choosing to love a person despite her short comings. This is the love that I want and the love I will promise to give.


With all these, the film Captain Corelli's Mandolin's definition of love comes to mind...

When you fall in love, it is a temporary madness. It erupts like an earthquake, and then it subsides. And when it subsides, you have to make a decision. You have to work out whether your roots are become so entwined together that it is inconceivable that you should ever part. Because this is what love is. Love is not breathlessness, it is not excitement, it is not the desire to mate every second of the day. It is not lying awake at night imagining that he is kissing every part of your body. No... don't blush. I am telling you some truths. For that is just being in love; which any of us can convince ourselves we are. Love itself is what is left over, when being in love has burned away. Doesn't sound very exciting, does it? But it is!

Amen to that, Dr. Iannis! =)

Thursday, August 16, 2007

happy peanuts

One of my colleagues gave me a pack of Happy Peanuts.

Hmmm... Sweet memories. =)

Monday, August 13, 2007

goobye baby

I was browsing through my phone's inbox when I chanced to read one of F's messages. It's been a while since someone called me Baby. I kinda missed it. So now I'm wondering whether I would be called that pet name again or would I be called something else. There's no use thinking about it now. Though it's kinda nice to know that for a time in my life, someone called me Baby... even when she's angry.
 
goodbye, baby
it breaks my heart to see you go.
but life's that way
i have come to know.
just dont forget that
for the past four years,
i had loved you so.

Tuesday, August 07, 2007

filler no 526

Let me light up the sky,
Light it up for you.
Let me tell you why,
I would die for you.

Let me light up the sky,
Light it up for you.
Let me make this mine,
I'll ignite for you.
 
Wala lang. Nice song by Yellowcard. =)

Thursday, August 02, 2007

how to be dead

My attempt to sleep early last night was futile. I wasn't able to sleep until it was already past 1AM. The good news is, I am early for work today. Early, meaning I came on time. The bad news is that I am so sleep! I hope this milk tea I bought from auntie kicks in. Otherwise, this day would be a struggle. And this day, being a Thursday, would be a long one. I love Thursdays!

Why was I unable to sleep early last night?
Of course! Because, yes. (LOL! I love my friends! No, really, I do.)

Come on! Stop trying to make sense of this entry. If you don't get it, then that's just because you think too much. =)

starting small

The following blog entry was written yesterday but was not published until today:

I'm reviving my blog and I think the best way to start it is to start small.
Really, really small.

Let's begin with what happened this morning.

I snoozed my alarm clock thrice. That means I lost 30 minutes of prep
time already. It's really hard to get up when it's so cozy under the blanket.
When I finally left the house, it was already past eight! To add insult to
injury, when I arrived at the MRT station, there was an announcement that the
train will be delayed for 10 minutes.

This is not a good way to start
the morning.

I'll try to sleep earlier tonight. Maybe I will get up
earlier tomorrow. Hopefully. =)