Turning Point

Just when you're too
comfortable with the
road you are taking,
even if you have no plans of
going to other directions;
without any warnings,
life will throw you curves,
and you'll have to decide
which path to take...




I've been working for more than a year now as a science researcher here in UPLB, my first job ever. I must admit that I am very lucky to have a very good job. Aside from the fact that LB is my comfort zone, I enjoy every aspect of my job (especially the pleasures of traveling =). Though there are tough problems sometimes, there is nothing that I can't handle. Maybe because I'm in LB. When I'm here, I'm immune.

But for some unjustified (at least for me) reason, our office will transfer from LB to Cavite on January 2008...After more than 20 years of its stay in UPLB, they (well, those who have powers to do so) just decided to hand the office to another State University in Cavite.

Will I go to Cavite and stay in my beloved work (new environment, same job)? Or will I stay in LB, my comfort zone and get the job offer here (same environment, new people)? Or will I go somewhere else to look for a new job (new everything)? And I have only less than 2 weeks to decide. Gosh! Hay... bakit ba ganon? Minsan talaga kahit you have no plans of changing your career or whatsoever, may mga pangyayari na pagkakataon na ang gagawa ng paraan para mabago ang buhay mo.


...Dahil diyan, I will dedicate this song for myself. Hehe

Good Riddance (Time Of Your Life)
Green Day

Another turning point;
a fork stuck in the road.
Time grabs you by the wrist;
directs you where to go.

So make the best of this test
and don't ask why.
It's not a question
but a lesson learned in time.

It's something unpredictable
but in the end it's right.
I hope you had the time of your life.

So take the photographs
and still frames in your mind.
Hang it on a shelf
In good health and good time.

Tattoos of memories
and dead skin on trial.
For what it's worth,
it was worth all the while.

It's something unpredictable
but in the end it's right.
I hope you had the time of your life.

Hoping I Have Time

Preface of the book I am planning to read...

Suppose we hear an unknown man spoken of by many men. Suppose we were puzzled to hear that some men said he was too tall and some too short; some objected to his fatness, some lamented his leanness; some thought him too dark, and some too fair. One explanation...would be that he might be an odd shape. But there is another explanation. He might be the right shape....Perhaps (in short) this extraordinary thing is really the ordinary thing; at least the normal thing, the centre.

G. K. ChestertoThe Jesus I Never Knew

I Hate LANDO!

Huhu! We're suppose to go to El Nido but the road to the place is not passable because of typhoon Lando...pati ung trip namin sa Underground River on Saturday namimiligro kase nonstop pa din ang ulan dito. Masyado daw maputik ang daan at di kakayanin ng sasakyan. Hay...ngayon lang kami nagkaroon ng free time, binagyo pa kami. Good that we were able to go to Honda Bay on our first day here bago dumating si Lando kinabukasan.


HETO NA ANG MGA HASSLES NI LANDO...

Noong kasagsagan ni LANDO. 112007
These men in raincoats made the road passable by shoveling the mud that blocked our way after a mild landslide...just a few minutes after we passed, a major landslide occurred in the area. Buti nalang nakalampas na kami, kung hindi nastranded pa kami.

On our way from Roxas to Puerto Princesa... Nagtumbahan ang mga puno...


Putik, putik, putik
At nasira ang wiper ng sasakyan... Left: Manong Mar fixing the car's wiper matapos masira ni Lando. Left: See the string from the wiper to Mang Mar's hand? That's what we call, 'wiper de-hila.' Yan ang Pinoy, innovative and very resourceful. Hehe


It's a long, long journey... Grabe ginabi na kami sa daan. The supposed to be two hour-drive from Roxas to Puerto Princessa became a five hour-drive...Plus all the hassles of flood, strong wind and lubak-lubak na daan.

Pagdating namin sa Puerto, wala pang kuryente at tubig! Ano ba yan Lando?!


Mga Bakas na Iniwan ni Lando...112207 Left: You see, hindi ganon ka-develop ang mga kalsada sa Palawan. In fact, parang sa Puerto lang ata ang may maayos na kalsada. Pero sa ibang bayan, grabe ang lubak. Bihira na nga lang ang may semento, putul-putol pa. Kaya pag umulan, wala na...Hay, sayang kase ang daming tourist spots sa island na di mapuntahan ng mga turista kapag umuulan because of the unfinished roads. Left: Rice field na binaha ni Lando. I feel sorry for the farmers =(

Tomorrow, there will be another typhoon...si super typhoon Mina...please spare Palawan, pleaaaaaaaaaaaase!

Wow Philippines Series: Sonya's Garden

A secret garden that is not so secret.

Sonya's Garden in Tagaytay earned the reputation of being the worst kept secret in Manila... Maybe because if you are not familiar with the place, di mo aakalain na there is a hidden paradise sa lugar. Talagang masyado siyang malayo sa main road... as in sa kaloob-looban pa. Pero pagdating mo sa lugar, puno na ang parking lot kase ang daming tao lalo na kung holidays and weekends. But I tell you, it's all worth it.

Hehe kung sa Caleruega ka ikakasal, Sonya's Garden would be the best choice for your reception :)


http://www.sonyasgarden.com/

Wow Philippines Series: Caleruega

After Tagaytay, we spent few hours in Calaruega at Nasugbu, Batangas. I'm pretty sure you've seen the church or at least heard of it already. Lagi kase siyang ginagawang setting sa mga photoshoot ng wedding pati na sa mga movies. Sabi nung dalawa kong kasama, dun nila gustong ikasal. Hehe.

More photos @ http://kentubay.multiply.com/photos/album/15/Caleruega

Wow Philippines Series: Caliraya

The Caliraya Lake is a man-made lake located at Lumban, Laguna. Activities in the place include large mouth bass fishing, wind surfing, jet skiing, water skiing, boating in general, golf, camping, and other sporting and outdoor activities. There are two possible routes to be able to reach the Caliraya Lake. One is via the South Luzon Express Way while the other one is via Antipolo.

More photos @ http://kentubay.multiply.com/photos/album/3/Caliraya

Wow Philippines Series: Tagaytay

Last month, I spent my holiday in Tagaytay with my officemates :)

The sight, sound, smell, taste & feel of TAGAYTAY. According to my attempts of digital photography.

Wow Philippines Series: Coco Loco Resort, Palawan

I'm so excited kase on Sunday I'll be back in Palawan. This will be my third time to go to the island and I'm hoping that we'll have time to visit the island's beautiful beaches. Nung last time kase na punta namin dun, sobrang overload ang activities sa work because we have to maximize our stay there.

Last March 2007, umagaw kami ng konting oras to go to Coco Loco Resort. Grabe the place is so amazing! Picture perfect talaga. Then there's this Lulu Island (2nd row, last pix) na makikita pagpunta ng resort...sabi nung bangkero, it was called 'lulu' kase nga daw lulubog, lilitaw yung island. Lumilitaw siya kung low tide at lumulubog kung high tide. Cool di ba? Hehe.

Coco-loco Island Resort is situated in the Municipality of Roxas. 140km away from the City of Puerto Princesa. It takes 2 hours drive with car and then additional 30 minutes boat ride from the wharf of Roxas to resort. More photos @ http://kentubay.multiply.com/photos/album/4/Coco_Loco_Resort_Palawan

Hold On...

As I travel my own path to maturity, I have come to realize that many of the beliefs you cling into will be changed by the people you meet along the way.

I always try to see the good side in everybody... even if how bad others perceive them to be...that if you showed them nothing but goodness, they'll do the same.

Reality bites...

I used to think people are generally good.

But I guess, I was wrong.



Hold on to what you believe...

Nosebleed, Brainbleed

The last time I felt like my nose is bleeding of boredom and irritation was during my sophomore year in UP, in a class with a super boring professor, who loves to tell nonsense stories and crack corny jokes to prolong our stay in her class... one day I decided to end my agony by tapping my ballpen on my desk as hard as I could... as if by doing that, I could tell her, "Enough! We're not interested in your corny jokes. Can't you see nobody is laughing? We'll die of nosebleed and brain hemorrhage just by listening to you . It's time for us to leave!" Silence followed...my classmates looked at me...then my prof with a motherly concerned voice said, 'Bakit ka naiiyak?'...embarrassed but still irritated, I tried my very best to smile and said, 'Wala po.'

Yesterday, I attended a meeting to represent my boss. Since it is supposed to be my boss' meeting, expect that I will be with older people who are all bosses of their respective agencies all over the Philippines. Good thing I asked my colleague to accompany me and we represent the Southern Tagalog Consortium. When the meeting started, we didn't know that every Consortium needs to report the updates of our programs. We're not prepared at all. But I did report, on the spot, remembering every activities that we've done and trying to answer everybody's query. I didn't know what I sounded like that time. My feet under the conference table was shaking...whether it is caused by the very low temperature inside the room, or nervousness, I didn't know. Thank God the formality of the meeting was broken because of the stories shared by the older ones. The first session turned to be a very interesting and very interactive discussion.

In the afternoon, boredom and irritation hit me. You see there are still many agenda to be discussed and there are those who keep on talking nonsense... Ok I take it back. They're not nonsense, but what I wanted is that they go directly to the point because time is running so fast. I wanted to go home and rest. But then, segues are always part of every meeting like this, so I took a deep breath and counted from one to ten... I will be fine. But the segues seem to grow unstoppable. At that very moment I wanted to shout. My brain is bleeding. I wanted to tap my ballpen on the table just as I did before... But of course I didn't. I can't.

I didn't know how the meeting ended because I started to entertain myself by making doodles on the papers. Nevertheless, I was happy that I survived the nosebleed and brainbleed for the second time.

'Ok then, class adjourned,' my prof said after awhile. My friend-seatmate was still laughing hard after we went out of the classroom because of what just happened. Some of my classmates even thanked me. But I was never proud of what I did. That's so childish of me to act that way and I promised myself that it would be the first and last time to do such a thing.

Back to LB

Hehe nakauwi naman ako last week kaya lang 12:30 pm na rin ako nakaalis ng LB kase nilunok ko muna lahat ng kaba ko. Grabe ang sama ng pakiramdam ko that day, hehe. Ok naman kering-keri, haha!

1 week din ang bakasyon ko with my family. I'm very happy kase nakumpleto kami sa bahay. My eldest brother dumating from Baguio, my kuya in LB sa wakas nakauwi din, and our youngest who's studying in Manila, matagal na sa bahay kase sembreak.

Bukas babalik na naman akong LB at kasabay ko ang bunso namin na mag-eenrol naman. Malamang madaming pasahero bukas. Sana walang hassle. Naku back to LB. Back to reality.