where the moon shines

It would have been nice if this post was accompanied by her photo from our Saturday morning brunch, but I forgot to take out my camera to take a snapshot of her… Okay, I just sneaked around her Facebook profile and found this photo of her from early this month (don’t worry, I left a note asking for permission):

That's Beth in the middle, with her boyfriend, and one of her sisters.

We met in highschool and continued to be friends even when we were no longer classmates, and didn’t attend the same University. She lived and grew up in and around E. Rodriguez too. So back in the day, I would frequently visit her house, and she was a frequent visitor in ours. When we started working, we’d meet up every once in a while just to catch up.

A few months ago, I was surprised to find out that she was working in another country! What a friend, huh (referring to me)? I didn’t even know that she’d already completed 4 out of the 5 years in her contract. Imagine that? She’s been away so long and I didn’t even know. So when I found out that she’s home for vacation this month, I sorta ‘reserved’ a date with her. She would have been great company to the UPSA anniversary concert, but she had a full day planned for Friday. I remember seeing the Madrigal Singers at the CCP with her. It was a totally impromptu date because I got free tickets from another friend on the same day. I don’t remember what year that was!

So today (Saturday) we had a healthy brunch at the Pancake House along E.Rodriguez, a place that’s accessible to both of us. We didn’t eat much but talked a lot instead. She hasn’t seen Jo Arni yet, which I found really odd since they were already in the same country as of a few months ago. We talked about health issues, gaining and losing weight, our partners, our highschool batchmates who are now married and with kids,  and so many other things. We talked about our jobs, and how we can be passionate about the work, but how sometimes there are people around that just drain your life force! Haha! Like always, it was so easy to just get right into it. I guess when you’re good friends, you just pick up where you left off.

I am so glad we saw each other again after all these years. I look forward to seeing her when she comes home again next year, and hopefully, she’ll be singing at my wedding.

I can see that my friend’s in a good place, and it makes me happy. She’s happy. And I know it’s not just because she’s found someone, but it’s most probably a combination of so many good things happening for her. She wishes to come back home and stay for good when her contract expires. I hope she finds (or creates) an opportunity here that would allow her to continue helping her family without having to leave home. I hope she gets what she wishes for, she has a year to prepare for it.

Have a safe trip back to the Middle East dear friend, and stay safe and happy until we meet again Isip ka na ng kakantahin mo!

It was on a warm sunny Saturday afternoon in July that we finally succeeded in going out for a photo walk. Our destination: the LaMesa EcoPark in Fairview, Quezon City. The Lamesa Ecopark is situated inside the LaMesa Watershed, the primary source of drinking water of about 12 million Metro Manila residents (source). According to the LaMesa Ecopark website, the watershed is 2700 hectares big! Of this, 700 hectares is the reservoir (dam) itself, with the surrounding forest being the remaining 2000 hectares. The reservoir supplies clean drinking water to Metro Manila, while the forest helps clean the air.

A long time ago, my grandfather used to bring the entire family to picnics at LaMesa Dam. I was either too young to remember those trips, or I wasn’t born yet at the time. I do remember cousins, my parents and aunts talking about those picnics though. Due to lack of funds for the MWSS which manages the area, the surrounding park had fallen into ruin. In the last decade, the ABS-CBN Foundation, through its programs for Bantay Kalikasan, endeavored to rehabilitate the park and reforest affected areas. The 33-hectare public park is found along the natural boundaries of the watershed and is 40 meters below the reservoir. Proceeds from the entrance fees are used towards the continuous efforts to preserve the health and beauty of the watershed.

I first visited the park years ago when they had just reopened it to the public. My day brought us there with my mom, my nephew Esban and his older sister Dal. We had wanted to swim in their pool but there was just too many people. We ended up just having a picnic (without a table because all were taken and there were no huts at the time) under the trees, and then we had so much fun dancing and laughing while bathing in the rain. Yes, we danced in the rain because the sky really went all out while we were there. It was so much fun.

Since getting Maxine last year, we have wanted to troop to LaMesa to practice shooting. We’d always thought it would be a hassle to commute to the place. Boy were we wrong! We took a cab from here to EcoPark and it cost around 150 pesos, but it was easy peasy. From there, you could just hop on to a tricycle – they’re right outside the exit waiting to take you to Commonwealth Avenue where you can take a jeepney, FX or taxi to wherever you’re going.

Though I was already sleepy on the way (I came from shift, and had work that evening too), I went prepared. My camera battery was fully charged, I was wearing tights and rubber shoes for freedom of movement, and a comfortable shirt. After all, the trip had two goals: to break a sweat walking, and to practice our photography. We successfully did both! Now, we plan on going out each week. Whoever said you can’t hit two birds with one stone? I actually hit several here: bonding with the boyfriend, practice photography, have more physical activity! Doing all these work like all the best weight loss products available out there.

It’s difficult to pick just a few favorite photos to showcase here, so if you’d like to checkout all the photos, they are on this Flickr set.

Let’s start with some flower shots shall we?

I love how this one came out. It was a really vibrant blood-red color. I forgot which part of the park this was in though.

I don’t really wear yellow, and not much orange either, but I love the two colors together be it on these flowers, or on a fire tree.

I love the purple tinge on these small flowers. It would have really been good had there been signs near these plants so we would know what they’re called, Hehe. I think that this photo could be used as background for a card.

I didn’t use any textures on this photo yet the bokeh effect was amazing. I think it took on the shapes of the small leaves of these small flowers that stood unbending against the wind.

Now, who says plants need flowers to be beautiful? These certainly look pretty on their own:

I didn’t just take shots of the fresh, thriving and beautiful. There were other interesting stuff around too. The ecopark is a true thriving ecosystem, there was lushness all around but there was also decay and somehow, also death. This post is already long enough as it is so sharing those other photos will have to wait another day. If you checkout my Flickr set though, you’ll see them all there.

A very, very dear friend of mine tied the knot with the man who has taught her what true love really means. Mayeen and Angelo, then Psych batchmates, now husband and wife.  

They weren’t together when we were still at the UP. In fact, Mayeen and I only shared one class with Gelo - Psych 180. We would sit very near the door, with the cool wind blowing through PHAn. I remember we’d talk a LOT, mostly Mayeen and myself, with Gelo occasionally joining in. Haha.  

The Officiating Celebrant at their wedding took the time to make his homily truly personal. He talked about the story of their love, and how it was all about waiting. Waiting several years after college before they finally became close as friends, a few months before they officially became a couple, a few more years before the proposal. And then there was the wait for the actual wedding day. 

I am super happy for Mayeen, someone I consider to be one of my very best friends. She has had her fair share of heartaches, but I believe it really was only Gelo whom she gave all her heart to. And though I don’t know Angelo all that much, I know he takes care of her and will continue to do so. 

The wedding was simply yet lovely. The reception was… wonderful. The food was great, and the company was awesome. We invited other N6 blockmates to sit with us at our table, but as it turned out, we should have been the ones to move to theirs, lol! Our table was so far to the back (granted, it was right next to the bar, and very near the food), but we felt left out in some parts of the program . There was pride though in knowing that we had the pleasure of being friends with both the bride and groom, haha. Among us too were the soloists from Church and at the reception, Carla and Pauie.  

I could see how close the couple were with both sides of their growing family. I think it was Angelo’s relatives who danced towards the end of the program. It was nice of them to really take time out to choreograph and practice!  That signalled the start of dancing too, at which point the ladies and I were ready to leave. 

We also made sure that Mayeen and Gelo got their money’s worth for the photo booth! 

Good thing too that this photo booth was available. By the time we were at the reception, my feet were in pain! I hadn’t broken in my new pair of high heeled shoes, so they easily brought me to such misery. Haha! I wasn’t on Paparazzi mode at the reception and took very few photos. It was a good thing that Alfred was with me at the Church and he did his photographer duties. He didn’t join us for the reception anymore, because he had shift very early the next day (3am) and needed to sleep. When I told him about the lechon and the bar though, he regretted leaving early.  

This is the second church wedding in our small circle of friends. Mayeen is the third to get married. I think Pauie will sing at all our weddings, so she’s got at least four more wedding marches to sing to (five, if Raech ever decides to get married in a church). I love these ladies! I miss them so, and I could get used to seeing them a lot, if only we really could. It was fun seeing Maye, Lynne and Carla again too. Except for Maye, I hadn’t seen them since 2002! 

All the best wishes to the newlyweds! They’re flying to their honeymoon tonight, and I wish them a safe flight and a very happy trip. I know they aren’t planning to get pregnant anytime soon, but I do look forward to seeing Mayeen and Gelo with an Ergo baby carrier holding their little one (or two) in the next few years

Umpukan is a Tagalog word used to describe people who have come together to socialize (naks, that’s my definition, hehe). I did a Bing search and found a Wikipedia article on Philippine Psychology that mentions umpukan and it’s role in our culture. Anyway, I mention this now because I’ve spent hours with my cousins and their kids in an umpukan outside our homes.

The kids in this compound don’t need reasons to spend time outdoors. Recently though, they installed a basketball ring in the driveway and the boys have played ball at all hours of the day (and night). Sadly though, it broke off on Saturday. For us adults (their Moms and Aunts), Ton’s garage sale and the arrival of Edward were good enough reasons. Edward was an old neighbor of ours, and also my cousin’s brother-in-law. He also does hair. So he’s here from the province, and on this particular visit he had the tools of his trade. So while others lined up to get a haircut and color, I stayed there to just hang. Thankfully, mahangin kahapon so it wasn’t too hot out. Sunday afternoon was pretty much the same. I had a shift from 2am until noon, and then Alfred and I went to Trinoma right after. Still, I felt good and okay to sit with my cousins exactly where we were the day before.

What do we do in such occasions? Nothing. Mostly, we just chat. There are no restrictions too on what we talk about. It’s a good opportunity to catch up on everyone, and to find out what’s been happening to everyone else. You know, stuff you won’t read in the news. hehe. We used to do that a lot, there was a time when we’d be outside every afternoon or even in the evenings seated in the mismatch pieces of log furniture (benches/tables made of hardwood) outside. An iteration of this gathering would be when we would actually be doing something apart from just chatting: making cards (my uncle used to be in the card export business), playing Bingo, or even tong-its.

I realize that I can’t hangout that way with everybody else. I mean, with some people it just isn’t enough, we have to be doing something. You know what I mean? Others don’t like spending their time doing, as they say, nothing. Take the boyfriend for example. Simply hanging out isn’t his thing, unless there are bottles of ice-cold beer involved.

Sunday after work, we headed to Greenhills for a movie date. Upon learning that the next showing of Clash of the Titans was about an hour away, we decided to grab some lunch first. When we’re there we normally eat at the usual places: Max’s, Burgoo, House of Mini. On Sunday though, Alfred wasn’t hungry because he had lunch at home before picking me up in the office (his mom prepared early lunch for him). He was okay anywhere I wanted to go as long as he can have something to cool down.

Delifrance was the choice.

Whenever I dine at Delifrance, I eat something different. They don’t have a huge menu selection, but there are so many dishes that I enjoyed in the past and a lot I would still like to try. I featured Delifrance once before, a year earlier in fact, when I had my Spirometry test. Choosing a dish wasn’t easier this time around. I went with a set lunch, Tray Couture I think they called it. I forgot the name of the set I chose, but it had shrimp linguine and french dip roast beef sandwich. It also came with chocolate for dessert, bread sticks and a shot of some soup. It came with a free drink too, and I chose Iced Tea.

The boyfriend just ordered a tall glass of Strawberry frappe, it was very refreshing.

We were thinking of ordering more nga eh, but decided against it. These drinks aren’t exactly what you’d call cheap.

I was super hungry already but I still managed to snap a few shots of my tray before eating everything on it:

We actually thought that the bread sticks had a sweet dip, that was until I tried it. It was soup in a shot glass! I think it was a simple mushroom soup, but it was tasty and I liked it.

I dipped the bread sticks in the soup, but when I finished up all the sticks, I drank all the soup that was left. I was trying to go for it in one shot, but it proved too much for me. Hehe. I finished it off in two swigs.

Of course, I didn’t just concentrate on my food the entire time. The boyfriend and I did talk about stuff. Like his get-together dinner with grade school classmates the night before. I didn’t actually know he was going anywhere until after the fact, but that’s okay. He mentioned feeling like he didn’t really know them anymore. They were strangers. That got me thinking about reunions and seeing old acquaintances. I’m not big on those things either. I guess there are just a few people who I know things would be like time was not a factor. I’d rather meet with them in small groups and not in big get-togethers. I know of some people who keep tabs on their old batchmates. Networking. It comes in handy too for others, who use their contacts to find a job, or to get referrals for projects and such. That’s not such a bad thing too.

Next up, the main course.

I loved the shrimp and tomato linguine! Okay, I’m not sure if that’s exactly how it’s called, but that’s what I remember

I think though that this is just half a serving, so it wasn’t that filling. I figured I had to eat the sandwich too before I’d get full. I saved it for last because I love roast beef sandwiches and I had high expectations for this one.

Sadly, my expectations were not met. It was a little too bland for me, even with the dip. Of course that didn’t stop me from finish it all off. Last on the plate was dessert, a small piece of chocolate. Nothing special about it, but it was a nice touch to complete the meal.

Finally, I got chocolate madelines to go. Something sweet to munch on in the cinema.

What’s your favorite meal from Delifrance?

Oh, but you know what? This wasn’t the last meal for the day. I’d reserve another blog post for where we had dinner after the movie and some shopping.