Queue Time Thoughts

I am now a registered voter! Woohoo!

I got up at 4am and headed to Comelec [it was friggin' cold]. I got a number then where I returned for the real line at 8 am. I stayed there til around 11:30. I was a registered voter as of noon! I was with my mom, she breezed through the process since she's a senior citizen and so did the pregnant ladies in line.

During the idle queue time, I realized a few things:

1. I'm semi-responsible of who is going to be ruling the Philippines for the next 6 years. I never realized the responsibility is that big.
2. I saw a couple of high school batch mates there, yes we didn't bother saying hi to each other. For some reason, I don't really bother keeping up with high school batch mates. I think I never really formed an affinity with them. Looking back, I liked high school but I didn't love it. I loved college though.
3. I am frustrated over Arckham being sick. I want him to take care of himself and I am pissed that he isn't. 
4. Philippine television doesn't do reality justice. [Yes, this thought was totally random.]

After all that idle thinking, I did a little shooting too. Then met up with high school friends after. [These are the only people I bother to keep in touch with and they know me so well.] Breakfast and new boots cleaner courtesy of J [Thank you so much for the gifts!] and Lunch courtesy of working girl, L.

Christmas Loot 2009

Well, thank you that people do notice my sleeping habits and have provided me with more ways to lengthen my sleeping hours. Yeap, my Christmas loot basically consisted of jammies, pillows and other sleeping garments. Though the gift that I love for this year is the time with friends, [Thank you so much peeps.] then of course the Navi2010 planner I got myself. [Planners are important to me such that if by December I don't have one I panic.] 

Anyway, here's what happened during my Christmas Week:

December 24: Christmas Eve

We had guests over. My dad's clients, K and M, joined us for Christmas Eve. They are really interesting people. K has been all over the world studying and her husband, M, is just as well learned. I loved talking to them and listening to their insights about a lot of things [from Korea to the Philippines to drinking trivia]. Plus, M let me use his Nikon D90 [I want that cam!] and even let me borrow his lens to use on my D40 (a VR 18-200mm).

Of course, prior to all this me and my siblings prepared the feast. I prepared the Creamy Carbonara which was a success. I also prepared the ham and cheese. My brother, the real cook of the house, prepared beef steak with onions and sautéed in pineapples and its juice. My sister handled dessert with Macaroni Salad and Ref cake. Wine and Sangria courtesy of Mom and Dad. Damn, that was a good dinner.

December 25: Christmas Day

As usual, we had the family gathering here at our ancestral home. We basically played Rock Band, Wii Sports (Boxing), and ate a lot which is a staple during Christmas here. American cuisine for this year. I loved the Chicken Cordon Bleu. [Is that how you spell that?] Anyhow, I took lots of pictures and well, it was an okay event. I love my pamangkins!

December 27: Childhood and New Friends' Adventure

After nearly three years, we finally met up! I missed J.! Anyway, me and my siblings got together with our childhood friends, J and his sister, J. The original plan was to just meet up after dinner and have coffee, but hooray to A, a friend of J, who got us tickets to the Sitti Concert happening at the Baguio Country Club. Where I finally was able to give N a real hug. She also brought her guy V, so I met him as well.

We played table tennis at the BCC Recreation Center when the concert got boring and then I taught them a little photography so I have pictures for the evening. [Yay!] Anyway, pictures with artists and even got to chat with Sitti backstage.

We ended the night with coffee at Starbucks and documented J's first time there. [Thanks for the coffee dude.] I had a blast, never expected the night to turn into an adventure.

All in all it was a great week and I need to get those pictures sorted for uploading later this week. [I only upload pictures once a month and this is a picture filled month so I have to get cracking.]

Before I get cracking, I hope you all had a great Christmas and a Happy New Year!

A Season Of Celebrations

Over the last  weekend, two of the Chicas [what we call our college barkada] came up from the Metro. A. stayed over with me and A. stayed at another house with her boyfriend, P. So I'm here to narrate what happened:


Day 1: Catching up!

I pretty much just cleaned the house while waiting for A. to get to Baguio. She left Manila at around 10 in the morning and got here about 5 in the afternoon. I fetched her at the bus station then we headed home so that she could put her stuff down. She got dressed and we met up with A. and P. at SM for dinner at Volante where P. [A.'s ex boyfriend's friend that became our friend] met up with us.

After pizza, pasta and catching up over dinner, we headed to Citylights for drinks. This is where P. showed us a couple of magic tricks using a deck of cards. We talked about life, love and randomness which always is good with Gilbey's Premium. A. and I headed home then promptly fell asleep.

Day 2: Tourista Mode

I became the official tour guide. Since it's A. and P.'s  first time here, we showed them around. We hit Burnham Park first cause it was the closest to the city center where we met up as they did a little ukay ukay shopping. Then lunch at 50's Diner. [I really love their shakes!] After which we took a cab to Minesview view deck and had A. ride a horse for picture taking sake. A short jeep ride to Mansion House and then a walk to Wright Park. [Ah yes the sights and smells of Baguio :)) ]

Then P., who was with family earlier, caught up with us. He and A. went to John Hay while me, A. and P. went to Oh My Gulay [I bumped into Kuya D. and Ate J! Real hugs!] and let them take pictures just before heading to church. After church, we were all treated to dinner at O'mai Khan by my mother who just turned 60 that day. P. was my birthday gift to her. I made him perform his magic.

After dinner, my family headed home and we headed to Nevada for drinks again. A., P. and I went home really late. A and P. sufficiently drunk, I was a good girl and only had two.

Day 3: Packing Away

We had lunch at Oh My Gulay and they did a little shopping. After which I brought them to the bus stop and they were on their way.


I miss them already! Though, I really did tell them this trip they made was really a gift to me as much as it was a gift to them. I hope A. moves on from her past and more power to A and P's relationship. It's really different when you're with real friends. I felt like no time has passed that we were apart, it's like a pause and play. We still all get each other and basically had a blast being just ourselves. I hope we get to do this again, [Davao daw next year? XD] but I'm just happy that we were able to get together. I had a blast and am again recharged to face my not so eventful life. 

Thank you for the laughs, fun and serious moments, Chicas. See you soon!

Why The Title?

I think it's only proper for me start a blog off by telling my readers what it will be about and why am I taking up their precious band width.

Of Black Clouds and Not Only Silver Linings is the documentation of my everyday existence. It will be a personal blog and above all I'm hoping this would help me look at things in my life in a different light. I'm under a giant black cloud right now, and I hope to note not only the things about the rain but the moments where I see silver and whatever other colored linings are behind these clouds.

If you know what I mean, then I hope you continue to join me as I try to change my perspective on things that I experience. If not, well, maybe you'll also enjoy the randomness of a person that I am. I will try to be an  interesting human but I will not promise to be your clown. [I never liked clowns in the first place.]

Yes, it will not be an emo blog [I'd take myself off the internet before that happens, I promise you.] but it would not be devoid of the serious things which is a part of life.

So why the title?

Well, I'm a Dream Theater girl. I grew up with the music and the band has taught me a lot. Despite the fact that haven't been much of a devoted fan over the past couple of years, they still remain in my system. My first blog was entitled Scenes From My Memory which was a tribute to my favorite album from DT. [The story of why I closed it down will be for another day] The second one I was planning to put up but never had the time to would have been A Change of Seasons. Why did that never take off? I blame college taking up too much time. Of Black Clouds and Not Only Silver Linings is attributed to DT's album Of Black Clouds and Silver Linings. [which by the way, I have not listened too but the title really struck me.]

Why had I chosen to attribute a blog to an album I have not heard? It's because I feel that my life is in limbo right now and is very uncertain, just as not knowing what the album is about. Like I said earlier, my life is a big black cloud right now.

Why 'Not only' silver linings? I don't think the only linings there are in life are silver. There are other colors that can represent the short reprieves from the serious side of life.

Welcome to Of Black Clouds and Not Only Silver Linings. I hope you are not bored yet.

Additional information you should know:

Black Clouds - rant, bad days
Silver linings - for those moments that gives me hope

On the linings:
Red linings - Love
Blue linings - travel, events
Green linings - cash, income or work, school [you know, the relatively serious stuff]
Yellow linings - randomness
Orange linings - opinions, reviews
Purple linings - friends, hanging out, me