nunuuu

Oh Manila, there is nothing like you. Recently got back from the States. When we got to the airport here it was sweltering hot but it feels good to be home! Especially after a 15 hour delay and having a layover at Taipei, when in fact it was supposed to be a straight flight from L.A. to Manila. Oh well. At least our business class tix got upgraded to first class in EVA Air. (Seriously, screw Philippine Airlines.)

Anyway, a few pictures.


Bought some coffee then chilled out at the park by the Painted Ladies.


Driks and Kuya Arby in the background, spazzing out. HEHE


Break of dawn. View from sis and I's hotel room.


That's her on the far left. Still dreaming. Of Kuya Richie. hihi


I've said it once, I'll say it again. I don't like cable cars! Too rickety. Nice to look at, though.


Lobsters at the Wharf. omnomnomnomnom.


God I love doing touristy things! We went to the pier to check out the seals! MAJOR TABA/CUTENESS! Even if they did stink a little.



Walking around Frisco, that's my sister. It's always easy on the eyes there, had a field day with B&W photography. Thank god for digiSLRs.


Sutton street. I'm so proud of this picture. Click on it and zoom in to see its prettiness :D (Proud, much?)



With my sister. God, I love Sephora! Bought too much makeup, whoops.


Whoa, complete family! Yay :) At the church.


At St. Louis. We attended Michelle & Vince's wedding. I love this pic that I took!


Drove out for some ice cream. Ted Drewes raspberry is the bomb! This was at St. Louis.


Barbecue day at home. It was freezing that day!


Then some music after dinner.


The view on top of the St. Louis Arch. Claustrophobiaaaa


Caught a Cards game. Now I don't care much for baseball, but we had a blast! :)


Because this is so cute, hehe. My brother dorking out at Disneyland.


Daddy too! xDDDD That's so hipster of you, dad.


Look, it's The Incredibles!


Sushi, heck, anything with rice, after days of burgers and all manner of American food is freaking divine! Yummy. This was a resto somewhere in Sunset Boulevard, I think.


Ooh Harry Potter! At Mann's Chinese Theater. (Daniel Radcliffe kinda has small hands. I tried fitting my hands with his, haha)


Was shopping in Hollywood (shamelessly taking too much time at Forever 21, haha) when my sister and I caught sight of a Chinese rally. It was about the Tibet issue and the boycott of the Beijing Olympics. Super intense.

Well, that will be it! Still pretty tired. I missed my bed!

Juno hangover, because I watched it again this week. (I want my own Bleeker!) Oh yeah, Cagayan was purrrdy. Quaint & nostalgic, with all the pretty greenery, amazing cathedrals, and wavy beaches. Relaxing, not at all like I remember it. And getting to spend some downtime with my relatives has got to be one of the more pleasurable things in life! Great food, great scenery, great people: what more can I ask from a mini-break from school? :)


At the Centennial Airport with Mom and Driko, my little brother who's not so little anymore. Never mind my school outfit, I went straight to the airport after my taping in school!


Arriving at the very old airport in Tuguegarao


They don't have porters or a luggage carousel. YOU HAVE TO GET YOUR OWN BAG FROM THIS BIG CRATE THEY DUMP ALL THE BAGS AFTER THEY UNLOAD THE PLANE! LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL!!!! How rural.


Dad standing in front of a tourism stand for his hometown! Yes, he's really back home. Hehe.


The entrance of the Alcala cathedral which I just found so pretty, with the light streaming in and everything.


Little brothers and little cousins standing in front of the house. Very pretty, eh? :)


Me approving one of the best snacks in the whole world: puto with dinuguan! YUMMY! Cagayan is love, if only for this.


Gattaran Church. Certainly one of the more breathtaking cathedrals I've ever seen. Saw this on the way to Sta. Ana, we were going to the beach. Had to stop and take a picture of this church. Took a quick peek inside too. Very beautiful.


The boys getting their feet wet for a little while before lunch. At Sta. Ana beach, in Lolo Hit's resort.


Behold the biggest beach umbrella I've ever laid my eyes on. Which doesn't even serve it's purpose, slight lang. HAHA.


But so what, it's pretty, yes?


Touring the life-size sections of the Stations of the Cross at Iguig.


Having some kalderetang kambing for lunch. Kambing is goat, I think. Pretty exotic, but was definitely yummy with steaming rice. Especially because we were picnic-ing outside, with the view of the mountains, on a lovely day.


Aww. I love my granma. Loved seeing her and being around her :) Missing Lola Lily already.

Anyway. There's been this little thought that's been playing on my mind. About a friend.

Let me start by saying that there's something godly about sharing almost exactly the same musical taste with someone else. It's a different kind of kinship, one that's fostered over endless conversations filled with phrases like "This song changed my life", "I love this song", "Have you heard ____'s new song?", and others. I have this friend that fits the bill. He's an old friend, one that I met back in sophomore year in high school, back when idleness and an aversion to listening to the teacher nurtured new friendships...because that's when you begin to talk to just about anyone about the most inane things. You remember those days. Well, it turned out that we shared an incredibly identical musical preference; and the conversations went on and on seamlessly. He was one of those boys who brought their guitars everyday to school. The two of us were usually early for school, so we'd spend it jamming in the classroom, if him playing the guitar and me singing along in my warbling voice constitutes the word jamming.  It helped that he was a musician; it quelled my snobbery when it came to his taste, because being a musician made him legit in my eyes for me to talk to about music, more legit than I could ever be, which was I thought at the back of mind. I was quite the snob back then.

Of course, our friendship transcended that stage of everyday inexorable chatter about music...but much of our bond is still because of the music. It's like, we hardly see each other now, but it's the love of the same music that keeps us good friends. Horribly cheesy as that may sound. It feels bittersweet recalling those days when, to some extent, it really was all we could care about: what we listened to and how it messed up our heads or inspired us. I miss those days, who we were. Some day, I hope we could make good of what the two of us  been meaning to do, or joking around that we'll do...I'll write the lyrics, he'll write the tune, to make our very own song. The apt embodiment of many long-dead adolescent dreams and feelings, almost, perhaps? But it's something precious to look forward to, maybe some day when we're not so busy.

I miss you, Gelo. Here's to the one legit musician who trusts my ears. :)