brandon, jim henry, jim....

I have this in blue... my brother does not like the that color... he actually don't like the bag at all... 2700Php... everybody thinks it is too pricey...

Then I saw this at Mush, Jim Henry... mine is Brandon Tote bag...

and Jim tote bag...

Hmmmmm... it would be a nice collection, don't you think?

akisha

wall

wall decor on my hospital room...

movies...

"Oro, Plata, Mata" is thought to be Peque Galaga's signature... It had been actually restored(?), remastered(?) and considered as a national treasure...

But Galaga was told by his fellow directors, that he only became a true Filipino direct and that his one true Filipino film is "Scorpion Night" 

I guess, what fit in the shoe... anyway, here is a trailer of "Oro, Plata, Mata" (i guess not restored yet)

I saw Himala on TV... I think it was during Holy Week... I remember ABS-CBN...

and definitely agree the indeed "Himala" is if not the most epic Filipino Film ever made... and certainly is the greatest and that it should be restored and taken care of...

Here is a trailer of the Film...

me, likey...

I'm not a fan of KC... neither am I a Palmolive user... just love her hair color...

not even sure if the color of her will fit me...

hmmmmm...

The Lady is Calling

My brother have been around, almost as soon as we arrived... I stayed home... well, I should... I still needed to fully recover plus, I don't think it was right that I start gallivanting without first paying homage to Our Mother...

It took me about a week to be able to go...

It is quite near... it was just a town away... so as soon as I was feeling better... I had no reason not to come... and  sometimes, if you don't come... the Lady will come to call you...

The original image was brought to the area by Augustinian friars who spiritually administered Manaoag from 1590-1613 in accordance with Royal Spanish decree. In 1614, the Dominicans assumed spiritual leadership under the patronage of Saint Monica.

In the early 17th century, the ivory image was brought to the Philippines by Padre Juan de San Jacinto from Spain via Acapulco. Documents dating back to 1610 attest that a native man walking home heard a mysterious female voice. He looked around and saw on a cloud-veiled treetop an apparition of the Blessed Virgin Mary, holding a Rosary in her right hand and the Child Jesus in her left. The man fell on his knees and later told others of the miracle. On the spot where St Mary appeared to the man, a chapel was built, and the present-day town quickly grew around it.

A huge crowd attended the canonical coronation of the image on 21 April 1926 by the then-Papal Nuncio, as authorised by Pope Pius XI. After surviving Japanese bombing during World War II, the church was rebuilt, and it celebrated the Diamond Jubilee of the image's coronation on 1 January 2000.

Cardinal Bernard Francis Law, Archpriest of the Papal Basilica of Saint Mary Major in Rome, with permission of Pope Benedict XVI granted a plenary indulgence to visitors equal to that received when visiting a papal basilica in Rome. This was confirmed by the prelate (now Archbishop) of the Lingayen-Dagupan Diocese, Socrates B. Villegas, in a circular dated 13 June 2011. Within the country, only the Manaoag Shrine currently holds this status.

Pope Benedict XVI canonically approved the grant of the plenary indulgence on 21 June 2011. The official document and a shrine official who was among the priests who went to Rome confirmed the plenary indulgence may be obtained on each visit to the shrine subject to three conditions for each occasion: going to confession immediately before or after the pilgrimage;  receiving the Eucharist during the pilgrimage; and praying for the intentions of the Pope; each done in a spirit of detachment from the attraction of sin.

On 22 July 2011, a special mass was held to affirm the spiritual bond of affinity between Manaoag Shrine and the Papal Basilica of Saint Mary Major in Rome.

On August 24, 2012, a three-foot copy of the statue was donated and travelled to Guam where it was hosted at Saint Anthony and Victor's Catholic Church.

 

Our Lady of Manaoag has a long history of renowned miraculous and pious events, with some of the earliest are replicated in the murals within the church, These include the miraculous sparing of the town from a wildfire, the origin of the basilica and the parish, and the original apparition. Devotees visiting the shrine usually pray for good health or cure for diseases, among other intentions.

One story recounts how in the early days of Spanish colonisation, animist mountain tribes burnt down newly-converted Christian villages. The town of Manaoag was among the settlements set afire, and the initial thatch-roofed church was the locals' last refuge. The leader of the pillagers climbed over the compound's crude fence and shot flaming arrows into all parts of the church, but the building miraculously did not ignite.

The statue's miraculous powers became famous in the 1940s. During World War II, the Japanese dropped several bombs within the church's vicinity, with the structure itself suffering moderate damage. Four bombs were released above the church, with three landing on the plaza and the façade, destroying both. The last bomb fell in the church sanctuary, but it remained intact and did not explode.

darkest day of Calasiao

At the earluy morning of 16th of September, 2008, the Muncipal Hall of Calasiao, Pangasinan, including the Shrine of the Senior Divino Tesoro...  It was the darkest day, to my opinion, to any Calasian... I was crying when I was watching the news...

I don't care about the Municipal Hall... It was the Senior Divino Tesoro being gutted by the fire...

There was a replica that was donated, but it was not a perfect replica and we can see the difference, and we would always know... Good thing we, my family, have a lot of the picture of the original Senior Divino Tesoro...

but i used another soap...

John Lloyd: sino kaya bagong leading lady ko...

I'm naturally fair... smooth... DNA...

But I used another soap...

and wrong gender...

hehehehehehehehehehe....




and Oh...

I think something is terribly wrong with the last line...

back, yet again...

Well, sorry... I am PLHIV working on a call center and I was not exactly in tip top shape to be able to blog everyday... but now that I walked out of the company I was working in... perhaps... no promises... I could do this again...

What happened was, months before, I had already been asking for leave of absence... with pay will be much appreciated... but I am fine without pay... as long as I take time out as I was feeling so stressed out... and it was showing already... it got to me mainly because of sleeping patterns... I am usually in bed after 8 in the evening... and I wake up early... my sched starts at 1pm... and it was way far my bed time already... I tried to request for an earlier schedule, I do have team mate who would love to have my late schedule, specially the mothers but to no avail... and so I was stressed out... adding to that, we were given a week night shift schedule for training... we came from a regular day shift and they insisted we get trained at night... some were welcoming of it, night differential, for me they can keep the night differential... we were to be back at the day shift after the week training... not worth all the stress...

I was still pleading for a leave of absence but to no avail...

But then I started having dry cough and fever... at first, I ignored it but it got worst and worst.... I just thought I caught a flu... normal, I thought... the season was changing, someone without HIV was bound to get sick, what more to an immuno-challenge person... so I tried to, as the Englishmen would say, "keep calm and carry on" I still went to work but then it came to a point that I can't anymore.... walking out of our subdivision made me pant like hell which hadn't happen before....

So, I stayed home... fever come and goes... it got worst... even going to the bathroom was an effort... the coughing was also giving me so much grief....

I was off work for 4 days, then 2 days off... I called my TL, that I caught the flu the first day, after that... I assumed that he was intelligent enough to understand that it will take a while before I recover... 

Monday, my brother insisted we see a doctor, worried about my ever worsening condition... we went to Medical City armed with my Maxicare HMO.... They wanted to admit me... I was willing... but there was a catch... the last time I was hospitalized, it was last year, it was TB... I was open to it during pre-employment medical... and I told my attending physician about it, as it was important....I was told that they would admit me, work me up and figure out what was going on with me... but if it turns out to be TB again, I would shoulder all expenses as it would be a pre-existing condition...

Medical City is really an expensive hospital... no way would we afford so...

The following day, Tuesday... My brother insisted I get medical attention, and decided, despite the distance... we would have to brave EDSA and go to Alabang... to RITM, where I was hospitalized last year... I was not given a choice about it...

I was admitted... 

It was just me and my brother and RITM requires a patient need to be with someone--a bantay... and note: we were at Alabang, Muntinlupa... office was in Cainta... my TL keep calling demanding for med cert... explain to him the situation but still he insist... tipong naghihingalo na ko, med cert pa rin, di ba makakapaghintay yan!?

It was not TB, it was pneumonia... I stayed in the hospital for 6 days, as sputum test requires three consecutive early morning sample... plus they have other concern like low hemoglobin... me being malnourished/underweight... but they let us go Monday... 

My mom and dad were not able to come, mainly because it was pick season and plane ticket is sky rocketing... so mom just have to be frantically worried over the phone and papa calls periodically... and that they decided that right from the hospital, I would be bought home in the province, in Calasiao, Pangasinan... and recover further and if ever possible stay here!

When we were to be discharged, I did not use my PhilHealth, pissed off of my company, we refused to communicate with them...

Monday... a day short of a week, I was discharge off the hospital... took a cab to 5 star bus station and off we go...

I'm home now...

yummy pick #009

watching porn

I just blogged yesterday about my quest to gain weight... mass...

As I was blogging, I was eating hot pandesal with liver spread and coke... I finished five... But then, I think it was the coke, I was not able to sleep the whole night... like really, I just managed to sleep after I took in my ARV and pain relievers for my back... 8 in the morning... and after a take out breakfast meal from Jollibee--cornbeef meal and pineapple juice...

I woke up 4:30 in the afternoon... had coffee in the bathroom and straight to shower... I was to go to hear mass... my back still hurts, not as much, but it still hurts when I walk...

After mass, I was to meet my brother for dinner... anyhow, that is not the story... the thing was as I was on the jeep... nakaupo ako dun sa dulo, and a guy was seated next to me... and that I was not minding him, I was looking out kasi dun sa may sakayan ng jeep... but then, di naman kasi puno yung jeep masyado but then his elbow keeps nudging me and there were times it was resting on my skinny legs... and that at one time, I was forced to look... and that I saw that he was watching porn on his cellphone... and it was an M2M porn...

Like, really!!!

And that my initial reaction was to look away, feeling embarrass... to which, I thought why...? He should be the one embarrass... but clearly he wasn't... and somehow, it became clear to me--though, perhaps, it did occur to me too, that I was over thinking things--that he was showing it... to let me know... us... well, there was also another guy seated next to him... but then... he have his elbow resting on my legs and that he keeps on "accidentally" nudging me...

Tempted...

Really tempted...

Haven't gotten laid for months tempted...

My brother was waiting me at the next stop... I could message him... I pulled the string...

yummy pick #008

weight watch

I know what I need to do... but for some reason, I am not doing it... I need to do it...

I was at the doctor yesterday because of my back problem... and the nurse weighted me in... she put me at 43 kg... which is 94.6 lb... my weight just dropped again... I thought she must have gotten it wrong... but confirmed it on my own weighting scale at home... I am less than a hundred pounds...

So, while everybody in the world seemed to be having problem cutting down on their weight... I am about to embarked to gaining more weight... 

Does this make me a hipster...?

Well, my back is still bad thought the new set of pain relievers seemed to be working... so for this week, I am to eat everything twice... kidding... but that seemed not to be a bad idea... but the plan is to eat as much... carbo loading... I am to eat carbs every 2 waking hours... 

Hopefully, after this week... my back will be fine and so I can go back weight training next week... hopefully...

yummy pick #007

Challenge Accepted

Wait! What's the challenge?

Hehehehehehehehehehehe...

There is this website http://www.pinoyhivpositive.org, it was created by a certain twitdude: @positivepoako aka Blood of Mercy, he is also have another twitter account: @PinoyHIVPositiv (pinoyhivpositive.org), you can also check his blog: http://positivepoako.blogspot.com... he is 22 Filipino HIV+ and that he aims to unite, through the website he created all Filipino living with HIV...

A very good cause... I do porn on my blog... as you can see, even this blog is littered with pictures of hot men... but between a good cause and hot men... hot men are easier to market... and get people interested... and that, at this age and time, people should already realize that and accept it as a fact and not shun it... it maybe the saddest commentary of this society but nonetheless true... people must like first what they see before they pay attention and listen... who cares if you have the solution for world hunger, world peace and the truth... if they don't like what they see first, people won't listen... Packaging is everything in this time and age... lesson 101...

Now, medyo tricky with an HIV org...  because everybody is into hiding... makapal lang mukha ko at sa twitter ko, picture ko talaga nasa profile ko (well, I photograph really well at medyo iba itsura ko sa personal kaya atapang atao ako)... but I don't think we could deny na malakas ang hatak ng picture ko...

The thing is Human Immunodeficiency Virus or HIV, the thought of it, is depressing and scary enough... and who wants to be depressed and scared? Who goes to the internet, be on social networking sites, to be depressed? It needed to be pleasing to the eye... naughty perhaps... hopeful... a little up beat... depressing na  nga yung situation, depressing pa yung out look... we need to highlight the silver lining on the dark cloud... because sure, indeed it is a dark cloud over us... we all know that and that it is there to stay... but we don't really have to dwell on it... 

It should make people smile... and not be bombarded with the reality they are living in... they must feel hope despite everything...

Am I suggesting changing layout and content...? Am I...? Not really sure... lolx

Now, when he came out of his grievance na medyo hindi yata nagcliclick yung website/org... my first suggestion was to create a mobile app for the site... thinking the reason why we opt to ignore the site and not leave twitter is that twitter is very convenient... I tweet using my phone most of the time... I think most people do... they check updates and response to twits using their mobile phone... 

I still think so... this is something, that if it is doable, be looked into...

I am currently suffering from sciatic nerve pain... slip disk... I am having a hard time getting up in bed, more so walking... it actually have jeopardized my work already... and more... well I did plan before that when things got settled... career wise, at least a sense of stability... despite neuropathy which I have learned to ignore and accept as a fact of life... I would be hanging out at my hub: ARG/RITM, once a week, during my off (I have always choose week days off, I give the weekends to my colleagues who have family and children, they need that more than I do)... wala lang... to offer hope... Marvin's mom was very hopeful the first day they went to ARG, seeing other with HIV, she hardly can't believe it... she was hopeful that her son would one day be like those others who were there... and to talk... and just let them know na they are not alone in this... and that we could be friends and enjoy life despite HIV...

yummy pick #006

untitled 001

I do find him cute... he is hot... but then, with my condition—healthwise... plus, my status—financial wise... not to mention, tanda ko na yata for that... I don't think I want any complications, specially that type of complication... and that, napansin ko lang naman na cute siya kasi kay L.A., kabatch ko... crush na crush kasi niya 'to... at ang kay Pedro ay kay Pedro; ang kay Juan ay kay Juan... di ba...?

Besides, I was crushing on someone else... funny nga, kasi mistaken identity... tawag ko kasi dun sa crush ko cupcake... kabatch din namin... eh minsan a number of us went out for a drink, at least they did, I don't drink... nag update ako ng FB status ko: “Lasing na si cupcake”... and everyone assumed na si cupcake na palagi ko binabangit sa FB status ko eh kabatch namin, na kasama namin lumabas that night... which was true... but then for some reason, they also assumed that it was Eze... well, cute naman si Eze, medyo kulang nga lang sa baba... pero cute at mabait pa... inate sa kanya yung pagiging nice at palabati... and that okay, sure, madalas kaming seat mate sa training at nakakakulitan ko 'tong si Eze... pero kasi di siya yung crush ko... otherwise, I don't think makukulit ko siya tulad ng kulitan namin... Okay lang, at least, di pa buking kung sino talaga yung crush ko... although, di ko maintindihan kung bakit di nila pinagsuspetsahan yung talagang crush ko when kung tutuusin mas cute naman yun and he was with us that night...? And that because lahat eh convinced na si cupcake eh si Eze, pati yata siya, nacoconvince at medyo nailang na sa akin... pero, okay lang...

Anyway, so yun, napansin ko lang naman itong si Carlo, dahil kay L.A... funny kasi, whenever we see him, palaging sinasabi ni L.A., “ang lalakeng hinugot sa aking tadyang...”

Di kami actually naintroduce... nakakasalubong namin siya... nakakasalubong sa hallway... nakakasabay magyosi... pero walang introduction na tipong, “Carlo meet Alex; Alex meet Carlo...” Kahit naman yata sila nila L.A., walang ganun... alam lang namin iisang account kami and well, we see each other around... and that nung nagumpisang usap-usap sila ni L.A... di kami nakikisalo... moment ni L.A. yun, so di na kami nakikieksena... kahit pagnakakasabay magyosi... pagnakatyempo si L.A. ng usap para magpacute, dumetestansya kami...

One day, pakalat kalat itong si Carlo with other guys sa floor, nakatambay... and one of the guys was tyrone who nung nasa training room pa lang kami, pumunta sa amin to invite us sa club nila, which is parang glee club... pero di lang for singers, it's actually for everybody who have something to do with entertainment... dancers, stand comedians, and even people who have a knock for organizing events and shows... well, no one signed up for it though may mga interesado sana... mainly because di malinaw yung detalye... nadiscourage yung iba kasi may audition pa...

I was not interested... mainly because I can't dance and sing... but for some reason, siningle out ako nitong si Tyrone, lumapit siya sa akin sa station and was inviting me to join the club... I said no and refer him kanila LA, kasi they did show interest before, lalo pa ngayon na alam na namin na kasama sa club itong si Carlo...

Ewan ko kung ano nangyari sa usap nila... but yun... nakilala nila si Tyrone who hangs out with Carlo and some other guys who are not bad looking either and yun... I don't know if after that they started hanging out together... kasi di ko sila nakakasabay magbreak at mag lunch... may sinesend kasi na break sched... at syempre, since newbie, pakitang gilas muna... sunod muna sa break schedule...

Anyhow, one time, naabutan ko sila sa yosihan, sa may harap ng building... I was to quit smoking but then, with all the stress the call center industry have to offer, minsan, you really can't help but want to smoke... magkakasama sila LA, Philip at Trish... and that kausap nila sila Tyrone and Carlo and some other guy... so I joined them... tayo lang ako dun and nakiyosi... I don't remember, pero may pinaguusapan yata sila ni Tyrone at LA that time and that nakisindi ako kay Trish when Carlo said to me, “Yoyosi ka pala...?” to which tungo lang ako sabay smile... I actually always get that naman kasi... for some reason, yung mga bagong kilala, di nila ineexpect that I do smoke... and specially now, na madalang talaga akong magsmoke... kasi nga I am trying to quit... because of my condition...

And, I guess, I can't blame anyone, na since I smoke nga, they assume that I drink... specially na call center agent ako... Katulad nitong si Carlo, which after ko tumungo, biglang nagsabi na, “Inom tayo mamaya...”

I actually don't drink... I can, pero kasi matagal ko ng inamin sa sarile ko na di ko gusto ang lasa ng alcohol... and that, takaw gulo kasi ako pagnalalasing... tipong akala mo kalakihan ang katawan kung makapaghamon ng away... eh Maynila ito 'no... so I don't drink...

Di ko inassume na ako yung ininvite niya, bakit? Specially na narinig ni Trish who was standing next to me... and pati si Philip and the other guy who was with us... si LA at si Tyrone lang yata ang di nakarinig and si Philip yung pumick up nung invitation, interrupting the two, “inom daw tayo mamaya,” sabay turo kay Carlo... to which agreeable halos lahat, well except Trish, who we know eh di sasama at may asawa't 4 na anak siyang naghihintay sa bahay... and they started to agree na after shift... kasi bagong sweldo nga sila so game na game sila... basta ako, yosi lang ako...

Wala akong balak sumama... sumama kasi ako before, nung kami kami lang na magkakabatch, eh kinakantyawan nila ko na uminom din... na tipong madaya daw ako... so ayoko na talaga sumama sa kanila... kasi kahit the last time na sinabi ko sa kanila na sasama lang ako pero di ako iinom, sabi pa rin nila madaya daw ako... not that I ever given in... red horse kasi iniinom nila, kung hard drink sana, kahit gin bulag at sipol lang ang chaser, baka napagbigyan ko pa sila... pero beer, no... so yun... and I think they knew na di na talaga ako sasama, o ayaw talaga isama, kasi nga di ako iinom...

So yun, after shift, diretso ko uwi... baka kasi magbago isip nila, pilitin akong sumama...

I just walked in the door nung nagtext si Tom sa akin, another becky na kabatch namin... sabi niya sa text, tinatanong daw ni Tyrone kung bakit di ako sumama, that hiningi niya number ko, and that binigay daw niya...

Okay...

Tyrone...? Why...? Really...?

And another text came in paglabas ko ng banyo and was to go to sleep, sabi sa text si Carlo daw siya and asking me kung bakit di ako sumama...

Di ako reply...

Eh sabi ni Tom, si Tyrone ang nanghingi ng number ko and nagtatanong kung bakit di ako sumama, tapos biglang Carlo... so, di na ko nagreply and natulog na lang ako...

yummy pick #005

money rules

I am broke... that will a test how credible this entry would be... and that you may stop reading...

But to those who would insist... this are a few rules about how to handle your money... not totally original, I picked up most from other people, and that I try to live within this rules when it comes to money... mayhaps, you might pick up some tips...

The first rule about money is what Suze Orman... heard of her, if not, hit google... anyhow, she always say, first rule about money is that people comes first... people would always comes first before money... regardless how much or less money you have... people would always comes first... your relationship with them, their health... their happiness... it should always be considered... and by people, it includes you... and that any rules there is you or whoever about money should be over ruled by this... people come first...

Another rule that I follow is... if I don't have the money on hand or readily available to me, that means I don't have it... this is, sure, I show up at work everyday and that surely, I would get paid  but as long as my pay is not in my payroll bank account, I don't consider it yet as my money... This is a classic you saw something you like in the mall a few days before you get paid... a shirt, a bag... a shoe... or a gadget... and that it is totally out of the budget... and that you go ahead still buy it reasoning to your self that you would get paid in a few days... don't... specially if you are to use a credit card... NO...

That is another rule... if you don't have the money on hand to buy something... chances are you really can't afford it... trust me on that... although, there are some big acquisitions that does require getting a loan or a credit... like buying a living space, a car... or some really expensive gadget like a laptop... the key to that is to make sure you have enough money in savings to cover it for three to six months... because just encase...

Another rule that I live by is I spend the extra money from the previous pay out... so if a splurge on 25th... the money I used it what I have managed to save from the 10th pay out...

Always check on the things that take care of your future... look at your pay slip... you would see there you are deducted for SSS, for your PagIbig fund, and PhilHealth... make sure and verify that this deductions have been remitted and that it is up to date... and that avoid unnecessary loans or claim... like when I got hospitalized... I was told not to file claim for disability to my SSS... this is mainly because SSS would be my pension plan... same goes with your PagIbig Fund... with PhilHealth, it would be a good idea if you take care of it on your own... specially for people like us... just pay annually... the cost is very minimal...

Now the tricky part... family and friends... family most specially... you have to do your obligation... pay your debt... and that at most of the case the number 1 rule about money should always apply... people first before money... and that you have to sort out your priorities... of course, you can not give what you don't have... you need to draw the line there, if you have to barrow money... but well, as much as possible, it is family and that we should give back... but you know when you can no longer breath... 

Now with lending money... never expect to be paid back... specially if it is a family or a friend who is borrowing money... mainly, the logic why they are borrowing money is because they don't have money... what you are expecting the money you lend them be doubled...? If so, have it in writing... otherwise, never expect they would pay back... thus, you only lend money if it is indeed an extra money, meaning excess... meaning you don't need it and thus can afford to give it away... and that it would be a good idea not to ask for it...

But again, let me reiterate... the first rule... people first before money... all the rules in money should be over ruled by this rule... people first before money... because money, you can earn it... but people... once it is gone, it is gone and that no matter what you do or how hard you work or how much money you gain... you wouldn't have them back... 

yummy pick #4