Thursday, November 24, 2011 1 comments

HOLLER

Dear ZJ, here's a short poem I've written just now. Must have been due to the intermittent rains and the gloomy weather we've been having over here in Naga City. Hope you like it. Just read on.


 

GONE

Away from you is what I am

Now alone is what you are

Perhaps we can be friends again?

And then, we can feel each other once more.


 

Come and seek my outpourings

Do not label me as insensitive

Because only you can read my mind

With clarity and certainty.


 

Despite of my predicament

I will always be your friend

Be there for you, whether storms arise

From this heart, my solemn vow.


 

Harbor not my strangeness

For this is pledge

My heart's desire

Albeit deceitful intent.


 


 

Sunday, November 20, 2011 0 comments

Happy weekend, bff!

Dear zj,

How are you doing today? I am hoping that your weekend is going just as great.

Over here, everything is relatively stable. Spending time with mom is definitely a great way to learn about things she can share to me – familial, the mundane, life stories, etc. Of course, we know that moms know best and I am not the type to disagree with that statement. Well, at least not for now. Haha, just kidding.

Well, this will be for now. I will try to post again as soon as I can. Have a happy weekend and enjoy the rest of your day! Miss you, bff!

Always, Sam ini

Thursday, July 7, 2011 0 comments

Dear ZJ,

How are you? It's been quite some time since I've posted anything on our blog. I hope that you will find in your heart to forgive me for not posting. I've been running to and fro, doing errands, finding ways to earn more, taking care of myself, you know? By the way, I've been able to watch some of Federer & Nadal's tennis (men's Finals) bout on Studio 23. There's one going on right now, although the signal is not that good, and I am not so sure if this match is a replay… at least I get the chance to watch, right? Both players are on the top of their game and both look good, buff all the way.

And, according to the link on your post Rafael Nadal won: 7-7-5-6 vs Roger Federer's 5-6-7-1. Yey! Congrats, ZJ! I know that you're happy of this turnout! Again, my heartfelt congratulations! Viva!

How's the weather out there? Over here, the weather's been unforgiving. The rains come and go, and then the skies remain overcast all the time.

These will be for now. I am hoping that we could chat online again…I will be at the other end of the line.

Until then, bff!


 


 


 


 

Thursday, May 26, 2011 0 comments

Are you up to it?!?!?

Rafa sked for sam copy
So, it’s a (virtual) date! I’ll be online, so, buzz me.

 

***
This is just one of the reasons why Internet is important to me – it bridges the distance! We can talk (chat) and see each other (webcam). I can see what you are eating, what you’re wearing, and most of all, the twinkle in your eyes when you smile or get excited,  or the wrinkles on your forehead when you frown, as if we’re only few feet apart. Now  all I need is to remind Rob once again to get a microphone so that we could really chika-chika.

 

Say hi to Mom for me. I could use some help over here .. My clutter is unbelievable. I have so much stuffs that I find difficult to part with. Even a ripped page from a notebook, a torn diary, or a broken key chain that I bought from one of my travels some years ago – they are still with me up to now. Rob says I’m like his father. To appease his mum, his dad built a shed of sorts so that all his stuffs that he accumulated for years. Well, the best I could do for now is just put them all in boxes and store them upstairs in our laundry room. That will have to do for the meantime,I think, until such time comes when we have to leave and I have no other choice but to give my stuffs away, or else, go bankrupt because of expensive fees of moving companies.

 

Oh well, gotta run now. I have some cooking and other stuffs to do that I want to finish before the match  begins.

See yah!

0 comments

Respite

Hi there ZJ,

Thanks very much for the post, the pic of Rafa Nadal and the links. For sure, I will watch a game later tonight, then we could exchange our views and opinions regarding it. Somehow, my lack of knowledge in tennis will be filled up with more information regarding the said game, hehe. Come to think of it, I was a sportswriter in high school (long time ago) and have covered sporting matches like basketball, volleyball, tennis, among other sports. I have also won in various sports writing events way back when. Somehow, I have forgotten the joys of sports as I've become older. Good thing, you're there to rekindle my knack for sports and love of the game. Thank you, from the bottom of my heart. It seems that each time we update each other with what's happening and what has taken place in our lives, you never fail to amaze me with your spontaneity and love for anything that strikes you as real and honest. Just like who you really are – real and honest. Thankfully enough, despite the distance and time differences that we have, we still manage to take the time to reach out and write about the things that matter to us most – be it family, relationships, money matters or lack of, continued friendship ties, health issues, and any other topic – mundane or otherwise, just to fill the gaps between us.

By the way, mom says hi to you too. She's quite busy cleaning up, categorizing old clothes, stocking up books and loads of paper files. She's creating a sense of normalcy amidst the clutter. Her clutter, she says.

Hopefully, I may be able to post some pics, too. As soon as I get my digicam back to its normal settings, sooner or later.

Thanks again for your post. Always know that I so look forward to reading your post, each time. Whenever I get to read it, I can't help but smile and cheer up. I am looking forward to reading more. It's just like we've been creating a bridge to narrow the miles between us, for years now. Thank you for that and for the friendship, too.

Take care, always,

Sam ini

Tuesday, May 24, 2011 0 comments

This is what I’m watching tonight

Hi Sam,

Yes, this is it, lookie-lookie here:

 

I wish you could watch it, too. Here’s a link where I watch tennis matches live. Click it to see. Wish you could watch just one game and tell me what you think. Better yet, we can watch it together and chat at the same time. If you are interested to know more, here’s the link to the Roland Garros tournament site. That’s where the photo above is from.

 

Rafa won the first, 6-4, and right now, it’s the mid of second set with Rafa leading 3-1. Looking good, I should say, and barring no major, major tricks up on Isner’s sleeve, Rafa will win this match and go on to the second round.

 

Oh, wait… the kettle is whistling now. I’m making tea for Rob and I. You know how the British are and their love affair with tea.

 

Till next.

 

ZJ

 

P.S. I miss the fiestas in the Philippines! Thank you for writing the post about the fiesta in Cabusao. I was drooling imagining the food! Yum! I hope next time you can include photos. Please say hi to Mom. Take care, you two.

Monday, May 23, 2011 0 comments

Festive

Hi ZJ,Hello there. Hope that you're doing fine, like always.

We (Mom & I) went to Cabusao for its fiesta. Cabusao is a coastal town of CamSur and its patron saint is San Bernardino de Siena. It's a fishing community and one of its best produce is dried fish. If you are fond of dinailan, you can also find it there. The fiesta took place last May 19 & 20, 2011. Aside from the good food that the taga-Cabusao prepared and served, there was dancing, a tiangge, fluvial procession and sports competition (basketball).

Wish I had pictures to go with this post, but there's none to show.

One of the many highlights of the festivity was the procession of the saints in their andas. At our ancestral house, we have two: the Image of the Holy Cross and the image of San Isidro Labrador. I had a blast helping out with the decoration of the andas. We used barani (the stem of the banana plant) which served as holders of the plastic flowers, curtains, and palmera leaves. After the afternoon novena on May 19, the Cabusao folks had a procession with the many santos and andas. The procession led us to the fish port where the annual fluvial procession took place. There were pagodas of different colors. It was very enlightening and fun to watch the motorized boats as they ply the route to and fro. The lights from the motorized bancas further added an idyllic ambience to the entire scene. After the fluvial procession, a mass was held.

Late in the evening, a dance was held for the people of Cabusao, their former municipal officers and incumbent ones, and for all the bakasyonistas there. A makeshift dance area was created in the middle of the road because the auditorium is undergoing major repairs. Altho it rained a bit, the gaiety was not dampened by the rains. The show must go on, they say. And it went on until the wee hours of the morning.

Let me share with you the food that we had: rice, ibos, sinuman, almondigas (misua soup with meatballs), menudo, cake, hotdog, dilis with peanut and potato, lumpiang shanghai, pasta, gelatin, fish, ice cream, fruit salad, sweet and sour, and chicken. No sense in dieting, hehe.

These will be for now. Will be posting again soon. Hoping that we could get the chance to chat again one of these days.

Take care, always.

Sam ini




Monday, May 16, 2011 0 comments

Another day…

Hi zarah,

Thank you very much for the post.

So how did the match go? Did your boy Rafael Nadal won the game? I am sorry, I don't really know much about him. Except for the fact that his really your one and only fave tennis player. Pardon my ignorance, but I share your enthusiasm. Over here, everything is relatively stable. It gets hot, then, it rains. I've been trying to adjust to the weather but then, I only get to fall asleep. And you know how much I love to take naps all throughout the day. I miss working though, and I am trying to find lucrative ways to spend my time. Hopefully, I will be able to get a job sooner or later. I've tried applying to different workplaces here in Naga City, so far, no luck yet. I am keeping my fingers crossed that I may soon land a job one of these days.

Sometimes, boredom creeps into my system. All I do is plug the laptop into the internet and while the time away, writing makes me sane. Hopefully, it will help me earn more too, like you. And as much as possible, I do post an entry to this blog so that I we can catch up with what's happening from both our ends. I miss talking to you online, too. I haven't had the chance to really chat with you after our marathon Royal wedding talks, hehe. We (Mom & I) were finally able to catch the Balcony Kiss via youtube.

These will be for now.

Catch you again soon.

Sam ini


 


 

Sunday, May 15, 2011 0 comments

Relaxed holiday weekend

Dear Sam,

How have you been?
It’s a loooong weekend this week because we are celebrating the King’s birthday. It started last Friday, 13th May, and the celebration lasts till today, Sunday. However, since two days of the holiday fell on a weekend, it automatically makes Monday and Tuesday a holiday, too. Woo-hooo for some, but for R, it’s back to work tomorrow.


The weather is pretty much the same, hot, but it also got windy this week. Lots of leaves have fallen off the ground, and I feel like I’m somewhere in Europe as I walk on the felled leaves. Feeling lang ha! LOL.


Today we went to a kid’s birthday party. My friend’s daughter turned two and it was a princess-themed party. See the invite? I didn’t get to see what’s inside because it was sent attached to a message via Facebook. LOL. Of course, the oldies outnumbered the kids and it’s the adults who enjoyed more than the young ones. It was also the first time in weeks that R and I hang out with friends, had some beer and wine and just enjoyed the afternoon with friends. Food was great, too. It was nice to be out of the house again after weeks of staying in in the past weekends. We went home at 7pm.

 

I’m writing this while waiting for the tennis match to begin – the finals match between my boy, Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic at the ATP Tour in Rome. The match was supposed to begin an hour ago but there was a rain delay earlier that also delayed the women’s finals match. All the more my anticipation tripled… I hate it when delays happen because I tend to fall asleep and miss the game! Anyways, I just hope my boy wins tonight, or else… hihihi.. Are you familiar with Rafael  Nadal? He is a pro-tennis player from Spain, a leftie and a hottie! He is the new body, errr, model for Armani underwear and jeans. My gosh, he is sizzling hot in the posters! You should go and google for Rafa posters for Armani and you’ll see what I mean :D

 

This is all for now, I’m getting sleepy already and the women’s match is still a long way from being over…I’m not sure if I can stay awake any longer as my eyes are already drooping…

Till next post… I wish the coming week is fantastic for both of us.

 

Cheers,

Z

Saturday, May 7, 2011 0 comments

Weekend

Hi ZJ,

How are you doing today? Hope that your weekend is going well.

Naga City and the rest of the Bicol Region's under signal number 1 (Typhoon Bebeng). There is intermittent rainfall and some gustiness all over our area. Some low-lying municipalities may have been advised to be ready for evacuation and to take extra precautions against possible landslides.

For now, the rains have stopped, thanks Heaven.

I've been catching up on family and friends lately. Isn't it amazing to see long-lost family members, old familiar faces in real time or via the internet? That's what I've been preoccupied with lately. I had to stifle a laugh each time I see my face posted on facebook. Times have changed and so have I. From being a gangly teenager I have been honed by time to look differently. It's like the tagline in that commercial "The baby is now a lady," hehe.

Well, these will be for now. Catch you again soon. Take care, always.

Best regards, Sam ini

Friday, May 6, 2011 1 comments

Flowers for you!

Hi! I know I have been a bit delinquent in posting these days. It’s because I had accepted a new project but this time it is gratis. I’ve been cooped up inside the house for a time now and I thought the project would be a good excuse to get out of the house at least once a week. However, if they ask me to report more than that, then it is another story. I’m paying for a tuk-tuk ride at $3 a pop (one way) and if they’re not paying for my transpo, I’m only limiting my trips to once a week. Well, apart from the costly transpo, there is also the weather that I’m so unhappy about. It is extremely hot at daytime and I cannot be out there in the sun the whole day, no?


Anyways…

I just want to share you this photo of my favourite rose from our veranda garden. I just love this variety! It grows as  big as my hand (as you can see in the left photo) and they smell very nice, too. When the wind blows Rob and I can smell it even if we’re inside the house. Sometimes when we feel stressed from our daily routine, we just go out to our veranda and have our cup of tea there while looking at, and smelling, our flowers. Every single day there is always a newly-opened flower – I think it is better than having all the flowers bloom in one go and have nothing the following days, no?  Thanks to Rob’s green thumb, we have these lovely colourful flowers and green plants in our small veranda. I wish I have a green thumb, too. My only contribution is watering the plants, pulling out weeds and cutting off dead leaves and dried flowers. At least, I am doing something. LOL.

 

And here are more roses for you, I hope it will cheer you up! I’ve taken a photo of them not long ago, so they’re still fresh. Please excuse the lousy flower arrangement and the beer bottles as I do not possess proper vases yet. LOL.

 

roses in bottles2

Monday, May 2, 2011 0 comments

Hi, bff!

Dear zj,

Good morning! How are you this beautiful day? Hope that your weekend went well.

Yesterday, after Mass, Mom and I went window shopping at SM Naga City, where a 3-day weekend sale was ongoing. But then, I don't have much money to really spend on shopping so I just feasted my eyes on what was being sold there. As far as the eyes can see, there were bargains everywhere – from shoes, to bags, to cosmetics – you name it, they've got it. We looked at some bags, but she decided to have a haircut instead. After that, we had our dinner at Greenwich. We had chicken, spaghetti, rice and Cokes. It was a simple, but quite filling, meal. After buying some bread, we went home.

I'm beginning to appreciate the really simple things in life – like how we have a home, water and a bed to sleep on at night – and that there's Mom to be with to talk to and to share with. Altho, it won't be bad to have some extra cash to spare, especially if there's a mall-wide weekend sale. But at the end of the day, what matters most – in my opinion – is to have all the love we can give, without counting the costs.

Catch you again soon,
Sam


 


 

Saturday, April 30, 2011 0 comments

Weekend Delight

Hi there ZJ,

Another weekend is upon us. I am hoping that yours is going well.

Over here in Naga City, we’ve been having some short episodes of rainfall. And then, like the blink of an eye, it’s all over…and the heat is upon us again. Summer is wonderful, please don’t get me wrong but then, sometimes it just gets too hot to handle. Especially if you’re doing the laundry and hanging the clean clothes to dry when sudden bursts of rain comes beating down again. You can imagine the scenario, right? Oh well, there’s not much use about complaining with how Mother Nature do things her way. J

So, how are you doing today? How’s R, by the way? Do you have any special plans over the weekend? Wouldn’t it be fun to be able to go to the beach? Or have a picnic and take some much-needed rest and relaxation? I am just staying at home, and enjoy the simple amenities that we have here. Hey, sometimes I can’t help but recall the fun times that we’ve had during weekends. How we would take some time off away from the office. We even went to beach by ourselves, just to get away from it all. We’d often have fun eating out and have our fill from a wide array of food choices like: spaghetti, chicken, pizza, mojo potatoes and shakes! Even now, when I think about our escapades, I can’t help it but smile at the memory.

I miss the days when we’d sit down together and really talk, face-to-face. Good thing is we can still catch on what’s happening with each other’s lives through the internet. Somehow, our distance and time differences don’t pose any hindrance to us chatting and sharing even the mundane details of our lives today. Like how we spent yesterday, complete with webcam and a view on the much-anticipated Royal Wedding. It’s just so good that you are there to send me links where I, together with mom, could have a front seat view of the events. Although we miss to catch the Balcony Kiss but still managed to view it via youtube late last night. J

These will be for now, bff! Have a great day and catch you again soon.

Ciao, bella

Sam ini

Friday, April 29, 2011 0 comments

Guiding Sam on her first time…

Today has to be one of my best afternoons yet! Never mind the heat, never mind the painstakingly slow Internet connection and the power cut that set us back for more than an hour... in the end, we were successful in what we aimed to do today! Right, Sam? Okay, before some dirty-minded readers think about something else, I just finished an online tutorial with Sam. On blogging via Windows. Too bad Windows Live Writer didn’t work, but then, there’s Microsoft Word to the rescue!

Now blogging is a lot easier, thanks to this feature from Windows. Sam can now publish her posts automatically to her blog without logging in to Blogger. We both don’t have any more excuses about not blogging. We just revived this blog exactly a year after our last post, now, how’s that?

clip_image002Writing a post is as easy as writing a word document from MS Word. You have the flexibility to change your fonts, its size and colour, and play around with so many other elements, especially the pictures. Sounds cool, right? No, it’s awesome! hihihi. I’m glad Sam and I were able to do this together, you know, me walking her though this technical stuffs. I’m glad the Internet connection over here didn’t act up after the power cut, otherwise, I would be embarrassed and we both get frustrated!

 

It is only available in Word 2007, folks, so you better upgrade your Microsoft Office version, as in now na. I love how blogging is keeping me and my bff in close contact, no matter if we are miles apart and regardless of our time zones.

1 comments

It’s my first time…

Dear ZJ,

Thank you very much for giving me the chance to "learn" what it feels like to be a newbie in blogsphere again…here, I am looking at you thru webcam and you teaching me patiently as we go along the web…with the various intricacies of technical know-how, I am so satisfied with how you made me wander and walk into the amazing world of weblog…and learn so much in the process. You are always there to teach me new things and you always brought such inspiration in my otherwise drab and lonely existence. The fact that you've always believed that I can do much with every little thing that I already know, makes me want to learn more.

I often say that "when writer meets writer, thank you is often uttered in silence…" but not this time, for so long I've always wanted to, again, voice out my appreciation for you, my dear bff! The times when I am feeling lost and locked in too deep within myself, you are there to provide comfort, love and understanding. The manner that you've touched my heart and my whole being is always an experience I remember even after the chatbox have closed.

And thank you, from the bottom of my heart.

Ciao, bella.

Sam ini


 


 


 

0 comments

hello again!

dear ZJ,

thanks for another update. altho i can't say much about rafael nadal's tennis prowess, one thing's for sure, he is a great player at his age. you wouldn't be rooting for him if he wasn't. i can sense your excitement even all throughout your post, :)

over here, the weather is still nonforgiving, it's almost the peak of summer and the heat is really on! you will literally sweat buckets even after a cold bath or shower. apart from that everything is quite normal, as it is.

well, there will be for now.
take care, always.

have a great day!
sam


Monday, April 25, 2011 0 comments

Hola!

Hello, Sam. I know I promised to write you right away but circumstances did not allow me to. Well, you know me, I’m easily distracted! Hah.

 

So anyway, if you look at my last post, you will see that it was written last year in the same month (hehehe) and the content was, of course, all about tennis. Hah, it’s no mere coincidence. It is the middle of the clay season in tennis at this time, and of course, I could not miss a single match of my boy Rafael Nadal. He won at the Barcelona Open just last Sunday, his 6th title in Barcelona, beating his compatriot David Ferrer. What a feat for this boy – at 24 years old, he is the second youngest player in the Open era to have won 6 titles or more in two events. The other week, he also won the the Monte Carlo finals – his 7th title.


I hope you don’t get bored when I blabber about tennis. So how are you these days? Did you go anywhere during the Lenten season? I miss the traditional things we Pinoys do during the Lenten. Did you go to the beach? I miss the beach, I miss Kep! It’s been almost a year since we last went there. His schedule won’t allow us, always busy with school. If there was a window of opportunity (finally!) then almost always something would come up. It is better for us to not make plans at all as it’s guaranteed to be broken anyway.

That’s all for now from me here. Oh, by the way, we have a webcam installed and I want to share it with you. The view from that webcam is exactly what I see in one of my windows. If you like to see what’s the weather like, or what’s the traffic like on my side of the world, just click this link and you’ll find out :)

Ciao, amiga. Till next post. Mwah.

 

Cheers,

Zarah

Monday, April 18, 2011 0 comments

to you, dear bff...

hi zj,
thank you for this new template...and the time to chat, too. guess we can never really have the best of all worlds (i am taking about the climate here, it's super hot). over there, it is too right?

so how is life goin? me, im just here, doing freelance jobs - and doing the errands at home, too. it's just mom and i here, and mostly it's quiet time for me. thanks to the internet, i get to reach olut to the big world out there.

these will be for now.

labs,
sam
 
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