Our 5th Anniversary

Since it’s our anniversary month, I guess I have an excuse to be mushy again by sharing to you how my panggs and I celebrated our fifth!

As relationships go further, creativity seems to expire with the years. Ayk and I always make sure to give each other well-thought gifts and have artistic celebrations. I have to say planning gets tougher and expectations harder to meet. We even used to give each other gifts during monthsaries but after about a year, we decided to leave the gift-giving to the anniversaries and other celebrations.

I will always treasure all our anniversaries. We celebrated each one differently. We took time to plan and some were even spent lavishly. This year, we decided to give each other a break. Since both of us are unemployed, we didn’t have the riches to go on out of town trips. Instead of driving ourselves mad with the planning, we just decided be spontaneous. We had no idea where we were heading. We just thought of bringing some swimming and extra clothes and snacks. Off we were to Lapu-Lapu. We found a decent resort that suited our budget. We had a great time talking, eating and taking millions of pictures. Since it was a Tuesday, there were only a number of people. No one to take a snapshot of us! We made use of my camera’s timer and Ayk had this crazy idea that involved him acting and me rushing and jumping. It wasn’t easy to predict the camera’s timer and we were lucky to succeed the first time! We then went to Park Mall for dinner.

The gifts? I gave panggs a framed collage (the one on my previous blog with the kissing and joking around. Hehehe) and a new pair of slippers. He, on the other hand wrote me a song and with his ukulele serenaded me. I was so shocked and touched because I have been trying to persuade him to write me one but he constantly refused to. Yey! Perfect timing to grant my request! Sorry, I can’t post the lyrics yet. It’s still a secret. Hehehe :)

I love you my panggs. I can’t believe it has been five years!


Perfect! I looove this pic!


Mga Panggs


Pictorial


I lab u panggs!


Dinner at Park Mall

Photos at http://neekul.multiply.com/photos/album/156

How five years started

Do you remember how it all started? I still do!

We were just elementary kids when we met. We were not even friends then. Who wanted to befriend you, anyway? You were such a pain in the ass. You teased and pestered everyone, including me. And I’ll say it again, we weren’t even friends then. When you left the school, our connection was cut, so was your teasing.

The next time I saw you was in high school. We were in different schools and you would boisterously shout at random students about the seaweed-color uniform of our school. You weren’t talking to me, but I’d say you were the same mocking boy I knew. When we were face to face on a jeepney ride one day, I somehow expected a “hi” or a smile from you, but I got neither. “He must have already forgotten me,” I thought. Not that it mattered at all.

Our paths crossed again in college. Maybe it was brought by fate I’m not sure, but I’m certain it was our good friend, Carla. You were with a group of friends so I wasn’t comfortable. I made excuses to leave but you made room for me and insisted I stay. I guess you’ve changed. What a gentleman!

We would bump into each other and we would talk nonsense. You would always make me laugh. We started to send each other quotes in text. You invited to me to watch your gigs a thousand times and after saying no every single time, I finally said yes. I was puzzled though that you didn’t hang out with us. You didn’t even talk to me. Oh well, you must have forgotten you invited me. Another thing puzzled me, why was I so affected? Did I badly want your attention?

We continued to friendly text. We were not textmates of some sort; it was just casual, five-message occasional exchange. Carla and my sister would tell me you sent your regards. I didn’t want to assume that you liked me so I pretended not to notice. Our texting became regular but we kept on joking around. Your teasing was back but it was different this time. It wasn’t the one that would make children cry. It was something that really made me laugh. You kidded about liking me and I gave in with the comic exchange. Until one day I told you maybe we should quit the jokes because I was having a hard time distinguishing which was true or not. You told me you were not kidding about you feel about me. And I told myself, maybe I felt the same way.

You asked me to go on a date and just like before, I turned you down a thousand times. After being convinced by my sister and friends, I gave it a shot. I have to admit the awkward parts were only at the beginning. You then started fetching me from school and we went home together. The usual boring and tiresome jeepney rides from school to home turned out to be great. It gave us time to talk. I loved talking to you especially when you told me about how you teased me in gradeschool because you had a crush on me. And also the times including that gig that you avoided me because you were shy that you already liked me. We spoke of your dreams and goals in life and so did I. You made me see that life is not a just a big joke to you.

I must admit I am not the easiest girl to court. I sometimes do it on purpose especially if I don’t like the guy but other times, it’s just being me. You told me you wanted be to be your girlfriend but I said I wasn’t ready because of my strict parents.I said no, but you proved yourself to be worthy. And I will always be thankful that you patiently won my heart and turned my no into a yes with flying colors. Never in five years did I say that I was tired or fed up with our relationship and I don’t think I ever will be.

Our relationship is far from perfect, but I believe we are perfect for each other.

2-peach Barkada

I was able to meet up with my second year high school classmates. Even if we seldom see each other, we remain comfortable to talk and laugh together. Thanks guys for sparing your time, I really enjoyed your company!

Big smiles.

Peace from under the blinding water!

With my best guy pal, Mari. :)


Cab's very tasty sweet n sour


Tina's cold fruit salad treat for the heat.

Bye! See you again soon! Pics at http://neekul.multiply.com/photos/album/155/2-peach_barkada

2010 Elections

Not only is it the first automated elections but it's also the first time for me to vote. It wasn't exactly the best experience for a first timer but at the end of it, I was just glad I was able to practice my right of suffrage.

My mom and I got priority numbers 13 and 14... er of second batch. Each batch consisted of 300 people and when we arrived they were still serving 70ish of the first batch. Damn! Having to wait for six hours, from 10:30am-4:30pm in the heat with the flock of people, I really think I have every right to complain. Lucky for us the elementary school was just walking distance from our house, we went home and had lunch. We went back at 1:30 pm. The clustering of voting precincts made it so slow. Six precincts here in our area were clustered into one because COMELEC didn't have sufficient PCOS machines. I just hope they will learn from this experience and improve in the next elections.

Since complaining wouldn't really do much for me so I decided to take photos using my cellphone to calm myself.

COMELEC boasts that automated is better. Boo!

My mom and I got numbers 13 and 14.



At least they are smiling!


Number-calling through the megaphone

A sneak peek. sssshhh


Finally!!! Better make my vote count!

Coffee Break, Roller Skating and Carting

As I would constantly say, some things are better unplanned. There’s no room for stress and worries. Well except for not being able to bring a decent camera. I went out today with two of my closest friends, Venice and Yo. The original plan was to have coffee and catch up but we ended up doing a lot of fun things. Fun is actually an understatement.

We went window shopping first. JUST window shopping. Even though we saw cheap and nice items, we didn’t get tempted. It’s actually a miracle since the three of us enjoy good buys. Maybe financial crisis has really taken its toll on us. haha We then had our coffee despite the financial crisis that I was talking about. I really believe that a great coffee jelly is exempted from money problems. (yeah, right!) The three of us comfortably talked about serious and nonsense stuff until our butts got tired of sitting. I had a spontaneous idea about going to Fun Land in Dumlog Talisay and try roller skating. I was happy as a clam when the two said yes. Before we left, we bought 3 pairs of socks which only cost us P50.

The last time I used a pair of roller skates was more than a decade ago where I fell badly that I kind of injured my back. After that accident, I stayed away from it. I occasionally roller bladed and ice skated, but never roller scated until today. I forgot how hard it was. Getting up and standing still took a lot of energy. The three of us just kept on holding on to the railing for our dear lives. It was so funny because we were so clueless on what to do. Trying not to fall on our butts made us sweat a lot. Embarrassing to admit, but I asked for help from a little girl who was I think not more than 10 years old. She gave me tips on how to balance and break. Strange how forming my two feet like a letter V did the trick. It was so difficult to get away from the comforts of the railings but we challenged ourselves to go to the center of the rink. I was the first one to do so after I agonizingly rollered and hollered my way. Yeah, I know I made a big deal out of it but for a beginner like me, it was already a big roller skating step. haha I enjoyed it and an hour worth P30 did a long way because I would like to believe, no assume that I was getting better.

After rolling skating, we decided to go carting. It wasn’t much of a to-die-for-carting but we loved the experience. After the energy-draining skating if I may call it that, we were able to relax a bit. We spent a hundred pesos for five short turns. We wanted cart some more but as I’ve said, we really didn’t want to burn some more money! hahaha It was Yo’s first try and I hope she enjoyed it.

This unpredictable day was one of the best I had this summer. I am looking for another taste of a day like this. While spontaneity brings spice to our life, friendship adds color to it.

Another Halo

I was able to capture a halo last June 4, 2009 with the use of my trusty olympus. My friend Yowh called me this morning and told me to go outside to check out the sun. I looked up and saw a rainbow around it. Another halo!!! I took some photos using my d60. There wasn’t really a big difference except from the position of the clouds.

What is it? A halo, (also known as a nimbus, icebow or Gloriole) is an optical phenomenon that appears near or around the Sun or Moon, and sometimes near other strong light sources such as street light. They are mostly caused by ice crystals in cold cirrus clouds located high (5–10 km, or 3–6 miles) in the upper troposphere. The particular shape and orientation of the crystals is responsible for the type of halo observed. Light is reflected and refracted by the ice crystals and may split up into colors because of dispersion, similarly to the rainbow. (wikipedia.com)

Originally posted on neekulmarie.tumblr.com on 5-7-10.

Decisive Moments

“Nature is a mutable cloud which is always and never the same” -Ralph Waldo Emerson


If there is one brilliant thing that I wouldn’t forget my photography professor, Sir Bienvenido Fernandez would constantly tell us, it’s capturing decisive moments. As he would stress out, a person can have the most expensive equipment but if he lacks the ability to position himself at the right place, at the right time, then it’s useless.

It was just an ordinary, tiring drive home last April 16 but Mother Nature sure knows how to change a person’s mood. Click! Click!Click! until I got this shot.

Originally posted on neekulmarie.tumblr.com on 4-29-10

NBA Playoff Fever Shhmever

For the past week, I have been waking up to the sound of ball-dribbling and crowd-cheering. It’s NBA playoffs once again. My dad is always excited to watch the games and I must tell you, he is very vocal. So, okay I wake up to some shouting as well. Haha

I wish I could share the same enthusiasm. I used to love watching not just the playoffs but NBA as a whole. Naming players with their corresponding teams was effortless for me. But now, I beg you not to ask me about the new players. I’m one confused lady. If only Allen Iverson were back. I know, I know, you’ll tell me he’s old but I really refuse to believe that he’s that old.

Many of my friends would testify how addicted I am to Allen Iverson. I used to shriek at the mere sight of him. Funny how I say “sight of him”, as if I have seen him in person. I could open an Iverson museum for all the memorabilia that I kept all these years. People really wonder why I find one black basketball player a big deal. I started following his career when I was in second year high school. It was actually the perfect time since it was the 2001 season that A.I. led the Philadelphia 76ers to the finals. However, they lost the series against Shaquille O’neal and Kobe Bryant’s Los Angeles Lakers.

I would love to share A.I.’s life here but I don’t think there will be enough space. All I know is that he was really great on the court. He is always known for his heart for the game. He was always true to himself from his million tattoos, corn rows hair to his much criticized hip hop clothes. People really perceived him as a bad boy and the media were not really his best friends. He has been through a lot since childhood, including the time when he was arrested and convicted of felony but later on the charges were overturned for insufficient evidence.

Though A.I.’s career was a roller coaster ride, I never thought it would end this soon. After spending his prime years a 6er, he was shipped to the Denver Nuggets, traded to the Detriot Pistons, had a short detour with the Memphis Grizzlies, retired for a while and then finally went home to the 6ers again. He had a lot of issues with the past teams in terms of playing time and starting role. When he returned to the city who loved him in his more than a decade career, he made sure that he got his act straightened up. Even if he knew that it would never be the same again when he left, he never complained and he did what was asked of him. Everybody thought it would end well but sadly, it didn’t. One of his daughters had an undisclosed illness which made him miss a lot of games. The team and A.I. decided that it would be better if he left. His daughter needed him and the team had to move on without him. To add insult to injury, the same day that the parting ways was announced, his wife of eight years filed for divorce and asked for full custody of the couple’s five children, child support and alimony. This was the same woman whom Allen caught naked and cheating on him years ago. Is this really the end of Allen Iverson? Hmmm I and millions of fanaticos refuse to believe so.

NBA fans are rejoicing for their winning teams while others are doing otherwise. I envy them! Win or lose I want to feel the rush! Oh well, good riddance, NBA.Whoever wins, I don’t give a damn.

Take care, Allen Iverson, my love. I miss you! hehe

Originally posted on 4-26-10 on neekulmarie.tumblr.com.

Unemployed

As much as I hate the thought of me being jobless, I would like to hypothesize that there are a few upsides when you are unemployed. You get to do a lot of things you simply can’t when you are too busy working. Think about it, you can sleep and wake up as late as you want. Nobody will text or call you in the middle of the night about a certain unfinished work. No more deadlines or demanding bosses. You can go anywhere to enjoy, eat, relax and whatnot. A little warning, though: PAY AT YOUR OWN RISK!

Seriously, now, I don’t think I can ever deal with having to live life with the fear of the pressure and stress of work. No amount of relaxation or sleep can ever match the accomplishments you can make while working. Every experience, good or bad will mold you as a better person. Not to mention the fact that you earn your own dough regardless of how much it is. No stranger in the world would ever give you that money if you don’t deserve it.

Months ago, my dad decided to put up a business in medical transcription (MT), with me as his right hand. He didn’t have an MT background but he was persuaded by a friend who promised to help him. This certain friend was very unprofessional. To make the long, painful story short, we decided to close the office and cut our losses. It had been a big mistake. Money kept on going out but we never gained anything from it. My dad kept on paying the office bills from the rent, internet, electricity to the employees’ monthly salaries. As my dad puts it, “it was like getting strangers from the street, training them and paying them to do nothing.” I had to laugh at that remark. A lot of time and money were wasted.

I gained some positive things from this experience, I’m not going to lie. I am most especially proud to say that my relationship with my dad has definitely improved. I was able to get through his strict facade. Imagine having to spend more than eight straight hours together in the office plus our eatery/restaurant-searching for lunch. Supervising our transcriptionists taught me that I can handle people. I was able to gain their trust and they came to me when they had concerns. It wasn’t easy to be the assistant of the boss, especially if that boss is my dad. He wouldn’t last 30+ years in Johnson and Johnson if he isn’t who he is. But I got over it. I wasn’t even afraid to voice out my ideas. I earned his trust too.

I am unemployed once again. I am among the millions of unemployed Filipinos. Insecurities and fears are setting in. My self esteem is not cooperating at all. I am over the month of sleeping and waking up doing nothing. I’m through being carefree. I badly need a motivation… or maybe a Sunstar Sunday paper.

Originally posted on 4-13-10 at neekulmarie.tumblr.com

Of His Dread Locks

Before Ayk aka Big Marvin and I were together, he used to have dreadlocks. I was a never a fan of that hairstyle because honestly I perceived it as untidy and dirty. Really, why torture your hair??? I had a change of heart, okay just a little, when Ayk told me about his interest (obsession?) in reggae and Bob Marley. Plus he told me how he shampoos and takes care of his hair. His dreads at that time wouldn’t last long he said, since he would be shifting to nursing where long hair is a big no no, how much more his well-loved dreads. It was really a big deal when he had to cut it. He took painful baby steps. Instead of completely shaving his hair off, he cut it first and had shorter locks. He then removed the muddled lump of locked hair and I thought it was a mess. (Sorry panggs! hehe) I was so relieved when he finally shaved it!

It’s definitely obvious that Ayk missed his hair. When he would see people with dreadlocks, he can’t help but comment about them. He would often make hints of having dreads again. Not going to happen!

Persistence really pays off. Ayk has been growing his hair. He said that he wanted to flaunt his curly hair. It really looked good on him and people started to appreciate it. Well, it was until his curls were too long that it was untidy already. I was annoyed of how it looked. One time, he tried using a hair tie which for me was worse. At that moment, I half-halfheartedly said that dreadlocks would look neater. O-oh! Wrong move. You should have seen the look on his face when I said that. He was like a little boy who was told he could buy any toy that he wanted. Even if at that moment I wanted to take what I said, I didn’t. He promised that he will just have it for the summer. He hurriedly got his phone and contacted somebody to do his hair. Boy, was he fast! He immediately grabbed the opportunity before I would change my mind. Okay, I’ll just be supportive. It’s his hair anyway and I know that he would really be happy.

It’s a dream come true for somebody; or as he said dreads come true!

Original posted on neekulmarie.tumblr.com on 4-3-10.

Watermarking

A photographer, much like a painter, is an artist with the camera as his brush. Unlike paintings though, photographs are easily used without recognition to the person behind it. They can be uploaded to somebody else’s Facebook account in a few seconds. Every photographer, professional and enthusiast alike, would like to “brand” his masterpiece as his own.

For months I have been trying to find the best “brand” or watermark as they call it for my photos. I used different font styles and colors available in photoshop but nothing seemed to work. Some looked boring, others looked annoying. The process was also time-consuming. To make matters worse, I don’t seem to remember the name of the font and the size is always different.

Out of boredom, I made a simple two-dimensional whatchamacallit… just a bunch of shapes that formed a camera with NEEKUL as a brand. I then inserted my family name. Viola! My own watermark. It’s very easy to transfer to the photos but I don’t exactly know where to position it yet. It can easily be cropped if I put on the far end but I don’t want it to steal the limelight from the photograph itself. It still has flaws but it will do for today.

*A repost from neekulmarie.tumblr.com on 3-25-10.

First Thing's First

Approximately two months ago, I decided to work on a blog site. I chose Tumblr but unfortunately I wasn't really pleased with it. It didn't really suit me. At first I thought it was cute but I later on realized that I'm over that cutesy-cutesy phase.

As I wrote on my first Tumblr post, I need an outlet for the ideas that I have in my mind. I used to think I am a writer. Now I just feel like an unsharpened pencil who needs a hand to make a move. I truly believe I have the potential to write if only someone would kick my lazy butt. I certainly hope I can keep up with this. There were a lot of failed attempts in the past; from the traditional pen and paper journal to social network blogs. I have a strong feeling blogspot would work for me this time.

I plan to make blogging regular, including some pictures that I take but I don't see it as a daily writing because it's impossible. Aside from having other things to do, I take my time when I write. I edit and edit. Then edit some more until I am fully satisfied. I'm still unsure weather to keep my Tumblr or not but I will surely repost my blogs here.