Oh so fine oh nine! :D

Oh nine has been a fine year indeed. It was surely a roller coaster ride that I pretty much enjoyed. As the year comes to an end, let me share with you my breath-taking ride this oh-nine. :D I hope you’ll enjoy the ride like I did. Here goes…

This is in random.

My boy Barack wins --- Finally an African-American takes over the White House. I seriously think they should change its name. ;p

Singlehood rocks! --- no boyfriend, no problem. :D V-Day rocked because I had soooo many dates aka single friends like me =))

Misadventures of Dora the Negrang Lakwatsera

*Sydney-Melbourne trip with mum --- graduation gift to me :D yeeeeey! Aussie, Aussie, Aussie! Oi, Oi, Oi!!! I super ♥♥♥ down undah!

*Survivor experience --- Capones-Anawangin trip with team survivor! :D

*Tuguegarao trip --- sad trip but at least I finally reached north

THE DAY --- the reward after four years of hardship. College graduate baby!:D

inlove with YE --- can’t explain the feeling. You guys have to try it to know what I mean ♥

Ate’s off to Sushiland --- my favorite ate leaves for Japan.

family losses --- *sniff, sniff* I will surely miss all of you. =(

Great Depression --- bum for a loooong time can be frustrating

Patience is a virtue --- is this it? :D

Coming of age --- finally a man! Wickedly awesome dude! :D

Trabahador 101 --- from team coordinator to runner!

Me llamo el hombre! --- BOOOOO amarula, el hombre and shot-happy rach =))

Iskul-bukol --- back to school. This time taking up my masters

tags tags tags!!! --- my heaven ♥

OTH + OC = rach glued to the pc =)) I ♥ everyone and everything on it!

rainbow --- a lovely gift from God. The very elusive rainbow was spotted three times by yours truly this year :D

His Royal Hotness! --- I almost died of heart attack when I saw him ♥♥♥

That pretty much sums up my 2009. I experienced the highest of the highs and been thru the lowest of the lows but I still think that despite it all, it was a fine year. Let’s welcome 2010 with a bang! :D ‘til then…

Patience is a Virtue :D

Patience is a virtue… and I never got to master it until now. For the longest time, I’ve been in the house and was a bum. Someone who doesn’t have a work. Someone who highly depends on parents’ money for gimmicks. Someone you could say useless. I was that for months! Six months to be exact except for a short stint for an events company.

Like what I have blogged in the past, I took April and May off after graduation. I said to myself that it would be my last vacation. Once work starts, I won’t be enjoying that luxury anymore. As it turned out, my vacation extended more than I intended. There was a time that I was actually the one who wanted to work. But my dream company remained as it is. A dream company. I had several exams and passed them all but the interview didn’t push through.

I was deeply sad but had to get back on my feet. I sent resumes left and right. None of them appealed to me. Then, I stumbled across the events and helped out a friend. It was a fun experience since I get to be surrounded by futboleros. :) Then, I went back to job hunting. I turned all of it down, it was either not-so-good offer or too far.

So mum asked me if I wanted to go back to school instead. I did that and barely a month back in school, I got a call from my dream company and asked if I was still interested. They offered me a different position which I accepted eventually.

I am currently two weeks in training and I think that this is actually patience. I learned the art of patiently waiting and here it is, a shot to be in my dream company. I have been studying codes left and right, trying to get the best grade there is. It’s an elimination process. You must get a specific grade or you’ll be cut-off. So far, so good. I enjoy learning and have met new friends in training. I know God listens and He actually wants us to be patient. ‘til then… :)

Sesenta y uno :)

Today is THE BEST FATHER'S BIRTHDAY. :D My dad is a year older today making him sesenta y uno.

I sincerely thank God for showering pap with so much blessings the past year. :D He undeniably LOVES pap. I couldn't ask for more. Well perhaps nine more years for papa. Though pap says he wants to see the world until he's 80. So that's my only prayer, Lord. That you grant my pap's wish. I know You will. :D

I am very lucky to be pap's Princess Sarah. He and mum are really awesome. Happy, happy birthday pa! :D

You have given up office work to be with us. I am truly thankful for the bestfriend that you are.

Let’s watch cartoon movies ‘til our tummies hurt with too much laughing. Trips to Japanese 88 store sometimes bore me but I wouldn’t mind because you like that :) I know you don’t really like traveling but let’s see the world pap!

To THE BEST PAP in the world, Happy, Happy Birthday from your oh so gorgeous daughter. ;P I love you pa!

Avada Kedavra...NOT!!! :(

November 23, 2009, probably a date that will go down to history books. This was the day Efren Peñaflorida was awarded the CNN Hero of the Year. A day I was joyous about…until the Maguindanao massacre happened. :(( Amidst the triumph of Kuya Ef, a bigger news came, only it wasn’t good news. It would not even be right to brand it as sad news. It was terrible news. The CNN Awardee was mightily overshadowed by this news.

The start for filing of election candidacy is already on. As politics was such a hot “commodity” in Mindanao, they would literally kill for it. That was what happened in Maguindanao. Ampatuans and Mangudadatus were known political rivals in that part of the Philippines. Think Montagues and Capulets. If Romeo and Juliet came from rival families, Ampatuans and Mangudadatus are from different poles. Nemesis.

Everything is still under investigation but witnesses have given their affidavit and they’re pointing at the Ampatuans. After all, the victims were the Mangudadatus. Who else in this world would do that to them?? The Ampatuans gave their word that all those suspected were not in the area nor in the province when that happened.

For some strange reason, I have a strong feeling WHO did it. For the obvious reason that it happened in a famous “balwarte” of the Ampatuans, the backhoe had their name on it, I mean come on! But still, we have to let the justice system do its work. I just hope that they would be fair and square. Let those perpetrators deserve their time!

Fifty-seven people were brutally killed. Some say it’s fifty-eight but they have not seen the last body yet. 57 or 58, that is still quite a number to waste in just one blow. A total waste for the simple reason of politics. Goodness! People would really kill for power. It’s such a disgusting, pointless thing to do! Mind you, these lives were all innocent. Media people who wanted to cover and deliver news were killed as if they were vermin. I could not imagine there are soulless people walking this earth. :(

I wish they had not died. I wish that given the reality that they were killed, the manner of killing would have been fictional. Avada Kedavra. An unforgivable curse in the wizarding world would suffice. It would still be killing but rather “humane”. I remember Wormtail blowing up an entire street with that curse. It’s a killing curse. You say “Avada Kedavra!” point your wand to the person you want to kill and BOOOOOM!!! Green light flashing and then the person just drops dead, literally. I wish it was like that. Fast and no pain.

What they got instead was a slow, agonizing death. Some women were said to be raped before they were killed. The wands they used were called guns which when pointed and used against you, would be painful! Unless they showered them with bullets, it would have been a slow death, bleeding like crazy and gasping for breath.

All I could do is pray for all the souls that have departed for this useless thing. Pray for their peace and strength for their families to continue the fight for them. Pray that justice will prevail in a land where it is elusive…and if it doesn’t, I know there is that ONE God who will make sure that justice will be served when Judgment Day comes. Pray that all those responsible die of guilt or lack thereof.

My heart bleeds and weeps for everyone that died. My blog shows pain, hatred and revenge. I know that if the other side would get to read this (if they come across it…unlikely!), I could be charged of libel (what the heck!) but I know deep in my heart that this is true. YOU did it and it wasn’t Avada Kedavra. :((

Mabuhay ka Kuya Ef! :D

Once again, a Filipino brought pride to all of us. Efren Peñaflorida was one of the ten nominees for CNN’s honor award. All ten had very awesome advocacies but of course I supported our very own, Kuya Ef. More known as Kuya Ef to people, he educates little kids with the use of a kariton. Together with the DynamicTeen, they go to areas in Cavite and give lectures to kids, all for FREE using a kariton as a mobile classroom. I truly believe that the key to success is through education. Yes, Bill Gates has proven that you can actually succeed without a college diploma but how many Bill Gates do we have? I was truly inspired by Kuya Ef that I want to join their team someday…or maybe I could start my own kariton education, Las Piñas Chapter. ;p

I read about his advocacy and voted a few times with the limit per day. I’m elated that Pinoys and foreigners too voted for him. Since it was net voting, I believe that the Filipinos played a major role and voted for him. But I’d like to believe that foreigners around the world had their attention on him too. How could you not appreciate someone who is as simple as you are and make a BIG difference?

It was such a great feeling to see him, anticipating if he will receive the award. Boy, I was very happy when they called his name. :) Wearing our very own, Barong Tagalog, together with his mentor (?), he got up, beamed and went up the stage to get his well-deserved trophy. The trophy was just an icing on the cake. To be acknowledged world-wide would be the best feeling in the world. Mind you, the guy never wanted to be exposed. He only wanted people to know that if you want something, nothing will ever get in the way. If there was one thing that he wanted, that was probably to let all the people know about his advocacy. Inform the people of the advocacy but not to make himself known.

“Be the change this world needs you to be”. Collectively, all our small changes will make a big difference. I am just a simple person but Kuya Ef’s victory speech struck me and made me desire to become a better person. Man for others as the Ateneo tagline would say. You can JUST be an ORDINARY person but you do EXTRA ORDINARY things to other people. I think that’s what matters most. :)

Kuya Efren, maraming salamat dahil lalo akong naging mas proud maging Pinoy. I couldn’t really put into words my joy because of you. Thank you for being an inspiration of dreaming big and of change. I am considering of volunteering for Dynamic Teen and I want to educate kids as well. Mabuhay ka Kuya Ef! ‘til then… :)