blogging in HK!

this is my first blog in Hong Kong. it's our honeymoon. i feel love love love!

first night @ silka west kowloon...

eating food after we got lost in hongkong...

i appreciate and love her better each moment we're together. thank God i found her. if you're 5 or 10 years married, i know that you would say "oh, sa umpisa lang yan". but we rather cherish these moments, duh ba? 

Related Posts:

pre-nuptial pictures

Road to Eternity: Our Way to Daet
Second Day to Eternity: Few more Steps
araw ng pagbubuklod...
kuya jenn's big day!

Read more »

This is THE DAY!

oh well, here are some of the pictures last Feb 8. it was such a momentous event for me and my agom. we may not spend the whole day together because we have a lot of visitors to entertain. 

it may not be perfect but it's the fruit of our labor. thank you everyone for making this day possible.

Related Posts:

Second Day to Eternity: Few more Steps

2nd Day: A Sad Day

Road to Eternity: Our Way to Daet

araw ng pagbubuklod...

pre-nuptial pictures

Read more »

kuya jenn's big day!

oh january 2013. its month full of things to-do. work isn't so helpful as well because we have a lot of things to do. boo! anyways, january is special to me because it's going to be my kuya jenn's birthday. so happy for him. it's my first time that we have a family picture. lol! with my girlfriend and everyone.

ruth, jasmin, joel, mom, edu and flor (clockwise from above) 

kuya jenn and ate janice...

next stop...my wedding!

Related Posts:

camarines norte trip v.01

kahapon

camarines norte trip v.01

2012 christmas!

going back to basics

Read more »

my new year's letter v.2013

dear God - 

almost all people would agree that every year is always the year of the lord - it's your year. thank you for 2012. it's fruitful and an awesome year. as i go back and see my blog entries for each month, i see compassion and warmth. i can still see the zeal and excitement to be a better person. i can say that I AM A WORK IN PROGRESS. 

this is from here.

...thank you for my family. 2012 is the year when my younger sister settled down. we used to be 3 frickle-minded kids (by heart) in the house and now my mom was left with two. lol! it took us a while before we adjust in the house yet we did it - with your grace. 2013 is going to be different because i will be the one to settle down. but i know you will find a way. we can adjust and we can cope. 

thank you for my mom's health. each year, i see how her health degrades. i can feel and see it. keep her safe. please make my sisters safe and sound. 

...thank you for my work. this year is not a good year for me but certain turn of events are making me more patient and less aggressive. thank you for giving me this job - a job that i never dreamt of. i am not going to elaborate it further. lol!

...thank you for traveling with me. i was able to attend the national youth pilgrimage this year. this is special because it was my last one as a bachelor and first time with my girlfriend. it's like "getting to know you" stage for me and my girl. lol! but it was fun! at least, i know what she doesn't want and what to expect. 

palawan, palawan, palawan. it's an ace. it's world class. i've been to so many places but puerto princesa is fantastic. thank you for giving me the opportunity to spend quality time with my mom in such a awesome place.

...thank you for giving my girlfriend - my fiance. love is love. thank you for everything. you've created a not so perfect girl to complement a not so perfect guy like me. thank you!

...thank you for helping me how to discern. i've never thought that my life will change the way like this. the word "thanks" is an understatement to express how i feel. though we failed failed to surpass the second scrutiny, but the feeling is great. i am proud of my community and i can't see myself without the way. 

love, 

edu

Related Posts:

my new year's letter v.2012

2nd chance

here comes the groom

puerto princesa trip with mom: a mother and son bonding v.04

twelve for 2012

Read more »

2012 christmas!

today is december 24!

this is from here.

wow! few more hours and its going to be christmas. life is little less complicated this year. it's not because i don't have any problem but because i know the reason why God is giving me such trouble and pain. as the world celebrates Jesus' birthday, our family celebrates it as well.

i am no longer a child to look for santa clause. old and mature enough to say that God is my saviour! He is my strength for I am weak. it is just right to give him thanks and praise!

Related Posts:

christmas in chicago

merry christmas...
my new year's letter
pasko na sinta ko...
going back to basics

Read more »

second time around...

convivence is done. i think i personally need it, i need it! first day is kinda harsh. harsh to accept that we are in a dorm type room instead of a comfortable one. lol! a lot of people are using the retreat house. Mary the Queen communities were there for their echo. in fact, there are two groups of people doing the echo. we started kinda late - around 9.30 pm. had three readings - awesome readings - which made my day. we ended the day with silence. no talk. 

second day started with (of course) morning lauds. and a lot of talk with from catechists. afterwards, the dreaded questionnaire. it is true. when you try to answer the same questions for the second time, words will be different. the so-called situation and your mind set are completely different. we were grouped with other parishes. pa and i became group 6 - our group mates? they are all oldies. fortunately, their answers are direct and concise. awesome group! day ended with eucharist. 

last day is morning lauds with some readings. perfect day to finish the whole convivence is to explain everything in plain words. ahehehe. i can't explain things as they are because its going to be complicated. in any ways, the experience is a awesome as our first one. december 2 is the final stage. hope that we'll do well. =) . 

Related Posts:

2nd chance

last day of this year's convivence

3rd day Regional Convivence - A Test of Patience and Understanding

2nd day Regional Convivence 2012 - a day to cherish

1st night: Regional Convivence 2012

Read more »

mrs. evangelista

i love ma'am evangelista. without her, i will not be able to study in cafuir learning center. she's the instrument that God sent for me to be a cafuirian. i am proud to be one.

she taught me a lot of things. she may not be the perfect role model/teacher/mentor but she is good in managing people. she should've been a good principal of the school - if she was given a chance to do so. she also has "the heart". ma'am evangelista is not just a teacher to me but my mother in school. she sees to it that everyone is well supported in terms of good and quality education.

i may not be a perfect son to him but i hope that she's happy for where i am right now.

where ever you are, ma'am clarita evangelista - you will surely be missed.

both pictures are from her facebook account.

Related Posts:

I met Morrie

25 Random Things

Lost Memory of Tejeros Convention v.2

goodbye sec. jesse robredo

goodbye angelo reyes

Read more »

here comes the groom

it is officially out. my girlfriend and i are getting married. whew! i am a little excited yet a little scared. time for preparations is a little compressed and logistics wise it will be a challenge. reason is that we're here in cavite and the wedding is gonna be in Daet, Camarines Norte. hhaayy...

anyhow, life is a challenge - i know that. and this is a challenge for both of us. no matter what happen, that day is going to a date to remember. preparations is just part of the wedding.

...entourage list.
...flowers.
...food and cakes/reception.
...photographers.
...hotel reservations.
...gowns and suits.
...church preparations.
...paper works.
...etc...

i am going to freak out if i will list down everything! lol!

come what may! God knows everything!

Related Posts:

i am glad i found one

time

shoes for me

birthday month

under on my birthday...

Read more »

Lorenzo on Lost Opportunity

Lorenzo's Time never fails to impress me. The story is becoming more and more interesting. I am loving it so much.

Last Thu, I have no work. Sorry, the phrase should have been - CHOSE NOT TO WORK. I still have my comp times so taking a day leave is not a problem. The wound is still fresh. Hahaha! And while they are working, I am watching Lorenzo's Time. In the scene, Lorenzo was talking to his pal (and lost brother) Jonas about lost opportunities. Here's their conversation:

 JONAS (J): Nanghihinayang lang kasi ako sa opportunity ng project na yun, nawala. At wala naman akong magagawa eh. Badtrip lang kasi, kala ko kasi sabi mo di ba? Pamilya tayo eh. Brad nga tayo eh. Kaso sa parang wala lang yun.

LORENZO (L): Hindi ah. Hindi ganun yun. Saka wala naman akong intensyon na di ka pagbigyan eh. So Brad, para maniwala ka. Sa susunod na humiling ka, pagbibigyan na kita.

J: Talaga?

L: Oo, promise.

J: Sige.

L: Ano, bati na tayo?

(sabay appear nila Jonas at Lorenzo)

L: Tsaka Brad, wag kang matakot mawalan ng pagkakataon. Magaling ka naman eh. Masipag pa. So, sigurado ako marami pang magagandang oppotunities ang darating sa iyo.
 
J: Salamat Brad.

this is from here.

While hearing the conversation between the two, i almost forget myself. I was so touched with their conversation. It struck me so much and found myself in Jonas' foot. My girl and I talked about it and she was so happy how that program influenced me so much. Thank you Lorenzo. Go Lorenzo's Time!

Related Posts:
burn notice
budoy
Princess Hours
white collar
kung maputi na ang buhok ko by noel cabangon

Read more »

eucharist will be eucharist

eucharist will be eucharist. every night is a night to remember. every celebration is a conversation to cherish. for the past two saturdays celebrating the eucharist, i should say that the priests rock! father glen and father migz were really great in delivering their sermons/homilies. 

father glen. august 25 eucharist is more than like a eucharist. it's a conversation with God which tells us what love and marriage is all about. it's so funny because a lot of people shared about the readings. one particular thing that struck me is the second reading from ephesians 5: 21 - 32. you can read it here - its in tagalog because i am a tagalog. =) . 

in the reading, it talks about submission - not just the wives/women to their husbands/men but vice versa. father glen talks about this submission by giving an example about a "may-december" love affair - where a woman is a lot older than a man - of course it can be the other way around. father glen said and i quote

ang tunay na pagpapasakop ay yung pag-tingin sa kagandahan at biyaya ng bawat isa. 

real submission is looking into the gifts and inner beauty of one another.

and it's true right? this is why, it is important to look for someone that will not just make you feel comfortable dealing with (e.g. physical features) but also look for the gift of one another. something that will make you say, "she changed me for the better.". and i think i found the one. 

thank you father glen for this. 

father migz. september 1 eucharist is a completely different thing. i see a God who reminded me that life must go on. i must say that i'm not doing good these past few days because of assessments and probably promotion. and quite devastated about it. of course, i can't talk things in detail but God reminded me of something. 

it was almost the end of his homily. father migz stopped and talked about the following God's will. 

ang kalooban/kagustuhan ng Diyos ay napakahirap unawain. pero kung tayo ay papa-loob sa Kanyang kagustuhan ay saka lang tayo magiging kaloob ng Diyos, isang regalo. 

following God's will is difficult to comprehend. but if you'll just obey His spirit, that is when you'll become a gift. 

probably, it's really not yet my time. not time to have a rating that i want. probably, i'll do something different this year. something i never did before. just like the lesson in "who moved my cheese?" by spencer johnson, i just have to look for another way to get what i want. well, i guess this is enough. God talked to me last night  in the presence of father migz and i know i feel better. 

thank you father migz for this.

one of our eucharistic celebrations.

Related Posts:

easter vigil with my family

echo 2011

holy week is over

sover tired fighting for what he wants

agosto 31

Read more »

katapusan ng agosto

noong una pa lang, nararamdaman ko na. medyo malabo yung langit. pero kahit alam ko na, ay umasa pa rin ako. at ngayong alam ko na, nagtatanong ako - bakit di pa ako nasanay? di ko alam. hehehe.

'yung batid na ng kaluluwa ko pero masakit pa rin sa dibdib.
'yung tanggap ng utak ko pero iwinawaksi ng puso ko.
'yung dapat ay magpasalamat ka pero di ko magawa. 

...ito ung dahilan kung bakit ko pinili ang Diyos kaysa itong mga bagay na ito. sa katunayan, nagdadalamhati pa ako ngayon. gusto ko sanang mag-salita ng marami pero di ko magawa. syempre, kailangan ay respeto na lamang.

kahapon, malakas na naman ang ulan - sumabay sa pagdarahop ng aking puso. akala ko ay patuloy na naman ang pagbagsak nito mula sa langit. lumipas ang ilang oras, pilit nang dumidilat ang aking mga mata. sa aking paggising, naramdaman ko agad ang pagmamahal ng Diyos. liwanag ang bumalot sa aking kapaligiran. nagbabadya ang pagpaparamdam ni Haring Araw at kasabay ang pagtawag ng Panginoon.

tama, sa gitna ng aking nararamdamang pagdarahop ay mahal ako ng Panginoon. sa gitna ng kadiliman ay sisikat ang araw. salamat sa Diyos!

bukang liwayway sa Zaragosa, Espana

Related Posts:
august 31
Road Block
Ang tagulaylay ng isang anak
Uncomfortable Feelings
12.01 am

Read more »

world youth day - a year after...

january of 2011. its the time of the year when i asked my manager to for a leave on the whole month of august. no one can stop me. and indeed! august 2011 - a year ago - when i attended the world youth day in madrid, spain. 

its when i saw the pope and hear his voice while saying - "stay with me...". pope is saying those words when the winds were so strong and rain is pouring all over us. it was really an experience to remember. something that i should cherish while i am still alive. this will serve as the oil to keep my faith burning!

 life is something we should cherish. it has been a year since i visited a place i would really love to go and an event i would really want to attend. world youth day in madrid of august 2011. 

here are some of my pics >>

a view on our way to avila from zaragoza.

my friends in street of toledo.

in javier - this is where st. francis of xavier was baptized.

@ huesca, during our popular mission.

@ islazul.

Related Posts:

pilgrimage to madrid v.01

pilgrimage to madrid v.02

pilgrimage to madrid v.03

pilgrimage to madrid v.04

pilgrimage to madrid v.05

pilgrimage to madrid v.06

pilgrimage to madrid v.07

pilgrimage to madrid v.08

pilgrimage to madrid v.09

pilgrimage to madrid v.10

Read more »

the filipino spirit is water proof

i am so proud of being a filipino. no matter what other people say! sa pinag-daanan na namang kalamidad ng ating bansa, makikita ang katatagan nang bawat isa para lumaban sa hamon ng buhay. makikita ang kabayanihan ng bawat isa.

photo from here.

picture from here.

true. the statement below is a clear description of filipino spirit - WATER PROOF. no matter what foreigners say against us and even some filipinos describe fellow filipinos. I THANK GOD, I AM FILIPINO.

picture from here.

Related Posts:
I celebrated a life
miss earth
baha, baha at baha pa rin...
shamcey supsup
proud to be pinoy

Read more »

enhanced monsoon rain

no storm signal number but the weather is so bad. floods were all over the street. believe me, our place is not a flood prone area but got flooded. wah! it reached to our kitchen extension. well, i admit that it's less elevated. i am a little nervous because it's the first time it happened.

it was three am, i am deep asleep when my mom woke me up. she said that we need to pull the washing machine out of the kitchen because it is already flooded. my initial reaction was, "WHAT?!". and indeed, the kitchen is already flooded. i checked the place again and saw that the our water pump will soon sink. we - my mom, my sis and i - decided not to sleep and monitor the flood. assess if we need to move some of our things to more elevated ones. based from my estimate, if rain continues this way for the next few hours, it will reach to our house.

after thirty minutes, the rain somehow subsided. God is great! i texted my girlfriend but no reply. seems that she's deeply sleeping. i texted some members of my community. it was just ate susan who replied back. she told me that the flood reached inside mommy osie's place! as in oh my!

anyways, God is so great! he is helping us. no major catastrophic event happened. i was so amazed on how this enhanced monsoon rain did to our place and to our country.

outside our house.

in our kitchen - kita pa yung pinagkainan namin. lol!

See some articles Palace cancels classes in NCR, provinces for Aug 9, Several provinces, cities declare state of calamity and Aerial view and more photos of the monsoon flood.

Related Posts:
ferdie, it's raining
My Millenium Experience I
free rave run
paano ba gumamit ng palo palo?
baha, baha at baha pa rin...

Read more »

white collar

if there is something that i miss watching in american television, it should have been - WHITE COLLAR. i love the story of white collar. i even downloaded all season - 1 to 3. ooopppss! i mean, got a copy of all three seasons.

even before i enjoyed watching burn notice, white collar has been my favorite ever since. and when i heard that it was renewed in USA (american channel) for 4th season, i felt so happy.

the picture is from here.

for those who's unaware, neal caffrey (matt bomer) is a con-man. he's great in everything that he does. he can speak 8 different languages - including conversational swahili. here in the philippines, he can be called as "palos" - which means he can escape to barely everything. barely because there was one white collar crime agent (white collar is a branch of FBI that deals with white collar crimes). who caught him twice, it was peter burke (tim dekay). he has this problem of trusting his neal. trusting? yes. they became partners in solving some white collar crimes. see, peter and neal became partners - neal knows a lot of different things in white collar jobs while peter has the resources and proper intelligence to get things done.

i so love this series!

Related Posts:
family betrayal
burn notice
Princess Hours
chicago's taste
christmas in chicago

Read more »

new feel, new look

this is it! i mentioned this a couple of weeks/months ago - think about changing - and here! my blog's skin is now new. i chose this skin for it has everything i need - easy to navigate, more interactive, awesome feature and somehow manly. lol!

to my readers, hope you'll like it because i love it. thanks to some free online themes.

Related Posts:
think about changing
shoes for me
happy mother's day!
butter and dragon
birthday month

Read more »

happy mother's day!

people always claim that their mom is the greatest. i don't. when you say "greatest", you're comparing your mom to other moms which i don't. MY MOM IS INCOMPARABLE. i love my mom so much! i thank God for He has given me a mom like her...

picture with my mama (by kuya pops).

Related Posts:
happy birthday mama!
ganun pala yung feeling!
ang "weekend" ko
the pink run
isang katotohanan na mahirap takasan

Read more »

things i learned from national youth pilgrimage...

things i learned from national youth pilgrimage...

a. marriage and sex. sounds totally out of the blue. we had a two by two experience and was able to talk to a couple. we cut the bible, and found a verse about sex and marriage. it's very timing, i am with my girlfriend and we were talking to a young couple. lol! i don't want to expound it but it makes me love my girlfriend more.

b. do not wear shorts. this one is funny. it was second day of the pilgrimage when i wore shorts. i know it's going to be hot and humid day - so i decided to make myself a little comfortable. unfortunately, my girl is not cool with it. lol! i know she's just concern and i somehow realize that. tugs tugs!

c. lower your expectations. the people in guiuan are awesome and very hospitable. unfortunately, the place that we've been to is hot and humid. i was expecting a little comfort but its really bad. given this, i make "reklamo" a part of my vocabulary. lesson is to lower your expectations so that lesser "reklamo"...

d. "God called me to enjoy suffering". this came from weng, one of the inmates in prison that we have visited. those words is a virus that makes me felt so good and how lucky am i to be free and enjoy the outside world.

so far, this is the most memorable pilgrimage. so awesome and so great.

Related Posts:
pilgrimage to madrid v.04
things i learned in WYD!
national youth pilgrimage leyte/samar v.01
NYP meeting @ St. James
national youth pilgrimage leyte/samar v.03

Read more »

national youth pilgrimage leyte/samar v.03

third day is not that exciting. its our last day in guiuan, i will truly miss the place. we had our little chat with the people who resides in the place, then we sung some songs. people from other parishes seem enjoying their stay at tubabao, so we decided to go ahead of them. also, i am quite excited with kuya pops shot of the day - he plans to take a photo of us four while riding the local banca. yahoo!!!

four of us in a banca. yahoo!

our journey will start from guiuan cathedral then to tacloban where we're going to take our lunch then to ormoc city. more or less, we spent the whole day traveling. its so fun because i have flor beside me. ahehehe.

the catechists rented two vans to accommodate people who were seated uncomfortably. kuya pops, p.a., albert and dan were in one of the vans with father paulo. while the rest of us were comfortably seated in the bus. we stopped for a while @ san juanico bridge. i am not amazed with it, lol! its like a regular bridge for me.

oopps, tinakpan ko...lol!

ocho restau is our destination in tacloban. the food is...fine. nothing very fiesty. the dessert is awesome. lol! jessica and jessa volunteered to buy ice cream from jobee and mcdo. lol! going to ormoc, is another three to four hour trip. rollie and susan took this opportunity for a little "bible cutting". we stopped by several times for wiwi break and to visit mc arthur in palo, leyte. ahehehe. yes, i wasn't really expecting that i'll meet him.

@ palo, leyte.

after calling several people, susan finally called me. the reading is simple yet some meaty. its about jesus asking a lady to give him water. jesus mentioned something about the living water. a simple yet so daring. for God has really came to me and told me things that i never expected. tears almost fell from to my cheek but i was able to manage it. lol!

we reached the place almost 7 pm. we had our room assignments, ate our dinner then off to peter paul church for the eucharist. the celebration is good enough but the songs are very lively! awesome! i love dayenu!

room for sleeping is perfect! after two nights of hot attic, we can finally sleep in a cozy bed with aircon. lol!

Related Posts:
pilgrimage to madrid v.09
pilgrimage to madrid v.03
pilgrimage v.04
national youth pilgrimage leyte/samar v.01
things i learned in WYD!

Read more »

national youth pilgrimage leyte/samar v.02

ayun! day 2 is awesome. we had our popular mission in salcedo - a nearby town of guiuan.  before got there, we had a small procession. i volunteered myself to bring the cross. i am in full battle gear. lol!

procession to the public market. (by kuya pops)

we started the mission by the sharing of some brothers. rollie asked for volunteers and i did not know where the name of "edu" came from. so, i did! i expressed how faithful God is. even from start of the way. we did two by two in the market place. i was with richmon.

while sharing during the popular mission. (by kuya pops)

break time with dan and albert. (by kuya pops)

after the popular mission, we ate in a restau then off to the beach to feel the water. the place is so beautiful and awesome. flor wanted to have buko juice and she ordered some. it tastes so sweet - different from what we have here in cavite.

a small island in guiuan beach.

next stop is jail. we were assigned in guiuan municipal jail. i had the cross - of course. while doing the popular mission, i got pissed off to some peeps taking photo of the inmates inside the barricade. for me, it was very in-approriate to do that. anyhow, the mission is so great. an inmate named - weng - uttered:

God called me to enjoy suffering!

what a wonderful statement from a person who has suffered and is suffering.

we ended the day with a eucharist then off to tubabao cove. still, no electric fan. got no choice...

Related Posts:
pilgrimage v.05
pilgrimage v.01
pilgrimage to madrid v.06
national youth pilgrimage leyte/samar v.01
things i learned in WYD!

Read more »