Always in pursuit of something, that’s my state of mind.

Blogging to the tune of Bless the Broken Road
interpreted by Carrie Underwood for AI4

In the span of four months I have fallen in love with a British guy; gotten my hopes up for a Welsh man; was told by another British guy that he likes me and he likes me a lot; was indecently proposed to by an Australian Aborigine; and now have fallen yet again…

Friends, I have been very busy and sick the past three weeks. Busy with my new amore. An amore who I wish will be mine forever. I don’t know where to begin my story or which part of that story would be interesting enough for you guys to enjoy. What I can say is that I have not been happier and more satisfied in my love life before this day.

Joshua is Pinoy. I met him through Winnie, Project Manager for Consunji’s 7 Stones project here in Boracay. He said he’s been interested to meet me way before when his ex-girlfriend’s mom, Aday, my headache of a staff at the salon, would be telling bad stuff about me to him. He is an electrician for construction works. (Yes, Adrian, construe) And he isn’t bad looking either, as my friend, Jing-jing, said “In fairness, may itsura.” His family’s roots are from Boracay but he grew up in Manila. He was a Political Science Scholar at the Adamson University, unfortunately financial situations didn’t permit him to finish his course. Now he does contracting in small construction works for different individuals and establishments and mainly does electrical jobs.

During the first few weeks of our courtship, I told him that he should be careful not to fall in love with me because I’m nuts and I’m broken. He didn’t say anything nor did he try to fix me but he stayed with me during the craziest moments of my Boracay love song. Until one Saturday night, as I was telling my friend, Louella, about my Pinoy suitor, she told me “You should tell him not to see you anymore, if you really don’t want him.”

And true, I was just being selfish as I kept him near while I go around flirting with different flirtables. But Louella’s words hit me like lightning: I do want him already. I guess it was the attention he showered me; the fruits he brought for me; his quick responses to my texts; his patience to withstand my crazies; him.

My brain is telling me not to follow my heart; that once again my heart is making me think and do crazy things. However, this could be my one great love. No one knows the road ahead, anyway. I’d rather thread the unknown holding hands with the man who may love me more than I can ever love him back.

Lesson learned: Nobody loves like a Pinoy man.

I think that’s what I miss most in Manila. As much as I have loads of friends and relatives that may keep me company at any given time. In Manila, I can be just one of them faces that fade in the background. Nobody can really know what you’re doing unless you tell them.

In Boracay, everybody knows everybody else’s business!!! GRRRRRRR!!! Even at your most private moments. OHHH sooohhhh hate it!

I had the sheer misfortune of finding this out the hard way. SUCKS!

1. You bump into people in weird places.
2. I’m neighbors with a white officemate who hardly smiles.
3. The caring Nanay who owns the carenderia always knows my mood for the day.
4. You never know who knows what you’ve done. People I hardly know, people I JUST met are knowledgeable of my previous liaison(s).
5. I was having a terrible day yesterday. And as usual I made Raz call me but the phone I was using would turn off so often that I had to borrow a phone and stay stuck by the outlet of this small crepe place. For some reason, someone saw me upset, and by that afternoon, a friend of mine already told me that I’ve been upset that morning.
6. You find out about other people’s business without even asking.
7. Every single Filipina who has married a white guy thinks you’re the enemy.
8. You’d think that since it’s an island populated by westerners, people would be more liberated and wouldn’t care less about other’s going ons but NO, that’s bull crap.
9. Faking emotions and keeping things hush-hush is common practice. 
10. The end all and be all, you have to be more careful with living your life.

An ode to those 3-grueling-yet-most-amazing-weeks of my entire college life. I think it was when I took my first baby steps towards adulthood. (or possibly towards being an adventurous and open-minded alcoholic)

BROAD ASS BATCH NinetyEight

Ayalin, Adrian Mangaoang

Carballo, Mark Anthony Adamos

Castillo, Marian de Guzman

Clerigo, Angelico Berses

Cordero, Forsyth Nunez

de la Torre, Raz Sobida

Dizon, Lea Wynetta Canlas

Estrada, Regina Hostalero

Gahol, Carlo Roman Lopez

Laurel-Guba, Melissa Jane Tarroja

Mosatalla, Joni Colinares

Rimando, Mary Grace Dalope

Talactac, Sherlyn Perez

When I entered the College of Mass Communication on the 2nd semester of my second year at the University of the Philippines, I was greeted by a hazing looking thing of sorts for a college organization’s application. Some people donned costumes in the college. I said right away that I’ll never find myself in that situation. I don’t need no organization to survive college, much less some sorority of sorts.

Until that semester rolled by and I was on my 3rd year… A group of bright-eyed college girls and boys with wide-toothed smiles plastered on their faces went inside my Journ101 class to invite us to an orientation with free food. It was really just the free food that enticed me, (heheh)

But then a classmate of mine, Sinta, told me that she’s interested in applying in Broad Ass (short for UP-CMC Broadcasting Association) and she sort of nudged me to join as well. And I’ve always been a supportive friend (Right, Diane? After you left me with the JMAers?) .

That’s when the ball started rolling. Needless to say, I finished these 3 grueling weeks with 12 other individuals. Costume donned I was for 1 week, trying to generate money on the 2nd week, by the 3rd week, I’ve lost 10 lbs and I’ve cried more than I have before then.

More than the days spent at the veranda being made to do everything humanely or inhumanely possible in the face of Plaridel Hall, there were those moments shared with 12 other significant people in my life.

Cramped in a 1-bedroom condo unit, 5 minutes away from UP (without traffic), all 13 of us would sleep on any available space.

Our batch is possibly the most well documented batch of our time. We would have 3 separate film cameras clicking at once, Sir Alvin or Sir Kidlat would be shooting us on video. And for me the best of it is when we’d shoot each other during those moments when we were just by ourselves. Other than that we had scheduled studio shoots.

I just finished watching “The Snail Diaries” an edited video of the collected footage and pictures of our batch, which Raz, our Batch Rep made. And I always get teary eyed and laughing so hard every time I watch it. I laugh at everyone’s booboos, that insane (MJ infested) reunion we had at Raz’s house in Lipa, the ride heading home, the finals, everything. And I think I shed a tear every time I laugh at those memories (of youth).

***To you my dear Mistahs,

All 13 of us are now threading different directions in our lives. Congregating has always been difficult for us, that is why we’ve only aimed to reach a quorum. It’s sad that I can’t be part of that quorum for this year’s anniversary. We never really had a yearly celebration but I wish you guys, who could see each other there in Manila, would meet up. And as I am infamous for saying “Happy 7th anniversary it only happens ONCE.”

I think we’ve said all the cheesy stuff, we could, to each other over the years. So I won’t say anymore but just always remember that you guys are missed and that the next time I’m back there, a NinetyEight thing should be set.

Love you, batchmates, Mistahs!!!