After a hard day's work, I usually look for something nice to eat. Call it my reward, if you must. Fortunately I found one such restaurant which offers me "comfort" whenever I feel drained from work.

Introduced by colleagues from work, Shinjuku Ren is my "after-work" haven. It is located along Chino Roces (Pasong Tamo) in Makati and is practically "along the way" since I work just in Legaspi Village.

Imagine the taste of Asia in just one place!

That's how I felt when we ate at Makansutra located at the 2nd floor of Manila Ocean Park in Luneta, Manila.

Inspired by Singapore's hawkers, it reminded me the Lion City...

Hainanese chicken

Chicken satay

Kway teow. I still prefer the one from banana leaf tho

Puto bungbong and palayok!

Dirty ice cream anyone?

Jen (Esteban) Lopez with son

Wawilyne (Esteban) Hjartnes with daughter Klowie

Esteban bros

My feet faced the stairs in front of me, taking the steps two at a time. The long ride in the train was almost unbearable. Yet I concentrated on the task at hand. We would see each other again after 4 weeks. I needed to have a good, witty opening line. A line that would make her laugh, just like the old days.

5 things I realized today.
1. It's okay to cry. It doesn't make you weak. It is just a venue to renew your strength.
2. Real friends are always available, even via chat.
3. Doubts may come in the night but the morning always brings new hope
4. No regrets. There's always a reason.
5. Pray. It's what sustains us... And the most important of all.

Paano bigkasin 
Tuwang saloobin
Sa isang taong namatay
At ngayo'y muling nabuhay


Pagkat nagbalik ka
At muling binigyang buhay
Emosyong naging tigang
Ng panahong naratay


Parang napawi
Ilang panahong paghahanap
Pagtugis ng alaala
Ng panahong halos limot na


Salamat kaibigan
Nandyan ka na muli
May masasandalan
Upang lungkot ay mapawi


20100107

Pilit mong tinatanong
Kumusta ako


Kaya bang isulat
Taon ng paghihintay
Pagtitiis, dalamhati
Na lagi ikinukubli?

This is the 3rd time I have voted for the national elections. So far, my experience has always been a fast voting process. We are not talking about the more-than-a-month-long announcement of winners, okay. In the past, I arrived after lunch and I finish within 30 minutes max. This with no preparation at all - no checking of precint number, no list of candidates.

This time though I came prepared. After all I don't want to stay long as me and my brother needed to go somewhere. But I was sorely disappointed

So we arrived at 9:00 am in our precint at Paranaque High School. We came prepared as we already know our precint number, with a complete list of candidate to boot. Good thing our municipality already organized the precints beforehand. A mailman went to our house weeks before to inform us of our precint number.

But our wait to be able to vote took us almost 5 hours! We could not believe our eyes when they told us to fall in line.





The line was sooooo slow. They only allowed 2 people to come in every so often. Imagine the line, and 2 people coming in every 20 minutes or so. Not to mention those who attempted to make the usual 'singit', not minding those people who were trying to shoo them away. Talk about insensitivities!
Finally, at 2:30 pm, we were able to vote. Less than 10 minutes and we were done.
No lunch, just water that sustained us all those hours. This is how we complied with our duty for being a Filipino in the country's first automated election.

I hoped the counting will be done in 48 hours as promised.

I went to my desk and tried to settle in. As soon as I opened my mac, a message popped up "Hey, you're in time again! John! Employee of the month! =)" I laughed out loud and the others looked at me. An office mate asked me what was funny and I replied "Nothing. I think I had too much coffee". I sat down and replied to Regan. 

If only I could tell her she was the reason. She made me better. But I dared not. It was enough for her to feel what I felt. It was not yet time. Telling her would only push her away. We chatted for a while but she was called for a meeting. Sigh, we have not had any projects for the past weeks. 

I turned to the work at hand and tried to concentrate. 

Regan had been a good friend the past couple of years. We walked together, we talked. And that was it. I wished I could say more. But that was all we had. I was a fool to let this go on, knowing that I was falling deeper and deeper. Yet, like a thirsty man drawn to water, I was drawn to her. She made me realize what I had been missing from this life. I thought I had it all, but then she came, and I realized I really had nothing. 

She awakened a side of me I thought was forever gone. I thought i could not feel this way again. I thought wrong. 

They said old and bad habits die hard. But knowing her had stopped that. She did not even need to say it. The old habits just disappeared. She made me want to become a better person. It sounded cliche but it was the truth. The list would be long if I enumerate all the things I gave up. Just by knowing her.

But I knew being better was not good enough. I knew I should offer her more. Still I hesitated. Not because I was not sure. I have never been more sure than right now. But I had to fix my life. 

Perhaps she would wait. Perhaps I should tell her. But it would be unfair for her. Years divide us. An unlikely couple they would say. And sometimes I wanted to agree. But our difference in years only made us connect more. She has wisdom beyond her years; I feel the years slipping away when we talk. 

I should tell her what I was feeling. I debated time and time again. I did not have the courage, not yet. It was enough for me to let her feel. 

"John, lunch?", a message from Regan. "Sure", I replied. Maybe I would tell her. Maybe this was the moment. But then... the words would not come out. Not yet. Not all of the old habits have disappeared. Perhaps later, when I had the courage to come out clean. 

For the moment, I would bask in her presence.



Written April 18, 2010

The new day dawns at Palm Beach Laiya, Batangas

Mr. Roy Babia, seemingly going to visit his hacienda

Mr. Babia, on the sandless beach at morning low tide

The beach floor. All rocks!

Sweethearts Neil and Kim basking in the morning sun...

Just woke up (Taj, Nante and Ted)