Stories

Almost everyday when we go home I have this glimpse of  a wonderful sunset in Dammam. I think every sunset is very much beautiful especially when you think that somewhere out there in another place the sun will be shining again and again everyday. It reminds us of the hope and life cycle that we are going through everyday life. It is a constant reminder that still there are wonderful things going on with our life. Life is precious. Life is sacred. Sometimes when I am alone and bored I go this place called Seiko. It is somehow the center of Dammam but with a local touch. It means that most of the masses or ordinary people gather here and buy merchandise of all kinds. And there is this cheap coffee shop. I go there just to sit and reflect what those people are doing and what have I might missed and think of the future which somehow so unclear. I just think and thanks God that despite everything I am still luckier to some degree as compared to other people. But look at their f...

November 1. All Saint's Day but in the Philippines it is the day that we go to cemetery and visit and give some prayers to our loved ones who passed away. An occasion that is embedded in our culture and to pay respect and to remember all the memories that we have when our loved ones are still alive. To my Tatay, my Tiyas and Tiyos, Lolos and Lolas- I am offering some prayers to you this day since I am very far away from home.

This may serve as an update(s). Yesterday I was talking to Harry via FB messenger ( only yesterday that we knew it could be used as voice call hahahaha!) and he was so very happy and so excited for his one-month (or longer for life?) in the Big Apple on December. I have seen his facebook status about conquering the City That Never Sleeps but quietly believed it until I spoke to him for confirmation. And he was into it. He told me that he just applied for a tourist visa to US and everything fell into places as God planned for him. He was given a 10 or 15 year multiple visa. Lucky him!  A few months ago when I was still struggling to adjust here in Dammam I got some friends to look into that will make my homesick-ness bearable. One of them was Cesar. He was my elementary classmate in Ilijan back then and a very good friend of mine. He said before that he will go back to the Philippines and will settle there for some reason. To have a baby. However after several months of sta...

Last year or two years ago  if I am not mistaken we have our "vitalization" in Pagsanjan Falls with my previous company. I remember that I have mentioned in my blog post here about the "bangkero" or boatman who almost carry us literally in their boat all the way to the wonderful site of the Pagsanjan Fall. And we have known that one of our bangkero is doing the same job for 27 or 37 years! Imagine that! And last night  I encountered another old man here in Saudi with the same story. While waiting for the realty agent ( we are looking for a new flat) in Manila Shopping Center in Seiko District, an old man approached us and asked if we want balot. I bought two pieces for 4 Saudi Riyals each. The old man was about 60 I guess and we were right because we had about 5 or 10 minutes conversations with him. He was 62 this year and he was from Rosario Batangas, a kababayan indeed! And not to our surprise he is now on his 23rd year here in Saudi Arabia. He is a simple manan...

After my barber shop session at the Salon de Manila near the Bamboo Kabayan Restaurant, I went to Jarir Bookstore and bought The Time Keeper by Mitch Albom ( where's the photo? - not yet ready!). And now it is there..

Some days are really just fun and exciting and some days are just normal and unexpected things happen. Sometimes we have to be prepared to all circumstances. We must be just like that wires and switch that anytime can be turned off or on depending on a situation in life. But is it really like that in real life? We hope so. A couple of nights ago we went to a hospital here in Dammam to see my friend and elementary classmate Gerry. We have to seek his assistance for a medical check-up of one of my fellow Filipino here in Dammam. Thanks God Gerry was there in that big Mouwasat Hospital. He was a supervisor of general services of that big government hospital here in our place. He almost ran the "show" for all the cleanliness and order of the whole hospital. It was so big we were lost in maze of hallways and floors. The medical check up did not last that long because Gerry made it clear that we will be prioritized. And he did. Then we went to his house just a walk away from...

Got so hungry? well the world is an instant restaurant..just grab a can opener and use your hand..everything will be just a spoon and fork away..to satisfy your hunger..especially in Saudi hehehe!

At first I do not know what it is. And then someone lit a cigarette and put it in such metal thing. An ash tray. Designed to be that way as it is used in industrial spaces like in our power plant. Design. Our life. Our surroundings. Everything is according to the Grand Design? I get it from a philosophy book. But sometimes I don't care about design. We are the one designing our life. Of course with the guidance from Above if you believe. Or sometimes our very own existence designed someone else's.

Definitely the process of losing weight has its own downside since I really have to deprive myself of the amount of delicious food to take. Take note of the word amount. I am not on a diet or something but on taking minimal calories as I want to be. I am still on eating such "prohibited" foods but on a very low quantity. And guess what? I am feeling better and better each day. I thought the sun will not shine this morning. It is August month and I am expecting such heavy rains and storm but to my surprise the brightest object in the sky is radiating its heat that seems to invite me to go on a trip once again. But where? I have two in mind. Go east or go south though  north of me now. Sounds weird? It is not. I checked on my two nephews this morning and they are so busy doing some chores. Arvin is sick of seems to be chickungunya which translated into "tuko" in Tagalog language. Though similar to dengue it is not dengue and yes it is caused by mosquito too. And o...

Yesterday as I had become ninong again..this time to Mylene's son Geof Adriel in San Isidro Batangas City..

I am talking about two stories. Two fathers one in each story and a lost woman in one story. A movie. More or less. A weekend of doing nothing but eat and drink and watch movies. And lots of sleep. With the fifth installment of Die Hard I can assure you that it is worth your hundred bucks. An action-packed movie with some dramatic content along the story of a father and son and the usual Bruce Willis' dialogue makes the movie not only worthwhile to watch but be amazed at how those ammunition and fire power got on the entire run of the film. You can never be wrong that Die Hard really does not disappoint its moviegoers that mostly comprised of not so young individuals like me. Maybe we really cannot moved on with our hang-over with the four previous Die Hard franchise. And another one which eat up my afternoon yesterday was the Nicholas Spark's adaptation into film of his work Safe Haven. The usual Sparks's love story; so simple yet so true-to-life. And we do not need ...

Almost every week I am on road. I travel. Be on a bus, or from a friend's car I am always on the go. I always feature some restaurants or coffee shops that make the travel and visit a worthwhile endeavor. And on this summer,if it will push through, we have two major summer route escapade for 2013. The Pinatubo Trekking Adventure and the Boracay Getaway! I can't wait to see those two wonderful destinations! Yesterday we have booked ourselves for the Pinatubo trekking while on the Boracay exit we are still gathering some cousins and friends to join with us. And thanks to Google Photos I can have a sneak peak to these two awesome places! and of course the famous Boracay Island and we will go there via 2Go, a shipping vessel from Batangas City Port to Caticlan.

Together with Tita Sol and others my mother went to Las Vegas last January and had some fun looking at those buildings, those casinos, and other variety of sight-seeing extravagant that the City Of Lights has to offer. Though it was much colder there it did not stopped them from going out and see what the city has to offer.