isang hirit na lang ng babay

i've always said i'm a believer of the saying quality over quantity kaya very limited ang mga kaibigan ko.  and in the second chapter of my love affair with jubail, isang tao lang ang lagi kong kasama kung wala ako sa magulo at masayang company ng mga addikz.  it's jonas.  my long-time friend (back in the 90's pa).

as i've said in previous posts, i'm a fiery person by nature. having sun as my guiding star, hindi na kayo magtataka kung mainitin ang ulo ko.  kaya ang tendency ko is to gravitate towards people who are my opposite.  maybe jonas' element is water (hmmm... ma-research nga) dahil very cool and relaxing ang personality nya.  very easy to get along with.  kaya siguro maganda ang combination namin.

combination sa mga ED (early dinner) na bonding moments namin anytime na nakakauwi sya ng maaga from work.

to you my friend, thank you so much for all the time you've shared with me.  sa pakikinig sa aking mga kwento, hinaing, chismis, ka-kornihan, kabaliwan and sometimes kayabangan.  i just feel so comfortable sharing everything with you kaya kahit mga kwentong nakakahiya i-share sa iba, sa yo dire-diretso lang ako.

just remember yong mga sinabi ko sa iyo. specially the part where i told you na it's ok to get mad sometimes.  hahahaa...

so long my friend.  do take care of yourself.  and anytime you need me, i'm just a pm away.  i'll see you either in laguna, laoag, vigan or baguio! pag-uwi mo super tour tayo!

walang katapusang babay

In just 24 hours, maiiba ang paligid ko.  Maiiba na ang mundo ko.  At mawawala na sa paningin ko ang mga addikz (buti naman? hehehe).  Not a good prospect but that is one thing I have to bear dahil sa ginawa kong decision.  I’m sure mami-miss ko ang grupo.  No doubt about that.  Ang maganda, I’ll take home with me a thousand and one beautiful memories with you guys.  Not to mention the ten thousand pieces na yata ng pictures ng walang-sawa at walang-katapusang gimik at bonding moments natin.

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Yesterday, I’ve distributed something where I’ve written a short message to each and every one of you.  Dito ko itotodo yong longer version. My farewell message to you, the one and only addikz group. Here goes…

Ren – I’m gonna miss your deep analysis of situations as well as your commentaries that are usually  politically correct.  Para na ring may lawyer ang mga adik pag ikaw ang nagsalita. Good thing mukhang namana ni bunso ang iyong philosophical thinking. Kaya pag sya ay naging lawyer, it’s just a continuation of the dream you’ve put on hold.  Si kuya naman, I just wish na hind matuluyang maging wrestler.  Masisira ang kapogian.  As for Shiela,  I just wish you’d continue to love and cherish her.  For she’s truly a wonderful lady.  Kaya you’re lucky to have her as your partner sa pagbuo ng isang perfect family. Sila ang precious blessings mo sa buhay so do take good care of them always.  At ikaw?  Sana hindi magbago ang pagiging good provider mo sa iyong family.  At pagiging isang mabuti at ulirang pangulo ng Citrus gang.  Wag lang uulitin na mag-drive ng 2am sa khobar at magpi-peace sign ha! But you can do that shower scene again.  Anytime! Hahaha!

Ega – I hope you never cease to be the exciting person that you are.  Na pinapakinabangan ng mga adiks lalo na pagdating sa mga impromptu na lakwatsa.  Yong mga hirit na ‘saan tayo mamaya’ tapos walang kaabog-abog eh gimik na ang kalalabasan.  It doesn’t only show your love of fun but it also shows your adventurous nature.  It is your free spirit, love of life and how to enjoy it that makes you one truly interesting person.  At syempre ang super intelligence that can solve a sudoko puzzle in record time!  Matalino.  Gimikero.  Mabait.  Sumpaero (ahahhaha... peace my fwend!).  At syempre maaasahan sa lahat ng oras coz you’ve got a big heart and an even bigger bank balance!  Ang wish ko sa yo, sana matagal mo pang ma-enjoy ang company ni Mamoo.  Coz that’s something na hindi na namin magawa ni Raoul.  Nakikita naman namin how you’re loving your Mom to the max right now.  So just enjoy those days.  Saka mo na isipin kung kelan mo bibigyan ng Ninang si Sofie!

Matt –sharing movies na dini-L mo lang naman sa mga free sites is just an example of how selfless a person you are.  Ikaw yong kahit personal comfort mo ay isa-sacrifice mo para lang sa kaibigan.  I’m lucky to have spent most of the lakwatsa time with you.  Kung tama ang nakita ko lately, I think naintidihan mo na ang personality ko. nakita mo kung anong klase akong kaibigan.  Kabarkada.  Kachikahan.  Katropa.  Kasangga.  Nasakyan mo na kung ano ako at kung ano ang hindi ako.  And I hope you’ve finally realized na magaling akong co-pilot dahil meron akong sense of direction para ka na ring may GPS.  And most importantly, hindi ka aantukin sa gitna ng madilim na highway dahil sa kadaldalan ko.  I’m gonna miss those long drives, mash-up music and kwentuhan about the family. I’m looking forward to meeting them soon!

Wing – I’ll forever remember you as one cool guy dahil, most of the time tahimik at pangiti-ngiti lang.  Sa pagiging mainitin ng ulo ko, kailangan ko ng mga kaibigang tulad mo! hahaha…  What’s exciting is that meron kaming inaabangan sa iyo kahit ganyan ka ka-cool.  Ang mga one-liner mong very witty and right on cue.  God bless din sa family mo – a lovely and lively wife na tamang-tamang pang-balanse ng coolness mo.  And of course to your two boys  na lumalaking cool din because of your guidance and discipline.  I’m gonna miss them lalo na si bunso – jaaaa!!!.  God Bless sa iyo at sa iyong pamilya.  Hope to see you all in the future.

Jun – hindi kumpleto ang adiks pag wala ka.  Dahil ang ingay mo ang isa sa mga defining characteristics ng grupo.  Ang mga joke mo na sinusundan mo ng hagalpak ng tawa.  Kaya pag wala ka, madali kang ma-miss.  We’re also lucky to have met your family – Linds, Berlin and Bitoy.  At saludo ako say o dahil nakita ko mismo kung anong relationship meron ka sa iyong pamilya.  Lalo na sa iyong mga anak.  As a husband, a father and a provider, sana marami pang daddy ang matulad sa yo.  Di ka lang sa chess magaling. Pati sa parenting din!

Maccoy –  You’re one of the easiest going persons I’ve ever met.  Kaya sa lakwatsa, gathering, bonding moments, walang hirap kausap, go kung go.  Palibhasa you’re also one who knows how to enjoy life.  And that sunny outlook in life shows hindi lang sa yo kungdi pati kay Kumare.  The lovely Pops who’s one of the sweetest and fun-loving persons na na-meet ko.  What’s best, nagkataong pareho tayo ng hilig -  ang kumain! Kaya swak na swak tayo mula SK hanggang Fusion.  I hope si Kuya Alec ay maging isang mabait at proud na Kuya sa isang bubbly, healthy and super cute na bunso.  And I’m looking forward na makarga si bunso pag-uwi nyo ng Pinas.  Sa closeness na pinakita nyo sa akin, I’m damn proud to say na talagang myembro ako ng pamilyang ito.  Kahit invisible yong picture ko sa family iqama!

Ricky – Tandaan mo na sa akin mo unang narinig na ang panganay mo ay magiging isang beauty queen.  Hindi na pagdududahan dahil lumalaki syang maganda at very personable.  Manang-mana sa dunkin at ninong! Pero kanino ba naman kukuha ng genes kundi sa tatay na Tisoy at sa nanay na ma-PR.  Kung meron akong regret sa pag-alis ko, isa na don yong hindi ko makikita ang pagdating ng second baby na ka-birthday ko pa yata.  Nevertheless, I wish your whole family more blessings and happiness.  With that I pray for smoother, happier and better days ahead for you and your family.  May the Lord always guide you and Weng sa pagtahak (laliiiimmm!) ng mas malalim pang relasyon bilang mag-asawa!

John – isa ka sa mga newest addition to the ever-growing addikz.   Pero magaan ka kasing kasama kaya madali ka ring maka-gel sa grupo.  My wish for you is that may you have more success in your career.  At hindi mo man napapansin, you are luckier than most of us who has to contend with one workstation in one place all day, all the time.  At least ikaw mukhang maiikot mo ang buong KSA.  And that, my friend, is one bonus you should be enjoying.  Sarap kaya mag-travel sinu-swelduhan ka pa!

Tito B – hindi kita nabigyan nong award dahil wala akong maisip na sabihin (sa true lang po kinulang ang frame... nagkamali ako ng bilang....hehehe).  At kahit dito, simple lang at wala akong longer version.  Basta eto na lang: sana maraming tilaok pa ang marinig namin sa yo! Hehehee… seriously, sana maging maganda ang bago mong career.  At more tagay pa to come!

Marco – thanks for making DS a part of your thinking.  At salamat sa pag-value sa mga bagay-bagay na naririnig mo sa akin.  You’re one good example na kahit bata pa (may mago-object hehhee), basta gustong mag-seryoso sa buhay, kayang gawin.  And you should be proud of yourself dahil kaya mong gawin yan for the sake of your family.  And your jokes? Kahit corny most of the time, ituloy mo lang.  Coz that love for laughter can make a lot of difference lalo na sa buhay-Saudi.

 Yeng – your singing is something the adikz are proud of.  Ikaw yong tipong pag gumimik sa labas at nagka-hamunan ng kantahan, ikaw ang magiging frontliner ng grupo. At siguradong hindi mo kami ipapahiya.  Wala pa akong nakitang minasaker ang kantang Reasons ng ganon-ganon lang.  Ikaw pa lang.  Aside from that, maraming nakinabang sa iyong mga inspirational stories.  Most importantly, thank you for being our consultant for anything tungkol sa mga bahay-bahayan namin! I’ve got only one wish for you – makita sana kita sa PGT or Talentadong Pinoy na bumabanat ng Journey.  I’m sure sisigaw si Kris ng “I like you na!”.

Tserman – there may be times when your patience is stretched to the limit dahil sa kakulitan ng mga adiks.  Pero alam kong na-appreciate mo ang kakulitan ding yan ang nagpapasaya at nagiging bonding factor na daig pa ang super glue.  Hope you’ll continue to understand and support the adiks, stay as their moral mtrcb dahil pag wala ka, naku umaapaw ang kalokohan!.  On a personal note, thank you for all the support na binibigay mo sa lahat ng oras.  Even up to the point of risking your impartial reputation, you’re doing it for friends. The adiks are really lucky to have you on our side. As a person, sana the good Lord will bless you more with happiness, good health and lots more of gadgets na pag napag-sawaan mo na eh ibebenta mo ng palugi sa mga friends.  You’re really a blessing to us my dear friend!

Romy  - alalaun baga’y hindi pa nagtatagal ang ating pagtatalamitam.  Subalit ang kabunyian ng pagkakaibigan ay agad na pinanaday ng tunay na pagsasamahan.  Isang busilak na pasasalamat sa iyo ka Romy.  Nawa’y biyayaan ka ng Maykapal ng mga bagay na iyong hinihiling sa iyong mga marubdob na panalangin.

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Thank you my dear addikz.  It’s time to say goodbye.  It really is a GOOD bye.  Dahil nadagdag kayo sa maikling listahan ko ng mga totoong FRIENDS.

(thanks po sa mga profile pic na hinagilap ko! and to the owners of the other pics)

despedida - adikz style

last night the adikz gave me one delightful surprise.  a going-away party na hindi ko alam, plinano nila ng ilang linggo sa mga pm nila na evicted ako kasi nga gusto nila akong i-surprise.  kaya pala lately matumal ang balitaktakan sa tsatrum.  yon pala may pinagkaka-abalahan sila. 

in all honesty, i was wishing to myself na may gagawin sila anyday now dahil nga aalis na ako towards the end of this month (yon ang pagkaka-alam ko huh!).  syempre, as a friend, plastic ako kung sasabihin kong hindi ako nagi-expect ng kahit kaunting seremonyas to give me some chance to say goodbye to the group i consider as my very very good friends.  i'd be devastated kung basta na lang nila ako pinalayas at hindi nila ako binigyan ng ganitong gimik. demanding na kung demanding.  but it's already a practice.  it's part of the whole cauldron of friendship. at masakit kung aalis ka at nakatingin lang sila sa yo sabay sabing 'wala lang'. heheh... ouch yon to the max!

a couple of weeks back, may nakapag-bulong na sa akin na on the 20th daw may mangyayari.  aside from the date, wala nang ibang sinabi.  akala ko lang, may gimik kung saan. 

but after that, nalimutan ko na sa dami ng pre-departure activities.  shopping, pagbabagahe ng mga pinamili, the formalities in tasnee and sisco (na nakakaburyong), idagdag pa ang mga hirit sa trabaho na gusto yata akong pigain bago ako pakawalan plus - the biggest issue of em all - yon ngang visa ko.

a few days ago, nagsabi si matt na samahan ko raw syang bumili ng car accessories para sa bago nyang baby na si caRIO.  kahit tinatamad ako at pagod, i can't say no to him.  i owe him a lot dahil sa mga walang sawa nyang pagda-drive at paghahatid sa akin kahit saan ko i-request. kaya sige go kahit pagod and the hot/humid weather is killing me. 

before leaving jubail, naalala ko yong bulong sa akin na 20th.  pero hindi ko naman maitanong kay matteo kung may konek yong nagbulong sa akin dati dito sa lakad namin.  baka i-eject ako sa kalagitnaan ng highway.  besides, sabi ko i'd just play along and see kung anong mangyayari.  kung talagang bibili nga lang ng car accessories.  at susunduin si marco para mag-dinner kaming apat (with tito b na kasama namin sa car).  treat daw nya (matt) na hindi ko naman pinagdudahan (now i realized i've so much trust on you matteo huh!).

nong dumating kami sa khobar at nagsimulang mamili ng kung ano-anong aksesorya ang matt, nawala na yong doubt ko.  besides, early that day, most of the adikz said na busy sila sa kung ano-anong activities.  maccoy and pops wanted daw to go to manama.  ren daw will bring shiela to the dentist.  ricky is still in dubai and weng is going to the hospital for some regular checks.  at ang dalawang closest fwends ko - raoul and ega seem to be so absorbed with their new ipads. 

kaya pumapasok man sa isip ko na baka yon yong sinasabing 20th, i was also thinking na baka walang koneksyon.  or, kung may koneksyon man, they must have decided to move it to some other day.  dahil na rin nga sa hindi pa naman sigurado ang visa ko and knowing the situation, i could be spending another week, or month (knock on hardwood! heaven forbid!) before i can board a plane.  kaya mas naniwala akong hanggang 4th st lang kami and possibly end up in a resto somewhere in khobar.

bandang 8 pm, susunduin na raw namin si marco.  ok sige. harurot si caRIO sa daan. o, akala ko sa baher.  bakit ibang lugar.  ay hindi, ibang lugar yong pinuntahan nila.  ok sige ulit.  go.  hanap kete hanap nong villa.  then ayon na.  lumabas ang marco.  after a few minutes, heto at kasunod na ang mga adik!

at that point, i was genuinely, honestly surprised.  lalo na nong makita ko ang preparations.  tserman and ega was so busy in the kitchen cooking up a mouthwatering seafood festival.  ang dining area may set-up pa na pang-sosyal na catering.  may nagsi-setup ng wow, tv at computer na parang pagtuturuin pa ako nong training na ginawa ko for 2 days sa trabaho! all i was wishing for is a simple dinner, basta makasama lang sila.  and yet, here they are, tired and super busy with a grand preparation.  nahipo ako... este i'm soooo touched!

the place was nice.  food was superbly delicious, as always (syempre luto ng chef raoul).  konting kantahan.  ren in his tito sen element was so clever, binalikan ako with his 'poem' na isi-share ko sa inyo later coz it's so funny.  romy showed his being true blue bulakenyo with his longer poem na pwedeng pang-panitikan. then everyone was asked for their messages na pabaon nila sa akin.  kahit si alec na natutulog eh ginising pa at ang walang-malay na si vinz ay naka-3 short yet meaningful words na pinakawalan. 

despite the technical glitch doon sa video presentation na super pinag-hirapan ni ega, i finally watched the vtrs na buti na lang at naka-off ang light dahil hindi nakitang medyo nage-emo na ako. 

-  maccoy, alec and pops' message was simply sweet and honest and full of love.

 

-  ren and shiela did something hilarious at saludo ako sa effort - conceptualized and executed like an indie film! hahaha

-  marco had his moment na iintindihin ko maige ang mga sinasabi when i got a copy of the vid

-  princess sofie sang abc for me

-  wing's message was unique dahil may bogus ym chat na nakakatuwa and in the end showing keng, kviel and zstan.. galeng!

-  romy also spent time to contribute something kahit busy rin sa trabaho

-  junc, linds, berlin and bitoy sent a message from the comfort of their palatial house in pinas (kaya lang wala ako narinig from linds! hahahha)

-  and finally tserman appeared in a yellow barong with his i-pad na naka-upo pa sa rocking chair habang nagbibgay ng message.  at pagtapos tumayo pinakita ang tuhod kasi naka-shorts lang pala! absolutely funnyy!!!! hehehehe

it's almost 3am nong mabigay sa akin ang spotlight, pagod at inaantok na karamihan.  baka hindi na naintindihan o narinig ang message ko kaya ibo-blog ko na lang sya after this one.  meantime, let me just show off the gifts i got (sencia na sa low res ng pic, libreng samsung cam lang ng tasnee ang ginamit eh! hehehe).

again sa lahat ng mga adikz na nagpuyat, nagpagod, nag-effort, naki-tawa, naki-saya, naki-drama, naki-kanta - a BIG BIG THANK YOU!!! i've nver had such a wonderful despedida before.

MaccoyPopsAlec-RickyWengSofie-RenShielaVinzAvvy-Matt-Romy-Ariel-Bong-Marco-Junjun-Marvin-John-Ega-WingKarenKvielSztan-JuncLindsBerlinBitoy-Raoul

the three symbolic gifts from John

a diamond-studded gift from cariaga family - grabe baka ma-hodap ako neto! hahaha

the biblical reminder from Raoul which means a lot to me specially in this decision i made (though i still have to ask him kung saan ginagamit yon! hahahaaa)

and the signed photo of the whole adikz group...

from the bottom of my usually rock-hard but unusually overwhelmed heart,
THANK YOU!

leaving 'home' to go home

i just got home from a quiet dinner with a long time friend. it's christmas and there's nothing better than catching up with very good friends, people we consider 'family' in this place being far from the real family that we have.  what's more, this could be the last dinner i'll ever have with this friend dahil in a few days time, aalis na sya at uuwi na for good.

i worked with patrick in hadeed back in the early 90's.  and now, after 18 long years, he is saying bye-bye for good.  nong dumating sya sa office namin, he was a new father to a baby boy.  now that baby boy is a second-year college big guy.  ganon na katagal.  18 long years.

first thing you'll probably say is that ang laki na ng esb nya.  oo naman.  sabi ko nga pwede na syang bumili ng hasyenda sa ilo-ilo.  but he has to buy a horse too para maikot nya ang hasyendang yon.  lalo na at isa si patrick sa mga taong nakita kong walang bisyo.  maximized ang monthly net pay.  hindi tulad kong kung ano-ano ang pinagkaka-waldasan ng kinikita.  so financially, he'll be able to retire comfortably if he choose to at this point of his life.

but i can see retirement is still far from his mind.  bata pa naman sya.  in fact, he's already talking to prospective employers kahit hindi pa sya nakaka-uwi ng pinas.  a sign that he's still very much on the go, kayang-kaya pang bumuno ng ilang taong contract kahit sa middle-east o sa ibang lugar ng mundo.

i will definitely miss you pat.  wala na akong koneksyon at insider pagdating sa mga kung ano-anong kwento tungkol sa dati nating office at mga kasamahan.  wala na akong ipagmamalaking 'kaibigan' na talagang matagal nang kaibigan in the truest sense of the word.

saan ka man mapunta, saan ka man dalhin ng trabaho, i know jubail will hold a special place in your memory.  18 years kang resident ng lugar na ito.  almost half of your life, you've considered this place as your home.  now that you're heading to your real home, i'm happy for you.  and wish you better opportunities as you start a new chapter in your life.  embrace this opportunity to enjoy more quality time with your family.  and give yourself a very much deserved break. 

God bless you my dear friend. 

leyter leyter... aligeyter

last day ngayon sa work ni Chuck, ang bunso ng mga adiks.  and although he'd probably hang around for a few more days (hope not any longer plzzz!) waiting for his exit papers, siguradong mami-miss agad sya ng mga adik. 

2 years lang halos namin syang nakasama but he has already proven his worth as a member of the group.  masayang kasama.  makulit. bungisngis.  ma-jowk kahit puro mais and/or vintage.  babawi na lang sa kanyang signature na 'wala lang'. at yong mga kwento nyang narinig mo na for the nth time eh uulitin pa rin! hahaha!

Chuck, we just hope you're coming back soon, kahit saang kumpanya.  pero sana malapit lang dito para buo ulit ang mga adik.  meantime, good luck to you.  and remember the few words i told you this afternoon.  hindi yong mga kalokohan! hahaha.... 

and from my favorite desiderata, a few lines for you to ponder while waiting for that sponsor to show up with your papers...  enjoy your achievements as well as your plans.  keep interested in your own career, however humble, it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.

GBU chuckie!

matt's bday

nong 23rd talaga ang bday nya when he treated the whole adiks to a subway sandwich binge.  then last night, nagluto-lutuan kami sa lichauco residence where we had seafood overload with maccoy and pop's shrimps, crabs and sweet n sour fish.  after that, wow kantahan na sa cariaga residence na inabot ng 4am.  syempre di na kailangan sabihin, enjoy na naman ang mga adik.  except that we missed tserman na lagi namang hindi pwede pag thursday, the laxamana family na may prior commitment, john, irwin na parating pa lang from vacation, and ega who had to be at work the whole night.  we missed you guys! 

maraming salamat po ulit sa pamilya lichauco and cariaga for welcoming the adiks into their cozy homes at nakapag-celebrate na naman ng bday na masaya ang isa sa mga true-blue original adiks.

ang mga chef while preparing the food

hindi ako napaiyak ng sibuyas... tinawanan ko pa sya

pops preparing her yummy sweet n sour fish

at ito ang kinalabasan... a sumptuous seafood feast...

with fried chicken courtesy of romy and junc

syempre main event na

let's eat na!

forget muna ang diet shiela!

sarap ba mga adik? hehehe

pang-ym... ay fb pala ang pose! hehehe

sing galing time na with maccoy

playing it cool huh, ren?

ah... waiting pala for this...  the very much anticipated soup of the day!





!!! HAPPY BDAY MATT !!!

john's bday

taking advantage of the already cooling temperature, the group headed out to fanateer corniche last night where our friend john chose to celebrate his ??th bday.  chance na rin para makasagap ng fresh air from the fanateer beach kaya nag-latag lang kami sa damuhan doon at nilantakan ang masarap na mga food na luto ni john at ega. 

as usual, the park suddenly turned alive dahil sa ingay namin, kwentuhan at tawanang umaatikabo while sofie practiced on two things:  her bike (with the help of daddy ricky) and of course yong kanyang miss congeniality skills dahil laging nawawala at nakikipag-chikahan sa ibang family na nandon sa picnic grounds.  sabi nga ni jun, 'sofie sabihin mo sa kanila fi fuloos?'... takbo naman ang bata pabalik don sa mga ka-chika nya! hahaha...

enjoy the pics from ega's camera na ang humawak ay syempre ang master photog ng grupo... si matt.  thanks sa lichauco family at naka-join namin sa picnic na ito even if it means they have to travel all the way to and from khobar (teka lang, bakit ako ang nagte-tenchu, di naman ako ang may pa-party! hahaha).  na-miss naman namin ang cariaga family pati si ariel at tserman na busy pag thursday night.

!!! HAPPY BDAY JOHN !!!