ending the year 2008

i wish i close this year with happy memories.
i wish i move on to 2009 with a smile.
i wish i see bright things for the future.

remorse starts creeping in and biting every inch of me, flesh and soul. my mind is so occupied with thoughts of the future given all the developments in the family and in my own personal affairs. fear starts to control my whole being as i wait for the year to end and for another year to come.

unlike the other year, today is not so hopeful. i start hating the people i love. the recent topic brought up in the family's discussion was not something that could easily turn my mind from despair.

i know this is just a moment, that this time would only pass. it wont last long. but even if i have figured this out, still it does not save me from the emotional turmoil i feel inside. this feeling of being an outcast, of being misunderstood, of being cheated and shortchanged, is more hurtful now that it is the family involved.

christmas 2008

yesterday i asked myself what gift i could give to the birthday celebrant. for all the blessings i received for the past year, for all the happy and sad times which only brought forth growth and a little more wisdom, for all the battles lost and won, it is only fair and proper that i give back to Him all those that i have been given.

i thank the Lord for the gift of family. Both mom and dad are blessed with good health, good circle of friends, and good disposition. Julie is doing well in her work and while she always whines that she is fed up of her 7-year affair with her company and its product she is still in the same boat. Francis may have not fared too well in his studies lately but he is still going on and the good news is that his thesis proposal is finally confirmed! Eliza on the other hand is doing well in school. No failing marks last semester, kudos Eliza po! and Maki? he is enjoying the best of both worlds. Happy to leave the complicated school life he had at sped, he welcomes each day with a bang in my kindergarten / elementary / high school alma mater.

career is another aspect worthy to celebrate life. i landed a good job and a good position when i came to dubai. though the good times did not last for so long, the experience will always be cherished and the friends i met along the way will never be forgotten.

I also sing for friendship, for its dynamic and growing presence in my life. I thank the Lord for those i have come to know, for those that i have left behind, for those that i have made enemies with, for those i have not spoken to and those i have decided not to speak to, for those that i choose to forget, and most especially for those who are still with me till these days. it is true that even friendship does not last for so long but there are friends who will always be special until the end of my days. and for these friends i sing and lift my voice to the glory of God.

Narcissism will always be a part of me and so i thank all the people who have made me feel special and beautiful, inside and out.

And i shall also continuously thank the Lord for the gift of life, for the passion, for the dreams, and the courage to go on. I would not be who I am today if not for Him. I know i have caused Him so much pain and headache lately but it does not mean I would always be so. for the chances to change myself for the better, for the forgiveness i get when i fail to be the child He wants me to be, for the strength He provides me when i stumble, i will always celebrate life and be thankful to God almighty.

For all these blessings and for all that i have failed to mention, i will always thank the Lord. what gift could equate for all these? nothing. i can only be better each day.

happy birthday to you!

lately...

it feels like i am being put to the ultimate test. not that i am complaining, but there comes a time when it feels like i have so much baggage with me that i could hardly move on or take another step. it takes so much courage to look at things at its real state, but i have to and i have long learned to do so.

it may be foolish to resign from my previous job without some reserve at hand. it was like jumping out of the window without protection. but God is good and He has always been there for me. everything i ever need is being given. I could say that i am well-provided and there is no room for doubt.

things fall according to its place. just lift everything to Him and all will be alright.

safa park with friends

feeling good , looking good
hello, world


enjoying the greens


me with my indonesian friends
sorry, but i actually forgot their names
met them only that time


the cousins


ibri and ashraf


chef, don't overstress yourself


the chef and me

dinner at reef mall

with nepali fiends janak and dipak.

room pics (villa 8, room 4, al muteena square)

welcome to dubai

ever seen a palace?
this is just one of the many palaces here


dubai is famous for its water works




our new home...
villa 48, room 4




want to reach the sky?




sunset in Palm Deira


Maktoum Bridge




the burj al arab
take note, it would cost AED 300/- to enter its gates for pics
that would explain the image from a distance.
oh yeah, imagine how much it costed the Filipino people when gma stayed in the burj when she visited the uae?


the famous clock tower in deira
just near our area
we could even walk from her to home (with our shoes totally worn out after)


outside airport, in the green palms


that is fish roundabout...
it's actually a fountain in the middle of an interction.
this is just a few blocks away from my office.

how to deal with homesickness?

take a deep breath and head to Baskin Robbins!!!
that is the common answer for each one of us. Meet my roommates (though one has gone to Kish, Iran for her graceful exit - mind you, really graceful as she's landed a post for an MNC as the Marketing Executive...so graceful, ayt?). My cousin Lucy is in her gray shirt and is sitting beside me, Ruby in white and red ensemble, Melani in her green cardigan, and Yessa in pink.

i miss these kids!!!... so terribly that i will definitely squeeze them when i get back to marfori.

sir ned, mam dot, achi cielo, dichi zoe, and shobe geddi

the happy family.

love this lot!


the kiddos in bright yellow


zoe and geddi in pink pajamas


up, up, and away!


Dichi!!!
so lovely baby, she is.
see that smile? that's the smile of a model in her growing up years

i didn't have the chance to teach shobe.
but i've known her even before she was brought out to this world.
known her too while she was in the hospital and prayed for her health.
geez, i also know how the good mom spent hours forming her name.

the al ghurair escapade

AL GHURAIR CENTER

easily one of Deira's biggest shopping malls and one of the most elite centers,

Al Ghurair Mall has all the brands one could ever want to have.

And they always have the best promo and other festival offers too!


my friends and i after the grocery episode



the escalator beauties



yessa, me, lucille, mel
2nd floor at the very center of the plaza

the search for the pot of gold...

tired feet after a day of walking in the midday sun

it's fun to get lost in the middle of the east,
if and only when you are with a friend .
aya and me under the prickling heat of the sun.


Sheikh Zayed Road, with towers at the back of me


at gold and diamond center, near end of Sheikh Zayed Road
had one interview there...
got the job but didn't like the place
it's too far, too desert.