Haliewa

Sa Haliewa diay tong 10 beach pictures that I received last November 15th with a selfie of his feet. So he is like that to me already. Pero ngano man he has disappeared these days? Ngano seenzone n mn pud ko? Hahay. Jia you Doki

Chika

Today 12/19/20 I told Kae Fong on Messenger that I met someone in Hawaii in July last year and that he might come here after Covid. She said she hopes things will turn out well ra daw. Iinvite daw xas kasal phn. Uban daw xas bridal fitting oi. Heheh, kaadvance kaju oi. Di p lng madayon, saun n lng ta ani. Mao pud n ako prayer Lord, that aayusin Nyo po ang lahat. Amen. Sayon na jud kaju ako proposal defense, naghimo lng ko ug Power Point and giemail ra nila ako draft sa panelists then wait lng ko for their comments. So my prayer is ganun din po Lord. Cf Christian Bustamante, 'Kung para sa iyo, para sa iyo talaga. Lahat ng pinto bubukas, pati bintana'. Happy holidays to us all! :)

Cebu to Palawan Padala

Now that I am back here in Cebu pwede n ko magpadala ni Bantil phn sa mga things nga ija gusto from here. The list is this: tualya baga, punda, 2 scarf from Ate Ica, lab gown, Hanes bra nga ako p paliton sa Metro ug pipettor ug respirator daw that I have to look for at National Bookstore or Metro. Baw unsa ning mga kagwanga ni. I will look for them on Monday n cguro phn. Relax sa ko this weekend as part of my quarantine pud. At least di maalarma sila Madam Sandra ug Tito nga naggawas2 ko. Luoy pud ang mga senior citizens. Btw today 12/19/20 niabot si Nang Myrna with her apos. At least diri diay sila magpasko so bibo ra pud mi diri. Ganahan jud nas Nang Myrna diri kay mingaw mn nya na'man pud sija mga vegetables here. Jia you to us!

Payables in Palm Heights

Because I was in Bohol from March 15th to December 16th, 2020 natam-ok ako bayranan diris Cebu.Fortunately nakabayad ra kos VECO didtos Bohol via MLhuillier. Ang tubig tawn for disconnection na and I had to pay about P2,240. Ang niece ni Susan nga si Nestly tawn maoy nasuguan aron pagbayad sa Wealth Bank Pacific Mall. Uwan2 raba jud tawn gahapon kay signal no. 1 man ang most of Central Visayas due to Typhoon Vicky. So I gave her the bar of Cadbury from Baloy. Today niinit na pero naa japon dag-om gamay. Anyway, I gave Susan a pack of dried danggit from Bohol. I was able to pay the HOA dues of about P8,000 before new year. Nibayad si John Serohijos ug P2,400 so mao to ako gigamit pud bayad sa HOA dues. Jia you Doki!

Back in Cebu

I was very lucky to be able to travel back to Cebu last Wednesday December 16, 2020 at 8pm. Coz today 12/18/20 Signal no. 1 daw due to Typhoon Vicky. Galing lang, diha pud mi kasakay sa barko nga namatay. Tiguwang laki, la n xa kaabot sa Cebu. Nmatay xa tunga2 sa byahe. Gikan Ubay to nya dad-on unta sa iya anak baje sa Vicente Sotto. Rest in peace po, lolo. Back here in Palm Heights, grabe pud ang abog so daghan jamu ko hinloonon. Nakasugod n nuon ko. Then I have the water bill to pay pud kay for disconnection n daw. P2,240 ang tubig nya morag P8,000 ang HOA with solicitation. Jia you Doki, you can all do it! It's gonna be alright. Niabot bitaw imo bugas 25 kilos ug ham from CDU. Gipadeliver ni Ms Berns sa taga-Pharmacy nga taga-Canduman last night Thursday, 12/17/20. Apil pud ang GC nga P700. Then nibayad mn daw si John ug P2,500 sa Cebuana Lhuillier, ako lng nya iclaim. Pait jud diri tinuod kay wa may mga motor or habal2 sa gawas so baktas jud ni if mogawas ko. Cge lng Doki. Next phase n btaw kas imo research. Maoy pinakaimportante Lord. Nga mairog ko ana phn. God bless us all always! :)

December 20th

On this day usually ihatag ang 2nd half sa amo 13th month pay. The first half gihatag n mn last May 20. Good luck to us all!

December 15th

Usually on this day, good for the entire month's sweldo na ang ihatag namo. Then I am expecting the small cash award for 10 years service to be given pud ugma phn so daku2 cguro pud n ako madawat. Magpamisa n pud after makagrasya. Jia you Doki. I received P12,700 and nagpamisa kos Tubigon ug P1,300. Ang ako cash award morag atong December 16th pa kuno gideposit so ako n lng icheck later sa BDO if nacredit nb. Cge.

December 16th

This is the start of the misa de gallo in the Philippines in preparation for Christmas. Mao pud ni bday ni Atty. Ferolini Matahum. Heheh. Due to covid this year, there are changes on the timings and frequency of the dawn masses. I think sa TV lng ko join phn. On December 21 pud phon bday ni Dr Jun Lasco. God bless us all!

Palawan Padala

I sent my padala to Bantil in Puerto Princesa this afternoon 12/14/20 via LBC. For pickup lng to kay di mn daw sila modeliver ug hospital. Baloy's pasalubong nga chocs and sabon, kudkuran ug 3 uranay nga sleeveless to aho gipada. If ija ko ulian told her to give me P500 lang. Hanes bra, towel baga ug punda in Palm Heights pa maoy kuwang phn. Jia you Doki, yaw n lng reklamo. Mao mn nay makalipay nija. Merry Christmas!

Colloquium

Today 12/15/20 our graduate school secretary Mam Loyda said I can apply for colloquium na daw. Wow, I am so happy! Bisan mahal ug bayad, sige n lng. Basta mairog lng ko ani phn so that next sem data gathering n pud. I sent her my PPT na pud and later she will tell me daw how much I need to pay my adviser plus my panel. Jia you Doki, just hang on lng jud. Mahuman ra lagi ning eskwelaha ni phn. Amen.

To Return to Cebu Pohon

Today December 14th 2020 by God's grace, I finished securing my documents for travel back to Cebu. Authority to travel n lng ako gihuwat. When I saw Crispin Astillo at the municipal hall I knew that the elders gave their blessing for me to go. Diha ra diay si Dr Bob sa Halfway House for medical certificate. Then finals na this week. Tue noon ako Econ 111 nya Friday p phn ako Econ 11 2 klases. I really hope makacolloquium ko by Friday phn. Jia you Doki!

AM

She's my classmate sa USJR-DPE in November 2015 to May 2016. She's my adviser on my lovelife now. Lingawa ani niya oi. Liman ka'g kung kamo jud daw, mangita daw ug paagi ang panahon. Thanks mam and all the best always!

Harem Effect

Mao ni tawag sa phenomenon -when the guy can benefit kuno from keeping in contact with the girl or just keeping her. Lately ra nako nasukod. Kay he is homesick ra diay. Jia you Doki, yaw jud pailad. And pray always so that you are guided. Amen. Mobalik n ko Cebu ig abot sa aho modem nga giorder from Manila. Sent n mn yday so anytime this week moabot na to. Jia you Dok.

SEARCH

I bothered Dr Shin Jang Sup pa nga pwede ra mn ako n lng mangita. Jia you Doki! All the best. Pagbusy n lng oi so that di k makahuna2 ug kung ano2. Heheh. God bless! Thanks po Lord for the guidance always. I praise You!

BALIKBAYAN BOX

Di na cguro ni madayon and I am not anymore interested pud. I can't do it n pud while I am here in Cebu na. Lisud dri kay way masakyan. Mas hayahay jud sa Bohol tinuod. Pero saun mn gud nga na'man koy research. Data gathering n mn ko sugod January phn. Naa diay nagdata gathering about Cebu urbanization nga tuas Bohol? Besides, we have to encode our grades on January 4, 2021 phn and meet our dean on January 6, 2021. Medyo gipul-an n mn gud kos Tinangnan mao niari n ko Cebu. If after Christmas p ko nilakaw, madala kaha naho hinlo tanan before new year? Dia p koy daghan pud kaju bayranan. Di n lng ko magregret Lord kay dia n mn jud ko diris Cebu. Anyway, basin nalain siya kay I gave a suggestion mn how to send the money. Naandan n gud nija thru Western Union kuno. Ikaw gud, kung unsa lng jud imo gusto. Basin nagtuo siya pangwartahan naho sija. Ako n gani gipangwartahan ani kay sige pangutang naho ang bayot nga si Jhon Serohijos. Maong nisibat ko kay basin malimas aho kwarta sa ija sweet talks. Demonyo jud purya gaba ning utang. Nya nibayad tawn sija ug gamay out of his total debt obligations to me. Agwantahon ko n lng n. Anyway, if la n jud ko lain magasto, moutang n lng kos amo coop ig January phn. Jia you Doki. Everything's gonna be fine. Nairog n mn kos ako eskwela so daku blessing n to. Hold on lng gud. Hold steadfastly. Amen. Merry Christmas! Actually mas gamay ug rate ang Western Union kaysa bangko here in Philippines. I looked at the Western Union website pud. Diretso na sa bank account if magpadala to BDO, BPI and Land Bank. Wow! Of course he doesn't know that I have a BDO account so bahala siya. Kalimot n pud ko kung naunsa to basta sa aho BDO ra mn gipada ni Mike ang kwarta to buy my plane ticket in September 2018. God bless us always!

MOADTO STRIP MALL, PANGLAO

Morag mao n pud ni in nga lugar these days. I dunno asa ni nga dapit sa Panglao, but halos tanan tawo mao nay gipang-adto these days. Makaadto ra cguro pud mi phn. Good luck to us!

Chance

After confirming the signs that I think he'll stay, I decided I will just let things go. I was able to confirm that he just misses Philippines. La gud sija kabalibad sa balikbayan box. Heheh. I think we've established the friendship. Good luck to us always. May we have a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year 2021 indeed! :) Jia you Doki, good luck jud!

Xmarie

She's my second cousin from Tagum, the third in their brood. She came to Ate Ica's wedding last May 2015 coz flower girls mn ija 2 prettty girls bujag. She has a very complicated life actually. But today she told me on the chat that she is chatting with a Swiss guy who is planning to come here after Covid phn. I am happy for you Day and I hope this will be it. Coz you deserve it. God bless us all! :)

10 Years

Today, 11/17/20, on the occasion of the bday of our very young and dynamic University President, I would have been awarded for 10 years of service sa CDU. But I am here in Bohol man so di ko moattend. Tawgon ra daw japon ako name nya later n lng nako kuhaon ako trophy ug gamay nga cash award. A day after mn ko nahire diay pud nahire si Sir Budget Sulit so basin motunga siya. Thank you CDU and here's to more milestones!

Bday 2020

For my 45th bday this Covid year 2020, I met up with Mam Vi and her hubby for lunch at ICM Tagbilaran. Sir Nante didn't make it coz la mosugot si Kumander. Gilabyhan iya quarantine pass. Hahha. Then after lunch I bought roasted chicken lang then went straight home na. I bought a dozen donust n mn from J.Co while waiting for them to arrive. Then in the evening, twas just a quiet dinner with family. Ate Ica mentioned that basin naa daw friend si Mike moingon nga I like yoor cousin. La lng xa kahibaw, nana gani to duha. Hehe. Hunos d aparador n lng :) Pag 2018 bday sila mn diay to ako kuyog sa Dumaguete then last year, I was with Shelex and Anabelle sa Dimsum Break Gaisano Basak. She even gave me a bag then. Kita mi phn sa mga barkada when makabalik n ko Cebu and mahuman n ko quarantine. Good luck to us always!

Friends

Kasabot na ko. We are friends. He may not reply right away but if mobawos pud, hutdon ug tubag ako messages and he would even send photos. On Sunday 11/15/20, he sent 10 pictures of the beach oi. Unsay naa diay? And I asked him to send me a Christmas card n lng pud kay he likes the tradition man daw. God bless us always. Magbusy lng jud kos ako life. Jia you Doki! All the best to us again. Thank you for the friendship. Good luck to us always!

US Presidential Elections

This time is US presidential elections time. It is Donald Trump against Joe Biden. So far leading man si Biden. 264 electoral votes na siya, 6 more to go and he becomes the next president of America already. But di lng japon sila magkompyansa kay mao mn daw pud si Hillary Clinton in 2016. But naapsan mn japon sija ni The Donald. Well, all the best n lng to them always!

Still There

He keeps in touch ra mn diay. But through offline messages n lng. Lisud lagi with the differences in our time zones to chat real-time. Sakto ra pud oi so that padayon ra mis amo mga life. But I think that if he has the time, momessage ra jud cja. Sus, pila n to kabuok friends ako ingnan about niya. Only time will tell jud. Heheh. Good luck to us always. Happy weekend!

Christmas 2020

I came back to Cebu on December 17, 2020. Tuo n lagi ko ato ug pwede n makatravel but then the UK variant was announced. Nawala akong excitement nga halos di n gud ta ko ato katulog. Si Uncle Jovenal to akong kachat that time. I made myself busy n lng. I paid up all my outstanding bills (HOA and water) and I put up the pictures of The Hague from the 2020 calendar that Sandra sent me on my wall here sa living room. I distinctly remember that I was about to sleep on 12/27/20 when Stone called me up coz he was with Tina who was home for the holidays. He told me then that next time n magkita when it is safe to do so. Anyway, Christmas is always a happy time of the year. Jia you Doki!

Smart Food Value Chain

I registered already for the Smart Food Value Chain virtual conference from Japan on Thursday, Oct 29 phn at 10am their time. I got an email inviting me for the event. Wow! I thought mao n cguro to sig ingon sa Google nga someone just searched for you on Google.. I am also attending this USAID Southeast Asia One Health Univ Network on 22 October

Ghosted

He ghosted me after talking to me for about a week or a month or a year actually. May ra cguro pud nahitabo to kaysa somewhere down the road. Saun busy mn siya with his life. You can do it Doki. Move on!

2nd Zoom Session

We had our 2nd batch zoom session last Friday, Oct 9, 2020 at 1400 GMT. There were only about 10 or 11 per session but there were six new faces -- Paul Wanjala, Luz Aida Ochoa, Reginald Nalugala, Dipankar Dhatta, Giang Nguyen, and Nicholas Mangozho. There is a suggestion to host the next one on a weekend. Should be like that so that so much more will make it. Good luck to us all, till next time! :)

Nemesio Sucano

Paryente diay ni siya namo. Batausa kuno ija apohan nya taga-Batasan sila. Diha jud na sija nitunga when he saw my pictures with Aunty Helen in Hawaii. Ija ko gipangitaan ug mabana. Intawn pud. Incidentally, silingan daw niya si Diane Llanto-Maharjan who is Sheryl's friend and who also studied in Delft in 2012-2014. It's such a small world after all. All the best to us always!

Quarantine Life

I have decided to stay on here in Bohol till the end of the first semester. After this sem n ko balik Cebu phn so that di pud ko mahasol sa quarantine. Bisan sa bay ra ko magquarantine, mas maayo tong wa n koy grado or proposal huna2on. Jia you Doki!

NBA FINALS 2020

It is the Miami Heat going up against the Los Angeles Lakers for NBA Finals 2019-2020 bubble season. Lakers eventually won in Game 6. I like Dem Adebayo sa Miami Heat. And of course, si Head Coach Erik Spoelstra who is half-Filipino. Hehe, sila Sir Ouano ug Juan Antonio Carcel kay Lakers kaju. Si Wayne Yun pud. Lakers eventually won the trophy this time. Tungod mn gud pud to ni Kobe Bryant who died in a helicopter accident in late January. All the best!

New Garden

I saw from Mab's post last week I think that there's a new garden being built towards Angkor Wat. Wow, that's truly worth another visit. I last went too Angkor wat with Yuka man diay in December 2009. Before that Nov 2008 before I came home. Then June 2010 I was in siem reap too, around Queen's birthday holiday. I wanted to leave PP coz that was the time Nick came back to our campus and I was really disturbed with it. He would leave after 2 weeks though.

W. Y.

I met him in Hawaii in July 2019, during Mike and Flori's wedding reception. They worked together daw before. Since Mike and I eventually had a misunderstanding, I turned to him for support. Understanding ra bja pud sija. And he'd always been a listening ear. Galing lang, mora cja ug metrosexual. I even asked him if he's gay. Hahay. He has a deep affinity daw for Asia and might retire here. He's a Korean mn gud born in Hawaii. I actually became very familiar with him, bisan unsa n lng to ako gisulti niya. He disappeared on me; he ghosted me. Then on 30/10/20 he came back. Di mn ko diay dapat moasa ani oi. Ako ra jud alkansi. All the best Doki. Move on with your head held high!

SFC GMA RECON

I plan to join the SFC GMA RECON tomorrow and on Sunday. Since it's virtual, I have the chance to join it. I left Cambodia in October 2010 gud and never been active in the community. But of course I miss my spiritual community there. God bless all of us!

3 Classes Na Lang

On Friday, 28 August 2020 I decided to give up 2 of my classes. Coz kapoy jud kaju. Magtudlo pa ko, maghimo pa kos ako proposal and magmonitor pa ko ni JM sa iyang online classes so I decided it that way. Nana mn nuon cjay tutor nga si Rhena Uli but ako mn gud gihapon magsupervise ana ilang study sessions. Besides, I am still under study leave so di ko dapat magdala ug daghan klases. Kay la n mn koy oras itrabaho sa ako proposal if mabusy nas klases. Nadelay mn lagi kos ako proposal writing due to the COVID-19 pandemic so magfocus n lng jud ko aron mahuman. My scholarship is up to this October 2020 but I would like to ask for extension from CHED. If granted then up to summer 2021 ra ko magpaextend. Di ko gusto madugay pa kay ang return service. Today, 9/7/20 I emailed my latest draft. Hope mopasar n to for colloquium. Wait lng ko. Jia you Doki, duol n daw finish line ni Mam Liezl pa. Cge po. Amen.

FOOD SECURITY NA

After several question and answer sessions on Facebook Messenger, Jonathan Koumendakos, Filipino Dutch, a member of the Philippine national swimming team and a student from British School Manila decided to do a paper n lng on Rice Tarrification Law and its implications to food security in the Philippines. Maypa kaju. Kay Central Luzon mn to ija first gimention, di mn ko katabang jud nija ato coz I don't have data for that place man. So with food security, okay na kaju. It has four components man, specifically food availability, food access, food utilization and food stability. Syaro sa kdaghan n namo giistoryahan, di japon to magamit di b? I told him to look into James Roumasset's paper entitled "Black Hole Security" about the rice situation in the Philippines. Magamit to nija ang inflation conversation pud under food stability. Under food utilization also, I told him to look into the fact that people waste rice by not eating all of the rice they order in restaurants. But on the other hand, places like Mang Inasal have their unlimited rice promos as come-ons. He asked me for papers too and I gave him three with one paper only 2 pages. Kamao mn pud sija kay he searched for newer papers man and he found one daw from US Dept of Agriculture published in 2020. As it is, morag on track ra siya for the September deadline of the paper. 4,000 words daw ila limit. All the best. Oxford raba daw jud daw iya dream. Of course, kaya mo yan! Di ba Oxford mn sila Reginald Nalugala ug Janice Isabelle Lao? Haha.

ONLINE CLASSES

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, online na ang klases this first semester 2020-2021. I am here in Bohol though for our online klases. Ako pud alalay ni JM sa iyang ZOOM sessions every Tuesday afternoon ug Wednesdays. Nisalir bja tawn pud ang laptop ni Ate Ica. Ug kusog pud ang Smartbro diris Tubigon bujag. Thank you Lord. When magklase n jud mi in full swing phn, tabangan n lng jud ni namo ni Biboy si JM. Kay na'man pud sijay lessons makuha sa Quipper. I hope maajo n to aho lain fone so that adto n lng xa magzoom phn nga dili pwede from the laptop. God bless us all!

WHEW!

Karon nga busy na kos ako online klases, di n ko makigchat niya and nahanaw n lng pud siya daw aso. Di to siya pwede oi; we belong to two different worlds jud. Not just because our age gap is quite big, taga lain p jud sija nga nasud. Na'pud gani taga amo ra nga makigchat ta pud. La n mn pud naho pansina. All the best Doki. Moabot ra lagi n at the right time. Amen.

CELO+

This August 2020 1st semester is my first time to use CDU's Online Learning Portal, CELO (Brightspace). I have 5 klases with 3 different subjects. As of today, naa n tanan ako subjects so nag-upload n ko ug Course Guide ug CDU Vision-Mission for this week's orientation. Then next week sugod n jud ang formal klases ani. Hay Doki, kaya yan! Ang book ni Corpuz n lng ako gihuwat from ISS library. I need it for my Philippine Economy class. Ang Henderson pud for Health Econ I need to download pa. Kaya lagi ni tanan. Amen!

Rice Tariffication Law

There's a new event in our economy. The Rice Tariffication Law was passed, or the Rice Liberalization Act, RA 11203. Sometime back in June mn cguro to, a Dutch-Filipino student from the British School in Manila contacted me to ask me if I could be a resource person for his paper on the said issue. This is due to my article published in PQCS in September 2003 which was an offshoot of my Master's thesis sa Holland. Wow, this paper never stops to amaze me! Nainspire nuon ko magsuwat ug new article, an update sa aho article due to this. Jia you Doki! We had an initial Q&A session na on Facebook last Saturday, 8/15/20. Sa rent-seeking costs jud siya nisango. Jonathan said kabatch daw niya ang anak ni Dennis Uy. Medyo gusto pud sya moserve here in Philippines. He is a swimmer diay and he mentioned being a part of the national team. I am expecting more questions from him soon. Jia you!

Smartbro Prepaid

Today 8/13/20 I bought a Smart prepaid SIM sa merkado so that makaapil kos Virtual Assembly sa College namo at 9am. Mega All In n gud aho giload, P449 good for one week. Nakaapil pud kos training sa CELO this afternoon. Salamat tawn kaju Lord. Kay kapila n to nagtraining, wa jud ko kaapil. (May 20, 2020 pa gud to first nagtraining for CELO). So magamit ra to sija naho till moreplenish n pud ang aho Smart postpaid plan with 11G. Salamat Lord, la jud ko nimo pasagdi. Once magsugod n klase phn, makahibaw ra ko if kaigo b naho ang 11G for one month. If di, adto n pud sa backup. Palitan lang ug load sa silingan. Naa ra mn daw load si Ate Azon. Kay mahal moadto ug Tagbi na, P102 n gud plete per way. Di mn pud mi required magvideocall kada meeting. Morag once a month cguro or as needed. Kay online mn lagi ang classes. Ang comments n lng ni Dr. Rivera ako gihuwat. Meantime magbusy kos aho upcoming interview for the Rice Tariffication Law. I even thought of writing a new paper for it. I just need data lng. Jia you Doki!

Smartbro

Now I have upgraded my Smartbro plan coz nahurot diay last week ang 7G daw sa aho plan. I had thought na gud of going back to Cebu even if dili pa safe. I went to Tagbilaran today 8/3/20 and now I have 11G in my new plan 799. Same due date ra daw. Then they also gave me a new modem so mas kusog na ako internet ron. Backup n lng jud to ang Globe; it's history! Jia you Doki.

Whatsapp

There are now 70 people in our batch group chat and 10 in our class group chat. Mostly taga-LRD ang active sa batch group chat. Xempre kay LRD man si Toms ang creator. Good luck to us all!

Reginald

He planned to come here but Covid-19 happened so I guess it's not meant to be. I told him to come here. Mao lagi pud daw iya plano. Baw lagi. He told me to come to Nairobi after I obtain my PhD. Teach daw ko didto and join UN bodies. Tan-awon n lng ni Lord kung unsa ug kinsa jud. I keep the faith always.

Research

Mao ni ako gikabusyhan this time. Online oral defense sa amo IS students ig Friday phn. Dry run daw mi tomorrow at 3pm. Ang akoa pud 2nd draft morag gamay polishing n lng kuwang coz Dr Rivera texted me man this afternoon to work on the revisions for colloquium. Wow, thanks po Lord. At least naa jud koy agi sa quarantine diay. La gud ko modawat ug summer load so that makatrabaho ko ani ako research. Jia you Doki. At least morag one sem ra ko madelay phn. Di ko gusto madugay pa coz na'man sijay return service lagi. I pray for the best always. Ang ako Globe wifi nicooperate n mn. I dunno but for some reason mokusog diay sija kung gabii. Buntag naa till mga 9 or 10am then mobalik n pud ig 3pm. Basta naka-Zoom n ko with ISS batchmates. Happy n ko ato bujag. Here's to more Zoom meetings n lng phn. Jia you to us!

NS

Today is his birthday. I greeted him on his email yday and today. Sakto n jud cguro pud to oi. Syaro masuko pa sija naho. I felt bad he didn't meet up with me in PP in March last year when I visited so during his bday I greeted him a day early and made the alibi that I was busy preparing for my trip to Hawaii. This year COVID-19 happened and I already said sorry to him last February so why not? Cguro naman I have restored the friendship this way. Madam Shirley once said gud that we are good friends daw and indeed it's true. Jia you to us! Incidentally, yday pa ko kadumdum that bday diay ni Coach last Sunday. I greeted him belated happy bday n lng. Nibawos pud sya ug 'salamat mam'. Cguro happy na siya with his new gf. I wish them all the best.

ARD 2K

I belong to this class at the Institute of Social Studies in the Hague, Netherlands. There were 20 of us in the class. Sadly, si Lucy Kirimi from Kenya passed away last July 2010 so 19 n lng mi. Di p jud nako macontact ang tanan. Back in June 2020 when Sandra Nijhof posted that Ate Bebeth Padre wants to get in touch with her batch, I reacted by saying wala pa sila group chat or something. Coz I said I am fairly in touch with about half of my classmates. Then she said gusto ba daw mi mag-Zoom meeting kay motabang siya organize it? And that's how it all started. The first ARD Zoom meeting was last June 28, 2020 at 1300 GMT. I was supposed to host it but la ko kasulod sa meeting room. Pati si Max Spoor wa nuon pud kaapil. Nadayon sila coz Giri made another meeting code. So sila Lava, Giri, Any, Sandra and Salvador were there for the first ARD zoom after 20 long years! In the next Zoom meeting the Sunday after, sila Lava, Julia, Giri, Esteban and Moi were there. Missing n pud ko. Anyway, a WhatsApp group has been created for our class and I'm quite active in it. We really hope we could reach far more people. Jia you to us always!

Quarantine

I have been here in Bohol since the start of the quarantine last March 15, 2020. Moadto n ta ko Cebu last June 16 but nahadlok mn ko mao dia pa kos Bohol. I am using Ate Ica's old faithful laptop. Di n pud ko magmahay sa ako Globe Prepaid Wifi kay naka-Zoom mn ko with ISS batchmates last Friday night, July 10, 2020. Lingawa lagi ato kaju! There were 27 participants in the 1st session and 23 in the 2nd session! We agreed to meet online once every quarter. A WhatsApp group has been created for the batch and for our class in ARD 2K too. Kayagaw lng agi didto. Saun, 20 long years have passed gud and that was the first time we saw each other online. God bless all of us! The participants in the Zoom meeting were: Toms Thomas as facilitator, Sandra Nijhof from the Alumni Office, Ali, Ejaz, Lava, Shiv, Sanjay, Vinati, Michelle, Ceci Condo, Cecilia Ramos, Cristina, Juan Pablo, Julia, Rosario, Jairo and Nidia, Gillian, Kai, Lily, Reti, Dias, me, Tariq Nazir, Jacinta, Harriet, Arjanne Rietsma, Sharmini, Sylvester (Sly), Cynthia, Juliet. Whew! The agreement was we meet once every quarter. Hope madayon jud. God bless us all!

Lakorn

There's another series ni Nadech Kugimiya that will be shown on GMA NewsTV starting March 16 afternoon phn. Hapon cguro mga 2pm. It is called Hidden Love (Winds of Hidden Love -Lom Sorn Ruk in Thai). It is a story of family, treachery and loyalty. Duha k igsoon or twins bale sila and their father owns a medical company. Naa may brother sa gawas nga gusto pud moilog sa post mao patyon ang isa k anak laki. Ang anak laki nga tuas probinsya maoy mopuli sa anak nga naas siyudad. And the rest is history. Nana pud gifeature nga bukid nga part sa Thailand with this series. Hahahy, moadto n mn kaha jud ko ani didto phn. Jia you Doki!

COVID-19

There has been a community transmission of COVID-19 here in Philippines already since last week. As of this writing, 49 cases na ang Philippines, mostly in Metro Manila but na'pud taga-Dumaguete ug Cagayan de Oro. Nag-emergency meeting daw ang among deans so waiting mi for announcement kung masuspend amo klases or ishorten amo klases this semester. Jia you to us! Since January 3rd week p ni sya nga virus nikuyanap since nanglakaw ang mga mainland Chinese during Chinese New Year. Taga-Wuhan, China gud to ang first 3 cases diri, namatay gani tong isa k laki nga 39 yrs old. Wala jud nakahibaw till when ni nga virus maresolve. The DOH is estimating 3 months. Hopefully by then mahuman n jud ning virusa ug kuyanap sa tibuok kalibutan. Jia you Doki!

Bangkok October 2020 Pohon

I am planning to be in Bangkok in October pohon to visit Mary and take her to Siem Reap. Gusto pa pud ko moadto ug Myanmar ug Laos ug Hanoi and Halong Bay phn Lord so planohon n pud na ug tarong. It will be my 2nd time in BKK phn. The first time was with Ate Jing back in Sept 2008. I already told my Thai fellow ISS alumni that I will be there phn. Excited bya tos Achara nga moadto ko'g BKK before. Wa lng mi magkita. This time I hope to see her with Nipapan and A pud if makontak nako siya. Si Pim is in Seoul man diay so di to sya maapil phn. I am also looking to connect with a Thai academic coz I want to do an affiliation there so that I can see Thailand's agriculture for myself. Not just as a tourist. Si A is with Thammasat University mn diay. But Kai said she'll try to contact some fellow NL alumni daw. That's a good start. Thanks Kai and see you all in BKK in Oct phn!

My PhD Research

2/28/20 I just submitted the first draft of my proposal for PhD research. It is about the role of local experts in the urbanization of Cebu City. I think I made good in it so I will just wait for comments from my supervisor, si Dr Rivera. Jia you Doki, keep the faith! Due to the Covid crisis, and since senior citizen n mn pud si Dr Rivera, May na nako nadawat ang iya comments on my 1st draft. Then I worked on my new draft till June 27, 2020. Last week mga July 15, 2020, Dr Rivera contacted me and told me to finalize my draft for colloquium. Salamat tawn Lord. At least na'koy agi sa quarantine. Amen.

Choice

The character of Matnee in The Crown Princess is the chief's daughter and only child in a remote village in northern Thailand where Lieutenant Commander Dawin took Naree to hide out for safety. In the series she eventually chose to marry a guy that she said she had to marry and not someone she wants to marry. Coz she has a responsibility man daw to their village. Kasakit pud oi. But this is true about life. Sometimes we make choices that we have to, sacrificing our own happiness. Joyce told me once that in the past, ako mn daw giuna ang uban so it is time n daw pud to pursue my own happiness. Nalain bya ko ni Joyce when she dropped me when I visited KL in October 2017. But I think na-okay na mi after she told me of Nev's demise last end January 2020. Nakauli mn pud ko gikan sa KL due to Sunil's help. God bless us all Joycie!

Brokenness and Healing

There is a saying that goes, "You have to be broken in order to be shared". Of course I understood all of that. I became broken in Singapore coz duha lagi ako pildi didto in 2005-2006. But again, SG was the culmination of my so many mistakes in life. Jayeel called it a constellation of mistakes gud. Anyway, forward to the present. I am almost finished with my PhD studies at SU under CHED scholarship. My very good friend Marge gave me this advice: Take care of yourself more and love yourself more. So that pag dumating na siya, di sya ang bubuo sa yo bagkus magiging kasama mo sya sa lahat ng bagay dahil buo k n. Love it! Love you Marge! Hope to see u in PP again one of these days! :)

Musings

From my obsession with Nadech Kugimiya and Yaya Sperbund this time, I came into contact with the lyrics or message of a song they once sang together in an open-air concert. Theme song diay to from their series in 2012 called Thoranee Ni Nee Krai Krong: Don't chase people. Work hard and do your thing. The right people will come into your life at the right time and stay. So mao nay ako buhaton. Tutukan ug humanon ko ni ako PhD so that ig human phn, ireward ra ko ni Lord. I keep the faith! Amen.

NUS Transcript

On 20 February 2020 I requested for my transcript na from NUS. And on 26 February 2020 nadawat na naho ako NUS transcript. Fedex ra may gipadad-an so dali ra. Apil n pud tos bayad. Okay na Doki, isara n lng jud to nga chapter sa imong life. Amen!

Naniwang Na Diay Ko

After about 2 weeks starting on 2/13/20 when I let go of my noodles, canned goods, chicheria and all things salty and fatty and softdrinks, I can see the effects on my body bujag. Naniwang n jud diay ko. Thanks Lord. Nasigo n mn nako ako uniform pants though I moved the I to the edge previously. Cge lang, at least masara n mn jud kaysa before nga di jud. Then wheat bread ug wheat pandesal na ako snacks. Magkape lng ko panagsa and Tiger nga chocolate cookies to ako snacks. I have oatmeal too. I bought Magic Flakes Plain yday pero later n siguro to naho kan-on. I try to eat on time na pud. I will look for Rebisco whole wheat crackers pud this pm. Paiba lng gud kay medyo mahal ang Gardenia nga whole wheat sliced bread at P58.50 per half pack (P70 per whole pack) then P49 ang wheat pandesal pack. Jia you Doki, padayon lng sa imo efforts. God bless!

Former Student

He is my former student sa Development Economics sa USC, I think on my last sem there before I left in Nov 2007. Magcge ra na siya'g tan-aw sa ako FB then momessage ug motext. Balaknon raba kaju ang kagwang. Morag 5 yrs older than me siya. Baw lng nimo Dong oi. God bless us always!

Sg in June 2020 Pohon

Let me write down my initial itinerary for this trip pohon: June 15, 2020 -arrival in Sg late at night, taxi padung ila Sheryl June 16, 2020 to NUS first then Orchard cguro to meet Ate Sheila and Jonathan and browse the bookstores there, Lucky Plaza June 17, 2020 meet with Waray and Sakura for lunch? Adto ila Ivy sa Punggol June 18, 2020 I can spend this time sa museums, asa p? When mi kita ni Tanya? June 19, 2020 NUS n pud during the day? evening - flight back to Cebu Jia you Doki. God bless your trip phn!

Hanoi Opening

Today I requested for my official transcripts from NUS. Plan mn ta naho kuhaon ig adto naho in June phn pero when I checked on the internet, online man ang application. I paid for shipping it na lng via FEDEX so that madawat n nho phn. So when I visit SG suroy2 n lng jud ako huna2on and meet up with friends.. Incidentally Sandra Nijhof posted a vacancy for Trade Officer at the Netherlands Embassy in Hanoi. Mora n pud ko'g gikilatan, gusto n pud ko moapply didto. But then magneed ug excellent command of Vietnamese and English as well as good knowledge of Vietnam's economy as well as its laws, business customs and regulations. Di n lng jud ko tuga2 diay. Naa ra cguro moabot jud para naho at the right time. Humanon sa ni naho aho kontrata sa eskwela. Di pwede magpaag2 Doki. I wanna return to Indochina man gud, Lord. The urge is just that strong. Since last Feb 5, 2020 when Mary told me that she is in Bangkok as of the moment. Sila Phuong and Linh are in Hanoi, academics sila. I have not been in Hanoi, sa Saigon ra ko many times. Cge lang Doki. Utnga sa lng jud ni tanan. Amen.

Saki San

She's my co-participant from Japan at ISS in the year 2000. She was doing PADS while my other Japanese classmates were Ayumi and Shioko. Mataha tawn ko nija kay chic kaju bujag. I think she grew up in France kay she was a graduate of Louvain mn daw and had a French boyfriend. Anyway, when I was in Cambodia in 2008, she liked my pictures on Facebook. Didto nagsugod amo communication. When I was in Hawaii in July last year, I emailed her my thoughts. Lately lng nija nakuha. She lives in Singapore now with her family. She was divorced daw with her French boyfriend who visited ISS when we were there. She re-married a Malaysian guy of Indian descent. Ahh, interesting! Told her we definitely have a lot to talk about when I visit SG in June. Coz I had 2 Indian flatmates gud in SG before. One is Malayalee but now lives in Mumbai with her family while the other is from Bombay but now in Bangalore working for Unilever. They would always cook Indian food during Sundays. Effort kaju ilang nilutuan and they would tell me to eat yoghurt to combat the heat in their food. Anyway, see u then Saki san, excited!

No More Diet2

I went on a diet since January 3rd week 2020 kay nidaku n lagi ko. Sus, niabot sa point nga di n nako masabtan ako gibati. Sakit na kaju ako ulo ig mata naho ig k buntag. Naghuna2 p jud ko'g bisan unsa. Ang resulta daku kaju ko'g nagasto, to wit: 100 motor to UCMed, 1282 pa-emergency sa UCMed, 217 whole wheat bread (2 packs) ug pineapple juice, 128 taxi home from UCMed, 300 to and from North Gen, 3200 intra 2 bottles, 511 medicines, 900 blood pressure monitor, 111 whole wheat bread and tissue, 111 pineapple juice 5 cans, 150 isda ug uban pa. Total of P6,910 oi! Nituo n lng kos giingon sa ako hilot nga dili mn taas ako dugo, grabe lng jud ako panuhot. Oo kay tingtugnaw n mn nya kuwangan ra ahong habol. La p jud koy gibutang taming sa ako bintana. So today, 2/18/20 I went to work na. Mokaon n lng jud ko on time and tarong aron di n ko masakit p. I let go of my noodles and canned goods n pud every week plus softdrinks, buwad ug beef broth cubes. Ako mga kape 3 in 1 aho na lng pud gipada ni Nang Anel sa Bohol. Eat healthy and on time lng jud ko. Jia you Doki!

Full Circle

I thought full circle na ko kay ako n mn pud ang tigsuporta ni Ate Ica ron. Aho sija ingnan nga naay limit aho pagsuporta nija. Coz sobras 3 yrs na gud kay Sept 2016 mn sija niuli for good from Cambo nya wa n magtrabaho. Sakit n kuno ija likod. Huh? Nagbuhay pensionada nga way pension intawn! Aho n lng gilista tanan kwarta naho gihatag nija. Daku2 n pud nga amount. Gisugdan n kuno ug trabaho ang ilang tindahan so ig March phn magsugod n kuno sila paninda. Hay salamat, nakahuna2 n jud tawn sija'g tarong kung saun pagpangita ug kwarta. Padajon siguro japon ija online ticketing ug attend pud kuno sija real estate seminars. Ila mn pud gihuwat tong kabilin nila Teody nga matubos ug mabahin kuno aron magfarm sila didto. Si Ate Belen man daw ang nakaprenda ato so sija nay molukat phn. I do hope madayon Lord kay napa gud sijay eskwela. Nya tiguwang n tawn pud sija lagi. Di n sija ang OFW nga Jessica Batausa nga aho nailhan. The one who said 'moadto p baja ko'g Bangkok, Lord. Housewife n lng sija nga si Jessica Batausa Remulta didtos Lajog, Clarin, Bohol. Mosuroy n lng kuno sija phn kung na'nay budget . When aho n giyawyawan niingon nga nagmahay kuno sija nga wa magtinihik in the past ug poor planning pud kuno sija. Poor planning jud kay sari2 store gud to ija ingon nga ija himuon pag uli nija. IMG mn ija gikalingawan ug ilang baboy pud. Diri na sija mangajo naho after sija giaway ni Bantil kay I think gibayran sija'g P50K nya ang P30K gibutang nijas BDO Life nga nailit na. Then naningil n pud ug balik ni Bantil. May ma'g gipunit ra tong kwartaha lagi. I gave her P10K in Sept 2019 and P30K last October 2019 pud. Then April 2019 niingon n sija nga paulian n lng kuno ija St Peter. Didto naho giuli ang ijang laptop ug I gave her my extra pocket wifi modem pud. Aron makakita lagi sija'g online jobs. Baw nga ticketing mn ija gikuha. Moingon ra man ug 'bahala'g nihit kunos adlaw adlaw basta di kaju buktot kunos trabaho'. Pastilan Ginoo unsaon ni naho pagkumbinsir intawn? I made her realize that ija gipanglabay halos tanan nijang gipundar. I hope I truly made her think hard about their situation, Lord. Kay puros gud sila way trabaho sa ijang bana. Any amount nga aho ihatag nija from now on nakalista na aron ideduct sa ijang share sa Palm Heights. Syaro ug di ko kabayad nija phn! In the past, ako maoy nagpasuporta jud ug maayo ni Baloy. This was my Palm Heights episode in 2003 which eventually led me to my Singapore episode in 2005. After ko giyawyawan jud ug maayo ni Baloy when I went home from Singapore in June 2006, I resolved not to ask any more money from him. Ginagmay gagmay n lng gud ang aho pangajuon nija; unlike when I was in SG nga thousands jud. Luckily nakabayad n mn kos ako NUS balance so I am looking for the next steps n lagi. I keep the faith! Nisuporta ra pud si Baloy naho all this time. Sija may nisuggest pud nga ilista jud ng mga gihatag naho ni Jessica kay di pwede sige pangajo. Ija ra n hinay2an ug kuha ija share sa house sa Palm Heights. Mao jud. God bless our plans always!

Likit Ruk

Last week I bingewatched on this soap opera from Thailand. The Crown Princess starring Nadech Kugimiya (Thai-Austrian but adopted by a Thai-Japanese couple) and Urassaya Sperbund (Thai-Norwegian). "Nothing can stop God's plan for your life" ang iyang tagline. Basically a story about destiny among royalty siya. Mga with foreign blood ang lead actors, and much loved by Thai audience daw pud. Heheh. Kamao diay mokanta ug mosayaw si Nadech. He can play musical instruments too. Artistahon jud siya. While si Yaya can sing but not that well. Madala n lng ug pacute. Hahah. They have been working together since 2012 man diay. Mao Yaya says that they have known each other for about 8 years now. Grabe buyag. Sila n mn gani siguro magkadayon! Thailand is amazing and it is beautiful. I last went there in Sept 2008 with my sister. Init kaju ilang curry buyag. Fried rice ra jud tawn amo nakaon didto. I am planning of visiting this October phn kay tua mn daw sa Bangkok si Mary while waiting for the results sa bar exams. This April ta to, na'na mn koy ticket to Legazpi. Na'pud coronavirus scare pa. Mary and I plan to go to Siem Reap phn. June 2010 pa lagi ko last nakaadto and sa border with Cambodia ra daw nakaadto si Mary. Wala na diay ang ilang Manila to Siem Reap nga byahe sa Cebu Pacific so napugos ko ug sulod via Bangkok phn. Nihinay daw ang SR when niopen ang PP-MNL route sa PAL. God bless us all!

Taize Forward

I went to Taize, a village near Cluny, France in June 2001. Our chaplain, Fr Ben Engelbertink graciously drove us down there. There were eight of us students from ISS: Reginald from Kenya, Arul from India, Salvador and I from Philippines, Achara from Thailand, Gillian from Trinidad and Tobago, Rose Gawaya from Kenya, and Juliet Najumba from Uganda. We were really an international group, which made one of the volunteers there, Alex from Germany really curious.

We stayed there for practically a week. We arrived on Monday afternoon after a very long drive from the Netherlands. (We started out at 6am from The Hague and only arrived there at 1600h). We left on Saturday. The takeaway from that trip is The Source St Etienne. Ang ganda ng lake doon! It was in Taize also where we met a Swedish Filipina woman. She said 3 layers daw iya stocking when she walks her dogs out during winter. Then the American who said 'these people expect us to pray on an empty stomach?' I love those evening meditation sessions. Even in Singapore I joined Taize sessions gud. Hay, I miss my trips in Europe jud. Jia you Doki!

Acid Reflux & Backpains

Lately lng jud naho natugkad nga I have acid reflux man diay from many times in the past nga di ko mokaon on time. Coz I remember in Holland nga mga 3pm n ko maglunch. Nya if I am in CDU, saging mantikaan jud na ako snack kada hapon. Karon nga tiguwang n ko, nigawas na ang resulta atong ahong gipangbuhat in the past. Nitunga n pud ang ahong sakit sa likod from an injury when I was very young sa Cawayanan. I landed on my butt then. Then I can recall the other times I fell -- sa stairs sa Holy Cross Academy, sa among old boarding house sa RR Landon and then sa Cambo, in my classroom sa Western De Castle. Lapad mn gud ako tiil so dali ra ko mausdak. But thankfully wala ra mn daw koy spine injury. Mawala ra mn siya ug masahe. Jia you Doki! Gastro-esophagial reflux disorder (GERD), mentioned in "The Crown Princess" matrigger siya sa stress and not eating on time. So mao n Doki, kaon jud on time ug dili magpastress. Amen.

Goodbye, Uncle Gody

Around Christmas 2019 Aunty Helen posted on the Kaliwat chat group that Uncle Gody is sick with stomach cancer. He refused to be treated in the hospital so he was treated at home with hospice care lang daw. Last night he passed away, maoy post nilang Taylor Melville ug Danielle Gray. Mga anak diay ni silas youngest daughter ni Uncle Gody, si Sandy who is divorced to Michael Melville and now married to George Massad. I met his entire ohana last July in Hawaii during Mike's wedding. Mao diay lahi sila'g features kay Portuguese mn daw ilang mama. Ang iyang asawa si anhing Aunty Patricia Jocson. Batausa jud ang shape sa iyang nawong- pareha nila Tiyo Filemon ug Tiyo Joven lagi. He actually looked at me when we were packing things up after the Jocson Family Reunion at Ala Moana Beach Park. He looked wistful; I thought he remembered his dad and everyone else in Philippines with that look. They asked me to join them diay sa group photo opp. He told me diay that maayo daw nakaeskwela ko kay kamao ko mag-English. Tambok mn diay kajus Uncle Gody when bata2 p sija. He and his wife attended Paul's graduation gud in Pensacola, Florida in 2001. Moapil mn ta ko ato, wa mn ko hatagi ug visa lagis US embassy or consulate in Amsterdam. I remember meeting Gody Jr and his wife Christina at the church, Annette and Adrienne (twins), and the rest sa reception na. Kinsa pa mn tong uban oi? Kadtong medyo special child. Di na naho maatol tanan sa kadaghan. Rest in peace, Uncle Gody. I was very fortunate to have met you and your entire ohana last July. Godspeed! :)

Goodbye, Nev

Last night when I came home, I opened my phone and read Joyce's message that Nev died last Sunday. I was of course shocked coz I was just emailing him about 2 weeks ago. I looked at his Facebook and saw that he was in hospital diay on January 25 for enlarged heart and pneumonia. Basta mga tiguwang na lagi nya magka-pneumonia, deadly jud n. I left a message in his memorial page to say goodbye. I was very fortunate to meet him in PP in 2008. He was such a kind and wise person. He treated me to dinner at Comme a la Maison gud in PP. Too bad he was very old for me. He wanted to see me here in Cebu man diay to back in 2011 and when that didn't push through, he gave his ticket to a Filipino guy in Penang who was able to go home and propose to his longtime kalive-in. Nev once called me a crazy Filipina. He called me an impoverished academic too. He'd always tell me that I would receive a sum of money daw every 2 weeks if I marry him. Wa jud ko. He got married to a Chinese playwright then they divorced after a few years. He was with a Filipina named Heather who I think is in her 30s at Dien Bien Phu upon his death. Rest in peace in heaven, Neville. Till we see each other again phon. By the way, when I woke up yday, news of Kobe Bryant's death was blaring on CNN too. Whole day n lng jud. He died on a helicopter crash in Calabasas, CA along with his 13-yr old daughter Gianna, Alyssa Altorelli and her father, the pilot and 4 others. It looks like weather problem coz twas foggy daw when they left. He was only 41 yrs old and just retired from the NBA in 2016 after spending 20 years with the LA Lakers. Rest in peace to all.

Bantil in Palawan

Last September 16, 2019 start nas Bantil ug work sa Ospital ng Palawan (ONP). Item n jud tawn cja didto. I think nalipay n sija didto kay gawas nga daku ug sweldo, nice mn pud ug benefits ang govt. They have 13th and 14th month, hazard pay? and share daw sa Philhealth income every month or 2 months. Syaro ug di p jud sija mostay on didto di b Lord. Ingnan pud sija ni Genelyn nga pwede sija apply sa Ubay, Bohol phn. Dugay2 p cguro, mga 1 to 2 years p cguro. Coz ONP gud ija nakit-an after sija giterminate as JO sa Capitol kay change leadership n lagi. Dugay2 gud pud sija natambay before to nija nakit-an. From DPWH Baguio in January 2019 where she survived only for a month, she came home to Cebu man. 3 months ra lagi sijas Provincial Soils Lab kay nag-election man last June 2019. Gipromisean to cja nga iendorse sija as item pero wa mahitabo. All the best to us always. Ginoo ra jud lagi ang moplastar sa tanan.

K.A.

He's one of the 2 boys I met in Hawaii in July 2019. He approached our table during the reception for Mike and Flori's wedding at He'eia State Park in Kane'ohe on July 19, 2019. He is one of Mike's colleagues diay before. He talked to Aunty Helen first then approached me. He complimented me on my hair. Kinsa daw nagcut ato. I said somebody from Cebu, back in the Philippines. He asked me if I am on Facebook. Yes I said but how? I ended up searching for him on Facebook and adding him. But actually when I went to the toilet when Lei was giving a testimony about Flori, he caught up with me when I got out. Talk n lng pud mi. He admires Filipinos daw coz they're kind. I said thank you. He just came from Philippines daw. I said okay, that's good. Chika2 lng gud mi till I came home. Chat2 ra pud mi panagsa on Messenger. He loves Filipinos lagi daw and he has a Pinoy friend in every region and around the world. Heheh, cge gud Dong. Aju2 nimo diha kanunay! Btw when I was talking to him diay nilabay si Edward Nartatez, Mike's other best man. Then when I looked for him di na nako siya makit-an didtos party area. Till nanayaw n mi at the end of the reception. I asked him if he dances. He said he doesn't. So I told him he's stiff. Anyway nagstorya ra mn gihapon mi later that night when they sent stuff home sa bay nila Aunty. Sila ni Bain maoy last naghatod. He told me lagi that we would go to one of those islands kuno if ever I make it back to Hawaii. I told him I'd have to ask Mike. Ed talaga. Mike asked me if I danced with him during the reception. We were on our way to North Shore then, July 23, 2022 morning. I said no coz he disappeared. I swear he was behind me when I was with Alisa (Paul's daughter) at He'eia State Park n. He is not active on Facebook and he didn't reply to my postcard also. I dunno if nadawat b pud nija kay last August 2019 ra mn to. Cge God bless us all!

Legazpi 2019

I was in Legazpi, Albay overnight in July 2017. I only went there to witness Madon and her husband's 30th wedding anniversary. I slept ila Uncle Loloy; Jacky and I met up at the jeepney terminal na lang. Buhi pas Aunty Cynthia that time. Sadly she passed away in January last year.. Jacky asked me if I wanted to go to Boracay or Siargao. I said I prefer Siargao. But mahal mn ang air tickets for her so she told me to come to Legazpi n lng daw. So I booked my ticket already. I plan to be there ig April 13 to 16 phn. Bahala gud ug gamay ra masuruyan. Ang importante I am able to visit them coz dugay2 n pud ko wa kakita nila. Btw, bahala n lng tos Coach oi. Di jud ko makigminjo nija if mao ra lagi japon ija batasan nga magcge sija ug pangajo naho. Please show me Lord. Amen.

Tanya

She is my classmate from good old NUS days. She's an Indian Indian married to a Singaporean Indian. Heheh. Through the years we've managed to stay in touch. I went to visit her when she had a delicate pregnancy and had to undergo bedrest. I had a really good chicken biryani then at her mother in law's house. Days before Christmas last year, I was messaging her coz she had problems with her boss at a job that she really liked. She gave up that job and has found a new one. Waiting for the offer letter n lng daw siya. Anyway, yday I was chatting with her on Messenger. She told me to pay up NUS. Don't be foolish and stupid daw by letting around a thousand Singaporean dollars forfeit my entry to Singapore again. I don't think they would catch me at the airport because I have unsettled NUS student bills. Dili mn criminal liability cguro to, unlike credit card debt. But bad record lng ko nila. I definitely do not want that. Wa pud koy dungog mobalik sa SG that way. I left SG in February 2008, around Chinese New Year. Nilakaw ra ko without paying my dues or withdrawing my candidature. In May 2008 na mn ko niwithdraw when they were looking for me coz I didn't sit for the final exams in EC 6101 Econometrics. Anyway, Tanya said closure is the best thing that I could give myself daw, especially that the new year just started. Thanks a lot dear Tanya, hope to see u in SG soon with your biryani! :) Actually 3rd person na si Tanya to tell me that what I owe NUS is not much. First si Charito Planas, my former student who became Ate Ica's friend when nagkadungan sila ug review. She worked in SG for a while. Second is si Dr Jessie Cheah of UNU-IIGH who I met during their seminar at UP Cebu last October 2017. So it must be the voice of God di b? Cge lang Doki, masayang mn kas kwarta, mas daku ra cguro gihapon ang return nimo. Just do the right thing and trust God lng jud kanunay. Amen.

Walk Away

The story of the first week of January is Meghan Markle and Prince Harry walking away from their royal life. They want to work to become financially independent kuno and split their time between North America and the UK. Last Saturday 1/18/20 it was announced that they will lose their HRH titles and will no longer receive public money. Since they will still be members of the royal family, si Prince Charles will financially support their security etc from his private income from the Duchy of Cornwall. Hahay. It is expected that Harry and Meghan will live a life Hollywood-style, following the model of the Clintons, the Obamas and Oprah. They will continue with their charity work and patronages. They will be called Harry, Duke of Sussex and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex. They have trademarked na man daw their SussexRoyal Foundation so they're expected to earn millions of money there with their posts. Plus Meghan can sign work contracts na daw with film outfits like Disney, Netflix etc. The changes will be finalized in the spring of 2020 kuno. So from now till April phn is considered the period of transition. Okay. Enough of celebrities and royalties. Good luck to us all!

Calendars

Since the new year just started, I am scrambling for calendars. Coz I want to turn the page of the calendar to indicate a new month. Thankfully, I got a wall calendar and a desk calendar from C & E. Ms Arceli Gomez patiently sent us calendars sa skul. Then I have an upcoming calendar pud from ISS. Nanghatag mn si Sandra. Btw I thought gusto n ko magminyo this year. I wrote a letter to Coach and sent it to him last Thursday 1/16/20. One week pa daw ang delivery ato. I hope on time. Di lng pud ko mag-expect gud ug daku ato. Told him man iyaha na ang decision.. I am thinking of going somewhere this June also. Sa South Korea ta to with Gillian, di mn daw siya pwede. So ako n lng cguro ang molakaw ani phn. Jia you Doki! Btw January 16 pud ang closing date atong vacancy nga Lecturer in Global Development sa UNSW Sydney. After one week moreply n daw ang screening committee. Alanganin ko atos research portfolio. Ikaw nay mag-igo Lord. Amen. January 16 is also the date of my stamp sa US Immigration in Hawaii. Dia n kos Pinas oi, hagbay ra ko nauli. Cge.

Letters to Juliet

January 2, 2020 afternoon. Watched the movies "Before Sunrise" and "Before Sunset" on Channel 5. Then on Saturday 1/4/2020 I watched the movie "Letters to Juliet" na jud coz I missed Europe. It is set in Verona, Italy. I was lucky to pass by the place once on our way to Venice. I've never been back in Europe. Layo lagi ug tugnaw p jud. But from this movie were the lines, "If what you felt then was true, what makes it different now?" Hahay. Jia you Doki!

Eastern Europe

Around New Year I learned that our former student in CDU, si Natalie Roa is now doing Medical School in Poland. Memorable niya ang Poland coz she was there for World Youth Day man. This January 13, 2020 pud magstart ang "Make it with You" teleserye nila Enrique Gil ug Liza Soberano. It features Dubrovnik. Nice ang Croatia oi, nice pud ang Czech Republic. Nice pud ang Bratislava, Slovakia. Basta old glory ang Eastern Europe. Didto nagmasters si Cleve Arguelles sa Central European University Budapest. Jia you!

Biboy at ICM

My nephew Nathaniel 'Biboy' Batausa is now 17 years old. This Christmas season, he and 18 of his classmates were able to work at ICM in Tagbilaran as counter checker. We went on Christmas Day in Tagbilaran in order to see him and give him a treat. Four of his friends joined us. Then on December 30 we went there again coz Bantil wanted to see Biboy there too. She gave us her treat at Rai Rai Ken and bought us some clothees. After lunch, we went inside ICM na. Eventually we saw Biboy at the middle check out lanes. I felt proud when I saw him but I felt sad also. Coz bata p sya nagtrabaho na. I saw him pack some items bought by a customer. Naggisi pud siya'g newspaper giputos sa mug then gisulod sa brown bag. Amo pud giokoy2 even when nisaka siya sa taas kay naay gipakuha sa iyang cashier. Ate Ica said mora kuno'g supervisor si Biboy. Heheh. We pray makatrabaho gihapon si Biboy ig summer pohon. At least exposed n sija sa world of work. And that was the end of the Christmas vacation. On December 31 I went back to Cebu to celebrate the New Year in Palm Heights. Let's pray for good things this new year. Amen.

Pay Up NUS

Twas my good friend and classmate Tanya Sahni Singh who was able to convince me to pay up NUS jud. She was the 3rd person to say that it is not much daw. And again, I sent the money to Sheryl via Moneygram and siya n lay nibayad for me. I emailed NUS too and they said with my complete payment, they will update my record na daw. I am confident na to return to SG phn - to see old friends and the new changes there. 2008 pa lagi ko nibiya didto and never been back. Giari n lng gud ko nila Sheryl and family last December. Whether I make it to Singapore again as a scholar or otherwise, Ginoo ray nahibaw. Basta gusto lng ko mabayran ang mga kinahanglan bayaran and turn over a new page in my life. Jia you Doki!