TaintedSong v11

If I Could Go Back, I Would

Joni — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 19:06:16 +0000

In my list of 10 Simple Joys that I wrote last year, I mentioned that I was deciding on a nice anniversary gift for my parents. The anniversary gift that I was thinking of getting them then was to take them to either Singapore or Hong Kong. This was supposed to be for July 2008 because July was both their birth month and their wedding month. I was psyched about this plan since it would be Papa and Mama’s first time to fly out of the country and I knew it would really make them happy. I was leaning toward bringing them to Hong Kong because I knew my dad would love to be in a place closest to Mainland China at least so he could try authentic Chinese food (My dad has this weird fascination with anything Chinese although he’s only 25% of it, lol), while my mom would love to do some bargain shopping.

But for some reason, I discarded this plan. Maybe I was thinking about how much the trip would cost me especially during a time that I was saving for the rainy days. True enough, the “rainy days” began the day my dad was brought to the hospital last year. I could keep telling myself now that not pushing through with the trip was a good move because of all the unexpected expenses that came pouring in, but I can’t help feeling sad and regretful. I should have pushed through with the plan! It would have been a memorable experience not only for Papa, but for Mama and I. Never mind how much it would have cost, money can always be obtained.

But I just let the chance pass, didn’t I? I only have myself to blame.

During that trip to Hong Kong with Mae last month, I kept thinking about Papa and how much he would have enjoyed exploring the city. Everywhere we went, I’d imagine his joyful reaction to everything. I got sentimental the most when we dined at a real Chinese restaurant in Temple Street to try out real Chinese food. I’m positive my dad would have loved it!

Today is Papa’s 55th birthday. I miss him everyday. If I could go back to last year and make his 54th birthday more special, I would. But I know he wouldn’t be happy to know that I’ve been feeling this way since he left. There really is no use crying over spilled milk, but what happened has taught me to embrace opportunities as they come.

Chances are so hard to come by and the second one is impossible to find.

© Joni for TaintedSong v11, 2009. | Permalink | 2 comments | Leave a comment
Word count: 437 | Filed under: News, Events, Occasions, Personal

Both Sides Now

Joni — Sat, 06 Jun 2009 17:22:13 +0000

One of the things I seldom do now that I’m caught up in this “corporate world” is see my family. I get to spend time with relatives in Pampanga (where my mom is from) 1-2 times a month, while I see and talk with relatives in Bacolod (where my dad is from) 1-2 times a year. So imagine how happy I was that for two consecutive weekends, I got to bond with cousins on both sides of the family!

My cousin, Tata, who traveled all the way from Virginia, was here two weeks ago for the pamamanhikan they did in Pangasinan. He’s marrying his fiancee on 10/10/2010. His brother, Siote, flew in from Bacolod to spend time with Tata and their mom. In their very short stay in Manila, we took them to Bonifacio High Street, SM Mall of Asia, Tagaytay, and Wensha Spa. Funny trivia: My two brothers, Tata, and Siote were my only playmates back in the days. It’s not a mystery how I turned out this way!

The next weekend, the Manabat Family went to Fontana for an overnight stay before my uncle goes back to the Middle East. The sun was not shining then but I still got the tan lines! Love it.

My niece and godchild, Gracielle, is just the cutest! For a kid who’s just a year old, she’d pose for the camera every time you point it at her. She’s very sweet and she hardly ever cries. I wish my kid would be just like her! Read: not a brat.

Did you notice? My little cousins, nephews and nieces could easily be mistaken as my kids! I’m so old.

© Joni for TaintedSong v11, 2009. | Permalink | 2 comments | Leave a comment
Word count: 276 | Filed under: Personal, Weekend Snapshots

Hell no!

Joni — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 06:43:15 +0000

“We write this letter in the knowledge that within our inalienable right to free speech, we have the right to condemn, to dissent, and to express. We believe that dissent and disagreement – as well as anger – is warranted for the events of June 2, 2009, 170 Representatives. A ruthless, rude, and repugnant resolution roots our rage…” No to Con-Ass!

© Joni for TaintedSong v11, 2009. | Permalink | No comment | Leave a comment
Word count: 61 | Filed under: News, Events, Occasions

Queen City of the South

Joni — Mon, 18 May 2009 14:44:13 +0000

Two posts ago, I mentioned that I don’t have any other trips this summer. But with just one chat session with Riz and Mae (the former was lonely, the latter was itching to get away) last month, a new itinerary was born! Last week, the three of us went on a 3-day trip to Cebu City just to get away from all of it. While staying in Shangri-La Mactan (and while Riz was taking a nap), Mae and I found a fruit bowl and shot the photos below. Hilarious!

Okay, I’m posting these pictures knowing there’s a chance another diehard Twilight fan would come and get me. Did you know that somebody left this very rude comment on my blog?

I HATE WHEN PEOPLE TALK SHIT ABOUT TWILIGHT.THEY’RE ALL JUST HATERS AND YOU REALLY NEED TO GO GET A LIFE!! AND FUCK ALL OF YOU THAT HATE.YOUR JUST JEALOUS THAT THEY’RE MAKING BILLIONS OF DOLLARS AND YOUR JUST MAKING A DUMB ASS BLOG ABOUT IT!!!

Whoever you are, I’m sorry to disappoint you. But there really is no need to use cuss words, they hurt. Lol. :P

Anyway, back to the Cebu trip. The one thing I wanted to do when I go back to Cebu was try out “Skywalk Extreme” at Crown Regency Hotel and I was so happy that we were able to do that the first night! Mae led the way as she has already been there earlier this year. The P600 we paid for already included the entrance fee, one ride (choice between Skywalk and Edge Coaster), and a hearty buffet meal. Sulit!

The next day we went to Mactan Shrine (or Lapu-Lapu Shrine), Taoist Temple (for the 3rd time!!), and had dinner at Tops, a mountaintop place overlooking the whole of Cebu City.

For two nights, we stayed in Casa Escano but on the last day, we transferred to Shangri-La Mactan and sacrificed a few bucks. Riz, fortunately, has friends in high places (her mom called up her aunt who is connected to Shangri-La to ask for a free room upgrade) so for just one night, we got to pretend we’re rich by staying in Shangri-La. The truth is though, we only had cup noodles and oatmeal for dinner!

After that Skywalk experience, my next favorite is Shangri-La Mactan. The place is so beautiful! See for yourself:

The three of us obviously have not gotten tired of each other yet, because we’re now planning for our next trip. Welcome us with open arms, Hong Kong! Except you, H1N1 virus.

More Cebu pictures here, here, here, here, and here.

© Joni for TaintedSong v11, 2009. | Permalink | 22 comments | Leave a comment
Word count: 433 | Filed under: Travel Tales

Web Design Conference in the Philippines

Joni — Fri, 01 May 2009 08:29:32 +0000

The first Web Design Conference in the Philippines is going to happen on July 10, 2009 at the Asian Institute of Management in Makati City, Philippines. Mark your calendars!

For more info, you may visit their websites: Philippine Web Designers Organization and

Summer 2009 Travel Destinations

Joni — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 18:37:27 +0000

You’ve probably heard other people say this so many times before, but let me say it too: Oh how I love traveling! The thought excites me like nothing else. I check online bookings every now and again to look for cheap flights, and sometimes I just get caught up watching the Discovery Travel & Living and Living Asia channels, just like the Super Girl. If I can afford it, and if there’s no ‘work’ that gets in the way, I would plan trips to places in the Philippines every month — to get lost in a strange city, walk around, and just take pictures. Or maybe fly to a nearby country (so long as Cebu Pacific continually offers Seat Sale!) for a bit of a challenge. The thought of finding my way in a foreign land using only a map, signs and a travel guide, and dealing with foreign-speaking locals does not bother me.

Here are the places I’ve been to this summer:

SINGAPORE

MALAYSIA

PUERTO PRINCESA, PALAWAN

BAGUIO CITY

Mae and I almost decided to fly to Cagayan de Oro for Labor Day weekend. We wanted to experience the renowned whitewater rafting, and to finally set foot in Mindanao(!!!). But since May 1st is only two weeks away, round trip airfare costs P5,000 or more. Eek. Maybe next time then.

I find it fun exploring the Philippines, cos it’s one thing to be proud of your country just by sitting in a chair and watching TV — whole other thing to actually get up from your chair, go places, and witness the “beauty” first-hand. LOVE YOUR OWN!

I wish I had more trips to tourist destinations in the Philippines in the remaining days of the summer. But due to the peak season still in full swing, I shouldn’t even bother checking the airline websites. Looking forward to other trips I’ve scheduled later this year, though.

Let’s Find Some Beautiful Place To Get Lost

Was tagged by Riz to browse through my stock photos, find that one place I want to go back to this very minute, put the words, “Let’s find some beautiful place to get lost” on it, then post it up. I choose Malaysia.

I regret that I only spent less than 24 hours in this country. Checking on travel websites now, there’s obviously more to Malaysia than just Sunway Lagoon, the famous Petronas Twin Towers, and the KL Tower. I would love the chance to go back and check out other spots.

Where have you been and where are you off to this summer? :)

© Joni for TaintedSong v11, 2009. | Permalink | 12 comments | Leave a comment
Word count: 429 | Filed under: Travel Tales

Untitled

Joni — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 19:14:23 +0000

During the short time my dad was battling cancer and when he finally succumbed to it, I kept getting comments from friends on how they admire me for handling the situation really well. Some of them even said that they would be in a worse state than I was if they were in my shoes. They say this because when they came to visit my Dad in the hospital, and some others at the wake, they didn’t seem to find any trace of sadness in my face. They find it odd that I look “okay” while I explain to them Papa’s case as though I’m not affected by it.

But the truth is, I was (I am) extremely affected by it. I was just happy to see friends who came to extend their condolences that I was more concerned with showing them how much I appreciate them than making them feel uncomfortable. I’m not one to go hysterical in front of people so when I faced my friends at the hospital and at the funeral, I had to be strong and put on a smile. A friend of mine almost didn’t speak to me because she didn’t know what to say. I just told her that I understood, there’s no need to worry.

The truth is, I can no longer count the times I’ve cried over my Dad. But let me try:

I cried in the hospital that day in December when the doctor broke the news that Papa has stage 4 cancer. I cried when he was discharged from the hospital the next day and that night when I kept myself up because I wanted to watch over him while he slept. I cried while I was surfing the web reading articles about Lung Cancer and how to combat it. I cried whenever I saw him throw up the food he ate or when he had to hold on to the wall, the table, the fridge or anything solid because his headache was too intense he would fall over if he didn’t hold on to something. I cried during those times he would not eat due to lack of appetite and because he was too weak to get up. I cried on Christmas eve and Christmas day because I feared it would be our last Christmas together. I cried that night when he lost consciousness and we had to rush him to the hospital again. I cried the next night and kept whispering his name while I was forcing myself to go to sleep. I cried in the hospital when I saw him opening his eyes yet he didn’t recognize me. I cried when he finally regained consciousness and tried to say my name. At this point, I tried to tell him everything I wanted to tell him. That I love him so much, that I will miss him, that I will do my best to make him proud, that I will see him someday. I cried that day when he couldn’t open his eyes anymore. I cried a few times at my brother’s wedding because I kept thinking about him and Mama who would have wanted to be there. I cried on January 29 when I whispered to him that it was my birthday. In the morning of February 5, while I was watching over him in the hospital by myself, I cried when the doctor informed me his blood pressure had dropped to 70/40 and that “it’s not looking good”. I cried when a few minutes later I glanced his way to discover that he had stopped breathing. I cried when the nurse touched my arm and told me she was sorry for my loss. I cried when my brother came just before they took his body away. I cried when I saw Papa’s body in a gurney wrapped in white blanket. It’s a scene I only see in movies and TV shows. I cried when I saw his casket from afar the first time, and even more when I saw him in it. I cried when the boyfriend cried because he felt like he also lost a Dad. I cried that time we all flew to Bacolod City — me, my mom, and my brother were in the plane’s cabin while my Dad’s remains was in the cargo area. I cried when I delivered a brief eulogy before his burial. I cried during the burial. I cried the first day I went back to work when I realized I had to do move on with life and make things go back to “normal” (only, it will never be the same). I cry every now and again, especially at night or when I see his pictures and read his text messages on my phone.

I’m crying right now as I’m typing this.

It’s been a month since my Dad died, and yes, I know this post is late. Maybe you’re wondering about how I’m able to blog about trivial things (like broadband dongles and weddings) yet I can’t even blog about a major happening in my life such as my Dad’s passing. The truth is, there is no easy way to put everything that has happened into writing. It’s pain I could never have imagined. At least I was able to write this entry, huh? But look, I can’t even come up with an appropriate post title!

What triggered me to finally write this post is when I learned about FrancisM’s death. He was only 44 years old! I am not really a fan of his but I am bothered by his early death. The “age” at which people die matters to me a lot these days. For one, I find it unfair that my Dad was only 54 years old when he died, while other Dads reach up to age 70, 80, or even 90.

But in the eulogy I gave during my Dad’s funeral in Bacolod I told everyone that I look at my Dad’s death in two ways. One, that I just lost a father. This is the selfish side of me obsessing about what I am missing and would be missing now that he’s gone. He was a lifetime’s worth of memories cut short and now all I would be adding to that are “what could have been’s”.

And two, my Dad is now free from the cruel hands of cancer and he is now in a better place where he’s having the time of his, er, after-life. Hee. I always try to think of number two.

This is my attempt to write about how painful my father’s death was. But, really, this still does not justify it. My heart goes out to the children of the late FrancisM…

SUN Broadband Wireless on Mac OS

Joni — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 13:53:17 +0000

So last week, Mae and I were surfing the net using our respective SUN Broadband Wireless dongles on our MBPs and I got a bit annoyed cos I was only getting a GPRS signal (green light indicator) while she was enjoying her breezy HSDPA signal (cyan light indicator). I looked for the options to configure in the “SUN Broadband” Application on my Mac but didn’t find any. Apparently, for Mac users to configure the network settings of the SUN wireless Broadband, we have to plug the thing into a Windows PC first, install the software, then change the settings from there. Here are the simple steps to take on a PC after installation:

Choose Profile Name: “Sun BROADBAND STANDARD”.
Go to “Tools”.
Select the “Network” folder icon.
For “Network Type” select “WCDMA only” from the dropdown box.
For “Band, select “All Bands” from the dropdown box.
Click “Apply” button.
Remove dongle from USB port and transfer it to your Mac.

And voila, an HSDPA data service is established! But don’t get your hopes too high, signal strength still depends on your location.

I kinda find it odd, though, that I have to use a PC before I can change the settings of the wireless broadband. And I’m a bit annoyed with myself that I just found out about this now, all the while thinking WHY DIDN’T THE SUN CELLULAR PEOPLE INFORM ME ABOUT THIS?? No wonder I kept complaining about the crappy signal of my Sun Broadband Wireless, while Mae is all praises for hers.

Hope this little info is useful to some of you!

© Joni for TaintedSong v11, 2009. | Permalink | 17 comments | Leave a comment
Word count: 265 | Filed under: Computer/Gadgets

First Dance

Joni — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 11:27:53 +0000

In the photo above are my brother and his bride on their wedding day (January 25th). The fact that both my brothers are now married scares me. Because, to me, that only means two things. (1) I’m next, and (2) I’m getting old. *faints*

More photos here.

This post is obviously over 3 weeks late — sorry. I just realized today I have some photos that I’d love to share with everyone, so expect more “short posts” from this blog!

© Joni for TaintedSong v11, 2009. | Permalink | 4 comments | Leave a comment
Word count: 80 | Filed under: News, Events, Occasions

My 25th Birthday

Joni — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 21:23:37 +0000

I notice that every year birthdays become less and less special. However, this really isn’t something to be sad about, it’s just part of growing up. My 25th birthday the other day (January 29th) was nothing out of the ordinary. I practically spent the whole day in the office! So, what I did was I got myself a “toy” to make the day a little bit memorable:

Tada! A SUN mobile broadband. It was Mae who introduced this to me last December, and so after I got my Globelines account terminated, I went straight to a SUN Shop, demoed a unit, signed up for an account, then took it home with me (yeah, I’m that impulsive). The SUN people told me it would take less than 24 hours to get activated, but that didn’t happen. It finally started working a few hours ago while Mae and I were at Riz’s place. This was 32 hours later.

The connection? So far, so good! But I’m keeping my fingers crossed cos we all know how crappy Sun Cellular’s signal can get, which is not far from happening with their 3G or broadband service too. But at least I’m not stuck in their 24 months lock-in period since I opted to pay for the dongle in full (P2,500). Monthly unlimited use is P799.

I appreciate Riz and Mae for “celebrating” my birthday with me last night (I don’t mind that it’s one day late). Thanks for surprising me with a slice of cake + candle! :P

Past birthdays: 21, 22, 23, 24. (Ugh, I’m old).

© Joni for TaintedSong v11, 2009. | Permalink | 18 comments | Leave a comment
Word count: 261 | Filed under: Computer/Gadgets, Personal