just curious.

Waiting on a new year.

2011-12-28T08:34:00.001+08:00

Travel documents aren't done yet, it's completion being held up by the fact that we're not top priority. Apparently, a school around here burnt down because of a faulty something or other and the Department of Civil Defense has to attend to inspections and clearances all over the city. It practically asked our school (mom's employer) to stop bothering them with follow-ups because, hell, it waited for nine years - it should be able to manage for a few more days/weeks/months. The dependents stuck here are not reason enough, nosiree!

I suppose that does away with my dilemma.

***

Our internet has been really crappy for the past few weeks, so I've been doing most of my communications via my berry, but even that's limited because not all of its apps are supported by the data plans here in Saudi Arabia, e.g. Facebook, Twitter (UberSocial wins this round), etc. I've been using my mom's SIM for the data plan, which is prepaid and renewed weekly for SR29. The prepaid monthly data plan costs about SR99, and I would've subscribed to that instead, had I known at any point that I'd be staying here for one month more. Such a frustrating cycle!

So yeah, I'm using more and more of my mom's money the longer I stay here. She called me out on it one day and asked me to quit my cooking experiments and to stick to making sugar wax and homemade facial scrubs because sugar comes cheap. Also peanut butter banana smoothies because they're healthy and we always have bananas. Lol.

***

I think I've told a few people it's kind of been my loose goal since 2005 to be someplace new every New Year's Eve/Day, but it's been too loose of a plan that it's become a goal to be someplace different from where I was the previous New Year's instead. I've been successful anyway, and it looks like I'll be keeping the tradition alive.

2005 - Aunt's place, Las Pinas
2006 - At a friend's place, Butuan
2007 - My place, Quezon City (I think. Maybe Las Pinas. Definitely not Butuan.)
2008 - Countdown, Makati
2009 - At a syupahfriend's place, Baguio
2010 - By the beach, Boracay
2011 - My place, Quezon City
2012 - Home, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

I should be really careful what I wish for. Lol.

***

I'd write a proper yearend post like the last, but I pretty much feel stuck in 2011 and incapable of writing from a sufficiently detached perspective. I mean I'm sure the year deserves some credit.

Well, 2012, if you don't plan to send me back to the Philippines around the time you come in, then fireworks would be nice.

I've had a document notarized abroad!

2011-12-28T01:20:00.000+08:00

Which is only a feat because it's a personal document that I executed myself, and because the process has become close to my heart with the many documents I've had notarized the past couple of years. Lol.

Anyway, I nearly lost my pay for the past three months (not that the work I've done is proportionate, but that's for another post) because I haven't been around to claim my checks. I had to execute a special power of attorney which I had to have notarized at the Philippine Consulate. I planned to have two copies done, as I knew the practice in the Philippines was to charge a flat fee (P100-P200) for as many copies of the one document that you need (plus the website does say "SR100.00 per document").

The Philippine Consulate in Jeddah, however, charges SR100 (roughly P1,100) for each copy of that one document you plan to have notarized.

The way I understand it, one document number (that's the "Doc. No." usually found at the bottom right portion of the document) is assigned to each document, and it's recorded in their books as one document no matter how many copies were actually notarized.

But the guy in the window told me each copy was recorded separately. Which sounds suspicious.

I don't know if it's the consulate's prerogative to make that rule or to charge that much or if it's sanctioned under some law, but it's preposterous IMHO. Anyway, I settled for just one copy.

Of course it could be because it's pretty.

If I hadn't gotten that SPA done, the school would've owed me BIG TIME. Actual (compensatory) damages, on top of the amount I could ask for moral damages. Although I think they should pay for the 100-riyal notarization fee, anyway.

Taka-mine!

2011-12-19T04:02:00.001+08:00

Next on the list [timeliness of having (wish)lists not intended]:

[source]

That is the Takamine EG341SC. The EG340SC works, too. Just can't help but want the black version.

Another label cloud!

2011-12-17T20:40:00.000+08:00

A couple of nights ago, I decided to clean up the Drafts folder in my GMail account to fuel my procrastination. Sixty (60!) drafts were stored in that folder, mostly consisting of blank e-mails with attachments that I thought would be nice to get back to later or attachments I thought I'd save. I had work files, school files, random links, draft blog posts that will never be published, and - oh, my goodness - photos that I secretly saved or photos that I saved for reasons now unfamiliar.

So I thought I'd download the attachments and save them in a Dropbox folder for aimless safekeeping. Yes, I'm sentimental like that. Also, Dropbox is <3.

If I had a label cloud for the thoughts that went running through my head as I read each draft and looked at all the attachments, it would look like this:

WHAAAAT?! Boooring. Oooh. What the hell was I thinking? Yeah, I should keep this. I miss those days. Oh, right, I should look at that soon. Nice, I saved it twice.*kilig* I can't believe I was that obsessed. Did I write that?! Nah, I can find that on the Internet if I need to. It's a blank draft, you idiot. Great, it's a dead link now. Oh, wait, it was a running draft. mp3s, really? Why did I save that?! Oh, I hope I never deal with that again. A smart move.

Alrighty. The procrastination should end here.

Speaking of relationships + an odd train of thoughts.

2011-12-15T16:39:00.000+08:00

I watched He's Just Not That Into You again a few weeks ago after I caught wind of Justin Long's appearance on New Girl. Before that, I ~~read~~ skimmed through the book it was based on, slowing down only to take in Greg Behrendt's parts in the book. Which signifies not what I think of what Liz Tuccillo wrote but rather my lack of time (or my regard for the time I have). The book was enjoyable, considering it's of the self-help sort, and I really just wanted a guy to - in a way - say to my face ~~he's just not that into me~~ when a guy isn't just that into a girl. I was in the mood for brutal truths, by way of distraction from all the stress, and the book did just the job. [Yes, whenever there's pain, I stack on more pain.]

[source]

The film was of course as enjoyable as the first time I saw it. The cuteness from Ginnifer Goodwin and Drew Barrymore, Scarlett Johannson's h-h-hotness all over the place, Justin Long's charm. And the stories. I remember being on the phone with a friend who was telling me that the four of us girls had at least one story to relate to in that film.

Speaking of Ginnifer Goodwin.

Keep reading >>

Speaking of surreal.

2011-12-15T04:16:00.003+08:00

This is not by any means an advertisement, but it's kind of sad and stunning that the four of us superfriends all happen to be single right now. Well, technically. Like not counting the hook-ups and the yet untold stories. [And maybe not for very long, but...] It's just that we had this anchor of sorts to count on - a success story. The only relationship that ever worked and that worked for so long. It's not my story to tell, but it's a story built into the story of our friendship. And it's just sad that that anchor's gone. It's really not just them who's hurting, and I hope they don't ever feel like they should keep the hurt to themselves, too.

Speaking of fate.

2011-12-14T20:18:00.000+08:00

It's surreal how life plans can change in a matter of weeks - even days. Knowing what's going to happen next when you've laid it all out according to a plan gives us a sense of control when we're otherwise defenseless to the universe's cruel sense of humor. Sometimes, it's not all the universe's doing, though. Sometimes, what's going to happen next, while it was never part of the plan, was something you always knew at the back of your mind was going to happen sooner or later. But it knocks your socks off just the same when it does happen because you had your world revolving around that plan, and there was no prying off the hand wheel as far as you're concerned.

Oh, my. Three figures of speech in one sentence. Overkill!

I've accepted my fate.

2011-12-11T14:24:00.001+08:00

[Quick fact: weekends here are of the Thursday-Friday sort. The workweek aka the days government agencies are open for the processing of our documents starts Saturdays.]

At this point - four days before the UP Lantern Parade, six days before the Christmas vacation (UPd AY 2011-2012) begins - I've accepted my fate. When my mom came home from school yesterday with a "sorry" look on her face, to my surprise, I smiled, you know, the peaceful, accepting kind of smile. Partly because I wanted to wipe off that look and try to make her feel that we're fine, tomorrow's another day, ma, and largely because I'm actually fine. I'm past that point of wanting to post an overly dramatic Facebook status for the "guilty" to see. I've gone through enough, heard enough, seen enough to know there's a reason for everything, and I'm backing down from the emotional battle and letting things take their course.

And it's certainly a better reason to be delayed. Not a failed subject. Nor getting caught plagiarizing.

I suppose acceptance is necessary at this point where, like I said, we're practically at another school break again, and I've three more days to wait until it's hopeless to make it before then.

Sembreak to Christmas break, yo!

Also, I've been emotionally bribed...

Meet Lestrade.

...except I really did the bribing myself. But it's a good distraction, so much so that - at the risk of sounding awfully materialistic [but go ahead] - it's pushed me to say that I've accepted that fact that the universe is in no rush to see me become a lawyer. Hah.

***

So, about Lestrade. I've been playing with its manual mode for a couple of days now, taking photos of my mom and stuff around the house, but mostly my mom. When she least expects it.

I can't wait to take Lestrade out, but it's not like I can walk around sightseeing without a valid residence permit.

***

Okay, maybe that overly dramatic Facebook status won't be so terrible.

Some good things about being stuck here.

2011-12-08T06:22:00.000+08:00

Being yosi-free for 14 weeks now. Yay!
A fabulous smartphone, albeit a hand-me-down.
Spending loads of time with my mum.
Good food. Oh, good food.
483 kb/s.
Getting some of my own cooking/baking done!
No unnecessary spending of my money. Hee.
Being physically present for a friend who was and unfortunately still is going through a lot of shit.
And spending loads of time with my mum. <3

The problem with my trip this year, explained.

2011-12-06T04:14:00.000+08:00

Alrighty. After that very basic lesson on the kinds of documents involved in my yearly trip home, here I try to explain [again with MS Paint-born stick figures] why I'm on an unfortunately extended stay this year.

So like I explained in my previous post, I come here every year to renew either just my exit-reentry visa or both my iqama (the residence permit) and exit-reentry visa. Until this year, all I've ever had to deal with was the difference between the calendar that this kingdom uses - the Hijrah calendar - and the Gregorian calendar, which is 11 days longer than the former.

Anyway, I don't have to go into that calendar thing now because they stopped using Hijrah calendar dates on the visas they issue since about two years ago.

See, about two years ago, the government started setting up a sort of national ID thing and digitizing all their government processes to make up one complex system that ACTUALLY works. Almost everything's done through "the system" now, with minimal human intervention. It's easier to monitor/prevent corruption and all the under-the-table whatnot, among other things.

But that's a good thing, right? Wrong. Or right...but unfortunate.

Keep reading >>

My yearly trip explained.

2011-12-01T02:08:00.000+08:00

I'm not quoting laws or statutes for this entry; I'm just writing this down from memory and experience and my basic understanding of how things work in this kingdom. This was absolutely not intended to be exclusive or comprehensive or anything. Here I try to list down and explain the documents that are relevant to my status in Jeddah as a resident, as well as the relevant rules and processes.

Keep reading >>

well whaddya know.

2011-12-01T01:50:00.001+08:00

Hey, it's the first of December. I've been in Jeddah for more than a month now, much to my frustration and likely ruin.

It's the end of an era.

2011-11-22T14:57:00.001+08:00

My favorite travel blogs.

2011-11-03T03:45:00.000+08:00

I've got a couple of friends who are on a backpacking adventure, making their way around certain parts of Asia, and their blogs are two of the things I look forward to getting updates about when I'm online.

They are Paul of Walk Fly Pinoy and Angge of Angge Turns 26.

Paul's blog is a rich resource for how-to's, travel tips and fast facts about the places he's been to in the Philippines and around Asia. If you're doing research for a trip you're planning, or you want to go on a backpacking adventure yourself, you're sure to find his posts useful. And he's got awesome photos, too!

Angge, on the other hand, takes her readers with her on her adventures and, on some vicarious level, allows us to experience everything with her. I've observed many to say [and I've found it true for myself] that they really look forward to her posts, and that's because she tells it like she sees it. Her stories and her photos are honest and open, and like I've said before, her sense of wonder is contagious!

These are a couple of my favorite travel blogs right now, and for some reason, they keep my stress levels down, too. Haha. Join in on the adventure and follow their blogs!

the wait.

2011-11-02T10:30:00.001+08:00

I'm down to my one last semester in law school, and I'm not certain I'm going to finish it as expected - by April 2012 - for the very simple reason that I might not be around to even begin it.

Keep reading >>

Bake to bond!

2011-10-31T03:11:00.000+08:00

I was in the Philippines and in my first year in college when my mom got a new electric-gas cooker. That was sometime 2003. But she had never gotten around to using the oven because she was only familiar with electric ovens, and she was too afraid to figure out how to work gas-powered ones.

Tonight, she asked me to look at the manual for the cooker and to figure the oven out. We eventually made it work (I've never worked with a gas oven before), and we've spent the last hour planning what to bake over the next few days.

The happiness on her face is as priceless as the look I got when I showed her the saging na saba I brought home from Manila. :)

I've been spending a lot of time bonding with my mom lately (the reason for which should count for another entry at another time), and it's been working wonders for our otherwise fatal stress levels. Haha.

We're having baked macaroni tomorrow night! :)

"What's a mindbanger?"

2011-10-23T02:53:00.003+08:00

"Well, you know, it's that one person who gets into your head, takes over your mind. And once you're dating that person, you forget who you are and all the things you care about. And all that matters is sustaining your dysfunctional relationship."

- Ben [Friends With Benefits, Season 1, Episode 10]

I like Friends With Benefits (the TV series) because it can be really...catchy.

Everything will be okay.

2011-10-23T02:50:00.000+08:00

The Okay Song
Orson

Are you tired of counting eggs that will never hatch?
Did you bite off more than you can chew?
Are you sad cause the grass is always greener?
Well, babe, you look much better in red and blue.

Everything will be okay
Just give it just a minute longer-
Cause a brighter star is on the way.
Everything will be okay
Remember when the rain is falling-
It's alright.

So fear itself is the only thing we have to fear?
But - fear can be so much fun with a friend or two.
And don't you be so afraid to meet your Maker-
Cause I hear that She's just as scared of you.

Everything will be okay
Just give it just a minute longer-
Cause a brighter star is on the way.
Everything will be okay
Remember when the rain is falling-
It's alright to go outside and play.

general updates.

2011-10-14T02:36:00.000+08:00

A friend quipped sometime ago that the reason for my regular and frequent blogging several months ago was - I wouldn't have guessed it - a boy. I wasn't sure it was because of a boy, but I don't remember denying it. Anyway, the remark just popped into my head right now when I started thinking about why my last post was about a month ago.

Keep reading >>

a swan song, maybe.

2011-09-12T07:05:00.000+08:00

Like a birthday, the conundrum presents itself every year without fail, albeit in different forms and in varying intensities, always determined to fill my mind with doubt, to break me, to distract me from the reasons for the choice I made.

I find it but apt that as I am finally nearing the fulfillment of one of my biggest goals, I am also facing the worst battle yet.

After days of praying that I win this bout again, today I gave in and asked that we be granted whatever He knows is best for my family.

And I cried. I cried because what's best for us could hurt. And really, it's the kind of hurt that feels almost unbearable.

...

2011-08-28T07:18:00.000+08:00

My mom just told me that this might just be my last visit as a resident, and that I might just leave Jeddah with an exit visa, rather than an exit-reentry visa.

a little more than link love :)

2011-08-17T17:20:00.002+08:00

She's got amazing photos, inspiring stories and travel tips to boot. But I love, most of all, how her sense of wonder is so real and so contagious.

I can probably go on and on about her because she is one of my closest friends in the whole world, but you should go and learn about her and her story yourself. You're going to love her and her [sort of] new blog. :)

Click on the photo for an adventure!

a fair warning.

2011-08-16T23:17:00.000+08:00

I might have already revealed a lot about myself, but there are some things I choose to withhold. Now, if you are ever made privy to things that I expressly ask to be held in confidence, and it subsequently isn't, trust that I will never forget.

joe, you've been missed.

2011-08-15T03:30:00.000+08:00

I think I've kept myself away from caffeine for far too long. The social cost of avoiding coffee has outweighed its physical advantages [it being a diuretic, thereby challenging my will to fast all day]. I downed a cup of coffee several hours ago and found myself: making good time with the stuff I needed to do; and finally setting my priorities straight. Well, okay, it might have taken a little more than the coffee to get the latter done, but it might just have been the missing link.

Anyway, I'm feeling all pumped up and ready for the new week. Joe, I'm going to have more of you this week if I'm going to get everything I need to do done.

reposting: but i fear.

2011-08-14T01:40:00.000+08:00

but i fear.

See something beautiful like that,
and you can only think of ways to ruin it -
a tiny tremble,
a quick blink,
a slow exhale,
a subtle flutter,
a quiet gulp,
another second longer, one second too late.
Run a montage of small body movements in your head -
small subconscious, almost reflex-like movements -
violently gentle.
Feel sudden tearing at your guts,
dread that imminent moment of fatality
with feverish helplessness.
Beauty causes fear,
of wanting
inadequately,
of surrendering
your strength,
of losing
what you cannot have,
of missing
the pain.
Experience something beautiful like that,
and you can only fear tragedy.

- 29 April 2008, from the old blog.