*Where The Magic's At*

Kingdom Hospital and Consulting Clinics.

This is where the magic and the toxicity's at. In better days, I can talk to my colleagues in the Emergency room. In not so better days, I barely see them even if we're on the same shift because of the crowd of patients. Regardless of patient-full or patient-less days, working at KHCC ER makes me happy. It gives me a sense of fulfillment despite the leg cramps after every shift (lol).

So here's a shoutout to my workmates, our doctors and our patients! Cheers! :)

KH Photos by: Angela Bernardo

*Who Says You Can't Have Fun in the Kingdom?*

Really now, who said that?!

Sure, you can't do everything that you used to do in the Philippines, but "NO FUN" ain't a reality here. =)

*I Heart The Kingdom*

It's been 3 months since I last posted on this site. The icky feeling of not being able to write on my blog for the longest time was so overwhelming. Not that my blog is special or anything, but ionno, I just miss it.



Moving on to the brighter side of things, we finally have our own internet line! So expect more baloneys on this site in the next 2 to 3 years. lol!


Anyhoos, I'm writing from the other side of the world. In case you didn't know, I'm currently based in Riyadh. Not that it's the most amazing place in the world, but geez, I like it here! The thought of staying here for 3 years doesn't scare me at all.



Some of the many reasons why I think I'm liking it here (In no particular order):
1. The infrastructures are just amazing! The houses, in particular are just jaw-dropping.
2. Contrary to popular belief that Saudis aren't that "nice", well yeah, they are not nice because they are very, very nice. I'm speaking based on experience, not just on mere hearsay.
3. Other than Saudis, the people I work with in the hospital who are of different nationalities are really supportive. I just wish that I could say the same thing for Filipinos in general, who are so fond of the crab's mentality. Don't get me wrong though, the Filipinos I work with are super-duper supportive. I owe to them a part of my professional growth. And of course, my mentor is simply the best. =)
4. I have the best roommate ever - Naisa! We jive well with things relating to shopping (She's the -holic one), sleeping and blabbing. She cooks really well that's why my tummy's always happy. Too bad for her, I can't cook as well as she does. Boo. ;)
5. Riyadh has malls sprouting all over. Even if I don't get to shop really often, window shopping and food tripping really makes my trip to the mall fulfilling.
6. The sun is literally bigger to look at from this side of the earth! I swear! =)
7. Fast food (KFC, McDonalds, Herfy, etc.) value meals are HUUUUUGGEEE in size! So huge, I can drown in them! Hahaha.
8. No TRAFFIC! Wee! It's transpo-ville haven! Too bad though, women can't drive here.
9. The miracle of a water heater in the accomodation is just sooo glorious, especially this winter time. Brrrr..
10. Jarir Bookstore! I love, love, love it!

So this is basically me and Riyadh. You'll hear more about it in my upcoming blogs. I'm smiling as I'm writing this. Geez, I think I'm in love with the place already. ;)

*WTG Cebuana, WTG Raleene!*

"Raleene" by Raleene Cabrera

This is Raleene Cabrera and I'm officially a big, big fan of hers!

You guys should check her blog out! It has got to be one of the sassiest blogs I have ever visited. I am proud to say that Raleene Cabrera is a true-blue Cebuana and her musical team-up with her sister is awe-inspiring!

This nineteen year old is a gorgeous ball of talent.

Some few facts:
*Photographs by her are hands down, A+++ in quality.
*The Cabrera girls' music is extremely ear-friendly and good. Really, really GOOD! Check them out http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O8hlzbNegqI&feature=related , this is their cover for the song, "Almost Lover". It almost made me cry.
*Her flair for fashion is supercalifragilickin' HOT!
*She's pesco-vegetarian.
*Currently studying Interior Design at La Salle-College of Saint Benilde

To find out why I'm gushing about her, do visit her blog site, www.raleene.com.

Once you're done checking the site out, get back to me and tell me that I'M A VERY HONEST PERSON. You'll enjoy her blog as much as I did.

My friend and I are proud of you CEBUANA! =)

*That Ain't A Proposal*

At Steaktown Edsa Shangrila, I got one of the sweetest surprises. Many were asking if it was a proposal, but no no no, that ain't a proposal. It was just one of the sweetes gestures of love. Yuck. Hahaha. The steak was super yet the surprise really got me!

That's not a ring, so don't you all worry.

I love the earrings dearie. Thanks! =)

*Food-Fun-Friday*

(Handuraw)

(City Garden)

(@ 30)

It's fun to be spontaneous. Especially if you don't know where you're heading to and in the company of a good friend. Boo and I had dinner at this neat little resto, 30. I was so amazed that a place this little could be so nice, interior-wise.

Arianne and Bing followed us and we then head off to City Garden to enjoy the relaxing ambience of the place's backyard garden. The place was so quiet and it almost felt like we own the place. Wishful thinking.

Last stop was Handuraw and as expected, their pizza never ceases to please. As if we weren't that full, we finished the food in a blink of an eye. Haha.

Can't wait for the next resto/food-hop! ;)

*Compellingly French!*

Fascinamment français!

French are lucky to be french. I mean, come on, who doesn't want to be in such a great country as France? Rich in history, culture and people with distinct marks of a superior race, who are you joking? I want to be French! Je veux être le français!

The French Revolution. Napoleon Bonaparte. The Eiffel tower. The Louvre. Palace of Versailles. The Mona Lisa. Ratatouille. French kiss. French baker. French fries (lol). FRENCH GUYS.

Chacun aime des gars français!

I came across this blog entry by Princessa, (http://hubpages.com/hub/Why-are-French-men-so-irresistible) and I tell you, this explains why most women love French guys. Read on!

"What makes French men so irresistible?"

1. From the first impressions you recognize a French man by his outfit. A Parisian has no competitors for fashion sense. Ordinarily you would never buy an orange scarf for your boyfriend, until you see a Parisian walking along the Champs Elysees with an orange silk scarf complementing his "decontracte" style. Only the Italians come closer with their particular sense of elegance and distinction.
2. Attitude. French guys look straight into your eyes when they are talking to you. Ok. Sometimes their eyes stray away towards your boobs, but quickly they come back to meet your eyes. It is actually considered bad manners not to look into the eyes of someone when you are talking to them and someone told me that it brings 7 years bad sex if you do not look straight into the eyes of someone when toasting!

1. They are passionate about anything they might be talking about which usually is food, wine or sex.
2. Conversation. With French men you can talk about anything you talk with your girlfriends. It does not matter their education, any French man will be able to talk with you about the latest fashion trends, cooking recipes and of course wine and cheese.
3. The French have a highly developed sense of smell. A French man actually appreciates your selection of toiletries. They can even recognize your perfume by name. I still remember the time I met a French fashion photographer in a Marbella nightclub, after being introduced he asked me -just to corroborate that he was right- if I was wearing Nilang, a perfume by Lalique, which at the time was only available in the Lalique shops in Paris so the scent was very exclusive and unknown. That impressed me!
4. French men can cook. And I am not talking about an omelette or opening a can of baked beans... no, no, no. I am talking about delicious well prepared meals cooked with lashes of fresh cream and herbs that you have never heard about; all served at a well decorated table and eaten with three hours of delightful conversation.
5. It does not matter what a French man tells you, if he says it in French you will be at his feet. Their accent, pronunciation and who knows what else are so irresistible, that I have almost fallen in love with many men without even having looked at their faces.
6. They are very expressive; they like to tell you how they feel and if they compliment you they really mean it. By and large they are not afraid to show their emotions. They will tell you that they love you, that they are mad about you and pour their heart out to you without feeling compromised for doing it. Even tough cinema actor Vincent Cassel has been quoted saying: "I think I'm actually more vulnerable than people imagine."
7. Most men do not drink beer -whisky as an aperitif is more acceptable and wine with a meal-. By and large a more elegant choice of drink.
8. Their life does not revolve around football matches. In three years living in France I have not yet met a football fan; at least not the type that spends Saturday afternoon in front of the tv. drinking a beer and cheering his team.
9. French men are still gentlemen and as such they still pay for you when you go out with them. French men like to pick up the bill. I know many feminists will be outraged by this, but they do it naturally. If you go out dining with male friends you do not have to go through the awkward discussion of who ate what or take out the calculator to divide the bills. Most of them are just happy to pay for you.

L'espoir vous trouverez votre vrai amour français!

*Hidden Valley Resort*

Hidden Valley Resort in Pinamungajan, Cebu is truly a hidden paradise. This mountain resort surprised me since I have been in one too many mountain resorts around Cebu City. As one of the destinations in "Suroy-Suroy sa Sugbo", this place is really worth the "Suroy".

The place is very peaceful and lets you reconnect with nature. They have a small zoo and a plant aquarium which pleased my younger siblings and my grandmothers. If you want to make the place very lively, you can indulge yourself with their videoke machine (which I did) and have the entire mountain barangay as your audience.

We could have gone exploring the nearby caves and waterfalls, but the bad weather didn't allow us to. Boo. =(

All in all, this place is one of the reasonable places to go to if you want some weekend time off by yourself or with family and friends. Friendly staff, good food and fully-equipped facilities are all in the package.

And oh, the herbal massage is a total must-try! =)


Note: This writer didn't get to take much better pictures because of camera battery downtime. Ack!

*Promdi in Manila*

I never knew that Employer interviews take forever to finish. I spent two days of waiting in line from 8am to 8pm, missing lunch and pretending to be just all smiles. Ack! It is agony at its very best.

After 2 weeks of flying to and fro Manila, I'm finally done with the hard parts (exams, interviews and all that). So for now, I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

The good part during my first week was being able to see J and made up for lost time. Did the things we usually do like dine out and watch a movie or two. Boy, do i miss the guy. Except for the visible weight loss, J was still his same old self.

Regardless of J staying in Manila or not, I am not staying there. It's not that I don't like it or something. The promdi in me will always have to take charge. The hustle-bustle of Manila life is way too much for me. It is such a frustration to see Manila Bay gone black, the floating garbage flooded by the afternoon rain and some guy running away with someone else's bag on hand. Well I guess this has become an ordinary sight for people who lives in this city. I just wish more and more NGO's and GO's will work on these problems. There is still a huge chance for change.

Manila is not difficult a city for one to love. It will just take a solid, individual/group effort for this city to be as beautiful as it used to be.

Dang, this Promdi is now down with fever and flu as she writes this. Manila stress and weak immune system, I supposed. Boo. =(

*Hometown Luvin'*

Finally I got the chance to go home after some tedious work week. Almost died of exhaustion and hunger. Hospital work is way too demanding for my taste.

Though I was born and spent most of my childhood years in Cebu City, I still am a true blue Hinundayanon. My heart belongs to this peaceful little town in the Pacific area of Southern Leyte.

Haaaaaaay.. I can't wait to go home again. =(

*Missing the Plane, err, Flame*

Missing the plane, missing the flame.

I finally decided to just stay put in Cebu. As much as I'd want to visit J, there's no way that I'm going to make it to Manila before the first of July. Aside from the abominable weather, plane fares that cost more than an arm and a leg, my godmother's wedding (she's in her mid-40's) -- I think I would be sent to eternal damnation if I miss my Lolo's first death anniversary.

So many things to do, so little time! If it rains, it truly pours! As for my case, it's pouring frustrations.

I am so frustrated with the thought of not seeing J until September. It's not that I can't bear his 5-month absence, heck, I just miss the things that we used to do together. Err, ain't those things I mentioned just about similar? Duh!

Well, I guess I just have to live by some cheesy motto that is, "Absence makes the heart grow fonder."

YUCK.

Seriously now, do what you got to do and I'll do my thing too. It won't be long until we see each other again. It's not we're gonna be apart in like, forever.

P.S.
I already got tickets for September. LOL.

*Of Burgers and Fortune Tellers

What does one do during a cold, rainy day? Perhaps bunking in bed and wishing on extended chimeras would be the popular answer. Enjoying a good book in one hand and a steaming hot cup of coffee in another will most likely be a notorious runner-up.

Well, I didn't do any of the above activities. I woke up at 6AM to meet up with some friends and visit the famous fortune teller of Mactan island, Madam Naty. The road leading to her dwelling is still the same muddy road that we travelled three years ago. And Nang Naty was still her glamorous old self. I was wondering if she still remembers us with our duty uniform on, all crammed up inside her "hula house" eagerly listening to each others fortunes and misfortunes. And I doubt if she still remembers making "hula" to Victor about his becoming an actor. What a disaster!

We left Nang Naty's place and drove towards Aryan's abode. Upon reaching her place, we drank a frickin' good instant coffee and spent our time blabbing off about certain things. Her cute little niece, Tanya wanted me to draw for her Princess Jasmine. I ended up drawing a Princess Jasmine with fish tails. Duh! I was thinking of the Little Mermaid all along. Whatever happened to my Disney characters expertise!? Crap.

We then head off to her burger stand and badgered her staff just so we can try making a decent burger. I saw the customer's face turned sour when I damaged her patty. LOL.

I never knew I could enjoy the rainy day like this. In any other rainy day, I would've opted to just lounge in bed and snore the day away. But this rainy day is special. I got my hands full of controversial misfortunes, a damaged patty, a twisted Princess Jasmine, a friend's surprising love news and a half day well-spent with some good friends.

Cheers to the rainy season! =)

*Author Who?*

When I was in High School, I was fond of writing my own poems. I also liked copying poems that interest me from various reading materials. Actually, I still do the jotting down of poems occasionally. Though the passion isn't as unswerving as it was during my younger years, I still have the ardor to persist an almost-forgotten avocation.

So I uncluttered some old stuff and found one of my notebooks. I started scanning the notes and realized that it wasn't my poetry booklet. Duh! But what got me interested was this single entry I copied into one of those sheets full of "reminders".

It's a pretty interesting entry and I am dying to know who the author is. Help!

Chastity. The devil shows his virgin teeth
but his tongue is a whore. It tastes
almost everything including the hosts,
the whore, the core and the corn - -
but he is now a priest and his genital
is eaten by the scrotum. He cannot
love. He cannot fuck. He cannot sex. He
cannot pump. His is useless. It is whore.

I want to die. I am crazy. I want to die.
What is the use of my penis when it cannot sex.
I am a chaste but not a virgin,
I am a chastity!

I find this writing to be very stalwart and boy, do it speak a lot! Its censored vocabulary speaks volume and speaks beyond what it literally means.

So if you have an inkling as to who the writer of the aforementioned entry is, PLEASE HOLLER ME!

Thanks!

*An Epiphany of Sorts*

I was sitting in a nook early this morning and I had an epiphany of what I believe I am made of.

I have my mother's charm and vulnerability..

My father's looks and flexibility..

My Lola's mood and temper..

..and my Lolo's big HEART.

Damn, do I miss "Tatay". =(