my friday the thirteenth story

"There are nights when the wolves are silent
and only the moon howls."
--George Carlin

it was already late at night (read: nine-ish) and we'd just gotten back to the company in batangas from a visit to a colleague's house in sta. cruz, laguna. my urinary bladder was already complaining due to the long drive and too much soda. when the company vehicle came to a halt, i rushed out and practically ran through the deserted hallways to get to the restroom.

i went in through the door leading to the locker area since it was my nearest access to the restroom. i noticed that more lockers were already installed but nothing more than this made a different impression on me. well, saved for the observation that the locker area was also deserted and i was the only breathing soul there.

because i really had to and not because i was suddenly afraid, i rushed out of the locker area, proceeded to the restroom, and chose a cubicle. it was such a great relief when i was finally able to let go of unnecessary liquid from my body.

when i was ready to face the world again, undisturbed anymore by the urgent call of nature, i went out of the cubicle. i opened the cubicle door just in time to see one of my male colleagues walking nonchalantly along the restroom hallway. since he belongs to the facilities department, i figured he was there doing a regular dead-of-the-night check. still, his presence for whatever reason inside the ladies' restroom didn't really register as appropriate and i felt the need to demand why he was there.

"woist, bakit ka nandito?"

"ah...eh...kasi...sa mga lalake 'to."

oooops! my bad. sa lagay na yon ako pala ang nasa maling lugar. bwahahahahaha...

no wonder then why he, too, had a surprised look on his face when he saw me.

with a flood of "hala! oh-em-gee. oh nooooo! i'm sorry," i hastily ran out of the men's restroom red-faced and stifling laughs i could not share with anyone (or anything) just yet but the deserted hallways.

warm colors over there, blissful warmth here

"We all possess the thunder of pure fury
and the calm breeze of tranquility.
If it wasn't for tomorrow, how much would we get done today?
Whatever your purpose... embrace it completely.
Get lost in the clouds every now and then
so you never lose sight of God's wonder."
--Paul Vitale

yesterday, the sunset i saw over tagaytay as i walked out of the workplace was fantastic. however, i think that's an understatement.

it was glorious! i could barely keep my eyes off the wonderful sight that i had to walk backwards just so i could continue walking over to the parking area without losing sight of the burst of warm colors as the sun went down. walking backwards is unsafe -- i know -- but i was feeling like a child filled with glee; i felt it safe to let my guards down. the wind was blowing nicely as well. as rays caressed my face, the wind kissed my hair.

in front of me was a a big picture of nature's generosity and the shower of light i have always loved. behind me was mt. makiling, majestic, silent and, at that time of the day, lending the attention it usually gets to the call of the photons in not-so-distant tagaytay. if i was feeling low, how could i not feel soooo good all of a sudden? but i was feeling bouncy and i felt lighter all the more!

yesterday was not the first time that i've seen wonderful sunsets in this area. our parking lot is a wonderful spot to view a quiet, inspiring world from. this especially holds true for people who take time to embrace (and to be embraced by) the cool, cool breeze and enjoy a picturesque skyline -- free from pollution, free also from eyesores called billboards.

i wanted to take a photo of yesterday's sunset showcase. i fumbled with my stuff and realized i only had my camphones. i ended up wishing i had my dslr with me.

today, i brought my dslr. however, today, i missed the sunset. oh well. i'll try again tomorrow.

note: actually, my camphones don't disappoint. i have such good rapport with them, i'm able to take nice pictures with them -- including sunsets as viewed from our parking lot. here's a collection of photos i took with a k530i sony ericsson during one very hectic day last year:
http://kulitjr3.multiply.com/photos/album/292/almost_sunset

this game called...

Rules: Once you've been tagged, you are supposed to write a note with 25 random things, facts, habits, or goals about you. At the end, choose 25 people to be tagged. You have to tag the person who tagged you. If I tagged you, it's because I want to know more about you.


1. i've been blogging since may 2004.

2. this is not the first time i gave in to this online tagging game.

3. my gizmos -- camphones, dslr camera, personal digital assistant, computer, thumb drives, external hard disk drive -- have names. i used to use "minion." late last year, i decided to rename them to "steward." hence, i have k770i steward, k530i steward, steward the dslr, ipaq steward... my 200GB external hard disk drive carries the name "kulit." my older transcend 128MB drive which i got sometime during the first quarter of 2004 retained the "minion" label; i'm gonna convert it to another "steward" soon. my 4GB transcend thumb drive is identified as Tsteward. doing away with the "minion" tag has everything to do with the power of words.

4. i am looking forward to setting foot on coron, palawan and enjoying the sights the place has to offer this march. this explains why i'm excited that february is here already. i got my tickets for the coron trip last december. who me?! excited? ;-)

5. it took six months before i found out that i was co-author of a scientific paper that got published in american institute of physics' applied physics letters. hooray! 'twas my thesis. the article got published in may 2008 and i only found out about it in november 2008, when i typed "v magusara" in google's search field. google is my other best friend... and yeah, i sometimes do THOSE searches. talk about stalking myself, haha!

6. i bought two bright yellow t-shirts last sunday. because. i. adore. yellow. and i decided that i will wear more yellow this year. yellow and apple green, pink and blue... more orange, too!

7. i have not been able to finish a book last month. i should make up for that this month -- gotta finish reading at least two (2) books!

8. i miss riding bikes.

9. for this year, i intend to eat home-cooked meals at least thrice a week. this means, i am currently developing the habit of cooking my own meals at least thrice a week. the important implication of that statement is this: I AM cooking. hehe.

10. for even just once, i'd like to be part of a documentary -- either as concept developer, reporter, director, or researcher. i'd like to have my mark on at least one documentary. meanwhile, i satisfy myself with documentary shows -- that is if i'm not watching soap operas, haha.

11. hopefully, i'll reach batanes this year.

12. i am pleased with my efforts at growing my savings. i want to invest on a business this year.

13. i now perfectly understand why i did not get into the semiconductor electronics industry.

14. i like eating yellow cab pizza co.'s hot wings!

15. i prefer having pens and writing markers with different colors.

16. surprise, december 2008 surprise. i joined a choir convinced that i'd be singing alto. imagine my shock when the choirmaster assigned me to first soprano.

17. my right hand is lazy. i think it's jealous of my left.

18. magluya akong kalag kung dili ko kalaag. kindly translate that.

19. seasons of love from the musical rent remains to be one of my fave songs.

20. when i read angels and demons in 2004, i got interested in ambigrams. i ended up making one for my name. go here: http://vinokulafo.blog.friendster.com/2006/03/aint-this-cool/

21. i am mighty glad that i was able to get reunited with my TOSP family early this year. i did miss the community activities during the time i was away.

22. i collect google banners. christmas day. new year. valentine's day. google anniversary. olympics... name it. i have a folder in my computer reserved for 'em google banners.

23. i am thankful for people who care enough to exert some effort on pulling me back to calmness (and making me see reason) when my temper's about to sow mayhem.

24. one of my targets this year is to further reduce my soda consumption to "once in a blue moon." i've never been a soda addict but i just want to further reduce my soda intake.

25. there are rules which i break. that rule preceding number 1 of this list? i'm breaking that. see? feel free to write down 25 random things about yourself if you have the time... and if you feel motivated to do so. i am interested to know more about you. come on!

december destination: tangub city

tangub city is about an hour-long roadtrip plus 15-min barge ride plus another 20-min roadtrip from iligan city. going there, getting there is not new to my family. after all, it's my father's hometown and, as far as i can remember, there was no year in my earth life that we didn't have a trip to tangub.

having said that, tangub city's lure for me goes more than its being the christmas symbols capital of the philippines. tangub city is where i get reunited with my relatives on the paternal side -- grandparents, uncles, aunties, cousins, their kids and their friends.

tangub city was where i spent lots of summer days playing, walking through rice paddies, shooting birds with tirador (slingshot), experiencing mongo and peanut harvests, looking after (and eventually riding on the back of) the carabao, bamboo rafting on fishponds, whiling away the time on make-shift swings, and eating fruits fresh from their respective trees.

this is also the place where i am assured that i could eat the best lechon. my father's eldest brother knows how to prepare and serve yummy-licious lechon. side note: the lechon my parents served during our birthdays (when my kuya and i were kids) came all the way from tangub city.

go here for the multiply album i dedicated to the making of a lechon: http://kulitjr3.multiply.com/photos/album/425/lechon_story

this year, despite heightened security alerts in the lanao-and-misamis-occidental areas that we have to go through in order to get there (and still make it back in time for the new year), our family made the trip from iligan to tangub city. the christmas lights which i wanted to see in iligan, i saw in tangub city -- and i saw more!


rushed collage of the 12.29-31.08 trip
wow, tangub! | bonggacious kung mag-pasko ang mga pinoy!
during daytime, the heavily-decorated arches they put along the roads will call your attention. at night, the same arches light up the paths in so many colorful and artful ways. if you go to the city plaza, you will understand why tangub city is the christmas symbols capital of the philippines -- huge, dazzling, inspiring, amazing pinoy wonderland in the heart of mindanao.


december 2008. christmastime in tangub city
it's one place where you and your family could be entertained without spending too much (PhP50 for parking fee and that's all we in our group of 11 spent). even their marketplace is adorned with oh-so-colorful lights that sometimes i find it difficult to believe i'm looking at their wet market.

i will be posting a separate album of the nighttime pictures i took of the oh-so-christmas-sy scenes in tangub city in my multiply account soon. i'll let you know when i finally get to do it.

have a happy and prosperous new year!

counting bombs

'twas the afternoon of my december birthday when i received word from my youngest sis about the explosions in unicity and jerry's, two shopping centers in iligan. i asked if the explosions were indeed due to bombs as she'd initially relayed or due to firecrackers exploding in unified booms. the answer was definite: bombs.

the bombs that blew off were deposited at the baggage counters by the perpetrators. they left a number wounded and immediately claimed the lives of two people -- baggage boys, individuals who earn honest living. this happened on december 18.

on december 19, another bomb was left behind in a bakeshop just across where the two shopping centers are. the improvised explosive device (IED) -- the politically correct term -- was placed inside a hollowed papaya fruit and was left behind by someone who ordered something from the bakeshop. due to heightened alert and all that, this was dealt with accordingly and the IED was detonated safely -- save for the fear it sowed from people around, no one was hurt.

when i got home to iligan from batangas last december 20, i felt the difference in the christmas air -- iligan is lacking of that this year. i expected to be welcomed by festive lights and feel more christmas spirit but... upon entering iligan, i had to strain my eyes to look for the lights. iligan was noticeably more quiet, more devoid of people than the last time i'd been around. i relayed this to my friends and one of them declared: "your birthday was literally a blast." i understood the context -- we're talking of IEDs in decembertime.

people are counting the days, the hours, the minutes to christmas day and the rest of the holidays and the good things that these days hold -- i can feel there's still excitement -- but, at the same time, we're also counting bombs here.

last sunday, december 21, another IED was left behind near maria cristina hotel. a group of scavengers discovered it on the vacant lot and the authorities who were alerted dealt with it accordingly. yesterday, two other IEDs were discovered -- the first of the two was left in trendline, another shopping center and the second was left near standard blue, a block away from the cathedral. these didn't have their chance to harm because they got discovered, too.

from the grapevine, they're talking about 100 IEDs to expect. the first number i heard was 15. 15 or 100, that's too many.

when the explosions last thursday made it to the national news, my workmates and even my bosses dissuaded me from coming home. they said i should just stay in luzon. however, my plans were fixed: i'm going home and i'll remain safe with my family and hometown friends. bombs or no bombs.

my yellow surprise

fave yellow
19th of december 2008
tanauan city, batangas


whoa, yellow
it was the night after my birthday and it was our christmas party. i left my desk & our workroom and announced i was going to change...

and changed was what i did. when i was making my way back to the engineering area, everyone was taking first-and-then-second looks at me... they just couldn't believe i transformed. hahahaha!

'twas fun getting all those surprise-induced and pleased reactions. i'm known to be such a stubborn (err... consistent) jeans-and-shirt gal so when i pulled my yellow surprise they were all like 'wow! what got into you!? you look so nice! dapat lagi kang ganyan.'

hahahahaha... wish!

world tour sunday

11.30.08 | around the world in one sunday

we went to experience the pasig river ferry ride and we ended up in hong kong, shanghai, the middle east, spain, singapore, greece, the rest of europe, the united states... until our feet got us to holy cow!

how so? see for yourself and just enjoy this album:
http://kulitjr3.multiply.com/photos/album/416

locations: guadalupe, along pasig river, escolta, the post office building, dambana ni andres bonifacio in ermita, the underpass, intramuros, the national museum, robinson's place

new things learned:
1. our group can make the philippines look so good (haha!)
2. taking pictures of malacanang palace is not allowed during the ferry ride
3. admission to the national museum on sundays is free

group composition: carlo, yoni, val, randz, jinx

breakdown of expenses (read: common damage to our pockets):
ferry ride fee from guadalupe to escolta - PhP45
kalesa ride around intramuros - PhP50 (this is better than having to spend pesos for a massage to soothe sore legs after all the "more walking" that we could have done)

this we can say: wow philippines! wow world! ;-P