i love laughing with FRIENDS..
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epalogue
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epalogue
Bihira lang talaga ako manood ng Tagalog na mga pelikula. Madalas, kapag manonood ako sa sinehan, foreign films ang pinipilahan ko. Nakakanood naman ako ng Filipino movies, pero kapag pinapalabas na lang din sa TV, at kung minsan, kapag wala na lang talagang ibang mapanood.Nasa ganun akong kalagayan nang nailipat ko yung channel isang araw sa STUDIO 23. Ang palabas ay JOLOGS.
Hindi ito yung unang beses na napanood ko ito. Naalala ko bigla na maganda ang mensahe ng movie na ito. Tungkol ito sa iba’t-ibang uri ng klasipikasyon ng tao sa salitang JOLOGS. Ang Jologs o baduy para sa akin ay isa lamang “state of mind”. Tayo lang ang nakakakita niyan. Sabi nga ni Assunta sa pelikula, masama man daw siyang tao sa paningin ng iba, hindi naman ibig sabihin noon ay masama na nga siyang tao. Ang jologs sa paningin mo ay hindi jologs sa palagay niya. Ang totoo, lahat tayo may pagka-jologs. Yung iba, naitatago lang nila o kaya pinipilit i-deny.
Bottomline, wala namang masama kung manonood ka ng Tagalog movies. Meron naman kasing mga pelikulang Filipino na may sense at less commercialized. Jologs man sa iba, mas jologs pa rin ang Filipinong hindi marunong magpahayag ng paghanga sa pelikulang Tagalog.
Ako, siguro mapili lang din ako sa mga Tagalog films na gusto kong mapanood. JOLOGS ako. Pero di lang dahil sa panonood ko ng Tagalog films. Jologs ako dahil jologs ang kilos ko at ang isip ko.
Shet, ang jologs!
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epalogue
…are the people that make my bored days a riot!…are also the people that I miss.
…should sometimes try to understand each others’ situations.
…never forget.
…are always there, seen or unseen.
…are family.
…are hurting me unconsciously.
…will always be friends. No matter what, the connection stays.
…doesn’t have to have a deadline or an expiration date.
…are all that I need.
LASTLY, FRIENDS…
…is the world renowned TV series that I really wanted to watch.
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epalogue
A life full of pretensions is difficult to live.
It sucks when you find out that a friend, or anyone close to you pretended to be someone they’re not.
It’s hard to accept the fact that the one you loved endearingly just pretended to love you back.
It is mortifying when you find out that a person you thought was your friend just pretended to like your company.
But, the worst form of pretension for me is when you pretend to be ok.
So I will say this, I AM NOT OK.
But life can get pretty messy sometimes.
Life is full of pretensions.
Later on, I can just pretend to be ok to avoid pity. Why?
Because I don’t want to appear weak. Why?
Because of my PRIDE.
Now that’s another topic…
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epalogue
The next country I was fortunate to visit is Vietnam. Another relative, my Tita Lani has been residing here for almost eight years now. With my stay here for over a month, I have been to too many places and ate a lot of food that I never tasted before in my life. I was not actually expecting too much from this trip, but as I wrote down my experiences on my journal, most of it sums up to a lot of food trips and pigging out. This is a late discovery for me. Had I known that it will be important for a blog, I should have taken lots of pictures on my food trips.
Anyway, Vietnam is surrounded with different international cuisines. They have a whole street flocked with Japanese restaurants, they also have street for Koreans. On several places in the city are different Chinese, Italian, French and of course, Vietnamese restaurants. I was lucky enough to try some of these cuisines which I will share in this blog entry.
1. a certain Chinese restaurant
As I’ve said, it wasn’t in my agenda to do a food blog on my trip to Vietnam that’s why I am uncertain on some of the places I’ve been to. We ate here on my first night in Vietnam. The best on the menu? Their mango and scallops salad and their soft-shell crabs. I couldn’t resist the salad. It was supposed to be an appetizer, but I got a huge portion of it. The crabs are so cute! Literally, they are soft shelled and you can really eat the whole thing up.
2. Highlands Coffee
Vietnam does not have Starbucks. How are the people living with that? They have Highlands Coffee. This is their answer to that question. Highlands is a home grown company that has the concept of both Seattle’s Best and Starbucks combined. They just don’t serve coffee and pastries, they also serve rice dishes and sandwiches, noodles and a lot more. I love the rice dish Nasi Goreng. It’s a complete and heavy meal that’s best downed with Tropical Passion Tea.
3. Alfresco’s
I actually tried Alfresco’s via delivery. First time callers will be given their own card with their number. Upon your next call, all you have to do is say your delivery number and there will be no need to ask for your particulars which will be very difficult if it was me. Using my tita’s delivery card, I ordered Pygmy Ribs and Carbonara. The Pygmy Ribs was a delight! It is served with a side veggie salad and potato wedges. The potato was really yummy. It was an out of this world experience. On another day, I ordered a Creamy Chicken and Corn soup and a Steak and Mushroom pasta. Memories of those dishes make me wanna go back to Vietnam and call them right away.
4. Pho24
Pho is one of the traditional Vietnamese cuisines that you should try. Chia Gio is their version of our famed lumpiang shanghai. The difference is that the chia gio contains less meat and has rice noodles along with the filling. That makes the little serving a heavy appetizer. As for the Pho, it tastes so good! But beware, there are side veggies and stuff that will also be served. I suggest that you stay away from the green leaves if you’re like me. Someone who doesn’t eat something that doesn’t appeal to my nose. But what got me hooked up with Pho24 is their Café Sau da. This iced coffee is served in a glass full of ice and condensed milk at the bottom of the glass. Perfect. Sinfully perfect.
5. Au Parc
This is a place that has French and Mediterranean feel in all its corners. One of tita’s friends brought me here. While sitting in their colorful chairs, we ate several toasted breads and bagels, carrot and zucchini sticks along with two different dips that I don’t remember.(tee-hee!) I remember eating a lamb wrap with yogurt and lime sauce. If ever I’m going back in Vietnam, I’ll go back here as well. It’s a nice place to bond with friends.
6. Yogen Fruz
I’m not crazy about frozen yogurt. But when Tita Ana and Tita Ralph brought me here, I instantly became a fan!
7. Bud’s
I’ve been here because I was looking for my comfort food which is Cream of Mushroom Soup. Tita told me that their Cramy Clam Chowder in a bread might take my blues away, and yes it did! Went back in this place twice and had the same food. It was beyond comfort.
8. Chef Mamma’s
This restaurant fuses the Italian and Vietnamese cuisine as the owners were. What I love about this place is their mango shake. I can probably say that it is so far the best mango shake I’ve ever had. Their food isn’t bad either.
9. Little Manila
Now this has got to be the only Filipino restaurant that I tried in Vietnam. Of course, sinigang na baboy will always be on the list. The cook and the staff are Filipinos that’s why it wasn’t so hard to order the food like we usually do. The sisig was also notable.
10. Hanayuki
I am not a fan of Japanese foods, that’s why I was hesitant to eat here at first. But then, Japanese food isn’t just about the raw and uncooked meals, hence my order, Pork Curry Rice. And yeah, I’m really not a fan of Japanese foods. Haha! J
11. Spice Restaurant
This is a Thai restaurant. And when you speak of Thai, the number one food will always be Tom Yum. This food is really spicy. It’s spicier that Mia’s Korean soup. The button mushrooms and the shrimps are flooded with red-hot soup that really got me heating up to grab my drink. Luckily, I ordered a fresh coconut juice. This cute little thing downs the spice away and leaves a sweet after taste in my mouth. Perfect.
Other notables:
- Ban Mhi is the famous Vietnamese breakfast along with Café Sau da. It is basically a sandwich made from a small baguette that has their own ham, liver spread, cheese, pickled veggies and sometimes, chilies. I love this sandwich, which you can buy in almost every corner and every street of Ho chi Minh City. They usually sell it wrapped in a newspaper or any blank paper they’ve got.
- O’star Potato Chips, Seaweed flavor. This chips tastes sweet and salty. It’s not your average potato chip that you can buy here in the Philippines. I would definitely ask Mia to buy me some when she gets there.
- Gulaman in a can. Seriously. They have this beverage in the market. Surprisingly, it actually tastes good. Goes well with the potato chips. Haha!
- KFC’s egg tarts are so good I can eat a box in one sitting. The thing is, they’re too greasy and messy to eat. So that leaves me with just two tarts in one sitting.:)
The next time I’ll be in Vietnam again (which may be sooner), I will definitely take an effort to document everything that has to go in my mouth and in my tummy. I miss Vietnam. I will be back, I promise!
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epalogue
I have loved traveling abroad since the first time I was given an opportunity to board on a plane and go to a place where people barely understands me. That first time, I went to Singapore. It was October of 2007. The travel could have been happier if I were with my friends, but no. I went on a study tour with other students from other universities. It was fun and educational, but I wasn’t able to really “tour” the hotspots of Singapore. During my week of stay there, I have come to meet a lot of new people, created new discoveries and was amazed at how progressive that country is. Their food is very much close to the Chinese; ducks, noodles and other poultry goods. But they also serve sea foods like crabs, shrimps and even octopus. There was even a food court that serves frog porridge.
Singapore is a highly industrial country. The place spells out cleanliness and order. The only place where I experienced a traffic jam is when we went to buy our “pasalubong”. Luckily, with my uncle residing there, I got the opportunity to ride their MRT, a double-decked bus and a cab, of course. There are so many things to discuss about Singapore, but I will simply rate the five things that I will never forget about this country.
#5 FOOD COURTS
Just like what I said, Singapore spells out cleanliness and that’s what I really liked about their open air food courts. Think of the Fiesta Market in Market! Market! But these places are less cluttered and the food is served with a huge portion. A simple meal already contains a side dish of vegetables (usually bean sprouts), asteamy rice and your choice of meat or fish. At the middle of all the tables and chairs is a small stall of fresh fruits that you can buy sliced and ready to eat.
Additional Info: you can reserve a table or a seat by just leaving a pack of tissue or cigarette on the table and no one will ever dare to steal that table.
#4 MUSTAFA MARKET
When I asked my uncle about the best place to buy pasalubong, he said Mustafa Market will do. So on our free time, I invited Kuya Ryan and Ate Rose to this place. More than just the stuff that you can buy here, what’s memorable for me is the ambiance of the place. Of course, being ushered into different buildings and universities and all, we were shocked with the crowd that welcomed us at this market place. For me, it’s more like the 168 mall in Divisoria. As its name implies, this place is crowded mostly with Indians. That kind of says it all.
Additional Info: it’s the best place to buy gadgets. They sell cheap and trusty gadgets and other techno stuff out there.
# GEYLANG STREET
We have always envisioned Singapore as a progressive country. From an outsider’s point of view, this country is close to perfection. That’s why I will never forget this street. Geylang St. is the red flag district of Singapore and I have been there. The street is lined up with cheap hotels and motels. Ladies of different ages, styles and faces line up as well from daylight to night time. There was even one time when I saw a cute chinita wearing a short skirt and a see-through top in broad daylight. Good thing she has her umbrella to cover her up. (pun intended) Bottomline is, behind every pretty face is a scar, and even if you try to hide it, some will always find a way to take a peek on it. The other side of Singapore.
#2 MERLION/UNIVERSITIES
I was in Singapore for a study tour in Media Relations that is why we were invited in two universities; Nanyang Technological University and National University of Singapore. These two universities wowed me. With their high-class facilities and impressive faculty, it made me want to study there.
And what is a Singapore trip without a visit to the Merlion Park? The Merlion is one of the famous landmarks of this country. Just behind the huge statue is a miniature version of it. A trip to Singapore without a picture with the Merlion is like a day without brushing your teeth. Eew.
#1 STRICT POLICIES
I was scared on my first day in Singapore. I was afraid to get caught on doing something illegal for them. There is a lot of what-not-to-do in this country and that tops my list. No chewing of gums. No drinking or eating while aboard a public transportation. No spitting on the street. No finger pointing. Lastly, no smokeing. (that’s how they spell it) This just proves that everything comes with a price. Singapore-la!
My travel in Singapore isn’t that satisfying. I wanted to go back and take the “tourists’ tour” this time. I’ll definitely wait for that day. Or days. Or weeks. J
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epalogue
The year 2009 has driven me to pursue my love for books. It was in this year that I purchased books that are infamous. The past years, I was reading books of J.K. Rowling or Milan Kundera or Gabriel Garcia-Marquez, who are all famed writers. And this time, I decided to become more adventurous with my reading materials.
All in all I’ve read atleast 16 books in 2009; books that range from the unknown to the well-known. And now, I am going to list down the books that entertained and even bored me in 2009.
Eleanor Rigby – Douglas Coupland
I remembered buying this book in Powerbooks Greenbelt along with another book, Piece of my Heart. It was the time when I was doing my internship in Makati. It was on sale and I got it for 50 pesos. This book touched me. It started out a little boring, but it suddenly made sense to me when the lead character, Elizabeth, talked about her loneliness and loneliness in general. The twists of the story were heart-warming and relevant. I saw a part of myself in her. And that’s how a good book should be, something that creates a relation to yourself which eventually pushes you to see what the story is about beyond its given context. I’ve reread this book so many times, and it still doesn’t fail to make me sad on certain parts of the story. The emotion stays.
Piece of my Heart – Peter Robinson
I bought this book along with Eleanor Rigby. You see, I love watching CSI. I love detective works and everything else about it. When I read the synopsis of this book, I was thrilled to see that it is all about an inspector solving a crime that crosses to a crime from the past. The only thing is, this book is just a part of a collection of several books of the lead character, Inspector Allan Banks. That being said, some parts of the story refer to the previous books of the series and it got me lost. Still, it was good and got my criminal and detective cravings satisfied.
The Historian- Elizabeth Kostova
This book was referred to me by my good friend Mia. At first, I was hesitant to read it because I am not fond of “vampire” stories. Even on its first few pages, I was so bored because it was quite descriptive and “wordy”. But when the REAL story came up, it absolutely blew my socks off! (not that I’m wearing any) ok, when I was reading this book, I was also reading Eleanor Rigby. I read Rigby in broad daylight and this one at night. And that decision is so screwed up! When the story finally focused on the vampire Vlad the Impaler, I started getting paranoid of someone watching me at night. Haha! It was creepy and scary, and guess what, I decided finishing the book one late afternoon. I loved it! Nice one Mia!
Degrees of Guilt (trilogy)
In 2009, MV Doulos, a floating bookstore, reached the Philippine shores and splashed our hearts with glee. Being the bookworms that we were, my friends and I went to the ship to look for any good deals. It was a challenge looking for the perfect book to buy, but Noselyn and I split our money in this trilogy. Every book focuses on one major character and their views on the death of a teenage kid. Laced with moral values and life-changing situations, I think every teen should read this book.
Para kay B – Ricky Lee
I once attended a script writing seminar spearheaded by Mr. Ricky Lee. He is a genius and his previous works were really worth watching (he is a scriptwriter for TV and film). So this book, being his first in the publishing industry got me all excited and pumped up to read. With all due respects to Mr. Lee, I was quite disappointed on how this book was done. Sure it was casual and laidback, but it wasn’t my cup of tea. The concept was brilliant, but I just find some parts of it scandalous and irrelevant. (geez.) But nonetheless, I am still a fan of Mr. Ricky Lee. Maybe I will develop a liking on his next books. I’m looking forward to that.
Kapitan Sino – Bob Ong
Here is another Filipino writer that I admire. And another Filipino writer that disappointed me. Don’t get me wrong, the story was relevant, but it was way too relevant that it was quite boring and stiff. It makes a good indie film material though. Ok, I would say that I like this better than PkB, but I am still more of a fan of Bob Ong’s previous works.
Twilight – Stephenie Meyer
Yes, I too was driven into this twilight mania, but I am not the type who goes gaga over it. Before the film version of this book was even released, my friends are already fans of this saga. I am interested and I even went to the cinema with them to watch the film. The film, in my opinion was good, though I haven’t read the book, but my friends keep telling me that a lot of the real story wasn’t shown. Still, it took me quite a while to finally go to a bookstore and get myself a copy of it. It was a good story. I personally liked it, but I am not much of a romantic person. Romantic as in, super cheesy and emotional. That’s how I saw the story in the book. It was too romantic for me, but the storyline was really impressive. It’s a totally different read from the Harry Potter series (since people were comparing it). This book is aimed for teenagers and young adults, while HP is for kids and early teens (and those who feel that they are young). Romantic. Impressive. Not my cup of tea.
Becoming Madame Mao – Anchee Min
Another referral from my friend Mia. At this point, I just realized that she likes reading ancient relevant Asian history, especially from China. Luckily, I’m not. (haha!) Still, I was urged by her to go and read it. It was interesting. It’s all about the first lady of Mao Tse Tung. It narrated the sorrow, pain and pleasure of becoming and being Madame Mao. But, it probably took me two months to finish this book. Not because of its pages, but because I easily get bored with it. I read few pages from time to time so that I won’t get bored to finish the whole book, because I admit, it’s still about history. And history is interesting, but is sometimes boring. Despite my conclusions on history, the book is amazing and informative. Props to that!
Child 44 – Tom Rob Smith
This book is one of Mia’s favorites. This is an action-packed book from start to finish. The thrill and suspense it gave me was satisfying and I could probably say that this is written intellectually. It was smart and puzzling at the same time. But deep inside this thriller is a heartfelt story of brotherly love and being true to your commitment and priorities in life. (wait for the film adaptation of this book produced by Mia and me) Haha!
Zelda’s Cut – Philippa Gregory
Gregory is one of the famous book authors in the world. That’s why I was shocked to see a copy of her book on sale for 50 pesos. I was excited to read and indulge myself to a book that I supposed was a good one, but I was, for the third time disappointed by such a great writer. The story was too shallow and the ending was really, really disappointing. N-A-K-A-K-A-B-I-T-I-N. Haay.
Snuff – Chuck Palahniuck
I bumped into this book by accident. I just saw this online and got interested in it. It’s a soft porn book. Yes. It’s probably the shortest story that I’ve read. I was able to read the whole thing in one sitting (or lying). It is funny and sarcastic, but in the end, after all the “weird” stuff that’s been said, it all goes down to the concept of that one true and great love.
Of love and other demons – Gabriel Garcia Marquez
One of the books written by this phenomenal author of Love in the time of Cholera. This book is trivial. In its own right, it is also controversial. What got me interested to read this is that of the religious side and that of the ancient beliefs all mashed up in a sticky situation. The book could get boring, and I did a lot of scanning and jumping off some parts triggered by that. In the end, this book is a masterpiece.
Sputnik Sweetheart – Haruki Murakami
I love Haruki Murakami. His stories laced with poetry and feminism always attracts my attention. In this particular book, he depicted the relationship of two best friends of the opposite sex and the possibility of going beyond their limitations. The female, who discovered her desire for another woman was the scandal of the story. But in the end, the best friends still ended up with each other. It just goes to show that love is unpredictable and can take you to places and situations you’ve never expected in your life.
Norwegian Wood – Haruki Murakami
Another Murakami creation that got me all hooked up. This book is all about reminiscing with the past and trying to mash it up with the present time. Haruki Murakami, I noticed is also musical in his own right. This book refers to the familiarity of the lead, Toru, to a particular day through the Beatles song Norwegian Wood.
Don’t read this book if you’re stupid
I was able to read this book while I was in Vietnam. Tita Ana and I went to an international bazaar and got caught up with books from Australia. We bought four books and I was able to bring home two of them. This book is Tita Ana’s. She lend it to me because I got interested in it too. Well, this book is a collection of sarcastic stories from the mundane to the bizarre. It’s got a little bit of the Western humor, that’s why I did not like it too much, but it’s not bad at all.
Weird Sister – Kate Pullinger
This is one of the two books that I brought from Vietnam. Agnes Samuel is the lead of the story and Agnes Samuel changed my nights. She is the creepiest book character that I’ve encountered! Just by reading the synopsis, you can easily detect the flow of the story, but the chills that it gave me were really unforgettable. I was, then again afraid of sleeping with the lights off. Agnes Samuel is one creepy woman and she knows how to send me the chills. This book smartly combined the elements of eroticism, romance, Goth and thrill that knocked the wind out of me. Very impressive.
No time for Goodbye – Linwood Barclay
I was hesitant to read this book at first because Weird Sister really blew me away. But late one night, I got bored and decided to read it. This book is also full of suspense and has the kind of plot that would make you think. I just think that the characters of the story were quite older than I expected. This can also make a good movie material.
Those were the books that I was fortunate enough to explore in the past year. I hope that my cravings for good reading materials will still progress in the coming years. I am really a true believer that a good reader is a good thinker. (or maybe not, in my case..haha!)
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epalogue
It’s 2010!
A fresh year, fresh start and a fresh mind for better things to hope for the future. Now all of that’s been written in my personal planner. I would like to work on it privately. BUT! I will be sharing my PUBLIC WISH LIST. I just hope that someone would take notice and grant a wish! *wink*
- “KONTRABIDA” Negativitee shirt via http://www.negativitee.multiply.com
- a HEDWIG necklace
- a PLAID BLOUSE
- a mirror for my empty room
- an iPhone
- a white Blackberry
- a SONY VAIO laptop
- a DSLR camera
- a digital camera
- an apple green bed sheet/ pillowcase set for my single bed
- Haruki Murakami books
- complete season of FRIENDS DVD
- a coffeemaker with grinder
- Anne Rice’s Beauty Trilogy
..aaaaaand with that, THANK YOU IN ADVANCE!
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epalogue
Last Thursday, while at Mama Vek’s house, she taught me some vietnamese words. I am too lost for words right now, that;s why I’ll just share those words here.
numbers 1-10
mot – 1
hai – 2
ba – 3
bon – 4
nam – 5
sau – 6
bay – 7
tam – 8
chin – 9
muoi – 10
other words:
xinh chao – hello
cam on – thank you
vam loi – very happy
nguoi dep – very pretty
dep – pretty
chuc mung sinh nhat – happy birthday
xinh loi – sorry
tam biet – goodbye
chi – ate, anh – kuya
co – tita, cong – tito
ba – lola, ong – lolo
chi yeu em – i love you (girl to girl)
em yeu anh – i love you (girl to guy)
So I slept at Mama Vek’s place. She lives at a real vietnamese house with Ate Quyen. They told me that the old cabinet in the bedroom makes noise at night. But they are the only one who can hear it. Tita Ana sleeps there at times too but she hasn’t heard such noise.
I wasn’t scared but I was conscious if I will hear the same noise. True enough, I haven’t heard any noise at all.
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epalogue

not the greens please..
Tita Lani’s bosses are coming over today. And they will be spending the 2 nights of their stay here on tita’s house. With tita’s house having only two rooms, I was “evicted out” and has to stay to Mama Vek’s house for the meantime.
Anyway, last Tuesday night, Tita and I ditched our carbonara to eat out at Pho24. It’s a local noodle house just a little farther than tita’s place. We ordered noodles of course and was given a tray of fresh stuff like onions, chillis and leafy something.
I initially took asniff of one particular leaf and thought that it smelled strongly like a weed. I mean the kind of weed that we used to play with for lutu-lutuan. I was actually expecting that it will taste different, and I was right. The noodles and its broth was perfect and nice, but when i added that leaf and had my first taste, I could barely shove it down my throat. It was horrible. It does taste like weed. And I never attempted another b ite of it. I nearly threw up. The good thing is, their coffee was great. The coffee was still brewing when it was served on our table. You have to stir it first before you transfer it to a glass full of ice because it has condensed milk at the bottom of the brew. And everything else just tasted really good.
The next day, Tita brought me to her workplace which she fondly calls “narnia”. We rode a bus going there for two hours. The path to narnia is like the path that we take to Bicol. Rice fields and domestic animals around. When we got there, I met Ms. Susan, a Pinay who works there. When we reached tita’s office, Ms. Cathy, another Pinay was there too, so as the Vietnamese Mr. So. Later that day, I decided to call him kuya.
That night, after a tiring day, Tita and I walked outside to go to Mama Vek’s place. It was quite near. I will be going there tonight on my own because I will sleep there. It’s fine with me. But I’m scared. Last night, on our way back, Tita and I almost got hit by a motorcyle. The driver was just making fun of us, but that was really scary. Now, I am afraid to go there at night, I might as well go there at around 5pm, just to make sure I get the right way and that no motorist will make fun of me.
For Christ’ sake, i won’t know what to do if it happens again.
Now I’m scared.haaaay..








































