parasaparaluman

[parasaparaluman]

Love Story

March is now over and so is our prenup shoot. But guess what, we're far from over from being busy. Laira and I work hand-in-hand in working through our remaining pre-requisities for our wedding and for our honeymoon in Palawan. This is good stress though as we're enjoying that we're building our memories together.

Now that it's April, we have just celebrated our last anniversary as girlfriend and boyfriend while we'll be celebrating my birthday this weekend. Our anniversary went great - we used the spa voucher that was given to us by the parents of one of Laira's students. It was a "premium" experience as we're given a private couple room complete with a shower area and a.. wait for it.. jacuzzi. Yes, that's right. I've been longing for a jacuzzi ever since especially when I didn't get to experience one in La Bella due to fatigue post-shoot. What's surprising though is since it's right after a massage, the water in the jacuzzi has to be hot but unfortunately, it was too hot for us to really enjoy it.

Was the experience worth it based on the price you paid for it? Probably. If you rarely go to spas and you wanted the full experience then I guess the price is justified. But if you frequent spas such as Nuat Thai or call in a home service and don't mind an oily body after the session, then it will just fall under a good experience that we might never try again unless offered by someone else.

I'd like to compare this to our ever-favorite, Ace Water Spa. For just around 6000, you'll already have 2 entries in the spa, a hotel room, a breakfast buffet for two and if my memory serves me right, 2 500-peso voucher that you can use at their rooftop resto-bar or at their cafe. So between this and The Spa, I might be comfortable saving up for Ace Water Spa instead - you'll get the whole day for you to do whatever you want at their premises (nearby as well) rather than being limited just for ~2 hours.

We were supposed to eat at Modern Shanghai due to good reviews but as we've already eaten Chinese food in TuanTuan on our exact anniversary day, we've opted for CIBO but seeing later on that most of the reviews mentions that it's overrated and expensive, we ended at Banapple as they're now offering a smaller serving of their delectable ribs. We also went back to Toby's Estate but sadly, I mistakenly ordered the wrong drink. It was a Chai Chocolate - it has ginger which while is "okay" for me, it was not a fun drink at all.

We strolled around SM Megamall afterwards hoping to finally purchase my wedding shoes but after a few realizations such as a hard-shelled shoes can be a bit uncomfortable depending on the thickness of the socks you're wearing as well as on how you walk, I decided to do a bit more research rather than jump the gun that day.

This week, we'll be dining at Senor Pollo again after so many years (this is the restaurant we ate on our very first date) and try to check if there are Rastaclats still in Landmark. As for the Omniverse Museum, I missed their 4.4 sale that will supposedly save us 1000. Here's to checking again on what other activities that we can do around the area.

There's so much more in store for this month. We'll also be having a get together with my cousins in BGC to try some good ramen and meet with Laira's family prior to the wedding.

Bring it, April.

[parasaparaluman]

Enchanted

It's nearing the end of March and it's just now na makakapagpost ako ng blog entry for the month. Aside from naging really busy sa work, wala din kaagad nagspark sa akin na idea sa kung ano ang gagawin kong topic.

But now, well, meron na. Laira and I's prenup shoot just ended and it was magical - from the venue, to our suppliers, to the vibe during those days, and lastly from the support of both our friends and family.

We planned this for more than a year and we're very happy na it turned out how we intended it to be. Tuwang-tuwa si Laira especially with our HMUA kasi talaga namang napakaganda ng kinalabasan ng look niya and impressed siya how skilled Ms. Tricia is with her work. On the other hand, ako na di naman masyadong minake-up, tuwang-tuwa with The Grace Stories, our photographer and videographer for our prenup. Di kami ilang sa kanila since both of them are cheerful and the way they give instructions feels natural na parang we've known each other prior sa shoot.

Siguro what we didn't expect lang is how tiring and how busy both of us were that day. Si Laira, matagal inabot yung prep while ako naman, naging errand boy ba sa pagasikaso sa mga kasama namin that day and sa pagkuha at abot ng mga kailangan. Not that nagrereklamo ako pero nabitin naman talaga yung pagkain ko nun. Hirap pala maging artista!

Aside from the actual prenup, we're happy to have spent time with our family and friends on a vacation lalo na't di naman lagi na nakakalabas kami ng bahay ng magkakasama. We even brought our dogs with us! Sobrang happy sila na nakabisita sila sa ibang lugar at nakalakad ng madami-dami. Ending, matagal silang magpapahinga muna during the holy week.

We couldn't wait for our edited photos and for our prenup photos. Wedding naman next!

[parasaparaluman]

I miss you, Lolo

Nung pinost ko yung the usual ko na January blog post on how it's a new year and that I'm excited on what's in store for the rest of the year, wala naman din talaga ako masyadong naging content since even despite na eventful naman din talaga itong taon for me especially since it's me and my partner's wedding year plus syempre yung Palawan trip namin afterwards, that's just really it. Now that I'm making my blog post for the month of February, it all makes sense now na kung bakit onti lang yung post ko nung January - para bang dito daw babawiin.

Long story short - Lolo Nestor passed away. It's very sad in many different reasons pero na-amplify lang further since siya yung Lolo na nakasama ko paglaki. Lolo Nestor passed away due to many complications pero we all really think na nagstart lang talaga iyon nung nagka-heart attack siya and pabalik-balik na siya sa hospital ever since. Nung una, matagal siya - ilang days din since minomonitor condition niya. Unfortunately, the environment being wala naman sa isang private na room and knowing him, kung nababagot na nga siya sa bahay, what more if nakahiga lang siya sa iisang pwesto most of the time. My mom even mentioned na one time, nagwala daw si Lolo kasi di niya daw marecognize asan siya, na akala niya nasa bahay siya. I can see how it came to that point na may sakit ka na nga, di pa okay yung mental health mo.

We were all happy nung nadischarge na siya and we were expecting, much like nung nakarecover siya from his cancer, na magkakasigla na ulit siya eventually. However, many times din siyang umiinda ng pagsikip ulit ng dibdib kaya dinadala ulit sa ospital. It also really didn't help na yung medicines niya renders everything na kainin niya, mapakla. In turn, yung dapat sanang babawiin niya na pagkain, wala tuloy siyang gana. In fact, the last time I saw Lolo, kwinento pa niya how 1 month na siyang hindi kumakain ng matino. Then I remembered the time nung nagka-covid ako. Wala namang paninikip ng dibdib nor high fever but wala akong ganang kumain. I felt full all the time even if wala naman akong kinakain. Di ako makaubos ng isang buong rice and even tasty foods tulad ng Yumburger, hirap kong kainin lahat. The saving grace for me were liquids. Panay ako juices non kasi malasa and madaling i-digest. For 1 week, ganun ang setup hanggang sa finally, gumaling na ako. Kaya napaisip tuloy ako, kung ganun siya tulad ng kondisyon ko before at mapakla ung lahat ng kinakain or iniinom niya, edi miski liquids, mahirap din i-digest. Eh nung naabutan nga namin siya ni Laira noon, bawat inom niya ng gamot ata yun or juice, niluluwa din niya. I can see na he's trying pero sobrang hirap lang din for him.

Speaking of seeing him for the very last time, kami ni Laira, nung bumisita kami kela Lolo nuon sa Carmine eh yun na ang sinasabi pa nilang huling kinausap ni Lolo ng maayos. Kinausap in a sense na nakapagkwentuhan kasi literally 1-2 hours later, sinugod na siya sa ospital. Pero before I get into that, it's very surprising din how we actually came to visit Lolo on a weekday ng hindi namin planado beforehand. So ang setup talaga namin ni Laira is that every month, at least once makavisit kami kela Lolo and kung bibisita naman din, make sure na may dalang pasalubong. Tuwing bumibisita kami, di naman din kami masyado nagtatagal. Siguro 1-hour at most. Nagkakamustahan lang and off we go - saying na bibisita nalang din ulit soon. Now, I regret leaving so early and saying na babalik nalang din agad kasi ayan, wala na si Lolo, wala naman na ding babalikan ulit. Kaya ngayon, as much as we can, we still stay kasi feeling naman namin, our very presence palang eh natutuwa na si, now, Lola. Mas dinadalasan nalang din namin ang pagbisita - even asking Lola to come with us naman din minsan para lumabas-labas. Buti nga't wala pang iniinda si Lola kaya walang problema sa paggala. Wag lang siguro mashadong malayo or yung madaming lakaran. Si Lolo kasi nun, hirap na siya ng matagal ng nasa labas kasi naka-colostomy siya brought by his cancer dati. Going back, everyday naman, tinatry kong i-target na makalabas ng bahay kahit saglit lang. So mapa-may bibilhin sa tindahan or may nagpapabili sa tindahan, okay na. Nung time na iyon, matagal na kaming di nakabisita kay Lolo. Di kami nakabisita sa ospital kasi sakitin ako at baka mahawa. May isang beses na dumaan kami kela Lolo pero para lang magbaba ng pagkain kasi naka-tricycle kami. Nasa sala nun si Lolo, tahimik na parang nakatulala lang. Di naman ata siya nanonood ng TV nun tapos sabi ko, magbababa lang ng pagkain at babalik nalang soon. Napa-"oy" lang siya nung nagulat na makita ako. Kaya talaga namang yung susunod na pagbisita namin ni Laira, yun yung target sana naming matagal na magstay. Nung una nga lang, para sa paglabas ko lang talaga iyon tapos dadalhin ko nalang din ang mga aso kasi sa pagkakatanda ko, matagal narin nung huling lumabas sila. Nung before lunch, nagmessage sakin si Laira na uuwi daw siya ng maaga. Hindi ko sigurado bakit kasi di naman siya umuuwi ng maaga talaga ng walang dahilan. Ang sabi lang niya, ayaw na niyang magjoin ng meeting. Mga after lunch, nakauwi na siya at sabi ko na since minsan lang naman siya umuuwi ng maaga at di pa nga kami nakakabisita ulit kela Lolo eh sumama na siya.

Pagdating namin kela Lolo, asa sala siya nakaupo at halatang may iniinda. Tinuro pa niya ung sa colostomy niya at sinasabi niya na di maganda ung kulay - hindi daw dapat ganun at ayun nga, ung nabanggit ko kanina na may iniinom tapos niluluwa rin naman kalaunan. Kinamusta namin siya kay Lola at sinabi na kumakain naman daw paunti-unti at magsisimula ng uminom ng pampagana kasi nga mapakla lahat ng kinakain. Bigla nalang nagsabi si Lolo na surrender na daw siya kasi nga daw hirap na hirap na. Inulit-ulit niya yun hanggang sa maiyak siya. Ako naman, ayoko ng naririnig yun galing kay Lolo kasi ayoko magisip na hindi siya agad or hindi na gagaling. Umalis kami din agad nun kasi bibili kami ng pagkain ni Lolo sa Lilac - naisip ko lugaw pero nauwi din kami sa dinuguan galing sa Baliwag. Bumili din kami ng mamon para madaling kainin. Pero bago kami umalis, nagthank you si Lolo sa pagbisita. Pagbalik naman namin ng bahay, inabot namin na yung pagkain at hinanap ko si Lolo para sabihin na nakabili kami at subukan niyang kainin. Kaso, nasa CR siya ng mga time na iyon kaya umalis nalang na kami.

Pagkauwi, after 1-2 hours, aalis raw si Daddy kasi umiinda daw na masakit ung dibdib ni Lolo. Isip-isip ko, baka ito lang yung tulad ng dati hanggang sa after an hour, nung kinamusta ni Mama si Daddy, di pa raw sila nakakaalis kasi daw tuwing gagalaw si Lolo, may sumasakit - kaya hindi masakay sa sasakyan. Nakakabahala na nuon kasi first time na may sumasakit pag gagalawin siya. Eventually, nalaman pa namin from Daddy na nung gustong magpadala si Lolo sa ospital, instead na "dalhin siya sa ospital", sinabi ni Lolo na "dalhin siya sa pinakamalapit na ospital" - it's as if Lolo felt na masama na talaga itong nararamdaman ko. Kalaunan, pinilit nalang nila si Lolo isakay sa kotse. Binuhat nalang yata at dinala sa pinakamalapit na ospital which is dito sa may SDS. Sa kasamaang palad, wala atang bakante sa oras na iyon kaya napilitan silang lumipat sa Amang Rodriguez. Wala kaming balita sa kung ano ang nangyari hanggang sa kinagabihan na at sinabing nirerevive na si Lolo. I felt great sadness nung narinig ko yun at mas lalo na nung in just less than an hour, wala na raw si Lolo. I'm seeking comfort nalang sa thought na di na nahihirapan si Lolo which Daddy agreed upon since mas alam niya kung gano nga kahirap kay Lolo yung during at after nung heart attack.

My mom was concerned on that day kasi di daw normal yung nagthank you, umiiyak, at nagsasabing suko na sila. At nung nawala na nga si Lolo, para tuloy hinintay lang kami na makabisita bago siya mawala. Di mawala sa isip ko nuon na baka ang naging cause nun is yung pagbisita namin ni Laira - na baka na-overwhelm siya, naging emotional, at bumigat ang dibdib pero I know na for Lolo, mas naging masaya siya makita kami kesa sa hindi at all.

I know Lolo is a very difficult person to be with for the past 5 or more years mainly siguro sa pagkabagot pero I always remind myself to instead remember yung happy memories ko with him. And mind you, marami-rami naman talaga. From as easy as di masyadong pinagkikilos sa bahay when I should, from praising me to building huge robots out of Legos, to bringing me sa Sta. Lucia kahit maulan kasi gusto kong kumain sa labas at bumili ng toy, and to just really being excited whenever we're around. I think overall, he tries to understand my actions especially during nung college ako na basta-basta lang and now na lumipas na iyon, I tried to understand nalang din why he became grumpy as time passes.

Kung may regrets man ako, it's not spending more time with Lolo - na sana mas tinagalan at dinalasan ko ang pagbisita, na pagka-nagyayaya siya lumabas para kumain or miski na manglilibre siya, dapat pumayag na ako. At the end of the day, valuable time with each other ang nananaig. There's a lot of good memories na I'm sure to tell my future children on who my handsome Lolo is.

[parasaparaluman]

Wedding Year

It's already 2024 and we're just months away from our wedding. Nakaka-kaba na nakaka-excite!

There's still a lot of stuff to work on like adjustments on guests, wedding bands, and for our cake. Nevertheless I'll do my best for everything to be perfect as much as possible.

[parasaparaluman]

Friends and Family

As we near the end of the year, Laira and I decided to meet our groomsmen and bridesmaids for our wedding next year. I certainly missed a lot of my college friends that I got to see only after more than 5 years.

I'm surprised that aside from new relationships that we now have, not a lot has changed. The same Ramon and Evan that I knew still acts and behaves the same. While the time that I had with Evan was a bit short, I'm happy to check on him on how he fares nowadays. As for Ramon, we had the entire day to try out Genki Sushi, roam around a toy convention, and eat some yogurt.

I know Laira is as happy to meet her friends as well. I'm really excited on the stuff that we have to work on for our wedding for the next few months such as our gifts to our entourage, finalizing the activities on our reception, and on our vows. What an eventful 2024!

[parasaparaluman]

Happiest Place on Earth

I almost forgot that it's already November and just a few days away, it's already Christmas.

Just this late October to early November, I was able to come back to Hong Kong with my fiancée. I'm really excited for our trip since my fiancée likes anything Disney. I'm also excited on how we'll both fair since the vibe of HK is vastly different from Singapore.

A few points:

1. A lot of locals, even in tourist-populated areas, cannot understand English. It can be very difficult then to communicate when ordering food or when asking for directions.

2. You will really appreciate how nice Filipinos are. Most HK locals are not accommodating. A few instances are when I tried to ask a supermarket employee if I'm understanding their B1T1 promo correctly in which he said something like "it's not my job". He seems to only care about stacking chocolates in shelves and not anything else. Another is when we tried to ask a saleslady where a particular store in the mall is located in which she replied that she did not know - which can be quite unbelievable since she works on that mall. She must have an idea on what floor it is located at the very least.

3. Tall building apartments are everywhere. This is in comparison to the area we've stayed in SG where buildings vary from tall to something like our 3-floor hotel.

I also plan to share some tips for others but I might leave that in FB instead.

Overall, we enjoyed our trip. Disneyland is ever so magical with their rides, fireworks, shows, souvenirs , and parades. Even for a 2-day trip, it still doesn't seem enough. We also did a lot of pasabuys where we thankfully got into a 5-digit profit as anything less wouldn't be enough for the long walks that we did in search of our customers' items.

Along with SG, we definitely will go back to HK in the next few years!

[parasaparaluman]

One.. Piece!

That's right, I'm talking about the ever-famous One Piece anime. I couldn't believe na sa tagal ko ng nagvlovlog, never ko pa pala namention yung addiction ko sa Anime na ito. Well, to be fair, I came in late. Parang it's around the the Fishman Island arc na ako nakacatch-up pero man, it took me literally 2 years from episode 1 and I didn't skipped any episode mapa-filler man or not. My technique was to wake up early and immediately watch 7 episodes of One Piece before doing anything else - this is the same length as a movie.

It's a great time lang talaga to talk about One Piece as nagrelease lang na recently (like a month ago) yung live action adaptation. Basically, totoong tao na One Piece. Surprisingly, it went really well. You'd be scared that they might ruin a good franchise much like the disappointment Dragon Ball Evolution is pero no. Also, Luffy and the gang has now defeated Kaido in the Anime. Kumbaga, he's stronger than one of the Yonkos!

I just really like how One Piece seems to piece together everything, right? Unlike other Animes na para bang after defeating one major villian, not only will the main character unlock an all new technique or power, there's a new villian that will pop out all of a sudden. Sa One Piece kasi, it helped na it's an adventure so it's implied na there's a ton of stuff to explore and there's a lot of enemies to defeat. The deeper you went into the Grand Line, the more powerful these villans are. As expected this may be, at least it pieces everything well. Take note, this Anime is older than me so from some 199x up until 2023, you'd be surprised how characters, places, or references relates to each other. Wow.

The only sad thing One Piece-related that I'd share is how the OP tower was closed in the middle of the pandemic. For me who dislikes anything high, I still might push through with OP tower as I like it that much. Too bad, though.

[parasaparaluman]

Pikit Mata

Usually, when I'm about to buy something especially if mahal - I really think about it thoroughly. I'd check if may budget ba ako at this time, if wala ba akong ibang gastusin na need pagipunan or paggastusan soon, and talagang kikilatisin ko yung options ko (variant, condition, or timing na kung may rerelease ba soon). Pero really, this must be the first time na talagang may pinush ako probably because it's for the sake of someone else and not just me.

Thing is, my fiancee and I just purchased a used Macbook Air M1 sa Greenhills - sosyal no? It really started when Laira thought of just getting a new personal laptop (to replace the broken one years ago) instead na palitan yung iPhone niya na wala pa namang one year. Gusto lang niya na din ata palitan yung iPhone niya since matutukso siya sa HK, para may magamit sa HK, and para bago by the time of our wedding? And honestly to me, kung ganun lang din, susuportahan ko siya na laptop nalang kesa sa bagong phone. Not only na a yearly phone would be very costly, at least pag laptop, she can use it for her work since limited parin naman yung pwede gawin sa iPad and yung work laptop niya na although pwede iuwi, eh bulky and luma na.

At first, ang hanap lang niya is basta pink and preferably, touch screen. Dati naman din kasi, hinelp ko na siya na maghanap ng bagong laptop pero we opted for an iPad instead - for portability and ease of use. Dati naman din kasi, WFH siya madalas and nandito sa bahay yung work laptop niya pero since mas madalas ng nasa school yung work laptop niya and as she explained it to me, pag inuwi pa raw kasi yung work laptop niya, need pa niya tanggalin yung mga nakakabit na HDMI cable, etc. and pag need na ulit ikabit, matagal pa raw and may delay her sa work niya sa morning na pag inimagine ko eh hassle naman talaga.

Soon after, sinuggest ko itong MBA kasi wala akong alam at the top of my head na magfifit sa gusto niya maliban dito (pano ba naman, laging may bagong Windows laptop di ba). Ang kabisa ko lang at least eh yung mga magagandang brands - Asus, Lenovo, and Acer (na meron na ako thru Nitro 5). Then naalala ko na at one point, cinonsider ko bumili ng MBA kasi may nakita akong listing sa JobStreet na may malaking kita pero need nila ng may MB - probably since magcrecreate ng apps for that platform. Medyo pinagsisihan ko in some way kasi di talaga mawala na sa isip ni Laira itong MBA afterwards though di ko naman siya masisi kasi talaga namang nagustuhan niya.

Unlike me, whenever Laira likes something, ayaw ng paligoy-ligoy. Hindi naman sa impulsive buying but not like me to the point na mapagsasabihan ng kakaisip ko eh, "di naman laging available yan" Lol. In some way, nagadjust naman din na ako. Maraming instances din kasi na may mga gusto ako but kakaisip ko, ayun, nabenta sa iba. Nung nabrought up ko pa na gusto ko mag-GH soon, nagexpect na tuloy na uuwi kaming may MBA na. So with that considered + knowing how it feels to consider on buying something na talaga namang bothered na bothered si Laira, pinagbigyan ko na.

Dami namin gastos soon and it really pains me to shell out from my savings but di rin kasi namin magawang mag-installment knowing na di kami makakadiscount or malaki yung interest. Kaya as the title suggests, pikit-matang purchase talaga. Di naman ako nagsisisi though especially na nakikita kong nageenjoy naman si Laira sa bago niyang laptop. At talaga namang sinipag ako bigla magtipid at magbenta tuloy.

[parasaparaluman]

Bleached

Who would have thought na may bagong season ng Bleach ngayong taon? Well, last year pa talaga iyon nagstart but it's this "part" na scenes got exciting.

When compared to other big animes like Naruto and One Piece, I felt like Bleach was inferior. Story-wise, Naruto's been set from the very beginning - Sasuke left the village and Akatsui has been introduced as one of the major villains. One Piece on the other hand, while there are still a lot of unknowns, sinet na nila yung expectations mo as they kept on repeating how vast the ocean is and there are multiple islands to explore to kaya it's not surprising for new characters to come in every now and then. As for Bleach, it felt like na after taking down this one great enemy, may bago na lalabas na mas stronger and if the existing powers of the protagonist isn't enough, then there must be this new power that he has to earn or discover.

While this can be true, you wouldn't deny how well executed they are on the fight scenes, in setting the mood, and in taking note of the details to avoid loopholes.

And believe me, with the premiere of Luffy's Gear 5 recently, I'm as excited to watch the newest episode of Bleach. Ganon kaganda.

Can't wait for Kenpachi's Bankai!

#bleach

[parasaparaluman]

Poopies

Chelsea gave birth to 5 healthy puppies during her second litter. Sad kami nung si B2, one of her puppies nung first litter, passed away. So you must imagine how happy we were na all 5 puppies are alive and well. We're just so amazed na from 2 puppies last time, 5 na ngayon at nakayanan ni Chelsea ang lahat ng yun.

Among the 5 puppies, 4 are male and we have one lone female, si Chloe. Ang perfect talaga na ganun ang kinalabasan kasi we wouldn't want to pick one from the other kung naging 2 yung female. Will you really be able to pick kung merong isa na playful and mas poodle-looking or one na you know that needs more love? Di ba. Ang hirap.

Sa mga males naman, ang galing na distinct yung personality nila sa bawat isa. We have Red. Siya nalang yung puppy na may natitira pang name from us kasi yung nakakuha sa kanya is ipangreregalo sa friend niya so di pa siya nabibigyan ng bagong name. He's the most behave sa lahat but he likes to play a lot with his toys. Mapagbigay din siya pag wala ng room dun sa ice kung san sila nagpapalamig, hinahayaan nalang niya. You also have Gucci na undoubtedly, the most poodle-looking. Ang ganda din ng color ng fur niya. He's energetic and clingy. Next is who we call "big boy" or "macho pogi" kasi siya yung pinakamalaki but not that far among his siblings. Matthew yung pinangalan sa kanya ng new owner niya. Like Gucci, he's also energetic and playful. Last is si Luan. Luan is the only puppy na close to white yung fur kasi yung iba, puro brown talaga. He's up next kay Red sa pinakabehave.

What about si Chloe? What is she like? Well.. siya yung pinakamatapang. She can be really noisy and when angered or irritated, talagang mananahol at mangangagat siya. It's in her personality talaga. Pero it's not like di mo siya malalaro - no. In fact, she can be scared din like the first time na inakyat namin siya sa kwarto.

In just a few weeks, tatahimik na sa bahay. No puppies na magiingay, na liligpitin yung poopoo, or papakainin. It's an added chore to take care of puppies, really. But yung joy and love that they give is irreplaceable. Nakakasad nga. If only we can just keep them pero we know na di namin sila maaalagaan ng husto ng walang dedicated na magtitingin sa kanila. Tsaka mahirap na talagang may mamix na male sa mga females - baka di na namin mamalayan na dumami nalang sila ng dumami. Kaya nga our only wish is since this may be Chelsea's last litter is that mapunta sila in good homes where they will be treated well.

[parasaparaluman]

I'm So Sick

Never have I thought na magkaka-COVID ako sa panahon ngayon. Pano ba naman, kumpleto na ako sa vaccine shots, maingat naman din na ako sa mga nakakasalumuha ko, and I always make sure na enough yung rest ko at natatake ko yung vitamins ko.

Kala ko nga, malalagpasan ko yung buong pandemic ng di nagkakasakit eh. Pero ayun, without having any hint kung pano at saan ako nahawa, legit na nagkaroon ako. Tested twice - just to make sure.

Good thing is kahit di ako madalas magexercise at di naggugulay, di naman sobrang lala nung sakit ko. I've had high fever, cough, colds, and worse is, I feel like vomiting multiple times (I hate having to vomit).

After less than a week, gumaling naman ako. Except ubo. Even ngayon, with more than 2 weeks na, may ubo parin ako. It's an ubo pa naman na shouldn't be taken lightly. I cough heavily even if I do not have that much phlegm na unlike before. My body aches whenever I cough which can really be painful at times. Most problematic din is I couldn't speak continuously without having to pause to cough or catch my breath.

I remember the time pa naman when I was diagnosed with TB. Umubo ba naman ako ng dugo once. Scary, right?

I'm still doing my best to recover. Medyo pasaway at times since di nakakainom ng gamot and umiinom ng malamig - di na kasi ako makatiis. But I'm hoping na hindi itong kasing lala nung ubo ko before.

[parasaparaluman]

Sliiiiiiide

If you know me personally, you'd know that I'm not really into amusement rides with the exception if a particular ride involves being wet.

For some reason, it's fun for me if I'd get wet along the way so may be it EK's, Legoland's or Ocean Park's, I'd tried them.

Then we discovered Aqua Planet in Pampanga. It's fairly new and it sports slides and pools that are unique, modern, and where adults will surely have fun too!

Adding to that, Laira enjoyed our trip in Adventure Cove so she was the one who's the most excited on in riding all the slides. It's even more fun that we're accompanied by her sister and Fefay.

While I'm more than satisfied in trying out most of the slides for just one time, I'm looking forward to our visit to Ocean Park's Water World in HK.

[parasaparaluman]

Keyboard Enthusiast yern?

Ever since, naamaze talaga ako how customizable ang mga mech keyboards pero since ang pricey niya as a hobby, di ko siya pinursue. I just got a good MKB and called it a day.

Several years later, 2023 na and I finally had the chance to target on having a new MKB as my keyboard-related purchase for the year. Last year kasi, I bought new switches lang for my Rakk Lam-ang Lite. I bought red switches (linear) to replace my blue switches (noisy) na honestly, sawang-sawa na ako.

Plano ko sana na sa latter part of the year pa bumili using my 13th-month pay since pricey yung target ko na MKB - an Alice layout one. Kaso the opportunity came na sira na totally yung isang arrow key sa work laptop ko and hassle pa magpapalit ng machine just for that one + a used Fancytech Alice showed up sa FB marketplace which is the only one with a transparent acrylic (which I liked) and that I was able to negotiate with the price to the point na it's really difficult to pass on the deal.

Since I didn't like the switches and keycaps that it came with, I don't think I would be able to wait for the next year pa just to buy replacements. Yun lang naman plus a few artisan keycaps and a coiled cable, hehe.

[parasaparaluman]

Beach, please.

I just had my first local airplane ride with my partner recently - we went to Boracay! Now, that wasn't my first time in Boracay. My family and I have been there years ago, when I was just small and I even remember how we even went to ride a ship since we brought my uncle's car with us from Manila to Aklan. I also remember that our arrival was just in time for the ati-atihan and everywhere, everyone was festive. My aunt happens to be raised right in Aklan so I also had this memory wherein I get to play with kids on nearby houses when we stayed on my aunt's place. It was vague but I'm confident that it happened.

For our Boracay trip this 2023, Laira and I are joined by her co-teachers and with Pat's boyfriend. It's the first time that I went to a far-away trip with other people and I must say, it's really lively. We went to partake in activities, try out a lot of food, hangout to take great pics and vids and ultimately really just enjoy each other's company.

It's nice to have these kinds of trips. But as our budget is quite limited this year as we plan to save up for our wedding next year, we'd better hold on to our savings especially since favors are coming in hot wherever we go.

[parasaparaluman]

Supeeer Sentai

Ang funny na I always knew Power Rangers as just Power Rangers lang. I know na may sort of Japanese counterpart siya but I didn't know na Super Sentai pala tawag. Ang funny lang pakinggan nung name for some reason.

So I've already been collecting some toys recently and what I eyed for this year is a combining robot. Para kumpleto na silang 3 di ba? Susunod na si Buzz Lightyear. Meron na kasi ako nung moving, with lights, and minsan sounds din - which is a staple of legitimate Zoids and a transforming one through Transformers. Whenever I think of such, PR talaga nasa isip ko even though nahumaling din ako sa Voltron for quite some time and meron akong steal na nakita sa Marketplace. Naghesitate lang din ako kasi even though it really is a steal especially na di naman din laging may available na BIB ung condition, 5k is still quite a lot. Nagpaalam pa talaga ako sa fiancée ko about this purchase as I need her wisdom kung okay lang ba magspend on something like this and during this time kasi malaki yung robot eh and it really feels premium since may lights and sounds. Di ko pwede sabihin na worth 2k lang siya, Lol.

As time went on, nagrevisit nalang din ako sa ibang franchises and among Voltron, PR, and Transformers, yung robots talaga ni PR yung may nostalgic feeling din. Nagkaroon din kasi ako nung bata ako as well as yung kalaro ko dito samin. The sound of plastic rubbing against each other on the moving parts of the robot can really be unforgettable. Pero hey, I still remember din naman yung Transformers na binili sakin ni Daddy sa RP Metro East, Department store tapos nagbrownout pa that time, Lol. Sakto may nakita pa ako na authentic na kagaya nung Transformers ko na yun dati sa Big Boys. Kaso nga lang.. may Transformers na kasi ako.

Again, I've done a lot of research on what to buy kasi ayokong magbuy and sell since di pala ako satisfied sa purchase ko. I'm finding one na satisfied talaga ako and yung di ako maguguilty sa price. Merong mga deluxe versions na tulad nung meron ako before but it costs a lot na nowadays. Para bang 5k per part ng Megazord sa Lazada then meron ding mga around that area pero entire Megazord na though kung swerte, MISB, pag hindi, used.

Though I don't mind buying used toys naman din. My Transformers and Zoids are brand new so okay lang magkaroon ng second-hand for a change. I was able to purchase Go-Buster Megazord for just 2.7k from a seller na nearby pa dito samin. Admittedly, talagang minurahan nalang niya kasi sobrang dirty nung toy - not that may putik but ang kapal ng dust? Parang hindi lang sa nastore sa isang shelf and nagipon ng dust but also parang may onting sand din? Nacurious tuloy ako if nagkaroon ng construction sa kanila. What's cool about this is di lang siya nagcocombine, the parts can also transform on their own. From beetles (na parang remake nung meron ako before na Ninja Storm) to vehicles. In fact, yung red one can transform to its own Megazord pa. Kaya nga din excited na ako panoorin ung series right after nitong K-Drama na tinatapos ko.

Anyway, I'm really happy with my purchase. Compared din kasi sa flimsy na Minipla na PR din or Voltes V, ang substantial sa feeling nung toy. Pero syempre, careful parin ako sa bawat galaw - medyo brittle kasi ung parang lock niya eh. Natanggalan na nga ako ng dalawa kahit di naman mabigat kamay ko.

Looking forward sa resin figure naman next year, hehe.

[parasaparaluman]

23-27

I really just couldn't think of any other title besides it's already 2023 and I'll be turning 27 this year.

Time flies so fast, does it? Back when I was in college, I had so much time that it became my goal for each day to become worthwhile - not wasting any minute at being idle. Now, I feel like everything happens for a reason; I don't feel like doing a lot of chores on a particular day? Maybe I'm tired. Etc.

I also make it to a point to remind myself that I'm already engaged, living with my fiancée, on our own home. 21-year old me wouldn't think that would be possible.

In addition, I'm surprised with the position that I have with my career - I'm already earning far better from my initial salary which in turn provides me and my family some of their needs and wants.

Altogether, I'm just really excited what this year has for me - for my career, on my family, and for the people around me. This is also for more travels to come!

[parasaparaluman]

Twice as Great

So I have now been to Singapore twice. It's a bit different as to what I remembered - probably because it's already almost a decade but the place never ceases to amaze me.

My fiancée and I have gone to places where my parents and I weren't able to get to before and while everyday is tiring and your feet will always be sore afterwards, the experience we've had is unbeatable. From the tourist attractions to the shopping that we've done, it seems to me that it wasn't my last time being in that country.

In fact, that's my takeaway from our trip. You'll immediately realize how miles ahead their country is to ours and it makes you wonder how long Philippines has to endure before it became that established. First thing you'll notice is the transportation. There literally is little to no traffic. Why, you might ask? There are just a few types of vehicles in the streets. There are buses, taxis and TNVs, and private vehicles - no tricycles, no jeepneys, no FXs, no hybrid buses or jeepneys either. And I have just found out that the government imposed a law that you couldn't ride an old vehicle in public. Reason being that it is more prone to breakage which can lead to traffic and accidents plus newer vehicles now are more cleaner and environment-friendly.

Second is that people seem to take into heart whatever career they're in. I didn't see anyone being publicly lousy or is complaining about their work. It just speaks that they've really conditioned their people that hard work will pay off and that there are no shortcuts. This is as oppose to our country where we live in a land of ANY opportunity - even those that are immoral and even illegal. People will do anything for a quick cash and to get away with it.

That being said, I envisioned myself living in Singapore with my family. It will be nice to raise kids on such a great environment. I feel like I wanted to do it in my lifetime but not anytime soon. For the 1 week we've been away, I missed my parents, my dogs, and the comfort of our home.

I don't worry that much on any missed opportunity though, there's still a lot in store for us and I'm already more than blessed on everything that I have right now.