[Project FeeTrail February 2013]: Visita Iglesia in Bulacan

This is my Feet-Trail shot for the month of February 2013, my first time to be standing at the heart of Bulacan. I just assumed it to be the "Heart of Bulacan" because I am standing between the Cathedral and their Municipal hall.

I joined a Visita Iglesia tour of Bulacan and decided that it's going to be my feet shot for the month. It was not exactly my first time in Bulacan, because I've already been to Malolos with my friends who lives there.

This is also my first time to see a relic of the actual cross, in St. Martin de Porres church. It was the actual cross where Jesus was crucified, according to the speaker in behalf of the church. I also learned that the word "Tagalog" is derived from "Taga-ilog" and those from Bulacan are the first ones called Tagalog. It is also important to take note that, I think, all of their churches are near bodies of water, because back during the day, the mode of transportation of people is through a boat just to get to the church.

 As I was walking, lined up to kiss the relic, I kept thinking what wish I would want to ask for, given just a few seconds to feel and experience the relic.

But, by the time I got there, I spent my 5 seconds moment with relic just basically asking for forgiveness.


What interesting stuff have you learned recently? 

Visiting Bulacan: Visita Iglesia, Philippine History & Stories from the past

Not really my first time in Bulacan, but it was my first time to join a Visita Iglesia bound for Bulacan.  I came with my mom and a tourist bus full of her acquaintance and friends and I am so happy that my friend Kat, also came to the trip.

The plan is to cover 7 churches with 14 stations. I love their churches:

Review: LOreal's BB Max

I hate waste but I can no longer stand the primer that I got just a few weeks ago. I stopped using it and hunted for my next BB cream. I used my trusted Maybelline BB Cream before and now I am on to my next BB cream. I already have a brand in mind, the one that Divine Lee blogged about and the same BB cream that the trainer from Suesh let us use, but it costs more than Php1,000.00. That's over my price range since I will be using under a foundation.

I did not know that L'Oreal has a BB cream so the minute that I saw one, I decided to test it out.

Smoke gets in my...lips.

I realized that it has finally been a year since I decided to go cold turkey and quit smoking for good.

Not to promote smoking or anything, but I used to smoke a lot but never really reached the chain smoker type. I started with Winston Lights with filter, then my friends told me I'm just smoking air through paper. I moved to Marlboro lights then felt like Carrie Bradshaw. 

There was a time that I was offered a stick of cigarette, I declined. My guy friend teased me that a guy I like must have something to do in slowing down my smoking. But honestly, there wasn't any guy in the picture. I just didn't feel like it.

A year before I moved back to Los Banos, I had switched to Marlboro menthol. Then one day, I just realized I'm bored with smoking and just quit. No slowing down. Mom found out about my smoking before and staged up this huge melodrama about my lungs but that did not make me quit. Turned out that boredom is the only reason I managed to quit.

Then, for the next six weeks, I had hard, dry cough, as my withdrawal syndrome.

Do I miss it? I do.
But not enough to make me go back and start lighting up that stick again.

Smoking gives some calming effects that makes me actually think. Before quitting, I decided I wanted to get those e-cigarettes that you find in malls, I plan to get mine in hot pink, but then I just decided to go cold turkey.

Did I pick up a new habit in lieu of smoking? I didn't.
I know some people resort to eating candies, but I honestly did not pick up new habits in lieu of smoking.

What I just miss about smoking is it gives me time to think. There's something about inhaling and exhaling that  allows me to think and sort things out in my brain. I'm not promoting smoking, but I do miss having an outlet that stimulates my brain to think...further.

Am I encouraged to go back to smoking? No.
I have friends who are smokers that I regularly hang out with, but they do not encourage me to go back to the habit again. Was I asked if I wanted a stick? Yes, but it has been really easy to say no. I'm too old for peer pressure.

I've been tested, time and again, with different level and phases of stress in my personal and professional life. It was tempting to smoke, I miss it as a stress reliever, but still I did not pick up a stick. I just wish I have another method as stress reliever...other than cliches like exercise.

So yes, smoke gets near my lips, but stress is not enough to make me go back to the habit.

My brother from another mother

Last year was, undeniably, a crazy year for Team Araguas (as Stew fondly calls us) and The Blacketts. Kuya Stew stayed in the Philippines for ALMOST a year ( you didn't last the entire year, brotha!) last year and I had the chance to have an older brother even for just a few months. I've always envisioned Kuya Stew as someone strong, fearless, and the alpha male that he always try to project.

Last year, he was like this:

That 2013 Feb Fair week

I was prepared for this Valentine's day. Ideally, since I know that I will be having a good time at work, I plan to rush home and spend the evening in pajamas, chips and watch reruns of Keeping up with the Kardashians that I've been downloading for the past few weeks.

I've been living in elbi for the past two and a half years, and I know before Feb 14 arrives, the streets get crazy with flower vendors everywhere.

This is what it already looks like , Feb 13 in the morning:

Let this post be about Luuurve!

Tomorrow is February 14...so Happy Valentines!

Contrary to my last year's post about Valentines being just a regular day, or as my friend Frankie used to say last year: “They call it Valentine’s; I call it Tuesday.” Let this be a post about Luuuurve.

The becky Queen Divine Lee, blogged about this and I really waited for the whole video to download. I’m not gay/lesbian or anything, but something about this video touched me and I’ll tell you why.

If the talks about settling down, getting married makes one engaged, then I must have been engaged at least three times already. When I was 23, people thought I’d get hitched. After all, my then beau, was all about having kids and I was already travelling 12 hours just to see him. But I knew he wasn’t the one for me. We have different visions, different dreams, and different values, though honestly, he is a lot nicer compared to me. Bottom line, I didn’t see us going down the aisle for I can see that when love between us no longer exists, the respect, who I think will be the last remaining glue, just isn’t there anymore. I have exerted the most effort in that relationship, but it had been the easiest one for me to let go of and get over with just because I honestly knew it wasn’t really meant to be.

“You’re the only one I know who gets a boyfriend that don’t really want to spend your future with him” a friend told me years ago.  Truth is, few years ago, I started believing and finally getting what happily married people has been telling me: you’ll just know.

I have secretly shed a tear when one of my bffs got hitched last year. Not because she’s getting married, or officially in a permanent relationship. I have learned to separate the hype. For my own wedding, I used to think that I really couldn’t care less, as long as I am sure with the one I am marrying with- Because I think that’s the hardest part.

Few months earlier, after our friends got hitched, my guy friends and I were talking over lunch one day. Since most of our friends are finally settling down, it got them into thinking that maybe, they should start straightening up their acts. I am not going to divulge in this blog about the depth of what we have talked about because it’s one of the cherished guys-talk-with-one-girl moments that we have, but when  I joked about how I wanted my wedding to be themed “Elope” and that I’d just invite them one day over lunch or dinner and announce that I had just gotten hitched.I got nagging, violent reactions saying that they can only accept that I didn’t invite them to my wedding... only if it’s done abroad.

So I guess no more Carrie Bradshaw-John James Preston City Hall Elope themed wedding for moi.

The reaction was violent and sweet, I felt like the youngest and only sister with all these big brothers picking on me. Love ‘em.

Now going back to Divine Lee’s post about Love knows no gender, I watched it and I finally I understood why the presence of both families and friends during the day of your official union together is so special. I finally understood, because I know since our society doesn’t approve of gay marriage, I just felt so happy for this couple that they have the support of both of their families…and the criticisms just don’t matter.

Clinton & Callum from Soda Films on Vimeo.

Happy Valentine’s day and may we always, bravely, love, like our hearts will never be broken.

Behind Closed Doors: Barbie and Ken's Marriage in real life

Remember my posts about Barbie and Ken's wedding?
How about my post about the Nigerian Barbie's Cultural Wedding?

I saw this on pinterest today and it reminds me of ... why some women nowadays fear marrying really good looking guys. :)