I was now in Long Beach, Hollywood & Los Angeles…
Been quite exhausted to think what to write…
Let the pictures speak for itself….
Sea Lions in Long Beach
Universal Studios with My Hosts
Hollywood
Disneyland
Kodak Theater, the venue of Oscar Awards Night
Walk of Fame
Bakit sa konting saya
Luha ang itataya
Bakit sa bawat ngiti
Kapalit agad ay pighati
Di ba pwedeng sa bukang liwayway
Walang magpapaalam na kaway?
Di ba pwedeng sa bawat grasyang makamtan
Walang sakripisyong puhunan?
Ang buhay daw ay parang gulong
Bakit ang aki’y wari’y di na sumulong?
Isa lang naman ang nais ko
Magtamo ng ligayang totoo
Hindi naman ako masamang tao
Di rin nagbibisyo
Maprisipyong totoo
Makalinga’t makatao
Wala ba akong karapatang makamit
Minimithing dalangin, huwag naman ipagkait……
From Arizona, i flew west going to California. First stop was San Jose where i met my Ninang whom i have never seen since i was one or two years old i think. A welcome party surprised me when we arrived in their house where a lot of yummy pinoy foods invitingly crowded the table which made me undecisive of what to eat first. It was really very nice of her and that compensates from the countless of years that i didn’t receive any aginaldo from her, hehehe! After i was proudly introduced by Ninang to her friends, we went to San Francisco. It was just about 45 minutes drive from Ninang’s house, but the trip going to San Francisco seemed endless for me, and the nearer we were the more excited i became. I had a long list of places i wanted to see there… Fisherman’s Wharf, Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz, China Town… just to name a few. Places that haunted my childhood dreams, places that i saw in TV & movies, places which were on top of my “must see” list. Let the pictures speak to the journey of my dreams….
Coming up next… Long Beach, Hollywood, Los Angeles…..
Fisherman’s Wharf, San Francisco, California
Seafoods at Fisherman’s Wharf
Golden Gate Bridge
Sausalito
Lombard Street, “the crookedest street in the world”
Trip to Monterey Bay
Jelly Fish in Monterey Aquarium
Yes i know, i neglected blogging for so long. Sorry folks! Does anybody missed me here at all? There was no reason why i didn’t blog, i just felt lazy to write anything. Hopefully, through this article, i can find back the habit of posting regularly. So what’s new with Curacha?
A dream came into reality last May. I made my first trip to the USA! Yeheyy!! Honestly, i can’t explain why i waited so long to go there, whereas i could have done it since 20 years ago. My impressions of the Great Land of Possibilities? Let’s start with the first destination Houston, Texas….
Just before landing, as soon as the height of the plane was deep enough for me to comprehend what is underneath, an awesome view of houses with swimming pool in various shapes & sizes was the first that caught my eyes. Wow! I thought all the people down below must all be rich! I haven’t seen such an immense number of pools clustered in one area. Only when i reached the modest house of my cousin with 4 bedrooms, 2 carports & a huge living room did i understand that swimming pools in that State isn’t a luxury but a necessity. Hell, was it hot there! And that’s all year round. Then i thought why we can’t see a single pool in Germany from the bird’s eye view? Because pools there are all indoor! Or do you think you can swim in a freezing pool during winter time? Houston reminds me more of the Philippines with rows of houses right along the expressway just separated by a local road adjacent to the express lanes. Unlike in Europe, the houses here are far away from the Autobahn. You will seldom see a house along side the Expressway here. Aside from the joy & excitement of seeing my cousin & her family (gosh, the last time i saw my inaanak, the son of my cousin, he was only 3 years old, now he will soon to graduate from college next year), there’s nothing historical to see in Houston. It is a modern city where the only thing that wakes my interest was the George Bush Library & Museum. In comparison with other States, i was told that the standard of living in Texas (and Arizona as well) is more cheaper. But what made this city really worthy of the trip? Was it my cousin? The Museum? Nope….. It is the Steak!! Omigosh, i ate in Houston the tastiest, juiciest & biggest T-Bone steak in my life! And that in a typical authentic cowboy-style salon. You bet i will be going back there again soon…
After spending four days in Texas, i flew to Tucson, Arizona to visit my college friend there. Hah! Arizona, here i come!!
First impression while looking out of the window while the plane is descending…. desert & a few scattered mountains. The earth down below was dry, baked & blond. The color must be due to lack of green vegetation. I came, i conquer & i sweat more! Tucson is a small desert city. The downtown comprises of a few tall buildings which can be counted in one hand and so a small city that after turning left & right in the road you’re out of the city again. It’s hotter there than in Texas. While touring the desert area with my friend & husband, i imagined walking in a hot, dusty land with animal skeletons & cactus scattered all over the area. True enough! Because i really saw lots of cactus in different varieties, some were small, some were beautiful, and some were huge and looking like humans with its two arms. The only thing that’s missing was the animal skeleton, otherwise you can already feel being a part of a John Wayne movie. Speaking of movies, the counterpart of Universal Studios in the desert was in Tucson. The tour guide there explained that most of the western movies & TV series were shot in Old Tucson Studios including Aim High, Little House on the Prairie & Chaparral to name a few. If you want to visit the Studios, then you have to set aside a whole day because the place has lots to offer like horse riding, guided tour in train around the place, museums, cancan shows, cowboy shows with all the gunfighting & falling from the roof etc. We also visited a very old church in the middle of the desert called San Xavier del Bac which was the pioneer in converting the indians to Christianity that used to dwell in that area. And what about food in Tucson? Breakfast galore in I-Hopp was a super hit! This restaurant offers a real American delightful breakfast with everything that goes with it…. Pancakes with different kinds of Maple syrup, fried eggs with bacon, hotdogs & hash etc. That was such a feasty meal with gusto! After three days in Arizona, i stepped inside the plane again going West……
Watch out for the next post about California Dreamin’…..
The George Bush Library & Museum in Houston, Texas
The Old Tucson Studios
Real Cowboys with Guns
Tucson, Arizona
JINKY: Manny, kung magkaka-anak uli tayo ano magandang name?
MANNY: Hmm… eh di combine nalang name natin.
JINKY: Magandang idea yan… anong name naman?
MANNY: “Manky”!
*****oOo*****oOo*****
MAN: Miss, 5 viagra nga…
TINDERA: Dami naman Sir!
MAN: Yes, very hot ang date ko eh.
Next Day……
MAN: Miss, 2 boteng Betadine nga..
TINDERA: Sir, anong nangyari sa kamay nyo?
MAN: Hmp, bwiset, di sumipot date ko!!
*****oOo*****oOo*****
LADY: I’m always tired.
DOC: How often do you have sex?
LADY: Daily.
DOC: Skip Saturday.
LADY: I can’t, that’s the only day i’m home with my husband…!
*****oOo*****oOo*****
A boy asked his Dad what’s the difference between TRUTH & BELIEF: The father says, “this is your mom, that’s the Truth…, i am your father, that’s my BELIEF…!!
*****oOo*****oOo*****
Mag-asawa nag-aaway…..
BABAE: Punyeta ka!
LALAKI: Punyeta ka rin!
BABAE: Tarantado ka!
LALAKI: Tarantado ka rin!
BABAE: Demonyo!
LALAKI: Demonyita ka naman!
BABAE: SUPOT!
LALAKI: Kase naman Love, sorry na…..
hehehe….!!!
*****oOo*****oOo*****
Sa Canteen….
JUAN: Miss isang babaeng Siopao nga.
WAITRESS: Babaeng Siopao?
JUAN: Oo, yun may papel na sapin, kumbaga may napkin.
WAITRESS: Ah ganun ba? Ang andito bakla.
JUAN: Bakla?!
WAITRESS: Oo! May sapin din pero may itlog sa loob…!!
*****oOo*****oOo*****
ANAK: Nay, totoo ba na “first love never dies?”
NAY: Ano pa! Tignan mo ang tatay mo, first love ko yan, kaya hanggang ngayon buhay pa ang animal..!
*****oOo*****oOo*****
ANAK: Inay, totoo po bang sabi ng titser na ang baby ay galing sa malaking ibon?
INAY: Yung ibang baby siguro…. pero ikaw, sigurado ako galing ka sa maliit na ibon…!
*****oOo*****oOo*****
Textmates will eyebol….
GIRL: Magsusuot ako ng yellow, ikaw?
BOY: I’ll wear green t-shirt.
At the coffee shop…. ugly girl in yellow came in. No guy in green. She approached the guy in red…
GIRL: Excuse me, are you my textmate?
BOY: Oyy hindi ah, naka-green ba ko ?!
*****oOo*****oOo*****
Away mag-asawa…..
MR: Pag namatay ka isusulat ko sa lapida mo…”malamig nung buhay, mas malamig nung patay!”
MRS: Ganun! Pag ikaw namatay, ilalagay ko…”sa wakas, tumigas din!”
“I tried my best to wait for you…
I shouted too loud, still you didn’t come out…
You didn’t even respond to my call…
Now, You want me to go back?….”
-MAGBABALOT nag-inarte
-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#
Its just 6 inches long…
Pero ito’y hahanapin mo pag natikman habang matigas…
Masarap sipsipin ang katas ng…..
ICE CANDY….
Ingat po sa tulo….
Malagkit…!!
-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#
Mga Simpleng Pangarap ng Tao:
Pedro: Gusto ko maging Nurse para makatulong sa kapwa…
Erning: Ako duktor para makagamot ng kapwa…
Nene: Ako Superhero para makasagip ng nagigipit na kapwa…
Kiko: Ako Mayor, tutulungan ko kapwa ko…
Lino: Ako Presidente, maglilingkod ako sa kapwa….
Juan Tamad: Gusto ko maging KAPWA, para tiba-tiba….!!
-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#
GIRL: ‘Tay, nagbold po ako sa magasin, nasa page 10 picture ko…
ITAY: Kinakahiya kita! Sa palagay mo ba may mas nakakahiya pa sa ginawa mo?
GIRL: Meron po ‘tay! Si Inay sa page 16, si Lola sa page 26 !!
-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#
MRS: Magkano ang facelift day?
DOC: 145,000.
MRS: Ang mahal! Anong pinakamurang treatment para magmuka akong bata?
DOC: Heto tsupon! 20 pesos lang!
-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#
ANAK: ‘Tay sabi ni titser kailangan namin ng COCOMBAN…
TATAY: Anak, 15 anyos ka na yan pa rin ang tawag mo…
ANAK: Ano po ba dapat?
TATAY: E di, BOMB PEPPER !!
-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#
A priest at the church……
LADY: Father, ang guwapo at cute mo naman, bakit ka pa kasi nagpari?
PRIEST: Dahil ayaw pumayag ng mga magulang ko na magmadre ako, bruha!!
It was in November last year when i received a letter from my landlady telling me to look for another apartment because she will be needing my unit for her personal use. Though i admit to be surprised, but i wasn’t disappointed at all. I had been toying with the idea to move, but comfortable as i am, i always postpone the search for a new abode. My old apartment was simply too small, there wasn’t a basement nor a stockroom to put the stuffs that i don’t need which resulted for my bedroom to look like a warehouse. On every available space in the bedroom were empty luggage bags, off-season clothes & beddings and empty boxes of my appliances (yup, i don’t throw the boxes of my LCD TV, Dolby Surround Sound System, Monitor etc) for the reason of storing them safely in original package in case i’ll move… and it happened !! I was given till the end of February 2009 to look for another dwelling, but why wait till the deadline if i can move earlier? So, i didn’t waste time and searched at once in internet for my dream house. First & foremost criteria: it must be accessible to all public transportation. In just a few days after the notice, i was able to find a better and nicer place to live. It has a bigger kitchen and…. a basement! It looks brighter with lights coming from both sides of the house and it has a friendly, peaceful atmosphere. Unfortunately, the rent was also more expensive (hey, what do i expect?). Anyways, i called the owner of the new apartment at once, got an appointment and introduced myself carrying the sweetest smile on my face and the most charming presence of my being… the weapon of a woman (P.S. i wasn’t the only one interested for that house… there were at least 3 people there when i came). After examining the papers of all the applicants (passport or state ID, pay slip, insurance etc), i won the heart of the landlord! I got the house and moved right after the last smoke of firecrackers disappeared from the street. Yes, i moved right after New Year!
Now came the actual transfer of abode. Hell, i didn’t know i horded a lot of things in that small place that i had, not to mention a truckload of rubbish like old furnitures & other stuffs that i already disposed a day before. The mover truck came back three times (!) till the ex-apartment was finally empty. Luckily, four Pinoy male friends eagerly (were they really eager or just couldn’t say no?) helped me moved. Note: the new apartment was on the third floor, no elevator. You could imagine how the guys looked like after the last spoon was carried upstairs! All of them, without exemption got cramps on their legs. Poor guys! I think the next time i’ll move again, they will be nowhere to be found.. hehehe!
It took me almost a month to repack the boxes, clean & furnish the new place. Due to so much stress, i got sick right after moving. Well actually the sickness can be anticipated, because the temperature on that day was below 0°C. I think my sweat turned into ice droplets but i just didn’t notice it. Somehow, slowly but surely, my rampage place is taking the shape of a lovely place to live. Almost everything were already on their proper places, my fever was gone and i’m getting used to sleeping on my bed again after a long day’s work. Just some curtains & repainting of the dining room, then i can sit with my feet up and sigh…” Thanks God, it’s beautiful!”
Here are some pics taken from my birthday celebration. My only wish to God… everlasting joy & health for me & my family.
My Ube Cake.
The celebrant.
Its dinner time!!
Kantahan na!!
Cheers!
Where my eyes used to glow in all beautiful new things that surround me, they just stare unaffected now…
Where i used to laugh in all jokes even though how nonsense they are, my lips stayed closed now…
Where my mind used to be very creative before, now i cant think of anything anymore…
Where my body used to crave for action & fun, now i just sit & sulk….
Where i used to look at the brighter side of life, now its all dim & unclear…
Where i used to have endless dreams & plans, now i don’t even know what i want…
Where i used to feel flattered for every compliments that i receive, now i’m full of doubts & disdain….
Im not depressed…
Just melancholic & lonesome…
The blows that struck my life in the last two years might just be too much for my sensitive heart..
The heart that only gave so much care & love…
Was broken & mending too slow…
Wish the words “letting go & moving on” would be easier done than said…
Wish that the wheel of life will roll faster so i could be on top again…
Wish that the rain would stop so the sun can shine in my life again…
Wish that there will be no more hatred & heartaches…
Wish that i will find the right path than just blindly walk getting to nowhere…
God has His way to communicate with us. Sometimes thru His angels or natural signs. Today, God send me His message thru an angel… my cousin! Since two weeks now, i have been in constant one to one talk with God. I always do it everytime im hurt, depressed, sad or when times get tough & bad with me. Last month a very bad news hit me unaware & threw me mercilessly crying on the floor. I admit that since i knew about it, an unpleasant depression wrapped my body that resulted to many sleepless nights, fast heart beats that made me feel sometimes that im going to have a heart attack soon, no appetite…& worst, i drink wine in some nights just to drowned my loneliness…Sigh! When i checked my emails this afternoon, i found a very interesting email from my cousin that made think it was God himself who sent it to me. My heavy heart turns lighter & i felt a strong relief after reading it. I wanted to share to you this wonderful message that God send me thru His angel named Joy….the message is awesome!!!
There are people who can walk away from you.
And hear me when I tell you this! When people walk away from you: let them walk. I don’t want you to try to talk to that person into staying with you, loving you, calling you, caring about you, coming to see you, staying attached to you. I mean hang up the phone.
When people walk away from you let them walk. Your destiny is never tied to anybody that left.
The bible said that, they came out from us that it might be made manifest that they were not for us. For had they been of us, no doubt they would have continued with us. [1 John 2:19]
People leave you because they are not joined to you. And if they are not joined to you, you can’t make them stay.
Let them go.
And it doesn’t mean that they are a bad person it just means that their part in the story is over. And you’ve got to know when people’s part in your story is over so that you don’t keep trying to raise the dead. You’ve got to know when it’s dead.
You’ve got to know when it’s over. Let me tell you something. I’ve got the gift of good-bye. It’s the tenth spiritual gift, I believe in good-bye. It’s not that I’m hateful, it’s that I’m faithful, and I know whatever God means for me to have, He’ll give it to me. And if it takes too much sweat I don’t need it. Stop begging people to stay.
Let them go!!
If you are holding on to something that doesn’t belong to you and was never intended for your life, then you need to……
LET IT GO!!!
If you are holding on to past hurts and pains ……
LET IT GO!!!
If someone can’t treat you right, love you back, and see your worth…..
LET IT GO!!!
If someone has angered you.
LET IT GO!!!
If you are holding on to some thoughts of evil and revenge……
LET IT GO!!!
If you are involved in a wrong relationship or addiction……
LET IT GO!!!
If you are holding on to a job that no longer meets your needs or talents
LET IT GO!!!
If you u have a bad attitude…….
LET IT GO!!!
If you keep judging others to make yourself feel better……
LET IT GO!!!
If you’re stuck in the past and God is trying to take you to a new level in Him……..
LET IT GO!!!
If you are struggling with the healing of a broken relationship…….
LET IT GO!!!
If you keep trying to help someone who won’t even try to help themselves……
LET IT GO!!!
If you’re feeling depressed and stressed ……….
LET IT GO!!!
If there is a particular situation that you are so used to handling yourself and God is saying ‘take your hands off of it,’ then you need to……
LET IT GO!!!
‘The Battle is the Lord’s!’
During the next 60 seconds, Stop whatever you are doing, and take this opportunity.
(Literally it is only ONE minute!)
All you have to do is the following:
You simply say ‘The Lords Prayer”..
The Lords Prayer
Our Father, who are in Heaven, Hallowed be Thy Name, Thy Kingdom Come, Thy Will be done, on Earth as it is in Heaven. Give us this day, our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the Kingdom, and the Power, and the Glory, forever.
Amen.
Next, stop and think and appreciate God’s power in your life, for doing what you know is pleasing to Him.
