Ais-ing on the Cake

I absolutely LOVE birthdays. So I was so excited when the team decided to do a surprise for Ais. Unfortunately, everyone was so busy yesterday (her real birthday) that we didn’t get a chance to do anything special. It’s my 1^st surprise for someone at work and I’m glad she was all smiles. 

Happy birthday once again Ais! 

Bonne Journée

I'm back! 

It's been an overwhelming roller coaster ride of emotions and transitions the past months, but at last I can finally say it over and over again-- I'm back! For one thing, Mr. P and I have decided to stay in the metro. Some months ago, we had our hearts set on soaring greater heights elsewhere, but fate steered us to a different direction. I'm actually happy that we're staying. Things might not have worked out the way we wanted to, but it's becoming clearer to us that great things are ahead of us!

We left alright, but we took it as a chance to get a much needed vacation. My backlogs are a dime a dozen but little by little I'm sure we'll be able to pick up where we left off! For now, all I can say is that my renewed disposition has allowed me to appreciate more of the blessings that I've received. I'm enjoying my new work and I've been so fortunate to meet people who share the same views, values, interests, and even quirkiness with me. Believe it or not, for the first time in my career-- I finally feel like I'm working with the right people.

S and I have also been able to shake the worries away! That deserves a "hooray!" (hey, that rhymes!) It hasn't been easy but we're getting by fabulously.

There's so much to look forward to in the coming months and I'm set on embracing progress all around me.

2012, you're mine.

Dada's Day!

Everyone needs a cheerleader. Someone to pat their backs for a job well done, to send a few words of encouragement, give them big hugs when their scared, and constantly find ways to make you smile. 

My dad has always been my number 1 fan. Ever since I could remember he has always been beside me-- watching me close by as I ripped out newspapers to practice my motor skills as a baby and ensuring that I don't gobble up the entire page; prodding me on to be brave enough to ask for extra ketchup or napkins at the fast food counter when I was a toddler; keeping my silly drawings of mermaids and cartoon appliances when I was learning to draw in grade school; staying with me during theater rehearsals in high school; e-mailing me nuggets of hope during my loneliest days in college; and reassuring me that I could conquer the world after that.

I admire my dad because of his zeal for life and appreciation for the simplest yet most meaningful things in  this world. We share the same fascination for relishing exceptional little wonders of life like capturing a mesmerizing sunset, getting lost in a book store, discovering an interesting website, or trying out new recipes. He never fails to give people a reason to smile. I believe that this is something I take after him. 

It's been five long years since my dad and I last saw each other. This is something brought about by unfortunate circumstances, however he allows us to feel like he is always with us. While most people are surprising their dads with cakes and gifts, giving them big hugs and planning Fathers Day lunches for tomorrow-- I'm left to daydream of the next time I'd get to rush to him and  give him a big hug.

Thank you for being my biggest cheerleader and my super hero, Dada. Your love keeps us stronger everyday. 

I love and miss you.

Guns and Roses

I'm not a huge gun person. I used to shriek when my brother would run around with his pellet gun and pretend to aim at me. Admittedly, I'm a huge scardey cat and I never thought I'd be the one to pull the trigger. One seemingly normal dinner ended with an invitation for a trigger-happy afternoon with Mr. P and our friends. 

The next day, we set out to Stronghand Shooting Range in E. Rodriguez, Quezon City for an insane experience! 

The shooting range was at the basement section of an unassuming building that sold motorcycles. I could hear my hearbeat in my ears when I reached the counter. Out of our five companions, only two of them had experience in target shooting. I was almost about to pee in my pants when I saw the lady attendant hand over the guns and bullets to our friend Kevin. 

The shooting range looked and felt like the training facility in Hunger Games. I could just imagine tributes running around the range, expertly shooting targets/rolling/shooting again. My mind wandered off a bit during that dream action sequence.

The range officer greeted us with a precautionary introduction: "Safety is paramount here at the range". I died a little, thinking of what could happen while I clumsily try to shoot. My poor hand-eye coordination was put to the ultimate test.

Thankfully, a range assistant was assigned to us that time and kuya was so helpful to teach us the basic steps of loading the magazine, securing it in place, and the proper way to hold/aim/fire a gun. I let the boys go first as well, boys are more adventurous by nature. Haha. I felt like I left half of my soul in the car when it was my turn to go. My palms were sweating like hell and I was so nervous, I felt like I was going to miss the target.  The words "light press. aim. shoot" were reverberating in my head as I surrendered to the unknown. I felt the empty bullet fly out and my world went blank for a split-second. But much to my surprise and the surprise of the boys, I hit the target! Wooooh! 

I went on for about 3 more rounds and surprisingly hit close to the target. Our friends were warning Mr. P "mag-ingat ka diyan, marunong pala bumaril".  haha. It was an exaggerated adrenaline rush! However, at the end of that afternoon we proved to be better shooters than we thought we were. I felt awkwardly bad ass at that moment. 

The range officer commended us for a job well done after that session and even encouraged us to get a membership at the range if we wanted to hone our "skills". Haha. 

Shooting is a costly hobby because at Stronghand, the range fee is Php500/person, gun rental is another Php500 and the bullets are Php10/piece. What's good about their range is that everyone is so helpful, it's air-conditioned and superbly spic and span! The attendants are so keen on cleaning up the bullets after you fire. And the best part is that their bullets are non-toxic unlike other bullets-- which eliminates the risk of you inhaling killer gun powder. The downside though is that they didn't really give us the in-depth orientation on guns and safety. However, our friend Kevin said that it would have incurred additional cost. 

I'm not exactly sure if I'll pursue this but it was definitely an experience to remember. Thank you again Cymons for the photos and for making this possible!

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Stronghand Shooting Range
La Défense
1660 E. Rodriguez Sr. Avenue
Quezon City, Philippines 1111
T +632 721 7171 to 72
T/F + 632 721 7173