Of Filipino Street signs

This mine is becoming a travelogue and a dog lovers chronicle. Maybe I should start changing this to masayangasotakbongtakbo…or kaladkaringtuta. Hehehee!

Anyway, I always travel a lot and have been doing that extensively for the whole year of this year and last year. I am always on the lookout for quirky and trippy signs to make the road trips less boring. Here are just some that I do remember and they are really funny!

ROAD CLOSE (This is a fairly common sign that I would see. It can also refer to closed shops and buildings. So you have to be close to the road....?)

We specialzED in (what did you specialize in before this one?)

Agri. Office in Batangas: “Sa A.I. Walang Aray!” (AI is artificial Insemination)

Hardware in Koh Samui: Supot Hardware Store (Filipino men wouldn’t be caught dead buying “hardware” there…get it? Hardware?...never mind. For my Caucasian friends supot in tagalog means ehrmm…uncircumcised)

Bawal nga magaehi nga detu! (in other words pissing here is not allowed, ang kulit mo eh!)

Bell Gates’s Computer School (school in Sorsogon City)

Please Save our Trees, Our Children Love them! (Road sign in Quezon Province, I’m not sure if the children love to eat them…)

CRABS FOR SALE (sign near UPLB, hmmm so this is where you get crabs…never mind ive got a dirty mind hahahahah!)

Something mushy but its true

I don't know who the author of this poem is but this really struck a chord in me

AFTER A WHILE...
After a while, you learn the subtle difference
between holding a hand and chaining a soul.
And you learn that love doesn't mean leaning and
company doesn't mean security.
And you begin to learn that kisses aren't
contracts and presents aren't promises.
And you begin to accept your defeats with your
head up and your eyes open, with the grace of an
adult not the grief of a child.
And you begin to build all your roads on today
for tomorrow's ground is too uncertain for plans.
After a while you learn that even sunshine burns
if you get too much.
So plant your own garden and decorate your own
soul instead of waiting for someone to give you
flowers.
And you learn that you really can endure...
That you really are strong.
And you really do have worth.
AFTER "AFTER A WHILE"
After 'after a while'
You want to hold a hand not to chain a soul but
to enjoy its company,
and you want someone's lips to kiss,
not because you are lonely but because you are
happy, and you want to give presents
and you want to make promises.
After 'after a while'
You begin to accept your defeats like an adult,
but like a child, will want someone to listen
and care,
and you want someone who will build roads with
you today so maybe you can pave the way for your
future together.
After 'after a while'
You want someone's sunshine and warmth,
but also accept the rain and the cold,
and you want to give flowers picked from your
own garden.
And when your garden is picture perfect,
you want it to be more than a picture
even if it means having to be imperfect
because you want someone in it to stay and to
live.
Then you'll see that there is
such a thing as love...
and that you were made to live in someone else's
garden...
and you'll know that there is more to life than
yourself.
AND NOW...
You realize! that no matter how tightly you hold,
if you're meant to let go, you can
And then you will understand that love
gives you reasons to understand
even the most complicated situations
And you will grow older believing that just
because you have convictions
doesn't mean you're always right
You will remember lips because of the smiles
that made your day,
the words that touched your soul, not only
because of the sweet kisses
And as you graciously accept defeat and absorb
the meaning of lessons
learned,
You feel that you are finally being the person
you never thought you'd be
So, armed with courage, strength and confidence,
you will face the world
head on...
With or without an army behind you
Because you know your worth and that alone is an
armor With more heartbreaks you will cry
But after every heartache, you will rise
Life is a garden ... it takes long to make it
beautiful.
But it's always worth the wait.

And might I add these as well:
Some good things and good people are worth the wait because after awhile you see and recognize them for what and who they really are.

We learn to enjoy the company of people because we appreciate and love them, without asking for anything in return, it is a wordless thanks for the happiness that we feel in their presence.

We give because we want to give joy and show that we care.

Good people are worth the time and effort, because in the end people are more important than things.

This is dedicated to my very good friend in Jever, Germany. May our friendship never grow old, and never fail to lift you up.

Entschuldigung!

drat drat drat!
I cant post my blog entry that was supposed to be for yesterday!
ASAR!!!
grrrrrrrrrrrrr

(I just noticed now that my blog from yesterday just got posted =o) har har har!)

Beach Bum , my love for the sea will never end baby!

(I would have to apologize for not being able to post about my Donsol trip, no pics yet! Sorry I wasn't using a digicam, only had an SLR. Anyway this post is still about the sea)
Pandan Island beach, Occidental Mindoro

It’s summer time once again and what better way to cool off than to head off to the beach and have an excuse to work on that tan. This year was no exception as I was at Anilao every weekend ever since I got home. I was only in Manila 3 weekends in the past 2 months!

It has always been that way yearly since more than 10 years
ago. It started with Puerto Galera, then Palawan, off to San Salvador Island (Zambales) for Christmas and New Years break, then Anilao. On and off it was some other beach or another. This year was mostly Anilao, just my luck Tubbataha (a dream come true) then to Sorsogon to do a reef survey, swimming with the whale sharks in Donsol was also a dream come true.

I really don’t know. There is something in the sea or pool that makes me salivate and want to jump in. It’s not just the coral reefs that I see that are beyond description, nor the white sands and azure waters. I think it’s in the way the wind blows across the water, or the spectacular sunrise and sunsets reflected on the sea, the feeling of complete freedom in the water, like moving through space.

I would rather live by the sea than live in the mountains. During my 3 months working in a ship, I was in heaven! I was in my element. Not once did I feel homesick while I was away, I was surrounded by water 24/7!

And what better choice than to have a job on a ship as well? I knew I had found my calling and I am currently working on my papers for my seaman’s book.

I can see it: 10-15 years from now, gazing out of a beach house, choosing between diving, swimming or just plain snoozing by the verandah.

Two more months to go before the summer ends!

And work on that tan ;-P.

tttiiirreeedddd....

I am soooooo tired. I just spent almost half a day being on the road from Bicol going back here to Manila. But the trip was worth it because I was able to swim with WHALE SHARKS!!!
Anyway, just peeking in for now, I cant concentrate on typing a full entry as it is almost 4 am already.
Full entry will be this weekend...with pictures of course!

Dog Spleen

My friend Paul from Germany called me dog spleen...strange combination of words until he explained that it means dog crazy in Germany. That much IS true. I have been dog crazy all my life and right now I have 3 dogs. I have never been without a dog in the house and even now even when Im at the beach there is the omnipresent dog by my side. Here are some of the dogs in my life right now...








Choco the Japanze spitz
riding high on Bantay

This is my most low maintenance dog. Never barks, never pees or poops anywhere. In fact he never eats! You can even sit on him! Here he isat his best...being a doorstop.

And this! This is Fiona. She is actually one of my best bud's dog but she is as much as my baby as she is to him. She usually sleeps with us at night. Here I am bugging the daylights out of her trying to get a good shot while she was trying to nap.


Austin looking so sad. He has this really booming voice when he barks that would scare the bejesus out of you but he really is a sweetheart.

The Bantay and Fiona taken two nights ago.

Holy Week for the irreverent

I just got back from a week long vacation at the beach (again) for the Holy Week. You wouldn't believe the people that were streaming into the resort we went to. The whole place was packed to the rafters with vacationers and the adjoining resorts as well. And the ever present karaoke was there. Just this morning, the resort to our left, somebody was screeching on the mic AT 3 A.M.!!! Wala pang November nangangaluluwa na!
Anak ng...
And she didn't stop, even after we left.

Not to mention yesterday, somebody drowned, a young boy who was quickly revived by another bystander who pumped his chest for all he was worth. Then the mother (I think) fainted. While all this was happening, people were being drawn to them like iron fillings to a magnet. Some were even smiling as they were streaming to them, like this was some kind of trivial spectacle.
My friend and I stayed in the water, wanting to help but didn't know how to administer CPR. I did have an inkling how to do it but it was years ago and I was afraid I would do more harm than good.
Like most filipinos, we try to lighten up the situation by trying to inject a little levity to the situation..
My friend said.."Ayan kasi nasa beach, patay si Jesus!" (translation: Serves you right for gallivanting at the beach while Jesus is dead!)
After all it was Black Saturday. But of course she was only joking.


Then again...

Dolphins, LIVE!

We were very busy on deck one time when Timo, our bosun shouted to us that there were dolphins riding the bow waves.

DOLPHINS! WOWOWOW!

All the deckhands, even the engineers and the boat mechanic very excitedly rushed to the bow and flattened ourselves on the floor and stuck our heads out as far as it would go over the rails.

There were SIX of them! They looked so graceful and sleek. They were swimming so effortlessly ahead of the waves that it all looked so easy.

There we were, with goofy smiles plastered on our faces, whooping it up!

Luckily I had managed to borrow a camera from the electrician and I managed to snap some shots.

Rose and Jack doing their balancing act but below the bow this time!



And two more on the other side

It wasn’t the first time that I had seen actual dolphins but each time I did I would be in awe of these magnificent creatures. That same day, later in the afternoon, we saw a whale breach twice beside the ship.

After that, everyone was all smiles and in high spirits that day. It was a perfect ending to another great sailing day onboard the Warrior.

Salsa, my pinoy tail-less mini-doberfake aso

At the time that we had acquired Salsa, we already had four dogs: Austin (the mixed breed), Sarah, Hagar and Kooky (all with no breeding at all). It started out one day when I went home; I noticed that there were drops of fresh blood in the front lanai of my lola’s house. Turns out there was this tiny dog with his tail ending in a bloody stump hiding amongst the potted plants. This dog came from the neighbors next door and according to our house help, Jojo they tried to amputate his tail because he looked like a Doberman or another version was “Nasagasaan daw ng Tricycle ang buntot!” (His tail was ran over by a tricycle).

My tatay (father) took pity and adopted the dog. So, he was taken care of, brought in the house, had medical attention, enough food and in due time, his tail was healing beautifully. I was happy at the thought that the little dog was going to be ok.

NOT.

There were drops of blood on the floor. Again.

Salsa, (so named now) the little f*cker was biting his tail. The itchiness of the healing stump was driving him crazy. It wasn’t enough that he was rasping his mangled tail with his teeth, he was biting right through the bone!

Not only was he suffering WE were suffering as well! He was howling in pain the whole DAY AND NIGHT! I tried to soothe his pain by washing it and putting Betadine over it (I had to wrap the wee bastard in old basahan just to do this).

And he didn’t do this once; he bit it until he had NO MORE TAIL! Now I can’t imagine how a dog can bite his tail to nothingness but Salsa did.

There were times that we couldn’t sleep because he was crying in pain THROUGH the night, running around in circles, chasing and biting his ever diminishing tail. His cries sounded like a rasp going right through my ears.

Salsa sunning, parang ang bait ano?

Things came to a head one day when his whole rear end was swollen, bloodied, bursting with pus, a mass of bites and a small portion of his tail bone sticking out.
Gross. Away we went to the vet. I was scolding him the whole time on the way. He was mewling pathetically in pain while his tail was dripping with blood and discharge. At the vets, we had to give him THREE shots of general anesthesia and even then he didn’t go totally under. Salsa, the scandalous blighter, was still howling and gurgling each time the vet jabbed and stitched his butt.

I asked the vet to put a cone around his neck so he won’t bite it again. He wore that cone for a month, looking like a circus mascot.

Now, Salsa’s butt has healed completely. He looks like a small Doberman, never grew past his height of 1-1/2 ft tall.

But he still screams and chases his tail once in a while just for the heck of it.

Ubo Ubo

Baaadd trip.
My cough has been raging for almost a week now and I havent had a full night's sleep because of it.
aarrrgghhh!
scheissendreck!
:-(

How to wash dishes while flying through space

Picture this. It is after dinner and me and my friend Justin are trying to wash pots, pans and utensils and we are flying inside the galley (THE KITCHEN). We are jumping like grease on a hot pan!

Literally.

It’s like we are trying to do hiphop dance knee high while scrubbing down dirt and oil :-p

The ship is on its way to Koh Tao (south of Thailand) and the weather is just great (for me that is). Several people onboard are seasick because the ship is heaving real bad, but by some miracle I am not.

And the worst place to be in when the sea is making the ship pitch and roll like crazy is to be in the galley. Which is at the back of the ship. Where you can feel the rocking and rolling the worst because the galley is at the back, its like the last kick of a whiplash.

So there I was, scrub a dub dub and I am flying all over the place and whooping like crazy. WOW this must be how its like in the NASA space simulation capsule! Quite tricky if you ask me, holding on with soapy hands to the pots and pans while in the air. Well for 2-3 seconds at a time then back on the ground.

Sige na parang superman for 2 seconds lang :-P

Outside at the bridge, the wind was really whipping my hair and we were crashing against the waves. You can feel the spray on your cheeks and we were in full sails. Tapos, you are with people you like best!

What bliss. There is nothing more I could ask for.

Except to be airborne just a little more in the galley when I fly washing the dishes ;-)

Nein, no picture of me flying through the galley. Just kitchen wenches washing!

The Dive

I was on a ship for 3 months (one day I will tell you of the other exploits I had on that ship) and one of the best moments that the crew and I had was the swim stops.

The captain would stop the ship between transits and the bosun (the boss of the deckhands) would inform us that we can have a swim.

But not so fast and easy for me. At that time I was an assistant cook and I had to do my job first. Usually the swim stops were 5:30 or 4:30 just as when I was my busiest in the galley….*SiGh* Sayang…Inggit ako to the max.

Oh well. All I saw was the telltale wet footprints in the hallway trailing after the erstwhile swimmers for the day. After we cooked, the others would tell me how good the water was…wwwwwaaaaaa!

Although I was able to swim in the last swim stop….hehehehe..much to my pleasure…all for 10 minutes. I was just warming up and the captain said ok ok in 5 minutes we need to leave because the chief engineer said we have to test the engine. DRAT!

Then right after he said that, the greywater (THE SEWAGE) started coming out of OUR side of the ship. Mmmmm yummy! Luckily the current was moving AWAY from us.

BUUUUTTT! I digress. Anyway.

We were anchored in Thailand for more than a month and after putting in 8 hours of hard work, we had swim o’clock at 5 pm! EVERYDAY.

Happy happy joy joy!

I was in my element! We had fun jumping off the boat and diving. I eyed the bulkhead (THE WALLof the ship). My friend Paul was diving HEADFIRST (btw, from that height, the distance from the top of the bulkhead and into the water was like 2 1/5-3 meters, which was too high for me to dive in headfirst)

AHA! Since I could dive headfirst now from FOUR ft hight maybe I could do it from that height….?

Paul encouraged me and he said “Ah its easy!Just dive in headfirst”

Sounded so easy.Piece of cake. Like taking that first bite of liver (which I hated eating until I was 25)

SO I jumped.Jaysus.susmaryosep scheissendreck!

ANG SAKIT!!! (translation for my non-english speaking friends IT HUUURTS!)

I smacked on the water. The minute my head cleared the surface, ang nasabi ko na lang…ooohhhh gggooooooddddd ang sakiiitttttt….

Everything smacked on the water. My thighs, my boobs, my arms…araaaayyyy.

After a day, I got my badge.

And here in glorious technicolor is the aftermath of my dive.

Hhehehehee..it was worth it. Nothing doing. Now I can dive headfirst from FIVE FEET!

The Blog

Since I started this already, I might as well get on with this. As I have always told my friends: “Don’t start something you don’t intend to finish!”

I have always seen other people’s blogs when I would surf the net out of boredom.
And I thought ewww, yucky out of taste, why post your life for the entire world to see? These people are the kind who seek attention, are closet psychotics, has no life other than the net, or don’t have friends at all. The other blogs that I have seen were the cutesy-patootsie, cursor with chasing hearts and with “My Heart Will Go On” theme song to boot type that fairly dripped with saccharine sweetness that it made me have diabetes just looking at it.
Ugh.
But like an unrepentant voyeur, resisting what at first I was seeing, I got intrigued and finally got hooked after seeing my friend Ala’s blog. And I thought…hey this is cool, this is one blog that CAN be intelligent and also come across as light, hip, young and VERY Filipino. I discovered that I had other friends who I held in high regard who started doing their own blogs as well.
And I thought hey why not…It’s not like I have to post my WHOLE life there.
The beauty of it all is you can post anything you want edited and revised. What’s more, I can try out my writing skills without fear of ridicule (or so I think), something I have always tried to do but have always put off doing.


So here it is…my very own web log. It turns out I’m an attention seeker psychotic after all (but I draw the line with the no life and no friends type…after all I’m an unrepentant kaladkarin, getting dragged to the beach and God knows where else by who else, my friends!).


And a Big bleeeeeeehhh to you!