you've got a friend (by Ms. Carole King)

to my dear friend (you know who you are) - this is for you...

When you're down and troubled
And you need a helping hand
And nothing, whoa nothing is going right.
Close your eyes and think of me (but don't fall asleep, you might get nightmare!)
And soon I will be there (via courier!)
To brighten up, even your darkest nights. (will bring candles/flashlights!)
You just call out my name, (no collect call pls!)
And you know wherever I am
I'll come running, oh yeah baby (might take the bus tho!)
To see you again.

Winter, spring , summer, or fall,
All you have to do is call
And I'll be there, yeah, yeah, yeah.
You've got a friend.

If the sky above you
Should turn dark and full of clouds (better bring umbrella - might rain)
And that old north wind should begin to blow (wear a jacket too)
Keep your head together and call my name out loud (use a megaphone!)
And soon I will be knocking upon your door.
You just call out my name and you know wherever I am
I'll come running to see you again.

Winter, Spring, summer or fall
All you got to do is call
And I'll be there, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Hey, ain't it good to know that you've got a friend? (good noh?)
People can be so cold.
They'll hurt you and desert you.
Well they'll take your soul if you let them.
Oh yeah, but don't you let them.
You just call out my name and you know wherever I am
I'll come running to see you again.

Oh babe, don't you know that,
Winter, Spring, summer or fall,
Hey now, all you've got to do is call. (just no collect pls!)
Lord, I'll be there, yes I will.
You've got a friend.
You've got a friend.
Ain't it good to know you've got a friend.
Ain't it good to know you've got a friend.
You've got a friend.


Note: the inserts are written to just put a smile :) on my friend's lips...

Poor Guy . . .

this was forwarded to me by a friend... hope it could bring a "smile" onto your lips...


WELL, A WOMAN'S GOTTA DO WHAT SHE'S GOTTA DO, RIGHT? :)

A married couple in their early 60's were out celebrating their 35th wedding anniversary in a quiet, romantic little restaurant. Suddenly, a tiny yet beautiful fairy appeared on their table and said, "For being such an exemplary married couple and for being faithful to each other for all this time, I will grant you each a wish.

"Ooh, I want to travel around the world with my darling husband." said the wife. The fairy moved her magic stick and - abracadabra! - two tickets for the new QM2 luxury liner appeared in her hands.

Now it was the husband's turn. He thought for a moment and said: "Well this is all very romantic, but an opportunity like this only occurs once in a lifetime, so, I'm sorry my love, but my wish is to have a wife 30 years younger than me."

The wife, and the fairy, were deeply disappointed, but a wish is a wish... So the fairy made a circle with her magic stick and-abracadabra! - the husband became 92 years old.

The moral of this story.....Men might be ungrateful idiots....

But fairies are......female!!! :)

letting it out...

note: this post was lying around in the "draft" section dtd 11-21-05 ... but i still feel the same way so.. here goes...

saturday, i was feeling a bit heavy.., "no not in the belly". . . i don't know - i was just not well enough to go out of the room i guessed! i didn't have a good sleep the night before - barely had any sleep at all..when i woke up that saturday morning, i just felt like crying, so i cried and i cried and i criedddddd... and i can't get no.. sa-tis-fac-tion.. yeah yeah yeah... oppsss... sounds like a song... he he he, you thought i would be a bit melodramatic eh!? . . but i did cry and it made me feel light(er)....having a cry once in a while relieves you of some tensions, pains, emotions built-up inside, and other not-so-good feelings that are just welling up inside... to me at least...otherwise - i would explode - ka-booommm!!!

then later that day (note i'm still not really feeling well) . . . yes, you are right mama! i baked some cupcakes - good therapy sometimes - nahh, i didn't eat all those 12 pieces - luckily those recipes are good for 12 cupcakes only or else, i would be "force to eat it all " !! :) . . aww, now come on, just trying to "justify" the eating galore that followed the baking!

a love story using traffic signals

a love story using trafic signals..

i received this message via email today - quite funny...
whoever did this re-labelling either flunk his/her driving test or he/she just don't have much on hand to do!!!

after the "ooppsss" . . . a sigh of relief

eto naman yung mga kasama ko: si balot, tita, si buntis.. taken the morning after

the site has been cleaned up - hakot ng basura para malinis sa pagbalik di ba? the other cars are already off doing their warm-ups.. tita also had her warming up done na, paikot-ikot sa small dunes lang daw! doon din sa may ... "ooppsss!" small ba daw yon?? :)

ito yung nabanggit ko earlier na: "ooppssss...muntik na!"

off-road experience - pangalawang yugto

friday morning, nov. 11: hhahhhh ???’no ba ‘yon???? aga gising kasi yung mga arabo na may trikes ba ang tawag doon? yung bisikleta na 3 gulong na pang disyerto, ang aga-agang nagpaikot-ikot na naman at doon pa sa gilid ng campsite! kung maikli pisi mo talagang papatulan mo ang mga inikit na iyon – tipong pang-asar kasi sila!

may mga gising na sa mga campers namin - preparing breakfast – o di ba may breakfast pa yun! so yung gustong kumain – kumain, kung ayaw, eh di ‘wag – wala namang pilitan eh! paglabas ko ng tent – i saw the kabayans na muheres na nagpipicture taking na doon sa itaas ng dunes – masaya ang tawanan, kantiyawan.. posing dito posing doon… sigaw ang isang beterano na – hoy magtira kayo ng space sa camera niyo baka mamaya ubos ng storage space n’yo or low bat na kayo di pa tayo nag-uumpisa sige kayo!

yung iba namang cars nag warm-up na pala magpaikot-ikot sa dunes, up n down sa hills. may ilan-ilan ding mga bagito eh may mga kasama, so si “ninong” ang nag-paikot ikot muna sa kanila.. hanapin ko si kuya em, aba, hayun pala at paikot ikot na rin! tapos sige ikot-ikot akyat ng dunes, liko kaliwa, kanan.... akyat ulit . . oppppssss, wa hapen? tumirik sa ituktok si kuya at nakatagilid ang car! . . . to the rescue naman agad ang ninong… vroom… eh nauna pala si uncle ner so, sinabi kung ano dapat gawin at, hayyy… ayun umandar na rin…ganoon pala, pag na ganoon kang nakatagilid sa buhangin at nasa ituktok ka, pa sideways ang hirit ng pagbaba ng sasakyan… hmmm, . . .asan ulit ang kuya? ah eto na.. he he he … piktsuran ko nga parating sa camp – nakangisi ang mokong – enjoy na enjoy! biro naming agad siya: naku ‘kala namin magtataob na kami ng prado eh! bigat pa naman niyan... he he he .. defensive: medyo kinabahan ako kala ko tataob na kami kaya ”hininto” ko agad... ohhssss... sige na nga pagbigyan na at bagito pa ….

i took a ride with tikoy sa may camp site paikot-ikot then pumasok sa loob ng desyerto. – sige sabi ko sundan si kuya…sunod naman then.. kita namin sasakyan ni kuya - abaaaa… marunong nang magpatagilid?! . . owsss nagpaharurot pa ng buhangin ?!?! -- galing naman ah! easy learner. . . but then nang masilayan ko ngek! si tatay cris pala nagda-drive!!! huh kaya naman pala pulido na.. he he he he. . .

after everyone has packed up all their things – busina na – meaning pala get ready na for the real ride... yung iba pa warm up pa lang so hiritan na naman doon sa may camp site - yung iba – punta doon sa looban kasi doon medyo mataas tas na yung ibang dunes – tapos ayun, sunod sunod nang papalabas ng highway going to the other side of the highway – ask ko why doon? sabi naman ni tikoy – ewan ko rin . . siguro doon eh kabisado na nila desyerto??!!?? at doon mas matataas sand dunes ?! ahh basta sa next friday malalaman ko rin… kasi this friday di pa ako sumama sa kabilang (big) ride – may “walk” (lakad) kasi ng lunchtime kaya bumalik na kami sa dubai… so ayun.. more on this next week.. I called nga my cousin – naiingit – sama daw siya sa susunod na thursdaay! ha ha ha – sige lang . . . kayang-kaya niya yun kasi daring din naman si cousin eh! Saka – para que pa na may pajero siya di ba?? so abangan ang kasunod na kabanata sa next week-end.

i was posting some pics pero ewan ko - i hope i was doing it right! he he he … pagpasensiyahan na po…

uncle ner's jeep driven by aris... 'runong na siya!! 

kuya em warming up ! 

the campsite (or part of it!). . this is the morning after. some have gone for a warmup driving around. 

ang litson! meron may birthday kaya may litsunan sa nayon... kambing yung isa..

off-road experience - unang yugto

thursday, nov. 10, i was invited to join an overnight camping sa hatta desert, tapos sand dune riding the following morning. (thursday and Friday nga pala ang week-end dito). i have nothing planned naman for the week-end meaning i didn't plan to do my laundry yet (which is btw the usual week-end activities of us ofw’s here). . . he he he!, so sabi ko sige sama ako. this is not the first time that my friend “tikoy” invited me - kasi nga lang before eh laging may conflict sa schedules. anyway, tanong ako, what shall i bring - aside from my empty stomach?? - wala daw kasi magdadala na raw tita niya... sabi ko dyahi naman join ako wala akong bitbit? (ba't kaya ang mga pinoy eh ganito ano - di makapunta ng walang bibit - kahit na ano lang kelangan may bitbit!) so pilit na "wala daw" di na ako nag-insist. after work ng thurs. di ako makatiis, sabi ko daan saglit sa spinney's may bibilin lang ako... so daan kami .. tapos doon i bought some stuff: seedless grapes, clementines (or mandarins?), fruit cocktail juice atbp... sabi ng friend ko :"ngeek, ang dami naman niyan - sabi ko ‘wag ka nang magdala eh!" - say ko naman " hiya ako eh" (pero deep inside sabi ko sa sarili - baka di ako pakainin ng bbq pag walang dala eh - takot palang magutom! ha ha ha...) i might have said this a little bit louder to myself - kasi sabi ni friend eh don't worry dami food doon! so ayun - i left those things sa sasakyan nila para di ko na bitbitin pa later. he said he will pick me up around 5pm daw - sabi ko di ba madilim-dilim na yon? ok lang daw! so hintay ako ng 5pm aba, naagnas na beauty ko wala pa sila, naku nakalimutan na yata ako! tingin me sa oras - 6pm na... so tawag ako sa kay tikoy "oy, asan na kayo?" sagot : "papunta na diyan" .. . so intay ulit ako.. finally dumating na sila - we met some more friends along the highway - then nag transfer ako, with buntis, doon sa bagong dating (si kuya em) from abu dhabi... (mas malaki sasakyan niya eh) na first time din sumama kasi gusto niyang matuto ng dune driving. convoy of 3 vehicles, nang malapit na sa venue - daan sa grocery, bili ng uling at sibuyas (ung nasa camp site na nag text na kinulang sila ng sibuyas!) saka more water, ice cubes, soft drinks, tapos sabi ko kay kuya em, pahiram muna ng money kasi nasa kabilang sasakyan yung wallet namin ni buntis.. sige lang daw - kuha kami ng pringles - sabi ni kuya "dagdagan mo na" uuyyy, dagdag naman kami ni buntis! he he he ... masunurin kami bah :) ! nang makarating sa bungad ng camp site, baba na naman at nagbawas ng hangin sa gulong - at siempre pa - what do i know about cars n gulong ano? so nood lang ako at taga flashlight lang baga! while they reduce the air - kasi daw pag puno or hard ang gulong – babaon sa buhangin - malalim - pag malambot ang gulong magaan lang ang dating sa buhangin madali i-drive ang sasakyan. take note, desert safari ito - so lahat ng vehicle eh 4x4 !!! so pasok na sa loob ng desyerto . . si buntis lipat ulit sa sasakyan ni "uncle ner" kasi bihasa na si uncle mag drive dito so alam na niya. mga ilang kilometro pa lang ayun na ang site! sabi ni kuya em, lapit lang pala nagbawas pa tayo ng hangin - sabi ko naman kasi dapat daw at pag nabalahaw ka eh manigas ka na! di ako magtutulak! ha ha ha... may mga 8-10 cars na doon at meron ng siga nang makalapit na kami - may litson baboy! yessiree! dalawang litson de leche tapos isang kambing! nakapalibot yung mga sasakayan doon sa litsunan, yung iba nakabukas ang ilaw at nakatutok doon.. salitan sila sa pag-ilaw till dumating yung may dala ng ilaw (hay! pasabit sabit yung mga ilaw - parang pista sa nayon!) so ayun, baba ng gamit, lagay ng food sa table set sa middle ng site, ipinosisyon ang mga sasakyan, latag ng plastic mat na super laki! lagay ng ibang foodstuff sa mat, lagay ng mga folding/camping chairs at wait for the litson to be cooked. we were introduced sa iba tapos si kuya em - nang dumating na si "tatay cris" pinakilala then binigyan na agad ng verbal lessons - tapos after eating daw titingnan yung car niya... si kuya hatitat nang mag drive sa buhangin, nang may dumating at nagpaikot ikot muna sa paligid ng kampo – pinanonood niya sabi niya “kaya ko siguro iyan!” - sabi ko sige ka pag nabalahaw ka bahala ka! he he he tinakot daw :] it took quite some time bago naluto ung litson i think it was almost midnight na, tapos, doon na nagdatingan yung iba pang sasakyan!! hala, parang "rat patrol" ( i remember noong maliit pa ako may palabas sa tv na rat patrol - americans vs. germans. ay for sure di ito alam nina girlie, marie, toni at dexie! ha ha ha!) ayun harurot ang mga sasakyan padating, ang galling-galing nga eh - kita mo na lang lumulundag from left and right! nasa may bungad lang ang site kaya di pa masyadong matataas ang dunes pero pag ahon ng mga sasakyan eh parang rat patrol talaga! tapos kantiyawan: sabi ng mga naglilitson: “ang lakas ng mga pang-amoy niyo – naamoy niyong luto na saka kayo nagdatingan, huling dumating huling kakain!” tawanan, biruan, more kantiyawan…dumating na rin yung isa pang may birthday, 2 pala silang may birthday kaya may litsunan blues... dala yung kalderetang kambing, sopas, apritadang manok, meron nagdala ng lumpiang shanghai, si tita dala naman ng pancit canton, tapos yung iba di ko na nakita kasi daling naubos eh!.... after singing the happy birthday song to the celebrants - may sumigaw ng: "attack" - sabay pabirong sinisigaw na: mamaya na speech gutom na kami!! so masunurin ang pinoy, attack na – ubos agad litson! everyone enjoyed the foods – hanapan pa nga ng disposable plates eh! lahat naman may dala – pero sa dami ng tao rin medyo muntik nang magkaubusan! the night was super lamig, imagine me kumakain tapos you can see my hands trembling kasi nga malamig ang hangin sa desyerto! di ko na makuhang uminom pa ng cold drinks, hanap na lang ako ng water na di malamig, buti na lang yung isang pack na binili ni kuya em eh di malamig – so iyon ang amin ni buntis! habang nagpapahinga after eating, in between the hithit n bugas ng yosi (maginaw eh!) binilang naming yung sasakyan… i counted 24 cars, sabi ni malot-sis ni tikoy, more pa daw kasi may lumabas saglit. daming kabayan - halos lahat ng sasakyan eh puno ng pasaheros nila…. friends and kabayans who wanted to experience the joy of sand dune riding…

it was a very festive mood and the kids enjoyed the night too! hah, libreng-libre maglaro sa buhangin, takbo dito, takbo doon, akyat sa mga dunes, tapos pagulong-gulong sila pababa...you can hear the laughter and giggles of the kids - na-miss ko tuloy anak ko! she loves the desert kasi! after eating, more kwentuhan, more kantiyawan, more tawanan tapos off to bed na yung kids at ilang ladies. bed means set-up tents, sleeping bags and thick kumot or as the others have – comforters! yes mama, merong dalang comforter sa disyerto – only the filipinos??? no, no, no… ganyan din po ang ibang lahi (may kasamang ibang lahi!)… kasi naman po super ginaw talaga. eh dala ko lang sleeping bag, meron namang tent dala si tikoy doon kami ni malot, tapos sina uncle sa back of their cars na, so with tikoy n wife, n kuya em n friend... zipped up the bags, huh, ginaw pa rin with sweater na nga ako eh! si malot nakabaluktot ng husto! sabi ko hala bukas masakit ang tuhod mo niyan.. ha ha ha..

this group actually started as a family/friends get together every week-end (or whenever their schedules would permit - which most often than not eh - every week-end nga!) komo karamihan eh may 4x4 - so ayun, tinuruan yung iba at yung mga bago ng sand dune driving, hanggang friends invited friends invited friends and so on... in short lumaganap na. which is a good thing kasi sabi nga ni tatay cris eh "to strengthen the camaraderie among the filipinos". then they decided to set-up a club called "dubai offroaders" kaso mo ang akala ng iba na nakakakita sa kanila at nakakakita rin ng sticker nila eh " british group!" kaya naman, pinalitan nila ang pangalan to" "filipino off-roaders club" tama nga ba? - para daw may sariling identity ang pinoy! kelangan itayo ang sagisag ng Pilipino !!! uy ha, may sticker pa sila.. hiramin ko nga isa, i-scan ko tapos i-post ko para naman makita nyo... kakatuwa nga eh, majority of the group are from the visayas, original group are mostly from davao tulad ng friend kong sina tikoy. well more about this club later on..

sleeping time na muna so, sign off muna kami … ayayay! buhangin nga pero matigas sa likod!. . where’s my unan??? eeeehhh - no unan – I cannot sleep without unan! brrrrr. . . maginaw talagaaaa……. brrrrr. . . ZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzz. . . . .

kaloka naman talaga!

hay naku, eto na naman ako at nababaliw na naman sa kalituhan! hmp, kasi feeling "pretty" na naman kaya hayan... i was supposed to post an entry earlier about something pero i got busy - ngayon di ko na maalala kung ano yung ipo-post ko sana! nakainom na naman ako ng "agua de kalimot" ha ha ha ... teka isip-isip...

aha! i remember, yung cupcakes pala! during the eid break, nothing much to do, so, yes, i tried (again) my hands on baking (kuno) and made cupcakes, actually it was supposed to be "nutella frosted cupcakes" a recipe i got from one of the food bloggers - ayan, i forgot the name! (hanapin ko ulit!) first try - oppsss, sumobra siguro ang init ng oven! di ako sure sa init ng oven ko eh! (he he he napaghahalatang di ginagamit ano?!) sabi ng recipe bake for 20 min. - so masunurin si ako - wait daw . . after 10 min. tingin ko siempre if cook na, with a toothpick daw inserted sa keyk, uyy, not yet - basa pa... so wait ulit - isip ko "ah siguro nga 20 min"... sindi ng yosi, hithit-buga . . naku at buti na lang tingnan ko ulit after 3 min. . . naka!! muntik ng maging deep dark chocolate cupcakes!!!! eh butter cupcakes lang siya ha ha ha... di ko nga piktsuran - 'kakahiya eh! pinatikim ko sa friend ko: sabi ko tikman mo yan (with matching panlalaki na mata yan ha)- medyo namula lang" . . . sa takot siguro ng mokong - kain nga tapos sabi: masarap NAMAN ah . . . di siya bitter - he he he ... (nakuha sa tingin!) pero sa totoo lang - masarap nga siya - di naman masyadong na sunog medyo tustado lang ng konti - sarap nga when after i cooled them off tikman ko yung isa - crunchy pa siya kasi medyo mainit-init pa.. tapos when it was all cooled down - di na siya crunchy pero tasty pa rin!

nov. 7, try ulit ako kasi madali na lang pala eh! this time bantayan ko daw ang oven... tapos as i was [literally] "watching the oven" i saw how it rose - galing - sayang wala yung camera - kunan ko sana (babaw ko talaga ano?!) buti na lang glass door yung oven kitang-kita ko sila sa loob.... ayun, so sa oven ko 10min. lang, this time i took photo of the cupcakes - yabang na eh kasi maganda na siya.. . . . (pa'no ko nga ba ia-attach ito ulit????)

now, who will eat all these cupcakes? mag-isa lang ako? ah i wrapped few pieces and went over to my friend's niece who lives nearby - gave some to them - hey she even called to say na masarap yung cupcakes ko! mas masarap pa daw kesa don sa spinney's na cupcakes...o di ba, galing mambola! sabi ko "hamo sa susunod pag nag try ako ng ibang recipe eh dadalhan ulit kita"....tapos some i gave to the indian guys sa may grocery store down our building... sarap naman daw... eto yung mga guys na kabiruan ko while waiting for my ride to office - mababait sila and sila yung lagi kong pinapadalhan ng whatever i will try to cook - mga food tasters ko baga! ha ha ha . . .

ayun lang . . . ang kwento ng "kapkeyk" ... bow

try ulit . . take 4!!

my kido "scaling the height" ... no fear ehh... she did reach the top !! yupee. . .

oppss sorry guys! i was just trying to figure out how to post and attach photos - super bobo eh! pasensiya na po - wala sa bundok nito kasi! ha ha ha ayan alam ko na ng konti, so handa na ba kayo?

by the way, that was my kido scaling the heights with her cousins sa manila when she was last there in april... buti pa siya - walang lula .. :( me and my sis were just seated on the side watching them (and challenging each other to try and climb too! but then, no puedo for us - so sorry na lang sila, ha ha ha...) :)