Taken by Jammi on my last day in Manila.
Packing clothes in my old room and (I think)
talking to Fort Girls on the phone as they said goodbye.

You write beautifully and your photos ROCK. I never like candid photos of myself but I haven't seen anything you took of me that I didn't like.

Everyone, you have got to CLICK THIS.

Please come to New York. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE. We can still food trip here. There are a sh!tload of places I want to share with you already. Smoking won't be a problem, I've been wasting dollars on expensive packs already. Damn New York cigarette prices.

Please do come. I know it won't be soon but I will never forgive you if you never set foot in NY while I'm here. I think I miss you more than I will ever admit.

Ok, before anything else, let me just say to the only lady who can literally fit in my shoes,

In case you didn't see my YM message, I'm giving you a thousand virtual hugs from New York! I miss you so much you have no idea! You are probably one of the first people I think of when I remember my one year blip back in Manila. Meeting you was worth it. Wheeee!!!

So anyway, today I was in a slight panic. Olivea and Rann were coming over to see my room and check where I planned to keep my Butsudan. My room was a bloody mess and I needed to fix it fast! I made a quick trip to the 99c store to score stuff to organize my bags, scarves, and hoped to get a cheap shoe rack to keep my unnecessary collection of footwear. I couldn't find anything worth spending money on so I had to fix everything up to make my room look worthy enough to house my scroll. I did my laundry to get rid of the unsightly pile that's been building up around the room. In between chores, I was browsing through the SGI website to see what questions I might have when they came. When Oli came in and asked to see my room, I was nervous when I showed her where I planned to keep my altar (by the window facing the back of the building), I was half-expecting her to say "Oh, NO! Not there! That's not at all the right place to keep it! That's not going to work!" Good thing they said it was alright. I didn't have any other place to keep it anyway. I already have very limited space in Omar's dining room-turned bedroom space. I also spoke to Tita Chon about my decision to start practicing and that they may hear me chanting in the mornings and evenings. She laughed and said it was a good thing I told her, otherwise she might have called 911 to say I've gone crazy.

Rann and Oli were patient in answering questions they must have heard a thousand times. There are still so many things I want to know and need to know. They've provided me with enough reading material to last me for a good long while. I've bought quite a few books these past several weeks, all of which I have not even started reading and will have to be set aside again.

The end of the year is coming. So much has happened and so much has changed. I feel like I'm on an express train to a speedy new beginning. Nam-myoho-renge-kyo!

Btw, this is super delayed but I want to give a big shout out to Jun and Lissa for getting hitched last December 20. After 10 years of being together, they have made it official!

Lissa and Jun with the rest of my high school friends
who were in Manila for the wedding.
Annette, Rita, Rona and Tonet

Floating in the most Peculiar way/and the Stars look very different today
written across her chest with a star pendant

The amazing piece is her own design. I loved it so much I'm asking her to design my second one which I should be getting very soon.

crepes filled with chocolate cappuccino filling
topped with raspberries and apples flambéed in butter rum sauce

She pulls out all the stops with these awesome crepes! I'm going to miss Louiie's cooking. Over breakfast, she hands me an envelope and asks me to read it on the plane. I suspected her of pulling a Jammi on me. She just laughs. There's a lot I'd like to say about Louiie but I'd like to do so when I've finally settled down and gathered everything I am grateful for.

Jammi wrote this wonderful blog about me yesterday that made me cry and basically ruined my make-up. I'm going to get you for that Nedjadi! Those were probably the most beautiful words ever written about me and I can't believe how lucky I am to have such amazing and talented friends. I will never regret going back to Manila, despite the consequences, because I got the chance to meet you dude. I don't know what it was that I said about racist coffee but I will remember screaming and laughing like an idiot that night in your car when we made the stupid mistake of passing the airport route on an El Shaddai night. I will get you for that blog, despite me being, in your own words, emotionally constipated. Imma getchoo! Just you wait.

Since my travel plans are back to back, I had only two hours to allot for a brunch date with my weird, giant friend. We went to Café Francais and Amalia's but since they were both still closed, we ended up having brunch at Mocha Blends. We each ordered a latte and their Aussie Breakfast Platter, which I underestimated. I thought it looked so little but I couldn't even finish my plate's contents.

After four days of not being able to see the light of day, mostly due to the itty-bitty fact that I am flat broke, Ms. Jamila picks me up and takes me out! Went to Bona for tarot classes then drove to MOA where she treated me to another fabulous Jatujak dinner. Thanks sweetie! I'll take you and Matthew to dinner once my funds have kicked in. I promise!

Want more silly videos? Check out Poorfish's tribute video to the usuals by clicking this link here.