Of Family Reunions,Obscure Towns and Fab Tans,

And so after 4 blissful days, I am back home to 7.5ish climate and fog.

I have been on a 4 day well-deserved vacation, something that I have been dreaming about after working non-stop for one hectic week.

I know I have left a few things undone when I went on vacation a couple of days, but with the new found strength and inspiration, I think I could go through everything when I get back to work tonight. To be perfectly honest, I am excited to go back to work. Weird.

So my wonderful vacation started a on Friday, when we travelled to Mabini, Pangasinan, an obscure little town that did not have internet access and where everyone thinks having fun involved a case of Red Horse and a videoke Machine.

Drinking Red Horse with Good Friends while listening to someone singing at the Villa BRaganza Square

My weekend even involved gate crashing a family reunion. Well, it's not really gate crashing, since I was with Piper's family, and no one really knew who I was and why I was with them on their Family Reunion. But there was brandy and Roasted pig. That I will never resist.

And so we pretended I was a long lost cousin. I even won a lousy but crisp brand new one dollar bill for playing Hep Hep Hooray with some "cousins".

After that afternoon, it was back to drinking Red Horse at the local Videoke Bar/Tourist Spot, Villa Braganza Square, which was literally a small garage with a small stage and a dozen tables for those who want to spend the entire night getting drunk and rowdy.

We got home at around 5 am, but didn't get enough sleep because we had to travel by jeepney to the beach. I was excited, I wanted to get a fab tan.

And a fab tan, I got. The beach was so beautiful. Just last year we went to this pristine beach hours away from civilization, and last Sunday I saw another beautiful beach. I think I'll put "beach hopping" to the list of my favorite things to do. No, make that "visit far beaches and pretend I was in the Bahamas." Teehee.

So see, my weekend was full of unexpected surprises. I was even surprised to find out that there was a small river near the house we were staying at. I went for a short swim there as well.

Swimming at the nearby River.

Can't wait to go back there. It was a wonderful weekend.

Over and Over Again.

An old saying goes "Patience is Virtue."

I haven't been patient, and when I touched your lips I began to wonder if what I was doing was right.

"Is this right?" I asked, full of expectations.

"Yes," you said.

I faltered, knowing that what you said was right.

You said it was ok, that it wasn't right but what we felt was not wrong. So I continued kissing you until I realized I was passionately in love with you.

The air was cold, and your were shivering. I hugged you tightly in my arms and felt your warmth. I kissed your back.

"If we do this," I asked, "Will I ever see you again?"

"Yes," you answered.

With that promise we started exploring our depthless emotions. With moans of pleasure and passion we entered paradise.

A couple of years back I promised myself never to fall in love with someone that easily. But I faltered. I failed drastically. I succumbed to my loneliness and fell, like a child from a tall tree.

And now I am falling... falling.

I know sooner or later I would feel the ground. I would feel the hurt and the pain. I will die - as I have died before.

Over and over again.

Over and over again.

Over... and over again.

When You Wish Upon a Star

"Starlight, Starbright,

first star I see tonight,

Wish I may, Wish I might,

Have the wish, I wish tonight."

I have this thing about seeing the first star on a dark, cloudless, and sometimes moonless nights. Neither the fact that it may be planet, or that there are other indetectable stars out there hinder me from whispering the words I have written above.

Last night, when I had the chance to actually look at the night sky, I saw a twinkling light, a star, and involuntarily, I uttered that words that I have been uttering since I was in grade school.

Then I made my wish.

It was more of a question actually.

"Will I...?"

The year didn't really start out as I hoped it would, but hey, I have great hope that this year would be a good year for me.

I know wishing something won't do anything. "Nasa Diyos ang awa, nasa tao ang gawa." (God helps those who help themselves.) I know wishing on a star won't do anything not unless I do something about it.

Here's to 2009, and to the people who believe that sometimes, wishing on a star isn't really a bad thing. It just shows us that despite everything, a small, twinkling light can bring hope to everyone- kids from 1, to 92.

Happy New Year to all.