Let Go

Image from Barros-Gorres.com. Quote from editing.

If I may be sentimental, just for today. Please, allow me. The past few days have been really tough not only because of the elements that normally makes my day tough (paper works, exams and more paper work!) but I've been  pretty much affected with how my heart have been behaving lately. It is not in my nature to discuss these sort of things on a public platform and what can be more public than the world wide web! 

Today I decided to write about it because I feel that it is time that I do. I am ready after all this time. After the heartache, tears, desperation and more tears. I have finally made peace with this demon with a handshake! What exactly am I talking about? It started two years ago when I met this fellow who just took my breath away. A song would always play on the background whenever I'd see him. It was that crazy! I wrote about him on my September 2009 entry . He remains anonymous until now and I wish to keep it that way. Having come from a failed relationship, this fellow helped me to gradually move on and he didn't even know it. I never thought that it would be that serious and yet fate played a joke on me and drew the guy closer to me until I could no longer move. I was trapped. I knew I was in big trouble. You know when you take things easy and with so much complacency then it suddenly hits you? That's exactly what happened.Lesson learned. 

I think it is safe to say that I fell in love with that fellow. He was a great guy, he had a heart of gold. He is what we would call in  Tagalog as "walang masamang tinapay" and I've always admired him for that. Now, all of those are just memories. Everything that we've been through, our story, the feelings are just nowhere in sight. I managed to reclaim my previous love, and I've never been happier. Though there were still times that I would remember him, I just brush it off and think about my man and I go back on track. I am blessed with a great guy who never gave up on me after all these years, the man who can't be moved,yes, just like the song. 

This is probably the last time that I will talk about this fellow. I have finally reconciled with the reality that we are not meant to be. He was just a passer by who shared his heart to me. I have fully embraced the possibility that my man, my kind man, will win this to the end. I am just overwhelmed that finally, after a year-long struggle, all is well with me and my heart have truly healed. I am also glad I finally took the courage to let it all go. I didn't give up, I just realized something that I have ignored after all this time. I have my friends to thank for their support and comfort. They were there to listen.

All of us have  stories of losing love and winning it again. Meeting someone who we wished was our destiny and letting them go because they are not ours to keep. Nevertheless, we take courage and move on, we let go because WE CAN!.

Nostalgia and The Corrs

I went to the bakery after dinner to pick up some pastries for tomorrow's breakfast. The Corrs was playing "Toss The Feathers" on the record. I love this song, it brings so much memories from my childhood. I practically grew up listening to this group. I just love the instruments that each of them play and the songs, oh those songs, just the intro of "Runaway" makes me melt and completely disappear and it has the same effect  on me until now. I was an MTV kid back then, whenever  I'd get home from school, I would turn on the TV and tune in to MTV and wait for The Corrs to be played while munching on my snack, I was around fifth grade, so just imagine me in my school uniform with ID and all, singing "Dreams" and "What Can I Do". I didn't even know what falling in love and life in the real world meant back then and I fancied these songs!!Weird kid??

When their concert in Lansdowne Road in Dublin was aired on the local channel, it automatically became my no.1 all-time favorite performance (2nd is MTV Unplugged, videos of which are played here). I kept watching the encore and even begged my Ma to get me a VHS copy, yes VHS! So sad Ma never bought me one and I was depressed for an ample time. It was also my first time to hear authentic Irish music and I just fell in love with it. I also had interests in playing the violin but I never had the heart to really go on. It's hard to pick a favorite among the siblings, if any, I really love how Sharon plays the violin with so much confidence and Caroline looks really cool with the drums, I am always in awe of her playing the traditional Irish frame drum, Bodhran. It just makes me wanna dance. The Corrs and their music had a great influence in my childhood, their songs were the soundtrack of my childhood and it did continue until my teens. When I entered the university and had my first break up,I had The Corrs playing "The Hardest Day" for my break up song. I always have a soft spot for these guys. Still makes me sad that they stopped performing.

my first break up song :(

Whenever I hear their songs or watch their performances on the internet the gates to my childhood automatically opens and it just makes me smile. I really wish that my children would be as musically inclined as them when the time comes. I don't wish my children to be as big as what The Corrs siblings has become. I just want them to be playing instruments in the house. Just imagine how cool would that be. I'm gonna be one proud Momma for sure! Then again, it's up to them. I can only wish. Wait, what am I saying?? I'm not even married yet and I am already thinking about my kids playing instruments!!! I should be going to bed, my brain is starting to fail me with all this thoughts. I'll write some more tomorrow, oopps! it's already morning, later I mean. :))

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Flicks on the List

Don't worry I haven't lost it yet. My mind is still intact guys, please bear with me for posting another entry in a span of an hour. It's just that, I'm really excited with my blog's new look and all. So please, just let me have this. 

I was out to watch Harry Potter 4 last Friday, I know, I can now see your eyes rolling but I grow up reading the guy and watched all the installments of the movie. I think it only right to see its end. Going back, while waiting for the movie to begin I fancied watching the trailers of upcoming movies and some of them made it to my 'To Watch For' list. Enjoy:

Real Steel  starring Hugh Jackman

Crazy, Stupid, Love starring Steve Carell, Ryan Gosling, Julianne Moore, Emma Stone and Kevin Bacon

Happy Feet 2

These three movies are feel-good ones which is basically my criteria when it comes to movies.   Although,I also have room for tear-jerkers, but I really opt for the one that cracks me up. The trailer of Happy Feet says it all. The return of Ryan Gosling and his to-die-for body is always worth the ticket in Crazy, Stupid Love. And Real Steel with Hugh Jackman in it is enough reason to go watch. I am a sucker for Hugh Jackman. Shoot me.

How about you?What's on your list?

See you at the movies!

Champoy Da Foodie

I love eating. Eating brings out the best in me! My choice of food ranges from street food, carenderia, fast food, bistro, cafe, restaurants and sometimes if my budget would permit; hotel buffets. Kahit nga fiesta or as simple as libreng pakain sa kapitbahay papatulan ko. In short, walang patawad, basta pagkain go agad!

But I must admit that there are times that I would eat passionless. I know this would sound ridiculous but sometimes I find eating rather tasking; nevertheless, I still eat. This often happens when I had a really long day or if I am sick. On a regular day; however  the eating is at its best condition.  I have so much love for pasta and Italian food in general. I just love the rich flavor that goes into every serving of pasta in any kind of sauce. Pizza is also on the list but I am a little bit picky with this. I could only name a few pizza houses that I really like. I have a soft spot for Sbarro when it comes to pasta. I would always order half Spaghetti with meatball in meat sauce paired with a big glass of Raspberry iced tea. Then there is Yellow Cab Pizza where I always order their NY Classic Pepperoni. I just love how simple and hearty this pan can be!

NY Pepperoni Classic, Spaghetti and meatballs, fishballs and banana-q

Living away from home gives me an excuse to eat at carenderias and some of them can be really big on flavor with a price cheaper than those of restaurants which is good when you are working on a tight budget plus its lutong bahay so it gives you the feeling of being at home. 

Street food. Where do I begin? My fascination for street food started back in highschool when my classmates and I would go out of the school gate after lunch and spend half an hour standing by a fishball stand just munching on fishballs, tempura and squidball dipped in sweet chili sauce and vinegar packed with local spices! Sarap! Then in the afternoon after dismissal we would rush across the street to catch some freshly cooked banana-q(caramelized banana), kamote-q(caramelized sweet potato ), some peanuts and corn. Then we would take the local ice cream for dessert or we would go for the green mangoes or santol. You can only imagine how hardworking a teen's stomach can be. I would always gets some sermon from Ma every time I get home from school: "Champ, how many times do I have to tell you not to eat street food! You'll get sick I tell you! And that mangga, my goodness! How would you eat dinner after all the food you ate?" Sometimes I'd wonder how Ma ever found out by only seeing the the massacred green mangoes inside the 'lil plastic bathed in salt. Mothers.

Champoy Da Foodie, green mango and corn

Nowadays, I would fancy munching on some tukneneng and kwek-kwek syempre present parin ang banana-q and green mangoes that should be yellow and crisp with a sweet and sour fusion.

Kwek-kwek and World Chicken meal.

As for restaurants, I go to those that are recommended by friends or those that I'd go to out of being curious. But I do have a list of restaurants that I'd go to on a regular basis like, 1.)Oh George! at Ayala Center Cebu where my favorite Tuna Melt sandwich is served. Then there is 2.)Banana Leaf  the ultimate choice for Hainanese chicken 3.) The Gustavian houses the best Ceasar salad I've ever tasted 4.) Red Kimono for some Japanese 5.) Mooon Cafe for Filipino-Mexican fusion  5.) Ilaputi for oriental fusion.

I also have a list of favorite restos that are based in Manila that I would never fail to go to whenever I'd visit the city. 1.) Florabel at the Podium 2.) Felix at Greenbelt 3.) Italianni's  4.)Ruby Tuesdays and this may be at the food court but this is a sure winner 5.) World Chicken at Glorietta and Trinoma. For coffee, it's gotta be Starbucks. It's already a given, no arguments. It's my coffee.

I can say that I am certified foodie. Diet is beyond me, I don't have interests in being an obese nor do I advocate it. It's just that I can never go without eating. The only time I would slow down is during Lenten season and the rest of the year would be an eating festival. The key is to eat responsibly, kung hindi ka naman gutom don't push it, impatcho ang aabutin mo kapatid ! The love for good food is inherent among Filipinos, it's part of the culture. I love how food can define a persons joys and how it can comfort the human being during sad times.

 Mabuhay ang pagkain! 

-CGF

I Am Back!

I know. I've been away not just for a while but for a really long time. My last entry was  New Year of 2010, and now we are on the midyear of 2011. I have a long way to catch up and I'll start now before everything gets worse. Please bear with me.

So much has taken place in my life while I was away. I've met a lot of new friends and my daily life has changed its course. Let me begin this "recovery" entry by telling you about my latest endeavor-- the Christian Life Movement, also known as CLM. Don't worry guys, I'm still a Catholic and forever will be. This movement started in Lima, Peru and was founded by Luis Fernando Figari and is present all over the world. They came to the Philippines 7 years ago through a group of religious women also under the umbrella of the Sodalit Family called the Servants of the Plan of God. The movement organize missions and activities centered mainly on youth. This movement was introduced to me by a friend I met at the university who happened to be one of its pioneering members in the Philippines. It took me a while to decide on weather I should commit to the movement. What got me sold to the movement was that unlike most of the philanthropic activities that we know, the missions in this movement doesn't oblige you to donate big financial figures. You only need to give yourself, a day of service to your fellow men and your willingness. We don't do the fancy charity balls in a fancy venue with the advertisements and all. We work quietly.  But don't get me wrong, I respect those philanthropists who organize charity balls and any kind of charitable institutions for that matter. I have always been an advocate of missionary work and the CLM perfectly suited me. You may check on the full details regarding the movement here

Meanwhile, here are some of the photos taken from our missions and some of our community's activities.

My first Mission Day was in Caohagan Island, Cebu here with my friend Mimi and new friend Izzy.

It was later followed by the Christmas is Jesus Campaign in December where I played emcee in Lusaran, Cebu City.

                I was also there for the Vocation Jamboree back in February 2011

Under the umbrella of CLM is the Marian Community. Here with my Marian sisters (L-R) Jade, Iris, Clarrence and Crystal (in blue). Our group is called the Magnificat.

Here facilitating a recollection for kids with my Marian friend, Jade. Catechism is one of the major  apostolates of the movement.

Then came my 2nd Mission Day experience, this time in the beautiful island of Pandanon in Bohol. Their church was under renovation when we came.

The kids are usually grouped according to their age and  we teach them and play with them. Snacks follow after the session.

We usually take a group picture before we wrap up the mission. Behold the volunteers and missionaries of CLM Pilipinas.

Last Sunday we had another Mission Day in Pandanon Island. It marked my 3rd Mission Day experience. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to pack my camera to document the activity. I was overwhelmed to be back and how the residents of the island welcomed our group. Everything was well organized and the kids even came in their school uniforms. We had a solemn Mass and a smooth flowing activity. I always say that the Mission Day is my "first love" in CLM so I always make it a point to be there. Now that I am back in the blogging world I can guarantee that my entries would have a touch of my life in the movement since it now part of who I am. 

I am also glad that Blogger is 100x better than it was before. It's easier to manage. Thanks Blogger!! It's really good to be back after all this time, there is just so much in my world to write. I officially welcome you all to Champoy World ! More posts to come!

xoxo Champoy ;)