donde esta sta claus?

i saw sta claus this morning…

yes, it was a sad christmas. 

maraming nakahaing pagkain kahapon.  masarap.  espesyal.  magdamag na party…  pero malungkot talaga.  mukha lang akong masaya.  oh well, i need to have complete guts to face whatever situation i am to right now.  i asked for this.  don’t worry sooz, this is just temporary.

i swear i want to marry azman now.  wiqa, mom misses you terribly.  especially your cheeks

i have been

to jamaica the other day (ocho rios), was in colombia this afternoon (sta marta), and will be arriving in cartagena, colombia tomorrow morning.  the perks of working on a cruise ship.  i can’t believe that it has been ages since i last posted something over here…  one of the miseries of working as a cruise photographer.  i had seen some parts of the world but i had to deal with homesickness and the very exciting long distance relationship…    oh well, be careful what you wish for.

i might still do a few more contracts.  money is indeed good.

randomness on a cruise ship

oh yeah, i miss my family.  i miss my daughter.  i miss azman.  i miss talking in hardcore tagalog…

everything is going on pretty smoothly over here.  the operations manager treated me for a dinner when he was onboard.  it feels overwhlming when your managers believe in your capacity.  naisip ko, kaya pala hindi ako nag eexcell sa pinas eh kasi pang international ako.  hahaha…  i am the top seller in our crew.  can you believe that.  la lang…  what’s next…  i became a runner for the “smiley” award.  which means i smile a thousand times a day.  listen here, i work for the hospitality industry nowadays.  so even if you are aching - you need to smile and deliver the wow. 

haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay

sanity

just so you know there are 3 romanians, 1 south african and an indian guy hovering over me right now.  ship life is exciting and at the same time full of crap.  i cannot believe it…  before coming onboard, i was selling training materials for diversity, respect, general harrasment and what have you…  and now, ako mismo nakakaranas nito. 

i used to tell myself that there is beauty in diversity.  but nowadays i feel that most of the time it

**excuse me for my french**

motha fuckin sucks… 

Lord, help me survive. 

manila, manila, i keep coming back to manila

whew. 

and so i am out of manila for 3 weeks now.  aside from all the shenanigans i’ve been through, everything is going out pretty smoothly here abroad.  i don’t call manila that often because i usually end up crying.  but i’m getting better everyday.  nababawasan na ang “homesickness…”  nababahala ako because azman is getting too emotional about things.  i mean, i didn’t go here just to cruise.  i hope he’ll understand things really soon.  kainis.  ‘di tuloy ako makapagtrabaho ng maayos minsan.  yun lang.

namimiss ko na si wiqa, i let her sing taylor swift’s love story every time i call.  she memorized that song before i left.  hay buhay.  kainis.  yun lang.

Japan Japan Sa Kahirapan

I dyed my hair.

I am in the middle of being an Aegis member to being a Japanera…  Ganun kalala…

Will post photos soon…

Almost Married On a Weekend

     Just to prove a point ha… - Sharyn

     I finally got a call from Elver saying I might leave on April 9 or 10 (still crossing my fingers).  And everybody knows that he did propose sometime November.  But even before, he would bombard me with lines such as “O, pakasal na tayo before you leave ha…” As soon as he learns about my tentative flight he immediately asks me to marry him. Apparently, we only have 2 weeks!  

     Last Saturday, we left for Laguna.  We’ll be attending a birthday party.  In order to lessen the expenses, we both decided to hitch with Rangil.  We were waiting for the whole gang at Starbucks when he opened my SUN phone.  There were a couple of messages from Marja which I didn’t erase and did not even realize that the messages will create a big issue for him.

     I told Marja that we cannot push through with the marriage now since I’d be having a hard time fixing the legal documents.  Marja replies by saying “Oo nga naman, mahirap talaga magasikaso ng papeles…”  Azman took it negatively and he thinks that I didn’t want to marry him all the while.  And I didn’t really want to change my name under his.  From Pansol, Laguna he walks out.  I didn’t want to follow him or what have you since I don’t want to ruin the birthday party and create a commotion.  After all I knew that he’ll be going to a close sis of ours whom he considers his nanay-nanayan.  So he’ll be safe there. 

     Come Sunday morning I travelled all the way to San Pablo, Laguna to pick him up.  I was so willing to marry him  right there and then.  But of course my senses were still intact.  We both agreed that we have to move it to December.  We ended up having a romantic dinner at Sulyap restaurant and planned our wedding.

     So sabi nga ni Sharyn - Just to prove apoint ha…  Papakasalan mo na talaga siya…

     I know I should be more mature in terms of handling this situation.  I admit…my first attempt in terms of building a family didn’t turn out as positive as I hoped for.  Marriage is not somehing you decide in one sitting.  It is a lifetime commitment after all.  That’s why I want to be able to plan it as carefully as we could.  Maybe I am just overwhelmed with the amount of  love Azman is giving off.  

     Don’t get me wrong.  I want to marry him and spend the rest of my life with him ASAP - i mean in one roof with all the kids and what have you.  I cannot wait to be with my travel buddy.  Hay pag-igib.  ay wrong.  Pag-Ibig nga naman…

madaling maging APO, mahirap magpaka-APO

whew…  with several services that i am organizing as of press time, i still have an article to finish.  this will be published sa boracay souvenir program.  hay Lord…  help me write a perfect article about our chapter…  i was instructed pa naman by brod noly to include everything that i could include.  ibuga ko daw ng bonggang bongga ang mga nagawa ng chapter.  

whew!  and…  ang mas malupit nito, kailangan magawa ko ‘to lahat ASAP.  i think i am leaving on the 9th or the 10th.  kamusta naman yun…

Dito Tayo Titira

imagine your boyfriend discussing with you the house in which you would spend the rest of your lives…

Lets’ Relive the 80’s… Matabungkay Beach resort

thursday:  i went to music museum to watch wolfgang’s concert.  of course, razorback did the front act.  one hell of a concert.  it literally stoked me up.

friday:  i had a shift in MOA - 12-6.  on my way to MOA, i was already contemplating as to where will i go after work…  i was trying to think of possible stuff just in case i decide to take the bus from EDSA going to Tagaytay.  i talked to sara then to have some coffee first.  after a couple of hours i got a text from haya - saying she’ll be having an ultimate joyride with her boyfriend and another guy friend.  i replied by saying “SAMA AKO!!!”  so there…  i left manila on a friday night ending up at…  (lets’ relive the 80’s)  MATABUNGKAY BEACH RESORT.

it was an ultimate joyride.  i met a couple of new friends and they were fantastic.  knowing what they had to go through life really left me inspired.  but then again…  i realized somehing more important that night.  it is so hard to leave manila without azman.  it was actually my first time - in such a long time - to leave the premises of manila without him.  you see, we both love to travel.  though i had a hard time without my travel buddy, i enjoyed the next two days of my impromptu vacation.  thank you haya, gil and jerald. 

In A Perfect World

In a perfect world everyone should be living a comfortable life.  No one should be thriving in the “poorest of the poor” areas.  Everyone should really experience unrequitted love.  No one is entitled to pain…grief…missery.  Not even thinking on how to hurt somebody else.  Prejudice should be the last thing on Earth.  Considering killing/kidnapping/stealing etc… as a lucrative career is never an option. 

No matter what tantamount effort one would exert, life will never be fair. 

And ironic as it may seem, that is how our lives become beautiful.  It adds a certain twist that makes it full of substance.

And why am I lecturing about life on this entry?  Well, I really don’t know.  Maybe beacuse I have come across various experiences lately that make me impatient.  Or you could blame it on the different types of people I have met recently.  Could also be the books that I just finished.  

Aaaargh.  I’m just too anxious to leave Manila.  Too anxious to think of many ways on how to spend the tons of money that will come along my way.  Whew!  

There’s an ongoing party here at home.  I am here inside my room.  I am too lazy to mingle at chat with the visitors.  No time for casual talks…  I just want to pack my stuff and fly right now. 

Random thoughts:  Early part of 2009 my mom and I went to Quaipo.  Feast of the Black Nazarene.  The whole church is already jam packed as early as that time.  God knows how hard I prayed not be part of a stampede or what not.  It suddenly hit me that Filipinos still have FAITH - big time faith.  I mean, despite all the hardships that this country has to offer - many of them - erase - all of them still believe that one day things will be fine.  What’s my point?  I tell you what - when I started running, I go to the chapel afterwards to thank Him for giving me enough strenth to finish a couple of kilometers.  Funny how I offer each run i make to something that I wish for.  (eg:  a job that I really like, an application that I am dying to be approved…)  And that is how I have come to know that true meaning of Faith.  Of trust.  The true meaning of holding into things that you really believe in.  The feeling is just surreal to be with those people in Quiapo that morning.

Yes Woman

and so i just finished reading Yes Man by danny wallace.  a pretty inspiring book on how one should treat life.  saying no to war is actually a negative line.  instead, one can say yes to peace.  first book that ever made me laugh unstopably.  see, im not good in reviews and what not.  all i know is that the book is bloody brilliant.  on how a man ended up visiting various countries, meeting people with different personalities, and falling in love for the right woman at the right place - just by simply saying yes.  not to mention all his spam email shenanigans.  towards the end of the book, i cried a bit actually.  i mean all his realizations with the monk, marc and when it snowed and he was with lizzie.  haaay.  everything made perfect sense.

i hope i get a call from elver the soonest time possible.  i wanna say yes to life.  i wanted to be able do things without restricitions.  i wanted to visit different places.  i wanted to focus myself @ work.  i wanted to stash loads of moolah, so i could eventually plan my own wedding and live comfortably with azman, nirvana and our future kids.  i want to be able to live by the beach and end up catching gnarly waves. 

Ano Daw…?

And so there’s this Chinese client who comes into our studio with her daughter plus yaya.  I took the photos of her child…

Mom:  Syoti…  Smile Syoti!  Smile!!!

Yaya:  Syutee Ismayl…  Ismayl Syutee!

Hehehehe…    Mabuhay talaga ang mga Bisdak.  Kaya frustrated Bisakol ako eh…  Yawa gid.

I have always been wanting to update this site for the longest time.  But due to inability to compose my thoughts and the luxury of time - this is the only time that I am able to write some stuff.  Randon random na to…

Elver, for Christ sake text me the soonest time possible beacuse I want to leave Manila now.  Gadem NOW.  I am enjoying my photos lately because I have ben trying to “perfect” more my lighting.  I have indeed outgrown sunog photos, they have become flat namn.    but due to paara-aral ulit - I have now understood the meaning of ratio.  Hehehe slow learner???  I’d like to inform all my readers that I am watching When I Met You as I convert my thoughts into writing.  I personally feel that they do not have the chemistry.  No kilig factor at all…  Mainam pa si Seann Lloyd…  ay mali John Lloyd and Sara   Oh no…  Lowbat.  

my take on oh eight

i had an ass kicking 2008.  you know - a 360 turn of my life.  the first quarter was really hard.  i remember i had a short stint in teaching - hell yeah, english proficiency.  then finally become a photographer.  disclaimer:  hindi pa ako ganun kagaling sa larangan ng potograpiya and i admit i still have a lot of studying to do.  

 i am so thrilled that i get to hang out with friends whom i seldom see nung nasa seryosong trabaho pa ako.  i started running.  i started reading.  basta mas ok ako ngayon wholistically.  i stopped eating pork and beef.  i had more time with my family.  basta, 2008 is indeed a start of  alot of wonderful things.  oh yeah, i got engaged.  sweet…  thank you Lord.  i got my visa and finally travelling first part of 2009.  thank you Lord.

help me become a wiser person O Lord when i receive lots of money this 2009.;)

on running, 2008, meeting high school friends and the list goes on…

i am  so glad that i was introduced to running this year  if it weren’t for my friend bulak i would never really know how to “jog properly”.  i am so happy…?  i think happy is an understatement…  basta mixed emotions - i cant believe that i was able to finish my first ever 4k run this morning…  when i quit the “corporate” world last year - it has been my routine to bring my daughter to school.  and instead of chitchatting for three gruesome hours i thought of things on how to maximize my time.  initially, i would go to SC - go online for about an hour then go to the chucrch.  but then, i finally gave up because i don’t know what to do anymore - meaning which website to visit, whose blog to read, whose photo to comment to and what not…  

and so, jen introduced me to running.  i was elated when i finally learned the proper way of running.  dati kasi ang lakas lakas ng bagsak ng paa ko sa tinatakbuhan ko.  para akong nagmamarathon palagi na hindi ko maintindihan, pero it’ll last for mga 30 seconds lang.  and so everything evolved.  it started sa pa-isa isang round sa acad oval (NO STOPPING) at kanina nga, na-break ko na ang record ko!  natutuwa kang ako…  i haven’t been myself in 4 years…  i have been complaining for 4 years… 

i have been stuck in so many other things…  trabaho, pag-ibig, college life, financial freedom at kung ano pa.  pero kanina parang kanina - all of my apprehensions about life were washed away. it made me feel that 2008 is indeed a fruitful year.  the first quarter was tough.  really tough.  i made a big switch from getting an amount that would certainly put food on the table for a family of 4 to nothing…  as in wala.  

look.  i had to put this blog into my “to be posted” list.  apparently, when i decided to finish this entry parang wala ng coherence yung thoughts ko.  anyway.  Salamat po Lord.

and so there’s a semi-proposal

:)

we went to John’s (Gamma Ep) wedding last friday.  traffic was terrible - gruesome 3 hours.  it was an intimate one with less than a hundred people in the reception.  somehow nakakahawa siguro ang mga pag-attend attend ng mga kasal…  he initially asked for marriage nung mga 2 buwan pa lang kami.  fine - i got kilig and all.  you know, realizing that despite all of my misadventures in life, how loooooud i could get at times, how i cunt people at times, how i say bad words more often than he does…  and the list goes on…  there is this one freaking man asking to spend the rest of his life with me.  and so a year and a half have passed - at ayun nga umattend kami ng kasal.  after the wedding bigla na lang nyang sinabi na  –  “ay oo nga pala, sa kasal natin naisip ko ang theme ay outdoor.”  “para siguro hindi na mahirapan ang mga bisita natin.” and i was like “oo nga, kesa mag gown gown pa - hassle” and then he said “siguro maganda isabay na natin siya sa convention natin next year…”

edi naloka ako….  “huh, next year na???!!!”  “sa mayo na?”  ”sigurado ka ba”

azman: “oo”

me:  “teka nga muna, nagpopropose ka ba?”

azman:  “oo, medyo…”

me:  “ayus-ayusin mo naman para kiligin ako!”

azman:  “eh kinikiliga ka na nga eh!”

than you lord for giving me my companion…  my travel buddy…  my chippy. 

15 Crazy Facts About Me.

1.  Sooz Ombid doesn’t chew gum. Sooz Ombid chews tin foil.

2.  Sooz Ombid can drown a fish. 

3.  Everything King Midas touches turnes to gold. Everything Sooz Ombid touches turns up dead.

4.  Some people ask for a Kleenex when they sneeze, Sooz Ombid asks for a body bag.

5.  Sooz Ombid does not play the lottery. It doesn’t have nearly enough balls.

6.  Once a cobra bit Sooz Ombid’s leg. After five days of excruciating pain, the cobra died.

7.  Paper beats rock, rock beats scissors, and scissors beats paper, but Sooz Ombid beats all 3 at the same time.

8.  Sooz Ombid owns a chain of fast-food restaurants throughout the southwest. They serve nothing but barbecue-flavored ice cream and Hot Pockets.

9.  When Sooz Ombid looks in a mirror the mirror shatters, because not even glass is stupid enough to get in between Sooz Ombid and Sooz Ombid.

10.  Sooz Ombid smells what the Rock is cooking… because the Rock is Sooz Ombid’s personal chef.

11.  Sooz Ombid used to beat the shit out of her shadow because it was following to close. It now stands a safe 30 feet behind her.

12.  Sooz Ombid doesn’t need a miracle in order to split the ocean. She just walks in and the water gets out of the way.

13.  Sooz Ombid knows everything there is to know - Except for the definition of mercy.

14.  When Sooz Ombid does a pushup, she isn’t lifting herself up, she’s pushing the Earth down.

15.  Sooz Ombid can slam a revolving door.  

Inspired by Albin Chan

here’s the link

run for your life

whew!  i miss running around up…  i mean the whole acad oval.  that’s what i’ve been doing for the past four months –  oops, don’t expect too much.  i didn’t shed tons of pounds. after dropping off wiqa to school i will then start running.  i try to finish the whole acad oval.  especially kapag may pabor akong hinihingi kay Lord.  i call this “my run for your life.”  parang dati, nung hindi pa lumalabas yung resulta ng up exams - tatakbo ako.  at iniisip ko na ito ang finish line or tagumpay ng buhay ko.  hahahahaha baliw?  pagkatapos ng isang ikot, magsisimba naman ako.  tapos babalik ako sa oval para maglakad na lang…  tapos susunduin ko na ulit si wiqa.  this has been my routine since june.  until wiqa had her sembreak.  eh wala, nagpakabusy na lang ako sa trabaho.  kumuha ako ng morning raket.    but i am so excited that i will get to run again next week!!!!  whew!  hopefully mabuo ko yung acad, kahit one month akong hindi tumakbo.

one week na pala akong hindi kumakain ng beef at pork - inspired by ankie and keith na lalong pinatibay ni iza!

I’m back to school tomoraw.

Yikes!

Me is excited.

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