For me, it’s so strange to be growing a tooth at my age. But along with the strangeness, I feel a little bit of excitement (haha).

Okay, I am talking about my wisdom tooth that is inching its way out of my gums. Gladly, it doesn’t hurt that much, unlike what other people experienced.

The funny thing is, I just discovered it this morning at the office, while I was drinking my calamansi juice. My tongue curled its way up to my upper left gum, and there, it felt a protruding hard thing. At first, I thought my gum got infected or maybe wounded. But when I poked that part with my finger, I felt the familiar feeling I had when I was still a child. Do you still remember how excited you were when a new tooth comes out of your gums? Hahaha, I felt that nostalgia and having realized that I am growing my first wisdom tooth, I smirked to myself.

And then I texted my friend, saying that my wisdom is now more superior than his because of a tooth! Hahahaha! My friend, who is ever proud of himself (oh well, men always feel this way) answered back and said ‘how sure are you that you get to have a better wisdom when that tooth comes out?”

And so, my finger itched and typed on the internet search key ‘wisdom tooth.”

According to http://www.healthlinkbc.ca/kbase/topic/mini/hw172025/overview.htm, wisdom teeth are the upper and lower third molars, located at the very back of the mouth. They are called wisdom tooth because usually they come in when a person is between age 17 and 21 or older—old enough to have gained some “wisdom.”

I am 22, going 23 so that makes me a wise one! Hilarious eh? Ah, whatever.

So there, I don’t know how many days the tooth will totally come out but I’m looking forward to it.

How good life is, where people acquire a level up on their wisdom through a tooth.

Thinking that it will be a long weekend, I and my friends went to San Fernando, La Union to have a taste of the humid place.

We went to this Ocean Paradise resort and rented one cottage where we stayed for a night.

T’was fun to be playing with the tides and sifting the sand on my palm.

hazy afternoon

And then the sunset came...

Oh there we are..h h h

I watched the movie trailer of this compuer-animated film yesterday, and i find it funny and nice. I and my friends were lughing out loud because the child is really cute, makes me wanna pinch him.

I will surely watch it when it comes in the Philippines.

Here’s the summary:

Carl Fredricksen (Edward Asner) is a retired 78-year-old balloon seller. When Carl was a child, he met and eventually married a girl named Ellie who grew up in a small midwestern town. Ellie always dreamed of visiting South America, but they grew old together, and she died before she got a chance. Now, when developers threaten to move him into an assisted living home, Carl decides to fulfill his promise to Ellie. To accomplish this, he uses 10,000 balloons to make the house fly—but unwittingly takes a chubby eight-year-old Wilderness Explorer named Russell with him. The two opposites match up for thrilling adventures as they encounter wild terrain, unexpected foes, and all the terrifying creatures that wait in the Venezuelan jungle. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Up_(2009_film)

The worst thing is, i don’t know why!!

It was  hot summer day when the people of Kadaclan went to Brgy. Chupac to witness the much awaited community gathering of the year, the Menaliyam Festival.

I consider myself lucky having attended this festival twice in a row. Now, this free-spirited girl is back again to her ili, this time, keeping in mind to take more pictures.

I have to apologize though, for the pictures I have is limited. I preferred to take video footages that’s why I only got a couple of still pictures. Rest assured that the video footages will be shown here soon.

Suit yourself!

Young and old alike, they all flocked to the gym to watch the most awaited festival

Kadaclan rice fields

The covered gym that shun away the stinging sunlight

Jaira concentrates on watching the cultural competition

The Barlig delegate during the Lang-ay festival also came to the community fest

Cute

Little Mr. and Miss Menaliyam

Lola Menaliyam, Mr. Menaliyam and Miss Menaliyam

Native bags (forgot the local term hehe)

Manuraw tako!

i-Kachakran beauty

'Ichi-id' (indigenous way of lighting up fire through the use of bamboo)

Another indigenous way of lighting up a fire through the use of shells

Barlig kids in their native attire

Fuayas locked in a commercial bottle

The sun shines at last.

My forefathers got calloused hands from your harsh earth. But you gave them bountiful harvet.

My forefathers had to fight for you. But you gave them existence.

My forefathers had to endure your ruthless storms and rains. But you gave them fortitude to survive.

My forefathers had to keep silent to appease you. But you gave them resilience to continue.

Kadaclan, I left you. But you gave me my identity.

Wait. All you have to do is wait.

But things happen so fast. You refuse to wait.

You know who you are.

confusing.

By the way, a long-time friend and school mate sent me a message a while ago. He was talking about going back to school because he finally found out that he has no destination after long years of playing safe. This are his exact words:

“yup, one of these days. i’ll have coffee with you soon…i’m going back to school…hehehe. yup, jan sa bsu. sa bsdc. basta,you know, the feeling of having an unfinished business. na kahit san ka makarating, apart of you is left somewhere. i’ve done the biggest mistakes of my life in BSU, so that’s where i’ll pick myself up and try to stand on my feet again…hehehe. sab ko nga sa shout-out ko, para lang akong bangkang  walang destinasyon… smoothly sailing…drifting in the vastness of the ocean called life. pero a voyage without a destination is tantamount to a life without a purpose. kailangan ko nang madadaungan…hehehe.”

Good luck Romy.

I couldn’t surmise what to do next after eating the cheese burger of McDo. I was thinking of taking a nap but the students are here at the office. Next, I was thinking of finally doing the lecture notes for the seminar but I am still not in the mood. Argh. My life is so — ah, whatever.

So basically, today is a holiday for me. I declare. Ha ha ha!

I wanna do this again...today today!

Last month, I and my students went to Bayyo to participate in the Solid Waste Management Program campaign that was facilitated by my good classmate in graduate school, Ate Lyna.

The mystique place gave me a chance to sit with the ‘panglakayen’ (council of elders) in the nightly habit of gathering together at their Ator.

The fire and the wrinkled features of an old man

They were able to share to us the community’s folk stories and other learning insights during that night.

The next day, we woke up freezing cold but the sight of the misty clouds enveloping the community soothed our tiredness during the last night’s activity.

We cleaned, and I fancied myself by taking pictures of the children.

A nameless child and a crumpled paper

On top of the world

Bare feet

Ah, her smile

See? Even at a young age, they have the sense of unity (hehe)

And before I end this post, let me show more pictures of the place.

The old bell at the old school

Earth, I till you for my existence

May the sky remind you to look up and see its stars at night.

May the earth be abundant to provide your people’s breathe.

May the waters be mighty to quench your people’s thirst and may it be calm in times of trouble.

Bayyo, long may you live.

Bayyo

even want to write about this day. When every breath is a torture inside.