LSsS: Little Wonders and Home

Yesterday, February 3, was another headphones and music day, at least in the morning.

And so, yet again, I stumbled upon some older songs in my Music Library, and checked their lyrics. Tear-jerking, to me at least, again.

let it go
let it roll right off your shoulder
don't you know
the hardest part is over
let it in,
let your clarity define you
in the end
we will only just remember how it feels

our lives are made
in these small hours
these little wonders,
these twists & turns of fate
time falls away,
but these small hours,
these small hours still remain

let it slide,
let your troubles fall behind you
let it shine
until you feel it all around you
and i don't mind
if it's me you need to turn to
we'll get by,
it's the heart that really matters in the end

our lives are made
in these small hours
these little wonders,
these twists & turns of fate
time falls away,
but these small hours,
these small hours still remain

all of my regret
will wash away some how
but i can not forget
the way i feel right now

in these small hours
these little wonders
these twists & turns of fate
time falls away
but these small hours
these small hours, still remain...

Little Wonders reminds me of when Hestia was pregnant with Annika. She was at home, not feeling well. When I got home, I caught the middle to last part of the movie, hence my many questions on who was who and what was what, and then the song played. And I was moved. Almost to tears.

So we watched it again, me more intently. Everytime that song plays, I'm reminded of dear Annika (Baci at the time while in Hestia's tummy). She's our Little Wonder.

And while I'm away and looking at the many pictures I've taken of her since birth and as she grew up, I'm made to recall and cherish those little moments behind those pictures. Those little things that make you want to fly back home in a heartbeat and just hug her.

Soon, they'll be Little Wonders.

The Work Week Begins: Day 1, Jan 24.

I’m not sure if I can keep up this daily blog routine coz it’s already Friday, February 4, and I’m trying to recall stuff from memory. Anyhow I’ll see what I can do.

Just like many folks who fly from East to West, I was jetlagged. I recall my last trip in 2006, in which I took the same PAL flight back in time, I had little time to feel the jetlag – coz Hestia and I immediately flew to Orlando, and so my otherwise screwed up body clock just got confused all the more… but for the better, coz Orlando was about 12-13 hours behind Manila, and that was just a half day to deal with. Plus, we hit the theme parks so literally, with the adrenaline rush and excitement, no time to be tired. (Almost 5 years of youth had an advantage over the currently older me. Hehehe!)

Anyhow, back to the jetlag. I woke up at 130, 330, 430 and, mercifully 530 am. I guess the jetlag and the first day at work meeting everyone for the first time jitters were eating at me. We all have our first days. Hehehe!

After dressing up, had breakfast with Junjun. He was giving me some of his insights on the trip and the office and the hotel. Some of them I could not relate to… yet. Breakfast was typical Western style food. Not much, compared to 5 star hotel breakfasts, but hey, this was good enough plus it was free. Per diem still intact. Hehehe! Just reminded me of high school though, “Clean As You Go.”

Couldn’t wait for the 835 am shuttle, so I got on a cab and went to the Sun Valley Mall at 8 am. Spent about $10 for a 35 minute headstart. I stopped converting to our local currency on some things, coz what’s the use, right?

Shopping was not on the agenda at 800 am. It was Avis car rental that was. I was getting my rental so that I could leave the office when I needed to and not be tied down by the shuttle, which transports some of my Filipino colleagues to and from the hotel. I didn’t know what the working hours were, and how late I’d have to work. Plus I’m confident my little buddy named Garmin would get me places safely.

I was hoping for something nice. Sonata-ish. Sure the Sonata is not in the compact car level, but hey, from stories I’ve heard from colleagues who’ve worked in California, it’s the luck of the draw – SUVs, mid-size cars, sports cars, and that’s for the same compact rate.

Anyhow, ended up getting a VW Jetta. Despite my one-liner comment trying to get the blue Sonata beside it, I didn’t. The lady at the desk said that I was lucky with the Jetta already. Really? I said to myself. Oh well, let’s get it on!

Did a walk around first, then got inside. (Well, adjusted the seats first coz it was too cramped, before I got inside.) Got the GPS up and running first, then familiarized myself with the basic stuff before pulling out of the slot. As I drove it, I realized that it was pretty potent. You just need to get on the gas for the revs to rise, and that’s where you’ll feel the kick. No instantaneous turbo diesel power. Reminds me of the Camry’s power delivery with the Altis’s ride and handling, coz it can take curves pretty well. Anyhow, much of this observation did not happen on the way to work. Hehehe!

I have no pictures of the Jetta though. And I’ll explain why, eventually.

Now off to work. GPS gets me on Diamond blvd. But apparently, it’s only as smart as you plot it out to be. I plotted the corner of the property (at least the one that’s mentioned in the official address), and not the entrance, so I drove past the entrance. In my fear of a sudden stop causing an accident, I drove by and just looked for a side entrance somewhere. No such thing at the other end of the building, so I made a U-turn at a side street.

Called my boss to ask where I was supposed to be parking, and then going when I got to the building. The Smart badge is much smarter here than back home. There, for a visitor, you’d need to get additional access rights to get in to any floor. Here, as I learned from the security guard on duty, just tap it and go on your way. Nice.

I head off to my boss’s office, we shake hands, exchange some pleasantries, and he introduces me to the guys (and gals) on the floor. And I meet my business analyst, a chatty Irish man, in whose office I will be and am spending my office hours while here. I just love the way people from the UK talk about and describe things. The American description would already help you identify what it is he's talking to you about, but the UK description just makes it extra flowery with the wit and sarcasm. Perfect, my kind of talk. That’s why I like 5th Gear, and Top Gear, and why talking to Paul was very interesting. Sure it was about work mostly, but he’s a character, so it’s not business-like all the time. If he were Filipino, he’d be a prayle. (Note to self: Gotta research for an Irish friar I can nickname him after.)

Work was work. And it still is today. Went out for lunch with some very accommodating teammates -- 2 New Yorkers, but who're probably more West coast based by their insights, and Paul. They were all from the business, hence I did not know the people they were talking about, but I was sure these guys (talking, and who they were talking about) were a helluva lot of times above my pay scale grade. But no matter, they were fun to talk to, and they kept me in the conversation.

Got home about 10 minutes past the social hour (and a half, actually, coz it was from 530 to 7) so no more free food and drinks for me. Tsk tsk! Wasn’t that famished to go out and check on food options, so I went to my room and became Tony Stark. Hehehe! Happy that I didn’t burn anything or cause irreparable damage. Happier when Junjun gave me a comment, a day or two after, that I did a good job being...

the Iron Man.

LSS: I Just Love You

Was at my desk working. It was too quiet, so I decided to plug in my portable hard drive and headphones. One song that I'd been listening to long ago started playing. Timing was so right, and so were the lyrics. Read on...

Lonely, yeah that's the word
I leave my heart when I leave her
The days go on forever and the nights do too

One evening out on the road
A half a world away from home
I thought she was sleeping
When the call came through

I said, Darling, it's late, is everything ok
Silence took over the room
Til she said

I... I just Love You
I Don't Know Why, I Just Do
When are you coming home
I'm coming home soon
And I just love you too

Lonely lets me be
For a while she sets me free
I close my eyes and I dream of her

She's lost in my arms
Her head on my heart
And softly she whispers the words

I...I just Love You
I Don't Know Why, I Just Do
When are you coming home
I'm coming home soon
And I just love you too

I'll never stop being amazed
How my 4-year old girl knows exactly what to say

I, I just Love You
I Don't Know Why, I Just Do
When are you coming home
I'm coming home soon
Cause I just love you too.

Vladimir John Ondrasik. Thanks for the song. It's pretty interesting.

Yeah, sure, it's your typical mushy alternative love song at the beginning. You'd think it was the wife or girlfriend calling. That's already a very sweet gesture coming from your better half that makes you want to go "awww...." I'm touched that she called.

But hey, it's more touching, no, tear jerking, finding out it's your daughter calling you just to say she loves you.

I miss my girls. And this song is perfect.

Dedicated to Mommy Hestia and Annika and Sachi.

Back in the States - January 23, 2011

Buoyed by a wonderful 2nd birthday party for Annika, and joint celebration for all January celebrants (Yin, Kris, TG, Tita Lu, Lola, Annika and Pong, and Hestia and myself), I took off to my new challenge... a business trip to the US for a project. If my team lead in the US had his way, I would have been there a week before, but due to the family celebration earlier today and with his consideration, I was able to postpone the trip.

Dad brought me to the airport for my 10:30 flight. PAL would probably not be the top choice on many people’s lists, especially if there were a Cathy Pacific option, but it works well with me. Sure I don’t get those flat reclining seats with separate cubicles in Business Class, but hey, I get to leave later in the day – allowing me to spend more time with Annika and Hestia, – do not need to catch a connecting flight since the one I had was direct, and get to fly back in time – literally – as the 12 hour flight (11 hours in this case, thanks to the tailwind) allows me to arrive at my destination 4 ½ hours before I take off. Did this back in 2006, and it saved me a lot of time which allowed me to do more stuff.

…Stuff like allowing me to unpack everything in my two, trolley-type, 4 wheel luggage, call home to say hello, and sign off before midnight. Downside was I was up early, but that’s for later. Back to the flight…

Check-in was quick, as Business class had counters separate from Economy. This wasn't in place in 2008, when I travelled abroad last, so it was a pleasant surprise. Apparently twice the price may have twice the perks. And this perks count started at the check-in counter. Nice. Another nice thing, was that my portable hook-type weighing scale was apparently overstated by about 10 lbs. So my 60+ lbs and 50+ lbs luggage were actually only 50+ and 40+. Nice again! But before I could step away from the counter, the ground crew asked to weight my hand-carried trolley. And it came up to about 30 lbs. Damn! I thought he’d have it checked-in, too. Luck came in to help me, as I got away with the excuse that half the weight was due to the laptop and camera, and even offered to show him what was inside the bag.

He declined, and I was off to the Terminal Fee payment counter and Immigration area. Tsk! Tsk! Now that was a long line. I don’t know what was the cause of delay. There were a few counters open. I guess there was just too big a number of passengers at that time. Oh well.

Eventually got past that area and into the 2nd body check and x-ray area, and off to the Mabuhay lounge. It was a Coors light for me and some sushi. Surfed a little bit, before I decided to beat the boarding announcement. Headed to the gate and found out it rained. A blessing, I hoped. Got to the gate and fell in line for another security check. Thought they’d question the bag’s weight again. Whew! No such thing. Waited for about 10 minutes, and was happy to hear the boarding announcement. Business class was to board now. ‘Yes!’ I thought to myself. Can finally get some Z’s as I typically get sleepy at take off.

Once inside the aircraft, I loaded my bag into the overhead cabinet slightly in front of our row. Helped the lady beside me with her trolley. Turned out, only 1 trolley could fit the overhead cabinet. Was careful not to show signs of a hard time lifting my bag, lest they take it and shove it in with the rest of the checked baggage. Hehehe!

Flight was smooth in general, with some minor turbulence. I guess I was too excited and tense for my entire trip, so I didn’t fall asleep when the plane took off. As I was about to finally doze off though, the purser gets on the mic and announces we’re having dinner. Oh well, at least it was good news. Hehehe!

I don’t know how it is with other airlines, but PAL Business Class seems to have improved from the last time (count em, 4 years) I took it to the US to visit Hestia. You get the usual welcome drink (a mango smoothie for me, yummy!), the usual refreshing face towel, but now before dinner, you get another drink, an appetizer, and then the main course. Cool! Had I been travelling with one of the padres, I probably would’ve gone alcoholic all the way, but since I was beside someone I didn’t know – a very formal and proper looking Filipino lady perhaps my Mom’s age – I did not want to destroy the reputation of us 30 plus year olds. So it was mostly just fruit juices and water for me. Hehehe!

Had 2 movies that fancied me on the small screen. And these started playing while dinner – got the sea bass, by the way – was about to be served. Since I missed the first 3 minutes of ‘Megamind’s’ opening monologue, I watched ‘The Expendables’. What can I say? For me, it’s more funny than action packed. But at least it was a light movie, save for when Sly Stallone gets dramatic and stuff. Fell asleep after that. And now I was beginning to miss the Cathay Pacific chairs I’ve heard so much about. Well, at least the PAL chairs were electronically controlled now. No more pushing and exerting too much effort to get them to recline. Way to go, Chairman.

Got a few winks in, thankfully. Until I woke up, I never felt the cold. I guess I was just adjusting, or perhaps we were getting within cooler areas. Eventually used the blanket as my jacket was in my bag, plus it gets in the way of the next agenda… breakfast!

I honestly can’t remember what I had though. I know it was fish, but what fish exactly? I guess it was that forgettable. Hehehe! Got to squeeze in some ‘Megamind’. Started at the part when he was talking to Metro Man’s statue after he dies. Hahaha! Liked that movie more than the first one I watched on the flight. Hehehe! The sarcasm and wit. Very nice….

Filled out my form and prepared for landing. Got to chat up my neighbor a bit, as she started it with a small comment about what we could see outside. Ah… the lights of the “City by the Bay.” I don’t know why it enchants me to much. I suppose the combination of the setting sun beginning to hide into the mountains, and then fog creeping in, with just enough lights for you to see the divide between land and sea.

Back in 2006, I could sing “I Left My Heart in San Francisco,” as I flew out. Hestia was there. This time, the romantic setting is just that… a romantic setting. And the romantic atmosphere, or the suggestion of it, is just that, a suggestion. “I Left My Heart in Pacific Place,” is more like it.

Anyhow, when the plane lands, I help get the lady’s bag from the overhead cabinet, and then get mine. I slap on my jacket, bracing for some biting cold. But as I exit the airplane tunnel, there is no biting cold, but just a cool, cool breeze. I was beginning to regret bringing my jackets.

My first stop outside the plane… the men’s room. Ah yes, it just smelled like the USA. Funny how a place of piss and poop can smell so differently in the USA. But hey, it does. Must be the detergents and disinfectants. Or perhaps the fact that there are full strength detergents and disinfectants being used on a regular basis.

I clear immigration, and get a cart for my baggage from a friendly airport ground crew. Nice to see a wide smile and hear an emphatic greeting after a long trip. Couldn’t expect that from the Immigration guys. Of course not.

As I get to the carousel, I’m met with a wall of 2-3 people deep at most sides, all waiting for their luggage to come out. I break my Lola’s rule of not leaving a bag unguarded. Sorry Lola, I’m alone on this trip. But had an eye on it for the most part. Plus everything was tucked away safely inside.

My 2 trolleys come out almost at the same time. Since there were just too many people, I couldn’t pull both out in one go, lest I throw at least 4 people off of their positions. Which is what I wanted to do at some point, since “Excuse me” wasn’t working anymore. Thankfully, their vision wasn’t as bad as their hearing, so they avoided meeting Mr. Elbow.

I had nothing to declare, as per the Customs form, so as I was surrendering said form to the officer of Chinese descent, he asks me, “Do you have chicharon?” I had to ask him again to be sure I heard it right. I ended up saying no. It’s a good thing he didn’t ask about dried mangoes. Hehehe! As I had a number of packs, for my team, inside. On my way out I passed the “random” inspection area, and saw that a lot of folks with Indian or Middle Eastern descent were being subject to full luggage inspection. “Random” indeed.

As I wheel my luggage out to the arrival lobby, I’m met by a Caucasian guy in a black suit with the name “John”. Pretty “generic”, American guy description. I have arrived in the USA indeed. Coz, with due respect to them, the guys at Immigration and Customs were of Asian descent, and save for their American accents, though Mr. Chicharon had a Chinese accent, I could’ve sworn I was in Hong Kong Airport. Diversity, it is.

Going back to John, he takes my cart and pushes it for me. We go for a long walk from the terminal to the parking lot. I’m in comfy crocs loafers, wearing my jacket and carrying nothing, and he’s in his formal black suit, leather shoes, pushing a cart with over 100 lbs of luggage, and he’s leaving me behind. Iba na ang malaki. At ang nag-e-exercise. Hehehe!

Yes, Black Tie Limo Company uses a black Lincoln Town Car, with stock chrome wheels (ugh! would've looked better without the chrome, or much bigger if with the chrome) to pick me up. Get up is complete for John and his company. The huge trunk swallows my 2 trolleys, and I sit in the back - which is a rarity for me - pulling out my camera, then realizing the futility of taking moving night shots, so I just enjoy the view, and try to recall where we passed 4 years before.

My trusty GPS finally found its signal, and thankfully the installed map is still accurate, so I was able to track where we were passing. This gave me some confidence to get my own rental and start driving again. But that’s tomorrow’s story.

This one ends at the hotel. We arrive at Summerfield, which reminds me of a nicer and classier Doubletree, but still a low-rise (4 floor) building. I step out of the car, and motion to wear my jacket. I think twice, as it’s not that cold. But anyway, sayang naman. Gamitin na nga. We knock but no one answers. Then we wait for about 10 minutes before someone appears. Apparently the night shift is very lean, so when he goes out to help someone, no one gets left behind at the desk. Oh well. It’s not Grand Cypress anyways. But it’s a Hyatt.

Which is why, after having checked me in, gotten me a trolley for my luggage and given me my key, he says good night, and reminds me to just leave the trolley outside my door when I’m done with it. Oh! Self-service eh? No prob. Not the 5-star Hyatt, but definitely a far cry from Ramada.

Night 1 ends after I make my phone calls to the house, and prep my gear for Day 1 at the office. Twas a long and memorable day, that January 23….

WE ARE ONE...

When asked then when I think my baby will arrive, I always say “on Jan 19”…as it would surely be memorable to have our baby with us, exactly after a year of being married. But then again, like a lot of things in this world, which we do not have full control of; a different plot came into view.

“…Let it be said by our children's children that when we were tested, we refused to let this journey end, that we did not turn back nor did we falter; and with eyes fixed on the horizon and God's grace upon us…”

An hour after watching US Pres. Obama’s inauguration rites at around 330AM, I woke up with lower abdominal cramps (which I initially thought will be easily relieved by changing positions or walking around). I spent another hour monitoring how long the cramps would last and figured that I have to wake Migoy up – as the cramps were felt at 5-min interval, lasting for around 1 to 2 min. Thanks to the learning from our birthing class, the relaxation techniques were definitely helpful (in fact, I had to wait for Migoy to finish up taking a shower – yes, he was so relaxed.).

By 5AM, with less than 30 min drive from Pasig to Alabang, we were already inside the Genesis Center. I was diagnosed to be 3 to 4 cm dilated already. Then, the staff already advised me to be admitted. While at the labor room, I would say, I was able to manage the contraction pains well --- as I was still able to find time to send text messages to family and friends on my labor progress. At 9AM, I was again checked and was told that I am already 4 cm dilated. After the staff learned that I only had a slice of toast and a glass of water for breakfast about 5 to 6 hours earlier, they asked my doctor if I can still enjoy breakfast. Lo and behold, they later served rice, chicken with mushrooms, and cereals for my breakfast.

After enjoying my meal and a couple of hours later, dilation is not progressing well, that I was advised to do manual stimulation (which did not work that well either). By 1PM, I already had to be administered with oxytocin to help with my labor. An hour after the oxytocin kicked in, my dilation came up to 6 cm! I was successfully managing the pains naturally, until I felt I was short of breath at every contraction. I felt I was having an asthma attack --- that my attempts to breathe deeply were foiled. This is the time the epidural came in handy --- although it brought uncontrollable chills all over.

I was wheeled into the birthing room (BR322) to prepare us for the main event. I was then diagnosed to be 8 cm dilated an hour later, but my water bag was still intact. My doctor then had to rupture my bag and was happy to see that the water was still clear --- still a good sign that we can proceed with normal delivery (as I had indicated clearly in my birth plan).

After almost a couple of hours of close monitoring, I was stuck at 8 cm dilation and my baby’s heartbeat was dropping in a regular pattern (coinciding with every contraction). It may be every woman’s wish to have an hourglass figure, especially after the pregnancy; but mine came too soon and in a different way. Everyone observed how oddly shaped my very-pregnant tummy has become! It was shaped like an hourglass…which then brought my doctor to advise Migoy that she is thinking of doing a C-section with my state and especially that of our baby. With my sober condition, I was roused to listen to my doctor’s advice intently. Considering my baby’s condition, I immediately succumbed to the needed surgery.

At exactly 5:28PM, my baby was out. It was a good decision to not waste any time to proceed with the C-section, as my baby had a cord coil, which was causing the distress (and probably my peculiarly bunched up tummy). As soon as I heard my baby cry, I was in tears…moments later, I had her on my chest.

The sequence of events on that joyful day definitely put me and Migoy to the test --- test of love, trust, strength, and faith --- and with much pride, I would say, we were ONE and we did not falter and instead, faced every step of that wonderful journey together with lots of laughs and tears; and interesting stories to tell baby Annika.

Travelogue of an Absentee Blogger

Yes, I have been out for quite some time…been up and about doing a lot of things [as some other people would call it, simply put, “I was caught up with @#%^ work!”]…anyhow, now that I finally found some time to sneak out and logon to our blog, here’s my excuse:

July 2007: Been asked to prepare and pack up for a month-long trip to Cape Town. Happy? Hmm…yes, since it would be my first time to see another part of the globe (which apparently has quite a number of interesting places to boot – in fact, these places are included in the book, “1000 Places to See Before You Die”) Sad? Hmm…yes, as I know it will be another bout of fighting loneliness.

Aug 7, 2007: Off to Cape Town via Singapore. I will be taking 16 hour long trip from Manila. I even had a funny experience of bringing overweight luggage into Cape Town, that the ground attendants initially thought I was flying to the US. Well, another help from lady luck, I got off without paying a cent!

Aug 8, 2007: Arrived in Cape Town safely. Weather was nice. It was sunny and breezy at the same time. From the airport and en-route to the hotel, I never thought I was already staring at the famous Table Mountain. Only until I got into the office did I realize I was staring at the same mountain all along! Believe it or not, that same day when my plane landed, (after a bit of work) I had to ask my colleagues to drive me up to the Table Mountain. [I was indeed lucky to get that opportunity, as the sun never showed up the same way it did that day when I arrived during my month-long stay in Cape Town.]

Aug 9, 2007: National Women’s Day…Fighting the urge to succumb to jetlag, I had to condition myself for my next stop. 6AM flight from Cape Town to Durban! It was a long weekend, so I took the chance to get in that flight! Once we landed in Durban, which was about a 2 hour flight, we enjoyed some nature and cultural trip, seeing the valleys and the tribes that lived there. Then, as the day ended, we headed to Umschlanga to get some rest in preparation for the next leg of the Durban trip.

Aug 10, 2007: From Umschlanga, we drove off to the Sani Pass Hotel to view the famous Drakensberg Mountain. We enjoyed the scenery and the buffet dinner they served…and yes, since we were in South Africa, we had to try the wine! Guess what? Wine tastes great! We all had our fair share of the bottle that we all retired early to bed. It was just right to keep us well rested…

Aug 11, 2007: Early to bed, early to rise…we all had to rise up early to get on our ATVs! Yes, we all booked ourselves for a tour using All-Terrain Vehicles! Driving to the top of the Sani Pass using quad bikes? That was an awesome (but dangerous) experience.

Aug 12, 2007: Headed back to Cape Town. For the first time, I checked in a hand-carry luggage (which was not overweight, and not heavy at all) and it got lost!

From the time I got back my luggage, until the time I got to have Kermin with me in Cape Town, we had the chance to see Cape Town’s great scenic places --- Stellenbosch, Boulder’s Beach, Cape Point, Cape of Good Hope…seeing these nice places were great…but I knew it would be much better if I had shared the trip with Migs around. Day in and day out, we keep in touch…greeting each other as we start the day or as we end the day whenever possible. It felt different when a day passes by without hearing each other say “Hi” or “Hello”.

…Being away for one whole month, one thing’s for sure, I knew it felt great to know that though we’re miles and miles apart, neither distance nor difference in time zones will ever keep us apart. Oops, a second point to add, I am pretty sure Cape Town will be on our list of things to see together…honeymoon? We’ll see…

Lightning McQueen, Route 66, Radiator Springs and Finding Yourself

When you find yourself
In some far off place,
And it causes you
To rethink some things.
You start to sense
That slowly you’re becoming someone else
And then you find yourself.

When you make new friends
In a brand new town,
And you start to think
About settling down,
The things that would have been lost on you
Are now clear as a bell.
And you find yourself
That’s when you find yourself.

Well you go through life
So sure of where you’re heading,
And you wind up lost
And it’s the best thing that could happen.
‘Cause sometimes when you lose your way
It’s really just as well.
‘Cause you find yourself;
That when you find yourself.

When you meet the one
You’ve been waiting for,
And she’s everything
That you want and more,
You look at her
And you finally start
To live for someone else.
And then you find yourself;
That’s when you find yourself.

We go through life
So sure of where we’re heading,
And then we wind up lost
And it’s the best thing that could happen.
Sometimes when you lose your way
It’s really just as well.
Because you find yourself;
Yeah that’s when you find yourself.


Well, when you want to find a movie that'll somehow teach you a simple lesson in life, go look for an animated movie (or as they'd say in the '80s, a cartoon). That'll surely make you leave the cinema, or your favorite comfy chair, with a light heart, but with a lesson learned.

This lesson I learned came from Disney's "Cars". Well, actually, from one of the songs on its OST -- Find Yourself. Didn't think a song done by a Country singer would catch my fancy, but more about that in a little bit. Cars is one of my all-time favorite movies. The story is pretty simple, but the trip to Radiator Springs reminded me of my road trip last year with Hestia to the Grand Canyon. We drove down the Mother Road, Route 66.

Getting off the main freeway and on to Route 66 is a bit like getting of SLEX or NLEX and going onto provincial roads. It's not as wide, nor as spacious, and you can't go as fast. A bother for the true blue Lightning McQueen in each one of us. But like Route 66 passing through Carburetor County, these country roads are quaint and charming. And if you travel into the countryside more, the less you see the same stuff you see in the city, and the more you have a glimpse and a taste of the more laidback culture.

That was a fun trip. Romantic, you could say that. It was then the longest time I had been seated beside Hestia. Well, the longest time I had been seated beside her straight, without anyone or anything getting in the way. I'm speaking figuratively, of course, you dirty mind, you. :P

Now about the song whose lyrics I've again shamelessly posted on the blog. There comes a time in your life when you're just too caught up with what you do (well, or not), that you, ehem, lose yourself and just find in your place this lost person just going through the motions. You end up doing something that you've been accustomed to doing, but you no longer recall why you're doing it. One day, you just end up hitting a wall, or getting, ehem, lost. It's when you're knocked off of this comfy (comfy coz you're used to being there) perch that you realize you don't know exactly who you are anymore, and you don't know exactly where you wanna go.

Lightning was too busy basking in his glory, that he forgot about the simple yet more important things in life. I was caught up going through some familiar motions about 3 years back. My brick wall was the announcement that I'd be pulled out of my project, my lofty perch, and moved to a new one, working with colleagues I was not familiar with, and at a place miles in the direction opposite of where I wanted to be. I was, ehem, lost.

And Hestia was, packaged together, my Sally Carrera, my Radiator Springs, and my reason to go all out for the Piston Cup, yet not that all out to lose my self again. When I found her, then realized that she is the one I want to be with, I knew my life was going to change -- for the better, of course. I found myself. I found her, then I found me.

I found out that I didn't want to be single for very long anymore, and that I would like to experience the joys and pains of being married to the woman of my dreams and the love of my life. (Whether I'll be saying the same after years of being married, I don't know.)

Hehehe! Just kidding Honey. That part is something we both will be working on by living our lives together. I miss you. I love you.