Isa’s Ba-Log

27 December 2005, 2:09p

It’s cool to be online in Baler, and actually not to be paying for my internet usage. Good thing my Kuya Boy has decided to get his office connected to cyberspace. Now I can just hog his computer while I’m here and not have to pay for anything.

As usual, the trip home was difficult, but well worth it. Nice and cool here, a welcome change from the Manila weather. Although, the past week, it’s been rather wet here in Baler. The only time it didn’t rain was on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Apparently, there is a low pressure area somewhere east of the Visayas that’s affecting the weather here. I only hope it gets sunnier soon because I want to go to the beach before heading back to Manila.

We had quite a few visits last Christmas Day from kids. I got visits from my godchildren (didn’t realize there were quite a few of them), and it made me realize just how old I am. I don’t normally bother, but seeing how grown up some of them drove home the point that yes, I am getting older and older, and the years are zooming faster and faster. Weird how when I was a kid, I couldn’t wait to get older and now that I am older, I kind of look back longingly to those old days. Ok, I’ve got to stop this, or I’ll get depressed.

I’ve actually been doing some work while I’m here, although in between work, I’ve been answering the questions from this book a friend of mine gave me. It’s called The Little Book of Stupid Questions. Some questions are quite stupid but others are pretty interesting. Some are really difficult to answer though.

Oh well, I gotta put someone to bed for his afternoon nap now, so we’ll be heading home. I’ll see if I can upload another post before I go back to Manila.

18 December 2005, 6:25p

In three days time, I’ll be heading home to Baler. Am so looking forward to that trip. Sure, I’m taking some work home, but on the whole, I’ll have a grand R&R time while there. I only hope it won’t be raining much.

It’ll be another 8 hours on the road, more than half of it spent winding through rough and steep roads in the Sierra Madres, but that has never really bothered me. The trip’s always worth it. I guess because Baler is where I feel I belong the most. Life is slow and easy. No malls, no movie theaters, just beach and mountains. I prefer the rivers and mountains myself, though, where it’s nice and cooler. I don’t travel much during evenings, but I loved it most when I traversed the mountains at night. Dark and beatiful, cool and serene. This time of the year is always the longest I stay at home. Almost two weeks…that is life.

I don’t really know if I like the fact that people are starting to discover Baler. Somehow, if it becomes a big tourist spot, I think it’ll lose the magic for me. Fortunately, while there have been increased interest, it’s still nothing like the other tourist areas in the Philippines. That I’m thankful for. Kind of selfish, I know, I mean increased arrival would spur economic activities there, which is certainly needed, but I don’t know…

Whatever…right now, I’m just looking forward to going home…

12 December 2005, 9:03pm

I don’t know how others feel, but somehow, I think this year’s Christmas isn’t going to rank among my favorites. It’s almost mid-December–the big day is less than a couple of weeks away–and I still don’t feel Christmassy. I mean I’ve done some shopping, but I’m still way too far from being finished, and I’m not really panicking. In previous years, I’d be panicking even before December rolls in.

So, why the blues? Money, that’s one reason, or the lack thereof. Ok, so it’s not like I haven’t got any cent left. But somehow, I feel so poor this year, and I’ve never felt like this before. I’m not even halfway through getting presents for my family and friends, and I feel like my pocket is all drained. My fault really, but geez…I really need to do some serious budgeting this coming year. Hah! Let me see myself do that. That would be a miracle…:-D

The other reason I can’t really pinpoint. You know that feeling when you know there’s something bothering you only you can’t exactly figure out what. That feeling has been lingering for a while now, and it gets me p***sed off because I can’t figure it out. I mean I got it partly figured out, but not entirely, and I feel like the only way I’m going to ever feel better about it is when I do finally figure the whole thing out. Which is somewhat of a Catch-22 because to finally figure out the whole thing I gotta figure out entirely what’s bothering me. Oh what the heck…

Lest everyone think I’m all out of the Christmas spirit though, I did join some friends for a nice dinner and funny DVDs last Saturday. And we’ve got a trip to Baguio planned for the last week of January. That’s something I’m really looking forward to, because I miss Baguio. I’ll be bringing Ben along, and this will be his first time there.

Speaking of Ben, thank God for my baby.