tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-50838114802330641992012-02-17T04:45:26.279+08:00Ilya of Vasaynoreply@blogger.comBlogger731100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5083811480233064199.post-34254278536346574172008-07-10T16:47:00.001+08:002009-09-03T18:13:30.321+08:00

have you ever tried searching Google images for abstract or invisible things like air, wind, love, etc? i did and ended up disturbed by the volume of results i got. there were so many images attached to these words!!! i know, i know, i’m being naive to think that i would find blank squares on the results page - the whole thing just bothered me.["choke me in the shallow water before i get too deep

Ilya of Vasaynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5083811480233064199.post-42656972048411043772008-07-02T17:24:00.001+08:002008-07-02T17:24:32.701+08:00

I finally submitted my application for graduate studies on Monday. I'm not very enthusiastic about the program, though.. My heart is still on the MA English Studies (creative writing) at UP Diliman, to which I got accepted in 2006. I did not go through with it because of the crazy class schedule - a 4x a week commute to and from Quezon City that meant I had to make up like 20 hours of work every

Ilya of Vasaynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5083811480233064199.post-38023750757589843242008-06-26T17:28:00.000+08:002008-06-26T17:29:39.625+08:00

Ilya of Vasaynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5083811480233064199.post-61312346767395106242008-06-25T16:41:00.001+08:002008-06-30T09:57:55.299+08:00

What bothered me was not so much the winds that howled that night but the fact that typhoon Frank came and went without my having a clue as to its direction, size or strength. I mean, I track storms. I have almost never been through a storm without three sets of projections in my head.The downpour was already heavy by Saturday, and, since the power was out we went up to bed early. The power came

Ilya of Vasaynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5083811480233064199.post-52966044659382319952008-06-25T16:40:00.000+08:002008-06-25T16:41:43.319+08:00

Motherhood has opened much more than my cervix (well technically, my cervix did not open, but you get the point). I am all for children, I love them. But now I look at a baby and I know, as in cerebral-know, him or her. How soft, how warm, how wiggly. Suddenly, there are no ugly babies. Suddenly, I am the mother of each infant I see. Each one is special and beautiful — this phrase is no longer

Ilya of Vasaynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5083811480233064199.post-75244578866925750172008-06-23T16:29:00.003+08:002008-06-23T16:34:11.255+08:00

We had our little lady baptized into the Catholic Church a week before her second month birthday.Meet Sarai Malaya Isabel.

Ilya of Vasaynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5083811480233064199.post-61500834824796043162008-06-10T11:19:00.004+08:002008-06-13T15:28:11.809+08:00

I have a rather small zone of comfort, at least for certain things, such as who cuts my hair. I keep going to the same girl, who no longer seems happy that I do, as I can be really fussy. I am fussy. I always either bring a photo or point to something in the salon magazine, and mess it all up for her by my elaborations.gayahin nyo po ito, pero gusto ko soft ang layers tsaka yung kahit san galing

Ilya of Vasaynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5083811480233064199.post-78349180332488653082008-06-03T17:04:00.004+08:002008-06-23T16:24:27.887+08:00

(FLASHBACK to last week of April)What can I say after five weeks? A lot, but it's hard to find time to type anything as the flow of thought is bound to be broken in a matter of minutes by a diaper that needs to be changed, a tiny tummy that needs milk or just tiny arms that need holding.Tiny arms that need to be held - very hard for me to resist, despite the chorus of "wag sanayin sa karga" and

Ilya of Vasaynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5083811480233064199.post-10849296424602019892008-06-03T16:49:00.004+08:002008-06-23T16:28:48.235+08:00

How did it feel meeting her at last? It took me quite a while to find the words. The warm feelings were tempered by kaba, but I chose to savor everything. The excitement built up daily.When I met Sarai for the first time I was still groggy from the anaesthesia and whatever stuff the nurses were injecting into my IV after the C-section. For the first moments it felt like meeting a stranger. But I

Ilya of Vasaynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5083811480233064199.post-68934250144038094992008-06-03T16:03:00.006+08:002008-06-23T16:23:20.718+08:00

... happy to break the news - stale news at this point, and what's the point, my readership does not go beyond the 2-person radius of my comfort zone but -(scream) nanay na ako!!!our little lady was born 2:01 PM on Easter Tuesday.

Ilya of Vasaynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5083811480233064199.post-2905716807687234152008-03-18T15:52:00.004+08:002008-04-20T18:52:33.362+08:00

WEEK 41. this blog entry day after my due date only means i'm still prego.i'm trying to be patient, with an eye on that page in the book that lists down stuff you can eat/do to induce labor. thing is, however, i cannot attempt any of that until the baby fixes at a head-down position. yesterday he/she was moving around more than ever. at least four times during the day ay nakabalagbag sya and i'd

Ilya of Vasaynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5083811480233064199.post-78884589734290148352008-03-13T16:30:00.006+08:002008-06-03T17:13:05.518+08:00

i don't usually advocate instant anything, especially food, but let me make an exception: Antonio Pueo's Double Chocolate Champorado. AP is known for their tablea but when i found the champorado mix in the supermarket i decided to give it a try. it takes relatively less time to prepare and tastes like champorado the way it was traditionally made in the kitchens of our childhood.

Ilya of Vasaynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5083811480233064199.post-68020290093219070542008-03-13T12:55:00.003+08:002008-03-18T15:19:57.587+08:00

janina san miguel's verbal diarrhea was delivered with such charm it made her a celeb overnight. vivienne tan (the judge who asked her the question) has reportedly pledged a scholarship for her.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xKwmseoKFCowho's "ken lee"?http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_RgL2MKfWTowatch this substandard imitation of "ken lee." take time to read the comments. http://www.youtube.com/

Ilya of Vasaynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5083811480233064199.post-72282183525113441162008-03-12T10:30:00.002+08:002008-03-12T10:34:04.904+08:00

things happen (or don't) for a reason. it's a good thing i did not go into labor when i was wishing i would the most, because the baby had moved out of position. (doc confirmed last week that baby's head had engaged. but she acknowledged na malikot daw talaga si bata.)the prenatal checkup yesterday confirmed what i have suspected since weekend: baby's in breech position again. doc said it happens

Ilya of Vasaynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5083811480233064199.post-67641082439383022422008-03-10T12:19:00.003+08:002008-06-03T16:31:37.154+08:00

madalas sa aking pagbubuntis, naisip ko na para itong pila sa STAT 1 nung college.pumila kami overnight sa PhySci. nasa third floor ang enlistment area pero hanggang parking area sa baba ang pila. pagdating ng umaga, may mga dumating na naglalakihang fratmen, nambalya para makasingit sa pila. nag-abang tuloy ako maghapon sa isang prof na brod ng roommate ko, umaasang may magba-backout sa class

Ilya of Vasaynoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5083811480233064199.post-82297921002357015882008-03-10T11:53:00.004+08:002008-06-03T16:26:47.633+08:00

pregnancy brings with it many things strange -- physical, emotional, etc. -- and a handful of books and a hundred websites will not cover everything. there is always room for the unknown, which is providential because it's where faith comes in. i learned to thank God for the things that are clear and certain and trust Him for those that aren't.i am a week away from my due date, praise God for

Ilya of Vasaynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5083811480233064199.post-26824982332737135892008-03-10T11:42:00.002+08:002008-06-03T16:33:29.113+08:00

WEEK 40. still pregnant (groan). for the last two weeks i have been expecting to give birth-anytime. Nana said all four of us came a few days early (i came twelve days early) so there was a good chance i'd take from her. but the little one seems to be taking his/her time, which is okay. i'm due on the 17th yet. we have time. but the belly growing heavier each day is no joke. last week i was

Ilya of Vasaynoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5083811480233064199.post-27653893750498988612008-03-10T11:06:00.004+08:002008-03-10T13:20:45.625+08:00

found out we're pregnant on... 28 July 2007 (7 weeks along)prescribed bed rest for... two weeks in early Augustcravings... bananas (tsina), buko juice, hubby's behindfood aversions... onions, smell of oil, mayonnaise, fried food, anything with MSG in itfound out gender of baby... we chose not tofelt first baby movement... 5th monthhad first stretch mark... 7th month

Ilya of Vasaynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5083811480233064199.post-90404619917755468812008-03-04T17:04:00.008+08:002008-03-04T17:11:02.191+08:00

happy anniv tatay!!!

Ilya of Vasaynoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5083811480233064199.post-14793050530796969902008-02-29T16:57:00.004+08:002008-02-29T17:01:37.622+08:00

the Big Day could come anytime between now and my due date March 17. please keep us in your prayers. (you could use the following.)prayer for expectant mothersAll loving God, You created the human family as a reflection of your own divine life so that Your creation might share in Your happiness. Hear our prayer for Your daughter who awaits the birth of her child. She has cooperated with You in

Ilya of Vasaynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5083811480233064199.post-59812856290783296302008-02-29T10:58:00.002+08:002008-02-29T11:05:08.238+08:00

why hasn't anyone done queen's "killer queen" on AI? i have been wondering for a while now. it's not an easy piece so i figured if you wanted to impress simon (the one judge worth impressing) and you think you could pull off a semblance of an FM performance with stage antics then you should give KQ a try.well someone finally did! no comparison to FM, but i think it's a nice

Ilya of Vasaynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5083811480233064199.post-65108065922118629782008-02-28T10:48:00.016+08:002008-06-03T16:46:45.029+08:00

i have cried over a hundred movies, it's no news dahil mababaw talaga ang luha ko. but i can name only three i bawled all the way through - two of them adapted from books by Nicholas Sparks (what is it with this guy? he seems to set out writing with the overriding aim of dehydrating his readers).i watched The Notebook with hubby at home last night over dinner (tearjerker + food? not advisable).

Ilya of Vasaynoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5083811480233064199.post-61248710382319754212008-02-28T10:39:00.003+08:002008-02-28T10:48:09.135+08:00

WEEK 38. the prenatal exam the other day yielded comforting news: baby has turned and is now cephalic (in a head-down position). very good anak. and we profusely thank the Lord who has never failed us and Mary, who faithfully carries our concerns to Him.(i recently watched One Night With The King, a film based on the Book of Esther. the image of Esther risking her life to come before Xerxes king

Ilya of Vasaynoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5083811480233064199.post-75881198689149988312008-02-22T16:53:00.008+08:002008-02-22T17:11:40.221+08:00

if it's a subconscious effort to make up for my inadequate pregnancy weight gain, i don't know, but i have been craving all sorts of food lately. some of them happen to be street food (don't worry baby, mommy's not going for that... yet), but it's mostly tastes and textures and smells i grew up on or tasted during the hundred times i have been to ilocos. ergo, comfort food:#1 silamand what is

Ilya of Vasaynoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5083811480233064199.post-21830268911374613762008-02-21T17:23:00.002+08:002008-02-21T17:30:10.476+08:00

i woke up around 430am today because of a searing pain below my left ribcage. someone's foot seemed to have been caught there again! what happy news! thank God. i hope the baby keeps his or her head down from now on.

Ilya of Vasaynoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5083811480233064199.post-11268309790910490282008-02-21T16:59:00.002+08:002008-02-21T17:21:43.730+08:00

during the last two monthly pre-natal checkups - the last one on tuesday last week, Feb12 - the obgyne told us the baby is breech ("but it could still turn"). the baby turned for sure within that one month interval, as there were two weeks in between when i awoke at least once each night because the baby seemed to like lodging his or her feet against my ribs (this hurts) that meant baby was in a

Ilya of Vasaynoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5083811480233064199.post-62810940356468451472008-02-21T15:48:00.007+08:002008-02-21T16:58:53.384+08:00

WEEK 37. i feel good. much better compared to when i had sciatica-like pains for two weeks in January, which were worst when i had to get up during the night to pee. now, much of the difficulty in getting up at night has to do with the weight of my belly. up until last month i hardly noticed the bump. i mean, there was a big bump but it didn't feel heavy at all. now i am fully conscious of the

Ilya of Vasaynoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5083811480233064199.post-37637205742567339422008-02-08T16:55:00.002+08:002008-02-18T15:31:15.535+08:00

THE AMI"... are an indigenous people of Taiwan. They speak an Austronesian language and are one of the thirteen officially recognized peoples of Taiwanese aborigines... the largest tribal group (about 150,000)... primarily fishermen due to their coastal location... their closest genetic relative appears to be the Filipinos.This name comes from the word amis, meaning "north." (Ivatans call the

Ilya of Vasaynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5083811480233064199.post-15775908348919041792008-02-06T17:02:00.000+08:002008-02-06T17:04:15.892+08:00

RACHEL: Joanna, this is my friend, Chandler Bing.JOANNA: Bing! That's a great name.CHANDLER: Thanks. It's Gaelic for "Thy turkey's done."

Ilya of Vasaynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5083811480233064199.post-44780760611790227582008-02-06T16:59:00.000+08:002008-02-11T10:11:07.062+08:00

WEEK 35. i can't believe i have just over a month to wait until i meet the little Ronaldinho/Mia Hamm inside my uterus.sometime during my fifth month, when i realized i was halfway into my pregnancy, i began to dread the Big Day. any would-be mom would know exactly how that no-turning-back dread feels. i browsed a birthing magazine for assurance but the big colored closeup pictures of the

Ilya of Vasaynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5083811480233064199.post-39145593329395407432008-02-06T16:57:00.000+08:002008-02-11T09:53:21.287+08:00

i love february; nag-aagaw ang init at lamig - my favorite kind of weather. well, at least that used to be the case. the climate has gone awry; it's been warm since may and last year's rainy season has not come. i was counting on cooler weather for my last trimester, when i expect my body thermostat to be most unruly. it IS still cooler than the past months, just not enough. or maybe it's

Ilya of Vasaynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5083811480233064199.post-87521133763159554912008-01-30T17:06:00.001+08:002008-02-11T09:48:16.647+08:00

getting our own little shack was as much a leap of faith as getting married, we of meager state salaries. we decided on it knowing that when the arrangements are done all we get is a concrete box with a toilet, which means we need to spend some more to make the house livable. but God affirmed our choice.we started the work on the house mid-December, just before the Christmas break, a time when

Ilya of Vasaynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5083811480233064199.post-26872512365325900552008-01-30T16:47:00.000+08:002008-02-11T09:23:45.213+08:00

time for some overdue updates:moved in to new house in Bay on 15th January.house blessing on the 16th by Kuya Ruel. attended by Lan's parents, sis and sis-in-law, my three kapatids, and Tan. we also invited Bernie who helped hubby with the painting of the bakod andretouching of the window sills and who was our muscle-power during the move-out/in.our friends are expecting a housewarming but Lan

Ilya of Vasaynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5083811480233064199.post-38881490242337629282007-12-19T14:56:00.000+08:002007-12-19T15:45:09.966+08:00

i tried to email you the final "performance" but it won't send. so go to http://www.elfyourself.com/, follow instructions and have fun watching the folks (or yourself) gyrate. (just make sure you have photos to upload.)

Ilya of Vasaynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5083811480233064199.post-39299051935113619742007-12-10T17:19:00.001+08:002008-02-08T12:59:21.600+08:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gv-0w1YaA_wa wise person once told me that the kind of worship that makes the Father happy can be likened to that of babies encountering their own fathers. i found this video on youtube and i think it makes a good visual of what she meant.

Ilya of Vasaynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5083811480233064199.post-16808228869990259122007-12-07T16:11:00.000+08:002007-12-07T16:50:48.596+08:00

some of the lines i found most funny:(Joey comes out from his room wearing ridiculous clothes. He has to look nineteen for an audition.)Joey: 'Sup? 'Sup, dude?Chandler: [putting his hands up] Take whatever you want, just please don't hurt me.Joey: So, you're playing a little Playstation, huh? That's whack. Playstation is whack. 'Sup with the whack Playstation, 'sup? Huh? Come on, am I nineteen or

Ilya of Vasaynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5083811480233064199.post-56421402884573126232007-12-06T17:24:00.001+08:002007-12-07T13:46:23.490+08:00

one of my favorite Joey parts.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GmHwUCdi-a0

Ilya of Vasaynoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5083811480233064199.post-40990119192495478342007-12-06T14:56:00.000+08:002007-12-06T17:00:46.113+08:00

last night, while hubby was working on the computer i went over to bump my belly on his shoulder, as if the baby is patting him on the back ("wag pakapagod tatay!"). hubby turned to the belly, hugged it and began talking to the baby. what a beautiful sight. i reached for hubby's phone to take a picture, and when i looked at my belly again it was misshapen, as if i had swallowed a book or

Ilya of Vasaynoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5083811480233064199.post-81721886067264214702007-12-05T10:33:00.000+08:002007-12-17T17:08:27.047+08:00

the beetle went cold again so Lanlan and i took a jeep to the apartment at rhodas for the birthday dinner for Kusi. we left before 10PM as we knew we'd be walking out of the subdivision. when we got to the bukana, a speeding tricycle came to view all of a sudden and made a turn from the highway to where we were. hindi nag-menor. the tricycle almost hit me. it happened so fast. hubby yelled at the

Ilya of Vasaynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5083811480233064199.post-60457389616528983082007-12-04T09:59:00.000+08:002007-12-04T10:03:11.839+08:00

the Manila Times carried a feature today: baby boom in Hollywood. i did notice lately that a lot of celebs are preggers but i thought i only noticed because i was, too.

Ilya of Vasaynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5083811480233064199.post-57158721083080313812007-12-04T09:50:00.001+08:002008-02-18T15:34:45.389+08:00

being pregnant makes you notice other pregos and they seem to be everywhere! even on friendster. i can't remember a time when there were more people i know who are expecting. there's Rochelle and Lorelee (who gave birth nov. 2), and then there's Orpha who gave my college friend Mike a gorgeous baby girl, and Maricris who pushed out twins around the time i found out i was preggy.a trip to the

Ilya of Vasaynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5083811480233064199.post-18121005502541667052007-12-04T09:44:00.000+08:002007-12-04T09:48:39.653+08:00

PDI story says Anak Krakatau is one of four volcanoes, in Indonesia alone, that have rumbled to life in recent weeks.(Click here for story on Yahoo News.)

Ilya of Vasaynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5083811480233064199.post-29314345613682631012007-12-03T17:35:00.000+08:002007-12-04T11:35:40.461+08:00

Independent filmmaker Adolf Alix Jr. has just finished shooting another film, a love story, called simply "Batanes." The film is about a girl from the city who comes to live in Batanes and is torn between an Ivatan (native) guy that she loved and a stranger from Taiwan. The main actors are not natives of Batanes. The film will be released in early December.http://youtube.com/watch?v=Zo26OQABjAw

Ilya of Vasaynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5083811480233064199.post-48275796359823248482007-12-03T17:34:00.000+08:002007-12-04T10:19:23.480+08:00

shortly after my mother-in-law asked over dinner in their house last week if i had felt the baby kicking already, i felt a slight fluttering low in my abdomen. could this be it..? i was not even sure; i might just as well have imagined it. but when hubby and i got home that night, i felt the fluttering again. i told hubby and he excitedly put his hand over my belly. it never came again that

Ilya of Vasaynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5083811480233064199.post-40744078274221113302007-12-03T17:28:00.000+08:002007-12-03T17:33:12.860+08:00

i was searching online for the "best fruitcake recipe" and found this - a recipe that i think will be really fun to follow ;-). puts you in the spirit. when i'm not preggers, i will surely try it (good luck to my friends).* * *Christmas Whiskey Cake1 cup butter2 cups sugar6 large eggs2 teaspoons baking powder3 cups flour, sifted1/2 t. salt1 cup bourbon1 pound pecans, chopped3 cups white raisins (

Ilya of Vasaynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5083811480233064199.post-70591742234374930862007-12-03T17:25:00.000+08:002007-12-03T17:28:09.684+08:00

hubby sang to me this morning again (lyrics made up on the spot, as usual). to make me laugh, but mainly to get me up because the mornings have become cold and, you know me..it went like this:nanay nanay gising nasi bata nakahigakatabi niya si tatayna maganda ang atay..

Ilya of Vasaynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5083811480233064199.post-30845090277270956962007-12-03T17:21:00.000+08:002007-12-03T17:25:17.244+08:00

on the way back from the talyer, this bright yellow thing joined us on the highway near the SPC-Calauan boundary. we were able to maintain the two-bug run until we reached Maahas.

Ilya of Vasaynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5083811480233064199.post-4243616604599886872007-12-03T17:08:00.000+08:002007-12-04T10:22:02.812+08:00

after the fireworks display evening of Loyalty Day, Lanlan and i had dinner at SU and walked to where we parked Blue beside DL Umali Hall. the car had not moved five meters when it refused to turn toward the road... flat tire.hubby has been working all day, covering the events since morning in the heat. he was very tired. i wanted to help but there was not much i could do with the growing belly

Ilya of Vasaynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5083811480233064199.post-29086174235088592942007-12-03T16:55:00.000+08:002007-12-04T10:34:03.416+08:00

there's someone i ought to write more about.you know the Platters song that goes "each day i pray for evening just to be with you, together at last at twilight time..."? (that's how i feel every day, although i work just two walls from him. kilig.)at twilight time, we would be in our little shack preparing dinner or watching DVDs or talking; i would be laughing at some point, usually when he

Ilya of Vasaynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5083811480233064199.post-67211865826013393192007-11-29T15:38:00.000+08:002007-12-04T10:34:37.166+08:00

trip, because it was an hour's drive to the little known (save for Bug-lovers) shop in Brgy. San Pedro in SPC, a drive i so enjoyed because part of it was through a narrow road across the hills where some sections of the road were shaded by tall shrubbery -- which is a big deal if you have no option but travel with open windows, as with our trusty little Bug. i enjoyed the bukid setting immensely

Ilya of Vasaynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5083811480233064199.post-85671157003605550812007-11-29T15:17:00.000+08:002007-11-29T17:32:37.166+08:00

Prof. Ludivina Samson de Padua - professor emeritus, mother of five extraordinary persons and wife of an extraordinary Ivatan - has passed on. Her body gave in on 16th August but, as the fine gestures of those who loved her as well as those who felt her love poured (her cup runneth over), there is no doubt that her memory is in a sturdy shiny place in people's hearts. I have never before seen a

Ilya of Vasaynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5083811480233064199.post-15482224053179011552007-11-29T15:05:00.000+08:002007-11-29T15:10:06.439+08:00

months ago i declared to hubby that i could not live without onions. last week, i asked him to throw the bulbs out because each time i go to the bathroom i pass by the pantry and the smell makes me sick."food aversions" is such a huge understatement. i do not relish forever being three seconds short of puking at the smell of oil or ginisa. my morning sickness lasts practically the whole day, but

Ilya of Vasaynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5083811480233064199.post-64594015828682525242007-11-29T11:06:00.000+08:002007-12-04T10:41:42.258+08:00

my house arrest was not entirely humdrum, by the way, thanks to two books: The Half Blood Prince (rebellion!) and The Deathly Hallows (revolution!!), which i devoured -- head by the foot of the bed and legs propped on pillows. my best read in a long time. my sister-in-law was a little anxious about me reading books about wizarding and things non-muggle (don't you fear for your baby..?). i think

Ilya of Vasaynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5083811480233064199.post-59555369034559159782007-11-28T17:08:00.000+08:002007-11-29T10:02:00.470+08:00

barely three days after hubby and i hugged/screamed with joy over two little pink lines on a plastic strip, i started to notice sharp pains in my lower abdomen. to make sure all was ok, we rushed to the hospital tuesday night. the ob-gyne could not make it because no one would drive her to the hospital (she had just given birth herself and didn't want to drive alone in the night). she saw me the

Ilya of Vasaynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5083811480233064199.post-58038696664882982062007-11-28T17:03:00.000+08:002007-11-28T17:07:57.426+08:00

i know now that when one gets such good news as the one i just disclosed, it is hard to decide just how to express it. there's just no way good enough!this is a magical time for Lanlan and i. we have been praying for a child since march and thank God we didn't have to wait too long; He has opened my womb.i could hardly contain my excitement. i tried on the empire-cut dress i bought some months

Ilya of Vasaynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5083811480233064199.post-890161599570560402007-11-28T12:54:00.000+08:002007-12-04T10:47:56.114+08:00

libre naman mangarap di ba? when i think about homestead, mine will always be that thick-walled whitewashed stone house on a hill over the sea in Batan Island that someday i hope to have the courage (and money) to build.meantime, i need a roof over my head as i slave away to this gray blob of a job (job's not too bad; i write. that's my exhaustion talking) so hubby and i have been checking out a

Ilya of Vasaynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5083811480233064199.post-48926227464726571292007-11-28T12:37:00.000+08:002007-11-28T12:52:38.947+08:00

how much of the Philippines have i seen? i have it mapped, thanks to Lakbayan. the dark colored parts are where i have lived, the lighter colored parts are places i frequented, and so on. the white areas are still waiting for my little feet.obviously, mine is a poor record for someone who claims to be a wanderlust. i have no excuse for that, but if you care to go deeper i can give you my expanded

Ilya of Vasaynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5083811480233064199.post-73361115152621941342007-11-28T12:36:00.000+08:002007-12-06T14:01:18.599+08:00

another point for President Bush for pledging to veto a forthcoming democrat-drafted bill that sought to relax the reins on embryonic stem cell research.

Ilya of Vasaynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5083811480233064199.post-89661791179197004242007-11-28T12:34:00.000+08:002007-12-04T10:56:43.919+08:00

Lan had another accident. a truck whose brakes jammed hit the rear of the dark teal toyota crown he was on (with three others). the collision happened yesterday at the expressway. no one was hurt though, thank God for slow traffic at the time. they were on official trip.this is his third (the last two during official trips) in the last six months . i got really worried, for a moment there

Ilya of Vasaynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5083811480233064199.post-80078103980501523282007-11-28T12:31:00.000+08:002007-12-04T10:58:58.575+08:00

day 41 and counting. am i pregnant? Lan and i certainly hope so!pregnant or not, i am gaining around my waist so it takes me a long time in the mornings to figure out what to wear. it's frustrating that most of my tops now fit like a tight sheath.this morning Lan asked if i was alright; i didn't realize i have been staring at my open closet for like ten minutes. perhaps staring could somehow make

Ilya of Vasaynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5083811480233064199.post-60234306207560872862007-11-28T11:27:00.000+08:002007-12-04T11:00:52.551+08:00

in January, i decided that even if i am unable to do anything else worthy this year, i would at least be thankful. so i made a vow in prayer (makes more sense than resolutions) to be thankful, whatever happens; and for the things i am already thankful for, to be even more thankful.so imagine the affirmation when i found this morning that GK Chesterton wrote this in 1923 about St. Francis of

Ilya of Vasaynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5083811480233064199.post-26976841796327656352007-11-28T11:14:00.000+08:002007-12-04T11:07:52.380+08:00

i had ten things in mind that i wanted to do, or at least start doing, before turning thirty (that's tomorrow). how did i fare?10 THINGS TO DO BEFORE TURNING 30:1. apply for graduate studies - check. i got accepted for MA creative writing in UP diliman last term but deferred my enrollment because i had to make up like 20 hours at work every week to be able to attend my classes.2. get pregnant - i

Ilya of Vasaynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5083811480233064199.post-27892663261761833442007-11-28T11:01:00.000+08:002007-12-04T11:10:49.421+08:00

Lanlan and i were PPCRV volunteers for last week's elections. we were assigned to the local state high school and chose the second shift, which meant we were there for the precinct tally and closing of the ballot boxes.we were assigned to different precincts but noted a similar trend: that military adventurism has become tasty. among 37 candidates for the senate, coup d'etat vet col Gringo

Ilya of Vasaynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5083811480233064199.post-5278096967837700292007-11-27T14:37:00.000+08:002007-11-27T14:43:11.524+08:00

i have been taking comfort in the company of a forty-ish guy with brash manners. he is rude, irreverent, has no regard for people's feelings whatsoever and i have been with him every night for a week.Gregory House, MD. my new addiction.

Ilya of Vasaynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5083811480233064199.post-32756973914564365032007-11-27T14:33:00.000+08:002007-11-27T14:35:59.277+08:00

sana ay nabiyayaan ang inyong Pasko at sana ay magkaroon tayo lahat ng matiwasay at masaganang 2007.

Ilya of Vasaynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5083811480233064199.post-84240727676024894802007-11-27T14:19:00.000+08:002007-12-04T11:16:25.574+08:00

first of all, i did not get to spend the holidays in Batanes so there is not much to gush about. for me, Christmas spent elsewhere is simply not the same.Lanlan was to spend 24th-25th evening with his family at their lola's home in Sampaloc (as a family tradition, they spend Christmas with her every year). he invited me along but i did not want to leave my brother in Los Baños by himself.yun pala

Ilya of Vasaynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5083811480233064199.post-184041127146325482007-11-27T14:13:00.000+08:002007-11-27T14:15:56.092+08:00

i love this part of the year when in the morning sunshine strikes my window at a certain angle and the warm rays reach my bed. warm sunshine comes in with cold air. warm and cold at the same time. my favorite kind.(because of earth's tilt, the warm glow in my room lasts for almost five hours! on other months, just less than a half hour. in the summer, nada.)i don't get to go home for Christmas

Ilya of Vasaynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5083811480233064199.post-7873851334459834832007-11-27T13:56:00.000+08:002007-11-29T09:48:43.358+08:00

Lanlan had a light bulb moment. aware of the dearth of readily available (and digested) info on Philippine agricultural RDE, he thought of pooling our writer friends and putting up a site that would serve as sort of a reuters ng bayan - a one-stop news and info service for students, entrepreneurs, farmers, extension workers, or anyone at all in need.he's so excited about it it's charming. i sat

Ilya of Vasaynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5083811480233064199.post-62090104081339167392007-11-27T13:47:00.000+08:002007-11-27T14:05:19.543+08:00

i learned some basic belly dance moves last night during AG. i used to think that if one can whip her hips side to side she can belly dance, but no. you start by learning how to move your ankles, then calves, thighs, glutes, hips, abs, arms, neck (and the correct breathing while at it) and work all that before you learn a routine. the moves appeared simple but before the one-hour session was over

Ilya of Vasaynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5083811480233064199.post-91958042232152589232007-11-27T11:39:00.000+08:002007-11-27T13:54:45.182+08:00

Lan and i have been planning a february wedding and up to a month ago i have been very much into it. i know i want a cotton wedding dress and a small celebration and we have gleefully threshed out the details together. we have picked the church, dinner venue, caterer, and who we want to make our cake.two weeks ago i was waiting for someone by the parish office when i saw the notice again on the

Ilya of Vasaynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5083811480233064199.post-40776534880268371982007-11-27T11:08:00.001+08:002007-11-27T14:03:37.137+08:00

watched Karol: A Man Who Became Pope, a 4-hour take on the life of Karol Wojtyla before he became Pope John Paul II. the film offers many insights into how his youth in Nazi-battered Poland and his early days as a priest and later bishop of Krakow during the Russian socialist regime shaped the man.the screenplay and acting was superb, the film faithful to the legacy of JPII, a firm defender of

Ilya of Vasaynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5083811480233064199.post-5447632142898328242007-11-27T10:31:00.000+08:002007-11-29T09:44:00.472+08:00

please note that the next posts are actually re-posts from my old blog, to give this new blog a little history before i start blogging (semi-)realtime. original post dates in the title, for reference.have fun reading! and please please comment, even if it's to say the entry bored you. :-)

Ilya of Vasaynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5083811480233064199.post-11139364016971277532007-11-22T16:25:00.000+08:002007-11-29T09:46:16.845+08:00

happy birthday Kuya Kusi!!!see you tonight at the old apartment in rhoda's. i will bring the 'long life' as promised and the brownies you and Bea asked me to forego in favor of pasta. i made the best batch (so far) of fudge brownies tuesday night so i know you'll be sorry if you don't let me bring it. you'll see.

Ilya of Vasaynoreply@blogger.com0