A Letter to Juliet

Dear Juliet,

The kind of love that you have is what every girl on this planet longs to experience. The hands of time have long been insinuating that true love in a modern era such as this is, is long gone. But then again, I am one of those whose faith and belief in love can never be shaken. And so I am writing this letter to you in behalf of all the women who have loved truly, faithfully and passionately.

I have been in love, I am in love and I will continue to fall in love. And it would come as no surprise if I would be saying that it would be for the same man. My heart has always been in the hands of one man and it will be his forever. I am filled with pride to tell you that despite of life’s twists and turns, I was still able to keep the fire burning. And it will burn still for the years to come until such time that I would be taking my last breath.

Everything I am is because of him. Even though I know that wise people say never to make one person the center of your world, I still did. Why would I hold myself back from someone that I know is the reason of my existence? Why would I not let myself fall in his arms?

Juliet, you are one of the lucky ones. And I always thought that my own thread of love spun in the same direction as yours. That just like you, I would have unending love as great as it can ever be. 

I’m writing to you not because you’re the epitome of love but because your name, for me, is the same as saying eternal love is here to stay. And I see that truth turn to reality every time I look into his eyes and see not how much I love him but instead, see the love, however unspoken, that’s devoted for me and only for me until the end. 

Each letter that makes up each word that belongs to each of my statements is a proof that love is powerful enough to propel a woman to write about her heart’s content and let the whole world see it. It is a proof that a woman is ten times stronger when she’s fighting for love.

With that Juliet, I leave you a promise of never letting love go. 

Sincerely,

Mary

 

Speech

I’m so proud to have been the guest speaker at a graduation recently. I never thought that at the age of 21, I would be doing it already. I even handed the diplomas to the graduates, and all the while I was thinking, just last year it was me wearing the toga, just last year it was me marching through those doors, just last year it was me coming up the stage. Time really is just a breeze passing by. I would like to thank my alma mater for the opportunity. And of course special thanks to Sir Steno for guiding me every step of the way. I wouldn’t have been able to accomplish it without your help. Thank you so so so much!

Here’s my speech. =)

Tingin niyo ba nung grumaduate si Rizal, ang topic ng guest speaker nila o guro o kung sino mang nagsalita ng araw na yun e “Ang Kabataan ang pag-asa ng Bayan”? Malamang hindi dahil sa kanya mismo nanggaling ang linyang yan. Pero tingin niyo ba noon pa lang may katotohanan na sa likod ng mga salitang yan? Ang sagot ay oo. Si Rizal ay minsan ding naging bata at hindi lang siya basta naging pag-asa ng bayan kundi naging bayani nating lahat. Agree naman siguro tayong lahat dun. Kaya syempre, ganun din kayo. Ngayon, oo, simbolo kayo ng mas magandang kinabukasan para sa ating bayan pero who knows? Most of you or even all of you could exceed the significance of that famous quote.

O teka lang, alam ko na iniisip niyo, dahil naisip ko na rin yan nung ako ang nakaupo dyan sa lugar niyo. Sa ngayon, mas priority niyong makabisado ang lyrics ng mga kanta ni Daniel Padilla o kaya masubaybayan ang love story ni Sir Chief at Maya. O para sa mga kalalakihan, mas importante ang hindi matambakan ng kalabang team sa basketball o kaya naman magpalakas ng character sa DOTA, LOL, HON at iba pang computer games. Para sa inyo, ang maging instrumento ng pag-unlad ng ating bansa o kahit pa ang maging successful sa buhay ay isang bagay na hindi niyo pa dapat iniisip dahil bata pa kayo. Naramdaman ko din yan.

Who would have thought that after 9 years, I would be standing in the same place I was on March 2004 when I gave my valedictory speech. Time sure flies fast. That’s why my advice for you guys is to make the most out of life. Did you know that based on statistics, problems of teenagers are not academically inclined but rather socially? Sa madaling salita, wala talagang taong bobo, nakadepende lang talaga sa edad ng tao ang mga factors na nakakaapekto sa mga bagay na dapat inaasikaso nila sa mga panahong yun. In your case, hindi tambak na school works, hindi magkakasunod na deadline ng projects, at hindi ang komplikadong gamit ng MDAS rule ang dahilan ng pagbaba ng scores sa school kundi social life. Sa edad niyo kasi importante ang mga kaibigan.

So I would want to focus on that part for today. For the preparatory graduates, I know they’ll still continue to have fun while learning during their upcoming elementary years. But for the elementary graduates, high school would be different. And for that I’d like to leave three helpful tips.

First, make friends.

Ako kasi nun, sobrang naging mahiyain. Kung hindi ikaw yung mauunang kumausap sakin, e sorry na lang, kasi hindi ako magsasalita. Hindi naman ako masungit. Sadyang hindi ko lang alam kung pano mag-umpisa ng conversation. Kaya naman medyo matagal bago ko nagkaron ng permanenteng kaibigan. Loner ang drama ko for the first few weeks ng pasukan at ako na nagsasabi, hindi masaya maging loner.

That’s why I’m telling you now, reach out and make friends. School is better when you have friends to share the happy times, the lonely ones and of course, the cramming times. Tipong bukas na deadline ng project pero ngayon niyo pa lang ginagawa ng barkada. Those are the memories that you’ll get to keep for the rest of your life.

Second, know who you are.

Ang dami kong naging identity dati. I shift from one personality to another. Ngayon ang porma ko Taylor Swift, bukas Avril Lavigne naman. Minsan naman nakadepende sa kasama ko kung sino ako. Pag studious mga kasama ko, pala-aral din ako. Pag madaldal o kalog, ganun din ako. Because really, finding yourself is part of growing up. At sa kasamaang palad, walang shortcut dun. Trial and error lang talaga ang tanging daan. Sure, you’ll get to make a hundred mistakes even a thousand. You’ll stumble and get hurt a lot. You’ll have tough times. But that’s okay. If those negative things are the ones that will be helping you discover who you really are bit by bit, then it’s all worth it.

Third, stick to who you are.

Pag dumating sa point na alam mo na sa sarili mong natagpuan mo na kung sino ka talaga, stick to that. Hindi mahalaga kung ikaw lang ang Team Edward kahit na nakatulala na barkada mo sa rock hard abs ni Jacob. Hindi mahalaga kung ang gusto mo one direction at ang gusto ng mga kabarkada mo e K-pop. Hindi mahalaga kung ang nilalaro mo e DOTA at ang mga katropa mo ay sa LOL nakatutok. Hindi mahalaga kasi yun ka talaga bilang tao. Yun ang trip mo. Don’t be afraid to stand by the things you want because that’s what makes you who you are. Don’t pretend to be someone else just to please your friends. Kasi sa huli, hindi naman ibang tao ang magdadala ng saya sa buhay mo kundi ikaw mismo. Kung kontento at masaya ka sa kung sino ka, wag mong ikahiya. Ipakita mo sa ibang tao ng taas noo. Be proud of yourself.

So there you go, my three tips: make friends, know who you are and lastly, stick to that. If you have friends and you feel good about who you are, then studying would come easy. Hindi ko sinasabi na porke may mga kaibigan ka at masaya ka e papasa ka na. Ang sinasabi ko lang, kung ok ang social life mo, mas makakafocus ka sa pag-aaral mo. Pano? Try to imagine kung wala kang kaibigan at sobrang insecure ka sa sarili mo, tingin mo ba makakapagreview ka para sa exam o gaganahan ka man lang ba gumawa ng homework? Syempre hindi. Social problems will surely occupy your mind and the result? Low grades. Low performance. Low participation. After that, madidisappoint ang parents mo at sigurado na pati disappointment nila, dadagdag sa iniisip mo. So my advice? Have a good start socially and take it from there. The more firm your foundation is socially, the lighter high school will become. And don’t forget, you can have fun while still being a responsible student. You don’t have to choose. You never have to choose. You can always do both.

I hope I have left you with some good food for thought. Good afternoon and my warmest congratulations to all of you!

Ciso’s Grill & Bistro

I’m not strictly a food blogger, but I do believe that good food should be shared. And so, I’m here to make a short narration/description of our experience at Ciso’s Grill & Bistro located at Pulilan, Bulacan.

Simple. Cozy. Warm. That’s how I would describe the ambiance of the restaurant. The dining section is an open area with chairs and tables of astounding simplicity that even if they look plain by themselves, they compliment the place in a really good way. The lanterns hanging from the ceiling and the posts bring a fusion of native aura and close-to-nature vibe to the restaurant. They also have a small stage set up for live performances which usually start at around 9 pm. Until then, usual music selections revolve from bossa nova to acoustic which gives the place a good rhythm for eating and chatting with friends or family. The staff is very accommodating and would immediately attend to your needs which is always a plus for me in any dining experience.

Good. Tasty. Affordable. That’s how I would describe the food. All the dishes are well-cooked, evenly-seasoned and amazingly plated. They have everything, ranging from sizzlers to pasta to home-cooked Filipino viands and each one swears not to disappoint your taste buds. The servings are big enough to impose a great challenge on your appetite. And the prices are practical. One thing that I did notice was the time between when we placed our order and when the food actually reached our table. It took a long while. But then I realized that it’s not their style to serve one dish at a time. They’ll wait for everything to be  prepared and bring it to you all at the same time. As to whether or not that’s a disadvantage is for you to decide.

So for those people who are looking for a good place  to eat, why not drop by at Ciso’s Grill & Bistro!

That Day

That moment when a dream woven carefully by your imagination suddenly falls as concrete, tangible things in your reality.That moment will come…I just have to wait. 

I wonder what it would feel like to stand between two open doors. I wonder what it would feel like to have an aisle all set out just for you. I wonder what it would feel like to prepare for that one moment that you know will change your life forever.

It’s every girls’ dream to have a perfect wedding. To have that perfect white dress, the perfect hair, the perfect flowers, the perfect venue. In every girls’ mind, everything has to be right at least for just one day when they will completely give themselves to the man they love. Just one day to feel like the universe only revolves around her and the love that she has for the man who owns her heart. Just one day.

I, myself, have dreamed of how I would want my wedding to be like. Before, I want to it to be grand, to be big, to be extravagant. But now, I just want a simple one. A small church, a simple dress, light decorations, practical but good food and only the most important people to witness the most important day for both my husband and me. Just a simple celebration for the union of two people.

Why did I suddenly change my mind? It’s because I realized something. I felt in my heart that a grand celebration is not the thing that will put a smile on my face at the end of the day. What will make me happy is the fact that after a long wait, I’ll be marrying someone who loves me more than I could ever ask for. Someone who I know will be there even after my hair turns white, my face has wrinkles and I can barely walk because of old age. Someone who after so many years of looking at my face will still call me beautiful. Someone who will never be afraid to look in my eyes and tell me that he’ll be there for me no matter what. Someone who will grab my hand and make me believe in myself. What will make me happy is the fact that I will be marrying the man who teases me everyday but puts a smile on my face in every single way.

If he’s reading this, he’s probably thinking “Oh darn it, my girlfriend’s on drama mode again”. Hey you. If you think this is dramatic, then you better wait until you hear my vows. You know I love you but I swear to make you cry the day I tell you I DO.