All is Well, God is Good, and Life is Beautiful

November 3, 2006
11:22 am
From him to her

Habi,

Good morning!
Hindi ako nakatulog nang maayos sa tren kanina. I finally drifted off around Tiong Bahru, I think. Baka dahil kumain tayo ng almusal kaya may energy ako to resist sleep. Unfortunately, I found myself dozing until Kembangan! Buti na lang talaga, I never get past THAT station. Magaling talaga ang subconscious ko.
Alas diyes na 'ko nakarating ng office. The aircon is currently "spoiled" by the way at naka-fan lang yata kami. Sayang naman ang pullovers ko.
Wala si among lalaki at si Hansel. Baka nandun sila sa HSA (Health Services Authority), yung isa pang bagong project. Kaya masaya ang umaga kasi walang "pressure from the side." ;o)
Kailangan ko nang mahugasan yung moldy Starbucks tumbler kasi mabilis akong nalalamigan ng kape (Coffee Slender, as of press time). Ipaalala mo naman sa 'kin para sa Monday.
Last night when we had that one-minute embrace, I found myself staring into your face in the dim light of the bedside lamp. I was trying to memorize its contours, even the deep chickenpox scar where Harry's lightning bolt could have been. I remembered a line from dear old Dario, that if you can imagine yourself waking up with that same face every morning of your life, then that's love. I have. Waking up and and even dozing off with. On hazy weekday mornings, on lazy Saturday afternoons, and on late Sunday nights. And it's a comforting feeling. That all is well, God is good, and life is beautiful.

Love,
Habi

November 3, 2006
3:38 pm
From her to him

Habi,

May Christmas station na sa Yahoo! Launchcast! Ang saya-saya ko!
At dahil sa lalo mo akong pinasaya sa email mo, papabasa ko na sayo yung blog ko. Papabasa ko sana sayo pag tapos na yung 50-day countdown e pero ang tagal pa nun kaya eto na: http://countdownbeginsat50.blogspot.com/

Sabi ko na nga ba e! I knew you were looking at me. Masyado lang akong antok para umalma. Habi, I think the challenge is to wake up with the same person but with a face that is changing everyday, and the ultimate challenge is to still want to wake up with that same person whose face's contours have sagged after 50 years of weekday mornings, Saturday afternoons, and Sunday nights. All is well indeed for I've never been up to any challenge as I am for this one.

Love,
Habi

He Loves Me!

October 25, 2006
12:04 am
From her to him

Habi,

There's a spring in my step, a lingering stupid smile on my lips, and I don't seem to find Spinster of Troy as annoying as I normally do.
And then I remember why. He loves me! He truly does!
I'll just spend the whole day revelling in this thought. Now, this is pure bliss. :o)

Love,
Habi

Ate Gina's Musings

October 12, 2006
4:26 pm

i read probably half of your blog already. I just decided to let you know what i think before you go offline. your exchange of words simply show how you're perfectly made for each other. truly it is heaven sent. i cant see any other path for both of you other than holding each others hand while walking down the aisle to make that bond complete. just keep the Big Man upstairs your ultimate source at all times. He will always sustain that love inside.

Im so happy for both of you!
keep on sharing your blog... you'll never know how it will bless relationships of other couples.

pag matagal na kayo, you will realize that what you said regarding the different intensities of being in love is really true. and you will be surprised how much it can present itself not only in terms of intesity but in terms of character, if i may say.

but its not always a bed of roses... laging may tinik.ang lalaki pa....! hahaha! but those thorns are blessings that will make your bond grow stronger. pag nasugat band aid na lang then move on...

Visit her blog here.

Fantasizing About An Old Man

August 18, 2005
10:03 am
From him to her
Original subject: Good Morning, My One and Only Love!

Habi,

Nakakapagtaka, pagdating ko sa MRT, kaunti lang ang tao, hindi napuno. Pagbaba ko naman sa Bras Basah Rd, ordinarily trapik, pero ngayon walang katrapik-trapik. Pagdating ko naman dito sa IPOS, wala ring tao, kahit 9:20 na. Hindi naman holiday ngayon. Weird.
Ate the cookies and drank Nescafé Mistral iced coffee from 7-11. Masarap pala. Pasasalubungan kita mamaya.
Another stressful day awaits. Good morning, my one and only love!

Love,
Habi

August 18, 2005
10:58 am
From her to him

Habi,

Hindi naman ako ang one and only love mo! Wag mo yan sabihin dahil malapit na kong maniwala at pag nangyari yun, wala ka nang kawala! :op.
Sana naman hindi masyado stressful ang araw mo. Hindi bale, sa weekend idede-stress kita :o)
Good morning!

Love,
Habi

August 18, 2005
4:03 pm
From him to her

Habi,

Habi, ang hirap makipag-communicate ke Insomniac! Tagalog na't lahat ha! Iba talaga ang language levels namin. Haaay. Mas naiintindihan ko pa si Halitosis sa kanya e, hihi.
Mejo challenging today. I was debugging some new stuff. Nakalimutan ko na kung pa'no ko ginagawa sa Cubepoint kaya mega-research ulit ako sa MSDN. Haha.
Musta ka today? Mahal mo pa rin ba 'ko? Looking forward to the de-stress weekend!

Love,
Habi

August 18, 2005
4:43 pm
From her to him

Habi,

Nice to hear that you are still challenged by your day job. That should keep you on your toes during the day and on your back during the night. And when you’re on your back all night, I can do things to you that I fantasize about during my day job. Perfect arrangement!

And yes, I still love you. With all of me.

Habi

August 18, 2005
4:56 pm
From him to her

Habi,

Haha, maybe you should think of changing careers. Fantasizing about an old man is kinda creepy.

Love,
Habi

News From Uding

July 4, 2005
10:14 am
From him to her

Habi, Good morning! I just want to thank you for making me breakfast. Me very luck guy, lah. Ü Here are some news from Uding:

abaw, pabibu-bibo ka pala ha....pang-ilang araw mo na ba ngayon??? eh di puro singaporeans ang mga ka-opisina mo...ano naman salita nila,,intsik din?? eh di may dao min si jan??layo mo din pala...parang ortigas din....pero wala naman traffic?? ako nga nangungunsumi ako sa may lagro bago lumampas ng mercury..lagi traffic..pero ayos lang...nakakanuod pa naman ako ng TV...madami na din ako ginagawa sa opis..kung anu-ano...balak na nga akong ipag-cover sa mga dealer sa commonwealth at fairview....para maghintay ng mga applications....ok sana yun para mas malapit ako at kahit mga alas 4 pwede nako umalis...kaya lang, syempre di pa ko readi...dami pa ko dapat alamin sa loob ng opis...tulad ng pag-iinterview as pagpapa-sign ng dokumento ni patrick garcia at anjo yllana...haha...nagulat nga ako sa bossing ko kala ko sasamahan ko lang sya, ayun...i have to let them sign on my own daw...kinabahan tuloy ako...madali lang naman eh...buti nga di na sila masyadong nagtanong ng mga nilalaman ng dokyuments..di tulad ng mga lawyers masyado matanong dahil sila din nag-nonotarize nun eh...yun lang...si manang pasarap-sarap sa kumbento....si mama, paluya-luya minsan..lammo ba si madcow, minsan sad dog sya...kaya napipilitan akong i-pat kahit mabaho....kayo, ano naman inuulam nyo dyan??? apan-apan??? o labong??? me pa mashed-mashed potato ka pang nalalaman...eh di mapipilitan kang mag...MA..HOOOGAS!...sarap mo naman, pwede ka mag-swimming kahit kelan mo gus2..kami dito, bagot na, sawa na sa nag-iisang chip ng magic sing...hehe...sige...ingat kayo dyan ni Genevieve at ni Cañada! pupunta ata si Baby Enoch aka Jun Jr. d2 sa sabado o linggo....

Love, Habi

July 4, 2005
11:04 am
From him to her

Habi,

Making you happy and keeping you healthy are my purpose in life. Yun ang natutunan ko sa five chapters of The Purpose-Driven Life.
Kaya ako may drive mabuhay, para lamang sayo. :o)
Sarap naman ng makabasa ng news from home.
Si Eunice alis na bukas, email mo sya ng good luck. Forward ko na din sayo mga emails nya. Ok lang ba dito ko forward or sa gmail mo na lang?


Love you,
Genevieve

What Happens on the Eve of a Holiday?

August 8, 2005
9:46 am
From him to her
Exactly one year ago

Habi,

Pre-holiday blues. Very few people at work due to leaves. Are you ready for the BBJE?!? Or am I?
Good morning!

Love,
Habi

August 8, 2005
9:51 am
From her to him

Good morning, Habi!

Post-weekend and pre-holiday blues. BBJE, skydining, a whole day and the rest of my life to spend with the man I love – I’ve prepared for this my whole life.

[snipped]

Love,
Habi

August 8, 2005
10:30 am
From him to her

Habi,

Wow, ang sarap naman nun. BBJE, Sky Dining, and Cable Car with the woman I love?!? Pwede na 'kong mag-palpitate at mamatay!

[snipped]

Love,
Habi

The Velveteen Rabbit

October 3, 2005
10:02 am
From her to him
Original subject: Mahvelous Weekend

Habi,

Thank you for the marvelous weekend, my love. Everything was perfect – from our slow-it-down Saturday nap to the lovely dinner and romantic evening walk. Everyday activities become extraordinary when spent with you. We may have the comfortable intimacy of an ‘old couple’ but the ‘oldness’ stops right there. You still make my stomach turn with just the sound of your voice, you still make my skin burn with just a slight touch of your hand, you still make my heart skip a beat with just a smile.

I don’t care if all my hair gets loved off, and if my eyes drop out, and if I get loose in the joints. I may grow old and shabby but I wouldn’t mind at all because you will be right there growing old with me.
You have made me Real, I just hope it will last for always.

Love,
Habi

October 3, 2005
11:42 am
From him to her

Habi,

I tried to come up with some profound poetry, with prose even, but alas, my Muse was adamant: she has retreated into my psyche, refusing to come out and let everyone see her saline eyes. "It is not me who inspires, but definitely Her: that woman, that wretched piece of earth this man insanely calls God-given. I am no longer of use to him. Let him live and die, then, with Her whom he covets most, for surely he is happiest while sleeping in her arms, walking in her stride, and dwelling in her heart."

Love,
Habi

Read more on the Velveteen Rabbit here.

I Wish You...

September 19, 2005
10:30 am
From her to him

Good morning, love!

Thanks for a wonderful wonderful weekend!

My birthday wishes for you…
more places to explore,
more foreign sights to behold,
more cultures to experience,
more delicacies to sample,
more languages to learn,
more interesting people to meet,
more coffee table books to read (and own),
more photos to shoot,
more shoes to wear off,
more city lights to gaze at,
more wonders of God to marvel at,
and a hundred healthy years and more to enjoy all those.

I love you always.

Habi

September 19, 2005
10:400 am
From him to her

Habi,

Wow. A wonderful, wonderful list of wishes that says it all. Thank you so very much, my love. Thank you for the lovely birthday celebration. And eveything that has come to pass. All these wishes shall not be for naught if you are there by my side sharing the adventure.

Love,
Habi

A Misty Moisty Morning

October 13, 2005
10:32 am
From him to her

Habi,

In the MRT, I was seated beside a guy who reeked of cigarette smoke and who chatted so loudly with someone on the phone from Boon Lay to Jurong East. After that he chatted, also so loudly, with his girlfriend on his other side. They got off in Commonwealth, and he was replaced, most unfortunately, by a sleepy middle-aged man who kept lolling his head over to my side. He got off in Outram Park. In other words, I was not able to sleep for long.

Oreo cookie-lookalikes and coffee for mid-morning coffee break.

Nakalimutan kong dalhin yung coupons! Ihuhulog ko na sana mamaya. Library ka ba mamaya? Good morning!

Love,
Habi

October 13, 2005
11:33 am
From her to him

Habi,

I love reading about your mundane activities, you make them sound so interesting. Makes me think about this quote from one of the very few movies (I forgot which movie, but it’s a scene where a woman was drinking in a bar and pouring her heart out to the bartender) we watched over the last year:

“We need a witness to our lives. There’s a billion people on the planet. What does any one life really mean? But when you love, you promise to care about everything – the good things, the bad things, the mundane things. All of it, all of the time, everyday. You say, ‘Your life will not go unnoticed because I will notice it. Your life will not go un-witnessed because I will be your witness.’”

Or something like that.

I would like the honor to be the witness to your life as long as I live and as long as you’re happy to have me.

Love,
Habi

October 13, 2005
12:19 am
From him to her

Habi,

Susan Sarandon, ikaw ba yan? :op Syempre na-curious daw ako kung ano'ng movie yun. I never really remembered.
Must be Neil Gaiman rubbing off on me.
Or love, simply.
Because, to quote a The Jets song, there's magic everywhere when you're young (or young-but-feeling-old) and in-love.

Love,
Habi

Thank You

July 22, 2005
9:36 am
From him to her

Habi,

I don't think I ever thanked you for the Snag-It installer yesterday.
I don't think I ever thanked you enough for all the nice meals.
I don't think I can ever thank you enough for being right by my side in this incredible journey.
I will love you 'til the end of time.

Love,
Habi

July 22, 2005
11:36 am
From him to her

Naku, antagal ng reply. Mukhang matindi-tinding reply 'to a. Am using the laptop now, yey!

Love,
Habi

July 22, 2005
11:45 am
From her to him

Akubia Chambers,
Legal Practitioners
Solicitors At Law
No: 55 Pyne Cresent,
Victoria Island,
Lagos-Nigeria


Mr. A D C,

Your name and e-mail address came up in a random draw conducted by our law firm, (Akubia & Co Chambers) in Lagos, Nigeria. I am barrister Albert Akubia, the Legal Adviser and counsel to a deceased expatriate contractor who used to work with Mount Faber Leisure Group. He was a well known philanthropist before he died, he made a Will stating that a voucher for an ‘out-of-this-world dining experience on board a cable car’ be raffled out to a law-abiding Singapore Employment Pass holder. We have made a random draw where your name was picked as the beneficiary to this Will.

It is my utmost desire to execute the Will of our late client in your favor and therefore, you are required to contact me immediately to confirm your availability on Tuesday, 9th of August 2005 at 1800 hours.

Regards,
Albert Akubia (ESQ)

July 22, 2005
11:43 am
From him to her

Habi,

What's this? Spam? Totoo ba ito? Bakit sa 'yo ipinadala?

Love,
Habi

July 22, 2005
11:53 am
From her to him

Hahahaha! Kala mo ikaw lang ang marunong magbigay ng birthday vouchers ha (at nagwork ang spam-style!) =P
Sabi mo kse matindi-tinding reply e, pede na ba yun?

So available ka nga sa August 9?

Love,
Habi

July 22, 2005
12:07 pm
From him to her

Hahaha! Wow! Sige ba! E pa'no ba naman, Nigeria pa talaga'ng ginamit mo! :op


Looking forward to National Day,
Habi

Honey Beef Rice

May 27, 2002
11:32 am
From him to her
(original subject: Good Morning Email #1)

Good morning, Genevieve! How was your first weekend in the Lowlands so far? Gotten over jet lag already? I hope so.
Got into the office late by 5 minutes, as usual. Actually I would've beaten the clock hadn't Roylann called me on the sidewalk to catch my attention. He came with Reims and Ritchie 'cause he slept over with them in San Juan. Guess they had to render OT over the weekend for FMS. Oh, well.
My weekend was rather uneventful. Friday night, bought some chichirya along the way home for our Friends VCD telethon. Saturday morning, started to read the Fellowship of the Ring. Got sleepy after a while. Saturday afternoon, tried to read the Fellowship of the Ring again. Got sleepy after a while. Saturday night, more VCD viewing: this time its The Matrix. Before going to bed, tried to read the damn book one more time. In vain.
Sunday lunch was spent at a high school friend's son's baptismal. And I got the best compliments of the weekend so far: "Andrei, tumaba ka a! Ano ba'ng pinaggagagawa mo?" "Mukhang hiyang ka a. Meron na yatang nag-aalaga e."
That settles it. It's Honey Beef Rice, Glazed Chicken Rice, or Fish and Fries for dinner forever.
Heard Mass at 6:30. Gave my share of the budget for our Subic outing this coming weekend. Gastos na naman. Leche.
Remember the mass demonstration I talked to you about at the gate of our subdivision? The one you said was a really brilliant, contrived excuse for the boys' night-out with Sir Luc? Well, it happened again, minutes before I got off the jeep. Someone got shot again. All the tricycle drivers fled for safety. So there I was, trapped, home just a few meters away, with nowhere to go. I asked a tricycle driver from the nearby subdivision to send me to as far as our guardhouse then I would just walk the remaining distance. Talk about firming up those shapely legs at an inopportune time.
Too tired for more dinner (had Honey Beef Rice at Jollibee after Mass--hah! Nothing can stop me now!), I slept early. I had the weirdest dream. I was sitting near the stands in a football field, strumming my guitar to Stevie Wonder's Overjoyed. (I dream not only in Technicolor, but also in Full Stereo Surround Sound! Beat that!) And then suddenly, Sir Frank came out of nowhere into the stands, holding his cellphone to his ear, speaking in angry-sounding Dutch. He was walking back and forth and ordering some people about. I was ashamed 'cause there I was playing while the others were slaving away. Then I woke up and found out it was already 7:30 am. Aha! My brain was telling me to get up and go to work! Damn these interpretable dreams...
Haaay, yun lang po. Hope to hear from you as soon as possible. So did you get to go around Paris even for a few minutes? Wish I were with you. Miss you a lot. Je te souihate bonne chance pour ton travail aux Pays-Bas!

Andrei

P.S. I think some chicken bones are lodged in Mad Cows's throat 'cause he has been gurgling and regurgitating for the past few days now. What should we do? Do you know of any remedies?

Sweet Nothings From A Silly Girl In Love

August 5, 2005
12:32 pm
From her to him

Habi!

Alam mo, Habi, I realized something. I didn’t think it was possible to be more in love with you than I was before (say, 3 months ago), but I really feel with all my heart and soul and guts that I am in love with you now more than ever! Now that I think about it, the cliché I-still-LOVE-you-but-I’m-just-not-IN-LOVE- with-you-anymore’ could be true. I think being ‘in love’ can have certain levels of intensity. The way I LOVED you the first time I said that I did is the same way I LOVE you now – true and pure and unconditional and will last until my heart is able. But that’s not my point today. My point is that I am IN LOVE with you now more than I ever was in my whole life. And it’s such a wonderful giddy feeling that I hope it doesn’t end!
Don’t mind me lah.
4 1/2 work hours to go!

In love and loving it,
Habi