Thursday, January 30, 2003
I swear, my fellow trainees are soooo makulit ever. I believe it was wise of me to opt not to receive mails because they're out there, collectively attacking and filling up the inboxes of the others.

*~*~*~*~*~

I have also been actively exercising my legs. After 25 years of sloth-like living, am always at my parents' bedrrom now, jogging, jumping rope, doing stretches, etc. I wonder why I can't do sit ups still... my tummy must have been shocked by the 30 something that I did last Sunday... Hmmm...

I just really pray that the entire 2003 trainees and the MMS Members will be as supportive and encouraging as Jah's group was... and that Dindo, the designated sweeper, will be like Drin and Aids...

*~*~*~*~*~

God, allow me to find a pair of shoes that I will be comfortable with and can depend on tomorrow...when I go shopping...Thank you.
(and thank you that I have money to buy shoes)



by ~me~ at 5:01 PM ©

---

borderline


Which Personality Disorder Do You Have?
brought to you by Quizilla


MASARAP BANG KASAMA SA BUNDOK ANG GANITO? :glee:
by ~me~ at 12:00 AM ©

---

Wednesday, January 29, 2003
realized that even mountains can be as stiffling and suffocating... as small as molehills... when there's wrath inside of you...

by ~me~ at 4:33 PM ©

---

Monday, January 27, 2003
I wonder what i'd do with all my Victoria's Secrets colognes and other perfumes. Saved for the vanilla ones (which, ehem, I save for really important occassions) which I will still use, all my other colognes are just sitting there, gathering dust. Even my lipsticks aren't being used these days. Aside from my natural scent (and only guys actually take the time to smell me anyway), I don't know what I smell nowadays anymore. Where before i'd be scent-coordinated, I'm just plain freshly bathed in the morning and that's it. Heck, even lotions don't get anywhere near my bod now.

And this shouldn't be an effect of mountaineering. I mean, by golly, i'd be subjecting my bod to the elements during climbs. The least I could do is take care of myself and pamper myself all I can while am not anywhere near a mountain (or jungle). Otherwise, i'd end up like this sun-baked, pruned body that smells like earth. Am already ugly enough as it is, I need not aggravate that up.

Where the hell is my Exotic Embrace lotion....

P.S.
i'm thinking of getting regular foot spas.....so my feet won't make tampo ... shucks, i sound so coño

by ~me~ at 10:50 PM ©

---

Sunday, January 26, 2003
Aids, our morning LSS

*~*~*~*~*~*~~*~

It's actually heavenly to wake up from your own warm, soft bed... and have hot water waiting for you when you take a bath. It's also more than nice not to be waking up at 4:30 a.m. to jog (ok, fine.. WALK) 5 kilometers. It's absolutely wonderful to be eating home-cooked meals using my favorite orange glass and drinking fresh milk and feasting on junk foods such as Lay's.

But i sure do miss the gang.

*~*~*~*~*~*~~*~

Nice meeting the MMS Batch 2003 Trainees.... so much more to learn from you guys, so much more to learn with you.


by ~me~ at 5:31 PM ©

---

FOR THOSE WHO MAY BE INTERESTED: (gotten from here)

Subject: [upm] Power Up Pasig re-opening

Hi everybody,

Just announcing that Power Up Pasig is finally re-opening on Feb 1 saturday. Ribbon Cutting ceremonies at 6 pm, FREE CLIMBING, band, drinks and food for the rest of the evening.

We are saying thank you to all our loyal clients who have been waiting so long for this gym to open again! Hope you can be with us on Saturday. Then of course we thank GOD for making it all happen, to Him be the Glory

Power Up Pasig is in the Rizal Sports Complex main parking lot, inside the Provincial Capitol Compound, Capitolyo Rotonda, Shaw Boulevard. Make your way there and see you all on February 1!

Bring your quick draw rack and rope, lots of lead routes. Wish we could provide placements for nuts and cams , yeah we wish...

Joey Cuerdo

by ~me~ at 5:25 AM ©

---

Friday, January 24, 2003
Shamefully, i've killed 3 ants today... I have no idea how they got into my towel but when they started biting me after I just showered, arghh... I killed them.

I felt really bad after. Sigh. Still a long way to go from being non-violent.

(in fairness, i have 3 bites on my neck from the ants yesterday, and i didn't kill any naman yesterday)
by ~me~ at 12:35 AM ©

---

Tuesday, January 21, 2003
God
I pray that I can keep sane
And that I won’t ever give in
To any sudden desire
To push someone off a cliff
Someday, when our paths do cross
I pray I will not be rude
And mean and critical and bad-mannered
To anybody, least of all
The one who’s currently tormenting me
Please never allow
That I resort to violence
When his demanding ways
Are starting to upset me
And if YOU can be so generous
Let him find me unpretty
If it would help him be
Disinterested, disenchanted
Disillusioned
And a million miles away
From me.


Thank you.

A Creep in the Mountains with Me


by ~me~ at 10:42 PM ©

---

Monday, January 20, 2003
this is a fellow climber at Pulag.....ayan peeps, fall in love and be inggit/reminiscent with Marko

by ~me~ at 10:24 PM ©

---

I don't think i'll ever buy a tent. I don't wanna go thru that ritual i've seen the others do... shake all the dirt on my face.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

As of this writing, I'm still not sick. In fact, not only did i go to work yesterday, I also went shopping at the mall. And what time did I sleep last night? Past 12!!! As if I wasn't panting like crazy up somewhere the day before. I feel all the more better today too. Is this just the initial thrill, or has my endurance gotten a boost in the right direction?

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Friends have commented that I look glowing. Must be the effect of the mountain air and the adrenaline rush. Shucks, I was sunkissed and I love it. (ha... oops, that was an SPO comment held in check)

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

I have not killed any ants since I came back from Pico. Even if I got bites right now. I am soo proud of myself.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

I've told Drin and Aids time and again that i'm more of a freak accident person... I managed to get back home without a scar or bruise on me (save for the blister, which are already ok, on my soles). But of course, leave it to me to uhm, make a run for my parents room and get a huge welt on my left shoulder in entering their door. Stupid, stupid, stupid...

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Told someone my butt aches the most. He asked if I told of the story of my err... uhm... fall from a waterfalls once. Told him I did. Lolz, dang, thank heavens for big butts!!!

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

I am like a girl in love.

I don't have problems with waking up, I sing, I dance, I keep smiling, I keep dreaming... I'm in this constant state of excitement...
by ~me~ at 4:31 PM ©

---

Sunday, January 19, 2003
Twas weird, having the sun shine on my face today... and not being somewhere where there are trees and mountain sounds...

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Another thing i'm thankful to have realized in the mountains was, God was good in giving me a big butt. Honestly, it was never of use to me before (ok, friends from the other blog, please, no raised brows and uhm.. SPO comments) as much as when I was going down from the summit. I did slip many times but it was great cushion for the slips. And I forgot, that where it saved my life already a long time ago when I fell from this waterfalls in Liliw, it did the same again at Pico.
by ~me~ at 4:33 PM ©

---

The gang kept telling me that it's the sweeper's job to really look out and take care of the weakest climber. But special mention has to really go to Aldrin and Aids (who was not even the sweeper but kept Aldrin and me company just the same). Because of them, I didn't lose heart in becoming a climber. It WAS their task to wait for me and see me reach the campsite, but they didn't have to be so patient, or kind, or generous with their support, or funny, or conversational, or understanding, or encouraging.

I was a stranger to them, and not even a friend yet. But they treated me as one. I would always be grateful for that.

Of course, to Jah, Butch, Daddy A, Jojo, Jiji, Rodel, Aldrin, Adrian, Val and Jeyps (dunno the spelling of his name), am real happy to have climbed with you.


by ~me~ at 1:59 AM ©

---

BACK FROM THE MOUNTAINS
PICO DE LORO CONQUERED

I arrived at home at 4:50 PM of Sunday, 19 January 2003. Met the gang at 6:00 AM at Chowking's Baclaran but we left rather late. We registered at DENR and started the climb at roughly 10:30.

10 minutes into the climb

Yes, I can do this, I kept telling myself. Just take it one step at a time, without checking how long we still have to go so as not to be disheartened.

15 minutes into the climb

Ok, I never thought it would be easy, but are things really this hard?. Add to that the fact that my knees are already getting wobbly and am starting to be real bothered by the sun.

25 minutes into the climb

If there is a God, please see me through this. Please allow me to finish the climb unscathed. Please don't let me fail my team by becoming too much of a burden. And please let me breathe... Meanwhile, I haven't been really talking all that time, concentrating more on each step I was taking and listening/watching with some amusement at Jojo prodding his sister on.

1 hour into the climb

Mec, this was a stupid thing to do. How can you even think that you can do this, I mean, you've been a slouch potato ever since! Look at you, panting, sweating, getting dirty. I swear, you'll just drop dead. To amuse myself and ignore the fact that am actually left by the entire gang, saved from Aldrin and Adrian, I rehearsed in my head what things i'd be posting in my blog. Aldrin keeps checking on our progress (he's the scribe) while both kept telling me to just relax and remember that there's no pressure.

75 minutes into the climb
Oh God, please, just see me though this and i'll stop this mad wish to become a climber. Just please, please deliver me from this mountain and I won't ever come near any mountain again. If you can, please just either take me away, NOW, or allow me to just drop dead...Oh please....Pleeeaaase.. Who knows how many times i've called for rest stops because I simply cannot go on any longer. Heaven knows I really wanted to cry.

2 hours into the climb

I started worrying about getting dehydrated, not really because my water supply was already low, but because I was already consuming it. Wasn't really in the mood to eat since breakfast, and my siopao proved very bland and nauseating. Panting leads me to feeling all the more nauseous which doesn't boost my appetite nor my will to go faster. Great thing, my sweepers were very supportive and kept on engaging me in conversations. Aids (Adrian) kept sucking on his water bottle and kept lying on the ground whenever I call for rest stops (which absolutely made me envious and long for my bed and some milk). Both men also kept talking about ice cold drinks and soft beds (supposedly, some things you reward yourself with after a climb) and I had to restrain myself from killing both (what if i lose the trail?) because images of comfort as I know it don't really help much. Besides, vanity aside, I still cannot shake the shame of being the weakest climber of the pack. But of course, I didn't kill them, nor did i kick them or anything. They were really turning out to be good companions when you're lagging and a little insecure.

3 hours into the climb

Thanks to the good weather, we arrived at our camp site at around 1:30 PM. I was still alive.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

We set up camp (I didn't help, didn't know how without getting in the way and making myself feel all the more vulnerable) before heading off to the summit at around 4:30 PM. Good thing we could leave our backpacks at the camp site because it was a mostly vertical trek. And I did get to reach the summit. I did get to feel the free and delicious mountain air on my body. I did get cold. I did see the setting sun. I did feel the long-awaited reward of conquering a mountain (again...). Going back to the campsite was another challenge in itself but again, my sweepers didn't fail me (we even talked about LOTR, by golly).

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

It's often been said that the reward for climbing a mountain is reaching its summit (of course, apart from the friends you meet along the way). I realized that my reward is slightly different.

The summit itself was bliss to behold. And I thank God for making such a beautiful world. And I thank him too for gracing us with perfect weather and allowing me to go home generally unscathed (except for my blisters, and Aldrin did try to prevent such a thing from happening). And alive.

But it's going down the mountain that I realized mountaineering's rewards. It's knowing how to pace, so as not to spend too much energy and effort. It's knowing where to put your feet for better hold. It's not slipping as many times as before. Going up, the mountain challenges you. But going down is when you feel that the mountain has finally welcomed you into its fold.

In the book, THE ALCHEMIST, it was said that "when you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you achieve it". Thus, life converges to allow for some success so as not to dishearten the dreamer. This climb was a success, and the dreamer was not dicouraged.


by ~me~ at 1:55 AM ©

---

Tuesday, January 14, 2003
As of this writing, I lack:

~ a poncho/raincoat (I will have to turn my old stuff at home and find this wallet-sized raincoat giveaway from PAL, given to me by Allee)

~ a jacket (since, as of latest inventory, I only have really unsuitable ones like, 2 denim jackets, varisty-type jacket made of mylon, cotton and lining that's real heavy, a gym sweatshirt and a cashmere sweater)

~ a sleeping bag (I intend to buy this 'rolled pillow' I saw from Expressions, probably good for 3-5 uses to cushion my back)

~ a fisherman's cap/bonnet (I once tried a bonnet and looked good in it, but i'd really prefer something that will protect my ugly face somewhat)

~ long-sleeved shirts

~ a water bottle that will keep the water cool and i can suck on while walking

~ hiking shoes (argh, expensive)

~ watch (I can't exactly whip out my cellphone like I always do while traversing trails, ryt?)

~ running shoes

~ socks w/ toes (trip lang)

~ mini towels

~ trail food (I keep thinking chocolate, but if it will only melt, how can it satisfy me?)

~ feminine wipes

Suffice it to say that am also extremely agitated by not yet having everything, and anxious of whether up to where I can go until my legs give out on me, and worried on how many mosquito/insect bites i'd be getting for souvenir...

But this is a dream. And I may go broke, but at least i'd be fulfilling my dream.



by ~me~ at 10:51 PM ©

---

Sunday, January 12, 2003
This blog is born !!
by ~me~ at 11:28 PM ©

---