There are around 10 days left in 2010. Needless to say, it has been a good year for me. Despite everything bad or scary that happened, I am happy to be alive. Career-wise, I am very happy with everything, even if it has been challenging. For the first time in 20 years, I won't be celebrating New Year with my relatives. They're all going to Hong Kong. The New Year Celebration might be different for me this year in both good and bad ways. On one hand, it will be a bit lonely. On the other hand, I can think of a new way to enjoy it. Might go out of town. But this post is not about that. It's about 2011 and how epic it's going to be. Why do I say that? Because I want it to be epic. Career-wise 2010 has been a landmark year in the sense that I was able to accomplish a lot as a blogger and writer. Moreover, new doors and opportunities opened for me. As a person, I overcame hurdles I never thought I'd have to hurdle. And while there were relatives and friends who helped along the way, it was a…
Category: life
Because I Have to Say These
It has been a rough few months and a brutal year. On the other hand, it has been a challenging and fulfilling one career-wise. With my recent life-threatening illness, I felt that life has not yet gotten tired of giving me more shiz to be emo and angry about. Then again, after more than a month of struggling, I am happy and very grateful to be alive. And yes, I have gotten a bit mellow and is more accepting of how things are. I can easily let go of things now. Despite the challenges and hurdles, I was perfectly happy. That is until last weekend. It was off to a good start until certain things were said. And yes, those might have been in jest, but it's never a happy moment when somebody tells you that your dead father, the one you never really knew, was a very good and kind person and they wonder why you're not a good and kind person. HARSH! And to be told over and over again that your struggle to stay afloat and live a happy life alone can be solved by swallowing your pride and apologizing to somebody who has hurt you so…
Alone
Alone by Joni Angeli Nuenay is the poignant story of the widower who lives alone, with his children living and working abroad. The story is simple, the film is straightforward. Technically, it could have done better. But it succeeded in telling a story and did so effectively. I don't cry when I watch movies, but I teared up a bit after watching this film. Nuenay succeeds in delivering a tired old story with minimum melodrama and angst but with maximum impact that pierces through the heart. It is a story a lot of Filipinos can relate, young and old. The story of man a struggling to survive alone, with his loved ones away from him. The message is shown subtly without much tears and no hysterics. And yet we feel the loneliness, the pain, and the short sweet moments of joy. The film succeeds in story-telling. And Nuenay is truly deserving of the Best in Screenplay Award. But perhaps, it would have failed without the natural delivery of Best Actor Roger Gonzales. It seemed like Gonzales was not even acting at all. The simple story matched well with Gonzales' heartfelt acting to give the audience a melancholic story. What it…
Vote for Life with Ria
Hi there! Welcome to my blog! I am voting for my own blog, Life with Ria for the Philippine Blog Awards 2010 Bloggers Choice Award. I am voting for my blog because I have blogged sincerely and earnestly the past year. I have shared my life, my knowledge and skills, my interests and passions, and all that I have through this blog. You can say that my life has been an open blog. LOL! I try to be witty sometimes. I hope you'll consider voting for my blog too. For your consideration, here are some of my blog posts from the past year that I think best represent my blog and the things I am passionate about: Julie and Julia... and Me: "It’s not about cooking and baking. But love and passion." This is Mindanao: "The artwork highlights the differences in beliefs, culture, and lifestyle of the three groups. It is the aspiration of every Davaeoño, every Mindanaoan that these three groups will live in peace together, cooperating to uplift and develop our land of promise… Mindanao." Being a Duck: "Paddling… crazy ass fighting of emotions, struggling to beat the odds, to survive this crazy life. As I’ve told a…
Coughs and Colds, Asthma, Allergies, and Medication
Growing up, I was sickly with lots of allergies and hypersensitivity to weather changes. I had rhinitis almost everyday and would have fever or flu when the weather changed, especially during the rainy season. Being asthmatic and allergic to a lot of things -- shrimps and crabs, chicken, chocolates, dust, and pollen, among other things -- any minor illness would usually result or snowball into something inconvenient or worse. A simple cough can lead to asthma or can be a symptom of an asthma attack already. Everytime I was sick or suffered from asthma or eczema attacks, my mother would use a combination of synthetic and herbal medication. She would often have soup with malunggay prepared. And for my skin allergies, there was always boiled guava leaves. I had to undergo these herbal medications alongside synthetic drugs such as salbutamol for my asthma, antihistamine and ceterizine for my allergies, and paracetamol for my cough and colds. In college, I developed hypersensitivity to pain relievers and became allergic to it. So now, I am very careful with choosing the kind of medicines I choose. While I can take cough medicines, decongestants and antihistamine, I can't take medicines combined with paracetamol, aspirin,…
Brian Bonguyan and Aimee Go-Bonguyan
My cousin, Brian just married his longtime girlfriend, Aimee. Aimee has been like a cousin to me for the past 13 years. Now, she's officially part of our crazy family. Errr... Aims, bawal na mag-back out. Welcome! Our family has had several weddings in the past few years, but Brian and Aimee's is the best we have witnessed so far. Why? It was a beautiful wedding even made more beautiful by their cheesy love story which has lasted for 13 (almost 14 years). Brian and Aimee became a couple when they were just 13 years old. They're both 27 now and both have never had any other relationship with other people. They are each other's first and last. TIBAY! On October 15, 2010 (as the feng shui calendar dictated), Charles Brian Jose Bonguyan wed Aimee Wee Go. I was supposed to write their vows, I did. But they both forgot to bring copies to the church. LOL! Here are their vows as I wrote it: Brian to Aimee: I have loved a lot of things in my life: GI Joes, cars and racing, photography, airsoft, wakeboarding, farming... but one thing remain constant in my heart, you. I have loved you…