Dinagyang Part 2

I posted my Dinagyang pics on four of my social networking sites. Each site contains different pics so everyone can have a taste of the different tribes. I will post the links to the other sites as soon as I can upload all of them. All pics were taken with my six years old (?) Canon point and shoot.

Links to other Dinagyang pics posts:
Taga-Iloilo
Flickr
Deviant Art

Last Dinagyang?

It's unlike me to not talk about anything under the sun for more than a week. It's also unlike me to leave my blog unattended for more than a week. But things have been kinda hectic and I'm going through battles with self-pity because I'm overworked, have not slept much and feel more stressed out than I would care to admit. So I took time to address those so I could get back to normal or some semblance of normalcy. I still need a real vacation - one that doesn't let me think of work even in my sleep. But I guess, unless I'm not in some foreign or far away place, that will ever happen. So Lord God and the universe that makes dreams come true, please grant me a vacation to Thailand this year - bwahahaha! I know I need it.

I've been helping out as part of the Dinagyang Committee in Stage 3 Judging Area for the last five years - I think.It started out by volunteering to design the tickets. Since then, I've been designing the Dinagyang and Kasadyahan tickets every year. And every year, I was allowed to help usher people to their seats, explain to difficult people that they can't sit where they're not supposed to, argue with the media on placements and tell people that the tickets in Stage three Dinagyang Area are FREE!!!!! And not for sale!!!! And that they can't complain about our stage rules because having a ticket and a chance to watch Dinagyang at Stage 3  is a privilege and not a God-given right! Hehe. Ok, sorry about that. Guarding the doors gets me into war mode - ready for battle ;)

Anyway, I'm tired from all the running around these last two days. Dinagyang ended at about 1pm today and after a very late lunch, I slept like a log. I just realized that this might be the last Dinagyang Festival I'm going to help out with. We will be changing governors this year and who knows who gets to help out in next year's Dinagyang Festival. I might not make the list next time. But bygones, I've had five years. I think that should be enough. One thing I know though, I will never get tired of taking pictures of Dinagyang. Even with just a point and shoot, I think I did well for an amateur photographer. And I did enjoy watching the dances live. Kudos to the Iloilo Dinagyang Foundation for making it to the Hall of Fame. I do think Dinagyang has improved a lot in terms of quality. Of course, there will always be criticisms about it but that can't be helped if you're in the hall of fame. It goes with the territory I guess.

I'll post the Dinagyang and Kasadyahan pics soon. Right now I just need to chill and enjoy the last few hours of the festivities before I go back to the real stress tomorrow. Decided to go out for dinner with friends and watch street dancing or if I get drunk enough, join in the dancing..

Hay, life is so peculiar. A I keep saying, be careful what you ask for because the world just might give it to you. If there is one more thing I could ask for this year, I don't want Erap to be President.  :) Amen. hehe.

Mysterious Black :)

There's a reason for the title. It's a secret that only women are supposed to know. I can't tell you coz men are lurking in this blog. But should you have a facebook account, watch out for emails that are for women only. If I had my way, I'd like to change it and copy my cousin's color: Barely there :D. Like that one.

Anyway, I'm taking a break from work. I will need to get back to it in a few minutes but I need to rest my back a bit. Currently listening to a piano piece by an unknown artist with an unknown title. All I know is that it's Korean and I like it and would like to learn how to play it. Now, if I could only find a piano, I would lose myself in it. For now, I'm content to playing it over and over again. It's also my wake up alarm tone - and it fails miserable because it just makes me want to go back to sleep.

Today begins a no-weekend week. I worked today and will be working with no weekends until the Dinagyang Festival. That happens annually so I'm getting really used to it. I should turn dark and not my sunny self in a few days so be aware that you might need to avoid me when you see me in the streets. Yup, despite the powers of my lovely rebonded hair - my mood will be very ... unstable. So you know.

On a lighter note, I closed my dudsonline.com financial books yesterday. The verdict: I'm doing good. Not bad for a college dropout with no business sense who works part-time on an online venture with just a website for an office . I'm re-doing my site by the way. Started during Christmas break but haven't had time to finish it. I'm going chocolate this year. Watch out for that soon.

Tradition Tradition Tradition

Just sort of want to mark this date. Every beginning of anything should be marked. I just feel that this year would be significant when I look back later on. So this date is ticked and marked in red - it's the beginning of something - woohooo! Of what? I don't know yet but it will be ;)

Anyway, to recap where I've been hiding these past few days. It's really been one party after another, but surprisingly I had very little booze. I kinda like the natural flow of adrenalin by just friends and family holed up in one place. But I really kinda like just staying home and chilling. I can't seem to get enough of that for some reason. I feel that vacation is just too short.

I really have to make it a point to visit Nanay today - just to let her know that we're still alive and all = not that she wouldn't know hehe. I haven't gone to see her since November - tsk tsk tsk. And I just think we should remember our dead during the holidays too. We miss her dearly. Nobody prepares for Christmas and New Year like my mom.

I went to mass at Christmas Eve - where we had the flash mob :) before the mass began. Unfortunately I was too shy to join coz I really can't remember the dance steps. Sayang. Will make sure I join the next one though.

We had the annual Daquilanea Christmas Party on the 26th - that was a a blast. We had the traditional gift exchange with a maximum amount of P20 each. That alone is a challenge because you really can't buy anything at P20 nowadays and there is a required proof of purchase. I got a knife this year - from Passi market :) One of the kids got it and had to trade a used-bookstore-book to make sure nobody gets hurt with that knife - which I doubt can cut through anything but it might be a good letter opener in the future.

We had a year-end party at work last Tuesday. It was kinda nice. We had breakfast together at JD Roadhouse, then lunch together at Allan's in Oton. We would've had dinner together too had it not been for an upset stomach due to overeating. The guys don't let us pay so we were spoiled princesses for a day which is a bit refreshing.

I spent the last day of the year holed up in a beauty salon for 11 hours having my annual hair touch-up. It's become almost a tradition. Hair rebond every year end so I'm sporting a new look - long spiky hair. I had to cut about three inches of the mane and the salon owner wished I didn't chop it off but I'm really getting tired of all that hair. I would've done shorter but it will make my face more robust :)

I watched fireworks with friends at the plaza just before midnight and had a late lunch/dinner and early new year snack after that and headed off to bed. I heard the world turn a year older but I was too tired to get up. I woke up early just now coz of the diana - the marching band that wakes everybody up for the fiesta mass at 4 in the morning. I love traditions.

That's about it. I'm going back to bed and wishing the world new blessings this year. I hope we all get what we want this year ;) - just be careful what youa sk for - hehehe. Happy New Year!