The Life of Kye

"Tamang hinala" When directly translated from Filipino to English it means "proper or right suspicion." However, this phrase is often said in a sarcastic manner, therefore  it's a suspicion that turned out to be false.

Here in the Philippines, when we say "trip trip lang" it means to do something spontaneous. It is something you do without any reason or thought: like when I suddenly decide to dip calamari in chocolate ice cream. It seems like a great idea at the time. It doesn't matter if in the end the calamari-ice cream will taste surprisingly good or, as expected, gross.

We've been living in Apartment B for more than a month now. It was quite an adjustment but not as difficult as moving from my in-laws to Apartment A . There's enough space for a bed and a cabinet, and nothing more. It's really basic. At least there's more privacy. Three days were spent just moving our things and cleaning the two units. We managed to fit all our clothes in one cabinet, drawers and an open clothes rack. There's also a loft meant for a single bed that we turned into a storage area. There's a small kitchen but I don't think we could manage to cook in it. The toilet is larger here than in Apartment A. The floor has ceramic tiles, a much better finish than in Apartment A. This is the size of a housing unit within Metro Manila for the budget of 5000 PHP (about 100 USD) monthly. Electricity and water bills are not yet included. If you think this is small, google how apartments in Hong Kong look like. This is how Apartment B looks like if yo...

Closing time. Dinner time. The last batch of customers went home. We were about to roll down the metal doors and head to our own dinner table. What was supposed to be a peaceful evening became a tragic nightmare for many people in our barangay. In the night of May 10, 2017, around 120 families lost their homes to fire. Our street has always been noisy. At first, akala namin may away lang kaya may nagsisigawan. [We thought there was a fight going on.] It wasn't too long until we grasp what's really going on. We locked the store and went outside. There's a gigantic cloud of smoke just across the street. People outside the street are either panicking or watching the spectacle. The fire is close enough for us to worry but not too close to cause panic yet.

We finished decorating the church auditorium around 4PM in the afternoon of Christmas Eve. We went back to the store so our cashier can go home just in time for Noche Buena. Christmas 2016 | Old School Promotion Work It's a Filipino tradition wherein families stay up late to feast in the midnight of December 25. It's a big deal for us Pinoys to put out the best celebration-worthy meal for our families. You can say it's the local equivalent of Thanksgiving here in the Philippines. image from PIXABAY

A Birthday, A Values Class and A Music Class - what I've been up to the past two weeks of blogger inactivity. We suspended our diet again thanks to Nanay Maxima's 70th birthday bash in Bulacan, which also gave us the opportunity to celebrate for Nanay Elena's birthday. Around 30 people from our church came. Fellowship started as soon as we meet. Kwentuhan sa sasakyan. (Chatting during the travel.) We could not avoid talking about the tragedy of how our church was divided, but people are just laughing about the issue. There's a sense of security knowing that God allowed it to happen, and He knows what will happen next. Right now, we're just happy and blessed in each other's company.

Mañana Habit ► also known as "procrastination" ► an annoying Filipino trait that was most probably taught by the Spanish conquerors ► "Mamaya na." [Later.] ► "Bukas na." [Tomorrow] - in more severe cases ► I REALLY NEED TO GET RID OF THIS HABIT via GIPHY

It's an all familiar plot in Filipino dramas. When the leading lady starts vomiting, and her mother finds out, the audience automatically assumes that she is pregnant. All drama hell breaks loose. Leading Lady: (Nauseated; pukes on the kitchen sink) Mother: (Sees daughter puking; instantly goes beast mode) Buntis ka?!?! Sinasabi ko na nga ba eh! Nakakahiya ka! Malandi! Haliparot!   Leading Lady: Mahal ko po siya, Nay...   Mother: Anong mahal mahal?!? Ni hindi pa tayo nakakaahon sa hirap nagagawa mo pang maglandi?! Lumayas ka sa pamamahay ko!   Next Scene: Mother drives daughter out of the house, throws her an empty bag and some of her clothes. via GIPHY My pregnancy is not as exciting and dramatic as other women's pregnancy. Why?

image from  PIXABAY No. I'm not Catholic, but as a Filipino citizen, I have an opinion. By the way,  I'm a Bible Baptist . Since we won't agree on faith and beliefs, I'll try my best to express my opinions in the most secular way possible. See the news: Tagle issues 'oratio imperata' for incoming gov’t officials Oratio Imperata has already been implemented in Catholic churches in Metro Manila, and other municipalities in the country. It's a specific prayer for the government recited during the mass. I'm basing this information from the news. I think you'll agree The government NEEDS prayers. Prayers work wonders if you have faith. Implementation of Oratio Imperata: A Political Move?

RSVP is short for " Respondez, s'il vous plait ." Translated from French to English, it means "Please respond." How does it work? You simply have to confirm your attendance on or before a set date prior to the event. You should also inform the celebrator if you are uncertain of attending or won't make it to the event.  How should a guest respond? Most invitations include a response card which will be returned to the sender. Some invitations have contact numbers printed on them. The guest may send his response to the said contact number. If he is meeting the celebrator frequently, either they are neighbors or workmates, he may personally respond to the invitation. Why is a response important? The celebrator needs to know the final count of guests so he can inform the management of the venue, set seating arrangements, and inform the caterer. Is it necessary for a guest to provide more details than the response itself? Usually, t...

The holidays, and 2015 have been good to us, just as God has intended. In the beginning of 2016, I have a design project and several other project opportunities, Roy and I are preparing for our wedding, and our church is continuing to move forward. God is definitely healing us from all the pains of 2015, and guiding us to a better 2016. 2016 will be the year when everything changes. This fact is finally sinking in. God's Goodness in 2015 view from the balcony Who would have thought what happened to our church would be a blessing in disguise? Yes, we burned bridges, but we also built new ones. It was painful to experience a church being split, but God has restored His church and is continuing to do so. It is not worth holding on to the identity of a 'religious' sect that worships the 'pastor' more than the Lord and Savior of our souls. It is not worth holding on to 'properties' and 'facilities'  that are substandard, cost...

Photo Credits:  Lubang Tourism This colorful barong is the result of hard work and effective collaboration. It makes me happy to see my painting turn to life and transformed into an unexpected and abstract modern barong. I never imagined venturing into menswear, but here it is!

The Tradition Pamamanhikan is a Filipino pre-wedding tradition dating from Spanish colonial times, if I'm not mistaken. In this tradition, the groom with his parents visit the bride's house and formally request her hand in marriage. The word "pamamanhikan" originated from the root word "panik" meaning "to go up the stairs." Carpio Ancestral House in Sta. Rita, Pampanga Image Credits to Wikimedia Commons During those times, the living spaces were placed on the second floor of the house while the ground floor serves as storage area.

Our weekend so far... I just had an unplanned retail therapy with my mother. With the Christmas season closing in, bargain centers like Divisoria and Baclaran are crowded during the remaining weekends. Baclaran and Divisoria are bargain centers where most merchandise are sold in bulk. Divisoria's proximity to the port makes it the place where you can buy almost anything from fashion items to technology to local and imported fruits and vegetables. Baclaran is a lot smaller to Divisoria in area and has less items. It's more known for selling clothing and shoes. Suprisingly, Baclaran has less visitors than I expected on a weekend  (or less vendors because of the clearing operations) during our latest visit. It finally made sense when my brother said, "Malinis na ang Baclaran." (Baclaran is clean now.) The clearing operation was effective. Underwear was on the top of the list. We bought panties! A lot of them! What an accomplishment! We bought some clothes tha...

Gawaing TRAPO: Premature Campaigning in Pasay City credits: Pixabay.com Pinoy definition for non-Pinoys TRAPO an abbreviation for  TRAditional POliticians -  corrupt government officials who employ various tactics to persuade the common people to vote for them over and over again. also a Tagalog word for rag or a cloth you use for cleaning, a dirty rag Around 5:00 PM yesterday, I was working in my room, I heard sound systems being set up in our neighbors' (I'm pertaining to the next street at the back of our house. My bedroom window is facing their lot.) We got used to them having parties late at night, especially on holidays. I immediately thought, "May videoke na naman sa kabila." [They're going to have a karaoke party again.]  I went downstairs to do some chores. At around 6:00 PM, the party had begun. I wasn't bothered at all because I planned to sleep downstairs anyway. My parents and my brother will be going to the cemetery...

I have three basic needs: Food, shelter and... Wifi! Not kidding about the wifi... but let's talk about shelter. I lived in Pasay City within Metro Manila my whole life. I have seen some places within Luzon island but only stayed for only a week or less. I would love to explore the Philippines; all 7,107 islands of it, if God will allow. The perfect shelter, for me, has to be a place where I can totally be myself. It must embody both comfort and adventure, and a little bit of whimsy. I want my ideal home (homes) to be my piece of paradise on Earth. In finding the best properties, here are my major considerations: LOCATION. If possible, the property must be near the airport, or seaport or ferry station for greater accessibility and convenient travel.  PRIVACY. I prefer properties that are not too close to the hustle and bustle of the city. If the property is outside Metro Manila, it must have a sense of seclusion from the outside world. OPPORTUNITY FOR BUSINESS...