I am happy to report (though slightly dissapointed in myself) that i came in at 5:18 in last Sunday's marathon. The rain that brought flooding over Oahu and Kauai two days earlier had continued over the first half of the marathon and almost everyone was wearing rubbish bags and ponchos for cover including me. In the second half, the sun decided to come out and the heat was intense. About 20,000 plus ran it and according to the statistics, i was among the first 7000 plus who finished. I was happy to have my bestfriend and running buddy, Heidi run with me for the first 16 miles. I didnt see here again until the finish line.

To me, the Honolulu Marathon is like the final exam at the end of the school semester. It's a great feeling to pass the test.

The Honolulu Marathon this Sunday became more real to me as i went to the Honolulu Convention Center today to pick up my running packet and saw my Bib number. Maybe because i'm older and slower, this year's run feels like i'm running it for the first time. No turning back now though. I haven't figured out my running outfit for the day but at least wear the same green socks that i love so much. Still dont know what i should do with all the finisher's T-shirts i've accumulated over the years, maybe a blanket or something. I still have my very first one from 1997.

Cant wait for Sunday to come! I am stressed and worried, dont get me wrong, but i'd prefer for it to be here sooner rather than later so i can be done worrying about it! So i can finally concentrate on my Christmas shopping list.....

how to cook 'adobong manak'

no i-pods but only tongue depressors

Armed without my favorite gadget (i-pod), only caffeine and a tongue depressor, my favorite run, the annual Turkey Trot, began at around 7ish (since no watches allowed too) on a gorgeous Thanksgiving Day!2 main reasons it's my all-time favorite: 1. it's 10 miles (not too short but not too long-just enough to get me exhausted), and 2. i won it 2 years ago!(and i wasnt even the fastest).

The tongue depressor is to record your predicted time before the run and on the other side the actual time after the run. In 06, my prediction was off by a second and won me a dinner cruise between the Aloha Tower and Waikiki; but last Thursday, i was off by a minute.Needless to say, i lost, but it is still my favorite run.

counting down to the big event:the Honolulu Marathon in 2 weeks! yikes!

happy belated thanksgiving everyone!

the upcoming run.

honolulu marathon 2006 results HERE.

I survived the NIKE Run yesterday! Rain had come down hard most of the run which made it even more challenging. Still, the joy of finishing (3:34 hours later) is uncomparable. And i had the best compliment yet since i took up running in 1997. Shortly after crossing the finish line yesterday, a middle aged guy who also just finished right behind me walked up to me afterwards and said "i wanted to thank you....the last hill toward Diamond Head, I usually walk it but since i saw you running it, i decided to run it with you and it was the first time i'd ever run that hill, so thanks!" Wow, it's great to know i made a small impact on that person's running life. I can retire now.....NOT!

obsessing over IKEA lights!...someday i'd like to visit Sweden to go see the original IKEA store!

my parents while visiting Pali Lookout for the first time!(tata's birthday yesterday)

Nerve-racking waiting for this Sunday's annual Nike Run.....the last of the Marathon Readiness Series and it's the longest (19 miler)before the big one in December! Although familiar with the route, i still feel intimidated running along the long stretch of Kalanianaole Hwy...and i dont know why.
...while nervously preparing for the run, i guess i can splurge on some pizza and pasta and oh, my favorite, salami sandwich....yummy!

Koko Head Trail behind me (this photo taken a few days before the hike)..it's no Mount Everest, i know!

The other day i decided to challenge myself (knowing i'm really scared of heights) and planned to hike the Koko Head Park tracks trail after work which meant hiking when the heat is most intense. This was only my second attempt and i rememer the first time i did it was early in the morning when the sun was not as harsh, but still felt panic in the middle of the hike when i realized how high it was that i refused to look down while climbing those stairs. Only when i finally reached the very last step and safely on leveled ground did i notice the tremendous beauty Hawaii was, particularly Hanauma Bay on the left and Hawaii Kai on the right and Sandy Beach famous for its dangerous sufing spots. I needed to break the routine of running especially on the treadmill and also needed to check myself if i still got the phobia of heights. I can honestly write, i still got the phobia alright...and eventhough i hated to do so, had to stop a few times and sit on the tracks not so that i can enjoy the beaty below but because i thought my heart would burst from pumping so hard! And i thought i was fit (the stairmaster at the gym is nothing!) Few days later and my thighs are still stiff! Even running 25k the week before didnt cause too much pain but this, just an hour of major stair climbing is causing more pain and discomfort. But it's all good. Conquering my fears that day and getting some major excercise at the same time were all i needed to get thru a hard week.

Race day....it began at 5:00 am sharp when the entire town of Kailua was still asleep! I came to this run feeling unsure & half-prepared, and unfamiliar with the route....you see, this year was the start of a new run in Kailua that stretched from prestigious Lanikai town to the Kaneohe Bay Marine Base. I have never run a race on this side of the island before (except once on a recreational run around Lanikai while i visited with a friend). The 15.3 mile run was full of beautiful mountain and ocean views from start to finish. Many times i just wanted to stop or walk and enjoy the magnificent scenery but i had to press on. Well, i did finish before 8:00 am (just what i had hoped for) at 2:46. Topping off the run with a nice cold dip at Kailua Beach soon after finishing was sweet, like icing on the cake!

Halfway thru this crazy month and i'm still standing (or should i write, driving). Racking up some miles in my semi-new volvo as a tour guide to our first-time visitor from manila. Our tourist cousin is enjoying all the sites and major attractions, malls, etc.., but what i thought stood out for him so far was the spectacular view while driving thru H3 yesterday on our way to see Pali Lookout. Those majestic mountains on either side give you a sense that a higher power does exists and cant help but feel small and in awe of the marvelous creation of God. And the best part is that as soon as you emerge out of the H3 tunnel, a grand view of quaint Kaneohe Bay and Kailua town just take your breath away and realize it's one of the reasons people from all over the world come to see our beautiful place. It is my favorite view on this entire island! and it was free (no admission fee)!

September to Remember

• William, a cousin from the Philippines, who received his US Tourist Visa is visiting us for the first time for a whole month.
• Nuel, a nephew who recently graduated from Nursing School in New York and his entire family will be flying in from California for a big celebrationg here.
• Godson, Luke is celebrating his 1-year birthday Luau.
• Attending a wedding for cousin, Maricel, and Carol from Las Vegas is coming to attend!
• A surprise wedding shower for Nerisa, a girlfriend getting married in October.
• And last but not least, a pre-marathon run (25k) on the 27th....a nice way to help get rid of all those calories i'll consume from all the parties and family get-togethers.

This weekend marks the beginning of this year's marathon readiness series..... i've been slacking lately due to some discomfort i felt behind my knees while running on the treadmill a few weeks ago......trying to get motivated again and this sunday's 15k run should do the trick, i hope.....wish me luck!

but, i'm also looking forward for some r & r in seattle next week...heading there with sis after the run....hope to shop at ikea there and get some floor lamps that look similar to those expensive tolomeos which i like so much, but a fraction of the cost.

cant wait...!

saturday night alive!

It is past midnight; i've been home from work an hour and a half ago, ate my sis' leftover chicken/shrimp spaghetti dinner from Outback and still i'm not sleepy at all! and i need to get up for work at 530am! i shouldn't have drank that coffee they made at work tonite..i knew it wasnt decaf...but i needed the boost because the airport was bustling w/ all kinds of deals and problems tonight and even had to stay extra hour to cope with the long lines......i need a vacation!

Mom is turning 71 on Monday! (Rol, dont forget to call her!) I must say she doesnt even look her age actually (just look at that picture)...i wish to grow young just like her. Happy birthday Nana!

Ok, i really should be in bed by now...ciao!

Plan B

I'm back! Like my one audience would notice....
Had a lightbulb moment a few weeks ago and it's been lingering in my head until i do something about it......i feel like a plan B is necessary at this point in my life.....i am considering going back to school and preferably, nursing school. Surprised? I am because i didnt like school then, but i think people do change and i've embraced the idea of subjecting myself to writing reports and staying up late to study for midterms and final exams, again. Doing it is another story, but i must be brave. Why would i want to disrupt my traveling blizz? I'm not; i still want to see the rest of the world.....ideally as a traveling nurse? While i think about this some more, i must drag my feet out the door and take advantage of this beautiful, warm morning in paradise with a dose of a short run.....after all, it's my day off and i'd like to start it the right way.

No regrets

Greeting my cousin at the Honolulu Intl airport who arrived yesterday for the very first time brought back fond memories of the day i arrived in Hawaii as a 13yr old girl dressed in blue.
24 years later, i still wonder how different life would have been had i or my family stayed behind in the Philippines. I give my parents credit for having the courage to uproot and move the family to a land unknown and begin a new life.

To my cousin, who left behind her high school teaching job, family and friends, to start a brand new life with husband to be, the opportunies are endless. Welcome to Hawaii!..you wont regret it!

A classic Filipino birthday food:pancit

Today's my sis birthday and of course, mother made her traditional pancit recipe...it looks as good as it tastes.....enjoy!

Sometimes i wish i cooked more often than the occasional chicken soup made of leftover rotisseri chicken from costco!..may i add that i do a killer fried eggs..a favorite on saturday mornings! I have a lot to learn, what can i say.

Post-race photo-op. 2008 Honolulu Marathon.

Run to live

If someone had told me way back that i'd be running marathons, i'd say only the crazy ones do it...but here i am crazy today coz last year marked my 10th Honolulu Marathon completed thus far. Marathons dont happen overnite....it takes lots of training and discipline to get up for those early morning runs and willpower to overcome the fear of not finishing (unless you're from Kenya or Africa where you're born to run and expected to win!) A big cup of coffee always helps too before any run for me.....My very first one was recorded at 7:30 hours. Despite the physical pain and anguish not to mention lots of blisters, i vowed to do it again the following year and the rest is history! Cant imagine running w/out my ipod though...i remember owning only a radio in those early marathon years. My ipod has become my bestfriend and i am usually listening to my favorite Christian artists such as Chris Tomlin or the David Crowder band to name a few. Anybody who has done a marathon will tell you about this invisible "wall" that they face at some point during the race. It's when your will to go on is greatly challenged by strong physical pain and discomfort. Often times it could be the 20th or 22nd mile mark. For me, it's usually the 23rd mile mark where not even the beautiful million dollar homes along Kahala Ave inspire me to take one foot infront of the other. As i search around me or to my ipod music to give me hope and motivation i find myself daydreaming that 45 more minutes or so, i'll be holding the prize---a finisher's T-shirt waiting for me at the end. At this point, no joke, i'm reminded of the poem "Footprints" and become desperate, praising my God for 'carrying' me thru the entire race. Corny, i know, but somehow my strength is renewed. Pride and accomplishment takes over the pain, discomfort, blisters, muscle aches as i take the last step accross the finish line. They're there but it's only temporary. What lasts longer or at least until the next race is the joy of accomplishing something big for an ordinary, non-Kenyan, slow runner like me. It is the reason i sign up year after year after year one step at a time....

My next challenge? a mini triathlon? Nah, but i can dream, can't i?

Am i ready for this? Big brother thinks so!

This is huge for me, monumental, a big deal, historical really to be writing my first ever blog! It's kind of exciting and fun to be honest...but this blogging thing is very new territory for me...(heck, i just got the hang of IM a few days ago)...so, i'll just start slowly and hopefully most of what you read and see here will move you in any way somehow! But, first i think i owe it to my big bro, Rol, for this chance to explore life differently, and in the process perhaps even enhance my life thru sharing with you all! Gee, thanks bro, for the vote of confidence! I like what you started!

william's card.

head on over HERE. this is the new mode to send greetings across the miles, folks. even the remotest friend [or foe] can sign in. the only drawback is that there is no WAY to remit that cash [euro, schekls, dollar, peso] that is itching to get to the recipient.

the business model ought to consider sending a gift ,via a credit card-- or Paypal-- all electronic as already the only way to send the poor chap, in this case the young relative in quezon city, william, his beer money is sponsoring the card itself. allright- you can still do it thru snail mail... considering that i don't have to fly to PI to extend the wish, the signed card via the website, is indeed quite effective enough! [i still think that the designers/webhosts can utilize linking photos to flickr and permit a higher resolution for the photos well-wishers post on the cards...] but live and learn- the next developers and rivals will think of this next [amongst linking youtube and vimeo videos]. let's just hope that someone from silicon valley is reading this.

how the blog looks in the ipod-touch.

a video: the recent family reunion

pasion re-union from [sub]urban rambler on Vimeo.

to watch, password: pasion
[with music, so turn up the volume]
music by the argentine, carlos gardel's por una cabeza, [translation here] guitar instrumentation and played by another porteno, juanjo dominguez. more of juanjo's music here. and here. another version done by a bandoneon [group] here and a quintet here. [youtube after links]

a fantastic recent use of 'cabeza'-- in a denouement of a scene which stars al pacino as the gruff + tuff, but passionate [no pun- but see why the music was used?], if cynical and hopeless blind former military officer-- the central character here, in the movie: 'scent of a woman' [youtube], see also and as discussed here.

incidentally, a related story on the reunion here [and of the yet-to-be-delivered series of familial tales promised in same-- look for it at your local barnes & noble or amazon.com.]

lucca + oreo

reading about a tragedy in the philippines...

from the NYTimes here re: the disaster in the philippines.

"MANILA — Hopes faded on Monday that more survivors would be found in what could be one of the Philippines’s worst sea tragedies as rescuers failed to find signs of life inside a capsized ferry that had held more than 800 passengers and crew members when a typhoon struck on Saturday.

Rescue officials said only 38 survivors had been rescued, including 28 passengers and crew members who came ashore Monday after drifting at sea since Saturday.

A total of 13 bodies believed to be from the ferry, Princess of the Stars, have been recovered, including nine that washed up on land on Monday.

The known dead from the ferry brought the death toll from the typhoon, named Fengshen, to at least 176, the Philippine National Red Cross said. Fengshen, packing winds of up to 121 miles per hour , struck the central and northern Philippines on Saturday, knocking down power lines, causing landslides, flooding rivers, and inundating entire communities.

Divers who beat against the hull of ferry on Monday in search of survivors heard nothing that indicated life."

the slide show HERE.

from the archives. mother.

current cravings...

this. or this.

the family

the slide show HERE.

my visitors

aunty M, aunty I, + cousin M

the slide show HERE.

the tinny house again.

what is in my flower vase...

my tinny house.