why don't you slide between the sheets of all those beds (bitches) you never knew. just slide into my room, why don't you slide into my room?

I have been looking for pictures of Joe Hedges on the Internet and I realized that there aren't much to find. So I cut and pasted some from the video Normal Life.

Joe Hedges fronts the American band July For Kings. I want to thank Manila's 103.5 K-Lite for introducing me to this band. K-Lite is now known as 103.5 Max FM.

July For Kings most listened-to songs are Normal Life and New Black Car. I remember my high school days when I'd just lie on bed on summer afternoons and listen to K-Lite. New Black Car was among the songs that were always played by a dj named Blade. Haay, old age. It's always about remembering.

Mt. Pico De Loro
14 February 2010 - DAY 2: Valentine's Day Salubong

Morning so cold. Note how the grasses look; the winds were so strong the previous night, as if there was a typhoon that's going to blow off our tents.

picture taken just after mountaineers from Adamson U, FEU, and UST passed us by

Camp was broken at past 6 am. We resumed trekking back to Base Camp I at 7 am with empty stomachs. It got to a point when I was too exhausted to greet every batch of mountaineers that we met along the trail. My backpack was supposed to be light after the food and water have been consumed. But it was inexplicably heavier. How did that happen? I even asked Ate Ella if she could put my wheat bread in her backpack because there was no space left in mine.

noella is seeing the picture. where the f- is assault summit boy? ah, waaay ahead of us. he's really fast.

At Base Camp I, the last bottle of Coke was bought by the other group of mountaineers. That was bad news especially for me who had been looking forward to going back to the Camp and hoping that the keepers would at least be selling Coke in can. After all, that's what I read on a piece of cardboard posted on a tree.

I wanted Coke, but all that was left was Sprite. I had to wait until we get back to Manila to have my ice cold Coke.

Mt. Pico De Loro

Rising at 664 meters above sea level, Mt. Pico De Loro is a minor climb. It's usually the mountain picked by first time climbers. Four years ago, my first climb was Pico, too. Having no experience on other mountains to compare it with, it was difficult to say whether its terrain was rugged enough.

*****

It's been my personal panata to hike during Valentines; I invite or get invited by people from my environmental organization in college. When I was invited late January, I couldn't make it because I had work. Then I had this brilliant idea: I'll make mountaineers out of my co-workers. With that, I will no longer have trouble looking for people to invite when adventure fever strikes.

The original plan was to recruit Frankie and Ella. Then I would invite one fellow from EARTH-UST. And another member, a seasonal climber who knows the trail too well. Maybe Mads. I only wanted to recruit few newbies because I didn't want them to outnumber the seasonal ones. My reason was obvious. Think of a scenario when there are only two seasonal climbers to offer help to four newbies who couldn't make it just when you all are in the assault part. Help is limited. I didn't want that to happen.

13 February 2010 - DAY 1: I need a windbreaker!

So here were the final recruits: Eli (seasonal, my EARTH-UST fellow), Noella (newbie and former co-worker), Ella (newbie and present co-worker), Melle (seasonal, present co-worker), and Francis (seasonal, Melle's friend).

In the next pictures, Melle a.k.a. assault summit boy would be missing. He's always ahead of us.

There are buses in MRT-Taft Station that will take you to Cavite. We were looking for one that would drop us off to Maragondon. We were told that buses with such route will come from Lawton, and would take a while before they pass by to Taft. It was already 7:30. By some instructions and PR of a bus conductor, we were lured to ride the bus to Trece Martires.

*****

At Trece Martires, Cavite, we asked a group of drivers how to get to Maragondon. One of them offered his jeep for P1000.00. I didn't know why they wouldn't take us to Maragondon because from there, we'd just ride a jeep to Ternate after a last minute shopping at the wet market. If I remember correctly, Melle explained that Maragondon is not a usual route. Our only option was to rent a jeep unless we want to wait forever for other passengers who were also bound to Maragondon.

At last, we arrive at the jump-off point.  Magnetic hills never cease to amaze me. Hehe. :)

Here now is assault summit boy. Grab him before he's gone.. There were no problems, except that Noella almost gave up to the weight of her bagful of food. Wahahaha! Dude, don't tell me I didn't tell you to pack light :p The most important things that a climber must bring are swiss knife, headlamps or flashlights, extra clothes, trek water and reserved water, canned goods, and first aid kit. The preferred clothing is light, usually shorts, just like what I wore, but because I was worried about my legs getting bruised and not wanting to wear those heavy cargo pants, I just put on my reliable soccer socks. Climbing shoes are better than strapped sandals, but the latter was what I wore :p And oh, don't forget your bonnet and windbreaker.

tuna, corned beef, sardines, and other no-cook food are convenient to bring

But Francis is a gentie. He offered help. Noella was sort of expecting that he'd also offer a lift. Jk :p I was trailing behind the entire hike, and Francis kept behind me as a "sweeper." I took my time taking pictures. I must've driven assault summit boy impatient up there :)

Blurred cos my hands were shaky. It was because as I carried myself onto a huge rock, I looked for a low branch that I could hold on to for balance. Deym, I didn't see that the branch I chose was full of thorns! What was that plant? Good thing I didn't sustain cuts. Whew.

Noella and Eli

Three hours after (lol 3 hours!! ang bagal!), we reached Base Camp II. I caught up with assault summit boy calling out to Ate Ella and Ate Eli. Erm, well, the two sort of went to the dangerous zone. The cliff! It seriously made me nervous. I called out, too. I wanted to give them some scolding. Hay, kids. Lol.

Finally, Base Camp II. Pitch the tent boys, cos we're really exhausted. Well, it's too hot to lie there anyway, so we just settled under a shady nook of bamboo trees, and greeted groups and groups of mountaineer that followed us. We had neighbors, but we're not crowded.

The earth pad, man. Mawala na ang underwear, wag lang ang earth pad :p

But what is a summit without such excellent view?! After a long rest, Ella, Eli, Melle, and Francis assaulted the summit just in time for sunset. Only summit boy explored the rock formation. Noella and I, well, after much grass grabbing wanted another adventure. We were a few feet away from the summit when we decided to drop it. But not without much effort...

MAY BANGIN!

We didn't know how to descend. there were no rocks to step on, just those grasses to hold on to. we just let ourselves slip and grabbed the grasses to control the pace of our butts.

Got this item from Celine. It's just like the one from Somewhere in Time

with Lent come days of solitude even when i'm not a believer. it's a season of grief, abeyance, when all i do is wait. to me it's beautiful.

Kung magpapa-cute ka, not at my expense. And hindi ka naman cute na bading. Ni hindi ka pa nga naglaladlad.

Ask people who have no friends what friendship is.

I always appear as the evil and guilty one because I am never conciliatory. But of course, what's to be sorry for; mine is just a re-action. I did not start it. Nor did I even prompt it. Hey jealousy, you're never appeased.

I took this picture while walking aimlessly in UST. When I saw this empty stone bench I thought, "hey do you feel lonely too?"

New year, sigh. Pretty soon, these memories will be dating from two years back. They are becoming more distant to me as every April passes. I'm a bad girl because I lied. Worse even, because I wish him back. Something that ended too soon will be remembered for quite a while.