The Best Half

Hello there. Yes, I'm still here constantly thinking of blogging and after countless attempts, I finally mustered the courage to gather photos and hit the keyboards. Now don't blame me if this post consumes your time because I shall post a lot of photos to make up for my absence----uncollaged photos, these are. Heehee. Well, nothing philosophical, just some what's-going-on-with-my-life entry. My relationship with this blog is like an old friend with whom you kind of lost in touch with but you perpetually think how they've been but preoccupation with current important stuff eats your time and then you accidentally bump into each other somewhere down the road and go back to being good friends again as if time never passed. :)

So, since this entry is mainly about how my life has been and to give a sequel to my recent post about my wedding frets, well....here. Yes, I got married last March 9!! *insert kilig smile here* One of the most enormous mystery of my life is now revealed. 

Officially misis. (c) Doc Saino

With our families. (c) Val Candole

Back in my singlehood days, the man I'm going to marry has always been a mystery I never knew when to happen. Never did I expect that he will come around the time I was reviewing for the board exam, the most unlikely time to flirt around. Haha! It was a typical Meranao parental set-up, but lucky us, we find each other suitable for a spouse. Well, primarily I didn't think of it THAT way when I met him. We have a common first cousin (we are also blood related, his father is my third degree cousin on my Mom's side) who introduced us. But apparently, prior to our personal introduction, he met up with my parents first to subtly ask if he can  visit me. They (him and my cousin) visited me at the review center after a long negotiation, I was so much under pressure of passing the boards I need not anyone to bother me. But I give in to my cousin's plea, I sure didn't know he's with him. We had a relatively good conversation over dinner that our first meeting didn't end there. I learned that he's a CPA who works with the Philippine Embassy in Abuja, Nigeria as a finance officer. Since he was on a vacation and was scheduled to go back to work few days after our meeting, he frequented his visits without my cousin. No resistance came from me thinking that he's leaving soon and I must admit I enjoyed his company. I thought his last visit would be the last and when he leaves, no further communication will occur. I was wrong. Even we were continents apart, his overseas phone calls became persistent and regular until I find myself expecting it almost always. I kind of get used to it, and while I was driving myself crazy studying for the biggest exam of my life, he acted as a shock absorber listening to my rants and, in his own little ways, comforted me. While those things were happening, his parents were also communicating with my parents about the two of us getting married. It took time before everything was settled and I had to ask myself a hundred times if I want it too. Our parents obviously do. I prayed hard and asked for signs, and when I felt that my questions were answered, I wholeheartedly accepted the marriage. Choz. Andami ko pang chorva e 'noh? Obvious naman na like ko din siya. *winks*

In retrospect, I love our lovestory. Yes, I'm a fan of my very own lovestory. Haha! We are not boyfriends/girlfriends, but we allowed fate to work everything for us. There wasn't too much obstacles along the way making our story run smoothly. Everything I was praying for were answered. Alhamdulillah.

After the wedding, we had to make the most of our time together because he would be leaving again for Nigeria. We traveled around Mindanao from Marawi City (our home base) to Cagayan de Oro, Bukidnon, Davao City, Cotabato City and back to Marawi. During those travels, we slowly revealed the quirky and fun sides of each other. In him, I found the best travel buddy! :) 

Sipping his durian frappe in a non-beachy outfit under the sun at Samal Island, Davao City. 

Who goes to Davao without devouring durian, huh? Good thing we both love durian!! 

A month later, we fled to Manila to work on some of his papers at DFA main office while I also took a leave from my work to be with him. During one mundane afternoon, he suddenly thought of going to Baguio, telling me that he's been living in Manila most of his life but never had a chance to go the Summer Capital of the Philippines. As wanderlusts that we both are, we took the bus and off we go relying only on the internet for directions.

Overlooking the City of Pines at the terrace of SM Baguio.

The first name of the hotel that appeared on the search engine was Casa Vallejo which is located at the Upper Session Road. We checked in without thinking twice and off we walked down to main Session Road until we reached Burnham Park. I'm the kind of traveler who keeps an itinerary either in writing or in mind, while hubby goes for absolute spontaneity. We walked around wherever our feet brought us. 

Burnham River at night. 

Night market. 

We woke up to this chilly environment. I felt like I was in a non-tropical country. 

Waiting for our breakfast at Hill Station.

Energizing ourselves in preparation for a loooong day ahead.

Typical Baguio sights.

Our first stop was the Strawberry Farm at La Trinidad, Benguet. We were both excited to hand-pick strawberries that we did it like it was not our first time. Haha! 

From there, we went straight to Camp John Hays for lunch and did some window shopping. 

Since it was his first time in Baguio, it's a must for him to see Mine's view Park. 

Another must-have is a photo with the Igorot natives at Baguio Botanical Garden. Look at the oldies so cute with their peace-out hand sign!! :) 

Per Ate Diane's suggestion, we visited Tam-awan Village which reflects the culture of the different northern tribes. We had a lot of fun taking each other's photos. Haha! 

A typical Kalinga hut.

From the native Tam-awan Village, we drove to another mountain called Tuba in Benguet to visit BenCab Museum which houses modern sculptures and paintings. 

Our eyes feasted to these beautiful works of art contemplating on how they were made and the emotions of the artists who did them. 

"WAG MO DAMDAMIN ANG MGA BAGAY DAHIL ANG MGA BAGAY WALANG DAMDAMIN". 

Terracota.

I'm sorry I have a bad camera. :( 

At the basement of BenCab is a cozy restaurant called Cafe Sabel....

...which opens to this magnificent view! The most romantic place EVER.

What we loved about Cafe Sabel is that their food were purely 100% organic. They're preparing their herbs from a nearby garden that they maintain. We had minty pineapple frappe and mouth-watering basil pesto pasta which were both absolutely delicious! :)

From BenCab, we hurried to the bus station and went back to Manila. It was just a quick but worthwhile trip. We visited most of the must-see places in a day and a night. Greeaaaat!!! Looking forward to a lot more travel sprees with you, Jab! :) Inshaa Allah. 

Alhamdulillah for all the blessings that God has given me. I am truly grateful beyond words. Ya Allah, thank you for my family, my friends, my work, the travel opportunity with my husband, and thank you for bringing Jabar in my life. Please shower us with more of Your blessings as we walk Your earth worshipping You alone. With him, there's nothing I can ask for (handsome and intelligent children na lang. haha!). 

As of speaking time, he's now back in Abuja immersing with his work while I also do the same to shun missing his presence. I can only pray for God to give us strength to stand the distance and courage to face our future together. In God's perfect time, we will be together again. :) For now, BBM and Facebook na lang muna kami. Hehe. 

Pachelbel's Canon and Wedding Frets

This is George Winston's piano rendition of Johann Pachelbel's Canon. There's something eargasmic about it that really soothes my soul, hence, many many years ago, I promised to have this played on my wedding day. I don't care if this has been played in millions of weddings or in movies but this has to be played on my big day! Now that it is fast approaching, I'm fretting about the details such as who's to play Canon while we're walking down the aisle, or the tiny details in the hall prep, or the menu, the wedding invites, the program itself and etcetera. In our culture, it's difficult to have your dream wedding done due to the norms and traditions that we follow (in fact, a wedding song is not important at all), but I want to make sure that those feasible things I want in it to be done. Normally among us, Meranaos, the bride is not supposed to get her hands on the wedding, but I'm a lucky lass to have my parents ask me on how we should go about it. The whole bridal family are supposed to act as wedding coordinators, consulting the groom's family on their suggestions. With ours, I try to inject some of my modern wedding ideas into our tradition and raise it to my parents. If I get an approval then we're good to go. 

I'm getting jittery about this whole marriage thing, not so much with the wedding because the ceremony would only last for some few hours but marriage is supposed to last our whole lifetime together and as we pray, even in the hereafter. Subhanallah. This is the difficult thing about being single all your life and then suddenly, someone comes along to become a part of your everyday life. You used to decide on your own and seek approval from you parents, and now, someone is deciding with you. You used to be only a part of a nuclear family and now you are creating your own nuclear family. I occasionally catch myself absorbed in my own reverie, thinking about the huge leap I am going to make, the enormous detour of my life. With this whole marriage thing, some of the plans I laid for myself went blurry. But as a dear friend told me, we cannot help but make compromises when we're already in the relationship. This is not merely some boyfriend-girlfriend experimental thing that I can easily get out whenever I want to. This is the real thing. And it is a big deal. I can't help but get emotional about all these stuff because of the huge decisions I will have to make in the future regarding juggling my career and my future family life, but I constantly remind myself that we're going to cross the bridge when we get there. I need to calm down myself, there's nothing to fret about, and that Allah (subhana wa ta'ala) is the Best Planner, and He shall direct to us to where we are best fit. Ameen. 

But one thing for sure, Canon shall me played while we're walking down the aisle. Wish me the best! *winks*

2012

Hello, blog.
The lack of a constant internet connection forced me to go on hibernation but it doesn't mean I stopped yearning for blogging which has been a part of me for the past seven years or so. :(

InshaAllah, I will write my detailed updates in my next entry. For now, suffice it to say that 2012 had been an awesome year for me. The first quarter was the time I was crawling towards the end of internship after 366 days of residing in the hospital. I finished my internship neatly, without make-up duties or any demerits. in fact, I even made use of my merits in some departments to make up for some deficiencies. Alhamdulillah, I survived Philippine General Hospital! The second quarter was the time I locked myself reviewing for the Physicians Licensure Exam, and yes I literally did that. I threw the world behind while I faced my books for three whole months of jitters and anticipations. And all our hard work paid off. Our Class had a 97.8% passing rate, making us the fifth best medical school in the country. Fifth may sound so behind but we take pride in it, it inspires the younger batches to perform better to climb to a higher post. This was also the time I met the man I am going to marry. This is a premature announcement but yes, I am going to knot the tie soon and that deserves a whole entry. :) I passed the boards during the third quarter of the year and I skyrocketed  and began plummeting on the fourth quarter already. Haha! Yes, that long. Anyway, I bummed on the third quarter, well, not entirely because I processed my DTTB (Doctors To The Barrios) papers, but most of the time, I only stayed at home staring at thin air and contemplating my passing of the board exam. Haha! It sunk in a little longer. The fourth quarter was the time I began to work on my deployment at Maguindanao as DTTB. It wasn't my choice to get assigned to an apparently chaotic area, it was nothing but a twist of fate. Nevertheless, I always believed that God is the best planner so I accepted the challenge. Up to when I can handle this? Only God knows. Haha! Again, my DTTB experience deserves a whole entry. I'm crossing my fingers right now for the series of blog assignments I'm giving myself.

Life has been so good to me, Alhamdulillah. I cannot ask for more. :) 

I'm sitting at Bo's Coffee right now, here in Cotabato City and we only have until 7pm to loiter because no public transportation goes inside the area past 7pm. And it's almost 7pm now. Ok, time's up!

I have come into an expected pause in my life but I enjoy living in heart-shaped bubbles that don't seem to rupture. I have been smiling from ear to ear every single day for the past few months and finally, yes finally, my life is having a bit of color now. <3 <3 <3 

There are forms of happiness worth keeping than sharing. 

P.S.

I so miss the normalcy of blogging and of writing and of being a critic. But when you're mind is fogged with incomprehensible colors, words fade away just like that. They only leave footprints of that peculiar feeling. 

Lili's Little Angel

Meet baby girl Zahraa Reem Mamari Dimakuta, weighing 5.6 lbs, delivered via low transverse cesarean section. BFF Lili's first baby! MashaAllah! May you grow up as gorgeous as your Mom and as kind and religious as your Dad. 

"May she be granted beauty, and yet not   

Beauty to make a stranger's eye distraught,   

Or hers before a looking-glass; for such,   

Being made beautiful overmuch,   

Consider beauty a sufficient end,   

Lose natural kindness, and maybe   

The heart-revealing intimacy   

That chooses right, and never find a friend.

May she become a flourishing hidden tree,   

That all her thoughts may like the linnet be,   

And have no business but dispensing round   

Their magnanimities of sound;   

Nor but in merriment begin a chase,   

Nor but in merriment a quarrel.   

Oh, may she live like some green laurel   

Rooted in one dear perpetual place." 

-William Butler Yeats

Upside Down

Photo taken sometime in October 2012 at Enchanted Kingdom.

Life is one helluva roller-coaster ride. Enjoy it, witness it, get involved with it, don't close your eyes when you're turned upside down, that's when you can test your courage and strength most. 

Have a lovely November, friends! It's my birth month! :D 

Two Cents

For my 27th year on this mysterious earth, allow me to share what life has inculcated in me.

1. HARDWORK

              It always pays off. Never fails. If you want something really bad, you just have to really work on it head-on. The universe will not conspire in your favor if you fail to perform your part. Try asking successful men on their secret to reaching the peak of their triumph and they got only one word for you, dude --- hardwork.

2. FAITH

              Never ever sell yourself short. Keep the faith that you can achieve achieve your goal, because if you don't believe in yourself, who will? But the biggest share of your faith should go to God--put your entire trust on Him as you trudge your way to success because He, alone, causes circumstances to happen.

3. GRATITUDE

              Pay gratitude to the people, who, in one way or another have helped in pushing you to the limits until you reach the top. They may be your parents, siblings, mentors, family members and friends who have offered prayers, provided comforting words, embraced you and tapped your back when you feel like giving up. Always say your Thank Yous, these are two powerful words that are soothing to the heart. Those people who have rendered help, especially your family and mentors, do not expect anything in return other than a simple Thank You. And, say it a sincere smile. :D

4. HUMILITY

               Wherever your feet brings you, just keep them firmly planted on the ground. Arrogance will bring you nowhere but to your downfall. Always keep your confidence with your head bowed low.

5. PATIENCE

                One will not value his success if he did not meet thorny obstacles along the way. These obstacles will either make or break your goal, so always carry patience as your weapon. InshaAllah, it will shield you through the terrifying sea of obstacles.

6. OPEN-MIND

                Finally, as you go all through these, face life with an open-mind. When the waves of life don't seem to agree with you, don't easily dwell into the darkness of frustration, believe that it shoves you to a better place.


Alhamdulillah for another great year! Thank you 2012, you've been awesome! On my 27th, multitude of changes are beginning to take place and I'm facing them with bravery. Help me God. :)

A Letter

At one point during the board exam review days, most of us were at the brink of emotional (and nervous) breakdown. The anticipation of what was going to come out and the result after the exam was gradually killing us. Because we were phone calls away from our families, my classmates/friends and I hold on to each other for emotional support. We perfectly knew how each one feels about the board exam, unlike our families and other friends outside the medical field who were also supportive but did not have an inkling as to the amount of pressure that was on us. My good friend Alvi, our class valedictorian and epitome of beauty, intelligence, patience, kindness and everything good in this world, wrote me a letter which really boosted my self-confidence. I was flattered beyond words and I couldn't thank her enough for that. Here goes. 

My dear friend Aisha,

        I have always admired you. You're a woman of faith. You're diligent and pious. I know you will be a great doctor in  your community in the future. And so let your dream of becoming one strive and push you more to work hard for your future patients. Personally, I have just yet realized that what I said when I was interviewed for the application in med school that being a doctor is to serve humanity, is indeed service.  And in service, there are sacrifices. This review for the board exam is one of those; it's one step, it's one of those mountains we have to climb. Many times we feel that in every step we take is so hard, so painful that we think of giving up. However we do not realize that if we will just be faithful, that another step is already the finish line. So be joyful, be glad; rejoice on hardships, in difficulties, for like gold, we are being purified by the trials of life; impurities are removed and in the end is that shiny, precious, pure gold. One that is treasured, one that is perfect. In everything you do, do your best for God deserves nothing less. Give it all. Life is too beautiful to waste it on the miseries of this world or the sadness of this world. And in your preparation, couple it with prayer. For it is said to WORK and PRAY. Pray hard. Pray constantly. Pray at all times. When you're sad, pray. When you're about to give up, pray. Then God will renew you, He will give you grace and hope. And so run in such a way as to get your prize. Do not run aimlessly, run with all your might, angels are there cheering for you. We can all do this. Though time has not let us come together for words of hope, but my prayers are with you and the rest of our batch. 

Just keep it up. Never give up.

God bless.

It was so dramatic because she left the folded letter on to my study table and I got teary-eyed after I read it. Haha! Alhamdulillah, our prayers were answered and all of us passed the board exam. I wish our class all the best, good luck to us as we embark on a brand new journey! :) Cheers to the Class 2011!

I haven't written anything that makes sense for a long while now. I tried to squeeze out that creative juice in me but it seemed empty. There are plenty of things around me to write about but there's nothing that hammers me to actually write it down. Words just linger playfully in my mind and got stuck.

Profundity has evaporated.

But I guess, it makes sense to be a doctor. :)

Found

"I guess, when The One finds you, there's nothing, not even a single atom in you that revolts against it." 

That was what I wrote in my private diary a month ago. I still believe so because I felt it. We can only pray. <3 

The Lone Traveler

Photo taken 36,000 feet above the ground on a perfect sunset afternoon. It's a rare chance to eye witness closely the magnificent sun hiding behind the huge clouds as it bids farewell to end another beautiful day. 

Who said I was alone? I was with Haruki Murakami, my love.