When I die...

Our family has been dealing with a lot of deaths lately. Last year, my lola's brother died of cancer. Early this month, my grandfather from the other side died also. Not sure of the reason since I'm not talking to them (wasn't able to go too since I'm on the US, and even if I'm here, I'm not sure if I want to go). Going back, just this Monday, another brother of the same grandmother died because of heart attack. And her other sister is now battling a disease. Too many things happening.

Then suddenly, it dawned on me. What if I die now? I don't want to think about it but I know I have to. A lot of people depends on me now. If I die, they will suffer financially and emotionally. I have to get some sort of insurance or at least a memorial plan. 

While on this thought, these questions ran in my mind. Given the chance to decide --

1. How do I want to be presented in my wake? 

2. Should I be cremated?

3. Do I want to be buried underground or in an urn inside our house?

Ok, a little morbid, but I'm sure this will be extremely helpful for my loved ones. Here's my answers --

1. Definitely, I do not want people to see me on my wake. But right now, I'm not sure yet if I want to be cremated. Maybe if I'll have a contagious disease, that would be preferable. I'm yet to decide if I'll retain my body as is, then just have a closed-casket funeral or I just want my urn to be displayed. Either way, no face for the people to see. I want them to remember me at my most beautiful moment. If I get sick, I do not want them to see my unhealthy face. If I get run over by a car, I do not want them to see bruises. If I get killed, I do not want them to sense my fear while dying. If I die on my sleep, I do not want them to see that I'm thinking of a problem before I sleep... Given those thoughts, I want a large portrait of me displayed in the wake. My most beautiful picture please! 

2. As mentioned in 1, I'm not sure yet. I have nothing against cremation. Then I want my casket to be closed so a beautiful white casket wont be necessary. If I die tomorrow, I'll let my family decide. Hehe! Maybe choose the cheaper option.

3. Of course, buried! If I get cremated, oh please do not put my urn inside the house. That's creepy! Ok here's what I want. Even if I'll be cremated, I want to be buried underground. Not the apartment types where the urns are placed ha? You know those little boxes piled up together? No way! I want to be buried underground, with grass, with lapida, with a place for my family to sit on and with a place for the kids to run when they visit me on my birthday. In short, I want to be buried in a memorial garden. Mental note: buy a lot in Mt. Zion or Taytay Memorial or Holy Gardens Taytay.

BONUS ITEMS!

WAKE

- Do NOT hold my wake in our house. I do not want my family to remember that this is the spot where Yosh's urn or casket was placed during the wake. Something like that. Rent a chapel! There usually is one inside the cemetery.

- Fill my wake with white flowers

- Use white casket. If possible, use white for everything. 

- Play my favorite music! I want a happy vibes wake. Oh well, it depends on how I died no? But really it's fine by me if you'll play cards or if there'll be terembe or sakla or bingo. That will pull more people, right? And I want more people in my wake!

- Serve butong kalabasa. I enjoy that during wakes!

INTERMENT

- I want everyone to wear white shirts. 

- Release white balloons

- I want my closest friends to speak about me on my last mass. I'll name them for you to hunt - my husband, of course; from my family - Tito Arvin; from my college friends - Joann; from my work friends - Lara. If other people want to speak, let them! I'll be by the sidelines, listening.

- No pang-patay songs while you guys are walking me to the cemetery. No "Hindi kita malilimutan". Argh! Nothing too vulgar also, I do not want that much attention. Play some love songs. Sitti songs or Kyla songs will do.

Here's my peg to give you a better picture --

Wake of Ms.Patty (RIP) of Nonstopbabble. Photo grabbed from Mommy Fleur blog. 

I know you're gonna miss me when I'm gone but please try not to cry. It's hard, I know! Hahaha! Ohh and please do tell my family this when I die so my wish will be granted.


Maybe I'm sad that's why I'm writing this,
Yosh

#americandream Part2: HOTlanta 2015

Howks! So shempre di ko na ikekwento sa inyo yung work related stuff na ginawa ko dun. I'm sure not interested ang drama nyo! Photos of my gala galore na lang! :D

May 3 SUNDAY
We left Manila by morning of May 3. First photo I posted na related sa event was this. Mga ateng, alam ng lahat ng kaclose ko na gustong-gusto ko mag-Japan. As in!

Pagbaba namin ng Japan after 5 hours, open agad ng internet kasi nga nasa ere kami nung laban ni Pacman and Mayweather. Waaaa talo. Ok tulog na lang ako sa next flight. Then after another 12 hours flight, we reached Atlanta. This was the photo I took after bringing my luggage in my room and magtoothbrush. Guys 7:10pm na to ng gabi at maaraw pa. Haha! Walang jetlag-jetlag! Laboy agad!

Shempre first order of business - FOOD! Now let's see the real Hooters. Infairness, it did not disappoint.

May 4 MONDAY
Ok. So after one night na I'm not beside my husband, this was my first picture of the day --

Oh yah, I'm arte like that. Haha! First out of country ko kasi na not China. At first out of country ko rin na di sya kasama. Di bale miel, next time sama ka na. Hehe

Right after the conference, nagpalit lang kami ng flat shoes then laboy na! Ang una namin hinanap ay bilihan ng chocolate na pasalubong. Haha! So Target it is! Going there we went through this very long escalator sa Peachtree Station ng Martha Subway -

This is us nung naliligaw sa train. Haha!

Excuse my oily fez!

May 5 TUESDAY
Not much special this day. We just went to a Chinese resto near the hotel that night kasi feel na feel na namin magrice. Haha!


May 6 WEDNESDAY
The most exciting day for me. We got to walk around the very hot Atlanta. Honestly, mga ateng, very disappointed ako sa weather ng Atlanta. Ang inet!! Shempre mas mainit pa rin sa atin pero di ko inexpect na papawisan ako dun. Haha! Anyhoot, masaya naman. Look!

Olympic torch yata to

Binasa ko caption nito e, limot ko lang. haha

What's in the area

The wall says it all

Minsan pinangarap kong maging reporter. Haha

May tambay sila oh!

We tried the street food!

Structure ek-ek na nagcrack nung bombing

The ladies of Coke

Coke store

Pahirap na vendo! Buti masarap ang Fanta

Tambay sa park

Acquarium! Sa labas

Five guys. Finally!

After our very tiring gala, we went back to Kaye's room kahit past 12mn na. Eco called us para makijoin sa party with the higher ups (boss of our boss). Mga ganung level. We were invited sa Presidential Suite but I won't tell you more. Bilang mahal ko pa ang career ko -- What happened in the Sheraton Club, stays at the Sheraton Club. Hahaha!

May 6 THURSDAY
Bilang last day na ng training mejo uneasy na kami dito. We wanted to escape na, and we did! Hahaha! Last night na rin namin so we went na to an Outlet Store para mamili. Mejo malayo ang Outlet so nagrent kami ng car. Yaman! Ok pictures galore --

At kumain sa sikat na Applebee.

May 8 FRIDAY
Uwian na. Yey! Excited to see my husband. But I still enjoyed every bit of my journey.

Anong nagawa ko to deserve this kind of blessing? Thank you Lord! And shempre thank you rin to the woman who made this possible. To my boss Khryz, sobrang salamat! On times na ako mismo walang tiwala sa kaya kong gawin, she was there to believe in me. Indeed the best manager one can ever have. And I'm so lucky!

Lord, next time Paris naman ha? :D


Blessed beyond words,
Yosh

#americandream Part1: The US VISA Application

Ehmergerd! My last post was January and May na ngayon! Grabeeeee! You can guess my reason -- I'm busy! I've been involved in a very time-consuming, mind-wracking and energy-exhausting project so I have no time. Ako na! Haha! Luckily, I'm done na with that project but then again I have a new project agad-agad. Mejo napahinga lang dahil no access yet. So here I am! I'll try to fill you guys in with what went on with my life in that 4 long months.

First off, the most exciting thing! I went to the US of A last May. I've been to the land of the free and the home of the brave! Oh my gulay! Oh well, I must admit, at first I was not excited. Kasi naman work related. You know naman me, mejo against LDR ang lola nyo so ayoko talaga ng abroad abroad na ganyan. Bet ko lang yan pag bakasyon, and hindi nga kasama si D dito bilang business related. Anyhoot, I accepted the offer bilang sino ba naman ako para tumanggi. Mga ateng, opportunity knocks only once. Saka one week lang naman.

So firstly, I have my new passport na naman so Visa muna. Mejo kabado kasi hello Chinese Visa lang ang meron ako. Not that minamaliit ko yun shempre. The interview went well naman and I was granted a B1/B2 visa valid for 10 years at multiple entry pa! Wuhooo tambling!

Oh andito ka ba para icheck ano mga tinanong saken ng consul and mga tips and tricks noh? You have to know na mejo madali for me kasi may back up ako ng company ha? But sure here it is --

1. Do not bring cellphone na lang. May mga ate naman dun na lalapit sayo para ioffer na itatago nila phone mo for a fee. But dears, mejo scary kasi bibigyan ka lang nila ng piece of paper as assurance. I overheard one kuya na nagtanong pano sya makasisiguro na safe ang phone nya. Ang sagot ni ate -- May CCTV naman po dito. Huh?! E gasino na yung itakbo na lang nila bigla diba? Anyhoot, not just cellphone ang bawal ha? Any thing electronic bawal din, including USB, headset and any metal things (except coins, susi ng bahay at kotse). 

2. Be there very early. Sa labas lang kayo pipila lahat. Mas ok na na maaga ka mafamiliarize sa place kesa mukha ka engot dun tapos time mo na pala. Iba ang pila ng Fiancee Visa, Immigrant Visa, and everything.

3. Habang nasa labas, makinig ng mabuti sa mga guards. Bigla na lang kasi sila sisigaw ng oras. Like for me 7am ako. Before me, meron pa 6:30, 6:40, 6:50. After me may narinig pa ako 7:05. Mejo weird lang. But kung gusto mo matapos ng maaga be very attentive na lang.

4. After the pila, Iguguide nila kayo sa isa pang pila. Still outside pa rin ng embassy. They will check your appointment slip and your guarantee letter. That's it pansit. 

5. Then tuloy sa building. You have to undergo security checking here. 

6. Sunod may pila na may 2 window na isusulot mo lang ung papel mo under. Ang ibibigay mo lang there ung nastapler sa unang pila. Bibigyan ka ng number. 

7. Then proceed ka sa Waiting Area. 2 pila ito, non-immigrant at immigrant. Again, may shepherd naman dito that will guide you. Pag sinabi na ng pastol, pasok ka na sa main building.

8. Again security check. After this, pipila na kayo sa mga window. first batch ng interview na for data capture. What they got from me -- Appointment slip and guarantee letter. Konting questions, what will I do in the US. Mga pinoy pa naman to so no kaba factor.

9. Next window, biometrics scanning. Pretty american ang nagkuha ng biometrics ko, quick lang.

10. And now for the fun and scary part -- CONSUL INTERVIEW! Whew! I think I'm lucky kasi every smiling ang aking consul. Yun nakikita ko kasi sa other windows scary talaga. Anyhoot, our flow of conversation -

C - Hi! Good morning!

Y - Good morning! How are you?

C - I'm good. (Smiles then checks my paper for a good 1 minute). Ok, so where do you plan to go?

Y - I'm going to Atlanta, Georgia

C - What is your purpose?

Y - I'll be attending a business conference

C - For how long?

Y - 5 days

C - Is this your first time in the US?

Y - Yes

C - Have you been in other countries outside of the Philippines?

Y - Yes. I've been to China twice.

C - Wow! So how long have you been working with your company?

Y - 4 years now

C - How much do you make in a month?

Y - <secret>

C - Ok, your visa will be ready in a week. Thank you!

Y - Wow! Thank you very much!

TIPS: 

> Kung may kasama ka magapply at hindi mo kamaganak, refrain from talking to each other. We have this one instance in our company na nauna si Boy1. Nagalit sya kasi denied sya so he went straight to his companions and bluntly bad-mouthed Consul1. E narinig sya ni Consul1. When Boy2 approaches Consul2, Consul1 went to Consul2's cube and whispered something. Without asking anything pa, Boy2 was denied also. Oooppsss! Kawawa naman.

> By the way, the seafarers will be given priority. So uubusin muna sila bago simulan ang regular pila. So be patient.

> If possible, while waiting for your number to flash on the screen (which, by the way, will flash in no particular order so you have to be attentive), try to seat far away from the consul. This is para di ka kabahan kasi maririnig mo pa how the other's are denied.

> Just be confident. Para magawa mo yun, you have to be honest. Mas madali tandaan ang totoo kesa fabricated stories. 

It's not that hard. Kaya nyo yan guys! ;)

Yo my men,

Yosh