Abu Dhabi- the largest & richest state among the 7 emirates comprising the United Arab Emirates. T'was my birthplace & the land i loved for most of my young years. It gave me a lot of memories that i won't ever forget in my entire life. And here i am, out of my so-called "AbuDhabi-sickness", i decided to make this entry all about the life i had in Abu Dhabi.

As i mentioned earlier, i was born at Al Corniche Hospital located at the back of Sheraton Hotel and if im not mistaken it's along Salam St., Abu Dhabi, U.A.E. Since we don't own a house or as they call it in AD "villa" so it's either we rent a flat/condo or just a room (when we were just 4 in the family) and besides we're just an average family with an average income.hehe.

Dec. 30, 1989 (accdg.to my mom)- we all went back home (Phils) 'coz there was this Gulf War goin' on and it was only Daddy who went back there to continue his job.

1992- Mommy & Jc left and went back to AD to be with Daddy leaving me & bam with my Uncle Doodz & our house helper Ate Joy.

1993- Jewel was born and we were so excited to see her though it was only in pics that we get to see her. But on the month of May alas! we went back to Abu Dhabi accompanied by Aunt A. and we're once again reunited with Dad, Mom, Jc & of course our baby sis, Jewel. At that time our flat was in this bldg( i forgot the name of the bldg.) located at Airport Road and the church was just a couple of blocks away from it. Me & Bam had a long vacation- 5 months to be exact coz classes starts on the month of September. We were enrolled in this small school called International Primary School & most of the teachers were indians but in class there's diversity in nationalities.haha- there's indian,pakistani, sri lankan, arab, & filipino of course! And again it was just located few blocks behind our bldg. Oh by the way, it was the year i started eating SPAGHETTI!!! Yup i didn't like eating spagh even the jollibee spagh BUT because of my mom's deliciously-cooked spagh, i started loving spagh!

1994- Uncle Doods came to Abu Dhabi too and NOW we're really complete...jc broke his left arm coz he had a bad fall from the bed and it was casted for months. Mommy, brought home from the Phil. Embassy a run-away maid named Minda and she became one of the best maid we ever had and she was Jewel's fave maid too, even though she was juz a toddler at that time, she could still remember tita Minda up until now. This was also the year i started keeping a diary. Maybe one of these days i would post some silly entries of mine in that '94 diary of mine.

1995-we transferred to a new bldg (MINCO Bldg.) located at Khalidiya St. and this time it's not a flat anymore but instead a one BIG room with a BIG, LONG kitchen and our own bathroom. The only drawback is that we're living in a big flat with different nationalites, there's indians, morrocans, arabs, nepalian (don't knw wat u call people from Nepal eh!), and again filipinos.But, what's interesting about this year is that i had my first crush...wahahaha

1996- Amnesty we're granted for those illegal workers and so Tita Minda went back to the Phils & from that day on, i learned a lot of household chores. I became a "dalaga" na ( it's up to you to figure this out.hehe.). We transferred to a Filipino school- PISCO Private School and it is where a lot of learnings, friends, & memories were made.Jewel also started going to school. And last but not least- and there was a new addition to our family- Ivy Vanessa Banez came into our world.

1997- was enjoying my first year in PISCO and the Filipino teachers & classmates that i had, which by the way i'm still in contact with up until now. Ricky & Joyce won the Mr & Ms. UN. I joined the Bb. PISCO w/c was really against my will. FUGEES...Wild Wacky Cool Girls...SPACE JAM...ATe AOi...

1998- AWANA was introduced in our church, became part of it. Had new classmates.HAd a new crush. Opening of Al Falah. Joined Ms. PISCO again out of the persistent convincing of Mr. Acosta to my parents.Recieved daily calls from JR asking if i'm angry at him (so silly!), don't know why?Got baptized & fully surrendered my life to HIM. Graduation.Cute A's...Now & Then...BSG...POP...Spice Girls (huwwaaattt???)...AQUA DREAMLAND... and oh Dianne, Joy, & LeeAnn's dramas.haha.

1999- We again transferred to a new as in NEW(at that time) bldg located at the back of the Colours bldg (Ricky & Sarah's place) but we're juz sharing with the Orlina family but me & Bam had our own room.hehe.Started joining KANYAW- a cultural dance club & the only club that lasted in our school.haha. Oh well! we were in HS this time and a lot of HS dramas started.Long phone talks with Dianne. Jaz left for good.Baked a chewy-candy-like brownies with Dianne.

2000- Millenium.2nd yr. HS where it all started (not goin' into the details of that!). Long phone talks with Dianne and this time Avi too.Started liking someone real (since the previous ones were actors/singer). More dramas. Al Ain fieldtrip.Had a memorable birthday.Sleepovers.Kalandrakas-our kanyaw yearly presentation. Ate Brenda's debut.Start of our Junior years. Became the secretary of the PISCO Student Coucil under the Leadership of Ricky. kilig moments (?!).Dawson's Creek

2001- My partner/bestfriend,Dianne went to Canada for good.Had a much bigger room (loved that room so much!). Long phone talks with Avi and ***. More kilig moments.Felt loved. Bridge between Arlette & Jay-r's LT.haha. First prom.Mc Donald's Strawberry Custard Pie.Abu Dhabi Mall.Summer escapades with girlfriends.Arlette went to Canada too for good.Kahimunan-a kanyaw production. Started baking chocolate chip cookies & the like.Start of our senior year. Became the PSC secratary again under the leadership of Ricky again. Took the UPCAT. A memorable class christmas party at the beach opposite Hilton hotel. A memorable last Christmas with the family and the Sernande's family.

2002- Memorable new year/bam's bday. A memorable bday/Love day. Church outings. our last PROM. Long and endless phone talks with ***. Results of the UPCAT. Piscolor. Savoured every moment with my family. Joined Malaysian Tourism and earned $$$.Last Fieltrip.Last PROM. Last Kanyaw presentations.Marina Mall. GOD'S FEET. Documentary. GRADUATION. Farewells. Tears. Off to Phils... Hello college life.


Leaving Abu Dhabi was so painful for me, i just didn't miss the life i had but even the things, places,& people that i encountered there.Our natour- the care taker of our bldg.,Noor- our bus driver, the unbearable smell of the patans/ taxi drivers, shwarma, the buildings, hotels we've been to, the worship service every Friday at the Evangelical Church Center, the Kanyaw practices every Thursday, the times when restless kids hang out at our room everytime there's a Bible Study being held in our flat, Practices of Malaysian Tourism at Al Hamra Plaza, the Saturday-Wednesday school days, Church Anniversary presentations, AWANA Bible quiz, AWANA Olympics, and the list goes on and on...

Abu Dhabi, i'll be visiting you once again soon...