“You know you're in love when you're kept up all night thinking of him, and then when you fall asleep, you find him in your dreams.”

If there there ever existed in this world a male version of me, it would be in his persona. Looking in his eyes is like looking at myself in the mirror; I find my flaws and my strengths, I see myself as I am without the cover, in the brightest of lights without fear of scrutiny nor judgement.

Who Is He?

Before he came along, I've had two great loves in my 28 years on Earth -- and with the brightest flames usually comes the deepest scars. I was in the healing, self-discovery process when HE entered the picture. I was looking for ways to smile and really mean it, finding the laughter within me that was lost, trying to see who I was and if she's someone I can live with.

This guy came into my life when I least expected it. I was living on a day to day basis, without regard for the future and what it could bring.

His name is Roan, and he presently holds my heart -- the one that made me smile after the rain.

The Original Cornbip

"ROAN" is a combination of his parents' names - Roger and Anna. He is the eldest out of 5 siblings -- 3 girls and 2 boys. A Taurus and also born in the Year of the Snake, Roan was born and raised in Manila. He knows the streets like the back of his hand, and loves the vibrancy, the unpredictability of life in Manila.

"I didn't come to know life through a book," he says, "I've learned what life is about by living it through my experiences."

At first glance, Roan is not someone you would want to mess with. A Chinese-Filipino with a typical macho-male demeanor and average height (5'8"), he walks with a sure, confident gait. He's most comfortable in jeans and shirt when out and about, and relaxes at home in a pair of basketball shorts and a loose shirt. His favorite colors are yellow and black. If there's an accessory that Roan couldn't live without, it would be a baseball cap. He has a wearable collection of baseball caps.

On Food, Sports, & Other Hobbies

Beneath his cap, Roan usually dons a clean-cut hairstyle (required for work), but its grown out longer than it should on several occasions. He's been an employee of PAGCOR since 2000, and studied AB Education at the University of Santo Tomas (Batch 1999) under a Volleyball Varsity scholarship.

Commenting on the recent UAAP championship by UST against Ateneo: "Season 69......from the word itself sixty nine. baligtaran, weird act sa kama....that's how i see the UST made this season one of the most craziest and wackiest championship run i witnessed," Roan says, "cellar dweller up to the final 4 then all the way to the trophy!!!! grabe di mapaliwanag ang kasiyahan, ang mga balahibo nagtatayuan ng pinapatugtog ang skol hym ng USTE....sweet victory talaga ang kampeonato na ito, pagkatapos ng isang dekada hawak na naman uli ng espana community ang prestihiyoso na tropeo ng UAAP!!! mabuhay ang tomasino!!!!"

awww congrats to the UST community, and as for ADMU, win or lose, it's the school we choose...

Roan's favorite sport is basketball, and he's an active leader at his barangay's Sports Committee. While most of his free time is spent with me, Roan's other hobbies also include playing basketball, watching movies at home, reading the newspaper, listening to music, watching cockfight derbies and horseraces, hanging out with family and friends, and more.

Roan is not a picky eater. "Basta nakakabusog, ok na yun," he'll say (as long as it will fill me up, then it should be okay). However, I've noticed that he can't live without rice, and while he doesn't have any aversion to Japanese or Italian foods, he doesn't find them very filling. He'll also try eating anything and anywhere at least once, so he's good company to have when you're feeling adventurous in your quest for food.

Roan is a right-brained individual; he's a great chess player and is good with numbers. He can understand and speak the Chinese dialects Mandarin and Fukienese, and can understand the Philippine Visayan dialect as well (his mom is from Surigao).

A very heavy sleeper, it takes a lot of shaking, yelling, and ruckus to wake this guy up from deep slumber. He enjoys the opportunity to sleep late on days-off like I do, only because it's very rare that either of us gets more than a few hours of rest.

"I Love You Katherine"

roan: i will love you and take care of you as long na humihinga ako
roan: love you so much kath
(I will love you & take care of you as long as I have breath in me)

When it comes to loving, Roan is a very touchy-feely kind of guy. He's very sweet, affectionate, in Tagalog, very "malambing". He'll make the love of his life the center of his being, the all-important person in his life. I know because that's how he makes me feel. He's introduced me to his parents, his family and friends, brought me to his home and made me feel welcome, like I fit in nicely and belong. He's very physical -- likes to cuddle, hold hands, hug, and kiss; he'll take my head and put it on his shoulder when he notices I'm sleepy or tired.

There's literally thousands of miles between us, but his love has proven that hearts can soar over land and oceans as long as both parties make the commitment to stay focused and faithful to one another. Constant communication is vital in long distance relationships; you need to make your presence felt despite the physical gap between each other.

"Mahal, there's only 24 hours in a day. The least amount of time I spend with you each day is 8 hours, and a lot of the times we go over that especially during my days off, close to 16 hours I spend with you," he tells me, "there's 9 hours of work time for me, which already includes my travel time to and from work. All of me, all my time is yours. I get by with as little as 3-4 hours of sleep, but it's worth it as long as I get to see you, talk to you, make you laugh."

Roan Turns 29! Happy Birthday, Mahal!

On Sunday, May 7, 2006, Roan celebrated his 29th birthday. He spent this day on the phone with me while he waited for my surprise for him at his house. Once he got his goodies, he spent the rest of the day with me online, on cam, playing Word Racer and Literari, and chatting. Click here to see his online birthday card and to send him your birthday greetings.