Panic!

No! I am not going to tell you about the 7.2 magnitude eartquake as the title might suggest. At least, not today. I am talking about another kind of panic.

I don't know about other bloggers but for an amateur blogger like me, the words "I've read your blog.." in any language startles me. Of course I don't show it. I say things like "thank you, what have you read?" and other generic answers but deep inside I'm fazed. I want to run home, read, reread, spell check, and grammar check all entries. Hahaha! Oooowwwvverrrr!!! But really, I do. I get conscious.

Never mind if I panic though. I am thankful. Thank you for taking some time to read. Thank you for your interest. Thank you for celebrating life with me.

xoxo


P.S.
Funny! Speaking of spell check, you must have noticed that I absentmindedly misspelled the word "earthquake" in the first part of this entry. Ayayay! (facepalm) But I won't correct it or this paragraph will make no sense. Hahaha! The importance of proofreading!

Random Sunday

I normally spend my Sundays the laziest possible way I could. This is not the first time I've told you that. Getting up for church and meals are usually the only times I get out of bed. Don't judge me!!! This Sunday was pretty much the ordinary especially when it rained. Hmmmmmm...I could sleep all day but there's Youtube and Facebook and Instagram and Pinterest and Wechat and everything else that technology has to offer. When the rain stopped, I decided to take an early dinner before the weather takes away my hunger. After dinner, back to social media.

I was all cuddled up in bed when my officemates texted me that they want me to go with them for dinner. I declined but since my apartment was near the office, they decided to ambush me and told me they will wait outside. I had to face them in all my yagit-just-woke-up-face. They didn't seem to care about how I look and that I've already eaten, they wanted me to tag along. So, I changed and went with them. I ended up doing all the talking while they devoured their meal. Hahaha! It was fun. More often than not, unplanned things are like that. Fun!!


P.S.
This is not last Sunday. This was in my drafts for weeks. Hehehe!
Is this blog-worthy? Or am I just making an excuse to write something here? Maybe. Or maybe I am just starting to decrease unpublished things in my drafts. Hahaha! At least, 1 down! Yayy!

OOTD ☼☂

As you must know, I recently got a new job. I may or may not give details later on. Being a newbie, I obviously don't have my uniform yet. They advised me to dress smart-casually. So, no jeans/t-shirts - only slacks, skirts, blouses and dresses allowed. Sorry to those who followed me on Instagram because I kind of filled my timeline with hashtag-selfies-hashtag-OOTDs. No worries though, it is only until my 10th day of no-uniform days. This is of course with a little push from my sister who wants to see what I wear everyday. Hahaha! And if you have read my previous entries, I do sure hope my mom approves. ☑

♥♥♥

Thoughtfulness!✉

Well, you are right Kym! You landed a spot in my blog. Hahaha! But even before this letter, you already did diba? --> (People of my Year)

You didn’t have to tell me you wrote it while on the train. Judging from your penmanship, I can tell you were somewhere mobile. Hahaha! Not that it’s bad but because I have always known you as a Best in Penmanship awardee. Question though, why cursive?

Anyway, thank you so much Kym! It was short but it has always been the thought that counts. We share this love for art-sy/craft-sy-doodle-scribble stuff. So yes! You are right again that I got kilig. Hahaha! In this age of FB PM, Twitter DM, Wechat, Viber, Voxer etc., we rarely get handwritten letters. Gaaahh, I want to send and receive snail mails again!

Thank you! Shout out if you've read this! ;p

10 Things I Got From My Momma! ♚

I

 am sure there are a loooot of reasons why we think our moms are the best. I might bore you with my thousand and one reasons so I’ll give you 10. The basics. Mommy has been providing me with the things that I need and want since I was in her womb. The things on this list, however, are the gifts I got from her that I am using and can use for the rest of my life. Some I may have inherited and some I have learned by growing up with a powerful woman at my side.

1. LOVE

If I am full of love for the people around me right now, then it is all because of her. She is not too generous with uttering the words “I love you” but through her actions, we feel we are loved.  She showed us love by taking care of us. How she heals our physical and emotional burns and wounds. And the “Til death do us part” love story she and Daddy had. <3>

2. Celebration

Birthdays, fiestas, holidays, graduations, achievements, etc. She always makes sure we feel special. It may not be the grandest parties but it was always memorable with her home-cooked meals. It made me realize that there is always a reason to celebrate. Small or big, we have to celebrate life.

3. Food.
From cooking to eating, she is a great influence. Because of her, I learned to love okra, durian and some of those weird food others may not eat. Now that I am away from her, I text/call her for ingredients and procedures of some recipes. She is such an expert that I feel she can cook anything –shrimps, crabs, pork, beef, fish, and pasta. My aunt told me my mom’s gisadong talong resembles that of Golden Cowrie’s. Oh ha? She even knows how to make ice cream. How cool is that? (By cool I’m referring to my mom, not the ice cream. Hahaha!) But really, for us to enjoy eating, she perfectly and patiently opens the thorny durian, removes all the eyes of the pineapple, peels layers of the baongon (pomelo), finds the best fruits for some fruit shake, etc. If I may borrow a phrase I have read somewhere, she is a “painstaking craftswoman”. Salute!!!

4.  Fashion

Before there were OOTDs (outfit of the day), she was already donning tank tops, trousers, peplums and floral dresses.  She also has those short shift dresses that Ate and I had the privilege of invading  in her closet after 20+ years. There are two things that I always hear from her when it comes to dressing up. First, “Dress for the occasion!” Expect her whining after she’s seen someone underdressed for a formal event with her famous “naunsa ba…” line. Hahaha! Second, “Dress to Kill!” Nope, not dress to impress, she wants to go for the kill! One time, I was called for an interview and I told her about it. I expected to hear “are you ready?, good luck, prepare for it...” but the first thing she said was “dapat dressed to kill ka hah”. The good luck came towards the end of the conversation. Hahahaha! I have a fashion critic for a mom.

5. Independence

Based on their childhood stories, my mom was the defendant of her siblings. Even their eldest sister would call on her to “resbak” the bullies. They even thought she was a tomboy because she would arrive at their house with bruises after having fights with the bullies. Hahaha! She was independent growing up and she passed it on to us. As early as Grade School she would allow us to travel municipalities away from home to join school competitions. During college, my classmates would receive constant calls from their parents. Checking them and restricting them of some activities but my mom never did. She said she trusts me enough to do the right thing, and the trust was so empowering that indeed I took extra careful steps with my actions. Thanks mom!

6. Strength

When my Dad passed away last 1998, the mom and dad role was given to her. I’m sure it took her a lot of patience, endurance and more. Clearly, it showed she has strength in all aspects (i.e physical, mental, emotional, etc). I can never be of par with the strength that she has but I give all the credit to her of what inner strength I may have today. With these, she has also instilled in me the words “choose your battles.” It’s not always the number of battles you’ve won, its how you fought.

7. Laugh!

Proof. Mommy making her siblings laugh.

If there is one thing that is constant in the family, that would be laughter. Our parents were blessed with a great sense of humor that some of us inherited it. No bias, so I won’t tell you how much humor I may have inherited. Chos! Even during difficult times, we manage to inject humor to the situation. My mom, she has her ways. I had this incident where I left my wallet so I was short of cash, I was panicking. I texted her with some 3 linked messages and she replied with a short “Relax, don’t panic. Coming…” I don’t know if she meant it that way but it made me laugh. And when she finally arrived, while laughing she told me “maygani naa mi, kung wala, nakapanghugas gyud kas plato”. She maybe corny with her jokes sometimes but it makes the feeling lighter and that is what is important for me.

8. Value Memories

Photo Albums. When we hear that, we would initially think Facebook albums. To my mom, those were the pictures she kept of us since we were born. If she didn’t keep them, we would not have anything to revisit for our #throwbackthursdays posts. Hahaha! Kidding aside, I learned from her that during natural calamities; always grab the photo albums first or for this age and time - the media cards, USBs and the hard drives that contain our photos. You can have the material things back. The moments, you can not recapture. She taught us to keep in heart our childhood memories. Bruises, uneven bangs...all those embarrassing moments that made us cry before, but is making us laugh now.

9.  Make Lasting Friendships

My mom is the friendliest. No exaggeration. When you walk with her to a certain destination, give some time allowance because she would make time to greet her friends and acquaintances she'll meet along the way. We call her stopovers “istasyon”, as in like the station of the cross where you stop by station to station and linger for awhile. She is a great friend that is for sure. Now that she has retired from teaching, she spends most of her time reuniting with her grade school friends who are also retirees. They still even travel together with overnight trips. Beat that! Doesn’t it inspire you to reconnect with your friends so you can have these lifetime friendships as well? I would want that!!! So friends, watch out! When we grow old, I will hunt you so we can bake some granny cookies together! Hahaha!

10. Travel

She loves travelling. I thought this love for travel only started after Dad passed away. As diversion, she would spend her summer breaks away from home. I was wrong. It started way back when she was still a little girl. According to her stories, everytime she hears her aunt planning on a Cebu overnight trip, she would then get some clothes and secretly put it inside her aunt’s baggage. On the day of the travel itself, she would dress up and wait by the door so her aunt can’t say no. Hahaha! Smart move mommy! She does it all the time and it never fails. Her getaways came back starting 1998. Visits to pop local destinations such as Baguio and Tagaytay. We even had a family trip with my aunts and cousins to as far as the tip of the Philippine map at our Lola’s hometown in Kalinga Mountain Province. Oooohh the solar power, full-body-tattoed old women, people-eating-chili-like-it-is-candy, etc. After that, she took bigger steps with her walking shoes to neighboring countries in Asia. A week before her scheduled trips, she would already have her bags packed. And she has this little notebook that she carries with her everywhere. I asked her about it and she said that she lists there all the places that she has visited from all her travels so that when the time comes that she won’t be able to travel anymore, she would just sit by the rocking chair and revisit the places by reading her little notebook. Aaaaaah, good thinking! Inevitably, her travel adventures rubbed in on us, on me. From small getaways to planned trips, she is the inspiration.

For all these gifts and influences, I can never be thankful enough. You shaped me into the person that I am now. Thank you mommy! Now, if you find something good in me, I have to tell you "I got it from my momma..."☺  

But even without these things, I still owe her a lot. The long 9 months, the excruciating pain of giving birth, the sleepless nights and the headaches I have caused her. I love you mother! Happy Mother’s Day all day every day, all year long!!! Let’s travel the world! ✈

♥♥♥

A Letter for Gra! ✉

Dearest  Gra,

I wasn’t able to greet you in any way on your birthday. No text message sent, no FB wall post, no instagram collage post, nothing. L Sooo Gra, Gracey, Graz, Grazziiee, Gracia, Grace, this one is for you.

 

Grace as in Graceful. Not just with your dancing but with the way you handle life. You are someone with a beautiful soul that matches your pretty face. No ka-echosan! You are one of the nicest people I’ve ever met. You always give people chances even if they’ve hurt you. When you are having a bad day, you just keep it to yourself. Headphones in and silence. That is all you ever do. You approach people with such calmness and a soft voice to match that no chaos ever happens. You are the best co-worker/teammate anyone could ever have.

And since we’ve mentioned graceful and dancing, yes you are IT!!! Kinect, Zumba, Cheerleading and dance contests ... you’ve done it all. You are our resident J to the L-o. Keep it up! Hahaha!

Gracey the Selfie. Back when ‘selfies’ were not even uso, she was already doing it big time. Hahaha! I remember when we had our company Christmas Party in Manila, we were roomies. I was already sleeping but she was still up taking pictures. Hahaha! I have proof! If ever she denies, well here it is. Exhibit A: Just a few of those moments.  :p

 

Mary Grace the Daughter. Even if you are an only child, I do not see you as a spoiled brat. Well, maybe when you were little. As Kuya Ray  would say “ana gyud na basta only child…” Hahahaha! Good thing that you obey your parents. If you did not quit your previous job as advised by your parents, we would never have met, and that would be just saaad. L It is admirable how much you respect and love your parents and even sacrificed some things for them. Again, keep it up! ;p

Graz Graz the friend. You are one of those friends that I for one would say “for keeps”.  Three years and counting. We talk, we cry, we share but most of all we LAUGH! We see each other more than 8 hours a day, almost 7days a week yet we never run out of chika. Thank you for sharing with me your love for TV series (speaking of… asa na ang Hart of Dixie S2?!?) and sorry that I can’t ever watch TVD. Hahahaha!

Together with Gelibean - we had our yagit days, sooooo many bulay moves, sablay plans and random happy, priceless moments.  May we have more movies to watch, yogurts to share, Nutella and skyflakes to eat, adventures, travel plans like the Dumaguete trip and many many ticks on our ever-growing checklist.

I just have to insert this Sims House I made for us 3. Mwahahaha!

But now that Gelibean left, mag-master na ta na kita ra! ;p

I miss you! Let’s Metro 6^th floor soooon!! Take care always. May God grant you the desires of your heart.  Lav yewwww!!!

xoxo,

Aden

P.S. To Geli, if you are reading this…we miss you too! Hahahaha! ;p

The Speech ✍

I

f you ever wondered why I do such speech –y birthday greetings on Facebook, here is one reason why. I was supposed to deliver a speech and was not able to. Not that I was late or I chickened-out, it just did not push through. Some must have known the reason why but since it is not my story to tell, I won’t give details.

For the time I have spent doing some research on the format. For the night I made my flash cards. For the rehearsals I made in front of the mirror, I think it is just fair to share to you a transcript of the speech that never made it.

.my flash cards.

“Hi! Good afternoon everyone! I am equally honored and pressured to speak in front of the people that the couple has chosen to celebrate this very special day with.

By the way, I am Aden…a friend of the couple who happens to know their love story.

I have known *bleep* (name of girl) since Grade 3. We were both transferees so we clicked instantly. We got even closer when we realized we are blood-related and we became neighbors, as in stones-throw away (adlib). Bisan seatmates, classmates, uban paingon and pauli from school, magchika gyapon pagkagabii sa wall in between our houses. We were like that until high school. Our stories on that wall ranged from tricks sa Chinese garter, jackstone, slipper game to assignment to horror stories and eventually to Crushes. Eventhough, daghaaaaaan kaayo siya suitors, erase tanan pag-abot ni *bleep* (guy’s name). It was crush at first sight. [Author’s note: as of this writing, I want to throw-up with this thought L ] She talks about him all the time, not just to me but to the other 5 girls in our barkada. “

[Let me skip this part of my speech where I share more of the love story because I am actually raising my eyebrows and batting my eyelashes now. So, next…]

“I know *bleep* (guy’s name) as someone who is friendly, accommodating, thoughtful, responsible and always makes sure that (girl’s name) is happy.   Eventually, you will have a family. (Girl), I have seen you move around your house. (Guy), I have seen how you take care of (Girl). You will have a happy home. I have faith in your love for each other (not!) “

(insert text convo with Girl last March)

May you live forever in love and may love live forever in you. Best wishes!!!”

Sadly, not all love stories have happy endings. And this that I wrote the supposed speech for - came to a bad end.

To the Guy, see you when I see you! Thank you! *evil smirk*

To the girl who happens to be one of my best friends, this is not your love story. Your happy ending is just around the corner. You are a strong woman, and with the love of all the people that is surrounding you right now, better days will come. It was nice talking to you recently where we had a couple of laughs. You are an inspiration of strength. May God bless you always!

♥♥♥